The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-06 00:00:00

THE NATE

The preparation of the ironwork for the Achilles,
50, which has been in progress for several weeks
past, having considerably advanced, a commence-
ment has at length been made in the construction of
that vessel in the second dock at Chatham, where
the first portion of the keel was successfully laid
down yesterday afternoon. Although a great deal
of apparent delay in building the Achilles has taken
place, this has arisen solely in consequence of this
having been the first iron ship to be built at Chat-
ham, which necessitated the building of large addi.
tional workshops and factories, together with the
erection of powerful engines and machinery, none
of which were required in the ordinary shipbuilding
' operations at that establishment. All the prelimi-
nary operations have at length been got over. The
work will now be carried on uninterruptedly until
the vessel is completed, which it is anticipated will
be in less than two years. As many as 1,000 hands
are to be employed on her, and as fast as good
mechanics offer themselves at the doekyard they are
engaged.
The screw gunboats Rose, Traveller, Escort,
Raven, Amelia, Blazer, and Grinder, comprising
the first division of the reserve at Portsmouth, have
commenced landing their smooth bore guns along-
side the gunwharf, each receiving in return, as her
permanent armament, one 100-pounder and one 40-
pounder Armstrongs. The horsepower (nominal)
of their engines is 60 each veirl.4.
The Vigilant, 6, "eacnw deiVatcil vessel, is ordered
to be advanced from the second to the first class re-
serve at Portsmouth, to fill up the vacancy caused
by the commission of the Pelican, 17, screw.
The War Department transport Petrel landed at

the Ordnance-wharf, Chatham, yesterday, 250 cases
of the 100-pounder Armstrong shells, together with
other stores, from Woolwich. The Petrel after-
wards commenced shipping a 100-pounder Arm-
strong gun and 20 8-inch 60cwt. cast iron gnus for
the Orpheus, 21.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Lieut. R. Sterne, to the Royal
Adelaide; Sub-Lieuts. B. Moore and A. J. Erring-
ton, to the Malacca; J. L. Hoare and M. R. M.
Griffiths, midshipmen, to the Malacca ; G. 0. Moore,
H. Bridger, and G. C. E. Lockhart, midshipmen, to
the Pelican ; A. R. Kerr, midshipman, to the Doris;
F. H. Haygarth, naval cadet, to the Orestes ; T.
Bowen, master, to the Cumberland, for the Phaeton;

J. Richards, second master, promoted to master ;
T. F. Martin, master's-assist., to the Pelican ; E. J.
Jackson, master's-assist., to the Malacca ; E. Lewis,
engineer, to the Cumberland, for the Rosario; S.
Matthews, engineer, to the Pelican, in lieu of chief
engineer; J. Fielden, first-class assist-engineer, to
the Pelican ; W. Ash, first-class assist.-engineer, toos
theA_seinag,
assist.-engineer,
thtoe Blazer;the Geyser, ey vice Fielden ; G.
S. Judd,
Duncan, second-class assist.-engineer, to the Impe-
rieuse, as supernumerary ; W. J. Foster, second-
class assist.-engineer, to the Pelican ; W. B. Rock,
W. J. Robinson, J. Flintoff, and W. H. Keats,
acting second-class assist.-engineers, to the Impe-
ricuse, as supernumeraries ; and J. Adamson, act-
ing second-class assist-engineer, to the Pelican.

THE ARMY.

