The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-08 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Her Majesty's screw troopship Urgent, Capt. S.
H. Henderson, will sail from Portsmouth on Tues-
day next, unless the disastrous effects produced by
the hurricane at St. Thomas should cause her earlier
departure for the West Indies, with naval officers,
seamen, and marines to join her Majesty's ships on
the North American and West Indian and the
Pacific stations. The Urgent will call in at Ply-
mouth Sound on her way down Channel. The
officers and men for her Majesty's ships on the North
American'and West Indian stations she will dis-
embark at Bermuda, and those for her Majesty's
ships in the Pacific at Colon, for Panama, by way
of the Isthmus Railway.
We understand that the removal of the minor
portions of the military and naval transport service,
by the screw troopships of her Majesty's navy, from
Portsmouth to Plymouth is under consideration by,
the authorities, on the ground that it will be im-
peratively necessary to have always available at the
shortest notice all requisite jetty and dock accommo-
dation at the former port for the Indian troop ser-
vice steamships Serapis and Crocodile. Portsmouth
is, however, such a conveniently central position for
receiving troops from or discharging them to the
camp at Aldershot on the various regimental depots
scattered over the kingdom, and is also closely con-
tiguous to the great military hospital at Netley, that
the substitution of Plymouth for it as the part of
embarkation and debarkation of troops would be an
almost impossible arrangement. There seems, in-
deed, no sufficient reasons for warranting such a
change. There is, in fact, at Portsmouth dockyard
abundance of accommodation for embarking and
disembarking troops from all of her Majesty's troop
steamers without interfering with the ordinary ac-
commodation required for the regular ships of war.
There might at times be found a want of dock
space, but this could be obtained at Keyham if the
ship could not wait her turn at Portsmouth. What
is really wanted at Portsmouth yard is an improve-
ment upon the present dockyard official organisa-
tion in the management of her Majesty's transports
during the time they are in harbour. The transport
service of the Royal Navy is becoming very im-
portant, and it requires the nicest care and adjust-
ment to secure its efficient working.

The Royal Sovereign, 5, screw turret ship, tender
to the gunnery ship Excellent, under the temporary
command of Lieut. Poland, of her Majesty's ship
Excellent, returnedinto Portsmouth harbour yester-
day morning from Spithead, and resumed her usual
harbour moorings. Practice with shot and shell from
the new 9-inch rifled gun in third turret was made
on Wednesday off Sandown-bay, with very satis-
factory results. Capt. A. Hood, C. 8., her Ma-
jesty's ship Excellent, Capt. R. Scott, R.N., and
other officers were on board officially to witness and
report upon the firing, &c.
The War Department vessel Lord Vivian arrived
at Woolwich yesterday from Dublin, laden with
the old-pattern cartridges and
.smallarm ammuni-
tion, to be replaced by those of the Boxer pattern,
and also other returned stores.

The armament of the double-screw composite gun
vessels of the Beacon and Dwarf class is to be in-
creased by the addition of a couple of the
20-pounder breechloading Armstrong guns.
Her Majesty's iron steam storeship Buffalo went
down to Woolwich yesterday from Deptford and
commenced coaling, in readiness to proceed to Rouen
to take on board the War Department and naval
stores exhibited in Faris for transport home.
Mr. Reed, Chief Constructor of her Majesty's
navy, was a passenger by the up-train from Calais
for Paris which met with the serious collision on the
27th ult., but two days elapsed after the accident
before he felt any serious effects from it beyond a
severe shaking. He has since b3en lying for some
days at Corbeil, in France, suffering from a concus-
sion of the brain, but is, we are glad to be able to
state, now considerably better, and is expected to
be sufficiently convalescent very shortly to retur❑
to England and resume his duties at the Admiralty.
Perfect repose and quiet are still imposed.
In consequence of several cases having recently
occurred of engineer students, apprentices in her
Majesty's service, who have been educated at the
School of Naval Architecture, Kensington, having
immediately on the completion of their period of
study entered the service of private firms, an Ad-
miralty order has been received at Chatham direct-
ing a new clause to be inserted in the indentures of
all apprentices, who will in future be required to
enter into a bond, in the sum of £5O, to remain in
her Majesty's service for five years after the com-
pletion of their term of apprenticeship and scholastic
course.

