―37―

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

1. November 1, 1806.—THE Aca-
demy of France at Rome, which,
under the auspices of the French
government, and the indefatigable
zeal of its present director Suvée,
had been re-established in the Corso
Palace, has since been transferred
to the beautiful palace of Villa Me-
dici, which the French government
obtained from the king of Etruria,
and will assume the name of the
French School of Fine Arts at Rome.
By his exertions, Suvée has pre-
pared convenient accommodations
for five students of architecture,
five of painting, one of engraving
on copper, one of engraving on
stone, and especially cameos, and
one of musical composition. These
students, after having gained the
principal prizes at Paris, go to
Rome to finish their studies, and
there find all possible means of faci-
litating their progress.

In the old gallery of the palace,
which before contained a beautiful
collection, Suvée has placed casts of
the finest statues, busts, vases, basso
relievos, ornaments, and fragments,
the originals of which in marble are
preserved in the Museo Pio Cle-
mentino, in the Capitoline Museum,
and in different palaces at Rome, at
Florence, and in France. This col-
lection is so numerous and so well
arranged, that it may with truth be
affirmed to be the richest and most

beautiful in the world. It is worthy
remark, that it serves alike for
the French artists and those of
Rome, who easily obtain admission
of it. To contribute in every point
of view to the instruction of the pu-
pils, the indefatigable director has
placed a select library in the palace;
and that they may always have be-
fore them the best antique figures,
he has ornamented with the most
beautiful statues, basso-relievos, and
busts, not only the hall and the
apartments on the ground-floor, but
likewise the portico or vestibule of
the palace, where he has placed
busts of Raphael and Poussin; so
that at every step the minds of the
pupils are struck with some monu-
ment which furnishes them with an
opportunity of reflecting on the beau-
tiful in the arts of design.

Suvée has not shown less anxiety
to embellish the garden and the al-
leys. He has converted this spot
into a real Lyceum, in which the
young students may enjoy recrea-
tion, and refresh their imaginations
after their labours. A plantation of
trees will in a few years render it
one of the most delightful and fre-
quented places in Rome.

2. The Pomfret and Arundel mar-
bles in the schools at Oxford, are
removed to the Radcliffe Library.
Their number and value are en-
hanced by the addition of sir Roger

―38―

Newdigate's collection. The sta-
tues, and other articles of exquisite
workmanship, are placed in the up-
per part of the building; the inscrip-
tions and inferior specimens in the
colonnade beneath.

3. A beautiful monument to the
memory of Schwartz, the German
missionary, was finished in Novem-
ber, 1806, at London, by Mr. Flax-
man, intended for India. The subject
is a bas relief, representing the rajah
of Tanjore's last visit to the venera-
ble priest while on the bed of death.
It was chosen by the rajah himself:
one or two of the Rajah's ministers
are represented as accompanying
him, with three boys, in the fore-
ground, belonging to the school which
Schwartz superintended for many
years. The inscription is in English.

4. The projected improvements
in Westminster Hall are these:
The new court of king's bench is to
be built on the opposite side of the
hall to the common pleas, next the
speaker's court-yard. This has
long been wanted, as the present
court is considerably too small for
the accommodation required. That
which is now the exchequer-bill
office is to be converted into a room
for the accommodation of the grand
jury, and several adjoining apart-
ments are to be built for the conve-
nience of the judges' attendants, and
the officers of the court. On the ex-
terior part of the hall, next the ab-
bey, four coffee-houses are to be
erected for the accommodation of
barristers, witnesses, &c., and all
the sheds which now disgrace that
venerable pile are to be pulled
down, and the entrances to the hall
repaired and beautified.

5. Mr. Arthur Young, the father of
agricultural science in England, af-
ter many experiments and observa-
tions on the subject, affirms that
sea-salt acts as a very powerful ma-
nure, especially when added to dung.
He says, also, that very considerable
benefit has been found from the ap-
plication of sea-water to vegetables,
and that when mixed with dung or
compost dunghills, it possesses a sep-
tic power that promotes putrefaction.

6. Mr. Logan has made many ex-
periments on gypsum, with a view
to ascertain its qualities, and the
differences between the American
gypsum, and that found in Europe.
His conclusions are, 1. That there
is no difference between European
and American gypsum. 2. That it
acts as an immediate manure to
grass, and afterwards in an equal
degree to grain. 3. That one dress-
ing will continue in force several
succeeding crops. 4. That it does
not produce any remarkable effects
used as a top-dressing for grain.
5. And that on stiff clay soils it will
produce an increase of vegetation,
but not sufficient to pay the expence
of the manure. The quantity per
acre should be six bushels.

7. From other experiments of
Mr. Young, charcoal is found to be
a good manure for vegetables; but
nothing in comparison to hydrogen
gas, from iron filings, and dilute
sulphuric acid thrown up to the
roots every day. In both cases the
principle is the same; for charcoal
decomposes the water, imbibing the
oxygen, and giving out the hydro-
gen for the nourishment of the plants.

8. A periodical work, published by
Storch, in 1806, and entitled, Russia
under Alexander I, furnishes the
following particulars: In the Ger-
man provinces of the Russian em-
pire there are at present six print-
ing establishments, three of which
are in the government of Livonia,
one in Courland, and two in Estho-
nia. These are, 1. The printing-
house of the university of Dorpat,
established in 1789 by M. Genzius,
who, in 1802, had the title of printer
to the university. Ever since its es-
tablishment, a political gazette has
been printed there. 2. The print-
ing-house of the crown and city at
Riga, established as early 1522. It
has always enjoyed the privilege
of printing all the church and school-
books for that city; it may be con-
sidered as the mother of all the fo-
reign printing-houses in Russia.
Since the year 1785 it has belonged
to Mr. J. D. K. Muller. 3. The
same city contains another printing-

―39―

house, belonging to M. Hacker,
established in 1777. 4. The print-
ing-house of the government of
Mittau, where there was probably
one so far back as 1584. It is only
of late years that it has become
flourishing under the direction of M.
Steffenhagen, who has conferred
signal benefit on his country by cir-
culating in it many excellent Ger-
man and Lithuanian works. 5. The
printing-office of the town and gym-
nasium of Reval, founded while
the country belonged to Sweden. Its
proprietor is M. Minuth, who pub-
lishes the only newspaper that ap-
pears at Reval. 6. Gressel's print-
ing-office, established in the same
town in 1802. All these houses,
especially that of Mittau, are fur-
nished with a great quantity of
types.

9. Esmark, a learned mineralo-
gist, and formerly the pupil of the
celebrated Werner, has lately dis-
covered, at Arandal, in Norway, a
new mineral, of which he has made
a distinct species, under the name
Datolithe. M. Klaproth has ana-
lysed this mineral, and found it to be
composed of

Hence it appears to be a corate of
lime mixed, perhaps accidentally,
with silica. It is of a white colour,
more or less tinged with green. It
is found in such large masses as to
be considered a rock, and in crys-
tals of the shape of rectangular
prisms. Its fracture does not ex-
hibit a lamellated texture; it is im-
perfectly conchoidal, with small ca-
vities, and of an oily lustre. Some
masses are composed of large grains
adhering to each other, but perfect-
ly distinct; and of which the surface
is far from being brilliant. This sub-
stance is not so hard as feldspath.
It is semi-transparent, and weighs
2.93. When exposed to the action
of the blow-pipe, it swells into a
large white mass, and at last be-
comes converted into a glass of a
pale rose colour. It dissolves with-

out the aid of heat in nitric acid,
leaving the silica at the bottom of
the vessel.

10. A circumstance, deserving of
the attention of naturalists, occurred
in October, 1806, at the menagerie of
Schonbrunn, near Vienna. The male
Bengal tiger kept there is usually
fed with butcher's meat; but being
at times subject to a kind of oph-
thalmia, he is then provided with
young living animals, whose warm
blood contributes to his cure. Be-
ing in this state, the female whelp
of a butcher's dog was thrown in to
him; the tiger was just then couch-
ed with his head resting on his fore-
feet. The whelp recovering from
her first alarm, approached and be-
gan to lick his eyes, which was so
agreeable to the tiger, that, forget-
ting his appetite for carnage, he not
only spared the animal, but even
testified his gratitude by caresses.
The bitch, having entirely over-
come her fears, continued to lick him,
and in a few days the tiger was cured.
Since that time the two animals have
lived in perfect friendship; before
he touches his food, the tiger always
waits till his companion has satisfi-
ed herself with the dantiest morsels.
He puts up with every thing from her,
and even when she bites him in play,
he shows no resentment, but is con-
tinually caressing her.

11. Never were such pains taken
as within these few years to vary the
number of musical instruments. An
artist of Prague, named Holbein,
has invented one, to which he has
given the name of Uranikon. One
of its properties is to swell the sound
progressively from pianissimo to
fortissimo, and vice versa. This
instrument likewise produces the
sound of a horn, the echo of which
seems to reverberate in the moun-
tains; and the adagio is sung, ad li-
bitum, by one of the sweetest female
voices.

12. At a late meeting of the Aca
emy of Sciences at Munich, Baader
exhibited the model of a machine of
his invention, which he denominates
Hydrometrograph, and which has
already been tried on a large scale

―40―

at the salt-works of Reichenhall.
By means of this machine, the mea-
sure of any quantity of water that
has passed through a pipe of certain
dimensions is determined and mark-
ed in cubic feet.

13. A literary notice, at the same
capital, proposes the publication of an
engraving of a bird, which has never
been methodically described by any
naturalist, and which is mentioned
for the first time in the second vo-
lume of Gmelin's Natural History.
This bird, which is truly a curiosity,
has four sorts of wings, or rather a
very thick collar of feathers, which
he spreads over his back when it rains
in the manner of an umbrella. The
editors of the same work promise a
description of several other original
species, which cannot fail to prove
interesting to ornithologists.

14. At a meeting of the Academy of
Useful Sciences at Erfurt, M. Buch-
ner read a memoir on inoculation for
the natural small-pox, and on the
result of the first vaccination at Ber-
gen, in Norway. He gives a cir-
cumstantial account of the latter,
and states a remarkable case which
fell under his observation in the
performance of his medical duty.
He was sent for to a child a year
old, belonging to captain Paasche,
who commanded a ship, and was
absent at the time on a voyage to
France. The mother imagined that
the symptoms of disorder proceed-
ed from dentition; but M. Buchner
soon discovered all those that usual-
ly attend the natural small-pox.
Before its eruption, he several times
endeavoured, but in vain, to prevail
on the mother to have her other two
children vaccinated. The next day
the eruption appeared, the small-
pox became malignant, and on the
sixth day the child died. The dis-
consolate mother then repaired to
the physician, imploring him to
save her two remaining children.
He resolved to vaccinate them, after
a suitable preparation. He direct-
ed them both to be removed to the
most distant apartment in the house,
to be put into a warm bath, to be
well rubbed, and all the clothes they

had before worn to be changed.
The vaccination was successful;
the punctures became inflamed; the
eruption took place at the proper
time; and the tumours approached
to perfect maturity. But after the
eighth day, the two children had a
very restless night; they felt an in-
clination to vomit, head-ache, in
short all the symptoms which usu-
ally precede the natural small-pox.
The next day the eruption of the
latter actually took place, and the
bodies of the two children were co-
vered with it. This small-pox
was neither of the favourable nor
yet of the malignant kind, and both
the children got very well over this
crisis. But it was remarkable, that
the vaccine pocks continued their
progress, and their scabs did not fall
off till after the desiccation of those
of the small-pox.

15. New patents for the follow-
ing inventions were granted by the
French emperor at Rambouillet, on
the 21st August, 1806:

For fifteen years, to Relfurt Spo-
sor, for a new corn mill.

For ten years, to Anthony Barré,
for improvement in the machinery
for distillation.

To Messrs. Eraud, for fifteen
years, for improvements of the harp.

For fifteen years, to André Favre,
of Toulon, for a portable horizontal
press, intended to press all kinds of
substances, particularly olives.

To widow Garnest, of Paris, for
ten years, for a machine for weav-
ing combed wool.

To Pierre Charles Boulay, for ten
years, for a method of fixing the
colours of a great number of metal-
lic oxides.

To Francois Bergeaud, for ten
years, for a hydraulic engine to raise
water and other heavy bodies.

To Firmin Didot, for ten years,
for his new invention in stereotype
printing, being that of giving the
letters in what is called the English
written character, being without any
interruption between the letters.

For five years, to sieur Berlioz,
for a carriage which he calls the
flying pinnace.

―41―

For ten years, to M. de Groos,
for the manufacture of royal Wind-
sor soap.

To James White, of Paris, for
fifteen years, for an improvement in
weaving.

For fifteen years, to Francis Rotch,
of Bourdeaux, for improvements in
the construction of whale boats and
other light vessels.

To A. Argand, of Paris, for some
improvements upon his celebrated
lamp.

For fifteen years, to Jean Bap-
tiste Mollerat, of Paris, for a me-
thod of making soda artificially.

For five years, to Pierre Daujon,
for the invention of a machine for
enabling sick persons to have their
beds made or changed, without oc-
casioning pain or shaking.

To M. Seguin, for five years, for
a lamp with a double current of air.

For fifteen years, to Pierre Jan-
deau, for improvements in the stock-
ing-loom.

For ten years, to Miss Honoree
Anne Elizabeth Basçon, for an in-
vention in distilling, by which a
fourth is gained by one operation or
heat.

For fifteen years, to Louis Jape,
for a machine to make screws,
nails, pins, &c.

For ten years, to the sieur Trelo-
zier, for an improvement in chim-
nies, stoves, and furnaces.

For fifteen years, to the sieur Co-
chui, for a machine to raise or lower
water, earth, &c

For ten years, to Pierre Koch,
for a new furnace for the carboniza-
tion of wood.

To Isaac Berard for ten years,
for a new distilling apparatus.

For five years, to the sieur Van-
trin, for an engine to put in motion,
at once, fifty looms for the weaving
of tissues.

For five years, to Claude Rodier,
for a machine to clean cotton.

For five years, to Pierre Gros, for
a machine to bruise grain.

For five years, to Henry Meu-
nier, for the invention of a means
to make muslin of silk.

For five years, to the sieur Ha-
drot, for the invention of a filtering
coffee-pot without ebullition.

For five years, to Francis Le
Blanc, for the improvement of a
machine for shearing cloth.

For five years, to John Stevenson,
for the invention of a process to
paint all kinds of earthenware.

16. Kiaproth has published a me-
moir on sulphuric acid, the result
of many experiments, from which
it appears: 1. That 100 parts of
sulphuric acid of the specific gravi-
ty of 1.850, are composed of con-
crete acid 74.04, and of water 25.06;
or of sulphur 31.05, of oxygen 42.09,
and of water 25.06. 2. That 100
parts of concrete acid are formed
of 42.03 of sulphur, and 57.07 of ox-
ygen. 3. That 100 parts of calcin-
ed sulphate of barytes contains, of
barytes 67, of sulphur 14, and of
oxygen 19.

17. Gardeur, an artist of Paris, has
invented a method of imitating the
most beautiful sculptures, by means
of old paper reduced to paste. This
new composition adds to a wonder-
ful lightness and solidity the requi-
site truth in the expression of the
figures. Almost all the theatres and
public halls in Paris are decorated
with statues and other ornaments
made of this composition. They
are as cheap as common painted
paper; and, from their lightness,
may be transported with little ex-
pence.

18. Vauquelin has laid before the
National Institute, an account of ex-
periments on hair; the object of
which was to ascertain the nature
of the animal matter of which hairs
are formed, and if there was any
thing analogous in the animal eco-
nomy. The results of these experi-
ments are, that black hair is formed
of nine different substances: viz. 1.
an animal matter, which forms the
greatest proportion; 2. a white con-
crete oil; 3. another greenish gray
oil, very abundant; 4. iron; 5. some
particles of oxyde of manganese;
6. phosphate of lime; 7, carbonate
of lime; 8, silex; and 9, a conside-

―42―

rable quantity of sulphur. Red hair
does not differ from black, except
that it contains a red oil in place of
a greenish black one. White hair
differs from the others, inasmuch
as the oil is nearly colourless, and it
contains some phosphate of magne-
sia, which is not found in others.

