The Sun.
London, England, 1821-07-28 00:00:00

MERCANTILE SHIPPING.

DEAL, JULY 27.—Wind iN.W.--Arrived and sailed for the
River the Lady Raffles, Colwell, from Bengal; Nimble,
Milne, from Cadiz ; and London, Smith, from Jamaica ; the
latter remains. Came down from the River the Tolson, Pen-
rice, for St. Domingo ; Regard, Fligg, for Trieste ; Voast,
Williams, for Malaga ; Shannon, Jolly, for Bahia ; Pomona,
Robinson ; and Martha, Bond, for New South Shetland ;
Tartar, Leitch, for Quebec ; and Thomas, Cunningham, for
Naples. Several of the outward-bound have -Sailed.

POILTSZLOUTII, JULY 27.—Wind W.N.W.—Arnved the
Medusa and Virginia transports from Barbadoes.
PLYMOUTH, JULY 27.--Wind W.S.W.--Arrived the
Lord Exmouth, Barrett, from Prince Edward's Island ; and
Perseverance, Watson, from St. John's, N. B. Arrived off
the port the Choice; Harry, from Quebec for London, out six
weeks. The Success, from St. John's, N. B. for Falmouth,
out :5 days. was spoken by the Perseverance yesterday. There
were about 6A vessels loading for England.
FALMOUTH, JULY 25.—Wind S.lV.—Arrived the. Francis
Fueling packet, with mails, from Corfu ; sailed 7th June •
from Malta the 15th, and from Gibraltar the 11th of July;
spoke the 11th of July, off Gibraltar, his Majesty's brig Red-
pole, 14 days from Portsmouth for the Mediterranean. Also
arrived the Marchioness of Salisbury packet, with mails, from
the Brazils; sailed from Rio the'22d of May, from Bahia the
Bth of June, and Pernambuco the 14th ; on the Bth of July
spoke the Clyde East Indiaman ; sailed from Colombo the 16th
of March, and from it. Helena the '4th ofJune. The Success,
Lillicrap, from St. John's, N. 8., in hauling round the Mana-
cles, struck on one of the outermost rocks, and filled to the
lower deck beams.

DAVIS STRAITS FISHERY.
Tie Lady Jane, Fleming, from Davis Straits, is arrived at
Thiclds, and furnishes the following account of some of the
fishing ships :—Of London, Rookwood, clean ; Neptune, do. ;
Ipswich, 2 fish ;—of Dull, Friendship, clean ; Royal George,
do. ; Ellison, 10 fish ; —of Grimsby, Earl Falconberg, 2
fish;--of Shields, Grenville. Bay, 8 fish; Eliza, 9 ditto.

Passengers per Lady Raffles, Captain Coxwell, from Bengal,
arrived off Portland, 25th instant, and the Downs, 27th :
Chas. Bayley, Esq. Civil Service, to the Cape of Good Hope.
Fon Exot.AND.—John Monckton, Esq., Thos. Fortescue,
Esq. Hugh Wilkinson, Esq., Bengal Civil Service;
Col. 11. Westenra, his Majesty's Bth Light Dragoons ; Capt.!
Carroll, his Majesty's 87th Regiment; Capt. Charles Fitz-
gerald, 6th Bengal Cavalry ; Capt. W. D. Playfair, -Bth Bengal
Infantry ; 1)r. Govan' Bengal Medical Service • Mrs. Chas.
Bayley, Mrs. Major Hampton, Mrs. Playfair, Mrs. Carroll,
Master Charles Tombs, Master Jas. Playfair, Master Lyon
Playfair, Master Geo. Rankin Playfair, Master Jn. P. Hamp-
ton, Master Wm. Hampton, Master R. J. Hampton, Master
Thomas Stackhouse, Master Charles Stackhouse, Master W.
Home, Miss C. C. Hampton, Miss M. L. Playfair, Miss Ann
Playfair, Miss Eliz. Oakes.—Lieut.-Colonel D. Dodgin, his
Majesty's 66th Regiment, from St. Helena.

