The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-24 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 24, 1862.

THE NAVY.

The Warrior, 40, left Plymouth, under steam, for
Lisbon on Tuesday evening.
The steam yacht Osborne, from Portsmouth, ar-
rived at Plymouth on Tuesday, en route for the Me-
diterranean, where she will attend on 1.1.R.11. the
Prince of Wales. _ . .

Her Majesty's ship Arethusa, 51, screw frigate,
500 horse power, underwent yesterday a trial in
the basin at Sheerness dockyard of the new super-
heated and surface condensing trunk engines, with
which this fine frigate has just been fitted by
Messrs. Penn and Sons. The trial was on the part
of the proprietors, .the firm being represented by
Mr. J. Penn, Mr. Matthews, Mr. Wigzell, and Mr.
Holliday. Mr. Spencer (the patentee for serving
tubes and condensers), and Mr. Appold (the paten-
tee of the centrifugal pump), were likewise present
to watch the results. The trial was with four boilers
and super-heated steam, when the pressure of steam
was 201 b., revolutions 60, the temperature of steam
being 300, and the vacuum 262. With half•boiler
power and two boilers, the pressure of steam was
191 b., the revolutions 42, and the vacuum 25. Alto-
gether the engines worked in a very satisfactory
manner, and the vessel, which is in a forward state,
is expected to be ready for her official trial at the
measured mile in the course of February.
The Shannon, 51, screw, Capt. James F. B. Wain-

wright, was swung in moorings in Portsmouth har-
bour yesterday for the adjustment of her compasses,
and will go out of harbour to Spithead this morn-
ing should the weather prove favourable.
It was stated yesterday at Portsmouth that the
Euryalus, 51, screw, would probably be commis-
sioned at that port to-day as the flag ship of Rear-
Admiral Stopford, for service in the East Indies and
China. It was also rumoured that Capt. Gordon
would be the flag captain.
The Tribune, 31, screw frigate, fitting for the Ist
class reserve at Portsmouth, got up steam yester-
day to test her machinery.
The Magicienne, 16, at Devonport, is to be armed
on the main deck with 10 52-pounders, and on the
upper deck with two Armstrong 100-pounders and
four 32• pounders. The Perseus, 17, will have 14
32 .pounders, one pivot Armstrong, 701 b., and two
Armstrongs of 401 b. The Sparrow is to have two
Armstrongs, 20-pounders, in'plaee of two howitzers,
24-pounders. These ships are completing with all
despatch.
The Swallow, 9, screw sloop, 60 horse power,
Master Commander E. Wilds, has been taken into

the fitting basin at Sheerness to have a new poop
erected, previous to her departure for Japan on
surveying duty.
Orders have been given for the removal of the
engineer officers' berth in the Black Prince, 40, iron
frigate, in dock at Portsmouth, from the compart-
ment in which it was originally fitted by Messrs.
Napier to another compartment further forward.
This measure has been under the consideration of
the authorities for some time, and the order now
given for its execution has created the greatest dis-
satisfaction among the engineer officers generally in
the port, who complain of what they term preme-
ditated and degrading treatment. The bare facts
of the case are these :—Thc present position of the
engineers' mess is in the compartment adjoining
and abaft the engine compartment, the midship-
men's mess occupying the opposite side of the com-
partment, and the clerks' office being in the cent re.
From this compartment it is now proposed to re-
move the mess for the engineers to a position in the
fore part of the ship, where they will be 260 feet
from the engine compartment, and to gain which
the greater part of the ship's main deck will have
to be traversed.

The Geyser, 6, paddle, Commander G. M. Jack-
son, with the Highlander gunboat in company,
sailed from Spithead, at 7 40 a.m. yesterday, for
Queenstown. After convoying the Highlander to
Queenstown, the Geyser will fill up coal and start
thence for the Pacific and Vancouver's Island.

Her Majesty's paddlewheel steamer Investigator,
Lieut.-Commander Lefroy (stated in error to have
been built for the servic3 of Dr. Livingstone), yes-
terday sailed from Woolwich for Greenhithe, to
adjust compasses. Her draught of water is 4 feet
6 inches aft, and her nominal horse-power is 40.
Her crew consists of a Lieutenant-Commander,
second master, assistant-surgeon, master's assistant,
two engineers, and 30 seamen and lads ; one corpo-
ral and two privates of the Royal Marine Light
Infantry. Her armanent is composed of one 40-
pounder Armstrong gun and two brass 24-pounder
howitzers. Her destination, as announced yester-
day, on her departure from Woolwich, is the new
settlement of Lagos, in the Gulf of Guinea and the
Lagunes, in the vicinity, at the back of the Gulf,
her light draught of water rendering her capable
of the otherwise dangerous passage in and over the
bar and the Lagunes. After swinging at Green-
hithe, she will proceed on her voyage under escort.
The chartered transport Caroline, in the service
of the War Department, yesterday sailed from
Woolwich for Corfu, laden with powder and heavy
war stores.

