The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-22 00:00:00

The following letter well deserves the attention of
those of the nautical world interested in voyages to the
vast of South America :

" TO THE EDITORS OF THE 'LIVERPOOL MERCURY.'
" Gentlemen,—l shall feel obliged if you will give in-
sertion to the annexed remarks on the passage of the
barque Cape Horn, of Glasgow, under my command,
through the Straits of Magellan, on her last passage
from Valparaiso to this port.
" On Monday, November 16, 1846, at eight P.M., we
made the Evangelists, bearing N.N.E. five miles, wind
west, and tolerably clear ; at midnight Cape Pillar bore
S.S.W. three miles, and by keeping the starboard shore
on board, strangers will find no difficulty in finding Long
Reach. On Tuesday, 17th, at noon, we entered Crooked
Reach ; at ten P.M., were off Port Famine, which is a
safe anchorage ground, and where there is a Chilian
settlement, at which refreshments can be easily pro-
cured. On Wednesday, 18th, at 430 P.M., came to
anchor in Gregory's Bay, in fifteen fathoms; good hold-
ing ground. On Thursday, the 19th, at 330 A.M., got
under weigh; at 7 30 A.M., entered the First Narrows,
with a strong flood tide against us, which we found no
difficulty in stemming. At two P.M. we were clear of
the Straits. At six P.M. we rounded Dungeness ; and,
after the experience of four voyages round Cape Horn,
in September, 1843, August, 1844, August, 1845, and
the present voyage, I must say that the wear and tear,
owing to the bad weather we encountered, with heavy
cross sea so prevalent between the west entrance to the
Straits and Cape Horn, contrasted with the passage
through the Straits from the west caast is, in my opi-
nion, not to be compared; and had I another passage to
make at the same season of the year, or in the winter
season, with moonlight, I would take the Straits for my
passage. The risk of life and property, and the wear
and tear in the one, are not to be compared with the
other.—Yours, &c.,

" JOHN LONGMUIER, Master.
" Liverpool, 36, Upper Pitt-street. Feb. 11, 1847."

FOREIGN RAILWAYS.

The Journal des Chemins de Ter furnishes some fur-
ther interesting information relative to the progress of
the railway system on the continent of Europe. The
details in the present instance are chiefly confined to the
undertakings opened or in course of construction in
Belgium and Holland.
The progress of railway construction in Belgium
is thus described :—ln the year 1835 the line from
Brussels to Malines was opened, being 20 kilometres
in length. In the year 1836 the line from Malines
to Antwerp was opened, being 26 kilometres in length.
In the following year, 1837, the three lines, Malines to
Louvain, 20 kilometres; Termonde to Wetterin, 10 kilo-
metres; and Louvain to Tirlemont, 25 kilometres, were
opened. In 1838 the Tirlemont to Ans, 45 kilometres;
the Wetterin to Gand, 23 kilometres; the Gand to
Bruges, 30 kilometres; and the Bruges to Ostend, 36
kilometres, were opened. The lines from Gand to
Courtray, 44 kilometres, and from Landes to St. Troud,
10 kilometres, were opened in 1839. In 1840 the Brus-
sels to Jubise line, 25 kilometres, was opened. In 1841
the Jubise to Jurbise, 25 kilometres, and the Turbise
to Mons, 10 kilometres, were opened. The Ans to
Liege, 3 kilometres ; the Mons (French frontier), 27
kilometres; and the Courtray (French frontier) lines,
7 kilometres, were opened in 1842. The lines opened
in 1843 were, Liege to Chaudfontain:, 12 kilometres ;
Chaudfontaine to Verviers, 16 kilometres; and Verviers
to the frontier of Prussia, 12 kilometres. The line
opened in 1844 was that from Mouscron to Tour-
ney, in length 19 kilometres. In 1845, the
Braine-le Comte to Charleroy, 23 kilometres ;
the Godardville to Gosselies, 21 kilometres,
and the Charleroy to Namur, 37 kilometres,
were the tbree lines opened. The lines opened is 1846
were the Antwerp to St. Nicholas, 18 kilometres ; aed
the Bruges to Thourout, 32 kilometres ; thus making
the total length of railway up to the end cf that year,
including the interior branch of the Antwerp, 3 kilo
metres, and the Junction Line of the Brussels, also 3
kilometres,. 609 kilometres. Among the lines specified,
only those from Antwerp to St. Nicholas, and from
Bruges to Thourout were constructed by private enter.
prise, the whole of the others being carried out at the
expense of the State. It, therefore, appears that the
Government works include 559 kilometres, of which
362 kilometres are double rails, and 197 kilometres
single rails. According to official accounts, the sum
expended by the Belgian Government in these under-
takings amounted to 159,174,827 f., which is at the
rate of 1,339,130 f. 85c. for the league of 5 kilometres.
The lines in course of construction, and for which
special concessions have been granted to particular
companies, include the Liege and Namur, length 70
kilometres, estimated to cost 18,000,000 f. ; the At
to Termonde, length about 50 kilometros, estimated
expense about 12,000.000 f. ; Manage to Mons, length
25 kilometres, estimated expense 5,000.000 f. ; Lou
vain to Jemmappes, length 55 kilometres, estimated
cost 20,000,000 f - Jurbise to Tournay, length 48 kilo.
metres, estimated cost 8,000,0001. ; St. Trond to Has-
selt, length 15 kilometres, estimated cost 4,000,000 f. ;
the lines of the Sambre-et-Meuse, length 94 kilometres,
estimated cost 10,000,000 f. These concessions, granted
in 1845, show works undertaken to the extent of
423 kilometres, which will require an outlay approach
ing 101,000,0001. Independent of the railways
already mentioned, others are projected, among
which should be noticed the Erquelinnes and Charleroy,
and the Great Luxembourg, both being regarded as
exhibiting features of importance connected with
the routes proposed to be opened by them. It is
mentioned with regret that up to the present moment
the want of cordial feeling between the Belgian and
Dutch authorities has prevented the continuation of the
Belgian Northern line from Antwerp to Northern Bra-
bant, the result of which would be the connexion of the
railway network of Holland with the Belgian and French
lines, and the opening of a direct communication be-
tween Amsterdam, the Hague, Rotterdam, and the whole
of the Pays Bas with Paris.
In Holland the lines opened to. the public to the end
of the year 1846 were those of Amsterdam to Haarlem
(opened in 1839), 18 kilometres in length ; Haarlem to
Leyde (opened in 1843), 23 kilometres in length ; Am-
sterdam to Utrecht (opened in 1843), 36 kilometres in
length ; Leyde to the Hague (opened in 1844) 15
kilometres in length ; and the Utrecht to Arnheim'
(02:-med in 1845), 129 k'
(p length;. making the
eompleta extent of railway
communication in active
oricration in the Netherland kinogdo no at that date 226
.72donaetres. The Government of the country are still
occupied with arranging the necessary plans to perfect
their system.
At this moment the line from the Iliwue
is being carried forward to ltotterdain, and from Lii-
orTks
To
heim to the frontier of Prussia; besides which the w
between Rotterdam and Utrecht are in full activity.
sum up these arrangements two concessions have been
recently made, one for a line in Dutch Brabant and the
other for a line in the Eastern Netherland provinces,
borderinir on Hanover and Rhenish Prussia.

MINCIIESTEN, FEB. 20.--BOROUGH
3 At a meeting of Lord Lincoln's committee, held yesterday, it
was resolved that a deputation should proceed to London on
Tuesday next, to present the requisition, asking his Lordship
to offer himself as a candidate for the representation of the
borough.—Mpichester Guatclian.