The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-09-24 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

SEPT. 22.

Atrived the Dry Harbour, twin Guernsey. Cup-
taia .

'lie Sparrow is appointed convoy to the Ma-
deists, and the Racehorse to the Cape of Good
1101)e; she will likewise touch at the format place.
The 'Mediterranean convoy will sail about Tuesday.

PLYMOUTH, bEPT. 21.

Arrived the Peruvian, of IS guns, Capt. Doug-
-1 as, from Commit, pith dispatches from General
.Leith ; Snapper schooner, and Joseph cutter, from
the Channel fleet ; also the Sealant, from New-
' York for Bolirdemp., with 33 passengers, detained
by the fudifatigabk.
Sailed the Drosun, of 74 guns, for Portsmouth ;
Betsey, Coiner, tender, for Liverpool ; and the
Betsey cutter, to join the Channel A i.e.—Wind S.

R•MSWITE, SEPT. 91.

Several transports arrived here yesterday and
the day before, and this morning about 250 foot
artillery, and a detachment of the Royal waggon
marched iii, and embarked; more are ea-
'wetted this afternoon or to-inorrow morning.
Three o'clock—A large fleet of transports are
now at anchor off Ramsgate, and some are coining
round the North Foreland; altogether more than
30 sail may he coasted, and there is no doubt but
the Spanish troops are on hoard.—They will make
for the Downs this evening's tide.

SHEERNESS, SEPT. 22.
Sed.,(l from the Nore, this mornin4, the Leberet,
with the trade under convoy for Ootteuburgh.

DEAL, SEPT. n.
Sailed the Ramifies, for Sheerness.—Wind S.W.

FROM LLOYD'S LIST.

AirrCT.Nl), Sire. 94.—Past by the Pilgrim, Green,
fv•ln St. lkiniin;e; Mircia, Joust., from Itr•.tu•rara ; Reso-
lution, l'esrv, from Dublin ; Dispatch, Farmer, flora Lime-
rieh ; Couolly, from Cast ; Jobo, Crolotrtsr, from
fbe Brazils ; and Sault, IVoorlberry, from. Tenerife..—Sailed
the RoJrn, for the Suitt% Seas; Harbert., ”Ilson,
sin Vile:Ate ; Friendship, Pearson, fur Hayti; Goldfinbo,
..or ()porta ; I)ispstrh, Rowe, Air Wexford; George,
For ; and Commerce, Tindall, for Gibraltar.

.41 Rumen
Is Standzate Creck—the Raven Remy, from -Mogndere.
At Liverpool...Penland. from Trinidad
fn the Clyde—Fovonrite, C Maio, from Tobago ; Fortune,
%%main from Demerara; and Lord Melvilte, Cameron, fe um
Donhiaka;

Fleo.4Tl NG IS L.l ND.

We hare roteived the tollowing ingenious com-
munication from a gentleman at Keswick
• tilt--The floating island, lately mentioned in
your Jourtial, made its uppearatiee about eight
necks ago, and is said to he in the habit of repeat-
iiig its visits after the internal dr seven or nine
years. But it appears to me probable, that
are toleli regulated by the weather; and that,
after w tit ordry mid hot weather, it May be always
-expected. It is situ deft at the head of Drys:cot
lake. fitiOnt a stone-east from the •shore; its extent
-is about an acre of kround. It is of an oblong
*hat*, mei hi the middle of it is a largehole, about
. tight yards I.r.e,g and two blood ; this hole has evi-
dently been cia.le- by corinited retitled air.—
The depth of era comnoiing it is in rime parts two
feet,- in °Ulm noire ; and in ftweing a stick thronah
it at ili!feront pieces, air arose iii large 'bubbles ;
and as this confined air escapes, the island, I con-
ceive, lessens, and' at lerigtii sinks, by its own
heeotrieetntiis the bottom of the lake,.
Its sides adhere to the rieigiitiouring soil with a
steep descent, ertesistat one corner, about six yards
in length, which appeani like a honk. This bank
has actually heen•thie reinaius of the sidei of u hole
ore former hiked ;. far these,tenintwary islands ere
found to change th;:iirposition at every appearance,
arid the present itfand is ,!iiiinerharricerer the shore
than former *nos have hen. • -
There art tube riczni• this island the half-
decayed remains of very large trees.
Various causes hate' been assigned for this phe-
nomenou, in d Guide to Ike Lakes, published stl
years sz,n. Theauthor says, there is a "Mill brook,
which falls from the mountain opposite to the
island. which is found to laity itself in the sand,
and to make its nay below the soil under the lake,
till it forces up the soil by the accumulation of wa-
ter under the lake. Ilia what becomes of this
cause, when it is known, that before the two lust
appearance,. of an island, which hippened iu lily
renwinbrancr, the:e lied been a long fit of dry and
hot weather, and that the chaumlof the said brook
was completely without water, (ruin the top to
the bottom, for many weeks previously to the is-
land's ascent ; and that, when it first appears, no
water can be discovered beneath it-..mothing but
confined air?

Now the most probalil - Cause of the formation of
this island seenis to be this:—When the weather
has been dry and hot for many weeks. the immense
stoner and enormous masses of rock contiguov.- to
the shore, becoming heated to ft great olegree, lin-
part their culoricor heat to a cold medium, the soil
under the lake, and thus mrifying - the air and
moisture underneath the soil (the bottom of the
lake being at this place composed of a network of
lough weeds and grunt, so interwoven with the earth
.As to confine the atir), the sir, by gradual expati-
sion, elevates the soil, and forms au island. And as
the water of the hike is ut this time much lessened,
Of consequence, the pressure from \above not
le great, the raritied air more easily products this
effect.
The ci

inorever, attontling the ap-
pearance of th 9 island, seem to evince finch a cause
as CO; for tlfe island no sooner ari.cs, than au
earthquake is exhibited—the island is turn asunder
in the middle with a great crash and jarring noise ;
tke water, with the utmost agitation, returns film
its surface to the lake ; a column of gas or vapour
instantly ascends; and the water, with a dreadful
violenee, rushes into the space thus haconte vacant,
(a space not less thau seven or eight thousand yards
in circumference, and several fathoms deep) and
the lake at this place seems as if boiling. Such
were the awful appearances attending that two last
ri•iags of the island, /13 spectators assure me. They
differ only in this—the rent of the present island is
not so long as that of the former, but much broader.
I cm yonr s sincerely.
Keswick, Sepiembet s, 1808.