The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-27 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty will
arrive in Chatham this morning for the purpose of
commencing their annual inspection of the dock-
yard, the vessels of war, and the naval establish-
ment at the port.
The first supply of the eight-inch rolled armour-
plates for the ironclad frigate Bellerophon has been
received at Chatham Dockyard from the establish-
ment of Messrs. Cammell and Co., of the Cyclops
Ironworks, Sheffield, the firm which has undertaken
to prepare the whole of the plates of the above de-
scription required by the Admiralty. The eight-inch
plates are intended to cover the reconnoitring tower
which is now being erected on the fighting deck of
the Bellerophon, slightly abaft of the mainmast.
This tower, the iron framework of which was con-
structed in the dockyard, and afterwards removed and
fitted on the upper deck of the frigate, is very mas-
sive, and far surpasses in strength and capacity any of
the reconnoitring towers hitherto constructed. It is
elliptical and of sufficient size to allow several persons
to stand within it during action. The inner portion
of the tower is formed of the same plate-iron as was
used in the construction of the Bellerophon, riveted
to the ordinary iron framing. Attached to the
framing will be the timber backing, to which will
be bolted the armour-plates, which latter will be of
a thickness of eight inches on the port and star-
board sides of the tower, where the chances of shot
striking are the greatest, and six inches in thickness
on the fore and aft sides of the tower. The entrance
to the tower will be from the gun-deck, and com-
munication will be carried on from the tower to the
engine-room and steersmen by means of the electric
telegraph, the upper deck during action being en-
tirely clear, and the whole of the officers and crew
within the protection of the gun battery.
Rear-Admiral Edward Fanshawe, Gunnery Lord
of the Board of Admiralty ; Mr. E. J. Reed, Chief
Constructor of the Royal Navy ; Capt. Astley C.
Key, C. 8., and Lieut. Charles D. Saunders, cap-
tain and first-lieutenant of her Majesty's gunnery-
ship Excellent, at Portsmouth, yesterday attended
at Woolwich, by previous appointment, and in-
spected the working of Commander Scott's new iron
gun-carriage intended for heavy armament at sea.
They were met in the dockyard and accompanied
in the inspection by Commodore-Superintendent
Hugh Duncoinbe, C. 8., Capt. Connolly, appointed
to the Fisgard, for command of the Pallas ; Com-
mander George Towsey, Commander Biddlecombe,
Master-Attendant ; Commander Lake, Comman-
der Scott, Mr. Trickett, who superintended the con-
struction of the carriage in Woolwich factory, Mr.
Turner and Mr. Henwood, master-shipwrights, and
other officers of the yard. The carriage was mounted
with one of Mr. Anderson's 121-ton guns (smooth-
bore), placed in front of a wooden section of a ship's
broadside, in order to illustrate the working of the
carriage in various manoeuvres as at sea. After
pointing out the principle on which the carriage
is constructed (which, it is stated, is adapted for
the fighting- deck of the armour - clad ram Pallas,
in course of completion at Woolwich), Com-
mander Scott gave the word for training and run-
ning out the gun for action. This was done by the
simple working of the machinery in the hands of four
men only, instead of hauling at the blocks and tackle
as formerly by 10 or 12 men. The compressor was
worked by a single man, and the transporting gear
by two. By this means the gun can be removed to
any part of the deck required with extraordinary
facility. The running-out gear is worked by an
endless chain, and the elevation and depression of
the gun was carried out with ease by a single man.
The committee, who spent a considerable time in
the inspection of the new gun-carriage, appeared
perfectly satisfied with the result.
Her Majesty's paddle steam storeship Dee, Master
Commander Raymond, laden with engines and
boilers for the Mermaid, building at Cowes, ma-
chinery for the Amazon, and stores for the western
yards, sailed yesterday from Woolwich.
The Lords of the Admiralty have issued instruc-

tions for a second trial of the breech-loading carbine
on Terry's patent, tobe made on board her Majesty's
ship Excellent, at Portsmouth, under the supervision
of Captain Astley C. Key, C. 8., with a view to its

further adoption in the army and navy, the 18th
Hussars, Cape Mounted Rifles, and other regiment.,
being already supplied with this weapon. The
first trial of the carbine took place on board the
ExCellent in 1858, when 1,800 rounds were fired
from it without cleaning, and its efficiency appeared,
by the official reports, to have been fully proved by
the result of the trials.

The Royal Sovereign, 5, turret ship, Capt. F. A.
Herbert, has been directed by the Admiralty to re-
main for a short time after the departure of the
French squadron in Plymouth Sound to enable the
seamen gunners of the gunnery ship Cambridge to
become acquainted by a course of drill with the
principle of working guns of exceptional weight in
turrets. We understand that on the Royal Sove-
reign leaving Spithead for Plymouth Sound to meet
the French ironclad squadron, Capt. C. P. Coles
requested permission from the Admiralty to accom-
pany the ship on her cruise, but that the request
was refused, on the ground that the ship was not
proceeding on a cruise in the Channel or to Cher-
bourg, but was merely going as far as Plymouth
Sound and back thence direct to Spithead. 'This
appears to have been the answer of some subordi-
nate, as no member of the Board would be likely to
have framed such an absurd reply to so reasonable
a request.

