The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-28 00:00:00

FORENOON PRACTICE.

No. 1 fell nowhere.
Nos. 2,3, 4, fell very short; close in flight.
Nos. 5,6, 7, fell very short.
No. 8, I think, hit.
No. 9 hit and burst.
No. 10 missed. and did not burst.
Nos. 11, 12, 13, fell short, and did not burst.
No. 14 struck and burst.
No. 15 burst in the water, at the head of the Lullr,
before striking.
Nos. 16 and 17 missed, and did not burst.
Total fired, 17; out of which number only two, say
three—giving the Excellent the benefit of the doubtful
one—struck the hulk. The rest either fell short or
missed the hulk and (lid not explode, with the exception
of No. 15. We forbear comment.
The afternoon practice we shall give, perhaps, tc-
morrow.
Since the above was written the following extraordi-
nary fact has come to our knowledge. It would appear
the ill success attendant upon the first attempt to hit the
hulk at so long (?) a range as 2,400 yards has roused
the " mysterious" committee to endeavour to accomplish
that grand desideratum by other means than the usual
ones of firing from the decks of the Excellent. They
have, accordingly, adopted the following novel, but not
over creditable, " dodge," to accomplish their object:—
A dockyard lump has been moored within a few hundred
yards of the hulk, on which is mounted one of the shell
guns! This vessel, being enabled to choose her distance,
oilers an opportunity to those on board in charge of
her gun to throw shells on board the hulk occasionally;
and, in order that there may be no mistake abut
striking the mark, the lump is grounded before the firing
commences. -

The Penelope steam-frigate, Captain Giffard, pro-
gresses slowly in her fittings for sea, owing to the diffi-
culty in getting men,to enter for her. First Lieutenant
llall, I sergeant, I corporal, and 14 gunners of the Royal
Marine Artillery, and 1 fifer and 11 privates of the
Patent Marine Corps, embarked in her for service this
morning. Notwithstanding the persevering attempts
which have been made to prjudiee this vend in the
eyes of naval men and the public, it is asserted by her
late master, Mr. Salmond, the oldest and most expe-
rienced steam-master in the fleet, that there is not a
more effi)ient steam-vessel for all purposes in the world;
and, certainly, a vessel that will run upwards of 200 miles
in any available weather upon 20 tons of coals, and carry
her armamentand stores( qually well in a comfortable and
servic able state, cannot be so valueless as to be fit only
for a coal depot, as has been stated. Her having been
beaten in a trial of speed on the coast of Africa by a
French vessel of inferior horse power, was made to ap-
pear at the time more discreditable than the facts (which
are in our possession) really were.
The Vengeance, 84, Captain Lushington, is fitting in
the basin with much dispatch. She has topmasts lidded,
has tried all her spare spars, and will cross lower yards
to-morrow. She was only commissioned this day week,
without even a cross tree over her lower mast-head- She
has only about 100 working men; but it will be pereived
l!sy the progress made that they, as well as their officers,
are all of the right sort. We regret to state that Captain
Lushington is very unwell.
'The Dauntless, steam-frigate, built after the design of
Mr. John Fincham, the talented master-shipwright of
this dock, is cradled, and nearly ready for launching.
The paper=, however, which have announced her pro-
bable deut on or about the 9th proximo are in error, as
the tides will then be neaped. If she is not launched by
the sth she must wait until the 19th.
The Naiad coal depot was masted yesterday.
The Mercury tender returned from Sheerness lat
night at sunset.
The Cyclops steam-frigate, Captain W. F. Lapidge,
arrived yesterday morning from Southampton, whither
she had towed the upon.
!The Netley tender sailed for Plymouth on Sunday
evening.
,The Sylvia tender, Lieut. Warren, was docked on Sa-
tnrday, and unlocked yesterday.
:The Goodwill lighter arrived yesterday with stores
from Plymouth.
The Avenger, steam- frigate Captain Williams, is
ordered to discharge her provisions, but to retain her
stores and coals, and to be victualled ad intrint on the
Rag- ship.— Times.