An 'Officer of distinction, now in London, has
just received a letter from Bombay, from which
the following is an extract :—" A letter from
Siraz, of the 17th of March last, confirms the
report of an attack having been made upon Ge-
neral SMITH immediately on his landing, in which
six officers were killed and wounded."—(liorn-
ing Paper.)
We lately noticed a riot at Bandon. Several

persons who had joined in the procession, and
also several inhabitants of the street in which the
riot took place, were indicted for the offence. The

trial of the latter commenced at the county Ses-
sions held in the city of Cork on Friday se'n-
night. The trial commenced at twelve o'clock
on Friday, and continued until eight o'clock in
the evening, when the case for the prosecution
closed. It was resumed on Saturday, and at
four o'clock on that day the Juryietired, but
finding it impossible to agree on a verdict, they
were discharged, and the traversers were imme-
diately dismissed.

EDINBURGH, JULY 23.—0 n Thursday an un-
precedented circumstance took place from the
discharge of one of the last guns in the Castle,
the wadding from which set fire to the grass at the
foot of the rock, which from the long continu-
ance of dry weather, burnt like tinder. The fire
at one time was of considerable breadth, and
burnt with great fury to the top of the rock,
occasioning the removal of some of the banners
on the outer wall. The Commander and his
Staff immediately set off in full gallop ; and
on their way to the Castle ordered out engines
from the depot at the Castlehill. They then pro-
ceeded to the Castle, when one of the garrison
engines was also ordered out, and played over
the ramparts until the flames were completely,
extinguished.

MOVING BOG.

REPORT RELATIVE TO THE MOVIgO 800 OF irfLia.

LEADY, IN THE RING'S COUNTY, MADE BY ORDER OF

TILE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY;
To BUKNAL SITARTHir, Esq. Scc. Ste.
..
floyal alblin Society House, July 16, 1121.
compliance with the request of the Royal Dublin
Sotiety, convened to nie by your letter of ehe 12th inst. I have
visited the Losing bog of Kilmaleady ; and finding, on rr,y re-
turn tO Dublin that very erroneous notions respecting
its'. magnitude alid destructive effects have been enterta tned, I
. . _

. . •
tliink it my daty immediately to communicate to you, for the
information of he Society, some account of the nature mid ex-
tent of this once alarming phenomenon.
Tile bog of kilinaleady, from whepce the eruption broke.
out, situated about two mile to the North of the village of
Clara; in the king's County, is of considerable extent : 'it may
' probably contain about 500 acres : in many parts it is 40 feet in
depth, and it is considered to be the wettest bog in the country.
It is bounded on all sides, except the south, by steep ridges of
land, which afe composed, at the top, of limestone gravel,
and fierietith of cavernon? limestone rock, containing subterra-
'
nean streams but the soutlfeinFace of the hog is once to a
n'-?otiry valley, ablit a quarter of a mile in breadth,' which. for
nearly half a mile in 'length; takes a southern direction in fl:e
lands of iiisanisicy, and then turns at right angles to the west,
and c::ntiies gradually widening for upwards of two miles,—
through the centre. of this valleyflows a stream about twelve.
feet in breadth, v'hich serves as a discharge foi: the waters from
the bog, and the surrounding country; and finally joins the
river Brusna, above the bridge of BallycumbOr.
The bog of Kilmaleady, like all other deep and wet bogs, is
C:.,;t4osed, for the first eight or ten feet from the surface down-
wail,' of a reddish-brown spongy mass, formed of the still un-
deconiposed fibres of the bog moss, " sphagnum-palustre,"
which,.bY capilAry attraction, absorbs water in great quantity,
Beneath this fibrous mass, the bog gradually becomes pulpy,
till at length, towards the bottorn, it assumes the appearance,
and, when examined, the consistence of a black muds, rathir

