The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-26 00:00:00

Naval Intelligence.

Her Majesty's sloop corvette Reindeer, 7, 952
tons, 200 horse power (nominal), Commander E.
Nares, made her official trial of speed, at her deep-
load draught, at the measured mile, Maplin Sands,
on Saturday, previously to proceeding to sea. The
ship was in command of Commander W. L. Part-
ridge, second in command of the Steam Reserve in

the Medway ; the other officials on board superin-

tending the trials being Mr. W. W. Williamson,
inspector of machinery afloat; Mr. T. Baker, chief
engineer and inspector of machinery at Chatham
dockyard ; Mr. W. Hutchens, assistant-master ship-
wright at the dockyard ; Mr. Rennie and Mr.
Phillips, representing Messrs. Rennie and Sons, the
makers of the engines. The machinery was under
the charge of Mr. J. P. Allen, chief engineer of the
Reindeer. The engines are a ink of direct-acting
horizontal engines, with a length of stroke of 20ft. ;
effective diameter of the cylinders 41in. On leaving
her moorings in the Medway on Saturday the Rein-
deer drew 15ft. aft, and 13ft. llin. forward, with
123 tons of coal, the whole of her shot, shell, and
guns, and 12 months' stores and provisions on
board. She is fitted with a Griffith's two-bladed
propeller, 12ft. in diameter, and set at a pitch of
12st. 48in., the immersion of the_upper edge being
lft. 71in. The wind during the trial was westerly,
with a force of 2 to 4. On reaching the trial ground
six runs were taken at full boiler-power with the
following results :-First run, time, 7m. 125.; speed,
8.333 knots per hour ; steam, 171 b ; vacuum,2sin.;
number of revolutions of screw per minute, 96.
Second run, time, sm. 565. ; speed, 10.112 knots ;
steam, 161 b. ; vacuum, 26 ; revolutions, 91. Third
run, time, 7m. 255. ; speed, 8.090 knots ; steam,
151 b.; vacuum, 25 ; revolutions, 91. Fourth run,
time, 6m. 19s. ; speed, 9.490 knots, steam, 151b'
vacuum, 24 ; revolutions, 94. Fifth run, time, 6m.
54s ; speed, 8.696 knots; steam, 171 b; vacuum,24l ;
revolutions, 90. Sixth mile, time, sm. 535.; speed,
10.198 knots; steam, 151 b ; vacuum,2s; revolutions,
89-giving the true mean speed of the vessel to be
9.081 knots an hour. From a cause which was explain-
able a pressure of steam of not more than 171 b could
be obtained, or the results would have been more
satisfactory. Two runs were afterwards made at
half-boiler power, with the following results : First
mile, time, 7 min. 19 sec. ; speed, 8.2 knots ; steam,
221 b. ; vacuum, 23 ; revolutions, 84. Second mile,
time, 6 min. 39 sec. ; speed, 9.0233 knots ; steam,
2111 b. ; vacuum, 25 ; revolutions, 80 ; at half-boiler
power the true mean speed was 8.611 knots, prov-
ing that the Reindeer steams by far faster in pro-
portion at half-boiler than at full-boiler power.
With the engines at full speed, the half-circle, with
the helm put•over hard a-port by four men, in 20
seconds, and the angle of the rudder 26 deg., .was
made in 2 min. 9 sec., and the full circle in 4 min.
34 sec., the diameter of the circle being rather over
100 yards. During the trial the engines worked
very satisfactoriiy. At the close of the trials some
experiments were made in stopping and starting the
engines and in raising the screw, at the termination
of which the usual certificate was given of the satis-
factory condition of the engines. At the termina-
tion of the trials the Reindeer anchored at the Little
Nore, where she will be inspected to-day by Vice.
Admiral Sir Baldwin W. Walker, K.C.8., Com-
mander-in-chief, after which she will take her de-
parture for the Pacific, calling in at Portsmouth
and Plymouth.
On Saturday afternoon another addition to the
list of vessels in the Royal Navy took place in the
launch of the 4-gun screw steam sloop Nymph, of
1,081 tons burden and 300 horse power, from her
building slip at Deptford dockyard. The day beau-
tif u!ly fine a large concourse of spectators assembled,
booths being erected for their accommodation. Just
previous to the time fixed for the launch taking
place his Royal Highness Prince Arthur, accom-
panied by Major Elphinstone, arrived and was re•
ceived by Capt. Arthur P. E. Willmott, C. 8.,
Superintendent of Deptford dockyard and the Royal
Victoria Victualling-yard, with other officials, the
band of the 27th Kent (Deptford Dockyard) Rifle
Volunteers playing the National Anthem. The
ceremony of naming the vessel was performed by
Miss Eardley Willmott, niece of the Captain Super-
intendent, and at a given signal, the cord which held
the vessel was cut, and to the strains of " Rule
Brftanaia" from the band and the hearty cheers of
all assembled, the vessel glided gracefully into the
Thames, where she was successfully taken in tow
by Government tugs. The Nymph was laid down
in April last year, and has been completed under
the ?upervision of Mr. E. J. Reed, Chief Construe-
tor to the Navy. Her principal dimensions are as
follow :-Length between perpendiculars, 187 ft. ;
length of the keel for tonnage, 158 ft. 31in. ;
breadth, extreme, 36ft. ; ditto for tonnage, 35ft.
10in. ; ditto, moulded, 33ft. 2in. ; and depth in
hold, 19ft. 4in.

