The Express.
London, England, 1855-07-26 00:00:00

THE EISTEDDFOD, ST. MARTIN'S•ITALL.

There are societies in Wales, called Cymrei-
gyddien, which have for their object the cultivation of the
leaguer, literature, and music, of the Principality. This
object they efeet by means of meetings, under the auspices
of the geotry of Wales, where the bards and minstrels give
specimens of their talents, and when literary essays are
brought forward ; prises being awarded to the most sac•
amoral poets, musicians, sad literary essays. These meetings
an called Eisteddfods, and bare very much the appearance
of English musical festivals, though with a much greater
nationality of character. Of those societies the Aberg y
Opareigyddionappsen to be tke greatest, and its periodical
meetings, or Eisteddfods, the most remarkable. The
last, held at Aberg y ia 1653, was oa a magnifloent
scale. It occupied two days ; ant: there was a great congress
of nobility sad gentry oonnected with the Principality.
Walsh pasta, Walsh harpers, Welsh singes", and Welsh
literary am. strove for pre-miasma; and prises to a great
pecuniary amount, and of Mill greater valise in honour, were
bestowed oa the successful aspirants.

It having been determined tie hold a congress of this kind
in London, it took pleas yesterday at St. Martin's Hall.
Bat it memo to have been hastily get up, without due an-
newancement or preparation; for the assemblage wu II no
means what it ought to have been, considering the numbers
of Welsh, and people 'reenacted with Wales, who reside in
the metropolis; and the arrangements were very defective.
It was held under the presidency of Sir Benjamin Hall, a
thoroughly patriotic Welshman, who has always taken •
strong interest in the cultivation of the language, music, and
literature of his country. The vice-presidents were the
Hon. Thomas Lloyd Mcstyn, M.P., T. Jones Party, of
Madryn, Esq., and G. Hammond Whalley, Esq.
Maven o'clock was announced as the hour of meeting,
but it was put twelve before the Right Hon. President took
tlu chair. His apology was a very sufficient one. He was
(as he said) in a transition state, having within a few hours
vacated his seat in parliament by accepting a government
office, and his time, consequently, being completely
eagrceeed; for which nano, he added, he could remain but
for a short time. Sir Benjamin opened the proceedings by
an excellent address, explaining the objects of these meet-
legs, advocating thole usefulness, and warmly recommending
them to public favour. The first basis'es was the
competition of performers ea the Welch harp, a noble instru-
ment, bat of primitive sonstreetion. It has three rows of
strings ; the two outer rows are unfurls, consisting of the'
diatonic scale, the chrotnalie semitones being produced
(there being no pedals) by an intermediate row. It is thee
• dilkalt instrument, but very effective in skilful heeds.
There were only three competitors, in consequence, as was
explained, of the short notice that had been given. Bub
of them played a Welsh air with variations; aid when
they had done, Mr. John Thomas (our well-known harpist)
came forward to announce the sword of the judges, of whom
he was one. He stated, more plainly than would have been
pleasant to the honest fellows if they had understood him
(which moat probably they did not), that none of them
were Int-rate, and that in Wales there were hundreds of
others as good; but they received a first, second, and third
prise, from five guineas to three guineas, in purses at-
tached to ribbons, which were presented to them by some
• the fair occupants of the platform. Than there was a
limiter competition of singers. There were only three—
pow girls in their primitive erstunie, whose rustic deport.
Meat wee very engaging. Bach of them sang • Welsh
Amy, accompanied on the harp. Nothing could be einuier
than their singing, or more unadorned by the grams of an,
yet they all had sweet tunable voices, and one of them
(Ana Price byname) sang with such remarkable sweeties.
and expreeske, that • load moot* burst from the whole
midtown. It is needless to add that Ann Price carried off
the first prize, smaller ones being given to the other two.
Sir Benjamin Hall now left the chair, bat before his
departure a vote of thanks, moved in an eloquent address
by Mr. Lloyd Davies, the newly elected member for the
Cerdiganahire boroughs, was passed by atelamation. The
chair was then taken by one of the Vice-Presidents, and a
number of prises were awarded to the authors of poems and
essays on subjects connected with the Principality.
On the whole, the proceedings of this Eisteddfod were
pleasing end interesting ; and we trust that it will lead to
other meetings of a similar kind, more fully prepared, and
on a greater soak.

THE COMPOSITORS' NEWS-ROOMS AND LIBRARY.—
About gm months dace the companion of London
resolved spat founding a newsroom and library, and ao-
*sled a committee to lease premises, purchase books, sto.
Lest evening a meeting was held to receive a report of their
prourediap epic the present tines. The report, as reed by
the secretary, showed that 1601, had been expanded in fur-
nishing and fitting up the premises in Baguet-court,
street, and that 1301. had been laid out in the purebue of
books, maps, tie , amongst which were mentioaed many
valuable books of reference, and some of the beet standard
editions of historical and dentifle works, which shows the
earnest desire of this important sad intelleeneal body of men
!to command the higher branches of knowledge which they
deem most useful in their profession. Abernotwieg along list
Meese:linters, among whom were the Society for Promoting
Christian Knowledge, the Society of Arts, the Earls 01
larrowby and Shaftesbury, the Right Hu. W. E.
Gladstone, the Messrs. Chamber, B. Barrett, Esq., W. P.
Mitobim, Esq., R ' . Raynham Esq., B. Pemberton, Esq ,
J. Dentin, Req., and W. Johnson, Esq., the report con-
eluded hi expressing a hope that their present effort to
supply a Ong felt want only required to be made known to
literary gentlemen and others connected with the metro-
politan press to secure their hearty co-operation. The pro-
pnety of admitting all in connexion with the printing busi-
ness to the is. of the library and news rooms was mooted
and discussed, bulimia' to the incompleteness of their pre-
sent arrangements, the subject will be brought forward at
the west meeting.
161.11r6T0N LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY.
—We regret to learn that Mr. Joseph limps= has iodised
the librarianship of the abase moiety, after baying gadded
the duties of that °Mee with great credit to himself sad
satisfaction to the etwasaittee and members for eight years.
We understand that the !emotes of Mr. Simpson resigns;
Lon is his samptance of a more iterative ofirr is the mau-
-1 try ; and he leaves with the beet wishes of ell eseseelled
with the iselitaties.

