The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-12 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intellij,ence.

The General Commanding-in-Chief, his Royal
Highness the Duke of Cambridge, resumed his in-
spection at Portsmouth yesterday morning, with a
parade and review of all the available troops in the
garrison at Southsea-common. The force was formed
in three brigades under the command of Lieut.-Gen.
Sir George Buller, K.C.8., who was attended by
Col. W. H. Elliott, R.A., commanding the Royal
Artillery in the south-west district ; Col. S. Mould,
RE., commanding the Royal Engineers in the
south-west district ; Lieut.-Col. A. Alison, C. 8.,
Assist. Adjt.-Gen. ; Lieut.-Col. G. 11. S. Willis,
Assist. Quartermaster-Gen. ; Capt. M. R. Eden,
Dep.-Assist. Quartermaster-Gen. ; Town-Major
John Breton, Brevet-Major R. Mackenzie, aide-de-
camp ; Capt. S. C. Glyn, aide-de-camp. By 10.30
a.m. the troops were drawn up in a line across the
common, extending from under the town bastions
to the shingle of the sea-beach, in readiness to re-
ceive the Duke. The three brigades comprised a total
of 1,513 officers and men, 12 guns and 96 horses.
Shortly after the line had been formed the Duke
arrived, accompanied by Lieut.-Gen. Sir J. Hope
Grant, G. C. 8., Quart.- Mast.-Gen.; Col. Gloucester
Gambier, Dep.-Adjt.-Gen. of Artillery; and Col.
T. H. Clifton, aide-de-camp, and was received
with a Royal salute along the line of troops.
A very brief inspection along the front followed,
after which the troops marched past his Royal High-
ness, first in grand divisions, and afterwards in three
brigades, the batteries going past on the second occa-
sion in Indian file, and at a smart trot. A series of
field movements followed, commencing with the 43d
advancing in skirmishing order, supported by the
40th and 68th regiments and demi-batteries of field
artillery. This being repulsed, a second advance was
made in the same direction in greater strength, and
a good deal of powder was burnt ; but again with-
out any other result than a second retiring move-
ment. The front was next changed, and the action
continued on new ground, over which the troops
manoeuvred admirably and the defence of Southsea
was brought to a successful conclusion about 1 p.m.,
the last advance of the troops in one sweeping charge
being supposed to have driven the enemy into the
sea. The evolutions having terminated, the troops
were drawn up in columns of brigades, advanced in
slow time, halted, and gave a Royal salute. Com-
manding officers of regiments were then called to
the front, and. addressed at some length by the Duke,
who praised the troops generally, but pointed out
what he considered serious defects in some of the
movements executed. He also impressed upon the
minds of commanding officers the necessity of per
fecting their men in volley firing now that breech-
loading rifles had become the adopted arm of the
British army.
An immense number of people, in carriages and
on foot, fringed the common to witness the proceed-
inV. None of the manoeuvres executed possessed
any special interest, the ground being totally un-
suited for the satisfactory handling of such a number
of men.
In the afternoon the Duke proceeded to the
island of Portsea, and through the lines of defence
at Hilsea to Portsdown-hi]l, where he visited
the forts of Widley, Southwick, Nelson, Wel-
lington, Purbrook, and Crookhorn, which have
been constructed or are in process of construc-
tion on its crest. These monster fortifications
have been described on various occasions in The
SDI as they have progressed. Southwick and Nelson
are finished, and will now be handed over to

the Royal Artillery to have the beds and racers on
their terre-pleins prepared to receive their guns and
carriages. Widley will be completed in about ten
days' time, and it will also pass into the hands of
the Royal Artillery to be prepared for its armament.
1V idley Fort is the one which covers the great south
or London highway in its approach to Portsmouth,
and as in its general form and strength it very much
resembles the other works on the centre of the hill's
crest, a brief notice of its form and extent will give
some idea of the strength of the entire position, of
which this one forms but a sixth part. In shape it
may be said to represent an obtuse angled penta-
gon, with its front looking inland, and its base line
towards Portsmouth harbour. It stands with its
parade-ground 432 ft. above highwater mark, and
high water leaves its mark along the south base of
the hill on which the forts stand. In a straight line
drawn throngh the base of IVidley over the fosse at
either end the distance is 1,200 ft., and the depth of
the work from the base line to the counterscarp of
the fosse in front is 630 ft. This is surrounded on
all sides except the base line by a fosse cut down
into the chalk to a depth of 43ft., and with a width
of 50ft. The terre-plein is supported and covered
by an immense chalk and earthen rampart pierced
with embrasures for 31 guns, with unlimited room
for training and strength to carry any calibre of
The base, or " gorge" of the work, is closed

gun.

