The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-03 00:00:00

tional instruments, with other amusements. The

committee have chosen a large arena in a conve-
nient portion of the park, near the Hernery, about
five miles' drive from Windsor, w here every accom-
modation will be afforded for those in carraiges or
on foot. A sumptuous dinner, provided by Mr.
Johnson, of the White Hart Hotel, Windsor, will
be given by Lord Overstone, under a spacious tent,
to about 900 Volunteers, to which the Queen and
the Prince Consort will supply 10 fat bucks. The
band of the Scots Fusilier Guards, with the drums
and fifes of the Coldstream Guards, will be in at-
tendance. The ground will be kept partly tv the
county police and partly by the Royal Horse
Guards. The whole of the Royal tents, including
those of Tippoo Sahib, will be erected there
under the directions of Mr. Roberts, of
the Lord Chamberlain's department. Her
Majesty and the Prince Consort are expected to
arrive at Windsor on the Bth from Scotland in
order to be present. It is now determined that in
the first instance every company of 60 shall select
10 of their best shots to compete for the prizes,
and the sub-division of Wokingham and Windsor
Forest will send 6. After a competition of those
men on Tuesday next, 5 of each of the best 10
will have their choice of shooting for the silver
cup given by the ladies of Berkshire, or the
Hon. Mrs. Loyd Lindsay's prize of a breech-
loading rifle, after which the two winners and the
ten next best shots will compete for the County
Challenge Cup.
The first inspection of the 12th (Chatham) Com-
pany of Volunteer Artillery was held on Saturday
last by Viscount Sydney, the Lord-Lieutenant, who
was accompanied by Lieutenant-Colonel Morris,
Deputy Inspector-General of Volunteers. The
company, numbering about 50 men, assembled at
Fort Amherst, under the command of Captain J.
E. Beveridge, and hiving been put through various
evolutions, all of which were creditably performed,
the Volunteers were marched down to the Corn-
wallis battery, for the purpose of being put through
the great gun drill. After several rounds had been
fired from the 68-pounder siege guns, the firing
ceased, and the company having been re-formed
Viscount Sydney addressed the officers and men,
complimenting them on the highly effective manner
in which they had acquitted themselves and the
satisfactory appearance of the company.
On Saturday afternoon Viscount Sydney arrived
at Sheerness for the purpose of inspecting the 4th
(Sheerness) and the 13th (Sheerness Dockyard)
companies of Royal Artillery. The Lord-Lieu-
tenant was accompanied by Lieut.-Colonel Morris,
R.A., the Deputy-Inspector-General of Volunteers,
and suite. The 4th company of Artillery, under
the command of Capt. L. S. Magnus, and the 13th
company, under the command of Major W. B. Ro-
binson, together numbering 220 men, were drawn
up on the parade-ground, where they were inspec-
ted by Viscount Sydney and Colonel Morris, both
companies marching past in slow and quick time.
Since the companies have been formed officers and
men have been unremitting in their drill, the result
of which has been that the companies have arrived
at a point of efficiency not attained by scarcely any
other Artilery Corps in the kingdom. This has
been in a great measure owing to the facilities af-
forded by the authorities at Sheerness, who not
only allow the Volunteers to be drilled at the bat-
teries, but also place at their disposal any amount
of shot and shell for target practice that may be
required. A target having been fixed about a mile
out in the sea, practice commenced by firing shots
from the 32 and 68 pounder guns on the battery,
when the accuracy of range and practice was as
astonishing as it was satisfactory, shot after shot
being laid close to the target. After this had con-
tinued some time practice with shell commenced,
those fired being those known as the 10-inch shells.
Here, again, the practice was exceedingly good.
Daring this part of the inspection an accident oc-
curred. One of the shells, from some defect either in
the shell or the " sight," burst just as it left the
mouth of the gun ; and, although there were a num-
ber of persons standing about, and also below in the
ditch, no one was touched by the fragments, which
flew in all directions. An accident occurred also
with one of the guns which from some cause be-
came loosened from the pin which retains it on the
circular platform, the rebound nearly sending it
over the parapet. Notwithstanding the weight of
the guns, each from three to five tons, the ease and
rapidity with which they were moved and worked
by the Volunteers was very surprising. At the close
of the target practice, which lasted some time the
companies were formed into three sides of a square,
when Lord Sydney, in a highly complimentary ad-
dress, expressed his unqualified satisfaction at the
result of the day's inspection. A banquet after-
wards took place at the Fountain Hotel, where
covers were laid for 40 guests. The chair was taken
by Major Robinson, and the vice-chair by Captain
Magn us.
County Rifle Association.—An influential meet-
ing has been held in the city of Salisbury, at the
Orderly-room of the Ist Wiltshire Rifle Volunteers,
at which the desirability of establishing a County
Rifle Association for Wiltshire upon the principles
of the National Association, recently inaugurated
by her Majesty at Wimbledon, was discussed. The
meeting resulted in a unanimous resolution to or-
ganize an association of this character, and a com-
mittee of gentlemen was appointed to carry out the
movement. The general object sought to be at-
tained will be-1, to promote the efficient and skil-
ful use of the rifle among the members of the vari-
ous Volunteer. corps of the county by offering prizes
to be publicly competed for on stated occasions ; and
2, to cultivate in a similar manner a taste for rifle
shooting among residents in Wiltshire who may not
be enrolled members of a Volunteer force.
The artillery corps formed at Great Yarmouth is
now 180 strong, and as soon as 200 are enrolled a
battalion will be formed. Four ordinary companiesof
Volunteers have also been formed in the town. The
members for the borough, Sir E. Lacon and Sir H.
Stracey, have offered a purse of £lO to be con-
tested for at 300, 400, and 500 yards; a cup valued
at £5 has been presented by the officers of the
corps to be shot for at 200 and 300 yards; Major
Ordc, the commandant of the battalion, has offered
for competition a Turner patent rifle to be com-
peted for at 500 to 600 yards; and the ladies of the
neighbourhood have offered a splendid challenge
cup, valued at. £3O, and a silver medal to be con-
tested for at ranges of 650, 700, 800, and 900 yards.
The winner of the challenge cup is to hold it
against all comers for three years, and, in the event
of his still maintaining his position, the prize will
become his absolute property. Should he lose the
cup he will retain the medal. The prizes enume-
rated will be shot for to-day (Monday).
The movement continues to excite considerable
interest in Suffolk. The first class shots in the
Gth, or Stourmarket corps, competed on Friday at
Lo.nguard Fort, Harwich, for a silver cup presented
by the officers. The firing was at 800 and 900
yards_ and the cup was won by Sergeant Armourer
Colson, who made 11 points. Sergeant Betts
scored 10 points, the next best number.
One hundred and four of the workmen belong-
ing to the Elswail Ordnance Engine-works have
joined the Newcastle Rifle Corps, and will form a
detachment to be called the Elswiek Volunteer
Engineers.

