The Express.
London, England, 1851-09-16 00:00:00

gbe Court.

BALMORAL, SUNDAY, SZPT. 14.
Her Majesty and Prince Albert returned to Bal-
moral yesterday evening from Alt as Oiuthsach. The
lion. Miss Bynr was in attendance on her Majesty.
The Bight Mon. Fox Mauls arrived at Balmoral yester-
"Tile dinner party yesterday included the Duchess of
Kent, Lady Augusta and Lady Frances Bruce, and the
Bight Boa. Fox Maule.

Lord and Lady John Russell and family left Pembroke
Lode, Richmond-park, yesterday morning for Bangor.
Mr. James Stewart, from Canada, had an interview with
Earl Grey yesterday, at the Colonial-ottlee. Mr. Henry
Currie had also an interview with the noble earl.
Despatches were sent off' yesterday from the Colonial-
office to the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope. Despatches
were also scot to the Governors of the Nortn American
Colonies, the Governor of St. Helena, and the Governor of
Natal.
Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial.
office from the Governor of the Gold Coast and the
Governor of Gibraltar.

THE GREAT EXHIBITION.

Yesterday was certainly one of the most crowded
days we bare seen at the Crystal Palace since the opening.
The visitors were nearly all of the working class, and ex-
hibited a greater number of agricultural labourers and
their families than we recollect to have observed, even on a
Monday. The separate parties from large farms were be.
yond counting, and whole districts poured forth their
organised and banded inhabitants to swell the Monday's
reckoning. We a ere informed that no less than 3,000 per-
sons of this description arrived in town from Devonshire on
Saturday evening. A great novelty was exhibited in
the American section, the conductors of which, following the
example of Sweden, seem determined to make up at the
close of the Exhibition their remissness in sending goods
at the beginning. In the front of the counter upon which
stands Mr. llobbs's wonderful lock, there appeared fur the
first time yesterday a large glass ease, containing a !magni-
ficent tea service of gold plate, a testimonial from the citi-
zens of New York to Mr. Collins, the founder of the Ame-
rican st :ant-packet line. The service, which is stated to be
of pure gold, without alloy, consists of a large taokettle,
tea-pot, cream ewer and sugar basin, all arranged on •
large salver of the mine precious metal. The whole service
is made of Californian gold, 23 carats fine and contains no
admixture of auy other metal. This, which is the
most singular fact of the description, is accounted
for by the fact that Californian gold, besides being
finer, is more malleable than gold from any other of the
auriferous regions of the earth, and therefore has to be
worked without any admixture of silver or copper. The
designs and workmanship are also very beautiful, and were
much commended by the numerous visitors who crowded
round the case during the day. The Custom-house
valua-
tiun of this cost:y tea service is 1,0001. The interior of the
building was extremely warm during the day, and in par-
' tions was frequently impassable for a lengthened period.
The police numbers were 60,497.

Cash account, Sept. 13.
Season tickets
At the doors
.6

Total receipts £2,935 0 6
The following shows :the temperature yesterday, as re-
corded by Mr. Bennett's thermometer, being the mean
result of 100 readings :-10 o'clock, 55 ; 12 o'clock, 69 ;
2 o'clock, 65 ; 4 o'clock, 67 ; 6 o'clock, 6.. Mean tempera-
ture, 62.2.

TILE INTENDED SOIREE TO GEORGE TIIOMESOII

ESQ.. M.P., has been unavoidably postponed owing to a
bereavement in the family of that gentleman, whime second

expired on Sunday evening atter a protracted illness.

