The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-25 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY OCTOBER 25 1841.

TRAVELLING IN BELGIUM.
MISS ADELAIDE KEMBLE.
AIX-LA-CHAPELLE, OCT. 12, 1541.—The railroal
from Brussels brought me to Liege in about fine hours.
Nobody can fail to remark the inferiority which prevails
in respect of system and arrangement, in Belgian un-
dertakings as compared with English ones. Tire men
at the station seemed absolutely at a loss how to set
our carriage off the rails and on to the road ; and it was
half an hour before we were in motion towards the
town, after reaching the terminus. Liege is immensely
increased since my last visit, in 1834 ; and is Silid to
comprise now above 70,000 inhabitants. Tee air of
bustling, thriving existence, which pervales its popula-
tion, would remind one of the English hive, if it were
not for the women's clean csps and the square yards of
cabbages, carrots, and other green-;grocery, which occupy
the open spaces of the town. These said snowy caps,
you must know, are my delight, and often rise to
my memory when I pass through the suburbs of
London and behold the medley of battered ruins which
perform the part of bonnets on our lower class women's
heads—straw, which is become worse than rotten ; silk,
heedless of colour ; beaver, sans nap ; stuff, only fit to
stop a hole in an Irish cabin ; all and every one serving
but to stamp the wearer with an appeasance of beggary,
which a clean cap would perhaps redeem.: But in Eng-
land no class will endure to proclaim itself the lower
class, whilst Continental peasants have no horror what-
ever of doing so.
But to continue my journey. I heard a vast number
of vehicles clattering about Liege in the evening ; and
on asking the cause, learned that M. Liszt and Miss
Kemble were giving a concert, in the new Casino, said
to contain from 1,200 to 1,500 persons. Our waiter
assured- ma many were unalle to procure admittance
notwithstanding ; the citizens of Liege being famous
for their musical taste, and M. Liszt a general,
favourite here: I came on to Aix-la-Chapelle, post ;
and dismal work it was—the road badly paved
and hilly, and the weather stormy and wet all
the way, thirty-the miles. The first thin"
ona
saw on arriving here was an :Ache of anotherccert
by M. Liszt and Miss Kemble ; and I resolved to
" assist" as the French phrase has it, wishing to hear
my young countrywoman, highly lauded us she has been
by the German connoisseurs. The performance took
place in the Theatre, (a remarkably beautiful structure,
on the Grecian Model,) and an audience of chant 500
people were present, a great many of whom were la-
dies.
An orchestra seas provided to open the concert
with an overture ; at the conclusion of which the cur-
tain drew up and disclosed a pianoforte in the centre
of the stage. Presently Liszt appeared, leading on
Miss Adelaide Kemble ; and they were cordially wel-
comed. Liszt arranged his desk, and seating him-
self at his instrument, preluded awhile on the
keys in his peculiar magical manner ; whilst Miss
Kemble stood, with her sheet of music in her
hand, near him, a shawl on her shoulders, per-
feetly plainly dressed, and her hair braided on her
forehead, also without .ornament. During these few
moments, numberless ideas suggested by her name, the
arduous nature of her profession, her youth, her in-
domitable resolution to become an artiste of the highest
class as a means to independence, her long, toilsome,
almost unaided course of sway, and her spotless repu-
tation—all passed across my mind, and produced within
me a feeling of deep interest towards her. As she pro-
ceeded with her song, the admiration of the audience
became manifest, and she was saluted with hearty sal-
voes of applause repeated several times. I must own
that her style of singing surprised me not a little ; and
such was the charm of both her tones and her ex-
pression, that, unless the English public be
" deaf adders," I augur a brilliant success to Miss
Kemhle's coming performance in London. Few
of the existing female singers of note would
have ventured on such a performance as this,
accompanied only by a pianoforte, although that were
Liszt's ; for the effect was certainly meagre ; the car,
accustomed to the full harmonies of an orchestral score,
finds the absence of this, in the theatre, unsatisfactory ;
and one could not but feel that the effort undergone
by the singer must have been far greater than if a fuller
accompaniment had been there to sustain her through
the difficult passages. However, Miss Ke.nble's sing-
ing really is so charming, that, with or without accom-
paniment, it is worth going far to listen to. She has made
a prodigious impression in Frankfort and Cologne.—
Spectator.

