The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-19 00:00:00

PROMOTIONS:

Commanders—James A. Paynter (1846) ; James C.
Prevost (1844) serving in the Portland, 50, flag-ship,
on the Pacific station ; Sir W. S. Wiseman, Bart. (1846),
serving in the Excellent, gunnery-ship, at Portsmouth ;
Nicholas Vansittart (1847), to be captains for rank.
Lieutenants—William E. A. Gordon (1842), serving
in the St. George, 121 ; Frederick T. C. Strode (1842),
writing in the VictorY, flag-ship at Portsmouth ; George
0. Willes (1844), serving as first-lieutenant of the Re-
tribution, 28; paddle-wheel steam-frigate, in the Black
Sea,' to be commanders for rank.

EMBARKATION OF TEE 17TE LANCERS.—The first
squadron of this gallant and distinguished regiment,
which has been billeted during the past week at Havant,
Farelia,m,.Einsvvorth, CQshaw, and villages surrounding
Portsmouth, entered this garrison about half-past ten
yesterday morning, for embarkation. The first company
numbered about 70, and the second about 60, and their
march from the place of billet to Yortsnaouth dodiryard
was one prolonged ovation ; the whole resident popula-
tion seemed to have turned out to cheer them on their
way. The horses caracoled down the streets in most
enlivening array, to the shouts of hearty compliment
ever and anon poured forth on their riders, whose
pennons, fluttering in the breeze, gave both novelty and
interest to their martial appearance. The main street of
the town of Portsea was so densely packed that business
was stopped; as vgas the thoroughfare for pedestrians for
the time. On reaching the place of embarkation the
troops dismounted, the horses were slung into the ships
Pride of the Ocean and Ganges, which were towed out to
Spithead by Government tugs, on their way to the
seat of war in the .East. The head-quarters will em-
bark as soon as the transports for their accommodation
arrive. The troops which have embarked are Captain
Webb's and Captain Winter's.
DEPARTURE OF THE MELITA WITH TROOPS FROM
LIVERPOOL.- The Cunard Company's screw steamer
Melita sailed yesterday for the Mediterranean, with 40
men of the 19th Regiment, 27 servants, 38 horses, and
300 tons of Government' stores. The horses were put
on board at the Coburg dock, on Monday, without the
slightest accident. The accommodation for them on
deck is of a superior kind, and they will experience but
little inconvenience en the passage. Some little excite•
ment was caused by one of the horses leaping, from the
gangway to the house-deck, a distance of 8 feet. 'He
remained, however, perfectly still, until—though not
without some difficulty—he was got down to his proper
berth. A number of officers sailed in the Melita, in-
cluding Brigadier-General Sir J. Campbell, Captain
Wood Snodgrass, A.D.G., Colonel. Hastings Doyle,
A.A.G., Major Pakenhatn, Major Airey, quartermaster-
general ; Captain Wortley, C.M. Rifles; Captain Weir,
50th Rifles; Captain Butler, 55th Rifles:
MOVEMENT OF TROOPS.—The remaining portion of
the lath Light Dragoons left the Birmingham barracks
yesterday morning for Coventry, ma route for Hounslow,
previous to their embarkation for the East. In the
course of the day a considerable detachment of the 6th.
Enniskillens arrived in the- same town from Lichfield,
and this morning leave Birmingham on their way to one
of the western ports. Their route will be through
Bromsgrove, Worcester, Tewkesbury, Gloucester, Exe-
d ter, and other towns to Plynaouth, where it is under-
stood therwill embark for Turkey. The men were ap-
, parently in high spirits; and were most cordially received
Iby the inhabitants of Birmingham, to whom the regi-
ment, from frequent quarterings, was well known.
Another portion of the regiment has proceeded from
Derby through Warwick, westward, destined for the
same service.

EXPERIMENTS WITH THE. MIME MUSKET

AT MALTA.

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Tha following report has keen received from Afalta:—
" School of Musketry, Malta, April 6, 1854.

"The following report and return annexed is the result
of a trial, conducted at the School of Musketry, for the pur-
pose .of ascertaining —lst, Whether or not the molting
of the grease around the base and sidei of the Minio car-
tridges
is likely-to produce anysserious inconvenience in
loading the firelock, and whether any, injurious effects
thereby arising- may not be obviated by wetting the car-
tridge in the month before loading ; 2nd, Whether the
ordinary spherical musket bullets can be fired out of the
muskets, and to what extent ; also to ascertain
the best method of loading the Minie. musket with the
spherical bullet: - • ,
- "Having caused 60 rounds of Minis cartridge to be
put before- the fire,until:44;WkoleOf ,thegrease was
'melted, the cartridges were theft Wiped, pertectlyclean,
so thatno.grease remained: exoept What .14,d soaked into
t);isp paper. I theiated 6Q round, fired. with the resat

and rammed

* Seven shots jammed hard in the barrel,
down with great difficulty.
1 Loaded easily up to 30 rounds, after which it fouled
considerably.

" NOTE.—In order to, enable you the better to under-
stand the nature of the " hits" as they are called, in the
above form, I wish to explain—first, a " bull's eye" is
different from what a Cockney sportsman is in the habit
of regarding as one. Military " bull's eye" is supposed
to be a man's chest, within the vicinity of his heart ;
" centres" are those which strike a man, either below or
above the chest ; and " outers" are those which strike a
man either in the head or legs.