heavier than water:
The surface of the bog of Kilmaleady was elevated upwards
of twenty feet above the level of the valley, from which it arose
at a very steep angle, and its external face, owing to the un-
common dryness of the season, being mttch firmer than usual,
*lie inhabitants of the iicinity were enabled to sink their turf
holes, and cut turf at the depth of at least ten feet beneath the
surface of the valley, and, in fact, until they readied the Wye
clay which forms the substratum of the bog. Thus, the facesof
Many of the turf banks reached the unusual height of thirty feet
perpendicular; when, at length, on the 19th day of June, the
loiver pulpy add muddy part of the bog, which possessed little
cohesion, being unable to resist the great pressure of water from
behind, gave way, and being once set in motion, floated the
upper part of the bog, and continued to move with astonishing
velocity along the valley to the southward, forcing before it not
only the champs of turf on the edge of the bog, but even patches of
the moory meadows, to the depth of several feet, the grass sur-
face of which heaved and turned over almost like the waves of
the ocean ; so that in a very short space of time the whole valley,
for the breadth of about a quarter of a mile between the bog
edge and the base of the hill of Lisanisky, was covered with
bog to the depth of from eight to ten feet, and appeared every
where studded with green patches of moony meadow.
The hill of Lisanisky retarded tile progress of the bog for some
time ; at length it began to flow at right angles in its first coarse
along the valley, where it turns to the west, and continued with
unabated rapidity till it reached the bog road of Kilbridge (which
runs directly across the valley, and is elevated 3 or 6 feet above it),
and choaked up the bridge through which the waters of the stream
pass. This barrier retarded the progress of the bog for 5 days;
at the end of that time, the accumulation was such, from the
still moving bog and the waters of the stream, that it flowed
over the road, and covered the valley to the south of it for about
half a mile, flowing with varied velocity, till it was again stop.
ped, for a few hours, as I understand, by a second road across
the valley, leading from Clara to Woodfield. Having also
overcome this obstacle, it proceeded slowly westward ; and if
its progress had .not been checked by the very judicious means
that have been employed, the whole extent of the valuable mea-
dows, which compose the valley where it expands to the west:.
ward, must long since have been covered.. But, when the bog
had passed over the road of Kilbride, and the consternation. in
the country became general, at the desire of the Lords Justices,
Mr. Gregory employed Mr. Killaly, Engineer ti 3 the Directors.
General of Inland Navigation, to carry into execution any works
that could be devised to arrest the progress Of the bog. Mr.
Killaly at once perceived, that the only feasible remedy was to
draw off the water that had accumulated ; and to accomplish
this end, he employed a number of labourers to open the course
of the stream where it was choaked up, and also the drains throe
the valley that could be directed into the stream. By this
means the head of water was soon lowered, and in consequence
the bog ceased to flow—and all the loose masses which flaated
on the river were broken to pieces, by labourers placed at inter.
vals throughout its course.
Such was the situation of affairs on my arrival at the bog
early on Saturday morning. During the course of the day,
exerted myself to carry into execution the well-advised plan
which had previously been commenced by Mr. Killaly. To-
wards evening the floating masses which came down the river,
began to lessen considerably both in size and number ; and,
finding every thing proceeded with regularity and certainty,..l„
thought it useless to remain longer.
At present I entertain no apprehension of further devastation
from the bog, except in the event of a very great fall of rain
during the present week. Slight rains would be of service to
increase the current of water, and facilitate the removal of a
considerable deposit of heavy, black, bog mud, which at present
fills the bottom of the stream. The general current has,. how-
ever, been much increased by the breaking down of the weirs on'
the river Brusna, below the junction of the bog river.
I shall now describe the present appearance and state of the
bog and moory valley.
In the centre of the bog, for the space of about a mile and a
half in length, and a quarter of a mile in breadth, a valley has .
been formed, sloping at the bottom from the original surface of
the bog, to the depth of 50 feet, where the eruption first took
place. In this valley or gulf, there are numberless concentric
cuts, or fissures, filled with water nearly to the top.
The galley between the edge of the bog and the road of Kil-
bride, for the length of half a mile, and an extent of between 60
and 80 acres, may be considered as totally destroyed. It is
covered by tolerably firm bog, from six to ten feet in depth,.
consisting at the surface of numberless green islands, composed
of detached parts of the moory meadows, and of small rounded
patches of the original healthy surface of the bog, varying from
two to ten feet in diameter, which are separated from each othei
by brown pulpy bog, and the bed of the original stream is de-
vated to about eight or ten feet above its former course, so as to
flow over the road.
Beyond the road to Kilbride the bog has flowed for one mile
westward, and covered from fifty to seventy acres ; in this part
the healthy patches of bog generelly lessen in quantity; the green
islands disappear, and nothing is observed but a thin deposit,
consisting of a granulated black bog mud, varying from one to
three feet in thickness. This, though destructive for the p2e-
sent year, may, when dry, be burnt, and removed for manure
to the neighbouring uplands, or left on the spot to fertilize the
valley.
Thus the whole distance which the bog has 'flowed is about
three miles in length, namely, one mile and a half in the bog,
and the same distance over the moory valley ; and the extent
covered amounts to about 150 acres.
I have the honour to be, Sir, •
Your most obedient humble servant, •
RICHARD GRIFFITH, X eiining a..;inr