ENCROACHMENTS OF THE SEA.
The. late bristerous weather, which, all along the
south-eastern coast, has been detrimental to the ship-
ping interest, has done some damage at Dover, and
carried away such an immense quantity of bleach, that
the sea now washes in from ten to fifteen feet nearer
the marine parade and Waterloo-crescent than it for-
merly did. To the westward of SLonehead, where the
beach used to accumulate in large
.quantities, and, pass-
ing thence to the mouth of the harbour, prevent free
ingress and egress to the vessels, scarcely a pebble is
now to be seen. It is conjectured that this has been
caused either by the enormous fall of chalk at the
Round Down Cliff, about twelve months ago, having
stopped the progress of the shingle beyond it, eastward,
as formerly, or from the large quantity of beach used
in the construction of the sea-wall between Dover and
Folkstone. Some old boat-houses, situated opposite to
the back of the York Hotel have been washed
down ; and the base of Bullock Rock, on which is
built Archeliff Fort, the residence of the Commandant
of the garrison has been undermined by the sea to a
great extent ; the various deep clefts in this rock would
also lead to an impression that a portion of it must
soon give way. The houses beyond have by the late
gales been placed in imminent danger, owing to the
platform on which they were built, and which extended
several feet in front, having been nearly all carried
into the sea ; and some of the smaller buildings, one
the residence of a poor family, hare been pulled down
to prevent the materials being washed away, and to
make a road to the other houses. The platform lead-
ing to the entrance of the tunnel under the Shakspeare
Cliff, which was many feet in width, has also disappeared,
with the exception of a narrow slip, but as a second
tunnel is yet to be excavated, it will be but a trifling loss
in addition to those already experienced by the South-
Eastern Railway Company. It appears certain that in this
place the railroad will never stand unless a wall, and
that really a good one, scientifically built, be erected to
defend it from the encroachment of the sea. The
whole of the beach having been carried away, there is
nothing to protect that stupendous cliff which Shak-
speare has immortalised, from the reging surf that seems
bent upon its destruction. Several thousand tons
weight fell into the sea on Sunday, near the mouth of
the Railway tunnel, and many huge masses may now
be seen tottering over a very deeply excavated base,
rendering a walk near it extremely dangerous. The
inhabitants of Dover have applied to the. Deputy-
Lieutenant-Governor of Dover Castle, to ascertain if
the Harbour Commissiouers could assist them in adopt-
ing means for preventing the sea making further en-
croachments on the town, and that gentleman promised
to communicate immediately with the Duke of Well-
ington on the subject. The Noble Duke heard of
the circumstance at four o'clock in the afternoon, and,
attended by single groom, started instantly on hore-
back from Walnier Castle, careless of the prevailing
stiff breeze arid threatening clouds. He arrived at
Dover (a distance of eight miles) at five o'clock, to:.
maincd full half an hour, and Own returned in the same
manner. His Grace looked remarkably welt, and was
much cheered.
Owing to the rains which have recently fallen, the
lofty cliffs which extend from Hurst Castle to Christ-
church, on the coast of Hampshire, known under the
name of " Hurdle Cliffs," has been greatly encroached
upon by the sea, and when the wind sets in fresh from
the west and south-west, masses of impending earth ace
continually falling, carrying down with them, at times,
cottages which were but a few years ago tenanted in
safety. The ell church of Hordle, which was built in
the reign of King John, has been obliged to be aban-
doned, and a new one erected, the site of which is re-
moved farther into the land, at some distance from
the cliffs.

