The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-18 00:00:00

211 E NAVY.

Daring their official visit to the • Plymouth
Breakwater on Thursday, and after the Lords of
the Admiralty had examined the site of the Shovel
Fort, they made inquiries whether it would not be
possible to have a depot for 2,000 tons of coal in
connection with the building. From what trans-
spired it seems very probable that this inquiry will
lead to a practical result. The floating depot La-
vinia, which holds 1,500 tons only, will be re-
moved, and an available space sufficient for moor-
ing a frigate will thus be added to the Admiralty
anchorage in the Sound.
The Rattler, 17, screw, Commander E. H.
Howard, arrived at Spithead on Saturday frcm
Sheerness, en route to China.
The paddlewheel steam yacht Osborne, with the
Lords of the Admiralty on board, left Plymouth
Sound on Saturday afternoon for Pembroke.
The Prussian screw steam frigate Gazelle, 28,
Captain Heldt, with H.R.H. Prince Adalbert, the
Admiral of the Prussian fleet, left Plymouth Sound
on Saturday morning, for Brest.

The Fire Queen paddle yacht, Master Com-
mander Paul, arrived at Portsmouth yesterday
afternoon from Guernsey, having made the passage
in nine and a half hours against a strong N.N.E.
wind. The Fire Queen embarked on Saturday, at
Weymouth, Major-Gen. Slade, the Lieut.-Governor
of Guernsey, accompanied by Mr. and Miss Slade,
for conveyance to Guernsey, and arrived there at
five p.m, the same afternoon. His Excellency
landed under a salute. The Fire Queen made the
passage to Guernsey from Weymouth in six hours.
The Admiralty transport Lively, having landed
the carriage, slide, and the 270-pounder solid shot
for the monster Horsfall gun at Chatham dockyard,
was placed under the floating shears in Chatham
harbour on Saturday, to enable the gun to be lifted
out, a party of 100 shipwrights and labourers hav-
ing been sent from the dockyard to assist in the
operation. As soon as the target now under con-
struction at Chatham dockyard has been completed
the gun, which, together with the carriage and slide,
weighs upwards of 30 tons, will be despatched to
Shoeburyness, where a series of experiments will be
made with it, under the superintendence of the Ord-
nance Select Committee.

An order was received at Chatham yesterday,
from the Admiralty, directing the screw corvette
Rattlesnake, 21, 1,705 tons, 400 horse power, to be
put in commission and fitted for sea. She is to have
a complement of 270 officers and men, including 36
non-commissioned officers, gunners, and privates of
the Royal Marines.

The following appointments were made on Satur-
day at the Admiralty :—Capt. A. P. E. Wilnaot, to
the Rattlesnake ; F. Piper, master, to the Argus ;
J. Lyon, paymaster, to the Rattlesnake ; A. Boys
and T. Goodman, assist.-paymasters, promoted to
the rank of paymaster; A. H. Price is to be naval
and victualling storekeeper at Hongkong, vice
Richards, invalided.

7 HE' ARMI

Major-Gen. Bloomfield, Inspector-General of the
Royal Artillery, and Col. Henry, R.A., left town
on Saturday for Milford Haven on official business.
The head quarters of the sth (Royal Irish) Lan-
cers, and three squadrons of the regiment, under the
command of Lieut.-Col. Portal, arrived at the north
camp, Aldershot, on Thursday, from Hounslow,and
the remaining squadrons on the following day.
Their stay at Aldershot, however, will not be of long
duration, the head quarters and three troops being
under orders for Norwich, three troops for Ipswich,

and two troops for Northampton on the 3dproximo.
A squadron of the 18th Hussars, under Capt. Ar-
buthnot, arrived at Aldershot on Thursday from

Hounslow, and are quartered in the West Cavalry

Barracks.

