a manner most applicable to practical purposes? 10. When a house is to be erected upon a bed of clay, what is the best method of building the same, so that all parts of the wall above the level of the ground shall be free from damp; and what are the best means of preventing the damp rising in the walls of houses after they are built upon a bed of clay? 11. What is the comparative cost of conveyance by means of the common turnpike roads in proportion to the different rates of motion? 12. What is the greatest time that what has been called Parker's Roman Cement has been known to occupy in setting, and yet ultimately to become hard? 13. Is the metal used in the celebrated French draw plates simply a softened steel, or is it an alloy of iron with other metals? 14. What are the advantages and disadvantages of iron boats on canals compared with the wooden boats in ordinary use? 15. What have been the rates of motion in proportion to the different loads on board steam-boats? 16. What effect has the atmosphere upon the making of iron from the ore into what is called pig iron, and why is that made in winter superior to that made in summer? 17. What may be considered as the average power of a horse in this kingdom, expressed in the following terms: The force employed in lbs. weight; the rate of motion; the distance per day, reckoning six days per week, throughout the year? 18. What is the comparative cost of conveyance by the various animal powers usually employed? 19. What are the relative advantages in the employment of high pressure or low pressure steam, or which will produce the greatest effect with a given quantity of coals? The Institution has received the following original communications:-1. A paper on the Principles of Tension, and the Resistance of Bodies to be torn asunder in the Direction of their Length. By Mr. Tredgold. 2. A paper showing the comparative Resistance between Vessels moving on Canals and Carriages on Rail-ways. By Mr. H. R. Palmer. 3. A Description of a new measuring Chain, with Sketches of the same, and a Model of one. By Mr. John Easton. 4. A paper on Coal and Coke, showing the Result of a year's working, both from Ovens and Retorts, at Ipswich. By Mr. William Cubitt. An Account of the Eruption of Water and Bog from Craw Hill, between Keighley and Colne, which occurred on the 2d of September, 1824. By Mr. Josiah Parkes. 6. A paper on the stability of Floating Bodies. By Mr. George Bidder. 7. A paper on the Stability of Floating Bodies, with a Table of Calculations, and

5.

a second Table, with a Description of the same. By Mr. A. G. Carlsund, of Carlscrona.

Arctic Overland Expedition.-Letters have reached this country from Captain Franklin, from the Great Bear Lake. During the summer, it is stated, three several expeditions, under the captain himself, Lieut. Back, and Dr. Richardson, had been out, preparatory to the main attempt in the ensuing year. Capt. F. has penetrated to the mouth of the Mackenzie River, which he found to discharge itself into an open sea. Here was a single island (now named Garry Island), and of considerable altitude, from the summit of which the sea to the northward appeared quite clear of ice. To the westward, the coast was visible to a great distance, and the view terminated with a range of very high mountains, calculated to lie in about 139° W. longitude. The Expedition was in high health and spirits, well supplied, and looking forward with confidence to the approaching campaign. Dr. R. had travelled all round the lake. The following is a letter from Captain Franklin, dated 7th Sept. 1825, lat. 65. 11 N., Long. 123.33 W. "My dear Sir, -I do most heartily congratulate you on the prospect we had from Garry's Island, of a perfectly open sea without a particle of ice, as it is another step gained in confirmation of your much-contested hypothesis. We saw nothing to stop the ships, but, on the contrary, every thing arcund us strengthened my hope of their effecting the passage. The Indians, indeed, have a report, that between the Mackenzie and Copper-Mine Rivers there is a point that stretches far to the northward, which is generally surrounded with ice. If this be true, the ships may perhaps be checked in their progress for a time, but I think they will not be altogether stopped, providing they have been enabled to get at the main shore to the eastward from Regent's Inlet. No Indian, however, with whom I have spoken on my recent visit to the sea, can speak of this point, or of the obstruction, from his own observation; and the report seems, like many others current among them, to have passed from generation to generation, which at the first had but little ground to stand upon. The Indians, in fact, know nothing of the coast, the knowledge of the sea-shore be ing entirely confined to the Esquimaux, with whom we have not as yet had any communication. They are employed dur ing the summer in catching whales, and in other marine pursuits, to the eastward of the Mackenzie, to which, I believe, they return in the winter. Their neighbours, the Quarrellers of Mackenzie, or

