The Express.
London, England, 1847-09-16 00:00:00

hole city," unable to live in and yet loath to leave
it. the proud temple—commenced only in 1841—
stands there in the midst of a city already in ruins,
and surrounded by an almost interminable wilder-
ness. This magnificent structure, which was designed
by a Mormon architect, and built by Mormon work-
men, at an estimated coat of 800.000 dollars, is one of
the finest buildings in the New World. It is now on
sale, and offered for 200,000 dollars. The devotees
still continue to depart: the place will soon be entirely
deserted. The fugitives mostly take the route of the
wilderness and She Rocky Mountains towards Cali-
fornia; and the latest account of their movements
received in Europe was to the effect that they had
taken possession of a portion of that territory, with
the ultimate intention of founding a new and inde-
"mdent Th-'• the persecutions to which they
""2!e eepoictl it the United bare not ecded in
their re-conversion to Christianity is certain. It
would be difficult to determine their future: supersti-
tion has always proved more powerful than policy.
Ideas cannot be destroyed by persecution, nor the
convictions on which they are founded by force.
The lead mines on the Mississsippi are still being
worked with great success; bat such is the reckless
spirit of commercial gambling in the states, that as
many people lose fortunes as make them in their
search for the ore. The shaft of the lead mine is
generally about eighty or ahundred feet in depth, open-
ing into a large chamber, whence galleries branch off
in various directions. The walls and ceilings are
mostly of pure sand, except where the solid mass of
native ore glistens in the torch-light. It lies in square
blocks, dove-tailed together as if so placed by the
hand of man. To those who are lucky enough to
discover a bed of the metal, their adventure is a for-
tune ; but perhaps the majority of the speculators go
on digging for years without success, and, as labour
is dear, ruin is rapid. Subsequently our tourist
visited the upper regions of Lake Superior, in
which about a hundred English, American, and
Canadian companies profess to be at work.
Being a shareholder in one of them, he
assumes the right of speaking with something
like authority. His account is by no means encourag-
ing. Not because the country is not rich in copper
ore—on the contrary, he notices its quantity and
quality—but on account of the ignorance and ineffi-
ciency of the persons who are sent to superintend the
works, and the general want of capital. Notwith-
standing all the puffing resorted to by the managers
of these mining companies, a smelting furnace had not
yet been erected, and only three out of the hundred
companies had as yet (August, 1846) made any ship-
ment of ore. About five hundred persons are engaged
upon the spot as clerks or miners; but the men who
are at the head are described as inexperienced and
visionary men, who, having failed in every business
which they had entered into on their own account,
have now taken to the more profitable occupation of
managing teller people's. This is on the American
side of the lake. Mr. I.amnan describes the state of
things to be pretty similar on the Canadian shore.
Twenty companies arc organised for working the
copper mines on that side : but not a pound of ore has
yet been smelted or carried to market. For himself
he is desirous of selling his shares as soon as possible.
Our author uniformly found the Indians shrinking
and fading away before the advancing foo'steps of
civilisation. He speaks of them always with respect,
but without hope. They are a cast-down, dispirited
race. With the white man and his works they have
little sympathy. They are, too, painfully conscious of
his superior power, and experience has proved to them
that they have no resources by which to resist the
aggressions of that power. The red man seems made
for a life in the woods. Cities are to him distasteful
—the constraints of social intercourse impossible.
Yet, notwithstanding the little hope there is of ever
being able to convert and civilise any considerable
portion of the American aborigines, the attempt
ought not for a moment to be abandoned, or the most ,1
strenuous endeavours to be relaxed. The world,)
Christianity, civilisation, are all too much and too
deeply indebted to America to warrant any neglect of
its onginal rovers.

;int SM.
TIIE WORKS OF ART, WESTMINSTER-IRLL.—The
crowds during the last day or two waiting to get in to view
this exhibition have extended half-way across Palace-yard,
and many have returned without getting entrance into the
ball. The Commissioners of Fine Arta have therefore
arranged for the exhibition to remain open till the tad of
October, instead of closing on the 17th inst.
"Rusk.
- _

TIIE GRAND OPERA IN PARIS.—The Academie
Royale de Musique re-opened on Wednesday last under its
new Kginte, the administration of Messrs. Duponchel and
:tamplan. tinder the management of M. Leon Fillet, the
affairs of this immense establishment have fallen into a state
of such depression that a complete change was absolutely
necessary. A system of capricious favouritism was constantly
apparent. The greatest performen—those who had gained
the highest degree of public favour, and who bad raised the
fortunes of the theatre to the palmy state which preceded the
period of Id. Fillet's management—were either driven front
the theatre (as wee the case with Madame Dorus Gras), or,
like Dupree, remained in it under every circumstance of
managerial discouragement. The restoration of the reins of
government to the bands of M. Duponchel, who formerly
held them so ably, promises a return to the old prosperous
days of the opera. The interior of the theatre has been
entirely renewed, and the Paris journals describe its appear-
ance as elegant and brilliant lathe xtre me. The London public
w:➢l probably soon Lave an opportunity to judge of its effect,
as it is said that Drury-lane Theatre, before be.ng opened by
M. Jullien, is to be renewed and embellished by the same
artist and in the same style. The piece chosen for the occa-
sion was lialevy's best opera, " La Juive," which, more-
over, contains Dupres's greatest part, that of Ekarar, in
which his acting has often been compared (and not without
justice) to that of Keen in Shylock. He appeared in full
possession of all his faculties : but voice, after six months' re-
pose, was fresh and powerful, and his representation of the
character had all the truth and terrible energy which used to
clatacteriee it. Mademoiselle Dameron, a young performer,
appeared for the first time in the part of ilachel, and, not-
withstanding her evident timidity, showed herself, as an ac-
tress and singer, a worthy successor of the original represent-
ative of the character—Mdlle. Falcon. Mdlle. Nati was
the Princess Eudazie, and M. Ahmed the Cardinal. The
ensemble was magnificent, and the whole performance was
received with enthusiasm. Our countrywoman, Miss Birch,
is about to make her debut on the Parisian booths in the
part of the Princess in " Guillaume Tell."
A NEW SOPRANO. —A young German singer
(says the Gazette Aftssicale), of a family of high rank in
Berlin, Mademoiselle Cruwell, is at present obtaining great
and legitimate success in Italy. The journals compare her
to Jenny Lind and Madame Pasta.