Yesterday the chartered troopship Countess Rus-
sell, taken up by the Hon. Council of India for the
conveyance of reinforcements to Kurrachee, com-
pleted the embarcation of her officers and troops at
Gravesend. They consist of one officer, three ser-
geants, four corporals, 109 men, and 18 soldiers'
wives and children of the Royal Artillery ; two
officers, one sergeant, 15 men, and three women
and children of the 7th (Queen's Own) Hussars ;
one sergeant, one corporal, 15 men, and two women
of the 20th Hussars ; one officer, one corporal, 10
men, and six women of the 21st Hussars ;
two officers, one sergeant, two drummers, one
corporal, 39 men, and 18 soldiers' wives
and children of the 36th Regiment ; ono officer,
one sergeant, two corporals, four men, and
19 women and children of the 10th Bengal Fusiliers;
and one officer, one staff sergeant, one corporal, 56
men, and 14 women and children of the 106th Bom-
bay Light Infantry, giving a total of 9 officers, 8
sergeants, 2 drummers, 10 corporals, and 289 men,
with 34 soldiers' wives and 48 children.

Yesterday the chartered sailing troopship Dibhur
commenced the embarkation at Gravesend of up-
wards of 400 non-commissioned officers and men,
with 8 officers, for Kurrachee, the troops being
selected from various cavalry and infantry regiments.
The embarkations were effected under the superin-
tendence of the officers of the Staff from Chatham
garrison.

Major J. B. Edwards, assistant field officer for
military discipline at the Royal Engineer establish-
ment, Chatham, has been transferred to Portsmouth,
for employment under the commanding Royal En-
gineer iu the south-west district.
A general court-martial assembled at Chatham
yesterday, by order of the Duke of Cambridge, for
the trial of Private James Jackson, 82d Regiment.
The court was presided over by Col, F. G. Nuthall,
commanding the First Division of the Depot Bri-
gade, Royal Artillery ; Col. J. 11. Laye, Deputy
Judge Advocate, conducting the case, and Capt. G.
W. Northey, Adjutant of the 2d Depot Battalion,
the prosecution. The prisoner was arraigned for
having on the occasion of the finding and proceed-
ings of a district court-martial, before which he
had previously been tried, being read over to the
assembled troops, made use of violent and mutinous
language, to the prejudice of good order and mili-
tary discipline. Although the prisoner has been but
a few years in the service, he has scarcely done any
military duty, as he has passed the greater portion
of his time in prison. Ile has been tried by court-
martial five times. The court found him guilty, but
the sentence will not be promulgated until the pro-
ceedings and finding of the court have been sub-
mitted for her Majesty's approval.
Major-Gen. St. George, C. 8., Director of Ord-
nance, having resumed his duties at the War Depart-
ment, on his return from leave of absence, went down
to Woolwich, and held a consultation with the heads
of departments relative to the estimates for the en-
suing year's expenditure. Col. Clerk, superinten-
dent of the Royal Carriage Department, made a
demand for a new block of offices, rendered neces-
sary in consequence of the close proximity of the
present offices with the range of steam hammers and
machinery recently introduced, whole of the