The Terrible, 21, paddlewheel steamer, Capt.
Glasse, C. 8., having completed discharging her
coals at the depot, Stangato•creek, has been re-
moved down to Sheerness dockyard, where she
yesterday commenced stripping, preparatory to
being paid off and put out of commission.
Yesterday another complete battery of 11 of the
large 100-pounder Armstrong guns, each of 84 cwt.,
arrived at the Ordnance-wharf, Chatham, from
Woolwich, in the War Department transport:Baltic,
and during the day were safely landed by a party
of convicts employed for that purpose. Notwith-
standing the more favourable character of the news
received from America, little or no relaxation has
taken place in the several departments connected
with the Ordnance establishment at Chatham, large
quantities of the Armstrong shot and shell, as well
as the Armstrong and ordinary cannon, arriving
from the factories almost daily and being deposited
in store in readiness for distribution to the vessels
and batteries requiring them.
The following:appointments were made at the Admiralty
last evening :

Captains—G. IL Seymour, C. 8., to the Victoria and
Albert, vice Denman, promoted; A. C. Gordon, to the
Euryalus, commissioned.

Commander George 11. Parkin, to the Euryalus.

Lieutenant Henry Hawkes, to the Colossus.
Sub-Lieutenant Compton E. Domville, to the Shannon.
Surgeon David L. Morgan, to the Euryalus.
Assistant-Surgeons— Jeremiah A. Hatch (acting), to the
Investigator; Charles It. Godfrey, to the Euryalus; Ed-
ward E. Birch (acting), to ditto.
Paymaster Charles G. Burney, to the Euryalus.
Assistant. Paymaster George W. Jones, to the Euryalus.
Clerk Alfred Do Demo, to the Euryalus

the character of each of the recipients. Sergeant
Bowers has been 30 years in the corps of Royal
Marines, 24 of which he has been a non-commis-
sioned officer, and Drum-Major Lewis 28 years in
the corps, and 12 years a non-commissioned officer,
In addition to their medal they
each receive a gra-
tuity of £l5. Sergeant Leib hag served 21 years
in the Royal Marines, of which period he has been
15 years a non-commissioned officer; he is also
awarded a gratuity of £lO.

The 26th Company of Royal Engineers, which
arrived at Chatham Garrison, from Bermuda, on
Tuesday evening, was inspected at headquarters,
Brompton Barracks, yesterday afternoon, by Lieut.-
Col. J. F. M. Browne, C.B. The company, which
has been reduced during its absence from England
to less than 80 men, will ;be augmented to its full
complement, after which it will be removed from
headquarters to one of the home stations, to fill up
the vacancy caused by the despatch of so many
companies of Royal Engineers to Canada.
A detachment of the Army Hospital Corps will
proceed from headquarters, Chatham, this morning,
to New Brunswick, to join,the other detachments
now serving in British North America.
The Ist division of the 41st Regiment arrived at
Portsmouth yesterday afternoon from the Isle of
Wight, and was sent by special train to Newcastle,
Tynemouth, and Sunderland. The weather was
most unfavourable to the men's comfort, the jour-
ney being, made through ay.?, night to ,enable them
to reach their destination to-day.

In consequence of the important change about to
take place in the regulations of the Royal Military
Academy at Woolwich, the resumption of the
the Ist of Feb.
ht beyond that
chlaase sbeese ann npoous
tnpc
oe
nd e tdo
ft
oa
rk e
ap
faoeret
no
ing
period. The newly-appointed Governor, Major-
Gen. Sandham (late commanding the Royal Engi-
neer Corps at Chatham), will take up his appoint-
ment, after the prolonged vacation, in succession to
Col. Wilford, appointed to the retired list of the
Royal Artillery, as previously stated in The Sun.
Major Williams, commanding the Cadet Company,
has been also superseded. The antecedents of Gen.
Sandham, whose reputation has preceded him,
bespeak a most favourable result for the business of
the Woolwich Academy and the country at large,
and his appointment has been hailed by every one
connected with the establishment with great satis-
faction.

