SINCE our Review of Curran's Letters to the Rev. H. Weston was printed, we have seen the Life of Curran by his Son (published by Messrs Constable and Co.), a most interesting book, of which we shall give some account in our next Number. We have many apologies to offer to the author of the article on Dr Clarke's last volume, containing the Narrative of his Tour in Lapland, &c. for having delayed its insertion once more. It shall certainly appear in our next. The same gentleman's Critique on Mitford's fifth volume, and the History of Alexander the Great, is already in types, and will probably appear at the same time. Polito soon. We are desired by our friend who wrote the Review of Bainbridge's complete Angler in this Number, to say, that he recommends most strenuously, to his angling friends, a work on the same subject, by Mr Carrol, published by Constable. In his note to us, he quotes the following lines from Sir Stephen Stanihurst: "Melodious and compacted strains, In this our lonely northern dell; And shame, I say, on him would quarrel, With our own simple mountain carol. Love's Divertisement, or a Long Line to a Deep Pool, Canto III.” We received, some months ago, a very pretty poem, entitled the Troutiad, and addressed to Mr Douglas, one of the Sub-Librarians in the Advocate's Library. We are sorry that this poem had fallen out of the way, as it might have been advantageously introduced as a sequel to the article with which we have baited the tip of our own hook for this month; but shall certainly insert it before the present season be over. Why, by the way, was Mr Douglas omitted by our learned friend, in his enumeration of the famous fly-buskers of Auld Reekie. The article on Lewellyn has also fallen out of sight; but indeed we are afraid the time for inserting it has rather gone by. The reviewer must excuse us for once. As for the novel, although there is not much display of character in it, it abounds in ingenious incident, and must give much amusement to all those who are fond of marble covered literature it is far above the common run. Can any human credulity believe that we are serious in thinking meanly of the SUPPLEMENT? Not at all-quite the reverse. We only think Mr Napier no great shakes of an editor. We patronize the work itself, and wish it every success. It is quite against the rule to review periodical publications; (by the way, why is Mr Waugh's Review so hard upon poor Colburn, about the innocent little quackery of the Vampire ?) and therefore cannot think of inserting the review of Encyclopædia Edinensis, published by Peter Hill and Co. The license of a notice page may, however, allow us to say, that this is a very well executed work, and may perhaps, in the end, prove a very formidable rival to most of its more bulky predecessors and contemporaries. We patronize this also, and approve very much of the editor, Dr Millar, who is a man of sound sense, and sound information, and no pretension. "The Devil on Two Sticks on the top of the Ram's-horn," is received. Our Glasgow friends may depend upon this before the Autumn Circuit. "Et tu Brute," (unless you mend your manners) very soon. LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. Brsted's Chemical Philosophy.-IN the year 1812, Ersted, a celebrated chemical philosopher, published at Berlin, a work entitled, Ansicht der Chemischen Naturgesetze." Shortly after its publication we had an opportunity of reading it, and were struck with the beauty and originality of the general views it disclosed. We mentioned the delight we had experienced in the study of this beautiful work to one of our countrymen, who justly ranks amongst the most distinguished chemists in Europe, but found he had been prejudiced against it by erroneous representations in foreign journals. It is, therefore, with infinite satisfaction that we find it is now brought before the British public by Dr Thomson in a manner worthy its high merits. In the last num ber of the Annals of Philosophy, there is a luminous and most interesting view of Ersted's work, but we regret the editor has not given the whole sketch in the same number. We trust that ere long it will appear in an English dress, not from the pen of a common translator, but under the eye, or from the hand, of Dr Thomson himself. We are convinced that Ersted's views will contribute, in a very eminent degree, to the advancement of chemical philosophy in Great Britain. And this, indeed, is an effect ardently to be wished for, as this very beautiful science is at present much disfigured by the dull and cloudy visions of heavy speculators, and the no less tiresome and unmeaning doings of the apparatus and per cent. hunters.