19. Biot lately read an essay at
the National Institute, on the chang-
es occasioned in bodies by the action
of light. And count Rumford read
a treatise, at the same time, on the
adhesion of the particles of water to
each other.

20. Laugier discovered in meteo-
ric stones some chrome; though be-
fore he undertook the analysis, it was
supposed that the component prin-
ciples of these stones were silex,
iron, manganese, sulphur, nickel,
with accidental traces of lime and
alumina. The analysis of M. Lau-
gier was made upon a meteoric stone,
which is said to have fallen at Ve-
rona in the year 1633. The infe-
rences drawn by him, and which
are countenanced by M. Vauquelin,
are, 1. That the five meteoric
stones of Verona, Barbotan, Ensis-
heim, Aigle, and Apt, contain, be-
sides the principles just enumerated,
about the hundredth part of chrome.
2. That it is very probable, that all
meteoric stones possess this princi-
ple, since they resemble each other
in their physical and chemical cha-
racters, and have all, as far as has
hitherto been ascertained, the same
origin. 3. That in many cases, in
order to attain the requisite preci-
sion of chemical analysis, it may be
expedient to treat the same substance
with acids and alkalies, as a principle
may be overlooked in one case which
will be obvious in the other.

21. At the distribution of prizes
recently made by the Academy of
Fine Arts of the city of Bruges, a
medal was adjudged to a young
man, who, though deprived by na-
ture of the use of his hands, has
nevertheless produced drawings ad-
mirable for their execution.

22. The new king of Holland
has undertaken the presidency of

the Society of Arts and Sciences of
Haerlem, and in future its title is
to be the “Royal Society of Haer-
lem.”

23. The government of the king-
dom of Italy founded an annual com-
petition for one heroic drama and
two comic dramas, which are to be
represented at the theatre della Sca-
la. A prize of 60 sequins will be
given to the author of the best hero-
ic drama, and one of 40 sequins to
each of those whose comic dramas
shall be crowned.

24. The corridor, leading to the li-
brary and the museum of the Vatican,
will be the finest in the world.
From the present entrance to the
museum, to the place where the iron
gate used to stand, the statues,
busts, and basso-relievos, found in
the different store-rooms of the Va-
tican are now placing. The tablets
on which the busts are fixed are
composed of antique pieces of frieze
and entablatures, and they rest up-
on pillars and fragments of columns
which once embellished the edifices
of ancient Rome. By means of this
arrangement the gallery will become
of some utility to architecture, that
important branch of the arts, unfor-
tunately too much neglected in the
museums of sovereigns and of the
curious. From the place where
the iron gate stood, to that where
you descend to the lodges, persons
are employed in encrusting the
walls of the gallery with innumera-
ble inscriptions of the Pagans, and
of the early christians. The cheva-
lier Canova places the works of art,
and Cajetan Marini classes the in-
scriptions. The wall which former-
ly separated the lodges and the cor-
ridor is no longer in existence; the
space which it occupied is trans-
forming into a handsome vestibule,
which will be ornamented with co-
lumns and other relics of antiquity.
Thus the whole length of one part
of the lodges is added to that of the
corridor, which increases it nearly
225 feet. It will afford a view tru-
ly magnificent, and worthy of Rome.
In the present vestibule of the mu-

―43―

seum, are seen several epitaphs on
the Cornelian family, and the cele-
brated sarcophagus of Scipio Bar-
batus. Accordingly, throughout an
extent of 1200 feet there will be a
series of authentic monuments, both
of art and science, of more than
twelve centuries, commencing with
the first Punic war. This gallery,
the largest in the world, will lead
to the library and the museum of
the Vatican, or, to speak more cor-
rectly, that superb gallery will form
an integral part of an unrivalled
whole, exclusively dedicated to the
arts and sciences.

25. The Seatonian prize at Cam-
bridge is this year adjudged to the
Rev. Charles Hoyle, of Trinity Col-
lege, for his poem on Paul and Bar-
nabas at Lystra.

26. Lord Lansdowne's manu-
scripts, sold lately by public auction,
form one of the richest collections
of original state papers which have
ever been possessed by an individual.
A large portion of them were lord
Burleigh's; from whose secretary,
till they came into the hands of
lord Shelburne, their descent may be
regularly traced. Among other cu-
riosities, they contain a great many
royal letters, mostly, if not all, ori-
ginals.

27. It has been long known that
water is best preserved in casks that
have been charred: it has now been
ascertained that salted provisions
may be kept in this way for a great
length of time. The crews of two
Russian ships, which lately sailed
round the world, were so healthy,
that only two men died during the
voyage. They lived entirely on
provisions kept in charred casks;
and the beef, at the end of three
years, was as pleasant as when they
first went out.

28. The emperor Alexander has
suppressed the imperial seminary for
the reception of young ladies, found-
ed by the empress Elizabeth on the
same model as the convent of St.
Cyr in France. In the preamble
of his edict he declares, that those
funds may be used to greater advan-
tage, if applied to the education of

those who are intended to serve
their country and that the educa-
tion of a female, being limited to do-
mestic management, she will learn
it sooner in her father's house, than
in a sumptuous establishment, where
it is vainly attempted to teach the
sciences, the knowledge of which
nature forbids them.

29. Colonel Skioeljebrand, the
master of the Italian named Acerbi,
has lately published an account of
their journey to the North Cape, in
one volume, 8vo. This work does
not contain the same details as that
of Acerbi, but is considered as being
entitled to more credit.

30. M. Leopold de Buch, member
of the Academy of Sciences at Ber-
lin, and the friend of baron Hum-
boldt, has gone to Iceland for the
purpose of making physical and
geological researches.

31. Dr. Bozzini, of Frankfort, has
invented an instrument, which he
denominates the light-spreader. It
is intended to afford an inspection of
the interior of wounds, or the vari-
ous parts of the human body, such
as oesophagus, the vagina, the ute-
rus, &c. The inventor is preparing
for the press drawings and descrip-
tions of this curious instrument.

32. Von Mechel is occupied, in
company with Humboldt and de
Buch the travellers, Tralles the
mathematician, and Bode the astro-
nomer, in preparing a grand work
for publication. It is to be a cop-
per-plate, which will exhibit a ge-
neral picture of 150 of the highest
mountains on the globe, with an
exact measurement of their several
heights above the level of the sea.
Mr. Riddel is doing the same thing
in England from his own original
materials.

33. M. Fischer, of Vienna, has
discovered a new process to whiten
straw. He dresses it in muriatic
acid, saturated with pot-ash. The
straw thus prepared never turns
yellow; is of a most shining white;
and acquires great flexibility.

34. The Easter catalogue at
Leipsic contained 3077 articles,
among which there were 257 of di-

―44―

vinity; 231 of jurisprudence, in-
cluding political economy; 66 of
philosophy; 177 on education; 59
on natural history; 88 on mathema-
tics; and 77 on geography and re-
lations of travels. The last Michael-
mas fair was less abundant; the
catalogue did not exceed 644 arti-
cles. The works contained in the
Michaelmas catalogue are, morali-
ty, 31; education, 79; belles let-
tres, 29; the fine arts, 15; an-
cient and modern languages, 58;
divinity and sermons, 88; law, 55;
physic and surgery, &c, 93; ma-
thematics, 30; natural history. &c.,
45; rural economy, &c, 49; eco-
nomy, useful arts, &c., 50; com-
merce, 11; political economy, 21;
history, 31; biography 19; lite-
rary history, 8; geography and
topography, 28; travels 16; sta-
tistics,' 5; novels, &c, 63; alma-
nacks, 61; genealogy and chrono-
logy, 2.

35. Klaproth has taken great
pains to investigate the component
parts of native cinnabar; and he
finds, as results of his experiments,
that Japan cinnabar, exclusive of its
foreign parts, contains

But that the cinnabar from Neuma-
eiktel, in Carniola, consists of

36. Professor Ploust has disco-
vered that the nitrate of soda is an
economical article for fire-works,
in the following proportions: five
parts of the nitrate, one of charcoal,
and one of sulphur, afford a powder
which gives a flume of a reddish
yellow, of considerable beauty; and
the mixture burned in a metallic
tube, will last three times as long as
the same charge of common powder.

The same chemist has examined
the birds' nests of the East, and finds
them to consist merely of a single
cartilage, uniform in its texture.
He boiled one in water, which be-

came soft, but was not separated in
its parts, and lost only four hun-
dreths of its weight.

37. Vauquelin and Robiquet have
discovered a new vegetable princi-
ple in asparagus, which is crystal-
lizable like the salts; but is neither
acid nor neutral, and of which the
solution in water is not affected by
any of the re-agents usually employ-
ed to ascertain the presence and na-
ture of the salts dissolved in water.
They have also discovered another
principle, which seems to resemble
manna.

38. Portalis, the minister for pub-
lic worship, is sending missionaries
to China, and they are to set off
this year, accompanied by a skilful
astronomer.

39. It is known that L'Histoire de
la Medecine, by Le Clerc, was not
printed in France. It is become
very scarce, and is only to be found
in a few libraries. M. Amoureux,
desirous of doing service to young
practitioners, is preparing a new
edition, which will be embellished
with remarks and plates. He like-
wise intends publishing, in continua-
tion of that work, a new edition of
Freind's History of Physic, with
plates and observations appropriate
to the present times.

40. The class of mathematical and
physical sciences of the National
Institute of France, at its meeting on
the 7th of July last, proposed a
prize, to consist of a gold medal of
the value of 6000 francs (250l ster-
ling), for the best theory of the per-
turbations of the planet Pallas dis-
covered by Dr. Olbers. The mo-
tives for proposing this subject, and
the plan of operation recommended
to the competitors, are explained in
the following observations: “Geo-
metricians have given the theory of
perturbations with sufficient extent
and accuracy for all the planets for-
merly known, and for all such as
may still be discovered, as long as
they are contained in the same zo-
diac, and have only an inconsidera-
ble eccentricity. Mercury was till
our time the most eccentric of pla-
nets, and had also the greatest in-

―45―

clination; but its small size, and its
situation at one of the limits of the
planetary system, render it incapa-
ble of causing any very great altera-
tions in the motions of the other
planets. The Georgium Sidus, dis-
covered twenty-five years ago by
Dr. Herschell, is at the extremity of
the system. With a diminutive
mass and a moderate eccentricity, it
has the smallest of all known incli-
nations; so that the formula which
had served for Jupiter and Saturn
were more than sufficient for this
modern planet. Ceres, discovered
five years since by M. Piazzi, hav-
ing, with an eccentricity as consi-
derable, an inclination of 10° 38',
ought to be subject to greater and
more numerous inequalities. It ne-
vertheless appears, that all the
astronomers who have endeavoured
to determine them, have been satis-
fied with known formulae, the deve-
lopement of which does not exceed
the produce of three dimensions of
the eccentricities and inclinations.
Those of five dimensions have been
employed in the Mechanique Celeste,
after a form of M. Burckhardt. The
same astronomer has since present-
ed to the Institute the general and
complete developement of the third,
fourth, and fifth orders; but this de-
gree of precision would not be suffi-
cient for Pallas, whose eccentricity
is greater than that of Mercury,
and the inclination 34° 38', that is,
even five times as great as that
of any of the old planets. Nay,
it is difficult to conjecture what
powers and what dimensions of the
products it might be allowable to
neglect; the calculations, therefore,
might be of such length, and the for-
mulae so complex, as to deter the
geometricians and astronomers who
are best able to execute such an
undertaking. This consideration
induced the class, two years ago, to
propose this subject for the prize to
be adjudged in August 1806: but the
time appearing too short, and the
number of planets having been en-
creased by the discovery of Juno by
M. Harding, whose eccentricity
seems to be still greater than that of

Pallas, and whose inclination of 13°
exceeds that of all the other planets,
excepting Pallas; the class thought
fit to renew the subject with cer-
tain modifications, and a double pre-
mium. Accordingly, it invites geo-
metricians and astronomers to a
complete discussion of all the points
of this theory, so as not to omit any
inequality that can possibly be of any
consequence; and as these inequa-
lities cannot be accurately deter-
mined unless the elliptical elements
are perfectly well known, it is indis-
pensably necessary that the compe-
titors should not confine themselves
to a statement of the numerical co-
efficients of the equations; it is the
analytical formulae which it is of the
most importance to know, that the
more exact amounts of the mean
distance of the eccentricity, of the
periphelion, and of the inclination,
may be successively substituted in
their stead, in proportion as those
elements shall be perfected. The
competitors may even dispense with
giving any numerical amount, pro-
vided the analytical expressions be
presented in a manner sufficiently
detailed to enable an intelligent cal-
culator to follow their developement,
and to reduce them into tables. From
these general formula will result
another advantage, namely, that the
planets Ceres, Pallas, and Juno be-
ing at distances from the sun so near-
ly alike, that it cannot yet be de-
cided with any certainty which of
the three is the farthest or the near-
est, the formula given for Pallas
may likewise serve for the two
others, as well as for any other pla-
net that may hereafter be discover-
ed, and whose eccentricity and in-
clination may be contained within
the same limits. The memoirs in-
tended for the competition must be
written in French or Latin, and will
not be received after the 1st of Oc-
tober, 1808. The prize will be ad-
judged on the first Monday in Ja-
nuary 1809.

41. A discovery has been made at
Lyons of a highly interesting piece
of mosaic-work, representing chariot
and horse races in a circus, It is

―46―

fourteen feet and a half in length,
and nine and a half in breadth. M.
Artaud has made a drawing of it,
which is in the hands of the engrav-
er. He observes, that the tails of
the horses are here represented as
docked in the English fashion, and
imagines that this is the only instance
of the kind that can be produced
on antique basso relievos. He sup-
poses that this monument must have
belonged to the house of Ligurius,
superintendant of the public sports
in Lyons, and pontifex maximus of
the temple of Augustus, from which
his habitation could not have been
far distant. It is well known that
he gave sports of this kind to all the
corporations of the city, who in gra-
titude engraved for him an inscrip-
tion, which is still extant, and con-
tains these words: Ludos Circenses
dedit.

42. Lebrun has invented a method
of coating the inside of trumpets
with a lac, which unites to smooth-
ness tenuity, without any injury to
the sound of the instrument. By
his means he prevents the delete-
rious consequences arising from the
oxides of copper being collected in
the insides of trumpets, and thus in-
haled into the lungs.

43. Mongolfier has invented a ma-
chine which he denominates a ca-
lorimeter or apparatus for deter-
mining the degree of heat, and of the
saving that may be made in the fuel
employed. This apparatus will
serve for various purposes, such as
to boil water at a small expence.
It is useful in domestic economy.
To render, its effect complete, the
smoke, or rather burnt air, should
be deprived as much as possible of
its caloric, which ought to be entirely
employed in augmenting gradually
the temperature of the water which
envelopes the chimney. The air
thus cooled, being heavier than that
of the atmosphere, determines the
current of air in the furnace, which
can only be obtained in upright
chimnies by sacrificing a very con-
siderable quantity of heat.

44. Dr. Hager has been appointed
professor of the oriental languages

in the university of Pavia, the first
school of learning in Italy.

45. It appears from an accurate
calculation, that upwards of 200
Sunday schools have been instituted
in Wales, which afford instruction
to about 30,000 children, and per-
sons more advanced in years.

46. The workmen employed in
improving the harbour of Rurghead
near Elgin, Scotland, have lately
discovered a bath, excavated from
the solid rock, supposed to have
been the work of the Danes, who
had a strong fortress there. The
bath is about thirty feet square, four
deep, and having a walk round it,
with a recess in one corner for dres-
sing and undressing; and an exca-
vation or basin in the opposite cor-
ner, the use of which cannot be cer-
tainly known. It seemed to have
been rooted with wood, as conside-
rable remains of burnt timber were
found in the bath.