Btsnorr's Disc ENGINE.—We were favoured last
week with an opportunity of inspecting, at Messrs. Rennie 's
establishment, an improved disc engine of 20-horse power
at work, intended chiefly to be introduced as a spore simple
plan of driving screw propellers. The disc engine was first
invented in 1830. It is simple enough in construction,
though its action may not be so easily understood. It con-
sists of two cones, having the apex of each placed opposite
and at a distance apart from each other equal to the thick-
ness
of the disc, the cones forming an angle of perhaps 120
degrees. Actually the cones do not terminate in points, as
has been assumed merely fur the sake of giving an idea of
their position, but the points are cut away, and a ball fits
between the two. The axis passes through this ball, having
the disc fixed to it. The bases of each oone arc connected
together all round by a spherical ring, to suit the action of
the disc. The periphery of the disc has to be steam-tight
against this ring. A partition is made between the cones,
the ring, and the ball, en as to effectually prevent the
passage of steam—this in feet forms the point of resistance
—and a slit is cut in the disc so as to fit the partition. The
action is this: steam is admitted between the cone, the disc,
and the partition, the steam cannot get through at the
partition, and on the other hand the disc is in contact with,
the cone, so that the steam has no other alternative than to
depress the disc. The steam acts alternately on one side of
the disc and on the other, so that the disc is made to work
up and down like a wave. This works the axis round and
round, and its extremity acts to give motion to the shaft,
just like a pin in a common crank. In the old engines, the
cones had teeth, the disc had teeth also to correspond, the
object of which was to prevent the passage of steam when
the disc was in contact with tho cones. They caused a
good deal of friction and noise. Mr. Bishopp has intro-
duced a new system of packing, by which he dispenses with
the teeth ; the manner in which the disc is packed round
the periphery is a great improvement; a guiding bow is
also introduced, by which the alit iu the disc is kept in con-
tact with the partition. One difficulty expenenced in
engines for screw propelling is the proper condensing of
the steam, the engines having to work at high speeds.
We don't know whether Mr. Bishopp intends working his
engines at high pressure. In the engine we saw there was
no mode of condensing. Mr. Biahopp states that the disc
engine offers peculiar advantages for working expansively :
whilst steam is expanding on one aide of the disc, high
pressure steam is admitted at the other, thus counteracting
any retarding effect. Models of the disc engine are to be
seen at work in the Great Exhibition.

THE VIADUCT SCHEME FOR HOLBORN RAVINE,
FAERIXODON .—To those who are acquainted with
the city of Edinburgh, such a thing as two streets crossing
each other at levels differing much more than would be the
cue here, is easily understood; as well as the appearance of
the houses at the intersection, which are double the usual
height; the main difficulty to the working is the obtaining
passages parallel with the high level for vehicles from the
low one to reach it by. The central viaduct scheme, for
vehicles only, is evidently by far the most tangible ; such a
viaduct, formed solely for the great eastward and westward
traffic, should bo laid with two pairs of tramways; one pair
for the line of validates running east, the other for those
running west,—the central apace narrower than those
gauged ter nista*, se otherwise disqualified for use. The
mimeo amid be serried out without touching a building, a
footpet4 se eves a herb-stone. As regards its effect upon
the •sseum property, I think it is equally evident that,
when ono the viaduct was completed and working, that
could wet be deteriorated, but would more probably be
sahassei is vales; especially in the lower parts, nearest
Fanieguiseretreet. The inconvenience during execution,
too, need be but very temporary ; since the work would be
of a kind which could be almost wholly prepared before the
fixing et say part was proceeded with. This Holborn-hill
mime" therefore, which has been a omega such grievous
6=lllke many years, and whisk, se long as it lasts,
pse lamellar by no mem the formidable
*Mita cenelseek is
felines* weeidesem to imply.—
Cw rest of the Dmikkr.
ENTERTAINMENT TO PAROCHIAL SCHOOL CHIL-
DS= IT ?RR Bulb, OF Osonewelea.—The palace gar-
den ewe des seine eta very skew el sed mimosa WO.
tools the alimeoces lissisyhot, whoa the loniblisep
et the home butted the Abbas et the various promidal
edsesie te whim el monnel besot la the grouse at-
Imbed le the pekoe. The thikess, lirweris of a thou mad
Y amnber, marshalled by tie pouhiel clam ithereeded
te the plow of enterwiement between thee end hen
Visa, eni, pesos baying been Rene, at
lined w down_ le plea-
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hul
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with eeki photo est a.
smithe d.w
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booty ehemeravos he Iris keldstpvaloutake
who thswimhee * the pro-
videdilrettieth A brad et owl INGS in ahes=, and
two oe Ogee limensi 'pastel= remommisi the pomade
te wham eitibh owhymenle et the &him* The
&Uses etas Wont seeds in this elly mid Plehmlon
were else psi at their woopeetive ay/6kmme by ken
lordship en Wittig end Wainseday.--hearkwy Jawed.
A igaftaftog. Anew the pormsgere which
evolved yeemedmy et Ihwthen~reet-Oille le the nude
meft Memoir, wee a Owlish Ifteleas*w behlighter. Ile
wished et Ileethemplen the the peep* if promedhig /row
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he Om yews, to =la mambos la
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the was be thilesi the rimed whit
whin k Melia with as swop pedremme of as
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k. irlik • girt IL -To use wens we Mai.
ally megil sequin amseloilde smog& sod doelselly. The
=them et the Piliftedoe woe relbw Wes
nod= quite Sot dillemot hem el
s=lik lei a streoml el& lee, a
elbmksha%ereth, who
ins behead
mei hieemeaft end thin hie meeler. The
bandies et the likeshmin the warthense et the
emehemplos seam. with bis sie amemen, deep
May miss, end memo* whelility, seas toe we
rani seamemed maw& his Mew morel who WM
shaft by.