The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-27 00:00:00

NAVAL

roaTeMoVrit, Dec. 28.—During the last few days moth
experiments have been tried by Capt. Cho* of the Excelled, FM.
nery thip, on boacd the Leriaban hulk, In order to ascertain at what
distant* boys holding leather cartridge OM% with powder, when en.
gaged in waving the guns, might stand in safety, peppering the car-
tridge of any cow should be exploded. Two thrtridge meek each
containing a quantity of powder, were hung up at a distance of eight
feet from each other. Some of Richford'e match was applied to one at
the coma and Ina few minutes it exploded, but only made the other
ow swing. A euccession of explthionii followed, des eating the
distance a foot rub time, without any effect. At 18 inches the ex-
plosion affected the second ease; but it was only at 12
inches that the second care was blown up. An experiment
was the made for the purpose of discovering whether the
fearnonght Ere-revere, In use when powder Is handing up from the
magarine, would effectually cheek an ei ploeion. A are containing
6 lbs. of powder was hung up within • fireocreen nailed to the deck,
. and outside on the deck wee thread 2 lbs. of loose powder; the
powder in the ease was exploded, and followed by the total dearth.
tion of the screen and explosion of the loath powder. A lump woe
moored within four feet of the Leviathan, and a 32-pounder, charged
with 4 Ith and a common shell, with two-tenths inch of commas
fuze, dyed into her twice, and buret, having passed through the olds
of the bulk. Too of Capt. Chad's percussion sheds were also Bred
Into the halt, but the concussion was 110 great that the shell ay.
peered to break f, ore its effects, and were followed by an explosion at
a moment not required. There are at pi ment In the Excellent
upwards of 360 seamen gannets, of whom lee have mimed through
the ,afferent stage, of gunnery requisite, and 180 boys under thane
of instruction, be.idth 30 gunners mail,- for service, and 10 who are
lent to the ordinary, but may be milled on at any time.—Captain H.
T. Auaton, C. 8., !rum the saran median- hmeut at Woolwich. Ms
been ordered by the Admiralty to this port, to superintend the fitting
of the Ajax, steam block thip, and to complete the klenheini.—
In Harbour: Victory, EYeellent, Menheim,Vith via and Albert„Prinee
Regent, Rolla, Nautiltm; Terrible, Cuckoo, Avon, Firefly, Ceding.,
Fairy, and Echosteemers. AtSpilheadt Cygnet. The Ober= eteam-the.,
with the Governor of Malta on hoard, stopped at Algiers on the 13th
Mat. to take in coal. The Penelope steam-frigate, with the broad
pendent of Sir C. Hotham was lying at Helena, on the Bth Nov. ;
all well on Ward. Tee ientome, lei, Coro. I.e Hardy, is ordered
home from the Mediterranean station to be paid off. The Calliope.
26, Capt. E. Stinky, is ordered home from New Zealand, to be paid
off, if her privence be nut urgently required on that division of the
East India station.

CONY kvbrsv or Lors-or.llarrfr S. in.—The Admiralty hove re.
moved the restriction. which p: ceented commander. irom being
eligible to aerie as :sound captains of line-of-battle ships, unless they
had served sham five years as find lieutenant of a 'loop or frigate.
Their lordships have now ordered commanders who have served
as first lieutenants of any vanel fur one year, and commanders who
have served .a gunners- lieutenants for that space of time in any ship,
shall be deemed eligible fur the appointments to commanders of ship.
of the line. _ _ _ _

Deroxroar. Die. 2.s.—Cockatrice, 8. tender to the Asia,
SI, sailed early this rooming for South .tmerica.—Camilla and AM-
'anti, lately launched at Pembroke, arrived from that piste yesterday.
—thligencs Crept , and Tortoise lighter, both with store.. .Tirol from
Pembroke yesterday, the former hound to Chatham.—Siohed lighter,
arrived on the night of the 23rd with stores frost Woolwich.