47. In the north of Ireland, a
project has been submitted to a
number of public spirited peers, and
gentlemen of the counties of Lon-
donderry, Tyrone, and Fermanagh,
not very dissimilar from that which
promises to be of such great
national utility in the north of Scot-
land. It is the construction of a na-
vigable canal, from the great lake
of Erne, which is forty-five miles in
length, to the River Foyle, which
communicates with the city and
harbour of Londonderry. By means
of such a canal, a great extent of
dangerous coast navigation would
be avoided; besides the water com-
munication between the numerous
towns on the shores of Lake Erne,
and the great northern port of Lon-
donderry, would be far more short
and expeditious. The expences,
however, would be very considera-
ble; on account of the high lands
which intervene.

48. London, December 1, 1806.—In
spite of every prohibition, British
goods continue to find their way in
vast quantities into France. They
are exported upon French orders.
It is easy to insure them for the
whole transit to the town in France

―47―

where they are to be delivered to
the purchaser. They are introduced
at almost all parts of the line of the
land confines of the French empire.
No sooner are they received into the
French merchant's warehouse, than
evidence is procured that they are
of French manufacture; the proper
marks are stamped; and the goods,
whether cottons, woollens, linens, or
whatever other article of British
fabric, are in a state to be exhibited
in proof that the manufactures of
France quite outrival the British.
The writer has had this information.
from gentlemen who have a concern
in the trade to which it relates.

Saxony, being the principal seat
of those cotton manufactures of Ger-
many which rival the British, the
devastation it has suffered cannot
but tend to increase the demand of
that part of the continent for British
goods, as soon as the country shall
be in a state to admit the corres-
pondence and transfers of trade to
be renewed in it. The manufac-
tures of linen in Osnaburgh, and
other parts of Germany, are neces-
sarily injured by the war. The con-
sequences are highly favourable to
the Scottish manufacture of coarse
linens for the West India market.
The war, consuming vast quantities
of soldiers' clothes and camp-equi-
page, increases the demand of coarse
British woolens for Russia, and for
the ports on the Baltic in general.

The returns for the British goods
imported into France are made in
bills of exchange on commercial
men and cities, with which it is per-
fectly lawful for the subjects of
France to have pecuniary corres-
pondence. From these, other hills
of exchange then transmit the value
to England.

The adventures to Buenos Ayres
have been immense. The goods
which that market wanted were
easily provided upon short notice;
for they were chiefly such as it had
been usual to manufacture for the
West India market, and formerly
for Spain, to be re-exported to South
America by the Spaniards them-
selves. They were likewise, in

great part, the same species of goods
which we have been accustomed to
make for the Portuguese market,
to be sent to the Brazils. Sir Home
Popham's letter, in no respect in-
tended to impose on the merchants,
and written with competent infor-
mation, pointed out both the extent
of the market, and the species of the
goods wanted. From the circum-
stances of the war, the previous
scarcity of British goods, almost of
primary necessity, throughout South
America, must have been very great.
Even the Anglo-American trade to
the Havanna, and the smuggling
concourse of the Spaniards to Ja-
maica, could not furnish any thing
like an adequate supply. The ex-
ports, of whatever kind, that the in-
habitants of Spanish America had
to give in payment for imports were
at the same time accumulated in the
country for want of opportunities of
sate and lucrative exportation
Not only a large demand, therefore,
but wealth with which to make ade-
quate returns, meets the wishes of
our merchants who have sent out
goods for sale at Buenos Ayres
The returns will be in bullion, hides,
tallow, cottons, dyeing stuffs, and
other materials the most essentially
useful in our manufactures. The
industry of the inhabitants of Spanish
America, roused by the new possi-
bilities of bringing their produce to
prompt and advantageous sale, will
furnish their returns every season
in greater abundance, so that the
trade may continually increase.

The successes of the French in
Germany have had one effect that
was naturally to be expected. They
have occasioned much property to
be transferred to England, from the
countries which Bonaparte is now
over-running. They have induced
foreigners to leave here large sums,
which were otherwise to have been
remitted abroad, in the due course
of trade. Not less than three mil-
lions sterling, foreign property, is
said to have been placed, within
these few days, in the English
funds.

The activity of the woollen manu-

―48―

factures, in both the north and the
west of England, is a good deal
quickened. The demand for the
light cloths, which it has been usual
to manufacture for the West India
market, has been of late greatly in-
creased. The general use of the
spring-shuttle enabling one man to
perform the work of two in weaving;
of the gig-mill for dressing and mos-
ing, which at once abbreviates the
labour and improves the execution;
of the shearing machine, to finish
the dressed cloths for sale; has ex-
ceedingly advanced the manufacture
within these few years, in the coun-
ties of Gloucester, Wilts, and So-
merset. The quantity of the labour
employed in it in these counties is
now, in fact, three times as great as
that which they employed but a few
years since.

The gradual reduction of the
African slave trade threatens conse-
quences to the woollen, the linen,
the cotton, and the hardware manu-
factures of Great Britain and Ireland,
which nothing can avert but an ina-
lienable monopoly to the country of
the whole trade of Spanish America,
It is certain, that the linens, wool-
lens, and hardware, exported for
the purchase of the slaves on the
African coast, were among those
sorts of manufacture by which the
people of Lancashire, Birmingham,
and Yorkshire got the largest pro-
fits. It is equally certain, on the
other hand, that without a continued
importation of negro labourers, the
coffee-plantations cannot be enlarg-
ed, nor can Trinidada, the most pro-
mising of all our sugar islands, be
brought to any due extent under
cultivation.

49. January 1, 1807.—No pro-
gress has yet been made in the un-
rolling of the six Herculaneum
MSS. which were presented by the
king of Naples to his royal highness
the prince of Wales, about two
years ago. A corner only of one of
the rolls was unfolded, and the
whole was afterwards submitted to
the action of steam, under the di-
rection of an eminent chemist, but
without the desired effect. Instead

of feeding and giving pliability and
consistency to the tinder, it has
more firmly united the mass, and in
a great measure obliterated the
writing. The ill success of this ex-
periment has discouraged further
attempts on the other five rolls.

It will be recollected, that at the
same time the king of Naples pre-
sented these rolls to the prince of
Wales, an equal number was sent
to the National Institute of France.
As we have heard nothing of the
progress made in unrolling them,
we are to suppose that the French
have had no better success than our-
selves. The lovers of literature are
naturally anxious to hear of the
steps which will be taken by the
new French government at Naples,
relative to the entire library of these
curiosities, which it is to be feared
was abandoned by the old govern-
ment when that unfortunate country
was lately evacuated.

50. The chancellor's prizes at
Oxford for the present year are ad-
judged to Edward Garrard Marsh,
bachelor of arts, late scholar of
Wadham college, and now fellow of
Oriel College, for the English es-
say “Posthumous Fame;” and to
Henry Allan Johnson, of Christ
church, for the Latin verses “Tra-
falgar;” also the prize by a private
donation, to John Latham, of Brazen-
nose College, for the English verses
“Travels of Discovery into the In-
terior of Africa.”

Sir Roger Newdigate's prize has
been adjudged to John Wilson, esq.
gentleman commoner of Magdalen
College, for English verse on the
following subject: “A recommen-
dation of the study of the remains of
Grecian and Roman Architecture,
Sculpture, and Painting.”

Two of the college prizes are ad-
judged as follows: “Patriotism,”
an English essay, to Mr. Twyford;
“Nelsonus,” a Latin essay, to Mr.
Papendick.

51. A new wet dock, the first of
the kind in North Britain, was lately
opened at Leith with great ceremo-
ny. This dock has been wholly
executed within high water mark,

―49―

which added greatly to the difficulty
and expence of the undertaking.
The space occupied by the dock is
above five acres, but, including the
ground on its sides and ends, up-
wards of fifteen acres have been
taken from the sea; on these parts
it is intended to construct graving
docks, building slips, sheds, and
warehouses. The sea wall of this
dock being exposed to the accumu-
lated swell from the German Ocean,
required to be very strong. The
stones on the outside of the wall are
bound together by chain bars of iron,
inserted in the different courses ho-
rizontally, and connected by ver-
tical bars of the same metal; thus uniting
the whole in one common mass.
The binding the work in this man-
ner with iron was a very necessary
measure, as during the building of
the wall it frequently happened that
stones of several tons weight were
displaced by heavy eastern swells.
The quay walls, and those of the
entrance lock, are also fine massy
pieces of masonry, and the whole
is so constructed that every stone
forms part of an arch. This dock
is only the first part of a most mag-
nificent plan, extending to Newha-
ven, where the principal entrance
is intended to be made to the larg-
est dock, which will have depth of
water sufficient to contain frigates
of the first size.

52. A new mineral has been dis-
covered in one of the Gwennap
mines, Cornwall, where it forms an
incrustation round projecting parti-
cles of spongy pyrites, which appear
to contain a considerable portion of
cobalt. The colour of the mineral
varies from a light ash to a dark
brown; it is of a close and polished
texture, and breaks like flint. Its
particles are very brittle, and, when
triturated, give out a strong hepatic
odour. It is soluble in nitric and
muriatic acids, precipitable by al-
kalies, and is likely to be of much
utility in the arts.

53. A large oblong British or Da-
nish barrow was opened in the pa-
rish of Duntesbourne Abbots, in
which was found a kistraen or

cromlech, containing about eight or
nine bodies of different ages, many
of the bones of which, and the teeth,
were entire. The whole length
of the barrow, diagonally, was
about fifty yards; straight over the
stones about forty; the width about
thirty yards; and the distance be-
tween the two great stones twenty-
four feet. The barrow was compos-
ed of loose quarry-stones, laid in
strata near the great stones, and
brought from a distance. The larg-
est stone, which has been long
known in the country by the name
of the hore-stone, is of the kind of
grey withers, or stone henge: it is
flat on the east side, and round on
the side which is in the barrow; is
twelve feet high from the base, and
fifteen in circumference. The
other stone lies almost flat on the
ground, and is about three yards
square, and one foot thick. This
covers the kistraen which contains
the bones, and which is divided into
two cells, about four feet square each,
and six deep. There are several
other barrows in the neighbourhood;
and it is singular, that the farm ad-
joining is called Tack-barrows,
probably a corruption or abbrevia-
tion of some other name The
cones are re-buried; but the barrow
and the tomb will be left open some
time longer, for the inspection of
the curious.

54. In removing a tumulus a few
days since, in the parish of Avening,
three remarkable excavations pre-
sented themselves. The first was
a vault nearly six feet square, and
five feet and a half in height, con-
taining eight skeletons, in the most
perfect state. The second is about
five feet square, containing three
skeletons, but by no means in such
high preservation as the first. The
third is considerably smaller, hav-
ing only one skeleton, together with
the bones of some animals, which no
doubt were part of the sacrifice at
the interment. This barrow is in
the neighbourhood of several others,
and about one mile and a quarter
from a valley called Woeful Danes
Bottom, where there was an en-

―50―

campment, and perhaps an engage-
ment between the Danes and the
Saxons, about the time of Alfred
the great.

55. The following nomenclature
of ancient architecture has lately
been proposed, with a view to affix
precise terms to each peculiar style
in English buildings.

First style—Anglo-Saxon. This
will embrace all buildings that were
erected between the times of the con-
version of the Saxons, and the Nor-
man conquest, from A. D. 597, to
A. D. 1066.

Second style.—Anglo-Norman,
by which will be meant the style
which prevailed from 1066 to 1189,
including the reigns of Williams I
and II, Henry I, Stephen, and Hen-
ry II.

Third style.—Eng-
lish, from 1189
to 1272, embracing the reigns of
Richard I, John, and Henry III.

Fourth style.—Decorated Eng-
lish, from 1272 to 1461, including
the reigns of Edwards I, II, and III,
Richard II, and Henrys IV, V, and
VI.

Fifth style.—Highly decorated,
or florid English, from 1461 to
1509, including the reigns of Ed-
wards IV and V, Richard III, and
Henry VII.

From this era we lose sight of all
style and congruity; and the public
buildings erected during the reigns
of Henry VIII, Elizabeth, and
James I, may be characterised by
the terms of debased English, or
Anglo-Italian.

56. The result of a course of ex-
periments has been laid before the
Hereford Agricultural Society, by
T. A. Knight, esq. from which it
appears that the strength of the
juice of any cyder apple is in exact
proportion of its weight. Thus the
juices of the inferior apples are
light when compared with the jui-
ces of the old and approved sorts.
The forest stire outweighed every
other, until it was put in competition
with the new variety produced by
Mr. Knight, from the Siberian crab,
and the Lulham pearmain; nor

could any other juice be found equal
in weight to the latter.

57. About ten years ago a lease
was granted by lord Crewe of an es-
tate in Madely, to Mr. Elkington,
the celebrated drainer. It consist-
ed of about five hundred acres, three
hundred of which were so unsound,
that a person could not even walk
upon it. Half of it has been drain-
ed, and brought into a state of cul-
tivation. The crops of turnips rais-
ed upon it, both of the common and
Swedish sort, have been remarkably
fine; and the land is become so firm
as to admit of their being fed off by
cattle. In the succeeding crops, an
unusual difficulty has occurred; for
though Mr. Elkington, from the ex-
treme luxuriance of the soil, thought
it expedient to sow only half the usu-
al quantity of seed, the barley-crops
have been so strong, as to be uni-
formly laid, the grain of course
much injured, and the clover and
grass-seeds destroyed. Mr. Elking-
ton has, however, been successful in
his attempts to render this land more
promising by exhausting crops.
Last year he had ten acres of hemp:
the crop was great, and the grass
roots such as to astonish the neigh-
bourhood. From the same motive
Mr. Elkington has reduced the soil
by successive crops of oats, upon
lands that have borne two previous
crops of corn without manure. He
obtained last year the amazing pro-
duce of 174 bushels of good oats,
from five bushels and eleven quarts
of seed sown broad cast. This ex-
traordinary return has been made
from land, which a few years ago
was not worth one shilling per acre.

58. J. Pierson, esq., read the
Croonian Lecture on Muscular Mo-
tion to the Royal Society of London
this winter. It occupied the great-
er part of two evenings, in the
course of which the lecturer entered
into an elaborate detail concerning
the heat and pulsations of animals
in different latitudes, in order to as-
certain their effects on their mus-
cles. As an instance: in this cli-
mate the pulse of horses beat 36

―51―

times in a minute, that of cows 48,
and that of men about 72; in Lap-
land, and other high northern lati-
tudes, the human pulse does not beat
more than from 45 to 50 times in a
minute. Mr. P. has made nume-
rous experiments on the muscles, in
all which he found the muscular ir-
ritability completely destroyed by
plunging them in water at the tem-
perature of 96°; electricity, after
such immersions, sometimes gave
slight symptoms of excitability, but
no human effort could ever again
restore the muscular fibre to its
proper tone and vigour. Cold pro-
duced similar effects on the muscu-
lar fibre, by instantly destroying its
irritability. Hence the necessity of
great caution in applying warm wa-
ter to the surface of bodies recently
immersed in water, in cases of sus-
pended respiration., as heat may be
equally as bad as cold with regard
to its effects on the muscular fibre,
which by Mr. P. is considered in
some degree the organ of life. Blood
he regards as essential to life, only
as a stimulus to muscular irritabili-
ty, and the abstraction of blood oc-
casions death through the want of
its stimulating powers to the mus-
cles. The stomach he considers as
the most important organ of the hu-
man frame, and its irritability is so
excessive, that a blow on it will in-
stantly destroy life, though the
heart can support a wound some
days.

59. The subject of the Bakerian
Lecture, by Humphrey Davy, esq.,
was on some chemical effects of
electricity. This ingenious chemist
has proved that even in distilled
water there is combined both vege-
table and animal matter, besides ni-
trogen gas and salt. Hence he has
ascertained that electricity does not
generate fixed alkali, but only
evolves it.

60. John Austin, of Glasgow, has
invented types or figures, formed of
burnt clay or porcelain, for painting
patterns upon calicoes, or designs
for articles to be sewed or tambour-
ed. These types, we are informed,
are not liable to be destroyed by

fire, nor by lying in a damp place.
They may be made to a certain
depth, so as to be varied at pleasure
to the taste or fancy, the same as
letter-press printing types. A cer-
tain number may be marked on
each type, to ascertain the exact
proportion of the price of tambour-
ing or sewing: the rates of the
same work being frequently very
irregular, for want of a regular
standard to calculate them by.
They may be made at less than
half the price of those cut in wood,
are more durable, and finer than
any cut in wood.

