The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-17 00:00:00

SPECIAL MEETING.

The meeting was then made special, to consider the
propriety of resuming the works on the Basingstoke and
Salisbury line between Andover and Salisbury, and of
applying to Parliament in the present session for an act
to sanction the completion by this company of the entire
line as authorised by the act of 1846.
The. CHAIRMAN moved that the directors be authorised
to complete the line between Andover and Salisbury,
and to make such arrangements relative thereto, and to
prosecute such applications in Parliament for the neces-
sary powers for its completion, as they should see fit.
(Cheers.)
Mr. WOOD opposed tho motion.
- - -

Upon the que;tion being put,
Mr. LOCKE suggested that the further consideration
of the question should be adjourned until Saturday,
maintaining that unless the line was further extended
into the west of England it would never pay one shilling
to the company.

After some discussion on the subject, in which it was
contended that if they did not make the line some other
party would, and most probably in opposition to them,
the resolution was carried with two dissentients.

A vote of thanks to the chairman closed the proceed-
ings, which lasted nearly five hours and a half, and were
only hastened to a conclusion by one or two messages
that a party of 400 gentlemen were to dine in the room
at half-past five o'clock, and that a large portion of the
company had arrived.

The Poll takes place this day and to-morrow, at the
York-road station.

EAST LANCASHIRE.

The eighteenth half-yearly meeting of the East Lan-
cashire Company was held at Bury, yesterday afternoon•
Mr. John Dugdale, of Blackburn, chairman of the di-
rectors, presided. The report, of which we have 'before
given an abstract, was taken as read. The Chairman
said, when he last had the honour of addressing the
shareholders, he stated that the property of this com-
pany was in a sound and improving condition, he
trusted that they would now consider that that estimate
was verified by the reports and accounts which had been
placed in their hands. During the past half-year, all
the arrears of calls upon shares had been received, and
the account for all calls made up to that time had been
closed. The mortgage-debt of the company had been
increased during the past half-year by 13,9741. at 31 per
cent. During the same peried they had paid off loans
of 57,8901., at 5 per cent. ; 2,050/., at 41 per cent. ;
and 24,8251., at 4 per cent. ; making a total of 24,7651.,
which had been replaced at 34 per cent. ; thus reducing
he average rate of interest on the whole of their
Mortgage debt by about one-eighth per cent. since June
last. The directdrs were now refusing to take money
at 31 per cent, for any period less than five to seven
years. The chairman, after some further remarks in
elucidation of the report, , concluded by moving the
adoption of the report and accounts. Mr. Riley (di-
rector) seconded the motion, -which was carried with
one dissentient. The chaitman then moved the divi-
dend' of 3 per cent, per annum on the ordinary capital
stock to be payable, less dividend, on the 25th instant.
Mr. Blacklock, a director, in seconding the motion, said
when it was recollected that three years ago the com-
pany could hardly pay one per cent.--at least, he be-
lieved they ,did not honestly.earn so much at the time—
and that 'now they were able to divide 3 percent., which
eernhad ofb but 90,0001.
10w.
;hialsntdthe
he
was honestly earned, there was sufficient evidence of the
improving condition of their property. A shareholder
41 oilltohnis aclio
dmpNanoyrthba-Wst had
a reserve
proposed they should divide 4 per cent. The original
motion was carried unanimously. This concluded the
business of the meeting, and a vote of thanks was given
to the chairman.

