The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-25 00:00:00

THE AR2III

The following circular, addressed to the cavalry,
has been issued from the Horse Guards by com-
mand of the Duke of Cambridge :
"1. The General Commanding .in-Chief having had
under his consideration the proportions of ammunition al-
lowed for cavalry regiments, as prescribed in paragraph 1,
p. 112, of the Queen's Regulations, directs that all cavalry
regiments armed with the rifle carbine shall receive for the
training of the recruit, and for the exercise of the drilled
soldier annually, the following quantities of ammunition :
For the recruit, 70 rounds of ball cartridge, and 20 rounds
of blank ditto, with 100 percussion caps, also 20 percussion
caps for snapping practice ; to be applied for as wanted, in
such quantities as may be justified by the number of re-
cruits actually present, or expected to join soon. For the
drilled soldier annually 70 rounds of ball and 50 rounds of
blank cartridge, with 132 percussion caps ; to be applied for
in sufficient time to ensure its receipt prior to the date on
which the practice is to commence.
" 2. His Royal Highness desires that the course of in-
struction for the cavalry soldier in the use of the rifle car-
bine be strictly carried out in conformity with the regula-
tions for conducting the musketry instruction of the army,
with such modification only as the different nature of the
duties of the two services requires ; and that commanding
officers, field officers, captains, Subalterns, and instructors
in all other respects conform to the rules laid down for their
guidance in the above-named regulations.
"3. The cavalry soldier is never, if it can possibly be
avoided, to be withdrawn from his stable duties for carbine
instruction. The period of the day in which these will be
least interfered with is from 2 p.m. until it is time for even-
ing stables.
"4. The cavalry recruit is to be instructed in the use of
the rifle carbine in all respects as the infantry recruit, omit-
ting the platoon practices, which are not considered neces-
sary in his rifle training.
"5. The course of carbine instruction through which the
drilled cavalry soldier is to be exercised annually is to con-
sist of the following number of drills and practices, which
can be executed easily, and in an efficient manner, in the
period of the day already specified :—Preliminary Drills—
Four lessons in cleaning ammunition, each half an hour ;
four lessons in theoretical instruction, eaoh half an hour ;
four aiming drills, from 150 to 600 yards, each three. quar-
ters of an hour; four position drills, each three-quarters of
an hour; four judging distance drills, two to 300 yards,
and two to 600 yards, each three-quarters of an hour; total
hours' instruction daily, three and a quarter, for four days.
Practice—First period of target and judging distance prac-
tice, 21 rounds and 12 answers, two days; second period
of target and judging distance practice, 20 rounds and 12
answers, two days ; third period of target and judging dis-
tance, 20 rounds and 12 answers, two days ; skirmishing
from 400 to 200 yards, 10 rounds, one day. Total number
of days, of a maximum of four hours, to be occupied an-
nually in musketry drill and practice-11.
" 6. The foregoing course of instruction (which is a mo-
dification of the infantry course, in consequence of the time
of the cavalry soldier being so fully occupied with stable
and other duties) must be strictly and fully carried out to
insure efficiency in the use of the cavalry rifle carbine.
6, 7. It is of great importance that the carbine instruc-
tion of the cavalry should take place at the same time of
the year as the masketry instruction of the infantry; com-
manding officers will, therefore, take care that this is fully
attended to, and that the tour e be, if possible, continued
without interruption, until completed.

" S. In the case of cavalry regiments which are armed
with rifled carbines not sighted to 900 yards, or are quar-
tered at stations where a range to the full extent is not
available, the practices to be executed and the quantity of
ammunition to be expended under such circumstances are
detailed in annexed table.—By command of his Royal
Highness the General Commanding-in-Chief,
" JAMES YORKE SCABLETT, Adjt,-Gen."
Yesterday Col. W. R. Nedham, commandant of
the Royal Artillery, commenced his half-yearly in-
spection of the Royal Artillery in the Chatham dis-
trict. The four brigades attached to the subdivision
at Sheerness will be inspected in the first instance,
after which Col. Nedham will inspect the other de-
tachments
of Royal Artillery quartered in the dis-
trict.
The 31st and 33d companies of Royal Engineers,
together with the reinforcements for the other com-
panies serving in the Mediterranean, were paraded
at Brompton-barracks, Chatham, at an early hour
yesterday morning, and, having been inspected by
Lieut.-Col. T. B. Collinson, second in command, at
the Royal Engineer establishment, were marched
down to Chatham-barracks, where they joined the ,
detachment of the 2d battalion of the 4th King's
Own, which proceeds to Corfu to join the service
eulflies of that regiment. After the troops of
the line had been inspected by Colonel H. Jervis,
the entire body marched off to the station of the
Landon, • Chatham, and Dover Railway, preceded
by the Royal Engineers' band, and proceeded by
to,
speeial train
anortsmouth where they embark
for the .Mediterranean,
Oat 120 strong, aner. The 31st company goes
company. 11%z:heeds to Maltn, to relieve
the 17th
,e.nrsa ennl:ts of 45 men for the,
28th company at Malta
left Chatham with the 31st co- 30th at Corfu, also
lowing officers :—Capt. A. B. ;12PeanY, and the fol-
T. Campbell. and Lieut. R. j rjs) W. M.
co means, which has been also auo-glamese. The 33d
tteuorirnr?eve
required strength, proceeds to Gibraltarr to its
the 24th company. Detachments, to the n
40- men, selecteddilrom the companies at head'r f
quar-
ters, were attached to the 33d company.to join the

