The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-29 00:00:00

ORT?I BRTTISTI AILIIAY.,

().; re:l7y Tiow preceed•ng at
ail pats vsiLh gi eat vigour awl ue our ovi,n
city the changes caused by this great work are not
among the least striking. At the Calton-hill, Where
the line piercs the hill, the face of the declivity is cut
into so as to make it steeper than ever, while the
workmen plying their vocation at various heights on
the hill, give the whole -a singular appearance. Here
also the wall is considerably raised on the north s:de
of the North Back of Canongate, whence a bridge
is to be thrown aea-oss the street on the progress
of the line to its terminus at the North-bridge.
Preparations are also making for the bridge that
crosses the Abbey-hill at Simpson's coach-work;
and the retaining wall there has already attained
a considerable elevation. The houses 'facing the
street here still stand ; but several that stood behind
them have been removed to make room for the em-
bankment that is to carry on the line in its progress.
From this point to the Meadow-bank Brewery, there
is little trace of the works; but near this latter point,
and just where the line enters the low grounds at
Craigentinny, the surface of the ground has been
removed, and workmen are busily employed driving
piles to give a foundation for the extensive works that
are intended to carry the line over to thehigh grounds
east of Piershill. Here we believe a viaduct is to
cross the post-road, but nothing has yet been done
with that view ; and the next trace of the
railway is to be found in a field adjoining the
old Roman road to Portobello, now generally known
' as the Fishwives' Causeway. Here the portion
of ground intended for railway purposes has been
staked out, and workmen are employed to remove
the sod. From this point the line proceeds to the
southward of Portobello, and on the high ground
above that town a considerable number of men ,are
employed. The ground has not only been marked
out, but the surface has been removed for a consider-
able length of road, preparatory to a deeper levelling,
while iron rails and waggons are also collected in the
immediate neighbourhood, with a view, we presume,
to the formation of a temporary railroad fur removing
the soil. Near the easternmost part of Portobello the
railroad crosses the road from that town to the vil-
lage of Easter Duddingstone, which it will do at
a lower level ; and a good deal of progress has
already been made here, in building the walls of
a bridge which is to span the line, while the forma-
' tion of the ordinary road, slightly altered in its
course, and considerably heightened in its inclination,
is pretty far advanced already. Further on the line
crosses the road to a quarry in the neighbourhood,
from which the greater part of the stones for the
• bridge are being procured. Here the railway goes
above the road, and a viaduct is to be thrown over the
- road. Here the side walls of the bridge are up to
the level of the road, and a number of workmen are
busily employed rearing it further. A little onward
the line encounters the small stream that falls into the
sea near the Magdalen Foundry ; but operations do
not seem to have yet commenced here. From the ra-
pidity with which all these works are prosecuted,
however, and the course adopted of commencing the
more difficult parts of the line first, we cannot doubt
that two years, or little more, will see this extensive
line in full operation.—Edinburgh Evening Courant.