‘
“ *

LIBRARY NO.

SS acelyy

TOWNS BRIDGE

oe see ee

AMERICAN | / -
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE,

AND ARTS.

PROFESSOR OF CHE MISTRY, MINERALOGY, ETC. IN YALE COLLEGE ; denis!
PONDING MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY OF ARTS, MANUFACTURES AND com-
TERCE OF LONDON, MEMBER OF THE ROYAL MINERALOGICAL
SOCIETY OF DRESDEN, AND OF VARIOUS LITERARY ANP
Raters: a SOCIETIES IN AMERICA,

a

sam a the Publisher and Howe & Spalding, Newilfaven ; Huntington &
pelea Hartford ; og ee a & Co. New oston 3 Ezeki el Goodale,
Hal Wel, Maine ; A. T. Goodrich & Co. w-York 5 Littell te Henry,

; Henry
Timothy egy Weleple, S.C.; n Mill, Chavkanoe 5. ¢.: Mil.
ler & Hutehins, Providene hk ee Thon ta ie Wililan ms, Newport, R.I
William T. Williams, Savanna ab, Geo.; La oomis, Pittsburgh, Pa. ;
Daniel aa) Brunswick, Me. ; : Professor D- “Olinsted, Chapel Hill Col-
tege, N,.C

CONTENTS OF VOL. III.

GEOLOGY, MINERALOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, &c.
+

ay
es

Page
Mr. John Dicken on the. s Mineralogy and Geology of sab

of South and North C
Ebenezer sille Cal Bag 0 on “vegetable imepmenions 3 in rocks
Zanesvi formation

M ent Ke:
Hall on ores of Iron a Maren
Notice of Me Schoolcraft’s goes on ee Missouri ica:
mines - - -
Mr. M. Hale’ s Geoligica Notice sf Troy
Dr. J. A. Allen on he est River Mountain, with Secalition
of Minerals

Mr. Henry R. Schoolcraft 0 on the e Native Copper of lake Su-

perior, &c. |
Letters of Mr. Alexander B : with Editor’s i 216

speek Motices in Minerlogy Geology, &e.

eee
Taseagie Buckland on Geoldgica) dnmestinntiona, “ke -
Mr. J. W. Wilson n the bursting of lakes Figg [pean 252
Dr. of Lake L Bigsby on on Sealey ae nt — rtion
254

-

one pinnae. ese
J. Ge Vanden Raect, Esq. on American Honey Bees ~ ioe
FOSSIL ZOOLOGY.

Professor J. Gree n on Bones of the Rattle Snake ome. 85
Fisicinor Raiinesque'on « Piseic Medan ui ds ome, MES

iv. CONTENTS.

Page.
MEDICAL CHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY.
‘Dr. ss L. Oliver on pasa of medical use of the Prussic
Case illustrating the medical ‘effects of the Pousiic Acid 187
F. Magendie on Absorption
Pisiece E. D. Smith on Calculous Affections (posthumous) 300

MECHANICS AND ARTS, CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS.
Vet the fusion of various bodies by Hare’s Blowpipe—from
he Annals of Che

mistry, &c. with remarks ‘y the siegrne 87
new mode of forming water 91

Professor Green on instantaneous exystalization - =a gS
Mr. S. Morey on Mineral Waters, - 94
Professor D. Olmsted on a jocafe effect of lightning - 100
Rey. R. Emerson on the divining » - 102
Professor ters on new Galyanic Foc eeaie and a" ibe ~-105
Professor , D. See ith. ons « : Di ACE = aie ie

on Er eoehy, @ third edition Ee eee ee aRG

Mr. Town’s 1 new Fuicde fe F Bridge build 158
J. Hall, Esq. on the ee of wood, and on medical elec-
166

tricity my . ise :
Thomas iasbin; Bag: da Gas Li ights Eo - 170
Editor’ $ notice of an argentiferous Bilenn: deest — te By

itor on the formation of ice in certain circumstances 179.

Professor ALM. richer on Printing Presses and their Theory, 326
———— aoe et John I. Wells — ib.
Dr. John Locke on the manufacture of Copperas in Vermont 32:
Remarks on some points of modern ea fp rae: with a

.

of Pr am’s Elements - Chem mistry
Micclladeons chemi. ical ni Des = ‘;
Liability of barns to be str by lightn + 1 346
Jacob Perkins, Esq. on the cca of water - 347
Notice of Mr. Perk a eieseeiaes eh wcaisitie= Joe on steel’ «= 353
Tests for Arsenic ete SBA
AGRICULTURE, | rail ae
Dr. Eli Ives on spring pasture or case ier
R leeaacce oa AND MISCELLANIES.

Be Domestic.
i. Archwologia Americans wetter tS Sk. BRT
2. , American Geological Society - #3 anette © roe cE
~ Rema emarks on the study of Geology ee ee |
ry Sulphat of Strontian . é ‘

oe

CONTENTS. v.

eo
5. Map of mountains. 6. Epidot
7. Western Minerva. 8. Annals of Bata 9, Fossil Fish pee
10. Cold at Plattsburgh
11. Crystals of Snow. 12. Fluor r Spar € Genesee. "13. Do.
of Illinois” - - - 367

: Il. Foreren Lirerature anp Science, .

1. Slide of Mount Pilatus - - - 368

2, Oxigenized water 369
ems ara paper 4. Ivory. do: 5. ‘Manufactory 0 of

ib

6. a gas ome: Potash in in sea water - - ib.
7. Salt - - 371
io tomliah sun lied with w: a > = ib.
11. Vegetation 12. E BSD Rie oes RTE
13. Surgical operation rererane Pel ge er ee i,
14. Royal Society of London = 373

15. Prisons. 16. Pompey 17. “Antidote corrosive sub-
imate - 374
18. Schools. 19. Monsikstere of thimbles - - ib.
20. Auscultation 7 - 375
ps Languages. 22. “Evaporation of spirits. - - ib.
- - - 376

3. Al:
a Chinese Dictionary. 85. Van Diemen’s land 377
gypt. — emple of Jt : 28. Finland 378
29. Pultowa. a spent 31. Switzerland. 32. ; ebow, 3 379
33. Medicine
= Athens. 35. Greek hitgeage:. "36. Chios. 37. Potatoe ib.
. Distillation of ~ water. 39. Hydraulic R 381
0:

Sea i re cameos 42, Combustion 383
43. Magnet - ib.
44. T) Scidations irom the Arabic. 45. New Akal - $84
46. Greenlan - ib.
47. Mildew. 48. Electricity’ 49. Gus Lights’ - 385
(50. Iodine. 51. Mercurial a et ‘62. Magnetism

andElectricity. - ie, 2 ae oe 2 AOO8
53. Vegetable idee ok ea
54, Ancient Sar
55. Siliceous Sinter 391
56. s Zoological Miscellany. ‘61. Revue icy:

clopedique : : - 392
58. Atomic weights of edie: 59. Pelovaw << ae
CucatiPen = 8 ee Se

ERRATA
Page 97—note, for bones, read remains.
189—line 25, for I. 8S. read a LL.
184—line 17 from top, for Medicarninum, read Medicaninum.
do.—line 27 from top, for Legr read Lan, esis

ee we ke Be eS %

i x : *
ALTERATIONS.
Page agg tae — net Ae theory.
ter ¢ pa
everett tian

ae hee Van Ma ms read w: with electrical whe re
114—line 7 from top, for about, re
143—line 5 from ged dele shes the object is of finite Oe
144—line 9 from top, for axis, read ares.

do.—line 12, from top, for Pencils, read axes.

d between a quarter a

PREFACE.
—

Tue third volume of this work being now completed, all
concerned in its success will naturally wish some account
its situation and prospects. The experiment of an original
American Journal of Science, is novel, and it is but reason-
able to allow sufficient time to the community to become
informed as to the nature of the enterprize before we can
expect them to feel interested in its prosperi The ques:
tion whether it is to be supported by adequate pecuniary re
muneration, is not one which can be hastily decided. a
must require several years from the commencemen
work, and the Editor (if God pases: his life and health)
will endeavour to prove himse t impatient nor queru-
lous, during the time that his countrymen hold the question
undecided, whether there shall be an American Journal of
Science and Arts. Another person may conduct it better,
and to such an one, the task would be, without hesitation,
resigned. But it is due to our numerous and highly respec-
table band of contributors to say, that no successor, however
meritorious, can hope to be better supported. That the
Journal is appreciated abroad, in a manner gratifying to its
friends, is sufficiently evinced by the. numerous extracts
from it in the periodical scientific works o} by the
readiness to exchange, evinced by the Editors of foreign
Journals, and by letters on the subject, addressed to the edit-
or of the American Journal, from scientific and literary men

rra
a Dvalast of Chemistry, &c. in the University of
zow, of Mr. Tilloch of London, editor of eed Philoso catia)
of Mr. Julien, editor of the F yclope-
dique, and of Mr. Bron ngniart, both of Be, of Professor
Germar and Sweigger of the University of Halle in Germany,
and of Professor Berzelius of Stockholm. From one of
these private communications, we shall me so far on
the indulgence of the author, — “of the. public, as to cite a

single ragra
‘Dr. The ph. mson, speaking of the first five numbers of the

* One o' other passage is selected from Mr. Brongniart’s letter. P
218 of this Vol-] =

¢

Vill. PREFACE.

American Journal, (which were all that he had then seen)
says; ‘I hail it as the commencement of American scien-
tific periodical works, and have no doubt from the valuable
matter which you have already presented us with, that
America will rival the most scientific countries in the old
world.” The citing of this passage would be inconsis-
tent with decorum, were not the commendation of this illus-
trious author, and teacher, and editor, chiefly the property
of our contributors, and but in a small degree our. own.
The celebrated Professor Ferrara of the University of Pa-
in the Island of Sicily, speaking on the subject of
American Science, said recently to a friend of the editor,
that he “ did not doubt that ths Sciences and Arts would be-
fore long, pass to America in their highest perfection, and
that we should ere long, succeed to Asia and Europe, in the
tMeraty, empire of the world.
t, on the other hand, we are now bound i in justice to the
interests of merican Se 3! vithhold from
fact that the two first volumes of this Toatiek have been,
sea te, “mm a pecuniary view, losing con The pro-
prietors of the first Volume have Hot jet receh received A
money which they have expended—nor is the editor yet re-
paid, simply for the paper, printing and engraving of the sec-
ond volume, and that upon the supposition that all the mon-
ey is collected from the contractors for quantities.
But it is some relief to add, that the ine duri x the
acokhed! has been n gradually, but on the whole, reg
nereasing, and as it now stands, will pebabie just about
the expense of the materials and mechanical Jabour of
sie third volume. Nothing has ever been paid for contri-
butions to the pages of the work to the honour of our sci-
entific friends, they have contributed the:
with

cheerfulness and perseverence, sind: the scientific pub-
lic, both at home and abroad, have already decided favour-
ea their productions.

ith this simple statement of facts, we now dismiss the
=p so pea Shae.) our ae ee hotwithstandit

liscou ee to proceed, cheerfully, and with

, in our + bor contented also to relinquish it when-
ever Sibes will more ‘faithfally and successfully perform it,
or: our country ‘have clearly decided att does not
FO ©, oF will not support our undertal king. -
May, 1

THE

AMERICAN :
JOURNAL OF SCIEN CE, &e.

» GEOLOGY, MINERALOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, &c.

of South and

arolina, a, a : |
trom Mr. Joun Drexaa; fare of youth at Colum.
‘bia, S.C

Cuareston, Dec. 21st, 1819.
Dear Sir, :

T sane the opp y given | me es a a few days
in this place, to send you a few loose r remarks on pe eol-
ogy and mineralogy of Carolina, more parti Sou
Carolina. That they are not more foeronb and ay stem-
Bits you will attribute to my close employment as a igen
Although my vacations are very short, it is my cust
< ride once a year into the regions where mine .
a A aes shis. dome furnish a fox sas for ae Jour

marshy. As you recede. from the coast, the sand rises
pat a “tele acai aia Aigher up, are yntaanes

2 Votices of the Mineralogy and Geology

piles of white sand, based on rock, and thinly covered with
stinted pine or scrub oak. rough all this region swamps

et with near its upper edge. crust of end stone, with
a large proportion of iron in it, only a few inches thick, is
spread over the surface in some parts e

“The high hills of Santee.” Of these hills, the site of
_ Columbia affords a good example. This town stands on
an on > the mass of the hill being a very hard
Jrown deposited upon vast quantities (closely com-
pacted) of the substance enveloped in the paper marked A,
and on huge blocks of granite, now completely decompos-
ed, or rather disintegrated. The course of the hill is from
N. E.toS. W. The N. W. side is very steep, and quite
a heavy clay: the S. E. side Slopes off gently in deep sand.
In digging wells, rough an hard brown sand stone and
ng stone, with a_ bein of iron, are ‘taken
at great depths. The species of cla yt marked A, is
ma Col. Blanding in puddling the reservoir from which
he will supply the town with water. It is visible i - deep
gullies, and from a spot of this sort he has it dug ou
2. The Clay country is so called because clay sida:
sists: Here, when land is worn out and left uncultivated,
if the slope be considerable, all soil capable of. supporting
vegetation is washed off, and stiff red clay is left bare.
ore be useful. Gran-
ite is the most common rock, , although a large tract of coun-
try in this: region is formed of argillaceous. ee supe:
all stages of co-

ently a deposit on the primitive roc ¢ks,) in
_ hesion, from clay to building ston ‘Phe specime ns mark-
4 = and Ct are from this tract 5 ; and mar speen, used as

thy!

engi are abaudant near ‘Columbia 5 eae ‘to Kats any just
= but will endeavour tosend sce by ater Sy Somes vu
of them are globular, and contain eme

t This cla is pl ted ith ed ts int
oc white ie P ns cpeeeied ed wi Ba depo ts aici bend in «gro
gers bt ng becomes ees to the feel, eh
aerone'y ta nthe Coe “5 ay

e eer *

a B, is : considerably decomposed, But bears the a of bi
ppearance eing a
ry fine © grained mica slate, or possibly even an arenaceous quartz : if is

SE soe a ley eae ad

of parts of South and North Carolina. 3

whetstones. Fragments of this schistus are often used as
“red chalk,” and probably by the Indians as paint. They
used the various ochres which abound ‘through the clay
country for the latter purpose, and the present inhabitants
employ them in dying. D* is a specimen from Lincoln
County, North Carolina. In that county and York district,
South Carolina, are extensive iron works, richly supplied
on the spot with productive ore. C, was obtained from a
quarry in Anson County, North Carolina, and there is a
quarry of the same kind on the estate of Gen. Davie, at
Handsford, on Catawba river, in Chester district, South
Carolina. Arrowheads of quartz, flint, and schistus, are
found every where through the clay region. On Broad riv-
er, within its limits, and in the distriet of ————, South
Carolina, li me has been found, which is thought to be
of the best quality for making lime: I have seen no speci-
mens of it. . Re. Eig
Thousands of acres in North and South Carolina, consist
of small irregular fragments of opaque white or rose colour-
ed quartz, and the poverty of the land is in proportion to
the quantity of this quartz mixed with the clay. Poor
ridges of this kind produce nothing but a dwarfish deformed
oak, called blackjack. PE no's ‘ye
_ ‘The Gold country lies in Cabarras County, North Caro-
lina, where the gold is found in small pieces, from the size
of half a pea to mere dust, in the beds-of little rills empty-
ing into the waters of Rocky River. a
Fine specimens of pyrites (iron) are found in Newberry
district, South Carolina. Isinglass in wide plates, and pitch

stone, are frequently met with. fe

3. The Mountains are granite, and, of course, among
them are found the minerals usually accompanying the —
primitive rocks. Rock crystal, antimony, and carburet of
iron, I have seen from Pendleton and Greenville, in this

dotted with innumerable exceedingly minute red points of some decom-
—_C, has much the cl of ‘a true whetstone slate ina state of par-
# ition. Edito = ; as ik a : *

tial dece m po: ems :
* D, isa fine €peci n of the compact oxid of titanium, aad: SAS
pebble, of i if d bs | rter in diam ter.—F-dilor. 3 e

4 Notices of the Mineralogy and Geology, &c.

state. ee it is thought, has been maging a= in se for-
mer district, near Andersonvi
Of ae T shall endeavour. to obtain specimens in the
summer, when f expect to visit the upper country.
_ At the Warm Springs, (Buncombe County, North ae
lina,) limestone begins to be found, as we go west. After
passing them, we are in the limestone country. A lime-
aes cave is situated very near them. Patent yellow* is
found native within a few miles, unless the chemists and

painters, w ho have examined the substance there found, be
deceived. Sulphate of barytes is eboartaiys in the neigh-
bourhood.

General remarks. The focalsies given in Cleaveland
from McClure, I find almost always correct, and I presume
- ance: find thei always so, had I time for strict examina-

= Minera s rings abound. - Among the most inter , is
ia Ss a few miles from eting i

i a

; arolina, | measGaledss: This was ert
bene rte Dr.§ Smith ej — fair to be the most

“The josh saan belowhi is intended fér a perpendicular
section ina W.N. W. direction from the mountains to the
= passing through the tract of — and that of ar-

aceous schistus.
remain with great respect,
~ fgg Coes papil, and? sincere fiomk
See hoes JO nese DICKSON.

st the Editor. \ i
canst ou ‘Mr. Dickson, was a very ee erystal of
rundum ; it isa regular prism of six sides—the di
Berner: measures one inch, and the greatest length of the
erystal is nearly three-fourths of an inch} its colour is blue ; ;
it seratches kane garnet, and beryl; it presents the
cleavage and strie of the East Indian corundum, and in
Mots: looks i in all espects so like the speiticns from those

* Such was, at first, the impression of {Nis laie: Pacloves rE. D. Smith, of
the College of South ath Carolina, but it was rath kened b tio
of the facts and of the evidence.~ —Eulitor. Raknduawek

t This sketch bei being hastily made with the pen, it was not thought neces-
sary to have it engraved.— Editor

’

Granger on Zanesville Slate. 5

countries, that it would easily be mistaken for them. It is
not named or alluded to in Mr. Dickson’s paper, and it re-
mains for him to inform the American — rena it is
a native fm te and if oe from what loca

Arr. Il aveiee of wagetable: impressions on the Rocks
connected with the Coal formation of Zanesville, Ohio,
in a@ letter !to the Lion anon Exenezer oe
Esq. dated August 18
se [For the drawings see the rey at 4 end of this Number.]

e- B. Geist ‘kan. _ will deliver you a gy
taining drawings, and specimens of vegetable impressio
collected by Mr. Wm. A. Adams and myself from the rocks
of this vicinit

Il] health, will prevent me from giving a very particular
description of the situation in which they are fou

is whole — you are aware, is composed 1 of secon-

ary rocks. - hills rum about two hundred feet above
the | bed of the sinboges river, which has esidendly éut its
the other rivers and

streams in this ¢ ‘country—the tops of the bills from Lake
Erie to the ee probably being the remains of a once
tolerably level plain. The drawings and specimens are
marked a sid nian eh agreeably to the order of the strata
in which ret were found beginning with the lowest. A. No. 1

(drawing,) and No. 2. (drawing, and cA Sa fom the bed
of the river. This stratum is two or three feet in thickness,

and suiaiine many shells, it. also contains sts > tandle ~ :

resembles in some measure in appearance a large bod
cast iron—resting on this is a stratum of aes
two or three fect in thickness, full of indistinct impressions,
over which is found a eee _— stone,, from. which are
taken the specimens markec *, 7
- From this were taken drastiog: No. 5 of a tacahsped
leaf Sema inches in length, ve twelve in. width at top—
arts of the leaf may be seen ecimen No. 2 and 3—
o. 4, 5 and 6, ie fools hc ws fog oi we suppose
to bea fern. We have a very fine ‘and mee arenes

—

6 Granger on Zanesville Slate.

this with the stalk and leaves—stalk two feet, leaves about
eight inches.

o. Vand 8, i impressions: are from the same, but the stone
contains more san

o. 9, specimen “of said stone from the'same bedstimi-
lar impressions are found in bituminous and argillaceous
slate, in the same bed in great abundan

The next stratum is sand stone navy ing in thickness from
five to fifty feet in different places. The solid parts of the
rock contain throughout, pieces of carbonized wood—be-
tween the layers, the wood is more frequently bituminized,
and changed to stone-coal. ‘Trunks and branches of trees
petrified are often found, the bark generally changed to stone-

coal. In part the wood seems in these cases to have per-
ished, leaving a mould which has been filled up with sand.

C. No. 1, 2, 3, 4 and. 5—the drasriiigs are fon mipcenes
in this iain tnd
No. Be must be the same ke No. 1. The 7 aikrestihbile
draw eS omngwene of Fossil Riliquia found
in the coal strate of England

No4i is a branch about four Fiabe in diameter a little flat-

~ Above this sand stratum for many feet, lies soft ar-
zillaceous slate without impressions.
_ No. 1 and 2—specimens rest upon this and form ‘the
floor of a coal stratum.

No 1, was found in length ten feet, and in breadth four
feet—impres —_— on the under side. It is doubtless the
same as. in the sand stone. E. Coal. —The stratum
from one bey feet thick. In this vicinity but one stratum
is found above the river, another much thicker i is ope by
boring from 15 to 20° feet below the bed of the river.

stone p laterveritg ain

_ Above this, and-inaadall resting-on siidlie: coe is aunties

= from two to four feet ‘of shell lime stone—from hénce
‘the tops of the hills is either. clay, slate, or sand stone.
= ean only add that these impressions afford a considera-

ble — and are found in great abundance.) *

satisfied they are mostly of a tropical growth. li
Sang he puliyae to us to be informed of the species of

Granger on Zanesville Slate, 7

plants to which they or any of them belong, or to which
ey bear the strongest analogy.

m4 cannot forbear suggesting, that a botanical Jotanipton
of the vegetable remains found in different latitudes and
longitudes, and which it is said always occompany the coal
strata, may lead to very important results. They may at all
events, afford some evidence, whether the poles of the easth
have at some remote period been changed.

I had nearly forgotten to mention, that the pebbles it in our
river are many of them primitive rock. H. No. 1, is a spe-
cimen of quartz pebble of considerable size. No ‘rocks of
gre ee are to be found in this: —

“te Very mom jf dee kta | tes
gE Re agg or erat ci chee bs

E f aes ie: ber ae Pan
Siemarks ites ae Euitor. ie Be ripe of the Engineer
department at Washington, on viewing the specimens de-
seribed above, pronounced the i impressions on most of them
to be those of ferns; the broad leaved impression he con-
sidered a fucus.. .It may be added, that the specimens are

panes scene and the delin ineations of several of them
annot fail of ste cine miapeta

NWe would? pen: call thead dttontigt of € ; te 04 to the
views of Mr. Bronentarz, of Paris, e se goes in his note
which was printed in the first Number of this work. | He is
pu , on an extensive scale, the plan of comparing the ve-
getable impressions from different countries, and is particu-
larly anxious to obtain those from the American coal forma-
tions. We shoul

transmit - ® Sia ee pe P28 — crs it
the Squliamoah; from the bituminous coal beds of ih

present: cranial His views are wor-
re of poi =a since te have for ‘their

ess the © prenaans tie-svionceef Geology. |; bss! 2x9

mt Pees! eae

$ Dr. Troost on Amber, &e.

Arr. Ill.—Description of a variety of Amber, and of a
Fossil uty on supposed to be the nest of an Insect dis-
covered at ¢ Sable, Magothy River, Ann-Arundel
i “Aarglands by Docror G. napa, oe Balti-

more

‘Tux Amber found at Cape Sable is either perfectly
Opaque, of the colour exhibiting every shade of a mixture
of yellow, grey and brown, sometimes so arranged in near-
ly concentric zones as to sepley: the most beautiful colours,
admired in the Egyptian Jasper, (quartz agathe onyx of
Haiiy,) or disposed in ee bands, dots, spots, clouds,
each as in the other agates and jaspers. It resembles also,
often the mastich or gum sandarac, occurring in that case al-
ways as this gum resin does in tears, and is then wax or hon-
ey yellow: sometimes with a won a of brown, and sometimes
ddisk yellow 2 or th. ‘The |

aya variety
occurs seldom. A is again translucent, resembling near-
want s case, in its ‘external appearance, the resin or colo-
phony. The lustre of some is very considerable, and of
rly of some of the opaque varieties, is dull.
It breaks sanity exhibiting a perfectly conchoidal fracture,
and i is of the same hardness with the amber of the Baltic.

Its specific gravity varies from 1,07 to 1,180. This dif-
ference is no doubt owing to small particles of pyrites; with
which the cavities + apes map gp ined.

“specimens have only a slight de se clectrcit ;

whilst ethers. possess this oie ~ high Hegren: .

Itis — of a good po

2d Var ns Rett pe | ‘This usually occurs. in

ban a dull eanhy t ‘bette with pyrites. “Its so-

lidity does not excee “des of elute ok ber or of a stiff
soil, with which, externally, it has some resemblance, and
like this, crumbles by friction between the fingers. Its
colour is gray or yellowish gray like ashes—by exposure to
heat Psat ee gives out the smell of common amber, and

in de
cher ao from the size of a mustard seed to that of
pieces 4 to 5 inches in diameter. Its external surface

Dr. Troost on Amber, &. 9

is rough and of a dirty grey colour, covered, lake and there,
with ghee This sualaed is its parts prion, has

river, pica ones oom

_ The surface of Cape Sable and of its environs is oud
erably undulated—some of the hills rising as much as from
80 to 85 feet above the surface of the Chesapeake bay

_ ‘The uppermost stratum is sand, the lower part of which
is SO_ are agglutinated by iron ‘oxide as to form a coarse
ferr Engiian s sand stone, Th alee! “aot the best

(dichter- nsteir This strat
varies from 15 to 60 and 70 elow which lies a stra-
tum of lignite of three eng an half to Coe feet in thickness.
This: bed contains nearly all varieties of lignite, such as Jet,
brittle lignite, bituminous wood and brown lignite, penetra-
- sg tbropencss by pyrites. The junction of this stratum
the shored is a mixture of Jignite and sand, no separa-
nhed ree eh Be Ss an sn ae Eke amber

one te er 9 aargnes 1 the coe ei de}
cimen possesses all the fe preperned os the as of the:

}-
ing and Lis ae: li tie bel ellow see ieaiein circumstances

ou Dr. Troost on Amber, §-

the iiitiscn: is to be observed, and this seems owing, at the
= examined, to a small undulation.t

Below this, is a stratum of sand intermixed with, pyrites,
in which are often found large nests of this mineral, 15 to
20 feet in square surface, and from one foot to one foot and
an half in thickness. The quantity of pyrites this bed pro-
duces is astonishing ; having cleared off its superincumbent
strata of sand and lignite, (a surface of ein of 1700 square
feet,) it gave mne, excluding the pyrites, which were broken
up into small pieces, upwards af t weaty-five tons. This
stratum is here and there entirely wanting, its place being
then occupied by shaly clay.

There eg a bed of earthy lignite. from 5 to 12 feet
in thickness, embracing a great abundance of pyritous wood,
intermixed with large fragments, thirty and more feet long,
of bituminous wood. This bed is intersected by streaks
and nests of a a grey clay EES fine. gre in Ai

sy qu nd nstance,
s found, two substances which
1 ndance in ihe: wanitve rocks, fifteen or twenty
niles Mitesce f Bs a here, principally near Baltimore
“dn this stratum of lignite, was found a substance which i
at first sight mistook for a fruit, endeavouring to find its
analogy among the palm fruits. Phe -< rror soon, however,
became manifest from the observation, tat what had. been
aiken for the stem of the fruit, was not implanted i in it, but
raversed its centre, and sometimes perforated its sides—
po: circum ances bearing no analogy to the stem of fruits.
The substance was there subjected to a more attentive
investigation, the result of which led to the belief, that it
vas an animal product of a very curious nature, and that it
could be cabins else buta kind of comb or nidus made by
some insects around the twigs and extremities of the succu-
lent branches of a tree.

es <t * these nests is from one to > three inches” in
ngth, their diameters varying in pro rtion—for instance,

if the nest have aa: = senate
co commonly one ‘inch ; if one i

ter will ae. hal

oe See Note second at the aket ths Memohe':

Dr. Troost on Amber, &c. li

surface rough, resembling often in roughness and colour,
the unripe fruit of the orange tree known to the druggists
by the name of bitter oranges; sometimes its surface re-
sembles the bark of some oak limbs. This surface is over-

is deposited, and three on the outside, being the openings
, i of which the centre one is the largest.

ie “at

Pou5, al

: Bes. the jy
d, appear to have fed on the sub
Stance, and to have eaten through the investing coat, by

of the ng to the change
oe ground, or from
other wn pearing to have
undergon the internal colou:
is black, and partly cl seem to be in a

primitive appearance, the colour

ed witl

-of junction, nor is the least fragment of lig-
that the lignite has been deposited after the ar-

‘,

i2 Dr. Troost on Amber; §e.

This is followed by a stratum of whitish grey clay, four
feet in thickness, exempt from pyrites. This clay rests on
a bed of white sand, in which the water is so abundant as
to render it difficult to ee lower, .

’ Note First, p- 9.—The Sicleesaes: existing aia this cater
and that o f the Baltic, i is, Se ascribable. more to the local
vide trees which produeed it.
The amb ber found, one and'an half foot above the stratum of lig-
nite is, i seit respect, equal to the Prussian amber, is exempt
from | ‘no crust except some ferruginous sand cemented
around it: in other lumps which are found in the bed of lignite, in
contact with and sometimes wholly penetrated by pyrites, the amber
has usually a thiek opaque crust; and the more it is in contact with
this mineral, the more the colour deviates from that of the Baltic.
According ic Hotsman, who has examined ee sah ihe amber

_ seems not to be in contact sree iow. "As eeane Actin 9 are work-

ed in ab

with the

sree iret to ieee: what sort
ice , amber—at least s to be no doubt

that smber owes: owes its origin to the eclehie kingdom: this Ras been
the opinion of the oldest nations, whose histories have been trans-
mitted to us by the fables of the ancients, as we learn from the
beautiful fiction of the hazardous enterprize of Phaéton, where his
sisters, bewailing the loss of their brother. find their feet fastened to
the shore, their arms stretching out in flexible twigs, upon which

| eS | PF { ap » foalliy

1 a

1g from € position in which we find the amber here, we
have eto coaclnds that i it was already formed before i it was de i

in the thas
an the nature of niisbvers Tt inust ust have beena a vegetable resi esin,
A apa the nature of copal, before it ene Dade with its parent

it cannot be, as professor Stermstadt su ,a mineral ore,
hickeved by the absorption of | oxigen nor, as is the opinion of
r irae an inspissated m neral oil; nor again, as Patrin
modified iby. tive and and d mineral acids, which has

liquid eure fe been. odaeed by the ve-
retabl ter they 1 Raenemae and. we should find it in
the form > epee below the substances from which it was
generated—this - ‘is not the case at Cape Sabl ble; we find it in the
Stratum of liguite on its top, and one foot and a half above it.—And

PSs Ts on Pe ae

Dr. Troost on Ainber, &¢. 13

iv the former case ] would ask, whence the insects which are some-
times found i in the Bethe amber? Certainly, these insects did. not

way as those of the e acea,* aud have acquired t |
amber ee theirstay.i in the earth, from the same agent acter
inous substances. _ These fossil remains ean, perhay

lignite at Cape Sable is aires of saith L id there. have been
different kinds, there is Ste one which eee to have prodaced
the ambers at least, I have have

soune-inrgly ut ne of aie varieties :
close: grain, wih acesng to the smallness of is ent ic
layers, must have been of a slow growth; (ne: rth e lay
ers may have been altered by the pressure the wood ie Ie,
having now all a flat appearance. ) Bot T have not been able to
In elucidation of the foregoing, lw mold propose t ‘the. following

"ist: What kind of insets a fy uiicabe spt deg Papeete

IEP ete

%
ety eee ands 3

7 ma of Kn ihaits tintin ies of the c Pagnds, the
bas: ‘se ieties of Sei teett's48-trantel ones inte rspe-
cies * poo Seite nerdoeed Om: these trees...

ry friends in

: % ction: syithe. red i
; as cut a the death of the:
owner, was sold as one a saber wih ince which | the most practis-

ed eye was not able to distinguish.

i Dr. Troost on Amber, &.

2d.- Sia ian insect aoe its nidus of resinous. eee, as the
coccus la
8d. What species < of trees do these insects inhabit? Pe

~- Note Second, p. 10. Sahatcke seems to have adopted this bed of
lignite as its laboratory for the formation of sul phur, of which the
pyrites are composed—at least, it is true, that above this bed not
the least vestige of this miner al is to be found, whereas, it appears
as soon as the lignite is discovered In the s superior part the py-

and there, the: sand which exists in the interstices: of the w
a “by pyrites, and at other times, uniform piesa or

ich we have made mention in this is memoir, are large masses. of
oes found principally in the inferior part of the stratum, at a
spot where the water has been prevented from: infiltering itself to
a lower depth, by the bed of earthy Ment saseliad be which (as i in the
case of comt water r does not ¢ ry ws but with g

the pr structure of wood; or tie dips oF sandstone which
serves as a cess to the eet we find small masses of sand ce.
potiaceacih by ‘pyrites. cr necansetn is gan aa ten or twelve

propo wat
ao density it has acquired, in its passage, , by the solution of for-
eign matter. Below this bed, of which the meant tuck » s three

a tes are formed.

What sh all ll we conclude from all this ? ‘Here I faced hawiva
my op ion. first suppose the constituent parts of
the sulphur’ are lodged in the vegetable matter—that only an active
agent is wanting to disengage them from the matter with which

they are combined, and to recombine to produce sulphar—
let us suppose, at the same time, this. agent to , or water
charged with iron, then the water, by filteri h the superior
stratum, which, en said, js sand agglutinated by oxide of

iron, is charged with the iron, and meeting in the stratum of lignite
the constituent parts” of eUaeer has” put the same into action.
Phe sulp! ing ni tae: entered j into pombinatlag with
thefiae place, tc he pyritous matter, panty ag in
| ned by a decor athe

form and
~The ligud thus. generate, tering

. ee Dr. Trovst consider itp a3 a compound ?. Fa.

Bee aa are eek te ia hia i bo ta gc eth oy nll 4

Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, &e. 15
>

The stratum of earthy lignite being but a bad filter, the pyrites be-
come very scarce beneath, and soon (at two to two and an half
feet below it) disappears altogether. ae owe

Arr. IV.—Notices of the Geology, Mineralogy, Topogra-

phy, Productions, and Aboriginal inhabitants of the re-
gions around the Mississippi and its confluent waters—in
a letter from L. Brineier, Esq. of Louisiana, to Rev.
Elias Cornelius—communicated for this Journal.

ys gp Mescrite

oe Rees eae see

Through the medium of this Journal,vol. £. pp. 214 and 317,
the public have been already favoured with the observations
of the Rev. Mr. Cornelius, on some portions of the souther:
and south western States. At the request of the Editor,
facts and. statements, derived from other sources, were ob-
tained by Mr. Cornelius; and relating principally to parts
of the country on the Mississippi, which that gentleman had
not the opportunity of seeing. This was the origin of Mr,

‘ingier’s memoir, which pecu aliar circumstances have pre-
vented our publishing tillnow. Fe A
Although somewhat immethodical, it abounds so much
with interesting statements, that we have thought it better to
publish it, with some alterations and omissions, (agreeably
to the author’s permission communicated with the paper,)
rather than to attempt a new digest of the subjects: for Mr.
ringier appears to have contemplated little more than the
communication of materials, to be wrought into a different

form.—Eprror. -

County of Accadia, 20th March, 18:

_. MR. ELIAS CORNELIUS, ._

Gner sincerely, that yours of the 28th ultimo, on ac-
count of my being absent when it arrived, has reached me
only this day: this delay has nearly absorbed (if not alto-

16 ao on the Region of the Mississippi, Se.

guiiees) fi latitude you had: preseribed for an answer, and
: which would have required several days, in order to give
4 satisfac

Sorvihatandiaet I will gilea rons to send you tee the
-present, such information as the n narrow bounds I have lef
will admit. TI will hereafter take more time for a detailed
eeeonton, which i will forward 40 you;: or to Professor
Sillima

~ Tam otiy thortified, that the specimens* remaining
in my posse jon, and which will accompany this, are of so
little accoun op should have been happy to be able to
give youa Weiter testimony of my good will, tow ards all
attempts useful to society.
efore I proceed, I must claim your indulgence for at-
‘empting to write in a language with which I am s0 litile fa-
milia r.
The state of eal covering mostly a ‘country
of alluvion, just making its app ie @ water, A
peck ae Tittle v ri

vast ‘fe Id for ae wh ish ie trace ‘maby
ane ious of nature. .
Ps Sits ss over the num erous : phenomena which the sedi-
ment of the Mississippi i is preparing, for future ages, in the
Gulph of Mexico. “The effect resulting from the infinite
quantity and variety of 1 matter carried daily by the torrents
into we bosom of the sea, and { ated t thereii
ei

see

sufficiently intere:
eC lin many other a. ’ — |
Bent rg raf the Misisippi. . _—

T will, Nowe, stop a moment, on the in of ¢
Mississippi, to consider how, as the stream is tscetided. the
banks of this river gradually rise and again descend to-
wards the —— 3 50 Ba: the Misisip in all its allu-

wo aint by the anton ape in our. possesion,
Ww. agree mith, him as tothe ae 8 Seok

Sie wien KS wot use the names on Mati apf be Unite

§ Marine
Q cestng, an

enw

Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, &c. 17

the St. Francis, or 7 miles below, although the grand val-
ley is intersected several times below the St. Francis, by

Drift Wood.

Before I speak of that immense valley, which covers an
area of upwards of thirty-five thousand miles,* of which
one-third belongs to the territory of Missouri, I must re-
mark that, by what has been exposed of the Mississippi
river, it is evident that whatever once escaped from. its
banks, never returns to them again; hence, we could form
an idea of the enormous beds of timber, leaves, and other
substances, which are assembled below the surface of the
valley mentioned above, provided we could know how long
the Mississippi has been floating them into the lower coun-
try. This inference we might (paisa upon the quantity that

€ see going, without interruption, into the Achafalaya,
where several hundred miles are converted into solid rafts
_* The bed of the Mississippi occupied formerly, the actual bed of St.
and the hills at the mouth of this river, then were at gett hed

much water, as what empties itself out of the mouth of the river, This
causes the mouth of this river to be so narrow in proportion to the extent
_ ef its dimensions. rE

Vor. HL....No. 1. 3

18 Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, &c.

of wood.. These rafts of wood, in the course of every twe
or three years, disappear under the sand and leaves. This
operation alternately removes the bed of the Achafalaya
sometimes four or five miles to the east, or two or three to
the west, but more commonly towards the east. On this
side, it has gained more than 10 miles already, since it has
become an outlet of the Mississippi; indeed, in its length, it
will soon fall into this river, and bring its mouth lower down;
for it is evident that the Achafalaya was formerly the outlet
of Red river, whose actual confluence with the Mississippi
is two and three quarters of a mile from the mouth of the
Achafalaya. When this was joined to the Red river, it
formed a separate stream, running parallel to the Mississippi,
without any communication. This communication has howev-
er taken place in consequence of the encroachment of the
Mississippi, whose bed constantly gains on one bank or the
other, substituting, on the opposite side, glarle and sand,
(what is called sand beach,) and thus forming bars, some of
which are one mile broad, and from three to five miles long.
~~ T will now return to the drift wood accumulated in the
Achafalaya. Lest any one should hear with incredulity of
the enormous quantity of wood spread over the country
whieh that river every year inundates, I will give an abstract
of my observations, made in 1812. Having landed at the
mouth of this river, when it was at its fullest, I was surprised
at the quantity _ wood leaping perpetually into the shoot.
ite :

~

will cover in twenty-four hours, particularly, when we con-
sider how much gee large trees will eccupy with their
limbs and roots. The reader will observe, that I have
omitted to estimate the leaves, bark, reeds, &c. whose uni-
ted quantity is, probably, equal to that of the wood; nei-
ther have I included the sediment of the muddy water, as
charged from the mouth of the Mississippi river, which
roved, according to several elaborate experiments which J
formerly made, to be equal to thirty-six cubic miles annually.

*
a a Se a Ns oe th Ae

Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, §&c. 19

I will give a few more examples of this kind, before i
are the sg for I consider it to be of great impor-
leave, for the observation of the Mississippi
naigator, a beds of drift wood collected on the heads of
lands, which they pass in coming down the Ohio, and
more particularly the Mississippi. I will, therefore, advertto —
the large raft of the Red river, which is sixty miles in i length,
and, in many places, fifteen in breadth. On this, in some
places, cedars are heaped by themselves, and in others,
pines. At the foot of a hill, where nothing else grows, the
flood sweeps them into a. pile, where they are matted to-
gether, with their leaves, and with the pods or capsules of
their seeds, forming as most compact kind of rafts. If these
leaves ever enter into fermentation, or any other decompo-
- ion,» is mus sf certainly. pindnee. piusinoun aubetences

kewiie, by the same cause, with av ery large proportion of
minute vegetables, may produce other bituminous bodies in
smaller quantity ; but I conceive that mineral coal would be
formed in greatest snondance, as the rafts of mixed wood
are inexhaustible.

Tn this raft of the Red river, 1 numerous small streams are
seen to disappear under the raft, and show themselves again,

er having passed several miles mater the surface, and un-
der the sand banks, which are, probably; oie at 7 oa
buried under the sand.* ots

* This account being communicated i in MS. to N. A. War £, Esq. an
telligent and scientific gentleman, from Alabama, he gave me the fllowing
opinion of ¢ the statement of facts s— Editor.

To ‘Paonp azo SILLIMAN.

Sir,
ae. Bringier's onlin of of the aif, and is dhcuail ot viet de
vaft in the Achafalaya, is too |: ae ogy ag
- gives the best accouut of it: 1 to to wget Prt ou, pp. 15, 52, 53, and 54.
Darby’s far a " Louisiana, is very minute,
in the aforesaid nahi doth and is the best aecouut extant.f

The passa 2 sabiehed te aby Me Ware, are as ad talk
= hon aoe spectacle of being | ho

20 Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, &c.

The following circumstance will show what. influence
1h have on the alluvial soils of such rivers as this.

Earthquakes and Eruptions. |

On the sixth day of January, 1812, during the earth-
which destroyed New-Madrid, and which were

felt two hundred miles around, I happened to be passing in
its neighbourhood, where the principal shock took place.
The violence of the earthquake having disturbed the earthy
strata. impending over the subterraneous cavities, existin ng
- probably in an extensive bed of wood, highly carbonized,
occasioned the whole superior mass to settle. This, press-

T have seen the oil stone for hones and tools, mentioned bi r. B, as
found on the Ouichita—it is no donbt better than those brought from Tur-
k

Seca in New-Orean ans, and is now, as you
it was fou a Se often heard of

2 e
ook I have no _— eitiag the granite or primitive mountains, on the A
kansas, and neighbo:

tion, havin, re lode mories the des yonk of the river, on all the parts where the

ht may pass in many places, but in none withon tdi
culty nin anger. “ie timber rived and falls with the wat.

ally. ite arenes lies ail directions, having ieee interstices open, and oa

na ae ee the wi oie of the in Atis
about twenty miles pper to the lower extremity of the aft t
ee of this as ora _ timber,” pp. 52. . —

r Mr. Da sgt girs od Mr.
Be i book was ‘paola in gs ot and to Bringier’s visit to the
Achafalaya was in 1812. Whether the rafts had actually diminished since
this period, or in-what way we are to recor ncile the accounts, we cannot at
present discern; even Mr. By? $ account is however ee won-
derful.— Editor.

* Pa eS nae asserted that eart proceed from care

sedbgeakes
causes, but a this may be oftent th th
must have ee poe cet oe —

ideas as to the origin of then se caraorian ary phenomena. It
that they in d a

de caine bebe Paige ay anal Ae Sse ed celts: eed Sag te eae RE eaten ae a ee

Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, &. 21

ing with all its weight upon the water that had filled the low-
er Cavities, occasioned a displacement of this fluid, which
forced its passage through, blowing up the earth with loud
explosions. It rushed out in all quarters, bringing with it
an enormous quantity of carbonized wood, reduced mostly
into dust, which was ejected to the height of from ten to
fifteen feet, and fell in a black shower, mixed with the sand
which its rapid motion had forced along; at the same time,
the roaring and whistling produced by the i iImpetuosity of the
air escaping from its confinement, seemed to increase the
horrible disorder of the trees which every where encount-
ered each other, being blown up, cracking and splitting, and
falling by thousands at a time. In the mean time, the sur-

face was sinking, and a block Hania sp was gine: up to ae bel-
ly of my horse, who stood m otionless, eek with a

of terror. cable ah

These occurrences occupied bl two minutes; ; ig
trees, shaken in their foundation, kept falling here and there,
and the whole surface of the country remained covered with
holes, which, to compare small things with great, penis
so many craters of volcanoes, surrounded with a ring of
carbonized wood and sand, which rose to the height of about
seven feet.

T had occasion, a few months after, to bali the depth of
several of these holes, and found them not to exceed twenty
feet; but I must remark the quicksand had was shed: ‘into
them. The country here was formerly perfectly level, and
covered with numerous small s of various sizes, dis-
persed through the woods. Now i it is covered with slaches
(ponds) and sand hills or mounticules, which are found prin-
cipally where the earth was formerly the lowest; et aie
pe al in such places, the water broke through with more
tacilty

A circumstance work noticing, was a tendency to fi 3
bonization, that I perceived in all the vegetable gebetanecs

Paes ‘the pee ae s lake muc
Big lake on Red riv oh, inasamed as standing
upright in all of thie ‘and sunk sbout ey Ey feat whee the

22 Bringver on the Region of the Mississippi, &.

water ishigh. ‘They are all evidently modern oe whose
beds sina not long since, part of the forest.

| Fossil Remains of the Mastodon.

On the same voyage, I saw, in New-Madrid, a Mam-
moth grinder, which had just been found by one Francais
Lesieur. Along with it were several other teeth belonging
to the same jaw—it was found about three miles below the
Miles on the banks of the Mississippi, but it was very

damp and very soft.* This kind of fossil is frequently met
with on the porphyry ridges bordering, in many places, a
Sy of the grand valley which is included in the state of

fissouri

Between White river and _Swawberry river are three par-
allel porphyry ranges, running circularly from the west to
the north east; the three mountains are twenty-eight miles
across, and seem to a MA above Faecass when the Thole

country > .

| ae i ga dulati
sst which are some ces ae that may be de-
nominated marbles. —

At the foot of the before mentioned mountai In, Was an
elephant or mammoth’s tooth (or grinder) of an enormous
size; it was fully twice as large as the largest I had seen be-
fore at Big-Bonelick, A great quantity of these fossils are
there gathered in a small compass, and this collection was
a Dubtless occasioned by the appetite which these animals
had for the salt. Attracted by the water that oozes in these
marshy place es, they were evidently mired when they ven-
tured too far in, and of course, the stru gles of the last one
would sink the aie of rape a still deeper.» Thus

grinder which I discovered, was perfectly preserved. in its
Shape, and converted into a siliceous petrification, repre-

sen’ per, variegated with beautiful colours.
solid block of porphyry, which the de-
had worn away to such a degree,

eig = Sees ie being, if if we cout read it correct-
iyveleven ta seven be-eérsect ine

bee valle of Secalin

AS LE III LET LL ENEY a EST Hat. po

Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, &e. 25

that it projected like* a tooth in its own alveolage. By
breaking a piece from one corner, the enamel’and the lay-
ers of the tooth soon became visible, so that there could be
no doubt as to what it was.

I examined the block of porphyry attentively, and think
I could discern some osseous forms; the bones appeared to
be in their full size, and, like the grinder, converted into
Jasper; but it was of a more dull colour, and not so hard,
and resembled indurated clay. The other component parts
were sat Meee and pean and some other things not
ascerta ained

a - Marbles, ;

war ‘next deere! the ‘marbles | found in those ‘ull ae
ready mentioned, which are situated in- of the
territory of Missouri, known by the name of Eauihee
county.

The kind that is most abundant is a brick coloured mar-
ble, with brown stripes, (resembling the Italian Roso di
Monte Catini.) The nextis a plain flesh coloured marble,
(Rosso di Caldona.) A white and black marble, is the first
that occurs at the foot of the ridges; it is a most beautiful va-
ee ¥3 (Nero, y Bianco Antico.) 1 have found many other

in the branches of the creeks, but have not discov=

oe the quarries. The kinds first mentioned, are found in

Shee plenty. The first covers more than 50 miles of sur-

The land is extremely fertile in the places where the

Morble lies, buried in two or mnie feet of lo oam. Phis 4 is

particularly true on the bottom
nea which a

ooseberry bushes 2 quarries genera
revel sures o of a tolerable ei

with penecash is very ete anit in the: Sport ate va-

24 Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, 8c.

riety (which is a non-descript) covers extensive vallies, upou
which the pieces are scattered in piles, that are from three to
four feet in diameter, and two in height. The colour pre-
sents different shades of gray: the texture is earthy, although
in some places exhibiting a chatoyant knob of various col-
ours, having some resemblance to the cat’s eye. These
_ colours are produced by the reflection of small prismatic
crystals, filling up the places which had been left empty by
some other substances, that must have expanded them-
Ives, and occasioned the protuberances on the stone, and
the alteration of its composition, which is in these places
siliceous, resembling transparent white flint. This peculiar

.

tallic substances, for some are striped with black veins like

__ While I speak of on-descript objects, or at least of what
‘T have ; een described no where, I will mention a stone re-

4

x: s nted with very
of any other mixture or colour. ae

black ys

ara

pearance ¢
Not far

‘ei. :
Its fracture is foliated, and it soils the paper when rubbed
on, leaving a metallic lustre. It affords from seventy te

| Bringier on the Region of thé Mississippi, &e. 25

sighiprsix pen cent. of lead; and this lead is said to have
afforded cent. of alter. But the other lead mines,
now porting near Herculaneum and St. Genevieve, produce
only one-fourth Der & fen which is not separated, as it would
‘not defray the exp

e galena or a ore is found disseminated in blocks of
different sizes, at a depth of about nine feet, covered with a
stratum of seven feet, composed of rubbish, very much de-
composed, and. strongly impregnated with oxid of iron,
under which, large blocks and small pieces of what Walle-
rius calls. orneus Trapezius, are found intermixed in about
equal | ro ig with. white selenitic spar, (sulphat of Ba-
rytes, ieces of about the same size, buried in the
rubbish before’ ncutiobar Noho thei ore, i ihe, eoneral) ay

and cae digs. on an extraordinary occasion, two thousand
pounds a day; when another will not dig fifty pounds. At
mine “Chobeh éllay,* the workmen who lease, each of them
so many square yards per week or per day, all work on
their own a ihe and sell their ore at two dollars per hun-
dred, to the ounderers who are proprietors of the mineral
land. The ore is simply pikes on Fk logs of wood, which
reduces all the metal it can, and e cinders - (since a few
years only) are ‘put a fietwaeds. tite a air furnace, wh

they are reduced into slags, after yieldin ing another ride 9
tion of the lead etree # in the scorias. e ore of | this
mine yields ae eight Lee cent. of lea

‘o the n mine Chobohillay, the shale face of the
country ewbibits: fe aneee of metals. In 1812 I had ga-
thered numerous Hqcete while merely crossin the coun
try. Unfortunately they all went under a raft, wi :
= Cape Girsidead? ‘as I was descending the Mis

I would advise adventurers to explore the mountains

een the waters of St. Francis, high up near its sources,

and near and even above the head waters. of Big and Little
Black river, Between these waters and White river are ;

} could: be extracted.

"4 A Choetna?’ waite dot StF Rendle

Choe ame reiiccia
ee is sitoated;. Kopeang (omeks) aken Seen ro
Tt Nar 8

26 Bringer on the Region of the Mississippi, &e.

abundant; their ores exhibit much variety, and the hunters

relate that there are a variety of other minerals.
3 | - fron Ores. we

Tron ores of several varieties are found in great quantity,
between the currents and White river. The Wachitta, eigh-
teen miles below the hot spring, affords, in a place ca ed
the cove, five points of hills, where the very richest iron ore
is gathered in enormous heaps; it yields the’ best of Iron.

Some cellular brownish red ore, which occurs in very large
bodies, and mineralized by about thirty per cent. of oxigen,
is likewise found in this cove, and in many other places,
particularly on the north side of the mouth of Little Mis-
sourl, (a fork of Wachitta.

About one hundred and fifty miles up this Little Missouri
river, there are’ inexhaustible quarries of sulphate of lime,
of several varieties; it is likewise found in the cove, within
ore, and not one hundred yards off, is an extensive bed of
eommon tale, (mica? Ed.) the leaves are of an extraordinary
size, not less than five inches by seven.

Le

—

ictal Cove of Wachitta.

The Cove of Wachitta is formed by a circular mountain,
shaped like a horse shoe. This mountain consists of Spar-
ry poe stone and heavy spar; it encloses an area of nine
vailes tg hoes eee ae es ae

very fine streams fed by numerous springs. In this ville

ls cove faces on the Wachitta river, and offers a
charming perspective. It is surrounded with pitch pines of

the extraordinary height of one hundred and sixty feet,

Bringier on the Region of the — ee

with a “greyish ‘baa cast. They ha a sparry texture ;
they seem to be an aggregate of diliecous argillaceous and
magnesian earths, with a @ litle oxid of iron.

| Sal, Sona Hilts, wt sth
finite 28 Tmean he cox
(the hone quarry is aire the cove) there is a salt work ;
it makes a great quantity of salt, which is sold at one
dollar per bushel. They could make any quantity, the wa-
ter is so far saturated that it yields one fifteenth of salt; but
there are salt springs on the Arkansas that yield one sixth
of salt ; and higher still there are streams of a sufficient size
for a boat to navigate in, coming out of a lake called lake
—— which is a saturated solution of salt. This water

of a bright red, takin ee ee

siten’ mines, which are very plenty on
Large blocks of rock salt of the same Cicak ee
crevices of the mountains eastward of these telcos: Th
are three in arange; their beds are a solid mass of inariatb
of — and pera them are immense Ag where the

cording as the wind directs them, sometimes eight ‘or ten
aos 6 or more at a time. They are impassable 7 one would
| ashes.

The de * “a ‘ Shi a
of their bakes, which nepal evacnate ina oe i

28 Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, sc:

Other facts respecting the Cove of Wachitta.

Since I was at the Cove of Wachitta, I understand that
an Indian has found a piece of native copper of the size and
shape of an ear of Indian corn. He melted and doubtless
used the copper, for some of the Cherokees on the Arkan-
sas are. tolerable silver-smiths. — Pyrites is found here in
abundance, so oe native copperas, or vitriol; this forms a
Rebeca art of some veins running through a large

of a mii Ik white te and apparently talcose earth, which the
blow pipe, ‘even when aided by borax, does not t affect.

~ Burr Mill Stones.

On the hills surrounding the Cove there are among the
Spathose iron stone, and the fibrous and compact heavy
spar, some of the siliceous stones with which the French Burr
mill stones. are ade. _ They are Ree by a good

3 this person ¢ ‘to
ones. aces inches

‘Twenty cae oe Sasen the opie hacibeess that and the
Arkansas, one hundred yards to the left of the road, after.
crossing the third fork of the Saline river, and immediately
on its banks, there is an acclivity leading to a perpendicular
wall of about one hundred feet in in height; this is composed of
a black slate, (aluminous s shistus) rather ix in its posi-
tion. The observer, on see es few: of the loose slates
under his feet, will disco

sand tons of Alum. It is the kind. called” Feather Alum
(plumose alam.~Bi) iti isin, mee nee in with

of long needle shaped
crystals og whith betwreen thatof hameen ape silk

Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, §¢. 28
Hot Springs.

The hot springs of Wachitta have proved to be the most
efficacious thermal watersin the United States. Their repu-
tation, particularly in one disease, has undoubtedly reached
the most remote corner of our country; it is much to be —
regretted that visitors find no accommodations | When
I was at these lead there were two hundred and eighty
persons. A number had come more than one thousand
miles from edi but they all appeared to suffer for want
batho eMac asin ‘&e. os - es they had

. e had. Still,

er eo the water in those is ere 1867. cp rence out
of a bed of fibrous heavy spar* which some travellers have
taken for a voleanic production, but I could see no trace of

any such agency. Some sulphur which is seen in the pores
of the spar, in some places mixed with a metallic substance’
which I 2 ee to ae nee find ra deposited by the water,
! iphur. — gngeed, Sr beans e is Wied

reign % peti gateaen

ie pean bs ite tbaweor ade is generally made

r tea, and indeed for or all culinary uses; besides be-

ing drank when it aie ough. Sti ‘e good |
8 of water ea i Pl the hill, after i issuing om

eS | + ot snes, All

Fame We Bos

water equal to Greco ey d perhap:
Tasca te vere running parallel,
» of the letter U, and |

30 = Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, &c.
Soil, Productions, &c.

At first sight, the country about the hot springs appears
poor, being composed principally of pine lands; but expe-
rience has proved, that the pine flats, which are very ex-
tensive, produce the best of wheat, and cotton of a superior
quality. The soil produces, moreover, the majority of the
other productions cultivated in that climate; a great quanti-
ty and variety of grapes, of an exquisite quality, and as
In e as musket balls, are found in the woods.

The extensive surrounding country is populating rapidly,
iiuapite of the repeated orders which have been given to the
settlers to move out of that region. Emigrants daily pass
over the Arkansas, and they count already, upward of 3000
individuals spread, since three years, about the springs Four-
che Cadeau, Little Missouri prairie aux Anes, Mount
= os thick soca and ee coeemce B Reds riv-

above the rafts.

gi eee

$. I party | of Cherokee Indians, amounting to about
tong Mesos went over the Arkansas last year, to form a
settlement on the Red river; they are increasing every day
by the accession of dissatisfied persons living on the Arkan-
sas; they will probably, all pass over there before long; and
claim both the country eos MAN have in in possession, an
that wh peut been ni i Te m by treat y, in exchange

oF Peale sey e gir lan ie Tea ag ai =

between the Canadian hg

to the west, soe ed to he south, the Wachitta to th
east, and Arkansas to the north, is claimed by a small 1 Pin.
nant of a once formidable: nation of Indians, called the Ar-
kansas or ‘Quawpaws, from cia floating with the
current or Gow, stream.) They tend to have come down

r We

Meats and the Missour, cna
e the M: qgeeee below the river Kansas. They
understand pote gay maieedly well. The Osages are said

Bringwer on the Region of the Mississippi, §c. 31

to have sprung from these, and their language differs very
little from that of the other two. All three tribes abound
with tall, well-proportioned, and large men. Both in their
physical and moral faculties, they are much superior to wit
the — tribes of Indians oe North America. fer

mongst the oO ere e a
glers, who now and ae td ti broad, but in

their villages, as in those of the other two tribes, : a stranger

is in more security than he would be in any civilized city.

Their hospitality exceeds all bounds; they act as if nothing

was their own, and the best way to please them, is to refuse

Pes Sones them. — When a trader P stops” ‘his boat on the

Ark g place, forty-six miles from their vil-
a to! his |

guard to. tke cade er deca em y boat, sometimes for four
thonths; and they pack the goods themselves, di the
privilege of lodging the people of the boat, whom they di-
vide among them. The merchant is reserved for the princi-
a chief, who gives him a warrior to guard his person and his

s, besides many other attentions, which, with delicate al-

oer alinge wooden bom full of provisions, from ev
ere : paegichas: oe in slices and plated to ‘ rs
sweet corn which they boil when green, and dry io tas an
buffaloe’s dry meat, and bear’s meat, or fresh venison and
turkeys. All the other I ndian tribes, except aed Osages,
eat beaver; the latter have a tradition, by whic pen sein
tend to have sprung from a female beaver and a snake. _
They, like most of the other tribes, believe i in the’ aaae

two or three men > ean bomebaek pursue - 2
the circle withthe their bows and arrows, (for they never kill a
huffaloe with a gun.) and rail sikoew kel | they first select

32 ~=Bringier owihe Region of the Mississippi, ¥e.

the fattest for the old people, and. the nemsinder is dudes
among all.the others.

‘They have prophets, whom they call. ere hey pro-
phesy ama apes which they P genes: muni-

0 8 ie

ich, t to the 9 Be font appear to aR 2: posi seri-
ous nature, and some of them would surprise our own show
masters.’ The. most extraordinary is a secret they pretend
to’have, of a composition which preserves them altogether
from the action of fire. After anointing their hands with
his composition, which leaves no mark on the hand, they
take hold of large stones red hot,* which, even at arm’s
length, would burn any other person. The. acid: of a kind
eres be bess er aa awe 01

‘rounder the st e the threads,
and if. they are are perfectly round they preserve them entirely.
I have seen also, several in the possession of some of the
Freach. hunters on. the Arkansas, which have: mani ested
that property. 3

The. sage eae are Fikewise their : physicians.

+

on sali, of about ae
ease

eect: Praitie, 9 where weeds grow twelve ov

eaerataens there are ee; on: anita cibuinta, whieh

may be eighty or one hu sdned feet high; the surface of on

is pericctiy level, and — s more than ees alae a
fore TF a great distance round, is almost
hee: puget which =

ne. Bringier does not infor i eth he secereae this from hear-
it with the hag wn y he meant it only as an
ih te o be done, ‘and quite #

examole of lege
different une is done. Editor.

ila 4 ull

Se on the Region of the Mississippi, &c. 33

Salt Springs.
“Fifieen miles from the village, is the sine which ya
_ the water that gives one-sixth of salt. e Her hart had

put up about tity kettles on that see”

~ Historical Anecdote.

But last year the Cherokees. persuaded a number of other
tribes to jom them, and destroy the Osages, in order to take
their rich possessions, (for these prairies afford the most fer-
tile lands im the United States ;) but they were deceived in
their expectations, Six hundred and a of them, after
t atrocio: towards, ae of truce,

undre

but returned home shamefully beat so oa ing ninety

six women oh cntaren whem ie traced into a cave, ee
they had hid themselves. As the Herhart meena be-
fore, had committed a murder im the Indiana territory, the
Cherokees threatened to deliver him to the governor, if he
did not draw the Osages into their ambuscade. To effect
this he did he best; but the Osages mistrusting the

TOpositio ‘heroke one gee tg Eyer
arms, as they , were Baie! to do. ae ak he

would go, aa followed fecal: ashe Ea the i Ree ci
fell on him, and while they were disputing who should have
the honour of killing a defenceless wretch, having already
pags: spears through his body, | - ‘Finish your deed,” (said

d had of ‘our “en

nardiere, Ea will manifest the wisdom of ‘our ld: men.’ tS

t esr inc that tine bs bandoned his salt works.
Vor. TH.....No. ae

34 Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, &.

lation of two thousand souls, including: two small new
vl ages on the head of the Verdegris. The ey 6 ae

i fenced in; none but the women work in these fields,
which are about half an acre for each woman. All mest
tools consist in one hoe, and a large tomahawk.

age women are generally very homely, which
must be attributed to their hard labour.

A man may have as many wives as he can obinia? ‘tide
mayleave their husband when they please, and the man, on
his part, can repudiate his wife, but if she belongs to a fatitt:
y of consideration, he is liable to have an explanation with
the men belonging to it. The Osages have no other law
but the law of nature; the law of the strongest. If the
commit a murder, they must submit to the law of retaliation,
or redeem themselves with one hundred fathoms of wain-
pum beads,* a Soon to the nearest friends: of the mur-
ges are ve ‘s

ry 7 ‘here is no instance of any’ trade
rg lost, barca of the credit given to them.
When "necessity or bad fortune obliges them to’ postpone
payment to another succeeding hunt, they are always
found to be punctual. They are sober, and never take
. Spirituous liquors. Their wealth consists in horses which
they possess in great numbers.

Et

Cher . es. My Pea ae - ; eg oat $43

Be tee ee
ee

toa i

t, about | the : same Hine i in faerenk instances, 5 ronedex
with them, and yen show-

* Beads meics in Canada of ten shells.

Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, &c, 35

except what the United States paid out of their annuity?
Was there ever one seen sober, where spirituous liquors
could be got? _Is there any hospitality araongst the Chero-
kees? No! I will dispense with answering the first ques-
tions; but I will warn the travellers, who should happen to
cross their settlement on the Arkansas, to be on their guard
wherever they incamp; otherwise they are sure to be left
on foot next morning, unless their horses should be of 7
ittle consequence. In that case, an officious fellow will of-
fer himself to go and hunt the horses, sometimes for as much
as they are worth,* and he will always be sure to find them
pe thieves he left them under the care of another
Jherokee, often fifteen and twenty miles out of the way.

“ in

Arkansas, are those who have been driven
away, and have fled from the old nation on the Tennessee
river, (with whom Iam not acquainted.) However, it is
notorious that all the Indian tribes in a state of civilization,
within the limits of the United States, are extremely cor-
rupted, whilst those under the Spanish iron rod, are mild,
and possess no other vices, except those inseparable from
ignorance. GR TE ses ge Bk PEG

”

journal, whilst I
an, which is mostly i

them.

36 Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, Sc.

aman was salt. ‘These two words I was particular in setting
; and I found them, after
i Jearned 1 the. raion he langtiage, to correspond precisely
to the same thing amongst them. The other words, which
: = rather careless about, abe some similar sounds; but

one knows how difficult it is to seize the ectaae
dias ‘of a one ney not understand. "

\Naytaw, |Sellaw, Ten Piesk
ite. oe Besley, C He ee Cahatogh, —
ee Sun, | a Fag
' the common names fas I find in my jour-
nal, and if co corn differs thus much, it is not improbal

they did not know that grain, before they left the source
from which they both took their origin. Cahato, in Cher-
okee, means. bread, and cato means the or —
means pein es Phin Ms sot ns 0

’Bivkassion 0 on tha ORS of Michnoacan.

Whilst I am adverting to the province of Michiwacan, (al-
though it is far out of my Present ssftiate,) 3 will add some-
on that topic. -

| Tete provi of Michiwacan, or from Pobuee to Sala-
mea, anc yarticularly about Acambaro, to the west
ere Fasquarc nro, ther is ensue’ 7. thick veins of vit-
r va, running in irections. In some places they
occur in large bodies, all shivered confusedly. This x4
resembles perfectly, the lass of the English porter bottles;
itis very compact; the Spaniards call it pedernal. I have
seen it no where else, except some few small Fetes: used
for arrow points, found in the numerous Indian mounds
be cover the: oo ke of these western countries.

e bie: a great resemblance t oe she old Mexican sila

pe fourteen inches square, and
covered with Ate ‘and turf on top, “whickgt when moulder-

Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, &. 37

ed down leaves a mound, such as a traveller is ve out of
sight of, from Red river to St. Louis, Missouri T, ritory.
In this distance of about five hundred ‘miles, inva “breadth
of, in some places, igh ty,a undred tniles,
and seldom more than three-quarters of am acre from each
other, these mounds constantly o¢eur; and, generally, they
are symmetrically arranged. In alb this extent, there are
a two-thirds of the surface vac ant. What an immense

They allcontin the ruins of iain his’ ah many of
them the bon of the nenbanita and some of their pro-
ductions?* © sine SAA Spe

On the banks-of nen where the earth had caved
ing Fe found — of a ' ‘a i which’ ‘the neck
bones ai r

neck bone, as I dug tose pertinre se coul re :
in part of an earthen box, I found a “pareel of pieces of
bones eut round, and remaining on the neck in the exact po-
sition in which they had been used ‘as a necklace. They
were pierced, but the string had entirely disappeared; they
were the one-eighth of an inch thick, and three-fifths in di-
—— and the bones | of which they 9 were made, were
erved than those of the skeleton. ‘This, I

dats ade sheba a some parts ‘of that « mtry. =e
among the clay, which rolled down from the same mound, —
several pieces of lead ore, Ayers galena,) wig had
— eaanes there. _ At is not uncommon to to find th is ore

north h oa base ine omc hem Souk of St Fi |
wives: °- and . foo aia nce tikes

38 © Bringier = “the Mississippi, &c.
rmi a ae a Ee th = | Wis 2

Saslemtly regular, covering” an area of about twen treaty
acres; the trenches remain about eight feet high, and
ditches which are nearly filled up, seem to have been’ ie
deep, and about twenty-five feet wide. There are two
gateways, in the inside. of which there is a large — a
probably was a covered tee 3 and in the centre there
two mounds about eighty feet in height, whose aint are
about three hundred feet in diameter, with a truncated sum-
mit offering oe surface of about ninety feet across. Both
are artificial, and perhaps were formed from the dirt out of
the nenene "The Connery around is perfectly level.

The Cherokees.

From this digression Wwe return to: the Cherokees, who
are divided into seven’ clans were twelve
particle antok Fegan been too” much reduced,
joined the o sliomssonnnablnaril now remain but seven, viz.

: eewalinya—tmean: hhe Waves ‘they are the most 2 cual
gk ee Seana fi loating hair ; next
‘The Neekawtaylaway—the Blind in the field; third.
_ The Neewawtay—the Pyed or Painted; fourth.
The Neecaway—the Deer in the field ; fifth, SRS
The N Neeshawnee—(I do not know the meaning ‘fe ths $3) sixth.
The Neekools—jecds “upon Acorns 5 seventh.

‘Che ee can take a wile in his Guea ais it would
sidered as an incest. Each tribe forms a family,
‘individuals call one another brother and. sister, ma-

king no difference between their relations of the
nd those eee ie Teast aft with them. They
ace a ob ry with other tribes, and the
jaar to rng tribe a the mother, who protects
hem as br rs ane 98 - The father has no contro!
over his own 3 but the mother, er, and glia
a ny er ie, a even the fatter, has a right t to inter-

cnt sty foes ta oe
Sunes”) he! Seow is eeprom erm

ete om 39

be-
fore the expiration of a certain ~— or epoch, which, I be-
pr is during their assembly of the green corn dance,

eiorebeane care every —— maior they ever dare to taste
tae a init:

hese assemblies last sometimes

several w and a they i come one hundred and fifty
and two. panlenhesie tovattend th ens.

ss all she matters of con-

né play their e In

sake of giving an idea of their sleguiaiel fie SE Se aa

- Cherokee Prophecy.

Speech e Cherokee Skaquaw, (the Swan) 0 on the 3d
Meme. Fane ee ence ee hei ews river.
“Yer d men, who have prepared to fill res'with

rk what | taney

word which they repeat at the end of every Satori
should say, Amen.) If thou hast been continent nine nights
and days, and viewed the sun these two last days with a
hungry stonamnls, wper: ‘your. ears, and feed with t ve sacred
ay mouth fre 0 tana over tobi rd ch dre

(Atea.) me moon 7

was sen and the sky whines as spring water, that I wa
: gle -—° tur onte mpla in s the

moment it Bl sgsins rae counters een « come to-

&

my spirit had. passed into the blaze of the star, and 1. per-
ceived my body. leaning on the stump where i had left it.

aps , said the child which held m my spirit,
we are the. messengers of the Ever Great Spirit ; we have
come to bring the word of bites for the red children of our

beloved father, who lives beyond the blue world above, as

there can. aie any communication with the
impure matter here below, we have parted your spirit from

its mortal body, which we have purified in this celestial fire,

its present body,..Now you are ready to hear the word of
the Great Spirit, open your ears Skaquaw. .'The Ever-
Great spirit, with. your mouth, speaks: to his beloved red
children, that he has. enn ut ar |

their mortal e1

Oc te ee seer Seer laa Saree
4 es the dust from his back; but be sure to move
pastes so St. Francis before the. next sign manifests itself;
go towards the sun set, and travel until you are stopped ba
a big river which runs towards sun rise; there stop, plant
corn, and hunt in peace, until the last sign prepares. you to
vs for days of happiness, (it says. ims ent nh tat

a spi ark brighter, than; the: goon, -ailhgwve ve earth,

n, the sth ee. iy
is moral | tay, > Fpereived them

Senate a A aaa cl

Bringier onthe Region of the Mississippi, &e. 41

three months after, all the Cherokees abandoned their
farms, (and some were very good mn: their cattle, and oth-
er property and removed, some to. White river, and the
greatest part to the Arkansas. ‘Those that fixed on the White
river have since removed to the Arkansas, where they
occupy the river on both sides, from point Renou, (four
hundred miles up the river,) to the Big Mulberry, where the
Osage line crosses: departing from the fine prairie on the .
— river, thie land eo SEEUPDY. is far the best on the
cathy

x

“Anthracite,

On the. nor bay a little above the pine bayou, (five

hundred 1 ‘miles irom bod of

blind coal samedierely on the bank of ke: Arkansas. see i

equal in quality to the Pee coal; it is ney far the best I
ave seen in the United States.

