It is f jiir and a half feet in diameter, is mounted on the flag-staff, and is raised each day at ten minutes before twelve. The force of the fall is broken by spiral springs at the foot of the flag-staff. Another but smaller time-ball is dropped at the same instant in Broadway, in front of the telegraph-office, and hundreds of persons may be seen daily holding their watches at the approach of the meridian moment, to regulate them by this unerring indicator.

Immediately opposite Albany is the commencement of fine alluvial " flats," almost on a level with the Hudson, and subject to overflow when floods or high tides prevail. At the head of these " flats " lies the village of Grcenbush {lid Greene Bosch, "the pine woods," in the Dutch

THE HUDSON.

language), which was laid out at the beginning of this century. It has since crept up the slope, and now presents a beautiful rural village of almost four thousand inhabitants. Many business men of Albany have pleasant country residences there. About a mile from the ferry is the site of extensive barracks erected by the United States government as a place of rendezvous for troops at the opening of the war between Great Britain and the United States in 1812. Provision was made for six

GREKNBL'SII RAILMAY-S'

thousand soldiers; and their General Dearborn, the ooininander-iu-chief of the United States army, had his quarters for some time. On tliis very spot Abercrombie and Amherst collected their troops above a hundred years ago, preparatory to an invasion of Canada, or, at least, the capture of the French fortresses on Lake Champlain ; and from that same spot went companies and regiments to the northern frontiers in 1812 -- 11, to invade Canada, or to oppose an invasion from that province, as circumstances might require. 'No traces now remain of warlike preparation.