The Sun.
London, England, 1827-07-24 00:00:00

THAMES TUNNEL.

During the last week the exertions and persever-
ance of the engineer and his assistants have , more
than realized the expectations of the Directors and
others interested in the progress of this undertaking.
The second tier of boxes have been partially cleared,
and to such an extent as to admit of an inspection,
which justifies the assurance that no danger is now
to be anticipated. The poling-screws and planks
have been displaced, as was the case in the first tier ;
but the face of the earth has happily been found solid
and secure. The fortunate exertions of the engineers
continuing, it has been found necessary to augment
the number of men to very nearly its former quantity.
A very erroneous idea exists with regard to the
mode of descent adopted in this undertaking. It
has been generally conceived that it is effected by
means of a chair, and ropes and pulleys attached to
it. The very contrary is the case. The descent is
effected by means of a circular staircase, which re-
quires no more physical exertion than that which is
exercised on the passing up and down an ordinary
staircase; and being fixed round the boarding which
supports and assists the working of the pumps, it is
increased in power.
The dimensions and extent of the shaft are also
mat ters upon which the public mind appears to be
uninformed. Upon proper computation, it has been
found to be sixty feet in depth, and forty-six feet
eight inches in diameter. It has been sunk on the
south side of the river, within a few yards of Bother-
hithe Church. The method of commencing this
operation was at once novel and hold.
Preparations were made a little to the eastward of
the Church, exhibiting several circles of piles ; on
one circle of which rested a timber platform, destined
to form the base of a cylindric structure of brick,
of the dimensions already mentioned. This platform
was strongly iron shod, for the purpose of pene-
trating the ground. The brickwork was set in
Roman cement, and secured by horizontal bond hoops
or iron ties, let in at the courses, at short intervals
from each other, and then plastered smooth. An
altitude of forty feet having been accomplished, the
soil was then excavated, and hoisted from within the
:•ylinder ; and, as the earth -was progressively re-
moved from under, the circular wall of the shaft, the
whole mass was gradually stink. To continue
and -i:omplete this singular operation, was a
work of no small difficulty ; and in order to
facilitate it by every available means, the brickwork
of the shaft. was loaded with an immense additional
pressure, supposed to have equalled nine hundred
tons. Notwithstarding, however, every effort and
precaution, it was found wholly impracticable to
penetrate the dense strata of blue clay which was
met with at about forty feet from the surface: The
tenacity of the clay, together with the immense
pressure of the surrounding earth of the cylinder, suc-
cessfully resisted all attempts to sink it lower, and
the only alternative which presented itself, and which
was adopted, was to continue the excavation co the
required depth, and -to commence the brickwork at
the base, underpinning that already completed. The
extent'of labour and danger attending the completion
of this object may be easily conceived. The diffi-
culties were not simply confined to mere excavation,
but the progress of the, work was retarded by the
intervention of some powerful land springs, which
were met with on the smith side of the river, and
which has since continued to annoy and perplex the
work people. Perseverance, however, at length
overcame every difficUlty, and the shaft was com-
pleted to the depth at first contemplated ; and the
whole fabric was then bound vertically, by means of
of 48 iron ties of great strength.
In the course of another fortnight, it is expected
that the full complement of men will be employed,
and the excavation re-commenced.

On Monday last, about five o'clock in the •
afternoon, when the air was perfectly Calm, and in the ab-
sence of any wind beyond a light breeze, numerous parcels
of hay was observed near to the town of Stafford, travers-
ing the air at a great height, and parcels of the same were
gradually alighting; while ethers appeared like herons,
winging among the clouds. The hay that tell at different
parts was mostly of a light and dry quality; while other
parcels were green and heavy. It must have been taken up
in some tornado, or whirlwind, at a distance, to a great
height.--Pottery Gazette.
ANECDOTE OF LORD ELDON IN HIS
You'll-I.—lt was now within a few days of the end of the
Assizes at York, and both the Judges were hurrying on
the business; for, at that time, the interval allotted for
the execution of the commission at York was by no means
sufficient, and the Judge, in the Nisi Prius Court in that
city, could never get over the necessity of leaving a
" legacy," as it was called, in the shape of some four or
five remanets, to his successor at the ensuing Assizea._
This was a subject of reproach to the administration of the
law, and Judges were very anxious to do it away. The
moment was a critical one, therefore, when a case was
called on, in which Mr. Scott held a junior brief. The
Jury was regularly sworn; the crier had all the witnesses
gathered under his box ; and the Judge looked down, ex-
pecting to hear some one open the pleadings. Mr. Scott
slowly rose, and stated, that as the leading Counsel in the
cause, the Attorney-General for Durham, was engaged all
the morning in the Crown Court in an unavoidable coining
ease, and would be able speedily to leave it, he hoped the
Court would postpone the cause for a tew hours. " Call
the next, Mr. Marshal," exclaimed the Judge in a tons
1 which, it was bell understood, imported not only " call the
next," but also, " strike out the present case." Mr. Scott
unfolded his brief, and forthwith proceeded to address the
Jury. lle had settled the declaration in the cause him-
self ; therefore he was ready at stating the facts. A Mm's.
Fermor and a very elderly Miss Sanstem were adversaries
at a whist party, when, by some extraordinary convulsion
of nature, a dispute arose. Words were the prelude
to blows ; and to the eternal shame of Yorkshire gallantry,
Mrs. Fermor was forced from her chair, and compelled to
measure her length on the floor of the apartment. The great
point in the cause was, to ascertain who gave the first blow ;
and all the evidence, that which she produced her-
self included, led pretty directly to the conclusion, fiat Miss
Sanstem was the original assailant. The case was, indeed
in the general opinion, pretty clear against the young lady.
The Judge was now about to stun up, when the adverse
Counsel took an objection to the form of the declaration.
The chief count alleged, as it appeared that the assault was
committed by the hand of the defendant; and this expression
ran through the remaining counts. Now the testimony of
every one of the witnesses went to show, that if any violence
was inflicted by Miss Sanstem at all, it was by flinging
the cards in the face of Airs. Fermor. Here was a fatal va-
riance; and the Court and Jury, and all the busy amici curice
were stock still. Mr. Scott, at length, rose with a face of the
best possible huinour,whilst every body thought it should have
exhibited the marks of disappointment. " Very true, my
Lord ; with her cards did Miss Sanstem commit this breach
of the peace ; we never meant to state any thing else ; for
surely your Lordship need not be told—the gentlemen in
that box hails not to learn, at this hour of the day—that, in
the common parlance of the card table, a hand means cards.
She did, my Lord, assault the plaintiff with her hand of
cards." A buzz of applause succeeded, and was gaining in
strength, as the .ludge appeared to admit the validity of the
explanation ; for the injury to Mr. Scott's client was a
very gross one, and excited the sympathy of the audience
in her favour. In the libations, the same evening, by
which witnesses, client, solicitor, and numerous friends,
celebrated the triumph, the young Counsel was deeply re-
_ membered.

