The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-07 00:00:00

CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.

THE MAILS.—The opening of this great railway line,
as all our mercantile men are well aware, has vastly in-
creased the facilities for our communication with
England. But they complain, and with good
reason, that advantage has not been taken of this
railway, to afford those early postal communications
which the public has a right to expect. For instance, the
Caledonian Company runs two trains daily from Glas-
gow and Edinburgh to London. which perform the
journey in twelve hours and a few minutes; and
there are corresponding trains from the metropolis
which go over the ground with equal rapidity.
Yet, with a perversity for which we cannot
well account, the Post-office, instead of employing the
twelve hours' train, makes use of one which takes
seventeen hours to perform the journey between Glasgow
and London. It may be given as a reason that the
latter waits at a greater number of stations than the
former, and thus affords facilities for receiving mail bags
from the country towns along the line of route;
but the Post Office authorities know full well that the
bags can be received and carried by the express train
as well at by the slow one. On many of the English
lines, the Post-office van is provided with a net, which, on
passing a station, is extended upon an iron rod; the rod
touches a pole to which is attached the mail bag, and even
when the train is at full speed the bag is deposited in the
net, and drawn into Ithe van with the greatest ease and
regularity. Would it be asking too much of the Post-
master General to extend these advantages to Scotland?
Private enterprise beats the Post-office entirely. We
receive the London morning papers by express parcel,
about ten o'clock on the evening of the day on
which they are published ; but the mail does not
bring in these papers till half-past one ; and did
we depend on the courtesy, attention, and speed
of the post, these journals would not be placed
in our hands before eight o'clock on the following
morning, which is just ten hour later than we supply
ourselves by a private opportunity. Of course we
have to pay for these parcels, but we cannot regard
these payments other than as taxes imposed upon us
by Post-office laziness. While on this subject, we bear
our willing testimony to the regularity and admirable
management of this line. Standing on the platform
at St. Rollox the other evening, the manager said,
•' In two minutes you will see the express train
approaching." The gentleman was as good as his
word, for before sixty seconds expired the London train
hove in sight, after performing a journey of 400 miles.
We are also glad to say, that from Mr. Stewart, the
active manager, downwards, the attention and courtesy
of the officers of the company is all that could be desired.
The temporary station of itself is abominable, but one
is reconciled to the place by the kindly demeanour of
those about it.— Glasgow Herald.

