The Sun.
London, England, 1824-05-17 00:00:00

VIE LATE HEAVY FALLS OF RAtN.

The heavy and continued fall of rain—unpre-
cedented, we believe, at such a season, at least during Many
years, has laid several parts of the suburbs of the Metropolis
under water, and turned roads and meadows into lakes. The
neighbourhood of Brixton, in particular, from the foot of
the hill to Kennington, has exhibited a spectacle of which
none but a few of the. very oldest inhabitants can recols
lect any parallel instance. The little rivulet, the Efrra,
which washes the eastern side of the road, and a large
portion of which hat lately been shored over in the pro-
gress of Lord Holland's improvetnents—a rivulet; which
was heretofore, in the summer months, a scanty brawling
rill, and more recently had assumed the appearance of
little better than an ordinary ditch, has been swollen by the
land floods, of• which it is the natural channel, into a' fear-
ful and roaring torrent, whose banks, though of the height of
seven or eight feet, and leaving a space between them of ten or
twelve, have been broken and overflowed, while the waters,
spreading themselves over the road, poured downwards in all
the semblance of a broad and turbid river, that even the foot-
paths, in several places, were more than knee deep, and the
stages and carriages which were compelled to pass along were
flooded above the axletree. We speak of the state of the inun-
dation as we saw it, at about seven o'clock in the evening of
Saturday, when the waters were still rising. We understand,
I and the evidences are still sufficiently apparent, that before
Midnight they had risen considerably more than a foot higher.
—The depredations that have been committed on fences,
gardens, and habitations (anti these, if report be true, are not
the worst part of the calamity), by the descent of these torrents,
may readily be believed. No less than seven bridges, some of
them of substantial brick, and one even of considerable
breadth, over which there was a good public road, have
been swept down or broken in, and, indeed, it can only have
been by the timely falling in of those on the higher part of
the torrent, and which by forming dams above, turned so con-
siderable a portion of water into the wider road, that any
of the communication between the villas and cottages in
this neighbourhood and the road escaped from one common
wreck. But for such partial- averting of the stream, not Only
these, but the whole extent of the archway in front of the ra-
.pidly-rising village of Holland Town, must inevitably have
been blown up. Trees have been torn from the banks and
hurled into the channels; the planks and timbers of the bridges
were swept away. The fragments of thick walls, with which
the embankments in several places were defended, now obstruct
the stream they were meant to confine ; the hanks upon each side
have been broken, and portions of gardens. shrubberies, and
plantations hurried with the torrent into the Thames. The
inhabitants of the villas and cottages, whose ornamental grounds
have been thus invaded, were to be seen on Sunday morning,
standing on the broken verge of their yet remaining territory,
with dismal and impatient faces, waiting the arrival of planks
and timbers to afford them the temporary means of communi-
cation with the road. While some who had been kept up all
night in watchful apprehension of similar insulation, were in-
dulging in a sort of mournful satisfaction, that though part of
their trim gardens had, " like the baseless fabric of a vision,"
disappeared, their means of communication with their friends
had not entirely been destroyed. The basement stories
of many of the comparatively fortunate houses have been filled
with water; and some families on the western side of the road
have been washed out of their ground floors. But some of the
new cross streets between the Brixton and Clapham roads ex-
hibit a still more melancholy picture. Gardens have been com-
pletely inundated, and that to a considerable depth ; and hot-
beds, plants, and glass-frames, have floated like the wrecks
of Noah's flood; while rows of houses, whose foundations
have been absurdly laid in beds of clay and sloping hollows.
have been flooded, not only above the tops of the garden
pales, but some of them almost to the ceilings of their
I;round floors. Pumps and buckets are still busy in empty-
ing the basement stories of the new houses on both aides
of the main road ; while, on the cross roads already al-
luded to, rafts have been employed for the escape of the in-
habitanta. The tops of walls and palings, and piles of
bricks, in sonic of the hollows marked out for fresh erections,
are still to be seen on the surfaces of lakes which still
remain, and must for weeks remain, covering the sites of
projected streets. The extent of personal accidents which
may have occurred is probably not yet ascertained. But
one gentleman, it is known, who had been obliged to wade
across the flooded road, plunged by mistake into the deeper
waters on the other side, and with difficulty escaped drown-
ing. The like accident happened to a groom, who, by a
plunge of his horse, was thrown into the current. One of
the stage coaches broke down while struggling against the
stream ; the coachman was thrown between the horses, and a
boy who was sitting by his side was plunged over head and ears
in the water ; while a carman, who had been obliged to get
upon the shafts, was washed from his seat, and the wheel pass-
ing over his body, had both his legs fractured in a dreadful
manner. It is even reported that a lady and gentleman, who
were driving in a gig towards Kennington, lost their lives;
that the horse taking fright and stumbling, they were thrown
into the channel, and swept away by the force of the torrent,
and that the lady was taken out' lifeless so far down as the
floodgates at Vauxhall, while the body of the gentleman had
not yet been found. But from the inquiries we have made in
several quarters, we have reason to hope that this report is not
well fountkcl. But the injury to property has certainly been
considerable, and the hazard to the future health of the inha.
bitants, and destruction of the comfort as well as the danger to
the stability of the inundated habitations, all of them recently
ereczecl, may easily be conceived.

