The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-31 00:00:00

The naval transport Diligence, J. Headmaster,
having shipped jury gear for the Nimble, 5,
building at Pembroke, has hauled off from the
Devonport dockyard, preparatory to sailing.
The screw steam gunboat Hind, from Falmouth,
tender to the Russell, 60, blockship, arrived at
Plymouth on Wednesday.
The Russian screw steam frigate Gromoboy, 50,
Captain Ponafidine, left the Sound on Wednesday.
Prior to her departure she saluted the flag of the
Commander-in-Chief, Sir A. Fanshawe, C. 8., which
was responded to by the Impregnable, 104, Captain
Lord F. Kerr, in Hamoaze.
The screw steam Coastguard ship Hogue, 60,
Capt. Reginald J. J. G. Macdonald, has been put
out of No. 3 dock at Keyham steam-yard, and
placed under the sheers, and has received her
bowsprit.
The screw steam-sloop Desperate, 8, is now coal-
ing alongside the jetty in Keyham basin, Ply-
mouth.

The new screw steam gunboat Doterel, at Devon-
port, has been dubbed for examining her plank,
which was ifound perfect. The artisans com -
menced coppering her yesterday.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Commander W. C. F. Wil-
son, to the Spiteful, commissioned ; Commander
J. R. Alexander, to the Ariel, commissioned; Com-
mander E. Field, to the Landrail, commissioned;
Lieut. Henry Fairfax, to the Ariel ; Lieut. W. A.
de V. Brownlow to the Tartar; Lieutenant F. M.
H. Blair, to the Trafalgar; Lieutenant Charles
G. M'Gregor, to the Wellesley ; Lieu-
tenant Richard B. Foster, to the Colossus ;
Lieut. John B. Telfor, to the St. Vincent ; Lieut.
Alexander Hender, to the Hogue ; G. A. F. Day,
master, to the Ariel; Augustus J. Burmisson, mas-
ter, to the Foxhound ; R. M. Lloyd, mate, to the
Terrible ; H. G. Andoe, mate, to the Mars ;
John H. Tully, second master, to the Landrail ;
Thomas J. Burghes, master's assistant, to the Tar-
tar; George Barnes, paymaster, to the Ariel ; Chas.
W. Tuke, paymaster, to the Spiteful; John Burke,
paymaster, additional, to the Wellington ; Edward
W. Gordon, paymaster, additional, to the Edin-
burgh ; and Frederick 0. L. Patch, assistant pay-
master in charge, to the Landrail.

THE VOLUNTEER 2110VEMENT."