REMARKABLE FIDELITY or A. DOG.—The following
fact, evincing a most extraordinary instance of the at-
tachment and fidelity of a dog, was related by a gentle-
man on whose veracity we could rely, and who had wit-
nessed it. In the parish of Saint Olave, Tooley-street,
Borough, the churchyard is detached from the church,
and surrounded, by high buildings, so as to be wholly
inaccessible but by one large close gate. A poor tailor
of this parish dying, left a small cur dog, evidently in.
consolable for his loss, for he would not leave his dead
master, not even for food, and whatever therefore
he ate, was forced to be placed in the same room
with the corpse. When the body was removed for
burial, this faithful attendant followed the coffin, and,
after the funeral, was hunted out of the churchyard by
the sexton. The next day, however, he was again found
there, having made his way by some unaccountable
means into the enclosure, where he had dug himself a
bed on the grave of his master. Once more he was
driven out, and again he was found in the same
situation the following day. The minister of
the parish, hearing of the circumstance, had him caught,
taken home and fed ; and he further endeavoured by
every means to win the animal's affections ; but
they were wedded to his late master, and he took
the first opportunity to escape and regain his lonely
situation. With true benevolence, the clergyman
allowed him to follow the bent of his inclinations ;
but, to soften the rigour of his fate, he built him upon
the grave a small kennel, which was replenished once
a day with food and water. Two years did this ex-
ample of fidelity pass in this manner, when death put an
end to his griefs, and the extended philanthropy of the
kind clergyman allowed his remains an asylum with his
beloved master.
OUR OWN NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.—PORTSMOUTH.
The fine steamer, Perfection arrived this morning from
Plymouth, having only broken down thirteen times
on the way. The Perfection was built at Deptford for
a sailing frigate. Not floating, however, according
to her lines, her stern was sawn off, and 72 feet
added to her length. A short time afterwards,
at Woolwich, she underwent other improvements.
One of her sides was cut away, from stem to stern, and
her breadth increased by eight feet. She went a cruise
as far as Sheerness, but was not found to answer;
and being re-decked at Chatham, the position of
her mast was altered, and she was supplied with
iron standing rigging. The Perfection then pro-
ceeded to sea, but it was soon found that, owing to
some unforeseen imperfection, she would only sail
stern first, and she was accordingly towed into Ply-
mouth, where the master-superintendent proposed that
she should be fitted out with a screw-propeller. The
change being sanctioned by the Admiralty, engines
were constructed and put on board. On the first trial
the piston would not work, on the second the screw
broke, and on the third the boiler burst. The Per-
fection was then employed some time as a guard-
ship, which service she performed very efficiently.
Orders at length arrived from the Admiralty that she
should be fitted out as a mass. She accordingly made
ready for sea; but it was found that, with her guns
on board, the main deck would be eighteen inches
below the water-line. She was, therefore, re-decked
and overhauled, and ultimately her bow was cut
away, six feet added to her length, engines of a dif-
ferent construction taken on board, and paddle-wheels
constructed. She was then ordered round to Ports-
mouth, where, we have stated, she arrived this morning.
Two o'clock P.M.—While I am sealing my dispatch, I
am informed that the Perfection has sunk at her anchor,
in consequence, it is said, of a hole in her bottom, which
the dockyard people forgot to stop up.—The Man in the
Moos.
GREAT FEAT OF LEAPING 1,000 HURDLES IN
THREE HOURS AND THIRTY MINUTES.—The above
extraordinary feat, undertaken by Robert Coates, of
London, came off at the Red Lion Knowle, near Bristol, on
Monday Though the weather was unfavourable, a large
number of the admirers of British manly sports, with a
tolerable sprinkling of Corinthians from the ancient city
attended. When Coates appeared it was evident that,
though possessed of vast muscular powers, the task he
had undertaken could only be accomplished by the un-
shrinking game that has carried him triumphantly
through his various feats for the last 23 years. He
started at five minutes to five, and jumped the first 300
in 50 minutes. He then rested, often during the time
rinsing his mouth with water. The fourth hundred was
done in 16} minutes; the fifth hundred in 20 minutes,
the sixth hundred in 24} minutes, and the seventh hun-
dred in 22 minutes. At the 752 d leap he was again
obliged to rest, showing evident marks of distress ;
but having taken a cup of strong " tea," he again
started, saying he felt confident of winning. The eighth
hundred was done in 37 minutes. During the ninth
hundred, which was finished within the third hour, he
showed such evident weakness that many thought be
could not finish his task within the time, but having
again refreshed himself with strong tea, and changed his
shirt, he arose as a " giant refreshed," saying that he was
determined to win, and win he did; for, after one of the
most surprising efforts, he accomplished this, tho great-
est of modern feats, in three hours, 19 minutes, and 20
seconds.
THE WEATHER IN SCOTLAND.—Friday last W 23
an exceedingly stormy day over a wide district of
country, but we experienced little of it in Glasgow.
In the upper ward of the county, however,
the wind was high, and the rain was so heavy that
it may almost be said to have fallen in sheets. Nu-
merous tiny cataracts spouted from the hills, and the
flooded state of the streams and rivers along the
line of the Caledonian Railway southward of Carlisle.
showed that the rains had been alike heavy and
general. Since then we have enjoyed delightful
weather—a clear sky, genial temperature, with only
now and then a passing shower. The appearance of
the country is beautiful; the wheat strong in
head and stalk, and rapidly assuming the autumnal
tinge ; and as to the oats, if they have any fault, it is
that of over-luxuriance. Potatoes are healthy and for-
ward, and in many cases the furrows have been earthed up.
A vast breadth of turnip has been sown this season ; the
early kinds have suffered a good deal from the fly ; but,
with favourable weather the plant will recover itself.
The thinning process has commenced. An experienced
agriculturist states that " the best remedy for the fly is
thick sowing; and when 5 or slbs. of seed per Scotch
acre have been given, sufficient plants in general re-
main." Rye grass will be a capital crop; fully one-
third of it has been cut in this district, but little has
been carried, from the variable character of the weather,
During the past week thunder storms visited parts of
the country; but in this district we were exempt from
them.—Glasgow Herald.
SEA FIGHT IN A Foci.—One day last week, when
the salmon fishers at Berriedale were engaged at
their occupation, they were surprised at hearing an in-
cessant report of cannonading at sea. As there was a
heavy mist at the time, they were at a loss to know the
cause of the occurrence; but they were not long left
to conjecture, as a partial clearing of the atmosphere dis-
closed to their astonished gaze two vessels peppering
into each other at a furious rate. The vessels were evi-
dently foreign, and are not unlikely to be the same two
as are said to have been engaged with each other off the
Bell Rock. The fog soon returned, and the firing in a
short time ceased.—John o'Groat's Journal.
CRICKET.—THE GENTLEMEN OF KENT V. THE
GENTLEMEN OF ENGLAND.—The resumption of this
grand match took place soon after eleven o'clock on
Tuesday morning, at Lord's, in the presence of an in-
creased congregation of spectators as compared with the
number present on the preceding day. On the part of
Kent, the " long hands" were made by Mr. Felix, Mr.
Fredericks, and the Hon. E. Bligh, in the first innings,
and by Mr. A. Mynn, Mr. Fredericks, and Mr. W.
Banks, in the second. Those on behalf of England, the
Hon. R. Grimston, Mr. W. Nicholson. Mr. J. M. Lee,
Mr. J. Walker, Mr. Haygarth, and Mr. Fellowes were
the most conspicuous in the first; whilst in the second
Mr. J. M. Lee, Mr. W. Nicholson, and Mr. J. Walker
again stood forth pre-eminent. The final score stood
thus:—Kent, first innings, 121; second ditto, 125.
England, first innings, 177; second ditto, 70. England
therefore won by five wickets.