The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-26 00:00:00

THE SUN,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE 51,T217.
Sig,—ln the summary of the Bombay Times of
the 17th January last is given a- letter aldressed by
Sir We. Napier, to the editor of the Bombay Ga-
zette, in which he disposes of Major Jacob's pub-
lished letter, therein given. After having given in
the Bombay Times the letter of Sir Wm. Napier,
taken from the Bombay Gazette, and addressed .to
its editor, the editor of the Bombay Times—that is,
Dr. Buist—then gives some remarks of his own, in
which he states, " that in 1845 he was for some
months within reach .of Sir Wm. Nai:der, who- .then
suffered his statements to be all up-Set, and given" to
the winds by a party on the spot ready to meet him
in any way he liked ; he waited till the seas inter-
vened before he in any way replied
,to the in-
vitation." Such is the manner .in which
Dr. Buist puts forward his- valoron? boast
to the people of Bombay of his chivalrous,tigailing,
towards Sir William Napier in 1845. Now;. Sir,
happened to be a resident in the island of Guernsey
in 1845, when Dr. Buist's valorous bearing tovvards!
Sir William Napier, who-was then .resident Lieute-
nant-Governor of Guernsey, appeared, and I read this
production in the local paper in which it appelred in
the island at that time, and I assert to you, that
it was published it was matter of notoriety at that
time in the island of Guernsey, that• Dr. Bnist;ihad
embarked on his return for India at the time Alvas
published, and must haVe. been many hundrelisOf
miles away. Many amusing remarks were made in
ridicule of the gallant Doctor's fierce valour, whose
inflated vanity had evidently beg ,n wounded..
I enclose you the Bombay Times of the 17th Ja
nuary, requesting as a favour you may notice in your
widely circulated journal the Doctor's statement, to
enable the people of Bombay to appreciate the
Doctor's vaunt at its proper worth.
The Doctor states that he has not had the castigation
of the broomstick which Sir Charles had promised to
inflict upon him: I can only congratulate the fortu-
nate Doctor on his escape—all who have fallen in his
hands have not been so fortunate.
I enclose my name and address, to satisfy you I
was in a position at that time to be cognisant of the
acts I stated, and you are at liberty to make what use
u please of the same. . . . •
I have the honour to be, &c ,
SARNIX. .
Guernsey, Feb. 23, 1852.

SIR CHARLES NAPIER and the BAYONET.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—Your correspondent " Medicaster," in the Times
of yesterday, represents the hero of Scindc, Sir Charles
Napier, as having championed the bayonet as the queen
of weapons, in a recent letter on our national defences,
and "Medicaster," in reply to this letter, gives an ex-
tract from the Lancet of the 14th of this mouth, wherein
it is stated by Mr. Guthrie (an eminent army surgeon
of great experience during the late wars in Spain, Por-
tugal, and France) that he, iu common with other army
surgeons, scarcely ever saw a bayonet wound; which
Medicaster " alleges " ought to have great weight in
settling the question us to the efficiency of this weapon of
destruction."
Now, Sir, as an old soidier who witnessed the greater
part of the battles and sieges which took place during
those wars, I can confirm, as to the fields of battle, this
statement of the army surgeons as regards the hospitals,
as I never witnessed a bayonet wound or two hostile
lines come in contact, for this simple reason—that one
party gave way, overcome by its tears of this weapon,
before it was physically vanquished. But this fact does
not by any means tend to controvert Sir Charles Na-
pier's reasons for championing the bayonet as the queen
of weapons; it teude, iu my humble opinion, rather to
support those reasons, as when the great object in war-
-
fare is to make the enemy
show his back as expedi
tiously as possible, the weapon that will tend the most
effectually towards the accomplishment of this object
ought to be regarded as the most efficient.
Under these circumstances I -would recommend those
amateur sportsmen who are desirous of making game of
the enemy in the event of an invasion, to thank more
of the bayonet and coming to close quarters than of
rifle shooting at lung distances, averaging, as some of
your correspondents assert, from half to three-quarters
of a mile. Sharpshooters covering the front of a line
may amuse themselves in this manner us the enemy
approaches, but the corps that means to make him show
his back should be concealed behind the summit or
brow of an undulating plain well selected across his
line of march, and await patiently until he arrives
within 50 yards of the top, then suddenly appear in line,
fire a well-directed volley into his columns, and charge
through the smoke, and when the atmosphere becomes
clear the backs of their foes will be discerned descend-
ing much more rapidly than they ascended, all from the
" fears of the bayonet." Therefore, in my humble
opinion, and with all due respect for " Medicaster'a"
statements, Sir Charles Napier is right in designating it
" the queen of weapons."—l have the honour to be, Sir,
your most obedient servant,
London, Feb. 24. JOHN SCOTT LILLIE.