Orders have been received by Col. J. 0. Travers,
C. 8., commandant of the Chatham division of
Royal Marines Light Infantry, directing a detach-
ment of 97 non-commissioned officers and men, with
three officers, to proceed from head-quarters for ser-
vice on board the Frederick William, 74, 500-horse
power, Capt. J. J. Kennedy, C. 8., Coastguard
ship at Queenstown.

'The whole division at Aldershot under the com-
mand of Lieut.-Gen. the Hon. Sir J. Y. Scarlett,
K.C.8., marched out on Thursday in the direction
of Bagshot, Blackwater, Frimley, and Sandhurst, and
took up the positions mentioned in The Sun of the
12th inst., the object being by a combined move-
ment to check the advance of an enemy from the
north, either by the main road from London via
Bagshot, or any parallel roads or accessible country
on either side of such roads. The execution of the
plan of operations had been deferred from the 13th
inst. owing to unfavourable weather, but on this oc-
casion it was carried out in every detail. The troops
were so disposed as to guard all the approaches to
the camp from the quarter indicated, and after
checking the advance of the supposed foe by a heavy
artillery fire returned to camp by various routes,
having been under arms about seven hours.
The report of the Recruiting Commissioners con-
tinues to be the theme of discussion at Aldershott
Camp. Some of the recommendations have given
satisfaction to the soldiers, but an addition to the
daily pay and a better pension are represented as
necessary to render the servic3 more attractive and
popular. In this respect the . testimony of old
soldiers strongly confirms the opinion of Col. Rad-
cliffe, R.A., expressed in the dissenting paragraph
attached to the Commissioners' Report.

A number of new breech-loading rifles (Snider
pattern) have been received at Aldershott Camp
and distributed to the different regiments for prac-
tice.

The 28th (North Glocestershire) Regiment, now
stationed at Aldershott, is under orders to proceed
to Manchester about the end of the present month.

The Volunteers.

The ceremony of distributing the prizes won by
members of the Ist Middlesex Artillery in the course
of the preceding twelvemonths took place on Satur-
day evening. As in the regular army, so among
Volunteers, the Artillery claim to rank as a corps
&elite. To celebrate the occasion worthily the Ist
Middlesex accordingly gave a grand ball in the
llanover-square Rooms, and the prizes were to have
y
been distributed by the Duke of Buckingham, the
honorary
colonel of h
A letter, how-
ever, written at hourllatee( regiment.fromthe Council Cham-
ber announced that his
racei was detained by public
business of an important-el
ja.octer. In his absence,
therefore, the task of handinga to the
successful com-
petitors the valuable recognitions of
bythi‘,ciirrss.kcillreaendd,
meritorious service was undertaken
wife of Lieutenant-Colonel Creed, commandingmmandin
the
regiment. The ceremony was
prefaced by some
remarks on the part of Colonel Creed himself, who
pointed to recent events upon the Continent as
establishing onclusively that good weapons and
good organisation were indispensable to the main_
tenance of the position of this country. English
Volunteers, he felt assured, were alive to the neces-
sity; and at the hands of General Peel, the present
head of the War Department, he was persuaded
volunteers, as well as regulars, would receive the
best description of small-arms, and, further,
would be supplied with every requisite Accessary

