The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-22 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Her Majesty's 13-gun screw corvette Archer, 1
Capt. F. Marten, at Woolwich, from the West Coast
of Africa, has commenced stripping in preparation
for being paid out of commission, which is ordered
to take place on Tuesday, the 30th inst.
Mr. Martin, of the mercantile navy, has succeeded
in bringing before the notice of the Lords of the
Admiralty a new self-canting anchor, which sus-
tained a very severe proof on Saturday under the
hydraulic testing gear in Woolwich dockyard. It
possesses considerable holding power and strength,
combined with diminished weight, and it can neither
foul nor become fouled. Nor can the vessel's bot-
tom be injured by it, as no part of it projects above
the ground. The anchor tested on Saturday is in-
tended for her Majesty's iron gunboat Vixen, now
fitting in the basin at that yard for service. Two
other anchors on the same principle—bower and
sheet anchors, one weighing 55cwt.—are now lying
at Woolwich for the ironcased corvette Favorite and
the double screw gunboat Viper, in course of con-
struction at Poplar. The anchor is exceedingly short
in the shank, viz., 79in., and is of malleable iron,
without welding. The weight of the anchor is 21cwt.
3qrs.l4lb. It was made at the Gateshead Ironworks
under the immediate superintendence of the patentee.
Having borne the full Admiralty test--21 tons
13cwt. lqr., without the slightest permanent
.deflection, Mr. Maztin, who was present, suggested
an increase of 50 per cent. The strain was applied
in double position to each arm, working up to 32
tons 15 cwt. The deflection was then 5-16ths of an
inch. The strain having been released, the anchor
returned to its former state, leaving no deflection.
The process of testing the anchor was carefully per-
formed in the presence of Commander H. Dunlop,
C.B , superintendent of the yard ; Capt. A. Wilms-
burst, of the ironeased turret-ship Prince Albert ;
Capt. Biddlecombe, master-attendant ; Mr. Geo.
Turner and Mr. Henwood, master-shipwrights; Mr.
Trickett, chief engineer and inspector of machinery;
Mr. Saxby and Mr. Wilkinson, master smiths. The
hydraulic pumps, which have hitherto been worked
by manual labour, are about to be supplied with
steam machinery, a donkey engine having been
manufactured in the yard for that purpose.
As announced by telegraph in The Sun of Satur-
day, the screw steam corvette Rattlesnake, 21, Com-
modore A. P. Eardley-Wilmot, C. 8., from Sierra
Leone on Dec. 24, arrived in Plymouth Sound on
Friday evening. In consequence of sickness among
her crew, she left her station on the West Coast of
Africa prior to the arrival of her relief, the screw
steam frigate Bristol, 39, Commodore G. T. P.
Hornby. The squadron was disposed as follows :
—The only ship at Sierra Leone was the coal depot
Isis, 2, Staff Commander P. Loney ; all other ships
of war had been ordered to leave Sierra Leone in
consequence of the prevalence of fever there. The
screw steam sloop Greyhound, 17, Capt. C. Stirling,
left on Dec. 4 for Ascension. She was to visit the
Bights of Benin, communicate with Lagos, and go
on the Southern Division. The steam gun vessel
Sparrow, 5, from Ascension, was expected at Sierra
Leone about the middle of January. Of the Right
Division, the screw steam gun vessel Espoir, 5, Com-
mander M. S, L. Peile, senior officer, has just gone
to visit the islands in the Bight of Biafra ; the steam
gun vessel Landrail, 5, Commander H. L. A. L.
Maitland ; the steam gun vessel Torch, 5, Commander
G. A. Douglas; the steam gunvessel Snipe, 5, Com-
mander H. A. Trollope ; the steam gunvessel Lee,
5 (tender to Bristol) ; and the storeship Vindictive,
2, Master Commanding 11. W. C. Wise, were in the
Bight Division. The steam gunvessel Pandora, 5,
Commander E. A. T. Stubbs, had left the Southern
Division for a trip to St. Helena and Ascension ; the
steam gunvessel Jaseur, 5, Commander W. T. H.
Grubbe ; the steam gunvessel Ranger, 5, Comman-
der C. G. Nelson ; and the paddlewheel vessel Pio-
neer, 1, Lieut. 0. H. Parker, were in the Southern
Division. The blockade of the Bight Division had
been so effective that not even a steam slaver bad
been able to make passage. The Bight squadron had
been very healthy, but the deficiency of medical
officers was felt most severely; there are three vessels
without surgeons, and the Sparrow had been obliged
to take one from Ascension. Lieut. C. E. Foot, of
the Rattlesnake, had been appointed Acting Com-
mander of the Sparrow, but was obliged through
sickness to return to England. This officer has been
a long time on the West Coast station.
Lieut.-Gen. the Hon. Sir J. Y. Scarlett, K.C. 8.,
commanding the Aldershot division, has just issued
an order, in which he calls attention to the following
extract from the report of the District Inspector of
Musketry, expressing his concurrence in the opinion
of the inspector, and requesting that the instruction
in extra position drills may be carried out in strict
accordance with the regulations
I beg to call attention to the way in which the
extra position drills appear to be executed in the
division generally—viz., by the entire battalion—
and to remark that these drills, on which the shoot-
ing of the battalion so much depends, would be
much more effective were they executed in the
manner indicated in page 38, paragraph 6, of the
Musketry Regulations—namely, by companies
broken up into squads of 10 men each. Unless the
extra position drills are carried on under the most
careful supervision, so that the slightest error may
be detected at once and corrected by the instructors,
the positions of some of the men are likely to be in-
jured rather than improved, as a man becomes as
easily habitnated to a bad position as a good one,
and must therefore be at all times carefully watched,
and I am of opinion that the same amount of care-
ful attention cannot be paid to the positions of the
men when the whole battalion is under instruction
as when one or two companies are instructed daily,
whereby every soldier in the battalion might have
the benefit of really valuable drill at least four times
a month."

