The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-30 00:00:00

CONTINENTAL PRODUCE.

The arrivals of provisions of various descriptions, from the
different continental ports usually furnishing those articles,
have within these three or four days been of an extensive,
and in some instances, a novel nature. The General Steam
Navigation Company's vessel Caledonia, from Hamburgh,
brought, in addition to 24 oxen, 148 sieves of plums, 24 pack-
ages of horseradish, 10 casks of apples, a large quantity of
butter, peas, potatoes, seeds, and various other articles. This
vessel has also brought 22 packages of fresh meat. This is a
novelty, and we believe the first importation of meat in a
fresh state from the continent for consumption in this country.
The importation of dried hang beef from Hamburgh is car-
ried on to some extent, but the one under notice consisted of
joints from fresh killed beasts, and with the exception of the
very slight smell naturally arising from it being closely packed
for two or three days, arrived in an exceedingly fresh and
excellent condition. It was considered also to be of very
good quality, and will, no doubt, answer fully the expec-
tations of the importers, and probably tend ultimately
to the extensive importation of meat from abroad in
a fresh state. We are given to understand, on the best au
thority, that the importation of live stock from the continent,
and particularly from Holland, and which has during the
present summer been carried on to a very considerable and
much increased extent, has proved a most fortunate specula-
tion, and realizes a very handsome profit to the parties, who
are very limited in number, concerned in the trade. The
Batevier, from Rotterdam, brought 61 oxen and cows, 54
sheep, 6 packages of poultry, 137 packages of walnuts, 53
packages of grapes, a large quantity of cheese, butter, seeds,
and a variety of other Dutch produce. The General Steam
Navigation Company's vessel Tourist, from Calais, brought 47
packages of walnuts and other artic.es ; the Belgian vessel
Antwerpen, from Antwerp, 11 packages of smelts, &c. ; the
Earl of Liverpool, from Ostend, the large number of Cl
packages of Belgian poultry, a quantity of eggs, butter,
plants, and other produce. The Ocean, from Rotterdam,
brought 203 sheep, 14 oxen, and 12 cows, two crates of live
deer, another novel article of importation, and for Holland
quite a feature, 17 packages of poultry, 30 of yeast, 30 bags
of walnuts, 27 baskets of grapes, an extensive variety of
butter, cheese, plants, seeds, flower-roots, and an extraor-
dinary large cargo of every other description of Dutch pro-
duce and manufacture. The Countess of Lonsdale, from
Hamburgh, had on board, besides several oxen, 60 packages
of butter, 284 of peas and various kinds of edibles • and other
articles of" food, &c. The Rainbow, from Havre, brought no
fruit nor provisions of any description ; but the City of
Boulogne, from Boulogne, in-ought 100 skim; of walnuts,
4 packages of poultry, and an extensive cargo of the descrip-
tions of French produce and manufactures generally brought
to this country. No farther particularly noticeable feature
presents itself in these several importations, excepting that
France, in the neighbourhood of Havre, has discontinued
supplying us with any kind of fruit fur the season,
the present supplies, and especially .of walnuts, being
confined to the part of the country in the neighbourhood of
Boulogne and Calais, and other parts bordering on Nor-
mandy. The walnuts from France are highly spoken of;
while those brought from Holland cannot, it appears, be
commended. In other respects, however, Holland has in-
disputably been of great service to us throughout the summer
in the supply of every kind of fruit and provisions for con-
sumption by the inhabitants of the metropolis, and indeed
most of the other large and populous towns throughout the
kingdotr. At all events we are indebted to our neighbours
in a very great degree for the supply of nuts this season, our
own crop being, in consequence of the damp weather which
prevailed during the latter portion of the summer months, of
a very scanty nature and indifferent quality. The cattle, with
the exception of those by the Ocean, which were landed at
the Brunswick- wharf, Blackwall, and the witole of the fruit,
&c., by the different vessels mentioned, excepting by the
Boulogne, Calais, and Ostend boats, which discharge their
cargoes at London-bridge. wharf, were lauded at the. St. Ka-
tharine's Steam-wharf, at which piece, in consequence of the
improved facilities for the purpose, they were landed and
delivered to their several destinations without the least de-
triment or delay.

AWFUL AND DESTRUCTIVE
FLOOD.

Last week a most tremendous torrent (occasioned by th.
incessant fall of rain by which we have been visited) flowed
with terrific force from the mountains westward of Ardy-
goman, to the subterraneous passage at Ayle, carrying with
it in its onward course—as we have been informed by eye-
witnesses—wheat, oats, barley, hay, turf, bogdale, and ac-
tually hurling rocks, which stood the torrents of ages, from
their places into the wide recesses of the beautiful cave, which
in a few seconds, became choaked up with the fruits of the
toil and labour of the poor industrious husbandman. The
consequence was, that the flood having no passage through
the gulf thus blocked up, rose with the rapidity of thought
over the elevation of the bed of the river, a height of more
than 200 feet, and rushing along the country, carried on its
surface in its grand but destructive course all the oats stooked
in the fields, the hay from the haggards, and the turf in the
clamps on to Ilallyburke. For a dis:auce of over two miles
from Ayle to Ilallyburke the country has been entirely in-
undated, and nothing remains to the poor people but moun-
tains of mud and rocks covering their potato-fields. At
Logbawn, a flat tract of tillage near 13a1lyburke, there is at
the moment we write more .than four feet of water lodged
over the potato crops.
Such has been the amount of damage caused by the flood,
that many who the day previous were in coma aratively com-
fortable circumstances, are new reduced to a state of pri-
vation and famine. Numbers who had before this visitation
doled out with a willing hand to the poor and needy, are
now themselves on the eve of walking forth to seek the alms
of others, or take shelter beneath the roof of the workhouse.
Previous to this calamity complaints regarding the potato
crops were somewhat prevalent in this county, but we confi-
dently hope the reports are ezaggerated.—Alayo Telegraph: