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gust, 1787, he dropped a dog, connected with a parachute, from the height of 6000 feet. A whirlwind, however, interrupted its descent, and bore it above the clouds. The balloon and the parachute afterwards again met, when the dog, recognizing his master, began to bark; and just as M. Blanchard was going to seize it, another whirlwind suddenly carried it beyond his reach. Having passed vertically over Zell, he terminated his voyage; the parachute, still waving in the air, came down twelve minutes afterwards, with the dog in perfect safety.

The " American Rail-Road Journal," of the 4th of August, states that an American Company have it in contemplation to open a passage for ships through the Isthmus of Panama. "By it," says the journal named, "a navigation of 10,000 miles round Cape Horn would be saved, and a short and safe opening made to the trade of Peru, Chili, and all the western shores of the Americas, and all the islands of the Southern Ocean."

We learn, by the accounts from the United States, that the American Fur Company were making great efforts to rival that of Hudson's Bay, for which purpose they dispatched a steam-boat, which had returned after a voyage of two thousand miles up the Missouri, bringing back a rich and full cargo of furs, peltries, and buffalo robes. The steamer ascended the Missouri seven hundred miles further than on the preceding year; thus proving

the entire practicability of steam_navigation in that upper region. This enter prise it was expected would prove detri. mental to the British traders, as the steam-boat had become an object of great admiration to the Indians, many of whom declared they would in future bring their skins to the Americans, and said that the British might turn out their dogs and burn their sledges, as they would be no longer useful while the "fire-boat" walked on the waters. Thousands of the natives visited the boat.

dated August 18, says "The eruptions Mount Vesuvius.-A letter from Naples, of Mount Vesuvius continue, and cause much damage. The interior of the crater presented on the 4th of August various openings of from thirty to forty feet each, from whence lava issued with a horrible noise, and covered the mountain in various directions. On the 5th, Vesuvius presented three great masses of inflam mable volcanic matter. There appeared to be three large sheets of fluid in ebullition, in three immense masses, of a circumference of 150 feet each. This inflammable matter was precipitated with fury towards the Hermitage del Salvatore in the form of a cascade, and on arriving at the sides of the mountain, divided itself into a number of streams, which lost themselves in the midst of the distant lava. Vesuvius is still rumbling, and we are in the expectation of another lamentable yet magnificent spectacle.”

RURAL ECONOMY.

Double Land Tax.-By the act of 1 and 2 William IV. cap. 21, persons whose estates are charged with double Land Tax, and who intend to take the benefit of the provisions of the said act for the current year, should make their application and proof to the district commissioners in time to enable them to transmit the necessary certificate to the head office in London, by the 10th of October

next.

Improvement of Tanning. After the hides have been haired and fleshed, hang them in bates, upon pegs or nails, very close together, until fit to work in the bark clean and rinse them, hang them in tan vats upon pegs or nails, in a weak sour liquor for two or three days; hang them next in a stronger liquor for four or five days. Make a very strong liquor of black oak bark; for a vat of thirty hides add one pound of Glauber's or other salt; add three bushels of bark at the bottom,

and one at the top of the vat; in this hang the hides for three weeks, covering the vats up to prevent evaporation. By the foregoing process leather can be tanned in less time, with less labour, and be equally good with that tanned in the ordinary way.

Scorched Timber. This is more difficult to get rid of with the hatchet than if it had not been fire-touched. A tree of this kind is as hard as a stone, and will take a long time to decay. Perhaps this kind of timber might be rendered very valuable; for although it would take more workmanship to make anything of it, still when made it would be much more valuable. The day may come when we may be led to season the timber of the forest with fire, when the endless oak groves on the banks of the Ottawa and the Lakes may be ignited, so that the British navy may be secured against the dry-rot.

As an addition to our spring food, a new species of clover has lately been introduced from Italy into the agriculture of this country. It is called trifolium inearnatum, and bears a beautiful head of bright red flowers, resembling sainfoin in colour. It requires a good soil, and the mode of cultivating it hitherto pursued has been to plough up a wheat stubble immediately after harvest, and sow the seed at the rate of eight pounds to the acre. It produces a large burden, which comes to use at the commencement of the following May, a period when such a supply of green food must be of incalculable value, and which will admit of a crop of turnips following in succession.

