The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-06 00:00:00

£l7B 1 5

£lO9 16 5
15 12 4

STEAM-BOATS.

Passengers ••• ••• •••
Parcels, H. C. and D. ••• D.

Total ... ... ... £125 8 9
LONDON AND BLACK WALL RAILWAY.— AMOULIt of revenue
for the week ending Dec. 1 :
Passengers
Goods

....£716 11 5
... 28 0 0

Total ... ... £744 11 5
Corresponding week last year ... 529 7 8
SHROPSHIRE UNION RAILWAY.—(Open miles.)— Traffic
for the week ending Dec. 1:
Passengers, parcels, &c.
Goods and live stock

... .£2IS 17 5
... 199 1 2

Total .. ... .. £417 18 7
Corresponding week last year ... 359 8 Ili
SOUTH WALES RAILWAY.— Return of traffic for the week
ending Dec. 1 :
Passengers
Parcels
Goods

... ... £524 5 5
... ... 33 19 7
••• •• 114 10 2

Total (exclusive of mails)... 672 15 2
CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.— (160 miles opened.)—Return o
traffic rim the week ending Nov. 24:
Passengers, &c.
Goods, &c.

....£2,037 11 6!2
... 3,764 15 4

Total £5.802 6 lq
Corresponding week last year ... 6,053 19 3

SIEGE OPERATIONS at CHATHAM
General Radowitz, of the Prussian service, at present
on a visit to this country, having expressed a desire to
witness the mode in which the British forces are in-
structed in siege operations at Chatham, every prepara-
tion was made under the direction of Colonel Sir Fre-
derick Smith, K .11., commanding officer of Royal En-
gineers at that station, to show the principle on which
they are conducted, and Wednesday fixed for their taking
place. On the previous day, Tuesday, Sir Frederick
Smith received information that General Radowitz would
be unavoidably absent at the time originally named, but
the gallant Colonel Commandant of the Royal En-
gineers evinced a desire that the publie should not he
disappointed.

Accordingly at the early hour of half-past six
o'clock A.m., the whole of the Royal Sappers end
Miners in the barracks at 13rompten, with a number
of the Sappers and Miners of the Hon. East India
Company's service, assembled in the barrack-square,
and 100 men were told off to convey the pon-
toons and their stores with the India-rubber pontoons,
an American invention, and extensively used in the
American service; 12 men to take down the tools for the
Royal Sappers and Miners; 60 men for the destruction
of a 4-gun battery; 30 men to lay out escalading lad-
ders for a party of Marines. The remainder of the
corps were detached on other duties under their respec-
tive officers, and were engaged in opening up the ground
for the erection of field-works. A selected patty of
Royal Sappers and Miners were also employed in forming
saps—one on General Paisley's principle, one on the
French principle, one on Sir Frederick Smith's principle,
and one on Sergeant-Major Allen's, of the Royal Sap-
pers and Miners, principle. The French sap is made
by four men of the Royal Sappers and Miners working
at the same time; No. 1 cuts the surface and digs 1
foot 7 inches deep, throwing the earth outside, and
works on one knee to keep himself below the fire of the
enemy; No. 2 also works on one knee, and deepens the
cutting made by No.l,7inches, and widens it to the same
number of inches; No. 3 makes the depth and breadth
2 feet 9 inches, and No. 4 completes the depth to 3 feet
3 inches. Sergeant-Major Allen's sap is worked by
three men; No. 1 digging to the depth of 3 feet by 1
foot 8 inches wide, No. 2 widens it 1 foot 8 inches, and
the requisite depth, and No. 3 1 foot 8 inches addi-
tional, making a total width of 4 feet 6 inches, affording
the men ample room to lie well down in it. fter these
processes had been shown to the visitors Colonel Sir
Frederick Smith proceeded to the shore of a branch of
the Medway, the pontoons were sent afloat by a detach-
ment of the Royal Sappers and Miners, under the com-
mand of Captain Ross, Royal Engineers, and in a very
short time a bridge was thrown nearly across the
stream, which would have been capable of allowing a
large army to pass over a considerable river. The
India-rubber pontoons wore then brought forward.
They are formed of a very strongly-prepared material,
made waterproof, and when inflated, which they were
in five minutes by six small bellows, each worked by one
of the Rol, al Sappers and Miners, they had the appear-
ance of three canoes lashed together. One of the India-
rubber pontoons on being floated had a great buoyancy,
and supported several men, while six men, three on each
side, rowed it in any required direction with pieces of
wood similar to the paddles of Indians. The other two
India-rubber pontoons had a platform put over them,
and could carry with ease a great number of men, or a
field battery gun, and were rowed with oars, the men
sitting on the platform. A pier of seven large casks was
formed by the Sappers and Miners of the Hon. East
India Company, to show how soon it could be made, and
floated when necessary.
A strong stockade of oak timbers, about 15 inches
square and 18 feet long, including the portion sunk in
the ground, was thee blown up by placing 1001 b. weight
of gunpowder alongside of it iu six bags, the slow match
being lighted by Sergeant-Major Allen. The explosion
was grand, the timbers being rent into hundreds of large
fragments, and some of the pieces falling at a distance
of 300 yards in the river. The destruction of the 4-gun
battery was next attempted, and the sides of two of the
embrasures demoli-hed and levelled with the ground
hut the charges of the others did not explode in conse-
quence of the heavy rain which fell at the time wetting
the slow matches. There were 13 charges under the
batteries—two of 301 b., five of 21i1b. each, two of 201 b.,
and four of 151 b. each.