About one hundred 4 twenty miles ethno this sane
there are some United States troops, who stopped there a
few months since, and probably they will take a station at
the mouth of the frog bayou, which affords a fine place for
a seria between ie heer, and Cherokees.

Ch Arkansas, are about twelve
ngtaiend. and. fifty. They have phate about six thou-
-sand acres of land with the fire which they have set in
the thick canes; but they do not cultivate more than two
thousand five hundred acres, and that very badly. They
raise no other staple except a few sweet potatoes and pump-
kins, although = mee eaniene a Aaa soeatiee of | |

nsas,_

centious, and the men extremely lazy. The m
dress with what we call a morning gown, or a long hunting
a pair of gS, a ‘eilics: ora white ties aad a shovil

d their heads he manner of a turban. The
it women. ey are
ze “squaws ; but they de

42 Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, 8c.

not look so well as the Quawpaws; » who have @ custom pe-
culiar to them alone, to dist n the girls,
the different manner in “which t they put up their hair.

‘hese Quawpaws have four small villages, two hundred
and sixty miles below the Cherokees, on the south bank of
the Arkansas, extending along the bank as low as the post.
Although they have been better than one hundred ‘years
with the French’ sncentriia they are precisely in their primi-
tive savage state; and what is strange, most of the French

et, the best savages in the world, though very miserable,
and in all other respects they resemble the Osages.

Aneedote.

cy trait of (nee eo coe in the: eds of. the
abo: origina al A merican | es, is evinced in the following: act
of Kaykay V , one of the ancient chiefs of the Quaw-
French indians. — ~The fact occurred about the time when the

‘rench first cal — French gave

name to all the tribes on that rive

This chief leading a party of one enared and twenty
Quawpaws,* in pursuit of the Chekessas, overtook them at
the mouth of St. Francis river. This party consisted of
two hundred and sixty men, who were tomes: speed to
eross the river in order to avoid an pra ig en ay kay
Watonica taxed the Chekessas with cowardice; the ey replied
that they could not make defence, as digi poe had got
wet. Well, said Ka aykay Watonica, send yours here; we
have some which is dry, it is not enough to share with y
but we will mix the whole together, and then we will share.
This was done ie the horns were ree ou

ne bows ih the han panes wood r pt oy dl betoeae which

srow i $ were” in great demand amongst th

ia Sic of importance, which mak aw weecg Frese a
eS « .

river took the full name, oe al the ns of course: “hence the Grav

paws and 4 sas are syno} sd

Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, &c. 48

a blanket, and equally divided; and then addressing the
Chekessas, now, says he, when this tree falls it will give
the signal of the engagement: therefore be ready. He
then ordered a small tree to be cut by one of his warriors.
The issue of the action was, the total destruction of the

hekessas, and only five killed on his side. They spared
one of ekessas, whom Kaykay Watonica sent home
free, to” give the news to the Chekessas, who soon afaeaahe
peace,* giving up es their pretensions on the west
of ats eee ts

The Cherokees.

I now return to o the.C , and shaie green corn
dance. I said ae murderer must meulss within a certain

period, otherwise the life of his nearest friend must pay for
chad of the murderer; for that reason it is very common to
see a brother kill bis full brother who has become an -
sin, not with a spirit of justice, but for self-preservation.
This is savage philosophy : they say one must die in any

event; and if the murderer is a coward, it is soon over with
ees but a. femed: salease can rated as. sang: as she pieeae
with i dleegiige Point ck ‘

“ ees

sak ange Cooler,
One oe es dirt-seller ¢ or Serchane of ear

ih)
was boasting one day, in my presence, that he had killed
nine | or ten "Cherokees, aoe had redeemed himself with

* : The last: ement which took e between the Quaw, pe
pierre ‘ane . another: ee aah res tol essas, ped ath that

wedded enpmys/*

Single combat ; Af youre are victorious jou may. hs
Mississippi; st ifmine are vieto rious, you must come no

44 ~~ Bringier on the Region fe Mesisvipp Se.

American scalps, which ‘many times he deftvared without
counting; for he had never penetrated into any houses,
oe finding children more ue he needed for the pres-
en
This was during the Indian war it is true, bat Sie would
not revolt at hearing a'monster in human shape, boast of
having slaughtered seventy or eighty harmless women and
children, to ‘redeem himself from punishment for the mur-
der of his companions. I could not restrain myself from
— him, that his pier of such atrocious deeds had
the mask which hid the blackness of his soul.
(They make use of wooden ‘ines in their dances.)

Yellow Wood, resembling Fustic.

I have omitted to mention, that on the Arkansas abel on
Red river, we have a ian quantity of a yellow wood an-
swering perfectly well the same purpose as the fustis i
called bois ¢ eaery tie Bronte unters, (bow

rus genus, with some modifications.* The wood is as tou aeh
as whale bone. The Indians made, and asald make, all thea
bows of the wood of that tree.

We have likewise the tree which gives the vegetable
eaoutchouc or elastic gum. ‘This tree is the same that
they have in Peru, which they eall Higera del oule 5. the
Sor of this tree Hectcacetaan and |

poistecins ihe’ hen 5 the tags SRS ee a he
pin oak ; it bears a black olive, a little: smaller than the com-
mon olive; it is sweet and good to eat, the birds and the
ears being fond of it. The French hunters on the Arkan-
cadet el gomme; it is egress known by chewing a
ita pene of the. sai ei is washed ene the rotten
igneous substance is gone, the remainder is pure. Some
mericans, to whom . ‘Gare. magie, it know, on ane hosel

Se ee ee

Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, &. _ 45

sas, told me it was very common on the Ohio, and all over
Kentucky, but none could tell me the name. © 'The bark of
the tree is rather whiter, and the leaves very. deep green, re-
ie the live-oak and the pin-oak, as I have before re-
narked. Some trees will yield from one hundred and fifty
i two hundred pounds of caoutchouc. I have observed,
that this wood, when dry, is very electric; like the. eaoute
_oue if rubbed on a body which is. electric, particularly
a-cold day, the body rubbed will adhere to the walls a quill
dor example, will be attracted six inches from the wall, and
stick fast to it, until all the fluid is dissipated. But the elee-
tric excitement of this substance differs ftom the common;
it has not Donan pra a which the idio-cleetric. bodies

possess, erties to. the an-
electric bodies. Thi elastic drawn several times on a
quill, produces ies n : thes ‘im

made ina cold wintér’s s day afford some amusement. iss
SUPPLEMENT.

~ Although this communication might be much beens ex-
‘tended, I will close’ it wid a few o> shligered facts and mas
tion

| wet "prcepe abate qcare | ps ae
PIE dic. Me car ervable, that ther > ere a
s them = al and: I prevents ‘their oxida

‘t It was afterwards |

of the Literary and pha Aa

46. Bringier on the Region of the Mississippi, &e.

miles, without any sign of iron ore or other minerals in that
region. The varnish can proceed only from a sudden cool-
ing, after changing the atmosphere. Whether te in
ours, or whatever cause might have oceasioned the explosion,
that event will explain the scattering of the pieces.

ew miles to the east of these blocks of native iron, a
belt of trees is seen extending itself towards the SS. E.
The hunters. know. this by the name of the cross timber ;
they mean that it_crosses the prairie; for there is no other
w od in This wood grows in a low ridge of lime

tone, which extends to the north-west shore of the lake.
Sabine, bordering on the river Natchez; but here it is only
one mile in breadth, whereas, ten miles above, the timber
spreads from fifteen to twenty miles in breadth. It gives
rise to the waters of the Trinity, whose west fork runs en-
tirely through it. These hills afford a great number of en-
chanting seats; whose. et would occupy a great deal
of time, without affording — a success; for
they are beyond descriptia :

rally low, but spread very scttnyree cae smaller and small-
er towards the north-east, till they grow quite scrubby. The
ris siliceous, and asoil of gravel and loam produces
a great variety of distinct qualities of grapes, in patches of
twenty miles surface; one acre of surface will here afford
more grapes than three acres will in the best cultivated
vineyards. These grapes are certainly suitable for wine,
one may judge by their fragrance and flavour, and their
good appea arance. Some are white and transparent, so that
we can count the seeds through them ; some are blue and
very sweet, but hard, in a thick skin of. a yellow or straw
colour ; and are very large, nearly or quite as much so as an
English — The former are alittle smaller. The black |

- aa ay hea ay To the the morbeast are imnsense:
Panisiog: mviel ie: eyee cannot measure.

Notice of Hayden's Geological Essays. 4

Arr. V.—WNotice of “Geological Essays, or an inquiry into
some of the Geological Phenomena, to be found in various
“parts of America and elsewhere—by Horace H. Hay-

DEN, Esq. member of the American Geological Society,”
&e. &e. oe ; Pes es ae

an authority,

in P or ¢
ry work, on Mineralogy and G

, we leave these
e object

a Be
r

erner, itis well

he primitive, the

known that the three le ling fi

46 Notice of Hayden's Geological Essays.

transition, and the secondary, occupy a rank far more ex-
tensive and distinguished, than the volcanic and the alluvial.
The latter has been, for years, growing in importance in
the view of geologists, and has, in consequence of much
contemplation and research, —— in Mr. Hayden’s

eyes, a rank not inferior—to say no more—to that which
he allows vt the other formations. - andes his book, (pro-
vided that no very commanding importance were attach-

ed to hatgeoeline theory which the soles so —— es-
pouses and defends,) might, we imagine, be very properly,
entitled, materials towards a history of the alluvial forma-
tions of our globe. In this view, the collection is rich and
various, and we are disposed to think with an intelligent
scientific friend, must ‘* become a teat book, for geologists,
in the subjects of which it treats:

Indeed we are not aware that there can be found, in any
single author, so complete a view of alluvial districts as as:
Ha: den has coors and it is is probable that.

. 5 , has thas, incidentally. st
: wk, a y which even that theory, how-
ever beautiful, aie not Sues enjoyed. —

We ‘do not however mean to prejudge this theory, but per-
haps it would have been as well to have made it a nh
tion from the facts, rather than to have prefixed it to them;
the latter method is the most grateful to. the majority of
minds, — toh former i is pe eater snd: more: mptsse to

lead us
1 Phe qu atios ‘fre wn Patrin, which Mr. Heydeehas cai
icine page, gives, it is true, a very just view
of Ke. uses and quently vindicability of hypotheses,

and certainly the. course ‘pursued si our author; is ‘entirely
justifiable.

In his preface se states that “ the principal tl only mo-
tive by which he has “tes actuated, is the wish to interest
and invite the attention of geologists, naturalists, and scien-
tific men of every denomination, to the great and important
physical changes, that appear to have taken place upon and

near the surface of the earth, in various parts of the world,
and more particularly in our own country ; and alsoto the
plore ceo and interesting facts, that seem to have, not. oy
relation to, but an intimate connexion with those
cbenness and this with the view of enabling us to form,

Notice of Hayden's Geological Essays. 49

something like correct ideas of the causes and operations,
by which they were te and aes too of he
times at which they took

mong the most ot as ook hese i Sawa hick
inay be considered, as being one of the most. interesting fea-
tures in the geology of this epuatey is the alluvial region,
skirting the Atlantic ocean.

It is. this which constitutes. the sciatiioa subject of the
present work, and in the examination of which, he has en-
deavoured to adduce facts sufficiently numerous and strong,
to. ae that ‘the: whole Tegion, with the attendant phenom-

e ation of currents, that flowed

sat t eee Tee. 8 a = north to

Petes ott ee a redineamlesties side's ge aa as th
nobis Pea ‘2 BER Se gate Sa gb: Pe eae ees a

1e ‘the vast all uvial distric
Fes ope hasever. appeared tous,as it do sto
den, as a very interesting geological fact, and by no.

means,

to be accounted for by the commonly received opinions re~

specting alluvion. In Mr. Hayden’s view, there is no cir-

cumstance that affords so strong an evidence of the cause

of its rseesna es as a of its having been deposited by a

general h, at some copa period, ie
2 whole continen

eo pmperet 3 and

2
west.”
sername leapatanesd tan the smallest
Seer favour, will be. struck with the. ‘numerous ~
which the author has adduced in its support.
e almost universal existence of. rolled Eo mag =
bahia not. age on eae Ata oe Posen

.

SEE ee eh are | rivers. Ae ME ees al

50. Notice of Hayden's Geological Essays.

instances, be formed, spent) by amenpeiition of the

angular portions of a stone, by various chemical agencies,
ense nu

ber, and in our view, the immensely greater number of peb-
bles, present unquestionable evidence of haxing been neeyeh
to their rounded form by attrition.

The attrition of the common | waters of. the nixtlle wont
even that exerted during the comparatively short period of
the prevalence of the deluge of 1 Noah, would do very little
towards producing so mighty a result, and we ‘must assign
this operation to the more recent periods of the: peclege:
of the great chaotic deluge, whose existence is distinctly
recorded in the first chapter of Genesis, and equally ad-
mitted by all geologists. However strongly inclined, we
have neither time nor room to pursue this fruitful | topic any
further, but must leave it to return to Mr. Hayden’s book.

n Prd te of se waamies het our-alluvial formations

a nee we ions often observed in the alluvial
plain of - ae ate and in other alluvial regions of Con-
necticut—exhibiting frequently, a delicacy of “fcaiemA in the
layers of gravel and sand, which makes them appear as if
they had, but a momen ‘babe; wetalneditheis impulse and
position from: undulating water, and as if they an —
the very eddies, and gyrations of the wave.» _

a support the position,” thst so © currents. flowed from the
north-east to th the riv.
ers in the vicinity of Bator mm generally r Tun inva
direetion from north to-south. “Ip almost every instance,”
he remarks, * where the rolled pebbles abound, they are
in much the greatest quantities on the west or south-west
side of the river or creek.” - He states also, that there are.
great accumulations. cf-sand_ and gravel in such: places as
correspond with the e southern mouths or outlets of v :
and streams, or with their southern sides, and but small por
tions or none of. these: ee are founds in re eee
rections. wees

*~ sane g ty me : i 4 miei my Tae
Se a ee : al SB Vin to Ge ks EE

Notice of Hayden’s Geological Essays. 51

Mr. Hayden mentions similar facts as existing in a very
striking manner, and degree, on the Connecticut river, and
on several of its branches; the accumulations of pebbles
being on those banks, and in those places, which corres-
pond with the idea of a current from the north and east, and
with a consequent deposit of alluvial spoils, in a peep
ners is south or west in relation to the current.

r instances are described, by the author, which, in
connexion with those already mentioned, go far towards
making out his case; but, in order to its full establishment,
would it not be necessary, to enter into a very exten-
sive induction of particulars, regerding, especially, the great
alluvial formations of this country, and to derive those facts
from as mai meen pert, sais »ssib. le, of ‘the flat bons of
the southern states? —

The general cause of an cucenis: Mr. ‘Maydes: ‘con-
cludes to be the deluge of Noah. While no one will ob-
ject to the propriety of ascribing very many, probably most
of our alluvial features, to that catastrophe, we conceive
that neither Mr. Hayden, nor any other man, is bound to
prove the immediate physical cause of that vindictive in-
Gicsion:

the fusion of the polar i ice, as imagined by St.

Pie re, nor the subsidence of nents as conjectured by
Dr. "Clarke, are necessary to account for an event of this
nature, when it is stiches i the his histhey which records it,
to the immediate power of the —— who (although in
this instance, rains are named, and rraneous waters al-
luded to, as the immediate oe penis) never haaiacn: for a
to ane n end.

aie ewess alee ten auth no very
pores. os on harap ho oaea it ee a aries
sphere: ‘xan eepornape oa it peeeer which

52 Notice of Hayden's Geological Essays.

these cavities communicate in any manner with the oceans,
and are (as if they exist at all, they probably are,) filled
with water, there exist, we conceive, agents very competent
to expel the water of these cavities, and this to deluge, at
‘Any time, the dry land. These agents are the aerial fluids
—the gases—whose competency to any and every degree of
energy, which a given mechanical movement may require,
is abundantly exhibited, in the rending force of gun powder,
and of the other still more potent explosive: compositions,

nd im the phenomena of earthquakes and volcanoes, whose
mechanic

sudden and abundant evolution of aeri

effects, we conceive, depend principally upon
ial bodies. These

bodies, suddenly evolved, and su bjected to pressure and re-

sistance, are competent not merely to propel cannon. balls

and bombs, to burst rocks and to explode mines—they can

rend mountams—they can rock them from their bases—
ke continents, and cause t

they can s the globe itself to vi-
rele, : Sens Ge ait sex
Ma elevate a column of wa-

ev

it should transcend the
5 d be equal to the effort.
d they be disei tly, in the vast sub-
terraneous and subaqueous ‘cavities, they would of course
occupy the roof or vaults of the cavity, and would there-
fore expel the water, which we suppose they may contain,
and this water rising and spreading it

might, by its abundance, more or less

more o

My

water, as ina fire-engine, If it
pressure would split the ineumben

fects. It is sufficient to evince that the possi
that if exerted, they are competent hes d ellen

os A fea! : Sets 4 ae ar ae ; tty eS gaan)
aie ly even much greater, according to the deductions of} aske

era eee

Notice of Hayden's Geological Essays. 53

hydrogen gas, proceeding from the decomposition of water,

for the gas, We have not mentioned carbonic acid gis,
which might be evolved by many agencies, because itis ab-
sorbable by water, especially when aided by pressure. Al-

rtia
ft a

lace,—t |
sinetinde Sb

ga

and deeply interesting proofs, by which, in our

+

, attended by sweeping cur-
of animal and vegetable -
; SR Es 3

oe
+t

ie ae
* yes a5: ne hg

violent prevalence of a deluge.
weak aie 2s See 2 ee ee pbs eg 6
ef ae eUrICn Be quant

ay

e e Asiatic elephant, and of
only with the e1 an, anc ‘st fon

t The trees are in many it ances below Ic
Huish lay or mud resembling ses bottom.

=

et tmay have been for matt by gaseous emanations: from the

54 Notice of Hayden’s Geological Essays.

or Mammoth—horns of deer, and other animal as well as
table remains, are found in many parts of our alluvial
eaack, both near and remote from the sea; and evincing,
completely, that they could never have been deposited and
covered by any of the origi meeps of alluvion.
ese facts, it is well known, are common to the alluvial
regions of other continents ; re Mr. Hayden has adduced
many examples in relation to this part of the subject. —
The author has suggested some ingenious thoughts as’ to
e: ‘processes of petrification. We feel and acknowledge,
that there is a difficulty in accounting for the preservation of
animal and ee substances, by petrifaction or other

ot potted bodies have been invested by
or that even our plan-

ao Hayden ee that, from the opposite polar re-
gions, there were currents which combined to produce the

erase and he preciiotis that their ravages are distinctly

Oakes Toyden' shee to sabe acsliad ideas asto “ sien
tion of soils and loose earth, by the decomposition of rocks,
which he believes to en much less asiesai and rapid, than

has been generally imagined. This is probably true in a
degree, but still we cannot but ‘bial that he has underrated
these agencies. The d g from the un-

intermitted activity of galvanic electricity, evolved by the

Juxta position of strata and fluids of different kinds, is prob-

ably Me Hayden cause, and is not, we believe, adverted to by

«This cance would, however, it is true, 0 My the i
ior of he , » Operate, eines yi in the inte-

Notice of Hayden’s Geological Essays. 35

_ We think, that he has not conceded enough to the rava-
ges, committed by time, upon a part at least, of the stony
monuments of the globe, whether clea by the Creator or
by man. Stonehenge which he cites, — which is not
granite, but sand stone,) is very deeply furrowed by time:
the angles are rounded, and the stones are evidently reduced
in size. The same thing is true of many of the ancient
cathedrals, castles, te and other buildings in
and Scotland. Wher they have not been kept in repair by
assiduous attention, dooy are all in ridges, hollows, and prom-
inen ces, decisive marks of the tooth of time, and many
prominent: wes of considerable. uae, are. est or quite de-

d.

"Most ae aeSs Sih Sai Si eS
ee: a Se ae Se Sp any
a ee eee ag. d, both ancient
rs pene ple ' <ere oar oh pa Diie,
ae “eee : fers A
e gr stone of the tic ;

In Cornwall, one of the granite regions of rae =
tensive ledges of granite, as we have seen, are crumbling
own ina state of decomposition, and the granite of Limo-
ges, in France, from which their excellent porcelain clay is
ed, is decom in some instances almost to a clay.
The: degradation of hills and mountains. is, we suspect,
much more co: a than he admits it to be. We could

freenstone t twenty-five feet in diameter , are | ¥*

upon a declivity in just that confusion in which they.
re fell, from some colonade of naked pillars, forming
a greenstone ridge, and yet the nearest ridge, which is ma-
terially higher, is a mile distant. The particular ridge from
— they: originally fell, must have been, at hand, and al-
its: ruins: seen pana the omer our chan praeten 3

has proved hat. even since ecamples of alluvion are less
attributa to the agency o of the rit them:

: Vn wesbeon deine Taleot tn itn cn
ine Albany ald age iy ; cs ee
1 Unless. indeed ir + Bagleee vould rc that ements had more
th s masses from seme other piace.

66 Notice uf Hayden's

i Essuys.

generally | ‘supposed, and of course much» more to other
causes: among the most conspicuous of which, in his view,
are the operations of man bimself in. creating. artificial
ground, and the action of winds, in transporting sand and
loose earth. But, it is impossible 10 convey any adequate
idea of the value of this: ‘parts of Mr, at s a tg with-
out entering more into detail thi ith: —
inre — nits of t
In-e

peeonars we. cant sear ‘shat= Mr.
len’s ill prove an interesting and useful volume
general eehders’ as well as to-the Geologis Rie

notso much involved in technics as to assume a re-
sore aspect to the view of the general scholar, or of the
reader of common intelligence. It will prove an agreeable,
and we think, an attractive volume, at the family fire side,
and we therefore: hope that.the meritorious author may be
adequately remunerated for his labour stn mA an
extensive sale of the work, and be enabled,

is us to , that some sis of. “ahi oF
tents or = fikdex (or bth: both) would greatly increase
the ease of reference, and consequently, the utility of the
volume, in the divisions of which, there is at present little
to guide the eye, or to aid the recollection, i in retracing our
HAD, for the purpose of ee ye. E Patisaicess:
» Among the original. — a
uw ae .

€ soph i,
thor would, i in that faa te also
va ns while: the volume

Ores of Iron, Manganese, &c. in Vermont. 57

fess attractive to general readers, of intelligence, it would
be in a form adapted to the uses of the geological student,
and could hardly fail of coming into general use as a text
book on the reek (aan of alluvion.

Art. VI -—Notice of Ores of Tron and Masipawats and of
Yellow Ochre, in Vermont; by Professor Freperic CK
Hart, ¢ ina letter to the Editor, dated,

nieces - Middlebury College, Deo. 1, 1820.

; “x0 “Pnovesson SUELIMAN.
7 visited news inotttlis the fa (he tee ore: Bee eit: ee
iron works, in Bennington, Vermont. The ore bed is sit-
uated on the south side of. an arm of the green mountain.
It is covered by a stratum of sand, about two feet thick, con-
taining innumerable round, quartzose stones of various si-
zes, called by the inhabitants of the town, hard heads. The
ore is obtained with great facility from the bed. It is most-
ly brown hematite. I collected a few specimens of the
po rth ice ne of iron. It does not make
bar iron. — manu chard Nite’ Kettles; stores, ca
riage-boxes, ues The ore is not rich. Mr. Traner, the
owner and superintendant of the works, informed me,
it yields, on an average, about 33 1-3 per cent. He added,
that not far from two hundred 02 twelve tons of cast irou
are made anoually, at his wor
iron ore rests on a bed of unknown thickness, of the
skide of manganese, which appears to belong chiefly to the
variety cé manganese. Its colour is brown,
often very deep brown, i inclining to black. Its te:
earth 3 its lustre: dull. To borax it imparts a° 2

oxis es vin abundance | ‘when | head ite

echt it exons is «Fon ‘said J is Tae ue
it with the iron, the vitae as al sion, that j
secre the metal a sti over ‘ead whole furnace.”

weet

58 Ores of Iron, Manganese, &c. in Vermont.

The iron ore bed is very extensive, and will probably not
be exhausted for several ages. Syidieed

pa
pletely from the. water, there must be a shovel full or two
of good lime, thrown into the cistern, in the first washing.
It is now yellow ochre. In order to make it brown, or red,
we expose it to the fire in an oven or kettle.”

Tlately examined the iron works and: iron ore of Pitts-

in limestone. The ore is less productive than the Benning-
ton ore. . It yields, as I was told by the proprietor, Mr.
Nathan Gibbs, about 25 per cent. “or four tons of the ore
make one ton of iron.”’ He informed me, that the quantity

nufactured, yearly at his works, was about twenty tons of
dar iron, and cighty tons of cast iron, consisting of stoves,
“potash kettles, &e. &e. I may give you, in a future letter,
iccount of the iron ore, manufactured at other places

ape

ae

Notice of Mr. Schoolcraft’s View, &e. © 59

pode VIL. —Notice of “A view of the Lead Misi ee Missou-
ri arse some observations on the Mineralogy, Geology,
Geography, Ant ities, — Climate, Population, and
Prodvctigns of eo Sa d Arkansaw, and other sec-
tee of the Wi — snr accompanied by three engra-
ngs; by Hen . SCHOOLCRAFT, corresponding mem-

eens of the yeti of Natural History of New- York.”

As this work has been more thana year before the Amare
ican public and is already well known, it may seem super-
fluous to make any remarks upon it at so late a period. It
was our purpose to have given it an meoriy. notice but circum-

could not revented.. Still, as
it is devoted to subjects, witch tetas »minent object in
this Journal, and is, as far as we are informed, the only elab-
orate and detailed account of a mining district in the United
States, we are not disposed to remain silent, especially as the.
discharge of the — is not likely to be painfal, either to our-
selves or to the author. Reviews in form, although within
the plan of this Sistah do not constitute one of its most lead-
ing objects, and we do not hold ourselves responsible for
analysee/ot even for notices of a American books, unless

rey ear particularly interestin or important, or hold a

‘intimate connexion with the ee design of our work.
We have e already intimated that we r. School-
eraft’s work in this Jight. We take it for prities that the
statements of facts made by this author, are both faithful
and accurate; the information which we have incidentally
derived —_ other sources, certainly countenances this im-
e whole amount of it is small, TS with
oe cattle in the one Ne volume. ges
tion

ple

letettiin | nesisseeeee oe ‘éhieadne aie nate, pro-
ductions, towns, streams, nscale lc else ap-
peared to me to be necessary to describe, explain and illus-
trate the subject before me.’

60 Notice of Mr. Schoolcraft’s View of

“Mr. Schoolcraft appears to have made good use of the
advantages which he enjoyed, and his countrymen are in-
debted to him for a great amount of valuable eb
He appears also to have studied the observations
ding writers, and, with their works before him, it was. in this
power to correct errors and to supply deficie et a

He has prefixed an historical sketch which we presume
will be acceptable to every reader. The Peoitelh as is well
known were the original discoverers and setilers of the Mis-
souri, and Illinois regions, which were embraced in their vast
scheme of ee a chain of posts and settlements from the
mouth t. Lawrence, to that of the Mississippi.—
They. did = occupy the country of the Missouri and Illi-
te till more than a century after the settlement of Que-

c, and about a century before the present period. At
that time, (1720) the liao mines were discovered by Philip
Branvic Henne and M. L

See eee LE tua mo ear sey wel
pect ns of finding gold and

the end of 3 wees half a reetithigy the country pasted
to the hands of the Spaniards, and under their dominion,

probably about forty years since, the principal mine was
discovered by a man of the name of actgeen: owe from ‘him
it mrs derived the name of Mine a Burton.*
- It appears that the processes of mining: under the Span-
Sens: were vecyimpattect as they obtai iy pes
cent. of lead

ttemp sea abibe See any other ar
1e" employed only. shee open log furnace

Moses Austin, Esq. a: native of Gariictrieaie,
who had bebe sacirare sie lead mines, in Weythe Coun-
ty in Virginia, obtained from the Spanish ‘government, a
grant of a league square in the mining district in considera:
tion of his introdueing 3 a Sons aend 9 oe ey = —
~.* It seems he was hu I fi

of the ground. This re carat man as gy
gees: great age of o ne hundred an d iy mye sear, pear,

mem © occasions, as a tenoy anc
opm a ens Saxe, and at Breddvek's ‘eat oo “tebe

the Lead Mines of Missouri, &c. 61

the first regular shaft—the mining having, till that disrse been
prosecuted solely by open digging, in the manner of quar-
ries. r. Austin also introduced the manufacture of shot;
and that of sheet lead soon followed. About the same time
several other American families collected at the mines, and
infused new spirit and enterprize into the mining operations,
so that they were carried on with considerable vigour at the
time when (in 1803) the country was transferred to the U-
nited States. Mr. Schoolcraft, from whom these facts are
taken, remarks, that since 1804 the number of mines has
been astonishingly multiplied—population has flowed rapid-
ly in—the processes on the ore have been much i improved—
e been constr 3 and “evi

dding t the > number! of the mines.” te = otis
pea vast resources of this cout ry oan ile
ly in lead,” and the author expresses his opinion “gt ts
mines of Missours are paralleled by no other ees mineral li ‘te
in the world.”

From ite specimens which we possess of this ore, and
from the documents produced by the author ‘Tespecting the
produce of the mines, we believe his opinion is correct,
especially if we consider the fact that ‘the earth has not
yet been penetrated over eighty feet Soult ae kent. not
what may be found in the lower stra strata.” “Th
son to believe that the main bodies of ore have ba
upon, that they lie deeper, and that we have thus
m_ engaged upon the spurs and detached masses.”

r. Schoolcraft informs us, that although the mining bu-
siness is much improved, there is still a great deficiency
both of capital and ots skill—there is in the whole ese but

one regular hearth furnace for a and that
rege pega there are only only four o or five Sar

.

wills ther-best: pr prospects in view, have hates in. De se
abandoned. Yer, under all these disadvantages, the nee
: ee millions of pounds

‘of lead. oo se.”

© author suggests oe cikpedcouineall establishing a
school of mines and minerals in. the~ midst of the mines
ss cant 3 this would, without doubt, be a very proj
measure, but in the mean time, skilful practical m minora aid

62 Notice of Mr. Schoolerafi’s View of

captains of mines, such as are found in every mining —
in pe would ‘supply the immediate demands of t

The raining district, formerly called. the dead. mines. of
Doan stana, is situated between the 37th and the 38th de-
gree of north latitude, and between the 89th and 92nd degree
of west longitude, covers three thousand one hundred and
fifty square miles—it is from seventy to one hundred miles
long by forty or forty-five wide, extending i in width from the
Mississippi ‘south-west to the Fourche a Courtois, and in
length from the head waters of St. Francis northerly to the
Merrimack.

Lead ore is found in almost every part of this district:
Mr. Schoolcraft says, “ the general aspect of the country is
sterile, though not mountainous : the lands lie rolling, like
a body of water in gentle agitation: In anne laces the
hills rise into abrupt cliffs, where. the great rock formations

pe the Country SBA peceroi in pa rs the run into. eld
* pla S53 a | highlan, : ide

i “3 i d blossom ped lead, Iron ores and py pytites are

also scattered over the surface of the ground, io occasion~
ally lead ore. Such is the general character of the mineral
pe which are invariably covered s a stinted growth of

“Walnut is also found on the hills, and and there is a. ridge of
ell pine, not : ast andor six or ght miles wide, ran-
lead—the mines lie generally east of it.
the flinty as aspect or he the country is veiled by a
growth of Brass, which § ive it a very ls

have a cack alluvial soil, well. fitted oe: “eulti-
ie limits will not allow us to mention the aor

the Lead Mines of Missouri, §c. 63

table productions of the country.. This region is well irri-
ted, and very healthy, being possessed of a fine climate.
I. Schoolcraft remarks, that during a residence. of ten
months he never heard of a death ; the citace is free from

ly seen to die without any apparent cause. Cats and dogs
are taken with violent fits, which never fail, in a short time,
to kill them.” ~ It is said that the inhabitants j impute these af.
fections to the oe exhaled i in aa the lead, as the

oa is not, poisonous either to Ent or anizcals.. The
ampules it tothe the sulphat of with whi
"The ‘carbonat of bavytor is cuneate pee
have never heard that the sulphat is so. May not he od
ing around the furnaces expose the-cattle to receive. lead in
some of its forms, minutely divided—or if it be not active
in the metallic state, both the oxids and the carbonat, which
must of course exist around the furnaces, would be highly
active and poisonous, Is it not possible also that some of
the natural waters of the country may, in consequence of
saline or acid j impregnations, dissolve some of the lead, and
thus obtain saturnine qualities ?- We must allow, however,
that we are not acquainted with the existence of as A natural
water thus ee
- Among the mineral roduetions of this region, certainly
not the least aeninahle a ioned by Mr. Schooler raft, is
the Iron mountain, where the ore is piled j in such enormous
as to constitute the entire. southern extremity ofa
lofty ridge, which is elevated five or six hundred feet above
the plain: the ore is the micaceous oxid,: and is”
yield ge eable ii

her isanother body. of i iron ore sia miles #8 st of the

| Mountain, scarcely inferior to that. ioned abov

and i it appears that several other beds exist in

einity. ;
Zine is abundant, but as thie ge is the sul I it

very valuable, It is not poctenes tee damit

is: eae bev was ant has: aati: fou :

64 Notice of Mr. Schoolerafi’s View of

(p- 170) as being
imbedded in it or ly

gnei
a

granite in mountain masses, with some veins of green stone

green stone porphyry, and gneiss ;”. it is said to terminate in
very roug 1 and broken high lands. At page 213, itis men-
tioned, still again, as giving ongin to the river St. Francis,

and green stone porphyry, are among the larger masses of
eu k “9 Th ~ : it see - ag . 2
, ying promiscuously among the fragments

| have tumbled down from the lofty cliffs
is — porphyritic by crystals of greew and
dspar.”” ale ca Ree ‘leer Baten:

ght to doubt that the rock deseribed is
incipal features delineated, correspond with
As it is described as being» solitary, the

&

the Lead Mines of Missouri, §c. 65

only granite between the Alleghanies and the Rocky moun-
tains, we are lead to ask—is it a portion of the nucleus of
our globe, covered on every side, for many hundred miles,
with secondary rocks, and here heaving its head through the
superincumbent strata, and standing alone ?.

be what are we to conclude of oo lime stone: ? ze

ed on I
’ adds, that oe lime stone is met with, but that it is
far less c common than in Ohio, Indiana,” &e. ‘At 108,
speaking of the lime stone, which, he says, is the rock inva-
riably met with in digging, and generally at the depth of
fifteen or twenty feet, he remarks, that there are many va-
rieties of it, the texture varying from very hard and com-
pact, to soft and friable—the latter erumbling between the
fingers, and being called rotten lime stone: lime s stone, he
me is Poh eg 4 the basis on whith the mineral soil at
Mine a Burton, and the numerous mines in its Vicinity re-
poses. He sd stars of it as “ passing into transition and sec-

_lime stone, in various places‘on the banks of ae

Missicippi, between Cape Girardeau and St. Louis, 2
becoming a variety of marble near Herculaneum.” Petices
not inform us whether this primitive lime stone is erystal-
line in its structure, or translucent, if not crystalline. He
generally speaks of it as compact, and if he uses the word
compact, in the sense to which Mr. Werner’s descriptive
language limits it, we must remark that compact lime stone
is rarely if ever primitive—the structure of this latter be
almost always crystalline, and if ever co1 it will gen

be translucent also, at least on the edges, but if com-
pact ar 1a secondary lime stone, it willin most instances be
perfectly opake. The compact translucent lime stone is is gen-
eal of the transition, and not of the primitive class.
The term marble, so introduced by Mr. Sch

© vee EL to 3 — Tie” conclasive 5 rors baat
eS ee

66 Notice of Mr. Schoolcraft’s View of

would of course decide the lime stone not to be primitive,
and therefore to be transition or secondary ; but both these
latter kinds of lime stone are often found without shells,
_ vegetable impressions, or any other trace of organized be-
ings. ; : pee

“The minerals mentioned by Mr. Schoolcraft as accompa-
nying the lead ore, in and above the supposed primitive
lime stone, are not such as are decisive of a primitive coun-
try—for erystalized quartz, sulphate of barytes, caleareous
spar, blende, hornstone, flint and pyrites, &c. are found
long with lead ore in the Peak of Derbyshire, a transition
country ; and they are found also in secondary countries. -
Primitive lime stone also, we believe, (at least this is the
fact in the magnificent formations of it in Connecticut, Mas-
sachusetts, and other northern States) usually occurs, form-
ing beds in the primitive rocks, especially in gneiss, mica
slate, and clay slate; and we are not aware that it often
orms the basis of a country ; whereas transition and secon-
dary lime stone form immense masses, and pervade exten-

sive regions, without’ necessa forming beds in other

mas
rily

OCKS. j

Tt would then have been more satisfactory to have had
the mineralogical character of this lime. stone described
with more precision, and especially to have had the order
of succession, (if any exist) with respect to contiguous rocks
delineated. ; Ske

tous disposition, ‘which we ab

found a real difficulty in conceiving clearly of the eeolosica
nature of this lime stone, which, it ait Be the ees of the

lead mine country, and therefore it is very important that

the Lead Mines of Missouri, &. 67°

. its characters should be indubitably fixed. We have not

een so fortunate as to see Mr. Schooleraft’s specimens :
possibly a view of them would have rendered the prece-
ding remarks, in part at least, unnecessary.

The difficulty of conceiving that this lime stone is really
primitive, is increased by the very remarkable position of
most of the lead ore hitherto obtained in the Missouri mines,
and which, it appears, is still obtained in the same situa-
tions, although some of the mines have been wrought for a
century. ; ‘
_ We allude to the vast deposit of alluvion with which this
lime stone is covered, and in which, to the depth of many
feet, the lead ore lies, often in loose pieces of several pounds
weight; 9» =~ PREY OP Sites as st es os

_ Leaving the Geological features of the lead miue district,

we proceed to cite some interesting and import: at facts
from Mr. Schoolerafi’s work:—* The soil, he remarks, is a
reddish coloured clay, stiff and hard, and full of fragments
of flinty stone, quartz and gravel; this extends to the depth
of from ten to twenty feet, and is bottomed on lime stone
rock. It is so compact in some places, as almost to resist
the pick-axe ; in others it seems to partake of marl, is less
gravelly, and readily penetrated. ‘The country is particu-
larly characterized by quartz, which is strewed in detached
pieces over the surface of the ground, and is also found im-
bédded in the soil at all depths. This is here called blos-
som of lead. Iron ores and pyrites are also scattered over
the surface of the ground, and occasionally lead ore.” The
mineral productions of the country, in addition to lead, are,
pi tong ochre, red chalk, salt-petre, sulphur, alum and
sa i ; “2 : :

The number of | ead min

ore is found in detached
rytes, calcareous spar, blende, iron

or sul

high degree of metallic lustre ; they break in
cubical fragments, and the minutest portions still retain this

68 ‘otice of Mr, Schooleraji’s View of

We have already observed that large fragments are form-
ed loose in the earth ; they sometimes weigh four or five
unds ; we have such specimens from these mines; they are
of a cubical form, and are surrounded, except where they
have been broken, by an earthy incrustation. =
- Itis observed, that the marly earth thrown out from the
pits, enriches the ground, so that ina few years it is covered
with a very rank growth of trees, vines, &c, and this is a
regular characteristic of old diggings. Innumerable por-
tions of radiated quartz, and sharp fragments of flinty stones
‘e mixed with the clay, and form the first stratum of about
Durtec » The next is of ared clay, and is four or
five feet thick, and less mixed with similar siliceous sub-
stances. Then comes a layer of gravel and rounded sili-
ceous pebbles, about one foot thick, containing small portions
of lead ore. The thickness of the bed of ore is generally a
foot ; and the lumps of ore appear to have been rounded
by attrition, like common gravel.‘ This is the character of
what is called the gravel ore, and no spars are found accom-
panying it. The greatest proportion of lead ore is, howey-
er, found imbedded in, and accompanied by the sulphate of
barytes, resting in a thick stratum of marly clay, bottomed
an limestone rock.” ‘They invariably arrive atthe rock at —
the depth of from fifteen’ to twenty, or sometimes thirty
feet—a new process by boring and blasting is now necessa-
ry, and most diggers abandon their pits rather than prose-

be resumed where hitherto it has been a aandoned. It
Ghani ohne ak. 1 eR ie, Ar a

which, if ‘unoccu

the Lead Mines of Missouri, &c. a9

ticularly brilliant and white ;* the quartz is often prettily
erystalized, and is so invariable a concomitant of the ore,
that the miners, as we have before a give it the
meaning appellation of mineral blosso
A curious fact i is mentioned ee Mr. “Schooleraft, respect-
my

t seems aiioge; is a consi coe quuncry. of a greyish
white sublimate Sages at the log hearth furnaces, and re-
ject bande as rkmen-upon th supposition that it is sul-

ph 7 5 ; Sohoatotethy| -unquestiona
experiments, ascertained that i it was lead, (as would appe:
in the form of a carbonated oxid. A considerable loss is
in this manner sustained, and in a more advanced staieok
the metallurgic operations of these mines, the author’s val-
uable suggestions will not be neglected. There is one mine
(M’Kain in’s,) where the ore is of the. steel grained variety
—it is said to yield less lead, and is inferred to contain
more silver than the common ores: we are aware that this.
is th > common impression, but our own experiments on
different varieties of lead ore, would induce us to think
that it cannot be relied upon. We have examined fine steel
grained ore which contained very little silver ; in one speci-
men only one five thousandth part, and in another, and that
a ne specimen, we found three and a half per cent. ah
silve

"The methods of digging for the ore are sufficiently si sim-
ple. “A pick-axe and shovel are the only tools used for
pits the earth, and the drill, hammer and peiiog om |

when it is necessary to. blast.” oe is

cartied on as in n digging a common well,

aware th

i Fiee ean
in the cone i bas phosp

70 Notice of Mr. Schoolcrafi’s View of

We must refer our readers to the book itself for a clear
account of the furnaces and furnace operations, employed
for smelting the lead: it will be the more intelligible, as it
is accompanied by two good plates containing views and
sections of the furnaces. A circumstance which appears
very extraordinary is, that the furnaces are most commonly
built of limestone, which is of course calcined, and brought
to the condition of quick lime by a few blasts, and then it
crumbles and the furnaces must be rebuilt. =

~The ore yields at first fifty per cent. and then the ashes
give fifteen per cent. more—sixty-five* in the whole.t —
- Custom, says the author, has established a number of
laws among the miners, with regard to digging, which have
a tendency to prevent disputes. Whenever a discovery is
made, the person claiming it is entitled to claim the ground
for twenty-five feet, in every direction from his pit, giving
im fifty feet square. Other diggers are each entitled to
twelve feet square, which is just enough to sink a pit, and |
afford room for throwing out the earth. Each one meas-
ures and stakes off his ground; and though he should not
begin his work for several days afterwards, no person will
intrude upon it. On this spot he digs down, but is not al-
lowed to run drifts horizontally, so as to break into or un-
dermine the pits of others. If appearances are unpromis-

the labours of the first had he persevered. .
Mr. Schoolcraft, from various particulars, infers, that the
average annual produce of the Missouri lead mines, as men-
tioned before, is three million pounds per annum, and the
lead was worth in 1819, at the mines, four cents per pound.t
_* According to Dr. Meade, the Missouri ore affords only a trace of
silver. (See Bruce's Min} Jourasl, Vol. p-10.
salen ena may y 1d ‘seventy per cent—it ald

PONE paid bo i intnens fod inking the orc, and acdiognetia
drew tothe smelters, istwodollars per emt. payable In pig lead

the Lead Mines of Missouri, &. 71

twenty-six thousand six hundred and sixty-six. pounds per
annum of pig lead, which the author supposes to be not

Amon -eHaneous mineral productions I

western regions, there are some that are interesting, and it
will be seen from the author’s table of minerals (p. 177

that the list is various. There are several caverns which
produce nitrate of potash by the usual treatment, and Ash-
ey’s Cove, about eighty miles from Potosi, is said to be
one of stupendous size, and to “ afford native nitrate of pot-
ash in beautiful white crystals.”

mouth of the Ohio. {t is described as being of an excel-
lent quality, and as containing flint in strata,* and some-
times in nodules. :
€ novaculite is mentioned as occurring on Wachitta,
as described by Mr. Bringier in the present Number.
Steatite exists in abundance at the Falls of St. Anthony,
on the Mississippi, and is used by the Indians for pipes.
The fluate of lime near Shawneetown, was described in
the first. volume of this journal. ee ee
Among other viinergle: Ne Schoolcraft mentions chaleed-
ony in several varieties, earthy oxid of lead, native copper,
alum, manganese, opalized and agatized wood, opal, jasper,
coal, gypsum, native epsom salts, pumice stone, agate, onyx,
burr mill stone, native iron, &c. for the localities and de-
Seriptions of which we must refer to the book itself.
Those facts of Mr. Schoolcraft’s volume which relate to
statistical and political topics do not come within the plan
ofthese remarks ge ee
, * May not this be hornstone in veins?

72 Notice of the Geology of Troy.

ur cursory notice of this work, we have cited «
number of the most prominent facts which it contains, both
because they are in themselves i rag. and because we
were willing to call the attention of our readers both to
them, and to the volume in ‘which they are contained.
are, in our view, entitled to great respect, and we con-
fess ourselves very much indebted to Mr. Schoolcraft for a
at mass of valuable information, which, in a connected
pate is, we believe, no where else to be found, His state-

ments saa) regards the most valuable part) are drawn from
is searches and observations, and have, avitestty
been the eoakk of much effort, and of no small share of fatigue
and personal privation. We: trust that so valuable a work
will not stop with a single edition, and perhaps we might
venture to suggest to the author, that in a second, he might
advantageously condense into one view, some facts which
are several times repeated in different parts of the volume ;
as those respecting the granite and its connected rocks

r

gos eonsider the present work as an acquisition to our
means of information respecting our mineral resources, and
believe that it must be a regular volume of reference for all
those who are interested in the investigation of these
subjects.

ssi Soh igke nes Notice of Ey —Extract of a
letter to the Editor

Tae city of Troy is situated on the east bank of the
Hudson river, on an elevated. plain, from eighteen to twen-
ty-four feet above the bed of the river. Tt is about one

digging for wells, &c. we pass through a series of almost
uninterrupted gravel, of the coarsest and most sterile kind,

colours, and all worn smo rounded so as oe fi
for paving streets, &c. : singe stisie are many of the

size and ae as before mentioned of horn stone, 1s Pian
stone, sino SP reaelas , chlorite, (connected with quartz) sili-
ceous slate, ru » &c. Sometimes we meet with
a stratum of coarse blue “clay or sand, but we uniformly

Dr. Allen on West River Mountain. — 73

find, at from eighteen to twenty-four feet deep, logs of
wood and other vegetable substances, in a tolerable state of
preservation. At the lower end of this plain, and where
the river was probably once bounded, a quarry of siliceous
slate appears, which is worked for use in building, &e. ; and all
interspersed through this, we find bituminous shale and blind
coal or anthracite, as you will observe by the specimens, with
frequent pieces of iron pyrites, lenticular spar, erystalize

quartz, &c. in connexion. Over this, the alluvial deposits

Yours respectfully,
MOSES HALE.

_ Troy, October 6, 1818. :

wiley ey
= .

ae 5 ‘ se ; Se oe .
Arr. IX.—On the Question, whether there are any traces
of a Voleano in the West River Mountain—in a letter to
the Editor from Dr. Jonatuan A. ALLEN.

West-River Mountain having been announced, in the

that he

74 - Dr. Alien on West River Mountain.

early heard “ noises like thunder on the mountain”—

. th y the eruption, was about thirty feet

deep’ *—and ne = “he repeatedly visited the place, but nev-
er saw any flam

‘The a HE is situated on the east side of Connecticut

river, opposite to Brattleborough, East-Village. Its great-

est length is north and south, and does not exceed four

tained woety ie friend Erastus Root, M. D. is nine pe

Tovar the top, the mountain separates into an east-
and western section. At a distance of about thirty

as ascending from where vegetation flourishes, on the
south extremity of the eastern cliff, you come to the shaft
which has been sunk into the rock about one hundred feet.
dere the volcanic Set ete is pSepponte: to have occurred.
place 2 is € ss soctuere nore instinct-

and contains hematite iron ore. From come: at some
for.

rmer period, it is said, capillary Suellen of silver were
obtained, but this is probably a mhistakes® 4

de * Mr, Gibbs, recently a tutor in Yale College, shewed me some of this
ore, which, many years ago, was sent from the garrison at Fort Dumm

ibbs. ve me, is inc —is it not lier’
pe not the localty of native silver, ecatinneds in Cleaveland

ir D eddiuate this

see Se know thing, or gee of th

he soldier's + epaulet—
@ eat say only the ginal specimen like that sent by Dr. Allen, was

Dr. Allen on W. est River Mountain. 75

The rock, through which the workmen have passed in
making the shaft, i is mica slate, passing into granular quartz.
In some instances, however, the quartz is found crystalized,
but it is neither frequent nor elegant.

aving the shaft, and ascending to the op of this cliff,
on “the west side, you observe a descent of one. hundred
feet perpendicular, and from the bottom of this the rocks
are scattered in huge broken masses, in such a manner, that
an inclined plane over the whole would form an angle of
about 45°, for the distance of ten or twelve rods where it
intersects the western section oe or mountain.

be discovered. How then, it may be asked, are we to ac-
count forthe +e eated reports heard at Fort Dummer?
Could they be imaginary ?- Re ee ee:

“We have no right to’ coutlade they Were, on the fects
were related by persons whose testimony would net have
been doubted on other occasions, and why should they be
called in question in this? It is asserted in Bruce’s Jour-
nal, that the reports were caused “ by the wind’s oe
through the clift of the mountain near the shaft.” If so
why are not the same noises heard at the present time?

Then to what cause shall we attribute these noises like

on the mountain? ‘The most probable conclusion
is, ‘that they were produced by the falling of the immense
masses of rocks from the western side of the eastern cliff.
By this conclusion every difficulty is removed. Go to the
spot, and there you will find evidences in favour of this
ps i stronger than language can describe,—but search
for voleanoes; and you will find nothing dedarviniy your no-
tice.

In determining the geological character of the Wisep-siane
mountain, I am happy to acknowledge the assistance of the
Rev. Edward Hitchcock, A. M, of Deerfield, Mis. ses

in filament ents—that it exhaled arsenic, by blow- ibe, and wag. not

eae me aire. acid till the arsenic bad been expel then dissolved
readily was precipitate ie white by muriate vot s o Seeman
phat we "plete , does not aitiste arsenic, but n oar cichoe contetas

arsenic—such is that at Mr. pues mine in Hantington El

76 Dr, Alien on West River Mountain.

Localities sof Minerals in the vicinity of Bratileborough, —
communicated by Dr. Allen.

Tremolite—beautiful specimens. argatalized. in quartz, are
found 0, Vt.; also at Brattlebo-
rough, but not good.
ney crystals, in quartz, Siyemnetsten 5 and,
0, Baattleborough, less pe erfect.
indicate n large crystals me Ge Mae in feld spar and

Schorl

tz, Hinsda
Greau! lar Geers a like loaf sugar, i a 4.
Actynolite—Windham and New-Fane. At New-Fane I

ound it in large masses, — an any
ther substance.
Micaceous Oxide of RRS ROE in veins in white lime
stone, near Turkey: mountain
Crystalized in_ chlorite, beautiful specimens,
arlborough, Vt.
Sealy, Tale—beautfal specimens, discovered: by Professor
Hall, Windham, and by myself, New-Fane. |
oh a immense mass, Grafton, sacaracen by
?rofessor Hall.
Magnetic en Ore—in large quantities, containing about
ey ixty per cent. iron, Sumerset, Vt. This ore is
leaves aa carried to the forge near Bennington,
gee Ses tO be. wrought. Pyrites is. also found here in
abundance, and what the people call bo
eo gees with

Garnets.

_Sumerset, an iron forge might be establishe
ease profit, but those in this. vicinity who have the ape
pbsaas gave not the noe Leigoke tal. %

Mixed production of the Spanish Chesnut, §e. 77

BOTANY AND ZOOLOGY.
past ohn

Arr. X.—Experiments on a valuable variety of fruit, pro-
duced between the Spanish Chesnut, and. the Maryland
Cie a letter from Winuram Prince, Esg. to
he Hon. Samuen L, Mrrcuiut. :

(Read before the Lyceum of Natural History, at New- Xap, Oct. 15, and
communicated fori insertion in hoes Journal 1D) ;

~~ se eee | Fuvemno, Oct 4, eset
‘io e the interest you gn ee ‘in aie ae ee
nomena of nature, I wish to call your attention to one of

ly A in the following manner :—about the year
1788, the large Spanish chesnut was first imported ‘into
this, opto tT pane’ some of the nuts, and obtained
earl ne of which, I had planted the
foun: a a or + onan of the southern states, which
produce fruit when not more than two feet in height. The
farina of the blossoms of the large Spanish chesnut, fell on
the stiles of the flowers of the little chinquapin, whose fruit,

when ripe, I planted, and in the spring when they came up,
observed several of the Mea had leaves resembling the
Spanish chesnuts—those far Sitar pie oi a = ane

vines whose | Sram
iiapeageated by the farina. of the best pio sorts. Vines

78 Mixed production of the Spanish Chesnut, &c.

might be thus produced, that would stand the cold of our
climate, and combine the aging of the — with
the flavour of the finest exotic kinds
I am, with respect
our obedient ge

ILL{AM PRINCE.

(ANSI SWER. ye 3
New-York, Oct. 16, 1820. :
My. Dear Sir,

~ Ebeg you to accept my thanks for your vattele: com-
iaaeltation of yesterday. The articles susceptible of pre-
paration in a herbarium, have been placed there for the
inspection of my friends and visitors at home, and of my
class at the college. The capsules and fruits have already
been exhibited to such agriculturists and cultivators as have
= upon me. They, who have tasted them, admire the
ict, as an excellent variety for the table.
eee curious and memorable fact, that the farina feeun-
dans of F the desta. seme chesnut, does, in the manner you
scribe, te the American chinquapin.
I believ pai you, the principle is capable of extensive
application. Hybrid plants, possessing qualities worthy of
eing known and perpetuated, have often tb i am
inclined to think, they are more frequent than is ly
supposed. I] T hope vines may be found savobptible: of im-
pravensentby by 3 and that all interested
nce the benefit, in the better qualiey of caaaee
and of ‘the precious liquid they afford.

The world stands very much in need of faithful observ-
ers, to ascertain facts. Another class of persons is quite
as necessary, I mean those who write and register their re-
marks, for public instruction. Unless the things we know,
are nas put upon record, to travel far and wide among our

poraries, and forward a a long line to our successors,
diay will perish with our failing memories—die with us, or
at farthest, mbered

rfe Mrana Pea
ed a 2 n or two

ie ey

[ rejoice that you have seeko stiod us exam le; and te
rend it to diligent imitation. NA
-- Health and respect,
SAMUEL L. MITCHILL.

Vanden Heuvel on the Honey Bees of Guiana, &c. 79

Art. XI.—/ memoir* on the honey-bees of America, ad-
dressed to the Hon. Samuel Mitchill, President
of the Lyceum of Ni atural History—by Jee. ads
ae Es sq.

(Cy } ted fi 7 ti in thi Journal.)
Sir,
Consiperine the institution over which you preside as

the proper depository of such articles of interest or value in
any of the branches of tea er history, as may be brought
from foreign « ies ‘I take the liberty

countries by private means,

of addressing you for the - purpose: of contributing to their
cabinet, a collection of bees obtained by me, a re-

eent residence in Guiana ; indulging a belief that the 1 region
whence it proceeds will rather increase than diminish the
interest which it may excite. While most of the provinces
of South-America have been examined by scientific obser-
vers both of the old and new shosgmers ome the portion lying
between the rivers Oronoke and Amazon has attracted but

ments, arising from the physical aspect of: the: saleacen a ed
been alone sufficient to occasion it. Its immense for rests,
almost impervious by their exuberant luxuriance of vegeta-
tion, excited by a tropical sun and humid atmosphere, are
_ rendered inaccessible during a great part of the year by the

torrents of rain that periodically fall, and oan from
the higher grounds, form vast reservoirs on the in |
S. Re :

itive rudeness, and in penpdé cases with existing traits of the
wildest ferocit
In

the course of my reshdohicg-¢ in-the. province of Lieut:
rara, I became acquainted with a n st, Dr.
eorge Schmidt, who has lived for a number of yearsin va

5 1

Geo
eae = = ere and is now an ban

er ¥ piak teas 320, and read bef e Lyceum, 2

80 Vanden Heuvel on the ee of Guiana, &e:

be viewed: sos weitls nbipled delight ats ais sists ment.—-
mong: ie varieties collected by. him, I was particulary
‘the number and beautiful diversity of the order
of bees; and presuming that of a country so little known,
information would be gratifying to Naturalists of the
United States, I obtained from him a preparation of the spe-
cies in his possession, and which I have now the pleasure to
present to your highly respectable institution. The num-
ber of bees contained in the collection is. twenty, bu: half of
the whole number ber (as Dr. Schmidt aati which he
had indicated tends them

mee ees

as in e of his discoveri not being com vanes.
he had not yet. eee his attention to that niijacr It
ifying, Sir, however to you and others, to learn
iicnnines: given to these various Species by ‘the _ Aborigines
of the country, not only as

discrimination, but also as corroborating. the statement of
Dr. en of the » honey-pro ee ‘property of all these

4 for

vidal who was. for many yea a constant resident among

varies, ‘and qualified | both ste education and an in-
written per ine
whatever i seapetomn facts came to 0 his knowledge He: _

-
are hee hace tid es

mildness sad ne dinsoa: ition, are also pre-emi-
nent among them as minute observers of all the productions
nature. ” Being the he original proprietors of the whole coast
of Guiana, though subsequently d. ssessed of a a portion of
t by the ferocious Charibs > all the rivers and creeks, the
intervening territories and a ment positions ; all the ' vari-
ottes of animal and vegetable life bear to this day: their own
appellations.. Like other savages, they are little used to ab-
straction: anal generalization, bot led by their. habits, accus- i

Vanden Heuvel on the Honey Bees of Guiana, &c. 81

tomed to an attentive observance of external objects, they
evince in the discovery of specific differences, an inquisi-
tiveness of remark, and nicety of discrimination, which can-

ciplined by systematic studies. Not a tree nor a shrub, no
creature of the air, of the flood or of the forest, however di-
minutive, or however rare, throughout the endless distinc-
tion of nature, exists without an Arrowauk denomination:
According to the authority referréd to, their name for Bee is
“Ambani; and every variety is designated by prefixing to
this word another, indicative of some analogy which its
shape or colour, the acuteness of the Sting, or the scent of
the honey bears to some other object. Maba is their name
i ner, to distinguish its s

of Bee from which it is obtained. ‘Thus they say Kurewa-
whose colour that of the Bee bearing this name resembles ;
and Kurewaka-Maba, is the honey of that Bee. Hyao-
Ambani. is a Bee whose honey smells like the milky juice
exuding from a tree, called Hyao:. and Yawahu-Ambani is
one whose sting causes fever, Yawahu being their name for
Devil, whom. they, like most other rude nations, believe to
be the cause of all diseases, as well as other calamities with
which they are afflicted». The number of Bees noticed by
my informant is twenty-nine, all of whom he ‘asserts are
honey Bees; the quality of the honey, he moreover adds,
is remarkable for its clearness, thickness and sweetness;
the wax of a-yellowish brown, imparting a fragrant smell.
The following are. the .4rrowauk names, as furnished by him
for:these species: <s2acih ue ws 2 abe 23 eee
1 Bilin Aiabane, =} 7 ertion- Bees. (fromahe salt
of a3 aye ee fy righ ies ; _of the honey) pee ee ee

F

3. Mabiria, ae
5. Honno-Honno, ee ee "2 ; eee
Bu: Tarihi iniesctte eps 0 Pt
To Hikhiyskaiege | i ’
8. Wakara, . dir
9. Wirukutiri, mis ‘de

Vor stds No. ft. ee 8

82. Vanden Heuvel on the Honey Bees of Guana, &.

11. Puteréra, - Very painful.

12. Kuriwiri, Blood-letting.

13. Kana, Wild Cow. pe
14. Haw, The Sloth.

15. Hituri, Black Ape.

16. Kuriwaka, A species of Parrot.

Largest sort of Parrot.

18. Warumari, ~~ < Long uae Ant.
19. Pariéddi, ' Large W 3
20. Léndi Gabi, ated
41. Baraddi, — Bill Bird
22. Waraddi, Very rare.
23. Kuribiru, Snake Fish
24, Warakabba, White back.
25. Yawahu, Devil.
26. Sibéru, Frog.
27. Suli-Sali, ~ Small black Parrot. .
28. Alaso, oon Small land Turtle.
29, Wis: ‘ A Tree: that exudes a - milky

In presenting this eéllention to el: Lyceum, I have, Sir,
another pleasure, independent of that of enlarging its cabi-
net. It is derived from the opportunity I have of affording
by ocular evidence, incontestable ssa of a theory
which has been maintained by a writers, of the ori-
gin of the Bees of the a here. In consequence
of their ewn = Noni kaees an. ‘opinion
was advanced by the Abbe Raynal that they were |
there by the first settlers, and is wecniecee pat forth in a work
of credit and general reference, erat yclopeedia: Art.
— in these words: “The Apis-mellifica, or common

sean Bee, is an Buropean i insect. te is ayes by Mr.

te : completely cn Hoopes an the
li ma te.” api an inversion of the tules of just rea-

isistepsions. Of the native origin of the Bee o
ica, no doubt can be en ntertained by any one,

Vanden Heuvel on the Honey Bees of Guiana, &c. 83

paeseseis of the least experience in the country. Even the
ewness of its numbers may fairly be questioned ; at least if

America, describes the Bee, in connection with the Beaver,
&c. “as one of those productions almost peculiar to Ameri-
ca,” an opinion very extraordinary, when contrasted with
the hypothesis of Raynal, and which could have arisen only
from his observation of such numbers of this insect, as sur-
passed in his belief the swarms of the old world. Their
mode of depositing their honey is indeed peculiar, and oc-
easioned solely by local causes. Instead of concealing it in
the hollow of a tree, or suspending their hives from the
branches, they place:it in a hole made in the ground, their
object being to preserve it from the attacks of tigers. With
reference to the southern portion of North-America, I take

liberty also, of presenting an anecdote I accidentally met
with, illustrative of the existence of Bees in that quarter.
In Roberts’ History of Florida, it is. mentioned that in the
Expedition of Ferdinand De Soto, for the conquest of that
territory in 1539, his army, after a fatiguing march of some
ney in the

been accounted for by Raynal, without hazard-
+ . ae ee 1 etc

ing the idea of their gr 7 ther continent,
by reflecting that the nature of the climate was less favoura-

? TEgIONs ; Tout
rope, though they are cultivated to some extent in the north-
erm parts, they are more the objects of the attention of man,

84 Vanden Heuvel on the Honey Bees of Guiana, &c.

‘and thrive more under his fostering care, beneath those
warm and indulgent skies, where nature affords nutriment
for them in gay profusion, and lengthened summers pro-
longing their labours render their products of greater impor-
tance. In like manner on the Western Continent, it is in
southern climes that they are found in greatest abundance,
and that the results of their iudustry are most valuable.

The ardent sun of the tropics, which generates in all veg-
etable bodies an increased portion of saccharine matter,
which decks the woods and groves with an endless displa:
of blossoms and flowers, of aromatic and nectareous fra-
grance, and distils from the trees of the forest in luscious
streams those balmy juices with which it surcharges them,
furnishes a region where Bees may luxuriate in “a wilder-
ness of sweets.” Accordingly in all parts of South Ameri-
ca, and in the West Indies, their different products form
pointierts material et of diet and domestic wink but

y very © srable items o mn exportation

Alongs ‘the | ts of the Amazon, says Southey, (Ist Vol.
rr of Brazil) ane is one of the principal articles of

ie ae

‘the na
In Chili, iesordine to Molini, it is an article of commerce
between several of the provinces
' In Paraguay, wax is one of the two staples of trade , by
the river La Plate, across Sr country, (Ulloa.)
In Peru, Bees are so numerous, that — a of the
ish Generals, on sei sprrnistet of it red a certain
vince, scarce a mote — be cleft but hhoney flowed from
ey.)

The provides: of Yucatan, in New-Spain, says Hum-
boldt, is so well stored ‘with this j insect, that waz is its prin-
cipal export; and in the island of Cuba, adds the same au-
thority, it is so abundant, that in 1803, 45 ,000 Arobbas, or
one million pounds Weight of that article was exported.
_ In regard to the remaining part of South America, the
collection I lay before the institution, affords a suficient
testimony to the point. ~~

- Such being the abundance and variety of this i insect in- the

n portion of the continent, far superior to all similar
ctions of the old world, the idea of its transpor to
arts from Europe, is manifestly absurd ; and age if
easiican Bee should be admitted not: to be indi-

”

Deposit of Bones of the Rattle Suake. - 8%

genous to its own climate, an admission, contrary to fact,
and unsupported by the shadow of authority, we should of
course attribute its appearance there to emigration from the
contiguous and well supplied regions of the south, rather
than to transportation by human aceney eye we ‘far- Tess
extensive swarms of another continen:

On the whole, Sir, from these ROE it spbeatn to eemend
f trust will also appear to your better judgment, that the pre-
sumptuous hy pothesis of Raynal and his successors, is to”
considered merely as the genuine offspring of the spirit
once so fashionable among a certain class of: Furopean wri-
ters, and even now not extinguished, of soneireck and dispar-
aging all ae aly of the Westen i and , moral-and

Weste herbac 2 a
canet prosperity er yout Inston a, ate
Your very respectful, ee sai Suis

and obedient humble: servant,

J. A. VANDEN HEUVEL,

hess XI. — Som curious facts: respestng ake uses f ie
Rattle : reated sAtaghens byt es-

‘Snake ; co
ani Jaco son ine a p Ttler

Shion the year 1748, some eubadere sorworking < fe uar-
ry in this neighbou urhood for ‘the stone with which our Col-
lege is built, discovered’ a small cavern, which contained
the entire skeletons of an immense number ‘of the 7 rattle
wumeaeuaed 8.) Reh a aa th in ‘stich quantities as to

= an occurrence som Or newhi

artz, th “ of | Fra eA hs and t
beautifnl grotto of Tresheinionshiz, ‘in. the Carpa

Se tig Deposit of Bones of the Ratile Snake.

mountains, which are vast cemeteries of bones of tygers,
and bears, as large as our horses.” kewell, in
his Geology, has an account of the entire skeleton of an ele-
phant of immense size, discovered in Derbyshire, in a cav-
ernous rock composed of marine animals. He supposes
the cavern to have been open, and afterwards closed by the
deposition of calcareous _ forming stalactites ; instances
of which are common in shire. “‘ Into this cavern |
conceive, (says he) the sie had retired to die, at a peri-
ong fter the existence of the marine animals wen are

edded in the surrounding rock.” npn
The faeerery of the organic remains of the. ‘tattle. sna ake
in our neighbourhood, may serve as an additional caution
to geologists, not to form theories from isolated facts ; and
that if the bones of animals similar to those which now in-
habit our earth are discovered, with reliques peculiar to
what we now cine ose to be” ancient strata, a careful exam-
mation. of all t th ate the

cee Bones of hick 0 our ot is built are 2 argillien and
from various quarries in the neighbour-
wr fae of these the above remains were discover-
ed Lam unable to state, but most probably they were inthe
argillite.
Within the memory of some of the old inhabitants of our
town, rattle snakes were common in this ie 3 but as
in other phe mena the ee retired as the population has i

regions.. There is a 7 ular
story among aba that this reptile aivngs retired to his
siete ees an before the leaves of the white ash ( Reinet:

bite of the ritshes ses but. “merely state. io circumstance
to excite further observation

Comparison of the Blowpipes of Hare and Brook. 87

CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS, MECHANICS, AND THE ARTS.

———
Art. XIII.—Upon the cates 8 of! various per bodies
by H lowpipe.

(Translated from ee Annales de Chimie et de At ead of Panis, for July,
820—Editors Gay Lussac and Arago

Tur blowpipe of Hare was described in the Annals of
Chemistry, pipe, 45, p. 113.) It is. eee plied by two
streams, one SA hydrogen and the other of ox ss Oath which do
not mix till ‘moment of their combust and conse-
quently are attended by no kind of danger. “This b
is in this respect far preferable to that of Newman, or th-
er of Brook, who appears to have been the first in inventor,
and it is notinferior to it, or only in avery slight* degree, in in-
tensity of heat. e can besides supply it with hydrogen
gas and oxigen gas, compressed each in its own reservoir ;
but, if we were to judge of it by the effects produced by this
instrument, and by that of Brook, meio is but little advan-
tage in having recourse to this means. _

The « simplest mode of es Om Hare’s slow pipes ina
laboratory, would be, by taking two cylindrical bell glasses,
furnished with stop cocks, the horizontal sections of which
(the glasses) should be such, that oe one should present a
surface double to that of the other: they are to be fixed in
the pneumatic cistern, the largest to contain oxigen and the
smallest hydrogen. From each of the bell glasses should
joo a pe oes eee Semele # ina sg ated pred

by 0 opening the stop cocks, always in the : fas
water, whie i is aie’ best sap to prodin Ag maximuns
of heat. , oe ee

Whether it is stabs ¥en i in the slightest seine site seen sia the
‘ogee connie of results, made Adit J bogie our last! Soe

88 Comparison of the Blowpipes of Hare and Brook.

Lavoisier, as is well known, by directing oxigen gas upon
burning charcoal, succeeded in melting and volatilizing some
gabttances, wiieh; till that time, had been considered as =
fusible and fixed. (Mém. de l’Acad. 1782 et 1783).
melted alumine, and many of its mixtures; but i a oa

istry and Mineralogy, who had comusiohatadel in the early ex-
periments of Mr. Hare, performed new ones, which were
published in 1813, in the first volume of the Memoirs of the
Connecticut Academy 2 and Spaporss we Proceed

_. Alumine was 95 meted into a milk white enamel.
* 4 3 e . , into a Se calsaglans o3

_ Barytes and strontian ose a grey ish white enamel. -
Glucine and. Zircon were perfectly melted into a white
enamel.»
Lime, prepared by the piinieaion of Carrara marble, w was
melted into a perfectly white and brilliant enamel.
The splendor of the light was such that the eye, when na-
ked, and even ee protected by deeply: coloured glasses,

ed at the angles, and gradually to sink down; and i in a few
seconds, there remained only a small globular mass.

Magnesia was affected almost exactly as lime; the light
reflected was equally vivid ; the surface was “melted into
small vitreous globules, _
latina was not only melted, but volatilized with strong
ebullition.

JA pipe Ne of euperalss ‘such as rock crystal, chal-
cedony, -b eruvian emerald, peridot, (chrysobery]}
amphigene, vaca) disthene, tapers corundum, zircon,
Spinel-ruby, &c. melted with thegreatest facility. _

: “Tn subsequent experiments, which Mr. Silliman has com-

nic: ~ as platina, gold, silver, and many other met-
als were not only rapidly vaporized, but entered, at the
same ae into beautiful and vivid combustion.

Comparison of the Blowpipe of Hare and Brook. 89

Although the experiments of Mr. Silliman date in 1812,
we have thought that they ought to be known upon our con-
tinent. They demonstrate, on the one hand, that Mr. Clark
has been anticipated in Ameuica, with respect to the fusion
of bodies in the flame of hydrogen and oxigen ;—and on the
other, that the blow-pipe of Hare gives results almost per-
ies identical with those of Broo kK.