* Murray on Dew, and the Temperature of the Sea. Mr Murray, the chemist, has published, in Dr Thomson's Annals of Philo sophy, the following observations on dew and on the temperature of the sea: On the 5th of last month, in crossing the Bochetta from Genoa to Turin, at half-past seven o'clock, A. M. with a still atmosphere and serene sky, I noted the following observation, which cannot, I think, be explained in any other way than upon the principles laid down by Dr Wells. The external atmosphere was 27° Fahr.; that within the coach 54°. The windows had been shut for a considerable time. The exterior surface of the glass was dry, the inner covered with a thin crust of ice, though exposed to this medium of 54° I lowered one of the side windows about half an inch; this had the effect of causing the ice to disappear very shortly. I explain the phenomenon in the following manner: The ex terior surface of the glass radiated caloric to the heavens more promptly than it received the warm impressions from within, in consequence of which, the respirable vapour condensed upon the inner surface passed into the state of ice. On admitting the external air, a current was established, and the ice dissolved, though it lowered the temperature considerably. The ball of the thermometer in contact with the ice within, still supported a temperature of 54°. I should add to these, that no ice formed on the surface of the front windows, and these were overshadowed by the covert of the cabriolet. Now Dr Wells has clearly proved that a cloudy sky, or the prevalence of winds, are circumstances unfavourable to the formation of dew; and that an agitated atmosphere not only prevents the deposition of dew and the formation of hoar frost, ice, &c. but dissolves them as soon as formed. Dr Davy's ingenious researches on the temperature of the sea will no doubt be appreciated by the navigator. By this account we are apprized of the approximation of shoals by a decrement of temperature. This may be the case in the ocean, but cireumstances concur, I am persuaded, to modify this law as applied to the approach to land. I kept an exact register of the temperature of the sea on my passage from the Mull of Galloway to Liverpool, and on my voyage from Leghorn to Civita Vecchia; and think I have clearly proved that there is an increase of temperature in the sea off the mouths of rivers. The mean of 14 observations made in St George's Channel is 52.8°. On approaching N.W. buoy, the temperature was 55°, and successively to 60° Fahr. as we approached the river Mersey: here we were among sand-banks. Again: the temperature of the Mediterranean continued nearly uniform at 70.3° Fahr. ; but off the river Ombrone, in Italy (even 10 miles at sea), the temperature rose to 71.5°. The experiments were made with care, and frequently repeated. Death of Hornemann.-Baron von Zach has published an account of the death of Frederick Hornemann, a native of Hildesheim, in Lower Saxony, who was sent by the African Association, in 1797, to explore the interior of Africa. Many of our readers will recollect the interesting papers published by the African Association from this enterprising traveller, and the sanguine hopes that were entertained that he would be able to penetrate to Timbuctoo. These hopes The apparatus and per cent. hunters very much resemble, in many things, those gay and innocent beings who roam about in search of plants, and whose ecstasies on the discovery of a weed on a particular dunghill, where it had not before been seen by any botanist, are only equalled by the delight of the chemist, on his inventing a new bend for a tube, or a novel shaped cork for a bottle. VOL. V. 2 G have been long extinct. The following is the account of his death, communicated to Baron von Zach by Captain W. H. Smith. Captain Smith, having sojourned for some time at the court of the Dey of Tripoli, formed an acquaintance with the Bey of Fez zan, a man of much good sense, who had lately arrived from Mourzook. Among other interesting communications respecting the interior of Africa, he informed Capt. Smith that about 16 years ago he had travelled with Hornemann and his companion. They wished to return from Tripoli to Fezzan with the design of making their way south as far as the Niger, and then to go along that river as far as Timbuctoo. But Hornemann was seized with a fever, in consequence of having drank stagnant water in too great abundance after a very fatiguing journey. He died soon after, and was buried at Aucalus. His companion continued his journey, but fell ill at Housca, where he stopped in the house of a Tripoli merchant. Attempting to proceed on his journey before being completely recovered, he had a relapse, and died at Timbuctoo. Captain Smith adds, that he was informed by the Pasha that all the effects of Hornemann, consisting in books, manuscripts, instruments, clothes, and several large scaled letters, had been sent by the Dey of Fezzan to Tripoli to be deposited with the British consul. There is a possibility, therefore, that the researches of this enterprising but unfortunate traveller may yet be recovered. (Jour. de Phys. lxxxvii. 