eastern and western limits of Eennndi,sdkiisltleannttofrwonm-
-3d and 27th companies at Gibraltar, where the 33d ship, but at the extremci
relieves the 24th company, The officers who ac- Wyomingi. l2 miles4:.romThSeartunwiau,
township is
firso ma
about
St..l
companied .the 33d company from Chatham were Clairuliles er about
square,'l6.
situated in the county of Lambton ;
Capt. B. Hawthorn and Lieut. W. Salmond. The
ay ; timber, oak of the most magnifi-
cent proportion of womon and children proceed soil, heav
white wood, beach, 'maple,
with the Royal Engineers to the Mediterranean. cent kind, elm, ash
Yesterday the H batter!, 9th brigade, Royal hickory of the largest size, basswood, walnut—in
doubt that, with a thorough
Artillery, numbering 170 non •eommissioned officers fact, all, kinds of hard wood. Judging from the
tnhois would become
proper.eanada.
With one of the
and gunners, with 96 horses, srrived at Chatham settlements, thueraegeis,
But I am wandering
from the Carragth. The battery proceeds, a portion system of drainage,
bpjsectin my friend, who
to Canterbury anCl the remeinder to Walmer, where
ffirrosmt torowynsshul
guide, I spent a few days at the
it will be permsnen.tly statioL'a•
In consequence of ,the serious.'
of Col. diggings, learning all I could from those best
o.f illness of Col. kindly acted the
Dixon, C.B. and the ' also
Street, 0.13,, Major indisposition
iin tempo- posted.
Laye has been place,
nary co
siorWest I found the oil region extending over a limited
of , ther 0 1
tOrtuhu
mound of the 9th battalion, and M.
• "ter, space. From the tests already made the oilmen
pbEstttalion, at the camp at Colche:. .that it does not extend all over
the sth Dragoon Guards have
arrived at Ipswich'
'th the township, as some- at first supposed. Black
I ' .teut.-Col. wtch andColthorpe' the headquarters, wi
now have concluded
more men, left and other officers, and some t Creek seems to he the richest territory yet dis-
Colchester Yesterday en route for I 00i,ered in. Canada, and, according to some of the

best authorities, it is the richest in America. Wan-
dering along the banks and in the flats of the
stream, which certainly deserves the name it bears,
lat every few rods came across a well. They were
in every stage of procedure. Some were just tom-
meneed ; some were just finished ; from many men
pumping oil into huge vats. Here let me say that
the wells are of different kinds. First, there are
the surface wells, so called because they are only
sunk to the rock; these are for the most part on
the fiats of the creek. Some of them, when within
a few feet of the rock, quickly fill with oil, which,
with much noise and uproar of gas, bursts in from
the loose gravelly substance overlying the rock. I
have known wells 50 feet deep and five feet square
fill to the very brim with oil. Nay, I have seen it
flow over the top and run away in a stream, wast-
ing hundreds of barrels. These wells are dug large,
the sides are cribbed and then puddled, so as to keep
out the surface water. Surface wells are dug and
finished for about three dollars per foot. The oil
from these wells is thicker and less pure than that
from the rock wells, but a refiner told me that,
though it was harder to deodorise and refine than
the rock oil, yet, when manufactured, it made the
best oil ; having more body, it gave the best light,
and burnt longer. It is also best for lubricating
purposes. For rock wells they frequently sink a
well like a surface well, and then drill ; but more
frequently the soil is bored out with a large augur
until the rock is reached, a distance varying from
40 to 70 feet. Then piping like pump logs is put
in and driven down snug on the rock. After this
the slow process of drilling is carried on,
ig from
byo foot,
horse power, or with steam engines, sinking a
few inches to perhaps 10 feet per day, according
to the nature of the rock. This drilling is done for
about 2 dol. 50c. per foot.. The character of the
rock seems to vary with every well. It is generally,
however, soapstone, with layers of shale, which is
here in very small quantities, though at other parts
of the township I have known drillers to go through
50 or 60 feet without change. There are also layers
of sandstone, flint rock, and sulphate of iron; these
vary in quantities at every well, though distant but
a few rods. In the soapstone the oil is generally
round, and at various distances from the surface. A
continuation of little veins may be struck ; then all
at once a larger one, which may cause the oil to be
forced in immense quantities out of the pipe. (The
quantity of oil this country is capable of producing
is amazing.) My friend led me until I was tiud,
and I had seen more oil and more wells in opera-
tion, and in course of being sunk, than I had ever,
imagined as being in this county. I was told there
were hundreds; that before January 500 wells will
be down ; and I believe it. I came across a well
every few rods. There, in the wild woods, were
hundreds of men, all quiet, intent upon their work.
There was no talking, but tramp, tramp, tramp
went the foot, click, click, click the sound sharp of
the drill as the steel bit its way in the rock. In a
few places in the woods we encountered bvildings
of more pretentious appearance than the majority;
here were wells worked by steam-engines. How
they ever were got in I know not, but here they
are, working night and day. Large vats and
tanks held the oil ; some of them hold 1,000 bar-
rels ; the largest are immense pits sunk in the stiff
clay, cribbed and puddled, and these, they say, are
better than wooden vats, which leak the oil out, so
penetrating is it. There being no pine, the houses
are for the most part built of logs or bark of the elm,
which is here stripped for that purpose. The life
led by the oilmen very much resembles that of the
gold diggers of California. There was much discom-
fort, but the prospect of gain is better and more
reliable than ever held out by California. Scarcely
a well at Black Creek fails. Fabulous prices have
been paid for good wells. Some acre lots sell as
high as 1,000 dols.

