The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-06 00:00:00

ZETLAND.

The weather during last summer occasioned great
anxiety to the inhabitants of this district—wind andrain
prevailed throughout. The fishermen could only at rare
times get to the fishing ground, and remain long enough
to have any chance of success. The quantity of fish
caught has, therefore, been very deficient. Several of the
small six-oared, or haff boats employed in the ling or
deep sea-fishing, were overtaken with the gales, and
totally lost with all their crews. It is deplorable to
think of the great loss of life occurring every year
among these adventurous fishermen, without the least
effort or assistance being afforded by Government to
guard against such calamities, by sending one or two
small war vessels to sail along the coast during the fish.
ing season, and afford protection and assistance to the
fishing boats when in danger. The French, Dutch,
Belgians, &c., protect and guard their fishermen ;
but a British vessel of war is never seen on the
Zetland shores. Yet, when Government want men
for the navy, they are not slow to seek a supply
from among our hardy but neglected islanders. Amidst
all the unsettled weather, our crops attained considerable
growth, and some fine days during the first part of the
present month have had the happiest effect on them. The
bear crop is fertile, and has been nearly all cut down in
good condition. The potatoes are an excellent crop, but
the oats are still exposed to the gusts of wind which too
often prevail about this period of the season, and not
being fully ready for the sickl
We have had a visit from some Free Church ministers.
Their voyages have pe.thaps been mane with the intent
to raise money fur making up to our islanders any defi-
ciency in their crops. They are surely tuu benevoli nt
to attempt to carry off any funds out of so poor a district,
and too clear-sighted not to perceive that there is no
need of a Free Church here, where the people are well
supplied with religious light, because, besides the Esta-
blished Church, we have Independent, Methodist, and
Seceder chapels ; the pastors and congregations gene-
rally are both zealous and exemplary.
Although we have not been favoured with a sight of
any of our British men•of-war, we have had the friendly
and agreeable visits of those of other countries. First,
a pretty little Dutch gun-brig spent some days twice at
Lerwick ; and next, an el, gant French corvette " Pre-
voy ante," commanded by that highly esteemed officer,
Captain Robin de Pare, with three French cutters, paid
us a ten days' visit. The urbanity and elegant hospi-
tality of the commanders and officers of these vessels,
and the peaceable demeanour of their crews, are worthy
of all praise.—Lenvick, Sept. 20.
We are happy to add, in accordance with the above,
that the corvette and two of the French cutters, viz.,
Passe par Tout, and Eperlan, visited Leith Roads during
last week, and the officers expressed themselves highly
delighted with this city and its elegant buildings, and in
particular with the Castle and Holyrood Palace. The
officers also afforded much pleasure to a few private
friends in Edinburgh, whom they honoured with their
company during their stay here.—Courant.

WASTE LANDS AND THEIR
RECOVERY.
The draining of swamps has been the means of re-
covering many thousands of acres, which were, for cen-
turies, indeed as long back as any record could be ob-
tained, perfectly useless; and it is almost the first cry of
a superficial observer, when ground lies under water,
"Drain it." All this is very easily said; and if you ask
the parties so ready with their advice, how the water is
to be got ril of, seeing that all the ditches, and even
rivers, in the neighbourhood, are as high as the ground
to be drained, they would be rather puzzled to carry
their advice further. But even this must not discourage
us, when we observe what has been done in some cases.
It is possible that a large part of land lying always
under water, and that water considerably below the
bed of the river that runs through it, may be so effec-
tively drained as to be north cultivating and paying a
smart rent for. Let us presume that ten thousand acres of
ground, not worth a shilling ate acre—not worth anything
in fact, because alwa,i s under water—be nevertheless in
a good situation for farming, ,if it could be drained. It
is clear that, if any means could be contrived to make it
workable, it would yield a rent, which we will suppose
to be only ten shillings an acre. Any means that would
cost annually five shillings an acre would have a profit
of five shillings an acre. Make preparation, therefore,
for working a steam engine at the lowest part, to force
up the water to the bed of the river, and keep it always
going, if necessary. Now, drain the land as you would
if the water run off, bringing all the drains so as to con
vey the water to the dyke cleared by the engine ; and
the effect is as complete as if it actually run away, in-
stead of requiring to be forced away by extra power
employed on purpose. In this manner leave the tens of
Lincolnshire been converted frem endless sheets of water
to excellent wheat lands, yielding, under ordinary cul-
ture, four quarters to the acre ; so that there really is
not any ground, in any situation worth claiming, that
might not be claimed by the application of some of the
numerous means employed. A windmill has been
four.d equal to the draining of a large swamp, where
there were no means of running the water off, the near-
est and best watercourse lying more than six feet above
the level of the great part of the swamp. There
was
an excavation made at the part nearest the outlet, and
this was pumped out by means of a very economical
windmill, raised sufficiently to catch the wind ; and
though there were times when the w ant of wind gave the
water a little lenity, it was for the most Part well kept
under, and proved a valuable addition to the farm. The
draining was of course performed so as to guide the
water to the excavation, where it was expelled to the
nearest watercourse by the mill. It is not the apparent
difficulty that should deter us from attempting improve-
ments. In the Lincoln fens' improvement, land worth
nothing was made worth a considerable sum ; and if it
cost half the annual rent to keep it drained by means of
steam -engines, the other half would be profit, and there-
fore worth the effort.--Borticultaral Magazine.

APPLICATION BY GOVERNMENT OF NASMMI'S
STEAM PILE DRIVER.—This powerful engine, which is work-
ing such mighty changes in the cost and construction of
works where piles are necessary, is now being patronised by
Government. Mr. Nasmyth has been, by order of the Lords
of the Admiralty, to Deptford Dock, to choose a place fit for
the erection of one of a large size; the driving head to weigh
tons, and capable of giving from 70 to 80 strokes per
minute ; yet, so completely is this ponderous machine under
the command of the engineer, that lie can so regulate it that
stsmyth's direct
it should take a dozen taps to crack a nut, and then not crush
the kernel! It is intended also to hare N
action steam-hammer, which is on the samepriheipie at
all
the Government dock yards, of different sizes suitable for
large anchor work, and the smaller works of the smithery.
Mr. Baker, who is superintending the marine works at De-
vonport, has had a Nasmyth's. pile driver erected, by which
the whole of the piles necessary will be driven in three
months, which, by the old system, would have taken three
years. An offer was made to the men that, if they would
drive thirty piles in one day, they should have a gam{ supper
provided for them, and, on Saturday last, they set to work in
good earnest, and completed the number in the given time;
these piles were from eight en to twenty-four inches square,
and, consequently, a frontage of about fifty feet was piled in
the day: the men were substantially regaled in the evening.
—ltirang Journal.