The Sun.
London, England, 1847-08-26 00:00:00

* A double return.

MEMBERS RETURNED:

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Peelites ... 110
Protectionists ... ... 213

ROYAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION.—In addition
to the vast fund of intellectual entertainment and scien-
tific information that may be daily acquired at this
valuable establishment, was a lecture on Tuesday last by
Dr. Bachhoffner on electricity and galvanism. In the
course of his lecture the Doctor stated that, although
electricity was constantly spoken of as an electric fluid,
by which we would suppose it was a substance like
water, that may be contained within a vessel, and visible
to the eye. Such was not the fact, and that we are at
present totally ignorant of what electricity really is, but
this is a matter of minor importance, as we are acqaainted
with the method of applying the powerful agent to use-
ful purposes, the greatest of which was the electric tele-
graph, as by its means a message could be conveyed to
any part of the kingdom at the rate of 288,000 miles in
one second, thus bringing as it were the whole kingdom,
and even the continent into a small apace and by this
means affording a most invaluable aid to mercantile
transactions. He had heard that a company was forming
for the purpose of communicating with all the prin-
cipal towns in the kingdom by electric telegraphs. If
this was carried out it would consolidate in a measure
the whole country with the metropolis. There was also
the Dauguerreotype. Twenty years since no person
would believe that a wooden box containing a mirror
would produce a perfect portrait of any person before it,
but now it was well known to be true. Many persons
were impressed with the idea that this was a wonderful
age for inventions ; in this Dr. tt..would not coincide, as
he considered it more an age of adapting and application
for the principles of those inventions were well under-
stood previous to the present time, and it is merely for
the application of them to their present use that we can
claim merit,

Mourir—Aitaitar.—A letter from a guide to tourists,
named Obetione. published in a St. Petersburgh journal,
called the Caucase, says:—" An Englishman, named
Seymour, last autumn engaged me to accompany him to
the convent of Etchmiadzin, at the bottom of Mount
Ararat. When we arrived there he intimated his de-
termination to ascend the mountain. I represented to
him that the session was altogether too far advanced,
and that we did not possess any of the matters necessary
for the ascent. He was, however, resolved to co, and
we at last set off on September 16, at two in the after-
noon, escorted by four Cossacks and three Armenians.
We passed the night not far from Argour, and early the
next morning attacked the abrupt part of the mountain.
On arriving at the elevated point called Kilissatasch, or
church stone, from its resemblance to the cupola of an
Armenian church, we discovered the long band remarked
by M. Abich in 1844, and which leads like a ladder to
the summit of the mountain. We followed it to a level
space above, where we passed the night, being then at a
height about equal to that of the lesser Ararat. The atmo-
sphere was calm, and the temperature not very cold. At
the first light of day we set out for the summit, which
was now perceptible right before us. We soon arrived
at the wooden cross planted in 1844 by M. Abich's ser-
vant. A little beyond the region of eternal snow oom-
mences, and we some hours after reached the spacious
and level summit of Mount Ararat. After the first
effusions of delight we had to think of returning. It was
already after 12 o'clock, a fog was beginning to rise, and
the towns and villages appeared like mere spots. As
soon as Mr. Seymour had written some letters at that
great height, we set about descending, but not by the
same path as we had made use of in coming up. One of
rapidly,p leased
our Cossacks showed us the best node of getting down
bbyyttsxititninggoounr. the snow, and allowing ourselves
to slide down, being able to stop ourselves when we
labour was infinitely lepssosinnetatidbystiocmkpaloyiiit theag tilvr m.odO•uorf
descent."