61. Professor Davy has discover-
ed that the epidermis of the cane,
and many other vegetable substan-
ces, consists chiefly of silex. He
was led to the subject by seeing two
canes in the hands of boys at play
in the dark strike sparks of fire.

62 Sir Joseph Banks has laid be-
fore the Board of Agriculture, a ve-
ry valuable paper on the culture of
spring wheat, which is much prac-
tised in Lincolnshire. Besides other
details, we are informed that Mr.
William Showier dibbled four pecks
and a half of spring wheat on one
acre and two roods of middling
land, which had borne turnips the
winter before, and had no extraor-
dinary preparation for this crop;
the rows were eight inches asunder,
and two inches deep: two grains
were put into each hole. The pro-
duce was seven quarters, which was
as much at least as could have been
expected from eighteen or even
twenty-one bushels sown broadcast
on the same land.

63. By a careful analysis by pro-
fessor Davy, the following results
have been obtained from different
kinds of wheat:

―52―

Hence it may be deduced, that
bread made of flour of spring wheat
is more nutritious than that made of
winter wheat, because spring wheat
contains a larger proportion of the
gluten or half animalized matter:
and, also, that a miller ought not to
deduct from the price of spring
wheat more than two per cent. on
the money price or winter wheat of
the same weight, as the excess of
the weight of insoluble matter, or
bran, is no more than two per cent.
when compared with good English
wheat. Bread made of spring
wheat is less white than that made
of the better sorts of winter wheat,
but it is more palatable; qualities
probably owing to the excess of
gluten contained in it.

64. Dr. Wollaston has invented a
new portable blow-pipe for chemi-
cal experiments. It consists of
three parts, so adapted to each
other that they may be packed to-
gether, one within another. The
interior tube is longer than the ex-
terior, and the upper edge of the
large end is turned outward, to di-
minish the effort of the lips requi-
site for retaining it in the mouth.
The small extremity is placed
obliquely, that the flame may be
carried to a convenient distance
from the eye.

65. A late measurement of a degree
of latitude, by some Swedish astrono-
mers in Lapland, makes it 1, 114, 774
metres, or 57,200 toises. The de-
gree measured by Maupertuis in
1736 was 57,422 toises more than
the new, and probably more correct,
admeasurement.

66. Hultz, a Prussian astronomer,
published an opinion, in August last,
that the sun at that time was under-
going some considerable change.
This opinion was founded on a num-
ber of spots occupying one-fifth part
of its diameter in their length, and
one-nineteenth in their breadth
These spots varied in their form,
and were perceptibly changed in
the course of two or three hours.

67. Buchholz has transmitted to
the Academy of Sciences at Erfurt,
an account of some new experiments

on the ore of platina. The author
endeavours to reconcile the contra-
dictions of the English and French
chemists relative to this metal. He
finds that platina, in its crude state,
contain four other metals, viz. osmi-
um, iridium, rhodium, and palladi-
um.

68. The late M. Hadsi Niku, an
eminent Russian, founded a school
at Cronstadt for the education of
modern Greeks. It already con-
tains thirty-four students. The ob-
jects of instruction are the princi-
ples of religion, reading, writing,
and arithmetic, and the ancient
Greek. The professors are monks
of Mount Athos.

69. Of the literary journals pub-
lished in Germany, that of Halle is
the most read; after this, that of Jena;
of other periodical works, the Free-
thinker is most in request, and after
that the Gazette of the polite world.
The Minerva of Archenholtz is read
with much approbation. The ga-
zette of Neuwied retains its former
estimation.

70. Cuvier has found in the gyp-
seous hills, near Paris, fossil bones
belonging to a species of sarigue,
now existing only in America. Se-
veral bones of an unknown animal,
to which he has given the name of
palœthorium, supposed to have been
eight feet long, and five feet high,
have been found in many parts of
France. Fossil bones, supposed to
have belonged to a small kind of
hippopotamus, have been discover-
ed near the Arno in Italy. Teeth
and bones, which, after minute ob-
servation, Cuvier assigns to the
species of hyena now found at the
Cape of Good Hope, have been dug
up in various parts of Germany and
France. A skull with many teeth,
preserved in the cabinet of Stutgard,
belonged also to that animal; it was
found in 1700, near Canstadt, on the
east bank of the Necker. The ad-
jacent hills contain ammonites, be-
lemnites, reeds; and M. Autenrieth
has discovered in the neighbourhood
a whole prostrate forest of palm
trees, two feet in diameter. There.
were found, also, elephant's bones,

―53―

cart-loads of horses' teeth, rhino-
ceros' teeth, and some vertebrae,
which seemed to have belonged to
the cetaceous tribe. In the same
country, the bones of wolves and
hyenas have been discovered, ming-
led in confusion; also vertebrae, as-
serted to have belonged to a bear of
enormous size. “What ages were
those,” exclaims Cuvier, “when the
elephant and the hyena of the Cape
lived together in our climates, in
forests of palm-trees, and associat-
ed with northern bears larger than
our horses.

71 The convent in which reposed
the ashes of Laura, at Avignon, has
lately been sold and demolished;
and the chapel, in which a tomb-
stone indicated her place of inter-
ment, is transformed into a stable
for mules and jackasses. Of the
inscription on her tomb nothing now
remains but “Laura,”.......
and “requiescat in pace!”

72. The French excel every na-
tion in Europe in projects. In an-
nouncing the following new canals
which are projected in France, we
think it proper to state that fifty of
greater extent have been formed in
England within the last twenty
years. A grand northern canal, in
two branches. The first to effect
the junction of the Scheld with the
Meuse from Antwerp to Venlo. The
second, the junction of the Meuse
with the Rhine. A canal to unite
the Scheld and the Scarpe. A la-
teral canal, to improve the naviga-
tion of the river La Haine. A canal
of the Lys to Liperlée. A canal
from Charleroy to Brussels. A
lateral canal to the Loire: very ad-
vantageous to the neighbouring de-
partments for the exportation of
their territorial productions and
manufactures. A canal from Niort
to Rochelle; on which prisoners of
war are to be employed till they are
exchanged. A canal from Nantes
to Brest. The plan is to join the
Loire and the Vilaine; the Vilaine
with the Blavet; to be continued to
Port-Launay and Brest, by the ri-
vers Doré, Hières, and Anne.

73. Lalande received, in the month

of April, an anonymous letter, in
which it is said that a German of high
reputation in several sciences dis-
covered, fifty years ago, a remarka-
ble period of 280.000 years for the
return of the six planets to the same
point of the heavens, and his opini-
on thereon is requested to be given.
The number of revolutions found by
the German for each of the planets
have been reduced into seconds by
Lalande, from the revolution as at
present known, and are as under:

The French astronomer remarks,
that these numbers differ so little,
that the deviation from the same
precise number of seconds in each
sum of revolutions is not greater
than the uncertainty in the known
durations of those revolutions.

74 Last year was marked by
terrible explosions of Vesuvius. On
July 28, a concussion shook most of
the houses in Naples; in the county
of Molina, several towns and vil-
lages were almost entirely destroy-
ed, and 30,000 inhabitants lost their
lives. Soon after, Vesuvius appear-
ed agitated; and on August 12, a
violent eruption ensued, and the lava
took its direction towards the sea
with incredible velocity. Many
naturalists as Humboldt, Buck, the
duke Delia, Torre, Guy-Lussac, &c.
were eye-witnesses of this eruption,
and have published accounts of it.

75. It is said that the directors of
the East India company, some time
since, sent orders to their supercar-
goes to procure certain elementary
books of the Chinese language, for
the use of their college at Hertford.
Their agent was zealous to obtain
them from Pekin, but the govern-
ment immetliately prohibited their
exportation, under the severest pe-
nalties!

76. The christians at Pekin have
lately been exposed to a violent per-
secution, in consequence of some ir-
regularity in the conduct of persons

―54―

of that religion; and a mandarin,
suspected of being friendly to them,
was put to death.

77. The great importance of breed-
ing and rearing such animals as will
make the quickest and largest re-
turn of food for man. from the con-
sumption of given quantities of ve-
getable food, was the principal
motive with the late duke of Bed-
ford, and other patriotic noblemen
and gentlemen in England, for as-
sociating themselves under the title
of the Smithfield Club, with the view
of encouraging, by an annual exhibi-
tion at the time of the principal
market previous to Christmas, and
by the distribution of premiums, the
breeding and bringing to the London
market of cattle, sheep, and pigs,
fattened in the most economic man-
ner; this being the only rational
source from whence to expect a stop
to the increase in the prices of butch-
er's meat. The show this year took
place in the large and commodious
repository-yard of Mr. Sadler, in
Goswell-street, on the 12th, 13th,
and 15th of December. James Back-
well Praed, Esq. and Mr. Paul Gib-
lett were the stewards for the
show, and attended on the 10th and
morning of the 11th to the receiv-
ing of the certificates of age, work
performed, time of putting to fatten,
kind and quantity of food consumed
by each animal, and other particu-
lars required as conditions from
their owners to entitle them to ex-
hibit as candidates for the premi-
ums. The judges appointed for
deciding on the comparative merits
of the animals shown, and awarding
the prizes according to certain
principles laid down in the printed
conditions of the show, consisted as
usual of three gentlemen graziers,
viz. lord Somerville, Robert Byng,
esq., and Richard Astley, esq., and
of two London butchers of eminence,
viz. Mr. William Lambert and Mr.
Robert Ayres. These five gentle-
men spent the whole of the 11th in a
careful examination and compari-
son of the certificates, and of the
animals to which they related; and

at the conclusion awarded as fol-
lows: viz. to John Weston, twenty
guineas for a Hereford ox, above one
hundred and sixty stone weight; to
ditto twenty guineas for a Hereford
ox, above one hundred and forty
stone weight; to John Edmonds,
ten guineas for a Hereford ox, ditto;
to Samuel Chandler, twenty gui-
neas for a Devon ox, above one hun-
dred stone weight; to John Westcar,
ten guineas for a Hereford ox,
ditto; to Samuel Chandler, ten gui-
neas for a Devonshire steer under
four years old; to Joseph Lucas, ten
guineas for a short horned cow,
fatted after her third calf; to An-
thony Lechmere, ten guineas for
three sheerling long-wooled fat we-
thers; to John Edmonds, ten guineas
for three two-shear long-wooled fat
wethers; to Henry King, jun., ten
guineas for three two-shear fat
South-Down wethers; to George
Dodd, ten guineas for a Suffolk fat
pig, twenty-three months old; and
to his royal highness the duke of
York, ten guineas for a fat Spanish
and Chinese pig, under ten months
old. Besides the above, several fine
animals were exhibited, with certi-
ficates in due form, viz. oxen by
John Westcar. Jonathan Clutter,
Thomas Pickford, Edmund Waters,
Samuel Chandler, John Terrett, and
Henry King, jun.; cows, by John
Westcar, lord William Russell, and
John Humphries; long-woolled we-
ther sheep, by the Rev. Thomas
Placket, John Westcar, Humphrey
Tuckwell, R. M. Robinson, John
Humphries, Richard Hirons, George
Inship, and Robert Masters; and
pigs, by his royal highness the duke
of York, James Butler, and John
Humphries. The exhibitors of live
stock, not entitled to be competitors
for the prizes, were Paul Pell, lord
Bagot, Henry King, jun., Joseph Joy-
ner, Robert Masters, Robert Har-
vey, Thomas Pickford, James Reed,
and Montague Burgoyne. [gap] is not
a little singular, that while ten can-
didates appeared for the prizes for
long-woolled wethers, only one gen-
tleman showed short-woolled we-

―55―

thers, although two prizes were of-
fered for such sheep. Very fine
specimens of the ruta baga, or Swe-
dish turnip, were shown from the
farms of earl Mansfield and Thomas
Pickford: we are glad to find these
useful and highly nutritious roots
coming into very general use with far-
mers. Some very fine kohl rabi, or
Hungarian turnip-cabbage, were ex-
hibited by Messrs. Gibbs and Co.
Lord Somerville, here and at the
dinner, announced an alteration in
the conditions of his ensuing spring
show of cattle (at Mr. Sadler's yard,
on the 2d and 3d of March), limit-
ing his prizes for fat wether short-
woolled sheep to such as do not
weigh above 25lb. per quarter of
mutton, and allowing the grazier as
well as the breeder of such sheep ex-
hibited to be candidates for the prizes.

At the conclusion of the show on
Monday, the annual dinner of the
club took place, at Freemason's
tavern, lord William Russell in the
chair, supported by many distin-
guished patrons of agriculture; the
company consisted of about two
hundred persons, nearly the whole
of whom are practically engaged in,
or acquainted with, the breeding,
rearing, feeding, or sale of cattle:
such an assembly could not fail of
producing much interesting conver-
sation and discussion. After the
usual toasts, and the reading of the
judges' report as above, the noble
chairman stated that the four first
classes of premiums offered of late
years by the club, not limiting the
oxen or steer shown to any particu-
lar breed, such a superiority in fa-
vour of the Herefordshire cattle had
appeared, that, if longer continued,
they might prove discouraging to
the other valuable breeds of the
country; on which account, the club
had determined for the ensuing
year to make six classes of premi-
ums for oxen or steers of one hun-
dred and twenty stone weight, or
upwards, which have been worked
at least two years, ending the 11th
of October, 1806, and not put to fat-
ten previous to that day, which have
eaten no oil cake or corn previous to

the 1st of September, 1807; a par-
ticular account to be kept, and ren-
dered to the club, of all which they
consume between that day and the
30th of November. The six premi-
ums to be twenty guineas each, as fol-
lows, viz. 1. for the best Hereford ox
or steer; 2, long-horned; 3, short-
horned; 4, Sussex or Kent; 5, De-
von; and 6, any mixed breed: and,
further to excite emulation in the
candidates, an additional premium
of ten guineas to the owner of the
best ox or steer shown in any of
these six classes. That, in addition
to the above, a seventh premium of
ten guineas for oxen or steers of any
description, under the weight of one
hundred and twenty stone, is to be
offered, whether they have been
worked or not, if fed without corn
or cake. The premiums for fat
cows, which have previously borne
three calves, for long and short-
woolled fat wether sheep, and for
fat pigs, to be the same as last year.
These alterations in the premiums
for the ensuing year were much ap-
plauded by the company, as tending
to invite greater competition, and
form a new era in the useful labours
of this patriotic club.

78. The works of the canal on
the Isle of Dogs, near London, were
so far completed by the 9th Decem-
ber, 1805, as to enable the public
opening to take place on that day;
and from that period the same has
been greatly used, by shipping of
every description entering into and
going out of the port of London.

From the want of sufficient publi-
city of the canal's being open, and
ready for use; and until, through
the medium of the Trinity House,
the same had been circulated at the
out ports, the use made of the canal,
for near a month from the opening,
was comparatively small; but there
has nevertheless passed through the
same, from the opening to the 31st
day of March 1806, inclusive, 421
vessels, of various descriptions, car-
rying sail, from twenty tons and up-
wards; of which a great proportion
were ships of large burthen, besides
a great number of lighters, barges,

―56―

and boats of various descriptions;
and if, the transit rates, authorized
to be taken at the expiration of
three years from the opening, had
been received from them, it would
have amounted to 619l. 14s. 2d.,
and this for a period of little more
than three months, and at a season
particularly unfavourable.

The works now going on, July,
1806, are the deepening the en-
trances next the river to the level
of the lock files, being six feet be-
low low water mark; which is be-
come absolutely necessary, from
the increasing use made of the ca-
nal, and the expedience of passing
as many ships through as possible
on the flood tide, and even after
high water, when the entrances are
deepened as proposed.

The banks of the canal have been
also provided with strong oak moor-
ing posts, properly secured by land
ties; and the locks have also been
furnished with them, and with
proper capstans, at the external
and internal wing walls.

The foundation of the north ex-
ternal wing wall, at the Blackwall
end, has, after much difficulty, been
got in, and the wall is now brought
up six feet in thickness to within
three feet of the coping.