Remarks mae the Editor.

We are constrained t agree
Gay Lu ty and . Aregoy.(an J author which
this point, and on that p

bly oy ee as of the frst ey ‘and to
that we can perceive very little, if any superiori

pressure, by forcing in the mixed gases ti
the thick and’ strong copper parallelopiped, which is em
Etat can a pepe were e swollen a till they were Call

oe See oe Ok

80 Comparison of the Blowpipe of Hare and Brook.

gases to flow decidedly to the focus, and with such rapidity
as to keep up a constant supply. “As there is nothing to
confine the stream of =—- reacting force, crag

to Pow, it is diminished, Bey coe in a ge-
and it is very soon reduced to a pressure
not superior o cheat exerted in Mr. Hare’s. From the small
capacity of the reservoir, the entire duration of one charge
of gas is also very short, and it is burnt out in a minute or
wo. It is true, it is possible i in some measure to compen-
sate for this defect, b Sie Sale an assistant to inject
rare while | ame urning, but this, besides the
onvenie 1 ngs ; woul oes occasion "Scuba

ones a fore penn ienad to the resistance ‘of tl » walls
of the re

servoir, and might therefore “= inet with
even fatal veloc ney S

* That thi gras is not aaboteidey. will vt arent from the fol-
lowing fact. been acenstomed (borrowing the experiment from
the late Dr. Woodhacee of Philad elphia) to mix fulminating n er ir
tmuriate (chlorate) of potash by agitating them on an open paper by @
feather ; they _ ewes red into the. bowl of epoes mon tob
hy SORES. ipa pat from a long facia the explo-
z iolent, —- happened from the fine frag-
pe hoaiga: ways b
On one ootine We sabstitated fort eee bowl, a oe tinplate ¢ can-
Besitinguie er, placing it with the vertex,of course, downwards, in an iron

Comparison of the Blowpipe of Hare and Brook. 91

’ Especially, would this danger be serious, were such vol-
umes of the gases employed as to keep up a train of experi-
ments for hours, without recruiting the gases. This is the
case in the large pneumatic cistern in the Laboratory of
Yale College. The recipients for gas, in this, amount col-
lectively to the capacity of fifty gallons; they are all con-
nected at pleasure; the gas in them, when they are full,

as a pressure of fifteen inches of water, and the consump-
tion of half a cubic foot of gas reduces the pressure only
one inch, and so in proportion.
his instrument, or one on similar principles, has been in
use, inour hands, for the 2 id e ike aha blow-
A seventeen or eighteen ears 5 and n
pipes por ae pects the well oft the
between the two hostile gases.

~The seale of the instrument bay enabled us to indalye,
even to luxury, in the numerous and splendid experiments
of fusions and combustioms, which were performed on most

— Js

ses, as well as in private researches, for years before the
iit eee were ever heard af-

5 “ te tae - 3

Application Hare’s — one : w te ee mation
‘The synthetical ‘ithadibes of water, from the combustion

of the oxigen and hydrogen gases, is of course an interest-
ing ec eM to all i nay on a courie of ——

‘London, exhibits the fact pect ae neti the pro
and not without some

cs

practical difficulties i in nthe use.

was seuiee gle ments oft the tin eninge were shot
among the * st gman nee of twenty feet all around ; several
persons inte —* ialeed, Sod fie eaaes, nn d the right tem

ided, 0 produce a copious. rrhag¢
dent will jastify the remarks in the text. —~

92 — of the Blowpipe of Hare and Brook.

have, this season, ae of Mr. sachte
blowpipe, and have a it with good success, to exhi
homie of ies det this purpose, the two tubes
which end in the frustrum of platina, are screwed out and
inserted through a cork: they are then again screwed inte
the platina, and are lastly connected with the tubes which
ead to the omens: 4 gas, Sacks as when we are to use
the compound blowp
An apothecary’s F baat which should be frais éfieen to
eighteen inches high, and of the capacity of about three or
four gallons, is then filled with oxigen gas. This is easily
done, without the air pump, by using a tube bent twice at
right angles, and long enough to reach with one leg to the
bottom of the bottle ; 3 the other leg is screwed to the stop
cock of a large bell glass; this last is filled with oxigen gas,
and by being pressed into the well of the pneumatic cistern,
ee the long = of the bent tube i is passed to the bottom
large bottle, on of the stop cock of
the belt glass, the —— gas flows in, and lifts the common
air out, and takes its place, thus filling the bottle with an’ at-

pee oe ie

mosphere 0 of oxigen gas, without resorting to the air pump,
and without wetting the inside of the bottle, which would,
of course, render the experiment nearly nugatory, and the
result ambiguous. It is known when the bottle is filled with
oxigen gas, by bringing a taper, that instant blown out,
the 1 mouth of ‘the bottle, when if: full, the ve a2) will ber (

t

ed.
Things being, thus arranged, the flinse of the’tom
blow ee is lighted, and is introduced into the Bottle, hea
care not to bring it within nine or ten inches of the bottom :
the cork which is.on the tubes, closes the mouth of the»
bottle,* which is, from ee first moment, kept cold by
copious streams of water poured i incessantly over the
shoulders of the bottle, grb if neglected for a minute or -
two, will grow hot—the vapour of the water formed will no
r condense—it remains-in the condition of steam, and
if the bottle be tight, will produce an explosion; or, if after
the glass is once hot, we attempt to pour on water, the bot-
Rss a But, ies Bh i ee ee is nO diffi:

* Not, ie ver, absoluiely { ge fee of
raccoon dre from the ly tg pees ‘rHlsion, oe. the great

Professor Green on a case of sudden Crystalization. 93

culty, and we let in both gases at once, or the hydrogen
only, and the oxigen as it is wanted, and thus produce as
much water as we choose, or as our gases will afford.
The experiment may be performed without first filling
_ the bottle with oxigen gas, and by operating with it full of
common air, but the nitrogen, ina degree, obstructs the
combustion, and the result is less satisfactory.
This little application of Mr. ant s blowpipe may, per-
aps; be of some use to chemical. demonstrations, and
serves to evince the additional vitae of this fine instrument.
For an illustration of the above description, see the draw-
ing ona plate, at the end of this Number, where a section
of the pneumatic cistern, with the -air ee. recurved
tubes coming from them and terminating in the blowpi 5
and the connexion of the latter ee abe “bet, ar re ex-
hibite d. ae eae

F)

nen ao ee

Art. XIV.—On an instance of instantaneous Anais
’ Hone Professor Coxe of Princeto

THE instantaneous erystalzation of a fees 50 lution
of the sulphate aor com! s salt, is fa-
miliar to. every « one ‘ihe. makes metho i and
perhaps the crystaline process I shall now mention, has been
often noticed before—I send you, however, the following
oe as I have not seen it any of the books on Chem-

vie preparing the nitrie acid from nitrate of potash and
sulphuric acid, I had occasion to stop the process — just as
the red fumes of the nitrous gas made their 2 a 1€e,
id of | ones: when a bE spitadwes letely
colitis werfoetly re itt and ie dining the. at
mospheric air no change took place, b but upon. .
it a small piece of the nitrate of see) érysinination: im-
mediately ensued, and the whole was quickly solidified.
There was, I think, a Beer _ of calons extricated
during the above process, than in the instantaneot li-
zation of the sulphate of aide: another? ieronce was,
that the solidification did not, as far as I observed, com-

94... Morey on Mineral Waters, Se.

mence On the upper surface and — gradually down-
wards, as in the sulphate of soda, but began to form round
_ the.small pieces of nitre which were thrown in. _
er particulars might be stated, but as the phenomens
are Swabahiye familiar to you, I omit them.
he above experiment is another proof that atmospheric
pressure is not essential to the crystalization of salts, nei-
ther could the phenomena be ascribed to the sudden ab:
struction of a portion of heat from the liquid on the admis-
of air, as the crystals were not first formed on the

surface; besides, I found in one or two- instances, the fluid
erystalized throughout, when there was-no exposure to the
air.

From the numerous experiments on sali erystalization,
made by Dr. Coxe of Philadelphia,* and Professor Ure of
the Glasgow Institution, no correct inferences, it appears,
can as yet be deduced from the facts. The last gentleman.

supposes tl at "gue ——- may be the agent cr ge

ient [have

‘ . cu in th tl
Aeseribed, be called the’ pe Nite. Sulphate of Potash?

ake: XV. On Artificial Mineral Waters, with some re-

- marks on Artificial | lek? ae Swit ceases “A Or-
ae nore a tre.

: arse ee TO PROFESSOR sieiwes “= ar =,

—s

Possiniy something for the Anoarioart Journal. fay ie
selected from the following thoughts and experiments, the
object. of which is to furnish, at a cheap rate, an abundant
supply of light for sana oe: and also to multiply
fountains, such as those Saratoga, &e. at such an
expense, and in such quantities and: situations, that the calls
sedhpocessities of every one ey be enpenends —_—*

ee sal

4 "= oe tial See Aunals of Philosphy, Vol. VI. page x.
a Sesibred of Science and Arts, by Rives Vol. ¥.; ae 106

Morey on Mineral Waters, &c. 95

Atis well known, that the vapour of water, in passin
through ignited charcoal, is decomposed. If the product is
made to pass through water, the carbonic ape gas is ab-
price and the hydrogen. is'so far separated, as to be at

ommand for furnishing light, filling balloons, or i i -pur-
ieee If water be composed of 85 parts of oxygen and’
15 of hydrogen,*. and. carbonic, acid gas of about 28. of .
carbon, in the, 100; one poundiof charcoal and not far
from four of water, ought to give something like two hun- |
dred and fifty gallons. of carbonic acid gas, or enough to
Supply that quantity of as nearly strongly. ae
mineral water as is to be found nd in nature ;} an ee
fee pe ss or al ren cubic aor Slee

e very anaprenon eenarayer of spirit o ae oe ning other
sabseaes will be required to make the flame white. These
gases, as formed, may be forced into the aqueduct of a lim-

ited quantity of water, to be conveyed along with it to some -

desirable situation ‘to be let out for use. The quantity of
water let in will depend on the quantity of mineral water
wanted. | ie a flame be applied to the surface of these

fountains, € pydtiogen se oa fire and burns on the » sure
face of the water : thereby, perhaps, exposing some-of nd.
rtsnis. bedsien op Lie Baleatieb sg:

In this dh operations: Eiuies, and sf petra pasa ne.
for cma ach yet Spears supplied with a pleasant, healthy

drink, and at the same time, and from the same materials,
po Tehted. There must be an addition of some
kinds of fuel, to sere the ead. heat of the charcoal, and
to. seaports the water. Lb
me chert: t

i ee sera
uc wot ¥ rn peer uima aste and smell ta
nanan be pron aes x an empyre ee = ie

96 Morey on Mineral Waters, ye.

‘he gas a
less of the lime and iron. Carbonate of soda, or any other
_ substance which renders the water more healthy or useful,
may be added in any desired quantity... The quantity of
water that flows in, may be regulated or stopped so as to

_ Meet very cong fas call or demand there shall be for the
mineral water, . overplus of the spring water is applied
to keep the vessels and mineral water cool. ‘This mineral

Morey on Mineral Waters, &¢ 97

in a glass vessel. How easy then to produce at one estab-
lishment, from a single spring of pure water, our choice of
= = ] } Es

red from
many sources, not only without expense, but even at a
rofit

avail ourselves of a forcing pump to drive the gas, as formed

98 Morey onMineral Waters, &¢.

tion of the pulverized marble. The best mode I have
tried as yet, is to cause the vessel to revolve, say a stone
jug, on an axis and end over end: and to have a portion of
the marble coarse. As the sulphate of lime forms on ‘the
surface of these lumps, by their friction in rolling over each
other, it appears to be worn off, presenting continually fresh
surface for the acid to act upon, and thereby continuing ve-
ry regularly, its operation ever so long. These vessels may
be made to revolve (very slowly if necessary) by weights,
springs, or a part. of the water—or may. ee be
moved by hand. The gas presses out at one end of this
axis. A very cheap, quick, and agreeable mode of pre-
paring the water, where we have (or have not) an aqueduct
or head to resort to, is to take four or five, or more decan-
ters, say of the capacity of a quart; fill them with fragments
of marble—set them in a row or other form, each with a
good cork; let a tin tube screw upon the axis to receive
the gas, and press pieces of cork or other stuffing to the
vessel, to make it tight around the axis. This tube, near
the other end, is of a conical form, and turned down at a
right angle far enough to be inserted through the cork of
the first bottle: another tube, turned down at each end, so
that one leg shall pass through the cork also, to the bottom
of the first decanter, and the other through the cork of the
second decanter; and so on with as many as are to be used.

mall reservoir is to be placed as many feet above as
convenient, and the first vessel, with a small pipe leading
down and through the first cork, with an opening at ‘the
lower end about one-thirtieth of an inch in diameter. A
quantity of pulverized lime and water may be put into the
revolving vessel ; then more water, containing a small quan-
tity of clay or sulphate of lime. This will be deposited on
the lime, so as to prevent the action of the acid when pour-
ed in, which may now be added, and this vessel corked.
It is now ready foruse. Put cool water into the reservoir,
turn the vessel moderately a very little, if the gas is not al-
ready forming fast enough. The water strikes on the first
fragments of stone, is thrown over. them, and passes over
the surface, from one to another, to the bottom, where it is
continually taken up by the tube with a pertion of the gas,
and discharged just below the cork of the second vessel ;
or thrown out in a spray by and with the gas; or else dis-

Morey on Mineral Waiters, &c. 99

charged at the lower end of the tube in bubbles; thereby
furnishing a carbonic: gas within and without, with an al-

_ If tin plate tubes will answer, it is but a short day’s work
to prepare this apparatus, which may afford sixty or one
hundred and twenty tumblers per hour, with half a dozen
decanters. By increasing their number or size, any given
quantity in this way can be constantly or occasionally sup-
plied. e pound of sulphuric acid, if I mistake not,
ought to furnish gas enough to saturate sixty or seventy gal-
lons, or not far from one thousand tumblers of water. Ex-
periments, I think, justify me in saying, we may expect not
far from half this ine : practoaly frzetl bie hope,
and do believe, if owned and properly managed by corpo-
rations and companies, it may and will do much, very much
towards annihilating the use of ardent spirits, as well as be
the means of saving many annually from an untimely death,
by drinking cold water, to say nothing of its usefulness in
other respects; Ds ies 5,
_ When currents of this gas, conveniently situated, are
found issuing naturally from the earth, they may be turnec
to account.

190 Removal of a Paralytic Affection
- Posteript. ae

aie an ounce of sulphuric acid, I ea eeiy® basin a
may say without trouble) about ned tumblers of as pleas-
ant drink asI could ask or wish for

‘Itisa — luxury, and I have no “doubt that it has beer
of much service to my health. The sulphate of lime here,
is wore six or ght times what the ground weit costs.

RT. Bee ae a Paralyti c apes’ 6 cited 1H a
sti ey of leh ing. Communicated for this Journal, by
D. Oumstep, Professor of Chemistry in the College of
North Carolina.

Tue following case of recovery froma tre Re affection
by a violent stroke of lightnin ntioned to m
by a very respec cable gentieman in whos teats I had re-

Ivanic experiments, erformed b
Dr. Ure, oe the rors € abe” My i
formant ae wie had opportunity to investivate the facts,

was so obliging as to direct me to such sources of informa-
tion as could be relied on; and I have since been favoured
with letters from the individual himself, and from respecta-
ble gentlemen in his neighbourhood. Common report, as
usual, be represented the case in the most marvellous col-
from which it would appear, that tottering and wrink-
( a age tiie restored, in an instant, to vigorous and
oming youth, was no longer a matter of fable. Accord-
ing to this authority, “the patient (Mr. Samuel Leffers of
Carteret County, N. C.) having reached a very advanced
age ering so severely under a paralytic affection
that his feet were unable to support him, and his. face was ,

ulties, he had retained ever since, during a period of four-

teen years, which had roa tia? upon the verge i four-

score years op ten :
esirot ascertain how ‘meh of this -

matter of Tet 1 commenced a correspondence which finally

by a stroke of Lightning. 101

introduced me to Mr. Leffers himself, who is still living on
the eastern coast of this state, and has attained the age of
eighty-four years. As was anticipated, the marvellous cir-
cumstances reported of the case have ‘dwindled away toa
small compass ; but enough, perhaps, remains to render
the case somewhat interesting to those who cultivate the
study of medical electricity.

I beg leave to give the facts in the language of Mr. Lef-.
fers himself, only premising, that I have received the most
ample and satisfactory testimonials of his perfect integrity,
particularly from the Rev. Mr. Arendell of Beaufort, who
characterizes his life “as affording a model of every vir-
tue.” The presumption, aes that. the facts, as related by
himself, may be relied on, is str y the simpli-

his narrative, divcsioa as it is = = those marvel-
lows appendages, with which common had amplified
and embellished the story. The atts “y is as follows.” ‘

Isy. ‘After
some time, the disorder abated in other parts, and centered
in the eye, which, remaining uncovered both by day and
night; was exposed to constant injury.

‘‘ Such was my situation until the 10th of August follow-
ing, when, as I was walking my floor during a thu
storm, I was struck down by lightning. After lying sense-
less fifteen or twenty minutes, {as it appeared,) I revived so
far as to be sensible of my situation, and to perceive the
objects around me. I recovered the use of my s .
of my limbs, by — during the. remainder of the “sss4

through - want of e e-sight ; but was. aumid gouty sur-
prised to find pee able to write a long letter without the

102 On the Divining Rod.

use of glasses. Since that time, I have not felt a symptom
of the paralytic disorder, but have reason to conclude that

same time, whith has SSoatined to the present srs
Tam, Sir, with respect,
Your obedient servant,
“SAMUE

MUEL LEFFERS. ”

ee

x& Se. 4
Arr. xvi —On the Divining Rod, with reference to the

use made of it in exploring for Springs of water ; ina
letter to the Editor, dated

Norrorx, (Con.) Oct. 23, 1820.

Remark.—E person, in the least ¢ conversant \ with the spjects
fas std al, must be aware that an Editor is, in no
e will-

yp e are

ing to reser all well se facts respecting the divining
spo nasi we have the misfortune to be sceptical on that sub-
ject: perhaps, however, we ought in candor to add, that we. have
ver seen any experiments. ‘Those so often related by the igno-
rant, the credulous, the cunning, and the avaricious, are, in general,
ynworthy of notice; but when attested by such a authority as that of
the e Reverend gentleman, whose name is attached to this letter, they

read ly attention. :

ntinhe case,
va SP y «lL

Tam highly pleased with your sinly of Science 3; and
doubt not of its being at once a ae of instruction and
an honor to our country. .%
_ Permit me to suggest the. cas of inserting an arti-
cle, embodying a ‘sufficient number of well saikenienal
facts on the use of “ mining rods” in discovering fountains
of water under ground, to put their r utility myond a doubt.
presume that yourself or some of your co orrespondents
are “samedi in ates of such facts and could eniey fer
“ article

; Fe myself, Lens now sceptical of thei eficacy, til!
convinced by my owns :

On the Divining Rod. 103

My class-mate, the Rev. Mr. Steele, of Bloomfield, N.
¥. called on me, a few weeks ago, and, in conversation on
the subject, informed me that the rods would “ work” in
his hands. We made the experimént. A twig of the
peach was employed for the purpose. It was at once man-
ifest that it bent, and often withed down from an elevation
of 45° to a perpendicular, over particular spots; and when
we bad passed them, it assumed its former elevation. At
one spot in particular, the effect was very striking, and he
at once said there must be avery large current of water
pane under that place, or it must be very near the surface.

informed him that a large. p pone spring issued at the
distance of perhaps fift and requested him to sae
the current, without infenand n of the direction of
spring. . He did so, and it led him, in nearly a fee AP os
to the spring, which was so situated as to prevent his’ es ?
ores it tll within one or two rods of its mouth. ’
Fs. his tracing it, resembled that of a dog on his pen

~~ ter’s seal crossing back and forth, and he proceeded with
as little hesitation. The result, however inexplicable, re-
moved all my doubts. It was in vain for me to reply
against the,evidence of my senses, by saying, How can this
be? and why should not these. rods Ppa in the hands of

one as well as another as

On a journey I have since skew to the south-east partek

tig ounce I was yes to learn the pravicalinte

this pu h-
Instance. I will recite one case
onan number which were told me. A man a

flection, he was loth to sacrifice the tree, and concluded. it
would answer as well to dig pretty near it... He dug ; 3 and —
after sinking the shaft much h deeper than had been std

abandoned it in jail He soon complained of his dis-
appointment. “ Did you then dig in the precise spot I told
you! a “I dug as near it as I could without injuring the
tree.” ‘Go home and dig up that tree, and if you do not
find water at the specified depth, I will defray the expence.”
He did so; and obtained an excellent well at the given
depth.

As to the depth, it occurred to me at once, when seeing
the operation of the rods in the hands of Mr. Steele, that
her er be easily ascertained, by taking the angle they

made at a few feet from the spot where they became di-
" ly aes ; and this, I er is the mode of ascer-
taining it, though I was ormed
.

Let me also mention t-in optics, which I ae not

Pe econ in company with a ee tis’ ad we were ‘descend

Ol | ds, bh: BIG’: :
: ¢ uth on the — of the Con-, —
necticut. Allat once, the porthors:balf ora
peared to change from the hue of = sutuinird! for-
t, , te a bright and beauti “green, resembling the verdure
eri in the spring, or a distant wood of
fter descending a few rods furthe
spect. ‘The sun, about three hours a:
fore setting, was then pore es am! brightly on the range,
and the sky clear, though I conclude the effect was
produced by the. Particular an; ® of reflection, and —— :
ne thestnoephere

Yours with So ame
RALPH EMERSON, _
PLS sence etal, we ssed a beautiful exhibi-
tion in nature, of the “ su water,” (as it is com=
monly termed,) produced f
hill, projected i a valley

led me to con

ds any x ae upon it from me.

a ¢ i ‘. os iz

P

ID1-.. HLA TR J f )
GALVANIC IDE "La

Hare’s New Galvanic Apparatus, Theory, §c. 106

Aur. XVIIL—A Memoir on some new Modifications if
Galvanic Apparatus, with Observations in support of his
New Theory of Galvanism. By R. Hare, M. D. Pro-
fessor of Chenttiry 4 in the University of ———s

oo a Abeta paper, communicated to the Editor, by the one and
ceniey from the Philadelphia Medical Journal.)

Tuap observed that the ignition produced by one or two
galvanic pairs attained its highest i intensity, almost as soon
as they were covered by the acid used to excite them, and
ceased soon afterwards ; sh the action of the acid
should have increased during ne interim. I had also re-
marked in using an’ apparatus of three hundred pairs of
small plains; that a»platina wire, No. 16, placed in the
circuit, was fused in consequence of a construction which

Sa enabled me to plunge them all nearly at the same time. It
was therefore conceived, that the maximum of effect in

voltaic apparatus of extensive series had never been attain-

ed. The plates are generally arranged in distinct troughs
rarely containing more than twenty pairs. Those of the
great apparatus of the Royal Institution, swomtens oR te
H. Davy,: had only ten pairs in each. There
hundred such to be successively placed ir thelnciad) ad the
whole connected ere the poles could act.
the effect which arises immediately after i immersion, woah
be lost in the troughs first arranged, before it could be pro-_
duced in the last; and no effort appears to have been made
to take prateme 5 of this transient oe of power,
either in rin any:
of which rz bina read. Inc order tiahserye a ——
of simultaneous: immersion. with a series suffici
merous to test the correctness of my baiiectmsingl a -
vanic apparatus of eighty concentric coils of copper and
zinc, Was so suspended by a beam and levers, as that they
might be made to descend into, or rise out of the acid in
an instant. ‘The zinc sheets were about nine inches by six,
the copper fourteen by six ; more: of this being ne-
cessary, as in every coil it was made to commence within *
the zinc, and completely to surround it without. The _
sheets were coiled so as not tol ie between them an in-—

Von. III.....No. 1

108 Hare’s New Galvanic Apparatus, Theory, &e.

terstice wider than a quarter of an inch. Each coil is in

ut two inches and a half, so that all may de-~
secend freely into eighty glass jars two inches and three
quarters diameter insities and eight inches high, duly sta-
tioned to receive them.*

My apparatus being thus arranged, two small lead pipes
were benetelly soldered to each pole, and a piece of char-
coal about a quarter of an inch thick, and an inch and a half
long, Yio a little at each extremity, had these severally
inserted into the hollow ends of the pipes: The jars being
furnished with diluted acid and the coils suddenly lowered
into them, no vestige of the charcoal could be seen: It was
ignited so intensely, that those portions of the pipes by
which it had been embraced were destroyed. In order to
avoid a useless and tiresome repetition, I will here state
that the coils were only kept in nike acid while the action
at the poles was at a maximum in the experiment just men-
tioned, and in others which I am about to describe, unless
where the decomposition produced by water is spoken of,
or the sensation excited in the hands. I designate the ap-
=~ with which I performed them, as the galvanic de-

, on account of its superior power, in proportion to
its ‘size, in causing deflagration; and as, in the form last
adopted, it differs from the voltaic pile in the omission of

one of the elements heretofore deemed necessary. to its
iiadnitins

_ Desirous of seeing the 7 of the simultaneous immer-
sion of my series upon wat r, the pipes soldered to the poles
were introduced into a rina containing that fluid. No ex-

effect was perceived, until they were very near,
when a vivid flash was observed, and happening to touch
almost at the same time, they were found fused and incor-
porated at the place of contact. I next serials to each
The a brass cylinder about five-tenths of a an inch parse

the most vivid nate in in coal. It was fiero

re. A piece of platina of about a quater
of an. inch diameter in connexion with one. © pole," was in-

* See Plate.

Hare’s New Galvanic Apparatus, Theory, &c. 107%

stantly fused at the end on being sian in contact ~
‘some mercury communicating with the other.

cylinders of charcoal having hemispherical calms
were fitted into the brass cylinders and brought nearly into
contact, a most vivid ignition took place, and continue
after they were removed about a half or three quarters of

ane be intensely ignited ee when the piece con-
nected with the negative pole was ignited more towards
the extremity approaching the positive. ‘The most intense.
action seems to arise: rom placing a em ane of about
tive pole, ney ee ao it in contact with, and afterwards
removing it a small distance apart from a ses ce of charcoal
(fresh from the fire) affixed to the other pole.

As points are pre-eminently capable of carrying off (with-
out being injured) a current of the electrical fluid, and very

'~ ill qualified to conduct caloric ; while by facilitating radia-

tion, charcoal favours the separation of caloric from the
electricity which does not radiate ; this result seems consist-
ent with my hypothesis, that the fluid as extricated a ed
— oe sap eunepodad of caloric and — etricity se casted

propert es to caloric ‘and electricity ; Os forme "predominating od see
tion to the size of the pairs, the latter one o the number, being in
cases excited by a powerful nei. you ncbatterles which ae

In
and the rgy of interposed agents ee: we see electricity evo
without any i ra ‘Sent tity of vi
we have size — the number | st possible, w ae
sai it ca ets mae roma
1en the contains enoug | electrici A Ath pro;
pits * ai rough a small space in est or through chareoal, which
r arrests the caloric, and ili to ae
neiple heat is evolved, This ra 4 "for he evolution of intense
ets those circumstances , which rarify the air, so that the length h of th the jet
from ended “after its Sica ae

al, OF

esence of
olumn, where the size of the pairs is i
lori where

Hence the riininn of the circuit negnast dod the inter
heated space, are alone i ant 2
quartz, Titroddoedthto'tt vraag fused, and heed: avery inne wie sap

melted by the fluid —- ro a small wire agree at
See Silliman "s Fon roal, N ough Bi a Sept. 1919.
‘Filloch’s Ph Hosophical Mecsitak, ‘October, 18

\

108 Hare’s New Galvanic Apparatus, Theory, §.

we the other nypaheten which supposes it to be electri>
al

one. The finest needle is competent to. er"
ro product of the — powerful machines without
ment, if received gradually as generated by them. Platina
points, as small as those which were melted like wax in my
experiments, are used as tips to lightening rods without in-
jury, unless in sudden elapetee produced under peculiar
circumstance

The following experiment L.conceive to be very unfa-
voural the idea that galvanic ignition: eriep:ifrom:a

current. ofe electricity.

- A cylinder of lead of about a quarter of an he ey
and about two inches long, was reduced to the thickness of
a common brass _ pin for about three quarters of an inch.
When.one end was connected with one pole of the appara-
tus, the other remained suspended by this filament; yet it
was 1 ealonife uta fused by contact: with ie othe es As
all the calori

poo ay my ees caloric: is not iepamated from the
electricity until circumstances very much favour a disunion,
as.on the passage of the compound fluid through oe
the air, or a vacuum. In operating with the deflagrator, 1
have found a brass knob of about five tenths of an inch in
ace to burn on the. superficies only ; where alone ac-
ding to my view, caloric is separated so as to act on the
_ Having, as mentioned in the memoir on my theory
of gal pei found that four galvanic surfaces acted well in
one pal goa I was tempted os means of the ws gone cone

y coils
being surrounded by copper, it seemed probable, shang if
electro-c as

aloric i had sugested, carried forward by
circulation arising from galvanic polarity, this might act
‘thin the interior of the coils, yet not be exerted between

7 one coil and another

*See Adams's Electricity, on pane

Hare’s New Galvanic Apparatus, Theory, &c. 109

- Thad accordingly a trough constructed with a partition
aaity the middle, so as to receive forty coils on one side,
and a like number on the other. This apparatus when in
operation excited a sensation scarcely tolerable in the backs
of the hands. Interposed charcoal was not ignited as-easily
as before; but a most intense ignition took place on bring-
ing a metallic point connected with one pole of the series,
into contact with a piece of charcoal fastened to the other.
{t did not take place however so speedily as when glasses
were used; but soon after the ignition was effected it be-
came even more powerful than before. A cylinder of pla-
tina nearly a quarter of an inch in reese at tapering a little
at the end, was fused an d burned. so as to sparkle to a con-

of about half an inch diameter was seen to burn on evans
face with a green flame. Tin foil, or tinsel rolled up into
large coils of about three quarters of an inch thick were
rapidly destroyed, as was a wire of platina of No. 16. Pla-
tina wires in connexion with the poles were brought into
contact with ‘sulphuric acid; there was an appearance
of lively ignition, but strongest on the positive side. Ex-
cepting inits power of permeating charcoal, the galvanic fluid
seemed to be extricated with as much force, as when each
coil was ina. distinct glass. -Apprehending that the partition
in the trough did not sufficiently insulate the ent from each
other, as they were but a few inches apart, m or
moistened wood intervening, I had two troughs each to hold
pairs, and took care that there should be a dry space.
about fontt inches broad between them. ‘They were first
filled with pure river water, there being no saline nor acid
matter to influence the plates, unless the very minute quan-
tity which might have remained on sine from former im-
mersions. Yet the sensation produced by them, on ‘the
backs of ny hands, was painful ; and a lively scintillation
took place when the poles were approximated. “Datch
gold leaf was not sensibly burned, though water was found
decomposible ‘by wires properly affixed. - _— effect was
produced on potash, the heat being inadequate to fuse it.
_ A mixture of nitre and sulphuric acid: was next added to
the water in the troughs, afterwards charcoal from the fire
‘was vividly ignited, ate when attached to the positive pole
a-stee! wire was interposed: between it and the other pole,

110 Hare’s New Galvanic Apparatus, Theory, &c.

the most vivid ignition which I ever saw was induced. I
should <se it imprudent to repeat the experiment without
glasses, as my eyes, though unusually strong, were affected
for foney-aivine hours afterwards. If the intensi nsity of the
light did not produce an optical deception, by its distressing
influence upon the organs of vision, the charcoal assumed
a . ——— as if in a state approaching to fusion.
That charcoal should be thus softened, without being de-
sone by the oxygen of the atmosphere, will not appear
strange, the power of galvanism in reversing chemical
affinities i is remembered ; and were it otherwise, the air
have no access, first, because of the excessive rare-
faction, and in the next plac e as I suspect on account of
the volatilization of the carbon forming about it a cireum-
ambient atmosphere. This last mentioned impression _
from observing, that when the experiment was performe
in vacuo, there was a lively scintillation, as if the peso in
ate acted asa aeppeetes of combustion on the

ews of plana (No: 16) was fused into a globule on
being connected with the positive pole, and brought into
contact with a piece of pure hydrate of potash, situated: on
a silver tray in connexion with the other pole. The potash
became red hot, and was deflagrated rapidly with a ‘deine
having the rosy ‘hue of potassuretted hydrogen

The great apparatus of the Royal Institution, in projectile
Trai was from six to eight times more potent than mine.

crs was two $Opinend, 2 mine only about a swenty-fith ‘part
as

A steel wire of about one tenth of an inch in diameter,
affixed to the negative pole, was passed up through the axis
of an open necked inverted bell glass, filled with water. A
platina wire, No. 16, attached to a positive pole being pass-

wire became incandescent fora space of some inches ene
oie biparehee of the water.

a

Alare’s New Galvanic Apparatus, Theory, &c. aie

A piece of silvered paper about two inches square was
folded up, the metallic surface outward, and fastened into
vices affixed to the poles. Into each vice a wire was screw-
ed at the same time. The fluid generated by the apparatus
was not perceptibly nenteyes by the silvered paper, as it
did not prevent the wires severally attached to the poles
from a water or producing ignition by contact.

my memoir on my theory of galvanism I supzerteds
that the Prerengee of water, which Wollaston effected
by mechanical electricity, might not be the effect of divel-
lent attraction like those excited by the poles of a voltaic
pile, but of a mechanical concussion, as when wires are dis-
persed by the discharge of an electrical battery. io Esepport

vent : e

wire, instead of hydrogen nase given off only at one, and
oxygen at the other, as is invariably the case when the vol-
taic pile is employed. That learned and ingenious philoso-
pher, in concluding his account of this celebrated experi-
ment, says “ but in fact the resemblance is not complete,
for in every way in which IJ have tried it, I observed each
—_ gave out ae oxygen and hydrogen gas, instead of

—— forme: d separately as by the electric pile.’

As it :
may Tinsipate any body into its elementary atoms, whether
simple or compound, so that no two particles would. becteft
— r which can be separated by physical means. —
king over Singer’s Electricity, a recent and most
able modern publication, I find that in the explosion of brass
wire by an electrical battery, the copper and zinc actually
separated. He says, page 186, “‘ Brass wire is sometimes
decomposed by the charge ; the copper and zine of which it
is formed being separated from each other, and appearing in
their distinet metallic colours.” On the next page in the
same work, = find that the oxides of mercury and tin are
reduced, by. electrical discharges. ‘‘ Introduce,” says the
thor, “ some oxide of tin into a glass tube, so that when

wires into its opposite ends, that the portion of oxide ‘may
lie between them. Pass: several. strong charges in sucees-

112 Hare’s New Galvanic Apparatus, Theory, se:

sion through the tube, replacing the oxide in its situatiou,
should it be dispersed. If the charges are sufficiently pow-
erful, a part of the tube will soon be stained with metallic tin
which has been revived by the action of transmitted elec-
tricity.”” It cannot be alleged that in such decompositions
the divellent polar attractions are exercised like tho

which characterize the action of wire proceeding from the
poles of a voltaic apparatus. The particles were dispersed
from, instead of being attracted to the wires, by which the
influence was conveyed among them. This being undenia-
ble, it can hardly be advanced that we are to have one mode
f explaining the separation of the elements of brass by an
electrical discharge, another of explaining the separation of
the elements of water by the same agent. e rationale
when oxygen is liberated from tin, and another when libe-
rated by like means from hydrogen. In the experiment in
which copper was precipitated by the same philosopher at
the negative pole, we are not informed whether the oxygen
and acid in union with it were attracted to the other; and
he changes-produced in litmus are mentioned notas simul-
taneous, but successive. The violet and red rays of the
spectrum nae an opposite chemical influence in some de-
gree like that of voltaic poles, but this has not led to. the
conclusion that the cause of galvanism and light is the same.
Besides, admitting that the feeble results obtained by Wol-
laston and Van Marum are perfectly analogous to those ob-

can

ad hypothesis, it ought first to be shown that the union
etween caloric and electricity, whi hown i

extricated by ordinary galvanic action, they must have an
affinity for each other. As I have suggested in my me-

Proaching to those of a fluid in which caloric exists in great-
eppPportion: agai
But once more I demand why, if mechanical electricity
be too intense to produce galvanic phenomena, should it be
rendered more capable of producing them by being. still

more concentrated.

Hare’s New Galvanic Apparatus, Theory, &¢. 113

ing the supposed source of dissimilarity.

xcellent conductors of caloric, the prodigious power which
electricity has to pervade them agreeably to any attractions

114. Hare’s New Galvanic Apparatus, Theory, &c.

have not acted well without insulation,* was becatise
bs See ric could retrocede in the negative, as well as
the positive direetion. I will now add, that
igdependerity of be greater effect produced by the simal-
taneous immersion of my eighty coils, their power is im-
proved by the Heide rant of the surfaces, which are only
about an eighth of an inch asunder 5 sO. that the circulation
may go on more rapi
Pursuant to the doctrine, whied supposes the same icine
tity of electricity, varying in intensity in ratio of the
number of | pairs to the quantity of surface, to: be the sole
agent in galvanic ignition, the electrical fiid as evolved by
Sir H. Davy’s great pile, must have been nearly two thou-
sand times more intense, than as evolved by a single pair,
yet it gives sparks at no greater distance than the thirtieth or
fortieth of an inch: ‘The intensity of the fluid must be at
least as much greater in one instance, than in another, as the
sparks. produce ed by it are longer. A fine electrical plate
of thirty wo- inches diameter, will give sparks at
ten iat nthe OF: “course the intensity” of the fluid which it
Aes must be three Hundred times greater than that emit-
by two thousand pairs. The intensity produced by 4
single pair, must be two thousand times less than that produ-
ced by a the great pile, and of course six hundred thousand
times less than that produced by a good electrical plate of
thirty two inches. Yet a single pair of about a's foot in
area, will certainly deflagrate more wire, than alike extent A
coated | rface charged by such a 1 plate. ems to Sing-

coated fie ak to destroy watch pendulum wire 5 a larger w wire
may be burned off bya galvanic battery of a foot square.
But agreeably to the hypothesis in dispute, it compensates
by quantity, for the want of intensity. Hence the quantity
of fluid in the pair is six hundred thousand times greater,
while its intensity is six hundred thousand times less ; and
vice versa of the coated surface. Is not this absurd? What
does intensity mean as applied to a fluid? Is it not expres-
sed by the ratio of quantity, to space ? If there be twice as
touch ety —— one oubic inch, as ease seers

* That tas w ith the same mass of cone ting: uid tn

instead of being divided into. sth aon: vortions, an it
its action to one copper and one zinc plate

Hare's New Galvanic Apparatus; Theory; §e. 115

there not twice the intensity ? But the one acts Sole i
may be said; the other slowly. But whence this di
They may both have exactly the same surface to uae in. .
The same zinc and copper plates may be used for coatings
first, and a galvanic pair afterwards. Let it be said, as it
may in truth, that the charge is, in the one case attachéd to
the glass superficies):i in the other exists in the pores of the
metal. But why does it avoid these pores in
and reside in them in the other? What else resides in the
pores of the metal which may be forced out by percussion ?
Is it not caloric ? _ Possibly, unless under constraint, or cir-
_ cumstances favorable to a union between thie principle and
riemniaes the latter ec: cannot enter enter the metallic pores, a
a certain degree of saturation ees wae _electrica

ead fa Leyden

pliel though it fuses the wire which forms a circ ft fon
them ‘ - =

It is admitted that the action of the mich fluid, is upon
or between atoms ; while mechanical electricity when unco-
“erced, acts only upon masses. ‘This difference has not been
: explained unless by my hypothesis, in which caloric,, of
which the influence is only exerted between atoms, is sup-
posed to be a’ principal Sports in galvanism. . Nor has any
other reason been given that water, which dissipates pure
electricity, should-cause the_ galvanic fluid to accumulate.
_ From the prodigious effect which moist air, or a moist sur-

face, has in paralyzing the most efficient machines, I am led

to suppose, that the conducting power of moisture so situa-
ted, is greater than that of water under its surface. The
power of this fluid to conduct mechanical i beara is un-
fairly contrasted with that of a metal, when the cnet is
enclosed in a glass tube, the latter bare.’

According. to Singer, the electrical RA is as
great when water is used, as when more | menstrua
are employed ; but the power of ignition 3 is wanting, until
these are resorted to.. De Luce showed, ——
dissections of the pile, that electricity might be
without, or with chemical power. The rationale of these

<diiletonets never ~ been given, Cin tbe oe ae

Tone’ $ sagacious eniuitlogs and. stitial a Ebenifal fal and i in-

116 Hare’s New Galvame Apparatus, Theory, &c.

controvertible su pport to the objections he made to the idea,

that the galvanic fluid is pure electricity, when extricated

by the voltaic pile in its usual form. It showed that a pile

really producing pure electricity, is devoid of the chemical
power of galvanism.

We are informed by Sir H. Lites, that when chases’
points in connection with the poles of the magnificent appa-
ratus with which he operated, were first brought nearly into
contact, and then withdrawn four inches apart, there was a
heated arch formed asia them in which such non-con-
di ‘substances as quartz were fused. I believe it im-
possible to fuse anes by mechanical electricity. If op-
posing its passage they may be broken, and if conductors
near them be ignited, they may be acted on by those ignited
conductors as if otherwise heated; but I will venture to
predict, that the slightest glass fibre will not enter into fu-
sion, by being placed in A A COCO sfepen st largest machine
or electrical battery.

believe, that we si consi ider light, as
well as nase an ingredient i in the galvanic fluid; and think
it possible, that, being necessary to vitality in ‘animals, as
well as vegetables, the electric fluid may be the vehicle of
its distribution.

IT will take this oppor tunity of stating, that the heat pier
ved by one galvanic pair has bee n found by the experi-
ments which I instituted, to increase in quantity, but to di-
vainish i in intensity, as the size of the surfaces may. be 2 en

arged. A
al, will not fuse platina, nor deflagrate iron, however spall
may be the wire employed; fort the heat produced in metallic

est wires. ee my mena Mr. Peale scpateted- thd two

Prof. E. D. Smith, on the Warm Springs, &c. (117

surfaces in his coils into four alternating, constituting two
galvanic pairs in one recipient. Iron wire was then ea
burned and platina fused by it. . These facts, together wit
the incapacity of the calorific fluid extricated by the calori-
motor to permeate charcoal, next to metals the best electri-
cal conductor, must sanction the position I assigned. to it as
a in the opposite extreme from the columns of De Luc.
and Zamboni. For as in these, the phenomena are
as are characteristic of pure electricity, so in one very large
galvanic pair, ~ onde neigh demonstrate the agen-
oy of —_ caloric :

Se ae ae i ass ay :

Arr. OxIK An accou ~— — the Warm 8

“whee Coit hate of North-Carolina ; by the lat
warp D. Suiru, M. D. and Professor Fr ‘Chemistry and
Mineralogy in the South- Carolina College.

Seon ema to the editor, by the faresten ws jist before
his dea ath.)

Euboniaiie kat sinaicitaningd to the siateital history. ‘of
the United States will not _be. unacceptable, I now offer
of the -

cama.

eral Springs of Scan County, North-Carolina, pee
have, for some years past, been much visited by the inhab-
itants of the southern states. In the years 1816 and 1817
I had the opportunity of analyzing some. of. the water,
which had been carefully bottled on the spot and conveyed
in safety to me; and the results of this process were pub-

lished ina newspaper of the day. Desirous however. to
examine these celebrated waters at their fountain head, I
made: an rales in ae last st, for this sn ee:

ready been discovered, at various Seraral sping have a
We and the whole extent of — in- which “900, ips 4 al-
ough hot accurately ascerta

118. Prof. E. D. Smith, on the Warm Springs

one mi mile. They are generally so near to the bank, that in
‘moderate freshets the river comes into them, and it was as-

andi in iota very. spr The last spring wavs hia been
opened, is perhaps twenty na further from the river than
the. former ones, but its temperature is not quite so. age
‘The pply of water in all of them is very abundant

The original proprietor of these springs, a respectable
Sede iwaligent old gentleman by the name of Nelson, in-
formed me that he supposed: the first discovery of them to
have been made about forty years since, at which time this
part of the country was alto ether uninhabited, and the per-
sons who resorted to the w ers, had;to. encamp.in their. vi-

shment for bathing soar a which is opposite to
_his residence. Mr. Nelson further states that he has known
sundry erat mgr rheumatism, cutaneous affections, &c.
ee by the internal and external use of the
~The large establishment, and the one that is now
7 esoipally ~~ is seated about ‘half a mile higher up the
river, and has t the present time two-large baths, whose
Mm the boils of the: ‘Springs is. ‘104° see
but at the sur he old
very near saalitiiags isl 100°, while that of ecuioehich
is higher up the bank, is but 94°. I was informed that this
temperature was much increased, when there was a consid-
erable swell in- ttre — but T had on of wit-
—— the fact.
maller stream of minter; vebsith is ‘usually Srnec and
cate comes into the French Broad on its southern :
and separates the first si 2, establishment from that which
is now used. The stream affords the conveniences:
saw, and grist mill, iriehine a very short distance of the estab-
t, and without the necessity of a mill-pond. » The
whole are situated in a beautiful and romantic spot upon
# large flat, contiguous to the » water, and embosomed in _
* mountains, among which the-river winds, while the
valley i im this spot appears not to exceed a mile in width, and

an Buncome County, North- Carolina. 119

is much narrower in all others, both above and below. These
ks, of which acon-
siderable proportion in the immediate: vicinity are compact
lime stone, both blue and grey. About six miles above
springs there is said to be a veinof the sulphate of. barytes, a
specimen of which was*given me ; and in the vicinity of the
ferry below, there is a cavern of line stone, which may be
trated with convenience for thirty yards and from the —
roof of which stalactites are pendant. Near to this cave there
is another containing a large quantity of good yellow ochre.
_ There are said to. be mines Sen cobalt, copper, and iron in.

t these are lofty” and not very
neces. I found that there was, from the 1 ur
Leek ee Ces pimudy, Mee, ee Pee gs

cena cena ae evenings, de a pretty
for several hours “of the day. There een 1
frequent thunder showers, but these were generally * short
duration. ‘These meteorological observations will .
lead to the conclusion, that this watering place moses not be.
advisable for persons laboring under pulmonic or dropsical
. affections,and I did not learn that any such had been bene-
fited by their: epeuenone
After premising these 2e-remanke upon the situation and his-

will pro
of the water, whieh: was commenced on the spot in July,
1818, and recently concluded: in my labora ratory. =. >

1. The appearance of the water at the fountain was lim-
pid, although megan was a continual ascent of air bubbles to.
apatite A

2. The taste was Snakes exbepting se shine iesibtl ime
fio made by its temperature, which has been
<i be 104° as the water emerged sand.
ihere no smell perceivable by mpalh oh an
seeing friend, who aided my researches, alth I was
see by several persons that in some seasons’ S water
mpregnated with so strong and permanent a ta
se oes sensible after it had been conveyed to some distance.
In the immediate vicinity of the _ drinking springs, there
but this I atiribu-_
seh to the stagnation of. comine n water in these low spots,
and the presence of decaying cnr matter. It should

120. Prof. E. D. Smith on the Warm Springs

be remarked that, during one of the seasons above alluded
to, there were continual rains; but at the time on my visit,
there had been an uncommon drought.

te ‘The application of the sulphuric atithe nitric acids to

arate portions of. the water, produeed no effervesce nee

or sip addons ie

_ 5. The oxalic acid produced slowly a white elu
6. ah oa of ammonia occasioned an instant white

7. Nitrate f masroury caused a cease yellow precip

Pe
5 irciy of violate pedddeed no effect. © oe ee
. 9. Turmeric aper was not altered.

10. Muriate and nitrate. of. pats each occasioned an

immediate white precipitate. Sw :
11 Ni itrat eofs I ae ht rae

_-

3 : BAD - v
when the w water oF cesch 2 bat after i ie aad

shun hours, tl } Giveroces a denser
atly, “aad tho precpate became dark, when ex

owed to the sun.

AQ ee of potash acid prénutate of fines produced

no.

Beis tee Aerts “of letd: Godeninied an immediate white

ud.
14. Solotient of snp in aleoholeaused a supernatant whit
clou d.
15. Alcohol had no viable ties
se Phosphate of soda exnwod an immediate white pre-
te cAriapbiie pecsaioand a slight sipebaians perce
18. Carbonate of ammonia made no change of appear-
ance, until phosphate nf soda was added, when there was
an immediate white precipitate
19. Neither the oneal nor the tincture of galls produ
= — edit

: ‘eid was contained in the water aia eat the alr
bubbles which were constantly ascending from the bottom
of the spring, were really this gaseous substances ‘This

in Buncome County, North-Carolina. 121

ones was likewise corroborated by the following experi-
ment made in the summer of 1816, — the late and much
lamented Dr. Mc Bride, of Charles
* Lime water on being added, andes down a white, flaky
precipitate. On decanting the water and adding a few drops
of sulphuric acid, there was a violent neti and the
smell of the carbonic acid gas or fixed air. The precipi-
tate also disappeared.” Concerning this experieliy it |
be observed that the inference drawn from it, respecting the
presence of carbonic acid cannot be correct, for. sulphuric
acid, when applied to the carbonate of lime, would consti-
tute another’ salt ‘of considerable insolubility, and there
could not be a recipitate.* Any one
who will make the direct experiment, may be eudeGud of
this fact. Whatever may have been the cause of the pre-
cipitate in Dr. Mc Bride’s experiment, repeated trials did
not afford me any such results ; but in order to be more sat-
-isfied upon the point, I placed in a tin vessel, of the form
described in Dr. Meade’s analysis of the Ballston and Sar-
atoga waters, one quart of the mineral water and set it on a
fire to boil, having previously inverted over it a decanter
full of lime water. This lime water was ascertained to be
good, by blowing into it some air from the lungs, which
made it of a milky colour. ‘The water in the tin vessel was
boiled for some time, but not the least cloudiness was in-
duced in the superincumbent decanter. From this deci-
sive experiment the conclusion must be drawn that no car-
bonic acid was contained in the mineral water.
Most of the preceding experiments were repeated upon
a portion of the water that had been boiled, but without any
variation of the results.
Three quarts were then carefully one and the a
product secured in white paper, for further
a more convenient place
Some of die air biibbles: which were continually arising
in the springs, were received into inverted glass vessels.
On testing these with lime water no discoloration ensued,
but when placed over a burning candle, the flame was im-

* Unless a ene waa of acid were. added, when the sulphate of lime
would be dissoly

Vou. soa 1. pene 16

122 Prof. E. D. Smith, on the Warm-Springs

y extinguished. From these two experiments it
Be inferred that this air was nitrogen or azotic gas. From
the whole of the humid analysis the chemical reader will
probably admit, that these waters contain, not only nitrogen
gas, but sulphuric and muriaticacids, and lime rade magnesia,
all in a state of combination; and that neither carbonic
acid nor sulphuretted hydrogen, or any combination of sul-
phar, as had: been generally believed, were present. 4 That

sical very wet seasons any not cause some combination
of ‘it, I am not prepared to ) deny; because in addition to
the remark of the peculiar odour of the water in wet sea-
sons, it may be stated that in two successive years, previous
to my visit, I had the opportunity of examining the water
brought in ‘bottles to. this place, and then detected sulphu-
retted hydrogen. Supposing it possible however, that
the keeping of the water for several weeks, might induce a
change of its penne I brought away two bottles with me.
and six {months afte s examined them in my laborato-
ry, but! raga aan of analysis to be the same as. at
the : I know not how to account for this variation
of properties, unless on the former occasions — springs
may have been little attended to, and from the decomposi-
tion of vegetable matter in them sul phuretted hydrogen may
have been generated; or unless the causes, which occa- -
sion the increased temperature of the water, ma vary
in differing seasons as to produce different decompositions
beneath ga earth’s surface.
my intention to Dare, proceeded ith the examina-
tion of t the fixed produc soon as I returned to Colum-
bia; but some eid and unavoidable circumstances
have prevented until lately.
The results of this analysis are as follow
1. On examining the papers, containing <o Soderns
each of which had been procured by the separate evapora-
tion of one quart of the mineral water, it appeared that each
paper was damp, and stained of a light fawn colour. In
two parcels, brilliant particles were visible to the naked eye ;
and, viewed through the microscope, they were evidently
~The other ‘powder shewed no marks of crystalliza-
tion. The weight of the whole was twenty-eight grains, and
allowing for loss-in transportation, perhaps it may be smd

in Buncome County, North-Carolina. — 123

with propriety, that anol quart of water contains about ten
grains of fixed produe

2. The whole Sean (28 grains) was pasa into a small glass
bottle, and alcohol poured on, to the depth of aninch. This
mixture was frequently shaken, and stood for twenty hours.

3. It was then carefully filtered, washed with more al-
cohol, and the filter dried by a regular and moderate heat.
The, powder separated from the filter, was weighed,
amounted to twenty-three grains, and as the filter which had
been weighed both before a use, appeared to —
one grain, the quantity taken up by the alcohol, may be

timated at four grains.
- A small portion of folic polation was diluted
with water, and tested with: ic acid and with a solu-
ion of copper ; but as no effect resulted, it may be conelu-
ded that neither barytes nor ammonia were iti AS

4, The remainder of the alcoholic solution was evapora-
ted, but an accidental fracture of the evaporating vessel pre-
vented the ascertaining of the nature of the residuum.

6. The portion (23 grains) which the alcohol did not take
up, was then mixed with eight times its. weight of distilled
water and stood for forty eight hours.

7. This mixture was then filtered, dried and a

Tesidue was seventeen grains, so that six grains must -
bees been dissolved by the water.

8. This watery solution was then evaporated, and the
residue being re-dissolved in water, was tested as follows:
Nitrate of barytes gave a white cloud, so did carbonate of
soda

- Oxalate of ammo oduced a thick white cloud.
Nitrate of silver had no It may be inferred then,
that these six grains we! ipally sulphate of Magnesia,
and that a small portion ‘of sulphate of lime w as also pres-'
ent.

9. Ten grains of the seventeen, that were not dissolved
in Mt 6) were: mixed with ten ounces of cold, dis-
tilled water, and boiled for some hours. On and
drying, the ‘uideecbend residue was between one two
grains, so that nearly the whole of these ten grains | was prob-
= ay ges of lime.

portion of the preceding clear solution was tested
as rei Oxalic acid produced a white cloud slowly ; but
oxalate of ammonia, an immediate and thick white cloud.

124 Prof. E. D. Smith, on the Warm-Springs, &c.

Nitrate of barytes and carbonate. of soda, each occasioned
a white cloud. Nitrate of silver made no change. . The re-
maining solution, evaporated, re-dissolved and tested in a
similar manner, shewed the same results. The inference
then will be, that this solution contained sulphate of lime
chiefly, with a trace of sulphate of magnesia. . F

11. The residue of one to two grains, being very light.
and bulky and of a dark ash colour, was moistened with
water and exposed to the sun’s rays, but after a day or two

was accidentally lost. Wininyas
waber the preceding analysis, it

In asking up the sum
ws.

~ probably be stated a
in

the alcoholic solution (3) are present
uriates of lime and magnesia, 4 gr.
Tn solution (7) Sulphate of magnesia, 6 gr.

By solution (9) Sulphate of lime in 17 gr. 144 gr.
: Insoluble residue, weakens: BEB

.... From three quarts of water, — 23 gr:
It will be observed, that the results of the analysis of the -
fixed product denote the presence of the same substances
as were detected by the humid analysis, and thus the one

confirms the correctness of the other. The nature of these

is an active substance, would be present in a much lar-
ger proportion than appears from the analysis. Persons
using these waters, are in the habit of drinking from three
_ to four quarts ina day, and also of bathing twice. ‘They

generally remain in the bath from a half hour to an hour,
and find it so pleasant, they are loth to leave it. It was sta-
ted to me by a very respectable gentleman, who has resort-
ed to this watering place, fer several summers past, that af-
ter drinking the water freely for several days, it generally
had a brisk cathartic effect for a day or two, and after that

Remarks on Dr. Enfield’s Institutes, &c. 125 -

produced no sensible result. This gentleman is afflicted
with chronic rheumatism, and has always obtained decided
relief from the long continued use of the waters, both inter-
nally and externally. Upon the record book of the estab-
lishment, there are sundry interesting cases of benefit, im- -
parted to persons labouring under rheumatism, palsy, or loss
of motion from other causes. I am inclined to believe that
long continued bathing in water of such an elevated and.
constant temperature, must produce some effect in such ca-
ses as have been alluded to, independent of the mineral in-
gredients, and conjoined with them, it will probably be still
more efficacious. The healthy, cheap and plentiful country,
in which the Buncome Springs are situated, the novel and
mountainous scenery, variety of company, &c. present m ny
attractions to the invalid, the idler and the curious, and will
no doubt, make this watering place, if properly attended to,
an increasing source of profit to its proprietors.
South-Carolina College, March 1819.

Art. XX.—Remarks on Dr. Exvirin’s Institutes of Nat-
ural Philosophy.—Third American edition—1820.

For more than twenty years past, the compilation of En-
field has been extensively employed in this country asa text-
book in Natural Philosophy ; and at present, we believe, is
used for this purpose by nearly all the higher seminaries of
learning in New-England. The want of an elementary sys-
tem more select and better digested in its materials, more
free from erroneous statementsand reasonings, and exhibit-
ing amore faithful outline of the existing state of physical
science, is beginning to be generally felt ; but as the work of

nfield will probably be retained in our seminaries for some
years to come, we have embraced the occasion furnishe
by the appearance of a new edition, to make a few such
comments on it as may perhaps add somewhat to its value
with the student, and at the same time prove not wholly un-
interesting to those teachers who have but limited access to
other authorities. pe ieee

The Institutes of Natural Philosophy will be found on
examination to be little more than an abridgement, without
much alteration either in language or form, from different

- 126 Remarks en Dr. Enfield’s Institutes.

works on the same subject which appeared i in the former
part of the last century. _The Hydrostatics, Pneumatics,
and Optics, are chiefly taken from De Rutherforth ; as is
also the Astronomy, with the exception of the four last chap-
ters of Part II., which are borrowed from Rowning. The
Mechanics does not appear to have been derived so exclu-
sively ee any single source. It is apparent, however, that
Rutherforth furnished the arrangement. The filling up 1s
from se authors. ‘The chapters on the perpendicular
and | Sencent of falling bodies, the vibration of pev-
dulums, (excepting the cycloidal theory taken from Row-
ning,) and the motion of projectiles, are chiefly from Helsham.
A considerable portion of the concluding section on cen-
tral forces, is copied, nearly in its original form, from the
Principia. The few pages of the original work devoted
o Magnetism and Electricity, we presume, were written a-
new by Dr. Enfield ;—but. the additions made by the Edit-

or of the second idon- ion, which amount to two
thirds of the whole, are taken nearly verbatim from the pub-
lications a ro ee

The compiler of this work, while sitting with his pen in
one hand and his author in the other, appears never to have
indulged for a moment the illiberal suspicion that his author
might be in the wrong. The consequence is, that when-
ever his originals erred, the error is faithfully transcribed in-
into his abridgement.. The number of these errors multi-

ied in his own hands, from the want of sufficient care to
shape and adjust materials, detached from their original
connexions, reduced in their dimensions, and sometimes
brooke together from heterogeneous sources,—in such a
manner as to form parts of a connected and harmonious
whole.—Nor is the praise of judicious selection much bet-
ter deserved, than that of freedom from error. Proposi-
tions and scholia of little interest or importanc -e compared
with others which might have taken their place, often occur :
complex and unsatisfactory demonstrations are admitted
where those of superior clearness and elegance were attain-
able: and while one chapter of an original author is pared
down to meagerness itself, another is left in a state of
redundancy. Even in those parts of the work to which no
Sie can be made on the score either of accuracy or
importance, occur abrupt transitions in the subject or. man-

of Natural Philosophy. 127

ner of handling it, ——* propositions, and haltings
or ade movements in the march of investigation, for
which the student whe? is unacquainted with the secrets
of book making, and honestly ascribes the whole to the os-
tensible author, will be utterly at a loss to accoun

{n a treatise on Natural Philosophy vhs exclusively
to introduce the student to the elements of the science, we
= not so unreasonable as to look for oxigintality 4 in the ma-
erlals. Accuracy and judicious selection in the principles,
onions and experiments, unity of plan, and clearness of
arrangement, together with a good degree of neatness and pre-
cision in style, are all that can be expected, or even desired.
The introduction of- rater eter in general
pia ather impair than ¢ enhance the merits of a text-book for
certainly have

just enumerated we
a — to expect, from one who takes on hinnelf the respon-
sibility of adding to the number of books without adding to
the amount of knowledge in the world ; while he contrib-
utes to withdraw from public notice, and accelerate the obliv-
ion of those older authors, who deserve the gratitude of pos=
terity for their original discoveries. We can make no bet-
ter apology for Dr. Enfield in allowing so ill-digested a com-
pilation to go before the public, than to suppose that he was
hindered from om giving it the necessary attention by the en=
pcan of a laborious oe or Guat he seve not suf

eem crete em his name : sheuld be ie in some way con-
Ree: with the departments of physical and mathematical
science. How far considerations of this nature may have
had influence in bringing the Institutes of Natural ] ee
phy before the public, we must leave for those
better means of information concerning the denrkeee? of the
author than ourselves, to decide.

Whatever was the reason why this work érigivally ap-
peared in se imperfect a state, it was at least incumbent om

428 Remarks on Dr. Enfield’s Institutes

those who have had the charge of editing subsequent edi-
tions to give it a thorough revisal, and to correct its errors.
Instead of this, they have been chiefly solicitous to add to
its bulk ; and while they have given it a far more motley
and heterogeneous aspect than it originally possessed, “a
forcing asunder the parts of the —— to make room

lesce, which. sometimes repeat, ii sometitnes a with

those os aad original which are retained without alter-
. - y have extended rather than diminished the
tof i its inaccuracies. SE dae

- From this last remark we must except va eatin which
=a appeared the present year. It has been submitted to
the revisal of a gentleman well known asa mathematician
and an instructor ; and we are happy to notice that a large
number of the most palpable and embarrassing of the erro-
neous Kasemnenin of former editions are rectified.

-. But although the’ present edition appears in a form con-
siderably superior to either of its predecessors, we still re-
= very far from possessing the character which is
Jem d by the present state of learning in our country,
and the mode of instruction adopted in our colleges. With
the exception of the Electricity and Magnetism, and a few
particulars in the Astronomy, it is borrowed from sources
nearly a century old; and hence presents scarcely any idea
of the progress made in the different branches of philosophy
since the petiod of Newton. In mentioning this as an im-
portant defect in the work, we would not be understood to
imply that the theoretical principles of philosophy were
studied with less success at that period than at present, or
that almost every elementary proposition which would now
find a place in a text-book for schools might not be found
in the sources from which Enfield borrowed his —
tion. So far as mere theoretical investigations are concern
ed, the writers of the period to which we refer, afford an
ample fund of valuable materials to a compiler. But it
must be allowed that — pushed the application of mathe-
matical reasoning to physical inquiries to a faulty extreme.
They too seldom gave ainateiees the trouble to inquire
how far their Resse! in forming deductions was leading
them astray from plain matters of fact, and how far they
were Unilding : systems of principles for a world of material

sana ae oe 129

must enter extensively even into an elementa’ tary treatise
But in this respect, the original work of Enfield is. almost
totally deficient... Like those from which it is bo

contains little more: than a naked series of mathematical
principles ;* with. scarcely an intimation that any of them
-are.at variance with facts. Nor do we think —_ the edi-
tors of Jater- editions have _been- fortunate i » their at-

a which

danbiees to yield to calculation, and which theory
ly overlooked. The names of Bossut, Cobioabe Wihien,
Dalton, Biot suuie: and other great experimentalists who
have almost created a new era in philosophy, by their suc-
cess. 30; y Sleaning up the scattered laws: of nature which New-
‘ton a 3m compelling
s where e the

empirieal formule to perform the office of laws
subject is incapa ble of theoretical i ‘eeteued
: certaining the precise values of | those = irecpeacniqeat

. ei Pe

nen VERE See Sngoags as paren: ws Lies

have gee : Bests

Whil ile epitgatitt a- this.ve i
fae we would by no means wish to see “its present wero form
disearded. ‘With the exeation of electricity, magnetism, and a few to pics
reer toe :to which thi — of ocuaents
i saites gra e regard the form of proposition and demonstration into

Field has thrown his feel utes as constitutiug its. chit recommen:
ntary

disenssing physic
aseary ago, sabi at rm a stat,
nstratio

dd dem nexed, is- omens uperi iors for the. ses of

sirwe “modern analytical mode, i in which the fi ren:

pine investiga “expressed a formula.
‘The mploymen nt of | eis atter_m is « “occas pervert,
es! 1 is i almost pasta e.most eed a the former, whenever it can
ane r the picts i, Tepanne inckioren, and te

ie sade wile itis santas 2

Mie better — to og purposed te rectation eseepaecoeligitl
Vou. HIE.....No. 1. 17 :

130 Remarks on Dr. Enfield’s Institutes

tical application, —these names, we say, scarcely
in a work which embraces nearly the whole extent of the
“philosophical studies in our systems of liberal education. —
We are aware that the best selection of topics for such a
a work must often be a delicate task ; and that there will be
room for differences of taste and opinion concerning it. Not
y thing that is highly valuable will on this account be
admissible. Many of those details which are of high
importance in their applications to practice may possess
-of that elegance which would attract the attention of
ral scholar; and many investigations: which com-
_bine elegance with utility may be inaccessible to him, from
‘involving mathematical principles with which he is not fa-
miliarized, or requiring an extent of discussion to render:
them at all intelligible which would be inconsistent with the
claims of his other pursuits. Among the great variety of
PS ee, eee ae 3 pean, ap eeey Ee eee FN eee oe a a t hi

nene-

once occur

.

lnpe

}

some practical result.

If tried by the foregoing tests, the contents of | Enfield’s
eer ro foatsy:

tude of naked ‘results unaccompanied by the necessary il-
lustrations,) it might be made to comprise more than twice
the amount of valuable facts and principles. To substan-

of Natural Philosophy. 13]

tiate'an assertion which may perhaps be deemed harsh,
we will just glance at the contents of the Second Book,—

a part which certainly. affords a not unfavourable specimen
ef the execution of the whole. As all the improvements
which we propose are predicated on the supposition that the
size remains unaltered, (a supposition rendered necessary
by the limited time which can be properly devoted to this
subject in our colleges,) we begin with the general remark
that room might be gained for several important topics now

_ omitted, by abridgements in the demonstrations, particular-

ly: those i in which variations are introduced, and various oth-
ers in which oo contributes not at all to. clearness.—
The char percussion might have been easily made

to include, seis its present limits,
pact eee Bema

ciliation of the apparently jarring theories of Newton and
Leibnitz concerning the measure of force in coving oliek
To that on the composition of forces, might have been ad-
vantageously subjoined the results of impact in’ spherical
bodies, whether non-elastic or elastic, which meet each oth-
er from di rections not in ‘the sameright line- If the theory of
; d at leng h inch. v. sec. 3. de-

be retair ned, itis c only forthe s: ke fat heorem which

7
Bain 2t se ae oe

determines the time of vibration. This theorem is. Valuable
principally as it also determines the limit of the time of vi-~
bration of the common pendulum, when the arc is made in-
definitely small. But as the subject is now left, not only
is no true ee given to the student irene the
time of vibration — circular arc, but t nace ble
blunder of Keill, Parent, Musschenbroek — and a in
making i it equal to n him,

“© This isnot indeed in nso many words affirmed ; but,

street imply | it, and become nngatory unless it is ;

ng that vibrations in smal! mega are are perform
theta in made from t ; oO

the declivity of res Ero ah i twiee that of the latter.
The accelerating force down the ar isuniform ; in the arc it isas the sine

132 Remarks on Drv ee

i 1 arn

: uy theory o of e ilib: i Wwers (chap.
vi,) might have been stated i ina more concise and popular
f virtual velocities, to make
room for a biel account of) prime movers, and the motion
and maximum effect machines. The subjects os frietion,
and the construction eel carriages, are now
iv half. a page,—less ine half the room seekinielk by the
and almost useless Se noes onthe wedge. ‘These
and practi

in detail ; nor ought the fc rounded on the
‘iments of Vince, to the wx blaidets ae ‘the much: more
important ge diversified ones of Coulomb. In chapter vir.
the mathematical theory of projectiles is pursued to the.
length of ten or twelve propositions ; and we-are left to an
incidental remark of a single sentence inserted by the editor
of the second edition, for all our information concerning the
total discrepancy between theory” and practice. Several
parts of vei chveipiee possess very little interest, even in a
mathematica t of view ; and had they been much more
important than they are, they: ought to have given way to
such a statement of the principal results of experiment on
the motion of projectiles as the writings of Robins, Rum-
‘ford, and Hutton mighthave easily furnished. | Several lem-
mas introduced from the Principia, into the concluding see-
tion on central forces, although needed forthe objects which
the original author had in view, are here entirely out of
place. Such of them as were wanted should have been di-
vested of their latinized idiom, and translated into a more-
modern and aitelligible: dialect. Several oe the more im-
portant theorems relating to motion by a central force vary-
ing inversely as the square of the distance, pre have been
subjoined with the utmost advantage to the single one with
which the Book now eloses.—The subjects of rotatory mo-
tion, the funicular Polygon and =. of arches, the

ofthe distance dooms the} west point, 0 or ultimate! y asthe distance itself. This

J j of , hat l

times of ee in the are ; and chord approach to an ultimate ratio-
‘toa ratio of finite inequality. No one but the stu-
eee informed that the former is ha ee the ratio of

of Natural Philosophy: — 133

strength and stress of materials, with various others of minor
importance, are left entirely unnoticed. We are not pre ar-
ed to decide how far these omissions are judicious he
attention of the student may certainly be distracted: by» at-
tempting to crowd too great a cwariety of subjects within a
narrow compass ; and it must be admitted that most of the
miiocine te aaa to, if ceed oad at all, mea bet treated

principles: which determine the transverse ve of.
beams, would not be: risplaced, even’ in a work of this lim-
ited extent. —

In ‘hese remarks, which might, iff necessary, sd equally

sefip-aulscaliiceinons “of Enfield are censurable f for not
making all the changes in their author which would i
him,—or that the attempt to make these changes, had.
one leisure and inclination for the task, would be an advisa-
ble one. It would be quite as easy, and »on every account
much better, to write a new system. We have made them
to'invite the attention of those who superintend the philo-
sophical department in our public con to the impor-
tance of putting it in their ee » dispense w ea

a LOAL

my sanareeret:

a poze
re nivel eae siete: part of the erroneo on binseaeuls

former editions stand uncorrected i in the last, we think. it

will bed doing th e student an acceptable service, lor ely
ent ; j th a | t f tk vv 2282S VE eee
Oe t } 2 ij oe ae

of this article being intended fart for those who are suffi-
ciently eee’ in the subject to follow us with a copy of
Enfield in their hands, our comments will sometimes be
imade with outs brevity son wight somthin wae
with clearness. GS ie Gt
Book I. Prop. 5. “Some pow

er the reverse of the attraction oar cohesion, Mealed repel
sion. ” Of th p addu support of | this

Paes Cee ee eee q oe ression of mer-_
cury around ‘iron, and in capillegy tubes, the suspension of
a needle by water, and the depre ‘the surface around
a floating gg of tin-foil,—are so far from furnishing any

{

134 Remarks on Dr. Enfield’s Institutes

evidence of a repulsive power in bodies, that they are mere
examples of cohesion, modified by circumstances. we
suppose the force of aggregation between the particles of
mercury tobe more than twice their force of cohesion to
iron and to glass,* it appears from the investigations of
Clairaut, that a depression ought to be the consequence.—
The suspension of a small needle on water is owing to a
certain degree of viscidity in this fluid,—in consequence of
which the Dasha of the uppermost stratum. present more
to separation than can be overcome by the down-
d “pressure e of the needle. Those who are hanaiiinted
vith the extended researches of Count Rumford on this sub-
ject, will find no more reason for ascribing the support of a
needle on water to a positive repellency, than the support of
acannon ball on ice. Both are alike owing to the cohe-
sion of: the upper surface. The poly :d differences is, that as
cohe ; the
Ww Mor the su ted body must be ‘proportional less e
vig ; ey the surface it expose #
Bo k HL Prop. oe ‘This proposition, Gide that. the
,) is out of place; as the
chapter is confined by. its title to the comparison of uniform
It ought to have been deferred to ch. v

pos Se rop. . Cor. 1. is evidently erroneous. ‘A sending:
« Cor. 1.” is inserted under this pewpensam, which belongs
to — preceding one ; for it is. true only of non-elastic bod-

pees 30. The demonstrations of i Jans of oblique re
scent saa ang saan ‘ies, are rendered unnecessarily
obscur by changing the d of the entire forte: of

the ost {oO alii the not notations of the different authors
from whom he borrowed, to_ no ard.
- Prop. 37. The domoumieaions is i ray ee not being

: extended, as it easily might. be, to the supposition that-mo-

haps it. “gee rather i o be said. —to « the ie 0 getiues which is
pd od iy mach to the surlage of glass,” See H aii te de Physique,

of Natural Philosophy. 135

tion is lost in passing from one plane to another. The dem-
onstration of the 38th is also inconclusive, because it has

not been previously shown that the total loss of motion’ in
passing through a set of planes becomes evanescent,
the planes become indefinitely iene — their: suc-
cessive inclinations indefinitely sm

Prop. 47. The demonstration shee that we may. ‘ton a
body by assembling particles round a given point, such’ that
the body shall balance itself about this point; but it by no
means Stes that when the body is given, a point about
ps: it will balance itself can be found 5 7—much less that
this point, as th or all
tions of the same — PMT AIRE AT arsete wed

Prop. 49. ‘The di pi | empl iene

ly: intelligible. “There was the less reason for this inaceura-
cy, as in Rutherforth, from whom the cote is copied it
is drawn correctly.