The head quarters and three troops of the 16th
Lancers (Lieut.-Col. Dickson) are under orders to
leave the West Cavalry Barracks, Aldershot, on the
2,1 prox., for Sheffield; one field officer and three
troops for Preston ; and two troops for Burnley.
The headquarters and three troops of the 9th
Lancers (Lieut.-Col. Drysdale, C. 8.) left Cove-com-
mon, Aldershot, where they have been under can-
vass, on Thursday, for Brighton. On the same day
one troop marched for Shorncliffe.
A flying column, consisting of the 12th Lancers,
two field batteries of the Royal Artillery, a detach-
ment of the Military Train, 2d battalion let Royals,
64th Regiment, 76th Regiment, and a detachment
of the Commissariat Staff corps, the whole under
the command of Major-Gen. B. Taylor, will march
from Aldershot and encamp as under :—This day
at Sandhurst; Tuesday, near Bowley Reservoir,
where they will halt till Wednesday ; Thursday,
Woolmer, where the column will halt till Saturday
next, 23d inst., when it will return to Aldershot.
The following changes in the destinations of the
Royal Artillery at present stationed at Aldershot
have been directed to take place :,—A battery Royal
Horse (Brevet-Major Tupper), to Bristol and thence
to Dublin, leaving Aldershot on Ist prox. ; B bat-
tery, Royal Horse (Capt. L. Paget), to Dorchester
on 15th prox. ; I battery, Royal Horse (Capt. Saun-
ders), for Dublin, via Bristol, on Bth pros. A and
S batteries will be replaced at Aldershot by C and
G batteries, from Dublin. I battery, 4th brigade,
Royal Artillery (Brevet Lieut.-Col. Barstow), will
proceed to Hilsea, on Ist prox., and K battery, 4th
brigade (Brevet Lieut.-Col. J. D. Shakespear), will
also march for Hilsea on the 15th prox.
The course of experiments lately carried out in
the camp at Aldershot, under the superintendence
of Capt. Bolton (12th Regiment), with his newly-
invented lime light signal apparatus and system of
telegraphy, having been brought to a conclusion,
Lieut,-Gen. Sir J. L. Pennefather, accompanied by
his
staff, attended at the Bell Hill on Thurs-
ug evening last to test the results of the system.
Telegraph stations were established at Coosar's
Camp, cove-common, and Bagshot, and messages
were sent to and from the various places with great
rapidity and. correctness, the light being particu-
larly bright anal,
eautiful, although the state of the
atmosphere was veryivhazy The trials lasted from
about half-past 8 until
o'clock, when Sir J. L.
Pennefather expressed. to
the inventor his satisfac-
tion at the successfu. l results he had witnessed, and
leplayed.l)7 the men, who had
at the proficiency di
been so short a time under instruction. This in-
vention is likely to prove of
'eat, value in future
warfare, as by its means communications
be
established where it would be impossibl® can
at. to lay the
electric wire, and madesignalssTtdistances hitherto
The system posse
deemed impracticable.. possesses the
interruption,
advantage of not being liable to from
the enemy. Capt. Bolton having now successfully
carried on his experiments at Woolwich, Chathao,,
and Aldcrshott, will proceed to Portsmouth, where
his system will be still further tested.
Major-Gen. A. B. Stransham, the neWIY ap-
pointed Inspector-General of Royal Marines, Wu
•
to-day commence the autumnal inspection of the
Chatham division, under the command of Col. T.
Leman, C. 8., after which he will proceed on his
tour of inspection of the other divisions of Royal
Marines.
The last of the draughts of troops to be despatched
from the camp at Colchester during the present sea-
son has now left. On Friday a detachment of the
10th battalion, stationed at Languard Fort, Har-
wich, was relieved by 59 non-commissioned officers
and men from the same battalion, under the com-
mand of Brevet-Major Brown, 88th Regiment,
accompanied by Lieut, Davidson and Ensign
eetleY, 88th, and Lieut. Shaw and Ensign Vigne,
97th, On Saturday a corresponding detachment
of the 9th battalion was relieved by 60 non-com-
missioned officers and men, under the command of
Capt. Bassett, of the 56th. Several small parties of
recruits arrived. at
week.

A notification was Yesterday received at Chat-
ham garrison, from the Department, announcing
that, on the recommendation of the Ordnance Select
Committee, the Secretary of
State for War, with
the concurrence of his Royal -pm.
—ighness the General
Commanding-in-Chief, has aPProvQd an alteration
in the service charges of the 110-pounder Armstrong
guns. Those of the unstrengthened pattern aro in
future to be fired with a 111 b charge of Powder,
while those of the strengthened pattern, or most
recent manufacture, are to be fired with 121 b. of

powder for common and segment shell, and 141 b. of
powder for solid shot.
At the Aldershot Camp sports, which were post-
poned from the previous Thursday until Wednesday
last, it is estimated that there were between 8,000
and 10,000 persons. The sports beg at 1 o'clock,
and were not concluded until past 7. In the flat
race of 100 yards, for officers at the camp, Lieut.
Pearse, 76th Regiment, obtained the first prize ;
Ensign Alexander, 76th Regiment, the second ; and
Lieut. Toogood, R.A., the third. In the hurdle
raee, for officers, 250 yards, over five flights of
hurdles, the successful competitors were-Ist, Lieut.
Bathe, sth Fusiliers; 2d, Ensign Alexander; 3d,
Ensign Harris, M.T. In the first race of half a
mile, for officers, Lieut. Toogood was first ; Lieut.
Col. the Hon. H. H. Clifford, Assist. Quartermaster-
General, second ; and Ensign Harris, third. In the
flat race of one mile, open to all, Lieut.-Col. Clifford
came in first, accomplishing the distance in 4 min.
50 sec. ; Private Conway, 26th Cameronians, second;
and Private %Vren, 2d battalion, 20th Regiment,
third. For putting the shot, 241 b, open to all, Pri-
vate Finnigan, Bth King's, took the first prize ;
Lieut. Pearse, second ; and Gunner AP]) ougall,
third. In the champion race (300 yards) open to all,
Private Lloyd, 76th Regiment, came in first ; Pri-
vate Brewer, 2d Regiment, second; and Lieut.
Toogood, third. The affair was highly successful,
and created much interest. The prizes to the suc-
cessful competitors were distributed at the close of
the sports by Lady Pennefather, the wife of the
Lieut.-General commanding.