The piles for the foundation of
the wall on the south side are driv-
en, and the bearers and planking
for receiving the brick-work will be
ready in a week; but the unprece-
dented treacherousness of the soil,
a quicksand, together with its
depth below low water, has render-
ed this part of the completion of the
work extremely hazardous and te-
dious.

These works, the completion of
which is desirable and necesary, do
not interfere with the navigation of
the canal; and it is probable that
the whole that has been before
mentioned, together with the driv-
ing fender piles to protect the ex-
ternal wings, and hanging fenders
for the protection of the locks,
gates, and wing walls, will be com-
pleted by midsummer next.

The arrangements made for the

management of this great and use-
ful public undertaking have been
dictated by a desire to afford every
possible convenience and facility to
shipping, at the same time studying
a rigid economy, so as to leave little
if any doubt, that the sum of 3,846l.
8s. per annum, granted by parlia-
ment for the management, will be
amply sufficient for the purpose.

79. As some labourers were late-
ly digging clay in a brick-yard at Bot-
tesford, near Grantham, in Lincoln-
shire, England, about nine feet from
the surface, they discovered the
head and horns of an animal, of the
bull kind, of extraordinary dimen-
sions. The weight of the horns,
with a piece of the frontal bone, is
31 pounds; the span, from tip to
tip, is two feet one inch, and at the
greatest bulge of the horns, three
feet two inches; each horn, from
the scull to the tip, measures two
feet eight inches, and is, at its base,
one foot one inch and a half in cir-
cumference. One tooth weighs two
ounces and a half. There is an im-
perfect cavity in the clay, in which
the body of the animal is supposed
to have lain, and on each side was
a large piece of an oak tree, as
black as ebony. Some part of the
horns, near the tip, is completely
petrified.

80. At the late great annual
meeting of the Bath and West of
England Society, the attendance of
the nobility, gentry, and agricultu-
ralists, was numerous and respecta-
ble. The show of live stock was infe-
rior in point of number to some for-
mer years, which is to be partly attri-
buted to the meeting being held a
week earlier, of which many breed-
ers might not have been aware.
Dr. Parry's flock of Merino Rye-
land sheep (not sent as candidates
for any prize) was universally ad-
mired. There was exhibited a re-
markably fine fat hog, brought by a
Mr. Brooks; a bull of uncommon
size and beauty, sent by Mr White
Parsons; besides other valuable im-
proved stock. The Bedfordian gold
medal was awarded to John Billins-
ley, esq., for an Essay on the Cultiva-

―57―

evincing the author's great practical
knowledge and literary abilities.
Many other premiums and bounties
were granted to superior desert and
industry, in various departments of
husbandry.

83. The decorations with which
Bath has been lately ornamented,
together with those it is shortly
destined to receive, will render what
has been long the most fashionable,
now the most elegant and commodi-
ous of the places of public resort.
The connecting avenues between
the upper and lower town will, in a
short time, cease to be inconvenient.
Many of the old streets have been
widened; and those more recently
erected are spacious and handsome.
These improvements, of the first
importance both to permanent re-
sidents and to occasional visitants,
have been in a great measure ac-
complished, and will be speedily
perfected: and if in some respects
they have not been so completely
effected as might have been desired,
yet upon the whole the alterations
have been conducted with a spirit
and celerity rarly to be paralleled.
It were unpardonable not to notice,
in terms of the highest applause, the
elegant and tasteful decorations
which the liberality and spirit of
Mr. Stroud have lavished upon the
upper assembly rooms; and at the
same time to commend the ability
and judgment displayed by the art-
ists in the execution. The addition
of a coach-road to the lower rooms
will secure to this place of commo-
dious amusement a continuance of
public patronage; the magnificent
entrance, which is just completed,
forms only a part of the alterations
which they are to undergo; and
when the designs of the noble pro-
prietor are carried into effect, they
will rival every edifice of a similar
nature in elegance and convenience.

84. The improvement of Bristol
harbour is in a much more finished
state than is generally imagined;
several ribs of the iron bridge which
fell are now replced; the exca-
vations are nearly completed; and
the late open weather has greatly

contributed to the expediting the
immense body of masonry, which
it is found necessary to construct at
the entrance dock. The utility of
the concern is now almost univer-
sally allowed to be greater than the
most sanguine endeavoured to make
it appear. It is now ascertained,
that it will be completed before the
specified time, viz. 1st of May 1808,
and it is hoped, that it will not be
necessary to apply to parliament for
more money; for should the re-
maining calls (viz. 15l. per share)
on the present subscription not be
sufficient to complete the undertak-
ing, the value of the surplus lands
and stock on hand will make up the
deficiency. Great credit is due to
all persons employed; for perhaps
there is not another instance, in a
concern of such magnitude, where
the expences have been so near the
estimate.

85. January 1, 1307. The woollen
manufactures in the north and west of
England are not considerably injured
by the recent events on the continent.
The small clothiers in Yorkshire
proceed with their usual activity.
Those of Westmoreland are equally
busy. In Somersetshire, Gloucester-
shire, and Wiltshire, the same un-
abated industry prevails. There is
a temporary interruption of the or-
ders from some parts of the conti-
nent; there may have been some
deficiency in the remittances: but
the home-consumption increases;
the commercial distribution of Bri-
tish woollen goods in the East Indies
is every year extended; the Anglo-
Americans take off, every year,
greater quantities than before; the
trade of the Mediterranean, the Le-
vant, and the Black Sea, opens still
new marts for British woollens. As
the population and culture of the
British provinces in North America
increase, their consumption, of wool-
lens especially, grows more conside-
rable: even the colony of Botany
Bay begins to make itself worthy of
notice as a seat of customers for the
same commodity. The demand
from the countries on the Baltic is,
from time to time, rather enlarged

―58―

than narrowed. Add to this, the
consideration of our supplies to Por-
tugal, and of our becoming every
day more exclusively masters of the
trade to Spanish America. Our
manufacturers, too, making woollen
cloths for every diversity of country,
climate, and manners, have thus
learned to excel their rivals in all
diversities of fabric for which Italy,
Spain, France, &c., have ever been
distinguished. There is not, then,
the smallest reason to fear any im-
mediate decline in the staple manu-
facture of England from the malici-
ous endeavours of our enemies on the
continent.

Late reports from wool-staplers
and manufacturers enable us to state,
that in the art of sorting their wools,
the. English are now little, if at all,
inferior to the Spaniards. Travel-
lers informs us, that at Segovia, and
in other places in Spain, the opera-
tions of sorting the wools, washing
them, and putting them up for trans-
port and sale, are performed with
the ingenuity, the care, and the skill
of one of the nicest and most com-
plex of the mechanic or chemical
arts. Till of late there was nothing
comparable to this in England: but
the short wools are now sorted into
ten or twelve different species; the
long wools are managed with the
same discrimination and care. The
practice of plunging the living sheep
in water to wash the fleeces, begins
to be discontinued, or little regarded,
because it does not cleanse them
more than superficially.

Diligent inquiries by a committee
of the last parliament have ascer-
tained, that the ancient mode of the
distribution of labour and property
in the woollen manufactures, in both
the north and the west of England,
is the most favourable to morals, to
industry, and to the general increase
of the wealth of the country. In it,
single manufacturing families are
scattered over the several districts,
in hamlets, villages, or even solitary
dwellings. Each family, with the
aid perhaps of some very few addi-
tional hands, work up materials
which they have themselves pur-

chased from the wool-staplers,
Some bring their webs immediately
from the loom to sale in the woollen
halls, at the weekly markets. Others
carry their undressed webs to the
mills for dyeing and dressing, and
have the cloth carried through eve-
ry process requisite to fit it for use,
before they offer it to sale. In the
halls, on the market days, the mer-
chants make their purchases, for
immediate exportation to supply the
exporters, or to serve the general
country trade and the home con-
sumption. This is the ancient sys-
tem of the woollen manufactures of
England. The committee of the
last parliament wisely judged, that
it would not be for the interest of the
state that this system should be su-
perseded by one, throwing the ma-
nufacture chiefly into the hands of
great capitalists, and assembling the
weavers, dyers, and dressers in vast
manufacturing establishments.

The trade in Welsh flannels is
thought to be, at this time, one of
the most promising in which a mer-
cantile man can hazard a specula-
tion. It is, for London, principally
in the hands of one or two houses,
which have gained exceedingly by
it, even within a very few years.

Such has been the general in-
crease of the woollen trade of this
country in the space of fourteen
years, that the Easter returns to the
justices at Pontefract of the quantity
of the manufacture in the riding of
Yorkshire in which it stands were,
in 1792, 190,332 pieces of broad
cloth, and 150,656 pieces of narrow
cloth; but, in 1805, 300,237 pieces
of broad, and 165,847 pieces of nar-
row.

Our information respecting the
cotton manufactures is not flattering.
The home consumption is immense;
but the sales for the French, Dutch,
and German markets are compara-
tively nothing. Considerable dis-
tress is felt in Lancashire, and at
Glasgow and Paisley, in Scotland.
The bankrupt lists evince how much
is now suffered in this branch of bu-
siness. But the prices of cotton
wools are now low in the market;

―59―

and the manufacturer has in this a
temporary advantage over the grow-
er and the importer.

Hemp is just now scarce and dear.
The manufacturers of sail-cloth and
cordage imported last summer as
little as possible of this material.
They expected peace from the ne-
gociations, and knew that peace
would reduce the prices and the de-
mand for the articles which they
made of hemp. Subsequent events
have augmented the demand. The
season for importation from the Bal-
tic is over. It will be, for a time, diff-
icult to supply the merchants' dock-
yards: in those of government there
are always in hand stores of this
this commodity for three years

Upon suggestions originating with
the earl of Dundonald, considerable
improvements have been made in
the manufacture of sail-cloth for the
royal navy. The hemp and flax
were formerly used in weaving can-
vas, without due previous cleansing.
The necessity that the yarn should
be steeped, bucked, and boiled, be-
fore it be used in the loom, has been
clearly discerned. Government
have required this condition to be
observed in the preparation of all
the canvas they contract for: it is
done at an additional expence of 6s.
per cwt. The canvas made of yarn
thus freed from most of the extrac-
tive matter of the hemp and flax, is
not liable to that decay which is
named mildew. In 1804, twenty five
manufacturers of canvas in England,
and forty-three in. Scotland, contract-
ed to manufacture for government
147,280 bolts of canvas per annum,
each bolt being from forty to forty-
five yards. The royal navy was,
before that time, supplied chiefly
from the towns of Dundee, Aber-
deen, Arbroath, Montrose, and Bre-
chin, on the north-east coast of Scot-
land. The seats of the English ma-
nufacture of canvas are, Warring-
ton, Kirkham, Lancaster, White-
haven, Stockton, Whitby, and Hull.
The attention of government to this
object has tended, of course, to im-
prove the article for the use also of
the merchant ship-owners.

The iron and copper works of
Great Britain continue flourishing.
We import still less and less iron
from the Baltic. The cast-iron ma-
nufactures of Carron, and other
parts in this country, exceed all fo-
reign competition. British iron is
now employed as a material for an-
chors, a use for which its quality
was three or four years since rec-
koned unfit. The East India com-
pany taking off every year large
quantities of English copper, greatly
contribute to the continued and pro-
fitable working of our copper mines.
The manufacturers of Birmingham
and Sheffield have, of late, had large
orders for the South American mar-
ket. Their manufactures still find
their way, also, to Paris, and over
the continent. It is however remark-
able that, just now, such is the al-
ledged inferiority of Sheffield cut-
lery to that of London, that in
the shops any article of what is call-
ed town-made cutlery is sold for
twice the price which would be ask-
ed for it, if it were avowedly from
Sheffield. The manufacturers of
Sheffield ought carefully to make
their goods of every variety, indeed,
of price and useful qualities; but al-
ways in the real equal to what they
are in the apparent qualities.

Nothing is yet publicly known of
the scheme of taxes for the supplies
of 1807. It is said, that no very large
loan will be wanted immediately.

By our possession of Malta, a brisk
trade, yielding quick returns, is now
carried on to the ports of Italy.—
Malta is the emporium, the store-
house. From Malta 'we supply
Leghorn, and other places under the
power of the French. But the Eng-
lish goods are sold, even before they
are landed, for ready money; and
scarcely a pound's-worth of British
property is at any moment hazard-
ed where the French might seize it.

For the relief of the planters and
their consignees, permission will, it
is said, be this year given for the
free use of raw sugars in the distil-
leries. Grain is not now high, but
it does not fall in price. Our im-
ports from Germany and the Baltic

―60―

are interrupted; we may, therefore,
expect corn of all sorts rather to rise
than decline in price as the season
advances.

By the mildness of the season, and
by the abundance of hay, clover,
straw, and other dry forage, but-
cher's meat of all sorts continues at
reasonable prices.

The exchange with Ireland is at
twelve per cent, only 3 1/2 per cent.
against that country. Horses and
cattle, to the value of about 16,000l.
sterling, were last year exported
from Ireland to Great Britain.

Stocks rather decline, the three
per cents, vary between 59 and 60.

Coals are at reasonable prices.
Cargoes are sold, in the river, at
from 33s. to 49s. per chaldron; 12s.
more per chaldron is charged by the
retailers who deliver them for the
use of families.

The average price of sugar, for
the seven days ending December 10,
was; 1l. 16s. 9 3/4d.

The average prices of navigable
canal and dock shares, for Decem-
ber, 1806, at the office of Mr. Scott,
25, New Bridge-street, London:
The Trent and Mersey, or Grand
Trunk Canal, 840l. to 880l. per
share, dividing 40l per share per
annum. The Staffordshire and
and Worcestershire Canal, 610l. per
share, dividing 36l. per share net
per annum. Grand Junction, 87l.
per share, including a dividend of
1l. 10s. Ashton and Oldham, 100l.
Worcester and Birmingham, 39l.
per share, including all new calls
paid. Lancaster, 18l. 10s. Scots
Mines Company, 204l. to 206l per
cent., dividing 11l. per cent net per
annum. West India Dock Stock,
150l per cent, dividing 10l. per cent.
net per annum. East India Dock,
124l., bearing interest at present of
5l. per cent. London Dock, 103l.,
dividing 5l. per cent. Globe Insur-
ance, 102l., dividing 6l. per cent.
Imperial Assurance, 12l. per cent.
premium. West Middlesex Water
Works, 4l. 10s. per share premium.

86. In a summary of the state of
the weather, from Christmas-day,
1805, to the same day, 1806, near

London, the average heat for each
month of the last year, and of those
in the preceding, may be stated thus:

In the former of these years, the
average heat increased from month
to month till August; but in the lat-
ter there was no increase of heat
after June: for that and the two fol-
lowing months, the mean heat was
62°. The hottest days in the whole
year were in June; and it ap-
pears to have been so much the case,
as to equal the higher temperature
that is usually experienced in the
months of July and August. With
regard to the whole year, the ave-
rage of 1805 was rather lower than
usual, and that of 1806 has been
higher than that of common years.
The mean height of the barometer
for the year is equal to 29.815, which
is not quite one-twentieth of an inch
lower than it was for the preceding
year; though the quantity of rain
for 1806 has been equal to forty-two
inches in depth, while that for 1805
was only twenty-five inches: this is
a fresh proof of what in the course
of our monthly reports we have fre-
quently referred to, that the quan-
tity of rain is in all cases in propor-
tion to the high temperature of the
atmosphere.

During the year there have been
141 days very brilliant; 119 in which
there has been rain; on 17 there
has fallen snow or hail; the re-
maining 88 days may be nearly
equally divided into fair and cloudy

―61―

days: among the latter must be
reckoned about 10 days in which
fogs have prevailed the greater
part of the day.

The state of the wind has been
as follows: N. 16, S. 19, W. 84, E.
27, N.E. 48, S.E. 26, N.W. 76, S. 69.

