The Sun.
London, England, 1849-09-25 00:00:00

NAVAL TN TELLIGINCE:
PORTSMOUTH, MONDA Y .—Seme highly interestin:l,.
experiments in fortification were made this mornin .''' Ifiya
on Rat Isllnd, in thia harbour, under the direction : - '4" lip
Captain Chads, C. 8., of the Excellent gunnery•ship'aj/
for the instruction of the officers and marine cadets of_:-...
' the above ship, and the students of the Royal Naval '.5., Ai..,a..;.,
College. The experiments were on a stockade, made '_"4:tt-ila:-1-';'-,0
of some of the oak timber:, of her Majesty"s brig
Curlew, lately broken up in this doeby-lard,
which a charge of 51b. of gunpowder in a flaftheliCsr-7-4' ../
tridge was placed on the ground, close to the bottAili
of the defence, which was fired by four feet of Bide- .7
AZ
ford's match. The stockade stood the shock, and was
not in the least injured. A charge of 101 b. of pow-
der, similarly enveloped, was next hung about three
feet from the ground and fired in like manner, and
with a similar result. A third trial was then made
with 1511). of powder, in a flannel cartridge, over
which a larp-e Leg of sand, weighing about 19.01 b.,
was put, which was fired in the same manner as the
fig.:ner. This blew down three'planks of the stockade,
and threw the franient:t is oil directions, souk oldie
splinters being blown a (o::siderable distance. We re-
g; et to say the experiments were brought to a ("h&c, by
an accident happening to Commander Hewlett, of the
Excellent, who was struck en the left leg by one of
the splinters, and knocked down. Much alarm was
excited, and surgical aid instantly sent for, and was
immediately rendered from her Majesty's ships Illus-
trious and Excellent, and Dr. Nutt, of the latter ship,
conveyed the sufferer on board her, where every
attention that skill and judgment could render was
paid. As far as we can glean, and as far as may be
judged from the very swollen state of the limb, we
believe we are correct in stating no bones are broken,
but the patient is suffering great pain. We trust the
experiments will be continued to a satisfactory close,
as we know of no point in an officer's education of
more importance than practical instruction in the
approach to and attack of stockades, which the dis-
astrous results of the Held pah warfare in New Zea-
land, in 1846, most amply proved.
Captain Gordon, of the Cormorant, has arrived in
London from Germany, and is expected here to-
morrow to take up his appointment to the Encounter
steam. corvette.

The Myrtle steam-tender, Master-Commander
Bradden, returned from Plymouth this morning with
marines and seamen paid off from the Scout.
The seaman Bunday, who fell from the masthead
of the Tartar yacht, at Spithead, during the contest
between that vessel and the Drift for 1001. aside,
expired of the injuries received at five o'clock lest
night, leaving a wife and child to mourn his premature
loss.

Wind—S.S. W. ; light breezes and fine weather.
1% oomvicir, SEPT. 24.—The Monkey steam-
vessel, Master Commander W. Bryant, embirked
Captain Flude's company, 7th battalion Royal
Artillery, with detachments of the 2d, 3d, 7th, Bth,
and 9th battalions, at the dockyard, at six o'clock,
A.M., and conveyed them to Greenhithe, where they
were transferred to the Hercules store-ship for a
passage to Gibraltar, and the detachments to fill up
the companies at the stations on the Mediterranean.
The Terrible steam -frigate, Captain Ramsey, is
ordered to retain her guns on board, and will be
paid off without being dismantled, and all that will
be required to render her again fit for service will
soon be (fleeted. Several of the articles have been
recovered from the Bee lighter, which sank along-
side of her, but the vessel has not been raised.

IMPORTANT MEETING OF THE