The Express.
London, England, 1865-07-17 00:00:00

TEE AGRICULTURAL SHOW AT

PLYMOUTH.

(MOM 0171 OPZCLAL OORIZSPOSDINT.)
PLYMOUTH, JOLT le.

The tranquillity—l may almost say the stillness
—which prevails in Plymouth at the present
moment contrasts wonderfully with the pressure
and excitement which I witnessed throughout the
journey down from town. Additional carriages
had to be fastened on to the express train at every
second station, so that even with two extra en-
gines, puffing and snorting their hardest, and
jumping the train very frequently oft the line out
of sheer indignation because it would not go faster,
we did not arrive at Plymouth until one o'clock
a.m. instead of midnight, and when all housekeepers
and those who deal in apartments had made up their
minds that we had either disappeared in a collision,
or perhaps had changed our minds and gone some-
where else. It took some time of course before
every one settled down—indeed, I do not know
whether some of my fellow-travellers be not still
enjoying the luxuries of the bivouac—but I soon
succeeded in obtaining quarters, at the same time
acquiring a shrewd suspicion that the scarcity was
artificial, and that by the time the show was over
the inhabitants would find they had been demanding
too muck for their hospitality. As a matter of fact
at this moment, 11 a.m., utter stillness pervades
Plymouth. It is the Sabbath-day, and the port
from which the Mayflower started does not forget
the old traditions. There is a barrack close to
my hotel, and when the bugler came out this
morning and called to breakfast it sounded
like an earthquake, so perfect was the
quietude all around. I went out at about nine,
and by an easy ascent of about 300 yards I
reached the Hoe, from which I could obtain an
excellent view of the French squadron. There was
the great black Magenta in widish Commodore Le
Bris hoists his flag—that is to say, is supposed to
hoist it, for there was no tricolour bunting visible
this morning ; and, notwithstanding her threatening
appearance and terrible armament, I felt a certain
sense of security from knowing that Captain Bore,
R.N., was on board of her, looking after British
interests. Then there was La Flandre, Captain
Baheme, a frigate with 38 guns and 600 officers and
men ; and finally there was a wooden screw gun-
boat ; and they lay very tranquil on the waters of
the Sound.

The agricultural show proper oommences to-
morrow, at a convenient distance frow the railway.
A great many people ask why have an agricultural
show at Plymouth at all, when there is so little of
agricultural surrounding; but others, on the con-
trary, reply, " That's the very reason • we must
wake 'em up ; the Exe and other 'Devonshire
rivers mustn't flow back, but must roll on with the
tide of progress, and the farmers wbo have already
learned to make water meadows without any hint.
about irrigation from the East, must be taught to
go a little further." There is a third party, that is
to say, the natives of Plymouth, wbo are firmly
convinced that it was Providence which had origi-
ginally suggested the idea of holding the show in
the " Athens of the West," in order that all the rest
of the world might be attracted thither, and be
civilized. Whatever may be the cause or the justi-
fication, a great gathering is anticipated, but much
of it has yet to come, and will probably wait for
the Prince of Wales. They have already been try-
ing the implementa under that penetrating and
continuous rain which is the great specialty of the
place, and which almost justifies the sailors' joke,
that "in Plymouth it rains fourteen montha out
of the twelve." There are the ploughers, and the
mowers, and the reapers, and the steam mills, and
—a novelty—the windmills. The inventor of the
latter is of opinion that by an improved arrange-
ment be can supersede the use of steam to some
extent in agriculture, and bring us back to
the old ways, but as he has not until
now been favoured with any wind, the betting is
all in favour of steam. The cattle have all arrived,
and are being made very comfortable ; and the
borough police are maturing their arrangements for
preserving the peace of the town under the pres-
sure of such an influx as is confidently looked for.
The Prince is expected on Wednesday ; but, as I
uoderstand be comes round by sea, the date
of his arrival will depend upon the state
of the weather. Everyone is therefore praying
for earn skies, always excepting the inventor of
the windmills, who, even at the risk of postponing
toe royal visit, would not object to a breeze stiff
enough to keep his sells revolving. The proba-
bility is that his the Prises will not remain
more than a day or two but the inhabitant's think
differently, and are witting out work and cere-
monial enough to detain him for &fortnight.

ROYAL Fun Hosram, GALVA-MN-LOAD. —The
somber a palmetto relieved at tbia boepital dariag the
',vet ending 151bllyaa 3,381, of which 1,136 were rev
am.

THIS ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH KXPZDITION.

(non ova seams coaaasroxmorr.)
ON BOARD THE ORILAT EASTERN, 017
THE NORE, EIATUIDAY.
Since my letter of yesterday evening we have
had several arrivals, and the thousand and one last
ceremonies
_prior to departure have been gone
through. Mr. William Fairbairn, F. 8.5., Mr.
Elliot Mr. O'Neil, A.K.A., Mr. Varlet', and Pro-
fessor Thompson, all joined us last night ; the mas-
ter-roll of the ships company has been formally
called over; flags have been hoisted ; more sheep
and cattle been mowed away ; and, finally, the
Duke of Sutherland and party have spent some
hours on board. The chief officer, surrounded by
the rest of the executive, stood with a large manu-
script volume, while the crew, fresh from their
labours, unkempt, unclean, unshorn, stood shoulder
to shoulder along the deck, like a disorganised
regiment which had given up its arms. Name
after name was shouted out in stentorian tones,
and as each man responded he was told off to the
other aided the deck to receive his grog from the
purser's lad, who ladled it out of • large tin at
elbow. The result of this muster was grattlxing,
for not • single hand was missing, and as care was
taken during the rest of the evening to
allow no boat to come alongside without its
departure being well watched, the Great Eastern
will at least leave here with its full complement of
hands. Before she starts from Falcons the
same ceremony will be gone through, so that should
any delinquent surreptitiously leave her with the
view of fraudulently raising money on his ship's
note without working through the passage, care, will
betaken to defeat him, and if not to supply his
place, at least to be prepared for the loss of his
murices.

This morning a useful member of society,
to wit, the diver, came on board, and was
presented in due form by Captain Anderson
to Mr. Clifford, with the injunction that he was
not merely to dive, if n bat to obey
all instructions given him by the e ectrtcians. The
big flag of the company, composed of stars and
stripes, mingled with the Union Jack, and the
words " Atlantic Telegraph " acmes it, now waves
ahead, but was not put up without an incident, which
was readily construed, with sailor-like quic. knees,
into a true vision of the past, and agood omen for the
future. This banner was used on the former cable
expedition, and on its being first hoisted this morn-
ing it had to be hauled down again just as it
reached the part of the mast from which it now
flies. A hitch in the folding, or some *stela in the
rope, made it n to bring it on the deck once
more. This remedial, and with a " Heave ho ! "
it was sent merrily up, and flaunted gaily in the
wind, with its "Atlantic Telegraph " so spread out
that those who run may read. Augurs and ultra-
believers in symbolism will readily trees the allegory
between the putting up of this twice-used flag and
the first and second layings of the cable. Curiously
enough, the same surveying steamer, the Porcupine,
is to pioneer us to-day as accompanied the expedi-
tion of 1868, and she now lies some half mile to our
stern, ready to 'tart as soon as she receives the
word.

PORTI3IIOI7TH. Bonus.

The Great Eastern passed Ventnor74 2 p.m.,
fire mum off land, under steam and sail ; wind
light southerly.

THE DETENTION OF MR.. WILLIAM
ROMS BY ITALIAN BBLOANDIL