by massive three-storied barracks in brick, having
accommodation for 200 artillerymen and their offi-
cers, and pierced with portholes for howitzers as
well as for rifle fire. The whole looks colossal in
proportions when viewed from the centre of the
parade-ground, but the visitor must descend by the
tunnelled gallery leading from the barracks beneath
the parade-ground before he can really understand
the real strength and general plan of the work.
This tunnel gradually descends, until at a depth
of forty feet the main magazine is arrived at.
This is a huge brick-built vault, with double walls
for ventilation, and to preserve its contents from
damp. From this magazine there radiate three other
tunnels which each lead to a caponniere in the
angles of the work and in the fosse, each caponnire
having embrasures for eight guns and rifle galle-
ries over for sweeping the fosse and scarp of the fort
with howitzer and rifle fire. Over these caponnieres
again, or rather over the two standing iu the fosse,
but still under the level of the huge rampart's base,
are built brickwork arches of immense strength,
under which are beds in each ready to receive five
13-inch mortars.
The Duke of Cambridge will leave Portsmouth
this morning on board her Majesty's steamer Fire
Queen, Staff-Commander Paul, for Portland, call-
ing and inspecting on the way the Royal Victoria
Military Hospital at Netley, the forts at Hurst
Castle, Victoria, and other points in the West
Channel.
Sir JohnPakington, First Lord of the Admiralty,
accompanied by Admiral Milne, arrived at the Ad-
miralty-house, Portsmouth dockyard, from London,
yesterday afternoon, and soon afterwards drove over
to the new barracks for the Royal
Marine Artillery,
at Eastney, accompanied by Vice-Admiral Sir T.
S. Pasley, K.C.B. Sir .John and both Admirals
returned to the Admiralty-house on the conclusion
of their visit to Eastney.
General Peel, the Secretary of State for War,
accompanied by Sir John F. Burgoyne, G.C.8.,
nialied his inspection of the land and sea works of
defence around Portsmouth with a visit yesterday
morning(euer to the Portsdown-hill forts. The gallant
General left Portsmouth for London on his return
from Portsciewe.
Yesterday the followingt troops embarked at
Gravesend on board
h
ehantrnan for conveyancee chartered troopship Mer-
to Ceylon—viz., Capt. It.
I3ullen, Lieut. NV
uke, Lieut. W. F. Richard-
son, 102 non-commissioned
officers and men, one
officer's wife, three children,and one servant, nine
soldiers' wives, and 20 children of the Royal
e
m
Engi-
neers, 23d.'and 24th companies, Ensigna J. W. Lang,
,
45 non-commissioned officers and three women
and seven children of the Ist battalion the
10th Regiment, from Chatham ; capt of
i.
.F G.
Webster, Lieut. F. W. Barlow, Ensign A. Denny,;
Ensign R. A. Woolley, 56 non-commissioned officers
and men, one officer's wife and child, seven soldiers'
wives, and five children, of the 2d battalion of the
`2oth Regiment, from Shorncliff ; Capt. G. R. Har-
vey, Ensiin W. B. Bronghton,7B non-commissioned
officers and men, seven soldiers' wives, and five chil-
dren of the 99th Regiment, from Preston ; and
Lieut.-Col. E. Knight, wife, and servant, Cape
Mounted Rifles, for passage to the Cape of Good
Hope ; total, 12 officers, 281 non-commissioned offi-
cers and men, four officers' wives, four children, and
three servants, 21 soldiers' wives, and 37 children, the
whole under the medical charge of Surgeon T. Tar-
rant, M. 1)., Cape Mounted Rifles. The Merchant-
man was inspected previously to the troops going on
board by the officers of the garrison staff from Chat-

ham, and the embarcations were effected under the
superintendence of Brigade Major W. W. Lynch.
The vessel will take her departure from the Thames
to-day.
The Geertruida Anna has arrived alongside Chat-
ham dockyard, from Russia, with a cargo of hemp
for the dockyard, and is the last of the vessels which
will arrive from St. Petersburg this season.
The screw gunboat Sepoy, 2, 60 horse-power, ten-
der to the Dauntless, 31, 580 horse-power, Coast-
guard frigate in the Humber, has arrived in Chat-
ham harbour to undergo some necessary repairs and
refit in the dockyard.
The Greenwich Hospital pension of £BO a year
for a Deputy Inspector-General of hospitals and
Fleets, vacant by the death of Dr. T. R. Dunn, has
been awarded to John Watson, retired Inspector-
General.

The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Commander R. Bradshaw to the
Star, commissioned ; Commander Edward W.
Brooker to the Sylvia, surveying vessel ; Lieut.
Frederic Echlin to the Vixen; Lieut. Hugb S. Baillie
to the Lion ; Lieut. Francis C. Vincent to the En-
dymion ; Lieut. George E. Price to the Liverpool ;
Lieut. James H. Butt and Lieut. James W. Gam-
bier to the Sylvia ; Silas H. Liddell, master and
pilot, to the Vixen ; Thomas Vixen, engi-
neer, to the Asia, for service in the Medea; J. Camp-
bell, paymaster, to the Sylvia ; Wm. H. Haswell,
paymaster, to the Star; F. P. Lyne, assist.-paymas-
ter, supernumerary, to the Victory, for disposal ;
D. C. Ker, clerk, to the Star; A. W. Askham, as-
sist. clerk, to the Cambridge ; G. Finlay, assist.
clerk, to the Sylvia ; and F. H. Hall, assist. clerk,
to the Boscawen.

RAILWAY AND OTHER COMPANIES.

EUROPEAN CENTRAL.

The report of Mr. G. E. Gavey, the resident en-
gineer at Lugano, stated that the land for the rail-
way in possession of the company was 20 kilometres
in length, the length of line ballasted and ready for
the permanent way was 10.3 kilometres, the length
of line completed to formation level and ready for
ballasting 5.28 kilometres, the length of line upon
which works had been begun, but which were still
unfinished, was 2.885 kilometres, the length of tun-
nelling completed was 259 metres (281 yards), and
the length of tunnelling remaining to be done was
4,000 metres (4,733 yards). No rails or sleepers had
as yet been deposited on the works. The length of
line ballasted extended from St. Martino to Melide-
bridge ; also from Arbedo to Creciano, and a short
length near Locarno. The line completed to forma-
tion level was ready for ballasting. The length of
tunnelling complete included the St. Martino and
Paradiso tunnels. In the other tunnels the headings
only had been driven. The main walls of the station
buildings of Castione and Creciano were built, and
the roofs completed, but nothing had been done in
the interiors. The wall of the station building at
Terneo had only been built up to the first floor. The
repairs, including the retaining walls for the Bis-
sone-road, were being carried on by the Government,
and about two-thirds had been executed.