The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-01 00:00:00

(From Fun.)

THROWING COLD WATER ON IT.—Several theatres in
Paris have been obliged to close their doors from the want
of firemen, employed in the place of regular troops. In
this case Caesar and Pompey appear to be very much alike
—especially Pompier 1

VICTORY IN MINIATURE.--We learn from a contem-
porary that :—"The painter Meissonnier has had an
interview with the Emperor A Metz. He is to receive
100,000 francs (24,000) to illustrate the victories achieved
by the French during the campaign." Meissonier's style
may be designated as a sort of miniature painting. But
as yet there has been no victory which he could record
even on that scale

The Bishop of Victoria is expected to return to
his diocese in October, attending a Conference at
Ootacamund, en route, at the request of the Bishop of
Calcutta.

A. HANDSOME GIFT.—The Church Herald says
the Church Missionary Society has received an anony-
mous donation of £4,000,

DUNI? I LLE and Co., Belfast, are the largest holders
of whisky in the world. Their Old Irish Whisky is r ommended
by the medical profession in preference to French brand . Sup.
plied in casks and cases for home use or exportation. Quotations
on application to Messrs DUNVILLE & Co., Royal Irish Dis
Belfast : or at thei London Offices, 4, Beaufort Buildings
Strand. W.C.

I THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN BROOD. ,
The last - -

.i.ne last number of the Mystery of Edwin Drood
has been published with the following note :
" All that was left in manuscript of " Edwin Drood" ig
contained in the number now published—the sixth. Its
last entire page had not been written two hours when th.e
event occurred which one very touching passage
(grave and sad but also cheerful and reassuring) might
seem almost to have anticipated. The only notes in
reference to the story that have since been found, coneer
that portion of it exclusively which is treated in the
earlier numbers. Beyond the clues therein afforded to its
i
conduct or catastrophe, nothing whatever remains ; and
it is believed that what the author would himself have
most desired is done, in placing before the reader without
further note or suggestion the fragment of `The Mystery
of Edwin Drood.' 12th August, 1870."
The following appears to be the passage referred to :
"A brilliant morning shines on the old city. Its anti-
quities and ruins are surpassingly beautiful, with the
lusty ivy gleaming in the sun, and the rich trees waving
in the balmy air. Changes of glorious light from moving
boughs, songs of birds, scents from gardens, woods,
and fields—or, rather, from the one ()Teat garden of the
whole cultivated island in its yielding time—penetrate
into the cathedral, subdue its earthly odour, and preael!
the Resurrection and the Life. The cold stone tombs of
centuries ago grow warm ; and' flecks of brightness dart
into the sternest marble corners of the building, fluttering
there like wings."

THE INHTRAILLEUSE AT SHOEBURY'NESS'
On Tuesday a special train started from Fenchurch-
street, carrying the Coinmander-in-Chief and the Secre-
tary of State for War towards Shoeburyness, to witnes.4
at our school of gunnery a series of experiments of which
the main object was to determine the value of that new

