The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-18 00:00:00

TB E SUN, LOIN DON, T ETES IIA Y EVENING, JUN E 18, 1867.

divided, and double topsails introduced. This
enabled the commander to reduce at once half the

and by the smaller dimensions of the canvas
mare easily to handle it, but it added an extra yard
ad th all its gear and weight to the mast, thus at-
tai fling an advantage at a considerable cost. Hitherto
the most successful inventions to overcome the diffi-
culty were one of CUNNINGHAM, and another of
GOLLING and PINKNEY. The first rolls the
canvas on the topsail-yard, which revolves as it is
lowered. But the sail requires a bonnet or middle
cloth. This patent has generally been adopted,
and the immense advantages derived have been
freely acknowledged by nautical men. The disad-
vantages are, however, obvious. The middle cloth
weakens the sail, and the apparatus being all on
the topsail yard brings the weight high up where
the ship is less able to bear it. When a crank ship,
strts•_:k by a squall heels over, the halyards on
being " let go" may not act, and therefore in the
worst emergency CUNNINGHAM'S invention may
fail. By MEDHURST'S plan the sail reefs at the
foot, and no middle cloth is required. The pro-
cess can be continued till the whole is rolled up,
therefore, it furls as well as reefs. Its action is
independent of any position of the ship, and there-
fore acts under all circumstances. As the weight
is at the foot of the topsail instead of at the head,
the ship gains in the case given. The Army and
Navy Gazette thus speaks of this invention :
" When the sail is set, and it is required to he
reefed, it is only necessary to slack away or let go the
topsail halyards; the weight of the yard will in general
produce the rotation of the roller, and thereby reef
the sail ; but should the yard refuse to come down,
as may be the case when the ship is laying over, it
will then be necessary to haul on the down haul
tackle, which is fitted to the bight of the reefing
chains. When the sail is close reefed and has to
be furled, a hand must then be sent aloft to take
out the pin from the clasp and hook the traveller.
The traveller referred to takes charge of the Tad
on its leaving the parral, and prevents it from
swaying about during the time the sail is being
furled, or in setting a close-reefed topsail, in which
case also care must be taken to have the whip.
line made fast on deck to prevent the parral from
rising, until the pin referred to above is in the clap,
the yard is then parraled, and the sail may be
set. Having explained the working of this in-
vention, and set forth the principal advantages of
the same, I will now proceed to describe the mode
of trussing and slinging the lower yard. By de-
parting from the old plan, and adopting the arrange-
ment shown in the model, I am enabled to remove
the one great difficulty; that is, the stay, by shifting
which I can reduce the height of the goosenecks, and
apply the intermediate supports to the rollers which
render the reefing apparatus complete and applic-
able to large ships. Leaving the reefing apparatus,
I wish to offer a few remarks on the new mode of
trussing and slinging the lower yard, which in
my opinion offers advantages where the reefing ap-
paratus is not used, as it admits of the topmast
being struck without having to unrig the lower
yard, and, as will be seen, the lower yard can be
braced up easier, consequently a saving of labour
in both cases is effected. It must also be borne in
mind that the most expensive part of the fore or
mainstay is dispensed with, which also effects
a saving of material and labour. As regards
the iron-work, it is composed of two separate
forgings, very simple and very strong, the par-
ticular shape of which may be modified as circum-
stances may require. The advantages of MEDHURST'S
invention over that of COLLING and PINKNEY'S will
seem apparent, for the following obvious reasons.
In MEDHURST'S invention the apparatus for reefing
is arranged and fixed to the lower yard, so as to
give a fair lead to the reefing chains clear of all
rigging, with perfect control over the rotary power.
CALLING and PINKNEY'S apparatus is arranged on
the topsailyard, the whole weight of which bas to
be hoisted in setting the sail, which is not only
very laborious, but places a vast amount of extra
weight aloft. As regards the reefing chains they
have not a fair lead, and do not work clear of the
rigging; the general complaint is, that they break
the topmast crosstrees and chafe the topmast rig-
ging, also the clews of the topgallant-sail ; and,
what is of more consequence than all, they cannot
depend on reefing the sail quickly, having only an
indirect control over the rotary power. The
advantages of MEDHURST'S invention over CUN-
NINGHAM'S may be briefly summed up as fol-
lows : The weight of MEDIIURST'S apparatus
is all at the foot of the topsail, it is self-reef-
ing and self-furling, and does not require a bonnet
or middle-cloth, the sail being whole. In CUN-
NINGIIAM'S, the apparatus for reefing is on the top-
sail yard, and so arranged that the yard itself can
revolve and thereby reef the sail, but not furl
it—that must be done by the hands going
aloft in the ordinary way. The sail has a bon-
net, or middle cloth, which is always getting out of
order, by which many sails have been split and
ruined. As regards the weight aloft, it is about the
same as COLLING and PINKNEY'S."

