The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-14 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The Duke of Somerset held a levee on Friday
afternoon at the Admiralty. There were present—
Vice-Admiral Sir E. Belcher, Vice-Admiral Sir R.
Mundy, Vice-Admiral W. Ramsay, Rear-Admiral
A. Farquhar, Capt. G. Tryon, Capt. A. Cumming,
Capt. W. S. Brown, Capt. S. S. Stanhope, Capt.
C. M. Buckle, Capt. L. J. Moore, Capt. Jas. Raw-
storne, Capt. A. T. Thrupp, Capt. H. J. Baby,
Capt. F. A. Hume, Commander M'C. Alexander,
Commander De Robeck, Commander J. D. Curtis,
Commander T. K. Mackenzie, Commander H. M.
Bingham, Commander M. Lowther, Commander C.
F. Hotham, Commander H. E. Crozier, Lieut.-Col.
W. Adair, R.M., Lieut. A. H. Webb, Lieut. W. C.
Geary, Lieut. 0. S. Cameron, Lieut. G. Blakely,
Lieut. J. Bruce, and Dr. Smert.
Rear-Admiral Sir G. Ramsay, C. 8., on Friday
went down to Woolwich aud hoisted his flag on
board the Fisgard, on taking over his appointment
to relieve Rear-Admiral the Hon. C. J. B. Elliott,
as Commander-in-Chief on the south-east Coast of
America. The new admiral, it is stated, will imme-
diately take his departure, and will transfer his flag
to the 35 -gun screw frigate Narcissus.
Rear-Admiral the Hon. J. R. Drummond, C. 8.,
will finally leave his residence at the Admiralty,
Whitehall, on Saturday next, for Devonport, to
assume his new appointment of Admiral Superin-
tendent of that station.
The armoured iron frigateßellerophon, 14, Capt.
E. Tatham, has returned to Portsmouth from her
cruise in the Channel with the experimental gun car-
riages and their guns, and has now been berthed
alongide the dockyard to discharge them to the
shore again, the trials having been brought to a final
conclusion. The committee of officers who have
conducted the trial on board the Bellerophon met
on board that ship for the last time on Saturday to
close their report for the information of the Ad-
miralty. The trials on board the Bellerophon
are supplementary to those conducted by Captain
Key, C. 8., on board the Minotaur, with this addi-
tional feature, that the iron carriage and slide sent
for trial by Sir William Armstrong was tested for
the first time on board the Bellerophon. Four car-
riages with their slides have, therefore, been brought
into competition in these trials—viz., Capt. Scott's
iron carriage and slide, Sir William Armstrong's
iron carriage and slide, and tho Royal Arsenal iron
carriage and slide, and the Adiriralty wooden car-
riage and slide. The three iron carriages carried
each a 12-ton 9-inch rifled gun, al:el the wooden
carriage carried a 12-ton 10-inch rifled gun. The
practice with the last-named gun was very limited
in these trials on board the Bellerophon, owing to
the compressors of the carriage failing ter hold the
gun sufficiently secure when fired, although ti:e gun
was only fired with shot and shell by 351 b. powder
charges, instead of the full charge of 501 b., and then
only as a lee gun. The Arsenal carriage gave way
in several of the details of its fittings, breaking its
running-in chains and the teeth of its wheels. The
gun's weight is also only borne by the angle iron of
the carriage frame—the trunnions of the gun reach-
ing short of the single side plate of the carriage on
each side—and continuous firing from the gun must
have eventually loosened the rivets and destroyed
the carriage. The carriage was made altogether
much too light for its work, and many of its mecha-
nical arrangements were fitted contrary to generally-
understood principles. The Scott and Armstrong
carriages and slides were both well suited to their
work and answered admirably, as did also their
compressors. The running-in-and-out chains of
the Scott carriage were very superior to those of the
Armstrong, the latter being excessively slow. In
point of simplicity combined with strength the Arm-
strong carriage appears to have the advantage over
the Scott. In strength combined with ease and
rapidity of working the Scott carriage has the ad-
vantage over all the others. The precise merits of
the two carriages will, however, have to be defined
by Capt. Key and the committee in their reports to
the Admiralty. Mr. Cunningham's training and
running-in-and-out gear, having been fitted to the
Admiralty pattern wooden carriage was not much
tested, yet quiet enough to prove its simplicity,
efficiency, and ease in working, either in training
the gun, running it in on the slide, or holding it in
running out. The result of all these competitive
trials on.board the Minotaur and Bellerophon may
be very easily forecast. The Admiralty will select
the best points of each of the carriages and slides
that have been under trial, and with these under
consideration will add other suggestions, and from
the whole cause to be designed a carriage and slide
which will be established as the pattern carrirge and
slide for mounting heavy ordnance on the-broad-
sides of the ships of her Majesty's navy. If this—
the usual official plan in such cases—possesses no
other particular merit, it will certainly prevent any
heartburning or jealousy by inventors at the car-
riage of the one having been preferred to thatof the
other. The guns on the Scott and Armstrong car-
riages, mounted on the port broadside of the Belle-
rophon, fired the greatest number of rounds with
451 b. powder charges, with both shot and shell, at
extreme elevation and depression and degrees of
training. The wave of concussion appears to have
been terrific outside the ship, the wooden sheathed
hammock nettings being split up fore and aft over
the ship's battery, but no damagewas done on board.