Prop. 51. The demonstration of this important thiotom
is less general than the enunciation requires, by being con-
- fined to the case in which the bodies move in the same

. ~The statement with which the first corollary begins
is true only under such pekeacte creme as ane tia can erie
ly: be. “supposed able to apply.

Prop. 56. In the great majority oki instances in \whichake
screw is employed, the resisting force is: not bgcehanics.#
through an inclined. plane, as the demonstration su
it would be far more simple and satisfactory to infer the law
of equilibrium directly from the relative velocities of the
points of application of the power and resistance.

Prop. 57. Schol. 1.. “In all compound m dined
will be an. on when the sum of the powers are to.
the weight, as the velocity | of the weight is to the sum of
the velocities of the powers.” No interpretation can be put
upon this statement which will render it true.” ‘The error
arose, we presume, in some such manner as the followi
_ Ttwas apparent: that i in compound mneebineys (or rather im

3 eral resistances in

souilibrie,) tha og sam of the oduets Hf ee each inte
its velocity, was equal to ie sea of the
weights each into its sabe.

pearance of being capable of sesoletion into an analogy

136 Remarks on Dr. En fees So ak, SEY Oe ae

andithe-tésolution was accordingly made. © But in doing it,
two things were confounded which are widely different : the
sum of the products, and the product of the sums.—It would
have been better if the compiler had not attempted to de-
viate from Rutherforth. Supposing only one power, and
only one resisting force which balance each other through
the intervention of a series of mechanical powers,—the
san — be to we: weight simply as the walocity: of the
is to: the velocity of the powers Cac goby

rop: 60. The method here given: of Sadie
pone v velocity of a projectile, gives only yon — .
which is in-a-direction perpendicular to the horizon
obtain the whole velocity, this result ought to have sate in-
creased in the ratio of radius to the cosecant of the angle of
elevation. But it-would have been altogether preferable to
omit noticing a method so entirely useless and even de-
ceptive in practice, : and is substituted in it e by" ud
ballistic |

Prop. 68. In the last edition, several Palpable errors

rected > ec ‘reasoning is still far from ined demonstra-
tive. The erroneous figure of former editions is also retain-
per “The circle GNV, instead of GML, should have sneer
'T for its centre, and GML should have been an hiproie
img T for its farther focus.
a a festa Ati is improperly asserted i in this vee
and t forces differ

They ssive
3 and p ercussive forces. © ov the tangent which eneeneltihe
projectile, and the-subtense which measures the centrifu-
gal aca be diminished ser aan as — must be before
we can properly make the attempt to compare them, the
latter becomes evanescent in eee to ae former. “Phe
centrifugal is rather a eet tae ——_ —
than” a part of tel
POs A When bodies’ aeteieess in a lien bit
about a — the centripetal and centrifugal forees are
—— —_— wee in other aalis ae

es a oc a3 “*8See Rutherforth’s System, sve +: me ee ere

of Natural Philosophy. : 137

forces are not equal. But the - demonstration is such as
would prove them no less equal, in all cases whatever.—
We must confess ourselves ata loss to assign any consistent
meaning to the term “ centrifugal force,” in relation to or-
bits not circular. Is this force measured by the distance by
which a revolving body would be more remote from the
centre, in a given small time, if the centripetal force were
suspended, than it actually is while the centripetal force’
acts? If so, the centripetal and centrifugal forces are al-
ways equal, for the same point of an orbit, whatever be its
figure. Or is it measured by the absolute increase of dis-
tance from the centre, which would take place in a given
sul peal body ci soo st be to its projectile
orce? If so, in passing from the higher to the lower a
is ic orbit, the een esa ites io

quantity. :
‘Lemma 4. The tnferente concerning ‘the in of on
arc to the chord and tangent in their vanishing state, is in-
conclusive when the tangent is less than the are, as it will be
in certain positions of the subtense. The demonstration
may be rendered complete in the following manner :—AB:
AD+DB:: AC: AB+BC. But AB+BC is ultimately
equal to AC ; hence AD+ DB is ultimately equal to AB,
and more is the are AB-equal to the ¢ chord AB. |
» The first Part of Book Ill. which treats of Hivdcminies:
presents us with several instances of explicit or implied er-
ror; particularly prop. 2, prop. 13, Schol. and propositions
24, 26, 31, and 86. But we have no room to dwell upon
them; and shall therefore a apis to the second Part,
whieh i is devoted to Pneum :
_ Prop. 51. The force with -sehich. vied strikes. a sail of

: i - edition tion,

The phrase a angle of incidence” ¥
sense as in optics: it is now same in the se sense
of mechanics. But this correction goes but little way a
wards freeing the proposition from exception. If the sai

‘be supposed confined to move in the same direction w with
the wind, which the demonstration seems to imply, a reso-
lution of the force on a third ee of was ne-
eessary, which — have wang accanil part of the force

Vou. Ill.....No.

138 Remarks on Dr. Enfield’s Instotutes

which is aay e to the ratio of the cube of the sine, instead
of the sq But as the variation of the force deter-
mined . eapetiieat differs totally both from the square
and the cube, it would have pase better to erase the panes
sition, than to attempt to amend it.

Prop. 55. Schol. . The mode in which the constant ve-
locity of sound is attempted to be explained, (which, like
the rest of the scholium, is —- from Rowning,) is whol-
fate erroneous? ieien we it easy to substitute an un-

air is necessary to the existence of sound, of animal life,

fire, and of explosion.” This, like several other statements
scattered up and down the work in which chemical princi-
ples are alluded to, needed, correction to render it accord-
ant with the present state of our gegen on these sub-
Phi ap experiments of Biot and Chladni shew: that

eins thn Vs Fy ee

and that it it may be conveyed tothe. organs of hearing with-
out the spine of air, by forming a communication
between the sounding body and the head by means of a
solid conductor. —That fire and explosion require air for
their existence, is true only in the most loose and popular
sense of the terms. In particular, that the explosion of
gunpowder cannot be effected in a vacuum, as is implied in
one of the annexed. experiments, i isan entire mistake. <b
The , on the barometer, t

and steam-engine, are extremely defective in pointe of valu-
able information, compared with what might have been said
about them within the same limits, and in several respeets are
calculated to leave erroneous impressions: but we must
content ourselves with giving this we caution pe
placing implicit confidence in them.{

* This. theoretical dotevesiuniiig insiy: be seen, Gregory's Mechanics, I.
t Robins, Hutton’s Math. Dictionary, &c.

+ It may be proper just to state, for the information of those who may
ne oth th 10, in making loose esti-

of Natural Philosophy. — 138

» Book IV. Prop. 1. Scholium. The editer of the Lon-
don edition of 1799, left the question undecided, as Mr.
Cavallo had done, whether any other than ferruginous bodies
are capable of magnetic properties. This scholium has been
ese although the experiments of ‘Tourte of Berlin,*
d Lampadius, place it beyond a doubt, that nickel and
sbi possess the same capacity, in this respect, with iron,
except in an inferior degree. According to Lampadius, (see
Thomson’s Annals, 1815,) the “* magnetic energies” of iron,
nickel, and eobalt: are as: wy apericts 55, 35, and 25, re-
spectively. -
Prop. 2. 2. Sehol. a it were worth the while to retain
ne os = on the variation of the
magnetic force at all, in place’ a important
ones of Coulomb, the numbers ought at least to have been
corrected. Had the editor of the’ oubdnd edition taken
these experiments from Musschenbroek himself, instead of
taking them from Cavallo, he would have avoided the error
of making the distances all ten times too large.+ The de-
nomination employed in the original statement (see Philos.
: d. 1744,) is tenths of inches. instead of inches.
© Prop. 10. . Toillustrate the mode of finding the declina-
tion of the needle ‘by red acme of the heavenly bodies,
‘If the magnetic ampli-
tude is 80° eastward of the 1 north, and the true amplitude i is
82° towards the same side, then the variation of the le
is 2° west.” This statement cannot be reconciled to any
definition of the term “ amplitude ;” and it cannot be re-
conciled with the usual definition and the one given in
Astronomy, except by making all the alterations which fol-
low: oh if the: —— Seem be 10° N, of E. er the

serra to1-10
hundred three feet, is
it is at 20 in. ‘and the thermon-

* Nicholson's Journal, Vol. 96. fF: i: eae:

+ If perfect exactness in such a case w of any importance it woald
be necessary to bo ncen'ed that Musschenbrock’s c Rhin-
land measure ; wi! are greater than en cangor 3 1,03 to.

We ncknowiedze 0 ourselves indebted, fot c above remark, to the Saal
oe of pipes

wid Peg eae

140 Remarks on Dr. Enfield’s Institutes

true amplitude is 8° towards the same — then the varia~.
tion of the needle is 2° east.

Prop. 10. Sehol. 2. The late and accurate obtervati tions
of Mr.. ‘Gilpin*® and Col, Beaufoy on the diurnal variation
of the needle in different months of the year, present wide
deviations from the results here given from Mr. Canton. a

the observers just mentioned, make the extremes of the
mean diurnal. variation in different months, about 11’ and
4/; and both place the time of the maximum earlier in the

year than was done by Mr. anton. Col, Beaufoy otanind
son’s Annals, 1819,) places it in April.

Prop. 11. Schol. 1... The dip of the needle is here rep-
resented as probably “unalterable at the same place.”—
Whatever be the cause of the dip, this supposition is ex-
tremely improbable, while the declination is known to be ~
variable, and to be, in common with the dip, the result of
the Psat et _ whiehy the. needle — itself 1 in) the —_
netical line

_

made i In t n this
She saeacuted: Pig: Whiston in n 1724,- it was 75° °
t with this result is that of Gra-
, obtained in the following g year. Cavendish, in 1775,
found it to be 72° 30’, and Gilpin, in 1805, 70° 21. These
observations, after every allowance. is made for the imper-
fection of the instruments employed, leave no doubt that .
the inclination of the needle has undergone a gradual dimi-~
nution in London, = ae the last century. According to ~
M. Humboldt, (see Biot—Traité de Physique, IIL. 136,) a
similar diminution has. taken place, urine the same gaan
in France. pete

~ Book VI. Prepe 13. Sehiol: 1... The statements pence
ing the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence *to that
of deviation, in passing. to and from water and» glass, are
true only under a limitation which is not distinctly pointed
oie seals that. the angle of incidence is indefinitely

Schol. 2. The partial reflection of light by the second:
surface of transparent media, when the angle is within the
limit for light to _be refracted, is erroneously ascribed. to

*imaguliis” of the etion: | if this were the trae causes

* Philos. ates isle.

of Natural Philosophy. patel 14f

no distinct image of an object could be seen bye light thus
reflected.

Prop. 17. Exp. The effects of a te dense medium, 2
bounded bya convex surface, on parallel, diverging, and con--
verging- rays, can never be illustrated by a convex lens,”
which produces. two successive refractions,—one by a con-
vex surface of the denser, and the other by a concave sur-
face of the rarer medium... The lens presents the combined —
result of the former part of prop. 17,-aud the latter part of
prop. 18. In particular, a conver: lend can never render .
converging rays “less CORDETEIRES as is abeariest in a ae
fourth Piste ea the ation Fe cps ,

cisely as oe eee Baste RK
cs % >) es a ee Se pees Sess Sera
a 2 \

of prop. 18.—Both these « s, if introduced

at oan should “ee been placed after ee and the ce
ner in which each illustrates both propositions should hare ‘
been pointed out.*

Prop. 22. Cor. 2. . The corollary i is right; but the inves-
tigation which is given of it, is incor rigibly wrong. By
comparison with the sone i a be seen that it gives the
poyiian panne the prin ae a cone aphore Moe the

ser medium by prop. 22; and then to find by prop. pytessel
focus of rays converging (to the point just. fooedl,): wien ©
passing out of a seen darscshncepee into a apes teouale a con-
cave surface of the.

rop. 26...“ The ima image aa not os distnes, cubed: the th
plane surface on which it is received be placed at tl bondi
mabe of the. sc at focus of the lens.” me oe she -

“ Though the distance of the. ail ject es

lens — , the image may be preserved distinct.w hout
varying | the distance of the pee surface mi | receives it.”
Th m what? ‘The seco

eta ithe ays proceed after
as from the inaccurate manper in which some of

scope (prop. 1

sition, the reflecti

142, Remarks on Dr. Enfield’s Institutes
consistent with the supposition that the distance of the plane

surface, either from the object, or the lens, remains unalter-
ed. Those who will consult Rutherforth’s Optics, Ch.

VIL. will see that this inconsistency has arisen from an at-

tempt to blend into one, two propositions of which the con-

ditions were different. We will add, although the remark

has no relation to the last edition, that the mistake in the

statement of the magnifying power of the double micro-
a} se from prec

at the limit of distinct vision. In uniting these two propo-

sitions into one, Enfield. inadvertently retained the condi-
tion of the former. Siete RR
Prop. 44.. “ Reflection is caused by the powers of at-
traction and repulsion in the reflecting bodies.” ‘This pro-
position is altered and abridged from the following in Ru-
therforth: ‘ Bodies refract and reflect light by one and the
ame pi rently exercised in different circumstan-
es.” ‘The illustration of this proposition by the original

Z ion -
(ia regard to which so much pains had. been taken

in the previous: scholium to exclude other hypotheses,) is

entirely omitted. The student is left to wonder why * at-
racti is mentioned in the proposition as having any
cern with reflection; and the identity of action in the -

iam ich refraction and reflection are produced, is
t out of his sight) if ES
Prise: 46. Schol. Although perhaps nothing positively
erroneous is advanced in this scholium concerning Sir Isaac
Newton’s theory of fits of easy transmission and reflection,
we cannot but object toa naked statement of a theory,
tripped of all the facts which it was formed to explain, and

k

4VCrLilit

‘made at the same time in so obscure a. manner as must im-

of Natural Philosophy. 143

pai the respect of the student for its illustrious author.
he hypothesis of fits, however it may seem fitted to excite
ridicule as exhibited in this scholium, is now justly regarded
as one of the most striking displays which Newton ever
made of his transcendant genius. In the hands of Biot
and his companions in the career of discovery, it has ac-
quired an importance of which Newton himself could have
had no adequate conception.—Whether the principles of
this now highly interesting and important department of Op-
tics can be reduced to the level of a system of elementary
instruction, is deserving of serious inquiry. A digest of the
phenomena and laws of polarization, involving no difficul-
ties which would render it inaccessible, or me ae it of its
interest. with those who aim. at nothing more than gene
viene of neha: appears at Teast to be as yet a desidera-

tu

‘Pose: 58. In all mirrors, plane or. spherical, ges”
This proposition, in regard to spherical mirrors, is true only —
of those pencils of cme light which are indefinitely
near the perpendicu

Prop. 69. In sh: iencieiuenien it is stated that “ by
prop. 31, Hpeodinenctos of the image, when the object is"
given, is inversely as distance of the object.” This is

t said, in ; yohjeee

cumstances analogous to that produced on the retina of ‘the
eye; for the lens has no provision for preserving the image
distinct, for different distances of the object, without vary-
ing the distance of the plane surface which receives it.

*rop. 73. ‘* When equal objects in the same Set i
are seen obliquely, their apparent lengths are inversely as_
the squares. of their distances from the eye.” ‘The imita~

} J oe
originally had as given by Rutherforth; dint 4 is, When
equal } oben te ate very obliquely,” &e. When the ob-
finite magnitude, the genres must be very gre
in order that the proposition may hold true,—unless indeed _
the object itself be very small; in which case it holds true _
for every degree of obliquity. But under this last modifi- _
cation, it requires a different demonstration; and is more’

‘144 Remarks on Dr. Enfield’s Institutes

properly referred to the subject of apparent velocity, than
es parent magnitude. As referred to the head of appa-
‘Tent velocity, the proposition might have been thrown into

following simple and not inelegant form: “ When a body
moves uniformly in a- right line, its apparent velocity will
be “agra as the square of the distance from the eye.”
In demonstrating the 83d and 85th propositions, it is
stated as erie reason why the image produced by a convex
or concave lens is erect, that the axis of the peneils which
re from the extremities of the object ‘only cross one
“another at the lens.” It should be, “beeause they only
‘ross one another at the eye.” kon cles — pass

ot

& meet te added, that’ es all
ree in’ this genie which state the effect of
: aban sa gras maguitude, have rosea demon-

_eedes from the lens, “te rays oie enter the: papi at froma
bd same point of the object, gradually change: the axis of
“the cil, instead of coine coinciding | with the centre oft the lens,

©

the Ve.

ject is above or be rth “Hence it is enpepere o assume

that ihe Even from A (figs. 8 and 9) diverges as if from the

same point D for all distances of the eye from the lens.

The assumption is erroneous, except when the object is

extremely re. and it ought: not to be made even in ne

ease rn 85 oof.*

“a Of this proposition Were one of the least ae
‘se it eel be desirable that it should have a more satis-
factory demonstration than its poneent one, which on several

. accounts i is wholly inconclusive.

e semarks made in this paresrenh. x are ee ennal app licable tot amp
in the e sucee eding ¢hapter, whie 23 relate M vision as affecte hy

of Natural Philosophy:. 145

The statements concerning the brightness of the image,
dado in different propositions of this chapter, are not legit-
imately proved; for the number of rays received by the
pupil from any one point of the object may be increased,
and the brightness nevertheless diminished,——on account of
the increase of apparent magnitude.

Props. 108, 110, and 111, assert unconditionally con-
cerning the magnifying power of mirrors, what is true only
in certain positions of the eye. If, for example, the object
be nearer a concave mirror than its principal focus, and the
aye be in the centre Seg concavity, the image, instead of

‘appearing larger’’ than the object, as is asserted in prop.
108, will appear of the same magnitude; and if the eye be
pone arate nearer ithe. smienenty ees mines ma appear, tbe

aoe 144. Schol. re « Of two. refracting telescopes which
magnity equally, the shorter will give a more imperfect im-
age than the longer. For the image appearing equal i in both,
but being farther from the object-glass in 8 _— than
the shorter, must be in reality larger or more magnified ;
whence the defect arising from the different rofraniibility of
the rays, Wi be more visible in the longer than in the short-
er telescope.” —The statement with which this paragraph
egins is correct. The reasoning subjoined is. evidently
erroneous, and leads to a conclusion the reverse of what
was first asserted. If two ee were boa maoce:

che a account ‘of lead et, lenses:in sr aa
eat omits the essential circumstance on which the whole
explanation.tarns. We are told that a convex lens of crown
glass is to be united with a concave one of flint glass in such
a manner “ the excess of refraction in the crown glass
may colour caused by the flint glass.” Here
the student will naturally i eine, aa the crown glass ean
o. ¥.

146 Remarks on Dr. Enfield’s Institutes

possess-an excess of refraction, without also possessing an
excess of dispersive power? For the removal of this diffi-

culty, no hint is given of the great fact which lies at the
foundation of Dollond’s improvements, viz. that the dis«
persive power of different media is not proportioned to
their mean refractive power. Unless he has the sagacity
to peor that this wired be the case from the minnie

ate ro ie will 1 | ey once fo all, give the cor-.
tho aS. ined

sr 133, 137, hn 3985 read 3956.
Prop. 3. Cor. 229: 2BI2F.

Prop. 8. Schol. es 28° Bu (3820) 33097 57!
Do. one degree 2° 42!
Beep 35. sabnesieee eee CRANE ts septa SBOt SEM
lemons: pa ete tg: Ske wet to, gain Ob Bt

Prop. 61. Scho line 9. ninth snes et tonehe,
; tS Seer ‘ d..h....m.

Prop. 116.Schol. —‘1:18 28,6 1 18 27,6
eke 118 Pe Bw he:

7 3 59,6 of. BAe

| 3 1618 5, 16 16 31,8
Prop. 117. Cor.179, 182, 194,000, 000 190. ,000, 000

* Delambre, Biayiale, Sates a &e.
ee iene eee

on These numbers are Flamsteed’s. ‘The corrections are given from Lap:

of Natural Philosophy... 147

Prop. 133. — - 240,000 - » 238,200*
Prop. 135. . 5201 5203
9538 9539

Props. A, B; 182, Part. III. Qi! : 0”,5+
160,000 400,000.

Prop. 13. To make the demonstration from fig. 10, con-
sistent, EPL ought to be regarded as a circle in the heav-
ens; it is therefore improper to place the spectator at P.
The diagram should have been constructed like fig. 2, with
a small concentric circle to denote the earth. |

Prop. 35. Cor. * Hence i it appears that the earth, at the
winter solstice or Capricorn, is in a as The stu-
dent wil be apt to infer, ron this made of expression, that
the t ts mentioned have ‘some necessary connexion.
But so fer i is this from being true, that the time when the
earth is in its perihelion is about ten days later than that of
the winter solstice. ‘The angular motion of the earth in the
interval (for 1820) is about 9° 50’.

Prop. 35. Prob. 6... The method of Geding the bearing
of two soe on the earth’s surface, here described; is
manifestly erroneous, except when the places are very near
each other. ann of the problem does not appem ¢ca-

solution on the artificial glo

lt vapter it. a Twilight; has undergone several material
improvements in the last edition. ‘The Cor: to prop. 37, is
however out of place, and should have been expunged.
The demonstration of prop. 39, is freed from several theo-
retical errors 5 — we eae the attempt to vale Fable

een the sun’s centre an r limb, in an a
to so much uncertainty as tes sun’s depression at sk por
mencement of twilight, attended with no advantage
— — for the additional viet ganas it gives the

See)

cemeesrens a Burg? Lunar Tables

# Pele umbres “‘Astronomie TIl. 142. Philos Trans isis. gh
Por sest greatest possible li imit at 0",5, he supposes in
the double parallax does not equal 0”,25, even for Arcturus oe
It is scarcel bint <2 ‘to Famer 188 Lig when either of the foregoing num-
are emplo of the

in calculations,
corresponding cherstinbt mest gare in the results deduced fromi-thess..

148 Remarks on Dr. Enfield’s*Institutes

-demonstration.—After all, we should have been much _bet-
ter pleased to sce the proposition egtirely omitted, than any
attempt made to amend it. The hypothesis that the rays
which come to the eye at the end of twilight are brought by
a single reflection, is a very questionable one. ‘The power
of reflecting light possessed by the atmosphere, must de-
pend on one or both of two causes: 1. It.may reflect some
of the rays which pass through it in consequence of a defect
of transpa rency. 2. It may reflect in the same manner as
light is. ordinarily. bent back into a denser medium. This»
last mode of reflection, if it ever takes place without an ab-
rupt change of density, is evidently more likely to take
place, in proportion as the variation of density is more ees
ow whichever of these causes ee to produce twi
light, it must evidently exist ina far higher degree in thie
lower, than in the higher =jautinh el atmosphere. Hence
instead of a single “reflection atthe height of forty-two.
miles, two or more successive reflections may quite as pro-
bably transmit to the eye the light with which twilight clo-
ses.*—But even abthintng the correctness of the assump-
tion that twilight is produced by a single reflection, it is
most obvious that no inference can be deduced concerning
“the height of the atmosphere,” or even the height at
which it ceases to reflect light. The only legitimate con-
clusion is, that forty-two miles is the limit beyond which
light is not reflected in. ———— quantity to affect the or-
gans of vision. If, instead of this vague proposition, the
—— aw of atmospheric. — at. - altitudes had ticéii
in its cein the scene the _
pe oe have ve been exhibited in a far more 5 cs
structive form.
seats subject ob est moon’s Roeser in 1 propss: 78-82,
managed with singular infelicity. The introductory pro-
es should be, that “ the time of the moon’s rotation
on its axis is equal to the mean time of its revolution round
the earth,”—instead of beginning with the fact that the
moon. always has nearly the same side toward the earth,”
and drawing the strange inference that “af the moon re-
volves. dust its axis, its periodical time must be equal to
that of its revolution round the earth.” ‘The librations

oe oe * See Vince’ Ast. E Ant. 206.

of Natural Philosophy. 149

should be assigned each to its proper cause; that in lati-
tude to the obliquity of the axis to the plane of the orbit,
and that in longitude to the excentric form of the orbit,—
instead of blending the explanations of both under the
loose proposition, * the librations of the moon may be ex-
plained on the: supposition that the moon has a revolution
on its axis.” In prop. 81, the equality of the times of ro-
tation and revolution is inferred from the hibrations ; while it”
is in fact a matter of direct observation, oe must be soe ‘
supposed in explaining the librations themselves, In
82, the elliptical form of the moon’s orbit is inferred froti
the libration in longitude. ~We very much doubt whether
the species of oval to which the ‘moon’s orbit most near|
approaches could have been d from direct <o
servations on’ so trifling a change of — The proper
: this part of the subject would be, to —
infer the elliptical form of the orbit from the abaelved: role
tion between the anomaly and the apparent diameter; and
then to employ this conclusion for the explanation of the
libration i oe longitude
rop. 83. Schol. In stating the results of Dr. Hers-
chel’s observations on the altitude of the lunar mountains, it
is mentioned that “ one was found to be about a mile i
height; but none of the others which he measured —_
os be more than half that altitude. *” By consulting the orig-
memoir in the Philos. Trans. cotamalibad which hi
eer published since, it will be seen that Dr. Herschel’s re-
sults differ much less from the estimates of the older As-
tronomers, and from the recent and accurate measurements
of Sehroter, than is here represented. Dr. H. pate
several over a eee: and one, nearly two miles i in height. —
Prop. 106. “If recuclesdeigaartoets new, isin coe nneite
—_— the eclipse of the sun will be central. _ It should be,
inhabitants of aes part of the earth it will be
cette aad in the zenith.” | To those parts _of the
earth at which the moon is never vertical, a
can happen’ only road ah moon is 08, Att its one, at ‘the :
the — of conjuncti
p- 113, which ree: a notion in antecedentia,”
of the y atelligee BE the superior planets ! from
one elongation to the next feeder the their. inferior conjunc-
tion, is no less erroneous than the propositions of former

150 Remarks on Drs Enfield’s Institutes

editions concerning the retrogradation of the primary plau-
ents; and, should, “like them, have been rectified or struck
out. All that can be said with truth is, that during the spe-
cified interval the motion of the secondary is retrograde
relatively to its. primary; and even this statement can
scarcely be oubares to the satellites of Herschel.*

Prop. 114.“ The greatest elongations of a satellite on
each side are Soe This proposition has several excep-
tions. The orbits of the third and fourth satellites of Ju-
plter have a very sensible excentricity ; and the same is true
of the fourth (now more generally numbered as the. sixth)
satellite of Saturn. See Laplace: Syst. du Monde. © ‘The
latter, according to Delambre, (Ast, If. eed has an ellip-
ticity nearly equal to that of our moon.

Prop. 123. Several of the particulars inserted:i in the an-
nexed heli from Sir I. Newton, have now become ob-
solete. In particular, the ¢ s of matter in Jupiter
and Saturn, instead. of being to to that i in the sun in the ratios
= 1100 and 2360, are now inom to be in the ratios of

p- 135, is Soemviod on the erroneous shenty: ob retro-
eon previously laid down; and therefore should -
heen: corrected.
_ Prop. 155. The demonstration of this panpenieiteiii in
Br fallacious. It is said to be contrary to prop. 51. cor. of
ok I, that the centre of gravity of two gravitating bod-
ies should: move; and is inferred that if one of the bodies
is. projected in any direction, the other must acquire (by
hat means we are not told) an equal motion in the oppo-
site direction. - Now this is so far from following as a ne-
cessary ice, that the other body will not in fact
apis wry: such motion 3 and ifs a prdjeecie rales 0

i os not taltempied, in the general list of corrections ipenst ne p.
6, _ rectify the periodical times of ot satellites of Hers ; for with
oe ie exception of the second and fourth their distances from helt wimary

Ww holly

vig yet fully ascertained. His last pestle of the sy —— ~ neem
of | the second and fourth, ares . the Phil los. Trans. for 1815, is as dis ee

Ge IV. 134.1 . so
€ Pe ipation of their orbits ti to the ecliptic he finds t o be 78° 53'.—
oo wee penpendioulrity than has been leretotoe hae ol

yeti < ere + Mee. Céleste. Parts ls eb. Oe Sook

of Natural Philosophy. 151

given to one of them alone, the common rier of gravity of
the two will not continue at rest. Nor does this contradict
the proposition referred to in the Mechanics; for the com-
mon centre will move uniformly in a right line. The propo-—
sition should have stood thus: “The sun and any planet
revolve round a common centre of iba which remains
at rest, or has a uniform rectilineal motio
Prop. 162. This theorem, as it ee in Rowning, was

inverse duplicate ratio of the distance. As nothing analo-
gous to this investigation has fovea retained by Enfield, the
assertion that when the fo! in the inverse

move forward, and vice versa, made in the course of the.
demonstration, is wholly gratuitous. © se
Prop. 163. The demonstration i is not oily irrelevant to

peal nearer to ‘ah earth” than it would ot rise “Od;
“and describe a portion of an orbit inaedbenviovers or near-
eracircte.” The former statement is correct; but it con-
tradicts the latter. So in the corollary we are told that
“when the gravity of the moon towards the earth decreas-
es — the excentricity of the orbit will increase; and
when her gravity towards tie earth increases too fast, the
excentricity will decrease.” ~The fact is, that in both cases
alike the excentricity will increase. It is when the gra wi
increases or diminishes too slow, that the excentricity \
decrease. Those who will give themselves the trou
consulting the prop. as it stands in Rowning, will find no
difficulty in perceiving how a amen abeldger mie etch
conditions of the demonstra ue ts
Props. 164 and 166. 6. Why. two propositions so “ely
identical should find a place i in this ene we can _— no
account,—unless ome had fox t he
had given a theorem on the motion of iehots Rows
ning, and ‘theft reat for one in some putes author.
So much at least is certain—that prop. 166, and this -

wt

-

152 Remarks on Dr. Enfield’s Institutes

among those which compose the chapter, is borrowed iroin
‘Rutherforth. ma .

Prop 168. Schol. This method of finding the direction
of gravity includes only the effect of the centrifugal force.
Including the joint effect of rotation and of figure, the di-
rection is manifestly that of a perpendicular to the tangent

_ plane of the earth’s surface, or of a normal to the elliptical

curve of the meridian passing through the given place. —
Prop. 173. In the concluding paragraph of the demon-

stration, the relative forces of the sun and moon to raise

ides are erroneously stated. The real forces are directly
as the masses, and inversely as the cubes of the distances.

The concluding scholium of the Astronomy consists of
extracts from a paper of Dr. Herschel’s in the Philos.
Trans. for 1795. These extracts are so unskilfully made,

nal. But in the original itself, high as is the estimation in
which the author is justly held as an observer, we must be

points of analogy between the sun and the planets, and
thus increasing the presumption that the former is mhabit-
ed, he endeavours to shew that both primaries and seconda-
ries shine in some measure by-their own light. The partial
illumination of the moon, for example, during a total eclipse,
cannot be entirely ascribed to the light which may reach it
from the earth’s atmosphere ;—“ because, in some cases,
the focus of the sun’s rays refracted by the earth’s atmos-
phere must be many thousand miles. beyond the moon.”
r. Herschel assumes as the basis of this calculation that
the rays of the sun are bent by the atmosphere at only an
angle of 31’. He seems to have inadvertently neglected |
the circumstance that the rays undergo a second equal re-
fraction in passing out of the atmosphere. In consequence
of this, the real inflection is 62’, (or rather 66’, taking 33°
as the mean horizontal refraction,) so that the rane.
sun’s rays as refracted by the earth’s atmosphere can nevet
in fact be so distant as the moon. An observer stationed at
‘the moon, even during a central eclipse of the sun, would
see a luminous ring encircling the earth. The light thus

thrown: upon the moon’s disc is amply sufficient to explain

of Natural Philosophy. 153

ts partial illumination during a central eclipse. Were Dr.
wD S$ assumption concerning the amount of atmospheric 1e-
fraction correct, his conclusion would not foliow; for the
same agency of the atmosphere which produces twilight
to an observer stationed on the earth’s surface, will produée
the same effect to a second spectator, stationed any where
behind the first, and in the same tangent plane of the earth.*
Another obvious proof that Dr. H. was misled by his zeal
to find points of analogy between the sun and the other
bodies of the system, at least so far as the phosphorescent
analy of the moon is concerned, is, that light is not given
in any sensible degree from the crescent mene is unen-
ightened by the sun, eet before and after opposit
tempt to remove an objection tenths san’ ein
inhabited by supposing io “heat is produced 4 the sun’s
rays only when they act on a calorific medium,” and that
they are the cause of heat only “ by uniting with the mat-
ter of fire which is contained in the substances that are
heated,” together with the arguments advanced in support
of these strange positions, certainly ought, for the credit of
one who has deserved so bighly of astronomical science, to —
have been suppressed. They are too far behind the pres-
ent state of ‘Che hemistry, and too little essential to the ohieet
which their author had in view, to deserve transcribing in
the pages of an elementary work, which is intended to be
employed in instruction.

In passing to the Appendix,—our limits will not stew us
to notice a variety of errors which occur in the progress of
the examples; nor a number of small inaccuracies unne-—

cessarily introduced into the mode of projecting solar —
eclipses. The tables of epochs (which. terminate with the .
present year) should have been extended; and might also ~
ve been advantageously corrected from those of 3
bre and Burck khardt.—But the most important posi

In Ewisee Astronomy and all the editions of Fatt ox:
ney the tatty. 5 sags have given over the Bit table, rg. 4
i Hence Pa taal whie sascha soe light trsiesait tothe
moon's disc during a total eclipse to. ‘‘the reflection of rays of i
=. the eartlr kinare ou ‘is doubtless in part « 0

154 Remarks on Dr. Enfield’s Institutes

-)’s mean anomaly ;” and over the Vth, “ Arg. IV—©’s

mean anomaly.” Both these arguments are wrong. Those
who may have the curiosity to look into Mason’s edition of
Mayer’s Lunar Tables, from which Ewing’s were abridged,
will see at a glance how these erroneous captions originat-
ed. ey are in fact the 3d and 5th arguments of Mayer’s
‘tables; but Mayer’s 3d table is omitted, and his 10th is
‘made Ewing’s 5th. The captions were inadvertently. cop-
ied, although they betrized; in consequence of these omis-
sions, to the wrong tables. In the last edition, the caption
: d table is altered to make it agree with the gene-
ral ¢ ions for finding the arguments of Latitude given in
‘Prob. Sth; bat that of the Sth still remains erroneous, as
well as the general rule under Prob. 8th. It should be,
“subtract the moon’s mean a anomaly from the second argu- -

ment,” &c.; and the caption of table 5th should be, ‘* Arg.

iI.— )’s mean anomaly.

The fee part of the corrections and alterations made
by y the ed itor of the last edition have our entire approbation.

Particul mee regard to two highly important propositions,

& the: one relating to the law of refraction, in the Optics, and

that on the sun’s parallax, in the Astronomy, he has probably

done the best that the elementary character of the work

admitted. . There are a few instances, however, of altera-

tions, the propriety of which appears very questionable,

and which — to the labours of former editors requires

us briefly to noti

~ Thus in the frst. proposition: Matter may be, and mere

‘extension is infinitely divisible,’ the clause in italics is ai
-euliar to the last edition. We recollect having seen»

‘Hutton’s Dictionary an attemptto establish a distinction a

* tween ‘‘ actual” and “ potential divisibility ;” but we could

bape understand it ; nor are we any more fortunate in regard

o the language just quoted. If the term ‘¢ divisibility”. it-

; self means nothing more than the possibility of being di-

a vided, to say that matter may be infinitely divisible is a sole-

m. -'The distinction between. the divisibility of matter

and. that of extension seems to depend on the definition of

term. If by “divisibility” be meant merely the pos-

y of being ideally divided by a planes

any separation of parts, then is one

ags to maiter and to extention, in m precisely the

of Natural Philosophy. eee

same sense, But if in the phrase “ divisibility of matter”
be included the additional idea of discerptibility, or the pos-
sibility of being separated into parts not in es then the
property is one which belongs in no degree to 0 pure exten-
sion. In neither case does the distinction A in the pro-
Seabee as quoted above appear to have any foundation.

hat matter cs infinitely divisible in the first sense, is almost
self-evident: whether it is so in the last, (admitting the ex-
ercise of any supposable power which does not change
nature of matter,) is a eee which lies beyond the reach
of the human frenltias

attraction between two solid podicg. It is true that these
phenomena are only indirect consequences of the attraction
between solids and fluids; and a scholium was very proper-
ly added by the author, (which has been omitted in all the
_ subsequent editions,) to aid the student in tracing their con-
nexion with the proposition. But it is most certain that
. “have nothing to do with the cohesive force of two
solid bodies. When there is an elevation or depression of
the fluid around both of two floating bodies, they will ap-
proach: when there is an elevation ‘around one asd a de-
pression around the other, they will recede. These are
mere results of capillary action; and as such, admit of an
easy explanation from the general theory of Laplace. %¥—A
popular idea of the mechanism of these phenomena will be
ei a the lego! experiment, by which we ae
een much amused, and which we do not recollect to ‘
seen n aR Two small globules of mercury, a |
“Jaid upon water, will swim. Let these globules be brought
within one or two inches, and it is surprising to os
oa atoemel they dart together. If one of the glob-
ules to the edge of the water, (the vessel being
sch mater ab he capable af be being fomnened.) 1

PB decn Méc. 2. Célet. Sup. an is tiene: Biot —Traté de cPosie 12
yl :

156 = Remarks on Dr. Enfield’s Institutes

will recede with an activity which might seem the effect of
ut on holding the vessel in the light, the se-
cret of these motions will be apparent. Each globule will
be seen to have a depression around it, which perceptibly'e
tends to the distance of more than half aninch. The gl lobiiles
will be seen to rush together, not from any motel attrac-
tion, = because, in doing it, each descends down an inclin-
ed plane. 'Two needles, laid on water and kept parallel to
each ch ches will exhibit similar appearances
Tn the Optics, under Prop. 18. rues? 22, 23, 55, 56, &e.

increases the ache of ounolanee sect impor- Z
tant See which are already too complex.* It were to |
be w eukee the ac of these er that we sek some

Sin tat jae This has not been done silo: the Editor ; ;
and the Neg PH that sev ntain an —

* focus ate in prop. 553 but in props. ro 23, and 56, which

equally required a similar addition, and in prop. 54, which. »

required a substitution, neither has been made. Such an

addition would, it is true, have rendered the enunciation of —

some of these propositions exceedingly perplexed; but

eect demanded that i it t should be done, or that ‘the
ngus :

se of f jiormer

ait! ltered.+

* Such, in Enfield’s tptckis are. ¢ prope. 1, 23, 54,56.

be admitted that the language of former editions, inthis re
as uot € otirely sonar with ‘eel Dets.
bo Wrnbehed undies se sane et

of Natural Philosophy. 157

The erroneous — of the stationary points and retro-
gradations of the planets in Ch. 4. Part. I. of the sah
my has been very properly expunged from the present
tion. An investigation is nab bea (p. 262,) which dives

- the formula D S Bie Sar for the sine of elongation of
the superior planet, and d nea ; vee for that of the

inferior planet, at the time when each is stationary as seen
rom the other. Instead of these cumbrous formule, which
require the calculation of th @ velocites, and are unfitted for
¢ sb have seen the in- _
vestigation so conduc so conducted as ‘to terminate in in the equations, —
cot E=v4( Mad Be and cot = Git a +4). YP (DF) E being the :

elongation of the superior, and e that of the inferior planet.
hese expressions are far simpler, besides being confined
to terms of the distances.*

ve taken no notice, in the progress of these remarks, of errors
which are merely typogra aphical, or which might hav a arisen from

committed rin fibers 4 eae ody
list of s con Sarg se, i yeas eg eee will - He pcepant be ee
to rectify 2B nega with their corrections. y
to the inst editio i

; am

a centrifugal (three times) ond

Book II. Prop. 30. Cor. 6. ec read»

Ch. yu. cones ye
and Cor. 2.

Book IV. ee: bis Schol. 2. table at top. For 12° 2’ 19° 2’
Book V. Prop. 5. Exp. 6. pe he metallic cups.
Prop. 11. line 2. Forelectrified /- unelectrified.
Prop. 14. Exp. a is Tor positively negatively. _
Book VI. ae 17. Exp. sien For Senreng conv -
26. or 42° es Hi ees
Book VIE Prop. 13. For half y ear ; : _ half a year.
ee 40. For eart race lee 4 ight i
Eee Bi, end of Schol. For pe : ie
ag. 295. eee.
3d col aeten He, Gprkal. a “or 1906352 joiease
— . head of last

ol. but one: ie mean distances . mean dist. of the earth.

a

158 = Mr. Town’s new mode of Bridge-building.

Arr. XXI.—.1 Description of Irure. Town’s Improve-
ment in the construction of Wood and Iron Bridges : in-
tended as a general system of Bridge-Building for rivers,
creeks, and harbors, of whatever kind of bottoms, for any
practicable width of span or opening, in every part of the
country. :

To establish a general mode of constructing wooden and

iron Bridges, and which mode of construction shall, at the

“samé time, be the most simple, permanent, and economical,
both in erecting and repairing, has been, for a long time, a
desideratum of great importance to a country so extensive,
and interspersed with so many wild and majestic rivers as
ours is. It has been too much the custom for architects and
builders to pile together materials, each according to his
own ideas of the scientific principles and practice of Bridge-

_ building, and the result has been, Ast. That nearly as many
_ modes of constraction have been adopted as there have
bridges built. 2d. That many have answered no pur-

-at all,jand others but very poorly and for a short time,
while most of the best ones have cost a sum which deters
and puts it out of the power of probably five-sixths of those

That architects and builders adhere to their own jdeas in

_ almost universally true; they are obstinately opposed to the

of execution which are founded in practice and experience,
and those which are founded in ignorance and inexperience}
and in matters of taste, if they would determine in favour
of classic and well established taste, and that which is ‘the

Mr. Town’s new mode of Bridge-building. 159

Figure 1, is an elevation of one of the trusses of a bridge;
one, two, or three of those trusses placed vertically upon
piers, are to be considered as the support of the bridge, and
are to be of a height, at least, sufficient to admit a waggon

to pass under the upper beams, which lie horizontally upon
_ the top string-piece of the side trusses; and on these same side-
string-pieces rest the feet of rafters, which form a roof to
shingle upon. In this case, a middle truss is used, which
will always be necessary in bridges of considerable width ;
the height of it will be as much greater than the side ones
as the height or pitch of the roof. The height of the trus-
ses must be equal to the whole height of the bridge requir-
ed, and is to be an exact continuation of the work represent-
ed in Fig. 1. ae ee + TE
The height of the trusses is to be proportioned to the
width of the openings between the piers or abutments, and-
may be about one-tenth of the openings, when the piers are
fifieen feet or more apart—a less span requiring about the
same height, for the reasons before stated. =
The diagonal bearing of these trusses, is composed of
sawed plank ten or eleven inches wide, and from three to
three and a half inches thick; it may be sawed from any
timber that will last well, when kept dry. White pine and
spruce are probably the hest kinds of timber for the pur-

- they are used.

160 = Mr. Town’s new mode of Bridge-building.

pose, on account of their lightness, and their not being so

.

- subject to spring or warp as white oak.

he nearer those braces are placed to each other, the
more strength will the truss have, and in no case are they
to be halved or gained, where they intersect each other;
but they are to stand in close contact, depending entirely
on three or four trunnels, which go through each joint.or in-
tersection, and where the string-pieces pass over these joints
the trunnels go through them also, and are each of them
wedged at each end to keep the timber in close contact; @

chain or clamp is necessary to bring the work tight to-—
- gether.

The trunnels may be made of white oak, one and a half
inches in diameter. They are made very cheaply and ex-
cellently, by being rived out square, and driven, while green
or wet, through a tube fitted to a block and ground to au
edge at the top end; they are then to be seasoned before

=e

— The string-pieces are ‘composed of two. thicknesses of

ih

plank, of about the same dimensions as the braces, and
“they are so put together as to break joints as shewn at Fig.
6. This renders long hewn timber unnecessary, as als
any labor in making splices, and putting on iron work.

For any span or opening not exceeding one hundred and.
thirty feet, one string-piece at top and one at bottom of each
truss, if of a good proportion and well secured, will be sufii-
cient, (see Fig. 2.;) but as the span is extended beyond

_ one hundred and thirty feet, two or more at top and bottom

would be. required as shown in Fig. 1 where two string-
pieces run over the two upper and lower series of joints oF
intersections of the braces, and in wide spans the. fleor-
beams may be placed on the second string-piece as show?
at Fig.-1. : ; :

Fig. 3, shows on a larger scale how each joint is secured,
by which it is seen that the trunnels take hold of the whole
thickness of each piece. - ni Cae

Fig. 4, is a section of a bridge of this construction, and

- shows the manner in which the braces and string-pieces

the bridge, and of putting beams.and braces over head,
: ; <ddte:anaae for!

come together, and also the manner of making the floor 0

nh are to eonnected with the mi e

- purpose of bracing the bridge against. lateral rack or mo-

. Mr. Town's new mode of Bridge-building. 161

tion. Very flat pitched roofs will be preferable, as it will,
a a case, be a greater support to the upper part of the
ridge

Fig. 5, is the floor or plan of the bridge, showing the
mode of ‘bracing and the floor-joist.

Fig. 6, is a view of the bottom or top edge of the
string-pieces, and shows how the joints are broke in using
he pip and also how the trunnels are distributed.

is mode of construction - have the same advantages
in iron as in wood, and some in cast-iron which wood has
not, viz. that of reducing the iiscos in size between the
joints and of casting flaunches to them where they intersect,
thereby making it unnecessary to have more than one bolt
and nut to each joint or interse

When it is conadeted that bridges, covered from: the
weather, will last seven or eight times as long as
covered, and that the cheapness of this mode will admit of

“its being generally adopted, with openings or spans be~-
tween piers composed of piles, and at a distance of one
hundred and twenty to one bondred and sixty se i a
then the construction of long bridges over mud med
rivers, like those at Washington, Boctrn. Norfolk, thes.
ton, &c. will be perceived to be of great importance, espe-
cially as the common mode of piling is so exposed to fresh-
ets, uncommon tides, drift-wood, and ice, as not to insure
safety or economy in covering them, and consequently con-
tinual repairs, and often rebuilding them, become neces-
sa There is very little, if any, “doubt, that one half of
the ‘expense, computing stock, and interest, that would
be required to keep up, for one hundred years, one of the
common pile bridges, like those at Boston, would be suffi-
cient to reste one built in this new mode, keep it cover-
stead b ave all or nearly all the piers built with stone at

psp ine) of the one hundred years, if this be the CASE, itwould

manner. The saving, in the one article of floor planks, if
kept dry, would. be very great, as by being so much wet
they rot and wear out in about half thetime.

For aqueduct bridges of wood or iron no other
can be as cheap or answer as well; this: mode has equal ad-
- vantages also in supporting wide roofs: of buildings, centres
of one ae tae in ists Arosees floorings, “partitions,

162 Mr. Town’s new mode of Bridge-building.

sides of wood towers, steeples, &c. &c. of public buildings,
as it requires nothing more than common planks instead of
long timber—being much cheaper, easier to raise, less sub-
ject to wet or dry-rot, and requiring no iron work.

Some of the advantages of constructing bridges accord-
ing to this mode are the following : ;

1. There is no pressure against abutments or piers, as
arched bridges have, and consequently perpendicular sup-
ports only, are necessary ; this saving in wide arches is very
great, sometimes equal to a third part of the whole expense
of the bridge.

2. The shrinking of timber has little or no effect as the
strain upon each plank of the trusses, both of the braces
and string-pieces, is an end-grain strain or lengthwise of the

ood.

3. Suitable timber can be easily procured and sawed at
common mills, as it requires no large or long timber—de-
fects in timber may be diseqvered, and wet and dry rot pre-
vented much more easily than could be in large timber.

4, There is no iron work required, which at best is not
safe, especially in frosty weather,

5. It has less motion than is common in bridges, and
which is so injurious and frequently fatal to bridges—and.
being in a horizontal line, is much less operated upon by
winds. .

6. A level road-way is among the most important advan-
tages of this mode of construction. as

7. The side-trusses serve as a frame to cover upon, and
herenvaere any extra weight of timber, except the cover-
ing itself{—and the importance and economy of covering
bridges from the weather, is too well understood to need re-
commendation after the experience which this country has

ing the connexion, weakens the whole superstructure.

. The great number of nearly equal parts or joints into -
which the strain, occasioned by a great weight ‘upon the
bridge, is divided, is a very important advantage over apy’.

Mr. Town’s new mode of Bridge-building. 168

_ other mode, as by dividing the strain or stress into so ma-
ny parts, that what falls upon any one part or joint is easily
sustained by it without either the m ode of securing the

10. The e expense of the superstructure of a bridge would
not be more than from one-half to two-thirds of other
modes of constructing one over the same span or opening ;
this is a very important consideration, especially in’ the
southern and nn States, where there are many wide
rivers, and a — scattered population to defray the ex-
penses of bridge

11. This mode of securing the braces by so many trunnels,
sth ey are in ee ein
than could be had in the common “mode of se

means of tennons and mortices, for tennon - shor
and not very thick, compared with this aaa nor. havi
so much hold of the pins or trunnels as in this case, will, of

cere

equal to, and in others greater than, the thrust or pushing
strain. It is also very obvious, that thi is pushing or thrust
ain in the mode of tennons and mortices receives very
little additional strength from the shoulders of the tenons,
as the shrinkage of the timber into which the tennon goes, is
generally so much as to let the work settle so far as to give
a motion or Serpe itn. which, in time, renders them scsi
and insufficien
"42: Should any kind of ister bridge, for any reason,
be preferred, however it may be arched either at top or bot
tom, or both, still this same mode of combining the mate-
rials, will have all the advantages as to cheapness and
strength, over the common ones of framing, as in case
the horizontal or straight ones before described. - cases
wee e abutments are already built, it sa. sometimes be

ea Sidewalks cs nay wi _ a ease be constructed, either

on the outside or inside of the main ody of the bridge,
which anata paces the great strength of the mode, &c.
may he better seen by examination ‘of the models which

claimed in this new mode of c construction, by the patentee

164 = Mr. Town’s new mode of Bridge-building.

which the mode itself does not command, even on the most
strict philosophical investigation as to its mathematical prin-
ciples, the easy, practicable, and advantageous application
of materials, the advantages it possesses in mechanical ex-
ecution, and its simplicity, strength, economy, and durabili-
ty, as a general and uniform mode of Bridge-building.

Science and practice will, in a short time, decide on this
question so important to this extensive country. ,

I shall conclude this article by a few ideas, taken from
the celebrated Robert Fulton’s treatise on canal navigation,
page 117, and subsequent pages. ee

d to where timber is
scarce and consequently expensive. But in such countries

fair criterion to judge of their application by calculating on
the expense of a bridge of stone, and one of wood, and

bridges in America of an extensive span or arch, in order to
suffer the ice and collected waters. to pass without inte

Mr. Town’s new mode of Bridge-building. 165

tion: and for this purpose it must be observed that a wood
arch may be formed of a much greater length or span than
it is possible to erect one of stone; hence wooden bridges —
are applicable to many situations where accumulated waters
bearing down trees and fields of ice, would tear a bridge o
stone from its foundation. :

It therefore becomes of importance to render bridges
of wood as permanent as the nature of the material will
admit.
Hitherto, in bridges not covered from the weather, the
immense quantity of mortices and tenons, which, however
well done, will admit air and wet, and consequently tend to
expedite the decay of the weak parts, has been a material
error in constructing bridges of wood.

to render wood bridges of much more importance

than they have hitherto been considered, first from: their
extensive span ; secondly from their durability ; two thin
must be considered, first that the wood works should stand
clear of the stream in every part, by which it never would
have any other weight to sustain than that of the usual car-
riages, secondly that it will be so combined as to exclude as
much as possible the air and rain.

When the true principle of building bridges of wood is

naval architecture, hinted at a vessel of two thousand tons,
branded him as a madman,
uate Pipe. A : ; Te a A oe

pe ES ee Rie mee
- Those who wish to purchase rights, ny to obtain particular cular

directions for building bridges according to this improve-

166— Hall on the Staining of Wood, and

ment, (the description of which is annexed,) will please
to write to me at the City of Washington in the District of
Columbia, where myself or an agent will at all times attend
promptly to the business. - ;
Patek ITHIEL TOWN.

Art. XXII.—On the Staining of Wood, and on Medical
Electricity ; by Joun Hari, Esq. of Ellington, Conn.
Communicated in a letter to the Editor, dated May 30th,

Dear Sir,

Wuen I closed the letter which accompanies this, I for-
got to mention a stain, as cabinet-makers would call it, for
some sorts of wood used in the making of cabinet furniture.
This stain consists simply of a decoction of walnut or
hickory. bark, with a small quantity of alum dissolved in it,
in order to give permanency to the color. Wood, of a white
color, receives from the application of this liquor, a beauti-
ful yellow tinge, very little liable to fade. Indeed, so far as
I have ascertained the fact by several experiments, the color
does not appear to fade at all; and I have good reason to
think that it will abide until it is worn off. So far as I have
tried the experiment, the color retains its proper state, when
not defended at ail from the action of the light and the air ;

ture stained in this manner, which has stood exposed to the
—— of 2 window fifteen months, and the color appears
oe ¥ “ a any change has taken place, even brighter

_ This stain is particularly adapted to several kinds of fur

eye, it gives the finest appearance of any. This spe-
cies Of wood is commonly prepared, by cabinet-makers, by
scorching its surface over a quick fire, which does not, at

on Medical Electricity... 167

ed, is made smooth in the usual way, and varnished. The
scorching produces a great variety of dark shades and
specks on the surface; these have generally been consid-
ered to possess considerable beauty, and the wood, so pre-
pared, has come into pretty extensive use in the making of
particular sorts of cabinet furniture. When birds-eye ma-
ple is thus prepared, except the varnishing, if it is then
stained with the walnut dye, it receives much additional
eauty. In the common mode of pereene | that wood, the
colors are black, of various shades and degrees of intense-
ness; and that kind of white, though scaricarkipt tarnished,
which is natural to maple. These colors are destitute of
any other lustre than what the varnish merely gives them.
But the application of the walnut dye gives a lustre even to
the darkest shades; while to the paler and fainter ones it
gives, in addition to this, a somewhat greenish hue; and to
the whiter parts, various tints of yellow. The whole, to~
gether, has a very pleasing effect on the eye, and is very
ornamental when used, with taste and judgment, in hime:
ar parts of some kinds of furniture. For panned work,
the yellow stain A without the previous ian has
a very delicate and pleasing appearance. Both modes of
staining give the wood very much the appearance of figm
satin; and, for patticular purposes, are altogether superior,
in their effect, to mahoga any. Such, at eA rate, is my own
opinion; and such, too, is that of a ) have received
Specimens of work done in this man

cal cet 3 eee wood, eabinetnakers on erally em

and greatly detracts from the beauty of i it. .When this spe-
cies of sued is stained with the walnut liquor, and reddened
somewhat sesh a peas of some. ere ie Fe whose: color is.

pecans spt oe
Walnut harks makes the x most as arn Jee for lying 3
cloth, of any of the y

168 Hall on the Staining of Wood, and

try for that purpose, with which I am acquainted. Care
‘should be taken that the dye be not too much concentra-
ted ; when this happens, the color is far less bright and deli-
cate ; and igptecbes nearer to orange. Itis hardly ne-

On Medical Electricity.

_ Since I have taken upon me to write, I will add some-
' on another subject. Soon after the general proper-
ties of electricity were discovered, and attention to them
had become fashionable, it was suspected to possess medic-
al virtues of great value, and of extraordinary character.
Essays to prove those virtues were accordingly made, and
with exactly the success which might have been anticipated
from peculiar eharacter of the electric fluid, and the
_ peculiar propensity of mankind to form, in the first instance,
high-wrought expectations from something new and striking
to the senses; and then to vibrate to the opposite extreme,

has been placed on the medical properties of the electric
fluid in any ease. As the truth, however, is oftener found

tain; and cannot but regret that trial of them is not oftener.

d to patients by way of shocks.
used by way of insulating the patient, and then extracting
: “ ; pe

eu Medical Electricity. 168

inu

yield more readil to the medicines commonly en a“?
these complaints. Perspiration at once becomes more free,
and. the breathing less obstructed. These facts have been
known to me for a considerable number of years; but such
have been the general prejudice against the efficacy of elec-
tricity, on the one hand, and the inflated encomiums on its
virtues made by empiri ics on the other, that I have seldom
ever suggested them even to Pi, friends. I however BLOG
my duty now to do so; and hope that the suggestion may
oonnbna to the rchet of some, at least, who. Da heat
ter be afflicted with ‘these complaints. In cases of influ-
enza. this relief i is often of great importance; and it is to
these cases, ina special manner, that the remedy seems to
be adapted.—I_ have _neyer yet known, and I have often
made the experiment, that electricity has proved beneficial
in nervous diseases; unless spasms, of certain kinds, are
considered as properly. belonging to that class. | ne
dom sci affections, have seen metal infe'o :
ioe ele What effect this flu , have on pain
ica arising | from other. es tha D the taking” ef

electric shocks in any case whee sit "4 yes no means
ietgod to vagal pe : ocks men be be useful § in certain di: seases
Wel. Ub: :

170 Jarman on Gas Lights.

Arr. XXIIL—On Gas Lights. “Communicated ina letter
to the Editor, by Tuomas Jarman, Esq. of Bristol.
ngland.* 3

State-Street, New-Haven, 2d Jan. 1821.

My Dear Sir,
As you seemed to think the facts I mentioned to you this
morning, in wri

‘worthy of notice, I beg leave to state them in wri-

: 2 streets of the city of Bristol, in which I reside,
were lighted with lamp oil till about two years ago, when a

£5 per lamp per annum ; and to individuals at various pri-

eae made for its 26. give you an instance :—I have a
ouse in the city where my professional businesst is carried

on, and in which F use six rooms, and an entrance hall; the

e * In consequence of bis having been bien ,
“the Laboratory of Yale Colle edie Gas Lights Nose sestunt
bited—Mr, Jarman being on a visit to this country.

t That of-a solicitor.

Jarman on Gas Lights. 171

at cast me for candles before; but I have an unvarying and
brilliant light in every room, without any trouble but the
turning of a key. All the offices and shops (or stores) in
Bristol, of any respectability, purchase the light in the same
way, and from hence the profits arise. It is intended, how-
ever, to sell the gas by measure 5 as some abuses have crept
in by individuals burning the gas longer than they contract
for: a Gas-Meter has been invented, which, placed at the
evokes into the house, ascertains the quantity of gas used.
It is a box containing a wheel, which revolves more or less
in LA ge to the gas driven through it, and when it has
made a certain number of revolutions, moves an index,
Bree scertains d is so constructed that it
cannot be altered to deceive the: proprietors.” Most of the
churches, and other public. buildings, take the light at vari-
ous prices, proportioned to the time in which they use it;
and the streets through which it already passes, are as light
throughout the night, asin broad day. The peepee ar
other works are near the entrance into the c
not describe them to you, as you so papeotte Se sn
them, and gave so accurate a description of them this
morning as ‘surprised me; you having only seen the very
limited, commencement of the gas works in London, when
were ‘there.* I had the honor of being Chairman of
the committee appointed by the Company for conducting
_ the Bill through the Houses of Lords and Commons; and’
while I was in London had great satisfaction in seeing the
progress of the gas-manufactories there: all the principal
streets are lighted by gas—so are most of the public build-
ings, and particularly the theatres; these latter have gaso-
meters of their own; and the light produced is the most
brilliant that can be imagined ; the centre-light i in Drury-
lane theatre, tn through an immense
glass lamps, arrange d with great taste and elegance, resem-
bles the light of a mid-day sun in splendour, and is too _.
price to look on. The shght. thrown on the bbe from the :
_admir

es as

a ae ra 180%

'

172. Jarman on Gas Lights.

A friend of mine works his glass manufactory by it through
the nights of winter, and has a gasometer of his own. One
of the taverns in Bristol is lighted by its own gasometer ;
and most of the coffee-houses in London are lighted by the

the gas, by passing it through lime-water, is general; but a
person at Exeter. in Devonshire has obtained a patent for

ve not tried it at Bristol.

any surplus. profit is to be applied to the reduction of
he price for lighting the public lamps, as a remuneration to
the public for permitting us to carry our mains (i. e. our
main-pipes) through the streets. aE
No accident has ever happened in Bristol since the works
began; except that one evening an unlucky mouse got into
the first pipe, and by moving a valve, prevented the” gas
from passing into the mains, and consequently all the lamps
went out, and the city was in darkness for half an hour};
but it happened to be early in the evening and not very dark;
and a repetition of the accident is now eis prevented.
Bath, Chelienham, and many other towns, are now light-
ed by gas. I believe fifty or sixty acts of Parliament have
passed incorporating companies for this purpose ; and when

Observations on Lead Ores. 173

I have now, I believe, repeated to you the principal facts

‘mentioned this morning. If they afford you any amuse-

ment I shall be ighly. gratified.
Sir
Your obliged and obedient friend and ss
THOMA S JARMAN.

Arr. XXIV. —Notice of an argentiferous galena, from
Huntington, and of another Lead Ore from Bethlem, Conn.
with miscellaneous observations on Lead Ores—the lat-
ter extracted, chiefly from authors. + Enrror.

nak veelition of galena, sabes the territory of the ‘ni-
‘ed Se are very numerou ee

We have published but a gp small part, of ieee that
have come to our knowledge, chiefly because the quantities
discovered, have been in most instances, too small to make
it an object to prosecute the research; and still, when we
remember that the first hint of the existence of a valuable
mine may arise from the occurrence of a minute quantity of
ore, it is obvious that all such facts ought to be preperngs
either in public or private documents.

In Dr. Bruce’s Journal, (pa. 65,) some account is given
of. the valuable and interesting lead mines near Northamp-
6 in Massachusetts, and, in the present number of this

ork, an abstract is given of some of the principal facts.

pera by Mr. Schoolcraft, an the rich mines of Mis-

souri. These mines, fron their richness, and from the
facility se? which ies ore is obtained, it is probable, will
supply the demands of this country, for ages, and if they
cannot et a exclude the introduction of foreign 1 3
there appears” little probability that. many other. American
Jead mines can enter successfully into competition wth

them. -
“We make this remark, not to discourag -onterprine im
other places, -but to. ‘produce caution, in plunging into the
expen hich inevitably attend min es [
tions—while the ropes are always in a degree uncertain.
But, with respect to the ocalities of lead, there is
another consideration which maybe worthy of attention ; ‘it

174 Observations on Lead Ores.

is a well known fact that most galenas dobtain silver; of
course, most of the metallic lead of commerce contains it.
Among a considerable number of American ores of lead,
which we have examined by chemical means, we have
found only one, entirely without silver; this was the lead
ore which is found near Shawnee Town; in the Illinois,
along with inks spar
We have extracted silver from the thin sheet lead, which
comes as a lining for the tea chests from China. ©
| most instances, whether in the case of ores, or of me-
tallic lead, the proportion of silver obtained by us has been
too small to admit of profitable extraction, but we have now
the pleasure of stating an instance of a contrary character.
We have had occasion, more than once, to call the atten-
tion of our readers to the mine of Mr. Ephraim Lane, sit-
uated in the town* of Huntington, eighteen mates: west of
ew-Haven.

‘The es place diversity, especially of inetallic substances,
é J

indicates a mining region, although it is diffi-
pe ry which of the numerous metals found there, will
ultimately be the prevailing one, either im quantity or in
value.
It will be recollected, that the excavation is vey slight,
having as yet, scarcely exceeded ten or twelve fee
Galena has been constantly found, but in aasiciiee too
small for profit, if the lead alone were regarded. ‘This ga-
Poot is not the steel — kind; it is the foliated—in

same mine, and indeed almost in contact with the lead,
might well have raised an enquiry, whether this galena
were not peculiarly argentiferous. On pier gieueeceos this
proves to be the fact. |

** Forthe sake of foreign re readers we will observe, hat the tibed town is

often used in the northern and middle states, as a territorial term, meaning

tain pearaeleal” arca, a six miles square.) often expressed also
svord township, and a it usually ¢ yr ge aon ' 1

sucha i fb id thew necessary
nelens of houses an Jati ometimes
seatterrd over the whole surface mre ion, “both being a

Observations on Lead Ores. 175

{n order to extricate from it, a striking quantity of ra
it is not even necessary to reduce the sulphuret of lead to
the metallic state. It is sufficient merely to lay some Sine:
ments of the lead ore upon a cupel, and to place this upon
a fragment of a brick in the forge fire. This simple method
of operating we learned from the proprietor, Mr. Lane, and
repeated the ex periment with entire success. The cupel is sur-
rounded by ignited charcoal, and some pieces of burning coal
are laid in an arched form, over the cupel, so as to preserve,
at once, a good red heat, and to admit of the access of air.
The forge bellows are very gently blown by an assistant,
and, at the same time, a blast of uncontaminated air,
common hand bellows, is thrown upon the lead Fe in such
regulated quantity, as. to oxidize the lead, withou t cooling
it too much, and the sulphur is in the mean time dissipated,

Hyp reeenns. in this manner, we obtained in a short
tim ee per of good silver, estimated in relation to
the "matallse lend shat in the ore.

In another operation, after previously reducing the ore to
the metallic state, and proceeding in exactly the same man-
ner, we obtained three and a half per cent. of good raalleable
silver,

There i ule =D eee to believe that these processes were
conducte h more accuracy, than is attainable in. the
large ares re we are therefore justified in concluding, that
Mr. Lane’s lead ore is rich in silver, and is worthy ah being
explored for that object.

t was our intention to have given the result upon this
ore in the humid way, and we had obtained the nitric solu-
tion, and, by the aid of common salt, precipitated both the
lead and the silver in the form of muriat; the muriat of
lead was then-dissolved in ‘boiling water, and the muriat of
silver obtained upona a filter. Butas we have not foun
ure to complete the process ; it must be reserved _ i f
othe. occasion. We think however that there can be no

in admitting that the lead in this ore contains one-

thirtieth of silver, and is therefore one of the richest. a ar-
causiloronie galenas :
We have been ‘called ‘tapon to examine another Iead ore,
from Bethlem in nightie Ae miles N. W.
from New-Haven. — a ee

* Mr. Lane’s ore is aecompani nied by apt tend, asan inerastation :
according to him this is equally rich in silver.

176 Observations on Lead Ores.

It was discovered during the late autumn, in digging a
well, and appeared to form a vein, or possibly a bed, at the
depth of eighteen or twenty feet.

he country is primitive, but the specimens brought to
us, appear to have been deposited in loose ochreous earth,
by which they are enveloped. neh fees

The structure of this ore is a mixture of small foliated,
granular, or steel grained, and fibrous; in some places it is
so distinctly fibrous, as to indicate strongly a combination

‘ing reduced this ore to the metallic state, we exam-
ed it by cupellation, and obtained a distinct globule of
silver, but it bore only the proportion of one-five thousandth
part to the lead—viz. less than six ounces to the ton.

b
as.

°
ime)
ea
=
oS

oF
"y
oO
v4
s
S
3
3
e
a

@

2:

<

@

bar]

z

fon)

3

| far
towards paying the expense, we will subjoin a memorandum
of facts respecting lead and its ores, which, in a very con-
densed form, we had occasion, some time since, to abstract
from works of good authority, principally from the Chem-
ical Essays of Dr. Watson, late Lord Bishop of Landaff,

and from Aikin’s Dictionary.
eo Notes on Lead. of
The expense is hot paid, in Great Britain, by Jess than
twelve ounces of silver to the ton, or six-tenths of an ounce
to one hundred pounds of ore; some say nine ounces of
silver to the ton of ore, will pay the expense, including loss
e : ’ aaa

The ore of Bruneuii1 Moor, Yorkshire, contained two
hundred and thirty ounces of silver to the ton, or more than
eleven ounces to one hundred pounds. ==

~ Duruam and Westmoreland, sé

a «x —
tae 3 a MUI CS ty a be

* The Bethlem ore is said by the discoverers, Messrs. Gideon Allen and

Abner- rong, to be in abundance, but as their attention has been di-

rected to it principally on account of the silver it might contain, they have
splored thoroughly forthe lead, bears fy

fot, as yet, ¢
to eae eee

Observations on Lead Ores. 177

Phat of Pountaen in Brittany thirty-nine ounces. -

Lead ore is dressed, washed, stamped, and roasted in a
reverberatory. ;

In Derbyshire a ton of ore is put at once into the furnace.

Two thousand one hundred pounds of ore do not yield
more than one thousand four hundred pounds of lead, or
sixty-six per cent. ;

Three tons or six thousand pounds of ore are worked
off at a smelting house every twenty-four hours. _

ad ore melted by a wood fire, yields one-tenth more
lead than by pit-coal.. (Watson IIT. 253.)

The cupola furnace is in general use for the smelting of
lead ores in Derbyshire ; (See Watson, III. 275,) it is a
reverbaratory ; this furnace may be constructed any where,
and is not noxious to the workmen. Baek Pere ag
~ One ton is put in at a time, and three charges worked off
in twenty-four hours ; in six hours from the charging of the
furnace the ore becomes fluid as milk ; a bushel of lime is
thrown in to absorb the slag, which is then raked to one
side ; a hole, previously stopped with clay is opened, and
the reduced metal runs out.

By fusing the lead ore too soon, and raising the heat too
high, much of the lead is volatilized, along with the sulphur.

erbyshire lead is said to contain two grains of silver in
a pound of lead. gt La are
Mine Est Kyr-Kyr, is asserted by some, to afford sixty
pounds of silver in every ton of lead ore; by others only four.

There are some lead ores in Great Britain, which, al-
though poor in lead, contain between three and four hun-
dred ounces of silver in a ton. —

The best kind of Derbyshire lead ore is worth £7 a ton.
(Wet Di Sit.): eis oe ee Be
__ Steel grained. lead ore is asserted to be much richer in
silver than other kinds.* eae

There is no place in Derbyshire where silver is now ex-
tracted from lead. | a eg RE ee

_It was done at Matlock a few years since, but is now
abandoned, from the failure of the lead ore ;—it yielded

fourteen ounces to a ton. ; ee
"* See the remarks n ark on this subject, pa. 69, of the prese sent Number. :
Vou. Hi...No bose ce a oe Ee

178 Observations on Lead Ores.

At Patterdale, the ore yields fifty or sixty ounces of sil-
ver to a ton. Ss
The poorest lead ores yield most silver.
rom seven to ten thousand tons of lead are smelted an-
nually in Derbyshire. ;
he tests or cupels are made of four parts of calcined
bones, and one part unwashed fern ashes ; wood ashes are
sometimes used without washing.
If galena be free from pyrites the lead may be melted
t without roasting, otherwise not. (Bl. II. 620:
One-eighth of an ounce, or less, of gold or silver may be

separated from one hundred pounds of lead by scorification.

