The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-20 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intellii;ence.

Letters received yesterday by a Chatham cor-
respondent bring down the proceedings of the vari-
ous vessels composing the Channel squadron, under
the command of Rear Admiral 11. R. Yelverton,
C. 8., to the 13th inst. The chief interest appears
to be centred in the Bellerophon. Although no su-
periority over other ships, when under canvas alone,
was claimed for her by her designer, or the Admi-
ralty, scarcely one of the ships of the squadron, with
the exception of the Pallas and the Research, both
of which are also from Mr. Reed's design, can keep
pace with her under sail, especially against a head
sea. From some cause or other connected with her
rudder, for which no adequate reason can be as-
signed, the Bellerophon has not stayed in tacking so
well as the other ships. This, however, is considered
by the officers on board to be a matter of very little
moment in a vessel of the tremendous offensive
powers of the Belltrophon, inasmuch as all future
naval actions will of necessity be fought under steam
only, when the surprising handiness cf the ship
would be relied on. It is, however, remarked on
board the Bellerophon that as the head sea increases
so her superiority under sail is brought out, while
the experience gained during the eruise in the Chan-
nel has shown that she dips and pitches to a head sea
much less than ordinary wooden frigates without a
pound of iron armour-plating about them—a fact
which can only be attributable to the form of the
U-shaped bow introduced both in the Bellerophon
and the Pallas. This fact is one of very consider-
able importance, as proving that even in ships of
comparatively short length there is no necessity for
leaving the ends unprotected with armour, pro-
vided the bows are properly formed. Consequently,
all the exposure and danzer to the steering gear
and steam machinery resulting from the unpro-
tected ends of ships like the Warrior, Black
Prince, Defence, Hector, and others of the earlier
built irouclads may be avoided without in the
slightest degree impairing the seagoing qualities of
our armour-plated ships. Another highly important
point brought out during the cruise of the squadron
has been that heavy guns can be safely and effec-
tually worked at the broadside ports even in mode-
rately rough weather. The Bellerophon was sent
to sea with only a small portion of her armament on
board, the remainder being represented by some
tons of the ordinary dockyard iron ballast (" Seely's
pig," as they are now ordinary termed in the dock-
yards.) The few guns she has on board are, htow-
ever, of the largest class, being of the same size and
weight as those fitted in the turretship, Royal Sove-
reign, and weighing 12 tons each. Her guns are, in
fact, just double the weight of any guns ever before
taken to sea in a British ship of war, while the ac-
counts received by the correspondent show that they
have been worked with perfect, safety, even when the
entire squadron was rolling from 20 deg. to 30 deg.
in a heavily rolling sea. An experienced officer, who
has seen much of the working of guns in large class
wooden frigates, writes to the effect that there can
no longer be any question respecting the perfect
practicability of working ordnance of any weight at

the broadside of such ironclads as the Bellerophon
even during the worst weather. Experience has
shown many minor defects existing among the
slides and carriages, which are of the Elswick pat-
tern, and purely experimental. • The training ma-
chinery, fitted at Chatham dockyard, on the other
hand, answers exceedingly well, enabling the gun to
be put under complete control. The Achilles is de-
scribed as having behaved well during the cruise, but
the fact that she has been beatenby the Bellerophon
altogether negatives the hitherto received axiom that
great length is esssential toa high rate of speed in a
heavily armoured plated ship. In this respect the
Pal!as,which is even shorter than the Bellerophon, is
even a more marked instance of the success of a sliort
ship, for, with a moderate spread of canvas—and not a
very large amount of sail, as isssometimes represented
--and with her hull heavily burdened with armour,
she almost invariably beats the entire squadron of
armour clads. During the cruise, when stationed in

4.4
the rear position, in the leeward line of the squad-
ron, and under canvas only, signal was made by the
Commander-in-Chief to the Pallas to proceed to the
front and look out for the mail despatch steamer

lelicon. Immediately on receiving the order the

Pallas hauled up to the wind and drew ahead of the
other vessels of the fleet, a manoeuvre witnessed with
admiration from on board all the other ships of the

squadron In about three hours she had forereached
every other ve:•ael by several miles, and intercepting
the I lelicon accomplished the task she was ordered

to undertake. On the- 1 lth inst., against a head
swell, and with her royals set, the Bellerophon hauled

to the.wind. She was soon ahead of the other vessels
lerophon
of the squadron, in this instance beating the Pallas.
With a head sea it is invariably noticed that the Bel-
head sea is described
end of the
gains on every other ship, and her dip to a
squadron, it is stated, will continue at sea till the
remarkably easy. The
Inert-ling
the most severe of the autumn gales.
in order to fall in with
Yesterday
C. 8., made his halt-y 1 • •
Major-Gen. Lord F. Paulet,
talion Scots Fusilier G I
ear y inspection of the 2d bat-
tar s,
sor. The battalion paradedd at ° 1w0.45 quarteredaan .inattili
the
ind
bar-
rack- square, under the command of Col. Aitchison,
the following officers being present at their posts :
—Col. Shelley, Col. Beresiord, Capt. Gas„ig„
- PrQlet
e:tdmaosnbthe:ng