The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-31 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

At an early hour yesterday morning his Royal
Highness the Duke of Cambridge had the whole of
the officers and men of the Royal Engineers assem-
bledTßs qhuneragnr ooecny: theirßurgoyne,
e commenced
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Bord
soon
ad,n
neafgi
tnresorpuBen co,
Inspector-Generaliolnnn
nkoßrompton
Gt heeneocrorar
IpFßssoa:rrwrt Barrack-
square, cieFekah-:
tinioenlus,deaandthseevvearrailouosthearmaglegnaemraaltedofficcoemrsp,
companies of
Royal and Indian Engineers now at head-quarters.
the Engineers marching past in slow and quick
time, and executing a few other maneeuvres. The
inspecting officers next proceeded to the fieldworks,
between Brompton Barracks and the river Medway,
where the Royal and Indian Engineers are instructed
in throwing up earthworks, excavating trenches
and saps, and forming bridges. Here his Royal
Highness spent nearly two hours in the examina-
tion of the various works on which the Engineers
have been employed in the course of the summer.
During his inspection his Royal Highness and the
other distinguished officers examined with much
interest an invention by Major Lovell, Royal En-
gineers, by which any number of men may be em-
ployed in sapping close up to the enemy's lines
without the slightest fear of being exposed to a
hostile fire. His Royal Highness then proceeded
to witness some experiments with four different
descriptions of pontoons, in order to ascertain
which was the best adapted for use in the
service. The pontoons were moored in St.
Mary's Creek, and a bridge formed, extending
nearly across that arm of the Medway. The pon-
toons tested were the ordinary barrel pontoons; those
known as General Blanshard's, which are now
used in the service; a pontoon invented by the
late General Sir Charles Pasley ; and a most valu-
able invention by Capt. F. Fowke, Royal Engineers.
In order to ascertain the maximum weight each
description of pontoon would sustain, a 16-pounder
field-piece, with carriage complete, weighing about
42cwt., was wheeled backward and forward across
the raft by about 50 men, whose additional weight
was, of course, thrown on the bridge. The ordinary
Blanshard pontoons, which were moved 8 feet
4 inches apart, bore the strain well, the "dip" in
the water being very trifling. On the weight being
thrown on the Pasley pontoons, however, they
were almost entirel! submerged. These pontoons
were placed at intervals of 12 feet 6 inches. Capt.
Fowke'e pontoons are made of a light kind of can-
vass, of great strength, and waterproof. When a
pontoon is in use it is stretched to the required form,
and assumes the appearance of a small barge. The
sustaining power of these pontoons, however, is
very considerable and this was fully evidenced in
the trials yesterday. Although 10 feet apart, they
bore the strain thrown upon them without any
apparent yielding. There is little doubt that in a
short time this pontoon will supersede all others
now in use, possessing, as it does, among other
superior advantages, that of great portability. His
Royal Highness, after leaving the pontoon-hard,
proceeded to another portion of the fieldworks to
witness some subaquaeous explosions and also the
destruction of a four-gun battery, built according
to the principles laid down by Sir John Burgoyne.
The submarine explosions in St. Mary's Creek was
undertaken to show the ease with which piles,
barriers, or any other obstruction in rivers or har-
bours might be removed, the charges of powder
sunk to the required depth, being ignited by means
of the voltaic battery. Although the quantity of
powder was by no means large the force
expended was very great, the water,
the instant the powder was fired, being
forced up to a height of fully 100 feet in a fine spiral
column. The 4 gun battery destroyed had been
several weeks in hand by the Royal Engineers. It
consisted of an elevated and half-sunken portion,
beneath which galleries were driven for depositing
the powder. The weight of gunpowder required to
destroy this mass of earthwork was 5801 b., deposited
in three charges of 100 lb. each, and two of 1401 b.
each. The instant the powder was ignited—which
in this instance was accomplished with Col. Oude's
fuse, as well as the voltaic pile—the entire battery
crumbled into dust, and was tossed to a great height
into the air, which was for an instant darkened.
Tne Duke left the garrison shortly before 1 o'clock
Yesterday (Tuesday) morning Major-General T.
Bloomfield, Inspecfor-General of Artillery, accom-
panied by his aide-de-camp, Brevet-Majar C. C.
Teesdale, C. 8., inspected Companies No. 1,4, 5, and
6 Royal Artillery, in Plymouth Citadel, under com-
mvaannd
mofaCboelr.ieAys,heto.Bn.,A. Sht
Crof-
ton. The men were exercised in mortar drill, sheer
et p
and gun drill, and in target practice. From the
and
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BL:H. t ol
E
Citadel Gen. Bloomfield intended to go to Bull Point
powder works, and to-day (Wednesday) he inspects
at Maker, near Mount Edgcumbe, Company No. 7
and Company No. 8, which is a field battery.
Major R. Curtis, 5 'sergeants, 5 corporals, 5 bom-
bardiers, and 23 gunners, forming a portion of No. 3
battery 13th brigade Royal Artillery, landed at
Gravesend from the Lady Jane, from Calcutta, yes-
terday arrived at Woolwich, to be attached to the
depot at head-quarters. The other portion has pro-
ceeded overland.

THE CENSUS FOR SCOTLAND.—One of the chief
causes, perhaps the main cause of the delay in the publica-
tion of the census returns for Scotland, which has been so
much complained of, was the insufficiency numerically of
the staff of clerks allowed at the Registrar-General's office
For the compilation and arrangement of the returns for
Scotland only four clerks were available, for those of Eng-
land they had in London sixty clerks, while in Dublin they
had no fewer than one hundred. For England, with its
eighteen millions of population, the proportion of clerks in
the London office is not unreasonable, but that Ireland,
with less than double the population of Scotland, should
have required for its census a hundred clerks, while we were
compelled to manage with four, surely requires explana-
tion.—Scotsmain.
HOP INTELLIGENCE.--THE KENTISH PLANeTrAi
TIONS.-A general improvement is reported is thesietvawas
districts, except in the low and wet positions,
be
where
produced
apparent many weeks ago that no hops could
this season. On the favoured grounds
more than usually tender and sensitive, is
pthebirneev,inthgo,ugh
ism and
the burr is rapidly coming forth, and looks a promising as
tt
ihees highthere i
winds
every of the
prospectpast weekefth
the crop
allow.p
beinglne bwa edt locali-
ties cal i
last-
year.s
y h aSs übseseenx
un andt.a v
eSuurrarbe
ly.e.— ThThee
uwgeha tthheer
bf
eo
ire
ttehr ee
ul a ss
wt
ifnedws
adnadsoccasional showers have had the effect of diminishing
the vermin in most of the plantations, the bine, where at all
weakly, does not grow, and the burr, even in the best of
situations, seems to develop itself slower and less kindly
than usual. If, however, genial weather should ensue
there may still be a sprinkling of hops. Farnham, Alton,
and Country Districts, July 27.—Since our last the planta-
tions have made very little
s progress,ye ar.oanoned Worcester.—There
ciutetnsotil
see
report
s we get a
higher temperature immediately, we do not believe we shall
getala
(says thergercrop Worcester than last
Herald)op plantations ; where the bine is
favourably and coming into burr, but the weak
on very slowly, and will be able to do little or nothing this
i
season. Fine dry weather Is much needed, Duty for the
district estirgated a £12,000, progressing—pb Tur eth
ecoe
tr em
oure s
nothing