is continually increasing. The Library probably belonging to the same flock, of Reference is open every day, ex- as the number seen on that coast, cept Sunday and Monday, from ten tallied with what was seen in Devono'clock till four; the reading rooms shire, allowing for those that were are open every day, except Sunday, shot. from nine in the morning till eleven at night. Here every new publication is to be met with; and the literary journals and newspapers, foreign and English.

belong to the oldest coal-formation torical or Poetical Composition, 50 of Werner. He also explained what guineas. the miners mean by creep, and exhibited specimens of the different rocks, with a section of the coalmine of Kipia, in which both the miners, and the scientific names of the different strata were inserted.

The above performances remain lately met at their Gallery, for the the property of the respective Artists. purpose of adjudging the premiums This judicious and patriotic spirit of offered for the three best pictures rewarding native talent cannot fail and model, executed in the preceding of accelerating the great object of the year, in the four following classes, British Institution, namely, the establishment and perfection of the fine

1st. For the best Picture in His- arts in this country.

VARIETIES, LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL; With Notices respecting Men of Letters, Artists, and Works in Hand, &c. &c.

An aperient Chalybeate Spring has lately been discovered near Begginghall, Norwood, which, from the analysis and repeated trials made by Dr. R. Reece, and others, is likely to prove a discovery of the greatest importance, particularly on account of inestimable." its contiguity to London. In con- Wilkie has been employing himself stitutional diseases, especially scro- on a picture representing a child with fulous affections, inflammatory, gouty, a cut finger, and the grandmother and bilious habits, eruptions, or binding up the wound. It is painted leprous complaints of the skin, and with his usual excellence. such constitutions as have been im- Northcote is painting a portrait of paired by long residence in hot cli- Captain Seymour, whose recent galmates, or by the too liberal use of lantry in the Amethyst will live for spirituous liquors, it has prove more ever in the naval records of this beneficial than any other spa water country. The same ingenious artist in this kingdom, and has effected is proceeding in his whole-lengths

1

portrait of Sir Charles Brisbane, from the tar of the coal, to substitute which we noticed some time ago. for that brought from Russia, and Both of these pictures will do honour used by a number of japanners, &c. to the artist, and it is to be hoped &c. that article having advanced that they will both come to the en- from 3s. 6d. to 20s. per gallon since graver, as the public in general will the interruption of our trade with the always be gratified with the sight of north. Great merit is attached to British Heroes. Mr. Cook for making and publishing this valuable experiment.

The Honourable Basil Cochran, of Portman-square, has made considerThe Massoolah boat, common on able improvements in warm-water; the coasts of Hindostan, has justly vapour, and air-baths. They are attracted the notice of the Europeans. constructed in his own house, and To appearance, any other vessel the many complaints removed by would be safer on the water than this,' them have induced him to prepare a but the fact is that no other boat dare model and engraving for the further venture over the violent surf_which benefit of the public. breaks along the sea shore at Fort St. Mr. George Singer has by some George. It is unique in its construcrecent arrangements considerably im- tion, equally unlike the solid canoe, proved the original plan of the Scien- and the European invention of tific Institution, Prince's-street, Ca- caulked vessels. It is flat-bottomed, vendish-square, where in future the and its plauks are literally sewed topublic Lectures are to be assisted by gether with the fibres of the kyar courses of private instruction, and rope, made from the cocoa-tree. The conversations on the various subjects stitches not being very close, each of philosophical inquiry; to be se- boat is provided with a baler. These verally illustrated by an extensive boats are used to convey goods and collection of instruments. Electrical passengers to and from the ships in and chemical researches will engage the Madras roads, and on their return the attention of the pupils in the are sometimes thrown with such ensuing season, with the particular violence against the shore, that if view of developing and explaining the their singular construction did not new experiments. prevent the effects of the shock, they Practical substitution of Gas for must inevitably be dashed in pieces. Light instead of Candles.-Mr. B. The steersman stands on the stern of Cook, of Birmingham, has invented the vessel, and the rudder is simply an apparatus, which consists simply an oar. The dexterity with which he of a small cast-iron pot, of about balances himself in a heavy sea is eight gallons to receive the coal, and truly astonishing. Upwards of an a cast iron cover, which is luted to hundred and twenty of these boats it with sand. The gas passes through are used at Madras. water, into the gasometer or reservoir, which contains about four hundred gallons, and by means of old gunbarrels, he conveys it all round his workshops. The saving by it he com- The Abbé Dubois, who escaped putes at three-fifths. But he thinks, from France during the revolution, if erected on a smaller scale, the sav- and has since resided in the Mysore ing to the manufacturer would be country, has completed a valuable equally great; for the poor man, who work on the various casts of India. It lights only six candles, or uses only has been inspected and highly apone lamp, will find it cost him only proved by Sir J.Mackintosh, and other ten or twelve pounds, which he will literary characters in India, and renearly, if not quite, save the first commended by them to the notice of year. The pipes, if made of old gun- government, who have agreed to purbarrels, should be once a year, or chase the manuscript at their own once in two years, coated over with expense. Being written in French, tar, to keep them from rusting; thus the translation of it is entrusted to a they may last half a century. Mr. military officer of consequence and Cook thinks a spirit may be made ability.