The lead is recovered from the cupels by pounding them
up, and mixing the powder with inflammable matters by
the aid of beat.

I = emenariig dissolves out the silver,* but cupellation
is best.

~ Iron precipitates both lead and silver. (Fourcroy:)

The proportion of silver in lead, varies from one-three
hundreth to one-twelth. able |

The lustre of galena is impaired by silver; this metal is
more commonly found in the octohedral than the cubical
varieties, | Liaiis

Blende and calamine often oceur with galena.

Antimony is commonly in argentiferous lead ores, which
hardens the lead; and the p cesses for getting rid of the
Ket are 7 pee as for extracting the silver. =

7 pes may be made of any infusible earth of little co-
nosioe, (Aikin, I. 110,)—cores of ox horns are preferred at

- This may however be dangerous, as fulminating silver may be formed.

On the formation of Ice. 179

Analysis.

Galena, when pure, has the proportion of eighty-five
and fifteen sulphur; but five particular specimens ne
following more e complex results : ;
Lead 54 69 68 64 63

Sulphur 8
Sarbanes of lime and silex 88 15 16 18 19
: 96 100 100 1 94
Pyrites are frequent in lead ores, and sometimes antimo-
ny, copper, gold, and silver.

Arr. XXV. Decessiadiiied Protea he foimation
of Ice on still waters, and with the conta action eo
cold upon the fluid beneath —Epiror.

New- Haven, Jax. 12, 1821.

Tue recent cold weather, which, with an uniformity n
common in this maritime cer n, has Pere with little § in-

parent, entirely free from intermixture of spongy portion
and resembles, very much, fine masses, of rock erystal,
with a ase cerulean tinge.

* This is not mentioned as the extreme cold of this climate, but only as
the extreme eee observed by us, this winter; this occurred at eleven
P. M. on the 10th in We have the mercury in Fabrenheit’s thermome-
ter, occasionally does here to 10° and 12° below

P.S. Jan. 20. Since the above note was written ua stebaamanas
here (j Just by _— sun-rising o on the 19th) indicated 12° below 0. ‘In the in-

terior it b r, and in Maine, as the — sig Bree
it pes biee: 359 ghersr tha proximating to the congelation of
uicksilver. At Norwich, Conn. it has been 26° below 0. ;
25. Yesterday the thermome from
o'clock, and was then about 0, an i

day, although the sun shone bri: several times this winter, t th
of eld has been merece how afer su rising. — ‘morning, at

rn 2° belowe- GES g at eleven last Wesley,
ine ‘the morning 1 16°, and even,

fas of |
iewinter thas far, is
Brea average of the Topi chook Suen
fous

been. whose average.
o'clock PM M. before: the mereury rose to os and at 30 ‘clock it was 2° above.

180 On the formation of Ice.

The filling of the ice-houses (which, within a few years,
become considerably numerous in this town,) has af-
forded good opportunities of observing some small circum-
stances, the mention.of which may not be superfluous, al-

.

the almost non-conducting power of ice in relation to. heat.

This is one provision, among others, made by the creator,
to prevent very deep congelation, which would be attended
with deplorable consequences, Had the accumulation of
ice, in the present instance, gone on uniformly, in the high-
est ratio, the ice would, during these twenty-one nights have
beep forty-two inches, or three feet six inches thick, and

ana oc! ~ Vga Diet : ee er,
it would have become 112 inches, or nine feet four inches

although 1 1 recent cold has been much the n st severe, the lower layers of
ice are only from'4to }ths of an inch thiteles en et Sow the

On the formation of Ice. 181

water up, by which almost exclusively the water was cool-
ed, before it arrived at 40°, being in a great measure pre-
vented, after the first film of ice is formed on the sushiies

Mankind are littke aware how much they are indebted to
such apparently trivial laws for their comfort, and indeed
for their very existence ; for it is undeniable, that had the
creator omitted to endue water with this unparalleled pe-
culiarity of contraction, and had ice been as good a a
ductor of heat as the metals, the polar seas would, even
the early ages, have been frozen to the bottom; all I other
waters, not excepting the oceans within the tropics, would
have been successively converted into a solid as enduring
as granite; vegetable and animal life would have become
extinct ;—the very atmosphere might have congealed, and
in the language of Dr. Black, all Piety would have be-
come a silent, lifeless, and isis

n the case of congelation which bits cheited these Peleg,
there was another circumstance worthy of observation. _

~The layers of ice were much more transparent ii in at di-
rection of their length than in the opposite ; this arose from
the distorted refraction of light occasioned by innumerable
air bubbles, from the size of duck shot to that of a small -
pin’s head, which were, in every aie, to be observed
at the junction of the layers, and at the top of each par-
ticular layer, excepting that on the surface, where there
were none. If we mistake not, these peculiarities can be
satisfactorily explained. It is well known that all natu
waters contain air in solution, and that itis. expelled by i-
ing, by the air pump, and by freezing. Say

On the surface of the water, wa the first i ito ice

° after the first ier) r of ice was produced, the
air bubbles that were extricated by tl the jjling of the wa-
ter next —— boa of whe aa eae ‘i and ice, and

Had

182 Dr. Oliver on the Prussic Acid.

during the night, the air bubbles might have been equally
diffused through the ice, but, as the nights(according to the
usual course of things) are marked by a rather sudden and
commonly by a considerable increase of cold, the layer of
water afiaer to congeal, was made suddenly to evolve the
dissolved air, and this, from its levity, rising rapidly through
the as yet fluid water, necessarily collected with considera-
ble regularity, just at the bottom of the oe —— layer
of ice, but still completely within the new
vit was observable that the layers of air bubbles were well
defined and regular on the upper side, but irregular on the
lower—many bubbles being below the general level, and
appearing to have been arrested before they had time to
arrive at the upper surface of the water.

: MEDICAL CHEMISTRY.

i= XXVI—On ‘the Hybrocganie or Prins Acid, by
at B. Lyxve Otiver, M.D. of Salem, Mass.

Tnsanum quiddam esset, et in se contrarium, existimare ea, que. adhuc
nunquam facta sunt, fieri posse nisi per modos adhuc nunquam tentatos.
Baco Organ. Aphor. V1-

; TO PROFESSOR SILLIMAN,
tee Sir,
Havine read in your excellent Journal of Science and
rts, a very interesting paper on the Prussic Acid, in which

on the trial they may have made with this active agent; I
now beg leave to avail er of it, and hope that you will
ity

than nine years since I gave an attention
to this subject,* nor did I then know, that the Prussic acid

* ib Dr--Thatcher’ 8 interesting ding! pow, aalit ed, Observations on Hydro-
hobia, | fats cers Th chy urel is the same

of it t has bee 1 * is 5 ‘a see :
icp ee Dr. B. ine Oliver fg has recently mat

Drv Oliver on: the Prussi¢ Acid, 183

ad been prescribed in Europe, nor have I since seen any
evidence of such early prescription.* The inclosed cer-
tificatet will prove that, since 1811, the Prussic acid has
been prepared in this town, and has also been kept for sale. .
I believe that many quarts of the article have been sold
during the last nine years, and prescribed. Ata sale at the
Chemical Laboratory, not long since, a very considerable
quantity was found on hand, and sold. oe
By referring to my common place-book, I find, that it

to the process of Dr. Schaub (vide Med. Repos. -
2d, Vol. I. p. 314,) and afforded the racteristic smell,
and when tested, gave evidence of the presence of the
Prussic principle. See ere

ployed it, and contemplates , ting his experimental tesés relative to its

of which have long
stances having attracted the attention of Dr. Oliver, were subjected to his
e i | Inquiries, trial of them in hydropho-
bia. He proy he P as being readily obtained by a
ro pistes gs st th pala teas sr
‘-che ight subserve the purpose of a sub-
lously observes, that it is sufficiently unpleasant to aoe
ister poisons re their precise dose is ascertained, but medicines and
poisons are convertible terms, and differ only in their doses.’? See Murray’s
Materia Medica. Dr. Thatcher’s Book was printed in 1812—but the cor-
respondence of the parties was several years antecedent to the publicatign.

delay in printing

ee

* This was 11th July, 1820, when the communication was dated—but a
of it, has given occasion to an addition of later date.

Salem as a medicine, antec
the preparation of it,

184 Dr. Oliver on the Prussic Acid.

_ Some of the first experiments which I made with ts
po agent, gave rather flattering results, although it
ei often failed in giving the relief anticipated. Such,
_ however was the success attending my trials, that I was in-
duced to recommend the acid to my medical brethren.
Several of them administered it, and with a success that oc-
casioned a demand fer the article in the shops. Ante

of this the early date itself of the certificate affords a pre-

sum

The on circumstances which induced me to turn my atten-
tion to the subject were, the want of success attending the
common modes of treating the phthisis pulmonalis, and my
having a very near relation in. the incipient stage of that
disease,* I had read in Murray’ s Apparatus Medicarninum,

sun

pro infusione in morbis pulmones depascentibus (utor vero

te propiit ejusdem verbis) Phthisis eundem intellexisse, €X

ibro ejus Me Materia Medica colligo, in quo hic morbus

significatur.” Some other hints to “the same purpose, i
other writers, are to be found in the same article. The ex
periments made with the aqua lauro-cerasus, by Dr. Brow

rat eke had also suggested to my mind the probability of

the laurel proving a useful medicine. About the year 1810,
a small ay “of laurel-water came into my possession ;
I prescribed it in the case of my relation with good effect,
and likewise in the case of one other patient laboring under
the same disease. But my laurel-water became exhausted
in a short time. I then applied to the late Professor Bar-
ton of Philadelphia, to ask his aid in procuring for me some
of the leaves of the prunus lauro-cerasus. He very kindly
“sent me a small quantity which was all that could then be
procured. A tincture was made of the leaves, which, on
Arial, yielded the same result : as the bac os sal mate But here

have spoken of the dtieiss as ag in the incipient e, ag the ex-
m was not parebens But a reais — paaees oa

jan pronounced that the eee eon ike darporate pb be:

again, the medicine was exhausted before the cure of the
disease. This put me upon reflecting, that if I could pro-
eure the eine acid, that I then should be able to peer
the efficient principle of the lauro-cerasus, and might 1
command any quantity of it. I therefore applied to the
Chemist above mentioned, and was furnished with the de-
sideratum. It was prescribed for my relative, and soon
manifested i its good effects in relieving the cough, promoting
appetite, and shortly producing a complete suspension of the
malady. In several other patients, it appeared to palliate
the symptoms. In some other cases little or no effect was
manilested:. _This failure in the acid, Tam now inclined to
josition, either

pe agency of the vehicle it was exhibited
tha, dose not having been accommodated | to its ¢
tion, this want of success in. many of the cases
lessened my confidence in the remedy, yet it io not pre-
vent me from prescribing it. I soon after saw two more ca-
ses of phthisis which were cured by the acid, They had
not reached the purulent stage.
» I have generally found it necessary to increase the dose
pine until it manifests its afi: on the Seat ro

hie

do’ ray take pce fom the ston a any dan

spate an who. can ree bear the medicine in say

Tam ‘not’ certain ‘that Le have ever seen any. pe mane
shed effects from its ? I have
er whee: the cdo er busi

186 Dr. Oliver on the Prussic Aevd.

der an organic disease of the heart—the malady was attended
with great palpitation of: that organ, and pain at the breast,
and insufferable sense of angu
the patient told me that he could not “bear the medicine
as it exasperated all his complaints.” I had some doubts
whether the disease was to be classed with Angina Pectotis,
or the one before mentioned. Probably, both diseases
sometimes preter. from the same source. Dr. Willan has
remarked, that almost all the cases of Angina Pectoris he
had ki eet om ic disease of the heart. Does
ne t afford some reason for conjecturing, from the bad ef-
the prussic acid, that the group of symptoms de-
nominated Angina Pectoris,. may arise from’a sudden loss
of irritability. in the muscular fibres of the heart? and do
not the effects of stimuli in relieving a paroxysm of Angina
Pectoris countenance the same conjecture? Ihave found
the acid remarkably increase the a Soe for a r eve
pees it to be useful in a case o
and asthma. —

hobia, but without success. “The acid in ‘this case,

more freely given, or that it had not possessed — virtue.
_ I should hope, that sthlantaet result of this case,
Id not prevent the farther trial of the hydrocyanie acid
=e coe a rte rene eo ec a
reasons
ed Fag not to have had a fair trial. ——
tid hich I have nsedy has been much

€ prussic
weaker than that of Schee
bt eaatees — le, or isk ss used in

‘pure prussic acid will be decomposed in ‘an hour; and as
we know that Pies Selene = retin its its virtue much longer,
may we not infer that a preparation which is still weaker

Effects of the Prussic Acid: 187

Ido not recollect to have heard, that the laurel-water is
liable to lose its strength by keeping, iu this may be con-
sidered as a dilute prussie acid.

_ If the above facts be correct, may we not infer from them,
that a weak preparation of the acid is better to be kept in the
shops than a stronger? and also for another very im
consideration, that the danger of too large a dose being a ~
ministered, is very much lessened.

should recommend the trial of the prussic acid in An

gina Trachealis or Croup, but not to the exclusion of bleed-

ing, and the other remedies which have had the sanction of

experience. As the prussic a acid has the » power of vt Set
ty.0

the t ty sn Si i 1 * fa ea eg
> pect, has fans soaks. bans

tions oa ese ahd festa, that it would counteract the |

position to a fatal spasm of the glottis, which even a email

portion of the adventitious membrane formed in croup, is

liable to excite, if it happen'to be placed near the glottis.

Analogy, in other cases of internal inflammation of hollow

Poser leads to the conjecture, that in irritable habits, such
may occur even from the bare inflammation of t

cher

par a still Sr epee for the aepoyment ~ bo
‘abhi Tam, Sir, ‘wie great respect and esteem, Let r-
eect

our obedient servant, |

‘B. L. OLIVER.

‘ amy
id

Ans. AY ped ere nai

iss Effects of the Prussic.

A great variety ha medicines bad been used without any
sensible benefit. ta year since, she commenced the
use of the nytrepasie acid, in doses of two drops, every
four hours, diluted in water. Ina few days the os be-
gan to abate, and in a week or two she was entirely free
from the complaint. Since which time, her health has
been almost uninterruptedly good. She finds, however;
that a aa catarrh will produce a return of cough, but this
has, u >, abated with the other catarrhal symptoms 5 5—if
rOps: have, always, produced a cure.

Anothe tity. t in whom symptoms of tubercular phthi-

; were ‘well marked, experienced much benefit from the
use of the acid in doses of two drops every four hours ; the

cough became less tedious, the hectic abated, and the
diminished from ninety to seventy-five per minute, in poe
ty-four hours from the commencement of the use
acid; but the beset —_— giddy to such aileeee® as to
render it neces: diminish the ior ten days The se

ed, ap] sea gaining
se of the symptoms—an (

in abated the sy mi protege or or ten mis he

: the violence of the symptoms returned, but cou

not be celleyed by the acid, nor by any other ere

ed.

I have used the acid in Mia other cases, vith vv
degrees of success. From all of which, and from what has
bees eS gs hed, I have no doubt that the bed tee acid
one of the m Ah valuable sedatives we possess. To digit.

pe it: 3 to on account of its te :

tremors, and that disagr eeable. depression” aoe are
sometimes known to follow the use of. that doubtful
The disagreeable effects from the use poem the: mers fer
abate on a subduction uP the ho we ‘but the a
effects from ae of digital il known to

Effects of the Prussic Acid. 189

now been used for some bay with favorable results so far.
dt ahaa: ‘been used fer. « ma with com pee success in a

pret ows rinse again ap Ina case of
constant cough, and laborious breathing when there was not a
cough, and which had not been affected by any medicine tried
os weeks, it effected a cure in two days, attended with reno-
d-health... he patient had been sick for three months
os fever. In one hectic. ~ fast becoming past cure,
the acid had. one npgood of d also i 1 two others, one
of which a with bles

‘death. It remains to be seen how permanent
will be. ope acid has usual strength. for
here more than two drops been given in twenty-f our

ll. From Dr. J. W. Wesster.

Phy Aue Webster informs the Editor, that he has prescribed
the Prussic acid in many cases, in the Boston Alms-House.

ecial in spasm a chee coup, wh

1e greatest benefit. ‘As an external application to rritable

ulcers, ‘cha also proved exceedingly ies .

~ May 13, 1820.

pied visa aes Pre 1.8. Coisszoce, Hartford.

cet Acid, as areme-

as ub Sugar i ounce,
Water Vil ounces.
Prussic Acid 64 drops.

g three drachms of this julep three

ame 0]
watching
of the medicine

~~

rative
thy and agree
2d. The

Effects of the Prussic Acid. 191

Ith. It seemed to pretties a slight degree of stricture i
across the chest. This effect was not, however, so ion
ascertained as the others, this Se not-always followin
the use of the rem

8th. On intermitting the remedy, its good effects, |
ticularly on the cough, became much more apparent than
‘ patient was under its immediate influence. This
observation has been rg eenne in several cases

This ——— taking the prussie acid for several
weeks, be obviously much better inn : ts—
The dinate were imprc 5

; it :

Pevainations of returning health, as above described, the
sna, wnat by continued use, or the influence of the
cold season oe ied er hpi to lose its its

Cite 2d. ©. A. laborer aged twenty-seven, ofa healthy
yr aerate but bilious habit, on exposure to cold was we
ed with a violent catarrhal affection, attended with a dis-
fe which left him searee any repose day or

exaspe-

mani samen ne rai became so e
irel. : e him of rest, y

192 Effects of the Prussie Acid.

cle. This quantity was to be increased, one drop each
By or wnt it produced some obvious effect. The
‘consequences oe course were immediate, and altogether
eo oe expecta
Having been for bE: last two weeks distressed by a con+
stant irritation of the trachea, and unable to obtain much
repose, he found the first night, after taking the remedy, that
i ese symptoms were so much alleviated, that he enjoyed a
ght’s rest, to which, for many weeks, he had been a stran+
rer; and rsevering in the same course, for a single
sk, he was perfectly cured, without any other medicine.
3d. L. C. aged six years, (October, 1820,) ) was
“Hered with a yioledit catarrhal affection, attended w.
shrill and nearly oe tty — difficulty of eaters,

and great anxiety. e qu eee furred with a
white coat—hot islecseligid loss of ec Had taken
various remedies without alleviati ough, difficulty of
3 Sidhe ‘mptoms. In gry — third day
wth prescribec (r her'tha acid in do-
one ry two raced in ‘simp! bebo

cs Pe
rompt my lit ‘little
"patient of her most t pres vite sytiptoms: gave the highest
aaah to her anxious friends, and to me an unequivo-
cal pledge of the power of the remedy in such cases. Af-
ter three or four doses, the cough and difficult re. respiration
began fo asp and completely disappeared neers its

Hace in which T have used the prus-
ste i arr under considerable

2 pro — to remark, that I did not

, of the remedy to have the.

least influence on any of an drespting ¢ fever, which the

_ case exhibited. ‘The fever, Ding de af kind,

Effects of the Prussic Acid. 193

half a drop of prussic acid, in sweetened poring every two
ours; to be increased to a drop on the nex next-day. The
mother, who knew nothing of the nature of the meee
informed me that, on increasing the dose, the child becam
dizzy, and could not walk strait, but observed no whibhene
sequence. She was therefore pe not to increase the
quantity above the half drop. The first effect was. to di-
minish the aggravated, and distressing paroxysms of
ing which afflicted the patient, venient during the nigh
and to procure some soe ose. Phe m dicine being continu-
ed, the symptoms. tt pe ae until at the end of
about one. weeks ie hv informed by the mother that the child
had DO ABA conic was in fact cured of all
i ce desieb-cn sls

I have witnessed the operation of the Prasiic acid in ten.
or twelve cases, allof them diseases of the lungs or catarr-
ial brane.

That it acts with intense energy on the living system can-

wo be doubted by any one who has made experiments with

ae or str a that it pypossesies great power as
5. doses, w nok be Sapied

have pecneirat it as pars Ss
Bur i Be its effects are directly Seen as ‘supposed:
y Dr. in ea Orfila, and others, may. et admit

194 Effecis of the Prussic Acid.

a or mbes renee its influence i in any: way, but
by exhaustion. —

"The: iaviastatiacen operation of the prussic acid, in large
doses, is then, in this. respect, analagous si chat: of other
powerful stimuli. But we are not acquainted with a single

substance ever sedat e, which acts with Pred
comparative ptn ‘
es e. promptness shores: Jett bint ok abh ne ot ° 3

erated as a cordial and stimulant. As a cant of this, it
is proper to state that the patient, whenever he felt cies
e or fatigue from exercise, was for many weeks in
habit * taking a dose of four or five drops, particularly be-
fore dinner; which not only had the effect to relieve those
feelings, but also to promote his appetite. That such ef-
fects necessarily involve the quality of a init in the
article taken, I believe will not be denied.
ts laxative power, which I have witnessed in several i in-
stances, is a further | of of the: same quality. _ The sas
leu deeniea sometimes produces stricture across th
another proof that it is not a direct sedative, ‘deacon iki
an powers that i it poseiae some aes as well as stimu-

monly ex expect ines sar with this obvious difference,
that the prussic acid seemed to cure those symptoms, which
are vig ape a the oe of Fr . ture. exper

ments,

Effects of the Prussie Acid. 195

tn the first stage of catarrhal, or tuberculous phthisis, I
am induced to believe, from plapieitatianie made on five ca-
ses, that it will alleviate most of the urgent symptoms.—
Whether it will cure patients actually laboring under con-

sumption, in any stage of the disease, is, perhaps, as yet
undecided. But by the controul which it appears to pos-
yess over the morbid irritation of the membranes, there is
‘little doubt but it will, at least for a time, retard the progress
of the disease, and prevent the approach of ulceration.
This position seems, indeed, to have been proved in a
considerable number of instances

In cases where the are slieoily ulcerated, with the
concomitants of the third stage of consumption, there is no
reason to believe it does any permanent good. - L have
known one instance, however, of this kind, where it seemed

to operate as a palliative, ae — the costiveness, and
lessening the disposition to

‘One word ee tie ath of giving the prussie acid,
and I have don

As this satiheod is given only by drops, I have gre" it
most convenient to measure out a certain number of fluid
drachms of the vehicle, as of syrup of Tolu or of sugar
and water, into which is then dropped, one or two drops of
Pp acid to each drachm. Phe dose is then-a ‘measured
Quantity of the. julep.

I have known several instances where the medicine lost
se wae _ _— a to the light, by taking out the

a day from a vial of unmixed prussic

seid, for vnaie eee of asteene out each dose, or Pfrorh
leaving the cork loose. ‘

y. By Dr. A. 8. Moxsor, o misitigeasi iy

~The pe kis heen oo chronic ¢ atar
ye: ea after much | is -exel
terly to slight cough, expectoration, and pi

196 Effects of the Prussic Acid.

and a cénsiderable haemoptysis soon supervened. The
usual remedies were resorted to. ‘The abatement of cough
by the use of opium was not sufficient to counterbalance
inconvenience resulting to the _ from its use 3 nor
the haemoptysis (which was considerable every forty-
eight hours) lessened nt depletion, r refrigerant acc,
spare diet, &c,
The o pled

eae these ifndistantnh dea use cof the prussic avid
was advised and commenced. By its prompt administra-
tion, the cough was soon subdued, and with it, the other
concomitant symptoms. Its use was continued, as the
cough appeared to demand it, for about forty days. The
patient was bled twice, and during the latter part of the.
time, for several days, took the tincture digitalis to diminish
the frequency | pulse. With a view of lessening the
offensiveness of the expectoration, he inhaled carbonie acid
gas; pitoke whether any advantage was apne 8 riohiee pier
cult to decide.

‘The feetor diminished with the quantity of the expediil
ration, until what was expectorated became mere mucus,
and finally ceased entirely. Small hopes were entertained
of a recovery in this case, either by physicians, or by the:
friends of the patient. The expectoration was, on inspec-

his gratitude ; and is; at this time, perfectly fee
fran SB and from every other symptom of ect
2 Commivinizaiod: by a Correspondent. a5 f -*
_A writer, with he signature of W. in the te eine of

the’ New-England J ournal of Med i and. re
ri three cases of the unf; ) eine: ora

are ie." Whet i

we

Effects of the Prussic Acid. 197

monly employed in medicine, would not be prepared, on
reading this paragraph, to expect worse consequences than
what actually ensued.

But what vouilte should we not anticipate from the unpre-
cedented dose of eight paps to a child, only seven or As od
years old!

It seems that the dose at the medicine was so great
the first case as to produce loss of sense and of motion; the
same symptoms precisely which result from. too great a
dose of opium

The unwillingness of the writer, at first, to refer these
symptoms to their true cause, argues his erence | in the
Pherastdne thse inckecenlenees administering. =

The second case above referred to, is one. of a lad e 7 h

after taking a second dose of five , experienced a
strange disturbance in the head, and symptoms of deb

In this case “ the patient had no suspicion she was meee
_a medicine possessed of any peculiar violence.” Without
- adverting to the necessity of cautioning the patient of the
power of any medicine, in order to ensure accuracy in the

ose, we cannot help animadverting upon the impropriety
of ob aes bold a3 cep oon in the case of a remedy of almost

RS the erac enerey rr fehelne upon the ‘system,
resulting from naa Mieask continued for ‘ome time, a.
on which all its medical efficacy depends,

‘Who can, with impunity, prescribes in nites doses opi,
digitalis, corrosive sublimate, or r arsenic, or any of the more
E t violent and dan-
serous symptoms might we not reasonably expect, ree we
to prescribe for a dose, thirty-two dr | ve
gt
o

rains of corrosive sul
btain the salutary effect
Jministered in s

198 ——— Prussic Acid.
oe ee ee ae

& vi A useful little volume has bos, published in New-
Haven,* containing a transcript of Dr. Magendie’s memoirs
on the prussic ecid, with prefatory remarks by the trans-
lator, Dr. J. G. Percival, with some additional cases of t
use of the acid, and an appendix by Dr. Alfred S. Monson.
It will afford much useful information to those who wish to
em ie oy this acid.

_ The he following i is Dr. Monson’s process for preparing dhe

Fis oar into a glass retort, eighteen fluid ounces of a satu-
rated solution of prussiate of mercury, at the temperature
of 65° of Fahrenheit ; add to it two ounces and an half of
iron filings; pour upon these, two ounces by weight, of
strong sulphurie acid, and distil off two fluid ounces into a
receiver containing one fluid ounce of distilled water. ‘The
receiver must be surrounded with ice, and covered with « a
eloth to render it dari

rity yineh to one i a
Several proportions. — From
hese experiments it results, that where the materi ale st

ee By Howe & Spalding, and A. 7. Maltby & Co.

Notice, ge. ) 199

the best quality, two and a half parts by weight, of the red
oxid, to four of the Prussian, blue, is the best tion, = T
prefer using a larger quantity of water than is directed, to aid
the mutual action of the Prussian blue and of the oxid of
mercury.

Sixteen fluid ounces of distilled wae at the temperature
of 65°, will hold in solution five hundred and ais
grains of crystalized prussiate of mercury.

Pd * = & = “&
Memorandum.

Dr. Pere S. Monson, of New Haven, nd Ds J yon
Comstock, of Hariford, stantly keep the |
for sale for the use of Physi icians.
On the fidelity and accuracy of these een entire
reliance may be placed; and those who wish for supplies
of the Prussic Acid are, by their permission referred to them.
—Epironr, .

Me hs OE

Tis rabuibes having already exceeded the size of any
preceding one, and containing thirty-nine pages over the
sipuintad amount of er it is with great regret, that

itor is compelled to postpone many miscellaneous
articles which were in readiness. - Among them were a No-
nthe ia America f Professor Gorham’s

my: “ x ‘ Ut rs, by D Dr.
Fie: We mea tog most of
ranyshe-axpected:(D: /——

sf

: THE
AMERICAN 4 Ske

MINERALOGY, GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, &c.
as

Arr. I—Account of the Native oe on the southern
shore of Lake Superior, with historical citations and mis-
cellaneous remarks, in a report to the Department "4 éd ars”
by Henry R. Scuooicrart.

(The following letter accompanied Mr. Schoolcraft’s Report. -]
Ausany, Feb. 16th, 1991.
TO PROFESSOR SILLIMAN,
Sir, | ,

Accnezam to your request, and the permission of the Sec-
at War, I enclose yon a copy of my report on the
Cancer Mines of Lake Superior. 1n preparing it, I have
consulted the former travellers of the region, and by com-
ining their remarks with my own, endeavoured to present,
in an embodied form, all the information extant upon the
subject. It has been a cause of regret to me however, that
more time was not devoted to the mineralogy and geo!
of that section of country, but it appeared in
with the more important objects of the oxpedity ‘ad nat
could only make use of the time that was al allowed to me.
= presenting the sibject to the Secretary at pie I thought
observations would be more acceptable in a practical
1 business form, than as assuming the character of a sci-
entific memoir, and in choosing an intermediate course, I
have probably said more on the geology of the country than
Vor. UEL....No. 2 26

fic oo

ra
+ viasaaron

*
Ph we

*F202 Mr. Schootcrajt on the

may be thought important to the statesman, and less than
will we considered satisfactory to the professed geologist
and scientific amateur. ew marginal notes have there-

* fore been added, but I have been studious not to overload
the original MSS. in that way. I do not send the views
and geological charts accompanying the report to Mr. Cal-
houn, as it would be very inconvenient at the present period
to copy them, and as the subject may be sufficiently under-
stood without these embellishments.

With respect to the deductions, so far as science is con-
cerned, it is hoped they will be read with candour, and I
therefore submit them to your judgment and to that of the
scientific public.

ith great respect, and regard,
your most obedient servant,

HENRY R. SCHOOLCRAFT.
ce Vernon, Oneida Co. (.N. Y.) Nov. 6th, 1820.
seat Joun C. Canon, Scoretary at War,

“IT have now the honor to submit to you such observa-
tions as have occurred to me, during the recent expedition
under Goy. Cass, in relation to the Copper Mines of Lake
Superior; reserving as the subject of a future communica-
tion, the facts I have collected on the mineralogy of the
country explored generally.

The first striking change in the mineral aspect of the
country north of Lake Huron, is presented near the head of
the Island of St. Joseph in the river St. Mary, where the
caleareous strata of secondary rocks are succeeded by 2
formation of red sand-stone, which extends northward to
the head of that river at Point Iroquois, producing the falls
called the Sault de St. Marie fifteen miles below, and thence
stretching northwest along the whole southern shore of Lake
Superior to the Fond du Lac, and into the regions beyond
This extensive stratum is perforated at various points by up-

ved masses of granite and hornblende, which appear 12
elevated banks on the margin of the lake between Dead riv-
er and Presque Isle, and from the Porcupine mountains ten

Native Copper of Lake Superior, &c. 203

leagues to the west of the Ontonagon river. It is overlay~
ed in other parts by a stratum of grey pais resembling
certain varieties of grauwacke, of uncommon thickness,
which appears in various promontories alon: the shore, and
at the distance of ninety miles from Point Iroquois, consti-
tutes a lofty perpendicular wall upon the water’s edge cal-
led the Pictured Rocks, which is one of the most. com-
manding objects in nature. So obvious a change in the
geological character of the rock strata in passing — lake
Huron to lake Superior, prepares us to expect a correspond-
ing one, in the imbedded minerals, and other vente associa-
tions,—an expectation which is realized during the first
eighty leagues, in the discovery of red hematite, Sear
opal, jasper, sardonyx, carnelion, agate, and
first appearances of copper are seen on shee head of

the portage across Keweena point, two hundred and seventy
miles beyond the Sault de St. Marie, where the
along the shore of the lake contain native copper dissemi-
nated in particles varying in size from a grain of sand to e
lump of two pounds weight. Many of the detached stones
at this place are also coloured green by the carbonate of
copper, and the rock strata in the vicinity exhibit traces .
the sameore. These indications continue to the river
tonagon, which has long been noted for the Marne 2 masses of
native copper found upon its banks, and ab the contigu-
ous country. This river (called Donagon o on OMellish’s Map)
is one of the largest of thirty tributaries which flow into the
lake between Point Iroquois and the Fond du Lac. It orig-
inates in a district of mountainous country intermediate be-
tween the Mississippi river and the lakes Huron and Superi-
or, and after running in a northern direction for one a
dred and twenty miles, enters the latter at the distance o
fifty one miles band of Ar etaacner eames in | north latitud ae
52! 2! ac
is Seetrener by on
Green Bay, and with

lhataiataied communica

dependently of that Cri Tose appear to unite
the ordinary advantages of Tadinn villages in that region.

204 _ Mr. Schoolcraft on the

_aA strip of alluvial land of a sandy character extends from

the lake up the river three or four leagues, where it is suc-
ceeded by high broken hills of a sterile aspect and covered
chiefly by a growth of pine, hemlock, and spruce. on
these hills, ah may be considered as lateral spurs of the
Porcupine mountains, the aba Mines, so called, are situ-
ated, at the distance of thirty two miles from the lake, and
in the centre of a region characterized by its wild, rugged,
and forbidding appearance. The large mass of native cop-
pet reposes on the west bank of the river, at the water
ge, and at the foot of avery elevated bank of alluvion,
face of which appears, at some former period to have
See into the river carrying with it the mass of copper
together with detached blocks of granite, hornblende, and
other bodies peculiar to the soil of that place. The copper,
which is in a pure and malleable state, lies in connexion wi
serpentine rock, the face of which, it almost somplete'y

Fe ah 2 te e to the atmos here, presents a metallic bril-
liancy ;* oak is attributable either to alloy of the pre-

(1) In preparing ee report, a more particular description of the geog-
ostic character of this mass of copper was deemed unnecessary, but in
tena it for — sero of the amatuers of natural science, it may be
proper to hat the serpentine rock is not in situ, nor is it so found in
any stor tha the e regions visited. ‘T'o account for its appearance in a section

of country to in geologically foreign, it He ine be nec ecessary to enter
into the enq’ halt mee what means have ive rocks
i pe ahs eatin e ae which is incom-

i the limits of this Perot, and which, moreover would, in itself,
Pree ee of a very interesting me emoir. 1 will or ae
suggest, wh at has struck me in in passing through that ee the Por-

ted tk miles west, are of ex-

tinguished Rhea Ams have thrown forth the masses of native copper

ps the region of the "Ontong. This opinion is supported by by the ;
¢ posed (so far as observed) of granite, which is
probaly wsoated with ae primary rocks, and among them serpentine—
that the ne rock at their ‘base is highly snctiged towards the
montis esis vertialy and appenty thon it this posi-
ha bor up-heaving of the he. grees and also, that their elevation which
ae thledated by Ca apt. at 1800
of lake Shperior—
pers such as frequently characterize volcanic :
* This however, is no uncommon appearance of native duper Eps

Native Copper of Lake Superior, &. 205

cious metals, or to the action of the river, which during its
semi-annual floods carries down large quantities of sand
and other alluvial matter that may serve to abrade its sur-
face, and keep it bright. The shape of the rock is very
inregular—its greatest length is three feet eight inches—its
greatest breadth three feet four inches, and it may altogether
contain eleven cubic feet. In size, it considerably. exceeds
the great mass. of native iron found some years ago

the banks of Red River in Louisiana, and now depos
among the collections of the New-York Historical Socie-
ty, (1) but on account of the admixture of rocky matter, is
inferior in weight. Henry, who visited it in 1766 estima-
ted its weight at five tons. (2) But after examining it wi
scrupulous attention, I have compu weight of metal-
lic copper in the rock at twenty two hundred pounds. The
quantity may, however, have been much dintinished. sees

its first discovery, and the marks of chissels and axes upon
it with the broken tools lying around, prove that portions
have been cut off, and carried away. ‘The author just quo-
ted observes “that such was its pure and malleable state,
that with an axe he was able to cut off a portion weighing
a hundred pounds.” Notwithstanding this reduction it may
still be considered one of the largest and most remarkable
bodies of native copper upon the globe, and is, so far as
my reading extends, exceeded only by a specimen found in
avalley in Brazil weighing 2666 Portuguese pounds. (3)
Viewed only as a subject for scientific akan, it pre-
sents the most interesting considerations, and must be re-
garded by the geologist as affording illustrative proofs of an
important character. Its connexion with a rock which is
foreign to the immediate section of country where it lies,
rss a removai from its original bed, while the intimate
connexion of the metal and matrix, eid the complete en-
velbpement of individual masses of the copper by the rock,
point to a common and i iid ae origin, whether
that be referable to the agency of caloric or water. This
conclusion admits of an obvious and important application

(1) See Bruce’s Mineralogical Journal, p. 124, 218.
(2) See Henry’s Travels and adventures, p. 205.
(3) Philips’ Mineralogy.

206 | Mr. Schoolcraft on the

to the extensive strata of serpentine and other magnesian
rocks found in various parts of the globe! The Ontonagon
river at this place is broad, rapid and shallow and filled with
detached masses of rock out of place, which project above
the water, and render the navigation extremely difficult,
during the summer season. The bed of the river is upon
sand-stone similar to that which supports the Palisadoe
rocks upon the Hudson. There is an island nearly in the
centre of the river which serves to throw the current against
the west bank where the copper reposes, and which as it
is the only wooded island noticed in the river, may serve
to indicate the locality of this mineral treasure to the future
. enquirer.
Several other masses of native copper have been found

uropeans, and taken into different parts of the United
States and of Europe, and a recent analysis of one of these

west of the Ontonagon, weighed twenty eight pounds, and
was taken to the island of Michilimackinac some years ago
by M. Cadotte, and disposed of. It was from this mass
that the War Department was formerly supplied with a spe-
cimen, and from which the analysis alluded to, is also un-
derstood to have been made. About eleven years ago, a
trader by the name of —— procured from the Indians
peice of copper weighing twelve pounds which the
found on an island in Winnebago lake, about a nadred
miles in a direct line east of the copper rock on the On-

Native Copper of Lake Superior, &c. 207

scription of that lake adds “that upon it, we also find cop-
per mines, the metal of which is so fine “ plenty that
there is not a seventh part loss from the ore.” (1) In 1
Charlevoix passed through the lakes on be way to the
gulf of Mexico, and did not allow the mineralogy of the
country to: escape his observation. ‘“‘ Large pieces of cop-
per,” he says in speaking of lake Superior, “ are found in
some places on its banks, and around some of the islands,
which are still the objects of a superstitious worship amon
the Indians. They look upon them with veneration as i?
they were the presents of those gods who dwell under the
waters; they collect their smallest fragments which they
carefully preserve without however making any use of them.
hey say that formerly a huge rock of this metal was to
be seen elevated a "considershle height above the surface
of the water, and as it has now disa pre
that the gods have carried it elsewhere ; but there is
reason to believe that in process of time the waves of the
lake have covered it entirely with sand and slime ; and it is
certain that in several places pretty large quantities of this
metal have been discovered without being obliged to dig
very dcop During the course of my first voyage to this
was acquainted with one of our order Pic ie

metal, and made candlesticks, crosses, and censers of it, for
this copper is oftento be met with ines egies pure.” (2)
In 1766, Capt. Carver procaeed ral pieces of native
copper upon the shores of lake eral and about the
sources of the Chippeway an nd st roix rivers, and pub-
ished an account of these discoveries in his book of trayels,
which has served to give notoriety to the existence of that
metal in the region alluded to, without however furnishing
any very precise information as to its locality or abundance.
He did not, from his own account traverse the southern
shore of the lake, but states that virgin cop 4) oS is found in
great plenty on the Ontonagon or Copper Mine ry anc
about other parts of lake Superior, and adds—* that he ob-
served many of the small islands, particularly those on the

(1) La Hontan’s voyages t ‘Canada,p, 214.
(2) Charlevoix’s Jouraal of a voyage to North America, vol. 2. p. 45.

208 Mr. Schooleraft on the

castern shores, were covered with copper ore, which appear-
ed like beds of copperas, (sulphat of iron) of which many
tons lay in a small space.” (1)
ive years after Carver’s visit (A. D. 1771,) a consider-
able body of native copper was dug out of the alluvial earth
on the banks of the Ontonagon river by two adventurers of
the name of Henry and Bostwick, and, together with a lump
of silver ore of eight pounds weight of a blue colour and
semi-transparent, transported to Montreal, and from thence
lipped to England, where the latter was deposited in the
tish museum after an analysis of a portion of it, by
hich it was determined to contain 60 per cent of silver. (2)
These individuals were connected with a company which
had been formed in England for the purpose of working
the copper mines of lake Superior, among whom were the
Duke of Gloucester, Sir William Johnstone, and several
other gentlemen of rank. They built a small vessel at
Point aux Pins, six miles above the Sault de St. Marie, to
facilitate their operations upon the lake, and a considerable

(1) Carver's Travels p. 67. (2) Henry's Travels, p. 30.

Native Copper of Lake Superior, &c. 209

“Early in the spring of 1772 we sent a boat load of pro-
visions, but it came back on the 20th day of June, bringing
with it, to our surprise, the whole establishment of miners.
They reported that in the course of the winter they had
penetrated forty feet into the face of the hill, but on the ar-
rival of the thaw, the clay on which, on account of its stiffness,
they had relied, and neglected to secure it by supporters,
had fallen in ;—that from the detached masses of metal,
which to the last had daily presented themselves, they suj
posed there might be ultimately reached a body of the same,
but could form no conjecture of its distance, except that it
was probably so far off as not to be pursued without sinking
an air shaft; and lastly,—that the work would require the
hands of more men than could be fed in the actual situa-
tion. of the country. Here our operations in this quarter
ended. The metal was probably within our reach, but if
we had found it, the expence of carrying it to Montreal
must have exceeded its marketable value. It was never
for the exportation of copper that our company was form-
ed, but always with a view to the silver, which it was hoped
the ores, whether of copper or lead, might in sufficient
quantity contain.”

Eighteen years after the failure of this attempt (1789)
Me Beante-passed through lake Superior on his first voyag

of discovery into the northwest, ind tics description of lake

might be well worthy the attention of the British subjects
to work the mines on the north coast, though they are not
supposed to be so rich as those on the south.”(1)
‘The attention of the United States government ap
first to have been turned toward the subject during
ministration of President Adams, when the sudden a :
tation of the navy rendered the employment of domestic
copper in the equipment of ships, an object of political as
-well as pecuniary moment; and a mission was author-
ized to proceed to lake Superior. Of the success of this

; n-

"Ws (1) McKenzie’s Voyages, p- 20.
Vor. IHf....No. 2. 27

210 Mr. Schooleraft on the

mission, as it has not been communicated to the public,
nothing can with certainty be stated, but from the enquiries
which “have been instituted during the recent expedition, it
is rendered probable, that the actual state of our Indian re-
lations at that period arrested the advance of the co mmis-
sioners into the regions where the most valuable beds of
copper were supposed to lie, and that the specimens trans-
mitted to government were procured through the instru-
mentality of some friendly Indians employed for that pur-

Nek are the lights which those who have preceded me
in this enquiry, have thrown upon the subject, all of which
jaye operated in producing public belief in the existence
of extensive copper mines upon lake Superior, while tray-
ellers have generally argued that the southern shore of the
lake is most metalliferous, and that the Ontonagon river may
be considered as the seat of the principal mines. al-
Jatin in his report on the state of American manufactures in
1810 countenances the prevalent opinion, while it has been
in some of our literary journals, and in the nu-
merous ephemeral publications of the times, until the public
eg n has been considerably raised in regard to thern.
these circumstances the recent expedition under
Gov. Cass, entered the mouth of the Ontonagon river on
the 27th of June, having coasted along the sou uthern shore
of the lake from the head of. the river St. Mary, and after
spending four days upon the banks of that stream in the ex-
amination of its ea Pee urenved on the first of July
towards the Fond du Lac. While there, the principal part
of our force was encamped at the mouth of the river, and
the. Governor, accompanied only by such persons as were
necessary in the exploration, proceeded in two light canoes
to the large mass of copper which has already been descri-
bed. We found the river, broad, deep, and gentle for a dis-

ike, it is skirted on either side by a chain of hills ane

extreme elevation above the bed of the Ontonagon my} be
cattnted at from three to four hundred feet. “The.

appear to be composed of a nucleus of granite, rising

Native Copper of Lake Superior, &§c. 211

through a stratum of red sand-stone, and covered by a very
heavy deposit of alluvial soil full of water worn fragments
of stones and pebbles, and imbedding occasional masses of
native copper. Such is the character of the country in the
immediate vicinity of the copper rock, and the latter is man-
ifestly one of those imbedded substances, which has been
fortuitously exposed to the powerful action of the river
against an alluvial bank. , :
During our continuance upon this stream we found, or-
rather procured from the Indians, another mass of native
copper weighing nine pounds (Troy) nearly ; which will be
forwarded to the War Department. This specimen is par-
tially enveloped by a crust of green carbonat of copper,
which is in some places fibrous, and on the under side mix-
ed with a small portion of adhering sand, and some angular
fragments of quartz, upon which it appears. to Have tellen
in a liquid state. There is also an appearance of ee
ization upon one side of it, and a portion of adhering black
oxyd, the nature of which it is difficult to determine by
ocular inspection. Several smaller pieces, generally weigh-
ing less than a pound, were also procured during our ex-
cursion up the Ontonagon, and in the regions east of it, but
all, excepting those cut from t rge mass, are somewhat

pon the surface. The

at other points along the river, between that and the lake,
are also of a highly interesting character, but do not appear
to me to demand a more particular consideration in this re-

The discovery of masses of native copper is generally
considered indicative of the existence of mines in the
neighborhood. practised miner looks upon them as
signs which point to larger bodies of the same metal ‘in the
earth, and is often determined, by discoveries of this nature,
in the choice of the spot for commencing his labours. The
predictions drawn from such evidence, are also more san-
guine in proportion to the extent of the discovery. It
js not, however, an unerring indication, and appears liable
to many exceptions. A detached mass of copper is some-
times found at a great distance from any body of the met-
al, or its ores; and these on the contrary, often oceur in the

212 Mr, Schooléraft on the

this point, they teach,—that large veins of native copper
are seldom found, but that it is frequently disseminated in

scattered masses upon the surface, is rather to be consider-

Jand, “ is found chiefly in primitive rocks, through which it
is sometimes disseminated, or more frequently it enters into
the composition of metallic veins, which traverse these rocks.
It is thus connected with granite, gneiss, micaceous and ar-
gillaceous slates, granular limestone, chlorite, serpentine,
It also occurs in transition and secon-
ocks. it accompanies other ores of copper, as the
ed oxyde, the carbonate and sulphuret of copper, pyritous
nd grey copper, also the red and brown oxides of iron,
oxide of tin, &c. Its usual gangues are quartz, the fluate
and carbonate of lime, and sulphate of barytes. At Ober-
stein it occurs in prehnite; and in the Faroe islands, it ac-
companies zeolite.
- Native copper is not rare, nor is it found in sufficient
quantity to be explored by itself. It sometimes occurs in
ose, insolated masses of considerable size.” (1
From all the facts which I have been able to collect on
lake Superior, and after a deliberation upon them since my
return, I have drawn the following conclusions :-—
Ist. That the alluvial soil along the banks of the Onton-
agon river, extending to its source, and embracing the con-

iciently extensive to be-
ing operations, is to be
$ conclusion is. support-

Native Copper of Lake Superior, &c. 213

ed by the facts already adduced, and so far as theoretical
aids can be relied upon, by an application of those facts to
the theories of mining. A further extent of country might
have been embraced along the shore of lake Superior, but
the same remark appears applicable to it.

- That a mineralogical survey of the rock formations
skirting the Ontonagon, including the district of count
above alluded to, would result in the discovery of very val-
uable mines of the sulphuret, the carbonate and other prof-
itable ores of copper ; in the working of which the ordi-
nary advantages of mining would be greatly enhanced by oc-
casional masses, and veins of natiye metal. This deduction
is rendered probable by the general sopeemnee of the coun-
try, and the concurrent discoveries of travellers,—by the
green coloured waters which issue in several places from
the earth,—by the bodies of native copper found,—by the
cupreous tinge which is presented in the crevices of rocks
and loase stones,—by the geological character of the coun-
try, and by other analagous considerations,

These deductions embrace all I have to submit on the
mineral geography of the country, so far as regards the
copper mines. Other considerations arise from the facili-
ties which that section of country may present for mining
operations,—its adaptation to the purposes of agriculture, —
the state, and dispositions of the Indian tribes, and other
topics, which a design to commence metallurgical opera-
tions, at the present period would suggest. But Iam not
aware that any such views are entertained by government,
and have not considered it incumbent upon me in this com-
munication, to enter into details on these subjects. It
may be proper, however, to remark, that the remote situa-
tion of the country containing the most valuable mines,
does not, at the present period, favour the pu min-—
ing. It would require the employment not only of the ar-
tificers and labourers necessary to conduct the working ¢
mines, but also, of a military force to protect their opera-
tions,—first, while engaged in exploring the country, and
afterwards, in their regular labours. For, whatever may
be their professions, the Indian tribes of the north, possess
strong natural jealousies, and in situations so remcte, are to
be restrained from an indulgence in the most malignant pas-
sions, only by the fear of a prompt military chastisement.
Tn looking upon the southern shore of lake Superior, the

214 _ Mr. Schoolcraft on the.

period appears distant, when the advantages flowing from a
military post upon that frontier, will be ‘produced by the
ordinary progress of our settlement ;—for it presents few
enticements to the agriculturalist. A considerable portion

of the shore is rocky ; ; and its alluvions are in general of too
sandy and light a texture for profitable husbandry. With
an elevation of six hundred and forty one feet above the
Atlantic ocean, (1) and drawing its waters from territories
all a north of the forty fourth degree of north lati-

¥ = aki cannot be re resented as enjoying a
climate | a avourable to the productions of the vegetable
kingdom. Its forest trees are chiefly those of the fir kind,
mixed with white birch, (betula papyracea, the bark of
which is so much employed for canoes by the northern In-
dians,) and with some varieties of poplar, oak, and maple.
The meteorological observations which I have made, indi-
cate however, a warm summer, the average heat of the
month of June being 69°, but the climate is subject to a
lone and severe winter, and to storms, and sudden trans-
ts crea apeteg sans the summer months. We saw
n corn a

i
may still become a very rich ne country, like the coun-
ty of Cornwall in England,— artz Sits in Ger-
many, and a portion of Miosous in our own country ; but

this deficie ciency must be compensated by the paren of

® This level is on the following facts and estimates which
ract from my *¢ nent ve J
“Elevation of lake Erie above the a itd of the Hudson ac-
ing to the pene of the New-York Canal Cate ommission- Je

Estimate fall oe Detroit river 20 ‘aiken at 6 inches Ker mile rue ss a
Rapids ate S pre 3 River ee Tg RO
of St. Clair River at the ow Let de H ‘
distan "bigs He miles 2 cee is the 9
Estimated fol e river St. Mary. bakes th 2
ae ‘Point Troan ‘60 miles at three inches per mile, (rapt ad
é 15
Nibish Rapid Shee a i Gh oe eee
Ries Ka pe gehen me 6
—— Mar, f (according to Cal Gratiot) - Pare wh sas paisa

« Level of Lake Superior ol, 641,10

Native Copper of Lake Superior, &. 215

geographical position, contiguous, or redundant population,
and the facilities of a ready commercial intercourse. To

several of the precious silicious, (1) and crystalized minerals.
itis rendered probable also, that silver oré is imbedded in the

coveries of a highly interesting character, and such as can-
not fail, both to augment our sources of profitable industry,
and commercial i end

event of such operations, the facilities of a ready transpor-
tation, either in vessels or barges, of the crude ore to the

asics oe me al ane a
i as lit: in t 3 ym. In ( ; i
stantly met sith in the allvialsod. At the foot of the Falls of St. Antho-
ny itis sparingly found ; around the shores of lake Sepin it is very abund-
ant, and it may be traced below Prairie du Chein, and even as low as St.
Genevieve, as | have mentioned in my view of the mines. A to
the classification of Werner, which is founded on “ alternate bands of red
imens may be red as Sardonyx.

with certain varieties of agate Hes seeps Tn a few instances the

216 Letters of Mr. Brongniart with remarks.

draulic works to any extent; while the surrounding coun-

wry is =e as to admit of an ‘agricultural settlement.
mpany this report with a geological chart of a ver-
soaks auth of the left bank of the Mississippi: at St. Peters,
embracing a formation of native copper, and in which the
superposition of the layers of rock, and the several subde-
posites forming the alluvial stratum, exhibit a remarkable
orde e curvatures in the lines of the alluvial stratum,
represent a, patil mound or hillock recumbent upon the
. of the river, which has partially fallen in, thus expo+
dag its internal structure. The formation was first noticed
by the garrison who quarried stone for quicklime, and for the
purpose of building chimneys, at this spot. The masses of
copper found are all small, none exceeding a pound in weight.

T have the honour to be sir,
with great respect, and regard,
your most obedient servant,
HENRY

(Copy) a : R. SCHOOLCRAFT. “

-

Tue observations of Mr. Brongniart, especially on some
American localities will probably be interesting and instruc-
tive to others in this country, as they have been to us; this
has induced us to give publicity to remarks which although
not forwarded for this purpose, cannot fail to do honour to
their respectable author.

His first letter, oe Oct. 9, 1819, is a reply to one ac-
companying American specimens transmitted to him, and
-. about some fe {which his mpiaion was asked. ‘Mr. Brongn

art observ
met rani yea to-day through the intervention of Mr

« oo) A collection sufficiently complete, of substances
dapted to the manufacture of p: and ii
the principal changes and processes which diene substances

Letters of Mr. Brongniart, with remarks. 21%

undergo, in arriving at the condition of Porcelain. ‘The cat-
alogue which is in the box will give you an idea of the order
of these processe

Mr. rongniart, as is well known, is director of the great
National manufactory of Porcelain, at Sevres, near Paris, and
therefore, authentic specimens, of this kind received from =
must be regarded as particularly valuable. A mere translat
of the catalogue, (which is however, fulland detailed) ident
an exhibition of the specimens, would probably not be very
useful. We will content ourselves with saying, that the
Specimens are very instructive, and conduct the observer,
gradually, from the crude natural ¢ clay, sand, white feldspars,
decomposed graphic granite, &c. through the regular series

and delicate translucence, which are among the qualities that
characterize one of the most perfect and beautiful produc-
tions of human skill. The tablets that illustrate the paint-
ing of the porcelain, are particularly elegant, and embrace
most of the colours that are applied for the purposes of dec-
oration.
Gold and platina are applied in the metallic state, and bur-
a ee and colour of those
But, in most —- eel cesieepiind
the icil, are incorporate t, an
by of sep eien of the porcelain, so that the colours
cannot be discharged, and are scarcely liable to fade even
by the action of light. . Thus, cobalt gives an intense blue-
chrome—a grass-green, and gold-rich purples and violets.
‘The principle of their ‘application i is the same with that of
glass and enamel staini ng, and | the superb painted glass win-
artoctign of the art, an du f th 1 from
ts entury to century, in "ie splendor.f ‘These iopaie
finely Sastre by Mr. Brongniart’s specimens, which will
be freely submitted to the view of those whom either curi-
osity or interest may allure to this subject. Before return-

ee reat
almost unnecessary to colours of
: iis our common dyes are inapplicable in
ne ea cor they would of course be

Vou. IIL.....No. 2. 28

218 Letters of Mr. Brongniart, with remarks.

ing to the letter, we will add (a fact that appears not to be
generally known in this country,) namely, that the steel lustre
on porcelain is metallic platina, and that the copper lustre is
metallic gold to which this particular tinge is imparted by
an umber basis below—the gold being partially pervious to
light and the only metal that is so. It is sufficiently curious
that the gold is applied to the porcelain in the condition of
fulminating oxid ; the oil of spike is used to make it adhere,
and the fulminating properties are gradually destroyed with-
out an explosion.*

The time will arrive, when the manufacture of porcelain
will become a great object in this country, and we cannot be
tap early in acquiring the requisite information.

Mr. Brongniart goes on to mention

“2, Some minerals and rocks from the environs of Paris
and from France, and even from foreign countries, which
(he adds) I hope will be interesting to you.”

Among these specimens are many illustrati ig the mine
talogical survey of the environs of Paris, made by Messrs.
Cuvier and Brongniart; they are particu le i
that connexion, and especially as giving precise ideas of the

ignification of the terms used by those gentlemen.

“3. Distinct copies of some of Mr. Brongniarts works—
he observes,

“I would also have added a copy of my essay upon the
classification of mixed rocks, published in 1813, &c. but I
have only one perfect copy. "Besides, I have since that pe-
riod made many changes in this classification, and I intend,
as soon as possible to publish a new and much more com-
plete edition than the first.”

This remark is cited that Geologists may avail themselves
of Mr. Brongniart’s aid, as soon as his new edition shall ap
pear; we shall not fail to give our readers the earliest notice

It.

In justice to the numerous contributors to this work, we

feel authorized to publish the following remarks upon the
merican Journal, which if it were exclusively or even prin-

Letters of Mr. Brongniart, with remarks. 219

‘ticular thanks for your kindness in sending itto me. I have
not only myself derived from it both pleasure and instruc-
tion, but I have put in the power of various persons to en-
joy it also, and they as well as myself find it very well exe-
cuted and consequently very interesting. I was gratified to
observe that you had been so kind as to insert the notice
upon the manner of collecting petrifications; a notice
which I had not myself published except for the promotion

of my own views; still l tender you my acknowledgments.

“ But I reserve for the end of this letter, the object that
has interested me most, and that which has been with me a
subject of instruction and of very varied reflections—name-
ly, the rocks and petrifications, which you have had the
kindness to send me and which I received in Oc} last.

__ “Thave already made an incipient stady of them, and I
intend to return to it when I shall be able to rere i nos ie
means adapted to determine exactly or rather mo
ly these fossil organized bodies. I shall confine myself then then
for the present, to the communication of some of the reflec-
tions, which these rocks have excited, and of some of the
determinations which I have made respecting them; these
determinations are made in accordance with the classifica-
tion of mixed rocks which Ip ublished in 1813.

“ The serpentine of New: Taven, of which you have sent
me so beautiful a specimen, constitutes one of the ornaments
of my cabinet and is referred with great precision to my spe-
spies; ophicalce veinee*, (viz. veined serpentine li 7

he rocks which accompany the meus of Wilkes-
barre “id af Rhode-Island are, according to my classifica-
tion, the +Phyllades pailletees ; one of ee ecenaits the
impression of a leaf of fern, whose species soe to me a
little different from all those of Europe which I possess. —

organized
bodies, which are found in your coal formations, or in those
of anthracite, ae finally in all your bituminous formations.

* This ts kc atuael elias 2, p. 16, wader the bea of Aeris
Verd Antique Marble.

+ The bah Mr. Brongniart a achists 5 with an argillaceous basis,
eentaining mica, quartz, feldspar, amy ole, marl, &c.

220° —- Letters of Mr. Brongniart, with remarks.

It is a very important object for Geology, to ascertain the
resemblances and differences which exist between the im-

ressions in the different countries of the terrestrial globe.

have been much occupied in this Jabour, and my son, who
is devoted more particularly to botany, than to other branch-
es of natural history, has aided me effectually in this work.

“The bituminous formation of Westfield, near Middletown,

appears to me very different from the formation of coal and
anthracite of Wilkesbarre and Rhode-Island. You also re-
‘mark that this coal (if nevertheless it be true coal) is found
only in thin veins, that it is bituminous, &c. This forma-
tion appears to me to have the strongest resemblance to that
of the bituminous marl slates of the copper mines in the
country of Mansfield and Hesse. The presence of copper
is not an essential thing, and besides, it may be that pyrites
or some other metallic sulphurets accompany this bitumin-
ous formation ; what is certain and very remarkable, is, that
this bituminous slate is perfectly similar to that of Mansfield
and that the impression of a fish, which we find in that whic
you have sent me, is entirely like one of the species of fish-_
es. found in the Mansfield slates—it is the Paleothrissum
freislebs of Mr. Blainville—a species of fish altogeth-
er peculiar; and which has been no where found, except
in these formations of bituminous slates—often metalliferous,
of the mines of Mercury of the Palatinate, and of Musse,
near Autun, department of the Saone and Loire. Indeed
sir, the resemblance is so striking, so complete, that if it had
not been sent by such a person as yourself, I should have
feared that it was a rock with the impression of a fish, which
had been formerly transmitted from Hessia to America, for
some cabinet, and which through inadvertency, had been
erroneously labelled. _

“For the purpose of convincing you of these analogies,
so remarkable on account of the great distance, and still, so
complete, notwithstanding this distance, 1 send you a spe-
cimen of the bituminous slate of Mansfield, with the impres-
sion of.a fish, and a very imperfect, but sufficient piece of
those from the environs of Autun. If you are desirous of a
greater number of the former specimens, on being made ac-
quainted with it, I will procure them for you. You per-
celve sir, how this first and singular specimen has excited
my curiosity, and what a pleasure you will do me if you

Letters of Mr. Brongniart, with remarks. 221

can procure others for me. It will be very interesting to
obtain a suite of all the fossil organized bodies which are.
found in the bituminous formation of Westfield ; I am in-
clined to think for instance, that impressions of genuine ferns
will be found | there ; it isa thing to be verified by farther
observations.’

Unhappily fe science, the research which led to the dis-
covery of the impressions of fish, alluded to by M. Brongn-
iart, has been abandoned. There; is no doubt however,
that the specimens were genuine.

The person who brought them, obtained them at the depth
of about 40 feet, while exploring for coal, four miles west
of Middletown : he brought his chaise box full of them to

New

field and Hesse, nor had he any theories, of ny kind, to
serve ; his single object being the heeoneies of Saal for pur-
poses "of profit. It is rermarkable that the coincidence
which struck Mr. Brongniart so powerfully, and in which he ™
looked for the additional, although adventitious fact of the
existence of copper, holds, perfectly, even in that particular.

he € great formation of which the Westfield locality i is a por-
tion, many 1¢ trap

it is bounded all around -

mM
interior, and varies in width from three’ or four to iweanye
five miles ; ridges of columnar _green-stone trap, stretching
generally from ‘north to south, in the direction of the length
of the formation, and sometimes attaining the height of seven
or eight hundred feet, constitute the most ot feature ;
they repose on a sand-stone rock—(considered by Mr. Ma-
clure as the old red sender} formed by vost ruins of
primitive rocks sometimes unseparated, and v. yin g in its
composition from a. pudding or breccia with very larg frag-
ments, toa fine grained sand-sto ne, and this in its turn p
es into an argillaceous sand-stone, and in some oe into
slaty clay. Beneath the sand-stone rock, lie slaty rocks
(we mean argillaccous schist or thonschicfer) of various
qualities, hes divided by cu veins of coal and jet, im-
with what appear to be reeds and other elongated
vegetables, and Gieainety the rock is, throughout, so bitu-
minous as to burn on the fire. It was in such strata as

222 Letters of Mr. Brongniart, with remarks.

these, that the fish were found at Westfield, beneath argii-

ceous sand-stone. Now, throughout this whole trap form-
ation, copper is found—principally in the sand-stone rock
beneath the trap. It isin the form of copper pyrites, of
oxid of copper, of green and blue carbonat, and of native
copper.* Many shafts have been opened for working it, and
the Connecticut state’s prison for convicts is in the aban-
doned pits and galleries, wrought many years ago, for cop-
per, in the sand-stone beneath the trap, in the township of
Granby in Connecticut. The existence of the copper then,
in this region, fulfils another condition of resemblance be-
tween the countries alluded to by Mr. Brongniart, and those
in this region. We would add, that although no more fish
have been obtained at Westfield, because the pit has long
been filled with water, they have been found in various oth-
er places in the same formation. Particularly at Sunder-

nd in Massachusetts, in rocks that pass under Connecticut
river; they were discovered by that excellent observer, Mr.
Edward Hitchcock, who says they are very numerous.

are found in the argillaceous sand-stone. The addi-

‘tional interest imparted to our trap region by the remarks
of Mr. Brongniart, with the peculiar nature of the country,

will, we trust, induce some of our geologists to examine the
entire formation with more scrupulous care, and to give a
connected report of the whole. It is a feature almost un-
ique, in American geology, and should not be allowed to re-
taain without a complete and skilful delineation, especially
_as the prehnite, zeolite, chabasie, analcime, laumonite, chal-
cedony, agate, &c. which are found imbedded in the trap,
7 an additional interest to the research ers"

Poe some remarkable examples of very fine specimens of the latter, s¢¢
Vol I. pa. 55, of this Journal, and Bruce’s Journal, pa. 149; the former of
these pieces weighed six, and the latter ninety pounds.

Letters of Mr. Brongniart, with remarks. 225

which I shall perhaps be able, at some future time, to give’
you the ex

“Thad intended to adopt a more exact order, in the min-
erals and specimens which I send you, but I have made up
the box by little and little, and it would require too much
time to commence it anew. ou can easily arrange ans
rocks and minerals from the environs of Paris, by means of
the numbers transmitted by me; the same as those that Mr.
Cuvier and myself have published in the Geology of this —
CONRETY which work you will find in the case.

‘I am afraid that I may have included in this box, many

things which you already have, but, being without any thing
to direct me in my selection, have - ics oe ice ae

agined might i interest you. /

“If you should entertain the intention of r adarniig me
some minerals and rocks of your country, I will take the
hberty of indicating my wishes more particularly.

“‘Every thing that relates: to the secondary formations
and to the fossil organized bodies which they contain, spe-
cimens from the ormations west of the mountains, and es-
pecially from the limestones, of all formations, with their
bees from the coal “strata with their i ee

“f peasive. that your position will not sliow you, i n per-
son, to collect specimens of these rocks, which in generat
appear to be very remote from your residence ; but I sup-
pose that by means of your pupils and co rrespondents, you
can procure some of the objects so sige fal in my geological
researches.”

“= ought not sir, to make all these demands of you if I
had ility, and were é. not aware

am de--

wo 7

and th this country, ahh we are
our readers.

“T have been performing a tour, was geological,
thtoagte the whole of Italy, for the purpose of examining

224 Letters of Mr. Brongniart, with remarks.

the extent and the nature of the tertiary* formations, anala-
gous to those in the environs of Paris. I have not only tra-
ced these formations quite to Rome, but I have fully ascer-
tained, by conversations with M. Brocchi, that they are
found also at the extremity of Calabria near Regio.

“JT have had moreover, a long time, in my collection, 2
piece of madrepore which came from this region, and
which led me formerly to suppose, the existence of such
formations, among those that were so far removed from
what we had been accustomed to consider as their centre ;
[have learned from him that they exist under the volcanic
rocks of Ischia; finally, I saw them near Geneva, at a great
elevation, in the environs of the small town of St. Remo,
and on my return at the foot of the southern side of the
Alpes, from Bassano to the environs of Verona at Rouca,

olea &e. 1 am occupied in digesting a notice upon the
analogy of these formations with ours, and I have learned
with much satisfaction t r. Buckland, who on his return
from Italy, also saw the same places, observed the same a-
nalogy, an analogy which holds in almost all the characters,
and especially in the group (“ensemble”) of fossil shells,
and other marine bodies, which they contain.

“Thus a definite position is assigned in the strata of the
globe, to the celebrated fossil fish of Bolea, that is, in
tertiary formations in analogy with those in the environs of

is, and with those of other places. Mr. Beudant has
j' ra ou yt. £ Zid a Oe gary, and Mr. Prevost.
‘one of my former pupils, has recently discovered them near
Baden in the environs of Vienna, in Austria. He has pre-
pared a memoir on this subject, and will soon read it to the
Institute. | .

* But this analogy, so striking and complete, between the
rocks and the tertiary formations, in countries very remote
from each other, is not the only one which exists, and whiel:
has strongly impressed me as well as Mr. Buckland.

“The greater part and possibly the whole of the rocks
which compose the crust of our globe, present, in their na-
ture, in their structure, and in their order of superposition

_#We presume coinciding generally with the secondary formations of

+A-cmall Island, scarcely four leagues from Naples.

Letiers of Mr. Brongniart, with remarks, 225

esemblances so striking, that often it would not be possible
in a collection, to distinguish a psammite* or a compact
limestone which came from England, from one, from the
environs of Vinee or raf Rome, “provided the Jabels did-not
give us infor anne as to the different laces.

tain, and to prove that they exist at such great distances.
“tis for you sir—it is for the numerous and well inform-
ed ecologists, who inhabit the greater part of the ——
States, to follow up these observations, and to put it in our
power to compare, with precision, the atnen dateiations
with ours; with this view I have already sent to you, and to
other rican naturalists, and I will continue to feat,
suites of Eucapete a
ou have also transmitted those that were, in this
point of view, very interesting, and which I have already
had the honour to acknowledge
“T ask the continuance of these interesting relations, so
useful to the. scie ignogs bad tm to true. > philosophy and so hon-
pia Fa ae eS os: Sree sr os et
upon a —— of organized bodies, , called tr .
uo on the last year, from the Boys! ‘Academy of i
-ences, an impression in plaster an American trilobite
sent to the academy by Dr. David Hasacte of RcwsViock, and
which came from the region of Albany. I pointed out in
my report, the similiarity between the formations in which
this fossil was found and. those in England, France, ee

diderenee between that of M.Blumenbach and # 1a

y—the x east which represented the
was so ill defined, oe no exact er could be passed
_— the differences or resemblances.

siadeik eni
this impression or’ Greathorasorendll of trilobite one of
aeeentere sericea crane

they were united by Mr

is and i 2 >. +3, Pea a
stor F

2

a 2... ‘No. 2 2. om 29

226 = Letters of Mr. Brongniart, with remarks.

and they may enable us either to reduce them to certainty
or to abandon them. on
“My son who accompanied me into Italy, and who (as
observed in a former letter) is more particularly devoted to
Botany, continues his research upon the determinati of fos
sil plants. You were so good as to send me pieces, which in
the i n were ic : 7 were snipe | sufficiently io ae _¢ d ; t, to
determine the differences and resemblances of the plants,
belonging to the coal formations of Europe and America.
“I must then again commend myself to your zeal for the

advancement of the sciences, and to your kindness towards

most impor

a Tesearch is as different from the vi: ieobepciee with

of waders chemistry e ;

four elements. = rh .

Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, &c. 227

We may without impropriety, urge on ail the friends of
geology, the importance of aiding Mr. Brongniart in his
great enterprize. No man is better qualified to conduct it
to a successful issue, and after the specimen which we al-
ready have, of manly, perspicuous and pgp writing in
Mr. Brongniart’s Elements of Mineralogy, so w own in
this country, we cannot doubt, that the results of the pres-
ent research will be communicated to the world ina form
equally alluring and useful.