[MORNING eosT.-1
The accounts of Grecian suffering and Turkish
guilt would make the heart sick with horror, if
they did not rouse at the same time a fiery sense
of indignation more congenial to the spirits of
men, and above-all of Englishmen. Fearful in-
deed has been, and is still, the race of blood of
the Mussulmen. From partial assassinations,
they rushed .to indiscriminate Carnage ; and from
the slaughter of the unarmed and unoffending,
they now proceed to the destruction of cities,
and the extirpation of a whole people. Intoxi-
cated with blood, they even rave openly of still
more extensive desolation. The fury which -de-
-yours the Greeks, looks upon all Christendom as.
its prey, and emboldened by the passive-
Dees • of Christian states, already begins
the plunder and massacre of their subjects !
It is time that this overflow of barbarian spirit
should be sternmed. It is time that not one
Power alone, but all the Powers of Europe should
unite in declaring to Turkey that Christian blood
is not to be shed impunely, and that if her course
-be not altered, if humanity. be not spared—if the
extinction of a people be her object, it must be
fhe extinction of -the, Mussulmen of Smyrna and
Constantinople, and 'not that of the Greeks.—
Such a declaration might prove effectual, for the
Turks only forget their weakness because they
meet with no opposition on the. part of other
States. But should it fail of success, the appear-
ance of a few of our ships, joined to those of
France and the Netherlands, with the advance of
an Austrian and Russian force, woulcf,immediately
compel` submission without any danger to the ba-
lance of Europe, for the existence of which fears
might otherwise be entertained, if the task
were entrusted to the armies of only ono
Power. • --reesta.---

IMORNING CHRONICLE.]
The journey of Lord Walpole to Vienna has
for its object, we understand, to persuade Aus-
tria to concur with us in.some measures for frus-
trating the views of Russia with tespeCt to Turkey.
France, it is said, is as much alarmed at the pre-
sent aspect of affairs as our Government, and
ready to join with us and the Government of
Austria i❑ the above object. It is wished to
endeavour to prevent, if possible, the advance
of a Russian army on Constantinople; but
at the same time to withdraw the Greeks
from the dominion of the Turks ; at all events,
to obtain for them the independent possession
of the Morea and the Greek Islands. No friend
to humanity would wish to see the Greeks again
placed at the mercy of the Turks, and if some
plan like the above can lie fallen on for prevent-
ing the extension of Russian dominion, and
.yet
securing the Greeks from Turkish excesses, it
will, we believe, be prpdtictiie.of very general
satisfaction. The greatest difficulty will be to
reconcile the Turks to 'such an arrangement ; but
this difficult?; we apprehend, will not be insur-
naountable.—There is no question, but that the
conduct of Russia has filled Ministers with very
great alarm. The Emperor Alexander has al-
ways, indeed, personally given the strongest as-
surances of his pacific intentions ; but the acts of
every person .in the employment of Russia betray
intentions of an opposite nature. Even they who
have the strongest reliance on the sin'cerity of the
Emperor, must allow that there is but too much
ground for apprehension:

[NEW TIMES.]
The Public. has a right to demand, from every
journalist, at least a fair statement of facts, so
far as he can -ascertain them by common di-
ligence. Great allowance will no doubt be
made for an honest warmth in- stating opir
niaus ; and it is not. to be expected that such
warmth may not unconsciously mix itself up
with the impression produced by, external oc-
currences.--We were therefore prepared to
meet with some degree of misrepresentation in
the accounts given by certain Prints, of the late
proceedings on the trial of - Mary Anne Carlile.
Bat we own we did not expect that a Journal of
the general respectability of The Morning Caro -
njele would have gone so far in positive mis-
statement as to speak -of the Verdict obtained
in that case.! Twice, however, within the
first four lines of its Leading Article does it
assert, that there was a -Verdict, and that it
was a death-blow to • the Constitutional Asso-
ciation and what is remarkable, in the very same
paper it makes another assertion on this subject,l
in flat contradiction to itself, and yet contrives,
by a happy facility of error, that' both its
statements shall be alike untrue. The other
statement is, that " a Noli Prosequi was ente'red
by consent of all parties, in consequence of the
Jurymen not being able to agree in a verdict"—
Now, the real ract is, that there was neither a
verdict, hor a Noli Prosqui,' There
.waS one
man.resolved to acquit, arid six or eight equally
resolved to convict; and in. this state of things,
afier'the Jury had, been nineteen hours out of
Court, 'the Learned Counsel for the: prosecution,
fr-Onf PerSonal motives of humanity,' and regard to
,the Comfort and health of the Jury, did.upon his
own responsibility,, and without any special
authority from the 'Association to that effect, give
":his; consent. to,-the -discharge of the Jury.

[MORNING-11RALD.]
Tl►e atrocities of the -Turks continue, and
with increased .liorior.—nap, torture) ma'"

