Star.
London, England, 1824-09-24 00:00:00

TRIALS OF PONTOON&

Tlastratjay, the 9th Istitutt, a Committee. of Officers of the 110..r1
Artillery and Rogineen (consisting of General CUPPACt, I% 1.
President; General ltlituta, R.A. Sir A. Faaskr., R.A. Colo:
WILLLIIII4ON, R.A. Sir J. C. Sairrat, R.F. *Sir G. Hone, It. I:.
and Major Jon's, R.E) assembled at Chatham, agreeably to the
instructions of his 'Grace the Ilaitr"..General Of the Ordnance, td
report upon the efficiency and relative merits of the iontoons of
Lieutenant-Colonel Past's, ILE. and those of Lieutenant-Cohort;
Sir J. Cou.rros, of the Royal Staff Corps. •

The attention of the Committee was first directed to the pot:.
toons inVented by Lieutenant-Colonel Ranee, Which at twelve
o'tlock proceeded from the gun-wharf, at Chatham, up the River
towards Ilochester. After stewing with what facility the rafts are
moved and rowed, the order was given to form bridge, hich was
effected rapidly; and a twelve pounder (which, with its carriage,
had previously been embarked on board one of the rafts, with it's
shafts on another) was dragged along it with pet feet security.
The bridge was then dismantled, and in less than a quarter of an
hour the rafts were again under weigh, proceeding towards Mich.:.
ter bridge. Arrived at about thirty yards below the starling., the
pontoon bridge was again formed, and exposed for two hours to the
action of the ebb tide, which, though it runs with extraordimuy
force at this point of the river, the bridge withstood in the nicht
satisfactory manlier.

The pontoons, or buoy rafts, invented by Sir J. Cowrron, had in
the meantime advanced aloiig the left bank of the Medway, and
the attention of the Committee was directed to these rafts, as they
moored in a similar situation on the &rood side. One of these
rafts bad carded up with it 'an iron twelve-pounder. They 'alto
were submitted, foe ii similar length of time; to the viOfence of the
ebb tide, which they appeared most effectually to resist.
At half-past four, his Royal Highness the Duke of CLastericx
arrived in the state barge of the flag ship on the station, attended
by Vice-Admiral Mooasom, and other Naval Officers. Having
inspected the rafts of each inventor, his Rota Highness witnessed
the process of dismantling, which was executed with a degree of
rapidity and precision that called forth his Royal Highness's entire
'approbation.
On the return of the party to Chatham, Lieut.-Colonel PA 'LEV'S
rafts were landed and completely dismantled, and again formed
and LIU ached. We noticed that the operations did not occupy
more than twenty minutes.

Rochester bridge and the shores of the Medway were lined
throughout the day with multitudes of persons, anxiously viewing
the progress of this interesting spectacle.. In the evening, his Royal
Highness honoured the Mess of the Royal Engineers with his pre-
sence ; about forty mons sat down to dinner, among whom were
nodctd Sir H. Toaszus, Admiral Lord Toxemia:me, the Commis-
' sioner of the Dock-yard, Litutenint-General Sir 11. Mown Esc',
and other distinguished characters, who had witnessed the proceed-
ings of the day ; Sir ULYSSES BURGH, Sir 11. Ilwanuica, Sir R.
Jac/stow, Royal Staff Corps, and several others, having previodly
returned to town.