We take the liberty therefore to invite our friends and the
friends of science, especially beyond the mountains, and
more especially in the vicinity of the various coal and other
secondary formations, to collect and forward such speci-
mens as are alluded to above, and such as are described i in
Mr. Brongniart’s note, published in the first volume of t
work. His address is Paris, Rue St. Dominique, No. 71,
but we will, when desired, cheerfully act as the medium of
communication, still giving due credit to the individuals who
may make efforts on this occasion, so interesting to science,
and which may be so honourable to the American character.

acone: notices andl memoranda es

1. Cursory notice of some parts of North ante Spa’ —

ina; by Dr. Tororny Dwicnt Porter, one of the

faculty w the Un. of S. Cares in @ letter to ‘the : Biitor dated
Conon s. Gat: Oct. 18, kien

A HAVE recently returned from a hasty ride of about four

of this state. metas: The limitation of my time was a apie of re-
° oct tm almost entirely any of my favor-
gecionmoy ae me "The ntry which below Columbia is
very t Sait and after, as it were ascending
one stair ees Blects (which is situated on the falls in the
ree, and is said to be the — of the primitive

228 sHiscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, &c.

formation,) continues to exhibit the same appearance for a
day’s ride toward the mountains, then becomes undulating;
and the hills gradually merease in ent and a till
they rise into mountains near t e ridge. ocks
at the falls, at Columbia, are granite—next to aoe in one
spot, I noticed on the east side of Broad river, at about
eight miles susie from Columbia, green-stone; on the
other side of the same stream none of this latter rock met
my observation on the route westerly, to Pendleton Dis-
trict, but instead of it, sand-stone, stratified : and. partially
rated granitic and shistose rocks. The surface of
the earth was covered very extensively, in every part of my
ride, with loose irregular fragments of quartz, varying in size
from an inch or two to two feet in diamater. I saw no
masses of quartz in place—but no particular examination
wasmade. The appearance of the country is precisely the
same with that of Virginia where the sabi oe found ;
[See Vol. Hf. p. 143 of this Journal.]—and here too, the
same mineral was met with. Crystals of quartz, deny of
them handsome, wi choceallesiea | the road in different pla-
ces. “The celebrated Table Mountain lay near my route
and was visited; that great mass of granite, eight hundred
and twenty-two feetin height, and almost absolutely perpen-
dicular, extending near a ‘mile with the same smooth and
even front, but so covered that no termination is to be seen
from the station of the spectator, — strong wn 8
sions of grandeur.
new road is now rove across the Saluda mountain,
Siitetess Shei ugh granite, some of it it very fine and hand-
some, much like the Chelmsford Granite, used in Boston.
one spot a vein of gneiss lies in the granite, in the side of
the mountain—but aps vein is not the word er to
express the truth in this case, block might be better. At
about fifteen or twenty miles from the mountains on my re-
turn to Columbia, green-stone began to appear, crossing my _
ee . P ‘ith . , 4 ee

" lave ot sonarnle's re i ie in my way, eh of
course: were not neglected. A very few small specimens

Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, §c. 229

will accompany this letter. -_ four sided and terminat-
: crystals* were furnished me by a ramble in Buncomb,

. C. they scratch quartz, with dificulty. The onyx-like
sailed specimen was found near the same place, by Col.
Blanding or Mr. Poinsett, probably the latter.

2. Confirmation of the genuineness of the locality of Ameri-
can Corundum, mentioned p. 7 of this Volume. ract
of a letter from Mr. John Dickson to the Editor, dated
Charleston, March 9, 1821.

As to the locality of the ne I thought it had aes
noted. I think ae was Laurens District; at all events it w
picked up by m ne if not in ait; ina Arg *
which no igaologicdl or mineralogical specimens had ever

een and which it could have reached only by o1
of the usual val natural accidents which displace sloioci
of all kinds, and leave them at greater or less distances
from their »eds. Iam sure it is American and Carolinian.

e to revisit the upper country in three or four
weeks, and shall pay particular attention to this point, ak I
am in hopes of mens: other specimens ae
marked. Paha able then perhaps to ct any mis-
takes I have’ or | former occasions. ‘My brother, Drs
S. H. Dickson, will accompany me on i res wo ie

“ft mm. 41..3,.43% a peat

see ases—a four sided prea is set upon the prism, sometimes at

both ends, and in such a manner. or, that th A sokhckametetied third

correspond with ial di ge

almost dh hh *s 0 A "
a little resembling t if vesuvian. Te edges, sides week solid langle have regneat
neatness and finish. They scratch quartz, carnelian, and

stones, and even slightly impress beryl. ~The speci aaa
completely infusible by the common blow-pipe, but tien

Cleaveland, to tt
hat | deg eepecnsicyened
si meg a eee of poe
cageay iompee i

preys :
ond two eighths o three eights of an inch inch in diameter.
Saya Se eive Girther ¢ sienlon tr soe

Beaune Fh es tect ee

230 Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, &.

shall both be gratified if we can add any thing to the stock
of otal knowledge by the best observations we can make.

Se Lime for water Cement.

The following a ce of the lime used in the sub-aqueous constructions of
the — canal i int the state of N ew-York, we owe to the kindness of W. W.
Woolse v, Esq. 1, but we have

not yet ‘been able to subject them to any experiments.

Extract of a detter from Benjamin W; right, Esq. chiefs Engi-
meer of the Erie Canal, to W. W. Woolsey, Esq. of
_ New-York, dated Rome, Suis 24, 1820.

Dear Sir,

The specimen of Argillo-ferruginous: limestone, herewith
presented, is found in great abundance. in the counties of
nondaga and Cayuga, in the state of New-York.
Wien foud:in-plare, itis pant aadenthe the blue ones

is uniformly overlai yn ear The grey is the up-
per and is n large heavy Casey ; the whole
SIX OT eight ysabe. in fikacs. The blue which next occurs,
is various in thickness, and from it is made the beautiful
white lime. Under the blue lies the first described, which
is found to be a superior water cement, and is used ve!
successfully in the stone work of the Erie canal, and believ-
ed to be equal to any of the kind found in any other coun-
try. I cannot give you the analysis—if convenient to give a

country west to ee and Ponce further west. It is
pulverized (as it will not slack) and then used by mixing two
bea lime and one A eisai Tt hardens best under water,

Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, &c. 231

&e. For cisterns it will be much used, no doubt, and for
all the principal erections of stone work ‘for canals, it is in-
dispensable.

Respectfully, I am
Dear Sir, your Obedient Servant,
7 BENJAMIN WRIGHT.
W. W. Woo sey, Esq.

We are informed by Mr. Woolsey that the price of this
lime, pulverized and burnt and delivered at Utica, is twenty
cents the bushel. Mr. W. remarks, that “ Mr. Wright is a
gentleman equally distinguished for respectability of char-
acter, and high attainments as a =o ee ince that
‘* his accuracy may be relied o ea,

Postscript, April, 3, 1821. vase

In February we had an interview with Mr. White, from
whom we obtained the corn it result of the analysis of
the ee — aa Dr. Hadley

Carbonic acid, - - 35,05.

Oxid of iron, - Ree 2,02
98,20

To this notice we add the followin extract of a@ letter am
Myron Holley, Esq. one of the the ¢ Tene Be great

canal, dated oe :

Mr. White, one of our ‘Engineers on the Erie oe |
aman of good character and useful attainments, es
on Scorers connected with fi profession, discovered, in
the course of the season before last, the material for making
an excellent water-proof-cement, existing in great a
pine id esi district of this state. And we have
made extensive and profitable use of his discovery in the
locks and other mason-work of the Erie canal. tis proba-
bly superior to Parker’s ent, in quality, and may

232 Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, &c.

be afforded at less than half the expense of that. It will,
therefore, probably soon come into general use throughout
our country, whenever such cement is required.
White has some specimens of the stone which constitutes
the principal material of his discovery, which he intends
presenting to you.

4. Micaceous Iron ore, for oligiste of Hauy.
We have recently seen this ore in very thin delicate

_— Virginia, and’ from mine

tratford, Conn. That inénitshial (pa. 50, Vol. L.) as oc-
curring near Bellows Falls on the Gansertiolt river, we are
informed by Professor Hall, is found at Jamaica, in Ver-
mont, twenty miles directly west of Bellows Falls. Itis a
remarkably beautiful but very fine grained variety—in its
structure much resembling the finest grained Dolomite of the
Alps; the plates however, although thus minute, are dis-
tinctly visible, but their coherence is so feeble that they
crumble easily between. se: fingers; the grains “ af-
fected by the magnet. We have recently receive spe-
cimen of this fine mineral from Dr. I. A. Allen, of Bratle-
borough. He states that it is found in Ball Mountain, which
rises five hundred feet above the water in West river. Dr.
Allen will supply specimens by exchange or otherwise.
From the adhering matter, this ore would appear to be im-
_ bedded i in mica slate.

= _ Notice ofthe Salem Sienite, Jasper, Amygdaloid, ge.

ome ee beauty of ‘b polished specimens of this
induce us to give the follo arti derived
from the Rev. Elias ees elius “ ar =

e specimens accompanyin this were taken from a
.tock which is found in Salem, Mass. near the eastern ex-
pags lie as pee or Le of land upon ¥ which the
_ town is situated.

aed 1g are either pure granite, OF

that variety 0 of it calles’ sienite, he hornblende of each | is

diffused in different proportions, from a few epee pense
rnible, to very considerable quan poate’. esac

Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, §e. 233

The only difference between the rock which has so re-
cently been wrought, and that which is commonly found is,
that it has a finer texture, and is capable of the highest pol-
ish—its ROnpNanen being also diffused ina kind of porphy-
ritic manne

he mass a ‘each it is taken lies upon the side of a
hill—in the form of a ledge, and may be split into slabs
without digging, or any similar difficulty. The Gone, ap-
pears to be very considerable.

2 We hae. received fom Dr. B.L. Oliver, handsome pol-

6. Microscopic crystals of Tron Pyrites.
Extract of a letter to the Editor, dated Baltimore, Oct. 22, 1820.
. Tue object of the present _ letter is to send you i inclosed,

ties of crystals of sulphuret of iron sini l ences they: ¥ ere
sent to this place from Scotville, Kentucky, as flowers oj

ver. I pronounced them at once to be Sang and dicta
them powdered fragments, but the lens betrayed the crys-
tals, which are beautiful and well defined. I do not recol-
ides. seeing in any cabinet such small ones, at I feel desi-
rous that you should possess a specimen. If you think it
worth while to notice their discovery in oa

S am vi pruly eae
can do so. ae ery figs
These crystals are singularly beautiful ; Shey ae sO mi-
nute, that they look like brass filings.— —[ Ed].
1. Limpid Quartz, from Fairfield, New-York.

"Localities of quartz are innumerable, ae even trans-
stals ea ey common, but we have received
Vou. HL No. 2 30

seee

234 Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, §e.

some quartz crystals (among other minerals which we may
notice on a future occasion) from Dr. Porter of Plainfield,
Mass. which for their perfect transparency equal any thing,
of the kind, that we have ever seen; they do not exceed one
fourth or one third of an inch in diameter, and the largest
that has been obtained is only three fourths.

8. Agaric Mineral.

_ Professor Hall in a letter to the editor, states, that a sub-
stance found in Vermont, and there called chalk, effervesces

ance, as he intimates, of a disintegrated carbonat of lime,
whose minutely divided parts have been feebly reagglutina-
ted. so strongly resembles agaric mineral that we have
ventured to give itthat name.

Oe

9. Marbles of Kentucky.

Being from a secondary country, their structure is wholly
, and they are, most remarkably different from the
highly erystalized marbles of the primitive countries.

10. Fetid Crystalized~ Limestone.

We formerly mentioned a’ fetid crystalized limestone

=

Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, §c. 235

These facts connected with that mentioned by Dr. Hay-
den, (Vol. 1, p. 307) and by Prof. Dewey, seem to evince
that the fetid odour of minerals cannot always be traced to
organized matter.

re 11. Fluor Spar on the Genesee River.

[Communicated by Mr. John Boyd, a member of the Senior class in Yale
College, from Winchester, Conn.

Fluor spar in transparent cubical crystals imbedded in fe-
tid limestone, is found in the bottom of the great Western
canal, on the east shore of t enesee river, at Brighton,
Ontario county, N.Y.

Chalcedony is found among ete iooee masses of rock be-
low the Genesee falls, at Cates) Ontario county.

We have seen this fluor, it is very well chara chai ihe
crystals are from one half to three fourths of an inch in di-
ameter; being deposited upon a black limestone, and being
themselves transparent and white, with a slight tinge of
blue, they forma pleasing contrast with the limestone.— Ed.

12. Chalybeate Spring at Litchfield.

Extract a letter to the Editor from James ‘ames Pierce,
f dated Litchfield, August 22, 1820. as

I have recently discovered in’ this town a chalybeate
spring that promises to be of considerable utility. It issues
from an extensive bed of sulphuret of iron, situated on the
ee side of Mount Prospect, four miles west of the vil-
of Litchfield. The spring is copious and
exhibiting in its course much oxid of iron, ochre.
“iis deposit. The extract from gall nuts, or an infusion
of white oak leaves produces a copious precipitate of the
gallate of iron, changing the colour of the water nearly black
neither lime-water or sulphuric acid effected any change. ‘A
dense white cone x was produced by acetate of lead, in-
dicatir muriate or a ware A peculiar
sme Sipaier opinion attributed to sulphur, is pe
ble each oe hands retain this smell for h Pe oA
washing in its waters. An astringent effect and soreness of

236 Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, &c.
:

the throat is produced by a free use of the spring. Iron is
evidently the chief mineral ingredient of this water, but I
was destitute of tests for satisfactory examination. A yellow
deposit is observable in vessels containing standing water
from this spring, and less effect is produced upon the water
by astringent extracts. A patient afflicted by the rheuma-
tism, attended by much debility has been greatly relieved
by a free use of the spring for a few days, and a complete
cure is anticipated.

Mount Prospect, above mentioned, is a rocky, wood clad,
elevated ridge, of two miles extent. From its summit an
interesting and diversified view is presented of villages, and
lakes, and of a well cultivated, healthy country. Sienite,
rendered porphyritic by erystals of feldspar, is the predomi-
nant rock of the mountain ; it presents ledges of considera-
ble height and extent. Beds of sulphuret of iron are ob-
served on both sides of the mountain, sometimes exhibiting
a white efflorescence. | ative sulphate of iron has been col-
lected on this mountain, and used in dying by the adjacent
inhabit nts. The spring is already much resorted to, and
has excited considerable interest. .

Postscript.

Th an additional letter from Mr. Pierce, dated March 20,
1821, we are informed that the above mentioned “ mineral
spring has attained considerable reputation, and effected
cures of obstinate rheumatic complaints, that have resisted
ordinary remedies: its water has been sent for weekly from
Hartford, and has been considered equal to that of the

‘ord spring.” £3

13. Chalybeate Spring at Catskill—Marl and Tufa, és the

Extract of a letter to the Editor from Jeniag: Pierce, Esq.
-... dated Litchfield, March 20,1821. me
: vered at Catskill last fall, a enpiurs ‘tester faitcis
2 spring, within half a mile of that village, as rich

any water in America. With an @
or oak bark, it makes a tolerable writing

Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, &c. 237

Though adjacent toa turnpike where hundreds are daily
passing, and exhibiting abundant ochreous indications, its
chalybeate character had remained unsuspected. It is now
much frequented, being found very beneficial asa tonic.

In the neighborhood + of Catskill I have met with several
beds of rich marl; the proprietors were ignorant of the use
of this earth in agriculture; and in the same vicinity, rocks
and extensive beds of calcareous tufa, deposited by streams
issuing from caverns in limestone hills.

14. Catskill ch Se ea -—Estract from the above letter.

The attention of the well inifortued reiddlents of pe
has been of late excited to the study of | wee
chemistry and agriculture, and they have y Srpadiae
_ a scientific institution under the name of the ( Caichi Lyce~
um of Natural History, composed of between twenty and
thirty resident, and as many coyresponding members, who
evince much zeal, and have formed a small cabinet of miner-
als and plants. The corresponding members are mostly of
the learned professions, and resident in the counties of
Greene, Columbia, Delaware, Ulster end Otsego, generally
elected at their own tion. I think that i e

Catskill Lyceum will become a numerous and efficient so-

ciety, well calculated to disclose the. resources of the the region
in which it is located.

I have occasionally read to this society papers. on natura!
History, dwelling more particularly upon ke exem-
plify ingt ternal char-
acters of mineralsmore familiar; I have pubdivouied to in-
duce research by drawing their attention to valuable eel
which, from the geological character of the river valley,
mor nt districts, may be met with ; as silver, lead, ce pper, |

lumbago, iron, gypsum, a alum all; coal, marble and: ma
i have found in different parts of the Catskill mountains, ex-
tensive ledges richly impregnated with alum, and salt licks
in the same region. Some springs of Columbia and Greene
county hold in solution muriate of soda. I have found
new oe ae in the valley of the Hudson for galena, plum-

hae
Fie

0, and iron.
ern make Catskill my residence the ensuing summer, I
will explore the Catskill, Shuongunck and Highland ranges. —

238 Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, &¢.

I have embodied many new facts relative to the natural His-
tory, scenery and inhabitants of the Highlands of New-York
and New-Jersey, obtained by personal examination.

15. The Globe had a beginning.

Mr. Amos Eaton, lecturer on Geology and Botany at
Troy, Professor in the Castleton Institution, &c. infers that
e earth is not eternal, because the ruins of its rocks in the
ss of gravel, sand, &c. being constantly borne down by
; torrents, Re: to the sea and other low situations,
= i ought by this time to be no “ projecting rocks,” not
one “naked cliff,” but all should have been “ allu vial.”

By collecting and drying the sediment from the water of
the river Hudson, opposite to the city of Albany, during
three days of the great freshet of April, 1819, he found that »
it amounted to a certain quantity for every quart of water;
the wean § of water being duly estimated from the dimen-
sions of the channel and the rapidity of the current, Mr.
Eaton. computes that oan hundred 4 tons rel alluvial earth
passed in three days

16. Hill of Serpentine.

Extract of a letter from Dr. William sey dated West-
jield, Mass. ns 125-4

With this letter I send you some specimens of stove
which abound i in this neighborhood. In the second num-
ber of your Journal of Science, Sib there is an account of
the di Ad strata in the Southampton level leading to the

‘mine, in which the writer, Mr. Amos Eaton, mentions
a vein or quarry of serpentine rock between this town and
Russel. The dark coloured specimens are, I

- eCil sinationsit: sbover are os green
, with numerous patches and spots of talc, and

Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, &c. 239

other magnesian minerals imbedded ; the polished pieces
are handsome, and large slabs, such as might probably be.
obtained, would be ornamental in architecture.—Ed.

17. Fetid Dolomite.
Extract of a letter from Professor Dewey, to the Editor.

[ have found dolomite in Lee, east of Stockbridge, per-
fectly fetid—as much so as any of the fetid carbonates of
lime. On breaking, the odour is strong, and continues for

bundant]

some time ; and friction gives it off a stone
Eineae

has the appearance of dolomite, and not of the fetid lime-
stones, and a solution of it in sulphuric acid gives magnesia
in abundance. Dolomite is very abundant indeed in this
county. I find that most that is usually called limestone, is
dolomite. z

18. American Wavellite. ‘

:
eae
ear te
Rie Rees

Society of
‘that county has

240 Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, &&

country, and is creditable both to the patrons and agents iu In
this work, which appears to be executed with laudable fidel-
ity and ability. We wish it may be followed by similar ef-
forts in other parts of this country. We observe also, among
numerous other important subjects discussed in the fourth
volume of the Transactions of the Society for the promo-
tion of useful arts in the state of New-York, an elaborate

per on alum, by one of the obove gentlemen, namely, Dr.
‘Theodore R. Beck.

e He has concentrated much useful information on this m-
t practical subject and the paper may be advanta-
petsly consulted by those who wish to obtain the most im-
portant facts without the trouble of consulting numerous au-
ors.

Dr. Beck’s memoir contains the following remarkable
fact:—A distinguished American general was interred, sev-
eral years since, at the town of Erie, on the border of the
jake of the same name. His son, three or four years ago,

removed the remains to Chester county, in Pennsylvania.

«On raising the body, it was found in a high state of pres-

- ervation, so much so, that the features were reac recog-
nized by those who had previously known the general. The
flesh was indurated to such a degree that it could not be
separated from the bones by a kn fe.’

In short, the body appears to have es a perfect natur-
al mummy ; the preservation is imputed to aluminous. salts
which abound so much there that “ quantities of rene
— are found on the sir ae of the grou und.”

20. Alum i im decomposed mica slate.

Masia macnn the sources of sists there is one exthich we have

‘erin of soe Steed an Bee d eae as

the towns of Preston, Waterbury and Hunting-
to ‘on, in Connecticut, and indeed we have seen but a few
stance = occupa nha 2 in tg epee ae

%

Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, §c. 241

ft is, as we are informed, so abundant in some s, that
the people use it in dying, without resorting to any other
supply. We are not aware that f alum has
been observed in other countries. We have not room to
discuss the origin of the alum in these cases; but we will
add, that in some decomposed mica slates, we have seen
sulphur in a state of freedom, mixed with the proper con-

stituents of the rock, and burning abundantly — the char-
acteristic smell when thrown on the fire. Indeed,
is it not peavorts that alum will be ~owenors ‘rom more
rocks and minerals than have yet been thought of for this
purpose. The very remarkable example of Breccia from
Mount D’Or in Auvergne acto eee ict volume
two im cern As Sir et ae es

Bev

= 21, Remarkable a of Gara, =

Garnet is a mineral of such frequent occurrence in , primi-
tive countries, that it would be useless to attempt to point out
all its localities. In Connecticut it is most abundantly dif-

especially mer. arab sieves aeacone in the
tali b ee apt al

tion—the pl b, the angles, and edg
fe a ae a dodanie by twenty-four _
trapezoidal faces; not unfrequently they occur in =~
their general size is from that of grape shot to that

ket and pistol hles ey are imbedded in a mica alae,

possessed of so little cohesion, that both on the outside and
anit Montlsemen re ine heme it |

242, Miscellaneous sVotices it Mineralogy, Geology, Se.

river, which unite a short distance above the south bounda~
ry of the town of Reading. This precipice is about sixty
rods North-west of the house of Mr. John Gray, and about
me te rods West of Mr. Seth Andrus’ house. .The
h of Saugatuck river runs a winding course

ina i aaedin direction at the foot of the hill, on the top of
which are the rocks under consideration? At the passage of
the river in this place are erected on the east side, a carding
, and on the west, a saw-mill, not laid down on the

map c of the State. Thirty rods west ‘of these two buildings |
on ‘the west side of the stream, I found the garnets to be

ost abundant

The hill on which are the rocks and precipices, is per-
haps sixty or seventy feet high, and of very steep ascent.
On the top of the hill, the rocks are situated, and at the base
of these rocks on the South-east side, the garnets will be
seen by the most inattentive rena projecting from the
rock : musket balls, shot half way
into a board. ‘These rocks are ee eee with trees of
tlanmamnibas' tie’ North and West of * Garnet Rock” for
more than a hundred rods, while on the South and South-
east, an extensive, uncultivated plain is presented to the eye,
‘so that an observer acquainted with the description of this

_ spot, would be able to tell here it Mone when ne was at @
Sere #8 of some miles.

: curiosities.

T have been thus particular in my descripdon of the local
boundaries of e ‘ Garnet Rock,” so that ‘whoever needs it, may
be ai d toevery scien-
tific visitor, aes in proportion to the interest he feels in
the progress of geological, ar d mineralogical knowledge.

Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, §¢. 245

Immediately west of the road, is a narrow marsh thirty
or forty rods wide, at the western extremity of which, a
steep bank rises, perhaps twenty feet in height; through this
bank at right angles to it, a chasm has been worn by a small
stream, to the level of the marsh adjoining. The banks of
the chasm thus formed, disclose a mass of loose earth of a
dusky white, exhibiting an appearance very much like that
of a bed of slacked lime, somewhat aluminous, when tritur-
ated between the fingers; it has a degree of lubricity; when
it is soaked by the enters it adheres to the shoes like com-
mon clay, difficult to rub off.

In some places in ‘es vicinity of the stream, where the
ctae hahaa ete ee eee dried again by

he action of the sun, the surface exhibits nodules of the
size of a walnut, minutely perforated, appearing like a very

moss, its organization also, like that t of moss, be-
ve very easily destroyed, by compressing it with the thumb..

Detached pieces are found, possessing a curious struc-
ture. At first it would seem that they were pieces. of turf,
the roots of which had been incrusted with lime ; but the
whole is easily reduced to a fine white powder by tritura-
tion. In some cases this ramification is very minute and
very beautiful, in others it is coarser and very ir
Some exhibit the pia ea the incrustation of a lime-
stone cave, but without polish and very porous. —

This earth is very easily deprived of its carbonic als:
and is converted into a finely pulverized quick-lime resem-
ling wheat flour.

quantity must be onan as the whole bank

appears to be composed -
. 24. Virginia and Wlinois fluor Sper oe
In Dr. Bruce’s Mineralogical Journal, ‘Vol I. p. 79. there
is a notict-of wie, Vargibin Bulk spt, CO mu itt aioe
pay en getaerterr is seen 7 a6 be
of ‘ies irginia, and © TE aD. Wr, Banos e monte
ok Kale Oallege, we summer, received @ onion
rs Some circumsta1

or cinoma Professor aro een It appears
See et L i fi foot of the north moun-

te
as

+

244 Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, &¢.

tain on the east side, twenty five miles south west of Win-
chester, and it appears to be confined to a small spot of

ground not exceeding twenty or thirty yards square.” Al-
Sovak this fluor spar is spoken of as occurring in pie-
ces, it evidently cannot be far from its native bed, which
must be in the lime-stone of the contiguous mountain. © —

Among the specimens sent to us, theeviolet fluor is, 1
some instances inlaid like mosaic, in large, white, and bril-
hant fragments: of rhomboidal calcareous spar; the con-
trast) by the violet fluor in its white bed is beautiful.

This fluor spar is highly phosphoreseent whew thrown on
red hot iron in the dark.

We do not cers any crystals among our a al-
though the cleavage and fracture ahem the ual crystaline
structure

In exposing some pieces,

comihia the fragments thrown around - soorepuaton were

ee 3

. ously, th the pekerae oa oer ag

“ye oe ting the. thy we have learned th
lowing eddaeal particulars re ‘MD “W. Ba rton,
The fluor spar may be said to be at the foot of the north
mountain, as the ascent is not perceptible until you arrive
atthis spot. It is found on a small 1 ridge of yellow clayey
soil, deposited in pee ‘Space interve! ening between two walls

of Time sto stone, which is the common rock in the country ; ;
tide) he Ee HG nh is probably twenty or thirt
ee ae ed carbonat of lime alternates with

The ‘Sree. of one vein is parallel wi iththe range of the

mountain, i. e. aig orth and south. The land has once

been cultraiotes fluor spar near the surface has been
broken by the plough a “ and deed over space of forty oF
yy > local ay ig Sigal pill gets igen
MEE not wh
ke

d the fol-

Yl pt he nae 8 hr

Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, &e. 245

understand it continues to be discovered in increasing quan-
tities, and in a recent letter from Shawnee Town, we are
informed that it has been found in loose masses as large
as twenty-four pound shot; they are of a fine violet colour
and the surface is covered completely with cubical crystals;

PKs ge every ne roamee of aapins been formed ree
of clay. wise get

~ 25. Menzieie and Sulphat of Lame in V7 irginia.
: In a letter from the late Rich. P. Barton, Esq. we 2 ihe
Journal, Vol: i Pp . 80,). is is sfound:im:- considerable quant:

ten ort ty
not in the same mountain.
wy: ately also, acaretie ie ed eee
Jefferson county at the foot of the Blue Ridge, and near
Shanandoah river, twenty-five miles north east ‘from Win-
chester. I believe, adds Mr. Barton, that in no other in-
stance has sulphat of lime been found on the east side of
the epee: 2h mountains in Virginia. On the west side a
has b een mean on ihe nee ga Kenawa.

eae sc a ee ate sa eegusenabalecags
Betratty of letters from Caleb Atwater, Esq. of Circtcile

‘Speaking of the slate rocks of Zanesville, Ohio, of which
sorie-cocvount was: published (page five) in this volume, Mr.

quently
gage "The gre gr
abaat sixty miles from this are

pins eee Athens county

246 Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, §.

I wrote to you, I have procured engravings of thie
Pest found in the coal fields of England. I was thus en-
abled to compare ours with them, and the result of this com-
parison, I hope to be enabled to lay before you, withina on
months. The bamboo, I think, certainly grew in England.
but I see no cassia, nor palm leaves. ‘The: I largest roots
found in iron stone in England, Ao tes to have belonged to
some plant resembling the water hi

DY Notice 0 ae a Dolomite and description of a soft grecn
George ae ina letter to the editor dated,
Randolph, Vt. Nov. 8th, 1818

(See Vol. I. p. 241 of this Journal.) In addition to the
very singular limestone which I mentioned in a former let-
bi there is ona p farm i in Northfield fourteen miles to the

the stone is wet, is very Seep scroll pieces
| by exposure to the blowpipe, but a large piece put
into the fire seemed to break easier after burning than be-
fore—the spots or specks throughout the stone “of a oa
tish colour, effervesces feebly with nitric acid—those par
the deepest green do not efferve y ands ine
fracture—well fitted to be sawed and cut being trod from
rifts—magnet oe up small pieces which have
been fora to the heat—there is occasionally in this
stone an appearance “of minute scales of mica.” In Beth-
el, a town adjoining, a rock similar to this is cut into pieces

" eet ee

Miscellaneous Notices in Mineralogy, Geology, &. 247
28. Pumice Stone floating on the Mississippi.

iti is mentioned by a western correspondent that at every
zise of the Mississippi, pumice stone floats down from the
heads of the Missouri river. Mr. Schoolcraft in his book
mentions similar facts; the pumice stone has been observed
floating even below Natchez.

Every one will see the obvious inference with respect | to
volcanoes in the west.

29. Fossil Bones found in East- Windsor, Connecticut.

In Vol. II. p. 146 of this Journal, mention. is made a
bones found imbedded in red sand-stone
‘hi were sinking a well ; ate suggestion was made i

ene fe following extract of a letter from John. ‘Hall, Esq.
of Ellington, Connecticut, dated May 27th 1820, expresses

a different opinion.
r Porter, a respectable surgeon, resident on the

spot was present a ns era tof the time while the

yell d had the best beskapposaniy es a a
a judgement of ieachatsie ssh tee says that
tl EY bi ei ae did : ee tad ‘

imal; and that the animal must have been signs Ree feet
in length. The tail. bone was easily discovered by its nu-
merous articulations distinctly visible when the bones were
first obtained ; and by its being rena in a curvilinean
direction beyond > gener.

Dr P. further says that he ccacalls examined the bones
as sey appeared when first extricated from the rock ;, that

ae) : dat neie
of. alone no hs poseon.

sp

nese
2 Yr Wag Sir
ee t

248 Miscellaneous Notes in Mineralogy, Geology, &.
30. Coal found in Somers and in Ellington, Connecticut.
| Aalitional extract from the letter mentioned above.

a sates a Sei: days ago, a lump of coal which came from

y
informant was unable to describe the kind of ground from
which the coal came; all that he knew was, that it was
woodland. I believe that I never told you that I ytd
ed asmall quantity of that substance on my farm
mer, it was found imbedded in shelly prensa in _— hol-

. low between two hills, in ground of the secondary for
It was in the form of thin lamelle and burned eostyinien when
ignited by a candle. The quantity found was very small. —

31. Geological character of the meena the Missouri

at region We | od whether it ve
thine ast be of the ramistion clas; we addressed

thie na “

At notice
however was pri inie nied before Mr. pabsteralys letter arrived, but his letter
was writlen before he had seen pl ‘oti

Extract of Aico to the ene from Mr R. Schoaleraf
ated Albany, Jan. 31st

I ee to reply to your. pe favour of Devout
28th, which has this moment come to hand. Its delay is
attributable to ny unexpected tarry at this city instead of
New-York ; and although it is probable that it is now too
late to make use of my reply i in the way endangering it
may s still be thou tought acceptable
einaiey the ord Ceres the Missouri mining

| am ; ‘our enquiry offers me the
unity of saying that si , ce ras 4

inute examination c ‘Specimens s brought ‘om Mis~
rest have convinced me that the mines are seated
iat ansitio ion limestone. As winner sie ation 9

Professor Buckland’s Instructions, &c. 249

iarly foliated and some specimens are translucent on
the edges, but it is to be remarked, that neither the crys-
talization or translucency are perfect, such as we see them
in well characterized specimens of primary limestone. A
farther examination has also disclosed to me organic petri-
factions of madreporites, and other relics, very sparingly im-
bedded, and sometimes not to be noticed for miles in sue-
cession, even where the abrupt nature of the country ex-
poses it to examination. The metalliferous formation is
overlayed by a stratum of calcareous carbonate manifestly
secondary, but this appears to have been much broken
down, and washed away, as it is only seen capping bluffs
and eminences
As to the primitive region which I have described about

the sources of the river St. Francis, > ev
reliance upon it. It will be necessary, pa wever, carefully
to distinguish the limits which I have fixed to this forma-
tion, and which, I believe, are defined with sufficient pre-
cision in the work. The rock here is red granite, consist-
ing, mainly of feld spar and quartz, with very little mica.

tis traversed by veins of Sta einen is _ ae

laces rendered porphyrytic by large greenish and flesh-
: . hae Y Of “ail these I sk ill

easure in furnishing you duplicate, on my arrival at New-
‘ork, in the spring, as my specimens are now there, and I
shall have no means of access to them before that time

Arr. IV. —* Instructions for conducting — Inves-
Professor

tigations, and collecting Specimens ; by
Boextann, oof ee University of Oxfé coal “England.
ce ted fo this Journal by Prof. Hare of Philadelphia

ree et ee specimens a date te th he geology of ou
country, one great esti aS ea those substances
are of most common occurrence in it.

Mr.
* is, Vol. I. ..71) of this Journal, we published the instructions of
Brongniart en. cting geological spec especially those ovare J
remains. Wishing to give as wide x sinepntens as ee

= ¢ ee om pociak snaiee: CORNET Ye:
Saitoh: the ioe 3 of Professor Buc wat, Swe mistake
will be found like those of Mr. Brongniart, to be drawn up with that s

ich we migh ot from men sot subject.

Vou. Til.....No. 2. 32

250 Professor Buckland’s Instructions, §c.

The best authorities to be consulted are engineers, min-
ers, serie well-diggers, and quarry-men: the latter have
in the course of their work, constant 5) Absa in A of col-
focting: wae is most valuable, viz. fragments of stone
containing in them the petrified remains of vitae and
vegetables; and it requires no knowledge of geology to ob-
tain from such persons good information and specimens.

t is desirable to get From every country — of
all the varieties of rocks occurring in it; e. g. of building-
stone, free stone, marble, or peace slate, and all kinds of
commo; every variety of fossil shells,
plants, bones and mathition? ores, with a list of all the places
where similar rocks and similar organic remains are known
to exist.

If several varieties of stone occur in the same ole or
quarry, specimens of each should be taken and numbered
according to their order of succession, marking the upper-

- 1. and thence descending. The thickness and
oS of =< bed should be also mentioned, and whether
shells, plants, or pebbles in them; if they do,

; asene each should be collected.

tT the rocks are stratified, i. e : divided. into beds, it
should be noticed whether they are horizontal or inclined,
or contorted.

If inelined it should - — at what angle, and towards
what point of the com
contorted, a sketch wd be desirable.
Slight sketches of any sections of strata on the sea-coast,
their inclination, and marking the changes that oc-
cur in their substance and colour, will be of great value.
here there are wells, it will be desirable to get a list of
the strata sunk through in digging them, giving t the thickness
of each from the surface downwards.

In volcanic districts to get a list of volcanos now in action,
and of the craters of volcanos ; stating their position and
distance from the nearest town.

To get a list of all places known to contain coal, bitu-
amen, | abaster, metallic ores, and precious stones;
their kinds, and to 58% pee they have been

: ‘Toes besa pie, specimens of the coal itself, and of the
‘“aiterentstrata sunk through to obtain it, es those which
med Hingeensiome of plants on them, will be valuable: Also

Professor Buckland’s Instructions, &c. 251

a list of the number and thickness of each of the beds of
coal and their supposed extent, stating whether limestone
or iron ore, or springs of bitumen occur near them

Fossil plants, corals, shells, fish, and bones of all kinds,
with a portion of the rock in which they are found, are of
all specimens the most valuable. Also fossil tusks and teet
and horns of elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, ox, stag,

e. which abound in diluvian gravel over Europe,
North America, and Siberia.

If there be any example of petrified human bones, spe-
cimens of them, accompanied by portions of the substan-
ces in which they occur, and a Pp tal a of their
situation and circumstances, are particu ae gee they
should be sought in beds of Fiavien gravel, which are
— abundantly over the surface of all great vallies in the

Rules for selecting and conveying specimens.

In selecting specimens of common rocks, the best size is
that of a common flat piece of Windsor soap, taking not the
outside bit, but thesecond slice that is struck from the block
by the osm 2

Ev imen should be ticketed write the name of the
place vs it is Sead, or with a letter or number referring
to a catalogue describing it: in case of places little known,
their distance from the nearest important town, and in what
rs should be specified.

ry specimen should be wrapped in a separate piece
of nici and the whole closely packed with moss or hay,
ina barrel or strong box, to be sent by ship to London, di-
rected to “Rev. Professor Buckland, Museum, Oxford, to
the care of Mr. Hansemann, 5 Mead-street, streel

ho, London.” The bill of lading, with ppt ox 0
aitival of the vessel, should be sent to > Mr. Hunnem
= —— —, agent, and will duly rade ola

, a | i , a oe 9 ‘a i ee 4, 3 list of the t ake ab
scriptive of feaeigo countries, specifying how far they are correct, and their
time and place ¢ ’ publication ; vad alg tof themes ad address of
he naturalists that be resident in them, s

natural history they have given most they would
ee se correspond wi ith persons in England who are devoted to the
same purst

252 Bursting of Lakes through Mountams.
Art. V.— Bursting of Lakes through Mountains.
(Communicated for this Journal by the author.)

TO PROFESSOR SILLIMAN.

§
torn open by the pressure of Lake Ontario, of which that

philosophi
_ The Highlands from West Point are extended almost un-
broken into Georgia. In Jersey, this range of mountain
is known by the name of Kittatinny, from a tribe of In-
dians of that name that occupied a considerable extent of
‘strict along its base, near where the Delaware river passes
through it: in Pennsylvania it is distinguished by the name
of the South Mountain: and in Virginia it is known by the
aame of the Blue Ridge. 1 would adopt the Indian name,
and denominate the whole, the Kitiatinny mountain. North
east of Harrisburgh, it Sweeps round to the south east, cros
es the Susquehannah aboye Culumbia, and returns in a cif-
cular course until it regains its ordinary direction, south east
8 Carlisle. That bend is the lowest part of th

an range, known by that name in V

Bursting of Lakes through Mountains. 253

of Pocahontas, is continued from the North River into
Georgia, without interruption from even one ridge. I have
travelled along it nearly five hundred miles, at least I am
acquainted with it from Newburgh to Fincastle in Virginia.
e tide flows across this valley in the North River, 0

course it is here much lower than at Fincastle, which is two
hundred miles from the sea-board. So that the waters of
James River might be brought by a canal into the Hudson
river near Newburgh.

say nothing of the unpbilosophical hypothesis that
repreeaits the mountain torn asunder at six points simulta-
neously, it is most evident, that the supposed lake could
never have risen within five hundred feet of the summit of
the Highlands at West Point, as they would have dise
ed themselves over the summit of the mountain below
risburgh. ‘The same remark applies with still greater force
to the passage of the Potomac, at Harper’s Ferry.

But what is most decisive, the height of land on the route
of our northern canal, is only one hundred and fifteen feet
above the head of the tide at Still Water, on the Hudson.
Hence the waters of the lake would have discharged them-
selves by lake Champlain and the Sorrel into the St. Law~-
rence, before they could rise within fourteen hundred feet of
the summit of Butler Hill, near West Point.

Is it not the best theory of the earth, that the Creator, in
the beginning, at least at the general deluge, formed it with
all its present grand characteristic features ‘

If the above short dissertation comports with the design
of your Journal it is at your service.

ruly yours. phe
J. W. WILSON. —

Newburgh, 29th March, 1821. vin

* undoubtedly brought matter into
Po campoint govern it; the operation of thor ered ag nm
subject of eevee aeoain tad Remeis ie not the opera
tive course, fo the knot where it may he wnticd. Bia. =

7
254 Geology and Mineralogy of the

Art. VI.—Geological and Mineralogical Observations on
the North West Portion of Lake Huron ; by Dr. Joun
I. Biessy, of the Medical Staff of the British army in
Canada, and Assistant — under the 6th and 7th.
Articles of the Treaty of Ghent

TO THE EDITOR OF THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE.

Sir, f

very respectfully beg your acceptance of a few geolo-
gical observations on the north west portion of Lake Huron;
collected mae rather favorable circumstances in the sum-
mer of 1

The pa a ee Lake Huron under examination is contained
within the Latitudes 45° 46’ and 46° 20’; 3; and b the Lon-
gitudes 83° and 84°, with ‘some exceptions of small im-

rtance.

At the upper part of this space the waters of Lake Supe-
rior are ee through the medium of the straits of St.
Mary and the minor Lake, George ; and by three channels,
the sum of whose breadth perhaps does not exceed a mile—
as the interval of three leagues or more between the north
and south shores of Lake Huron, is here (lon. 84° lat. 46°
ond Bs ge a occupied by the large islands of La Crosse

hag with which we are more immediately con-
cerned, is compact in shape and woody, rising to the height
of five hundred feet in the centre. It is about sixty-five
ree in circumference. Its most southern point is at Fort
t. Joseph, in the latitude of 46° 5’—six miles north of
Drummond Island.

This latter island is the most western of the great Mani-
touline chain; which in the latitude of 45° 58’, divides the
Lake into two unequal parts. One extremity approaches
to within a mile of the South Main, in lon. 83° 52’, and the
other is contiguous to Cabot’s He: ad.

_Drummond’s Island is an assemblage of rocks and mo-
$< Seventeen to twenty miles long, by five in average

The iene Manitou, mo next presents itself in the line,
ae ar charac ter, > and is about seven miles in diameter.

3, pa: 278

N. W. Portion of Lake Huron. 255

- .Of the Grand Manitou, which now succeeds, little is
known. Its western termination is remarkable for its ma-
jestic precipices.

he northern mainland is high, barren and rocky; the
southern shore, being of a secondary formation, is level, and
abounding in marshes and the densest woods.

ts, the northern being rocky and of variable ele-
vation; and the southern more wid i in its level, and
generally lower: in its present form, the bed of the Hu-
ron Lake is covered with the debris of distant countries:
its rocks are furrowed and abraded ; its loftiest heights over-
thrown, (of greenstone, one of the most tenacious of miner-
als, as in the narrows of St. Joseph) separating large tracts
from the Main; and finally, passages from ten to twelve
miles wide and ten long, are forced in the Great Manitou-
line barrier itself. These violences,-and particularly the
first and last, indicate a more general and powerful agency
than that of a gradual accumulation of the waters of Lakes
Huron and Superior, whose united surplus requires only an
outlet of three hundred yards in breadth (R. St. Clair) in
place of the four Manitouline Detours. The effect of a
gradual accumulation of water would have been to have fil-
led the north division of Lake Huron, and in the end, to

the ruins of annihilated mountains.

256 Geology and Mineralogy of the

and are round and smooth. ey are seen every where
but are collected principally in the interior of the coasts and
islands either in confused heaps, or in parallel ridges, and
crowning the highest acclivities in great numbers and the frag-
ments are of various dimensions. They belong almost exclu-
sively to the older orders of rocks, and are therefore of @
northerly origin. Granites, gneiss, mica slate, and porphyries
evail, of kinds which I never saw in situ, although [ have
skirted the north shore for two hundred miles, and have trav-
ersed the wilderness to the east north east for six hundred
miles. Mica slate I never met with in a fixed state, excepting
a few strata of the black variety at the Falls des Chat, on the
Ottawa.
The other class is small, angular and ragged. They are
most frequent on the beaches, whither they are driven by

waves.

A curious fact is presented by many parts of Lake Huron,
and very strikingly in the north channel to St. Mary’s. It
shews that the debris of the present day is nearly stationary-
The containing shores of this channel are of different forma-

tions, the one veing of limestone and the other of green-
stone; each shore is lined with its own debris, and without
admixture. A few well rolled granites, puddingstones and
an | i greenstone do however occur among the cal-
careous matter.

In the spring the ice occasionally removes fragments of

eat size. During the winter it surrounds those which are
placed in the shallows, and on being broken up in April by
mild weather, and a casual rise of water,* it carries them to
some other shore. Remarkable instances of this are found
on the islets near the south end of St. Joseph, where a few
yards from the water and little above its level, are deposit-
ed rolled stones some yards in diameter, with a furrow eX-
tending from them to the water, most probably tracing the

last steps of the route to their place of rest.

- (Changes in the form of the bed of the lake indicate very
strongly changes also in the nature and quantity of its water-

* This is very commonly ob ind’s blowing from
ac ring Se only observed on the wind’s blowing a few days 3

N. W. Portion of Lake Huron. 257

I believe (together with Dr. Mitchill of New-York) that
it has been formerly salt, and that in the course e of time it
has been diluted b rivers, rains, snow, and dews: a ~~
stant drain materially assisting. ‘The sturgeon, a sea fish, i
frequent in this lake and in great perfection. The falls of Ni-
agara prevent their access from the sea. The very immen-
sity of the flood which has buried a continent, identifies it
with the ocean. But I need not multiply proofs after Dr.
Mitchill’s powerful sepa of evidences

Many of the facts just stated, shew that the waters of Lake
Huron | have been i in “much greater quantity than at present:

marshy alluvions, and the exten-
sive collections of sand around the bases of recipices, and
on the sides of heights. Ancient beaches are not uncom-
mon at some distance from the water, as on)
Manitou. It is likewise evinced by the belts of rolled mass
- es which gird one slope, and even mark the successive
retreats of the la

The dense spdecisicls which covers the islands and envi-
rons of Lake Huron, restricts our geological inquiries in a
great measure to the immediate edge of the water; a nar-
row border Panos the nature and stratification of the rock
are disguised by multitade of causes.

The rocks of ais districts embraced in the tour of 1820.
belong to the transition and secondary classes of Werner.

he transition formation occupies the north shore of the
lake and some of its subordinate islets, from lon. 83° 42! to
the foot of Lake George. From the small portion submit-
ted to examination, it is difficult to detect their relation with
the rocks around them, and even their comparative ages I
was unable to assign positively, from their never over-lying
each other, and from their various and often indistinct ineli-
nations. They sett to be eneotinediate ‘to -Ahe _primiti

— north east being situated in inaccessible fastnesses, T am
nt of their nature. On penetrating for two miles in
Kes direction by means of a marshy creek, I found =

limestone is universal. “Easterly they are bordered by : a
very 9 ~ aa 4 ra which, as soy as my limited experi-
Vo No.

258 Geology and Mineralogy of the

ence or reading avails me, is unexampled. I refer to a rock

which has induced the Canadian voyagers to give to the
seis around the Missassaga river the characteristic appel-
lation of “ Le Serpent.”

The extent of this rock im any direction I have not as-
certained. I first observed it on the northern mainland,
fifteen* miles above the river Missassaga, and afterwards,
for many miles towards the river Thessalon, when morasses
and luxuriant forests conceal all traces of stratification, until
we reach the nei Eghbortiond of the greenstone, about to
described.+

It is an intermixture, in the large, of a light coloured
greenstone, and a granitous compound of minute texture,
fcohstsiing af white quarts and red feldspar, the latter being
in excess.) stanees mutu enetrate and tra-
verse each jai in nearly equal — so that either
may be considered matrix or vein at pleasare ; and each is
indicated externally by knotty, —_ waved, or stellular
cudaearseene 9 its own proper color, which is lively and

trongly cont: ys ins res.
the direction of this “ Serpent rock is ndtih west, with
a south west dip at an angle of 70°. Accompanying it, in
the lake, a few granite cvenaids rise above the water, hold-
ing a northerly course, an sel of the low level of the
primitive rocks in
We have here an instance of a third rock being formed
peak ithe i Seige union of two others, pre-existing and co-
smporane hich have met in the same state of fluidity.
a fave esis eathled by violent agitation or strong cur-
rents, to A iageast en into each other’s strueture in 2
very equable m
Its pen ys relations and its origin, place it among the
transition class of roe
asterly from this locality for twenty miles or more, por-
cing granites, gneiss and alternate along shore in
s forming islets, naked rocks and reefs, the granite ~

z

*] was wind-bound for two sya there.

among eteaipe, which circu vtitench dia to examine ;
but from their brown color, close textu: oe ie
trap: particalatly as ? eg c. “s pea the: them 2

NV. W. Portion of Lake Huron. 259

gneiss having a northern direction, and the trap a south west
course.

These last named rocks are distinctly primitive, and are
supported on the north and north east by others of that or-
der, as for instance, for thirty-seven miles further to the east
is a large trappose* formation, at the west end toes into
greenstone, but at the eastern being nearly a pur ‘n-
blende, highly crystalline, and rising in precisa which
reflect a metallic lustre in certain positions. The islands of

Cloche are of this substance, which occasionally be-
comes a pois da and has given to this picturesque cluster
its present na

The rocks oe two hundred miles to the north east of this
Spee are, with the exception of a little white tanrble in invari-

'y small grained quartzose gneiss.

Having now cursorily noticed the geology of the. eoualty
in connection with the transition rocks of the north west por=
tion of Lake Huron, I shall enter upon their description.
__A greenstone in various modifications occupies the north
main, from lon, 82° 42’ to the head of the Narrows of St.
Joseph, a distance perhaps of twelve miles. In the exten-
sive marshy bay, east of the broad omontery ts in the mid-

| distance, this rock forms islets (either barren or
fringed with a scanty 1 vegetation,) Fildes from the water in
round and smooth ridges. Itis the same here as at the low-
erend of the promontory, where it is a dark pbpepteti
very compact, yet shewing a schistose tendency in its we
ered portions. It is rather thickly studded with rolled
masses of from one to eighteen inches in diameter, of the
red Erosion ingredient in the Serpent rock—a curious fact.

ome parts of this headland these fragments are so nue

pats as to give to the rock the character of a
rate; the imbedded substances being a large proportion. of
the whole. |

‘They disappear gradu: lly, bot entirely or nearly 20, and
the form of a splintery greenstone slate
sumed, differently colored, commonly of 2 a dak ra iw,

_# With a south: woe cti fad vetiol ‘Aang te one lve

e

+ The want of appellations for the. ferent localities i is Fae felt in
speaking of unfrequented countries.

260 Geology and Mineralogy of the

but running both abruptly and insensibly into cream or
straw yellow, red, blue, and light green. It clearly observes
a north west course, either at a high angle north east, or ver-
tically. This greenstone is a slate on the south east side of
the excellent harbor at the west end of the promontory.

he greenstone of the contiguous large island (proceeding
north west) is at first fora short distance brown, in shades,
and slaty, and then becomes almost pure hornblende, split-
ting into thick blocks, and containing few or no nodules ;
occasionally however changing to a reddish hue from a pre-
deipmagee of feldspar, as the flattened rhombs of that min-
eral in the fissures would seem toindicate. The rock soon
after continues to the end of the island in the form it wore
on the promontory, with smaller granitoid nodules. Some-
times the splinteriness is remarkably great. The direction,
&e. continue the same.

rals found are galena, in a thready vein three yards long,
“ipping obliquely into the rock, and cale spar

am at present unable to apply the proper tests from not hay-

N. W. Portion of Lake Huron. 261

splintery ; so much so that the precipice Saaueny. ere
into a steep declivity of schistose debris. At ead of
the narrows the greenstone is much less las wsters and
dips into the clear and deep waters in compact walls of al-
most pure hornblende. ‘The contiguous islets (filling up the
interval of a mile between St Joseph and the aaa
a similar formation, and are composed of aggregated ridges,
rising to a-great height, and presenting to the current rapid
slopes of smooth rocks or perpendicular cliffs.*

he head of the narrows being the seat of a strong cur-
rent, is one of the north west limits of Lake Huron, Ad-

bine of islets, dividing the lower fror the upper basin. fe
a new order of rocks occurs.

It is of quartz and is of the transition class, as appears
from its associations, its inclination and the breccias and
nodules which it frequently contains. It prevails from owe
to Lake George, (five and a half miles.) Its direction is

north west, with a dip either vertical or beens
but at the islets of Encam pment Douce, at the foot of the
rapids of the Great Nibish, this is perhaps not quite so evi-
dent from the inn numerable rents and dislocations, and from
original displacements.

On the third large island from the rapid of the basins,
(above mentioned) a parallel stratum of almost sienitic
greenstone occurs, “ia the same is seen on the main three’
miles north north west. It may be a continuation of te

* Dir. N. W. jes ciel :

262 | Geology and Mineralogy of the

ture is earthy-conchoidal. The only substance I met witli
in its fissures was brilliant and well-formed quartzose prisms
of a red colour.

The north shore only of the upper basin exhibits any
stratification and it is of the transition quartz; but whether
precisely of the same species as that of the rapid of the ba-
sins I know not. At Encampment Douce it changes; in
becoming crystalline, compact, translucent at the edges,

oidal, and in passing occasionally by imperceptible
shades into a feldspathic form; the fracture being then foli-
, fragments schistose, lustre shining, and the translu-
cency at the edges very slight. Itis very commonly stud-
ded with nodules of red and brown Jasper, averaging an
inch in diameter, and often arranging themselves in the
form of belts or stripes of from one to five feet in breadth,
mingled with round pebbles of white and black quartz.
Every part of the north west portion of Lake Huron abounds
ina compan ate of this rock ; rich in Jaspers of all col-
ours, and occurring in blocks of great magnitude. J never
met with this species in situ. .
portions of black acd brown heematite are noi
eatrequant in the rock of Encampment Douce, and are as-
sociated with a bluish black, scaly, ore ; of iron I suppose.
Quartz is sometimes met with i ina state of crystallization.

I have not traced the transition farther than two miles up
the Great Nibish rapids.

Havi ished the observations on this class of rocks,
ihe following inferences may not be out of place.

The “Serpent” rock was not deposited in the Wernerian
method of gradual deposition, but it is the product of the
forced union of two nascent formations; and which it is
most easy to conceive took place horizontally, and not in
their present inclination : thereby pointing out an after-de-
pression or elevatio

All this applies equally to the iecibions conglomerate
of which it may be remarked that a different era
from the ‘“ Serpent” rock, though Sool of nearly the
‘Same ingredients. The granitous compound is here in the
form of rolled balls; which indicates that it had previously
eee a dormant had been reduced to fragments and

ibjec

N. W. Portion of Lake Huron. 263

It may be conjectured that these two rocks owe their ori-
gin to the trap and granite on the north east, or that they
have been evolved from the same repository but in closer
combination,

The Huttonian theory explains these phenomena, by pro-
viding powers and materials. cagteaie”

urther evidences of the convulsions to which this part
of Lake Huron has been submitted, are afforded by the six
distinct species of conglomerate in the state of debris, and
as many of breccia which every where abound ;* and by the
brecciated and vesicular limestones of Michilimackinac.

Most probably the first fletz sandstone is the rock in jux~
ta position on the north west, with the transition quartz
just described. PE a ge eee os
* Jt have not visited in favorable circumstances the line of
junction, and I saw the former first distinctly at the falls of St.
Mary, among the petty rapids of the marshy islets around
the falls. In the summer of 1819, while travelling in a ca-

clets. It is the sandstone of the .
without so large an impregnation of irom.
2 . i :

No fixed stratum, I believe.
of St. Joseph, or ia the

264 Geology and Mineralogy of the

latitude of the Manitoulines. With the exception of the

narrow selyage of transition and primitive on the North main-
land, the whole of Lake Huron rests on secondary lime-
stone. I have myself noticed it encroaching on those elass-
es as far East as the river des Francois on the North shore
—and found it to be the only livingrock in the South and in
the Manitouline chain of Islands; including that of St. Joseph.

The calcareous basin of Lake Huros (and the remark
may Me extended to Lower and Upper Canada) differs from

urope* in essential particulars: in being often
Tetrergsialline and full of organic remains while in contact
with the oldest rocks—without observing their direction and
inclination, Again in the Canadas, limestones deposited in
the midst of fletz countries are sometimes highly crystalline
and crowded with fossilized animals. )

The following facts illustrate these observations.

Between the mouth of the River Des Francois and the
groupe. of eas 8 named La Cloche, there are several isles
aeons ; ude | we centre or nucleus is of gneiss, lof-

sone NNER a broad zone of dark coloured
iene] limestone wiih is loaded with vegetation. I
landed on one of them and found the rock to be soft and
knotty, and full of organic remains. The same appesiaeey
occurs between La Cloche and Messassaga.

A gentleman of the party met with an island off the River

salon composed of a number of parallel ridges of gran-
ite much disturbed and broken; whose intervals contain
l limestone thus. [See the Plate, fic, 2.

- Inthe rear of the promontory of the Cedar Island, passage
near Kingston, on Lake Ontario, I observed horizontal
compact, dull, brown limestone overlying gneiss in a simni-
Jar manner. F. arther east, in the contracting portion of pete
Ontario, this Rock forms the immediate bank with
primitive emerging behind it thus. [See the Plate fig. 3]

The intervals of these mounds te often (as in Lake Hu-
Ton filled with secondary lim
oceurrence nearly. the same’ wads place at the Falls
of. “Montmorenci near bec

Repeated instances are a with j in the thousand slands

where _ —* Psat ~~ in hor-
zontal aay on granite

* Europe, however, does contain a few similar scenes

NV. W. portion of Lake Huron. 265

The crystalline grey or brown limestone of the Island of
Montreal, of the Falls of the Chaudiere on the river Ottawa;
and of the Falls of oe erage} and Point Aux Trembles
near Quebec, are example econdary strata assuming
the structure of the obiastive olla: Their fracture is slaty
in the large, and imperfectly conchoidal in the small.
yield to the knife, but not to the nail. Their Rope 3
face is full of rhomboidal facets, and resembles that
blende. They are at the same time full of uidalven! turbi-
nites, pensions of coral, SF fibres of wood, and of small

prs and the islets on the no re—that of the ana.
line Range and that of Michilinactinne:

_'To commence with that of St. Joseph, as being nearest
the elder rocks, it is of various shades of brown, which are
usually light. It is soft, knotty, schistose, and of an imper-
fect conchoidal fracture.

It seldom shews itself in ledges of more bert two yards
high, and then is much abe the fragments being mes
and weathered. The lower strata are often ro a
tinge—not occasioned by decaying vegetables and re
fecting the surface, but also the aaped and sound -

This variety is remarkable for its number of what appear to

be clove brown shells, oblong, and of the size of rae seeds.

On Isle Vert, (six miles East of St. Joseph, an

north shore) this substratum rests upon a very iam blackish

brown limestone so schistose as to be in fact a shale, as tru-

ly so as that of Niagara. It contains no shells. It is under
water. Rhomboidal, pearl, and Tonveous cale Sper aee ‘the

umeration of its remains is placed in the the
appendix. I have to lament that Tau am not more familiar
ith this int re)
Phe li pares en er line Range although in part

on the same level with the species just described, bed, differ

from it in many respects; and thus themselves are not al-

ways the same. hat a basin of second eposition,

should contain on ie same in ae rocks of different charac-
Vor. FI.....No.

266 Geology and Mineralogy of the

ter, is a curious fact, and appears to lead to the conclusion
that the great solvent medium (according to Theories) may
have been, at the same moment, charged with several forms
of mineral substances in fields or districts; and without any
evident barrier ta prevent their commixture—a supposition
which involves a perfect state of repose or a steady motion
as in rivers, equality of specific gravity and of fluidity, &c. ;
of none of which conditions are we assured. _ :

in e Huron the brecciated and vesicular species of
Michilimackinac, the quartzose of the Grand Manitou and
Drummond, and the odorous variety of the Lesser Manitou
are on the same level.

The soft and brown kind of St. Joseph and the light col-
oured schistose and non-organic* of the Lesser Manitou are
both on the level of the Lake also.

sake Ontario presents similar appearances; extending
to sandstone. At Sackets Harbour thirty-five miles from
Kingston the limestone is of a very deep blue, and com-
monly largely studded with very convex bivalyes. At the
latter place on the same plane,-the limestone is brown
and blue, without a shell (as far as I saw) and abounding in
tremolite. At Gauanoque at the’ head of the one thousand
islands, on the same level with the limestone of Kingston is
a white quartzy sandstone which continues to line the de-
scent of the St. Lawrence to Montreal, covered by lime-
stone. Further, if it be allowed (and I believe it must be)
that during the first three miles from Lake Ontario, the Gen-
essee River does not ascend eighteen feet, we shall then
have the first fletz sandstone of that locality, the blue and

their being the vehicles of new facts respecting the Geology

of unexamined countries, (es

_ To return, the rocks of the Western part of the Manitou-

line Islands are so deranged, and so concealed by debris

and vegetation that it requires Opportunities superior to

mine to ascertain correctly the “mature of the successive
i i tay :

str a from the level of the. to the summit of the Grand

*

NV. W. portion of Lake Huron. 267

On the North side of the Lesser ees ua toward the
east end, the rock at the level of the inke is of two
kinds, the. one, white, hard, and so slaty as_ resemble a
shale, and without fossil’ remain: s, the other, cs 0] ntifully

d wi oft, full of kn

and very much less slaty. The interrupted low cliffs which
range along the acclivity of the Island from thirty to seven-
ty feet above the water, furnish a dull brown granular, rath-
er inant slaty limestone, which gives out a disagreeable odor

n percussion and is free from shells, as far as I could ob-
serve.

This island does not seem to agree in its geological for-
mation with Drummond Island. Its rocks are e very much
concealed by vegetation and debris. It is proper to register
every observation respecting these iceinthies: as. aes their
remoteness, total want of attractions and moreover from the
difficulty of subsistence, visits to them will be very rare and

rief.

The west end of the Grand Manitou, at the level of the
lake has a flooring similar to that of Collier’s Harbor, and
at the height of ten—thirty feet, a slaty rock like that of the
cliffs of the Lesser Manitou; but inodorous. This is in the

in general i is strewn with the oe lin
mond, and abounds in the same kind of organic Saeacl

* * These are Arwuieped accurate ee of spheres, ser 9 pe

See eae

and ahalf
another series of cay-

ities, They are so times to run into each other.

268 Geology and Mineralogy of the

Masses of honeycomb and chain madrepores are frequently
met with two or three yards in diameter ; but the material
of which they are composed being more calcareous they are
not so beautiful as those at Collier’s Harbour. A description
of the organic remains of the Manitoulines (as far as the
have been examined) will be found in the Appendix.

The island of Michilimackinac, (situated close to the
straight dividing Lakes Michigan and Huron; and in the
latter) is of an oval form and nine miles in diameter; the
long sides being lofty precipices rendered picturesque by
ir fantastic shapes and luxuriant shrubbery, and the short
sides, pebbled beaches.

e rocks are calcareous; and the clear idea of their na-
ture is afforded by the south-east extremity of the north-
east precipice which may be described as follows :—A few
soft strata, very thin, white and horizontal, shew themselves
at the top; but below this the limestone becomes yellow
and ragged. Much of it is compact, but it is more usually
occupied by vesicles (as from bubbles of air) encrusted with
crystals of quartz in botryoidal clusters. A few of them are
three or four feet in diameter, and contain smaller cavities
in several series. Other parts contiguous to this, are an ag-
gregate of angular fragments of slaty limestone cemented
as if by semifusion, and with interstices lined with quartzose
erystallizations. The size of the fragments varies from one

‘The north-west half of this long side of the Island de-
clines in height very gradually and consists of debris except-

A friend

fragments of the limestone of the Lesser Manitou on the
shore, penetrated by a multitude of short incisions as with
the point of a knife,

NV. W. Portion of Lake Huron. 269

The other long side possesses the same geological fea-
tures as the one just described. The breccia perhaps
abounds more here. The slaty portions are found at
tevel and at one place in strata two feet thick. About the
middle there is a cave, about three yards in its great-
est depth, formed by the concurrence of several of the cay-
ernous, bowl-shaped hollows, thus creating one of great di-
mensions ; 3; whose interior is subdivided into smaller cavities
seri

The beach is covered almost exclusively with limestones
slaty, vesicular and brecciated. I saw the vesicular species
after it had been exposed to the heat of a kiln. It had suf-
fered a change of colour only from its ochry event to a

rown or black.

The stratified limestone burns profitably.
- ‘Two, if not three eras and modes of formation ie
clearly distinguishable. The first and oldest is the slate,
which is seen to floor the lake for miles around. Upon it
are supported two calcareous masses which mingle with
each other and with short slips of the schist in the greatest
disorder; and having a few of the broken flints interspers-
ed. In all ability they are veins of strata which have
been overw — by a sudden violent force. _

e been the means of comminuting,

and partially se this bed of limestone. Steam, a prin-
cipal agent, may have insinuated itself into the more yield-
ing portions ; and the whole, has finally, consolidated. ,

nag

The conglomerates are curious, and are met with
cipally in the shape of debris. Their heir matrices are
kinds, and greenstone. The quarizose species ¢ ee
hibits three forms—its nodules are sometimes exclusively,
translucent white quartz. In other i instances a are mass-
es of greenstone; but by far more y

270 Geology and Mineralogy of the

jasper,* red, green, ash, and greenish brown and black, e1
ther uniform, or in stripes and clouds. The first and last
of these species often run into each other.

The greenstone conglomerates are also of three kinds—
that of quartz nodules, of the granitous compound, of the
“ Serpent rock,” and of greenstone nodules.

Breccias of the same osebabeere with these conglome-
rates are not uncommon.

Near Collier’s Harbour and on an islet near the Grand
Manitou a curious mineral occurs in rolled fragments of close

pont
“Itis in the form of octohedral crystals with rounded edg-
s—one specimen was found three inches in length and two
and a half in breadth. A section discovers the following
appearances. The external coating is a slender layer of
co part -~ mica in ig ee arranged frag-

where, howev y disappear in the form of a whitish
yellow saci “TSec plate, fig. 4

The organic remains of the limestone of St. Joseph in-
clude numerous and very extraordinary appearances similar
to what Dr. Lloyd of Oxford in his Ichnographia calls Al-
veoli—cylindrical tubes or cases, of various sizes—sometimes
giving 0} branches,—belemnites, coralites, impressions of
weeds, four species of entrocite, five of bivalves, trochites
and turbinites.t There are also, honey comb and chain
madrepores, and many singular impressions &c. which are
perhaps non-descript; but no adequate idea can be formed
of them without accompanying sketches.

wing No. 5, is one fourth of the size of a relic ta-

ken from a small island off the river Thessalon on the north
coast of Lake Huron. It was found imbedded in a large
fragment of limestone. The raised and more perfect por-
tion is ach above the matrix, one and a half ces
pater <hecamacant.: the delin-

* In some rar 4h jasper, in-
an ie Saeed Spr previous to the formation of the

+The sellin Lake Huron, a present existing, ‘attiaghee: taint,
cochlites, turbinites and various bivalves. a r

*

NV. W. Portion of Lake Huron. 271

pone rent. The interior consists of cale spar. At the right
d there is a smooth cylinder one inch in diameter and

oe and a half inches long, issuing obliquely from the body
of the Remain. I can offer no conjecture as to the nature of
this substance, except that they are oritinderedita™ The
have been called fossilized sturgeon, but the direction of
the flakes in that fish, and an examination of a transverse sec-
tion forbid the idea. They were first noticed in 1820 by a
surveying party.

All these remains are calcareous.

The fossilized remains of the Manitouline ag Pes be
the subject of a separate paper, as together w of St.
se and was necessary orca they occu “fifty-five

Sy are wholly or etal imbedded. They are composed
of quartz with a small proportion of lime. Their colour is
brown of different shades. The external surface is more or
less situated longitudinally. The interior is filled with a
granular, sandstone-like substance, or presents radii i issu-
ing from the centre, or irregular cavities lined wit

and botryoidal calcedony. They are more or less fiaiienis
ed, but sometimes they are nearly circular. No. 6 is the
most common form. The usual length of a joint is an
inch. I have seen one, two inches long, and with a mode-
rate breadth. The latter dimension has never exceeded
two and a half inches or been less than one inch. No. 6 is
illustrative of the ordinary expansion at the socket part of the
joint. No.7 presents great expansion at this part with mod-
erate size. “ragments only have been found. I have seen
hy: ‘The longest is twenty-seven inches, which tapers
g to one extremity, a Eecaminies not observed in
any othe case. "Two fragments of similar form have been

met with lying parallel and contiguous exam-
ple one is partially imbedded in the other without mutual
ement. ibst greatly resemble vertebra.

rarige :
of what animals 1 know not. They belong to members of
* Judging from the drawing, these remains appear to | us similar to some

found south of Lake Ontario, and which Mr. Brongniart thinks are or-
thoceratites.—-Vid. p. 222 of this Vol —{ Editor.)

272 Geology and Mineralogy of the

the same family, but their diversity of form indicates differ-
ent organizations and consequent faculties and habits. It is
remarkable that these remains have no processes, nor place
of insertion for other bones.
» Quebec, March 25, 1821.

Extract from. the letter which accompanied the preceding
; memoir.

Possibly too a stress has been laid on limestone of
recent een d in contact with granite without
observing i its énalinat tion

The want of a more ‘dered Topography of these dis-
tricts is greatly felt: from its length and tediousness, it is
incompatible with the plan and interests of a periodical
work. J hope the epitome I have prefixed willsuffice. It
would have ieee impossible to — furnished engravings
for all the organic remains—their description occupies fifty
six pages. Topography and Geology with its appen-
dix fill one honed and twenty pages of matter equally con-
densed with those now before you. This has been present-
ed to the Earl of Dalhousie.

e do not think so; this fact as well as many others mentioned by Dr:
Bigsby is very curious and interesting.—[ Ed. |

Dr. J. Porter’s Floral Calendar, &c. 273

BOTANY.
——i——
Axt. VIL—Floral* and Miscellaneous Calendar for Plaip-
Sield, Mass. 100 miles West of Boston, (Lat. su
about 42° 30! N. an nd Lon. West aoa Lond. 73°—more
than 100 miles an d,)
by me Jacoz Poisik

Remark.—Floral Calendars, very much in detail, ering be been objected to
by come | eae the editor has selected eae what he supposed the author
sth iar n

It ap ppears < this Journal hegre e course of five mon
twenty rain ys occ’ creel. ack uke ee same period there were Sn
loudy and days, but without r rain. The notices of tem emperature, , and

wee er being

generally omitted y except. ple some connected circumstances ren-
dered them interesting.—
1819.—Jan. 24.—Common chickweed partly, and hair-
cap moss fully blown.
Feb. 8. Before this date, the roads were settled and trav-

26. Heavy snow.

March, 17, 18. Snow in some nee ten or twelve feet
deep, and so hard as to bear men and animals.

April 2. 2. The first blue-bird seen. In some some places the
snow is still above the tops of the fences, Sates conceal-
ing them. ‘The farmers are now tapping their sugar-maple
trees, which are very abundant here, and farnish the domes-
tic tow of of sugar ; the tapping of the trees began before

aig

3. W The song of ~~ a heard for the first time.
a Siukinet bird heard
il. The aments of tle alder and poplar consi 5
swelled.
13. At sunrise a very large and beautiful rainbow. The
fence about two thirds bare, though in some p
are —— concealed by the snow. Several chirp-

4, Pe Riot kniieliy: seen; the bees are also beginning
to a abroad and the song of the marsh quail has been
* The dates may be considered as being generally those that relate to the

earliest events of of the kind, —
Vor. WI....No. 2. 35

274 Dr. J. Porter's Floral and

heard for a few days past. Making sugar is now the em-
ployment of our farmers.

15. So warm that we sat with open windows. The al-
der in blossom, its beautiful aments waving gracefully over
the snow. The buds of the hazel are also tipped with red.

16. The threelobed hepatica or liver leaf begins to show
its buds. ra

17. A severe storm of rain, snow and hail, attended with
some thunder and lightning.

21. The hazel and hepatica in blossom.

22. The croaking of the frogs is heard for the first time.

23. Found the clatonia or spring beauty in flower at
Worthington. Some deep snow-banks still. |

24. Sun eclipsed.

26. Farmers are now beginning to plough.

27. Roundleaved violet in blosso n.

28. Woodpeckers and blackbirds appear.

29. Swamp willow in t ossom. : Soe
May 1. So warm that an umbrella is. agreeable. Ery-
thronium or adders tongue in blossom. ,

. Early corydalis or colic weed and two species of sedge
in blossom ; the trees are beginning to put forth their leaves,
the chirping of the wren is heard, and the groves are full o!
music.