carpenters' shops in the vicinity of the offices have
been converted into smitheries, engine-rooms, and
workshops for carrying out the new system of
wro,zight-iron gun carriages and equipment. The
oscillation and constant jarring occasioned by the
working of the heavy machinery is, therefore, a
source of interruption and ceaseless inconvenience,
which, on inspection, the Director of Ordnance
readily acknowledged. A site was subsequently
pointed out at his request, adjacent to the Works
Department offices, and pronounced available for
the purpose. The Director of Ordnance afterwards
joined the various members of the Select Committee,
and inspected the carriage department, pack saddles,
6,000 in number, intended for service in Abyssinia,
and, after being packed for shipment, were rejected
and replaced by the Otago saddles. Brigadier-
Gen. Lefroy, President R.A., F.R.S., Capt. Luard,
R.N., C. 8., Lieut.-Col. Shaw, and other members
of the Committee, were present, their object being
to ascertain if they could be converted into ambu-
lance saddles for the conveyance of the sick and
wounded on chairs and in litters, and for the use of
light transport in general.

The work of underpinning and strengthening the
foundations of the Herbert Hospital recently erected
for the accommodation of the garrison troops at
Woolwich is still in progress and, according to esti-
mation, it will extend over six or eight weeks longer,
the dilapidation having been found greater than was
anticipated. A sum approaching £1,500 had been
already expended in repairs, and great hopes are
entertained of the eventual success of the work now
in hand, by which an effectual system of drainage
will be securely established, and the building, not-
withstanding its disadvantageous position, will be
free from the danger which it was feared would ren-
der it unfit for the habitation of invalids.

ROYAL NA2IO_VAL LIFEBOAT INSTI-
-I'UTION.

Yesterday a meeting of this institution was held
at its house, John-street, Adelphi, Thos. Chapman,
Esq., F.R.S., in the chair. There were also present
Sir E. Perrott, Bart., W. H. Harton, Esq., Admi-
ral Ryder, G. Lyall, Esq., Capt. De St. Croix, A.
Boetefour, Esq., and R. Lewis, Esq., secretary to
the institution.

The minutes of the previous meeting having been
read,
A reward of £l2 3s. was voted to pay the expenses
of the institution's lifeboat at Braunton, in putting
off in a westerly gale and a heavy sea, and saving
the lives of the crew, consisting of nine men, of the
brig Ruth, of London, which went ashore near
Braunton on the 17th ult. A reward of £6 lls. was
likewise granted to pay the expenses of the lifeboat
of the institution at Llanddwyn, in putting off on
the 21st ult. and bringing safely ashore the crew of
11 men belonging to the bark James Campbell,
which went ashore on the North Bank, about two
miles from Llanddwyn. A reward of £l3 9s. was
voted to pay the expenses of the institution's lifeboat
at Girvan, N. 8., in putting off in a hurricane on the
26th ult. and succeeding, after great exertions, in
saving the crew of three men of the smack Margaret
Davies, of Gilran, which had become a total wreck
off that place. The shipwrecked sailors afterwards
publicly expressed their gratitude for their rescue ;
for, in the absence of the lifeboat, they felt that in
that dark and stormy night they must have perished.
When the poor fellows were rescued they were all
but exhausted, as their vessel was nearly all under
water, and the sea making a clean breach over them.
A reward of £l4 Bs. 6d. was likewise voted to pay
the expenses of the Daniel J. Draper lifeboat, just
sent to Mullion, Cornwall, in going off, on the 21st
ult., in a heavy surf and bringing safely ashore those
of the crew of the barque Achilles, of Glasgow,
which had stranded during foggy weather on Polu-
wian Beach. The remainder of the crew of the
wreck had previously been saved by the rocket ap-
paratus. It was reported that the " Solicitors and
Proctors'" lifeboat,stationed at Winchelsea, had, on
the 22d ult., put off and rendered good service to
the ship Michiels Loos, of Antwerp, which, during
blowing weather and in a thick fog, went ashore off
Winchelsea. The lifeboat stayed by the vessel all
night, and subsequently with the aid of two steam-
tugs the ship was got off and proceeded on her voyage.
A reward of £l4 3s. was also voted to pay the
expenses of the institution's lifeboat at Teaby in
saving the crew of the smack Queen Victoria, of
Brixham, which during a gale was dismasted off St.
Govin's head on the 27th ult. The Caister lifeboat
of the institution also went off on the 27th ult., and
rendered important assistance to the Newarp Light-
ship, which had been run into and seriously injured
by a large trading steamer. Four of the lifeboat's
crew were put on board the light-ship to assist her
crew at the pumps, and ultimately the vessel was
towed into Yarmouth Harbour.

