The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-11 00:00:00

RAILWAY ACROSS THE MEASEY.
The following are copies of the chief points in the cor-
respondence with the Admiralty relative to the proposed
viaduct across the Mersey to be constructed by the
Grand Junction Railway Company. The papers were
printed by order of the House of Commons, and were
delivered on Saturday :

Admiralty, April 4, 1814.
Sir,—l am commanded by my Lords Commissioners
of the Admiralty to acquaint you that they will give
their consent to the construction of a viaduct across the
river Mersey by the Grand Junction Railway Company,
on the following conditions :-
1. That as a compensation for the obstruction to the
stream, which must be caused by the piers of the pro-
posed bridge, all the rocky shore on the Lancaster side
must be cut away, at the expense of the railway com-
pany, up to the line A A on the plan, so as to give a
proper direction, to the stream.
2. That a small portion of the Castle Rock (B) on the
Cheshire side, as well as the adjacent angle of the shore
(C), be also cut away by the company, in order to form
the shore to a regular curve, as shown in the plan.
3. That the island between the Castle Reck and the
Old Quay Canal be removed by the same parties, and
that all the above-mentioned excavations be made to the
lowest summer level of the river.
4. That if the company think it expedient to carry
the bridge on arches, the waterway opening between the
piers be not less than 280 feet in the clear ; that the
piers be not more than twenty-five feet in thickness, with
proper cutwaters ; and that the clear headway under
the centre of each arch be not less that 100 feet above
the level of the flow of the highest tides, and that the
spring of the arches be not less than 65 feet above the
same level.

But if, instead of such arches, the company should
consent to substitute flat girders, with piers of not more
than 20 feet thickness (which would be in every way
preferable), my Lords w mid in that case be contented
with the clear space of 250 feet between the piers.
5. That in order to facilitate the warping of large
vessels through the bridge, a turret staircase from the
footway along the bridge should be made, down the
second and third piers from the Cheshire side, to a
strong wooden or iron gallery round those piers, of
about three feet wide, and one or two feet above high-
water mark; that a trackway between the river and the
abutment wall, of the usual breadth, should be left on
the Cheshire side, and that a free footpath should be
afforded along the bridge, properly protected from the
railway, and connected to the present footpaths on each
bank of the river.

6. That the excavated materials shall either be used
in the construction, or placed in the curved line desig-
nated on the plan by the letters D D D, so as to form a
wall or weir, which shall, in the first place, extend 2,000
feet to the eastward, and afterwards 800 feet fnrther (if
considered necessary by their Lordships) in order to
give a proper direction to the tidal streams, and this wall
or weir shall be securely or substantially constructed,
and carried up, at the expense of the company, to the
level of high water, and that the works of excavation
shall be carried on simultaneously with the erection of
the bridge, which shall not be opened for the use of the
railway till all the excavations shall be fully completed,
nor till the works be approved by the Lords Conserva-
tors of the Mersey.
7. That during the execution of these works neither
the navigation nor the current shall be obstructed more
than is absolutely necessary in the opinion of the acting
conservator of the river.

8. That any damage done to passing vessels by the
works of the bridge during its execution, unless caused
by the negligence or misconduct of the pilots or persons
in charge of the vessel, shall be paid by the company.—
I am, &c.,

(Signed) H. CORRY.
J. Swift, E-1., Fenton's Hotel, St. James's-street.
Gwydyr House, Whitehall, March 28, 1846.
Sir,—Having laid before my Lords Conservators of the
River Mersey the clause you propose to insert in the
Huyton and Aston branch of the Grand Junction Rail-
way Company, relative to a bridge over the River Mersey,
at Runcorn ;

I am desired by my Lords to inform you their Lord-
ships approve of the clause; but, in addition thereto, my
Lords Conservators deem it to be necessary that you fur-
ther insert a clause in your Bill to the following effect:—
" That in the event of any improvement hereafter
taking place in the navigation of the river Mersey, east-
ward of the proposed bridge at Runcorn, for the purpose
of establishing a communication for ships or vessels with
Manchester, or any other place to the eastward of the
present viaduct of the Grand Junction Railway over the
river Mersey, near Warrington, the Grand Junction
Company, or the then owners of that railway, shall con-
sent to such arrangements for the passing through their
present viaduct over the river Mersey, near Warrington,
as my Lords Conservators shall deem it to be expedient
to require."
(Signed) GEORGE EVANS,
Acting Conservator of the River Mersey.
To J. Swift, Esq., solicitor for the Bill,
29, George-street, May 16, 1846.
My Lords,—l take the liberty of again communicating
with your Lordships in reference to the bridge proposed
to be constructed by the Grand Junction Railway Com-
pany over the river Mersey, at Runcorn, which, accord-
ing to the clause approved by your Lordships, is to be
constructed in such manner, and with such works, as
your Lordships may direct.
Under these circumstances, I have to request that, if
it be not inconsistent with your Lordships' views, I may
be favoured with a letter from your Lordships, which I
may submit to the committee, stating that, in your
Lordships' opinion, it is desirable that the precise mode
of constructing the bridge should be left open to the
supervision of your Lordships, rather than that clauses
should be inserted in the Bill fixing now any specific
mode of constructing such bridge, or any particular
works to be done by the company, for the improvement
of the bed of the river.

(Signed) J. SWIFT.
The Right Hon. the Lords Commissioners
of the Admiralty.

