Chirk Collieries. — Expeditions to j4frica. 73 



DESTRUCTION OF THE EXTENSIVE COLLIERIES AT CHIRK IN 

 DENBIGHSHinE. 



On Saturday evening, the 28th of December, owing, as it is 

 supposed, to inattention in the servants of the Ellesmere Canal 

 Company, t!ic stop-gates, phigs, &c. for regulating the quantity 

 of water on that part of the canal which is embanked up to Chirk 

 aqueduct, were neglected : the fatal consequence was, tliat the 

 embankment being overpowered by the great weight of super- 

 fluous water, gave way, and falling down a precipice, completely 

 danuTied up the river Cering, which flows below it, and over 

 which the canal is continued by an acpieduct. The water being 

 thus impeded, quickly found its way in another direction, and in 

 half an hour every pit belonging to the colliery was filled v/ith 

 water, earth, gravel, &c. The machinery was torn in pieces 

 by the tremendous force of the current, and very considerable 

 damage done to the surroundingcountry. Most providentially this 

 was the only night in u'liich, for several years past, the workmen 

 were absent from the pits. They had been allowed a little time 

 to collect Christmas bounties, &;c. and thus this dreadful calamity 

 is not aggravateil by the loss of the many valuable lives which 

 must have been otlierwi'^e inevitably sacrificed. All the horses 

 employed in the works were drowned. The immediate loss to 

 the proprietors of the works is immense; and the destruction of 

 so valuable a colliery, which has for a long series of years,, 

 produced fuel for the country, and employment for its poor, is 

 a public calamity. 



EXPEDITIONS TO AFRICA. 



The particular details of the unfortunate expedition to explore 

 the river Congo have since our last publication reached the 

 Admiralty. It appears that the ship Congo under the command 

 of captain Tuckey, with theDorothy transport in company, arrived 

 at the mouth of the Congo about the beginning of July. The 

 Coiigo having been purposely built to draw little water, it left the 

 transport, and proceeded alone up the river, to the extent of 

 120 miles, when her progress was stopped by rapids and other 

 difficulties of the current. Captain Tuckey with all the principal 

 individuals attached to the expedition then diseml)arked, resolving 

 to prosecute their survey by land. The country as they proceeded 

 became barren and mountainous ; and the climate, though mild 

 (Fahrenheit's thermometer seldom exceeding 76 degrees l)y day, 

 and never descending below 60 at night,) was so excessively dry 

 that it became extremely difficult to procure water The people 

 are represented as timid and pusillanimous ; they opposed no 

 obstacle to the progress of our adventurers, and readily furnished 

 whatever guides were required. 



After penetrating aljout 150 miles, (being 12C further than any 

 white person had ever been before,) Captain Tuckey and his com 



paniuiis 