TAFF VALE.
The half-yearly meeting of proprietors in this under-
taking was held yesterday (Wednesday) at the White
Lion Hotel, Bristol ; W. Coffin, Esq., chairman of the
company, presided. There was a numerous attendance.
The report stated—" The balance of accounts enables
your directors to declare a dividend of 41. 10s. on each
original share of 1261., payable on the 7th of March next,
and a dividend in the same proportion on the quarter and
101. shares. They have also applied the usual half-
yearly sum of 7501. to the depreciation fund." The
report was adopted ; and the meeting having been made
special for the purpose, a series of resolutions was then
passed for converting the shares into capital stock.
A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the pro-
ceedings.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS.
• in, • Tins GREATNORTHERNn.A.ILWAY.—TraffiC return for
the week ending Feb. 6, 1853 (285 miles) £14,212 15 0
Corresponding week last year (2414 miles) 11,491 10 0
LANCASHIRE AND YORKSIHRII RAlLWAY.—Traffic rer
turn for the week ending Feb. 13, 1853 £17,038 10 9
Corresponding week last year 16,056 2 5
CHESTER AND. HOLYHEAD RAlLWAY.—Traffic return for
railway and steam-boats for the week ending
Feb. 13, 1853
Corresponding week last year 2,514 12 3

Increase in 185.3 £633 3 5
CORK AND BANDON RAILWAY.--Traffic return for the
week ending Feb. 12, 1853 £147 19 9
Corresponding week last year 124 8 6

BATHING •IN THE DEAD SEA.---Beyond Mebbee
Moussa we came out upon the last heights overlookingthe
Dead Sea, though several miles of low hills remained to
be passed. The head of the sea was visible as far as the
Rasel Feshka on the west, and the hot fountains of the
Callirhoe on the eastern shore. Farther than this all
was vapour and darkness. The water was a soft, deep,
purple, hue, brightening into blue. Our road led down
what seemed a vast sloping causeway from the moun-
tains, between two ravines, walled by cliffs several hun-
dred feet in height. It gradually flattened into a plain,
covered with a white, saline incrustration, and grown
with clumps of sour willow, tamarsh, and other shrubs,
among which I looked in vain for the osier, or Dead
Sea apple. The plants appeared as if smitten with
leprosy, but there were some flowers, growing almost to
the margin of the sea. We reached the shore about two
Sea is 1,300 feet below the Mediteranean, and without
air so
dTenhe sehaent stobynentashiisontimpaeinwaaisn mmoysteasreay. ereT,
haen h
Dd
etade
doubt the lowest part of the earth's surface. I attribute
the oppression I felt to this fact and to the sultriness of
the day, rather than to any . exhalation from the sea
itself. Francois remarked, however, that, had the wind
my face. The sea was moderatelneinwegalss:
which by this time was veering round to the north-
east, blown from the south, we could scarcely have en-
dured it. The sea resembles a great cauldron, sunk be-
tween mountains from 300 to 400 feet in height, and,
probably, we did not experience more than, a tithe of the
summer heat. I proposed a bath, for the sake of experi-
ment, but Francois endeavoured to dissuade us. He had
tried it, and nothing could be more disagreeable; we
risked getting a fever, and, besides, there were four
hours of dangerous travel yet before us. But by this
outsbytleeet tOOO
Iffsink
te Ithexle.
time we were half undressed, and soon were floating on
the clear bituminous waves. The beaoh was fine gravel,
ttnli 'di oneatlt
at. bodyetswsbaeri
ssoe:ilemiTqphu halfiasts:i
and shelved gradually down. I kept my turban on my
th,VrteaonUtdoldnggrtauic'eyeflutikllileye
head, and was careful to avoid touching the water with
andsoft
evenan d soothingwhile
swimming,
to othe
shttseahk antei
water. I should think it possible to dive for a short
wdiasttearneise,sablutyt parnedfeprutnha]nst,omanedo
experiment. With a log of wood for a pillow one might
vpw sleepieoi
discomfort fosrntiarwtili.ni:h
smenossattitorna: .
saltpetre. We were obliged to dress with all haste,
r itni
son,
yuac as
bruised
vnvu eieoer rllleyde little wipingthi‘there
rieo owfpflaat.
Yellers have remarked.. Where the skin had been pre- '
and my body, felt clammy and glutinous, ' but the bath
was rather refreshing than othepvisq.,A Journey from, i
New York to Nineveh. _