The month of January was re-
markable for storms and heavy
rains, that occurred usually in the
night. February was noted for its
great variableness, both in the pres-
sure and temperature of the atmos-
phere. March for its severe frosts
and heavy snows. April for its
north and north-easterly winds.
May for its easterly winds, which
were attended with much mischief
to the gardens, particularly to the
fruit trees. June was noted for the
great heat of some of its days,
though on others the northerly and
easterly winds were severe; in
some parts of the country there
were storms, attended with thunder,
lightning, and hail: this was a
remarkably dry month. But the
following month was uncommonly
wet, and the heavy rains were ac-
companied with some tremendous
storms. August was also marked
by the storminess of many of its
days; but on the whole it was fa-
vourable to the harvest. In Sep-
tember and October the weather
was mild, and very suitable to the
season and climate of the country.
The months of November and De-
cember were remarkable for their
high temperature, and for the great
quantity of rain which fell. It may
be observed, that there have been
fewer fogs in these months than
usual.

87. An expedition was fitted out
last year, by the Spanish govern-
ment, to convey a knowledge of the
vaccine inoculation to the settle-
ments and colonies of that nation.
Of that branch of the expedition
destined for Peru, it is ascertain-
ed that it was shipwrecked in
one of the mouths of the River de la
Magdalena; but having derived
immediate succour from the natives,
from the magistrates adjacent, and
from the governor of Carthagena,

the subdirector, the three members
of the faculty who accompanied him,
and the children, were saved, with
the fluid in good preservation,
which they extended in that port
and its province with activity and
success. Thence it was carried to
the isthmus of Panama; and per-
sons, properly provided with all ne-
cessaries, undertook the long and
painful navigation of the River de
la Magdalena; separating, when
they reached the interior, to dis-
charge their commission in the
towns of Teneriffe, Mompox, Oca-
na, Socorro, San Gil y Medellin, in
the valley of Cucuta, and in the ci-
ties of Pamplona, Giron, Tunja,
Velez, and other places in the
neighbourhood, until they met at
Santa Fe: leaving every where
suitable instructions for the members
of the faculty, and, in the more consi-
derable towns, regulations conform-
able to those rules which the direc-
tor had prescribed for the preser-
vation of the virus; which the
viceroy affirms to have been com-
municated to 50,000 persons, with-
out one unfavourable result. To-
wards the close of March, 1805,
they prepared to continue their
journey in separate tracks, for the
purpose of extending themselves
with greater facility and prompti-
tude over the remaining districts of
the vice-royalty, situated in the
road of Popayan, Guenca, and Quito,
as far as Lima. In the August fol-
lowing they reached Guayaquil.

The result of this expedition has
been, not merely to spread the vac-
cine among all people, whether
friends or enemies, among Moors,
among Visayans, and among Chi-
nese; but also to secure to posterity,
in the dominions of his majesty, the
perpetuity of so great a benefit, partly
by means of the central committees
that have been established, as well
as by the discovery which Balmis
made of an indigenous matter in
the cows of the valley of Atlixco,
near the city of Puebla de los Ange-
les; in the neighbourhood of that of
Valladolid de Mechoacan, where
the adjutant Antonio Gutierrez

―62―

found it; and in the district of Ca-
labozo, in the province of Caraccas,
where don Carlos de Pozo, physi-
cian of the residence, found it.

A multitude of observations,
which will be published without de-
lay, respecting the developement of
the vaccine in various climes, and
respecting its efficacy, not merely in
preventing the natural small-pox,
but in curing simultaneously other
morbid affections of the human
frame, will manifest how important
to humanity will prove the conse-
quences of an expedition, which has
no parallel in history.

Though the object of this under-
taking was limited to the communi-
cation of the vaccine in every quar-
ter; to the instruction of professors,
and to the establishment of regula-
tions which might serve to render it
perpetual, nevertheless, the direc-
tor has omitted no means of render-
ing his services beneficial, at the
same time, to agriculture and the
sciences. He brings with him a
considerable collection of exotic
plants. He has caused to be drawn
the most valuable subjects in natural
history. He has amassed much im-
portant information; and, among
other claims to the gratitude of his
country, not the least consists in
having imported a valuable assem-
blage of trees and vegetables, in a
state to admit of propagation, and
which, being cultivated in those
parts of the peninsula that are most
congenial to their growth, will ren-
der this expedition as memorable
in the annals of agriculture, as in
those of medicine and humanity. It
is hoped that the subdirector and
his coadjutors, appointed to carry
these blessings to Peru, will shortly
return by way of Buenos-Ayres, af-
ter having accomplished their jour-
ney through that vice-royalty, the
vice-royalty of Lima, and the dis-
tricts of Chili and Charcas; and
that they will bring with them such
collections and observations as they
have been able to acquire, accord-
ing to the instructions given by the
director, without losing sight of the
philanthropic commission which

they received from his majesty, in
the plenitude of his zeal for the
welfare of the human race.

88. That a situation so conveni-
ent for mercantile and legal busi-
ness, and for pleasure, as the neigh-
bourhood of the Foundling Hospital,
London, should so long have continu-
ed unbuilt on, when the most remote
and inauspicious parts of the town
have been closely covered over, has
been a subject of great surprise.
The means used by a party, by
whom the charity was so long kept
from those advantages its situation
commanded, being overcome by its
friends, the buildings were com-
menced in the year 1790 in Guilford-
street, eastward of Lamb's Conduit-
street, and from that time have
been unceasingly prosecuted to the
present year, 1807.

Very soon after the commence-
ment of these buildings, the proprie-
tor of the Doughty estate adjoining
eastward, and the late duke of Bed-
ford on the west, united in carrying
into effect those plans which have
now revealed themselves to the
public; but it will long be a subject
of deep regret, that any part of the
short-sighted policy which retarded
the commencement of these plans
should have again evinced itself, and
an injunction obtained from the
court of chancery to prevent the
making, under any modifications
whatever, a communication between
Queen-square and Guilford-street;
the inlets to which cannot now,
without the aid of parliament, be
materially amended for many cen-
turies; and the square must conse-
quently be accessible only by the
present miserable avenues from the
south and west. It is also unfor-
tunate, that, from the same source
of opposition, the continuation o
Queen-square of an equal width,
was not effected to the northern ex-
tremity of the Foundling estate,
which had been projected.

It is much to be regretted, that
the plan of Mr. Cockerell the archi-
tect was not adopted, by which the
hospital was to form the centre of
one large square, extending the

―63―

Whole size of Brunswick-square, a
corresponding space eastward, and
to Guilford-street southward; the
useless dwarf buildings round the
hospital being removed to make
way for a noble area, designed to
have been dressed, planted, and sur-
rounded by iron palisadoes, which
would then have formed by far the
grandest square in London, and a
superb ornament to the metropolis.

Perhaps also it may be considered
unfortunate, that the original inten-
tions of the late duke of Bedford
were not carried into effect. By
these it was proposed to rebuild the
mansion-house on a magnificent
scale, removed further from Blooms-
bury-square, and to radiate two
lines of capital houses northward
from thence to the new road, on
each side of a lawn of about thirty
acres inclosed and planted, having
sunk cross roads to communicate
with Gower-street. Under this im-
pression, the new houses on the east
side of Russel-square, and the de-
tached houses northward, were
built. But the subsequent determi-
nation of the duke to reside nearer
the court produced the present ar-
rangement; by which so great an
increase has already been made to
his grace's rental, and which will so
prodigiously enlarge the income of
his successors.

In 1800, Bedford-house was pulled
down, and in 1803, all the new
houses between Russell-square and
Bloomsbury-square, on the site of
the old house and gardens, were
erected; since 1801, all the new
buildings, exclusive of those already
mentioned, on what was formerly
known as the Long-fields, have been
erected. Russell-square is conside-
rably larger than any other in Lon-
don, Lincoln's-Inn-fields excepted.
Its dimensions nearly (for it is not
perfectly at right angles, in conse-
quence of the alteration of the plan
already mentioned) are six hundred
and seventy-eight feet on each side.
Bolton-house, occupied in 1803 by
the late earl Rosslyn, has recently
been divided into two, and its court-
yard covered by three excellent

houses, which completes the eastern
side of the square.

Much pains have been used, and
expence incurred, in laying out and
planting the area of this square;
which, when the trees and plants
shall have arrived at a greater de-
gree of maturity, will render it one
of the most agreeable in London.
On the south side, immediately op-
posite Bedford-place, a pedestrian
statue in bronze of the late excellent
duke Francis, is to be set up by Mr.
Westmacot, by public subscription,
and will much add to the beauty of
this place.

To the northward, Tavistock-
square is commenced, and by an
early attention to the inclosing and
planting its area before the erection
of the habitations, it has become at
once pleasant, healthy, and desirable.
To the eastward of the Foundling-
hospital a square is begun, of the
same dimensions as Brunswick-
square. Northward of the hospital
garden is the estate of Mr. Harri-
son, where a respectable neighbour-
hood is rapidly forming; and nearly
adjoining, is a large field belonging
to the Skinner's company, for which
extensive building-plans have been
projected, but, through some extra-
ordinary inadvertence, no agree-
ment has been effected, to insure
respectable accesses, either by the
south, east, or western sides.

The estate formerly belonging to
Mr. Mortimer, at the north end of
Gower-street, after many years'
litigation, has now become the pro-
perty of sir William Paxton, who
proposes to put up extensive and re-
spectable buildings on it, and to con-
tinue Gower-street to the road.

Northward of Tavistock-square,
an area of about twenty acres is
proposed to be surrounded with
buildings; the centre to be occupied
and dressed as nursery-grounds; the
Paddington road running between
them. Directly northward, from
the centre of this large area, a wide
grand road is to lead to the Hamp-
stead road at Camden Town; the
sides to be planted with double rows
of trees, and the houses to be cou-

―64―

pled or detached, allowing abun-
dant space to each for respectable
inhabitants.

It is worthy of remark, that a line
drawn from the obelisk in St.-
George's fields to the Hampstead
road, will directly pass to the east-
ward of Somerset-place in the
Strand, by Bloomsbury, through
Russell and Tavistock-squares, and
the above grand avenue; and, at
a comparatively small expence,
form a noble street of communica-
tion of more than three miles in ex-
tent; dividing the metropolis north
and south, almost centrally.

The new bridge (so injudiciously
intended to be built across the
Thames opposite Beaufort-build-
ings), without the possibility of any
considerable northern outlet, should
undoubtedly be placed in this line;
the eastern wing of Somerset-place
completed, and a correspondent
range of buildings at the back of
Surry-street erected, with a spa-
cious street between, at least eighty
feet wide, forming the access from
the Strand, and leading direct to the
proposed grand street.

The road from the bridge to the
obelisk would be through property
that must be most materially in-
creased in value by the operation;
and if the prices which building-
ground has produced to the corpo-
ration of London, at their improve-
ments by Snow-hill and Temple-bar
be a criterion, the making so grand
a street as is here projected, would
prove an undertaking of very consi-
derable profit to any individuals
who, sanctioned by the legislature,
might undertake it; the greater
proportion of the space between
that part of Holborn and the Strand
being at present chiefly occupied as
sheds or tenements of the most mi-
serable quality. The new street
would allow of houses of the most
respectable class, public or private,
and consequently the ground must
be proportionably valuable. It
should also be at least eighty feet
wide; ninety or one hundred would
be better; and its arrangement of
houses, elevation, character, &c.,

ought all to be new and striking.
The dwellings should afford suffi-
cient space for trade, but not to
overwhelm the tradesmen with rent;
and private individuals, or profes-
sional men, should therein find ac-
commodations.

The corporation of the city of
London, on its estate between Gow-
er-street and Tottenham Court-road,
is causing a street, with a crescent
at each end, to be erected, and a
long range of shops next the road;
the whole much improving that ap-
proach to the Bedford estate.

Of the importance of the build-
ings on the Bedford and Foundling
estates to the country and the pro-
prietors, some judgment may be
formed by the following estimates,
which are very nearly correct: the
duties already paid to government
for the articles consumed in the
buildings, amount to 84,500l. The
house and window duties per annum
40,700l. The war tax on property,
per annum, 14,800l. The new
river company gain by the increased
service, per annum, 3,450l. The
present value of the buildings
erected is 1,328,000l. The annual
value, 125,710l. And the present
annual value of the ground-rents,
18,839l.

About one half of the buildings
are completed on the Bedford estate,
and two thirds on the Foundling
estate. If, therefore, those propor-
tions be added to the sums already
estimated, some idea may be formed
of the reversionary value to the
proprietors; and if to these be ad-
ded the duties and taxes on the
other estates before mentioned south
of the new road, the permanent
taxes to the state cannot be less
(according to their present ratio)
than, for houses and windows per
annum, 100,000l.; for duties and
customs on the building articles,
200,000l.; for the war-tax on pro-
perty per annum, 40,000l.; and in
total of the capital thus to be created
not less than 3,500,000l.; exclusive
of all consideration of the advanta-
ges derived to the revenue, manu-
factures, and commerce, by the fit-

―65―

ting up and furnishing so vast a
neighbourhood.

89. The whole of those great
buildings destroyed by the dreadful
conflagration of September, 1802, on
the quay of St George's dock at Li-
verpool, have risen from their ashes
with improved magnificence, and
greatly augmented extent. This
task has been completed in less than
four years; and of all the various
proofs which have been held forth
to the world, of the spirit and re-
sources of the town of Liverpool,
we consider this as one of, the most
decisive and unequivocal.

At the time of the conflagration,
the stone basement of the whole of
that large and beautiful range which
fronts to George's dock, had been
erected, but the super-incumbent
warehouses had only been built on
that division which reaches from
the bottom of Brunswick-street to
Water-street, and on about one-
fourth part of the other division.
The whole of this, except the small
part last mentioned, was entirely
demolished. But the entire range
from Water-street to Brunswick-
street, and from Brunswick-street to
Moorc-street, is now completed, and,
for elegance, convenience, and situa-
tion, there certainly is not such
another range of warehouses in Eu-
rope.

The enormous piles which have
been lately erected on the West In-
dia and Wapping docks, in London,
are indeed vastly superior in size
and extent, but in beauty and con-
venience they are not to be compared.
The new row on the Goree is, in-
cluding the two divisions, in length
nearly two hundred yards, of a pro-
portionable depth, and in height six
stories, exclusive of the cellars and
garrets. It is built with exact uni-
formity, on a rustic stone basement,
which incloses to the front a fine
flagged arcade of thirteen feet in
width, very convenient as a prome-
nade for the merchants in wet
weather. This piazza is formed by
alternate great and small arches,
the former ten feet nine inches
in breadth, the latter five feet

eight inches. This intermixture has
a pleasing appearance to the eye,
and detracts much from the heavi-
ness of that species of architecture.
The whole pile has the convenience
of being open to a wide pavement
both in front and rear; and the
front rooms of the lower story are
used as counting-houses by the mer-
chants who occupy the warehouses.
The noble range of buildings belong-
ing to Mr. France, Mr. Dawson,
and others, which stood behind the
pile just described, was also entirely
consumed, and the whole of this
ground, except a few yards, has
likewise been completely rebuilt.
The new buildings, it is true, do not
reach the enormous elevation which
in the old was so much admired,
but this deficiency may justly be
reckoned an improvement. The
extreme height of the former ware-
houses was not only beyond the
bounds of just proportion, but occa-
sioned a variety of inconveniences;
and particularly rendered the danger
and mischiefs of a fire much more
alarming and imminent. On the
whole, these buildings may justly be
considered as a most extraordinary
monument of the opulence and en-
terprize of the town of Liverpool.

90. The Copleyan medal has been
adjudged by the Royal Philosophical
Society of London to T. A. Knight,
Esq., for his numerous discoveries in
vegetable physiology. Sir Joseph
Banks, upon presenting Mr. Knight
with the reward of his labours and
high merit, pronounced a most, able
discourse on the pursuits of this
gentleman. He noticed his re-
searches and observations on the
albuminous juices of plants, in its
ascent elaborating the buds and
leaves, and in its descent forming
wood; and of his discovery of the
natural decay of apple-trees, and of
the grafts, which decline and be-
come unproductive at the same time
with the parent stock. The learned
president referred next to the ex-
periments, which went to prove
that all vegetables radiate by gravi-
tation only, and not by any instinc-
tive energy; that new and superior

―66―

species of apples may be produced
from seed; and that impregnating
the pollen was found to be an advan-
tageous substitute for grafting. He
then alluded to the new and very
valuable species of pears pro-
duced by Mr. Knight, and to
a new species of vines, which
bear grapes not only superior in
flavour to others hitherto known,
but which are capable of arriving
at perfection, even in the most ad-
verse seasons, in our climate. For
these, and other discoveries, ably
enumerated by the learned presi-
dent, the Copleyan medal was ad-
judged to Mr. Knight, whose suc-
cessful labours in this branch of na-
tural history have probably surpas-
sed those of any other philosopher
in developing the economy of vege-
tation, and the laws of vegetable
life.