engine of destruction. The train from London W 35
a fast one, and a drive of five miles landed Or
party upon a battery which commanded 3
view of the Shoebury Sands, upon which
the tide was advancing at a rate that brooked
of little delay in commencing the experiments. It had
been determined to give the mitrailleuses a thorough test,
and to pit them both against the best field artillery we
possess and against our best small arm. Two systems 0'
mitrailleuses now compete for public favour. The
Montigny, declared by Major Fosberry to be the best
exponent of the system, and which there is little doubt
closely resembles the French weapon; and the Gatling,
of American origin, partially adopted in the
United States, and largely, according to the in"
ventor, in Russia. The Montigny has been expert'
mented on during the last fortnight ; the Gatling may 19e
said to have put in its first appearance on this day, fort!:
old performances were forgotten. After some experiment,
with the 12-pounder Armstrong served by stalwar!
gunners, whose loose tunics appeared designed more for
ornament than use ; and the new Indian muzzle loading
rifle gun, the turn of the Gatling mitrailleuse came retina
This machine looks like an over-grown revolver.
It has ten barrels each of one-inch interior
diameter ; the weight of the bullet thrown is half a
pound, of the powder an ounce and a third, or 525 grains'
The cartridge is made of solid brass, has a central
fire action, and costs sixpence ; but its exhibitors were
anxious to point out that each cartridge could be fired I°°
times, and therefore the hundredth part of sixpence
should only be debited to each shot. The cartridges fall into
slots in the barrels,and are graduallypushed into the firing
position by 10 plungers or pistons ; these pistons, by n
reverse action, extract the cartridge after firing.. Five
pistons are always at work pushing the cartridges into
position ; five in extracting the empty cases. aA rw"'
turning a handle supplies through cams the motive power
for these operations, the cartridges are fired bis.
y
pins working through the pistons, much after tli"
fashion in which a Snider cartridge is ignited. When the
signal to commence was given a man poured cartridges
into the Gatling, another turned a handle the barrel.'
began to revolve and to fire between two and three shots
a second; so continuous was the roll that a man's voice
could hardly be heard near the piece ; there was no hitch
of any kind in the marking; the bullets seemed to keep ollt
admirable line, but the fact of their falling slenr
of the target looked as if the majority were tee
high. The Gatling stopped at the end of one
minute forty-eight seconds, having fired 270 bullets.
Then the Montigny was brought forward—it can fire
single shots, but it generally employs volleys ;it has 31
barrels bound up to look like a single gun. 37 cartridges
stuck in a plate are put in rear of the barrels, and are
forced forwards into the barrels by a back piece, which
holds 37 locks, to fire each barrel separately. Asidel'
handle fires one barrel at a time, or all, within a second ea
time, as it is worked slowly or fast. In 2 minutes 4°
seconds it fired ten volleys, or, allowing for three miss-firesi
367 bullets each. Each buileeweighed 600 grains, prepellel
by 115 grains of powder. The cartridges were very bad, an
placed the mitrailleuse at a considerable disadvantage;
Six men of the Fusilier Guards now fired for 2 minutes 4°
seconds with the Martini-Henry. Thirty-two rounds wee
the most got off by any one man, and the total was about
180. The targets were subsequently brought in for or
amination. These had all been fired at over 1,000 yards,
and were each 54 feet broad and 9 high. On each target
were painted the forms of thirty infantry men and 18
,
cavalry, but in causing death, if two bullets strue°
one man it counted as two men killed (three
only counted for two casualities). The targetj
surprised every orie. The practice had
looked good as seen from the battery, the execution, 104'
however, in every case bad, except in that of the ~
pounder muzzle-loading Indiangun, which was moderato;
but decidedly not good. The muzzle-loading gun ban
made 44 hits, equivalent to 21 cavalry or 20 infantry
abled. The breech-loader Armstrong gun had mau°.,
hits, or disabled 2 cavalry and 3 infantry. The niitnar
lenses had done little damage, the Gatling apparently
about Bor 9, and the Montigny the same. These
last figures are somewhat uncertain, but there was l'°
doubt as to the trifling nature of the execution effecten•
The slight effect produced being common to the w2141,e,
A/
of the weapons employed, cannot be urged speci.
against the mitrailleuse. It was accounted for by 50''xe
of the officers present In this fashion. Modern arms °.`",
very destructive, but require for their action that all the
conditions of their employment bewell discharged. In tins
instance the uncertainty which was purposely left in the
distance of the targets was the weak point ; an uneer
tainty which the small limit of time did not allow the
gunners to remove, and hence the poverty of the results.
After some shots from a 12-ton and a 25-ton gun with
Palliser and other projectiles, and a trial of a new ton
brasure devised by Lieutenant English, It E., the mitrod*
louse experiments were renewed, this time at targets
representing columns of troops at 800 yards' distance
from the guns and mitrailleuses. In this instance
the 12-pounder breech-loading gun was fired with per;
cussion fuzes which Captain Ellis skilfully bull"
in the front rank of the enemy, sending hundred
e
of fragments through the rear ranks, and cutting up the
targets, so that a slight change had to be made in the
programme. Owing to a failure in its percussion f112,64'
the muzzle-loader did not do so well, but still it heavy.',
punished the targets. The greater portion of the geil;
tigny bullets being too high, went over. Still it scored ,
hits, or 34 cavalry and 21 infantry placed hors de comb('
A small Gatling was tried, in this instance with
bullet of less than an ounce weight. The exPery
ments with the Montigny have now been many daY5
in progress ; and it seems established that, at ranges
under 600 yards it is, as at present worked, evil;
lent to a dozen riflemen, at longer ranges to eight. Wit
the guns the mitrailleuge holds its own up to 800 yards'
but has been hitherto completely beaten at 1000. n;
badness of the cartridges, and a certain want, a finish.,'.,
details, makes it probable that the Montigny could easlisii,
be improved at least 50 per cent, in its shooting. `rho
Gatling is, as yet, comparatively untried, but it created
a favourable impression on Tuesday. These weapon:
have an uphill game to play against the gill
with which the artillerymen are perfectly familiar, while
they find the mitrailleuses comparatively new to their'
nor did the Gatling gain much when on Tuesday
its owners took it in hand themselves, for, although
they worked it beautifully, regarded as a mere
machine to expend so many cartridges, they succeeded
in planting but few bullets in the targets. On the
whole, mitrailleuses, as seen in this country, Wee
as yet, even at their own chosen ranges, established Oi
superiority over guns or small arms. On the other
they have shewn no decided inferiority in the contest'
and it is much more likely that they will be improve"
than the established arms ; nay, it may be said they hall
proved that under certain favourable circumstances tfi;
stories related of these machines mowing downw
companies are by no means improbable,