The afternoon became fine, and the whole of the Royal
Marines in the garrison off duty (about 1,200 men)
marched to the east end of the Chatham lines, and a de-
tachment remained inside as defenders, while a large
body marched out at St. Mary's-gate, headed by their
band, and followed by a detachment of Sappers, with 14
scaling ladders in addition to ten previously on the
ground. The defenders were aided by a field-battery of
the Royal Artillery, under Lieutenant-Colonel Locke,
and the besieging party advanced at double-quick time,
headed by Captain Moody, Royal Engineers, with the
Royal Sippers and Miners with the scaling-ladders. The
whole was completed at half-past three o'clock, and
witnessing numerous spectators bad an opportunity of
the attack and defence of the fortifications.

The Ecclesiastical Cumaibisioners for ..,ngland had
ageneral meeting yesterday at their office in White-
hall-place, • .
. . ,

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NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
r
Surgeon Jason Lardner (1838) has been t!ppe,i-nreol'
from the Superb, 80, in the Alt,diterrancan, to' the Mo-
narch, 84, ordinary guard-ship, e.t Sheerness.
Athol store-ship, Lieutenant-Commander reuse, will
be ready to leave Sheerness en the 18th in.t.
Astrea store•ship, Master-Comnnndcr Yeames ii.or-
dared from Falmouth to Devonport to be paid off.
Calliope, 26, has been commissioned at Devonport by
Flag-Lieutenant Brownrigg.
Express, 6, packet-brig, Lieutenant-Commander Lory,
is ordered to Le paid off at Devonport on the 12th
instant.

Harlequin, 12,- Commander Wilmot, will be ready to
go out of harbour to-day, and will sail for the Coast of
Africa on the 12th inst.
Inconstant, 36, Captain Shepherd, is ordered to be
raid off at Devonport to-morrow.
Penguin, 6, packet-brig, lately paid off at Devonport,
from Brazils, is ordered to be fi,ted for Coast of Africa
service.

The Simoom iron steam screw-frigate is to be docked
immediately, to have her bottom thoroughly cleaned and
coated with Mr. Hay's composition, in order that bet
speed may be tested along the measured mile in Stokes
Bay. This wi Ibe done as soon as possible. As :his
vessel is not to be used as a war-steamer, it is probable
that she may be turned over to one of the new packet
c:_mpanies, if her speed be sufficient—a poop could be
easily added to her, and her main or guu deck could be
converted into a magnificent saloon anti comfortable
cabins for passengers.

The Sir Robert Seppings having emtatked convicts,
sailed from Spithead for Bermuda yesterday.
PORTSMCUTII, THURSDAY.—On the Victory, 101,
Captain F. P. Blackwood, being paid off on Monday, we
are informed there were seven awards made fur good
and meritorious conduct to petty officers; four of the
first and three of the second class:—George Stevens,
Captain's coxswain, 151. and a good conduct medal, with
Si. per annum increabe of pension; William Cavander,
quartermaster, 71.; George Clark, schoolmaster, 71.;
Thomas White, sergeant of marines, 71. Second class—
Edward Wells, signalman, 5/.; Robert Slade, master of
;.he band, 51.; Lewis, corporal of marines, 51. But
few of the men paid off rejoined the Victory, we are
informed.
The Medea steam-sloop has been removed from the
dock to the steam•basin to-day.

APPOINTMENTS.
WOOLWICH, DEC. 4.—Second Master Edward Mac-
kermis (1845), to the Rhadamanthus steam-transport of
220-horn power, at Sheerness.
Master •Assistant Edward Spence to the Atholl troop-
ship at Sheerness.
The Terrible steam-frigate, Captain James Hope,
C. 8., is daily expected at Woolwich from the Mediter-
ranean to have new boilers, and when here will be paid
off, re•commissioned, and placed under the new arrange-
ments for pay in lieu of grog now introduced into the
royal navy on vessels being paid off and re-commis-
aioned.