The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-26 00:00:00

FOREIGN MAILS.- POST-OFFICE NOTICE.

Yesterday the fol►owing notice relative to the dept..
Aire of foreign mails was posted at the Chief Office, St
Nlartin's le Gland :

PENINSULAR MAli.s.—The Royal Tar will sail from
Southampton with the Peninsular mails of the 27th inst.
(to-morrow).
MADEIRA, BRAZIL, AND BUENOS AYRES.—Her Ma-
iesty's brig Crane, for the mails of the evening of the 2d
of September (from August to January inclusive the
packet touches at Pernamboco and Bahia on her outward
a,ssage to Rio Janiero, and the other six on her home-
ward).

WEST INDIES.—The Dee will sail from Southampton
with the mails for the morning of the 2d September, for
'he British and Foreign Colonies in the West Indies
(except Bermuda), Venezuela, Madeira, and Mexico.
AMERICA.—The Britannia for the mails of the evening
of the 3d September.
SYDNEY AND NEW SOUTH WALES.—The Persian,
for the mails of the evening of the Ist of September.
The next mails for Gibraltar, Malta, Greece, the
lonian Islands, Egypt, and India, via Southampton, will
be dispatched from hence on the morning of September 3

PRINCE ALBERT'S BIRTH-DAY.—This morning the
bells of the various parish churches in London ushered in the
anniversary of the birth of the Consort of our beloved Queen. The
guards of the third regiment assembled on the Horse Guard's pa-
rade before ten o'clock, and from thence proceeded to take the
usual duty at St. James's Palace, where the band of that regiment
played several beautiful pieces of music, principally the com-
position of his Royal Highness. There was a very numerous
and distinguished company present on the occasion. At one
o'clock the Park and Tower guns were fired in honour of the
event.

- • -----
ANOTHER BALLOON ASCENT BY MR. C. GREEN.—
Last evening Mr. Green ascended from Cremorne Gardens, in
the Royal Nassau Balloon, It was anticipated by many that,
in consequence of the accident which occurred to the veteran
aeronaut at Gravesend, ho would not have been able to proceed
on another aerial journey ; but, though suffering severely, Mr.
C. Green was determined that the public should not be dis-
appointed, and at ten o'clock yesterday morning he was in the
grounds, superintending the inflation of the balloon, which is
capable of containing about 70,000 cubic feet of gas, and which
was supplied from the Imperial Gas Manufactory. It was
announces' that the ascent would take place at six o'clock. Pre-
vious to that hour the wind was blowing strong from the south,
and in consequence Mr. C. Green dissuaded Mrs. C. Green and
two other ladies from venturing with him. Shortly after the
above hour Mr. C. Green, Mr. H. Green (his brother), Mr.
T. Green (his son), Mr. Littlejohn, Mr. Spencer (a solicitor),
and another gentleman, entered the car, and Mr. Williams,
with Messrs. G. and W. Green took their stations on the
hoop. The wind having abated Mr. C. Green then, by means
of the liberating iron, released the balloon from terra firma.
After leaving Cremorne Gardens, it proceeded in the direction
of Highgate, where it met with a more westerly current, when
it went towards Essex. On coming between High Beach and
Waltham Abbey, Mr. Green, perceiving a hvourable oppor-
tunity to alight, made preparations for his descent. By this
time, a great crowd of persons had collected, but the object of
the veteran aeronaut being perceived by a number of policemen
they hastened to his assistance, and formed a ring of the body
of people collected, in the centre of which the magnificent
machine was safely landed and emptied of its gaseous contents,
amidst the cheers of the popelaee. It was then packed up, and
being placed in a chaise, was taken by Mr. Green to his resi-
dence at Highgate. Mr. Littlejohn, who ascended with the
balloon, arrived at Cremorne Gardens between twelve and one
o'clock this morning, and communicated to the company the safe
descent of the balloon.

SHRINKING OF THE PAPER IN IMPRESSIONS OF
ENGRAVINGS.—In the course of the evidence on the London
and York Railway Bill, a very remarkable instance came to
light of the effect of the shrinking of paper in impressions from
capper-•plates. By the deposited plans of this railway, the
elevation at a particular spot, called Greenwood-place-road,
appeared to be only 413 feet, while it was found by actual level-
ling to be 422. Mr. James Wyld, by whom the plans were
engraved, being called to explain this discrepancy, gave the
following evidence :—" The copper-plate produced was en-
graved by him, and sheet 6 of the section (the one on which
Greenwood-place-road occurs) was printed from that plate.
The height of Greenwood-place-read measured on the
copper is 422 feet, and on the printed copies of the section there
is a contraction of about nine feet, in reference to the scale, so
that the height, as shown by the copies, measures only about
413 feet. Had often known a! large an amount of contraction.
He explained the mode in which contraction took place, by
showing how the sheets of paper, in the damp state, after being
printed on, were hung up to dry across a line. In consequence
of this the gravitation of the paper prevented the horizontal
contraction from being so great as the vertical. The contrac-
tion of paper ♦aried very much, and was often equal to 1 in 40,
and even lin 36. Witness measured the coqtraction of the
scales and of some of the flgored heights on a sheet of the sec-
tion printed by him, and found it equal to about a feet in 00
in the longitudinal direction, and 5 feet in 200 in the vertical
direction."—Mechanics' Magazine.
GALLANT CAPTURE OF A PIRATE SLAVER.—By
private advices which we have received from the coast of
Africa we learn that a report prevailed of a most gallant and
successful engagement on the west coast, between the boots of
one of her Majesty's ships and a large pirate slaver. The
name of the vessel to which the boats belonged did not trans-
pire, but of the fact of the engagement, which, though most
desperate, was completely successful on the Fart of the gallant
crews, there was not the slightest doubt. It was said that
one or two of the officers distinguished themselves in the e 4.1
truce.