If philanthropists were in the habit of going to
sea, and could themselves be spectators of what
sailors are called upon to endure in handling this,
the main stay of a ship, they would take a deeper in-
terest in the subject, and it is not likely that in such
an age of invention, AIEDHURST'S contrivance should
only be discovered and tested in the year 1867.
Nor would it, when known, be practically tried
on a little brigantine, carrying a cargo of " notions"
to the pestilential coast of Africa. The subject
should be ventilated by the Press ; for it concerns
more nearly the comfort of sailors, the dangers to
which they are exposed, and even the safety of
ships, than landsmen are generally aware of.—
Anglo-Anieriean Times.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Yesterday Aldershott camp was honoured by a
visit from the Prince of Wales, the Prince and
Princess Louis of Hesse, and Prince Arthur, when
a grand review of all the troops in garrison took place.
As announced in The Sun yesterday, the proposed
visit of their Royal Highnesses was announced by a
" Divisional After-Order" on Saturd4 night. The
scene of the review was to have been Caesar's Camp,
but yesterday morning this was countermanded, and
the Long Valley chosen. The troops formed on
their various parades at an early hour, and shortly
after 9 o'clock were marching across the common to
the scene of the review in the Long Valley. There
they were formed up diagonally across the valley
and facing the north, the Royal Horse Artillery,
five batteries mounting 30 guns, being on the right
of the line, the Military Train being in the rear, the
cavalry brigade next, two field batteries of Royal
Artillery next, then the Engineers, and, lastly, the
three brigades of infantry, the second being on the
left. The troops were massed in columns in this
position, the width of the valley not allowing
10 thelloNviilgofth
the
regiments forming line. By half-past
regi-
ments were in position, and the order was given to
the cavalry and artillery to dismount and the infantry
to " stand at ease." At 11 o'clock Lieut.-Gen. the
Hon. Sir J. Y. Scarlett, K.C.8., commanding the
division, arrived, attended by a brilliant staff. The
General and staff having placed themselves in front
in centre of the line, awaited the arrival of the
Royal visitors, but at the same moment the escort
which had been provided (a troop of the 15th
Hussars) rode on to the field and joined the regiment,
causing many to imagine that the Royal party
were not coming. llowever, in a few minutes they
were observed riding slowly over the common
towards the troops. Arrived in front of the line a
Royal salute was given, the troops presenting arm.;
and the bands playing the National Anthem. The
Royal party consisted of the Prince of Wales, the
Prince Arthur, Prince and Princess Louis of Hesse,
the Duke of Cambridge, Conimanding-in-Chietf, and
his Serene highness the Prince 'Peck. The Prince
of Wales, who wore the uniform of Colonel of the
10th Hussars, was attended by General Sir Win.
Knollys, K.C.8., Lieut.-Col. Keppel, Equerry, and
Col. Kingscote. In attendance on Prince Arthur
were Major Elphinstone and Capt. Pickard ; on
her Royal Highness the Princess Louis of Ilesse, the
Countess of Westmoreland and Lady Emily Kings-
cote ; on Prince Louis of llesse, the Baron von
Westerweiler ; and on the Duke of Cambridge, Col.
Charles Tyrwhitt and Col. the Hon. R. W. P.