[From the " Birmingham and Lichfield Chronicle," Jnly 26.]
Seldom has it happened to. us in the course of our lives to
have witnessed such a day of national happiness as Thursday
last. Never, perhaps, with the single exception of the Jubilee
of George the Third, was there a National holiday, in which
the people at large, of all ranks, took so deep and general an
interest. We well remember that day ; how it was antici-
pated, how it was felt, and how it was celebrated. But not even
then did the tide of national joy run deeper or fuller than on
the late festival. Nor grateful as we were then, and mat pro-
perly•grateful for the blessing our country had for 60 years en-
joyed under the paternal rule of George the Third, had we
more cause for gratitude, than when George the Fourth, at
peace with all the world, revered and honoured by every nation
of Europe, and justly admired and beloved by his Subjects, re-
ceived the Crown which his- ancestors had worn. • If we may
judge Of other towns by our own ; if this great manufacturing
district, this thickly peopled portion of England, may be con-
sidered as presenting any thing like a specimen of the feelings
prevailing through the country; then we may assume that every
face in Erie:la
nd beamed with joy, and every tongue was elo-
quent with gratitude and pleasure. For we heard no other
voice from this. great town but that of heartfelt loyalty and un-
mingled rejoicing. We saw no expression but that which it
well becomes an Englishman's countenance to bear, the ex-
pression of content and comfort; of happinpss within and of
sympathy with all the joy which was uttered round him ; and
in no instance which has fallen under our observance, did mer-
riment degenerate into riotousness or disorder. But every one
seemed desirous to add to the pleasures of his neighbour ; and
to enjoy himself without interfering with the enjoyments of
others. We shall hear, perhaps, that all this is too highly co-
loured : and we should not be surprised, if the traders in groan-
ing and factitious miseries should represent it as 'altogether a
mistake; and endeavour to persuade us, that the people took
no part in our rejoicings, and felt no interest in the solemnities
or festivities of the day. But we speak of what we saw, and
what we know : and as by far the greater part of our population
were in the phblic streets, happy, rejoicing, orderly, grateful,
and contented, we shall be satisfied with the evidence of our
senses, and believe our eyes and ears, although such gross cre-
dulity may shock the sceptical grumbler, and induce him to be-
wail our blindness, or sneer at our infatuation. We can readily
suppose that there were some who saw nothing like rejoicing the
whole day through. For there was something in the very at-
mosphere so thoroughly impregnated with loyalty that a trite
Radical could not breathe it ; and he had no resource but to
shut his doors and windows, and muse in solitary bitterness
over the folly of hig countrymen.. The joy which we felt while
celebrating the day ourselves, seems to have been only a faint
resemblance to that diffused aver the assembled population of
the M etropolia; who had the privilege and pleasure of Actually
viewirig the august ceremony of the Coronation. But who
is there among us, who has not felt all his pleasure renewed,
as he has perused the animated accounts of the solemn spectacle
with which the Newspapers have been filled ? Who has not been
cheered by the certainty, that our Sovereign himself bore its fa-
tigues without inconvenience; and that no fatal accidents. oc-
curred to change the current of joyous feeling. 'Who has not
felt that the character of his••country•was.redeemed, by some
of the events of that day, from the foul disgrace prepared for it
by those, who would have insulted their gonareh, even in the
hour of his greatest .earthly exultation, and polluted the sacred
ceremony of his Coronation by the presence of the misguided
inmate of .Brandenburgh House. The reception which this
Personage then received from the assembled people, will we
trust be a lesson to her mind, never to be forgotten. Let her
remember that it was the mob who surrounded her car-
riage, and that it was the people who received her with
shouts of disapprobation, and who hailed her departure as
if the very air they breathed had been rendered more vital by
the removal of her presence. The mob may perhaps be bought
by filthy acts of deception,. or by the baser modes of hire : but
the people cannot be purchased, deceived, or seduced. They
know the Queen, and the Queen now knows them. Let her
retire from the conflict. She has risked the few friends and the
little credit that was left her; and what has she gained ? W lien
her calculating -friend, Mr. Joseph Hume, has struck the
balance,. if she is wise she will divide the profits between Mr.
Alderman Wood and the Editor of the Old Times,' and close
the concern for ever.

On the day of his MAJESTY'S Coronation,
MOSES SAMUEL, Esq. of Ilold-street, presented
to the Library of the Athenwurn, a manuscript
Pentateuch, or Sacred Laws of the Jews. This
singular curiosity is of very great value, and
Leautifully written on a roll of fine vellum, four
.inches wide, and upwards of forty-five feet long ;
it is attached at each end to.an ivory roller, and
the whole is enclosed in a splendid case of crim-
son velvet. A special meeting of.the Committee
was summoned for the purpose of receiving this
.valuable present, and an Ark was ordered ,to be
prepared for its preservation under Mr. SAMUEL'S
direction. Rich as this library has always been
in literary treasures, it is now indebted to the
generosity of• Mr. SAMUEL for. its greatest rarity.
—( Liverpool Courier.)
On Monday evening (the 23d inst.) the Royal
'Mail coach commenced starting from Dover at
nine o'clock, instead of seven as heretofore.
This carriage will in-future travel at a quicker
pace than it has been accu-.'omed to, as we un-
derstand the contractors engage to convey the
Mail from London to Dover in ten hours ; from
whence the bags for the Continent are to be for-
warded to Calais by steam packets, and it is cal-
culated that a communication will thus be effected
between London and Calais in little more than
twelvehours.—.(Kent Heral(L)
Thursday night some miscreant entered a
gentleman's stable at Lacock, Wilts, and repeat-
edly stabbed a. valuable poney, and endeavoured
to put the halter on its neck, so that it might
hang itself! The horse is not expected to recover.
, —(Buth Herald.)