474.) Wavellite. The most active and most acute of modern chemists, Berzelius, has just published the following analysis of the mineral named Wavellite. Alumina, 35.35 2.06 99-46 Euclase-Berzelius has just published the following analysis of Euclase: Silica, Alumina, Glucina, Oxide of iron, 43.32 solved in water, boiled with hops, and treated like malt worts, it yields a light, brisk, and pleasant beverage, and of a strength proportioned to the solution employed. 2 Potato Sugar-Late accounts from Sweden state, that in many parts of that kingdom," they now extract sugar from potato starch. It is calculated that 240 pounds yield forty of Muscovado sugar. Subterranean Garden and natural HotBed. A curious account of a subterraneous garden, formed at the bottom of the Percy Main Pit, Newcastle, by the furnace keeper, was communicated to the last General Quarterly Meeting of the Caledonian Horticultural Society, in a letter from Mr Bald, coal engineer of Alloa. The plants are formed in the bottom of the mine by the light and radiant heat of an open fire constantly maintained for the sake of ventilation-The same letter contained an account of an extensive natural hot-bed near Dudley in Staffordshire, which is heated by means of the slow combustion of the coal at some depth below the surface. From this natural hot-bed a gardener raises annually crops of different kinds of culinary, vegetables, which are earlier by some weeks than those in the surrounding gardens where the subterranean heat does not operate. Voyages of Discovery.-The Russian government is fitting out two expeditions for scientific researches in remote seas. Each will consist of two ships; one of them is designed to make discoveries towards the North Pole. Above sixty officers of the Imperial Navy have applied to the Minister of the Marine requesting to be employed on this service. Steam-Boat.-A trial was made at Milan on the 19th of February, with a boat on a new construction, which moves either with or against the stream, by means of machi→ nery, without the aid of oars or steam, moved by the power of six men, carrying a load of one half its own weight, which is stated to have answered every expectation. We cannot, for want of sufficient data, make any proper estimate of the supposed advantages gained by this construction, being neither informed of the load moved, 30.56 nor of the velocity, but of the power ap21-78 plied-six men. 2.22 New Acid of Sulphur-Gay-Lussac and 0-70 Welther have discovered a new acid combination of sulphur and oxygen intermediate between sulphurous and sulphuric acid, to which they have given the name of sulphuriu acid. If we consider sulphurous acid as a compound of four volumes sulphur and four volumes oxygen gas, sulphuric acid will be a compound of four volumes sulphur and six volumes oxygen. Hence it is probable, that this intermediate acid will be a compound of four volumes sulphur + five volumes oxygen. 98-58 Crichtonite. Some years ago, Count Bournon named a mineral in honour of Dr Crichton of Petersburgh. Berzelius finds it to be a variety of titanitic iron ore. Starch-Sugar fermented-Our readers know that sugar has been made artificially by the action of sulphuric acid on starch. Sugar thus made is found to be fermentable like any vegetable saccharine matter. Dis Probably Joseph Frendenbourg, a German Mahometan, whom Hornemann had taken into his service as an interpreter. The sulphurin acid is obtained by pass ing a current of sulphurous acid gas over the black oxide of manganese. A combination takes place; the excess of the oxide of manganese is separated by dissolving the sulphurinate of manganese in water. Caustic barytes precipitates the manganese, and forms with the sulphurin acid a very soluble salt, which chrystallizes regularly, like the nitrate or muriate of barytes. Sulphurinate of barytes being thus obtained, sulphuric acid is cautiously added to the solution, which throws down the barytes, and leaves the sulphurin acid in the water. This acid may be concentrated very considerably with out any loss. New compound of Oxygen and Hydrogen.