Curzon,C.B., Lieut.-Gen. Lord W. Paulet, K.C.8.,
Adjt.-Gen., and Lieut.-Gen. Sir Hope Grant, Quar-
termaster-Gen., were also present. The Royal
party having inspected the various regiments by
riding up the front and down the rear of the line,
took up their position at the saluting point for the
march past, his Royal Highness the Commander-in-
Chief taking command of the division. The divi-
sion marched past, the cavalry and Royal Artillery
and the field batteries in open column of squadrons
and batteries at a walk, and the infantry in open
colurns of grand divisions in quick time in the fol-
lowing order :—Staff of the Division—Col. Newdi-
gate, Assist.-Adjutant-Gen., and Col. Herbert,
C. 8., Assist.-Quartermaster-Gen. ; Lieut.-General
the Hon. Sir James Yorke Searlett, K.C.8., com-
manding the division. Staff of the Cavalry
Brigade Major-General E. C. Hodge, C. 8.,
commanding ; Col. Huyshe, and A, B, C, D, and
E Batteries, C Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery ;
Col. Pattie, C. 8., and Ist King's Dragoon Guards ;
Col. Shute, and 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards ;
Col. Drury Lowe, and 17th Lancers; Colonel Fitz
Wygram, and 15th (King's) Hussars ; C and 111
Batteries, 9th Brigade, Royal Artillery. Pioneers,
bands, and drums of the Ist Infantry Brigade :
Major-Gen. Renny, commanding 3d company of
Royal Engineers ; Col. Lacy, and 56th (West
Essex) Regt.; Major Rice, and 72d (Duke of
Albany's Own) Highlanders. Pioneers, bands, and
drums of the 3d Infantry Brigade—Brigadier-Gen.
Sir A. Horsford, K.C.8., commanding; Lieut.-Col.
Synge, and 43d (Monmouthshire) Light Infantry ;
Col. A. M. 111‘Donald, and 7th Rifle Depot Batta-
lion ; Col. Cooper, and 70th (the Surrey) Regt. ;
Col. Green, and 68th (Durham) Light Infantry.
Pioneers, bands, and drums of 2d Infantry Brigade
—Major-Gen. G. Campbell, C. 8., commanding ;
Col. Graham and Ist battalion 18th (Royal Irish)
Regt. ; Col. Wyatt, C. 8., and 65th (Second North
Riding) Regt. ; and Col. Browne, C. 8., and 44th
(East Essex) Regt. The cavalry and Royal Horse
Artillery then trotted past the saluting point, and
the review being over the order of battle was formed.
The division was supposed to be coming from the
north, and the enemy to have landed on the coast
and advanced as far as Caesar's Camp, which, with
the surrounding hills,. he held, the whole being
fringed with artillery. ;To attack-him the division

formed four lines facing south, the artillery being
the first line, the cavalry next, five infantry regi-
ments next in order, and four regiments in rear in
support. The cavalry sent out a long line of
vedettes, their right being supported by the batta-
lion of Rifles, who skirmished in the woods of Bick-
ley and Bourlay. On the right of the first infantry
line a field battery was in position on Long-hill,
(where the Royal party had proceeded to view the
sham fight), and on the left of the line was another
battery resting on Burn's Plain. The first line com-
menced the fight by an almost simultaneous die-
charge from the right of each battery, which
had the effect of clearing the hills of the enemy's
skirmishers,
and, under cover of the tremendous
smoke raised from the discharge of thirty guns
the cavalry made a dash towards the hill. Flow-
ever, they were repulsed, or they could not get
over the ground, for they suddenly retired, and
formed line in rear of the second line of infantry.
Meanwhile the Royal party had proceeded to the
high ground at the rifle ranges, where they were ex-
actly in front of the division. The infantry being
now the front line opened a rapid file fire, which
lasted several minutes, the artillery at the same time
pounding away at the enemy. His cavalry having
shown themselves in considerable numbers, the in-
fantry formed squares and gave them some rattling
discharges as they rode on them. Again the whole
forced retired, and file and volley firingcommenced,
which lasted for several minutes ; indeed, until the
ammunition was expended. The order was then
given for the infantry to return to quarters, and the
last act of the day was performed by the cavalry
making a magnificent charge from one side of the
valley to the other. Thi:: last was done by the
order of the Duke of Cambridge, as in the position
in which the troops had been fighting not more than
two regiments could safely charge together. The
troops returned to quartersshortlyafter two o'clock.
Their Royal Highnesses role on the ground simul-
taneously with the troops, and returned to town in
the afternoon. The field state of the division
showed that there were present at the review about
7,800 men of all ranks. There were a large number
of visitors present, the day was very fine, and no
casualty occurred.