MR. DUCROW AND MR. DAVIDGE. —These
popular
i,,lcl7ise,, ,is
a
,
sition the play-going public have had so much cause to
regret, are, we have much pleasure in stating, greatly re-
covered. On Wednesday night Mr. Ducrow, attended
by his medical friend, visited the. Surrey Theatre, and
by a curious coincidence Mr. Davidge himself occupied a
seat in the same stage-box. The two lessees seemed
tench gratified to meet each other, and remained some
time tagether. Mr. Duerow visited the Adelphi Theatre
on Thursday evening, and on Friday he attended the
performance of the new comedy of Old Maids at Covent-
garden Theatre. It is the opinion of Dr. Sutherland
that a few weeks more retirement and quiet will restore
him to his family and the profession.
On Saturday there was a trial of skill by the
candidates (altogether nineteen in number) for the situ-
ation of organist to the Old Church, Stepney ; five of
however, quickly withdrew, and after the fourteenremain-
had played certain exercises on the organ,
powerful one, the late organist (Mr. Hurt),
who was called upon to be umpire, but owing to an ar-
ran,ement made by the Churchwarden, was unacquainted
ivliparties,,
sd.eclaTrhedestehapteiN.soons.ss,a6u,9i 8,
pailiadyeido
otherwere
tii:tie:le best
the, and
p the decision was ultimately in favour of Mr.
Evans, aged 19.
Siseve.a..galineghilvdereryn
much fallen victims to this direful malady, chiefly those.
iinVersh.,yl-di IT
have allowed
01
SMALL
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dwai I°ll.lh Mercury.