UNIVERSAL MAG, VOL. XI.

H

East Indies.

France. little better than slaves. We are also In the department of experimental reminded that the " present times philosophy, the French have lately are not favourable to agricultural displayed in common with some other pursuits or refinements; and that the naturalists, a degree of ingenuity whole edifice of society, every where bordering upon inhumanity; this is apparent from the following extract from a paper presented to their Philosophical Society:

is tottering." Hitherto, however, Great Britain may derive comfort from comparing its condition with that of the inhabitants of the rest of Europe.

Holland.

"Gentlemen.-On the 27th of May, 1808, at nine in the morning, the weather being very serene, I cut The Haerlem prize-medal, value off the entire heads and horns of 42 guineas, awarded by Teyler's Thetwenty snails, and of twelve of the ological Society to the Rev. Cæsar naked kind, without shells, of a dark Morgan, M.A. now D.D. for his Disbrown colour; at the expiration of sertation, intituled, "A Demonstrafifteen days two of my snails shewed tion that true Philosophy has no the rudiments of a new head, and be- tendency to undermine Divine Revegan to feed; their antenea, or horns, lation, and that a well-grounded phibegan to bud; they were in good losopher may be a true Christian," health, but did not lengthen their was presented by him to the Univer necks when they eat; half my naked sity of Cambridge, Nov. 16, and is or unshelled snails died; the re- deposited in the Public Library. mainder of the unshelled ones crawl about, and climb up a wall; they also lengthen their necks, but the head has appeared on one only. I have great hopes of applying the experiment to some other animals with the same success. I shall send you an account of any further success I may meet with.

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Note. I believe the vital principle to be in a certain joint in the neck, and that I had not severed the head in that particular spot in those which died, but shall try to ascertain it."

Since the above has been made public in Paris, thousands of young Anatomists are searching for the joint which contains the principle of life, and millions of unfortunate snails have been decapitated. Another Naturalist and Anatomist has begun to behead frogs, but the success of his experiment is not yet known.

Germany.

Relative to the Agricultural State of this great portion of the continent, though it has with Poland been deemed the granary of Europe, it appears from the observations lately nude by M. Voght, that both these countries, from the circumstances of the times, have declined in fertility, as they have increased in military strength. The greatest number of estates in Germany, he intimates, are cultivated by a set of people very

Spain.

The extreme stupidity of our late allies, appears in a point of view extremely prominent, by the following letter from Madrid of a very recent date:

"The Spanish theatre still retains many of those mysteries which founded the dramatic art in Europe. Las Profecias de Daniel, form at present a favourite spectacle, and certainly no subject could be better adopted for combining a splendid variety of pageantry in one oratorio, or sacred opera. The Jubilee of adoration to the golden Colossus of Bel, the flam. ing auto da fe for the refractory holy children, the voluptuous dances exhibited during the meal of Belshazzar, the sacrilegious use of the chalices from Jerusalem, the sudden wrath of heaven, the gloom, the thunder, the shadowy hand writing on the wall, in characters of lurid fire, and the armed irruption of the besiegers to renew a scene of purer triumph, form a series of picturesque magnificence, which you would enjoy to see repeated some Sunday evening at Drury-lane. To the popularity of this play, may be ascribed the continual allusions of the Spanish patriotic writers, to the seizure and (sup posed) profanation of sacramental vessels by the French.

"Another new and very singular drama opens with Bonaparte, who