The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-02 00:00:00

The Queen's Prize for Volunteer Artillery
Practice,

Yesterday, at Shoeburyness, detachments of Vol-
unteer Artillery corps competed for a prize of £lOO
presented by her Majesty the Queen to the National
Artillery Association. This was the second day of
the Association's meeting, a prize given by Lord
Palmerston, and known as the " Palmerston Prize,"
value £4O, having been competed for on Monday,
and won by the second detachment of the Ist Sus-
sex (Brighton) Volunteer Artillery, the weapon used
being the 18-pounder, the score made in the five
rounds being 27 points in 5 minutes 42 seconds. The
firing for the Queen's Prize was carried on in the
presence of Lord Hardinge and a number of distin-
guished officers, and the practice was better than on
the previous day, for whereas on Monday seven out
of the twenty detachments entered were above the
time allowed for the five rounds—namely, eight
minutes, only one was on this day, and the scores
generally were higher, while the time taken in firing
was considerably less in some instances. Each de-
tachment had its choice of the gun to be used, and
while four detachments of the Ist Sussex fired with
the 18-pounder,which is generally considered a dis-
advantageous gun, the two detachments of the Ist
Kent made choice of the 68-pounder ; the remainder
of the detachments, which included men from the
Ist and 2d Middlesex, the 3d Durham, the West
York, the 2d Essex, the Ist A, Ist B, and Ist C
Cinque Ports, and 4th Cinque Ports, all elected to
fire with the 32-pounder. The maximum points to
be obtained for each shot were three for elevation
and three for deflection, with one extra where a
" target" hit was gained, so that if a detachment hit
the target every shot, and did not exceed the time
allowed, 36 points, would be gained. The compe-
tition commenced as soon as the state of tide per-
mitted, and ; this was about 10 30, at which time
there was a variable wind from the left rear and left,
which caused great inconvenience by driving the
smoke so as to interfere with the elevation marking
from the sands, which was signalled by means of a
simple contrivance hit upon by Captain Vidler, of
the Cinque Ports Volunteer Artillejy, and used now
for the first time at Shoeburyness. All the de-
tachments, with the exception of two, had fired,
when the rising tide stopped the competition,
leaving de victors of the previous day with the
highest score, and one which is not likely to be
beaten. This score, 28 points, was. made in smin.
36sec., and the nearest to it were those made by the
fourth detachment of the same corps, who made 27
in smin. 44sec. ; the Ist B Cinque Ports, who made
27 in 7min. 36sec. (with the 32-pounder), and the
4th West Norfolk, who made 25 in 6min. 56sec.
The firing was superintended by Colonel Fisher,
and the general arrangements were carried out by
the Royal Artillery. A " Sports Committee " of
officers have got up various prizes for swimming,
running, and hop and jump races, and for general
athletic sports, and, though the weather was very
wet on Monday, a camp fire was held, at which the
general features of the association were discussed,
and its arrangements freely criticised. The camp
is under said military discipline, and the discom-
forts of a camp life in somewhat boisterous weather
are borne by the Volunteers with praiseworthy for-
titude.