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

PROMOTIONS.

Commanders—Jamed 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—Wilhain E. A. Gordon (1842), serving
in the St. George, 121 ; Frederick T. C. Strode (1842),
serving in the Victory, flag-ship at Portsmouth ;. George
0. Wiles (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 THE 17TH LANCERS.—The first
squadron of this gallant and distinguished regiment,
which has been billeted during the past week at Havant,
Fareham, Emsworth, Cosham, 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 Portsmouth dockyard
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 was 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 Captaiii
' Webb's and Captain Winter's.
DEPARTURE OF THE MELITA WITU TROOPS FROM
LIVERPOOL.- The Cunard Company's screw steamer
Melita sailed yesterday for the Mediterranean, with 40
men of the 19th Regiment, 27 servants, 33 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 on 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 Pakenham, 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 Nth Light Dragoons left the Birmingham barracks
yesterday morning for Coventry, en 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 leaveThirmingham on their way to one
of the western ports. Their route will be through
Bromsgrove, Worcester, Tewkesbury, Gloucester, Exe-
ter, and other towns to Plymouth, where it is under-
stood they will embark for Turkey. The men Were ap-
parently in high spirits, and were most cordially received
by 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 MINIE MUSKET
AT MALTA.

The following report has been received from Malta:—
" 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-Ist, Whether or not the melting
of the grease around the base and sides of the Minie car-
tridges is likely to produce any serious inconvenience in
loading the firelock, and whether any injurious effects
thereby arising may not be obviated by wetting the car-
tridge in the mouth before loading ; 2nd, Whether the
ordinary spherical musket bullets can be fired'out of the
Minie 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 Minie cartridge to be
put before the fire until the whole of the grease was
melted, the cartridges were then wiped perfectly clean,
so that no grease remained except what had soaked into
the paper, I then had 64 rouado find with the greaeed

"In order to ascertain. the effect of loading the Minie
musket with spherical bullet, I had 60 rounds fired'from
thvedrumeri (smooth bore). musket; Waded- in the ordi-,
nary way, and the time noted ; 60 rounds were then fired"
from the Mink intisket, witting the bullet, reversing it,
and tearing off the paper, as if loading with the Minie
cartridge ; it was found that the first 30 rounds
loaded with ease, but that subsequently it began to load
very bad, continuing to do so until the 60 rounds were
expended. The time.occupied.jn.firing was 45 minutes,
or about the same time occupied in loading with the
Millie bullet in the same manner. The accuracy of fire
was found to be greater than with the common musket.
" Whilst on this subject I would venture to call atten-
tion to the fact, that the troops proceeding to the East
are tmprovided With any regular means of carrying oil,
without which the Millie musket will soon become use-
less, the shallow grooves will soon be obliterated, and
even the smallest particle of hard rust in the barrel has
often been found sufficient to cause the bullet to strip.
Many soldiers have provided themselves with oil, but it:
cannot be expected that all should put themselves to this
expense. I would suggest that, in preference to every
man carrying a small bottle (as is the custom, I believe,
in the French service), it would be better that it should
be carried by companies ; one man might be told off after
firing, to oil the barrels of a whole company.
"The following is a return showing the particulars of
the above-mentioned trial, and likewise some additional
rules, which it is found necessary to have issued for the
guidance of thOse using the Miniti musket :

Hits. .;
E
•
Description cif Experiment, I.
g .*1 A I.
g "
0 :2
---
Sixty rounds ' of Minie cartridge .
(greased as received from the Ord-
nance) fired from a Minie musket at
a target. Distance, 200 yards 36 07 22 2931
Sixty rounds of Minie cartridge, •
wetted with the mouth (the grease
having been scraped off), fired from
a musket at -a target at 200 yards 49 3121723 28
Sixty rounds of spherical ammunition,
fired from a common musket. Dis-
tance, 200 yards* 3O QO5 5 55
Sixty rounds of spherical ammunition,
fired from a Minie musket, cartridge
reversed, and the bullet wetted in
the mouth, at 200 yardst 45 24915 15

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

ram:

" 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, " 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
,a‘bovd the:chest ; and " outers" are those which strike a
marl either in' the head or legs.
" AtEMORANDUIII.
" The following additional rules are suggested to be
attended to in the use of the' Minis musket :
" 1. It is desirable at a firing in the ranks (file firing
or volleys) the men should be taught to use their fire-
locks without raising the fiat of the sight ; as, arranged
for 100 yards, it will be necessary to make allowances
for the increased elevation requisite for greater glistauces
by aiming according to the following rules
At 150 yards, take the sight full.

" At 200 yards, allign the point of the foresight with
the bull's-eye or mark, and see the barrel over the top
of the back sight, as far as the second loop.
" At 300 yards, allign the point of the foresight with
the bull's-eye or mark, and see the barrel over the top
of the back sight as far as the third loop.
" At 400 yards, allign the point of the foresight with
the mark, and take the elevation from the top of the
nose of the lock, when at full cock.
" At intermediate distances the soldier must be guided
by his own judgment in obtaining proper elevation.
" 2. The greatest attention must be paid to the clean-
liness of the pouches in the insides, especially when the
ammunition is in the pouch loose, that no dirt or dust
may adhere to greased part of the cartridge, which
would cause the bullet to stick to the barrel in loading.
" 3. Whenever the grease around the bullet appears
to be melted away, or otherwise removed from the
cartridge, the base and sides of the bullet should be
wetted in the mouth before putting it in the barrel.
" 4. In loading the Minie musket with the common
spherical ammunition, shake out about one-third of the
powder, reverse the cartridge, and tear off the paper as
if loading with the Minie cartridge, and wet the bullet
in the mouth before putting it in the barrel.
"5. The greatest attention should be taken, in clean-
ing the arms, that the point of the foresight is not worn
or damaged.
" 6, As the range of the spherical bullet, when fired
from the Minie musket, is shorter than that of the
Millie bullet (for which the sights are arranged), allow-
ances must be made by aiming as follows, viz. :
" At 500 yards, use the 200 yards' sight full.
"At 300 yards, use the 300 yards' sight full, aiming
a little high.

" 7. Whenever the barrel gets so full that the bullet
is crammed home with difficulty, pour a few drops of
water (if any at hand) into the barrel after loading.
(Sig❑ed) " A. LANE Fox,
"First Instructor, School of Musketry."