Hundreds of people are coming in every week
from all parts of America, most of them being from
Ohio and Pennsylvania—men who have seen the
good thing made by those who were lucky in getting
into the Pennsylvanian oil region at the beginning,
but who were too poor to do anything there now.
They are men of limited capital for the most part,
but of untiring energy and industry. They are of all
trades and professions, and I must say, considering
there are some 600 or 700 there, they are the best
conducted lot of men I ever say. After the labours of
the day, sitting around on boxes, barrels, benches, or
bags of potatoes (for there was not then a chair in
the house), they discussed topics of general interest.
The Michigan Exchange, where your correspon-
dent lodged, was a large frame building, built in the
barn style, offering free ventilation. About 50 of
us slept in the upper room in teds ranged like ship-
berths, one above another, and two in a bed at that.
Many slept on the floor, with only a counterpane
under them, their boots their pillow. Many were
turned away from the door. Early in the spripg,
when the accommodation was smaller, and the rush
of Americans greater than since the war com-
menced, it was considered a great boon to be per-
mitted to lie on the floor. A good story is told
of a certain landlord who, after his guests
wearied with their long tramp, notwithstanding
the hard boards, were wrapped in sound and sweet
slumbers, was wont to raise the unconscious
traveller and stand him up against the wall, and
then give his bed to another, who, in turn, was
served in like manner. For the truth of this story
I will not vouch. It went the round of Black Creek.
Talking of good stories, there is one equally good,
but supported by truth. A Mr. --, an old
American, returning through the woods about dusk,
was terribly frightened by hearing immediately
over his head one of the most unearthly and infernal
sounds that ever terrified mortal. He thought his
time had come. The first shock of terror had
scarcely seized him when he received a severe blow
on the head as if from a demon's claws. Something
with glaring eyes whirled past him. Frantic, he
grasped his head. His hair was on end, but no
hat was there. Finally, raising his eyes, he saw a
large owl quietly sailing away with his hat in his
claws. That was the last he ever saw of it. To
this day the word "owl" sets him off.

The hotels, and they are of high-sounding names,
such as the Michigan Exchange, Twin Sisters, New
York House, Royal George, and others of the second
class, besides shanties innumerable—are all crowded.
Vast numbers of people come, look around, and
then leave, but return in a short time prepared to
go in. Mr. Brydges, managing director of the
Great Western Railway, was here the other day.
He expressed himself astonished; he had not the
least idea of the greatness of the oil development.
No doubt the railway comiecting this place with
the main line, a charter for which is already ob-
tained, will soon be built. It certainly would pay,
as it could be built at a trifling expense. The
quality of freight would make it highly remunera-
tive. Why, while I was there quietly looking on,
I saw wells yield day after day from 10 to 50
barrels. Now 300 wells at 10 barrels per day
would give 3,000 barrels. Whit plank-road accom-
modation could manage that, or even half of it?
And this, I assure you, is a small calculation ; 10
barrels per diem is moderate, and there will be
double 300 wells before a year at the present rate
of sinking. As far as I could judge, failure is the
exception. Not one man in 20 who pretended to
be in the oil region failed to get oil ; nor has any
rock well shown signs of drying up.
There is no doubt of it, a source of untold wealth
is in our midst—an oil territory richer than yet
discovered—and yet we Canadians know it not ;
or, rather, we won't let ourselves know it, but shut
our ears to statements of facts until people from
another country come in and take advantage of
opportunities we let slip. If a particle of gold
had been found there, how soon would the country
ring with the tidings ! Yet here is something
equally valuable, Lnd, for some unknown reason,
all information regarding it has been sedulously
withheld from the public until nine-tenths of the
people even in Toronto deem the whole thing a
hoax.

Thanks, however, to the enterprise of some of the
Torontonians, the Americans are no longer to enjoy
a monopoly of the oil-refining business. One firm
in Toronto is buying some thousand barrels, while
another is introducing it largely into Europe. Once
the European market is opened it must create an
immense trade, for a substance from which are made
refined toilet-soaps, candles superior to wax, oil-
that gives a cheaper and not less beautiful light