the Lancheose of the traders, resemble them very much in appearance, dress, and manner, and many of the Esquimaux words, which Augustus understood, were in use among them; but, as it is too often the case with the neighbouring tribes of these aborigines, they are almost always at war with each other. Fortunately for us, however, terms of peace were settled last summer between them and the Esquimaux, which we shall, of course, endeavour to strengthen, if we meet them together. The Quarrellers were quite delighted at seeing Augustus with us, and assured us there would be now no fear of the Esquimaux receiving us in a hostile manner, as they had already been apprized by them of our intention to visit their lands; and the reason for our doing so could be more fully explained by him than they could do. We saw many moose and rein-deer, and large flocks of geese and swans at the mouth of the river, which, no doubt, are to be found on its low shores during the whole of the warm season; and probably the animals retire to the woods in the winter, which are not far distant from the coast. The long track of alluvial ground which is passed in the descent of the Mackenzie is well covered with pines, even as high as 68 north, which would afford good shelter for any animals. The Rocky Mountain range is seen through nearly the whole course of the river after passing the south branch of Mackenzie, at no great distance from its banks, running in about W.N.W. true direction; but they do not appear so high as I had been led to expect till you reach the sea, and then they attain an immense elevation, and seem to form the sea-coast to the westward. We shall probably pass very near them next summer, and be able to give some account of them. If a judgment might be formed from a very distant view of two or three of the highest peaks, from their shape and appearance, I should suppose these to be volcanic. On Garry's Island we found plenty of coal and bitumen, embodied in the black earth of which it is composed; but I find Dr. Richardson has given you a cursory outline of the geology of the river and this lake; my imperfect information on this point may therefore be spared. I can only assure you I have more than once wished the expedition could transport some of the fine limestone cliffs that bound the river to the vicinity of the Thames; we might then soon be enriched by contracting not only to supply the material for the new London Bridge, but also to satisfy the present rage for building, at a very cheap rate. We are now in the very bustle of finishing our own buildings, which, bow

ever, are not of stone, as you may suppose, but of wood. The house is situated close to the borders of the lake, for the convenience of the fishery, which is to be our main support, though we hope to catch a few rein-deer on their march to the south next month. My land friends, during my absence, have named the house Fort Franklin, which, at their solicitation, I have permitted to stand, or I intended to have given it the name of Reliance. I have discharged all the Candian voyageurs that Mr. Dease could spare, in order to reduce our establishment to as small a number as possible; we are now, therefore, nearly a British party. All the men have conducted themselves extremely well, and they quite enjoy the service. We must endeavour to keep them as merry and active as we can during the winter. I cannot sufficiently praise the officers, who have been constantly on the alert, and most zealous in the cause, as you will suppose from our having done what we have, and got seated here at such an early period, nearly a month before the Company's servants get to their winter quarters. We were just six months from leaving Liverpool to the Arctic Sea.

JOHN FRANKLIN."

Effect of the Sun's Light in diminishing Combustion. It has always been considered a vulgar error, that the sun's light extinguishes a fire, but the following experiments by Dr. M'Kever put the matter beyond a doubt. (See Ann. of Phil.x. 344.) 1. A green wax taper in sunshine lost 8 grains in five minutes. A white wax taper in a darkened room lost 44 grains in five minutes. 2. In bright sunshine a piece of wax taper seven inches long required to consume it 5' 0" In day light it required In a dark room

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Von Weber. From the statement of Weber's confidential friend who accompanied him to England, he has left no works of moment in manuscript, excepting one which has long been anxiously looked for in Germany. The title of this work was to have been "Künstlerleben" (Life of Artists), and one of its main objects was a narration of the principal incidents of his own life, interspersed with remarks on the great musical works and greatest composers of past and modern times, &c. Certain it is, that he has been long employed on this work, and that he was in the habit of keeping a regular jour

nal, which, it is supposed, chiefly related to it. He was one of those very few German musicians, who were as good authors as they were composers; and his frequent contributions, both to the Leipzig Musical Gazette, and subsequently to the establishment of the German Opera at Dresden, to the Abendzeitung (evening paper) of that capital, he was well trained and skilled for a production of the kind we have mentioned. It was first announced in 1820, in Brockhaus's well-known Encyclopædia; and as Weber furnished Brockhaus with materials for the sketch of his life, he must himself have given the first notice of it.

