The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-20 00:00:00

NA VAL. AND MILIIARY INTELLIGENCE.

The Elk, twin screw (unarmoured, comnlsite
built) gunvessel, Commander Algernon G. Wooltov,
went out of Portsmouth hArbour yesterday and
Anchored at Spithead, where she will receive her
ammunition previous to sailing for China. The
Hornet gunvessel, a similar craft to the Elk, Com-
mander Duncan D. Davidson, yesterday, competing
coaling in Portsmouth harbour, will &All for China
in company with the Elk, and both will be under
convoy of the Juno, 6, armed screw transport, 400-
horse power, Capt. F. llardinge.
The gunboat yard at Ilaslar, Portsmouth, ac-
cording to present orders, will be closed at the end
of March next. The yard covers a large space of
ground abutting on the shore at llaslar creek on
the west side of Portsmouth harbour, and was
created some years since at a very great ex-
pense for the hauling up, storing under sheds,
and the repair of gunboats, mortar vessels,
&c. it is fitted with a hauling up slip and cradle
connected with expensively-c)nstucted and
very efficient lines of railway running at right
angles with the entire length of 50 sheds, with their
blocks, &c., for the storing of the gunboats. A
powerful locomotive engine draws the boats up the
slipway on the cradle, and to and from the sheds in
hauling up or launching, and a fixed engine work-
ing an endless screw takes the boats in or drives
them out from under the sheds as may be required.
In addition to this there is a valuable plant on the
ground belonging to the shipwright and engineer-
ing departments, with officers' residences, &c.,
together with a large space of spare ground
within the walls of the yard, that is available

for extending the present workshops, should it
efer be found necessary to do so. Altogether, the
present gunboat yard at Haslar represents the in..
vestment of a very large sum of the public money,
and it is well worth the consideration of the First
Lord and Board of Admiralty whether some
more profitable use might not be made of so
much capit ii. The very opposite opinions have been
entertained regarding the value of Haslar yard.
At this moment the demolitionists have the upper
hand, and the decree has gone forth that it is to be
officially closed on the 31st of March next, and the
50 costly sheds taken down and removed to the
dockyard at Portsmouth to be employed in storing
timber. This latter proposition will at once be con-
demned if rightly understood. To do this it is
only necessary to consider the cost of the pulling
down of the 50 sheds, their removal across the
harbour of Portsmouth to the dock, and their re-
erection. There is another consideration. How
is it that now, when we have abandoned the
building of ships of war in wood for iron, we
suddenly are told that covered sheds must be
provided for the storage of tiinbar ? Supposing,
even, for the sake of argument, that the small
quantity of timber which in future will be kept in
store at Portsmouth dockyard must be kept under
cover for its preservation, surly the six building
sheds of enormous area, which have nothing build-
ing under them but a small gunvessel and a dock-
yard lighter, will hold more timber of all kinds
than can ever be required; bat, if even there should
be found insufficient there is the now vacant and

disused ropery, of some 1,7001 t. in length, and
other old stores, that could be used on an emer-
gency—a circumstance, however, that Is never
likely to occur."

On Jilonday the Ist infantry brigade at Alder-
shott, lender the command of Major-General H.
Renny, and consisting of the 2d battalion 6th Re-
giment, under the command of Major Phillips ; the
2d battalion Bth, under Colonel Robertson ; the Ist
battalion 25th, King's Own Borderers, under the
command of Colonel 11. T. Walker ; and the 57th
Regiment, under the command of Colonel Butler,
formed up on the brigade parade, and thence
marched to the general guard-mounting parade,
south camp, in complete marching order.
Yesterday the Artillery division at Aldershot,
under the command of Colonel J. IL Smyth, C. 8.,
consisting of B and C. Batteries 11th Brigade Royal
Artillery, and C, 1), and E Batteries of the C Bri-
gade Royal Horse Artillery, formed up on their
divisional parade ground, and proceeded at half-
past nine o'clock to Eelmoor-hill, where they
marched past in open column of batteries at a walk
and subsequently went through numerous field
movements peculiar to that branch of the service,
returning to quarters shortly before one o'clock.
Two men fell during the exercises, and were
promptly conveyed to hospital.

LuNDON GAZETTE-LAST EVENING. 2

WAR-OFFICE, PALL-MALL, JAN.I9.
Commissariat Department—Ensign Martin Day Sayers,
67th Foot, to be Assistant Commissary in the African
Commissariat Department.
ADMIRALTY, JAN. 15.

The undermentioned officers have this day been pro-
moted to the rank of Paymaster in her Majesty's Fleet :
Henry de ltidder, Esq. ; Francis Henry Chown, Esq.
BREVET.

Colonel John Henry Lefroy, Royal Artillery, at present
serving with the temporary rank of Brigadier-General, to
have the temporary rank of Major-General whilst em-
ployed as Director-General of Ordnanco.

COURSE OF EXCHANGE—Last Evenzng.

Amsterdam
Do

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