On the following morning, the operations of the canoe rafts, or
pontoons, of Lieutenant-Colonel Negate, were renewed, with the
view of sheaving the facility with which each single raft can
transport a large number of men, and the degree of activity, as well
as facility, with which it can transport aad land heavy guns. We
observed that a twenty-four pounder, with its carriage, was landed
and re-embarked in less than twenty minutes. A comparative trial
was next made with the buoy rafts of Sir J. COLLSTOII, on one of
which a twenty-four pounder was lowered. The pontoon carriage,
with It stores, site. Complete, of each Inventor, was then Submitted
to the inipectir of the Committee.
At the termination of these proceedings, two kinds of. scaling
ladaers, constructed by Lieutenant-Colonel Panel, were exhibited
to the Members of the Committee.
We have not yet heard what is the decision of the Committee
with regard to the relative merits of the rival system)-of pontoons,
and it would be indelicate in us, under these circumstances, to offer
any opinion of our own ; but we may be permitted to say, that fur
de zeal displayed in the prosecution of an object of such vast im-
portance to the efficiency of an army in the field, the military world
is deeply indebted to both Officers. The ingenuity of each inven-
tion must at once be admitted, but it was manifest to those engaged
in watching the proceedings, that the two did not enter the geld in
terms precisely similar. While Sir J. CoLuttou's was simply exhi-
bited, without pretension either to system or arrangement in detail,
that of Lieutenant-Colonel Pastry was shewn complete in all it,
parts, and reduced to a system which may be considered as hating
almost attained Its utmost limit of perfection. The skill with which
the different operations were conducted, and the degree of intelli-
gence and zeal displayed by the Royal Sappers and 'Alined employed
on the occasion were throughout conspicuous, and reflect no less
credit on the individuals themselves, than on the exertions of
Lieutenant-Colonel PASLICT, their able and zealous instructor.

Upon the whole we were highly gratified with the proceedinp
which we were so fortunate as to have witnessed, and consider that
the country may deservedly be proud of possessing the services of
men, who, by these inventions, have shewn themselves so well cal-
culated to uphold and extend its miiitaly character.

We understand his Royal Highness the Duke of tom( is espeeted
at Chatham this day, to review the Garrison, and to-morrow some
of the operations abovementibord, ate to be ethibited in preamble
of his Rovas

A notice was yesterday issued from the Ficrit-officzi.
that mails will, in future, be regularly made up on the
first Wednesday in catch month, for Carthagena, in Co,
lombia, and for. Vera Cruz or Alvarado, in Mexico,
be taken out by the Jamaica packet ; and that on tie
third Wednesday in every month, a-mail will be made
up for Lagtrayra, in Colombia, to go from Falmouth by
the Leeward Island packet.

set Christian Gentleman, on passing along Bunhill•row
some days ago, was struck with the number ofJews he
saw assembled there. He waited some time, when an in-
dividual, whom he recognised as a clerk of a distinguished
partner of a Jew European house, paid a sum of money
to each of between forty and fifty persons, varying from
2s. 6d. to 4s. and 4s. 6d. He found, on inquiry, that
the same sum was paid by the same individual every
week to the poorer brethreu of his community.
Wednesday a meeting of the Comtnittee for corn-
-menciog a Steam Navigation to India took place. Several scientific
Gentlemen in the servile of the East India Company, who had beet%
appointed to investigate the plan, were present, and therreported
favourably of the undertaking. It was finally determined to carry
it into immediate execution. The mute is intended to be round she
Cape of Good Hope, and not by the Red Sea as was intended.

ANOTEICR COACH ROBBERY.---.lDfOrMatiOn was yes-
terday given at Bow-street, of &linkers' parcel having been on the
21st inst. stolen front the Banbury and Buckingham Union Coach,
on its way to London. The parcel was sent off us the usual way, by
Messrs. Bartlett, Nelson, and Co. and was deposited ander the
seat inside of the coach. from whence it is supposed to have been
abstracted by a party who took seats inside, and who left the coach
at different places. The parcel was directed " Messrs. Praed and
Co. Fleet.stteet,• London." It contained 76 Bank of England
notes of 51. each, the halves of other batik-notes to the amount of
-1,700/. and Country bank notes to the amount of 569 i. also eleven
bills of exchange, which bad been forwarded to be pretested where
made payable, and which were for the sum collectively of
I,olBi. 10s. 7cL The numbers of the notes, and the particulars of
the bills are known, and are already published. The bills are spe-
cially indotteed to Messes. Pissed and Ca and the notes bare writted
conspicuously across their front; °` Bent front , Messrs. Bartlett'
Felon,• and lat. Unckinelatri,to Messrs. L'raet ad Co: Londos.'

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