The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-19 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Major-Gen. C. Hay's (Inspector-General of Mus-
ketry) annual report for the information of the

Duke of Cambridge, on the instruction carried on at
the Schools of Musketry at Hythe and Fleetwood,
has just been promulgated, bearing date, School of

Musketry, Hythe, Oct. 24, 1866, and contains the
following statements :—The number trained at tllo

Schools of I`..lusk2try, llythe, and Fleetwood, dur-
ing the year ending March 31,1866, of all ranks of

the several branches of the service, including seven
volunteers, is 1,678. In order to afford au oppor-
tunity to a greater number of men to shoot at dis-
tances beyond 300 yards, and thereby increase the
number of competitors for prizes, 'it was considered

desirable to reduce the qualification for passing from
the third to the second class ; consequently the
courses of practice at the schools during the year
have been conducted as regards qualifications only

under two systems, which are shown separately for
comparison. The change was sanctioned by the
General Order, No. 878, dated Horse Guards, 4th

of Jan., 1866. The number of officers, sergeants,
and rank and file of the regular army, Royal navy,
staff of militia, and Volunteers, are given in detail.
With regard to the officers, sergeants, and rank and

file of the array the number of third-class shots under
the new system is considerably less than under the
old. The " figure of merit" in rapid file firing and
skirmishing for officers at Hythe was—in 1864-65,
110.29 ; and in 1865-66, 96.97 ; at Fleetwood for

the former year, 98-54, and for the latter 104-95.
Sergeants and rank ani file—Hythe, 1864 65,
100.03 ; 1865-66, 106.21 ; Fleetwood in the former

year, 90.06, and in the latter, 108.49. The shooting,
on the whole, has improved in both schools, except
in the case of the officers at Hythe.
The following results of the yearly course ofprac-
tice of the sergeant instructors at Hythe and Fleet-
wood are recorded as an evidence of what squads
of men can do with the Enfield rifle when carefully
and systematically trained. These non-commis-
sioned officers are not selected as instructors on ac-
count of their good shooting, many of them being
only second-class shots when they joinei the
school:—Average points obtained in the first
period-53 at Hythe, 51 at Fleetwood ; ditto, in
volley firing, 24 at Hythe, 25 at Fleetwood ; per-
centage of first class, minus third class, 95 at Hythe,
92 at Fleetwood ; figure of merit, 172 at Hythe,
168 at Fleetwood. Average points obtained in the
second class, second period-40.57 at Hythe, 32.13
at Fleetwood ; ditto, first class, third period, 19.80
at Ilythe, 21.33 at Fleetwood ; ditto, in rapid file-
firing, 1410 at Hythe ; time, smin. 52sec. at
Hythe ; average points obtained in the second class,
second period, in skirmishing, 17.10 at Hythe.
The number of sergeants and petty officers of the
Royal navy (20), regular army, militia, volunteer,
and staff sergeants instructed at both schools was

483, of whom 300 were awarded certificates of qua-
lification for the appointment of sergeant instructor
of musketry, the remaining 183 being pronounced
ineligible. The percentage of sergeants who had
been awarded certificates this year increased, as
compared with that of 1864-65 ; the former being
62, the latter 53. Gen. Hay remarks :—" I would,
however, notice, notwithstanding this increase, that
there is great room for improvement in writing and
arithmetic in the majority of those who passed for
the appointment." The gallant General also remarks
—" I have again much pleasure in bearing testi-
mony to the exemplary conduct and efficiency shown
by the petty officers of the Royal Navy while at
this school for instruction." Gen. Hay concludes
his report with the following remarks :
Having noticed in my last report a practice that prevailed
of selecting third-class shots for the detachments sent to
the schools of musketry, it now only remains for me to
mention a circumstance which occurred during the year for
which this report is prepared, to show what may bo done
with third- class shots if pains be taken in their further in-
struction, instead of depriving them of indulgences, and
subjecting them to what has the appearance of punish-
ment, for faults which havo not been discovered and cor-
rected during the execution of the preliminary drills, and
hence have been confirmed. In the February term the 39th
Foot sent a detachment of nine men to this school (exclu-
sive of the officer's servant, who is not exorcised). Five
of these men were third-class shots, who, the commanding
officer intimated, were selected to be sent here, "to judge
if proper attention had been paid to their instruction by
the regimental instructor during the annual course for
1865-66," they having failed to pass into the second class
after a further course of preliminary instruction at the re-
giment, although, as the commanding officer stated, " the
strictest attention of the officer instructor had been given
to them." This detachment was, with others, put through
the usual course of drill and practice ; not only did all
these third-class shots pass into the second class after
firing 20 rounds in the first period, the worst shot obtain-
ing 38 points (30 being the qualifying number), but throe
of them passed into the first class. Tho figure of merit of
this detachment was 117.55, with no third-class shots,
while that of the regiment for 1865-66 is 54.28, with 109,
or 17i- per cent., third-class shots. This result speaks for
itself as regal ds the value of the preliminary drills, which
I regret being obliged to remark aro in too many cases

slurred over.
On Thursday the screw steamship Gibraltar, 81,
was hauled alongside the shier Hulk in Hamoaze,
and had her masts taken out.
Vice-Admiral the Hon. SirHenryKeppel, K.C.8.,
was yesterday appointed Commander-in,Chief in
China, vice Vice-Admiral G. H. V. King, whose
period of service has expired.

Railway and other Companies.

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TRAFFIC RECEIPTS.
The traffic receipts of railways in the United
Kingdom amounted, for the week ending January
12, on 12,734 miles, to £603,893, and for the cor-
responding week of last year, on 12,498 miles, to
£598,092, showing an increase of 236 miles and of
£5,800. The gross receipts on the following 14
railways amounted, in the aggregate, on 9,189
miles, to £509,260, and for the corresponding wok
of 1866, on 9,039 miles, to £507,028, showing an
increase of 150 miles and £2,232. The increase
on the Caledonian amounted to £1,002 ; on the
Great Northern to £2,759 ; on the Great Southern
and Western to £424 ; on the Great Western to
£1,945 ; on the Lancashire and Yorkshire t°
£3,279 ; on the London and North-Western to
£1,724 ; on the London and Brighton to £1,739
on the London and South-Western to £598 ; ana
on the South-Eastern to £s22.—Total, £13,90'
But from this must be deducted £3,451, th°
decrease on the Great Eastern ; £1,895 on the
211aUClie6ta, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire ; £17211
,1
on the Midland ; £5Ol on the North British ; and
£4,542 on tha North-Eastern, together £11,760'
leaving the increase as above £2,232. The 09(),.„°
and mineral traffic on those lines amounted w 6
£300,799, and for the corresponding week of 1860
to £300,586, showing an increase of £213. r-rIL,
receipts for passengers, parcels, &c., amounted 1.;
£208,461, against £206,442, showing an inere3:o
of £2,019. The traffic receipts on 52 other yin
~0
amounted, on 3,545 miles, to £94,632, and fox wto
corresponding week of last year, on 3,459 miles" of
£91,064, showing an increase of 86 miles ao"0,0
£3,568. The total receipts of the past week sliktio
an increase of £628 as compared with those of
preceding week, ending the sth inst.