-Thenard, in the course of his experiments on the oxygenized acids, &c. is stated to have placed beyond a doubt the existence of a new compound of oxygen and hydrogen, consisting of two atoms of oxygen and one of hydrogen. It is a fluid less volatile than water, and soluble in it in any proportion: hence it may be obtained nearly free from that liquid by placing the mixture under the receiver of an air-pump with sulphuric acid. When separated from water and concentrated as much as possible, its sp. gr. 1.417. It destroys or whitens all organic substances. When a drop of it is allowed to fall upon the oxide of silver, the oxide is decomposed, with explosion, and often with omission of light. Germany. A new Quarterly Journal is just commenced at Leipzic, under the title of "Hermes, or Critical Journal of Literature." The editor is Professor Krug. The following are mentioned as a few of the subjects discussed in the first number: The German Catholic Church, and its relations with the Court of Rome.-Upon the Union of the two Protestant Churches.On the forms of the Armed Force of Germany, with particular reference to the Landwehr System. On the Freedom of the Press, and the strongly expressed feeling of the age for Representative Constitutions. On the New Translation of Shakspeare, by Voss.-Sir Robert Wilson on the Danger which threaten us from the power of Russia.-On the Brifish Expedition to the North Pole. Another Quarterly Journal, also published at Leipzic, by Dr Ascher, under the singular title of "The Hawk," (Der Falke) is now at its third number. Both these journals appear to be formed upon the plan of the Edinburgh and Quarterly Reviews. France. Mr Charles Pougens, of the Institute, (Royal Academy of Inscriptions and Belles Lettres) has just published a specimen of two important Philological works, in the composition of which he has been occupied more than forty years; the first, Tresor des Origines de la langue Française, 6 vols folio, and an abridgment in 3 vols 4to; and the second, Dictionaire Grammatical raisoroné de la langue Française, 4 vols folio. The specimen which he has published com prises fifty articles in the first three letters of the Alphabet, and includes the following words, Allemande, Alleu, Alouette, Ama zone, Ambassadeur, Assassin, Bachalier, Barbacan, Barde, Beffroi, Boheme, Bous sole, Carrousel, Cauchemar, Corvée, Cube, Cygne, Czar, &c. It would be difficult to give an idea of the profundity of learning and variety of research, which this work displays, and which are only equalled by the author's extreme modesty. But there are circumstances in his personal history which are exceedingly interesting, and add another proof to those already in existence, that the deprivation of one of the senses, instead of depressing, has, to certain minds, the effect of invigorating the mental faculties. Mr Pougens is now in his sixty-fourth year. "Deprived," says he in his preface, "entirely of sight since I was twenty-three years of age, eighteen months after I had commenced at Rome, my Tresor des origines de langue Française, the difficulties which I had to overcome have not suspended my labours; I thought for means for surmounting them, which was better than giving way to them without a struggle. I will even confess, that in the midst of my philological researches, I composed several philosophical works, and others of pure amusement, which I shall some day publish. The calamities of the Revolution subsequently wore out a part of my life, obliging me to employ the greater part of my time in occupations disagreeable to a man of letters, who must consider every employment interfering with his habitual labours as a painful tax, an afflicting contrariety. Having overcome the first obstacles which destiny opposed to me, I was necessitated to triumph over the last also, and I have done so.""If the years which have rolled over my head, and my strength worn out by perseverance, and by my long and painful la bours, should prevent me from putting the last letters of my two great works into a shape fit for publication, I have consolation for this involuntary interruption; for my labour would not suffer. Mr Theodore Lorin, member of several academies, my friend, and my best pupil, whom I have formed during twenty-four years, will supply my place to advantage. I know no man who, to mere modesty unites more sagacity of research, more real knowledge, and a better judgment: he has deeply studied a great number of languages, and is thoroughly imbued with my principles; to these advantages he joins the habit of labour; he will imitate me, and not be disheartened by difficulties." French Drama.In the course of the year 1818 there were brought out at Paris one hundred and thirty-four new pieces: the Royal Academy of Music gave two operas