91. The general bill of all the
christenings and burials, in London,
from December 17, 1805, to Decem-
ber 16, 1806, is as follows:

Christened in the 97 parishes
within the walls, 1121.—Buried,
1152.

Christened in the 17 parishes
without the walls, 4763.—Burials,
3673.

Christened in the out parishes in
Middlesex and Surry, 9734.—Bu-
ried, 7842.

Christened in the 10 parishes in
the city and liberties of Westmin-
ster, 4762.—Buried, 527l.

Christened, males, 10,452.—Fe-
males, 9928. In all, 20,380.

Buried, Males, 9215.—Females,
8723.—In all, 17,938.—Whereof
have died.

92. A new exchequer office is
to be built shortly. It is intended
to restore Henry the seventh's
chapel with the new cement, a
specimen of which may be seen on
the top of the east end of the chapel,
facing the house of lords.

93. Dr. Robertson, Savilian pro-
fessor of geometry at Oxford, has
lately presented to the Royal Socie-
ty a paper on “The Precession of
the Equinoxes;” in which he has
suggested some new methods of as-
certaining with greater accuracy
than has hitherto been done, the
calculations of compound rotatory
motion.

94. Mr. Smith exhibited to the
Society of Antiquarians, a silver
ring about an inch in diameter,
with twelve points, resembling the
teeth of a wheel in clock-work, in
one of which was a rowel, which
projected a little more than the
others. Mr. S. imagines that this
ring was used as a chaplet in the
days of the catholic religion in this
country; and that each point was to
indicate a prayer, as a help to the
memory, or to those who could not
read.

95. The Literary and Philosophi-
cal Society at Newcastle upon Tyne
continues to flourish: many valua-
ble papers were communicated and
read to it in the course of the last
year. Much of the prosperity of
this society must be referred to the
labours and zeal of the Rev. Wil-
liam Turner.

96. Mr. Cumberland has lately
given to the public a description of
a very simple and useful scale for
dividing the vanishing lines in per-
spective. It is thus formed: take a
sheet of paper, and having made a
horizontal line, fix on a point, as a
centre, called the point of sight; this
point is crossed with diagonal lines
in various directions; and thus an
instrument is prepared, that will be
a sure guide to an inexperienced
eye, in taking the perspective lines
of all objects placed at right angles,

―67―

such as streets, buildings, churches,
apartments, by merely placing it
under the leaf to be drawn on. To
render the instrument more com-
plete, a plate of glass should be ad-
ded, of the same size as the leaf of
the drawing-book, on which the
dark lines should be drawn.

97. The secret of the invisible
girl has lately been supposed to
have been discovered, from which
it should seem, that the whole de-
ception consists in a very trifling ad-
dition to the mechanism of the
speaking bust; which consists of a
tube from the mouth of the bust,
leading to a confederate in an ad-
joining room, and another tube to
the same place, ending in the ear
of the figure. By the last of these,
a sound whispered to the ear of the
bust is immediately carried to the
confederate, who instantly returns
an answer by the other tube ending
in the mouth of the figure, who
seems to utter it: and the invisible
girl only differs in this circum-
stance, that an artificial echo is pro-
duced by means of certain trum-
pets; and thus the sound does not
proceed in its original direction, but
is completely reversed.

98. The London Medical Society
propose to confer the Fothergillian
gold medal on the authors of the
best essays on the following subjects:

Question for the year 1807.—
The best account of the epidemic
fevers which have prevailed at se-
veral times in North America,
Spain, and Gibraltar, since the year
1793, and whether they are the
same or different diseases.

For the year 1808.—What are
the best methods of preventing and
of curing epidemic dysentery?

For the year 1809.—What are
the criteria by which epidemic dis-
orders that are not infectious may
be distinguished from those that are?

For the year 1810.—What are
the qualities in the atmosphere
most to be desired under the vari-
ous circumstances of pulmonary
consumption?

99. It has been lately recommend-

ed that, excepting the lancet em-
ployed in vaccination, all the instru-
ments of surgery ought to be dipped
into oil at the moment when they
are going to be used; by which
method the pain of the subject ope-
rated upon will always be diminish-
ed. It is recommended to make all
instruments of a blood-heat a little
before the operation.

100. Mr. Hermbstadt, of Berlin,
gives the following as a cheap me-
thod of obtaining the sugar of the
beet-root: Let the beet-roots be
pounded in a mortar, and then sub-
jected to the press; the juice is
next to be clarified with lime, like
that of the sugar-cane, and then by
evaporation bring it to the consis-
tence of syrup. From 100 lbs. of
raw sugar thus obtained, 80 lbs. may
be had, by the first refining, of well-
chrystalized sugar, inferior neither
in quality nor whiteness to that of
the West-Indies. Two days are suf-
ficient to complete the operation.

101. A new branch of science, en-
titled Mnemonica, is now much stu-
died in Germany. It was original-
ly taught and practised in Egypt
and Greece, and was an invention
attributed to Simonides. The mo-
dern restorer of this art is M. Are-
tin, who exacts from his pupils a
promise not to write down his lec-
tures. According to a book, said to
have been written by a child of
twelve years of age, and mentioned
in the catalogue for the last Septem-
ber fair at Leipsic, mnemonica is a
true science, and may be so tauthg
as to give a memory to individuals
of every age.

102. Leschevin, chief commissary
for gunpowder and saltpetre at Di-
jon, France, has suggested a method
of averting showers of hail, and dis-
sipating storms. The memoir in
which he has related the discovery,
as he conceives, is long, but we shall
be able to present the English read-
er with the results in few words:
1. He would excite in the air strong
commotions capable of shaking the
particles of water adhering to it, so
as to produce abundant rain: this is
to be done by the sound of great

―68―

bells, the noise of guns or drums, by
the detonation of the fulminating
powder, and by the explosion, in
the middle of the clouds, of rockets
directed towards the place where
the clouds are thickest. 2. He
would establish energetic conduc-
tors between the clouds and the
earth, either by fires lighted from
distance to distance, and kept burn-
ing by supplies of dry substances, or
by the disengagement of humid va-
pours, or the combustion of resinous
matters. 3. He would draw off the
electric fluid, which is in superabun-
dance in the clouds, by a multiplici-
ty of thunder-rods: he would estab-
lish these conductors on those sides
from which the winds chiefly come,
and these are to be placed on ele-
vated places, high trees, &c. We
are informed, that the practice re-
commended in this memoir, is made
use of in many parts of France with
the greatest success.

103. Dr. Carradori, in opposition
to the experiments and conclusions
of Messrs. Humboldt and Gay Lu-
sac, affirms that ebullition is not suf-
ficient to free water from all the
oxygen that it contains; and that
nothing but congelation, and the res-
piration of fishes, can entirely clear
water of its oxygen. These, he
says, are the only means that com-
plete the separation from water of
all the oxygen it contains interpos-
ed between its globules. Fishes he
conceives to be the endiometers of
water; and one of these, shut up in
a body of water, is capable of sepa-
rating, by means of its respiration,
in several hours, all the oxygen
from the water, and to exhaust it
entirely from this principle. By
several ingenious, but cruel, experi-
ments on fish, this philosopher
proves that melted snow, as well as
water that has been congealed, is
deprived of all its oxygen.

104. Leroi, who has made many
successful experiments in agricul-
ture, advises persons by no means to
procure grain for sowing from a soil
north of their own land, but from a
country south of it; because he says
it is a general rule, that the pro-

duct of seed improves in going from
south to north, and that it decreases
in virtue in going from north to
south. He recommends boiled car-
rots, as an excellent and cheap food
for the fattening of pigs; and he
adds, that by steeping raw carrots
in water to deprive them of their
acrid principle, then by boiling
them, and causing them to ferment,
an ardent spirit may be drawn from
them, more wholesome than brandy
distilled from rye.

105. M. L. Abbe Melograni has
invented, a new blow-pipe: it con-
sists of two hollow glass globes, of
a size proportioned to the effects
required, which are united by two
metallic tubes placed one against
the other; each of these pipes has
a valve attached at each of its ex-
tremities: a third pipe placed ho-
rizontally, and at right angles with
the two first, is hermetically fixed
to the pipes which unite the two
globes. This horizontal pipe, be-
sides serving to direct the air upon
the flame of the lamp, likewise
forms a support and axis on which
the globes turn. When the lower
globe, which is half filled with
water, has, in changing its position,
become uppermost, the water will
run out into the other, and will form,
by the pressure, a current of air in
the pipe, which, Being stopped by
the valve at the extremity of the
same pipe, will be forced to pass
through the horizontal pipe; the
mouth of which being directed to-
wards the flame, will produce the
effect desired: when the water has
descended into the lower ball, the
position must be changed, and the
action of the machine will recom-
mence.

106. Theodore Pierre Bertin has
invented a new syphon, capable of
raising water thirty feet high with-
out human help. This instrument
is, we are told, applicable to differ-
ent purposes: as a syphon, it may
be used to raise water above its
source, in any situation; as a pump,
it may serve as a pneumatic chemi-
cal apparatus, by the help of which
may be made acidulated waters.

―69―

The effects of this pump are in pro-
portion to the superior length of the
descending limb over that of the
ascending one: it is therefore con-
venient for conveying perfumed air,
such as that of an orangerie, for
example, into rooms: it may also
be rendered useful for mild suctions,
and might be employed in surgical
operations where the sucking-pump
is employed.

107. Two species of bears at pre-
sent unknown have been found by
M. Cuvier, buried with tygers,
hyenas, and other carnivorous ani-
mals, in a great number of caverns,
in the mountains of Hungary and
Germany.

108. M. Seguin, from the remark-
able quantity of albumen found in
vegetable juices which ferment
without yeast, and afford a vinous
liquor, has been led to enquire
whether the albumen might not be
of essential consequence to this in-
testine motion. Having deprived
these juices of albumen, they became
incapable of fermenting; and then
having supplied this principle, such
as white of egg to saccharine
matter, the fermentation took place,
and a matter similar to yeast was
deposited, which appeared to be
only the albumen, which was so
altered as to be nearly insoluble,
without having lost its fermentesci-
ble action. Hence he concludes, that
albumen, whether animal or vegeta-
ble, is the true ferment.

109. M. Oliver has lately present-
ed to the National Institute an ac-
count of the topography of Persia;
in which he has described the
chains of mountains, the. courses of
streams, and the productions pecu-
liar to climate. The great and pre-
vailing drought is the cause why not
more than a twentieth part of that
vast empire is cultivated. Entire
provinces have not a single tree
which is not planted and watered
by the hands of man. This evil is
constantly increasing, by the de-
struction of these canals by which
the water from the mountains was
formerly conducted to the lands.

110. M. Desmarets, from an ex-

amination of some ancient garments,
found in a tomb of the abbey of St.
Germain, has determined that most
of the processes of weaving, at pre-
sent used, were known in the tenth
century; and he has thrown some
new light on the articles of Pliny
respecting the ancient fabrics.

111. Seguin has found, from a
variety of experiments, that coffee
consists of albumen, oil, a bitter
principle, and a green matter, which,
is a combination of this last and albu-
men.

112. Lacepede, by examining
what is at present known of Africa;
by comparing the volume of the
rivers which arrive at the sea, with
the extent of the regions upon which
the rains of the torrid zone fall, and
the quantity of evaporation to be
observed; and, lastly, assisting the
judgment by the number and direc-
tion of the chains of inland moun-
tains, as described by travellers, has
offered some conjectures respecting
the physical disposition of the coun-
tries still unknown in the centre of
that quarter of the globe, and more
particularly the seas and great lakes
which he thinks must there exist.
He has, in a memoir presented to
the National Institute, indicated the
courses which appear to him to be
proper for the most speedily explor-
ing those countries which still re-
main to be discovered.

113. Count Rumford (now at
Paris) has ascertained that light
loses little of its intensity by passing
through ground glass; he recom-
mends, therefore, the perference of
ground glasses for Argand's lamp,
as a means of preventing the glare,
so offensive to the eye.

114. Bouillon la Grange has ex-
amined with great attention tannin,
the character of which is to form an
insoluble compound with gelatine;
and he has found that it has an af-
finity for the alkalies, the earths,
and the metallic oxides, and the fa-
culty of becoming converted into
gallic acid by absorbing oxygen.

115. Bucholz has, from various
experiments upon the seeds of lyco-
podium, found, 1, that they contain

―70―

a sixteenth part of a fat oil of brown-
ish yellow, and soluble in alcohol;
2, a portion of real sugar; 3, a
viscous extract of a brownish yellow,
and an insipid taste; 4, the residue,
after being treated with alcohol and
water, may be regarded as a pecu-
liar product of the vegetable king-
dom; 5, the yellowish aspect of the
seed in this latter state, indicates the
union of a species of pigment with
the first principle of the seed, or, at
least, a very intimate union of the
constituent parts of this seed; 6, the
oily part which enters into the com-
position of this seed occasions its
lively combustion, and its constant
separation from water.

116. Freylino has extracted a
large quantity of saccharine matter
from the black mulberry tree, which
may be obtained in a state of syrup
or concrete sugar. The syrup may
be had by extracting the juice, clari-
fying it with the whites of eggs, and
afterwards evaporating it to a pro-
per consistence.

117. M. Gogo has obtained from
the common hazel-nut a sweet and
agreeable oil.

118. M. de Beauvois has begun to
publish an account of the insects
which he collected on the African
and American coasts.

119. Dr. Gautieri, physician at
Angogna, in the Milanese, has pub-
lished a treatise on the animal ge-
latine as a cure for intermittents.
The National Institute have delegat-
ed a committee to inquire into the
effects of this new remedy, and they
found that the common glue of the
joiners cured intermittents. A great
many Italian physicians have tried
this remedy, and found it safe
and effectual. They tried it in the
febris tertiana duplicata, some
also in the quartan, which had not
yielded to bark, &c, likewise in
the quotidian remittents. Several
patients were restored even by the
simple jelly of beef. They observed
that the sthenical intemitients cured
by the glue went over into a febris
continua, and even in asthenical
ones; but this continuity lasted at
most only one or two days. The

glue is to be given a short time be-
fore the paroxysm. Its principal
effect consists in taking away the
atony of the stomach and the skin.
When that is done, it is advisable to
give some doses at several other
hours of the day. It ought not to be
diluted too much with water. When
the solution, made from eleven or
twelve drachms of glue in two oun-
ces of water, coagulates and thick-
ens again, it may easily be made
potable, by putting the glass on hot
ashes*. Others gave the doses
every quarter, or every half hour,
with equally good effect. The pa-
tient should not drink much after
having taken the medicine, and
especially no acid beverage. Two
or three hours after he may drink
or eat. The glue operates at the
same time as a sudorific. The pa-
tient ought to remain two days in
bed after the fever has ceased, and
to avoid the air (especially if it be
cold and moist) for four or five days.
At Berlin these cures have been
reiterated in the Charité, and found
of indubitable effect.

120. De Sacco, at Milan, has
made experiments, which prove
that the lymph of the malanders, or
rather the grease of horses (Italian,
giardoni, German, mauke, French,
eaux aux jambes), has the same
effect, when inoculated, as the vac-
cine virus. These experiments
have been repeated several times at
Berlin, by Dr. and counsellor Bre-
mer, who got re-produced lymph
from Vienna. He transplanted the
lymph by four generations, and it
remained effective. All necessary
means have been employed to ascer-
tain that true cow-pock was
produced. Every child inoculated
with this matter was re-inoculated
with the natural small-pox, but did
not take it.

121. Many foreign physicians, on
receiving the various discussions in
* Gluten, prepared in a Papinian
digestor, from fresh bones, beef, &c,
would produce the same effect, be
equally cheap, and without the nau-
seous taste of the joiner's glue.