THE MOORS.

As the weather is favourable, or the contrary, the
hopes of the farmer are elevated or depressed, from the
period that he first sees the fruits of the earth appearing
above the soil, until the ripe harvest treasures are
gathered from the fields. So it is with the sportsman.
From the time that he first observes grouse-poults
among the heath, until he carries home his first bag, the
state of the weather, as it bears on the young broods, is
to him a constant source of anxiety. But his observe.•
tions begin sooner than those of the farmer. Vegetable
life is rarely destroyed in embryo ; animal life often.
Now comes a spring so mild that the birds pair and have
their eggs sooner than usual ; then comes " a frost, a
killing frost," when the birds abandon their nests on
the mountain flat, and retire to sheltered valleys, where
they bring forth about half the usual number. Again,
when the playful cheepers move through the heath after
their parent birds, a week or fortnight of burning hot
weather dries up every pool and burn ; and, if the
moors are unsupplied with springs, numbers die for
want of water, or fall in the rents opened by the sun's
heat. Continued rains thin their ranks, by drowning
numbers among the wet heath ; and, last of all, when
full grown, and able to find their own provision, comes
that mysterious grouse pestilence, tapeworm, which,
like cholera, appears here and there on places widely
separated. Judging from the reports we have seen and
heard, we are glad to be able to inform sportsmen that
the ensuing will be, in most places, an excellent season
for hill sport. On the lower moors, coveys are large,
and, in some instances, so strong as to be equal in size
with old birds. On very high moors they are much later
and fewer in number, averaging generally three to four
brace. Thus the sportsman will have, on the 12th of
August, abundance of young birds to give real active
sport at the very beginning, reserving high ground
till fairly in training to ascend the mountain tops.
Deer stalking will, in all probability, be first-rate. Sel-
dom have the corries been seen clothed with such luxu-
riance of rich grass and herbage, so necessary to stimu-
late the growth of antlers, which are now progressing
fast to their mature state. We subjoin a few of the
shootings which have been taken since our last notice.
The demand is still as great as formerly, and will likely
result in nearly all being engaged. Langwell. J. P.
Wilson, Esq.—Moy Beg, G. erred. Esq.—Monalia, Hon.
F. de Grey—Glenfintaig, B. Lock, Esq.—Kiltarlity, E.
13ligh, Esq —Banchor and Free, C. Woodmass, Esq.—
Dundonnell, Walter Boyd, Esq.—Morar, J. G. Symons,
Esq.—Lower Killin, J. King, Esq.—Dunmaglass and
Aberchalder, S. D. Penrose, Esq., Mr. Gilmore, and
Mr. Wilson—Gledfield, A. Smith, Esq.—Craigguanach,
W. H. Clarke, Esq.—Lochshiel, S. Simpson. Esq.—
Duntelchaig and Bunachten, Mr. Grierson—Kyllochy,
E. W. Mackintosh, Esq.
Lorda G p
resieffrd notat andßhidorrach lr. ll s
Lodge,ll,alckn
neeazri Mackenzie Co i
af
norol ma.
Hisre
l_r,oerdtship, one day last week, while fishing with the rod,
killed, in one pDol, six clean run salmon, averaging about
101 b. weight. Mr. Hay Mackenzie, on Saturday week,
killed a fine young stag, which was in good condition for
the season. and weighed, clean, 16 stones. The thunder
storms so prevalent in the south, did not extend to that
part of Ross-shire ; but there were occasional heavy
showers, and a finer season for vegetation has never
been witnessed. A curious circumstance occurred near
Lochcarron on the 19th ult. As some fishermen were re-
turning from sea, they captured a large roe-buck, which
appeared to be crossing the firth :it Attadale. The animal
was probably driven into the water by the gadflies, which
annoy forest game at this season. Sportsmen and
tourists are appearing in this truly Highland district,
and an enthusiastic correspondent thus describes one of
his journeys:—" Probably the most romantic drive in
the Highlands is from Jeantown to Applecross—the
road, in a serpentine form, winds over the loftiest
mountain, discovering at intervals a frightful precipice,
or some beautiful lawn, where young harts are seen
frisking about. The descent exhibits the lovely glen,
the tall white mansion-house, and the azure sea. This
is decidedly one of the finest views in the Highlands,
and resembles very closely some sc,,nes in the Upper
Alps. There are numerous lakes in the neighbourhood,
teeming with trout, which the proprietor does not pre-
serve, and on the shore sea-fowl in myriads. The peo-
ple on these shores appear to live in comfort. Their
proprietor is one of the best of landlords."—lnverness
Courier.

THE DEATH'S HEAD Ott BEE HAWK MOTH.—Twenty
specimens of full-grown larva were taken from the plant
Lyceum Europium, or tea-tree, in Terrace-lane, at the hack
of Downing-terrace, Cambridge, growing on the top of the
house on the slates. They were first discovered on the 4th
inst., by four or five falling from the roof to the pe7ement.
The occupiers of the house killed them as monsters unknown.
Mr. Denny, of Downing-terrace, was fortunate enough to
obtain about a dozen of them. A ladder was obtained and
12 IMe fuilLgro%rn specimens are now gone to earth for their
transformation. Mr. Denny states that he never found the-
caterpillar before, except on the potato jasmine, woody night-
shade, thorn apple, and elder, but never recollects any having
been taken upon the tea•tree.-.Cambridge Advertiser,