[An important Prospectus has just is sued from the office of the Agricultural Employment Institution, in the Old Jewry, which is patronized by a number of high and distinguished characters, and presents strong claims to public encouragement and

attention. Its objects are to afford a remedy to the distress which has overspread all parts of the kingdom, by giving to the destitute but industrious poor of both sexes useful and profitable employment, to enable them to support themselves and their families with credit; to train and educate their children, and to bring them up to habits of honesty and industry; and thus, in a great degree, to relieve parishes from the burden of the existing heavy poor-rates, and to diffuse the blessings of contentment and happiness unknown among the poorer classes of this country for many years. From an estimate lately laid before Parliament, it appears that above 15,000,000 acres of land are now lying waste and uncultivated in the United Kingdom, yet capable of cultivation; and also that there are millions of acres which now produce very little, from want of proper cultivation, but which, by judicious management, might be rendered abundantly productive.]

USEFUL ARTS.

Chronometers-In no branch of human ingenuity-combining accuracy of science with incredible perfection in the mechanism of art, and both directed to a most important object as regards the preservation of that mighty mass of property and freight of life which navigate the face of the waters-can the mind take a deeper interest than in the improvement of the chronometer. We have accordingly from time to time turned the attention of our readers to this subject; to the annual reports of the Board of Longitude, and to the extraordinary productions of individual talent. It thus happened, that so long ago as November 11, 1826, we pointed out the gaining of both the Admiralty annual premiums of 300l. and 2007. by Mr. French, of the Royal Exchange; and expressed our hope that such distinction might induce him to proceed diligently with his experiments for the still further improvement of these wonderfully correct instruments. It affords us great pleasure now to record that our anticipations in this respect have not been disappointed; and we copy the annexed document with much satisfaction, not only as a just tribute to successful application, but as highly honourable to the state of art in our native land. Extract of a letter received by his Majesty's hydrographer (Captain Beaufort) from Captain Fitzroy, of his Majesty's sloop Beagle, now on a survey, and dated Rio Janeiro, April 10, 1832: "One of the chronometers,

French, No. 4214 (eight days), has behaved in a wonderful manner. Its daily rate has never exceeded eight-tenths of a second; and its measurement of each stage, and indeed of the whole distance, is the same as the mean of twenty chronometers." So very close an approximation to absolute truth has never yet, to the best of our knowledge, and we have paid much attention to the matter, been made it seems to identify the most minute conceivable divisions of time, and to render that palpable and practical which almost evades the imagination. But in return it delights the imagination, by surrendering to it all the pictures of the sailor, after storm and hurricane, and darkness and disaster, thus enabled to steer his bark upon the boundless ocean to a certain point of safety and succour. He has but to consult his little guide and oracle, and the paths of the deep are as obvious to him as the great road to the traveller by land. As connected with the mere science of this topic, we may add, that in 1822, when Dr. Tiarks ascertained the longitude of Madeira, to be 1h. 7m. 35s. 11, in the British Consul's garden at Funchal, by the mean of seventeen chronometers, the standard employed on that occasion, made by Mr. French, No. 720, determined the same results as the whole seventeen within the two hundredth part of a second. See Dr. Tiarks' Report, page 36. Of Mr. French's chronometers, in 1825 and 1826, when he gained three

prizes at the Royal Observatory, one is particularised which only varied sixtythree hundredths of a second in its mean daily rate during seventeen months trial there.

Advantages of Rail-Roads.-The Mechanics' Magazine has given a copy of the statement of the balance sheet of the Liverpool and Manchester railway, from the 1st of July to the 31st of December, which shows, that the undertaking is going on with increasing prosperity. To this statement it adds the following abstract from the evidence on the advantages of rail-roads, given on the London and Birmingham Railway Bill, so scandalously thrown out by the House of Lords: Before the establishment of the Liverpool and Manchester railway, there were 22 regular and about 7 occasional extra coaches between those places, which, in full, could only carry per day 688 persons. The railway from its commencement carried 700,000 persons in eighteen months, being an average of 1070 per day. It has not been stopped for a single day. There has occurred but one fatal accident on it in eighteen months. The fare by coach was 10s. inside, and 5s. outside-by railway it is 5s. inside, and 3s. 6d. outside. The time occupied in making the journey by coach was four hours-by railway it is 1 hour. All the coaches but one have ceased running, and that chiefly for conveyance of parcels. The mails all travel by the railway, at a saving to Government of two-thirds of the expense. The railway coaches are more commodious than others. The travelling is cheaper, safer, and easier. A great deal of traffic, which used to go by other roads, comes now by railway; both time and money are saved, though the length of the journey may be often increased. The proportion of passengers carried by railway, over those carried by coach, has been as 22 to 10, in winter, and 17 or 18 to 10 in summer. A regiment of soldiers has been carried by the railway from Manchester to Liverpool in two hours. Gentlemen's carriages are conveyed on trucks by the railway. The locomotives travel in safety after dark. The rate of carriage of goods is 10s. per ton; by canal it used to be 15s. per ton. The time occupied in the journey by railway is two hours; by canal it is twenty hours. The canals have reduced their rates 30 per cent. Goods delivered in Manchester the same day they are received in Liverpool. By canal they were never delivered before the third day. By railway, goods, such as wines and spirits, are not subject to the pilferage which existed on the canals. The saving to manufacturers in the neighbourhood of Manches

