The Express.
London, England, 1847-08-23 00:00:00

memories. The royal yacht left Crinan Loch cis Thursday,
at seven o'clock, a.m. The morning was fair and clear. per-
mining a beautiful view of the islands which stet and the
mountains that surround, this interesting loch. The yacht;
followed by the Scourge passed out of the northern corner
Jura, keeping wisely the gulf of Corryvnekan--the Neel-
strom of the west—and Searba island to the left, proceeding
up the Sound of Luing into Loch Lianhe, pading next Sell
Island and Easdale on the right.
The Easdale slate quarries afford employment and remu-
natation to a large bedy of labourers ; and the Queen was
received here with • novel and exciting welcome. The
coasts of the Breadalbane estates are inhabited by • body of
the most hardy boatmen in the world. They were collected
in large numbers off Sell Island, manned their boats, and
drew them up in two lines so close, that the men, while re-
ceiving the Queen, resembled two solid bodies of infantry,
drawn up, as a guard of honour, on the waters. Those who
are in the habit of seeing many pageants, and saw the com-
pliment paid to royalty by the Breadalbane men, call it the
most imposing and striking thing of the sort that they have
ever witnessed. From the hills above the village of Easdale
• royal salute less fired; sad passing the entrance of Loch
Feoehan on the right, and Gyleo Castle on the left, the
yacht entered the narrow channel betweea Kerrera Island
and the mainland, and ran into Oben bay, which is almost
landlocked, and completely sheltered by the island. A few
neat farm-houses and cottages are scattered on the banlu of
this narrow channel, and of course they were all decorated.
The little bay was crowded with venous craft. The royal
yacht steamed round the bay, and stopped for some time
while a royal salute was fired from a battery formed on the
top of one of the highest hills behind the town, and from the
government steamer statioaed in the bay. Shortly after II
she left Oban Bay, followed by the Dolphin and two other
steamers, taking • course westward to the Sound of Mull.
To the right, the yacht passed Lismore, one of the most fer-
tile of the Western Isles • and at this point, the entrance of
which is really to be Considered the Sound of Mull, the
royal tourists commanded one of the finest of our Scottish
views. The Lismore lighthouse, and the farm-housee--and
there are a considerable number of neat cottages amongst
the trees that skirt the high banks of these waters—had all
their little flags fluttering in • breeze that was
barely sufficient to stretch them out. The lighthouse of
Liamore, like the picturesque cottages amongst the tree*,
though not amongst trees Itself; was picturesque else. Lis-
more, which once, we believe, contained a Roman catholic
college—a Maynooth to the Hebrides—looked green and
cheerful. Noreen was on the 'right, frowning in a darker
colour and a sterner form. There were the curious ruins of
Duart Castle—once the seat of the kl`Leass—on the left, in
Mull. And the tide is working over, and leaving but occa-
sionally bare and black that little reek in the Sound, where
tradition says a faithless and murderous chieftain of the
M'Lean race exposed his wife, of whom, for some tolerably
apparent reason, he desired to be relieved, and doomed her
to the death of female martyrs in still more recent times--
• wickedness on which Henry VIII. of England improved.
Here the royal yacht was placed under the firtliitage of Capt.
M'Killop, of the Dolphin, and from her ueat crossing
and escrowing the channel, so es to command e best points
of view, it was evident that the Queen and her party were
greatly delighted with a scene which Sir Walter Scott
describes as specially tempting in " fine weather;" and now
the weather threw cheerful smiles into Glencoe, rave-yard
of the murdered though it be, and darkened as it long has
been. _ _

The yacht sped on its way, past all that remains of Ardor-
nub, the principal seat of the Lords of the Isles during their
stormy independence. The situation is wild and romantic in
the highest degree, having on one hand a high and preci-
pitous chain of rocks overhanging the sea, and on the other
the entrance into the beautiful salt water lake, Las Alit.
Here the old lords held their courts and pariiiiimenta, and
indeed assumed the style of sovereign princes. At Tober-
mory, another romantically situated village, a royal elate
was fired by an Admiralty frigate stationed on the coast, and
various demonstrations of respectful loyalty were made by

the inhabitants, and the edifice of the mountains and the
deep narrow channsl were stirred by the loyalty of a resident
diotiller, which exploded itself in a too liberal expenditure of
gunpowder. His near neighbour, who is said to be the
tallest minister of Scotland, and a direct descendant of the
Norwegian kings, planted a flag before his manse, and ga-
thered a party beneath the dag-stiff to celebrate, in his way
—of course not by gunpowder—the progress of his Queen.
At Tobermory the Spanish ship Florida, one of the " invin-
cible" Armada , war sunk by an emissary of Queen Elizabeth.
After passing various other points, the squadron moved up
the Atlantic in the direction of Staffs, where the whole cast
anchor. Boats were immediately lowered from the royal
yacht, for the purpose of affording her Majesty and suite an
opportunity of witnessing the celebrated caves with which
the place abounds, and the peculiar appearance of which re-
minds one of the Giant's Causeway. The boat which con-
tained her Majesty and the Prince Consort was rowed into
the principal cave, which the distinguished party examined
with great interest. Her Majesty almost immediately re-
turned to the yacht, but the Prince, with the Prince of
Leiningea, remained for some time examining some of the
smaller caves. The officers of the Fairy and the Scourge
also went ashore, as did the company of the Dolphin and
the other vessels.

