The Sun.
London, England, 1801-09-29 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR.

SIR,

I have read your entertaining account of the
new subject of consternation at Margate, without
attempting to offer any hint for the taming of that
indefatigable unruly member the tOngue.—=l. cannot
help noticing the avidity with which the most pal-
pable absurdities are swallowed in the present
period, particularly by the women.
Had any wag present seriously asserted, on the
entree of the swimmers from I?anzsgate, that they
were just arrived in that situation from the Caspian
Lake, or
.Nova Zetnbla, Iwhich certainly was as
probable as their swimming from Ramsgate,) I am
well persuaded twenty out of the two dozen damsels
present would have repeated it; withjhe strongest
asseverations, that they had ocular demonstration of
its authenticity. Nor might they think they
" o'erstep'd the modesty of truth," in the assever-
ation ; for they might imagine the Caspian Lake,
or Nova Zembla, were the proper names of the surf
and waves .a-Margate on a coronation or stormy
day. Permit me to add, I think we have less to
fear from the invasion of the French than from the
hostile attack of domestic-tongues:
Would it not beta salutary ad of patriotism in
the Legislature to pass an Edid, that each indivi-
dual should commit their words to paper ; or, in
cases where the parties could not write fast enough,
or spell ;heir words, a proper officer should be
appointed in each distrid, daily to note down the
diurnal reports and observations ? To reimburse
the expences of time, paper, &c. a tax of one
penny per word should be laid upon all reports
and consultations made after ten o'clock at night,
or before six.the subsequent -morning. Also upon
all words spoken at card tables, races, rallies, bil-
liards, and on the church gossips, who talk during
Divine Service. Thirdly, on all comments on the
words or adions of others When the parties alluded
to are absent, and of course incapacitated for.self-
defence, and unable to state the motives which in-
fluenced them to speak the words, or commit the
ael, die Parties are debating on.—This, Mr. Editor
would be a source of mental improvement ; and by
the sea-side, where refledors are touch wanted, but
very thinly stationed, it might prove a national
benefit. lam persuaded it would tend to the good
order and peace of Society, and the tax would bring
an immense revenue to Goverment.
I am inclined to think theetetvimmers from Rams-
gate to Margate, will be sooner exhausted than the
Blackheath Sruiindiers of ideal notoriety; but as I
have, through the medium of your Paper, challenged
the propagators of that falsehood to maintain their
ground—if they can !—I will not at present animad-
vert on that subject, but request you will not insert
the answers of any who cannot state their MUMS
and place.of abode.
11.0BEkTSON.
Huntingdon, Sept. 231 iBOl. •

.A private Letter from rerbay, in SWitzetiand,
observes—" that the Country has nearly recovered
itself from the ravages of War. Mr. BECKFORD
has bought, the .Castle, of Chatelard, near Vevay,
celebrated by the loves of Abelard and Eloisa.:. It
is in a state of thorough repair ; but Mr. BECK-
FORD means to make many alterations in it, it
being his intention to settle there for some time.
The Queen Dowager of IiRIiSStA has bought the
Castle of Chemenin, where her Highness intends
passing the remainder of her days. It is situated
about a league and a half. from the Castle of Cha-
telard. An English Gentleman of the name of
ANK IN, is Vilding three magnificent houses at
'Vevay, one for his own residence, the other two
for friends he experts from England. ."A vast num-
ber of English .travellers are now here ; many have
taken houses and settled. A Mr. SMITH is build-
ing a.Chateau,--peifeCtly Gothic, a few miles off.
A new road is nearly completed, it is through the
Simplon (a high mountain which divides the valley
from the Milanese); by this road carriages will be
able to pass with expedition-and safety into Italy.
Three thousand men have been employed daily for
twelve months past in accomplishing this vast
undertaking:'' •
Citizen LALANDE, *lit) .19 certainly . the most
restless Astronomer that every availed himself of the
invention of GALLILco, having found nothing
either consolatory or alarming in the Starsi to the
present generation, has stepped back to the i ath
century, and assures us, that the Planets spoke
false when they predieted the destru4iori of the
world in the year / 036. ,such information is
Lighlj (valuable to those who hire in the 19th cen.
&my,

• - .

EDINBURGA SEPT. i 4..

CR.kNb MILtTAKY,Y.XERCISE:

• ON Tuesday morning, the grand military_ ma-
'• ntruvres took place; 9.11 the'Links.,and Sands, to the
Eastward of Leitl4 •
The four Battalions of Royal Edinburgh. Volum.
teers, with the two Companies. of Royal Edinburgh
and Royal •Mid Lothian Artillery, paraded regi-
mentally at seven o'clock, and marched by separate
Battalions to Leith Links; where they were joined
by the Lanark, Dumfries, and Aberdeen Regiments
of Militia, .from the Camp at Musselburgh, with
the Light Company of the 3.d
.West York from
Edinburgh Castle, two squadrons of the 4th Dra-
goon Guards, from Piershill Barracks, nd two Squa-
drons of the Royal Mid Lothian Cavalry.
Here they formed in a Line, extending the whole
length of Leith Links, in a diagonal.direaion, and
were then brigaded in the following order

RIGHT BRIGADE,
Brigadier-General AYTOI7I4.
•
Two Squadrons 4th Dxagooni
Lieut.-Colonel TittwLEs.
Guards - '
Royal Edinburgh Volunteers
(Blue) , - Lieut.:Colonel HOPE.
Musselburgh and Porto Bello ? Lieut.-Col. WAvcaoi,E.
Volunteers - ) ,
Royal Edinburgh Highland Z Lieut.-Colonel DEWAR.
Volunteers -
Royal Edinburgh Volunteer Lieut.-Colonel SrENS.
Artillery, with four guns

CENTRE BRIGADE.
MajOr-Gen. Sir lAIVIES ST. CLAIR ERS'KINE, Bart,
Royal Lanark Militia Colonel Lord ARCHIBALD
HAMILTON.
Aberdeen Militia - Colonel the Earl ofAisoyNx.