ter, in the carriage of cotton alone, has been 20,000. per annum. Some houses of business save 5007, a year in carriage. Persons now go from Manchester to Liverpool and back in the same day with great ease. Formerly they were generally obliged to be absent the greater part of two days. More persons now travel on their own business. The railway is assessed to the parochial rates in all the parishes through which it passes; though only 31 miles, it pays between 30007, and 4000l. per annum in parochial rates. Coal-pits have been sunk, and manufactories established on the line, giving great employment to the poor; manufactories are also erected on the line, giving increased employment, and thus reducing the number of claimants for parochial relief. The railway pays one-fifth of the poor-rates in the parishes through which it passes; fresh coal-mines sunk, owing to facilities of carriage, and price reduced. It is found advantageous for the carriage of milk and garden produce; arrangements about to be made for milk to be carried fifteen miles at Is. for ten gallons, (i. e. less than one farthing per quart.) A great deal of land on the line has been let for garden ground, at increased rents. Residents on the line find the railway a great convenience, by enabling them to attend to their business in Manchester and Liverpool with ease, at little expense. No inconvenience is felt by residents from smoke or noise; and, on the contrary, great advantage is experienced by means of travelling, to and fro, distances of ten miles in half an hour for Is. and without any fatigue. The engines only burn coke. The value of land on the line has been considerably enhanced by the operation of the railway; land cannot be purchased but at a large increase in price. It is much sought after for building, &c. The Railway Company, in their late purchases, have been obliged to pay, frequently, double the price they originally paid for their land. A great deal of land has been sold for building, at three times its former value. Much waste land on the line has been taken into cultivation, and yields a good rent. Landowners originally opposed to the railway are now its warm advocates; having found their fears wholly groundless, they have now been solicitous that the line should pass through their land. Mr. Babbage observes, in his book on the Economy of Manufactures, "One point of view, in which rapid modes of conveyance increase the power of a coun try, deserves attention. On the Manchester rail-road, for example, above half a million of persons travel annually; and supposing each person to save only one

hour in the time of transit, between Manchester and Liverpool, a saving of five hundred thousand hours, or of fifty thousand working days, of two hours each, is effected. Now this is equivalent to an addition to the actual power of the country of one hundred and sixty-seven men, without increasing the quantity of food consumed; and it should also be remarked that the time of the class of men thus supplied is far more valuable than that of mere labourers."

the profit) of working these engines is an important property of the invention. By the accurate calculation of an eminent engineer, it appears that the quantity of small coal consumed last year for the Croydon engine, was 417 chaldrons, which produced 592 chaldrons of coke, and 4800 gallons of tar. The cost of the coal was 458. 14s. to which must be added, for attendance on the engine, repairs, an allow ance of per cent. on the value of the building, and ground rent, 208/ —making in all 6667. 14s. The value of the coke and tar was 7697. 128. Thus it appears, that this engine constitutes a mechanical power, in effective and constant action, retaining a clear profit of 1027. 18s. per annum, exclusive of what the work may be worth which that power effects. An experiment recently made gave fourteen bushels of, common coal, twenty-one bushels of coke, of two qualities, besides the tar, and 1200 feet of-gas. The su periority of these engines over those moved by steam consists in the simplicity of their construction, the economy of working, the absence of danger, (for there is nothing in them which can occasion explosion,) and the advantage of their being always ready for action. These recommendations par ticularly adapt them for raising water, drainage, mill machinery, &c. There is one object which they will accomplish, to which the steam is not applicable: in large buildings, or public works, they may be applied to fire-engines of any power, which may be put into instantaneous action by gas supplied from the mains in the streets, and any quantity of water may thus be thrown to any height at a moment's notice.

