The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-18 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

Yesterday 30 rank and file of the Ist battalion
sth Fusileers, under the command of Lieut. Hoare,
left the depot at Colchester Camp, and joined the
head-quarters of that regiment at Portsmouth.
A field day of the 9th and 10th Battalions, sta-
tioned in Colchester Camp, took place on Wednes-
day on the extensive parade ground adjoining the
camp, when the troops executed the ordinary mili-
tary evolutions of a field day in the presence of Col.
Guy, C. 8., commandant of the camp. The battalions
were under the respective commands of Lieut.-Col,
Street, C. 8., and Lieut.-Colonel Laye, and at the
close of the movements the men marched back to
camp to dinner.
The half_yearly inspection of the lst division of
the depot brigade Royal Artillery, stationed at
Sheerness, by Col. W. R. Nedham, commandant of
the garrison, terminated yesterday.
Yesterday the time•expired men and invalid
troops brought home in the hired troopship Sir
James, Capt. Parry, the arrival of which at Graves.
end was announced in The Sun of yesterday, were
officially inspected at St. Mary's Barracks, Chatham,
by Lieut. Col. De Teissier and the staff of the in-
valid depot. The Sir James embarked her troops
at Port Louis, Mauritius, on the 31st January last,
and sailed the following day, rounding the Cape of
Good Hope on the 21st of February, touching at St.
Helena on the 3d of March, and sailing thence the
same day, the Lizard being sighted on the 11th inst.
The passage to Gravesend, including detentions, oc-
cupied 74 days. In addition to 55 naval and military
invalid troops the Sir James brought home the re-
maining portion of the 4th battery, 13th brigade,
Royal Artillery, a considerable number of the non-
commissioned officers and men having volunteered to
the Madras Artillery on the battery being ordered
home. The military invalids belong to the Royal Ar.
tillery, Royal Engineers, 2d battalion sth Fusileers,
and 2d battalion of the 24th Regiment. The following
officers arrived with the troops :—Capt. Sir J. W.
Campbell, Lieut. E. Bainbridge, and Assist.-Surg.
J. H. Finnemore, Royal Artillery. Captain F. T.
A. Law, Royal Artillery, arrived in charge of the
invalid troops, and Captain D. Gibson, 24th Regi-
ment, came home as passenger, on leave of absence.
The troopship Flying Cloud, with the remainder of
the 60th Rifles on board, had arrived at St. Helena,
from Hongkong, and was expected to sail in about
six , days after the departure of the Sir James.
I
During the passage of the Sir James to Gravesend
five deaths occurred on board.

With a view to rendering the officers, non-com-
missioned officers, and men of the Royal Marines
Light Infantry available for immediate active ser-
vice on board her Majesty's ships, in common with
the Royal Naval Reserve, the Lords of the Admi-
ralty have issued a circular, dated the 16th inst.,
directing that in future the course of practice in the
ship great-gun drill shall be limited to the first and
second instnctions and the Armstrong gun exer-
cise, as forming the chief elements in the gunnery
of the present day. The Lords of the Admiralty
have also decided that to make the Royal Marines
more conversant with the duties on board ship the
men are to be instructed in knotting, splicing, &c.
Major-Gen. Anthony B. Stransham, Inspector-
General of Royal Marines, who commenced his duty
at Plymouth on Tuesday, reviewed the battalion on
the Hoe again on Wednesday, when they were, first
commanded by Lieut.-Col. Robert Murray Curry,
who shortly after gave place to Lieut.-Col. Richard
C'a°ll37- Several captains then took command.
Yesterday the battalion was exercised on the mili-
tary lines at Devonport, when the men were divided
into two brigades. The first was under charge of
Col.-Commandant Thomas Holloway, C. 8., the
second was in charge of Col. Curry. Gen. Stran-
sham is accompanied by Lieut.-Col. J, 0. Travers,
C. 8., Assistant-Adjutant-Oen.

A AVAL WARFARE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—Looking over the pages or a very remark-
able work on Naval Timber, written more than 30
years ago by Mr. Patrick Matthew, I came upon
the following passage, which, read by the light of
modern science, appears so prophetic that I am
sure it will interest many of your readers. I have
no acquaintance with the writer, but the volume to
which I have referred shows him to be a man of no
ordinary genius and capacity, and I strongly recom-
mend it to the perusal of every one who, either as
a planter or a builder, takes an interest in the
growth of timber.---I am, Sir, your obedient ser-
vant, J, W.

" Larch, from its great toughness, particularly
the root, and from its lightness seems better adapted
for the construction of shot-proof vesselu than
any other timber; and, opposed endway to shot in
a layer, arch fashion, several feet deep row d a
vessel, would sustain more battering than any other
subject we are acquainted with, metal excepted.
Were the part above water of a strong steam ves-
sel,
having the paddles under cover, a section of a
spheroid, or h a lf- egg, cut longitudinally, and covered
ail round with the rootcuts of larch five or six feet
deep, with the hewn down bulb external—well
supported inside, having nothing exposed outside
of this arch, and only a few small holes for venti-
lators and eyes—there is no shot in present naval
use that would have much impression upon it. Had
such a vessel a great impelling power, and a very
strong iron cutwater, or short beak, wedge-shaped
(in manner of the old Grecian galleys), projecting
before the vessel under water, well supported
within by beams radiating back in all directions,
she might be wrought to split and sink a Peet
of men-of-war, lying becalmed, in a few hours.
This could be done by running successively against
each, midships, and on percussion immediately
backing the engine, at the same time spouting forth
missiles, hot water, or sulphuric acid from the bow
to obstruct boarding. . . . To prevent combus-
tion by red-hot shot, the larch blocks, after drying,
might have their pores filled by pressure with alkali.
However, the employment of bomb cannon about
to be introduced in naval warfare, throwing ex-
plosive shot, regulated with just sufficient force to
penetrate, without passing through the side of the
opposed vessel, will render any other than metallic
defensive cover ineffectual; bat this circumstance
will, at the same time, completely revolutionise sea
affairs, laying on the shelf our huge men-of-war,
whose place will be occupied with numerous bomb-
cannon boats, whose small size will render them
difficult to be hit, and from which one single explo-
sive shot, taking effect low down in the large ex-
posed side of a three-decker, will tear open a breach
sufficient to sink her almost instantly."