BRITISH EMPIRE MUTUAL' LIFE
ASSURANCE COMPANY.
The fifth annual mot-ting of this company was held at
the offices, New. Bridge-street, on Tuesday; Mr. John
Gover in the chair.
The CHAIRMAN said they had now come to close the
business of the past year, and the period had urrived for
the first division of profits under the deed of settlement.
He imagined the members of the society must all feel
some interest in the winding up of their affairs at this
time. The business last year had increased in a much
larger ratio over that of the preceding year than had
ever before happened, although the accounts of each
year showed a greater amount of business than its im-
mediate predecessor. The total amount of the policies
effected was 553,3031. This success he had no doubt
was duo to the individual efforts of the members in ob-
taining insurances. He then remarked on the few
deaths that had occurred in the last year, and stated
that the amount paid upon life policies bad been 2,323/.
4s. 9cl. The last point he had to notice was, that a
saving of 10 per cent. had been effected on the ex-
penses every year since the first commencement of the
company,
The SECRETARY then read the report, which stated that
a disposable balance remained in hand of 8,095/. Is. 7d.
The CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the report,
which, after being seconded, was carried unanimously.
Mr. MILLAR (vice-chairman) announced that one-
half of the disposable balance, as soo❑ as the respetive
amounts to be paid could be calculated, would be ready
for the shareholders. It was at their option whether
they would receive the amount in cash or apply it to
diminishing the premiums. The dividends would be
reedy on the Ist of July. He proposed that the recom-
mendation of the directors be adopted.
This resolution, on being seconded, was carried unani-
mously.
The retiring directors and' the auditor were unani-
mously re elected, and the proceedings terminated.

ORDNANCE EXPERIMENTS.
WooLwicß, FEB. 25.—Lord Clarence Paget, Lieut
General Sir Thomas Downman, C. 8., K.C."., Major-
General Campbell, Colonel Gordon, . Colonel Chalmer,
Colonel Brereton, C. 8., K.H., and Lieutenant-Colonel
Bell, Royal Horse Artillery, Lieutenant-Colonel liar-
dingo, K.LL, Lieutenant-Colonel Anderson, Lieutenant-
Colonel Burn, Lieutenant-Colonel Thorndike, Lieute-
nant-Colonel Robe, Major Wingfield, Ridinglhouse
Troop, Major Dupuis, Royal Horse Artillery, Brigade-
Major Bingham, Captain Riddell, Deputy Assistant
Quartermaster-General of Artillery, and a great number
of the officers of the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers,
and 4th Light Dragoens, assembled in the marshes at two
o'clock P.m. to witness ext,eritnents with the rifle-can-
non. The shot and shells fired from the rifle-cannon
were constructed on Lord Clarence Paget's plan, which
differs from the shot and shells formerly described as
being made of galvanized iron, having four projecting
longitudinal pieces on each of nearly half an inch in
depth to slide in the grooves of the cannon. Those on
Lord Clarence Paget's principle are made, of cast-iron,
of a conical or sugarloaf shape, and having attached at
their base a ring of lead rather mote than 'half an inch
in thickness and about two inches inn depth,
iron
the shot. and shell, forming a hollow sitnilar to the
bottom of a common black bottle. The outside of the
lead is cut with three threads of a circular character, si-
milar to the threads of a sharp screw, which rendersithe
shot and shells easy to ram home, and when firedithe
9-pounder tad expands and fills the four grooves, each being about
1 inch in breadth by nearly an eighth of an inch in
depth. The firing took place from two 9-pounder field-
] Moo yarde.
battery g
threeeTpounda weight s, one supplied with the usual field battery
with Lord
gated sbicae
charge :rice, a solid shot of 91b. weight; and a
their elongated of powder, at a range of
Clarence
other, the rifled cannon, was supplied
Paget's conical shot, which, from
charge of tn._ weighed 151 b. Goa.
powder each, and the
the tiring took place was oaf one pound weight., When
to ascertain the result, as theal rifle cannon it was difficult
detached during the flight e;tlL:ad part generally became
the ground at from 600 to 700 eti"cfile' and;,'striking
meat of the iron part was lest yards distant, the -move-
pear to strike the target, or 'entgerttre as it did 'not ap-
pear
light 3-pounder field-battery trilound behind it.
gun,
manner to the 9-pounder cannon, ink a similar
but With'd
groove, was then taken
to within 300 yards less of
Lord
tar-
get, and fired with shells made ~,, thel
ane
Paget's plan, having a common percussion-cap placed on
a nipple, and the second round entered the target Beer
the centre, bursting imtividiatQly on striking the bul.
h ad behind, throwing down tmahe tive hard w00d..11,,
experiments were c,,ncluded on firing the two shells
from the 3-pounder rifle cannon.

THE FORTIFICATIONS AT
the entrance.,of Milford
struction of the martello tower at
h the late aevere gales
---
r}:Mßitoig,-7The corn-
llaven is being proceeded with, bough
andthe
contractors.boisterous
he re
hh
conyav e
will prove a serious
this
its progress of
of artillery being
annoyance to an enemy, in consequence
iy three-
able to command the approach to the haven
,impeded the
n) savere dock-
Lion. The guns forming pnli much impeded
the battery (western)
iartillery, the
yard are being replaced with Inure etTect,ve
pur:oses of
present ones being totally inefficient for
the
- I ich have
defence ; and the martello t,wers at the Arsenal, IV 1
uric,
been so long erected are to be mounted with proper g
of
the necessary orders baying been issued by the Board
Ordnance. It is expected .that before long additional de-
fences will be adopted for the protection of this great naval
'establishment.
•.'' LARGE ARRIVALS OF SHIPPING.—WithiII the last
few days upwards of 150 vessels have arrived in the port of
Loudon from nearly every quarter of the globe that had
been weather-bound in the British Channel and the. Downs
i during the violent gales frpla Ilya W.S.\\ .