The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-28 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

MALTA, May 23.—Except the return of the
Wizard gunboat, Lieut. P. J. Murray, from Ben-
ghazi, there have been no movements of men-of-war
during the week. The ships of the squadron have
been engaged filling up with stores and provisions
preparatory to proceeding on the usual summer
cruise. Lord Clarence Paget is anxious to get away
as soon as possible, and is only awaiting instructions
from home to regulate his future proceedings,which
are hampered by the state of affairs on the Continent.
Having discharged her powder while at Plymouth
Sound, the armour-plated screw steamship Defence,
18, Capt. A. Phillimore, was removed on Thursday
into namoaze, and placed alongside the sheer hulk.
The screw steam gun vessel Star, 4, Commander
Gordon, recently returned from the Mediterranean,
will be put out of commission at Devonport on June
1. Her crew will be transferred to the Petrel.

The screw steam gun vessel Mullet, 5, Comman-
der Robinson, from Sheerness, which arrived at Ply-
mouth on Friday, was appointed to sail yesterday
for the West Coast of Africa.

The Stromboli, 6, paddle, Commander Phillips,
went into Portsmouth harbour on Saturday, from
Spithead, and will be dismantled and paid out of
commission.

We understand that the reports on the competi-
tive gun-carriages that have lately been under trial
on board the iron frigate Bellerophon, forwarded to
the Admiralty by Capt. A. C. Key, C. 8., and by
the committee presided over by Capt. R. A. Powell,
C. 8., are both in favour of the iron carriage and
slide sent for trial by Sir W. Armstrong, in prefer-
ence to any other of the carriages that have been on
trial. The reports also recommend that Sir W. Arm-
strong shall supply all carriages required for the
present mounting of 12-ton guns on the broadsides
of any of her Majesty's ships.
Her Majesty's Secretary of State for War, having
sanctioned the introduction of Major Palliser's
chilled shot, a large quantity is being rapidly ma-
nufactured in the Royal Laboratory at Woolwich
for the 7-inch 100-pounder and the 9-inch 300-
pounder guns. The select committee of the Royal
Arsenal have reported that the experiments at
Shoeburyness have shown that these shot are quite
equal to the most expensive steel for piercing ar-
mour-clad ships, and, moreover, that they possess
the peculiar property of invariably breaking up
into numberless splinters after piercingtargets, the
and that this property renders them afar more de-
structive weapon of war than steel. The expense
of steel shot is, they state, so enormous asto h ave
hitherto prevented serviceeltheer
frm obtaining
battering shot of any description.
however, has substituted an article einvention,
cost of the common cast-iron shell, w,ha. t
hit is the mere
cal-
culated will create an economy and saving
g
country to be reckoned at millions s.er„.ne,' to their
e
value having been thoroughly established, a supply
has been ordered to be issued for the use of
the
Royal Nayy and the coast batteries with the least
possible delay. The Royal Laboratory Depart..
ment is accordingly engaged incessantly in the
work night and day. The War Department will,
therefore, have in store in a short time a disposable
stock of destructive missiles which the officers of
both services at Woolwich declare have hitherto
•
been unequalled.
Letters received at Plymouth from an officer be-
longing to the screw steam corvette Brisk, 16, Capt.
C.W. Rope, state that a detachment from her were
on shore at New Zealand co-operating with the
Royal and colonial land forces suppressing the
25th in
rebellion. on the
23 of February the screw steam
frigate Curacoa,
,__Capt. Sir W. S. Wiseman,
C. 8., had gone ro
Tasmania. The screw
mreNew Zealand to Hobart Town,
Capt. John P. Luce
wwastaeam corvette, Esk, 21,
Wales ; and the screw steam Sydney,
New South
Commander George Parker, sloop Falcon, 17,
r, and
steam gun vessel Eclipse, Commander Edmundthe scream
Fremantle, were on particular service on
R.
on some
other part of the coast of New Zealand.

The 11th Hussars are expected to
leave e
Col-
chester on the 27th of July; by that
time the . Ist
ns t
Dragoon G fiords, now on their passage
Lome
.front Madras, will, it is expected, have arrivedin
Ankland, and will occupy the cavalry barracks at
Colchester. A draught of the Ist Battalion, 16th
Regiment, consisting of Ensign AVhittuck, two ser-
geants, one drummer, and 80 rank and file, has
left the camp for Liverpool ; the draught will em-
bark at that port in order to join the service com-
panies of the regiment in Canada. The depot of the
96th Regiment being about to be transferred from
the 10th Depot Battalion, Belfast, to the Bth Depot
Battalion, Colchester, a detachment of invalids and
time-expired men, which recently reached England
from the service companies of the regiment in India,

has arrived at Colchester. The draught consisted of
68 non-commissioned officers and privates.
The division at Aldershot under the command of
Lieut.-Gen. the Hon. Sir James Y. Scarlett, K.C.8.,
has been actively engaged during the past week,
each day having been marked either by field evolu-
tions or inspections. On Monday the Cavalry Bri-
gade, under the command of Major-Gen. Hodge,
C. 8., had a field day in the Long Valley, when
the 3d, Bth, and 15th Hussars and the 17th Lancers
were exercised in the usual movements. The new
" pivot" drill was also performed by each of the
regiments, excepting the 15th Hussars, which ad-
hered to the ordinary system. The advantage of:
the new drill was very manifest. On Tuesday the
2d Infantry Brigade, under the command of Bri-
gadier-Gen. Cameron, was exercised in field evolu-
tions. On Thursday the Ist Brigade, under Bri-
gadier-Gen. Benny, and the 3d Brigade, under
Brigadier-Gen. Sir A. Horsford, K.C.8., were exer-
cised in like manner. On the same day the Royal
Artillery, under the command of Col. Philpotts,
was inspected by Lieut.-Gen. Scarlett.

The Aldershot divisional shooting matches for
1866 with the sanction and under the patronage of
Lieut.-Gen. the Hon. J. Yorke Scarlett, K.C.8.,
commanding the Aldershot Division, are announced
to take place on the 25th and 26th of June. In-
fantry prizes are to be shot for by the rank and file
of infantry quartered in the Aldershot Division,
and the Brigade of Guards, with the Enfield rifle,
1853 pattern. The companies of the Royal Engi-
neers will use the Lancaster rifle. The number of
competitors from each regiment is not to exceed 70
men, and seven per company from the Royal Engi-
neers. The prizes will be given according to defi-
nite rules laid down as to distances. The use of
magnifying sights, sunhades, fixed or artificial
rests, will not be allowed, nor must the pull of the
trigger in any case be less than 61b.
The troop of the 15th Hussars which was detained
at Nottingham in aid of the civil power will proceed
to Aldershot to-morrow, and join the head-quarters
of the regiment at that station.