The Helicon, paddle, new despatch vessel, 837
tons, 250-horse power, is in the Warrior dock at
Portsmouth, having a metal facing on her stern,
preparatory to her trial of speed over the measured
mile in Stokes Bay. To inquiries made yeste.rday
from the Admiralty as to the time when the Helicon
will be committed and ready for trial the dockyard
authorities were unable to return a positively defi-
nite reply. The metal facing for the vessel's stern
will weigh about nowt. It measures eight inches
in breadth, where it clasps the stem with its inner-
mos)s part and tapers of to about 11 inches at its
apex, where it will cut the water.
The new description of boom constructed at
Chatham Dockyard, under the direction of the
Floating Obstruction Committee appointed by the
Admiralty, has been removed to the entrance of the
harbour, where it is moored in readiness for the
trials to be made with it in the presence of Vice-
Admiral Sir C. Talbot, K.C.8., Naval Commander-
in-Chief, and under the superintendence pf the
members of the committee. The paddlewheel steam
frigate Gladiator, 6, 430 horse-power, Capt. E. D.
Aplin, has been specially appointed by the Admi-
ralty to be used in the trials to be made against the
boom.

The iron-cased cupola ship Royal Sovereign, 5,
Capt. F. A. Herbert, left Plymouth Sound yester-
day morning for the eastward.
The squadron of the 17th Lancers hitherto sta-
tioned at Ipswich has been removed to Colchester.
Lieut. Smyth, of the 63d Regiment, Ensign Burnell,
of the 97th Regiment, two sergeants, two corporals,
and six privates from the 4th and Bth Depot Batta-
lions, are ordered to proceed to the Hythe School of
Musketry to-day, for the purpose of undergoing a
course of instruction. Lieut. Whyte, of the 2d Bat-
talidn 6th Regiment, is ordered to join the depot of
his corps; and Lieut. Skey, of the 38th Regiment,
is to remain with the depot until further orders.
Three sergeants, one drummer, and 25 privates of
the depot of the 41st Regiment have left Colchester
for Dublin, to join the service companies of the
corps ordered to India. Capt. Boyce, Lieut. Leason,
Lieut. 'Walker, Ensign Cowslade, one sergeant, and
86 rank and file of the 34th Regiment have left
Colchester to embark for Calcutta, to join the ser-
vice companies of their corps. A draught of the
82d Regiment,
_consisting of Ensign Collum, 3 ser-
geants, 3 drummers, and 29 rank and file, has left
Colchester for the purpose of embarking for India.
Capt. Evans, of the 38th Regiment, has been with-
drawn from the draught of his corps, under orders
for India, at the recommendation of the Army Me-
dical Board. Capt. lla.ssell, Capt. Maxwell, Ensign
Stanton, and 30 rank and file Ist Battalion Ist Regi-
ment; Ensign Price, 3 sergeants, 1 private, and a
number of women and children of the 103 d Ikgi -
merit; and 4 rank and file and some women and
children of the 16th Lancers, will leave Colchester
on Saturday for embarkation to India.

The following engineers and assistant-engineers,

belonging to the Sheerness!Steam Reserve, have re-
ceived second-class certificates of efficiency for having
successfully passed the half-yearly examination
from a series of questions prepared by the Rev. Dr.
Woolley, LL.D., one of her Majesty's inspectors of
schools, recently held in Sheerness Dockyard :
William Dark, engineer, to her Majesty's ship Fear-
less ; William Ross, engineer, to her Majesty's ship
Icarus ; Richard E. Taplin, engineer, to her Ma-
jesty's ship Pigeon ; S. J. Bird, first-class assist.-
engineer, to her Majesty'sship Collingwood ; George
Sullivan, first-class assist.-engineer, to her Majesty's
ship Bellerophon; J. Bell, first-class assist. -engineer,
to her Majesty's ship Orestes; 0. T. V. Forster,
first-class assist.-engineer, to her Majesty's ship
Cumberland ; James Mutter, first-class assist.-en-
gineer, to her Majesty's ship Thrasher; James J.
Conway, first-class assist.-engineer, to her Majesty's
ship Cumberland ; and J. W. Dupen, second-class
assist.-engineer, to her Majesty's ship Adder. There
were 31 candidates for examination.

The following naval engineer students yesterday
received their examination tickets at Woolwich from
Dr. Woodley, by order of the Board of Admiralty :
—Mr. J. T. Trickett, Mr. J. M'Garahan, Mr.
Robert Madge, Mr. 'William Milln, Mr, William
Giles, Mr. Peter Baldwin, Mr. Thomas Parker, Mr
John Mather, Mr. William Hardee, Mr. William
Nicholson, Mr. William Stewart, Mr. Thomas Hat-
ton, Mr. Joseph Jefferies, and Mr. William Harris.
The examinations were conducted with great se-
crecy. The questions were transmitted to each can-
didate under a sealed cover, and the answers were
returned to Dr. Woodley in a like manner.
The following apppoihtments have been made in
the Royal Naval Reserve ;—To be Lieut., William
Gardiner ; to be Honorary Lieut., James Seward
Field.