The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-30 00:00:00

MECHANICS' INSTITUTES.

TO THE EDITIF THE SUN.
Six,—Every one visiting the exhibition at the De-
vonport Mechanics' Institute, must own that the
patronage extended to this institution is, by the in-
struction received, amply repaid, for the collection of
subjects creates the feeling in the visitor, though he
may be versed in many of the objects surrounding
him, that there is yet much to learn. The motto—a
little learning being dangerous, is wearing out among
those who exercise their judgment, for who is to draw
the line through comparison ? One man's attainments,
insignificant when compared with another's, may yet
be capable of entering the list of competition with
hundreds.

The knowledge of this alone gives a stimulus to
those whom prejudice would preclude from knowing
a little, because that little appears a dangerous thing,
not perceiving that a little learning is better than
none at all. This assumed philanthropy, lam afraid,
is but a cloak to a dread of education, bringing society
at large to be considered, not so much from external
wealth, as from the mind. I may be wrong. The
prejudice, however, against Mechanics' Institutes, is
being removed by the broad light of truth and reason,
which will, and must eventually, overpower the evil
that has arisen from false notion of right and wrong.
Men bigoted to exclusive systems, can never be ex-
pected to join liberal institutions for promoting know-
ledge ; but should they ever do so, it will be when
they find the tide of intelligence too strong to be re-
sisted—it will be on finding the good, which they
laughed at when sown, yielding fruit.—Yours, &c.
Devonport, August, 1844. OBSERVE R.

EDINBURGH ZOOLOGICAL
GARDENS.
(From the .Edinburgh Advertiser.)
We have much pleasure in publishing the following
communication which has just been received by the
Directors of the Zoological Gardens, from Demerara.
Tee liberal and patriotic feeling which it evinces is
most honourable to the gentlemen who have sent the
letter, and must be peculiarly gratifying to our
townsmen, as proving the warm interest which our
friends in foreign lands take in the prosperity of our
institution. We hope the noble and spirited example
of our respected countrymen in British Guiana will
be followed in other colonies. Were associations of
the same kind at work in Africa, India, China, and
other tropical colonies, the habitants of the rarer
animals, our Zoological Gardens might speedily
boast of being the first Zoological Museum in the
world :
" To the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Chairman of
the Edinburgh Zoological Society.
" British Guiana, Georgetown, Demerara,
19th July, 1844.

" My Lord,—A number of our fellow-colonists,
natives of Edinburgh, and others interested in the
success of the public institutions of Edinburgh, and of
Scotland, were much delighted with the report of the
proceedings of the last meeting of the proprietors of
the Edinburgh Zoological Gardens, and responded to
the sentiments so eloquently expressed by your Lord-
ship on that occasion. Though separated by the wide
Atlantic, our best feelings and affections are centered
in our native land, and with the object of affording
our assistance to an institution so well calculated to
amuse and improve all classes of our fellow-citizens,
we have formed a Natural History Society, the pro-
spectus of which we enclose, and will endeavour, with
all zeal, to collect, and, from time to time, transmit to
your Society, such animals as are to be found in our
forests. We have at present a tiger, tiger-cat, several
excellent specimens of snakes, &c., which we intend to
send home by the Glencairn, Captain Nicol; and our
object in now addressing your Lordship, is not only to
acquaint you with our auxiliary society, but to re-
quest that some person in Greenock may be instructed
to remove the animals from the ship, and transmit
them to the Edinburgh Garden. We hope to be
favoured with a statement of the sort of specimens
which would prove most acceptable.—And are, with
great respect, your Lordship's most obedient humble
servants,
" JAMES STRUTHERS, D.D., Preses.'
" J. D. FRASER, Secretary.
" WM. KNOX,. Treasurer."

