The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-07 00:00:00

THE CAMP AT CHOBHAM.

WoomvicH, JUNE 6.—Captain Taylor's troop of Royal
Horse Artillery left Canterbury this morning on their
march to Woolwich, and will arrive here on Thursday.
Captain Richard Blackwood Price's field battery have
received orders to march to-morrow for Thorncliff, via
Ashford, Cranbrook, Tunbridge Wells, Grinstead, and
Reigate, where they will halt during Sunday, and thence
to Leatherhead, and into the camp on the 14th. The
field-battery will be of the following strength :-94
horses, 4 9-pounder guns, 2 24-pounder howitzers, 26
tents, 1 forge, 1 store cart, 1 baggage cart, 2 captains, 3
lieutenants, 1 assistant-surgeon, 5 serjeants, s:corporals,
5 bombardiers, 1 farrier, 2 shoeing-smiths, 2 collar-makers,
1 wheeler, 2 trumpeters, and 130 gunners and drivers,
making a total of 159 officers and men. The officers'
names are Captain Richard Blackwood Price, command-
ing ; Second Captain J. R. Gibbon ; Lieutenants Miller,
Seale, and Tedcroft ; and Assistant-surgeon W. Perry.
The ban.ackwat Thorncliff will be temporarily occupied
by a detachment of Royal Artillery, consisting of 1 lieu-
tenant, 1 serjeant, 4 non-commissioned officers, and 14
gunners, of Captain Swinton's company, from Dover.
Each subdivision of Captain Blackwood Price's field-bat-
tery carries 4 tents, and the two flank guns 5 tents
each ; 2 for the men of each gun, 1 for the harness, the
nmainder for officers, staff-serjeant, and guard. Each
gun carries 268 rounds of blank cartridge, 100 port-fires,
and 300 tubes. The gunners are to march on foot and
carry their knapsacks ; a system it would be advisable
to alter, so far as to allow of the knapsacks being carried
on the limbers. The weight is considerable ; and, in
addition, Nos. 1. and 2 are buckled up with a pouch, a
sword and belt, a haversack, and wooden bottle, and
also a carabine. It must be evident that after a march
an artilleryman, with all these incumbrances, cannot fail
to be very tired on going into action, and not in a very
fit condition to rattle a trail about, or to make a very
good shot. Their appendages, and the weights they
have to carry, will now be thoroughly investigated at
the camp, and changes take place for the better.
The following circular has been issued to the regiments
under order to encamp on Chobham Common :

" Horse Guards, May 31, 1853.
"Sir,—l have the honour to inform you that itis intended
shall encamp on Chobham Common on the
14th June. The camp equipment, with the exception of
the canteens, haversacks, and blankets, which the regi-
ment will draw at its present station immediately, will
have been previously delivered to the detachment sent on
agreeably to my communication of this date. The regiment
will draw its rations from the commissariat from the day
of its arrival in camp, and will cook on the ground. A re-
turn will be forwarded to this department with the least
possible delay of the total strength for which camp
equipment will be required, adding the number of
women, servants,, and soldiers and mounted officers'
horses which will camp. Care will be taken that
the regulated number of women (six per 100 non-
commissioned chi cers and men) be not exceeded. To
each field officer one marquee will be allowed ; to every
other officer one tent ; for regimental guards five per
regiment ; for orderly room and stores two tents ; for the
mess two large sasxquees; the hospital one marquee ; be-
sides eight barrack tables and thirty chairs for the use of
the officers' mess_ Instructions will be issued as to the
form and mode of drawing and accounting for supplies.
Mounted officers of infantry will receive their forage in
kind. The form of encampment for infantry will be ac-
cording to that numbered 3 in the Regulations for Encamp-
ment, dated 11th May, 1853. The regulations provide ra-
tions of bread meal meat to be paid for at cost price, with
a free ration of ft lel, to one washwoman for every twenty:
men, and the wor nen are besides allowed thirty trusses of
straw to a company to thatch their huts. Instructions
have been issued. to the Commissariat to supply fir poles
and branches for :roofing and watling their huts. The Com-
missariat department have been instructed to provide trans-
port for 15 tons of baggage for every infantry battalion
which moves by railway from the point of its debarkation
from the railway to the camp. Towards the defrayment of
this expense a charge will be made against the commuted
allowance for taw regimental baggage. The cavalry and
that portion of the infantry which proceeds by march route
will provide thair own conveyance in the usual manner.
The heavy baggage of regiments must be placed in store at
their present st xti on, carefully packed and marked, and in
readiness for m by ement, in the event of the regiment not
returning to its present quarters.
"The wives of officers, however, and those of soldiers
now residing in b arracks, and who do not go into camp,
will be permitted to occupy their present quarters in bar-
racks, and in thei r case the use of their baggage will of
course be admitted.

" I have the honour to be, &c.,
" J. FREETH, Quartermaster-General.
"Officer comm anding - Regiment."