It would be advisable to build the bulwarks and
hammock nettings of all ships intended to carrysuch
heavy guns in future of light iron plating. It may
be observed, in conclusion, that the Bellerophon,
like the Minotaur, would give no quick roll or lurch-
ing when in the Channel, and merely heeled over
under sail at times from six to eight degrees. Be-
yond a certain bearing in the water these heavy
iron ships, in fact, do not seem to feel the motion
of a Channel sea, which they let run up their sides,
and occasionally into their maindeck gun-ports,
wishout even making an effort to "lift " to the
wave. The Minotaur, Warrior, Bellerophon, and
other heavily-armoured ships have all behaved
alike in this respect among the moderate waves
of the Channel. The steering of the Bellerophon
during her cruise has been most satisfactory, the ship
having answered her helm under all circumstances
with great promptitude and certainty. under sail
alone she is described as being surprisingly handy
and efficient for a ship with her proportion of rig to
displacement. The ship now only wants her guns
to make her complete as one of the finest as well as
one of the most powerful and fastest ironclad men-
of-war in the world. Her present condition inboard
is very creditable to Capt. Tatham, his officers, an,

crew.
The hired troopship Shannon, from Madraz, ar-
rived on Thursday evening at the Royal Arsenal-
pier, Woolwich, and landed her troops yesterday
morning at 9p.m. They consisted of three troops of
the
meeßrigade, Royal Horse Artillery, averaging
149
u each, and were commanded by Lieut.-Col.
A. Whitle and c
of Major in
...a
..
iapt. J. E. Watson, holding the rank
pired and andl a-
.There were likewise 86 time-ex-
34th, and 88th iLnvalids belonging to the 77th, 20th,
The landing Infantry Regiments, and Ist
Royals.
was unavoidably and debarkation of the bag-
gageshower, and the Shannon performed amid a heavy
three steam tugs for theonpromptly left in tow of
Artillery were provideddocks. The Royal
square of the barracks, and
with London
quarters in the east
the infantry
earraunngtei_l
tem-
porarily accommodated in the Old
were ,
Deputy-
Assistant
Old Hospital
their removal to Netley. Ca.,pt;
directed th
ngle
Assistant Quartermaster Gen er
ments on the landing of the troops, who were
es-
corted to the Royal Artillery parade by majo-Gen.
Warde, C. 8., and the whole of his staff, an- ra were
played up by the regimental band.
The hired troopship Lord Warden, 84 days
out,
arrived at Woolwich on Friday evening, and landed
her passengers and baggage on Saturday morning
at the Royal Arsenal pier, The passengers consisted
of tw o batteries of the 17th Brigade Garrison Artillery
from Madras, many of whom have been stationed in
India for various periods ranging up to 20 years. The
following is the strength :—Capt. J. M. Macintyre
(having held the rank of major in India), Capt. R.
A. Baker, Lieuts. B. Yaldwin, W. E. Denison, F.
Weston, and A. A. Newman, 168 non-commis 1-
officers officers and rank and file, 19 women, and 43 ch-
dren ; also Mrs. Macintyreand five children, and 19
time-expired men and invalids belonging to the fol-
lowing infantry regimei4fs :—The 10th, 19th, 20th,

_
21st, 23d, 60th Rifle Brigade, and the Ist Royals.
