390 Miscellanies, 



(New Haven) was one of the number, and to attend the meeting went 

 from London to Birmingham, one hundred and eight miles, in five 

 hours. One thousand members appeared at the first meeting, and 

 at a conversation assembly in the evening, one thousand five hun- 

 dred were present of whom about one half were ladies ; the scene 

 was one of animated conversation with incessant promenading, and 

 sublime music from the largest organ in the world played by a first 

 rate German performer and composer. The evening was closed by a 

 supper. The next day Sir Robert Peel, now in retirement from min- 

 isterial power, gave a splendid entertainment to a select party of sci- 

 entific and literary men at his magnificent villa of Drayton Manor, 24 

 miles from Birmingham, at which our correspondent was present with 

 Rev. Mr. Harcourt the President of the British Association, Drs. 

 Buckland and Daubeny of Oxford University, Professors Peacock 

 and Hopkins of Cambridge, Mr. de la Beche, Mr. Greenough, Mr. 

 Hallam the historian, Prof. Shcenbein of Basle, Count de Tambone, 

 the dean of Ely, Mr. Horner, Mr. James Peel, and others. 



Scientific Excursion to the Dudley Coal Mines. — Friday, Aug. 30, 

 a party of 450 in number went by canal in five boats to visit the Dud- 

 ley coal and iron region. The canal is very large and expensive ; 

 manufactories are every where in view on all the route of nine miles, 

 and for the last six miles it is one vast coal region ; a bed of coal 30 

 feet thick passes under the whole country and deep pits descend into 

 it in almost innumerable places, over which the lofty chimneys like 

 shot towers were throwing out dense clouds of smoke, and over 

 every one of them is a furnace both for the working of steam en- 

 gines and for ventilating the mines. The party penetrated the vast 

 tunnel, excavated about 100 years ago under Dudley castle, which was 

 built as it is said in A. D. 700, or about that time. The tunnel, which 

 is about three quarters of a mile long, is one vast cavern, in some 

 places 60 feet high and every where from 30 to 100 feet wide. Large 

 boats, holding each 60 persons, conveyed the party. 



The sides of the tunnel were illuminated by 4000 candles, besides 

 a splendid exhibition of lights disposed in regular figures at its ex- 

 tremity. For the first quarter of a mile, the party proceeded in almost 

 the darkness of midnight, when suddenly they descried in the distance 

 an immense concourse of people of both sexes, occupying an extended 

 platform of the rock, which was illuminated by the light of day de- 

 scending upon them through an opening carred up through the solid 

 strata 150 feet to the surface. The effect was wonderful, and it seemed 

 as though the party had arrived in another world, while shouts and 

 cheers were given and returned. From the point where the illumina- 

 tion began, the company in the boats continued on while the people 