Brown's Gas Vacuum Engine.-Mr. Brown, the inventor of the Gas Vacuum Engine, has recently exhibited on his premises, at Old Brompton, three of his gas engines, of different construction and power, with the latest improvements, in full operation. The principle, or rather the application of the principle, by which this new power is generated, namely, the creation of a vacuum by the ignition of gas in a cylinder, was discovered by Mr. Brown about seven or eight years ago, and he has been since indefatigably employed in bringing his invention to perfection. An engine, on this principle, has been at work for the last eighteen months on the Croydon canal, raising water from the lower to the upper level, and has, it appears, fully answered its design. This engine, which, of course, resembles, in many of its details, a steam-engine, is, however, simple in its construction. It consists of a wrought-iron cylinder standing in the lower level of the canal. To set it at work, water is turned by a cock upon a wheel (regulating the motion and number of strokes per minute) which opens a valve, and admits a certain quantity of gas, from a pipe connected with the gasometer, into the cylinder, which gas is immediately inflamed by a jet of lighted gas, and expels the air from the cylinder by raising the lid, which instantly closes again. A perforated tube, inside the cylinder, fed with water from a pipe outside, gives out the water, cools the cylinder, completes the vacuum, and raises the water in the cylinder to a given height. An atmospheric Gentleman, for a certain improvement or im valve is then opened, and the water rushes out of the discharged valve: this is the result of one stroke. The Croydon engine is twenty-two feet high, and two feet six inches diameter. An engine, upon the same construction, at Eagle Lodge, is four feet eighty-seven inches diameter, and its power is surprising. The number of strokes it gives per minute is between five and six; and each stroke raised, with tremendous impetus, 750 gallons of water, filling a cistern of the capacity of five and twenty pipes of wine in about three-quarters of a minute! The expense (or rather Oct.-VOL. XXXVI, NO. CXLII,

PATENTS LATELY GRANTED. Joshua Wordsworth, of Leeds, in the County of York, machine-maker, for certain improve. ments in machinery for preparing, drawing, roving, and spinning flax, hemp, wool, and other

fibrous substances.

John Jacob Parker, late of Sheffield, but now of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,

provements in fountain pens.

Miles Berry, of No. C6, Chancery Lane, in the Parish of St. Andrew, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer and Mechanical Draftsman, for certain improvements in the construction of presses, applicable to various purposes. Communicated to him by a certain foreigner, residing abroad.

Pierre Nicolas Hainsselin, of Duke Street, St. James's, in the County of Middlesex, Architect and Engineer, for his machine for giving motive power.

William Evatt Wright, of Regent Street, in the Parish of St. George, Hanover Square, in the City of Westminster, Gentleman, for certain improvements in the construction, making, or

3 E

manufacturing tea or coffee urns, and other utensils of that description.

John Christophers, of New Broad Street, in the City of London, Merchant, for his improve ment or improvements in clothes-buttons.

Benjamin Cowle Tyzach, Thomas Storer Dobinson, and John Robinson, all of North Shields, for certain improvements in windlasses or ma chinery, for winding up the cable, which they denominate Tyzach, Dobinson and Co.'s compound lever windlass.

Joseph Crawhall, of the Town and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Rope-maker, for his imrope, such provement in the manufacture of flat as is used in mines, to extend to all the colonies and plantations abroad.

William Newton, of the Office for Patents, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,

Civil Engineer, for an improved apparatus for producing instantaneous light, and the means and mechanism to be employed in the manufacture of the same; to extend to the colonies and plantations abroad. Communicated to him by a foreigner, residing abroad.

Thomas Wells Ingram, of Birmingham, Diesinker, for his improved method of manufacturing a certain description of buttons, by the application of machinery, not heretofore used for that purpose.

William Henry James, of Thavies Inn, Holborn, in the City of London, Engineer, for certain improvements in the construction of steam-carriages, and the apparatus or machinery for propelling the same, part of which improvements are applicable to other purposes.

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Swallow Barn, 4 vols. 12mo. 20s. bds. Edgeworth's Novels and Tales, Vol. V.; Popular Tales, Vol. II. fcp. 5s, cloth.

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