A. residence of two years in Switzerland, and
particular attention directed to the rural economy of- the coun-
try, amongst other things, brought "me acquainted with a me-
thod of harvesting which to me was quite new. Smce my- re-
turn home I have made many inquiries without having learned
• that a similar method was ever practis-d in England, though it
is by no uterus improbable that it may already be known
either in local custom of old!date, or from having been introductai
by travellers who had equal opportunities with Myself of oh- 1
serving what passed before their eyes. lam not aware, how-
ever, that any written description of this method has already
appeared ; and it is under a persuasion of its great utility that I
now endeavour to give it every possible publicity:-
In harvesting, two important matters present themselves to
the consideration of the farmer—expence of labour and time. A
saving of labour, if it protracts the time, is rarely beneficial, as
'•it'exposes the crop to additional risk and accident from- bad wea-
ther ; but every saving in time is a positive advantage. The
Swiss method saves both time and labour ; and the loss from
shedding, in handling the corn, appears to be less than with us.
The main principle of their system consists in- the use of the
sithe instead of the sickle. Every one must be aware of the very
superior powers of the former instrument ; but in the ordinary
mode of using it, notwithstanding the various contrivances of
bows, sweeps, cradles, &c., which have been attached to- the
sithe to remedy the inconvenience, the corn is thrown _down in
such rude heaps, and the ears become so entangled; that a great
loss follows from shedding • and hence farMers have conceived
it better to employ six sickles than one sithe. Nay, I have heard
it argued when prices were high, that there was good economy
in reaping even barley. . •
In Switzerland, however, by a very simple contrivance, the
objections to the sithe have been completely obviated. Each
mower is accompanied by a person bearing a light straight long
pole, whose business it is to press the pole in a horizontal posi-
tion against the stems of the corn which are to be cut, so as to
bend the ears considerably away from the mower, and leave him
a full, fair, stroke at the aggregated stems. The pole is best
made of deal, much about .the thickness of the handle of a
sweeping brush, and in SWitzerland is commonly about nine
feet in length ; but this must be determined by the nature of
the sithe used *, or rather by the sweep or extent of the stroke :.
for the person who bears the pole must be out of the reach of
all danger from the sithe, and at the same time there must be
sufficient length of pole left to press against the whole breadth.
or bench of studding corn which -the mower can compass with
his sithe. The person who bears the pole, commonly a lad,
stands with his face towards the mower, a little to the left of
his line of progression, and moves backwards as the other ad,
vances. The pole may be held as the bearer finds most con-
venient; and steadied either against his body or his thigh, ac-
cording to his height : but care • must be taken that it is held
nearly horizontally, and the pole should press on the standing
corn, from about six inches to a foot below the ears, so as to
give a slOping direction, away from the mower, to the whole
quant4 likely to be cut at one stroke. The ears which are
thus pressed back never straggle, either during or after the
stroke, but slick along the pole ; which, if properly held, keeps
them quite even, and they will fall one way, smoothly and re-
gularly.
• Should the corn have been beaten down by rain or storm,
the sithe cannot certainly be used with the same advantage,
as if it stands erect and healthy ; .the sickle will answer best un-
der such circumstances. The Swiss, however, are so careful
about their crops,. that when fallen, they raise them, in part, by
fastening the stems together, and tying them in a direction con-
trary to that in which they have fallen. Spmetimes they plant
stakes through the field, and put small cross bars or rods, from
stake to stake, so as to bear the stems up ' and after this the
corn may be mowed. But in the case of a fine, even, upright
crop, Whether of wheat or other grain, there can be no hesita-
tion in preferring the sithe anfoi-pole, if properly used, to the
sickle..

