The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-16 00:00:00

Thy " flying column" to which we referred lea
Monday, returned to the camp at Aldershot al
Tuesday, not having made any movement from the
original destination, Sandhurst. The next column
will be despatched on the 22d inst., and will con-
sist of the 2d Dragoons (Scots Greys), the 21st
Royal North British Fusiliers, the Ist Battalion
13th Light Infantry, the 92d Highlander; and the
usual detachments of engineer and military trains
and commissariat staff corps. The column will
march to Sandhurst, remaining there till Saturday
the 24th. It will move on that day to Bourlay
Bottom, near Aldershot, halting there over Sunday,
and proceeding on Monday to Woolmer Forest. It
will remain there, weather permitting, till the last
day of the month. The column will be under the
command of Brigadier-General Adams, C. 8., com-
manding the 2d Infantry Brigade.
Capt. Astley Key, C. 8., commanding her Ma-
jesty's ship Excellent, and Senior Naval Gunnery
Officer, embarked yesterday morning on board the
ironcased screw corvette Research, 4 guns, Capt. A.
Wilmshurst, at Spithead. Immediately afterwards
the vessel weighed her anchor and steamed out south-
ward of the Nab lightship for experimental practice
with her 100-pounder smoothbore guns, to test the
working of the carriages. The ship was under weigh
about seven hours. The following is the result of
the experiments :--The new Admiralty iron carriage,
on Commander Scott's plan, made the first 10 rounds
in 10 min. 50 sec., with a charge of 201 b.-F ; the
second 10 rounds in 8 min. 10 sec., with a charge of
251 b.-D ; and 15 rounds in 11 min. 42 sec., with a
charge of 251 b.-D. The wooden gun-carriage, on
the improved pattern received from the arsenal at
Woolwich, made the first 10 rounds in 8 min. 31
sec., with a charge of 201 b.-F ; the second 10 rounds
in 9 min. 10 sec., with a charge of 251 b.-D ; and 15
rounds in 12 min. 57 sec., with a charge of 251 b.-D.
Both carriages worked well, and much better than
the old pattern carriage. The iron carriage was
worked with 9 men as its crew, and the improved
wooden carriage with 12 men, being 333- per cent. in
favour of the iron carriage in this respect. As re-
gards the time, it will be found to be four seconds
in favour of the wooden carriage in the total of 35
rounds fired, but there were accompanying favour-
able conditions which fully accounted for this. The
Research will make her next trial in about a week's
time. There was very little wind during the trials,
and the water was found too smooth for a " roll."
The Urgent screw troopship, Capt. S. H. Hen-
derson, arrived at Portsmouth yesterday morning
from Leith, with a portion of the 74th Highlanders
on board, comprising Major John Jago, Capt. and
Brevet-Major J. S. Menzies ; Capts. A. Davies, R.
C. Deane, and F. R. Thackeray ; Lieuts. P. M'Laren,
J. F. Darville, T. Colville, and R. R R. Glasgow ;
Ensigns C. M. M'Alpine and D. D. APL. M‘Leod ;
Assist.-Surg. R. Burkith, and 175 men. The troops
were disembarked at Portsmouth dockyard soon
after the Urgent's arrival, and sent on by rail to
Aldershot camp, via Farnborough. As soon as the
disembarkation of the troops had been effected, the
Urgent commenced coaling, being under orders to
leave Portsmouth this afternoon for Gravesend, to
receive on board there the remainder of the 71st
Regiment, for conveyance to Leith.
Instructions have been received at Chatham dock-
yard from the Admiralty, conveying the announce-
ment that their Lordships have decided on adopting
one uniform height of port-sill in all vessels of war
carrying guns above 95 cwt., and that the height
has been fixed uniformly at 2ft. 2in. The same order
also directs the height of the axis of guns of from 6
to 12 ton to be 3 min. 7 sec. above the deck when
the gun is run out, and the axis of 6-ton guns, whe-
ther rifled or smoothbore, of 3 4.5 sec. when the
gun is run out.