CONVEYANCE OF TROOPS 1N CANADA.

Although the release of Messrs. Mason and
Slidell and the more recently modified and tempe-
rate tone of Mr. Seward's despatches to this coun-
try, have removed all present fears of war, the
measures for putting the Canadian frontiers and
provinces in a fit state of defence by the
transmission of troops, ships, and arms have not
been relaxed, and a description of the difficulties
overcome by the earliest parties of troops will not,
therefore, be without interest. A pioneer party was
in the first instance appointed to travel over the
route by which it was proposed to forward the troops
and feeding them
journal of an officer who
to Riviere du Loup, to judge of its practicability,
oand
theirto j
organiseourney m. eFa nros
alpfotriiheui tot:
accompanied this party, and who, indeed, seems to
have been the life and soul of it, we gather several
an almost unset-
tled important facts as to the difficulty of forwarding
troo
peso country tlrayrgi en
numbers
thedepth
of through
winter. The party,
which consisted of 17 persons, left Halifax on the
ers
28th Dec., with the intention of proceeding, via St.
John's, New Brunswick, up the St. John River by
Tour du Lac and St. Francois to Riviere du Loup.
Their first stage—from Halifax to Truro by rail-
road—ran chiefly through a spruce and pine forest,
and was performed by the party in a violent snow-
storm, no incident breaking the monotony of the

journey, which was accomplished at a very steady 4
pace of 13 miles an hour. The violence of the snow-
storm increasing effectually prevented any further
progress for the night ; in fact, by the evening the
railway was snowed up and impracticable. At
Truro, the principal subject of remark was the faci-
lity with which good horses for transport could be
obtained, 300 or 400 being easily procurable at an
average price of £2O each. A peculiar mode of esti-
mating a horse prevails in this town. A horse at
Truro is rated by weight,
as a 9cwt. horse, or an
newt. horse, as the case may be, on the principle
that it requires weight to move weight. Early in
the morning the party left Truro in five sleighs.
But here their difficulties began. A plunge of the
horse into a deep snowirift broke the pole of the
sleigh. When this accident was remedied they
found that the gale of the previous day had swept
the snow from the roads, piling it into drifts here and
there,otb
Over this clean-swept road the sleighs, loaded, could
n
at the travellers had to walk the
0 drawn,
rna and leaving
so
tthat
so many pitfalls for the sleighs.
chiefportion ofthe road, every now and then quitting
it and going across country, ruthlessly pulling down
the snake fences, and receiving every assistance
from the inhabitants, whose loyalty was conspicuous
along the whole route by the ready service they
afforded. These brave-hearted colonists followed
with the party for miles, digging through snow-
drifts, tearing down tileir own fences, cutting
through brushwood, and doing everything in
their power,
although
w working
on Sunday, a cir-
cumstance entirely foreign
to their usual habits.
Notwithstanding such assistance, the party met
with one upset during the day and broke two poles,
one of which was replaced by a rail from the next
snake fence and the other by a borrowed one, and
at dusk they arrived at Folly village, having taken
6 hours to travel 13 miles. Here, worn out with
fatigue, and judging it foolish to dare the dangers
of the snowdrifts in the dark, they halted for the
night. Next morning found them early in the
sleighs, as they had to cross the snows of the Cobe-
quid Mountains. On this day the drifts were deeper
than those encountered the day before, and without
the same opportunity of avoiding them, the road
running through the forest and over the mountain.
Just before arriving at Spencer, a tremendous drift
for a long time barred further progress. This they
had to trample down before the sleighs could be
dragged over it, and this labour both to man and
horse was such as to necessitate a halt at Spencer.
At West Chester the changed their sleighs, and
resolved to make a bold push onwards to Amherst,
and if possible by travelling all night to reach
Moncton by 11 a.m. next day. At West Chester,
however, the party separated, only seven facing
snow to Moncton,
the the midnight f driveer rn g
tre o u
remainthe
where they were.
Without further incident the seven reachedMoncton
in time to catch the only daily train for St. John's,
N. 8., and after spending 6} hours in travelling
only 92 miles they arrived at their destination.
Four days had thus been spent in gretting from
Halifax to St. John's, the whole distance being 260
miles, of which 106 miles were performed in sleighs,
and the remaining 154 by railway. At St. John's
the party found the inhabitants in a state of enthu-
siastic loyalty. 4, The people there had turned out,
and converted
buildings into accommodation
for 3,
quar-
ters for 500 men at their own expense, the 0O men ; the public
corporation -
Volun-
teers mounted sentry over the buildings, and the
citizens offered to take the officers into their own
houses rather than they should suffer any inconve-
nience in finding lodgings. After a stay of four days
at St. John's the party, now reduced to six, started
at 11 a.m., with the thermometer marking 10 deg.
below zero, for Fredericton. There was a bitter and
cutting wind blowing, and the effect of it on the
travellers was most painful. For the first part of the
road the sleighing was excellent, but at the Hovels,
the sleigh drivers, having paid too vigorous a devo-
htialonfwtoaya bbeettwtleeenofSt.
brandy,John's
splitand Fredericton, one of
the party into two,
one half proceeding and the other getting on as they
could. About 10 p.m. the cold became so intense as
to freeze the moustachios of the travellers to their

