The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-05 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The iron-cased screw corvette Favorite, 10, 2,094
tons, 400-horse power (nominal), Capt. F. H.
Shortt, having been completed for the first division
of the Chatham Steam Reserve, was yesterday re-
moved out of the great basin, and afterwards taken
in tow by two steamers and removed to the moor-
ing prepared for her in the harbour, to await orders
from the Admiralty as to her ultimate disposal. She
is fully completed, and only awaits her guns, shot,
shell, and sea stores being placed on board to en-
able her to proceed to sea. No orders have yet been
received at the Ordnance Department, Chatham, as
to the description of armament to be supplied her,
and some time must therefore of necessity elapse
before she can be furnished with her guns.
Yesterday the officials connected with the Chat-
ham Steam Reserve proceeded, in accordance with
orders to that effect received from the Admiralty, to
Greenhithe, for the purpose of taking charge of the
iron-clad corvette Pallas, 6, 2,372 tons, 600-horse
power, in readiness for that vessel being taken this
morning to the Maplin Sands for the purpose of
undergoing her trials of speed at the measured mile,
should it be possible to make the runs. A telegram
received from the Admiralty yesterday afternoon
states that the speed trials are not to take place to-
day unless Mr. Reed and the other officials on board
are satisfied as to the condition of the vessel, and
that the Pallas is in all respects fit to make the runs.
Should they be not satisfied as to this, she is at once
to be placed in one of the available docks at
Sheerness-yard, where her bottom is to be cleaned.
After this her trial with the four-bladed " Mangin"
pattern screw, with which she is now fitted, will
take place. :She will then be again docked to
enable her to be fitted with a two-bladed screw, under
which conditions a further trial of her speed is
to be made, to enable the Admiralty to arrive at the
proper data as to the description of screw with which
she will ultimately be fitted. From these and other
circumstances it would seem that the officials con-
ne3ted with the steam branch of the Admiralty are
still undecided as to the ultimate adoption of the
four-bladed or the two-bladed screw propellers. An
order received some time since at Chatham directs
the Bellerophon, fitting at the dockyard, and origi-
nally furnished with a four-bladed screw, to be fitted
with a two-bladed propeller, to allow the authorities
to make a comparison of her steaming capabilities
under the altered conditions.
The Cornwallis, 60, screw two-decker, having
had her upper deck cut off, the whole of her ma-
chinery and engines removed, and her fore foot cut
away, was yesterday floated out of dock at Sheer-
ness, and placed in the position she is intended to
occupy alongside the jetty, where she is to be sunk
for the purpose of facilitating the operations of dock-
ing and undocking ships.
The Icarus, 11, 580 tons, 150-horse power, fitting
for the first-class Steam Reserve in the Medway, is
to be completed by the 18th inst., when she will be
floated out of the steam basin, where she is at pre-
sent lying, and placed in the harbour, in readiness
for commission.

On Friday the three infantry brigades at Alder-
shott, formed up in line of contiguous columns on
the Queen's Parade, North Camp, and shortly after
10 o'clock wore inspected by Lieut.-Gen. the Hon.
Sir James Yorke Scarlett, K.C.8., commanding the
Aldershott division. On the conclusion of the in-
spection the troops marched and countermarched
several times in different order, and were subse-
quently put through a few field movements. Im-
mediately on their return to quarters the fire alarm
was sounded, and pickets of the various regiments
and the Camp Fire Brigade with its engines turned
out, and rapidly proceeded to the east block of the
infantry barracks, where the scene of an imaginary
fire was laid, and here all was done that would have
been done in a real case of fire, and that most
promptly and efficiently.
The 85th (King's Ligh t Infantry) Regiment, under
the command of Major Appleyard, is held in readi-
ness to proceed from Aldershot in the course of a few
days to the under-mentioned stations :—Head-
quarters and eight companies to Manchester, two
companies to Chester, and two companies to New-
castle-on-Tyne.

The followihg appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Lieut. T. St. Simeon to the
Octavia, additional, for disposal ; G. Reid, master,
has been promoted to the rank of staff commander ;
E. ffinvest, master, to the Malaca ; Dr. G. Mackay,
deputy inspector of hospitals and fleets, to Haslar
Hospital ; W. S. Roche, surgeon, to the Highflyer;
Dr. T. Cann, assist. surg., to the Cumberland, for
service in the Steam Reserve ; S. Bamfield, assist.
surg., to the Malacca ; J. S. Arnott, assist. surg.,
to the St. George, -vice Bamfield ; and G. Love,
paymaster, to be secretary to Commodore Hornby.