The Plover, 5, 426 tons, 80-horse power, in the
third division of the Chatham steam reserve, is or-
dered to be sold out of the service, together with
the whole of her machinery and boilers, and the
principal portion of her stores and gear. The Plover
was recently paid off at Chatham after nearly four
years' service, and having on survey been found de-
fective, the Admiralty have wisely decided on selling
her out of the service instead of allowing her to lie
rotting and encumbering the navigation in Chatham
harbour.

On Tuesday the Lizard, 3, on particular service,
arrived in Great Yarmouth roads. On the same day
the screw steam frigate Dauntless, 31, arrived and
embarked the Coastguard of the district for their
annual training. Both steamers left on Wednesday,
the Dauntless for the north.

Her Majesty's screw storeship Supply, Staff-Com.
C. Bawden, arrived at Spithead yesterday morning
from the Mediterranean, with returned stores and a
few invalids. She sailedfrom Malta on the Ist inst.,
and called in at Gibraltar on the 7th. On the 9th,
with the Burling's Light bearing N.N.E., distant 12
miles, thebrigHarlequin, of the Clyde, was spoken,
from Nicolaef bound to Oporto, 32 days out from
Constantinople, the wind at the time being light
from N.W.,, and weather fine. On the following
day, in lat 41-23 N., long 9 28 W., she spoke her
Majesty's screw storeship Dromedary, steaming to
the S.S.W. On the 13th, in lat. 47 28 N., long.

6 44 W., exchanged numbers with the screw steam-
ship Demetrius, in tow of a steam-tug showing 3d
pendant, No. 465, both being under fore and aft
canvas and steering to the N.N.E., and requesting
by signal to be reported at the first port made, the
wind at the time was strong from E. by S. On the
14th in the Channel, Berry Head bearing N.N.W.
12 miles, at 6 45 p.m., she passed the ship Southern
Cross, of London, running down Channel under
studding sails, the wind being very light from S.S.E.
The Supply experienced light winds from Gibraltar
to Cape St. Vincent, thence to Cape Finisterre light

N.W. breezes and calms. From Finisterre to Uskant

'resh winds from E. by N. to E.S.E., and up Channel

Light easterly and S.S.E. winds. The few invalids
:8) from the Mediterranean fleet by the Supply were

transferred from her yesterday, after which she sailed

from Spithead for Woolwich to land her cargo of
returned obsolete stores, principally belonging to the
War Department.
The troops brought to England from India in the
hired sailing transport Donald Mackay, the arrival

of which at Spithead from Kurrachee was announced
in The Sun of yesterday, were disembarked from the

ship at an early hour yesterday morning, and sent
to their several destinations, the invalided men to

the Victoria Hospital at Netley, and the time-expired
men to the depots of their respective regiments. At
10 a.m. the Donald Mackay was towed out of Ports-

mouth harbour, and made sail for London when
clear of the shoals, with a light breeze from S.S.W.
The following appointMents were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Capt. Francis IL Shortt, to the
Formidable, as additional for service in the
Favourite ; Captain Elphinstone D'O. D' A. Alpin,

to the Gladiator ; Commander Algernon G. Woot-

ton to the Black Prince ; Lieut. George Blakeley,
to the Wellesley, for service in the sailing reserve,
vice Lake ; Lieut. Francis B. Renshaw, to the Cum-

berland ; W. 11. Fetch, master, to command the

Pigmy ; Cornelius Fox, master, to command the

Hesper ; W. P. Braund, master, to the Wellesley ;
Francis B. Henwood, master, to the Indus, for the

Zealous ; the Rev. J. W. Clarke, D.D., chaplain,
to the Arethusa ; F. A. Brice, surgeon, additional,
to tha Terror, for Bermuda Hospital; F. L. W.
Wright, assist.-surg., to the Liverpool ; and W.
Silver, naval instructor, to the Arethusa.

A NEW DESCRIPTION OF HoRsE-sHoE.--There
is an invention under trial at Versailles tending to replace
the iron shoes at present used for horses, by a composition
which is almost equal to iron in durability, is 75 per cent.
cheaper, and will never hurt the horseCe foot.