The proceedings and findings of the district
courts-martial which recently assembled at Chatham
garrison for the trial of Privates Joseph Dunn, 30th
Regiment, and James Kirwin, 106th Regiment,
were yesterday promulgated to the troops. The pri-
soners were tried for desertion and making away
a
with their regimental necessaries. The prisoner
ad served in the 53d Regi-
and previously to his Dunn, who is a returned convict, has been tried by
join-
ingcourtsme n t
t, e the
from" martialwhich
Regimentilcsh times,hehbeen discharged with igno-
miny. The prisoner Kirwin, who has been but four
years in the service, has spent two years and a half
of that period in prison, having been tried four times.
On one occasion he received 50 lashes. The Court
sentenced each of the prisoners to be branded
with the letters ~ 8.C." and " D.," to be dis-
charged from the service with ignominy, and to be
imprisoned at the Military Prison, Rochester, for
336 days.
__ _

Capt. the lion. George Wrot-
Yesterday, General Sir John F. Burgoyne, G.C.8.,
inspection of the corps of Royal
Inspector-General of Royal Engineers, attended by
quarters, Brompton barracks.
theis3leAyi,daer-driv-eCdaaintp, Chatham for the purpose of snak-
ingsummer
gihniesersat
head
On his arrival at the Chatham station General Sir
Royal Engineer
establishment, and other officers, and proceeded
direct to Brompton barracks, where the corps of
Simmons,i‘jloilh Murray,
aygeo. y'
commandinglv
directoras
Royal Engineers was formed on the Parade ground,
awaiting his arrival. Shortly after reaching head
quarters Sir John Burgoyne inspected the barrack
rooms, non-commissioned officers' and men's quar-
ters, barrack rooms, architectural schools, halls of
study, and other portions of the Royal Engineer
establishment, in which duty he was engaged until
when, attended by a numerous staff,
to Chatham lines. There the entire
hftoherecpaerfooteeferednßoeoodyn; l Engineers, forming ten companies,
and numbering about 800 men of all ranks, was
drawn up under the command of Col. J. L. A.
Simmons, C. B. General Burgoyne witnessed the
corps go through an extended course of movements,
in the course of which both officers and men ac-
quitted themselves satisfactorily. Last evening Sir
John Burgoyne was
entertained by the officers of
the corps.

The following
appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Commander H. E. Crozier to the
Viper, commissioned ; Commander G. Robinson, to
be inspeeiing commander of the Coastguard ; Lieut.
A. F. Marescaux, to command the gunboat Orwell,
commissioned ; Thomas 0. Joynson, paymaster, to
the Daphne; Adolph Hunter,
assist.-paymaster, to
the Crocodile ; James G. Gordon, clerk, to the
Serapis.

[ADVEItrISEMENT.)—Dyspepsia
bility, Consumption, and all nervous, bilious, stomach, and liver
complaints in every stage, are only' aggravated and accelerated
by (bur! f
^8 °- every description, but perfectly curable by Du
Barry's health-restoringthousands of cases Revalenta Arabica Food, as proved by
(Indigestion) Constipation, De-
es—cough, asthma, also diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, liver com-
plaints, flatulency, nervousness, biliousness, fevers, sore throats,
diphtheria, catarrhs, colds, influenza, noises in the head and
which had been considered hopeless, such
ea r.q. rheumatism, gent, impurities, eruptions, hysteria, neuralgia,
ha itability, me,
ache, debility, dropsy,
sleeplessness, acidity, palpitation, heartburn, head-
even in prognancY or at sea, sinking fits, bronchitis, scrofula,
restored by Du Barry's Fool. c
tightness of the chest, pains at the pit of the stomach and
cramps, spasms, nausea and sickness,
between the shoulders, &c. We quote a few :—Tlie Pope's health
ceonntisruemlyestoaDpulaßteafrur?
21, 1866.—The health of the Holy Father is excellent, especially
sitee, abandoning all other remedies, he has cctalned himself
Revaleuta Arabica Food, of which he
prisingly beneficial effect on his health, and his Holiness cannot
praise this excellent food too highly."—From the " Gazette du
'as t every m'erael, No.
6:a'si'pj.r—od"ulicoeind Some,,
jsuulry-
Midi, July 25 Cure No. 46,270 Mr. James Roberts, timber
merchant, of Fri 1
M•eY Surrey, of bittl years' diseased lungs,
spitting of blood,
asthma,
Cure No. 1,171. Lord Stuart de Decies, Lord Lieut. of
Waterford, of many ~ liver derangement, and partia, deafness.
years dyspepsia.—No. 49,8'32. "Fifty
years' indescribable agony from dispepsia, nervousness,
vomiting.—Maria cough, constipation, flatulency, spasnfs, sickness and
In tins at ls. 1
and at 61, Graceac.h; Y." Important Caution.—Beware of the many
unsavoury and more than sloppy imitations t 6 which, without
authority, Baron Liebig's name is most audaciously attached.-
12 lbs., 225.; 24 lbs., 40: B Die Ballast and Co., No. 77,
Regent-street London; 6.— AltltY
urlehlb_, 25i74. ;
c2helb. sap.,Bi4:.; 668:1550,1ba5n.,a112.05:,
. ' also Fortuam and Mso a, 182, Piccadilly;
Orford-street; nao *. street; .
-I ° i Strand; 0,32 a au grocers anti chemists.

