The Sun.
London, England, 1837-08-29 00:00:00

PHENOMENA IN LOUGH FOYLE.

In the course of the season, but during the last week
particularly, certain tribes of fish, as if acted upon by new
influences—whether atmospherical or not we do not pretend
to decide—have engaged in movements which, so far as
man's memory serves, are quite unprecedented. In de-
tachments they have left their accustomed haunts, and re-
paired to places which they were never known to have pre-
viously visited. Sprats of the very finest quality have mad*
their appearance at the mouth of the Foyle ; and below,
Greencastle they have been actually driven on shore by the.
rock or crag herrings, of which they are the natural prey-
These herrings are to be found in great shoals, and in the
impetuosity of their pursuit occasionally get stranded ; and,
indifferent as they are as an article of food, they are of ex-
cellent service to the farmer as a manure. But what may
be deemed more strange is, that pilchards in considerable
numbers have been taken in the herring nets, and brought
to the Derry market. It was long thought that the only
parts of the British seas which these fish frequented were
the coasts of Cornwall and Kinsale ; but certainly until
this season they were never known to approach the coast
of Ulster.
Though the great body of herrings still continue to linger
upon the Scotch coast, the few shoals which have appeared-
in the Foyle have been very attractive to the bottle-noseat
whale or grampus, several individuals of which have been-
seen in the lough—to which, indeed, unlike the sprat and-
the pilchard, they are not entire strangers. About eight;
days ago one, not of a great size, got so entangled in 0-
herring-net that he was secured and brought on shore by the
fishermen. It had destroyed nearly a half of the net, but
we believe that the value of its blubber will fully repair the
damage. On Tuesday two whales came up the lough in
succession, and the uncouth gambols of one of their' vvo
had the pleasure of observing. As he rose to blow, be
realized, as it were, the poetic idea of a sea-god driving
his finny flocks before him ; for, in advance, was a
shoal of fish, whose presence was indicated by dense
flocks of sea fowl, of almost every variety, whose dis-
cordant screaming might have been heard at the dis-
tance of miles. Twenty dog-kennels, in a state of rebellion,.
could not have set forth a wilder clamour. Above all, the
voice of the osprey, like the rattling of far off thunder, was
distinctly audible, and seemed to impose momentary silence
upon the inferior birds. After it had got opposite to Movilep
the whale commenced his descent, while the fowl pursued.
their course up the river. Most of the boats happened to
be out on pleasure excursions, otherwise, we presume, an
attack would have been made on the strange monster.
Another phenomenon, in regard to the Foyle fisheries, is
the very superior quality of the salmon which have been
caught this season. Their abundance does not surprise us,
for months ago we foretold it, our prediction being founded
upon the continuous floods of last spring, which enabled the
fry to descend in safety to the ocean. But whence the im-
provement in the quality ? It cannot be, we suppose, that ,
the late fine weather has had any sensible influence upon the
temperature of the ocean on our coast, and, in that waY
multiplied the food upon which the salmon subsist.—Defy'!
Journal.

On Wednesday last the foundation stone of Bishop.
Ryder's Church was laid at Birmingham by the Bishop of
Worcester, assisted by the most influential body of the
clergy, gentry, &c., of the neighbourhood.
The reports of the existence of the cholera at
Genoa turn out to be without foundation, although there
had been some cases of suspicion there, according to letters
received from Leghorn of the 25th ult.
The American packet-ship Ville de Lyon put into
Plymouth on Wednesday night, having been struck by
lightning. The following is an extract of the log :--" At
ten, p.m., Barfleur Light bearing S.S.W., distant about 15
miles, they experienced a heavy squall from W.S.W. with
rain. Whilst in the act of taking in sail the ship WO
struck by lightning. The electric fluid descended by the
main-topsail sheets, passed through the bolt into the pas-
sage way leading to the cabin, thence ran along the bell-
wires in the steward's pantry, melting those connected with
the larboard state-rooms, and passed through the side into
the water, starting several of the trecnails, and ripping the
copper. Two men engaged in hauling taut the main-top
sail
sheet were instantly killed, and two others were hurt.
Within a minute after another shock still more severe
struck the ship in the same manner as the first, and escaped
in the same direction. A passenger who was in the steward's
pantry examining the effects of the first stroke, was slightly
injured in the head by the second. Notwithstanding the
appalling scene, perfect order was observed. Captain Stod-
dard immediately sounded the pumps and examined the
vessel in every part. The appearance of the lightning Was
most remarkable. When the fluid struck the ship
the explosion resembled that of a bomb. The ves-
sel, both above and below deck, appeared to be filled
with fire. At twelve, P.m., the wind moderated? The
Ville de Lyon is a new vessel of 800 tons burthen, and has
on board a large number of cabin and steerage passengers.
—West Briton.

Sheep-stealing has become of late the most preva-
lent crime in the county of Lincoln, and who were the
thieves, or their manner of disposing of the stolen property,
had long remained undiscovered. Lately suspicion seemed
to rest on a person who had considerable property, name
Ellis, and held a farm near Moulton Weston. Mr. Hardy,
a grazier, of Potland, lost ten sheep last week, which well
proved to have been sold by Ellis, five at Peterborough and
five at Spalding markets. A warrant was in consequence
executed on Ellis, who has been remanded that other cases
of robbery of sheep may be brought against him. The Pri-
soner has been extremely well brought up, and lately came
into possession of 2,oool.—Lincoln Gazette.

HORIZONTAL FLAT WATCHF4S,I
with accurately finished jewelled movements, warranted, are offer.e
in Silver cases, price Five Guineas each ; or in Gold cases, PZ.
Nine Guineas each, at T. COX SAVORY'S, Watchnaaker, Je^
ler, and Silversmith, 47, Cornhill, London.
N.B.—Second-hand Watches purchased in

BIRTHS.
On the 26th inst., at Champion-hill, the wife of T. H. B°tbagt-
ley, Esq., of a son.
On the 10th inst., at Valetta, the lady of Captain Jilanners, of
the 5 thegm inst. ent of a son.
On t26th ,at Hastings Lodge, the lady of Fred. North,
Esq., of a daughter.

MARRIED.
of Cain'
On the 20th inst., at Camberwell, Geo. Fenner, Esq.,
berwell-grove, to Miss Caroline Osborne, of Friday-street.

DIED.
On the 22d inst., at Seyne, near Lancaster, Mrs. Bradley, the
q
mother of 11. G. Bradley, Esq., and aunt of T. Greene, Es''
M. P. for Lancaster.
On the 2kith inst., in llighbury Park, Eloise, the lady of 1L
Masterson, Esq

lkif 0'
London : Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG, °-
112, Strand, at The Sun Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Nu'
of Middlesex..-Tuesday, August 29, 1537.