coat-collars and comforters, rendering every jolt of
the sleigh intolerable, and every turn of the head
nearly pulling their faces off.' But all such minor
disagreeables were soon forgotten in a more serious
one. The horses suddenly plunged up to their ears'
into a snowdrift, and the inmates of the sleigh here
became aware of the folly of having separated them-
selves from the rest of the party. It was very dark,
and the question arose how was the sleigh, packed
with luggage, to be lifted on to the road. Fortu-
nately, the horses were very quiet. The risk of
losing the luggage, or leaving some of it behind, in
the darkness, and the impossibility of packing it
securely, if untied, added considerably to their diffi-
culties. After three-quarters of an hour's hard
work they set matters to right again, and, having
yoked the horses commenced a retrograde movement,
taking it in turns to walk in front until by the con-
sistency of the snow they found themselves again on
the road. After sundry minor mishaps they reached
Fredericton, having been 15 hours in travelling
the 60 miles. The second sleigh fell into the same
drift, broke its pole, and had to be dragged a
considerable distance without any, the travellers
taking refuge in a shanty till daylight." Here
the journal ends; but the party intended the next
day to start for Woodstock and the Grand Falls.
The writer of it adds :—" Experience proves that
sleigh parties should have an axe and a shovel, with
a piece of rope to supplement the light iron work
.of,tw ,sleigh, and, jo.pwride for delays and acci-
dents, all troops should take two days' uncooked
provisions, as food gets so soon frozen."
From this narrative it will be seen that the diffi-
culties of transporting troops to Canada overland
in winter are neither light nor few. The first de-
tachment of 104 men was to leave St. John's for
Fredericton on the 6th January. They were to
drive the whole distance through in one day, hot
coffee and an extra ration being provided for each
man halfway on the road. This number was to be
increased as new facilities were afforded along the
route, and log huts were to be erected on the various
stations between Fredericton and the St. Lawrence.
The whole journey was calculated to occupy 11
days, and the following stages have been laid down :
Miles. Miles.
1. St. John's to Hovels.. 20 7. Grand Falls 24
2. To Fredericton 3O 8. Little Falls
3. Halfway to Woodstock 29 9. Tour du Lac .. 33
4. Woodstock
5. Florenceville ... 23 11. Riviere du Loup 16
6. Tobique . 23

The sleighs, which have been built especially for
;he service, will each carry eight men, besides the

driver.

It will be, perhaps, in the recollection of our
readers that in our impression of Dec. 13 last we
detailed the various routes through Nova Scotia
and New Brunswick by which troops could hope to
reach Riviere du Loup, and pointed out that, in case
the ice prevented the disembarkation of troops at
Riviera du Loup or Bic, the transports would land the
men either at Halifax or St. John's, N. 8., whence
by means of sleighs they could make their way to
Riviera du Loup ; or, if the severity of the winter
prevented that course, there would be ample
accommodation for the troops, both at St. John's
and Halifax, until spring.
These opinions have been verified by the event,
and the route which we then indicated as the most
practicable, via Fredericton and Madawaska to
Reviere du Loup, has been the one adopted. In the
article referred to it was said that if only the wea-
ther were favourable, and log•huts. were provided
at the different stations along the road, the troops
might march the whole distance. We are glad to
hear that this necessity has been obviated, and to
find that the authorities have decided that the
troops shall be conveyed in sleighs—a wiser and
certainly a more humane plan.