On Saturday evening
THE ADELAIDE GALLERY.
MNEMONICS.
we attended at this hall of sci-
ence to hear Major Beniowski's Lecture on Artificial Mc-
emery, and to obserVe the progress of his pupils. Tire
Lecturer comine*ecl with a
general explanation of the
princip!es of his syestetn, and pointed out, very much to
our satisfaction, how
greatly that system differs from
the exploded one of Von Fe-Megle, at the same time
that he prolcsses to have derived vast benefit from the
labours of the Luxemburg quack, who, in our opinion,
did no more than encumber the mnemonics, which were
in use beihre his time, with an absurd and mischievous
machinery. Referring to the doubts which we have
expressed in The Situ, as to the possibility of communi-
cating to anotherpereon by an artificial system a memory
of similar powers to that of which the very learned Major
gives such wondertaleproofs in his public lecture, he in-
vited us to test the4memonical acquiremeats of a class
of gentlemen, who had received but three lessons. Tne
exercise was proposed to be of such a nature as would
exemplify the application of his system to the recol-
lection of foreign words in connection with their Eng-
lish interpretation. He said that we might propose
any list of words selected from languages of which the
pupils were totally ignorant, or of artificial words in-
vented on the instant and having an arbitrary meaning
in English assigned to them on the instant. Such a
task as the latter part °fella alternative would impose
most
erre d
upon es was beyond our powers of invention, and wn •
choseos rather theec u
followingto us,
list
fromeom languagesposedofsuel,v)
~ wroyril;telal
es
t a d o
studied (we regret) in England, and not Vrkely to be
familiar to the members of this elev. We dictated
the words, us nearly 4 we can
ing order, and the jg[tior
in the follow-
large letters upon a
l'''.af wrote them accordingly in
directed their at': .ek board, to which the pupils
cation :
HIN-Dus7aNEE.—ltanee, Queen ; Chitnees, Secre-
tary aihaderee, Favour ; Sahib, Lord.
HEBREW.—Aretz, Earth ; Hannmayin, The Waters ;
(whence) Huunnums, The Baths; Beth, House
Jegar, Heap.
GERMAN.—Anfang, Beginning ; Pferde, Steed ;
Kind, Child ; Zeitung, Journal.
SLAVONIC.---Bugiu, God ; Czort, Devil; Slowo,
Word ; Slawo, People ; Bylo, Was.
ARABIC.—Itas, Head ; Gibbel, Mountain ; Zeitoun,
Olives ; reran, Mice ; Marabout, Saint ; Shouke, Thorns.
This list having been completed, one of the gentle-
men stood up, and, with his back to the board, made
several efforts to repeat the words from memory, and in
five minutes, by the dial in the room, he succeeded
perfectly. He then repeated them backwards, that is,
beginning with the last and ascending to the first. We
then put them to him in an irregular manner—the
English word " was," ,•and he gave the Slavonic
" bylo"—the Arabic' " Gibbet," and he answered,
" mountain." The lines of the list were then num-
bered, by figures prefixed to them on the board, end
in a few minutes the gentleman under examination
was able to repeat any word upon its number being
given. We need scarcely say, that in this exercise we
observed enough to induce us to forego some of our
long-cherished prejudices against a system of artificial
memory. The importance of the experiment may
justify us in detailing it at length.
THE GYMNOTUS, OR ELECTRICAL EEL.—Mr Jar-
dine delivered a lecturein the Gallery upon the proper-
ties of this unique animal. The specimen in this esta-
blishment is the only one which has ever been brought
alive to Europe. Mr. Jardine explained that the elec-
trical organs of the eel appear to consist of cells, similar
to the cells of a voltaic battery, placed side by side in
' very great regularity, extending from nearly the head
of the eel to the extreme end of the body. Therefore,
if a saddle, or an apparatus of copper, made to the
shape of the eel's body, be placed, one part near the
head, and another near the tail, the whole of the elec-
tricity from all of the organs will be obtained, aed be
conducted to any other apparatus upon which we wish
to experiment, by means of wires attached to both
sets. The spark is obtained by attaching a piece of
gold leaf to the end of one wire, and any round obtuse
surface to the end of the other ; such as a small brass
ball. These—the gold leaf and the ball—are inclosed
in a cylinder of glass. By connecting the saddles with
the eel, the electricity, passing from the gold to the
ball, or from the ball to the gold, will develope a small,
but brilliant spark ; and that this spark possesses con-
siderable heat, is shown by the fact of a small por-
tion of the gold being deflagrated or burnt away.
The Lecturer illustrated the above by a series of suc-
cessful arid brilliant experiments, which gave. intense
gratification to his numerolskbearers, sod elicited reite-
rated applause.
The ange;ic warblings of the Infant Sappho con-
tinue to attract several hundreds to the gallery every
evening of her performance ; and we understand that
on Tuesday evening nexe, another musical prodigy. will
be produced, in the person of an Infant Harpist, who,
according to the Dublin newspapers, has for some time
past been delighting the Viceregal Court and the nobi-
lity in Ireland. She is said to be about five years old,
and is the niece of the celebrated
"Infant Lyra," who
was so greatly admired by George the Fourth, and all
the musical word, fifteen or eighteen years ago.

S Nt tri if F r-7 'La VI

AND
Vtittir Optaton.

" `►Vleo runs may read."

PDXLEIGN.

The only- important foreign news received this morn-
ing is the trial of M'Leod at Utica, in the United States.
Our report of the proceedings extends over two days and
a half, and will be found very interesting. We antici-
pate from the evidence before us the acquittal of the
prisoner.

In Paris the Christino insurrection in Spain is con-
sidered over.

MONEY-TSLADIE-C 0 RIMER cra.

Sir Edward Parry, the distinguished naval officer, has
been appointed by Government to make inquiries, by
personal tour and inspection, whether if the suggested
improvements on the Caledonian canal were made, the
trade of the country would derive any corresponding
advantage.
At Manchester and Stockport the cotton-spinning and
power-loom weaving is in a sae, state, and at Leeds the
past week has been the dullest during the year. The
accounts from 13arnsley tuad Huddersfield are more fa-
vourable.