3. Lombardy poplar and Canada violet in blossom.
4. Observed the balm of gilead, red maple, yellow birch,
rhomboidal trillium, sessileleaved uvularia or bellwort, the
delicate chrysosplenium or golden saxifrage and field equis-
etum in flower. The sun shines with a scorching heat, and

a bank of snow is still to be seen on the hills,

but the long delicate
over our head, appear

Miscellaneous Calendar. 975

like the frmge of an umbrella. The herbaceous plants are
flowering every where, and the etals of the roundleaved
violet, in particular, resemble specks of gold scattered
around the path.
ound the viburnum, the blue violet and the delicate
three leaved panax in blossom. This beautiful species of
— is very abundant with us
. Found se beech tree and threeleaved arum or indian
sesahe in flowe
12. The yelow violet and prostrate mitella in biodsemn.
The first snake se
14. The soe bet and red berried elder in blossom.
17. The plumb tree and dentaria or tooth root in blossom.
Plumb trees do not succeed well wich us, many of them having
larze black excrescences on their limbs. Peach trees do
not succeed at all; indeed, very few at present attempt to
cultivate them. "The root of the dentaria has a sharp
spicy taste, not unlike that of horse radish. ‘* Radices,”
says Michaux, “ab indigenis, loco sinapis, pro ciborum con-
dimentis escort
wild red meee th tree, aronia or shad tree, cow-
= and “eae in bloss
9iThe — veronia or sith ppcodwelt and two ape

cia es of gana in flower.

20. reslenved coptis ‘or gold thread and if a
in blossom. %

21. Pleasant. Farmers are engaged i in planting dheie | si:
tatoes and indian corn, which has been deferred till now on
account of the late storm. The first yellow bird seen.

22. iat and pleasant. Found the apple, peach and
red cherry trees, the iron-wood, june-berry, and anemone,
twoleaved calli painted trillium, wild gooseberry bush,
caulophyllum, slender rush, two species “- a
two of saxifrage in flower on

ummington. —
= 33. lee te The moose-wood oad aaa rose-
flowered convallaria ‘in blossom. The last is the rosy strep-

of Michaux.
re Sonne ‘in flower. The bob of lincoln and king-
bird; seen for the first time. :

25. Shepherd’s purse and common cerastium, or mouse
ear chickweed i jn bloom eH =

276 Dr. J. Porter’s Floral and
26. Windy and cold; in the morning a beautiful rain-.

ow.

27. Dwarf cornel and hispid gaultheria in ower. The
latter is sometimes used by the common people as a substi-
tute for tea.

28. Clear and cold. This morning the ground is white
with frost. i

29. Frost this morning.

31. Our orchards are now in full bloom.

June 1. Large convallaria in flower.

ria, veratrum or poke root, water erysimum, trientalis, wa-
ter cress and a beautiful species of gooseberry bush in flow-
er, the most of them on the banks of Westfield river, Cum-
mington. The delicate trientalis is the only native plant,
that we have of the seventh class.

4. Visited the bog in Goshen, where I found the black
chokeberry, the glaucous kalmia, the dwarf and rosemary
leaved, andromedas, a species of eriophorum or cotton
grass, the stemless cypripedium or lady’s slipper, and two
species of vaccinium in flower. To the botanist this is an
interesting spot, and I would take the liberty of recommend-
ing it with emphasis to the attention of botanists. The
pine, larch, mountain ash, sarracenia and many other very

7. Very warm; towards night a thunder shower. Black

hen | pright wood,
sorrel and raspberry bush; at Williamsburg the locust tree
high blackberry and thimble est and wild colum-
bine, red clover and common potentilla ; and at Northamp-

Miscellaneous Calendar. 77

om the barberry bush, two species of honeysuckle, one of
m growing wild, two species of azalea or swamp pin

ht a kalmia, spotted geranium, red top and foxtail

-_ a lilac, snow ball, rye and many other exotics.

mely warm; towards night a severe thunder

storm. iio, iris or mee flag in flower at the same
place. The first fire fly se

10. The prunella, small Spiigdhces and delicate krigia in

flower at Northampton; longstalked smilax at Williams-

urg.

12. In the morning, sharp thunder poe lightning with tor-
rents of rain; in the afternoon pleasa

13. The white flowered oxalis or aul wood sorrel in
blossom.

14, arene hydrophyihim or burr flower in blossom.

15. Pleasant. Strawberries which are excellent and
ae abundant bere, are now beginning to ripen
6. Warm. Found the red connel, golden senecia Or

gwar and threeleaved convallaria in blossom at Cum-
mingt

17. ii euee ash, Norway potentilla and common alsine
or chickweed in blossom i ee

18. er species 0 cbagge ooober a very ae
-— of spergula in bloom. ote exer, thunder

rm with some hail; in the | Me ar di

avers, with large hailstones ae torrents of rain; ohn hail
in some parts of the town, so large as to break the glass.

19. Windy. Found the grape vine, broadleaved kalmia, —
purple sarracenia or meadow cups, common ium or clea-
vers, white weed, large veronica or marsh speedwell and
circea or enchanter’s night shade in blossom at Cumming-
ton. The fantastic sarracenia grows aiso at Goshen, Ash-
field and Hawley. Doctor David Hunt also informed me
that he has found at pa kes numerous specimens of
the sarracenia with yellow blosso

20. Ver easant. The ganic. ile mall tig and

so discovered it in the east part of Savoy, on each side of
the county road leading from Plainfield to Adams. All the
specimens that I have seen, are didynamous.

278 Dr. J. Porter’s Floral and

21. Pleasant; clouds uncommonly beautiful. Yellow
ter lily, potamogeton or floating pond weed, plantain,
ctinbing polygonum and glechoma or ground i ivy in blos-
som.
23. Common fleabane in blossom
25. Found the broadleaved edit or Eaberder* tea,

Hawley meeting house, a most interesting spot. Observed
the common cynaglossum or hound’s tongue and the woody
ihtshade or at ee in flower by the road side.
' 26. False flax in

27. Some of our “fields and pastures are now so com-
pletely covered with the blossoms of the common ranuncu-
lus, here called the yellow weed, as to ote the appearance
of being wrapt in sheets of gold

28. aoe mustard i in bloss

29. wild Pose; mitchell mee a species of panic

grass in in blossom.
a in blossom, and — corn Bepiiniiie to tassel.
July 1. Lilyleaved malaxis in blossom
ax, motherwort, sow-thistle, ramets or mon-
key flower and climbing celastrus or saff tree in flower, the
two last on the banks of Westfield river, Cummington.
3. Blackberried elder, bristly aralia, large enothera, round
leaved mallows and small flowered hypericum in blossom.
In the evening a comet seen in ie northwest.

. Fair. “Mallen, common asclepias or enithsyded,
fringe flowered orchis and sheuided pyrola in blossom.
rost this morni Air uncommonly clear and

weather very fine. Found the large flowered raspberry,
common hypericum or johnswort, agrimony, Virginia or
tall anemone, field thyme, two species of avens and two of
alium or cleavers in blossom, on the south side of Deer
Cummington. Spiked epilobium or willow herb and
mmom nettle, also in ‘blossomn. The red raspberry is be-
0 ripen.
dleaved érehiet in blossom.
Aoundleaved hypericum, Canada or enideAcuvell ray
C ined purple vervain in flower, and currants begin-
ning to ripen. © Farmers are beginning to cut their grass.
"9. Very warm. Mustard, catmint, buckwheat, common

Miscellaneous Calendar. 279

spergula or tangle weed, and the climbing red flowered bean
in blossom ; the last attracts the humming bird.

12. Found the common sumach, white spirea, panicled
andromeda, upright lysimachia, tpberous eymbidium, white
nymphea or fragrant water lily, adder’s tongue, arethusa,
comarum or marsh fivefinger, common typha and a hand-
some species of scutellaria or skull cap in flower, and june-
joe ee ripe oF inser bog. The fragrant nymphea grows

soa

13. Wecsinet very fine. Umbelled abipephile, common
stachys or hedge nettle, and knot grass in

14 eat, cockle, spotted polygonum or heart’s ease,
common gnaphalium or life arenas? ane sage eed in
blossom. ee

15.. Cloudy. Powe i in. blossom.

16. Bass wood in schescess

17. Maize in blosso

18. Sueoare hoes penthorum and coloured willow-
herb in bloss

20. Masticleaved vervain in flower. The farmers are
busily yt in hay nfaking.

oudy, the sun shining at intervals with a scorch-
ing heat. Found the clematis or virgin’s peer tansy,
heartleaved lysimachia, ia, hop, yellow nodding lily r is
or touch me not, and a delicate species of + gordi in flow-
er, the most of them in the meadows at Cummington. | ‘The
hop grows wild at this place. The spring and summer
have been, thus far, very favourable to vegetation; indian
corn and potatoes, very flourishing; grass, not so good as
usual, owing, probably, to the open winter; peas, fit for the
tabs Crickets begin to chirp. «x
22. Very warm. Found the hydropeltis or water shi
cordate. pontederia, sheathleaved aula or bog |
roundleaved drosera or sundew, transparen cau |
pewort, and a species of priuos in flower. = the: Crooked
ee During the latter part of the season, this i is a vad!
interesting place of resort to the botanist.
23. Weather the same. W:

pig weed in blossom. - The first mentioned plant is natural-

ized and very ¢ this the neighbo ns
24. Found the cor common amaranth, elecampane, @ ‘ampelop-

sis, sideflowering skull cap, one flowered monotrapa and

280 Dr. J. Porter’s Floral and

whorled eupatorium in blossom, the most of them at Cum-
mington. e asters are also beginning to blossom.

26. Spear thistle in blossom

31. Cucumbers fit for the table.

August 2. Whiteflowered cynoglossum, common eupa-
torium or thoroughwort and linearleaved epilabium in blos-
som. Notwithstanding the extreme heat the summer,
itis still ag healthy ; no prevailing diseas

‘ ambrosia or man witiawiodd in blossom, and
high blackbertes ripe.
~ 6. Green corn fit for the table.
7 Efensely warm. There are at present some cases of
oad among u
. The golden aa of which we have several species,
are ahd to blossom. I once used a tincture of the
root of our most common species in brandy, as a tonic in ~
my own case of spitting blood from the lungs, with very
considerable oe The ket’ dose for an adult, is a ta-
or three times a day.

9. Finger tied in ‘hinders Grasshoppers very abund-
ant for two or three weeks past

10. Warm and pleasant; dlonds cumulous and very
beautiful. Annual flea bane, burdock, chelone or snake
head, wild sunflower, fennelleaved cicuta and two species of
sagittaria in flower; all, except the two first, on the banks
of Westfield river.

11. Potatoes fit for the table.

12. Currant bushes defoliating.

13. Found the downyleaved spirea, or hardhack, and
longleaved drosera in blossom, and high blue whortlebe
ries ripe at the crooked pond. Small berries or the ik:
mon gaultheria

18. Collinsona, gto and commom hieracium in
flower at Cummington

19. ps sparganium in flower at Hawley. Farmers

ge arvesting their wheat, rye and oats ; crops very
se

24. Very eine Some frost this morning
on low ee Hemp in blossom.

1. tobacco in
' 28. Berries of the mountain ash ‘turning red.

Miscellaneous Calendar. 231

31. Visited the crooked pond. The leafless utricularia,
water lobelia and floating villarsia or spur stem grow here in
great plenty, but the growth of these interesting plants has
been so much retarded this season, by the flowing of the
pond, that they have not yet blossomed. The last pe I
found them in flower the eighteenth of this month. The
utricularia grows also at Ashfield and Hawley, the villarsia
in a pond near the village of Sand Lake, New-York.

September 1. Common bidens in blossom.

2. Farmers cutting their stalks.

4, Beech drop and bladderfruited/nicandra in blossom.

5. Indian corn Fipening very fast.

6. Black cherries ripe.

9. Drooping neottia and largeflowered bidens i in blossom,
and common elder berries ripe. The leaves of our forests
are beginning to assume the livery of autumn.

11. Farmers beginning to make their cyder. ;

15. Frost this morning. Clear, cold oe windy.

16. Spearmint and witch hazel in blossom.

22. Leaves of the beech tree turning yellow and falling.

29. Maple and yellow birch defoliating, the leaves of the
mee being, many of them, of a bright. scarlet.

30. Artichoke in blossom. Farmers harvesting their
com a aces he tand very excellent.
820.—March 19. The first woodpecker seen. Flies
brisk and lively. The crust of the snow, owing to the late
storms of hail and rain, is so very hard that a small dwelling
house has been moved about a quarter of a mile upon it!
. Farmers are beginning to tap their sugar maples.

23. Blue birds SPDeat

24. Robins appear.

29. In warm situations the aments of the alder ares con-
siderably swelled. |

April %. "“Bads of the willow considerably swelled.

7. A fall of snow.

11. Farmers busy in making sugar.

16. Found in warm woods the three-lobed oo m
flower. The first butterfly seen. In many places the snow
is still two or three feet deep

18. Alder in bloom. ' e croaking ‘of the eb heard
for the first time.

19. Po ri — daytona in blossom.

Vou. I iit eine 36

282, Dr. J. Porter’s Floral and

20. So warm that we sat with open windows. The
round leaved violet in blossom. ‘The first miller seen.
22. Red maple, swamp willow, and dog’ s tooth violet in
blossom.
23. Martins arrived.
24, Wild strawberry, chrysosplenium or olden saxifrage,
ee corydalis, and two species of sedge in blossom.
. American elm, Lombardy poplar, ad. mane leaved
avsiedes in flower.
26. The song of the wren heard for the first time. Dark
eye ium in flower.
Sugar maple in blossom.
30. ‘Two leaved mitella and three leaved panax in flower.
T. oe month of April has been uncommonly warm and pleas-
ant; and vegetation is remarkably forward, indeed, it is a
common remark with us that it was never known to be so
forward at this season of the year.
Bey 1. Fly honeysuckle in blossom.
sh tree, and blue, Canada and yellow violets in

biceaien
Ss Cusrark 5 in ‘blossom,
- Viburnum, sweet gale or Dutch Pt and sweet-
scented _ violet in fipwer
5. elion in blossom.
6. Yellow willow in blossom.
7. Indian-turnip and wood anemone in flo
8. Beech tree, shad tree and red-berried older i in flower-
9. Iron wood in flower.
10. Plum tree and heart leaved tiarella in flower. The
buds of the mountain ash appear.
11. Pennsylvania saxifrage in “blossom
12. Apple tree, red cherry tree, and heart feoned epipac-
tis in blossom, In the afternoon a copious thunder shower
with some hail.
13. Thunder shower with hail.
af Cowslip, chickweed, and smooth veronica in flower.
first swallow seen. The gihees leaved coptis or

wld dread and bluish houstonia in flower. Farmers plant
mg potatoes and Indian corn. a
21. eed first bob of lincoln see
nie. | nm cerastium or ‘ce ear chickweed i in blos-

som.

he

Miscelianeous Calendar. — 283

23. Indian corn, that was planted very saiioies startin
—— the ground. Common ranunculus or yellow weed in

ossom

24. Caulophyllum, glaucous kalmia, painted trillium, and
water cress in flower at Cummington. Our r apple trees are
tt in full bloom.

26. A severe storm of rain and s

27. This forenoon. — hills in "Ashfield, Goshen md

Windsor are white witl

diana — in flowed at Combine
ne 3. Rosem ed andromeda, (see the figure on
the fin sind small enothera in flower at Goshen.
5. Grasshoppers appear. Black cherry tree, and white
flowered oxalis in blossom
7. Virginia hydrophyllum i in flower.
. 8. Fire flies appear.
10. Red and white clover in flower.
12. Strawberries ripe, and green currants fit for the table.
14. Crickets begin to chirp. Upright wood sorrel, and
golden senecio in flower.
15. Mountain ash in flower.
_ 16. Norway potentilla in flowe
17. Prunella and Philadelphia Teabsnte in blossom. »
21. Linnea and circea or enchanter’s nightshade in
flower
23, Mullen in Ne
24, Red rose in blossom.
26. Broad he ces in flower.
27, Onesided pyrola in flower.
28. Mitchella in flower, sid red elder berries ripe. fe,
30. Far rmers beginning to mow. Wild rose, black ber-
ried elder and common sere it in ie

g
tS"
job)
3

3. Red idatplcicids ayes Spi ed petro <tr
ered raspberry, and transparent pipewort in

6. Virginia hypericum in flower. _

ae Phytolacca or poke. and umbelled. chimaphila in es.

284 Floral and Miscellaneous Calendar.
_§. Farmers very busy in hay-making. Locusts begin to

a. Elecampane, gay cypripedium, and inflated babelia
in flower. Currants ripe.

12, Indian corn in blossom, and red garden cherries ripe.

13. Thimble berries ripe.

17. White flowered cynoglossum i in ‘flower.

18. Nettle leaved vervain in flow

_ 26. Cucumbers fit for the table.

31. Spearmint in blossom.

August 4, Burdock in blossom.

5. Downy neottia in blossom

6. Common golden rod, and Virginian versia in blossom.
fo + as fit for the sickle. Decurrent gnaphalium in

ove =

hite fringe flowered orchis and bulb, moet cicuta

in ae at the bog near Hawley meeting-house

10. High blackberries ripe, and green corn fit for the table.

15. Potatoes fit for the table. Grasshoppers so abun-
dant for some time past as to be ba —— to vegeta-
bles, particularly to grass and Indian c

22, Currant bushes defoliating.

24. Common gratiola in flower. Springs remarkably low.
Many rocks in the North Pond, which I do not —,
ever to have seen before, py above the water. On on
of these we cut the figures 18

25. Berries of the mountain red turning red.
26. Watermelons ripe.

29. Black elder berries ripe,

30. Black cherries ripe.

: bs 1 a
Ae Errata in the Calendar, &.

“<= Page 2th, a jae a» for granaphalium read gnaphaliua.
278, + 3 AU . th d mimulus, :

Rafinesque on a fosstl Medusa. 285

FOSSIL ZOOLOGY.
—
New-York, 11th mo. 21st, 1820.
BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 7

Respected Friend—At the request of C.S. Rafinesque,
I take the liberty of PEA OnE f his description of a suppos-
ed fossil medusa, contained sent by him to the
Academy of Natural ee “ot f Philadel hia some time
ago. e = per by some accident got ms ae or it sheold
have been forwarded long before
I remain with best wishes, and sincere respect,

Thy friend.
REUBEN HAINES.

Arr. VIII.—Description of a fossil Medusa, Jerming a
new genus. ‘Trianisites Cliffordi, by C. S. Rari-

The genus Medusa of Li s now become, Pee
multiplied observations and sa of man:
an extensive tribe of animals, containing a great many gene-
ra and more than two hundred species. Ihave myself dis-
covered in Sicily and in the Atlantic ocean many new ones,

mean to describe now a fossil one, which has been discov-
ered in Rentagky, , by my worthy friend John D. Clifford of
vhose collection I have seen it. I believe

and I do not at present remember any author’s mentioning

any species found fossi! in Europe. is may therefore be

entirely a new discovery, t to which we are indebted to the
the

s of Mr. rd; the only merit I claim
is of having asce ascertained that his specimen does not long
to any known genus, and is ther , anextinct one. IJtis:

ow Professor of Botany and Natural ibieryin Transylvania Univer-
mg, eg

286 Rafinesque on a fossil Medusa.

well known that the animals of that tribe are of a soft gela-
tinous substance and structure, they do not leave any exuviz
after their death, and they are very easily destroyed by the
contact of any hard substance, whence it is no wonder that
their fossil remains are so rare: yet in the specimen under
consideration, the animal appears quite perfect, and is em-
bedded in a crystallized limestone ; the mode of its fossili-
zation is therefore very singular. We must either suppose
that this extinct species was of a harder cartilaginous sub-
stance, or that the liquid in which it was swimming or floating,
was coagulated at once: it even appears probable to me that
both circumstances may have occurred, since the specimen
is in its proper natural position, and not in the least com-
pressed nor altered; but the whole of it is changed into a
similar stone to that which surrounds it: the animal howev-
er is become rather silicious as usual with fossil mollusca
or polyps.

ee | Genus Trianisites.—(See the engraved figure.)

Generic definition.—Body with three unequal peduncles
or appendages underneath, the middle one with a mouth or
opening at the extremity, surrounded by two fascicles of
short tentacula. Back simple, not ombrelled.

renertc observations.—The generic name derives from
Greek words meaning, three unequal appendages. In the
natural arrangement this genus will belong to the real family
medusa, and to the sub-family branchypia, having peduncles
or appendages underneath and no wing nor bladder on the
back, next to the genus pelasgia of Peron and Lesueur; but
it differs from it, and indeed from any other of that tribe,
by having a sort of trifid body, and the tentacula only near
the mouth. The following species is the type of the genus.

T; ee ites Cliffordi.
_ Specific definition —Back subconical and subacute, axil-
las obtuse and unequal, peduncles compressed tran srsally

ad eaten PSse ransve
obtuse, the shortest larger, the longer one smaller and op-
sed to it, the middle one nearly as long, extremity fim-
ed by the tentacula. | ; 3

Rafinesque on a fossil Medusa. 287

Description.—Length or height of the weer six inch-
es, breadth above three inches. Back rounded convex
conical, nearly acute, oe itself ordeal penliedeiaths! in
three branches or pe edane s, all unequal in length and size,
the axilla or sinuses of the aaa are also unequal and ob-
tuse. The lateral peduncles are quite detached from the
middle one, and slightly curved outside: they are both situ-
ated obliquely, and slightly compressed in the direction of
the obliquity. The longest peduncle is also the slenderest
and quite obtuse at the end; the shortest which is opposed
thereto is the thickest and ‘slightly obtuse at the end; its
length is only about two and a half inches, while the long-
est is about four and a half inches long. The central pe-
duncle is. quite straight, obliquely compressed :
ted at the end and about four inches long, the opening is ter-
minal and furnished above on each side by a large fasciele of
tentacula, assuming a kind of fringed appearance ; they are
capillary, flexuose and thickly fasciculated, longer than the
central peduncle and reaching the end of the longest pedun-
cle, the outside tentacula appear to be the longest. The
longitudinal section of the animal shows an appearance of
internal vessels as in many medusas: three | faint ves-

uose form and to unite near the back, while the whole cir-
cumference shows many short capillary vessels deriving
from the surface, extending obliquely inside, but not reach-
ing quite to the central vessels. A transverse sectio n shows
the curious respective obliquity of the peduncles, a that
their inward circumference is slightly striated by those small
superficial vessels.

Specific observati ons.— This interesting animal remain
was found in 1817, . Mr. J. D. Clifford, near papier 4

er ae of a ne celine. It was not accompanie sae oe any
shell nor other fossil, but stood alone, and Beers. 78 pen. et the
stratum apes: so ras Sac are found. qT have dedicated

Philadephia, 12h gH 1819.

288 Magendie on Absorption.

PHYSIOLOGY AND MEDICAL CHEMISTRY.
es aaa

Extract of a letter to the Editor, from ate. Isaac Doolittle,
dated Paris, Nov. 9, 1

a mrt s Memoir on absorption has excited con-

sensation among the faculty here; he has been so
g as to confide to me his manuscript, from which I
have made the acco mpanying translation, for your Journal.
Dr. Magendie has looked over my translation, and found it |
correct.

Art. [X.—Memoir on the Mechanism of absorption in An-
_ tmals of red and warm blood; by F. Macennix, of Paris.

Read before the peadessy of a at Paris, on the 9th October, 1820.
fe s-nereumiaivesheend French, of the author’s manuscript; by I. Doolittle.
Wuenever any substance, whether liquid, gazeous, or

in a state of vapour, is kept for a space of time in immedi-

ate contact either with an external or internal surface of our
bodies, that substance is absorbed; or, in other words, it
passes into the sanguiferous vessels, mixes and circulates
with the blood, wa epodyees thus on our organs, attntey el-
ther salutary or

This Physiological heck sesapetaly remarkable in the
action of poisons: a single drop of hydro-cyanic (Prussic)
acid, placed on the tongue of a dog, causes death i ina few
seconds, by being carried to the brain with the blood.
have often produced effects equally prompt, by the a plica-
tion of substances reputed much less powerful than Davie
acid, by simply taking care to increase proportionally the

5 sch of the absorption.
A result of this nature was well calculated to excite, curi-
our. inks, o
ome u , pig sions f+. L 1 We

"contract, by means of absorption, man: many diseases some of
which are even, dangerous. Ina word, our nee "existence
_'8'so closely connected with this | that were it
to cease for a moment, death would be ae almost immedi-

ate consequence.

Magendie on Absorption. 289

No study is therefore, at the same bene more curious, and
more important than that of absorptio
The first step to be taken, after establishing the reality
of the phenomenon, was to discover the instruments ; ie or in
other words, which are the organs that exercise the
ing faculty. {have had the honour to present to she-Acad-
emy several memoirs on this subjects which have paamre-
— with approbatio
lowing g ei ponenpenaces result from my for-
pes sesearches;
. The veins are endowed with the eet eet ;
vessels w

sorb ae chyle a ble of absorbi

roe these general facts may he dcdoceden
ber of secondary facts ; we may here Sean sn for ex-
ample, why the absorption is slow in some cases, and very
rapid in others; why certain substances appear to produce
greater effects when absorbed in certain points than when
absorbed in others; why certain Serb entirely deprived
ie boca ors vse such as the eshert b re hl

UNverin

some importance ; but the main enagen n was not yet ag agit
ted; it was not known by what mechanism the shsorption
was effected.
The most accredited books contain no satisfactory solu-
tion on this point; their authors have proceeded as the hu-
man mind generally does in. most cases where it is in a state
of com ignorance, 0
ly important for it to be enlightened. It begins spammer
beings an aye Denene

sing certain” d then endows them with the faculu
npnessary to o procs oo effect observed; and it generally
that it one its own nme €1

wen of

~ ing, of a
2 3

290 “Magendie on Absorption.

placed in contact; these operations are not performed with-
out discernment; they are done with the nicest sense of
discrimination ; those organs choose with great exactness
what ought to be taken in and what rejected ; and it is not
until after due roe that they determine to exercise
their absorbing pow
tis sufficient sicreiy to doubt of the truth of such expla-
nations to become at once sensible of ~ Sine ; but
they seldom produce this effect. Such is
exercise over our eitinds that we are Seiliy led to be-
2 them true ; and we afterwards repel with passion what-
ever might tend to undeceive us.* It is, however, time
Set such deceptions should disappear from the doctrine of
sio

I eri T donot exaggerate in asserting that hitherto,
uothing positive has been advanced relative to the mechan-
ism by which absorption is effected i in animals: of red _
warm blood. :

Some ectypeitininigwbebeks T have sti this year seem to

me to throw some light on this important subject; when I
shall have related the circumstances, the judgment of the
Academy will show me whether I am ee or whether
T have hit upon the truth.

In a public lecture on the mode of action, of medicines, ¥
was showing the effect of a certain y meena of water, at the
temperature of 40° Centigrade, (104 Farenheit) introdu-

ced into the veins; in making this experiment, the idea
struck afi to observe the effect of the artificial plethora thus
produced, on the absorbent faculties ; consequently, after
pros injected nearly a litre almost'an English quart) of

ater, into the veins of a dog of a middling size, 1 introdu-
cal into the pleura a small dose of a substance, the effects
of which were well known to me. It struck me as singular
that those effects did not appear until several minutes after
the time in which pee are ordinarily seen. I immediately
—« the experiment ton another animal, and obtained a

i L several other eeiie’ Flee effects were observable. at the
wher they should manifest themselves, but ‘they were

Sa tna ge rissa theo ptm of uct

Magendie on Absorption. 291

much weaker than would have been produced in the usual
state of the body, by the dose submitted to absorption, and
were prolonged much beyond the ordinary term.

Finally, in another experiment, where I had introduced
as much water (about two litres) as the animal could support
and remain alive, the effects were altogether imperceptible,
the absorption was probably prevented. After waiting near
half an hour for the effects which are generally developed
in two minutes, I reasoned as follows: if tne distention of

_ the veins is the cause of the non-absorption, that cause ceas-
ing to operate, the absorption should take place. I there-
fore immediately caused the jugular vein of the animal to be
opened, and I saw with great satisfaction, that the effects
became manifest in proportion as the veins emptied them-
selves... « 2 ete

I then thought of making the contrary experiment; that

is, to diminish the quantity of blood and to see whether the
absorption was more rapid; the result proved my conjec-
tures well founded. About half a pound of blood being ex-
tracted from an animal, the effects which would not have oc-
curred until the expiration of two minutes, manifested them-

selves in Jess than thirty seconds.
It might nevertheless be suspected that it was less the dis-
tention of the blood-vessels than the alteration of the blood

which retarded or prevented the absorption. To overcome
this objection I made the following experiment; a very co-
pious bleeding was practised on a dog; the quantity of blood
was immediately replaced by an equal quantity of water of
the temperature of 40° (Centigrade) a determinate quantity
of the solution of nux vomica was introduced into his pleura,
the effect was as prompt, and as intense as though the na-
ture of the blood had undergone no change.* It is then to

® Several attempts were made which, thoug ch thes conldieat auemey
iv. for whi hii ten m, 1 theles be usefully noted

here, as they seem to open a new

292 Magendie on Absorption.

the distention of the blood vessels that the dimmution or
total want of absorption must be attributed.

From that moment I became, as it were, completely mas-
ter of the phenomenon, which, until then, had been to me
an impenetrable mystery. Being now able to produce or
prevent its developement, to render it prompt or tardy, in-_
tense or — at pleasure, it was difficult that its nature
—, atirely escape my investigation

In reflecting on the constancy and the regularity of the
passant seemed to me impossible to connect it with
Ww siologists term vital action, such as the action
aes; the contraction of the muscles, the secretion
of the glands, &c. It was much more reasonable to com-
pare it with some physical effects: and among the conjec-
iures that may be permitted on the subject, that which
would make absorption depend on the capillary attraction of
the vascular membranes on the absorbed matter, was un-
scalgeathe the most apie this supposition agrees a
fectly 2d. For, if we suppose this |

3) ae

preset Seven ao Series to traverse the mem-
branes of the small remels, should resist absorption, which
is exactly the case: solids which, on the contrary, are capa-
ble of combining with our system, or of dissolving in the
blood, would be susceptible of being absorbed, which is al-
SO" conformable to observations. ‘The greater number of

Wetting, or ccioing premaply: imbibed by the nes

conrmed by e experience, even with the caus

is, the greater the distention of th the ce the
oe marked would be the absorbing power, and the mo-
ment might arrive when that — would be. no maps ae sen-

Ee Sha a r smpende i Siidbe, bud chich panies |
be it be 3 injected i into chy ular vein, ng it Sbetracts the he last st di
the pulmonary artery. (See Vol. I. of of my.
og) “eel in the int

“Magendie on Absorption. 293

sible. ‘The absorption would be more rapid in proportion
as the vessels became more numerous, and their size di-
minished, because the absorbing surfaces would become

This action of the b knowledged nothing
can be easier than to comprehend how absorbed substances
are transported towards the heart, since they ar
drawn forward by the current which exists in the interior of
even the smoothest vessels.

I was so much the more willing to admit this supposition
as I well remembered that, on Bate an animal by pierc-
ing its thigh with a Java dart, all the softer parts which sur-
rounded the wound, to the distance of several lines, turned
* a ——- yellow colour, and assumed the. bitter s

the

0

ceripostion which best connects a cannanananae:
of piceocisens is, at bottom, but a more convenient manner
of expressing them ; and only assumes the character of a
theory after being confirmed by direct experiments, suffi-
ciently varied to leave no room to doubt.
It therefore became necessary to continue my research-
es in order to determine at what point, my supposition wens
become ina’ i call Daan ih meds 0 eh tee eae

abso su be
of the causes of absorption, this effect ought to take place as
well after the death as during the life of “the animal, This
fact could be easily verified, for the vessels of a certain size ;
it is true that, taking into consideration their diameter, their
thickness and their smaller extent of surface compared with
the capacity of the canal, the experiment should present but
2 nahin. Semen Spparne ye absorption. Jdigeate

no communication e
and the exterior acidulated liquid.

294 Magendie on Absorption.

he first minutes of the experiment the liquid
which I noted did not change its nature, and after twelve
or fifteen minutes it became sensibly acid; the absorption
had taken place
I repeated this experiment with veins taken from the hu-
man body, the effect was the same.

s phenomenon manifesting itself in the veins, I could
see no reason why it should not equally take place when ap-
plied to the arteries ; 1 consequently made the experiment
on the carotid af a small dog which had died the RE Hd
day, the result I obtained was exactly similar; I remar'
ed pga that the absorption became more rapid in pro-

ion as the acidity and temperature of the exterior liquid

were increased.

If the capillary absorption was s produced on the large

ood vessels after death, why should not a sinular effect
bep uced on the same vessels i in a living state?
__ If experience did not give me this result, all my reason-
itigseeibddes overthrown, and my supposition destroyed.
- And I felt so much the less confidence in the success of the
experiment as I kept in mind the observations which we
daily hear of the — which death operates in the phys-
ical properties of our

Nevertheless, as I had often found in my a the
advantages of doubting the exactness of gen
ceived ea I determined on making the Eloding ex-

the interior
Seah

Magendie on Absorption. 295

fourth minute the effects which [anticipated began to mani-
fest themselves, feebly at first, but afterwards with so much
activity that I was obliged to have recourse to pulinonary i in-
flation to prevent the death of the animal.

I intended to repeat this experiment, but I was unable to
procure any other than a full grown dog, much larger
the former; the coats of his veins were consequently much
thicker. ‘The same effects were produced, but, as might
have been expected, their appearance was much more tar-
dy ; and they were developed only after the tenth minute.

Satisfied with this result as to the veins, I was desirous of
ascertaining whether the arteries possessed analogous prop-

r et the ri ot, in the animal, in the
same 6 gee condition as the veins; their texture is less”
spongy and offers more consistence ; ‘their tubes are. much
thicker in piaipheeibl to their diameter, and they are, more-
over, constantly distended by the blood thrust forward from
the heart. It was, therefore, easy to foresee that, if the phe-
nomenon of neg et re really take place in the arteries,
the effects would become visible much later than in the
veins; this belief was fully confirmed by experience in the
case of two large rabbits; after having stripped with h the
mer: : ids in each of them,

vemiea could traverse the sides of the a as
Although I ceased to wet the artery as soon as the effets
became visible, one of the rabbits died. And, to assure
myself that the poison had really traversed the coats (pa-
rows) of the artery, and that it had not se absorbed by the
small veins which might have escaped my dissection, I care>
fully detached the vessel which had setvell for the experi-
ment, and opened it throughout its whole length ;_ the
sons who were present tasted with me the small pr

artery, and we all found in it n=
extract of the races m :
eae vessels —_ cane ere:
Bera, =r as well during aes eas re-
mained onbp:iuehaniiile Sieger p the re smaller vessels

possessed the same faculty ; their — at

iveme tenuity, their thinness and the great extent ny Ee
coats, were so many conditions which would tend to favour
the production of the phenomenon.

296 Magendie on Absorption.

To develope it after death, it was necessary to find a
membrane in the vessels of which a current could be es-
tablished which should imitate the circulation of the blood.

at first made choice of an ytestinal part ; but was obliged

gens absorption in
leave no doubt on this subject, according to the judgmen
of the academy itself. a
ut one possible objection remained to be removed,
which was, that the membranes which are permeable after
death, do not seem to be so during life; in the dead bod
the bile transudes into the peritoneum, and tinges with yel-
Jow all the parts which environ the gall-bladder, which ef-
fect does not appear to take place in the living animals; the
fact is true, I have witnessed it too often to be disposed to
deny it; but it does not appear to me to be indispensably

g life

varry off the matter which the vessels imbibe. —
c h ft k i tk in livi animals,

eg are penetrated and coloured by substances

Magendie on Absorption. 297

with which they are in contact. For instance, if a certain
quantity of ink be introduced into the pleura of a
dog, in an hour’s time the pleura, the pericardium, eae in-
tercostal muscles, and the surface of the heart itself will be
sensibly tinged with black. (1)

It appears then to be established beyond all doubt, that
all the blood vessels, whether arterial or venous, great
or small, in dead bodies or in living ones, possess in their coats
(parois) a physical property by which we may perfectly ex-
plain, and to which we may reasonably refer all the princi-
pal phenomena of absorption. To aflirm sa =. email
is the sole cause which —* that effect w e goin
beyond the limits assigned: by sound aise nt
ent state of known facts, I am acquainted with none which
tend to invalidate this explanation ; on the contrary, they all
tend to confirm the exactness of it. ag

For example, Lavoisier and Mr. Seguin have proved, by
a series of interesting experiments, that the skin, while cov-
ered by its epidermis, does not absorb water, nor any other
substance. But the epidermis is of a different nature from the
vascular membranes; it is a sort of varnish which does not
imbibe, as every one may observe on his own body whi
ba ‘as soon as the epidermis is | at food
absorbs like all other parts of the body, because the

the vessels are then immediately in contact with om sub-
stances destined to be absorbed. Hence the necessity of
placing beneath the epidermis the substances to be absorbed
in inoculation and vaccination; hence, also, the necessity
of long continued frictions ; and, often the employment of
greasy substances, to | facilitate the absorption of certain

nidermia *
nn 44: weaees vw aNAN 2 £445

likewise, ae peeicreita given to those parts of the |
we fae men is hes forte apheaton of

s in our organization. — “effect
ee the soposion that absorption & «

(1) This is observable with. still grater facility in smaller eaieuah,
1as ne guinea pigs, mice, &c. &c. _
eo

Wet. IIL....No. Dn

<98 /Magendie on Absorption.

mere vital action, and that the absorbing orifices exercise @
sort of choice; but it carries with it no degree of improba-
bility when once absorption is assimilated to a physical op-
eration.

These consequences have a relation not only to a healthy
state of the body; but how many pathological phenomena
may not be more easily understood and explained by com-
paring them with the experiments which I have related!

The cure of the dropsy, of obstructions, and of inflamma-
tions by bleeding; the evident want of the action of medica-
ments in violent fevers, when the vascular system is strongly

tended; the practice of some physicians who purge and
bleed their patients preparatory to administering active med-
icines ; the employment of Peruvian bark during the re-
cess, and for the cure of intermitting fevers; the general
or partial Edema in cases of organic affections of the heart
or lungs ; the use of ligatures applied to members that have

en stung or bitten by venomous animals, to prevent the
deleterious effects ae Ne SE ND &e.

ta future have over the manner of treating different affec-
tion. ppears to me likely that every physician sufficient-
ly enlightened to relinquish ancient prejudices, will find in
the single circumstance of the greater or less absorbing pow-
er of the blood vessels, in proportion as they are more or
less distended, a fruitful source of curative indications.
From the above experiments I conclude that the capilla-
ry attraction of the smaller blood-vessels, appears to be the
cause, or, more. properly, one of the eauses of what is
termed venous absorption.
This conclusion does not, in any manner, interfere with
the absorption of chyle which is effected in the small intes-
tines by the chylous vessels; an absorption with which I
shall occupy myself specially hereafter; still less does it in-
terfere with the absorbing power of the lymphatic vessels ;
uevertheless, the experiments above described seem to in-

that I am not mistaken, either in the fact
elated, or in the consequences I have de-

Magendie on Absorption. 299

duced therefrom, I should even then, only have ex-
plamed the absorption of substances which are soluble
in our humours; gases and vapours cannot be submit-
ted to capillary attraction, and yet, every one knows that
these bodies are absorbed, and that often, with great rapidi-
ty. An animal plunged into sulphuretted hydrogen gas,
and immediately withdrawn, is often struck with death.
have seen rabbits die fron a single inspiration of prussic va~
pour. How can these phenomena be explained? -

To understand them, we must remember that the mem-
branes of animals seem to offer but a feeble resistance to
the free circulation of the gases and vapours. Blood con-
tained in a bladder, reddens at its surface as though it were
in immediate contact with oxygen gas; pure hydrogen gas,

facts in which - living membranes conduct in the same
manner. ‘The venous blood reddens in the lungs, when it is
separated from jen air only by the vascular membrane ; the
same effect is produced in the gills of fishes. The b eauti-
ful experiments of Mr. Edwards have recently proved that
the skins of eartpin: reptiles offer-A psborhoten: —_

alagous.

-Thave inepaetl lately stemedk that, ia birds and yours
miferous. animals, the blood modditean, and assumes the arte-
rial qualities, in the jugular vein when uncovered and ex-
posed to the air, if the precaution be taken to slacken the
circulation by a slight pressure on the lower extremity (ex-
trémité cardiaque) of the vein.

It appears, therefore that the absorption of the gases and
vapours, should be attributed to the assetaitore of the li
ing membranes to those bodies. The theory 0 f that per-

eability i is not yet ell ding the ef-
for brat Spueet as Priestly and Dalton ;
but here- physiology seas stop, and depend for its future
pecenny es. af, 55 shea scienee: ;

a
ad :

300 = Prof. E.. D. Smith on Calculous Affections.

Art. X.—On the application A ge EINE SS to Cal
culous Affections; by the late Env D. Smiru
M. D. Professor of a and Meunndiais in the
South-Carolina College.

Tur benefits which are continually resulting from chem-
ical investigations, are peculiarly — in the application
of such investigations to the advancement of medical sci-
ence. For, although it must be esiaheaeed that a rash en-
thusiasm may have unwisely apnea to explain the mys-
teries of some Phenomena, that are observed in the living
system, by the analogy of ihe cece of the action of chem-
ical agents upon dead matter, it must be granted that there
are cases, in which the useful application of chemical knowl-
edge is conspicuous. Animal chemistry is undoubtedly a
complicated subject, and from its nature, must necessarily

involved in much obscurity ; but ingenious and patient
analyses have already developed some facts in connexion

portant an and interesting and well calculated to display some
of the causes of imperfection in the healing art. The la-
bours of Scheele, Wollaston, Fourcroy, Vanquelin, Pear-
son, Berzelius and others, in the analyses of urine and uri-
nary calculi, have diffused upon these subjects, a light that
is very cheering to the friends of science and humanity.

We are now enabled totake a clear and satisfactory view of
what was heretofore involved in much doubt; and instead
of timidly groping in the blind paths of empiricism, we may

walk boldly upon the highway of correct principles. This
is the sure road, and if we are careful not to —— from it,

o~ of seg noblest ‘bles in practical chemist,

isis ee * a ye ee as say hieh the caitnr war

‘the eet and estimable sa a4 of this memoir

his death, but it has not SA eget carson’ ‘ope

Prof. E. D. Simth on Calculous Affections. 301

among the best services which that science could render to
the healing art.”*

_ In this grand and humane enterprise, omitting the men-
tion of inferior names, the genius of a Black was exerted in

y

Here it is that chemical knowledge is of signal benefit
affords v in a labyrinth, that would otherwise be
impervious. A kind providence often furnishes premonito-
ry symptons of threatening dangers, and by a timely atten-
tion to these, an impending evil may be averted. Thus it
has been ascertained by chemical analysis, that the urine is
a very compound fluid, containing both acids and alkalies
in various states of combination, but so adjusted as that the
ould present an apparently uniform and homogene-

ous mass in the healthy state—by disease, these circum-

treatment. Observation has proved that the greater num-
ber of these concretions consist of uric acid; 1prine! ly,
earths, which ought to be held in solution by an excess of
acid, but are deposited in the bladder in consequence of

disease. Happily, before any such deposi
* See No, 33,1810.

3020 Prof. E. D. Smith on Calculous Affections.

a change in the qualities and appearance of the urine gen-
erally indicates the approaching mischief and affords the
opportunity of arresting its progress. When the uric aci
is In excess, it occasions irritation in the urinary passages
and finally, a discharge of very small crystals, like red sand:
and when the alkaline salts predominate, a fine white and
sandy substance is voided.* ei
A previous knowledge of the subjett and a proper atte
tion to these indications will generally enable us to apply
correct remedies and thus to destroy in the germ what
would be irremediable‘at maturity. arate
Without stopping to investigate the fact, whether there
may be a short and direct communication from the stomach
to the bladder, or whether this communication may depend
upon the retrograde action of the absorbents, it will be suf-

alkalies for the relief of gravelly complaints. This seems
to have been the practice of the ancient Greek physicians;
as stated in the second volume of Johnson’s Animal Chem-
istry,.and it is well known to have been that of the mod-
erns, from the era of Mr. Steven’s celebrated lithontrip-
tic down to the present time. _A little reflection will satisfy
‘at this mode of practice has been too empirical ; for if
chemical analyses have demonstrated that calculous concre-
tions are sometimes of opposite natures, it must be allowed
that the same remedy cannot be adapted to every kind. — It
is then surely incumbent upon the physician to ascertain the
real nature of the case; and, from the want of knowledge
to do so, there can be no doubt that such diseases, instead
of being relieved, have often been aggravated. To this
difference in the constitution of calculous matter it is owing
that both the strong and the weak acids have sometimes
used with eminent benefit; and yet the indiscriminate
cription ofacids would frequently produce the most ser

me a re, < ce he Ps 2
* London Medical and Physical Journal, Vol. 30, page 327, &.

Prof. E. D. Smith on Calculous Affections. 303

Admitting, however, that satisfaction has been obtained
with regard | to the peculiar nature of the disease, a question
of much importance still remains to be discusse

In the case of a tendency to form uric calculi, which are
supposed to be the most common, it is not a matter of in-
differenee what particular alkali is used to counteract this
tendency. “Mr. Brande clearly shows that an alkali, ad-
ministered to a calculous patient, stands no chance of reach-
ing the uric concretion in a caustic state; for the ure con-
tains both phosphoric and carbonic acid tincombined: jut
experiment clearly shows that neither carbonates nor sub-
carbonates exert any ‘sensible action on uric acid: in other
words the affinity of the uric acid for alkalies is weaker than
the affinity of carbonic acid for the same bodies: therefore.
alkaline liquors cannot act as solvents of the uric caleuli.”*

eriments made upon healthy urine, tend to show that
the internal use of sub-carbonates of pot-ash and soda oc-
casions a considerable and speedy deposition of the phos-
phates (a circumstance, that ought to excite a caution in the
fashionable use of soda-water, by persons in health) proba-
bly by neutralizing the free acids, which hold these ate in
solution 5 while the similar use of the alkaline earth, _ nae
r oe tee : ct but in a ite
gree. Baie 1e infere: been drawn, that in calcu-
lous eases, which need arson feniailes magnesia is to be
preferred; and the particular mode of its action has been
accounted: for, both by the assumption that the disposition
to generate uric acid in undue quantity commences in the
stemach, and by the fact, that magnesia from its insoluble
nature, will remain in the stomach ‘jong enough to combine
with any acid that may be formed there—if this acid does
not exist in the stomach, the use of the sub-carbonates 0
potash and soda does little good ; because, from their ae
solubility, they are ca arried too rapid! y out of the seat of
disease and being conveyed into the bladder, may pro-
duce it mary there by causing a deposition, which would not

otherwise have taken place, while magnesia, retarded by its
sasolabiiee ates efficaciously upon n the acid and is totally
neutralized by it. In case of no acid existing, then both
the sub-carbonated alkalies and magnesia will be ecnei

* Edinburgh Review? ‘November 1820.

304 Prof. E. D. Smith on Calculous Affections.

as will be noticed hereafter. The carbonated alkalies wili
be likely to prove less injurious than the sub-carbonates, be-
cause their greater proportion n of acid will tend to prevent
the deposition of the phosphates in the bladder: but
at the same time they are Saar inert as the sub-carbonates
as to the acids* in the stomac

The preceding oe is "amply confirmed by direct
experiments, upon € of uric acid, with alkaline —_
nates and Eiimverboaates and with magnesia. The result
(prov. that the use of magnesia greatly relieved or ies
ly removed the symptoms of uric acid, while the other rem-
edies produced no such effect.

I have been led to pay more particular attention to this
subject, from the circumstance of my own case, which is-
believed to have been of the nature alluded to, and a suc-
cinct account of which may serve to shew a practical con-
nexion between some remarks that have already been, and
some that are yet to be ma:

‘During a oteident bie portion of the year 1817, 1 had
‘ved in a very sedentary manner and for some part ‘of the
time was unusually abstemious in diet, closely confined in
the damp walls of a new brick building, which was fre-
quently neither well ventilated nor warmed. In November,
I experienced several short and pungent attacks of a pain
in the right side, and near the region of the kidneys, which
were removed in a little time by a stimulating potion ; but
at length, in a few hours after drinking a glass of wine,
from which I had long abstained, a severe and most distres-

ing paroxysm came on and continued for several hours.
Some of the symptoms indicated a violent, flatulent cholic,
while from others it might be concluded that either rheu-
“matism, or the passage of calculous matter fron the kidney
to the bladder was the cause of suffering. le
eructations took place, there was acute and fixed misery in
the loin and hip of that side, and frequent shooting and
aegaatg pains down the right thigh urethra, &e. but
_ there was no. nausea of the stomach nor fobtile’ affection.
: er potions were used, and also embrocations and

oes pha

1 3 remark to the uric
payee is notorious fibst the carbonate, &c t we ach ids
varias Hie —Ep. Py

Prof. E. D. Smith on Caleulous Affections. 305

this acrimony. in i increased so much as to > produce slight b need
Basco and se enenenae of small memb fila-
- Abstraction from mental employment, equal and
ein i and moderate exercise, together
with a regular and more generous diet, afforded much tem-
porary relief. To make this benefit more permanent a
journey, of several weeks duration was undertaken; but
there wassuch a constant succession of wet and cold weather
that I returned with deteriorated health, and the distressing
sansaiontae 29 the urethra became so great, that frequently
they prevented sleep, and these sensations were much ag-
gravated by the use. of any indiyeatala food and particular-
ly by wine. The whole system began to sink under con-
tinued suffering and gloomy apprehensions, and in this state
I resolved again to consult an ingenious medical friend, of
this town, who had before aided me with his advice. It
was his opinion that an acrimony of i fluids was exhibit-
ing itself in the urine and was probably the puces cause

of me symptoms, and if not arrested that it would :

in the formation of calculous concretions. "The

carbonate of soda had been already used without. apparent
benefit and therefore, for the reason stated in a wee
a pt baie teams it was determined to make use of mag-
ia Doses of a tea spoonful each, twice in the.day,

seks 1 as ey ee pee 7 days, and, : hough at first con-
siderably’ pean ie they soon ceased to be so. _ =
ameliorated, and at the

end of rit days pe ieeppentel! sltnattbier: Since that time
secasional ac in diet or much confinement have
Vor. HI.....No. | 39

306 © Prof. E. D. Smith on Calculous Affections.

occasioned slight returns of the complaint, but two or three

oses of magnesia have never failed to remove it. And it
appears to be not an unfair inference that the injurious ac-
rimony was generated in the stomach and therefore quickly
and efficaciously counteracted by the internal use of the al-
kaline earth.

‘To attempt a practical improvement of me preceding de-
wails I would offer the coum: suggestio

ee e doctrin the mace gaat ad been
too dias and entirely ecsrded: and would not the admis-
sion of it, to a certain extent, pet to elicidate some of the
phenomena, connected with our subject!

The extravagance of theorists, in wate any department
of science, has sometimes carried them so far beyon
the bounds of rational induction, as to involve in one com-
mon condemnation both truth and error; and this perhaps,
has been the fate of the Humoral Pathology. Very lately
this subject has been ably treated by Professor Cooper, of
Philadelphia, in his ingenious discourse upon the connex-
ion of chemistry with medicine, and in which it has been
plainly shewn- that be applications of chemical science
throw much light upon the reprobated doctrine. As an ad-
ditional proof to what has been there and elsewhere stated
of active substances being found in different viscera of the
human body, after being taken into the stomach, it may
be observed that Mr. L’Heiminier, an able French chem-
ist oe patesetiats now pendent in pareve found the

Prof. E. D. Smith on Caleulous Affections. 307

ced in them by the long continued use of particular sub-
stances. Thus, although a tendency to form urie calculi
indicates the propriety of using alkaline remedies, it is cer-
tainly of consequence what peculiar alkalies are employed
and a judicious selection can proceed only from an acquaint-
ance with the specific and distinguishing properties of each.
May it not be apprehended that a want of due attention to this
subject has retarded the progress of medicai science, and
ought not any opinion in favour of such neglect, to be com-
batted as a dangerous error?

3. From the | knowledge of the composition of urine and
of urinary calculi, should not even the really scientific phy-
sician proceed with caution in the use of his remedies?
‘This query is connected with the fact, that not only do dif-
ferent calculous affections require distinct and totally oppo-
site remedies, but also on another circumstance. A reme-
dy, which is demanded in a certain state of things, may,
by its too long continuance, not only counteract the evil,
which it was intended to do, but it may produce an oppo-
site and equally injurious state. In such a case the chem-
ical knowledge of the prescriber could alone direct the
course, that should be pursued. From the analyses of
healthy urine it appears to be granted that rien it is first
voided, an acid character predominates, is believed
that a certain degree of this predominance is me
the purpose of holding i in, solution the various neutral salts,

with whick the urine is charged; now, if this be the fact, it

ig easy to conceive that an increased quantity of this acid
will occasion disease of one kind, and a diminished propor-
tion that of another.

If therefore, in the attempt to remove the former state,
the remedies employed, be eased - far, there can be no
doubt that the latter would be induce

To possess then the knowledge, oe would be. requisite
emennerts in equilibrium these easily alternating
ditions of the system, as also to select the. preferable a
dy prea determinate class, ania be et adv
if not _ Numero im:

nents, connected
"with this ysbhieets have induced Mr. Brande (London Medi
cal and P cs pose ae Yel: a to es the follonins
therapeutical conclu

308 = Prof. E. D. Smith on Calculous Affections.

1. “That where alkalies fail to relieve the increased se-
cretion of uric acid and to prevent its forming calculi in the
kidneys, or where they disagree with the stomach, magnesia
is generally effectual; and that it may be persevered in for
a considerable time, without inconvenience, where the ten-

ency to form excess of urie acid remains.

2. “ When the alkalies or magnesia are improperly con-
tinued, after having relieved the symptoms connected with
the formation of the red sand or uric acid, the urine ac-
quires a tendency to deposit the white sand, consisting of the
ammoniaco, magnesian phosphate and phosphate of lime.

3. “The mineral acids (muriatic, sulphurie and nitric)
diminish or entirely prevent the deposition of the phos-
phates, but are apt to induce a return of the red gravel.

. “That vegetable acids, especially the citric and tar-
taric, are less liable to produce the last mentioned effects,
even when taken in large doses for a long time ; and that
carbonic acid is particularly useful in cases, where the irrita-
ble state of the bladder prevents the exhibition of other

Under this head perhaps it would be well to notice that,
in some cases, the long continued use of magnesia in large
doses seems to have produced bad effects, by occasioning a
mechanical constipation of the bowels, (see Journal of Sci-
ence and the Arts, No. 2

4. As calculous complaints are maladies of such a griev-
Ous nature, would it not be practicable to prevent them
by an early and assiduous attention to diet, habits of life,
&e.—and is it not probable that such attention would be effi-
cacious, from the analogy between arthritic and calculous
affections, as ascertained by Dr. Wollaston’s analysis of
gouty concretions ?

In cases of gout, even where accompanied with an he-
reditary diathesis, it is well known that a rigid adherence to
a particular plan will greatly mitigate, if not prevent, that
disease; and analogical reasoning would infer the probable
success of a similar practice in cases of calculus. 'To ac-
quire the information that would be valuable here, it would’
be necessary to ve accurate accounts of the ages, em-

‘ aie Yo ane

oyments, diet and constitutions of those, who have been
hown to be afflicted with calculous complaints. In a la
valuable work on calculous disorders, Dr. Marcet, of Lon-

Prof. E. D. Smith on Calculous Affections. 309

don, has furnished some information of this kind, and it is
much to be regretted that his materials were so scan
From his table it appears that out of five hundred and six
calculous subjects only twenty-eight were females. Upon
this fact some useful reasoning might perhaps be Sein dec
The habits of females are, commonly speaking, more seden-
tary than those of males, and yet it has been generally ad-
mitted that men, of sedentary lives, are more liable to calculi
than others ; but may it not be eatin whether in such
cases the influence of diet has not been too much overlook-
ed? Is it not a general fact that females are more tempe-
rate in their diet than males; and again, resorting to the
analogy with gout, do we not find that the proportion of wo-
men, affected’ with nes disease, is much less that of
men? With o calculous complaints, I am aware
that anatomical reasons would make their occurrence less
frequent in women than in men; but this difference can
point account for the vast disproportion, which has been
observ

Dr. Maxcatt table shows that nearly one half of the cal-
culous patients were under fourteen years of age, and that
these children were only from the poor classes; a strong
i n favor of the influence of diet in promoting such
diseases. That the diet of an animal has a ef-
feet upon the disposition to produce artediar calculi may
be inferred from what is stated by Dr. Wollaston, (London |
Med. and Phys. Jour. Vol. 25) respecting the proportion of
uric acid found in the excrements of different birds, which
had been nourished by different kinds of food. From this
it appears, that those which consumed the most animal mat-
ter, hintebed the greatest proportion ers uric ra while the
herbiverous animals race an inconsi qt aris

conic’ « and oo e of inconvenience, nihee
chiefly to animal, which i is far more productive of tie welds.

310 Prof. E. D. Smith on Caleulous Affections.

In connection with this part of the subject would it not be
a valuable, pathological fact to ascertain, whether females in
general, and male children are more subject to one peculiar
kind of calculus than to another; and whether this is like-
wise the ae with regard to male adults, at different peri-
ods of life ?

It might also be an useful inquiry, what influence climate
has in producing such a state of the system as favors the
formation of calculous matter. We are told that such dis-
eases are exceedingly rare, either in very hot or very cold
countries ; and to discover whether the extremes of tem-
perature prevent such alterations of the digestive powers,
as take place in more temperate climates, would therefore
be an interesting pasate fact.

From all that has been now said, may it not be inferred

tears ceavaee, oe uninterrupted mental pursuits, by
confinement, even in active employments, toa close room
&c.: a combination of two or more of these causes being
sufficiently injurious, although one alone might not

And if this influence be correct, the propriety of using rem-
edies that act chemically upon ‘the fluids, while the othet
pe indications are likewise attended to, is sufficiently evi-

nt.

Hoping that this imperfect essay will incite the inquirer
after knowledge to investigate, for himself, the sources of in-
formation as to this interesting subject, among such I wou
take the liberty to mention the 22d, 23d, 24th, 25th, 30tb
and 34th volumes of the London. Medical and Physical
Journal, and Dr. Marcet’s treatise upon calculous disorders,
observing however that of this last work I have seen only @
review, but that I entertain no doubt of its being oy most
atisfactory eboeed has yet cy igi

18

On Printing Presses and their Theory. 311

MECHANICS AND ARTS, CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS.
—

_Art. [X.—On some recent improvements in the constructioit
of the Printing Press; with a particular notice of that
lately ec lid His Mr. John I. Wells, of Hartford, Ct.
by A. R, Professor of Mathematics and Natu-

ral Philosophy ¢ in Yale College.

Tue principal defect in printing presses of the ordinary
construction, so far as the mechanism employed to procure
a gain of power is concerned, consists in the want of adap-
tation of this power to the variable resistance which is to
overcome. ‘The elastic substances interposed between the
form of types and the platen, present at first a compara-
tively trifling resistance ; but it gradually increases as the
platen descends, and must finally be made immensely
fe . S, order to attach the ink with sufficient firmness to
the r. ~But to overcome this resistance the mechanical
advunniee furnished by the screw is perfectly uniform. To
make up for the want of an increasing advantage in pte me-
chanism, the pressman is obliged to place his body in
an attitude ‘that his weight shall conspire with the fakes ¢ of
his muscles, and to exhaust on the bar as much motion as
he can accumulate in a pull of three feet, in order to give it
_a species of percussive effect. Hence the employment of
pulling at the common press has been always regarded as
one of the severest kinds of labour; nor has it been —
sented without reason as often “ destructive of health and
life.’

It has long been an object with those interested in the
improvement of the art of printing, to introduce into the
press a variable power, which shall increase with the resist-
‘ance to be overcome, and thus render the pull on the bar «
nearly equable one throughout. The earliest contrivance
for this purpose which appears to sat eso been in any Searce
successful, was that of Mr. Ravorth London printer.* In
his press the screw was di ispensed ivi at ene ndle>
substituted in its place. To the under side of the head or

* See art. Printing, hea? Cyc. fora ate fol account of this coneteceti

312 On Printing Presses and their Theory.

summer, where the spindle was inserted, was attached a
species of inclined plane, rounded off so as to have a varia-
ble inclination. ‘Through the spindle immediately beneath
ran a cross bar, which plied against this winding surface,
and forced the spindle down as it was turned round; rapidly
at first, but more.slowly as the inclination diminished, and
at last with a velocity as trifling as was shewn by experi-
ence to put the press into the best working state. In a
press recently invented by Mr. Medhurst, an ingenious Eng-
lishman, the power is gained by means of two iron rods,
one on each side of the spindle. These rods pass down
from the summer to the top surface rl a circular beta
ment of the spindle, and rest at each end in hollows which
allow them a racking motion. The Sind extremities of each
are tags from the centre of the spindle, but are pla-
nding position when the platen is raised. The
bier turns c spindle partly round, and moves the lower
ends. of notes rods so that they come — a vertical posi-
tion, and bear down the platen with t ind of ances

hanical power which every one has eee exemplified in
bes ging a prop erect by driving at right angles against the
ottom.

But in most of the recent attempts to improve the con-
struction of the printing press, a kind of mechanical power
has been resorted to in different forms, somewhat different
from either of the foregoing; one which is well known to
every theoretical and practical mechanician, but which has
scarcely acquired a distinct name. To attempt to reduce it
to the head of the lever or wedge, as has been sometimes
done, appears an unwarrantable extension of the meaning
of ntieba terms; and yet I know not how to designate the
Aaeat ds better than to call s oe of combined levers. At is

The pail of this combination will ae ove in 1 the Sorte

“

On Printing Presses and their Theory. 313

er that — is a gain of power, which gradually increases
as the two halves approach a straight line, and becomes im-
mensely great at the moment this position is attained. The
thrust of two such arms is precisely the same, and varies ac-
cording to the same law for different angles, as the pull in
the simplest case of the funicular polygon; that is, when a
rope is tended by a certain force and is drawn aside from
a rectilineal position by pulling at the middle.

This principle is introduced in different forms into the
Ruthven, Stanhope, and Columbian /presses. In that in-
vented by Earl Stanhope it is employed to give a diminish-
ing velocity to the screw: in the Columbian press of Mr.
Clymer, it is employed to give a iinatatabig velocity to a
large lever of the second kind, which is substituted for the
screw. These two presses, especially the latter, from their
durability, the neatness and uniformity of the im
they produce, and the diminution of labour they occasion
to the pressman, have been justly held in high estimation.
To the excellence of the Columbian press, honorable testi-
monies have been borne in foreign countries: among others
has been a present of six thousand rubles to the inventor
from the Emperor of Russia.

But of all the Erasers which act on the principle of

leverage, oe Gefaned by Mr. Wells,
of Hartford in this ned appears to possess the highest re-
commendations. It has now been in operation in various
parts of the country more than two years,—a per
ciently long to furnish an experimental test of its excel-
lence ; and it seems due no less to the interests of the me-
chanical arts in this country than to the ingenious pa wor
thy inventor, that a more particular account ol it than has
hitherto appeared should be given to the public. ©

A perspective se of this elegant piece of mechanism is
giVeDs pinte II, fig. 1. The frame is of iron, cast (with the
ex of the f ct), ina single ‘ages uta eae
press pena The is of zn ie

J ao eration. ‘The “ny 4) is cast iron, ad 1S

of the dimensions of an entire form. ircul projec-
tion in the middle, with six radiating pieces, gives 1t an am-
e ei of : S the 0m acted on

314 On Printing Presses and their Theory.

are fifteen inches each in length; and i in the position repre-
sented in the figure, which is that of the greatest obliquity,
ey want two and a quarter inches at their point of contact
of being straight. The lower end of each lever is we! inch-
és broad, and is rounded off into a portion of a cylindrical
sifacs of half‘ad inch radius. A piece of steel aed ‘within
the circular projection in the middle of the platen has a hol-
low bush or bod of corresponding figure: in this the lower
end of the lever (17) isset. The upper end of this lever is
‘ out in the same manner to receive the lower end

of (6); and the upper end of (6) to receive a projection
from the under side of the top of the frame. At (5) there
is a provision for raising or lowering this projection by slips
of sheet iron or tin, and thus adjusting the position of the
levers to the best working state. The ends of the levers
and the beds in which they rest are Rahn with steel, and
the beds are so contrived as permanently to retain a small
ual tity oil. (9) is a spindle of wrought iron fastened at

2 ul ascrew and nutto the shorter arm of the

AF
a)

ance lex er (7), and branching below into three parts, each of
which is attached by an adjusting screw to the platen. This
answers the double purpose of keeping the platen steady,
and enabling the weight (18) attached to the longer arm 0
the lever (7) to lift the platen and carry back the bar imme-
diately after each pull. The platen is still farther guided
by lateral projections which run in grooves connected with
the cheeks of the press.

The mode in which the movement of the working bar
(12) is hein to the main levers, will be best under-
stood ig. II. which is a representation of the parts 11,
12,13 ind 15, as they woulda sige to te ace looking down
upon the press from above. The b (the lever work-
a} with the hand) is ane in a acne cast iron roll

fee . ne

of "which slides ina ets Bop uide (represented by 10, in

pe. 1.) while the other end is Sfeaiaed by a hook and eye
to the upper main lever (6), at the distance of an inch from

On Printing Presses and their Theory. 315

the bottom. (16) is a bar check, which limits the revolu-

tion of the bar to a precise are. e carrt

The operation of the mechanism will now, it is believed,
be sufficiently apparent. When the bar BA is brought
ler i

eminently adapted to effect that rapid increase owe!
near the end of the pull, which has been already mentioned
as the great desideratum in the construction of this part of
the printing press. ‘To determine the actual gain of power
at the beginning and at the end of the pull, measures have
been taken from an individual press, of the lines necessary
for the computation. When the bar was thrown back, the
angle ACD (of the triangle ADC formed by joining the
three centres of motion with straight lines) was found to be
=113° 52’, CDA=7° 12’, and the distance of the centre of

‘ives a total of 20 to 1. 3 ge nee gee
“At the end of the pull, the angle ACD=172°, the angle

CDA=1° 3’, and the distance of the vertical levers from a

straight line, according to the specification of the inventor,

strai
which was found nearly exact, = half an ineh. it
i yer wil 1 by compoundin ding the follo
Srna? BA to 32, Cos. 1° 3! to Sin. 172°, 15 to 2x4, sna
763 to 1.

316 On Printing Presses and their Theory.

It thus appears that the power gained is about thirty-eight
times greater at the end than at the beginning of the pull. —
‘While the re-action of the elastic substances which form
the tympan is small, the mechanical advantage is small, and
the platen is brought down rapidly ; but as the resistance
increases, the power gained undergoes somewhat more than
even a proportional increase, so that during the last mo-
ments-of the revolution, the pull actually grows somewhat
iia, In consequence of this, although the bar is stopped

by the action of the check, nothing of that violent
jar is produced on the arm, which is so serious an incon-
venience in the common press; and to relieve which most
pressmen find it necessary to sacrifice a part of the force
exerted a et an elastic heading over the tenons of
the summe

Let us now compare for a moment the mechanical ad-
vantage furnished by this combination with that furnished
by a screw of the ordinary press. In all presses alike,
the dicular motion of the platen may be regarded as

to 5 this, in the screw press, we must allow at least 4 or an
inch for the spring of the summer; making the vertical dis-
tance described by the interior relatively to the exterior
-screw half an inch. Then supposing the length of the pull
to be no greater than in the Lever pr os the mechanical ad-
vantage gained will be uniformly 44 : But if we sup-
pose, as is generally the the case in he that the distance
described by the hand is greater by about a foot, (although
the increase of the distance is in reality only an exchange of

Stine force sical. accumulated i in she sae aaa be > bat
yz 48 great in the Lever as in the screw press; or} as great,
if but half a form is worked at once with the latter.* It
oe Pan ee i

Fig ay gent tuall d the bar
bP wend cease “tae

On Printing Presses and their Theory. 317

must not be supposed however that this ratio is a fair crite-
rion of ne total veees* exerted. This is probably about
half or 3 as great, in the former as in the latter. When a
pressure is to be produced between the paper and form of
types of from 25 to 35,000 pounds, it is not in the power of
mechanism to supersede the application of a considerable
aggregate force to the bar. ‘The superiority of the Lever
press lies much more in the equalization of the force which
it occasions, than in the reduction of its total amount. It is
true at the same time that the Lever press does considerably
diminish the ¢otal force of the pull; but it is chiefly by per-
mitting a diminution in the thickness of the elastic substan-
nae _which f form the tympan, and — — the ares

nature of

ism which effects the gain of powe
By admitting the two main ies (6) ral: an, os tie
two horizontal ones AC and CD to come much nearer to a
ight line, a far greater mechanical advantage might have
hean obtained ; but it would have been of no practical use.
The inventor has rightly judged that it is time to stop the
bar when it begins to move sensibly easier. If it were per-
mitted t to go mi the aan could descend but an ex-

ry. At the same time, the positive antage V
be incurred of rendering it impossible for this elastic ise
to produce the return of the bar.
There are a variety of circumstances relating to the Lever
press, aside from the peculiar nature of the power it em- -
este which recommend it to the attention of the owners ners of

od
m3. The whole of a ‘Eck eee ied sions an the
platen admitting a superior evenness of surface an d exact-

318 On Printing Presses and their Theory.

ness of movement, the different pages of the same sheet will

ta neater and more uniform appearance than when
worked witha wooden platen and two pulls. This remark
is especially applicable to the duodecimo page.

4, By admitting a less thickness to the tympan and its
contents, it produces a less rapid wear of the hair strokes of
~ letter.

. The ribs on which the carriage runs have the peculiar
epacinucton seen in the figure, by which the friction is sash
-and the waste of oil diminished.
rom the best estimate which can be made, this press
wil |in a course of om be attended with an actual saving of
money to the purchaser

Many of the aatieL advantages, it is readily conceded,
are such as this press possesses in common with that of Mr.
Clymer; but without detracting from the merits of the lat-
ter, anaes is little danger in hazarding the prediction that its
anew te: ee aoe and that as it has thrown

steel. .
which has been in constant operation nearly two yea ah ‘the "ates ots of
‘riction were found wholly insignificant. The slight roughnesses which had
been left on the surfaces by the manufacturer were scarcely affected. It is

obvious, however, that the wear of many of the parts mig boots i.
considerable before sed action of the press would be : ek impaired;
and that others replaced ata trifling expense. The original cost

common | tert: edi is about one rans teasrceny venty dollars ; and
the annual expense of maint eae one will consist of the ye es items: in-
terest on the original cos coe A aber to be replaced, supposing the
time of w Gehring wats me five years, $6,80; cepa, ee

t cost of

pa rticwek etcetera
testimonial to it be desired.

a Hi
. 222 tia ciate? si i F % Si

a

On Printing Presses and their Theory. 319

prior inventions into the back ground, it must in its turn
yield to the progress of improvement. The points of supe-
riority in the Lever, over the Columbian press, appear to be
= following. 1. It is afforded at two thirds of the expense.
. The mechanism is lighter, and more compactly stowed.
s From the greater simplicity of structure, it is oe liable
to get out of repair, and is more easily put in o
out of a en by a person of common mechanical skill 4.
he surfaces which move in contact are so contrived as to
be kept oiled without heing. taken in pieces. Accordingly,
those who have’had trial of both, so far as the writer can
learn, both owners and workmen, give the stad to the
ver press.
~ High: as is the perfection to which this press s has been
brought by its inventor, it would be strange if it were abso-
lately incapable of improvement, or if farther he so
should not point out some changes for the better. Am
the infinite variety of which the adjustment of the wan’ is
capable, there can be but one which is absolutely the best;
and it is scarcely supposable that this one has been yet at-
tained. A slight variation of the position and form of the
working parts in different successive castings, promises more
effectually than any thing else to make known those slight

of an inch square. But if reduced to one half hele present ad
size, they would possess mac times

The driving lever also, if = very ne

might be without sates’ we wi th the

diminished one half or two thirds in size. On oibues 4 im-
Tov which have

ovements of ematical ¢
suggested themselves, it will not be necessary to enlarge.

é

320 On Printing Presses and their Theory. a”

SUPPLEMENT.