The following official circular has just been issued
from the War-office, by direction of the Secretary
of State for War :
" It being necessary that the greatest possible care should
be taken for the preservation of the bores of cast-iron guns,
the Secretary of State for War desires that in future all
land service guns, which are in stations where they are
rarely, if ever, exercised at sea service, guns which are in
cabins and sick bays,.together with all guns in store, are to
have their bores lacquered or painted, as lacquer may not
always be available, and care taken that they are in a proper
state.
"It is not considered necessary that guns which are in
constant use should be lacquered in the same manner as
those above referred to, but it is desirable that they shoniti
be occasionally coated in the interior, near the muzzle, to
preserve them from corrosion.
,4 It is to be understood that the foregoing rules do not
prevent any relaxation of the usual precautions now ob-
served in regard to the preservation of cast .iron ordnance.
"ALEX. TuLLou, Director o! Ordnance."
The troops stationed in Portsmouth garrison were
brigaded on Southsea-common at 3 pm. yesterday,
under the command of Major-Gen. Lcrd W. Paulet,
C. 8., Lieut.-Governor of the garriFon, and com-
manding the South-West District. the force on the
ground comprised the 2d Mounted Battery of the
4th Brigade of Royal Artillery, under Col. Turner,
consisting of 6 officers, 94 men, 80 horses, and six
12 pounder Armstrong guns; the :st Battalion 2d
(Queen's) Regiment, Col. Addison 20 officers and
573 men ; the Ist Battalion sth (Northumberland
Fusileers) Regiment, Col. Masters,C.B., 19 officers
and 445 men ; the 2d Battalion 18th (Royal Irish)
Regiment, Col. J. Borrow, 15 officers and 543 men ;
the Ist B attalion 24th Regiment, Col. E.Woodhouse,
24 officers and 381 men.; the 49th Re;iment, Col.
Edwards, C. 8., 12 officers and 336 met ; the Royal
Marine Light Infantry, Col. Andersel, 30 officers
and 687 men. There was a total on t)e ground of
6 guns; 80 horses, and 3,190 men. The troops
marched' past in slow and quick tine, and then
went through a series of evolutions, whch were fol-
lowed by a fruitless attempt to preventthe landing
of an enemy, and subsequent retreat tf the whole
force under the walls of the fortress The most
effective part of the spectacle was the ormation of
squares in eschellon, with the guns onthe right.
The 23d company of Royal Enginees, under the
command of Lieut.-Col. G. Graham, 1.C., was yes-
terday placed under orders to proceeb on the 9th
inst., from Chatham to Shorncliffe, 1, relieve the
34th (Capt. Gordon's) company, whicl will join at
headquarters the same day. The 34th company,
after completing its course of fleldwirk and rifle
instruction, will embark for Bermuda there to re-
lieve the 26th company, which returns tome, having
completed its period of foreign servich
The headquarters of the 10th Huisars, Lieut.-
Col V. Baker, Adjt. 0. R. Slacke, andothet officers,
with the troops of the regiment statoned a; Nor-
wich, left that city on Wednesday or York and
Leeds. A farewell concert was given )3T the band of
the regiment of St. Andrew's-hall, Nirwich, on the
previous Friday evening.
A detachment of the 32d Regimen; has arrived at
Gosport, from Aldershot, for duty at Haslar and
Fort Monkton. Four companies of the 73d, under
the command of Capt. Spencer Lenslowe, have
arrived at Plymouth from Chatham to join the ser-
vice companies of the regiment.
A detachment of the Second Brigade Royal Artil-

lery, consisting of 4 officers and 56
command of Capt. E. Taswell, has left Dover for
Tien, under the
the Camp
at Shorncliffe, under the ofrommmand of Lient.-Col.
duty at No. 1 battery, Dungeness. Two batteries of
the Ninth Brigade Royal Artillery f
New Rom-
ney. The second
in several days' practice
with Armstrong guns on the warren at
Knox, have been enbgaattgeerdy
of the Eighth Brigade
Royal Artillery, commanded by Cot. Elgee, has
left Aldershot for the western district.
The new school of musketry at Fleetwood will
soon be in active operation, the staff of the establish-
ment, which includes several officers from Hythe.
having arrived. Hut barracks for the,.men are to
be constructed close to the practice range. The site,
including a fine building erected as an hotel, was
purchased by the Government of Sir P. Hesketh
Fleetwood. for £22,000. This structure will be ap-
propriated for the officers' quarters, and the large
ballroom will be used as a lecture hall. The range,
which is being rapidly brought into a complete
state, is situate near the sea, the site being either
fine sand or turf, '
The discharge of time-expired men, as well as of
those who, from long service in India, China, and
the colonies, have been rendered unfit for further
service, still continues at Chatham. Yesterday no
less than 84 non-commissioned officers and men of
various cavalry and infantry regiments, all of whom
had previously undergone an examination by the