The Sun.
London, England, 1842-08-06 00:00:00

men have turned out :—lronbuckle, 3 ; Carnbro, 4:
Merrystone, 9-; Gable, 4 ; Kipps, 2 ; Rawyard, 4;;
Stonerigg, i ; Rosehillock, 14 ; Govan, Whiflat, 3 ;
Govan, Whiterigg, 14 ; Burnfoot, 2 ; Holehill, 2 ;
Easter Meadowhead, 1 ; Gartlee, 4 ; Airdriehill, 4 ;
Priestrigg, 4 ; Chapelhall, 2 ; Cairnhill, 3 ; Cliftonhill,
2 ; Dundyvan, 10 ; Mossneuk, 4 ; Drumcoulter, 5 ;
Watermaggie, 1 ; Dykehead. 2 ; South Stonerigg, 3 ;
Todd's Pitt, Calder, 1 ; Greenend, 5 ; Gartuck, 1 ;
Redbrig, 1 ; Ballochney, 4 ; New Carnbroe, 4 ; Gart-
sherrie and Gartgill, 6 ; Gartcloss (ironstone), 6 ;
Greengairs, 2 ; Sheepford Locks, 2 ; Blackrigg, 2. In
all 147.

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE HIGH-
LAND AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF
SCOTLAND.

This annual agricultural meeting, comprising its
show of live stock and husbandry implements, commenced
on Monday in Bruntsfield Park. Fifteen years have
elapsed since a similar exhibition took place in this city,
which on this occasion comprised upwards of 1,100
animals. The number of strangers attracted to Edin-
burgh on the occasion was immense. The space enclosed
for the whole gathering amounted to about eight acres,
and the banqueting-hall created on the Castle-hill was a
large and elegant wooden building, capable of accommo-
dating 2,000 persons. On Monday the Earl of Rose-
bery presided in the room of the Duke of Buccleuch
in Committee : the show of implements was excellent,
and Dr. Madden delivered a lecture in the Society's
Museum ; a dinner and ball concluding the day.
Tuesday was the second, and great show-day. To this
no fewer than 3,000 persons were admitted at half-a-
crown, and when the price was reduced to a shilling,
the crowd was much more dense. The band of the
Enniskillen Dragoons was present, and much enlivened
the scene. The short-horned cattle attracted much
attention ; twenty-four of them especially were fine
specimens, while the Ayrshire bulls and the West
Highland breed were equally numerous, and as good
specimens. The great dinner took place at the closing
of this day on the Castle-hill, the Duke of Richmond
occupyine, the chair, and supported on the right by Sir
James Forrest, Lord Provost of Edinburgh ; Sir Neil
Douglas, Commander of the Forces in Scotland ;
Richard Trotter, Esq., of Morton-hall ; Sir James
Campbell, Lord Provost of Glasgow ; and the Rev. Dr.
Grant, of Leith. On the left by the Earl of Morton,
the Earl of Rosebery, the Earl of Mansfield, Lord
William Douglas, Admiral Sir Philip Durham, and Sir
Thomas M‘Dougal Brisbane. The Duke of Roxburghe
acted as Croupier, supported right and left by Lord
Napier, the Earl of March, the Earl of Buchan; the
Earl of Traquair, Sir W. M. Napier, Sir Archibald
Campbell, of Succouth, Bart ; and John W. Childers,
Esq., M.P. for Melton..

EXPERIMENTS WITH PERCUS-
cUSSION AND CONCUSSION SHELLS IN

THE MARSHES AT WOOLWICH.