LONDON,
TUESDAY EVENING, JULY 21,, 1827.

Dispatches were this morning received from
Lieutenant-General Sir H. W. CLINTON to

the 7th inst. The army remained at Lelia,
Thomer, Torres Novas, Torres Vedras, and
Lisbon, and were in excellent health.
Accounts had been received at Lisbon that
an insurrectionary movement had taken place
in the northern part of the province of Tras-
os-Montes, but the result was not known.
The Insurgents were headed by Brigadier-Gene-
ral ORDAZ.

We received last might the Paris Morning
rapers of Saturday, and the price of the Funds
,
to the close of that day, but by some accident
the Gazette de France of .Sunday did.not reach
us as usual at the same time. The Moniteur

contains an article, dated Ancona the 4th inst.,
which states that a Steam• packet from the lonian
Islands had arrived on the preceding day with
important despatches from Corfu for London,
and that private letters, . brought by the same
conveyance, announced that General CHURCH
and COLOCOTRONI, and the other Greek Chiefs,
has taken up several positions in the Isthmu3 of
Corinth to oppose the march Of IBRAHIM
PACHA. It adds a report, that Lord Cocx-
RANE had dispersed the Egyptian Fleet off the
Coast of Candia. The PJoniteur also'statcs,
that the letters received from. Madrid and Lisbon
do not justify the alarms propagated by some of
the other Journals, and that the " repose of the

Peninsula will not be interrupted."
The other Papers are quite barren of political
intelligence. Extracts of their contents are,
however, given in-another column.

FRENCH FUNDS. —Rentes, 5 per Cent. 102 f. 90c. 85.. ;
3 per Cent. 72f. 50c• 45e. ; Sank Actions, 2012 f. 50e.
Foamy; FoNns.—Rentes Nap. Cert. Fal. '7Bf. SOc.
35e. ; Franc. '7Bf. 25c. ; Royal Spanish Loan, 61i ,
Interminable Span. Annuities, 454 ; Haytian Loan, 675 f

A Lisbon mail reached town last night,
brought to Falmouth by his Majesty's packet,
Sandwich. The Gazettes which have reached
us by this opportunity are as usual totally barren
of interesting matter. The 4th instant, being
the birth-day of the Princess REGENT, the
Briti*h troops proceeded to Alfanobeire, and
filed off in the finest order before her Royal
Highness's residence. The following are ex
tracts:—

Lssßox, Juts( 4.—The Gazette contains the following

Decrees :

" 1. At the solicitation of Luiz de Rego Baneto to be
reinstated in the rank of Major-General, of which he was
iiregulatly deprived, by a Decree of 4th June, 182.4, her.
Royal Highness, considering the justice of his claim, and
his faithful service, grants his petition.

" H. Her Highness promotes Major-General Luiz de
Rego Baneto to the rank of Lieutenant-General.

" 111. Robert Mackintosh, dismissed from the post of
Captain of Cavalry, in 1820, petitions to be reinstated,
alleging his services in the Peninsular war, in which he
was seriously wounded, adding, that he is naturalized and
married in Portugal, and that he holds no counnission in
the British service. Her Serene Highness grants his ,pe-
tition, and reinstates him as Captain on the staff of the

army." •
This being the anniversary of the birth-day of the
Princess Regent, the whole Court, and a great number of
persons of distinction, went to Alfitnobeire, to compliment
her Highness on this happy occasion, and with the greater
pleasure on account of the rapid improvement of her
Highness's health. The colours uere hoisted on all the
forts and men-of-war in the harbour, and the customary
salutes fired.

To soletnnite the day, the British troops, under the
command of their worthy General, Sir W. Clinton, pro-
ceeded to Alfa.nobeire, having obtained her Highness's per-
mission, and filed off in the finest order in front of her High-
ness's residence.

We received last evening the Journal de St.
Petersburgh of the sth, and Hamburgh Papers
to the 17th inst. ; they contain details of the
operations of the Army in Georgia, which will
be found in another column. The Persians ap-
pear to save gained some advantages over the
Russians on the banks of the Araxes. It is
stated in an Article from Frankfort, dated the
10th inst., that M. VON TATISCHEFF has
communicated to Prince METTERNICH a very
peremptory Note of the Russian Cabinet, de.