ARTHUR ARUNDEL.—Mr. Horace Smith, whose
delightful historical romance of " Brambletye House"
became so deservedly popular, our readers will be glad
to hear is again about to appear before the public in
another work work of imagination, similarly illustrative
of English manners in an age gone by ; but, with great
judgment, he has made choice of a period nearer our
own times, and one, too, singularly interesting, for it is
no other than that very stirring one made memorable by
the incident of James 11. being forced to abandon his
kingdom to make way for a Protestant sucessor, in the
person of his son-in-law, William 111. This important
revolution is, therefore, the author's subject ; the most
distinguished actors in it are among his characters, and
the ferment in which the whole surface of society then
was, would afford him, there is no doubt, ample materials
for a most effective and interesting romance. It is
scarcely necessary to add that " Arthur Arundel"—the
name of the new work—is impatiently looked for by Mr.
Horace Smith's numerous admirers.
THE BURNS FAMILY.—The following letter from
Mr. Robert Chambers appears in the Athenceum :
" Edinburgh, Aug. 20, 1844.

" Perhaps you would spare a corner of jour paper to
enable me to correct an injustice which was last week
committed by a popular publication (Punch) against the
sons of Burns, with reference to the subscription mad,-
about two years ago in behalf of Mrs. Begg, the poet's
sitar. As the parson who has had the best means <,f
knowing, I can say that these gentlemen were at no
time to blame on account of their aunt. The eldest has
ever been in the experience of the res augusta domi him-
self. The two who have been so long in India were de-
ceived—l must not say how—as to the circumstances of
Mrs. Begg ; but these were no sooner explained to them
than they acted a part towards her which, it may be
sufficient to say, seemed to me entirely worthy of their
parentage, and was felt by all to whom I described it as
perfectly satisfactory. It is solely my cordial sense of
the honourable feelings of these two men which induces
me now spontaneously to come before the public for
their vindication.--I am, &c., "R. CHAMBERS.
BRITISH ARCHXOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION.—Yester-
day the council announced the arrangements for their
first annual meeting at Canterbury. The programme
holds out some objects of high interest to the antiqua-
rian, and Monday, Sept. 9, the first general meeting will
be held, when Lord Albert Conyngham, the president,
will deliver an address, whilst there will be an evening
conversazione, in which a paper will be read on the
Saxon barrows. Tuesday morning will be devoted to
the opening of Saxon barrows in the park of Lord
Albert Conyngham, at Bourne, and Thursday to excur-
sions to Richborough and Barfreston Church, to inspect
the antiquities. The sections will be held on the inter-
mediate days, and on Friday evening an Egyptian
mummy will be unrolled. Amongst other officers and
members of the committee whose attendance has been
promised are—Lord Albert Conyngham, president ;W.
R. Hamilton, Esq., F.R.S. ; the Dean of Hereford, Sir
Barrow,
Barry,au.
trrcrtEoo.inwe. liroEoF,sks isev7r:
James Annesley, F.R.S., Sir William Betham, F.S.A ,
Professor Buckland, W. Jerdan, Esq.,
FR.envisD.,r.
DSpereyim,
J.
R. Planche, Esq., Professor Willis, of Cambrige, Charles
Messrs. John Britton, W. H. Ainsworth,
Edward Blore, Esq.,
J. 0. Halliwell, J. Gough Nicholls, J.
us
worth,
DNBCESCD"At-1-IERRINGS IN THE FIRTH OF
large
st week,shoa in andlsofher aboutrings
Eyemouth and
which set in, to-
Fw°ltitrdTsuilTeTie
endi o
Dunbar, have this week reached near our own shores as
far up as Inchkeith. On Mond
ay and yesterday there
were from thirty to forty boats out, and the take has
been, immense ; some boats averaging fifty and sixty
crans, and the fish are remarkably
fine. On Monday
they were selling at 10s. per cran, and yesterday they
were sold as low as Bs. ; retailing at 1 Vdand 2d
• 2d.
per
dozen. So extensive
and dense were the shoals, that the

waters were literally alive with this most useful of all
the finny tribe. Along the coast they have been carted
off, in bulk to the amount of thirty and forty carts daily,
for the use of the neighbouring towns and villages. From
the fineness of the weather, the scene of so many boats
gathering in these treasures of the deep, has been of the
most animating kind.