Extraordinary Case in Surgery.-A northern surgeon has taken up the external iliac artery of both sides in the same person, for aneurism. David Cumming, the patient, aged fifty-four, underwent the first operation last year on the eighth day of May, for an aneurism of the right femoral artery in the groin as large as the first. This instance succeeded, and a perfect cure was accomplished. Lately the second operation was performed for another aneurism in the same situation on the left side, nearly as large as the former, and the case went on favourably.

Telescopes.-Mr. Tully, of Islington, has constructed an Achromatic telescope, the largest and most perfect yet made in England. The object glass of the telescope is seven inches in diameter: the glass was manufactured at Neufchatel, in Switzerland, and cost about 30.; the grinding and adjusting of it by Mr. Tully are valued at 2001. viz. for the compound object-glass alone. The length of the telescope is twelve feet: it is mounted in a temporary wooden case, and is supported on a frame, moved by pulleys and a screw: it is easily adjusted, and is perfectly steady. The magnifying powers range from 200 to 780 times; but the great excellence of the telescope consists more in the superior distinctness and brilliancy with which objects are seen through it, than in its magnifying power. With a power of 240 the light of Jupiter is almost more than the eye can bear, and his satellites appear as bright as Sirius, but with a clear and steady light; and all the belts and spots upon the face of the planet are most distinctly defined. With a power of near 400, Saturn appears large and well defined, and is one of the most beautiful objects that can well be conceived. The great advantage which this telescope possesses over reflecting telescopes of equal size is the greater degree of light, by which the most delicate objects in the heavens are rendered distinct and brilliant. England had the honour of discovering the princi

ple of the Achromatic telescope; but our artists have ever had great difficulty in obtaining suitable glass for the purpose: and the Excise laws have hitherto pre vented proper experiments being made at our glass-houses. An establishment has been recently formed in Surry for the manufacture of glass for Achromatic telescopes, under the superintendence of men of science, and with permission to make experiments without the interference of the Excise.

Tompion, the Mechanist.-A discovery has lately been made of the chef-d'œuvre of the celebrated Tompion, which has been so long lost. It was made for "The Society for Philosophical Transactions," and is a year-going clock. Tompion was at work on this clock when the great plague broke out in London; and on the day he finished it, he himself was attacked with the pestilence, of which he died. Tompion was paid one hundred guineas, and the clock was removed to the Society's house, and there, in the confusion of the moment, it was placed in a lumberroom, where it lay, without a case, exactly a century and a half.

The

The African Travellers.-Some further interesting, but melancholy intelligence, has been received from the African tra vellers. Capt. Clapperton having obtained permission from the King of Hio to pass through his dominions, had crossed the mountains of Kong, said to be 2500 feet above the level of the sea, and above half way to the capital of Yariba; and in a few days from the 10th of January (the date of his letter) would have accomplished, what has been the object of other nations, the traversing from East to West of the great African Continent. countries passed through were exceedingly beautiful, the mountains most romantic, and the people kind, well-dressed in cap, shirt, and trowsers, and in possession of numerous horses. Captain Clapperton had suffered from fever, but had recovered; the fever, however, had carried off several of the White servants. Dr. Morrison and Captain Pearce were both attacked with fever, and both died. Dr. Dickson had reached Dahomey on the 16th of December, where he was received by the King and his Cabocers with great respect. He set out again on the 31st of the same month, accompanied by fifty armed men and a hundred bearers. The King had appointed a relation of his own as a guide. Mr. Houston writes, that he intended to see Capt. Clapperton, who was then quite well and as hard as a Fellatoh, across the Niger, when he (Mr. Houston) intended to return with all haste.

