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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IV, Issue 190, 2 September 1864, Page 3

Trials of the Armstrong and Whitworth Guns. —The Special Committee have now narrowed their investigations of the qualifications of the 12-pounders into the question of endurance. Almost every day during the past week the three guns with which the experiments began have been fired from 100 to 150 rounds. Upwards of 2,500 rounds of shot and shell have now been fired from each, or rather more than three times the number of rounds which would be sufficient to destroy the old brass smooth-bore field-piece. The tests for accuracy which have been completed with the field-guns have been made witli gradually increasing elevations, from point-blank range at about 300 yards, up to 10 degrees of elevation, or 4,000 yards. At 4,000 yards the diminished resistance of the smaller and longer shot of Mr. Whitworth enabled it to beat the Armstrong in length of range by nearly 400 yards ; but as regards accuracy, the trial, says The Times , has been wonderfully close, if one may judge by the complete series of parallelograms which have been made out by the Committee. There have been 24 stages of the competition in all—namely, 12 with solid shot, 11 with segment shell, and 11 with common shell ■ and out of these trials, judging by the tracings. Sir William has won 14 times, lias been second 11 times, and been third nine times. Mr. Whitworth’s gun has won 13 times, has been second 10 times, and has been third 11 times. The breech-loader has been first seven times, has been second 13 times, and has been third 14 times. The terms “first, second, and third” are convenient, but says The Times, they really convey no proper idea of the relative sizes of the competing parallelograms. Ten Year’s Men.— A war office circular, embodying a royal warrant, laying down an important code of regulations relative to the pay and other advantages to the ten years’ soldiers and others who may re-enlist on the completion of their period of military service, has been promulgated at Chatham garrison for general information. The royal warrant cancels that dated Oct. 30, 1861 which provided that a soldier taking his discharge and re-enlisting after the expiration of twelve months should only count half his former service • and that soldiers purchasing their discharge and re-enlisting should, in like manner, count only half their former service ; and that men who are so re-enlisted should bo required to wait twelve months before being allowed any good conduct pay of which they were in receipt before being discharged. The new royal warrant prescribes that all soldiers who may re-engage themselves on the completion of the first term of their limited engagement may be allowed to receive the value of a new kit, a bounty of £1 together with re-en-gagement money £l,"and £1 gratuity, receiving at the same time a furlough for two months. Men who take their discharge and re-engage within 12 months will be allowed to count all their former service, instead of only one half of their service as heretofore. They will at the same time, at once be allowed the good conduct pay of which they were in receipt at the time of their discharge. The same regulations are, at the same time to apply to men who purchase their discharge and re-enlist. The troops serving in India, China, and New Zealand are to be allowed the sum of £5 in lieu of their two months’ furlough, on re-enlisting on the expiration of the period of limited service. Soldiers serving in the Mediterranean are to bo allowed £3 gratuity, and if they wish for a furlough, their passage to and from England will be defrayed by the Government, and 2 clear months’ allowed them in this country. Bell's Life publishes articles of agreement between Mace and Joseph Coburn, to fight on Tuesday, October 4, above 90 and under 100 miles from .Dublin, for £SOO a-side. Coburn is 29 years of age, and was born July 30,1835, in the county of Armagh. J