The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-24 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The Cruiser, 4, unarmoured screw slooop of 60
horse power of engines, Commander Morgan Singer,
went out of Portsmouth harbour yesterday to Spit-
bead, preparatory to sailing on foreign service. The
Cruiser was originally commissioned for service in
the West Indies, but the new Board of Admiralty
during their recent visit to Portsmouth, taking into
consideration the fact that the Cruiser can neither
steam, sail, nor fight any other known vessel of war
in the world, changed her destination to the Medi-
terranean, where she may be usefully employed in
showing the British flag in small ports in the ab-
sence of a better ship, and where Commander
Singer, a gunnery officer of more than ordinary ex-
perience and talent, will be available for more im-
portant duties than so insignificant a command
should his services be required.
The Tamar, screw troopship, Capt. Sullivan, C. 8.,
went out of Portsmouth harbour yesterday, and
made a successful trial of her machinery, prior to
being reported again fully ready for further troop
service. After the trial, the Tamar anchored
at Spithead, to swing and ascertain the deviation of
her compass.
The Danae, screw unarmoured corvette, building
at Portsmouth, from the designs of the Chief Con-
structor of the Navy, is ordered by the Admiralty
to be completed with her present fine form of bow,
and without any attempt at alteration of any kind
whatever. In this the Admiralty have done Mr. E.
J. Reed an act of justice, notwithstanding the in-
terested outcry raised against him on the present

Board first entering upon office.
At a meeting of the merchants and others of the
European community of Hongkong, held at the
Clubhouse, on the 11th of June last, Captain N. S.
Nolloth, R.N., commanding her Majesty's ship
Princess Charlotte, and naval officer in command of
the port, was presented with an address on his
giving up the command of the Princess Charlotte
and the port and returning to England.
Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley, K.C.8., Port
Admiral and Naval Commander-in-Chief at Ports-
mouth and the south-west naval district, left Ports-
mouth yesterday GM lis steam yacht Fire Queen,
Staff Commander Paul, accompanied by his staff,
for the Channel Islands, on his annual visit of in-

spection.
Her Majesty's paddle yacht Alberta, with their
Serene Highnesses the Prince and • Princess of
Leiningen on board, sailed from Portsmouth yes-
terday for Boulogne.
The Supply, screw storeship, Staff Commander
Bowden, arrived at Spithead during Wednesday
night from the westward, and sailed again yester-
day for Woolwich.

The Royal Alfred, iron-plated frigate, Capt. Turn-
our, fitting for service at Portsmouth, is completed
in the alteration of her rig from a barque to that of
a full ship. The frigate's appearance has been
much improved aloft by the change, and the mizen
mast now affords a means of exercise and training
for the midshipmen and naval cadets which the ship
did not previously possess. The area of sail given
to all of our ironclads is, however, insignificant if
considered only with reference to the displacement
of their hulls at the load-water line. The Bellero-
phon is, perhaps, the most efficiently fitted with
canvass of all the ironclads now in commission.

The iron-cased ship Lord Warden, 24, in charge
of Capt. G. 0. Willes, C. 8., commanding the steam
reserve at Devonport, went outside Plymouth Break-
water on Wednesday to test her engines at the
measured mile. She is fitted only with her lower
masts, and her draught forward was 23ft. bin. ; aft,
26ft. Her engines, by Maudslay, Sons, and Field,
are of 1,000 horse-power; the propeller is four-
bladed. On the trial the safety-valve was loaded
to 251 b.; pressure of steam in boilers, 251 b; vacuum
in condensers, forward and aft, 26in. ; mean num-
ber of revolutions, 60 per minute. After six runs
the true mean speed produced was 13.1385 knots.
The engines are of the three-cylinder kind—known
as Maudslay's patent expanding three-cylinder en-
gines. They are reported to have worked most
satisfactorily ; no hot bearings. This being only a
preliminary trial for testing the engines, the half-
boiler power was not tried. The weather barome-
ter Mood at 30.30 ; wind, southwest ; force, 2 to 3.
It is reported at Plymouth that the ironclad screw
steamship Caledonia, 31, flag of Rear-Admiral
Hastings IL Yelverton, C. 8., will remain in the
Sound until after the close of the viit of inspection
of the Lords of the Admiralty to Devonport, when
she will leave for Ireland or Scotland, and return to
Plymouth for the winter. The crew of this ship
have for some time been discontented with the of-
ficers, in consequence of the alleged deficiency of
leave on shore. This discontent appears to be very
general, for on the Monday some of them perpe-
trated an act which must have been done with the
connivance of a larger number. One of her Arm-
strong guns, a 10-pounder, is placed on the port
side of the upper deck. At 9 o'ciock in the evening
it was lifted off its carriage and thrown down the
fore hatchway ; the gun broke nearly every step of
the gangway ladder, and then landed on the main
deck. Here the gunnery lieutenant, accompanied
by the ship's corporals and other petty officers, was
going his rounds to clear up. The noise attracted
his attention, and on ascertaining the cause he had
all the petty officers who were in their hammocks
called aft on the quarter deck. On asking them as
to the cause of the extraordinary disturbance, no
satisfactory answer could be obtained, each petty
officer fearing that, through speaking, he should be-
come a marked man. Lieutenant Digby, second
officer of the watch, then went forward, and the
men cheerfully replaced the gun on its carriage.
On Tuesday both watches had special leave on shore.
The Woolwich Division of Royal Marine Light
Infantry was yesterday inspeoted by Major-General
A. B. Stransham, Inspector-General, who arrived
from town about 10 30, and, after a careful investi-

