The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-08 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The Dart, 4, screw despatch gun vessel, commis-
sioned at Portsmouth by Commander Marcus Low-
ther, is completing her stores and general equipment
for service on the West Coast of Africa.

The Earnest, wooden gunboat, 60-horse power, is
ordered from Portsmouth to Harwich, to relieve the
present gunboat tender to the steam ;Coastguard
ship at that port.
The Hector and Pallas, ironclads, under orders to
join the Channel fleet at Portland, remain at Spit-
head, but are expected to sail at the latest early on
Monday morning. The Hector Will tow au unarmed
mortar float round for lighter service at Portland.
A considerable augmentation has been made in
each department of the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich,
in fulfilment of orders from the Secretary for War,
and at no time since the outbreak of the Russian
war has there been such a demand for extra hands
as at present, about 400 artificers having been
added to the Royal carriage department alone.
Some difficulty, itis stated, is experienced in obtain-
ing the temporary services of competent men, such
as able and experienced carpenters and wheelwrights,
to fill up the vacancies created by the removal of a
number of men belonging to those trades to the new
iron works. Now that a pressing demand has been
made by the Admiralty for a ready supply of arma-
ments for the ships of the fleet it is found necessary
to seek for an additional number of men to supply
the places of those who were rejected when the old
carpenters' shops were converted into smitheries and
machinery rooms, and the carpenters' branch was
much reduced. A large number of gun carriages,
slides, &c., is being constantly issued and shipped
for Portsmouth, Devonport, and Chatham, and 50
others, partly completed, are promised for Ports-
mouth by the end of the present month. They are
to consist of 6i and 12-ton guns, for ships' use, and
7-ton for land service. The weight of the carriages
and slides is respectively 37kcwt. and 56kcwt.
They are all of the new wrought-iron plan now
generally introduced for land and sea ser-
vice. The War Department steam vessel Lord de
Grey and Ripon, T. H. Moore, master, yesterday
shipped ten 12-ton guns, &c., for Portsmouth, .and
went down the river to the Lower Hope on trial,
after some repairs and alterations to her boilers
which were found satisfactory, her average speed
being 10k knots per hour.
The War Department vessel Thames, J. Hornsey,
master, in command, sailed from Woolwich Arsenal,
partially laden with stores, under orders to call at
Purfleet, to ship powder for Shoeburyness, to pro-
ceed to Sheerness, Upnor Castle, and Chatham, and
at the latter place.
rrh
Leonard
Hills, yesterday
wt oenl at ndedow guns,
charteredntso,
lsNh,
Woolwich
transport
ot ,
wshi l , & e.,
Arsenal, under orders to ship
stores for Dublin, including 15 tons of ball cartridges.
Her Majesty's paddlewheel vessel Medusa, Com-
mander Thomas Potter, yesterday commenced un-
shipping the large amount of ammunition ordered
to be returned to Woolwich from Portsmouth, as
referred to in The bun of yesterday. An additional
number of hands were sent on board in order to
effect the removal into lighters for despatch to
Gravesend, for embarcation as early as possible, and
which may probably be completed to-day. The
Medusa may then return to her post at Sheerness.
Her Majesty'spaddlewheel steam frigate Leopard,
18, Capt. Capt. C. T. Leckie, from China, arrived
in Plymouth Sound yesterday evening. She left
Madeira on the Ist inst. The Spanish frigate Gerona
had captured off that island the steamship Tornado,
from England, ostensibly for carrying illicit aid to
the Peruvians, and had sent her to Cadiz. The
Gerona was left looking out for the Cyclone, another
steamer alleged to be engaged in the sa me pursuit
as the Tornado.

The Volunteers and the Belgian Tir National

The joint labours of the Belgian Commission and
the English Volunteer Committee have resulted in
the issue of a tolerably perfect programme of the
proceedings at Brussels, commencing on the 23d
inst. The Volunteers will be able to compete, as
in previous years, at the ordinary shooting of the
Tir National, 225 metres (about 250 yards), with
the same regulations that applied last year. But
the class of shooting which more particularly appeals
to our riflemen will be that at long ranges, now in-
troduced for the first time in Belgium. Prizes have
been offered by the King, the Government, and the
Garde. Civique, and one series is open to riflemen of
all countries bearing military weapons without
covered or magnifying sights or hair triggers. The
ranges will be 450 metres (about 500 yards) and
550 metres (about 600 yards). The targets will
be similar to those used at Wimbledon for
the Swiss Carton prizes, two yards square, with
a bull's-eye of 24 inches, counting four points ;
a centre of 48 inches, counting three points,
the outer counting two points. Five shots are
allowed at each distance, two sighting shots in addi-
tion. There will be no charge made for entrance
fees or sighting shots, but the list of competitors
will be closed on the 20th. Entries are to be
made to the Hon Secretaries of the English Com-
mittee at 79, Basinghall-street. A special competi-
tion has been also arranged for English Volunteers
only, prizes having been offered by the Belgian rifle-
men who visited Wimbledon last July, by the
Chasseurs Eclaireurs of Brussels, by the second legion
of the Garde Civique of Brussels, and by others.
Seven shots are to be fired at 450 and 550 metres,
regulation long Enfield rifles, with Government
ammunition, alone being admissible to this con-
test. Targets and scoring are to be on the Wimble-
don system, and the Hythe position adopted. These
prizes must be shot for in uniform, 14 marks to be
made at the shorter range to qualify competitors to
shoot at 550 metres, two sighting shots allowed at
each range. There will be no entrance fee for this
competition.

The special fetes organised for the entertainment
of our Volunteers are numerous, and show that the
Belgians are determined to repay, with heavy inte-
rest, the hospitality received by their representatives
in this country last July. On Saturday evening, the
22d, there is to be a torchlight reception to the Vo-
lunteers at the railway station, whence they are to
be marched to the Hotel de Ville, there to be pre-
sented with the yin d'honneur by the burgomaster—
the same evening a route is to be given by the Lite-
rary and Artistic Club. On Sunday there will be
an official reception at the Tir National, steeplechases,
and a ball. On Monday evening a military concert
at the Zoological Gardens, and a ball given by the
Reunion Lyrique ; on Tuesday evening a ball, given
by the Societe de Grande Harnaonie ; on Wednes-
day a fete, illuminations, &e., in the gardens of the
Zoological Society ; on Thursday a State visit to the
Opera by the King, when scats will be specially re-
served for Volunteers ; on `Friday an excursion to
Antwerp on the speaial invitation of the Garde
Civique of that city ; on Saturday a public banquet
and promenade concert.

The South-Eastern and Chatham Dover Railways
have agreed to start trains from their several metro-
politan termini at 7.25 a.m. on the 22d inst. Special
boats and trains will convey the Volunteers from
Dover to Brussels, in time for the reception in the
evening. The fares will be, for return tickets avail-
able for a month, 325. 6d. first class, and 225. second
class.

The English Volunteer Committee have had a by
no means easy task in arranging these details, the
active honorary secretaries having anything but a
sinecure in their respective departments. Lieut.
Farley (29th Kent) has visited Brussels this week
to perfect the programme, Mr. Bigmore (Ist Surrey)
having charge of the English correspondence. It
is fully anticipated from the interest manifested by
Volunteers from all parts of the country that a largo
number will avail themselves of the opportunity of
spending a pleasant holiday in Belgium.

CRYSTAL PALACE.-ONE SIIILLING DAY. —Yes-
terday the admissions ou payment were 3,350; ditto by
.504011 tickets, 1,013 4;80. -