THE CHANCELLORSHIP OF OXFORD.

OXFORD, MONDAY.

Although the inaugurations of former Chancellors
have taken piace under more brilliant auspices than that
of the Earl of ..,D4 Irby, and the line of conduct which has
been taken in giving so purely political a complexion to
this occasion is riot very judicious, still the approach of
the ceremonial of to-morrow excites considerable interest,
and the venerabl'e streets of this city of colleges and
churches wear :an aspect of unwonted animation and
gaiety. The gre at event of the day has been the arrival
of the Earl of _Derby, who entered Oxford at half-past
six o'clock, and :proceeded to the Vice-Chancellor's resi-
dence in Worc es ter College. The noble earl was accom-
panied by his•co-untess and his eldest son, Lord Stanley,
M.P., and was received in due form by the Rev. Dr.
Cotton, provost of Worcester, the Vice-Chancellor for
the present yoar, and several of the heads of houses.
The routine of dinners, balls, and festivities does not
begin till to-imprrow. The University authorities have
not yet decided -whether any representatives of the press
are to be admitted to the dinner in Worcester College
Quadrangle, which takes place at half-past six to-mor
row evening, 'bu t great apprehensions are entertained
that the spirit of exclusiveness will prevail. .
Two events of considerable importance in themselves,
and deriving adc'itional interest from their connection
with the grand affair of the time, took place in the neigh-
bourhood of Oxford to-day. One was the re-opening of
the Abbey Church of Dorchester, a village of great an-
tiquity, situated about eight miles from Oxford, which
was the seat of one of the Saxon bishoprics. The church
is an edifice of the later Gothic style, without transepts
or clerestory, but an interesting specimen of that class
of architecture, though not presenting any examples of
great finish or elaboration. It has lately been repaired,
the stone-work. partially restored, and the chancel fitted
up with woode ti rails and screens of a style in harmony
with that of the edifice. The Bishop of Oxford performed
service, assisted by the Rev. Mr. Addison, curate of
Dorchester, and. preached an eloquent discourse from
Matthew xviii., 20, " Where two or three are gathered
together in my name, there will I be in the midst of
them." The other event alluded to was the opening of
the diocesan school for training schoolmasters at Cul-
ham, about three miles distant. The Bishop of Oxford
and the Earl of Derby both spoke at considerable length.
Oxford is chokefull of strangers, and the price of
lodgings has risen, as usual, enormously. Amongst
those already arrived, or momentarily expected, are
Lord Colchester, the Marquis of Salisbury, the Marquis
of Blandford, the Marquis of Chandos, Mr. Disraeli,
M,P., Mr. Walpole, M.P., &c.

Loss OF THE NEPTUNE, LONDON AND ST. PETERSBURGH
STEAM-SHIP.—On Saturday were received at Lloyd's
the details of the loss of the Neptune, London and St.
Petersburgh steam-ship, and the marvellous escape other
passengers and a large amount of bullion which she had
on board. She was the property of the St. Petersburgh
Steam Navigation Company, of about 700 tons burden,
worked by a screw ; and, when she met with the disaster,
she was pursuing her first homeward voyage, after a
thorough refit with new boilers, &c. She was to have
sailed from the Thames on the Ist of the month, on a
second trip to St. Petersburgh. She did not make her
appearance ; and, on that very day, a telegraphic mes-
sage was received by her agents, from Hull, announcing
that she had been wrecked on the shoals known as
the Nickman's Grounds, in the Gulf of Finland. By
the arrival of the Emperor from the northern
capital, confirmatory intelligence of the loss was re-
ceived. The latter ship was making her way
through the gulf on Friday evening, when a
large steamer was observed ashore, some distance off.
As the Emperor proceeded, a boat was noticed to be
making for her, and on her coming up, she was found to
be that belonging to the ;Neptune, and contained Mr.
Brownless, the master, and. some Of the passengers and
crew. The mishap which had befallen the Neptune was
reported, and the preservation of 22 passengers which
she had on board, and specie to the extent of 50,000
imperials. This, however, 'was effected under very try-
ing circumstances, as the sea, which was very tempestu-
ous, made over the wreck, -the poor creatures expecting
every moment to be washed off. The Emperor was
solicited to stand off during the night, so as to take the
passengers off the Neptune, and what could be recovered
of her. This was complied with, and the Emperor
brought to. After continuin so, however, many hours,
and the night becoming moot boisterous, and fears being
entertained for the safety of the Emperor should she re-
main off the shoal, it was deemed advisable to run out
to sea, and to pursue the voyage to England, which she
did. There is little doubt that all on board the Neptune
were saved; but it is also as certain that the ship became
a loss, her bottom being driven in, and her hull fast fill-
ing with water. She was insured for a large amount.
The next arrival from St. Petersburgh is expected to
bring the passengers and crew from the wreck.