Wooovicu, AUG. s.—At half-past one o'clock, P.M.,
Major-General Drummond, Director-General of Royal
Artillery ; Major-General Sir Hew 1). Ross, Deputy-
Adjutant-General to the Royal Artillery ; Colonels Pa-
terson, Lacy, Dansey, Dundas, Chalmer, Belson ; l'injors
Vaughan and Hope ; Captains Palliser, RObe, and
Grant, of the Royal Artillery, attended at the marshes
to witness experiments with percussion shells, the inven-
tion of Mr. Tuck and Serjeant Freeburn ; and concus •
sion shells, the invention of Serjeant-Major Moore, of
the Royal Artillery.
Mr. Tuck had eight 32-pounder and eleven 6-pounder
shells ; Serjeant Freeburn, two 56-pounder, and Ser-
jeant-Major Moore, four 56-pounder, or 8-inch shells.
The first shell fired was one of the 6-pounders (Mr.
Tuck's), from an iron gun, and it burst at the mouth of
the gun. The second, 32-pounder (Mr. Tuck's) burst at
the mouth of the gun. The third, 56-pounder (Serjeant
Freuburn's), entered the bulwark, or representation of
a ship's side, but did not burst. The fourth, 32-pounder
(Mr. Tuck's) struck the bulwark, and burst in-
side. The fifth, 6-pounder (Mr. Tuck's), burst on
striking the bulwark. The sixth, 32-pounder (Mr.
Tuck's), entered the bulwark, but did not burst. The
sevt.nth, 56-pounder (Serjeant Freeburn's) entered the
bulwark, but did not burst. The eights' 32-pounder
(Mr. Tuck's), struck the bulwark. but did not burst.
The ninth, 6-pounder (Mr. Tuck's), did not burst.
The tenth, 32-pounder (Mr. Tuck's) burst at the mouth
of the gun. The. eleventh, 56-pounder (Serjeant-Major
Moore's) burst at the mouth of the gun. The twelfth,
n2-pounder (Mr. Tuck's), did not burst. The thirteenth,
6-pounder (Mr. Tuck's), struck the top of the mound
and burst. The fourteenth, 32-pounder (Mr. Tuck's),
did not burst. The fifteenth, 56-pounder (Serjeant-
Major Moore's), entered the bulwark and burst betwixt
the :-,ides with good effect. The sixteenth, 32-pounder
(Mr. Tuck's), did not burst. The seventeenth, 6-pounder
(Mr. 'l'uck's), burst on entering the bulwark. The
eighteenth, 56-pounder (Serjeant-Major Moore's) en-
tered the bulwark and burst with excellent effect. The
nineteenth, 6-pounder (Mr. Tuck's) entered the bulwark
and burst. The twentieth, 56-pounder (Serjeant-Major
Moore's), entered the bulwarks and simultaneously burst
passing through one side, with tremendous effect, be-
twixt the bulwarks.

The result of the experiments to-day show that the
two 56-pounders fired on Serjeant Freeburn's principle
did not burst. • Two only of Mr. Tuck's 32-pounders
were good, the fourth and eighth; and three of the 6-
pounders, the sixth, seventeenth, and nineteenth, the
thirteenth bursting on the top of the mound ; the con
structiun and singular shape of the shells being liable to
cause them to deviate from a direct line. had the prac-
tice been at a greater distance than four hundred, the
range to•day, there could have been no calculation Of.
the course Mr. Tuck's shells would have taken. Under
these disadvantages the firing to-day was of a very
superior description, and the aim excellently taken. Two
of the 'guns, the 56-pounder and a 32-pounder; Were fired
with Lieut.-Colonel Dansey's improved friction tubes,
and Went off in every instance admirably, although en-
trusted to gunners and drivers who' have'never witnessed
their action before, the firing of a blank one by Licut.-
Colonel Dansey, before the experiments commenced,
being sufficient to instruct the tnt to discharge this most
simple, yet important discovery.
'rbe bursting of three of Serjeant-Major Moore's
shells out of four appeared to give great satisfaction to
the officers present, who complimented Serjeant-Major
Moore on his success, and expressed their opinion that
they were decidedly the best yet submitted for trial. It
is also satisfactory to know that no danger is to be ap-
prehended to those employed in' firing, t'by the introduc-
tion of this shell, in the event of its principle being
adopted after future experiments, as it is equally safe to
work as the shells at present in use. Percussion shells,
on the contrary, are equally dangerous to those who
work them as to those against whom they might be di-
rected, in the event of the least want of care in moving
them about, and daring engagements this could not be
obviated, and they could only have been made avail-
able in defending fortifications. Serjeant-Major Moore's
invention,retainiug the presentport-fire, and adding a con-
cussion principle to cause the shell to explode the moment
it strikes an object, seems most likely to be successful.