―71―

America, respecting the yellow
fever, consider the following facts,
in its history, as all that have been
fully and satisfactorily made out:

1st. That the yellow fever has ap-
peared only in such towns as are
populous*.

2d. That the disorder begins on
flat grounds near docks.

3d. That the upper and back
parts of the towns, not thickly
settled, are seldom affected.

4th. That the disorder begins af-
ter the hot weather commences,
and continues as long as the weather
remains hot.

5th. That the disease is more
mortal in dry seasons accompanied
with heat.

6th. That in wet, cool summers
the disease has scarcely apppeared.

7th. That after a long drought
and great heat, and when the disease
had become more general and more
mortal than usual, a considerable rain
(and the air temperate), or a frost,
restores health.

8th. That there is no instance
where a patient labouring under the
disease and carried into the country
communicated infection.

9th. That a person in perfect
health going from the country into
the parts of a town afflicted with
the disease, may contract the com-
plaint, and feel its effects, immedi-
ately, or after he has returned to
the country, though he has not seen
a person in the fever.

122. The number of capital pic-
tures now in England evades all
calculation; to enter into the causes
that have contributed to this is not
necessary, but it has long been a sub-
ject of regret, both to foreigners and
natives who are fond of the fine arts,
that these pictures, have been so
generally scattered over the face of
the island, at the different mansions
of our nobility, or dispersed through
the metropolis, in many cases, in
small collections, that they were not
more easily accessible. The latter
of these evils, the generous conduct

* That is, as we suppose to be meant,
thickly or closely built.


of the gentlemen who began the
plan of the British Institution in
Pall-Mall, for exhibiting old pic-
tures, &c, promises to remove; and
the noble, and we must add patrio-
tic example of the marquis of Staf-
ford, is an admirable beginning for
the removal of the other. We have
been told, and hope it is well found-
ed, that lord Grosvenor intends to
add a gallery, similar to that of the
marquis, to the mansion his lord-
ship purchased from the duke of
Gloucester. To this he will remove
the collection which was in the pos-
session of the late earl, the pic-
tures which were at his own house
in Westminster, before he attained
his present title, and, above all, the
very admirable and valuable collec-
tion which he lately purchased from
Mr. W. E. Agar, of which, when
we have room, we mean to give
some account.

123. A grand suite of apartments,
upon a magnificent scale, has been
recently erected in Argyle-street,
London, for the laudable purpose of
rendering the amusements of the
rich and great conducive to the in-
terest of the fine arts, and the pro-
fessors of science and taste. At
these rooms, an assembly of persons
of rank and distinction is to be form-
ed, for a certain number of nights
in the season, with performers cal-
culated to gratify a tasteful audience.
A set of apartments, fitted up for
the harmonic dinners of their royal
highnesses the prince of Wales and
the duke of Cambridge, are to be
opened, daily, for the use of a Belles
Lettres Society, which is about to
be established at this place, compo-
sed of gentlemen who patronize the
fine arts. In other sets of rooms,
all the daily papers, magazines, and
interesting publications,will be found,
for the use of the ladies and gentle-
men, subscribers to the institution.
This plan, though adopted at all the
principal places on the continent, is
entirely new to this metropolis, and
is somewhat similar to the subscrip-
tion-rooms at the watering-places;
except, indeed, that in the present
establishment; the most scrupulous

―72―

care will be adopted to preserve a
very select company, and such ar-
tists as are desirous of exposing to
critical examination superior works
of skill, on application to the com-
mittee, will have their wishes gra-
tified, as genius and talent, of every
description, will here find encou-
ragement and support. This esta-
blishment will differ essentially from
any other in London, and embraces
a greater variety of objects of pub-
lic utility and amusement. Great
judgment has been displayed in the
arrangement of the building; the
ceilings and walls of which are em-
blematically painted and decorated,
in a very superior manner. A
handsome orchestra, which occupies
one end of the large room, is so con-
trived, as to be convertible, in two
hours, into an elegant little stage,
sufficiently capacious for all the
purposes of private theatricals. At
the other end, boxes are constructed
for the use of his royal highness the
prince of Wales, their royal high-
nesses the dukes of York, Sussex,
and Cambridge, who are subscrib-
ers and patrons to the subscription
parties. This institution, which
promises to unite refinement with
amusement, and utility with taste,
is already supported by a numerous
list of the first rank and character
in the kingdom.

124. Mr. Everard Home lately
laid before the Royal Society of Lon-
don, observations on the camel's sto-
mach respecting the water it con-
tains, and the reservoirs in which
hat fluid is enclosed.

The camel, the subject of these
observations, was a female brought
from Arabia; it was 28 years old,
and said to have been 20 years in
England. The animal was worn
out, and in a state of great debility,
before it came into the hands of the
college of surgeons, and they put an
end to its miseries by means of a
narrow double-edged poniard passed
in between the skull and first verte-
bra; of the neck: in this way the
medulla oblongata was divided, and
the animal instantaneously deprived
of sensibility.

In the common mode of pithing
an animal, the medulla spinalis only
is cut through, and the head re-
mains alive, which renders it the
most cruel mode of killing an animal
that could be invented.

The stomachs of this animal were
the first things examined, and, on
measuring the capacities of these
different reservoirs in the dead body,
the anterior cells of the first stomach
were found capable of containing
one quart of water, when poured in-
to them. The posterior cells, three
quarts. One of the largest cells
held two ounces and a half, and the
second stomach four quarts. This
is much short of what those cavities
can contain in the living animal,
since there are large muscles cover-
ing the bottom of the cellular struc-
ture, to force out the water which
must have been contracted imme-
diately after death, and by that
means had diminished the cavities.
The camel, when it drinks, conducts
the water in a pure state into the
second stomach; part of it is re-
tained there, and the rest runs over
into the cellular structure of the
first, acquiring a yellow colour.
That the second stomach in the camel
contained water, had been general-
ly asserted; but by what means the
water was kept separate from the
food had never been explained, nor
had any other part been discovered
by which the common offices of a
second stomach could be performed.
To this Mr. Hunter did not give
credit, but considered the second
stomach of the camel to correspond
in its use with that of other rumi-
nants. This difference of opinion
led Mr. Home to examine accurate-
ly the camel's stomach, and also the
stomachs of those ruminants which
have horns, in order to determine
the peculiar offices belonging to
their different cavities.

The best mode of conducting this
enquiry is to describe the different
stomachs of the bullock, and then
those of the camel, and afterwards
to point out the peculiarities by
which this animal is enabled to go a
longer time without drink than others

―73―

and thereby fitted to live in those
sandy deserts of which it is the na-
tural inhabitant.

When the first stomach of the
bullock is laid open, and the solid
contents removed, the cavity ap-
pears to be made up of two large
compartments, separated from each
other by two transverse bands of
considerable thickness, and the se-
cond stomach forms a pouch or les-
ser compartment, on the anterior
part of it, somewhat to the right of
the oesophagus, so that the first and
second stomach are both included
in one general cavity, and lined
with a cuticle. The oesophagus ap-
pears to open into the first stomach,
but on each side of its termination
there is a muscular ridge, projecting
from the coats of the first stomach,
so as to form a channel into the se-
cond. These muscular bands are
continued on to the orifice of the
third stomach, in which they are
lost. The food can readily pass
from the oesophagus, either into the
general cavity of the first stomach
or into the second, which last is pe-
culiarly fitted by its situation, and
the muscular power of its coats, both
to throw up its contents into the
mouth, and to receive a supply from
the general cavity of the first sto-
mach, at the will of the animal. The
second stomach contains the same
food as the first, only more moist;
it must therefore be considered as a
shelf from which the food may be
regurgitated along the canal, con-
tinued from the oesophagus. There
is indeed no other mode by which
this can be effected, since it is hard-
ly possible for the animal to sepa-
rate small portions from the surface
of the mass of dry food in the first
stomach, and force it up into the
mouth. It is also ascertained that
water is received into the second
stomach while the animal is drink-
ing, and is thus enabled to have its
contents always in a proper state of
moisture to admit of its being rea-
dily thrown up into the mouth for
rumination, which seems to be the
true office of this stomach, and not

to receive the food after that pro-
cess has been gone through.

When the food is swallowed the
second time, the orifice of the third
stomach is brought forward by the
muscular bands which terminate in,
it, so as to oppose the end of the
oesophagus, and receive the morsel
without the smallest risk of its drop-
ping into the second stomach. The
third stomach of the bullock is a ca-
vity, in the form of a crescent, con-
taining 24 septa, 7 inches broad;
about 23, 4 inches broad; and about
48 of 1° inch at their broadest part.
These are thus arranged: one
broad one, with one of the narrow-
est next it; then a narrow one, with
one of the narrowest next it; then a
broad one and so on. The septa
are thin membranes, and have their
origin in the orifice leading from
the oesophagus, so that whatever
passes into the cavity must fall be-
tween these septa, and describe
three-fourths of a circle, before it
can arrive at the orifice leading to
the true stomach, which is so near
the other, that the distance between
them does not exceed three inches:
and therefore the direct line from
the termination of the oesophagus
to the orifice of the fourth stomach
is only of that length. While the
young calf is fed on milk, that liquor,
which does not require to be rumi-
nated, is conveyed directly to the
fourth stomach, not passing through
the plicae of the third; and after-
wards the solid food is directed into
that cavity, by the plicae separated
from each other. The third sto-
mach opens into the fourth by a
projecting valvular orifice, and the
cuticular lining terminates exactly
on the edge of this valve, covering
only that half of it which belongs to
the third. The fourth or true di-
gesting stomach is about 2 feet 9
inches long; its internal membrane
has 18 plicae, beginning at its orifice,
and continued down, increasing to a
great degree its internal surface:
beyond these the internal membrane
is thrown into rugæ which follow a
very serpentine direction, and close

―74―

to the pylorus there is a glandular
projection, one end of which is op-
posed to the orifice, and closes it up,
when in a collapsed state.

The camel's stomach anteriorly
forms one large bag, but when laid
open is forced to be divided into two
compartments on its posterior part,
by a strong ridge which passes down
from the right side of the orifice of
the oesophagus in a longitudinal di-
rection. On the left side of the ter-
mination of the oesophagus, a broad
muscular band has its origin, from
the coats of the first stomach, and
passes down in the form of a solid
parallel to the great ridge, till it
enters the orifice of the second sto-
mach. This band on one side, and
the great ridge on the other, form a
canal, which leads from the oesopha-
gus down to the cellular structure in
the lower part of the first stomach.
The orifice of the. second stomach,
when this muscle is not in action, is
nearly shut, and at right angles to
the side of the first. Its cavity is a
pendulous bag with rows of cells,
above which, between them and the
muscle which passes along the up-
per part of the stomach, is a smooth
surface extending from the orifice
this stomach to the termination of
the third. Hence it is evident that
the second stomach neither receives
the solid feed in the first instance
as the bullock, nor does it after-
wards pass into its cavity or cellular
structure. The food first passes
into the general cavity of the first
stomach, and that portion of it
which lies in the recess immediately
below the entrance of the oesophagus
under which the cells are situated,
is kept moist, and is readily return-
ed into the mouth, so that the cel-
lular portion of the first stomach in
the camel performs the same office
as the second in the ruminants with
horns. While the camel is drinking,
the action of the muscular band
opens the orifice of the second sto-
mach, at the same time that it di-
rects the water into it; and when
the cells of that cavity are full, the
test runs off into the cellular struc-
ture of the first stomach immediate-

ly below, and afterwards into the
general cavity: it seems that ca-
mels, when accustomed to go long
journeys, in which they are kept
without water, acquire the power of
dilating the cells, so as to make
make them contain a more than
ordinary quantity as a supply for
their journey. When the cud has
been chewed, it has to pass along
the upper part of the second stomach
before it can reach the third; which
is thus managed: at the time that
the cud is to pass from the mouth,
the muscular band contracts with
so much force, that it not only opens
the orifice of the second stomach,
but acting on the mouth of the third,
brings it forwards into the second,
by which means the muscular ridg-
es that separate the rows of cells
are brought close together, so as to
exclude these cavities from the ca-
nal, through which the end passes.
It is this beautiful and very curious
mechanism which forms the pecu-
liar character of the stomach of the
camel, dromedary, and lama, fitting
them to live in the sandy deserts,
where the supplies of water are so
precarious.

In the bullock are three stomachs
for the preparation of food, and one
for digestion. In the camel there
is one stomach fitted to answer the
purposes of two of the bullock; a
second is employed as a reservoir
for water, having nothing to do with
the preparation of the food; a third
is so small and simple in its struc-
ture, that it is not easy to ascertain
its particular office.

The following are the gradations
of animals with ruminating sto-
machs: the ruminants with horns,
as the ox, sheep, &c, have two
preparatory stomachs for food pre-
viously to rumination, and one for
the food after rumination before it
is digested. The ruminants without
horns, as the camel, dromedary, &c.,
have one preparatory stomach be-
fore rumination, and one in which
the cud can be afterwards retained
before it goes into the digesting sto-
mach. Those animals who eat the
same kind of food with the rumi-

―75―

nants, and yet do not ruminate, as
the horse and ass, have only one
stomach, but part of it is lined with
a cuticle, in which the food is first
deposited, and by remaining there
some time is rendered more diges-
tible, when received into the digest-
ing portion.

The ruminants with horns have
molares in both jaws, and incisores
only in the lower jaw. The rumi-
nants without horns, have, in addi-
tion to these, what may be called
fighting-teeth, or a substitute for
horns. These are tusks in both
jaws, intermediate teeth between
the molares and tusks, and in the
upper jaw two small teeth anterior
to the tusks; none of which can be
of any use in eating. The camelo-
pardis forms an intermediate link
in these respects. It has short
horns, and no tusks.

125. A sect bus lately been dis-
covered in Silesia, which, though-
they have existed upwards of a cen-
tury, have not attracted the public
attention till lately. This conceal-
ment has been chiefly occasioned by
their peculiar and fundamental max-
ims, which enjoin them to conform
outwardly to the rites and ceremo-
nies of other sects, when required
to do so by considerations of personal
ease and safety; to abstain from at-
tempting to make any converts
from the followers of a different
faith, and to communicate their te-
nets only in the way of education,
to their own children, or to infants
consigned by poverty or death of
natural protectors to their care. In
their modes of worship they inter-
pret strictly that injunction in scrip-
ture, When you pray, go into your
closets, and pray in secret, &c.
Worship, according to them, is ac-
ceptable, when offered in sincerity,
by whomsoever and in whatsoever
manner offered, but the precept of
Christ, rightly understood, enjoins
solitary and secret prayer. Accor-
dingly, they abjure all assemblies
and churches for religious worship.

Their forms of devotion are a set of
hymns in Latin, composed by their
founder, in which the topics men-
tioned in the Lord's prayer are
strictly adhered to; but these hymns
are regarded by them as convenient,
but not obligatory, and they hold
themselves at liberty to follow any
other mode, or merely to muse in
silence, provided the topics of their
meditation are those included in the
Lord's prayer, and provided it be
done in secret. This method in-
cluding their whole practical reli-
gion, they, of course, reject all festi-
vals, solemn days, consecrated places,
and all rites, including baptism and
the eucharist. The latter they con-
sider themselves as celebrating
whenever they eat and drink with
recollections of Christ, this being,
according to them, the true mean-
ing of the command, Do this in re-
membrance of me. In their dress,
language, manners, and social con-
duct, they conform to the prevailing
customs of their country. Their
system enjoins no forms of burial,
marriage, &c. peculiar to them
selves. These are points indifferent
in themselves, and duty prescribes
to conform to custom, because it
in the custom, and because a de-
parture from it would only occasion
trouble and suspicion. In their mo-
ral and social conduct they are ge-
nerally distinguished by good sense,
industry, and benevolence. Their
belief on doctrinal prints, such as
the nature of Christ, and the state
of souls after death, is not well un-
derstood, but they represent these
points as disconnected with any
practical consequences: as mere
questions in history and metaphy-
sics, about which a man is concern-
ed to enquire for the sake of truth,
but not for the sake of any mode of
external conduct to be engrafted on
it. Good behaviour in private life,
and a sincere belief, whatever its
objects be, they deem sufficient to
insure the approbation of the Deity.