LIGHT WlNES.—Although the consumption of light
wines has trebled in England since the reduction of
rate of duty, they have not at present taken the positi°''
as bevereges of daily and general consumption that 0:.!
may confidently anticipate for them in the course of the
next few years. That there has not been a more raPl t
increase is due in some measure to the high prices of tba
particular description of light wines, viz., those from the
district of the Medoc, which more than any other is suited,
to the taste and, requirements of this country; Look'
at the many millions of gallons of claret product t
annually in the districts around Bordeaux, it will
be admitted that past prices have been somewhat fi°`*".
tious. Thus, although the vintage of 1866 was tia4
abundant and similar in quality to those of 1864 an
1865, the prices of that year were higher than were ever
before known in the Medoc. Fortunately, however, tl3B
year 1869 has also produced an abundant and equally
;
vintage, and this, has caused a great change; the prises
for most growths having been less than half that of 186°'
and the remaining wines of the 1868 vintage in Bordean,:
have been sold at prices little in excess of 1869. Thu"
while the ordinary growths of the Medoc have been
secured at prices admitting of their being sold as cheal3l,,f,
as the ordinary wines of less favoured districts, the
choicest growths of the various chateaux need no longer
~
be regarded as luxuries beyond our reach. The reports
from Bordeaux mention considerable purchases
having been made by the firms of Gilbey, Cruseci
Clossman, Schroder, Southard, Wustemburg, 3130,3
we may presume that a large portion of these are intend
for the English market. The fact that good wholesoni°
claret, which, when diluted with water, forms a beverafe„
equally as cheap as beer, and far more refreshing, can ''s
obtained, through the medium of such agencies as GilbeYa
and other houses, of the grocers in almost every town ant
village, is a great boon, and will no doubt bring abou
what medical men and other authorities so much des
viz., a large consumption in this country of light °0
natural wines. As far as price is concerned there is 111.47
reason why claret should not be consumed here as fref've
as in Paris. the charges for duty and conveyance being
about the same to London as to the French capital.
Morning Post.

)400D. ,
Edwin Drood'

[win 1)roOd" i 5
the sixth. Its
ours when the
passage in i°
;Riling) might
only notes la
'ound, concern
rested in the
afforded to its
-emains ; and
I himself have
.eader without
The Mystery

erred to :

ity. Its anti'
ful, with the
trees waving
from moving
rdens, woods,
garden of the
me--penetrate
and preach
tone tombs of
rightness dart
['lg., fluttering

n Fenchurch'
ad the Sere"
ss, to witness
)nts of which
of that OW

London Nos
a landed our

remanded 3

ipon V which
Ist brooked
ents. It had
thorough test/
d artillery 03
wo systems °f

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) be the best
is little doubt
the Gatling,
ed in the
to the in:

been expert'
titling may be
is day, for its
a experiments
by stalwart
ned more for
iuzzle loading
came round•
ffn revolver.
ich interior
vn is half a