Botany. Botanists compute that at

Spitzbergen, which lies near the 20th degree of northern latitude, there are only about 30 species of plants; in Lapland, which lies in the 70th degree, about 534; in Iceland, in the 65th degree, about 553; in Sweden, which reaches from the southern parts of Lapland to the 55th degree, 1300; in Brandenburgh, between the 52d and 54th deg. 2000; in Piedmont, between the 43d and 46th degree, 2800; nearly 4000 in Jamaica, which is between the 17th and 19th degree; in Madagascar, situated between the 13th and 14th degree, under the Tropic of Capricorn, more than 5000.

Gems of Scotland.-Mr. Nicol, during a tour through the Hebrides last summer, visited the lone and rugged district of Harris, (the geology of which, in common with the whole of the dreary island range,

FRANCE.

named Long Island, is almost wholly unknown,) and in the island of Scalpay, situate on the east coast of Harris, he met with some crystals of one of the rare gems called Zircon. They were imbedded in a mass of chlorite, subordinate to gneis, and in some parts of the rock were very numerous. The crystals were brown, inclining more or less to red; the surface smooth and shining. They were small, not exceeding the size of the head of a small pin. The largest he detached was one-fifth of an inch in length. It appears that the following gems have already been enumerated as natives of Scotland, viz.: Precious Beryl, Schorlite, Cinnamon stone, Zircon, Topaz, Garnet, and Amethyst. Of these gems the most rare are the Schorlite and Zircon.

Academy of Sciences.-The Academy of Sciences held a public sitting last month, when the annual prizes, founded by the late benevolent M. Montyon, were to be distributed. Unfortunately, none of the memoires presented warranted the judges in crowning their authors with the bays: several possessed considerable merit, and these the Academy have rewarded by presents of various sums, to encourage them in ulterior researches. The Prize of Physiology is destined for the best work, printed or manuscript, which shall have the most contributed to the progress of experimental physiology. The Academy decided that the prize could not be bestowed this year, but granted to Dr. Brachet, of Lyons, the sum of 820 francs, as an encouragement for his "Recherches Experimentales sur les Fonctions du Systême Nerveux Ganglionnaire." Another memoir, sent from Italy by M. Lippi, merited the attention of the Academy; but as the facts announced could not be verified, judgment on it was deferred, and M. Lippi is permitted to remain as a candidate for next year.—“ Prize for Improvements in the Art of Healing."-A great number of candidates started for this prize; but as none of them had detailed the cases of failure with the same care as those of success, and as several of the memoirs possessed considerable merit, the Academy resolved on devoting 16,000 francs of the sum destined for the prize, as rewards to various persons."Prize in Favour of the Person who shall have discovered the means of rendering an Art or Trade less insalubrious."-The Academy not being informed of any imJuly-VOL. XVIII. NO. XLVII.

portant improvements on this subject during the year, the prize was deferred.— "Prize of Astronomy," founded by M. Delalande.-This annual medal is bestowed on the person who shall have, in the preceding year, made the most int esting astronomical discoveries or observations. The prize was bestowed on our able countryman, Captain Sabine, for his work, entitled "An Account of Experiments to determine the Figure of the Earth by Means of the Pendulum vibrating Seconds in different Latitudes.”—At this sitting, M. Cuvier read an elegant biographical notice of the late M. Lacépède. Baron Fourier read one on the late celebrated watchmaker, Bréguet; and M. Dupin another, on hearing, as a medium of measure in several arts.

The Louvre. The Museum of Antiques at the Louvre is henceforth to form two divisions. The first to comprise the Greek and Roman monuments, and those of the Middle Ages, of which the Count de Clarac is to be the keeper. The second division embraces the Egyptian and oriental monuments of all kinds, and M. Champollion the younger, is appointed keeper, who is ordered to deliver a course of public gratuitous lectures on the writing and the antiquities of the Egyptians, in presence of the monuments themselves. These enlightened views promise a rich harvest in the long-lost domain of Egyptian literature; and too much praise caunot be given to the Duke de Doudeauville and the Viscount de Rochefoucauld, in their quality of director of the household and director of the fine arts, for having exercised their influence in so beneficial a manner for the interests of learning. The 2 P

collection of Egyptian monuments purchased for the museum by his Majesty's command at Leghorn, is said to be exceedingly important, and will, it is expected, fill some of the lacune of Egyptian history.