It was also reported that the society's lifeboat at
Newbiggin had been launched on the 3d ult., in a
gale from the N., and a heavy sea, and had rendered
valuable assistance to the Newbiggin fishing boats,
which were in great danger ou their return from the
fishing- grounds, but which were all got ashore in
safety. On this occasion, most of the men being
at sea, the lifeboat was manned and launched prin-
cipally by the aid of women, most of whom had re-
latives on board the endangered fishing boats.
Rewards were also granted to the crews of the
society's lifeboats at Sutton, Ilfracombe, North
Deal, Runswick, Holyhead, Exmouth, Whitbuan,
Newhaven, Caister, and Fraserburgb, for various
services during the recent heavy gales. Various
other rewards were also granted to the crews of
different shore boats for saving life from shipwreck
on our coast.

During the present year the society has contri-
buted to the rescue of 807 lives from various ship-
wrecks. In the past two months the institution has
made payments to the amount of £B,OOO on its 183
lifeboat stations, including the expenses of forming
some new lifeboat establishments, many of which
involved a large outlay. A portion of the funded
capital of the society was ordered to be sold out to
meet these heavy payments.
During the past month new lifeboats had been
sent to Silloth, Cumberland ; Kessingland, Suffolk ;
and Bembridge, Isle of Wight ; also to Ayr and
North Berwick, in Scotland ; and to Kingstown, in
Ireland.

Several of the railway and steampacket companies
had kindly given free transmission to the lifeboats
and their transporting carriages.
Grand demonstratrations had taken place with
the Ayr and Bembridge boats, the first being the
gift to the institution of the Glasgow workmen,
through Mr. G. Norval ; and the second that of the
city of Worcester, through Capt. S. Fraser, R.N.

New lifeboat stations were also about to be formed
by the institution at Douglas, in the Isle of Man,
and at Broadstairs ; the last-named station was to
be appropriated to the Manchester Unity of Odd
Fellows.

J. G. Frith, Esq., of London, and Mrs. Frith,
had given £420 to the institution to defray the cost
of an additional lifeboat for Ross Links, Holy
Island. A lady had also presented to the institution
£4OO to pay for the lifeboat about to be stationed at
Bull Bay, on the Anglesey coast. It was reported
that Benjamin Bond Cabbell, Esq., F.R.S., had
intimated to the institution his wish to defray the
entire cost of a new lifeboat station for Cromer, on
the Norfolk coast. It was also stated that legacies
had been left to the society by the late Mrs. Maria
Deane, of Cheltenham, £lOO ; and by the late Mrs.
Miriana Ilooper, of Andover, duty free, £lOO. A
contribution of £5O had been received from Miss
Burdett Coutts.

Letters were read from the French Shipwreck and
Lifeboat Society, expressing their thanks to the
institution for the gift of the lifeboat and its car-
riage lately at the Paris Exhibition. They were to
be stationed at the port of Calais, where a commo-
dious and substantial boathouse is being built for
their reception.
Reports were read from the inspector and the
assistant-inspector of lifeboats to the society on their
recent visits to various lifeboat stations.
The proceedings then terminated.

THE REVOLVER CANNON.—The American re-
volver cannon which has boon constructed at Liege was
tried a few days ago at the proof-ground. It has eight
chambers placed like those of a revolver. Two are dis-
charged at each stoppage in the rotation, and it throws ex-
plosive projectiles a distance of 2,500 metres. This weapon
can fire 100 shots a minute, and, with its carriage and
alUmuultion, weighs about 6001 b,