After the mower has passed on, two or more women or boys
(commonly women) follow, whose business it is gently and care-
fully to spread the corn that has been 'mowed, much in the
same way that flax or hemp is spread, in even regular layers.
When properly dried, a third operation preparatory to binding
is performed by two other persons, commonly women, ,one of
whom carries two wands or rods about four feet in length, the
other one rod only. The person carrying the two rods thrusts
them, one in each hand, under the layer of corn which lies
spread cut on the ground ; the person with the single wand, at
the same time standing opposite to the other, puts the single,
wand under the layer, directly midway between the two oppo-
site wands. Then the hands are raised, whilst the points of the
rods or wands remain on the ground, and thus the corn slides,
or is shoved together, in heaps large enough for binding.—
If the crop is thin, the gatherings must begin the wider apart,
or two gatherings may be united, and great attention dur-
ing this operation is paid to collecting any scattered or strag-
gling stems. The same operation may be performed with a
long tooth rake ; but the corn is shaken much less when the
wands are used.
The binders follow those who have collected the heaps : and
it is to be particularly noted, that the Swiss do not use the fresh
cut corn for bands, but make them at home in the barns, of
straw, at some convenient time in advance. When wanted for
use, they are carted to the field, and distributed' along the rows.
The time spent in knotting the bands in the fields is thus saved,
and the loss cf grain from twisting the bands or rubbing against
other sheaves in carrying home, is avoided.
The advantages derived from this method, and the division,of
labour, will be obvious to any person who has once seen the
perfect practice ; and I do not think there is any exaggeration
in stating, that with the same hands a crop may by such means
be saved in half the time. But lam inclined to go further, and
express my conviction, that the crop may be saved in half the
time with even fewer hands than the sickle requires. Much,
however, will certainly depend on the dexterity and willingness
of the people employed ; but the mete experiment of the sithe
and pole may be tried without any expence or difficulty:
In describing this method as Swiss, it is necessary ;to add,
that it is by no means general throughout Switzerland, but con-
fined at present to particular districts : after being once intro-
duced, however, it is never abandoned ; end I have been told it
is spreading very rapidly through the country. There can'be
no surer proof of its excellence ; for in a country exposed to ca-
lamities trom inclement seasons, and where years of scarcity are
by no means uncommon, it would certainly not be adopted, if it
did not ensure to the husband Man the utmost possible produce
from his crop. There is no want of hands in Switzerland; on
the contrary, the valleys of Oberland, where I have observed
the use of the lithe most prevalent, swarm with inhabitants ;
and men, women, and children all work in the fields with the
greatest assiduity, beet early and late.
I have purposely delayed this publication until the time of
harvest was near, under a persuasion that it was likely to pro-
duce more effect when there was an opportunity of trying the
experinieht whilst the subject was fresh in the mind.
London, July 16. ISAAC WELL, Jim.
* The sithes commonly used in Switzerland havealia;:lt,
blades, and I believe are principally of (Irerman manitcture.—
The handles are much bent ; and the mower stands tolerably
upright.. The sweep is not very great. But the Swiss are ad-
mirable mowers. I seen patches of grass on the Alps,
growing under ledges of rock where no cattle could climb, cut
as close and smooth as a dexterous English garden r could
shave a grass-plot. They put an exquisite edge on their sithes
by hammering; them out on little anvils kept for the purpose,
instead of thinning the • edge by a coarse stone as our mowers
do ; and their sithes by. this treatment consequently last much
longer. The "operation is performed once in a (lair or two ; and
the edge is afterwards still fUrther sharpened by a sort of strap
or prepared board, finer than ours.