On Friday a parade of the three brigades of in-
fantry stationed at Aldershott took place. The re-
giments formed up on the Queen's-parade, North
Camp, in line of contiguous columns. Shortly after
12 o'clock they were inspected by Major-Gen.
Russell, C. 8., in temporary command of the divi-
sion. The Major-General was accompanied by
Gen. Morris, of the American army, and attended
by the divisional Staff. After inspection the troops
marched past in open column of grand divisions in
quick time ; re-formed companies, countermarched
by ranks, and marched past from the reverse flank,
left in front, in quarter-distance column ; they then
passed again by brigade. A few field move-
ments afterwards took place, the troops returning
to quarters shortly after one o'clock. The artil-
lery, cavalry, the Royal Engineers, and the mili-
tary train were ordered out for inspection on the
same day, and about half-past one o'clock formed
up on Burn's Plain, but the heavy rain coming on
shortly afterwards they proceeded by the nearest
route to regain their quarters. On their way they
met Major-Gen. Russell and Gen. Morris, and the
rain by this time having abated, a halt took place,
and the troops marched past. This concluded the
day's proceedings.
The following non-commissioned officers from the
camp at Aldershot will proceed this morning by
special train on the South-Eastern Railway to
Westenhanger-station for the Hythe School of
Musketry :--Two sergeants, 28th Regiment ;
two sergeants, 31st Regiment ; two sergeants, 63d
Regiment ; two, sergeants, 69th Regiment ; twoser-
geants, 74th Regiment ; two sergeants, 92d Regi-
ment.

On Wednesday a deputation of the inhabitants of
Aldershot waited upon the Secretary of State for
War, at the War-office, to represent the injuri • • •
ous
effects of the new canteen system as carried out at
Aldershoc. The deputation was introduced by Mr.
Beach, M.P., and Mr. S. Booth, M P. After hear-
ing the objections which were urged against the
system, the chief of which consisted in the obliga-
tion that officers and civilians were allowed to pur-
chase at canteens, contrary to the recognised prin-
ciple of trade and competition, his lordship said that
the question of officers dealing at canteens was an
important one, which required some consideration ;
but they were allowed to do so under the " Queen's
Regulations" in the old system. It was no doubt
contrary to regulations for civilians to purchase at
canteens, and if the deputation could furnish him
with any particular case he would take steps to pre-
vent its repetition. His lordship also stated he had
abundance of proof that the new system was bene-
ficial to the soldier, and was working well.
The left wing of the 28th Regiment, consisting of

about 11 officers, 227 men, two horses, 24 women
and 20 children, arrived at Aldershot camp on Fri-
day evening from Devonport.
Mr. 0. A. Pease, military store staff, Woolwich,
is under orders to proceed to Hongkong to carryout
the duties of Mr. H. P. Moors, invalided home.

The cadets of the Royal Military Academy at
Woolwich are ordered to reassemble on Friday, 2d
February, and will resume their studies on the fol-
lowing day for the forthcoming half-year. Colonel
Yorke, R.E., inspector and second commandant,
whose term of service at the academy will expire in
June, will, it is stated, then retire, and will be suc-
ceeded by Lieut.-Col. Field, lately acting governor
of the General Hospital at Woolwich.
The following appointments were made on Satur-
day at the Admiralty : C. Wolton, master and pilot,
to the Star, commissioned ; S. Robinson, paymaster,
additional, to the Victory, for service in the Simoom ;
John Bruce (b), chief engineer, to the Star, com-
missioned ; James W. J. O'Malley, Burg., to the
Star ; John H. Brettell, engineer, to the Star, com-
missioned ; Thomas S. Nunn, engineer, additional,
to the Cumberland, for service in the Recruit; Ed-
ward B. Broster, assist-surg., additional to the
Boscawen, for service in the Ferret; William F.
Ryall, asmist-surg., to the Achilles ; Archibald T.
V. Forster. first-class assist.-engineer, to the Star,
commissioned; William F. Woods, assist-paymaster
to the Flora; William F. Crosthwaite, assist-pay-
master, to the Implacable ; and James A. Bell,
assist.-clerk, to the Hector.