The City of Bristol Volunteer Rifle Corps was
one of the earliest that were enrolled, and its for•
mation was speedily followed by the establishment
of the Ist Gloucestershire, or Bristol Volunteer
Artillery corps, Under their respective command-
ing officers (Colonel Bush, late of the 96th Regi-
ment, and Major Savile, formerly of the Royal
Artillery) the two corps, numbering together about
1,000 men, have attained a high degree of profi-
ciency. On Saturday afternoon the official inspec-
tion of the City of Bristol Volunteer Rifle Corps and
the Ist Glocestershire or Bristol Volunteer Artil-
lery corps, which had been postponed from the pre-

vious Saturday on account of the weather, took place
on Clifton Down, and was followed by the presen-
tation of a silver bugle and trumpet (the manufac-
ture of Distin, of Great Newport-street, London),
the gift of the ladies of Clifton and its vicinity to
the gallant volunteers. The ground was kept by
the Stapleton troop of the Royal Gloucestershire
Hussars, under the command of Captain Hobson, a
detachment of the North Somerset Yeomanry
Cavalry, under the command of Captain Haviland,
and a strong force of police, superintended by Mr.
Inspector Attwood. Colonel M'Murdo, C. 8., In-
spector-General, accompanied by Major Hume and
Major Dick, District Inspectors of Volunteers,
arrived on the ground shortly before 5 o'clock. The
Rifle Volunteers were then put through a variety of
evolutions by Colonel bush, Major Payne, and Ad-
jutant Captain Jones, while the Artillery were exer-
cised by Major Savile and Adjutant and Captain
M'Adam. At the conclusion of the manoeuvres
Colonel M'Murdo addressed the men on the effi-
ciency they had displayed, After which colours
and a silver bugle were presented to the regiment
by Mrs. Bates, wife of the mayor of Bristol.