to meet the best weapons that could be produced
upon the continent. During the past year the
strength of the Ist Middlesex Artillery reached 9
batteries, comprising 550 men, exclusive of the band,
and of these he had reason to hope that not less than
400 would earn the capitation grant. Their march
from London to Brighton last April, with guns fully
horsed, was most successfully performed, and the
conduct and discipline of the corps left nothing to
be desired. At their inspection Col. Cox compli-
mented them both upon their appearance and effi-
ciency ; and at Shoeburyness the corps was well up
to its work. He was consoled for his own ab-
sence from the Belgian rifle meeting by the fact
that the brigade had been well represented there ;
and when the time camefor a return visit of foreign
volunteers he trusted they would receive as hearty
and hospitable a welcome. The first (garrison gun)
prize, given by the Duke of Buckingham, was a
handsome cup, having round the bowl six guineas of
different English reigns set in or introduced into the
workmanship, with ten half-guineas similarly diver-
sified as to date, studding the foot of the cup. It
' was awarded to Capt. Monkton. The names of the
detachment winners of smaller cups were—Lieut.
Dixon, Sergt. Long, Corporal Sharman, Gunners
Palmer, A. Rymer, and Chambers. Second Prize—
Sergt. Graves, No. 1, winner of silver cup. Rest of
detachment winners of smaller cups—Sergt. Bone,
Corporal Mills, Bombardier Garnan, Gunner Notley,
and Gunner Wimble. The remaining prizes were
distributed in the following order. It will be noted
that a large proportion was carried off by the officers
of the corps :—Field gun prize, value £4O ; first
prize, winner of Skinner's Cup, Capt. Hunt, No. 1.
Winners of smaller cups--Gunners Talrum, Hedges,
Peachey, Robertson, Roberts, and Waud. Second
prize, winner of silver cup, Sergeant Koester.
Winners of smaller cups—Corporals F. Tracey, J.
Tracey, Gibbon, and Orme, and Gunners Herbert,
Trist, and Lang. Carbine prizes, competition, No.
I.—First prize, value £lO, won by Corporal Meeres;
second, £7, Bombardier Garnham ; third, £5, Cor-
poral Gibbon ; fourth, £4, Gunner Garnham ; fifth,
£3, Bombardier Bell ; sixth, £3, Sergeant Bone.
Competition, No. 2.—First prize, value £lO, won
by Gunner Notley ; second, £7, Gunner Waud ;
third, £5, Sergeant Rodd ; fourth, £4, Captain
Monckton ; fifth, £3, Gunner Gibsone ; sixth £3,
Corporal F. Tracey. Highest aggregate scores of
non-winners.—First prize £3, second £2. First
won by Veterinary-Surgeon Withers, second by
Gunner Wimble. Ladies' Consolation Prizes—First
won by Sergeant-Major Tilfor, second Gunner
Lewis, third Corporal Orme. No. 2 Battery Car-
bine Challenge Cup, value £l5, won by Lieutenant
Dixon. Regimental Carbine Challenge Cup silver
vase, value £2O, won first half year by Corporal
Meeres, second by Gunner Notley. Battery Car-
bine Challenge Cup, value £25, won by No. 8 Bat-
tery ; the winning squad, each gaining in addition
a University tankard—Captain Monckton, Bom-
bardier Bell, Bombardier Garnham, Gunner Garn-
ham, and Gunner Notley. University tankards
were also presented to two •squads of six, both
headed by Captain Monckton, won in a carbine
match in July with the 2d Surrey Artillery, and in
October with the Ist Kent Artillery. Major 11. F.
Smith's Challenge Cup, a silver model of a nine
pounder field gun, value 50 guineas, won by No. 5
(Captain Keeble's) Battery. Of the winners Cor-
poral Gibbons received a silver cup, the rest of the
battery tankards. On the motion of Major Smith,
cheers were heartily given in recognition of the ser-
vices rendered by Mrs. Creed. The room was then
cleared, and dancing having been commenced was
kept up with spirit for some hours.

The distribution of prizes won during the year by
the 7th Surrey Rifle Volunteers took place on Sa-
turday evening, at the head-quarters in Kenning-
ton-lane. There was a-very large gathering of the
friends of the corps to witness the proceedings, and
Mr. Locke, M.P., who presided on the occasion,
opened the ceremony by speaking in terms of praise
of the high position attained by the 7th Surrey in
the Volunteer service. Mrs. Beresford, the wife of
the commandant, Lieutenant- Colonel Marcus
Beresford, handed the well-won prizes, which were
numerous and valuable, to the winners, who were
received with 'warm cheers by their comrades and
fellow competitors. Colonel Beresford, in the course
of some remarks he made upon the relation of the
Governizmt and the Volunteers, spoke of the inade-
quacy of the Government grant to meet the legiti-
mate expenses of a corps, and he thought it was
time the grant was increased so as to meet the out-
lay on rifle ranges, head-quarters, and the renewal
of uniforms; to relieve the Volunteers generally,
and the officers particularly, of the expenses which
now to some extent fall upon them. The pleasant
proceedings closed with a ball.
A small-bore competition at 800, 900, and 1,000
yards, for the Grosvenor Challenge Cup, presented
by the Middlesex Shooting Committee, was shot on
Thursday, at the range of the London Scottish at
Wimbledon. The match was open to all members
of rifle corps in Middlesex, the city of London, and
the Tower Hamlets, and to all natives of Middlesex
and persons having their occupation in the county.
Any rifles were allowed, but of course all the
weapons were the r,scognised match rifles—Whit-
worth, Rigby, Metford, Henry, and Bissell. The
match was won by Captain Jaques, of the Cater-
ham Club, who fired with the Whitworth, and
made 106—viz., 37, 32, and 37. Capt. Goodliffe,
of the London Rifle Brigade, who fired with the
Metford, made 101, and the like score was made by
Private Wyatt, of the same brigade, with a Whit-
worth. Mr. Luxmore, with the Rigby, and Dr.
Stormont, of the London Brigade, witi, the Met-
ford, followed next with 94, and Mr. Nosworthy
and Captain King, both of the Inns of Court, and
both of whom fired with Metfords, made 93 and 92.
The cup will be fired for again in December. The
winner is awarded a portion of the entrance fees.
It is a fact worthy of record that the Volunteers
are becoming possessed of the new breechloaders.
Many have lately been given as prizes to be shot
for, and as many as seven were given by one oNcer
to the regiment in which he holds a commission. It
is known, too, that those Volunteers who are pos-
sessed of muzzle-loaders are having them con-
verted into breech-loaders, and several London gun-
makers have given notice that they can convert
rifles of any bore on the Snider principle.