THEE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY'S
EXHIBITION AT CARLISLE.

CARLISLE, JIILY 24.
Yesterday, u on the preosdiog days, the experi-
mental operations with locomotive and fixed farm power
engines, threshing, winnowing, and finishing maohines,were
actively prosecuted, out owing to the returns remaining in
the hands of the judges—Maus. J V. ()mach and W.
Owen—for the purpose of their award, no definite result
of the experiments can be obtained. On Wednesday even-
ing the let of premiums will be published, and the imple-
ment department and cattle show thrown open to the pub-
lic. Strange to say, ►ut few persons have patronised the
trial yard since its opening, though perhaps the ad-
mission fee (65.) has had something to do With the
paucity of attendance. Boon Usselmo, the Pruuien =Miner,
has bean regular in his attendance, examining minutely
every piece of umebinery. Re has appeared to let nothing
tamps his attention, and has eon d freely with the
inventors and patentees upon the capabilities of their Heard
mechanical productions. At the at thariak wttAs

inasemselear•llltin libllilll;lfi7lrylarbi steam horse"
or " traction engine" was put upon the brake in order
to test its power. At a pressure of 03 lbr. the
dynamometer showed that the eogice bad a power
of 14* horses, much more than was generally under-
stood. The distinguishing feature of this invention is the
attachment of the short rails to the wheels, which gives
thee., the power to construct, as it were, their own road as
they run. This principle has been likewise adapted to the
ordinary cart wheels, and indeed all vehicles can be mode
tenon the same plan. Its efficocy in this respect was tested
this morning. A Image sired farm tun, with Boydall's
wheels attached, was filled with upwards of a ton sod &half
of clay. A small horse, or no great strength of limb, wee
harnessed to, and made to drag the load over smooth and
rough ground, straw heaps and planks laid scrota on. ano-
thee; the animal was backed, and turned, and driven about
in various directions in a meaner which could nut have
been attempted with the ordinary wheel.
A singular experiment was tried with the steam horse
yesterday morning with rather an unexpected recut. The
inventor claims for it the power of dragging after it between
70 and 80 tons. It was suggested that sinew and muscle
should exert their strength against the iron leints of the
engine. Accordingly the steam was soon got up in the
boiler of the ponderous machine, and when at a pressure of
401b5., or 12 horse power, it was set in motion. A strong
I sable had been previously attached to the engine, 30 men
having bold at the other end. The "steam-horse" was gal-
loping off at the speed above indicated, when with • strong
pull and • pull altogether, the 30 men succeeded in arrest-
ing its program to their own iofinits delight, and intense
amusement of all the spectators save the worthy:inventor.
Allowing the united strength of thelmen (and it was put
forth in right good earnest) to be equal to six !wren.' power,
it would appear that the other six was cabaused by the
machine in acquiring a motion.
• very valuable machine for making bricks is exhibited,
manufactured by Messrs. Porter, Hinds, and Porter, of
Carlisle. It underwent several trials with varied MOMS,
miring, it was stated, to the difference in the composition of
the clay used. It professes to turn out 10,000 perfect bricks
M the course of an hour, but it threw off no less than 18,000
well-formed bricks within the hour. Its performance( ex-
ited a great deal of interest
The deluging rain of last night produced an uncomfort-
able effect upon the show ground to-day, and as the weather
ecnitioued showery, there was a falling off in the number of
visitors to the yard, though the a. rivals in the city from ill
parts of the country were numerous.
The trials in the yard were principally confined to the
hod threshing machines; those in the field took • wider
image. but the chief object of interest was Boydell's traction
engine. It started early in the morning, and reacted the
trial field in safety, without obstruction by the way. When
there, it was put to work in various ways, ploughing, scari-
fying, and harrowing. Upon the whole, tbs result was sa-
tisfactory, but it appears to be the opinion of scientific men
that we are still as far off as ever from the proper adaptation
of steam locomotion to field farming operations.
Usher's steam cultivator, • very large and heavy ma-
chine, which was to have gone up to the trial field to-day,
only succeeded, with great difficulty and after many false
starts, in pairing the gates of the trial yard, when it stuck
fast in the soil a few yards beyond, where, notwithstanding
exertions were made to move the unfortunate implement,
both by horse and steam power, the cultivator" still re-
mains embedded in the ground.
We regret to state that • serious accident was sustained
by one of the attendants in the cattle yard. In endeavour-
ing to put a bull into its appointed stall, the animal
rushed at him, and gored him so frightfully that the pone
saga's life is despaired of.