Asiatic Society of Paris.-The following persons were recently admitted members. Messrs. Biart; A. H. Brué, geographer; Gros, professor at the Royal College of St. Louis; Pacho, a traveller, late from Cyrenaïs, P. Wynch, in the service of the English East India Company. M. de Hammer communicated to the Council certain fragments relative to Masondi, and the origin of the Thousand and One Nights.-M. Klaproth communicated the contents of a work, which he proposes to publish, on the ancient Turkish dialect, called Coman.-M. Jonannin, of Constantinople, transmitted to the Council a memoir of M. Ruffin, for insertion in the Journa! Asiatique; also the design of an ancient monument, found in a valley near Nicomedia-M. Cæsar Moreau transmitted from London some tables relating to the commerce of the East India Company, also a donation of a Chinese celestial planisphere, of which M. Abel Rémusat will give an account at the ensuing meeting. Some passages were communicated of a letter from Count Rzewouski, of Warsaw, relative to the labours of M. Majewski on the Sanscrit language, and announcing the transmission of a work by the latter.-A passage of a letter from M. L. Van Alstin, of Ghent, to Messrs. Dondey and Dupré was communicated, offering the means of making scientific researches into different parts of Asia.-The President then delivered a Report of the Presentation made to the King on the 31st January, of the first six volumes of the Journal Asiatique. Literary Property in France.-After no fewer than eighteen sittings, of four or five hours each, attended by some of the most distinguished literary characters in Paris, the commission appointed by Charles X. for drawing up the projet of a law for the security of property in literature and the fine arts, has prepared one, consisting of sixteen articles, which seems calculated to be generally satisfactory. It was originally proposed, by several persons, that the property in question should be perpetuated in the families of those by whose talents it had been created; but on mature consideration, it became evident that such a plan would be incompatible, not only with the interests of society, and the propagation of intelligence, but with the fundamental principles of French legislation. It has been determined, therefore, solely to pro

pose, that the right in this property, limited in the first instance to ten, and afterwards to twenty, years after the death of the author, shall be extended to a term of years sufficient to constitute a kind of patrimony for his family. The families of artists and of composers will enjoy the same advantage.

The Magnetic Needle.-It has been said that the magnetic needle experienced no diurnal variation in Russia. The probability was, that such an extraordinary and inexplicable exception from the general rule, was attributable solely to the imperfection of the instruments made use of by the Russian observers; and this conjecture has been proved to be wellfounded by M. Kupffer, a French traveller, who states in a letter to M. Arago, of the Academy of Sciences, that, having taken care to provide himself at Paris with perfect instruments, he found, on his arrival at Kasan, on the borders of Europe and Asia, that the diurnal variation was not less than at Paris; the sole difference being that the declination of the needle was to the east, instead of to the west. M. Kupffer thinks he has also remarked that the magnetic intensity of the earth varies according to the hour of the day, and the season of the year. It appears, by M. Kupffer's observations, that on the 13th November, 1825, the magnetic needle exhibited, at Kasan, a very sensible and unusual variation. On the same day, and at the same hour, exactly the same phenomenon was observed at Paris; and it has been ascertained, that precisely at the same time, a vivid aurora borealis was visible in the north of Scotland. It is a remarkable fact, that although the aurora borealis is now rarely seen at Paris, the magnetic needle is no less sensibly affected by all the phenomena of that kind which appear in the polar regions.

The Société Royale des Bonnes Lettres had offered, this year, a premium, as a gold medal, worth 1500 francs, for the best Eulogy on the Duc d'Enghien; but none sufficiently good being offered, it has deferred the award till 1827.

M. Dessalines d'Orbigny, a young French naturalist of considerable acquirements, has been sent to Chili and Peru, to explore these vast regions of South America, and collect novelties in the three dominions of natural history, to enrich the museums of his native country.

The Stone.-M. Thibault (de l'Orne), young medical professor of great distinction in France, has just presented to the Academy of Surgery in Paris, a paper in which he describes a new method of dissolving the stone in the bladder. Few in