The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-24 00:00:00

SELF-LOADING REVOLVER.

The New York Courier describes a newly-invented
revolver and self-loading rifle made by Colonel P. W.
Porter, of Tennessee, and said to be capable of dis-
charging fifty loads in a minute and a half. The
rifle is a little over the ordinary weight, and, although
a revolver, can be used as a single gun, the revolving
agent being the guard of the gun instead of the ham-
mat, as in other revolvers. The guard, after revolving
the cylinder, returns to its place, and firmly
fastens by means of a spring in the stock.
The cylinder, which is perforated with nine
chambers on the exterior rim, turns in the breech,
presenting in rapid succession each loaded cham-
ber to the barrel for discharge. The part that comes
directly in contact with the barrel is protected, first
by the cylinder pressing firmly against it, and next
by springing plates which catch and turn off any fire
that might possibly escape through the junction.
The ordinary trigger is used, and the rifle is dis-
charged by percussion caps, and primes itself by an
arrangement which presents itself to the hammer in
succession. The caps are placed in a rim, and
the hammer is on the side of the gun.
The nine chambers mentioned above being
discharged, another cylinder, which may be
kept in the pockets of the person using the gun,
may be inserted in place of the one deprived of its
contents, without a loss of mere than three or four
seconds, and nine additional discharges made in suc-
cession. Then, by placing over the top of the cylinder
a flask which contains both powder and ball (or shot
if necessary), the chambers are loaded by every re-
volution of the cylinder, so that the supply is only ex-
hausted when the flask is empty, and in this manner
fifty discharges are made in the short space of a
minute and a half. The flask or magazine over
the cylinder is water-tight, and affords good protec-
tion to the works it covers. The rifle can be dis-
chargedwitp ammunitionro p oars t longio
holds
n ate a
arrangements,uast , thean
d b
y n 1
the amagazinenumf acontaining
gunout hl
de
capable
1 d
consequently be larger and of containing
fifty or one hundred charges.
placedbarrel, in thewhi c
which
i s magazine,oftenShot can also. be
anddrolenv
ie . by changing the
answer all the purposes By these means the
of the fowling-piece, be-
sides having the advantage over the latter of dis-
charging about forty titnee a minute. The priming
done, be
ien v, ee. 'nut e.dl l Y gauvna i 1 awit
ignitaelsi ittheon instead of setting
off the powderof the charge,
crude state, and having
at the bottom'
that the fire,
some and throwing the residue out of the gun in its
top, but under the ban,
powder inserted instead of thusel destroying
r burn-
ingy igThe charge used is very stnall, yet this rifle has been
found to carry a great distance, and in all experi-
deeper into timber than
a greater resisting effect.
ments made drives its bullets
any other tested a
The gun in question is
the only one of the
days Lwill be com-
pleted.is
but in the course of a fewseveral
gaidnessteriitp.tion as yet manufactured,
manufactured at Taunton, Massachusetts. The
made were very successful, and highly sa-
ex-
periments
Colonel porter at present having 10,000
tisfactory to those who attended the exhibition.

00 r
contractsTro R T s . —f
rT thehe
TaluleEd f
and furnishing with beds, bedding, and messing
':altiolGitnACNolLisislicreirEss haAvTe c
utensils, utension
several emigrants' homes, or depots, in London,
Plymouth, and Southampton, where the emi..
grLianvetsrP°:Lal9y live at the smallest possible cost during the time
they are waiting for the sailing of the ships, and also to
prevent them from being fleeced by the heartless landsharks
that continually beset their path. The London depot will
be either at Greenwich or Blackwell, and will contain 300
emigrants; Plymouth and Southampton the same number' -
whilst the Liverpool home will be for 600 persons. The
apartments will be on the same plan as the cabins on board
the vessels.

THE LATEST PUBLIC FIINERALS.--Among the
latest instances of public funereal honours being paid to il-
lustrious men of Great Britain, and voted by Parliament as
national demonstrations of respect, are the following:—The
Duke of Rutland's funeral (in Ireland), Nov. 17, 1787 ; Lord
Nelson's funeral, Jan. 9, 1806; Mr. Pitt's funeral, Jan. 22,
1806; Mr. Fox's funeral, Oct.
Fox all ct. 10,1806; H.
funeral, July 13, 1816 ; Right Hon. George Canning's
funeral, Aug. 16, 1827. It will be observed that the
funerals of Nelson, Pitt, and occurredl3.inShtheeriumdan:

LETTERS FOR THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA.—Her
Majesty's Government
the conveyance of maihlsavbinyg is, once in every
month,. to the West Coast of Africa, the new service will
come into partial operation on the 24th instant' on which
October
the first packet will
•—• be dispatched from Plymouth.
steam-vessels,
into a contract for
This packet, as well
as that to be dispatched on the 24th
in-
struction will
Bathurst ( nmi \
-Ga--a), and Sierra Leone, and then return to
England, calling at the same places; but the service will
Madeira, Teneriffe, Goree,
hereafter be extended to Fernando Po, when a further in-
postage to be taken upon letters and newspapers addressed
to the several places at which the packets will touch :
be issued. The following are the rates of
Letters not ex
1 eneriffe, Is. 10d. ;
ceeding half an ounce—Madeira, ls. 10d.;
Goree, ls.; Bathurst, ls.; Sierra
Leone, is. Newspapers will be carried to Madeira, Tene-
rife, and Gores for 2d. each, and to Bathurst and Sierra
Leone, free.
The Baron Blue Brahe and family, Mdlle. Brulard,
voneare, embarked yesterday morning and Madame o. .... at _
the St. liatharine's wharf on board the General Steam
Navigation Company's steam-ship Ravensbeurne, for Ant-
werp.
DIsCoVERT Or ANCIENT REMAINS.—A curious
discovery has just been made at the village of Offenham, in
Worcestershire. As a man was ploughing in a field he un-
covered the skeleton of an ancient warrior, at a depth of
about two feet from the surface. The body had been buried
in a complete armour of steel from head to foot, the remains
of which were on the skeleton, and by his side were laid his
sword and javelin. The wooden shaft of the spear was dust,
and the armour also crumbled to rust after a short exposure
to the air. The only postion preserved is a small button-like
ornament belonging to the crown of the helmet, and was of
iron plated with silver. The shape of the sword, and the in-
dication of the form of the armour, would lead to the belief
that the body was that of some ancient Roman or Dane.

_ _.....__
The amount received at the East India House for
bills on India from the 7th to the Ncl inst. has been 463,6284