(ANOTHER. ACCOITXT.)-1n consequence of the late heavy
falls of rain, the ancient watercourse, named Turnmill-brook,
communicating with the Thames from the vicinity of Highgate
and Hampstead, in that part between St. Pancras and the House
of Correction, overflowed the banks, inundated the gardens and
did considerable injury to the inhabitants and their dwellings.
The Bagnigge Wells 'tavern, being immediately contiguous to
and inconvenience to suchadegree, a degree, the brook, experienced injury
that on Saturday afternoon all was bustle and confusion to
pump and clear the water from the premises. About 9 o'clock,
a report reached that place, that one man by accident, ;Aid
another in endeavouring to rescue him, had been washed from
the open part of the gardens in the Bagnigge Wells road
down to the inclosed part at the back of I'carl Crescent. Every
endeavour was made by -the inhabitants of the Tavern to impede
their further progress and render assistance ; and in a short time
they succeeded in rescuing one person almost exhausted, who
had grappled the stem of an alder tree. The most prompt means
were used for relieving him of his clothes; external and internal
comforts were administered, and the best bed prepared. The
person thus saved from a watery grave, was soon recognised
to be Mr. King, of Drury-lane Theatre, who had mistaken an
opening in the railing, and was instantly precipitated into the
rapid current of the brook which flowed, but had not been fol.
lowed by any other person. In the space of an hour and a half
he was so far recovered as to be " himself again,"—convinced
his friends they might " throw physic to the dogs," and walked
home in company with his " far better half," who had been
summoned by the call-boy to the aquatic spectacle.

WATER TELESCOPE.—We have been favoured
with an account of a new optical instrument of very consider-
able ingenuity, invented by a Mr. W. Leslie, of Lansinburgh,
United States, for seeing through water, and thus exploring
the bottom of rivers, &c. It consists of a tube that may be
varied in length as occasion shall require, about an inch
broad at the top, where the --eye is' applied, and regu-
larly enlarging to the bottom; which bears a proportion
to the other end, about 10 to lin diameter. Each end is glazed.
The great reason why one cannot look through water to the
bottom, is 'be reflection and refraction of Vie rays of light upon
arriving at the surface. This glass overemnes that difficulty, by
extending the eye, as it were, into the denser medium, and
making use of the light which is in the water, where the rays
pursue right lines, as well as in the rarer medium of the arr.
For use in the night, it is fitted with lamps suspended near the
bottom in a short cylinder, which goes on over the top of the
tube, and descends till the bottom of the cylinder is as low as
the bottom of the tube, and there it is secured. In the space
between the cylinder and tube, lamps are suspended; the
mouths of the cylinder, as well as the tube being glazed.
—To let off the smoke of the lamps, and supply them with air,
two small pipes, the first from the top, and the second from the
bottom of the cylinder, lead up the side of the tube. The lamps
throw a strong light around, and the bottom of the river is
easily examined. The advantages of such an instrument
will readily occur. Among other interesting ones, the ipeedy
recovery of drowned boeies is one, and it would doubtless be
the means of saving many lives. Lost property too may be
found, and the impediments to e,xcavation discovered and their
removal facilitated.—(Mechanic's Magazine.)

INCREASED SALE or SATIN SIIOES.--A. Corre-
spondent informs us, that the sale of Ladies' white satin shoes
has been greatly increased of late in this city from the follow-
ing cause. It would appear the steam-boats claim the liberty
of putting their ashes and cinders ashore on the quays at diffe-
rent ports, where they remain, in consequence of which every
lady passenger who lands, has to wade through a heap of
dirty, dusty ashes and cinders. Being so beneficial to the shoe
trade, our Correspondent adds, that it is believed a petition
will be got up to the House of Commons against preventing
the practice, should such be attempted.--(Glasgow Courier.)

IMPORTANT FROM LISBON.

ATTEMPT TO DETHRONE THE KING OF

PORTUGAL.

Advices have this morning been received from

Lisbon. Every thing there was in great confusion

n consequence of an attempt being made by

the QUEEN'S party to dethrone the KING, and

which was only frustrated by the fidelity of

the officers of the army who adhered to the KING.

Count PALMELLA had been thrown into prison,

and the QUEEN and Prince MICHAEL had been

removed to a distance of ten miles from Lisbon.

CITY, ONE ()Timm
MOST IMPORTANT.

