The Express.
London, England, 1863-08-10 00:00:00

THE SCOTCH SALMON FISHERIES.

A curious fact occurred here on Saturday night
and Sunday morning, showing, as we presume it does, that
salmon have an instinctive apprehension of the approach of
their hour of deliverence. For weeks past the mouth of
the Ness has been swarming with fiah ; they hung about
the tideway, ascending and descending, but making no de-
termined effort to get up the river. Thousands, moving
about in this listless way, fell into the stall sets and were
taken ; but the supply of fish seems to have been endless.
On Saturday, the barometer fell slightly, and immediately the
shoals of fish began to bestir themselves. Many enterprising
grilse were seen dashing up stream at all boors, and in the
evening. when the nets were withdrawn for the weekly slap,
they were seen scampering over the fords in considerable
numbers. On Sunday morning, the fish seem to have felt
in all its strength the instinct to move on. Literally, hun-
dreds of fish clime surging up in shoals. and wriggled with
difficulty over the fords. Troops of excited boys plunged
after them, through the shallows, pelting them, driving
them back, and causing dire consternation among the poor
fish. On the ford below Holm Mills, a monster salmon
showed himself, leading up a great shoal of lesser fish.
His dimensions, as he splashed about in the shallow
water, turning on his deep silvery side to lessen
the difficulty of finding water, could not escape notice,
and two or three lads rushed into the water to give chase.
The monarch tried bard to effect the ascent, and his scaly
followers for a moment stood still to watch the result. But
the enemy was too active and too formidable—he turned
tail, and thundered away down stream, never halting
till he found himself safe in the depths of Maciutyre's
Pool. His flock was scattered, some rushing to the
right and lame to the left, the greater part finding their
way upwards, but many returning to the safe haven
which they had so recently left. The strange fact is
that all this time the river bad not undergone the
slightest change. It was lower and clearer than it
has been almost in the memory of man ; not a drop
of rain had fallen for weeks ; but a change was impending,
and we presume that the salmon knew it. Within twenty-
four hours thunder-showers were pouring down torrents on
the bills of Glengarry and Loch Nese, and no doubt the fish
were impatient for the slightest hint or premonition that
upstream there would shortly be water enough to cover
their oakedness. Since Thursday upwards of eighty boxes
of fish have been sent from Inverness, and the local demand
has been supplied in addition. The takes on the Conon,
Beenly, and at Invergordon have been very large. Two well-
filled tricks, on an average, are sent south every second
day. Fish ere very plentiful in the Spey. A few days ago
140 were taken from a single pool, and hundreds more were
seen.—lnvernres Courier.

BRISTOL AND SOUTH WALES UNION RA ILWAY.
This railway will shortly be opened. The difficulties over-
come in the course of its construction have been very great.
At its commencement, ialS.lB, Mr. Brunel was the engineer,
and, on his death, be was succeeded by Mr. R. P. Brereton,
consulting engineer, and Mr. C. Richardson, the resident
engineer. Under the direction of these gentlemen, Mr.
Brotherhood, of Chippenham, the contractor, has success-
fully completed the Bus, and established direct commuoica.
tier, between Bristol and Wales. On the line there are no
less than eight miles of cuttings and embankments, and
there is also a tunnel at Almondabury three quarters of a
mile long. The Barfield cutting is a mile and a half long,
and in some places 40 feet deep; end between Filton and
Patchway there is au embankment nearly two miles long.
The line then passes into the Patchway cutting, and from
that to the Almooclsbury tunnel. This was • moat diffi-
cult work, in consequence of the extremely hard stones,
and the tunnel is bricked throughout. Immediately suc-
ceeding this is • cutting quite as difficult. On each side
the Severn a pier is built, an 3 a powerful steamer runs be-
tween them. There are 27 bridges on the line, and the
gradient. are very steep. The railway is 14 miles in length,
is on the broad range principle, and constructed for • single
line. The stations are six in number. The Great Western
Company will work the line.—Western Morning News.
" Striking a light," fifty years since, was done
D y a glut and steel, and a Lucifer match was considered a
physical imposalbillty. Many are still sceptical of the fact,
patent to thousands. of Herring's magnetic brush and comb re-
storing the COMIC to grey hair, and curing the severest cases of
neuralgia and nervous headache. Recent improvements prevent
the pamthility of their failure.—N.R. Counterfeits are beteg
made. Mom, if, Baelngballestimet, Landea.—{Advertfaesama.l

Lab intellignue.
METROPOLITAN FOLINIT COURTS.

Bitting days •ppolnted for the present week.
Baomoros, Whltehead's grove.—Youday, Anguat 10.
BRINTFORP.—Tuesday, August 11.
Lamina, thunberwell-new.rved.—Tuesday, August 11; Wed.
nesday, 12.
CITY OF LOFDUN, Gundhall•bulldings. Monday. August 10—
Tuesday. :I—Wednesday, 12—Thunday, lit—Friday, 1s; Satur-
day, 15.
Lotto MATOk's Mort, itiday, August 14.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

HOME CIRCUIT.—CROYDON, Auousr 8.

The busloads of these assizes is still proceeding most
wearily. The cases that have been disposed of hitherto have
been of the most singularly uninterestiog character, and
both the learned judges have repeatedly made some 'trots
observations in reference to the trumpery character of the
cruses that were sent down to these moires for trial, nearly
the whole of which might well have been disposed of in
the county courts. Baroo Chorinell was engaged a consi-
derable portion of Thursday, the whole of Friday, and
until one o'clock on Saturday in trying a PM in which
the ground of action was to recover payment for
some plans, and damages for alleged false imprisomment,
arising out of a dispute between a surveyor and the owner
of some houses at Carshalton, and which resulted in a
verdict for the plaintiff with one lathing damages. Each
party in this case will have to pay his own costs, which
may have a wholesome effect in deterring them and others
from occupying the attention of a judge and jury with such
frivolous inquiries in future.
(Before Baron Bramwell and a Special Juries.)