The troop of horse artillery attached to the Hon.
Artillery Company proceeded to Woolwich yester-
day, under the command of Capt. Jay, to draw from
the Government stores two six-pounder guns, with
harness, &c., which have been granted for the use
of the troop.
The butt at the Crystal Palace erected for the
London Rifle Brigade having been found to require
some addition before it will be available for prac-
tice, the commanding officer is making arrange-
ments for the use of another butt at a convenient
distance from town, where ball firing can commence
without further delay. The exertions of the adju-
tant to organise a volunteer bugle band have been
attended with gratifying success. The band played
for the first time at the head of the battalion on
Tuesday last in the Regent's Park.
The Victoria Rifles (Ist Middlesex) still manage
to keep up a very creditable muster, the crack of
the rifle being heard all day long and under every
variety of weather in their spacious practice ground
at Kilburn. ~The evening parades are now chiefly
devoted to the bayonet exercise, in which the men
take the greatest interest. A strong desire exists
among the Victoria Rifles to develope the study of
the most formidable weapon upon the principles of
the fencing school, whereby the musket and bayonet
becomes capable of being wielded with nearly the
same skill and flesse as the foil itself.
The commanding officer of the 13th Kent, or
Greenwich and Deptford Corps, has intimated his
intention of raising a company of cadets formed of
youths between the ages of 12 and 16, Already 20
names have been received, the annual subscription
being fixed at 10s. 6d. A similar company is also
now forming for the Hatcham (New Cross) Rifle
Corps, the ages of the young gentlemen being fixed
at between 14 and 16, the annual subscriptions to
be 55., with a cost of £1 18s. for clothing. When
formed this company is to be attached to the Ist
Surrey Rifles.
On the occasion of the opening of a public recrea-
tion ground at Faversham, a few days since, the
ladies of that town and neighbourhood presented a
set of drums and fifes to the 2d Kent Artillery Vo-
lunteer Corps. The presentation, which consisted
of ten fifes, three small drums, and one large drum,
was confided to the Hon. Mrs. Mills. Captain
Hall having acknowledged the gift in a suitable
speech the instruments were played upon, after
which the Mayor of the town proposed three cheers
for the Hon. Mrs. Mills, Mrs. Captain Hall, and
the ladies generally. which were heartily given.
The Cheltenham Volunteers were inspected by
Col. M'Murdo, Inspector-General of Volunteers,
and Col. Dick, assistant-inspector of the district, on
Wednesday, in the College-grounds, kindly given
for the occasion by the directors. The day being
unusually fine, a very large number of persons were
present. All the four companies mustered, to the
number of 250. Col. Parnell, C. 8., commanded,
and put the companies through the movements, all
of which the Volunteers executed with a quickness
and military precision that surprised every one pre•
sent, not excepting the Inspector-General, who at
the conclusion of the evolutions addressed the com-
panies, saying how very much pleased he was to
find such a very fine body of Volunteers so well
drilled and such good soldiers. He was pleased to
see all the four companies together, and strongly
-recommended them to form themselves into a sepa-
rate battalion.
The Colchester Volunteers will compete next
Thursday in Wyvenhoe-park, near Colchester, for
a prize cup, given by Mr. J. Gurdon Rebow. The
ranges will be at 600 yards, five rounds to be fired,
and ties will be shot off (two shots each) at 900
yards. The cup will be presented by Lady Geor-
giana Rebow, at 3 p.m., and the grounds will be
thrown open to the public, for whom various amuse-
ments will be provided.
On Monday the members of the Stourport corps
had a general muster for the purpose of being
" officially " inspected by Lord Lyttleton, the Lord-
Lieutenant of the county. At 7 o'clock his lord-
ship came on the ground, accompanied by Lieut.-
Colonel F. W. Knight, M.P. for the Western Divi-
sion of the county, when the company was drawn
up in line in review order to receive them. After
the usual salute, the Lord-Lieutenant and the
Lieutenant-Colonel went down the ranks and
closely inspected the men and their equipments.
The company were then put through their
manual and platoon exercises and some field evo-
lutions, concluding with skirmishing, which was per-
formed most admirably, and showed how much at-
tention the men had paid to this part of their drill.
At the conclusion the Lord-Lieutenant and Lieu-
tenant-Colonel addressed the men and complimented
them on their proficiency,
The 3d West Riding of Yorkshire (Bradford)
Rifle Volunteers have been engaged in sections in
ball practice at Spring-wood, Bowling ; and there
is every reason to believe that as the members of
the corps have displayed great diligence in learn-
ing their drill exercise, so they will not relax in
their efforts to become good shots. A scheme of
competitive prize shooting has been arranged for
the battalion upon the following bases:—The five
best shots of each company (there are six companies)
to shoot for three prizes value respectively—let,
£25 ; 2d, £l5 ; 3d, £lO. The best shot of each
company to get a prize, value £3 ; also a silver
medal, the size of a florin, to be attached to the
breast with a scarlet riband, and having on one
side the Queen's effigy, and on the other the Brad-
ford arms. Medal to be held by the winner while
best shot of his company. Badges as follows :-1.
Best shot of regiment,—crossed muskets, em-
broidered in gold, with gold crown above. 2.
Best shots of companies,—crossed muskets, em-
broidered in gold. 3. Those men who get seven
points in the first class to be called marksmen,—
crossed muskets embroidered in silver. The first
and second prizes to be shot for at 600 yards, five
rounds each man. Should the winner of the first,
second, or third prize be the best shot of his com-
pany, the third prize to go to the second best shot
of his company—the medal to the best shot. The
best shot of each company to challenge the best shot
of each company in any regiment in the West
Riding for a sweepstakes, to be subscribed for as
follows :—By officers, non-commissioned officers,
and privates of each competing regiment—captain,
£1; subalterns, 15s. ; best shot, 10s. At the above
rate the sweepstakes amount to £3 a company. The
first, second, and third prizes, amounting to £5O,
have been given by Mr. Titus Salt, M.P. for Brad-
ford, who has promised a similar sum to be shot for
next year. Major S. C. Lister, Commandant, pre-
sents the prizes for the best shot of each company,
and the medals and badges are given by the offi-
cers of the companies.

THE HARVEST IN THE WEST OF ENGLAND.—In
the line of country from Bridgwater to the Quantock Hills,
says a correspondent, the country teems with the fruits of
the earth. In many fields reapers are busy with the sickle,
or rather with the scythe, as more commonly used now for
cutting wheat. The crop is abundant, and in this district
not at all beaten down or grown out by the late rain and
winds ; barley and oats in the same abundance and good con-
dition ; fields of turnips unexceptionable ; the meadows filled
with grass, and the trees in the orchard overloaded with
apples, though necessarily small from the immense multi-
tude. Indeed, the whole country promises everything that
can be wished, and only wants a continuance of tho bright
sunny weather with which wo have boon blessed since Sun-
day, in spite of the croaking of somo and the speculations
of others, to make the harvest turn out Well at last,—DQrsee
Oronick.