ARMY DRESS AND EQUIPMENTS.

I Yesterday evening a long but very interesting
paper was read on this subject to the members of the
United Service Institution by Captain Walker, of
the 91st Regiment ; Lord Longford took the chair.
The theatre of the institution was unusually well
attended. It 'may be said at the outset that Captain
Walker's paper or address, which occupied nearly an
hour and a half in reading, condemned almost every
part of the dress and equipments of the English sol-
dier. The speaker said he was quite aware that argu-
ments of the same or almost even greater force might
be applied to the equipments of other branches of the
service, but on that he had not time to enter then.
Beginning, therefore, with the shako of the infantry
soliier, and following down almost every article of
his dress, he showed with unusual force and clear-
ness how both for sanitary reasons and reasons con-
nected with the freedom of movement of the soldier
almost all his uniform was wrong. The shako was
no adequate protection to the head in cold weather,
while in the tropics, where at least one-third of the
duty of the English army was done, it was absolutely
useless. The cap cover used in hot climates was
rather a recognition of the evils which the shako
caused than a means of avoiding them. Stocks, he
believed, were now so universally condemned both by
officers and men that it was almost needless to in-
veigh further against them. The trousers were made
too tight round the knee and thigh, and men split
them continually when out skirmishing and firing
from the knee. The tunic was tight and had no poc-
kets, and the ammunition blucher boots were as
worthless as could well be conceived. Much of this
last-mentioned evil arose from the low contract price
paid for them--only Bs. 6d. a-pair. It was, however,
principally upon the knapsack that Capt. Walker
was most deservedly severe. The weight of the pack,
561 b., its stiffness, awkward fitting to the frame, and
the straps by which it was supported were explained
with force and clearness, which left no loophole for
doubt as to its total inadequacy for the present sys-
tem of military tactics, when rapid marches and
heavy weights of spare ammunition for the
breech-loader ,had become necessaries to cam-
paigning. At the recommendation of General
Eyre a committee had been appointed to ascertain
the best kind of knapsack used—French, Prussian,
Austrian, American, Italian ; in short, no less than
twenty were examined and reported upon, and of
this number the English knapsack was found to be
the worst of all. Yet to each and all of the foreign
models some objections more or less vital had been
established, and in the result the committee had
determined to devise one of their own which would
combine all the best merits of the foreign specimens
and as few as possible of their disadvantages. This
had been tried at the School of Musketry and other
camps, and had met the unanimous approval of both
officers and men. It was a leather kit bag, sus-
pended, not only from the waistbelt, but from
braces passing in front and behind the back, the
main weight resting on the hips. The great-coat and
canteen were worn above these on the shoulder, and
as a counterpoise to this weight behind the increased
rounds of ammunition and ammunition pouch were
carried in front. The relief thus afforded to the
soldier was immense. Still he thought a greater
improvement might be effected by what he called
" a bed kit," which would enclose a great coat and
kit in a 6ft. length of light waterproof cloth, to be
worn across the left shoulder, the ends coming
down under the right arm like a scarf. The sol-
dier, no doubt, did prefer this method, and both
Austrian and Prussian soldiers carried their great
coats, slung in that fashion. In addition to its
being light and waterproof, it afforded the soldier
the inestimable benefit of having a waterproof sheet
to sleep on when campaigning out on wet and damp
earth, and in the day it might be used in wet
weather as a kind of waterproof` cloak while on a
march. In conclusion, Captain' Walker said that
the attention of military authorities was now
thoroughly aroused to the importance of this sub-
ject, and there was little doubt that in a short time
the present restrictive uniform would be as much a
thing of the past as the pigtails of the reign of the
early Georges. The paper occupied so long a time
in reading that the remarks made upon it in the
very brief discussion which followed were limited
to an almost general expression of approval of
Captain Walker's improvements, and always
pointed to the necessity of some radical reform
being commenced in army uniforms, both cavalry
and infantry. Votes of thanks to Captain Walker
for his paper and to Lord Longford for presiding
brought the proceedings to a close.