One death only occurred during the voyage, that of
an invalid, ten days before sighting the British
coast. The weather is reported to have been calm,
and the health of the troops generally good.
The sailing Indiaman Hotspur, C A pt. Toynbee,
belonging to Messrs. Smith, of London, arrived at
Spithead on Saturday from Calcutta. She was towed
into Portsmouth harbour on Saturday and disem-
barked her troops at the dockyard, whence they
were transferred to the Royal Victoria Military
Hospital at Netley, and their other destinations.
The Hotspur's troop and passenger list comprised :
—From Calcutta—Capt. Wallace, 101st Regiment,
in military charge of troops on board ; Lieuts. F. 0.
Fuller and A. Lloyd, 101st Regiment ; Dr. M'Far-
land, Royal Horse Artillery, in medical charge of
troops ; Mr. G. Hadcock, Royal Artillery, and Mrs.
Hadcock, and: four children ; Dr. Atkinson, Indian
army, Mrs. Atkinson and Infant ; Capt. Dowler,
98th Regiment, Mrs Dowler, and infant daughter of
Major Edwards ; Mrs. Lushington and child, Mrs.
Turnbull and five children, Rev. W. Bailey, Mrs.
Bailey, and two children ; Mr. W. M'Adam Stewart,
Mrs. Thorn, Miss Leslie and three children of Mr.
G. M. Jackson, 123 non-commissioned officers and
men invalided from various regiments serving in
India, with 17 women and 13 children. From the
Cape of Good Hope—Two private soldiers dis-
charged from the 91st Regiment; Mr Corbett, Mrs.
Corbett, and infant ; Mr. Spalding. The wife and
infant daughter of Sergt.-Major Scott, 38th Regi-
ment, the infant daughter of Mr. Jackson of Bur-
hampore, and one invalided soldier died during the
voyage. The Hotspur, immediately on discharging
her troops at Portsmouth dockyard, was towed out
of the harbour again, and resumed her voyage for
London to discharge her cargo, consisting of 334
tons of indigo, 200 tons of rapeseed, and 78 tons of
tamarinds, &c.
The Field-Mashal Commanding-in-Chief has ap-
proved the following arrangements :—Ensign Sulli-
van, of the 26th Foot, to join the depot on the 14th
inst., the battalion being under order to return home
on being relieved by a regiment from North America.
Ensign Phillips, of the 34th Regiment, to join the
depot for duty as a supernumerary officer. Capt.
Lees and Lieut Kerans, 84th Regiment, to proceed
from the depot to the service companies in Malta on
being relieved by Capt. the Hon. W. 11. Herbert
and Lieut. Wilson, of the 38th Regiment, to join
the depot companies on the 15th inst., in succession
to Lieut Sinclair, to embark with draught.
Thd following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Lieut. George R. Heneage, to the
Bellerophon ; Lieut. Frederic J. Easter, Lieut.
Frederick W. E. Kuper, and Lieut. G. 0. Moore,
to the Jason; C. Alder, to the Duke of Welling-
ton ; Lieut. W. T. Down, to the Mullet ; Lieut. F.
W. Edwards, to the Orontes ; Lieut. E. Scale, to
the Asia; H. W. Death, paymaster to the Trinco-
malee ; L. H. Edwards, assist.-paymaster, to the
Victory, for Admiral's office; F. A. Keogh, assist.-
phymaster, to the St. George ; R. Osborn, clerk, to
the Orontes; G. Finlay, assist. clerk, to the Bos-
cawen ; E. J. Fleet, master's assist., to the Jacob ;
F. A. Haig, and J. C. Roughton, master's assist.,
to the Bellerophon ; F. Roberts, master's assist., to
the Pallas ; W. J. Scullard, master's assist., to the
Pearl ; R. H. Wellings, master's assist., to the
Duncan; Commander R. A. 0. Brown, to the Vigi-
lant, vice Commander Byrom, invalided ; sub-
Lieut. 11. J. Garbett and Sub-Lieut. G. B. Bedford,
to the Pearl ; Sub-Lieut. H. T. Wright and Sub-
Lieut. W. T. Morgan, to the Jason ; A. R. Sims
and W. B. Almack, midshipmen, to the Pearl ; A.
E. M'Murdo and G. Trower, midshipmen, to the
Jason.