and three ballets; the Theatre Frangais, seven comedies; Feydeau, eleven comic-operas: Favart, twenty-two come dies; Vaudeville, twenty-two comedies, his torical tracts, vaudevilles, anecdotes, reviews, &c. &c.; the Variétés, twenty-five pieces of different descriptions; Porte St Martin, thirteen melodramas, comedies, or vaudeville; La Gaieté, fourteen; L'Ambigu, ten ; and the Olympic Circus (shut a great part of the year) five pantomines. Of these hundred and thirty-four novelties, not fifteen remain upon the repertory, and there are not four which deserve to remain there. M. Belzoni. This celebrated character, whose death has been announced in some of the newspapers, is, according to the latest accounts, at Thebes, with Lord Belmore, actively employed in assisting his Lordship in antiquarian researches. One hundred Arabs are constantly in the pay of Lord Belmore. New Island.-A New Volcanic Island has been raised among the Alentian Islands, not far from Unalaschka. This phenomenon appeared in the midst of a storm, attended by flames and smoke. After the sea was calmed, a boat was sent from Unalaschka, with twenty Russian hunters, who landed on this island, June 1st, 1814. They found it full of crevices and precipices. The surface was cooled to the depth of a few yards, but below that depth it was still hot, No water was on any part of it. The va pours rising from it were not injurious, and the sea-lions had begun to take up their residence on it. Another visit was paid to it in 1815; its height was then diminished. It is about two miles in length; they have given it the name of Boguslaw. Grass made into Ropes. Experiments have been made at Portsmouth on the application of a grass, a common product of New Zealand, to the manufacture of large and small ropes, of which a favourable report has been given. The grass is strong, pliable, and very silky in its nature, and may be cut thrice a-year. It may be brought into this country at the estimated price of eight pounds per ton, or about oneseventh the price of hemp. New Medicine. The account in the fifth volume of the Medico-Chirurgical Transactions, of the efficacy of the Pyrola Umbellata, a plant which grows in the Perie woods of Canada, as a tonic and diuretic, has led to the importation of a considerable quantity. It has long been considered by the Indians as a valuable medicine, and is called in the Chippaway language, Weesaccabuk, or Wenescebuk Neebesh; meaning, medicine-leaves. The Mammoth.--Accounts from the banks of the Mississippi state, that the Mam moth has actually been discovered in existence, in the western deserts of North America. According to the descriptions given of it, this colossus of the animal kingdom is not carnivorous; it lives on vegetables, but more particularly on a certain species of tree, of which it eats the leaves, the bark, and sometimes even the trunk. It never lies down, and sleeps, leaning for support, against a tree. It has rather the shape of a wild boar than of an elephant, and is fifteen feet high. His body is covered by a hairy skin, and he has no horn.-Tilloch's Jour nal. By the latest estimate, the population of the Danish States is now 1,862,000 souls; viz. in Denmark, 1,100,000; in the Duchies of Heswick and Holstein, 680,000; in Lauenburg, 30,000; in Iceland and the Faroe Islands, 52,000. Cow-pox.-The cow-pox has been long known in Persia by the Eliaats, or wandering tribes. A Mr Bruce made very particular inquiries among several different tribes who visit Bunshire in the winter to sell the produce of their flocks, such as carpets, rugs, butter, cheese, &c.; and every Eliaat, at least six or seven different tribes, uniformly told him, that the people who are employed to milk the cattle caught a disease, which, after once having had, they were perfectly safe from the small pox; that this disease was prevalent among the cows, and shewed itself particularly on the teats; but that it was more prevalent among, and more frequently caught from, the sheep. Skin of the Rhinoceros.-It appears from some experiments made lately in India, that the skin of the Rhinoceros will resist a musket shot, though fired from a piece at a short distance only. These experiments were made on the body of an individual, which had been of great size, and very old. It was killed near Givalpara, on the borders of the Asam country. The number of them in those parts is immense. The Bourampouter is sometimes so covered by them that though nearly a league across, the smallest vessel cannot find room to pass. 57 Supplement to the number of books pub- Literary Miscellanies. Painting, Sculpture, Engraving, &c. 118 12 23 35 136 233 75 208 25 136 41 14 7. 1120 |