Dumfries Militia - S Lieutenant-Colonel Lord E.
Z LIBANK
With their Battalion guns.

LEFT BRIGADE.
Brigadier-General His Grace the Duke of Buccizucu.
First Bat. td Regiment Royal
Col. CRzcwroN.
Edinburgh Volunteers
Dalkeith and Libberton Vo- Major BA IL L lE.
lunteers -

Second Bat. 2d Regt. Royal
Major HOPE.
Edinburgh Volunteers
Royal Mid Lothian Artillery,
Captain H. R. Midis., s.
with lour guns

Two Squadrons of the Royal
Mid Lothian Volunteer Ca- Lieut.-Col. DUNDAS.
vairy -

The Light Companies of the different Battalions
were formed in detached Bodies in the Rear, under
Colonel the Earl of DALKE ITH.

After being thus brigaded, the Une broke into
!three columns, and marched by different avenues to
Leith Sands, where they deployed into tine with
"great precision, having their Right at Mr. WOOD'S
house, and their Left at the Pier of Leith.

When the heads of the columns appeared on Leith
Sands, the Gun-brigs under Capt. CLEMENTS were
seen lying to, in a well formed Line of Battle
a-head, on the larboard tack, prepared to cover the
landing of the Troops supposed to be on board;
While the. ,columns were deploying, the Light
Infantry advanced, and extended themselves in front
to cover the formation of the Line, and annoy the
Boats as they approached the shore, the Gun-brigs
keeping up a heavy cannonade to cover the landing.
On the Line being formed, the Light Troops
were called in by signal, and the Line commenced
a very close tire by Companies, from the Right of
Battalions, which was kept up for four rounds with
-• great regularity—the Battalion guns at, tile same
time:ple-serving 'a heavy cannonade. •
' The whole then advanced in Line for above a
quarter, of a mile, and close to the water's edge,
with wonderful accuracy, when another close fire,
for fOur rounds, was commenced from the Left of
Battalions by Companies.
, On this fire ceasing, the Cavalry on the Right
and Left charged obliquely itoward.s the Centre,
• and many old Officers present declared they had
.never seen so rapid and yet so regular a, charge.—
Only.one accident happened, by the fall of a horse
of the 4th Dragoon Guards, occasioned by a hole in
the Sands, butiortunately the man was very little
hurt.

After this the whole line changed its front to the
right on a centre battalion, and formed a new line,
if possible with greater accuracy than the first, on
the Dumfries-shire Regiment, having their left at
the Pier of Leith, their rear secured by the town
of Leith, and their right by the Glass Works—the
Royal Edinburgh Volunteers, blue, and the 4th
Dragoon Guards, for want of room forming en
potence. In this position the line fired four rounds
by wings.
During these mantetivres, the boats from the gun_
brigs, well manned, kept up a smart fire of musketry,
under cover of their great guns from the shipping,
and attempted to land, but were repulsed, and
obliged to return to their ships.
The gunboats noW filled, and made a feint as if
they meant to attempt to land in Musselburgh bay ;
on Which the line broke into open column, and
marched from the right to Porto Bello sands.
Here the whole formed line again under cover of
the Sand Hills, This was perhaps the best executed,
and certainly *as the most piluresque movement
of the day ; the line being formed to humour the
windings of the coast and Sand Hills. During this
movement, the light troops constantly covered 'the
flank exposed to the seas and proteted the forma-
tion by a very close fire.
On the word. being given, the Whole line ad-
vanced on the ridge of Sand Hills, having their
right covered by the village of Porto Bello, and
their left by the town of Leith, and immediately
commenced a heavy fire by platoons from the right
of corps.
Another charge by. the Cavalry from the
equally well executed with the
.first, closed the
manoeuvres ; after which the different corps marched
home, by 'different roads, having been under arms
some of them eight hours, and several of them nearly
ten.

There were eight complete battalions under arms,
which, with the light company of the West York,
the cavalry, and artillery, composed a force of nearly
soon men,

Perhaps the sarte movements might have been
executed with more precision by troops long ac-
customed to of together, but the whole were per.,
formed without a single mistake, or the least con-
fusion; and with a degree of regularity that could
hardly have been expeUed,

Ali the movement; we're dii•26lcd icy his tkdeilerie
Lieutenan-General Vy,se in person, and it reet.is
'additional `Credit on -the-troops, and marks the Ge-
neral's precision in giving his-orders, that the plan
:of operations was not previously communicated to
them,—the whole being direaed by orders circulated
on the spot by the Stalf Officers:
General Vyse charged in person at the head of
the Dragoons.

On this occasion the Lot'd ProVosti His Majesty's
Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh, received fiern
hi's Excellency the Cormnander in Chief the f0110,,v-
-mg Letter

P.iinhureto Sept. 22, ;So 1.