gation of the Paymaster's, Quartermaster's, and
barrack departments, visited the men in their mess-
kitchens during their dinner, putting to those who
seemed the most intelligent questions which elicited
answers showing the actual state of messing and '
general life in barracks, Captai J. Travers noting
down those from which enlightenment might be
gained.' At 2 30 the whole division,
.tin of
three battalions, was formed on the
Common n
r liner
of battalions, the men being in marching order,
and having each 15 rounds of blank ammunition.
After customary salutes the General rode down the
ranks, and when the second battalion had performed
the bayonet exercise under Col. Louis, Col. Max-
well, who commanded the brigade, put them through
a series of manceuvres, all of which were executed
with steadiness and precision, and called forth warm
expressions of approval from the General. On ar-
riving in barracks the men were asked if any of
them had any complaint to make. No one came to
the front,—a most unusual circumstance, as there
are often several who avail themselves of this privi-
lege. The satisfactory state of the division may be
gathered from the fact of there being only seven
men in gaol at the present moment, and not a single
.11_ on-commissioned-officer or private has been tried
by court-martial since the Ist of May last, which,
with a force of nearly 1,500 men at head-quarters,
is almost without parallel.
The Commission appointed by the Portuguese
Government to consider the question of military
small arms have decided to re-arm the whole of the
troops of that country with breech-loaders. The
armament at present consists of Enfields, which they
have determined not to convert.
a They have also
wisely determined upon havingsmall-bore. The
arm chosen is that invented by Messrs. Westley
Richards and Co., of Birmingham, to whom the
contract for the manufacture has been intrusted.
The commission deserves credit for the promptitude
they have
shown in the matter, and are unquestion-
ably right in adopting the .450 bore, for, in
addi-
tion to its superior accuracy of shooting (something
under 2ft. mean radial deviation at 1,000 yards), its
low angle of elevation, 2.55 deg., at the same range,
and its great penetrating powers, the weight of the
ammunition is so reduced that a large quantity can
be carried. The gun itself is also lighter and
stronger than the Enfield, while the barrel is more
durable and better adapted for the rough usage of
military service. The Portuguese will now be the
first nation armed with a small-bore breech-loader.
It is to be hoped that our own Government will

follow their example, and not delay any longer than
is absolutely necessary in deciding upon a rifle
of equal efficiency for our own troops.
The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Lieut. W. Neilson to the Hector ;
Lieut. A. Warry to the Racoon, for service in the
Whiting ; Sub-Lieuts. T. L. Mallory, G. Usborne,
and R. T. B. Bruce to the Lord Clyde ; C. Harding,
midshipman, to the Ocean ; C. G. Michaelson, G.
Moore, T. B. Lacy, J. D. Nicholls, and A. M. Gar-
diner, midshipmen, to the Lord Clyde ; F. C. Gar-
vey, naval cadet, to the Caledonia ; W. C. Forrest,
naval cadet, to the Ocean ; A. L. Murray, L. E.
Dick, and G. Raggett, naval cadets, to the Lord
Clyde.

The following have been nominated naval cadets
G. V. Hegan, P. H. E. Hungerford, G. G. Phillips,
and J. H. S. Bruce.

The Admiralty intend to resume the entry of
cadets of the second class in the course of next
month.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

GREAT WESTERN.

The directors of this company will recommend to
the proprietors the following dividends for the six
months ending the 31st July, 1866 :—On Great
Western Original Stock at the rate of 2 per cent.
per annum ; on Great Western (West Midland)
Oxford at the rate of 17s. per cent. per an-
num ; on Great Western (West Midland)
Newport at the rate of 17s. per cent. per annum,
and on Great Western South Wales Ordinary atthe
rate of £3 ss. per cent. per annum ; carrying for-
ward a balance of about £7,500.