The fate of South American independence, or
at least the great and important question as to
the final decision to be taken by Great Britain
on the subject of recognizing the new Trans-At-
lantic States, is at length brought to a crisis. Ad-
vices have this morning been received from Paris
by Express, with the intelligence that Lord EL-
LIOTT passed through that capital on Friday from
Madrid, with dispatches for the Foreign Office,
Downing.street. His Lordship left Madrid on
the 6th inst., and his dispatches contain the ulti-
mate decision of the Spanish Government respect-
ing the revolted provinces. That decision is, the
positive and irrevocable decision of King FERDI-
NAND not to recognise the independence of any

one of the new States, and on the contrary 1114
resolution to adopt measures for their recovery•

Very unexpectedly, it is now very much rear'
ed by the best informed persons in Paris, th°t
the Project of Law for the Reduction of the
Rentes will not be carried in the Chamber of
Peers. This would indeed be a Misfortune far
the civilized world, inasmuch as the rejection °i,
the Ministerial Project will greatly diminish the
existing motives for the maintenance of Pence'

It was asserted at Paris that three FrePc4
Bankers have contracted for a loan of a hundred
millions of francs to the Government of FEaPi‘
NAND VII.; and that the Constitutional BOnds

are not included in the terms of the agreement'
An authentic private letter from Madrid, low"
ever, of the 6th inst. is silent as to this alleged
transaction, though its writer possesses the best
means of information.

The purport of Lord ELLIOTT'S dispatches 016
not known on the Paris Exchange when the ex-
press came away. Similar dispatches had bee"
received I,py the French Government.

FRENCH FUNDS ON SATURDAY.
Rentes, 1041. 95e. to 105 f.
DITTO ON SATURDAY.
New 3 per Cents, 82, to 82i.
Five per Cents. (Money) 1041. 60e.
End of Month, 1051.
Spanish, 18i.

Haf-past One.—Consols opened this morning
at Otni for Account, and 96 money. They are
now Ka for the Account, with little doing.
FOREIGN MARK ET.—A good deal doing•
South American Stock falling in value. Alexicaa
has declined above one per cent.

Ar.alEas.—Accounts, we see, have reached
town, importing that all matters have been set..
tied between the Algerines and the British Goy
verament, and our Dover letter, received thfs
morning, which we subjoin, informs us that
Lieutenant MARTIN, R. N., landed last night
with dispatches from Algiers, and, of courser
brought them immediately to town. It is some'
what surprising that official intelligence has not
appeared on a subject of such importance, as oa
the Bth instant we stated that letters of the lath
of April, at Cagliara, in Sardinia, were received
on the 7th inst. from Sir WILLIAM CURTIS, i°
which the worthy Baronet stated 46 that matters
have been peaceably adjusted with the Alge'
tines, and that, therefore, he should remain soma
time in the Mediterranean."

DOVER, Sunday Evening, May 16.

Lieut. MARTIN, R. N. has just landed
dispatches from Algiers. lie came via Marseille
and KroistuLthis.after_nnnu in n. F.--oh
galley.

ITURI3IIM-The following particulars respect-
ing ITuaßinz, the Ex-Emperor of Mexico, mar
be confidently trusted. He left Taunton, not for
Bath, as stated, but for Southampton, and after
remaining there a day or two left, that place
on Tuesday last, with a large suite, in the
Cowes Packet-boat, and from thence went
directly on board a fast-sailing vessel at.
Cowes, which immediately sailed. He took
a large quantity of stores and arms, be-
sides a considerable amount of dollars aud
bills. His house at Bath had been given up
more than three weeks before. It is impossibly

to ascertain the immediate object of this sudden
departure, but it is conceived to be with the fall
sanction of the Spanish Government at home.---
He is an intelligent, high-spirited character, and
is very affable and conciliatory in his manners.

'We have received some more of Friday's Par►s'
Papers, and the Mode of Saturday, from which

we subjoin extracts :
ODESSA, APRIL 20.—A vessel has just entered our port,
which has come from Constantinople ia three days. The news
which it brings is not very interesting. A report was current
in the capital of the Ottoman Empire, that Colocotroni, who
for these three years past has kept up the flames of discord
among the Greeks, has at length perished by their hands.
This circumstance would be fortunate for the insurgents, Colo-
cotroni being formally accused of having an understanding
with Foreign Powers. The Greeks in Odessa do not consider
the news of his death as certain.—(Augsburg Gazette.)
MADRID, MAY s.—The Act of Regulation of the Royalist
militia has been abolished by a Decree, dated 4th of this month.,
Several cities in the kingdom had sent addresses to the King to
obtain this decision. The city of Cordova particuL-ly-distin-
guished itself by the energy of its language.
By a Decree of his Majesty, the Police of the Biscayau Pro-
vinces will be confided to Provincial Deputations, and not to
Councils of War.

The Oriontal Spectator ceased to appear on the 77th of
March. The following is the last news it gives us :—" We
have just learned that the English Pllilhellenes have positively
lent to the Greeks 30 millions of piastres to ensure the success
of their cause. They have already sent them N cannon, St.c..-7
They have likewise proposed to the Greek Government to-
build a steam-boat calculated to throw bombs, and to take the.
fire-ships in tow in a time of calm. It will carry 41wenty-sixes
pounders."

The ex-constitutionalist Dronet did not die at St. Minehoud,
as some Journals have stated, but at Macon, where he had
lived for 8 years under an assumed name.
PARIS, MAY 13.—An inhabitant of this city, who had groat

confidence in the Spanish loan, and who purchased in the loan
of 1821, to the amount of forty thousand francs, has written a
letter to the Minister of Finance of his Vhristian Majesty, which

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