His royal highness and suite having once more gone on
board, the squadron wended its way to lona, where, after a
quick sail, if we may use the term, the fleet arrived. The
inland is thickly inhabited, and, if a judgment is to be
formed by the appearance of the inhabitants, is a
poor place. This island, curious to relate, was for-
merly a great seat of learning, and now stands as a soli-
tary monument of religion and literature. There still
remain the ruins of St. OTall'd chapel and nunnery, as well
uof the cathedral. Adjoining is the burying-place, which
years back was held in great veneration, and there still
remain to be seen the tombstones of many of the ancient
kings of Scotland and Ireland, and of distinguished Scottish
chieftains. The earliest tomb actually bearing a visible date I
is that of Lachlan-Mackinnon in 1489. The royal yacht
having cast anchor, Prince Albert, with the Prince of Lei.
nineen, the Duke of Norfolk, Earl Grey, and Sir James
Clark, proceeded ashore, and having visited the chapel,
nunnery, and the other objects before-mentioned, returned to
the yacht. The Duke of Argyll's factor acted as guide. The
royal squadroa then moved in the direction of Staffs, where
it was expected to cast anchor for the night. The Dolphin
returned to Oban, after a delightful day's sailing, at tall
o'alock. The village was brilliantly illuminated, and bonfires
were to be seen for miles around. The sight was very pleasing I
at a short distance from the shore.

The royal flotilla would, it was expected, arrive at Fort
George on Friday, about 10 or 11 o'clock. Prince Albert
has forwarded orders to the Caledonian Hotel for four or
five ponies, to be ready at 11, to ascend Ben Nevis; and as
the ascent and descent of "the cloud-kissing hills" will
occupy six or eight hours, it is supposed that the royal party
will not proceed to Loch Leggin, which is 34 miles hence,
till Saturday. Positive information to this effict, it is said,
has been received by Sheriff Fraser. Her ?dajesty will
probably remain on board the royal yacht while Prince
Albert ascends the mountain; and in this cue, the landing
of the Queen, for which great preparations have been made,
will not take place till to-morrow (Saturday.
Fort William (writes our reporter) is extremely crowded.
Not a single bed is to be had to-night for love or money,
except by those who had the precaution to engage one some
week, ago; and in the Caledonian Hotel numbers have
been compelled to stretch themselves in their plaids upon the
floor. A grand ball is to take place to-morrow (Saturday)
night, of which the leading noblemen and chieftains of the
district are announced as stewards.

COMBMARTIN MINING COMPANY.—The annual
meeting of the shareholders of this company was held on
Saturday, at the offices, Broad-street ; J. G. Maxwell, Esq.,
presided. By the report for the past year it appeared that
164 tons of ores, which amounted to 2,6161., had been dis-
posed of since the last annual meeting, and had nearly paid
the expenses of the workings. Some of the shares in the
company were declared to be forfeited in consequence of the
holders not paying up their calls. The reports of the agents
were of • very satisfactory character. From the captain's
report it was believed that the workings will become more
profitable, favourable intimations having developed them-
selves within the last few weeks. By the auditor's report
there appeared a balance in hand of the company of 4111., at
the bankers, which, with 1801. worth of ores at the gross,
makes an aggregate amount of nearly 6001. at the disposal et
the company. The report haying been adopted, resolutions
thanking the directors and officers for their exertions were
pared unanimously, and the meeting separated.
CROWN EXTENT AGAINST A POST-OFFICE KEEPER.
—On Saturday • writ of extent executed before Mr.
Under-Sheriff Burchell, to ascertain what property Edward
Dear, of Red Lion-street, Holborn, was possessed of on the
7th of August, inst. The defendant was • post-office keeper,
and a debtor to the crown. A seizure had bees made for
tho income tax, and there were executions at the suit of
judgment coeditors, but no opposition was offered to the ex-
tent. The property having been valued at 1601., the jury
gave a verdict for that amount. The amount of the crown
debt was stated to be 1471.

LIEUT. MuNito is now confined in one of the con-
demned rooms, where all persons against whom sentence
of death is recorded are placed. He has been informed that
until an order to the contrary be received from the Secre-
tary of State, be will have to be put upon prison allow-
ance, being deprived of the few ceinforta he has enjoyed
since his surrender. It is stated that, in addition to the wit-
nesses who spoke to his general character, none of whom,
it seems, had been communicated with, but who came
forward voluntarily, there were 30 or 40 others in attend-
ance on the trial.

FIRES NEAR TOTTENIIAM-COtatT-ROAD.—On Satur-
day morning, shortly after two o'clock, a fire occurred upon
the premises belonging to Mr. A. Soddy, coffee-house keeper,
Orattonetrect East, Tottenham-court-road. The flames ori-
ginat, d in the lower part of the premises, and had obtained
a firm hold of the shop, parlour, and staircase, before dis-
covered, thereby cutting off all means of escape for the
inmates, who were in,their beds at the time. The residents,
with the exception of two, effected, with the assistance of
the police, a retreat through a window. The fire still pro-
graming, much anxiety was felt for the safety of the other
two inmates, when fortunately an escape belonging to the
Royal Society for the Protection of Life from Fire arrived
jest in time to save them. Six brigade engines shortly
reached the scene, and after considerable trouble the firemen
got the flames extinguished, but not until the lower portion
burned

I.

1.7.4.41-0.