As the power gained by different pambientions like those
referred to in the preceding pages seems to have scarcely
attracted the notice of writers on Mechanics, I shall subjoin
an investigation of such as are most likely to occur in prac-
tice, for the information of those who may be concerned in

invention or improvement of machines which contain

combinations, and to whom it may be sometimes im-
portant to know with precision the ‘mechanical advantage
they gain by different supposed arrangements of machinery,
and the strain to which the different parts are subjected.

Pror. 1. Let €B (Plate Ill. Fig. 1.) be a straight rod,
moveable about C, and BA another rod, connected by a
joint with CB at B, and wits its other extremity A confined
to atccar in the line Oey duced : it is required to deter-

wer will be to the resistance, in dae, as in all oth-
er cases, in the inverse ratio of the velocities of their re-

spective points of application. We have therefore only to
investigate, for any given position of B and A, the velocity
hi moves, or the circular arc DB increases,
compared with eet of A’s motion on the line CA. For fC

‘ purpose, draw the endicular BP, put AB=

B=b, AC =¢, BP oy, jd DAs. Then “go vara

= i eS ; By dy ayy.
viey 23; and taking the fluxions, dr= Vang Tee Te
- But beat hence hy division = reas ay s?—s5 dale +e
: ate Cl

_sin ABC _ sin
= pac RAC hide: the pow-

er is to the resistance overcome, as the sine of the angle.

a

—

A

: AW \ AY \
MO TTT LLL LLL LLL

LEVER PRESS.
CQN.,

HARTFORD,

JOELN I. WELLS’ PATENT

|

On Printing Presses and their Theory. 321

made by the two rods, is to the cosine of the angle, made
by the rod to which the resistance is opposed and the direc-
tion of the resistance.

Cor. 1. If the power, instead of being applied at B, is ap-
pled at any other point. be CB or CB produced,—pow-
er: resistance: : CBrsi ABC : CX°cos BAC.

Cor. 2. If the rods CB, BA become equal in length,
V b2--y2 = 02-2, and the general expression is reduced to
et That is, the power isto the resistance as twice the

cosine of half the angle contained by the rods is to radius,—

or as twice the distance of their point of junction from ihe

line j joining pes outer extremities is to the length of either.
C e power, instead of acting in a aioe

cot paeteutar’ to CB, act in the direction of BP, it

inferred that power : resistance : : tan BAC+tan BCA : ‘4.

Prop. II. It is required to determine the ratio of the for-
ces which keep each other in equilibrio when the point A
(Fig. 2.) is confined to move in any other given line AH.
~ From C draw Cé equal, and infinitely near to CB, and
from & as centre with BA as radius, intersect AH in a 2 ion
6, a, and draw the CA caret oeh arand hs. Ar is ultimate-

equal to - =AB—rs=

ab—rs=
ie: easily shewn) es ek "This being an infinitesimal of

the second pice is ultimately evanescent in respect
rie and eon Ar—Bs=0, or Ar=Bs. It follows
t Aa: Bb: ec BAH: sec bBs: : sec BAH : cosec

the velocities of the points A and B; hence power: resist-
ance : : sin ABC : cos BAH. This result includes that
the last Prop. as a particular case.

Prop. III. Let the extremity A, instead of moving in a
straight line, be confined to move in a circle, by being con-
nected with the rod AC’, moveable about the fixed point
C’ : the power applied to B will be to the resistance an
at A with which it is in equilibrio, as the sine of CBA is
_ the sine of C’AB.

For draw through A the jine AH perpendicular to AC’:
then the initial motion of A will be in the line AH, and a
ba last Prop. pee resistance :: sin ABC :cos BA

Vor. Il.....No. 2 4}

322 On Printing Presses and their Theory.

But, a comp. BAC’; therefore power: resistance : :
sin ABC : sin C-AB.*

Cor. 1. When the the radii stand in opposite directions
as C’A, CB’, ABC becomes a reflex angle of more than
180°; but the sine of any arc is the same (except in regard
to its sign ) as the sine of its supplement to 360° ; hence, as
before, the two forces applied at A and B’ will be in equili-
brio when they are to each other as the sines of the angles
AB’C, C AB to which they are respectively applied.

Cor. 2. The same result may be extended to the case in
which A and B are confined to move in any Jines whatever,
straight or curved, to which a tangent can be drawn. for
let AH and Bé be the tangents at the points A and B; and
power : resistance 3: cos ABB : c AH, or (drawing the
normals CB, C’A,) : : sin CBA : sin in C/AB.

Remark —The ‘ar oe results will equally apply when
the rods CB, &c. are curved, and when in con-.
sequence of one Role d into different parts of the same
rolier, they are not in the same plane ;—provided that CB,

>, are taken as the perpendicular distances from the
central line of one roller to that of another

Prop. IV. Let there be three levers CA, C’B, C’D,
(Fig. 3. * moveable about C, C’, and C”, as centres, and hav-
ing their other extremities connected by straight rods
an : the: power applied to A will be the resistance act-
ing at B CBee ee ee to C’B, as sin CAD x sin C’DB
is to sin
is osition evidently follows from the first Cor. to the
last, fed is equally true for all meas ositions of the cen-
tres C, C’, C”, and of the rods C CBC 'D

Car: When CA and AB com = into ro position of a
straight line, sin CAB vanishes, and the power gained will
be infinite. If the rods be so disposed that o'D and DB
come into the position of a straight line at the same time,
the power gained at the moment of attaining this position
becomes ‘infinite upon infinite.

Pror. V. If any number x of equal rods be connected
by rivets at their middle and ends as in Fig. 4, the end Cc

| # This proposition Pitermines the. mechanical advantage pin at any
given part of the revolution of the bar, in the Stanhope pres

On Printing Presses and their Theory. 323

being fixed, and A being moveable along CA; the power
applied at B” and acting perpendicularly to CA is to the
resistance overcome at A, as twice the tangent of BAC is to
n—I1.

Suppose in the bah place that the power is applied ae
by Prop. 1. Cor. 3. it will be to the resistance : : 2 ta
BAC: i.. But the nature ofthe combination requires thatthe
rods should in % states be parallel to each other; hence
velocity of B’=3x vel. B; vel. B’=5x vel. B, &e., and
power at B’= ‘ ; power at B; so that power at B : resist-
ance atA::2 x 2 tan BAG : 1 ::2tan BAC: 5. In the
the same manner it may be shewn, whatever be the num-
ber of rods combined, that power: résistanee :: 2 tan
BAC : n—1.

Prop. VI. (Fig, 5.) Let the two levers of Prop. I. instead
of being united at B, act on each other by means of cireu-
lar cheeks BD, B'D, having equal radii BO, B’O, Jess than
BA : itis required fo determine the power whieh, applied
to B at right angles to oe shall overcome a given resist-
ance acting at A in the lin

To simplify the investigation of the relative velocities of

and A, let it be sup that

nitely small cha of panied, Ac hod (habe katalige in
direc ce Then the centres O, O/, of ihe ais B
, BD, vill, describe lines perpendicular to AC ; and if
the motion of B be continued, the point of contact D, the
tres 0,0’, and the points B, B’ will all fall upon AC to-
sete. Let ab (Fig. 6.) be ves position which AB assumes
it has moved an indefinitely small distance : the point
) ° will be: in the perpendicular OP, and ao will be Pee to A
O. Drawing the perpendiculars, bg, oh, Ae, and placing f
at the intersection of AO and a it may be shewn a8 as in the
demonstration of Prop. If. that he Oh=ea. Hence Ae:
ho:: tan OAP: cot OAP:: sin® OAP : cos? OAP:: O
:AP?. By sim. tri. ae: ho ahi But fO may be
taken as=fo; therefore A f: fO:: OP? : AP*. 0
sition, fO: AO:: : PA? : AO?; hence, putting A to
the angle BAP, fO=AO cos? A. — abewid olveAe. <2 <4
and Ae=Aa. sis to tht ON Bee Bh. fo it Sd

>

oh:: Bf: Of: thatis, (by substituting y found,)

324 On Printing Presses and their Theory.

gb: Aa. *4::OB+A0. cos? A: AO. cos? A. Divi-
ding the and and fourth terms by =

ee: we obtain, gb:
Aa: : OB+A0. cos? a: AO. ak eae gb pe siacee

AO -cos*? A+OB.—If the angle BCA be not too large,
we may suppose C immoveable, and the whole resistance ap-
plied atA. We shall then have power : resistance applied
at A::2AO-sin A: : AO-cos? A+-OB.

Cor. When A is so small that cos? A may be consider-
as = I, power : resistance :: 2AO sin. A: AB. When
the two ends B,B’, are immediately applied to each sets
as in Prop. I. the ratio is that of 2'sin A: 1. Hence when
two levers act by circular cheeks, they furnish a coke
a rho — than that of two simple levers of i
e same angle of obliquity, in the ratio e
raf the lever to the excess of this length above the ra-

dine of curvature of the cheek. wie side ee

_ Prop. VIL. Let two equal rods AB, A’B' (Fig. 7) resting
on the Spriestte sw pas A,A’, ‘Support the ae ay aad

et this ] site be capa ble of turning round and slidi
‘ it onthe fixed | line CF, which passes io its centre
the middle of AA’: -
if DE be cease parallel to CA, the power acting at the cir-
cumference B, is to the weight resting on B'EB which it
will support, as the sine of BDE to radius CA, is — ee

£ivUiil

ae * This 3 principle (which: may be called that of ma elie oilers) has

it I serve Hebe inquiry whether the immense power which er wg thus com-
does not admit of being advantageously introduced into certain kinds
inery, Possibly it would be an improv t to construct the adja-
ends of the two main levers of NVelis’ pr is form.

Id be cary to assign the ratio of the power to the resistance for differ-

CB’, w D, B ptie arches havi
for their semitransverse axes, But result would be of no prac-
of the difficulty of grinding the surfaces BD B’D

ese

‘De ta. vequal tot

the Cor. preset ali Bo obliquities, if BO,

On Printing Presses and their Theory. 325

Draw BP perpendicular to DE and join AP. Then the
plane ACDP is perpendicular to the plane BEB’; and BP
drawn perpendicular to their line of common section is also
perpendicular to the plane ACDP, and therefore to the line
PA which it meets in that plane. Hence APB is a right
angled triangle, and AP? +PB?—AB?. If BD be put=
r, AC=r, AB=a, CD=z, and BE—s: BP will be-
come ==sin z, DP. cos 7, and AP? (—DC?+4AC-PD’)
=«x°+(r'+cos z)*. Hence sin? z4+22 +(7" 70s 2)*__a?.
Expanding (r’ » cos z)?, and substituting r* for sin ?z-+ cos?
z, we have z*+7r?—2r' cos ae =a?, Taking the flux-
ions, 2 vdr= 21 E d (cos z= "2. sin z dz; and by resolu-
tion, dz: —dz::> ~ sin 2 2e, But dv and —dz express the
velocities of te points to which the weight and wee power are
respectively applied; so that power : weight: : 7 ~ Sinz tert |

sin BDE to rad. AC : CD.

Cor. 1. When BDE=0 or 180°, sin BDE vanishes, and
the gain of power becomes infinite. But DE is ee
the position which BB assumes when AB and A’B’ com
into the same vertical plane. Hence the weight init
exc nece ee: eet Fi’ when she 0
rae asus Ge tee cee vertical plane. When the e
EDB is so small, or the line DC so large, that the ‘Scie
of DC may be neglected, the r necessary to
a given weight will vary as the sine Ae EDB, the angle
eens | from the position at which it becomes evanescent

2. Every thing else being the same, the gain of pow-
er bes this combination will increase in the same se
tion as the distan ee.ef iis lowes est points of the ee
is diminished.

Cor. 3. If, as will sepibtally be the case, the two extrem
ities of each rod ar ¢ equidistant from the central line CF,
or AC ae the power will be to the ween sth as
BP:

326 Manufacture of Suiphat of Iron.

Arr. XII.— Some account of the pes eras mines and mani-
factory in Strafford, Vt. ; r. Joun Locke.

THE mine is situated about twelve miles from Dartmouth
College, and about five miles from Thetford, Vt. It is near
the summit of a hill which rises probably two or three
hundred feet above the bed of the streams in the vallies

it

The ein § Which it occurs is mica slate, the strata of
which, are very highly inclined to the horizon, and present
their ridges above the surface in various parts of the
hill, particularly at its summit. ere are occasionally
veins of quartz in the slate. The rocks for several miles
around are, as far as I observed, principally mica slate.
There are no particular indications of iron at any consider-
ble distance from the mass of the mine, but the transition
from the slate to the pyritic ore is eee The mine has
sepa cians up the hill, about twenty rods in
lengt in breadth. | The of ore has been traced near
alfa benesy running pretty much in the direction of the stra-
ta of the slate.

The ore consists of an aggregate se quartz and undecom-
posed pyrites in small grains. In its granular aggregation,
the ore resembles the quartz and Seldspat in fine grained
rig The pyrites constitutes the greater proportion.

any specimens contain abundance of needle shaped erys-
tals of schorl. Its fracture possesses a metallic lustre, and

of it bs otras colour to pale brass, from which it
varies to steel
- ore is ver compact and is obtained for manufactur-
ing by drilling and blowing. In manufacturing i it into cop
peras it goes through t
lixiviation and e oration, each of which constitutes a dis-
tinct c several years the manufacturers effect-
De decom ecompostion in ate following manner: the ore was
brok ragments of a foot or less in diameter, and
futaped ee inclined scaffolds erected and floored with
lank for the purpose. Thus exposed to the action of air
— moisture it very gradually decomposes at the surface.
e same mass of ore a solution was obtained,
year fee tee. either by the rains or by the application of
water | means. The solution was received from
the inclined vat romp in plank cisterns.

Manufacture of Sulphat of Iron. 327

For three or four years past they have adopted a more
expeditious method of decomposition, which was discover-
ed in the first place by accident. They break the ore into
much smaller fragments, three inches and less in diameter,
and throw them into a convenient heap, taking care to leave
air holes at the base, so as to allow the air to pass freely
through the heap. On applying water the decomposition
commences, and so much heat is evolved, as presently to
raise the temperature of the heap to such a degree as to
charr wood, boil water, sublime sulphur, &c. Great quan-
tities of sulphurous acid gas are evolved during the process,

and in the course of three or four weeks the whole becomes
oe and Ae to fall into Fux state of powder. It

yoleanoes happened to be burning. The sulphurous acid
produced had run down the side of the hill below, and kill-
ed the grass and leaves of the trees for several rods, as com-
pletely as though they had been scorched by fire. It was
even dangerous to approach it except on the windward side.
I thrust a stick into it and it was charred to blackness in a

the -heap by sublimation. I was informed that ‘the ae
astally athed and ran down into the cavities, and that it
frequently burned with flame in various parts of the heap.
he manufactory in which the processes of evaporation
and erystalization are performed, is placed on the declivity
wits below me mine. This gives great facility to all the
ing the various reservoirs to be so arranged
one above saikoe that the liquor may be transferred from
One process to another merely by means of a trough. ©
The bottoms of the evaporating vessels are z ead,
and about ten feet square; the sides are of wood abou
three or four feet high. The bottom is sup d bya
number of parallel brick walls, placed at a small distance
from each other. The avenues or arches between these
walls communicate at one end with the arch in which the
fire is placed, and at the other with the common flue.
‘The ore is a sulphuret of iron with a small proportion of
copper; and the solution, first obtained, is is a sulphate of iron

328 Manufacture of Suiphat of Iron.

and copper with an excess of acid. During the process of
evaporation a leaden vessel, having its sides perforated and
containing fragments of old iron is suspended in the liquor.
The iron at the same time that it neutralizes the excess of
acid, decomposes the sulphate of copper and the copper is
precipitated in the form of a fine powder which the work-
men call “copper mud.” In a conversation with Profes-
sor Cleaveland upon this subject he observed, that he could

conceive why the copper did not form a pellicle upon the
iron. ‘T think its detachment is referable to the constant
and active operation of the acid in the hot liquor, removing
the copper as fast as it is deposited. Hydrogen gas which
I collected in tumblers and burned, is evolved during
the solution of the metallic iron in the acid liquor. When
the liquor is first heated it becomes turbid with some earthy
material, probably alumine.

After the liquor has been -suficienly evaporated it is
drawn off into cisterns to crystalize. Branches of trees are
put into them as a nucleus for the crystals. When the

rystalizati s -as far as it will gO, the remain-
in fluid i is drawn off, and returned to the evaporating ves-
sels. The cistern remains lined several inches in thickness
with crystals, like a geode. The branches have a fine crop
of foliage and fruit composed of beautiful green crystals.
‘The crystals are very large and perfect, ame numer-
ous brilliant facets which are often several inches broad. I
obtained

. rl bas :

° ~ Every thing about this mineral’ manufactory is curiously
with iron rust. When a dry day succeeds a rain
or ashower, the whole mine becomes covered with a white
erystalline efflorescence like a hoar frost, and the rain water
which runs down into the cavities of the mine becomes so
strong a solution as to crystalize. Wherever the solution

istinguished fr om them: were it not for 1
se sti mero: at some

“seasons and present a very beantiful | spectacle.
Spr ene as method has been contrived et de
wash of the whole mine. There has been cut in the com-

t ore, quite across the lower edge of hie oan Ce

Manufacture of Sulphat of Iron. 328

nel, into which by its inclination the mine discharges the

wash of every shower, together with the natural oozing
from the hill above. A trough conveys the fluid from the
channel to the boilers. To increase the effect of this natu-
ral brook of copperas, the ore has been broken into large
fragments, and heaped along the upper side of the chan-
nel, there to undergo a slow decomposition precisely as it
does upon the scaffolds mentioned above.

_ The mine where it has not been opened is covered with
oxid of iron which consists principally of incrustations of
vegetables.

n the part where 1 examined these incrustations they are
about three feet deep. The vegetables seem to have been
enveloped by a thin uniform crust, but having decayed and
disappeared the crust remains an empty mould or pattern of
the vegetable. The general figure of the vegetable is pret-
ty well preserved in the external form of incrustation ; but
the internal cavity is wonderfully perfect, the sinuosities
of the bark, the veins of the leaves and the strie of the
buds are preserved to microscopic minuteness. The im-
pressions are so perfect that it is difficult for one to con-
vinee himself that the real vegetable is not there. All the
vegetables that we should onpecsat a aoe oo
of ‘ground, ini the woods, seem to occu
general recognize the species and even erat earag
Among the specimens I obtained were the following : hem-

k branches and cones; nuts, burrs, and leaves of the
beech ; hazel nuts and a species of golden rod which I re-
cognized by a peculiar ss ae often produced upon this

-by an insect. Icould not ascertain that any animals
had ever been found i he The incrustations are divi-
ded into several Strata by Jayers of oxid, which have a
Ser eee Te nt a fracture almost a

The wikia as told me that four men
one hundred tons of co; in a year, beside ering on

ry rich. The sup rel
afforded three hundred srl sthirey-abree mckemragncens

be 8 Ill... No. 2. 42

330 Remarks on Chemical Theory, and on

solves, and the water it acquires in eaapeeaniens this state-
ment seemed less incredible than at firs
I have deposited specimens of the ihe of the ore in
its various conditions, the apeinls, &c. in the New-England
mipneans; Boston. JOH LOCKE.

Arr. XU. —Remarks on some points of Modern Chemical
eory, a notice of “the Elements of Chemical Sci-
ence, o volumes, ete plates ; by Joun Goruam, M

Homo nature minister et interpres.—Bacon.

Tue present period is distinguished by wonderful mental
activity ; it might indeed with great propriety be Gaperenntey
theiatellessuay: age of the u world. At no former period, has

i Tae: | extend
ing its Taare while the. press is pr beyond all for-
mer example, in productions upon every art and every sci-
ence. Even that wis aos age of knowledge, whose e¢
man 2 admit of no sstqnsion co rin is as @ ewe

subj
cept on nae
that re

niverse have been, a to their most important este def-

- Gorham’s Elements of Chemistry. 331

de to the fabric, although the endless relations of quantity
continue to afford inexhaustible topics for the researches of
theoretical mathematics, and we may add also, innumera-
ble practical applications of these theoretical speculations.

After all the labour that has been bestowed on the subject,

tha

of natural things has not been exhausted,—in a word, Natural
History and Chemistry continue to afford an endless variety
of topics of observation and research. Every year new
minerals, animals and plants present themselves to the min-

eralogist, the zoologist and the botanist, respectively ; this is
true, even in the oldest countries, in - those that have been

the most conspicuous and important objects have been al-
ready observed and described, and particular naturalists

e, in a sense appropriated them as their peculiar prop-
erty ; it is also true that in new countries conspicuous subjects

itmostotit
minute and less valuable than those that were before discov-
, and tk often ——
rather on the rs of the field, than thinnest

certain the composition of bodies, the rs is ——
ly different. It is, in all probability, in its very nature,

exhaustable. Its domain being co-extensive with the cco
ical creation, (or rather with that portion of it which is ac-

sis of all things, in earth sea and air. It is required of it
to unfold, not merely the i state of combination,
in which the parts exist, but to discover as well their, ulti-

deed, it is obvious, that this certainty can never be attained,
for were the great number of elementary bodies, now ad-

332 Remarks on Chemical Theory, and on

mitted as such, to be ultimately reduced to two, (which is
physically possible)—and although it is self evident that

_ there cannot be fewer than two elements ;—still it is clear-
ly possible that the two which appear to be elements, may
be in their turn, decomposed—each may contain one new
body and one before known or possibly each may consist
of two new bodies, and these again may contain each one
new body or more; and thus, when the subject has appar-
ently reached the point of greatest simplicity, it may again
more complex and ultimately carry the enquirer

farther ancdece from the desired result.* This is one great
reason why the researches of chemistry are boundless.
Another is, that independently of our theoretical views as
to the number and nature of the elements, we can never
know when we have formed every possible combination 5
the progress of chemistry has constantly evinced that com-
pounds are produced which, as we have every reason to be-
ove, exist kaso where i in males mean not a few of them are

tet aang 2 other science ; immense activity has been
erted in its various departments and a great number of in-
genio and able men, spread over all enlightened countries,
ve been andstillare constantly occupied i in its numer ons
diversified iy ce - Fi
a has.

Grorham’s Elements of Chemistry. 333

Tt appears, however, from his preface, that this was not
original motive; he remarks: “ the work which is now
offered to the public, was originally intended, by the author,
as a text-book to the lectures delivered by him, to the med-
ical students, and under graduates of Harvard University.”
This object, was unquestionably a correct one, for it would
generally be advantageous to every class, to have the pecul-
iar course of instruction which they are to receive laid be-
fore them in a concise and perspicuous printed form, for
most students in a college have no time to do any thing more
than to follow their instructor, in the shortest route possible,
and in general it is of very little use torecommend to them
perusal of vari

purpose above mentioned, and at the same time, be sted
ed to a elite of readers who might wish to acquire a
pee on of the laren settee enon e ntering. _—

cate npn ne a Ne ek

peo so sn ee shall. eae eons that of
Dr. Henry, and on the other, less extended than the elabo-
rate and profound system of Drs. Thompson and Murray,
will be sufficient to include the most important facts im
chemistry without tasking the memory of the student with
amass of matter, the knowledge of which, though indis-
—, to ae operative chemist, must be eee od
‘the general scholar.” beer observes: with's ty

aera ioe fl mea pl

determining the value of opposing doctrines.
Perhaps this work may be regarded as occupying a arcs
onus arenes et Ie does not t claim to } ent a

ctor wane oo sence = size—as those
bu atone Jacquin, Heron, Park, and the Conversations on

334 Remarks on Chemical Theory, and on

chemistry—La Grange and the abridgments of Thompson
and Murray, Chaptal, havaidies hus) Brande, and even
Henry,* it has, we believe, a right to claima peculiar character
as being more full than any of them, and more philosophical
than most of them, while it is not encumbered with more of
the details of the practical parts of the subject, than are ne-
cessary to illustrate the philosophy of the science, which ap-
pears to be the great object of the wo

i would be saying a prea deal to adfiren that any work

neiple
stated with great mht elect is tippy ind we
+ oe that few of Dr. ’s statements relating either
le or practice can be seriously invalidated. His
Bonk: Sinn eesbataibalt its standing for more than twenty years,

i onl nearly half that number of editions.
not meri to be soon superceded—it had its
feebler youth—it outh=it now Hourishes in vigorous maturity, and it

. Idage. ‘Thereisindeed
Sowticonts between the works of Dr. Henry and Dr.
Gorham, Each has its appropriate object and mode of exe-
cution, and we think Dr. Gorham having resolved to ge be-

in giving his work the ate ee ee
blance th

hy of chemistry. more resem!
elements (in two vo! sclomsis)iat Wirhuas Leaoansd a: Maiey,
cent than is latest ea but it is fuller, and much more re-

es inthis country Scones ciagestuet hemistry

Gorham’s Elements of Chemistry. 335

This part is formed into two divisions; in the
eso is given an account of the properties of inorganic mat-
ter; the subject of the second is organic matter; and orennie.
matter has been as usual, divided into vegetable a

Mineralogy and geology have been very peat omit-
ted ; those topics are too extensive to be adequately. inclu-
dada in a chemical treatise, without swelling its size. ‘wely in-.
conveniently. Spi

For these subjects, Professor Gorham refers his readers
to “the excellent work of Professor Cleveland,” and we

may be allowed to. one that we sami this Safeemcin alto-
1am 's work niche we cave heen prevent-

pe ta to a few remarks intended principally to recom:

mend this performance to the attention of those who may

feel interested in chemical science, and who still have never

perused this valuable production. The work is embraced in

two octavo volumes, containing together, nearly eleven hun-

dred large and full. La ees penny: and peo pmeeninee
sud gente even go get

Pe SS: chemical
not Sepa ieee poh ee impo .
in Dr. Gorham’s SaEnre — so f vas we would
raise similar objections against : most a
thors of the present period. se
Perhaps ag of inte meen too great a facility
given to the admission of new principles, when the evi-
dence 0 of nen existence. has been OM andi in noe

or nincaptlges At present 2
scarcely entitled to a more distinguished place than ine

336 Remarks on Chemical Theory, and oi

memorandum, printed in connexion with the article fluoric
acid or better perhaps ina general appendix, consi’ sim-
ilar things. ‘The same is probably the fact with s
principles, both elementary and proximate, and ae soon
we imagine, conduce to the progress of the science, and to
the comfort and advancement of learners, if newly discov-
ered things, when their character is dubious, were kept long-
er in waiting at the door, until their title to admission and
proper were very clearly made out. In chemis-
try, as in other branches of knowledge, we are too apt to
upon the presumption, that we know. every thing,
and we construct our arrangements accordingly ; but, our
errors it is probable, are not few, and our deficiencies, must
without doubt, be very numerous. 'The unexpected dis-
covery of some new and important principle, frequently
uces a very extensive influence on the relations of other
bodies, and of course on the state of the science. How
great was the change produced by the discovery of oxigen,
and of the constitution « of water, and nd of pagent maapliens,

new views of chlorine introduced into almost st every. par
of the science of chemistry. The subject of chlorine
one respecting which, we may perhaps differ from most of
whose opinions we respect.

In the first place, we are far from thinking that it is expe-
dient, to introduce this difficult and complicated subject, in-
to the early part of a course of lectures or of a treatise. It
is ossibl ; i e theory, to examine,

=
Por tae sh q ee eee hich ee

rine acts a party without an acquaintance with a 1 large number

phenomena 2 and reasoning. We are aware ei if i it be, as

rth ihe nore we have gone on so far in

eee.

*

Gorham’s Elements of Chemistry. 337

all those precursors which are —— to announce so im-
portant a body, and then we may begin upon its history
with the commanding advantage, of being freed from the ne-
er of anticipating, and of being always pany intel-
igibl
It was one of the great charms of Dr. Black’s mode of
instruction, that he carried his pupils forward in their course,
with an ascent so gentle, that they scarcely perceived that
they were rN tll ~~ learned it from the constantly
increasing extent of the hor
We are aware that jit is ete the supposed analogy with
oxigen along which induces the — mention of chlorine ;
are allured, by the imposing extension
of the analogy sos to include f busti
namely, oxigen, chlorine, iodine, and fluorine. Of the last
we have euch remarked: that its very existence is ex-
2 - tay Mae i i - nature is if possible still more
e with iodine; this is a well es-
tablished and well bhatniecinte body—but except the at-
traction, to the positive pole in the voltaic arrangements,
which property it enjoys in common with oxigen and chlo-
rine, what peculiar claim has it to be ranked asa ——

iss irayy ca

ie. ee LL. ~

om| oi diiag steeper ike , in
the case roe pelnieiain 6 can map « be considered as giving
— a — to bess along with: oxigen a and chlorine to the for=

body is so peculiar in the tout eatin of its prepertitd;
that it appears at present better to give it a niche by itself
whenever it may appear most convenient ; but we are dis-
posed so:think that i ought not to mere seers ea

» As to” iesiewer tt didaales scucit Aabecneuisethe
MAE ar oo traced into all its ramifica-
,and di

all
occupy a volume. — We anata sense meee bee

¢

aNOPLe Hew Views, dil
r Mages ci

338 Remarks on Chemical Theory, and on

and elementary treatises they are now inwrought into the
whole texture of the mete foe the ae acute and logic-
al Dr. Murray never became a convert to those views, al-
though he did in the Jatter aie of his life. perhaps virtually
abandon the old ground ; Professor Berzclius, whose name
stands as high as that of any man, was a vigorous and for-
midable opponent of the new views, and we have not heard
that he has changed his opinions. If we may be permitted
to express an opinion, but without any intended disrespect
to the highest < authorities of the day, we would add that there
appears to have been rather too much haste to adopt the
new theory, in all its bearings—not only its proofs, but in
its hypotheses and conjectures, and to earry them in the
form of doctrine, into every part of the science. In the
supposed play between wy a hydrogen, chlorine and the
metallic bases of the — alies and earths to produce
the muriates_ and. the cise respectively 3 a maze in
hack nd are made to that ‘ ly, ror ng
forward peod often wit ee —
vie gous ascites ato in ance
bt ec Sng eR
authority of names, as can well be found i in the poe of.
science. A moistened chloride becomes a muriate and a
dried muriate a chloride, and yet Thenard informs us, that
=e =i altnoeee eget the fered

dean ieiet ok view,

admits of none at ai sineaeraie neon shiadacmnal

ealled an ultimate Pe it what onan this more than to say
th explained. Those

over again, that the Dr Heo 3
very. judicious writers, ory an saksthes Naame denne
eee eeewen!.Dicsionamm : eaetat ean thn last

io} pagosbests iors rss tee final opin

soe oe

Gorham’s Elements of Chemistry. 339

authority were necessary, we should not be afraid to be
on. in apr company.

e aware that the new pose - oblorine has the ad-
vantage of the old in some important points, and that the
old is liable to some formidable ara but we cannot
help thinking that it will ultimately appear that there is
something yet to be discovered on this subject, which will

vince that it is not now fully understood by either party,
poe mene light will break in which will clear up the dark pla-
ces in both theories, or substitute one which is better than
either. At present the state of the subject seems to de-
mand caution and reserve, and we are inclined to think that
it is se apron ruins ae natin Ena ow
to give the dou
most every where equally applicable to to the phenomena eae
nected with this singular topic. We can discern no dis-
advantage in this course, and itis certainly adapted to give a
fuller view of the whole ground than if we exhibit one side

“It is not one of the least of the disadvantages of the new
view abe it has led toa copious | list of new names and de-
rivativ us burd sbdaieinepohies

aera

ErCE

—

340 Remarks on Chemical Theory, &c.

constantly fluctuating. We would not be so unreasonable
as to say, that there should be no changes in the language of
chemistry, but they should be as few as possible, and they
should not be lightly made upon every trivial occasion.

To the term chlorine we do not however object; on the
contrary we think it a happy word, concise and well sound-
ing, and being derived from a sensible property of the body,
namely its colour, it does not involve controversy, or take
for granted a subject in dispute. The derivations from it
are also good and nothing can be better imagined than chlo-
ric, acid chlorates, oxid of chlorine, chloride, § &c.; for wheth-
er chlorine be simple or compound, these terms will ever
remain correct. But, when the terms derived from hydro-
gen are added to those from chlorine, we not only have
cumbrous expressions, but they are involved in all the fluc-
tuations of a disputed theory. As there was no necessity
of precipitancy on this point, and no harm could have re-
sulted from continuing to use the words mente acid, muri-

we should | y sic. mie

C1 aware that | ‘terms are a.
ey aie the Saou principles of the Sendeseh en
and it may be ultimately proper to adopt them. But as a-
principle we object to precipitancy in new modelling a
pepe oe where the anna must me nu-
merous and importan

Sea A the day to. make new words, and it is

step ; $ otherwise it will retard. instead ok : ee pro-.
ome of: asingaine

Chlorine and Hydrogen. 341

of the science admits of it) a regular and connected system. -
The statements evince a correct and discriminating mind,
and there is sufficient evidence that the author has thorough-
ly studied his subject. We believe few chemical works
may be relied upon with more safety, both as regards the
statement of facts, and the fair and philosophical induc-
tions that are drawn from them. It is said that a for-
eign chemist of eminence has reiapeked that this work con-
tains more of the science of chemistry than any other. As
Americans we may be gratified with such an observation,
not because we would wait for an European decision of the
merits of an American wor! we oma to a
it ourselves; for we have both in 1
enough of native talent and learning, to” justly dheiual: of.
forts and opinions of our own; sustained notin the spirit of
vanity and of self adulation, but in the firmness of i

ence, and in that spirit of self respeet which is at once our
right and our duty. We are happy in saying that, in our
view, fessor Gorham has executed his difficult task,
with much faithfulness and ability, and his country has oc-
casion to be proud of his work. His style is pure, per-
spicuous and concise, 5 welont occa 2 a and repulsive ;
indeed we may say it is chi an

, and the reader finds ds himself in <ompeny with one

instructive and cn ea

ie pear

and we are not afraid that either of thom: sill suffer by
close examination either at - home or abroad
In this Peer eet geen
xample, and we trust that its future scientific treatises
be marked er eee

% ee Amr, xIV =e satcacelbancons Chemical Natites:: 3
i CHlorine and | lydr n—danger from their mixture.
Bene: since’ — , of Woolwich, England,

pointed out the seieeat action of chlorine and hydrogen,
these gases have been freely mingled, by chemical demon-

342 Chlorine and ——

own mutual action. ‘The rei it is well known, is ne pro-
duction or evolution®* of muriatic acid; which, when the ves-
sel stands over water, or is opened in contact with that fluid,
is instantly absorbed.

_ Being aware of the danger arising from the mixture of

chlorine and hydrogen gases, when ex posed to the sun’s
direct rays, we have been sufficiently cautious on that head.
In one experiment, we mingled, in equal volumes, about
three quarts of as — they were introduced,—first the
vcore, and then the chlorine,—into a strong flask of
n glass: the ae ee wrapped in a thick coarse towel,
corked, and laid on the snow, (January, 1820,) by the side
‘a brick brenden ths nag be meridian rays were received
y interpo os ng obstacle. We now removed the sea

_ where we had ju a observe marks of a powerful a ection,
as evinced by a whi fume, rapidly undulating through the
flask, when it exploded, with great force, and a violent re-
port, reducing the glass to very small fragments, some of
which struck us, as well as other observers. ia

The present season, (February 16, Festests being desirous
wt showing this inte experiment to

eaniba ile int the sun's ry =5 aes: cht eaneuoneer
a up the id, and dipped -fxtn x contiguony door oh the

: e was scarcely time to escape, and, indeed,
hardly an appreciable interval of time, before the explosion
_ occurred, with such viole as ly 38,

‘to.
ee ee Which were thrown al

we z a
Sat eee eS
OF tit

eng 7 nae ee

33 i dag Se a Lest y
te Ree i Sa a pe ree: eS
, SO Ce ee ern

Chlorine and Hydrogen. 343

mstance, as well as in the other, the undulating

white non was observed; and, in both cases, the air around
and above, for several yards, was filled with a dense white
cloud, which appeared to be muriatic acid gas, condensed
by the moisture of the air. These facts are not stated be-
cause they are new, (as they evidently are not,) but they will
serve to give additional force to A oor derived from
another fact which we are now to m

Being desirous to ascertain sibiather this remarkable effect
could be produced by the radiation of a common culina
fire, we filled a common Florence-oil flask (well Suited,
half full of en gas, and were in the ag ote
the hydrogen in the pneumatic cistern. There was n
no direct emanation from the sun , but even the a light
was rendered much feebler than comm , bya mec
storm, which had covered the chet, ubave with a thick
mantle, and veiled ne gt eept- in a singular degree, even for
such a storm. Under these circumstances, the hydrogen
was scarcely all hnsroddeat, before the flask exploded, with
a distinct flame 3 portions of the glass stuck in the wood
work of the ceiling of the pasa and the face and eyes
pee a on sik iain dase eae

and itis therefore 0 bvious, —— some pee cla preestons
ti eg wos em Such

caplet occurred to us, but, as we have not had ‘op-

portunity to put them in practice, we een to state then:

t é :
: ek pobre seen? has been such in this age, as
to demonstrate, th

frequently to. at tremendous energies are
slumbering all rs
walking, without soli , over hidden mines; an:

344 Chlorine—Radiation, &.

from some thunderstroke, from whose effect, - experi-
menter is happy if he escape uninjured.—Edito

N.B. In the first experiment, related in this notice, the
flask was not covered while filling, but it was done in an
under-ground laboratory. where the light was imperfect :
in the second experiment, the flask was filled in an upper
room, when the sun shone out of doors, but the flask was
covered by a thick towel: in the third, although in an upper
room, it being a very dim light, no precaution was used, and
the glass was not covered; on the other hand, there was no
heat from any adventitious cause, nor could the effect be at-
tributed to any thing peculiar, for we had made this mixture
many times ior ‘under similar circumstances, without any
explosion.—

2, Chlorine pat heat in the skin.

‘Communicated ina letter, dated Philadelphia, Oct 9, 1820, from Professor
Seer a tay "Hare to the Editor.) ©

“Lfind, alee a SiMtous quelidestot Siidaeiaieasiich.
I belive: has never been mentioned as such. The air
around being at about 60, it produces a sensation of heat
equal to 90 or 100, on immersing the hand in it, though the

_ common thermometer should not be affected when im-

mersed. e ial thermometer shewed the gas
warmer; but the effect thus indi was too small
to have hand, and possibly may arise from

action aie ce, between the gas and the insensible per-
spiration of e skin, as the — of chlorine in
ing animal oltre. well known.

<3 Radiation bd Heat through Glass.

Barns often struck by lightning. 343

my object for introducing this topic now is, more particularly
to state, that the phosphorus was ignited, on one occasion,
at the distance of twenty-two feet, notwithstanding the inter-
position of a large pane of glass, twenty inches square. This
shows, that glass is ey oe by radiant heat from very
hot bodies. I had my band on a lever, to which the pane
was attached in spe to raise it; but I had not time to get
it under way. For this SREP, the phosphorus was
melted on cotton, at the bottom of a tube, and the cotton
afterwards divided, under water, into pieces of a proper size.
Being placed ina ‘eandle wick, the candle may be lighted
oe the mirporay which is a very pretty result.

es Construction of Galvanic: Aj ppa
eneed Professor Hare’s Memoir in the seeaitl velaniey

ae

lam constructing a galvanic apparatus, in a glass jar, two
and a half inches in diameter, by eight inches in height, of
coils of copper and zinc; the zinc “plates are about nine
inches by six, and are rolled up with the copper by means
of a mandrel, and two pieces of soal leather interposed, one
ene of an a. ingh thick, the oe ee on the i insi de

ry, if / ther 1s Use ny ae ) : .
sea is, of course, Saenee when ee s taken
mandrel, Narrow pieces of wood are employed to "keep
them apart afterwards.

es ara os pti ee bend this re song soaeceaee ct we have

: estos atv fo te mesial os cto Ed

Arr. Be Tabitiy of Barn to be aoe 6
- tning.—Epiron.

Tur fact, ee are aes more freaataly pot by
ightnin than any other description of buildings, is notori-
ous. Every summer presents a calamito us list of these
buildings burnt in thunder storms; and it is no er uncom-

mon occurrence, that several are consumed b the same
thunder storm. Instances are at hand in sufficient numbers;
‘but, as these occurrences are so feoquest, it is nott
Foes IIl.....No. 2.

346 Barns often struck by lightning.

necessary to enter on the proof of the fact, which will there-
fore be taken for granted.—What then is the cause:

t will be observed, that these events more generally oc-
cur after harvest, or hay-time, when the barns are more or
less filled with hay and grain ;* which renders the calamity
peculiarly distressing, as, in many instances, the farmers’
hopes are blasted in an hour.

It is obvious, that the produce of the fields, when stored
in a barn, must give rise to a copious evaporation. ‘This is
peculiarly the case with hay, which, especially when put up
still damp, (and it always is so in a degree,) sweats (as it is
termed) very powerfully ; a hand thrust into the mow, is
often rendered sensible of great heat and moisture, and a
visible vapour is often abundantly exhaled, when a heap of
such hay is moved. As the large barns of the farmers often
contain many tons of hay and grain, it is obvious, that this

cause is sufficient to produce the rise of a great column of

AS f Te wane gee
Vapour is a good conductor of the electric fluid; and thus
the lig tning may be determined, by the attraction of the va-

PVs

There is an additional fact, which is worthy of being men-

ble nature of the usual contents of barns, as well as of the build-
ings themselves, it is in no way surprising that, when struck,
they are st inevitably consumed. The most interesting
question remains—What can be done to remedy the evil? —

etrical excitement, produced by evaporation, is seen in the f2-
a ment of putting a r live coals into a crucible; the crucible
the coals, when the gold leaves of the electrometer insthatly Seedege

On the Compressibility of Water. 347

The answer is obvious. Let every man fuagnish his barn,
as well as his house, with a lightning rod. In the case of
such low buildings, a rod, which, without a curvature, may
pass up at one end, would cause but a trifling expense, and, it
is believed, would, in most cases, prove a perfect security.
When the barn is very long, it may be better to let the rod
pass over the middle of the roof, or else to have two rods—
one at each end of the building.

Art. XVI.—On the Com essibilty of Water ; by Jacon
ae from the P Philoso, heal Transactions of
n wd Ban ihe sD June 29, 1820,
pee ee to the editor Ses Journal, by the author.
(With Notes, by a Gacteiiaaans:

‘Havine believed, for many years, that water was an elas-
tic fluid, [ was induced to make some experiments, to ascer-
tain the fact. (a) This was done by constructing an instru-

(a) Although the seria ents detailed i in this paper atargae a tps cole of
beats

the compressibility of w ¢
they. cannot, be: regarded. at as the first hei?
a :

off the Lealed eu of the tube of a water or oil thermometer, and admitting

the pressure of the air upon the column of the fluid, it instantly sunk. But,

ca! it to the ——— of the fluid, he resorts for an
mi whit

348 _ On the Compressibility of Water.

ment, which I call a piezometer, and which is represented
in Plate XXXII, (PI. 3 of this No.) Fig. 1. The cylinder, A,
was three inches diameter, and eighteen inches long. The
end, B, was made water tight, by means of a plate, which was
soldered firmly to it. At the other end, C, a cap was ma
_ to screw on and off at serch being also made water-tight.
The rod or plunger, D, which was five-sixteenths of an inch
in diameter, was made to pass hates a tight stuffing box, E.
On the rod, immediately above the stuffing box, was fixed a
flexible ring, a. A cannon, Fig. 2, of a sufficient size to
in the piezometer, was fixed vertically in the earth,
the muzzle being left about eighteen inches above ground,
and the touch-hole plugged tight. Atthe mouth, a strong
cap, A, was firmly screwed on. In the center of. this cap,
a small forcing pump, B, was tightly screwed, the aaa “
which was five-eighths of an inch in diameter. There w
an aperture, C, in 1 the cap, to introduce a valve, for the jie
pose of ascertaining the degree of pressure. ‘One pound

nto et no!

water, «ni addnions! water forced in until the cap showe
signs ‘of leakage; the valve, at the same time, indicating a
pressure of one hundred atmospheres. The piezometer was
then taken out of the cannon, and the flexible ring found to
be eight inches up the rod, evidently proving the rod to have
been into the cylinder that distance, showing, also, a
compression of about one per cent. (6) We have seen, by

1 experiments, that, to be able to produce this degree
of compression, three pecoats must be pum ped: into the

present can exist in in the liquid tate, (as was the case in the exp eriments
of Delue,) 1 there i is every reason that it possesses the physical -
properties of a liquid, and has as ith ee, water with
which it is beedorvid Aceord beer is oe ton found that water was nomen?

Sate, (Oe (Prat de Pama, 13 i) od ‘a ponds water stoi

On the Compressibility of Water. - 349

gun. This fact proves, either that the gun expands, or that
the water enters the pores of the cast iron ; it is probable
both these circumstances contribute to produce this effect.
This experiment was made in America, in the year 1819,
and before I had time to strengthen my apparatus for the
purpose of making farther experiments, 1 was oblige
embark for this country. On my passage, however, I had
frequent opportunities of repeating those I had already
made, and of making others, by a natural pressure. They .
were as follows. The piezometer, by the assistance of fifty-
four pounds of lead attached to it, was sunk in the ocean
to the depth of five hundred fathoms, which is about equal
= the pressure of one hu dred - When drawn

Bae rc. ae aS ae ae

pe indicating, as in the fr ts i experiment, a
compression of one per cent. This experiment was
times repeated, and with the same result.

The next experiment was that of sinking a strong empty
porter bottle to the depth of an hundred and fifty fathoms,
having first tightly corked and sealed it, in the following
manner. Six coverings of cotton cloth, saturated with a

minitin, it was drawn n up. No water was found to have
been forced into it, neither was there any visible ae at
the mouth.

coverings, “consisting « layers of dieik

350 On the Compressibility of Water.

cement, had been torn up on one side before the bottle burst.
The effect produced upon the cork can, we imagine, be ac-
counted for only in one way, viz. that the water, divided
into very minute particles, must, by the surrounding pressure
of water, have been forced through the coverings, and filled
the bottle; that the water thus forced in, and condensed to
a great degree, expanded as the pressure was removed by
drawing it towards the surface, not only so as to press the
_ cork back into the neck, and, owing to the resistance of the
coverings, to compress it half its size, but to nebarete the
neck from the body of the bottle.

Experiment 4. An empty porter bottle, the strongest
that could be found, was stopped in the following manner.
A cork, with a large head, was firmly driven into the neck ;
it was then covered with six layers of fine linen, saturated
with a composition of tar and wax ; over them was applied
a covering of leather, and all perfectly secured by being
well bound at the neck. The bottle, thus prepared, was

unk two erates Soe fathoms. ling drawn in,

coverings were So off, gee fer ecg Sora no signs .
moisture were visible. Had the bottle remained down
sufficient length of time to have completely filled, it Bi
undoubtedly have been broken by the expansion of the
water upon being drawn towards the surface, as was the
case in the former experiment. It is worthy of remark,
that, when the water from this bottle was Pci, into a
tumbler, it ef effervesced like mineral water.

»xperime nt 5. In this experiment, cee strong bottles
were sunk to the depth of five hundred fathoms. One of
them was stopped with a ground glass stopper, and well
cemented, then placed in a strong canvass bag. n the
bag was drawn j in, it was found that the bottle had been
crushed into many thousand pieces. The other bottle was
very tightly corked, but, not having been left down a sufli-
cient length of time, it came up whole, having filled to within |
Sere half inch. hair had been s idlce inane, re-

(¢) Thi eee: -vescence ee te arom he wp of hihi

On the sheatiepes of Water. 351

pressure, it indented neatly double the compression shown
by the former. (d) —

This inca constructe a follows, Fig. 3 bei
section of it. It is simply a ering tube, ny
end, B, and water-tight. At the upper Sake € pare te
allowed to enter through a small aperture, Be closed by a
very sensible valve, opening inwards. The tube is flattened
at D, in order that it may drei to the expansion of the
water, when taken out of the press

‘@) It seems scarcely credible, that the whole difference between the re-
sults of these two sets Par yi ARR NY hy = eae sare, of the rod,

employed i

perature ater in t eX] I wo! dbe sufficient
to account for the difference. The temperature of the in the cannon
was undoubtedly raised, 7 a diminution of : nip heat 5 analog to what
takes place in other cases of compression ; | but, unless the experimen sup te
c eted ina very fi Lb

nearly to a level with that of the werromediog: ais Wa xe ot awe
what was allowed for the equilibrium Y of of temperature to be A ma 5

of e; t
- in the piezometer on compression, as is easily infer
Ugatom of Dela mont have ten no less than 26°, te fibheeke barons
in pee Ne ot ore than an ‘error was committed in

not gi
e 2 The valve, Cy elm sora -
niga made of preatstrengtly would cease

352 On the Compressibility of Water.

e experiment with this instrument was made at Mr.
Krer’s manufactory, in the présence of many scientific gen-
tlemen. The seer nk being perfectly filled with water,

three hundred and twenty-six atmospheres. When it was
taken out and weighed, there was found an increase of water

of es degrees, and kept at the same temperature
during the experiment.

A Gaching calculated to avoid loss of pressure from de-
struction of the materials of which it is composed, will be
made with all convenient speed. This machine, being con-
structed with metallic stuffings and flexible metallic pistons,
will effect a much greater pressure than the hydraulic press,
the ak of —- is limited by the animal stuffing now

. Itisp e, a pressure of from two to three thou-
A leres may: bec obtemed, before the metallic pis-

Apeselanety
Iti is expected that this machine will: be voibibanaly accu-
rate to give the exact ratio of the compressibility of water
with much greater precision than has hitherto been obt
but the results of farther oo one must be the subject a
a future gti ation.
ae ie n Friars, Jane 6, thoes

be done, in : eid t and precis-
would b fae to attain. ‘The exact degree of condensation

hy a given pressure, and the law ig Phe aelpaee a aes

Engraving upon Steel. 353

pons XVII —Notice of Mr. Jacob Perkins's Invention of
Engr aving upon Steel.—Eviro

Tue heaaaeian public are already informed that Mr.
Perkins, has given to the, before, comparatively perish-
able labours of the engraver, a degree of paren which
_— well vie with that of bronze or marble.
to his well known discovery of a method of engraving
upon aa In an interview with Mr. Rerhine, some

, decar

misremember) he termed "the operation. The result, at any
rate, was to soften the steel, so that it would admit of the
easy application of the graver. The design being
the plate goes through another fire process, by which it is
hardened to a high degree; and then the work becomes se
permanent, that the plate may be passed through the rolling
press to an almost indefinite extent, without under going any
material wear.

We have just received, » from Mr. Perkins, (now in in Lon-

deta p j olar
its of rane are tai ‘transferred to the plane of the
h the place of aphelion 5 and at aaa also,

slate: pars she dees ssi ie op su sGtiealti i ci

to evince — mode of engraving is susceptible of grea

pevetenassohe pon the margia of the plate, dere me,

degress of ha examined. Fe small pressures, the ustal law

the variation of balk be aS sega i that
‘ji s 4 f ae

eee cm snton and Ooreted,

— Tl. is Rao . . "45

354 Tests for Arsenic.

in pencil—* From the number of impressions taken from 4
similar plate to this, we have no doubt of a two
hundred thqusand proof impressions from this plate

When it as recollected that the common number of proof
oo is two thousand, and that one plate —s

affords more than four or five thousand prints, Mr. Perkin
invention may well be regarded as one of great value, aid
as enhancing, in a high degree, the importance of the pro-
deouane of the pencil and the graver, so that statuary has
any superiority in this respect, while it has no

we of multiplying copies, except the slow and tedious
ones by which the originals are produced, or the substitu-
tion of plaster casts.

Arr, XVILI.— Tests a Tor Arsenic.—Eprtor.

Jie is pa Pa rea 4
obater: theta is1 is any test sy arsenic, gear can be a eee
relied on, to such an extent as to justify, on that ground
alone, the condemnation of an accused person. Some ex-
perience, in such cases, has produced in us an increasing
impression, that nothing short of the actual production of
the metallic arsenic can be safely relied on for the above -
purpose, although various tests may serve, more or less per-
fectly, to guide the inquiries, and to influence the opinion
of the Soe chemist.
, Dr. T. D. Porter, now a member of the faculty
of the t niversity of South Carolina, in his inaugural disser-
tion states, that he finds, on repeating some of the popular
afiertnctie with onion juice, which were some time since
published in the newspapers ;—that the onion juice, with
the solution of sulphate of copper, (blue vitriol,) but without
the carbonate of potash, produces, in a weak arsenical solu-
tion, “a shade like Scheele’s s green;” but, if carbonate of

in

Agriculture.—On Spring Pasture. 355

ole one, from a weaker, arsenical solution. Coffee was then
added to the solution of copper and of carbonate of potash,
but withowt arsenic, and the effect resembled that of the
stronger arsenical solution, more than this last was resembled
by that of the weaker.

But the most important facts ——— by Dr. Porter
remain still to be stated. He found, that,—in the production
of Scheele’s green, by arsenic, sulphate of copper and car-
bonate of potash,—chromate of potash might be substituted
for the arsenic; and that it produced a precipitate not to be
distinguished, by the eye, from Scheele’s green. He ascer-
tained, also, that even Mr. Hume’s celebrated test, nitrate
of silver, (as modified in its application by Dr. Marcet,)
gave, with chromate of potash, a sano Peariplinies which,
when placed side by side with one produced by arsenic,
could not be distinguished by their pos and sspcamaiie
Dr. Porter’s experiments appear, then, to throw sull greater
suspicion on the infallibility of tests ‘for arsenic, and are
worthy of being repeated.* His results were exhibited to us.

The nitrate of silver used by. Dr. Porter, was the lunar caustic dissolved,
a the chromate of potash
Boe wigs ears a mf .

ae - bz
ae pe, Sera Ag at = Eee ae z Ms ei oe a re = 2, We 6 Bsa cf S. Pua bg

sain XIX.—On Spring 4 Pasture ; by Professor Ext Ives.
«A roaws whieh wil gay i in the autumn, of a size suf-

equally unfavourable to vegetation. All the grasses occa-
sionally, and at least the s folnee e and the roots of many, are
destroyed by the si f the winter and spring. —

7 the 5 wuees jit requires the whole of the pfevions sum-

356 Agriculture.—On Spring Pasture. .

by the frost ; according to the experiments made in Englan
with this plant, as related in Miller’s Gardiners’ Dictionary,
it appears that, even in Great Britain, the crop is so scanty,
as to render it an object unworthy of the attention of the
armer.

A species of vetch was recommended for a spring feed;
but, by an experiment which was made, every plant was
destroyed by the severity of the winter, or the sudden change
from winter to the occasional summer heat of March.

Excepting the winter grains, wheat and rye, I know of no
plant that promises so much to the farmer, for the purpose
of supplying his cattle with green food in the spring, as the
woad (isatis tinctoria.) This plant is less affected by the
temperature of the winter and spring months, than any other
lant, unless it be those appropriately called evergreens.
I's cultivated, so far as I have been able to learn, only for

2 purpose of dying. ©

Sc sed in eiceieGests little, if at all, affected by
the winter. It affords an abundant foliage ; which, together
with the upper part of the root, is readily eaten by cows, in

arch, April and May. The woad might be sown in July
or August, after plowing in the stubble, and would make
fine green feed for cattle in March and April. After the
leaves and a part of the root are eaten by cattle, it will sprout
again; and, probably, if eaten off in April, would be suffi-
ciently grown, by the last of May, to be valuable to plow in
as a green dressing for potatoes. This plant is extremely
tenacious of life, and will flourish in a meagre, sandy soil.

_Asmall piece of ground was sown, in June, with the seeds
of the woad, which was fed by cows in April. They ate it
very readily, and no unpleasant taste was given to the milk.
i he experiment was made on a small scale; the cows sub-
sisting on the woad but part of the time. ie ae

It will require more experiments to determine the real

mer for its growth, and it is, to a considerable extent, killed
d

2 severest frost, its foliage not being injured,—that
1 is ly suspended by severe freezing weather,
extended, and that it is nutritious to

LE ee ‘

Ve

to : Pat Sa rth ‘ of:
e purposes above s

si ail ad? ~

| Archeologia Americana. 357

INTELLIGENCE AND MISCELLANIES.
pty
I. Domestic.

1. Archeologia Americana. Transactions and collections of
the American Antiquarian Society. Vol. 1. 1820.

Tue American Antiquarian Society, as appears from the
act of incorporation, was instituted at Worcester, Massachu-
and twelve.
diate design of the association, in the language of their pe-
tition to the legislature of Massac husetts, is “‘ to discover
antiquities of our own continent; and, by providing a fixed
and permanent place of deposit, to preserve such relics of
American antiquity as are portable, as well as to collect and
preserve those of other parts of the globe.” From the time
of their incorporation to January 1820, the Society had
collected a library of more than six thousand volumes of
rare and valuable books, some of which, it is believed, can-
not be found elsewhere in the country. “The cabinet is
stated to be likewise respectable. The national govern-
ernment has ordered its laws, &c to be sent to the society ;
it the legislature of Massachusetts has directed the Sec-
tary of the state to furnish the institution with two copies
of all their laws and other publications, which they now
have or may hereafter have. The society has experienced
like indulgence from the legislatures of most of the other
states. or the Pp . and p of the

cence in this instance, as vialt as in his» ble dona-

tions to the library of the society, and in pte) as ‘has af-

forded towards completing the eretninutiod vastly =
2 antiq in the western country, justly entitle him

far boscraliiiont sa among the benefactors of the tosstiee

of the union.
The volume mentioned above, to hee Gin in the cotiek of

the proposed j of thesociety. After a

historical

358 Archeologia Americana.

interesting communications from Caleb Atwater, Esq. of
Circleville, Ohio, respecting the ancient fortifications and

i

o

entucky, b arnham ;—of a
‘same cave, by Charles Wilkins, Esq.; of the Caraibs who

scriptions, We would merely invite the attention of the
ublic to the work, which we think highly srestieblos the

ing so extensive and arduous, as a com-
and survey of the numerous vestiges of

whieh, there i son to dou!
he straits of Bhering to Mexico; ~
vhole of the American continent. —

: ie Gry Aes va
those in his
There is undoubtedly a gen-
nt works, in whatever part'¢

‘of the antiquities in the rest of the M
on the gulf of Mexico, as he has now done of

‘Or sate nnd net

partof

|
:

“ircheologia Americana. — 359

the continent they are situated; yet the examination of the
whole will be useful; as the few weapons, ornaments, an
oe of labor, ' which may still be found, will afford

ew varieties, and furnish i important aid, in any comparison
pe ihe Pott <% similar remains in the northern regions of
Asia and Eur

The Asis: ae scattered over the whole tract from
the borders of the Wolga and its western branches, to the
lake Baikal, and perhaps to the straits which separate
Asia from America, according to Mr. Tooke, are found only
in plains and extensive deserts, which seem to have been
the abode of a nation which cee mike pasturage and the
produce of chase. There is

a striki

tite of hts eaters
icat as none, it is believed, have yet been found in America
in the mountainous regions. It is true Mr. Tooke supposes
these Asiatic monuments to be of comparatively mode
date, and refers them to the Tartars of Jenghis Khan and
their immediate successors, and it ig certain that the Kal-
rues are still in the habit of burying horses, arms, &c. with
their chiefs. The truth probably is, that these monuments
are of very different ages; and that there are among them
those of the ancient Scythians, as well as those of the mod-
ern Tartars who have succeeded them. It is by a careful
discrimination of the different ages of these tumuli; their
several peculiarities, and especially the utensils which may
be discovered in them; and by an exact comparison o' of
these with similar remains on our own continent, that we
can hope to approximate towards the time when these latter
works were erected. Whatever may be thought of this, all
will admit, that the emo of — i is on e of ra-

ional curiosity.

pte oe per :

We consider this our forme:
stock of materials ie deciding the question "which has so
long perplexed historians and antiquaries, and which has
— to'so a er speculation,—we —

isan m objet which itis discbily wi within the desig of nab as-
what Arc have already accomplished will fa~
~ cilitate their fatute operations.

360 American Geological Society.

2, American Geological Society.

A stated meeting of this society was held at the house of
— Ives, on the evening of the first Monday in De-
mber.

"Repeal were made to the society of the receipt 5—
I. Of a box of specimens from Professor Dewey ; they.
are chiefly primitive and transition rocks, and are illustrative
rincipally orb the geology of the vicinity of Williams Col-
lege, and of the region between it and the Hudson river.
Of two boxes from the president of the society, Win-
uiam Macture, Esq.; these contain geological specimens,
« collected and ticketed” by Mr. Maclure during his differ-
ent travels* in Europe, and are therefore a contribution to-
wards a cabinet of foreign geology.
_ UII. Of two boxes from Col. Grorce Gunns, first vice-
re ident; one. of these was mentioned in the last report,
r5 consists - of fore steps sp finger chiefly in mineralogy ;
pieces are select and other box i is eoeniposes

Nace specimen
IV. fio collection oF beoks from the s pmsaldeth of the soci-
é they a
sf The Peaneectiins of the Geological Society of Lon-
ioe 28 far as B wouase in 5 vols. quarto, with 150 plates,
y colou
2. The "Transactions of the Wernerian Seciety of Edin-
. feck as far as published, in 2 thick vols. 8vo. with between
40 and 50 plates, principally coloured.
3. Journal de Physique, or Journal of Natural Science,
‘Paris,) 54 vols. quarto, ae numerous plat
4. Chemical and Economical Memoir on the production
of ‘Sal etre, quarto.
-of France, by Rozzin,
3 a Meidinger’s work on Fishes, ara folios with fil » su-
es meieered ees:

ica is Geadaey wok every
portions of North Americs

American Geological Society. 361

Batsch’s Elements of the History of the Fungous
pigs, 1 vol. bad with 42 beautiful re ak plates.

8. Botany of J. J. Rosseau, 1 vol.

9. ale complete treatise on Rania 1 vol.

10. Jaquin’s dssptibuons and representations of the rarer
plants of the Cesarian Garden, at Schoenbrunn, Vienna, in
4 vols. royal folio, mb 500 si coloured plates—a miag-
nificent work.

‘11. The able Gardener’s Almanack for 1808, 1 vol.

12. The Gardener’s Calender for 1816, 1 vol.

Bessie the hate, works, relating to the physical scien-
several works in the f ine arts.
fe signs. 4 ype de Vinci, 1 vol. folio, w
pees in ou lin e.

yew Collection of designs engraved the fantous ans
ters—drawn from the collection of the electoral Palatine
a Pi i fine arts, at Dusseldorf, 1 vol. folio, with 67
plates in

15. Description of the bas reliefs and figures, &c. found

mong the ruins of the baths of Titus, and of Livy, engra~
a for the Cabinet of the Rabe: pe oes) 1 vol. royal fol-

fine plates.

io, with 74.
ctures, stat ope ciel meos. of the Flo-

rence gallery and the Pitt pal vols. ea: folic
117 plates in the most finished style of Parisian e ir 5%
as each plate contains (in a great proportion of instances) two
or three distinct pictures—the work co mprehends from two
to three hundred seperpee. designs, executed in the most ex-
quisite manner and as . ubjects are from the nape of
the first artists of Italy aiid other countries,
with the accompanying descriptions is Besa S:

‘The following works are of a Miscellaneous nature

17. Life of Frederic the second, 7 vols. vo.

18, Atlas of the Prussian monarchy with statistical titles
and numerous designs illustrative of tactics ‘and the art of
war, in the whole 1 103 maps and designs in 1 vel. folio.

19. Statistical annals of France in 33 vols.
20. Statistical archives of France in 6 vols.
ap ‘Extracts from the deliberations of the council of

Vor. HIsNore ag >

re

<6.

362 American Geological Society.

state—these and a number of other small works put in to
fill the trunk.*

In Mr. Maclure’s donation, there are more than 1100 fine
plates without reckoning those in the Journal de Physique,

d in the smaller works, ageinh would probably amount to
two or three hundred mo

his gentleman’s liberality to purposes of science and hu-
manity, has been too. often, and too munificently experien-
ced in this country to demand any eulogium from us. It is
rare that affluence, liberality,and the possession and the love
of science, unite so signally in the same individua

YV. Count Bournon’s Treatise on Mineralogy or 1 rather,
that part of it which relates to the Carbonat of lime, in 3
vols. large quarto with 72 plates, presented by Mr. Wit-
nian C. Woousey of New-York.

The society directed a committee. to procure cases with
glass fronts for the reception of the above books and of mach
as may hereafter be presented to the society. They al
ordered . ee the aia be. of the society and that of the sei:

. aie _the meeting of the society, ‘Horace H.
Esq. of Baltimore has presented to the oct e099 of
his geological essays. [See p. 47 of this volume.] ;

P. S.—A box of specimens for the society has been re-
ceived from James Pierce, Esq. oaths box has not yet been
Open:

A box is announced as being on its s way io Profes-
sor Dewey. This is the second from this gentleman.

Me. Macinre ina letter to one of the officers of the Geological Soe,
oe airks that the Feaben son why the the collectio ote is of so mized a nature ,

is, that being packed at Paris along with le of his library, were

, but were put up inc sapetinagades orwarded to Havre;
whence this trunk was ordered to be sent to the ss oe Geological
ciety. Its members will consider themse! theres they are thus
Repartoaty put into possession of such interesting and

+ This remark as respects the present case, will be well understot fo
Paden nt xpecily nthe acalemy of ature Setenee poe

Sulphat of Strontian. 363
3. Remarks on the study of Geology.

In a recent letter to the editor, from — Minchare;

all the rocks abiadia into four classes, or as many of them as

pores which two classes are so different in ite

as not to be easily mistaken. The alluvial rocks eneconih
on the secondary, as soon as they have remained in contact
long enough to adhere, and take the consistence of rocks,
for the whole secondary, was at one time, alluvial, when
they were first — th the weet ee. always
the volcanic.”

the memoirs of geology there tle inaccuracy in 1
names of the rocks which should a: as strictly scientific as
possible 5 the Wernerian nomenclature 1 is still the best under-
Every such hint, coming from such an authority as Mr.
Maclure than whom no man (with the single exception of
Col. Gibbs,) has so good a right to give advice on the sub-
ject of American geology, sen ag of attention — at
have i its sage: geese in this‘ country: aes

4. Sulphat F Strontian.. : se oa aoe

Extract of ale the editor_from Prot ssor Douglass of the Military
p essa itcaat dated Black Rak, k, (N- Y.) May Sth, 1820.
My Dear Sir, peas!

mineral hI had ounced - you upon a slight
The hie of b see Vol. II. p. 241)

364 Map of Mountains —Epidote.

proves to be sulphate of strontian. Its specific gravity, I
find to be 3.85 to 3.90. ‘The crystal a flattened prism of
six angles, formed as it were by the bevilment of two op-
posite lateral edges of a four sided prism, thus producing
our obtuse on of 140° each, and leaving the other
two of 76° each. I have no erystal which will lead me to
the form of a termination.

This mineral is found in a small island, called in our maps
of last summer, Mouse Island; it lies salbts ut a mile west
pe or Put-in Bay Island. The crystals intersect and

cross each other in every possible direction, as will ap-
pear to you by some of the largest specimens. They easily
separate however, or rather break to pieces by a slight stroke
of the hammer. The gangue isa compact grey lime stone.

5. Map of Mosadsivns:

Cummings and Hilliard of Boston, have just published* an
oor presenting at one view, the com comparative heights of
the principal mountains in the world, with moaned and up-
wards of one hundred additions of the principal American
mountains. We have a copy of this map and think it well wor-
thy of being possessed, both for geographical and geological
purposes, as it produces, at a coup d’ wil, an impression, for
which no description can be an adequate substitute. The
annexed heights, latitudes and names, give the most impor-
tant ae information, and the map neatly mounted,
ante yenmeed: — a handsome parlour 9g

6. Epidote.
Dr. Webster sian eo us, that very beautiful epidote and
fibrous prehnite have been egy ope in the trap rocks of
Nahant, nine miles north east of Boston.

*Price coloured snd mounted rollers $5,25, plain $4,00—eoloureé

Annals of Nature.—Fossil Fish. 365

7. Western Minerva, or American Annals of Knowledge
and Laterature ; a salen Journal to be eter m
Lexington, Kentuc

The motto is un peu de tout and corresponds with the
sketch drawn in the prospectus. This literary me scientific

oq.
a
a
e
—+ 02
oO
¥ t
a
=
oe
@
“
oO
3
Xe
tet
oO
po
S
~

8. Annals of Nature. sda

Pralessor Rafinesque has published the fires sichbi aoe
annual or occasional »W he denominates Annals
of Nature, or Annual S aopels Zot new Genera, and species
of animals, plants, &c. discovered in North America. This
work is established Aa Tr for his own discoveries and
for those of his friends. His first number contains sixteen

ages, and is occupied upon animals under the classes suck-
oe birds, eh te crustacea, insects, noel: ste
nog yynes, phanerians, -eryptians, —aeeenne ian
Under these respective rere both of enw a —
many species are embrac

9. Fossil Fish.

On page 222 of this volume mention is made of the fossil
fish, found at Sunderland, Mass. rahe — Edward Hitchcock.
; gentleman at our request, has cat d this agree 2

to state, on the authority of a letter from him, dated .
9, 1821, that age or sixty specimens of fossil fish have hece
discovered a underland, by those

Hiicheock,» we subjoin the catalogue pe oer with the letter,
as this will impart some valuable information. —Ep.

366 Severity of Cold at Plattsburgh.

List of organic remains and accompanying rocks, contained
in a box forwarded to Professor Silliman * Edward
‘Hitchcock.

bi Pudding’ stone gorhape grauwacke slate, obtained

bette the bottom of Connecticut. river, Whitmore’s Ferry,
Sunderland, Mass.

2. Slate lying immediately above No. 1, commencing at
the surface of the river and extending upwards eh ten feet,

a of

Same rock containing another species of fish.

a Same rock , fish impressions, two fish lying across each
ot.

5. Fish penne same slate rock.

6. Fish impression

ts aewe remains in same slate:

8.

do.
9. Specimen of a reddish slag two hundred feet above
— do. “brown slate three. hundred feet above the
wchgge Pie erie re lore do. with
a vegetable or animal telic penetrating the sgeandins. ;

12. Vegetable remains on the same general forn en
13. Slate three hundred feet above the fish pecan:
she

Ul.
sae panicles: information will be found in the labels.
10. Severity of cold at Platsburgh* on ie Chenplatt

Extract of a leter to the Editor, dated Saitek 17, 1821, from Dr, Lyman
Foot, surgeon in the United States Army.

Tt is now snowing violently and has been ttle 8 for
thirty ax, hours ; . the inhabitants here call it the

ial stor The weather has been very cold at this place,
# the last winter. The lake Champlain is now passa-
le ice in every direction; I have seen ice cut out of
the lake this winter, which I should judge to be three feet
ae ermometer on the 25th of January last, at
@ stood 23° below 0. Notwithstanding. the intense

we do not suffer so much as you would natural

ae,

* Lat. 44 42° N.

Fluor Spar of Genesee and Illinois. 367

suppose. Every one prepares for it, and no one ventures
out without being properly guarded. On that orang
cold day, Jan. 25th, wrapped in buffaloe skins, &e. I
drove six miles ina sleigh without any inconvenience,

11. Crystals of Snow. seul

Professor Dewey, in a letter to the editor, mentions,
tions, that in a late fall of snow, he observed dotible crystals,
formed by a junction of two of the stars of six rays and of
two others of the same form, but with bifurcated points ;
they, were, in each instance, united” ne ends of the three
contiguous rays, on each crystal, ‘akkoF:- eyed the middle
ray of the three, formed, in each instance, a right
line passing through both crystals. The single-crystal we
suppose to be correctly represented in Figs. 1 and 4 of
that plate of Vol. IL. which illustrates Professor ——
cn on snow crystals,—see page 338.

12. Fluor Spar of Genesee.
_We have Boe received _(May 1, 1821) rekon Mr. H. R.

2% i Mays” deo ?
ie a SS Le

ed oes = ee a et from Rochester on pepe
er in the bed of the great canal. They are scattered in cav-
ities of secondary lime-stone rocks. The discoverer re-
marks that this mineral is found there in considerable quan-
tities, and that some, crystals are an inch and a half square.

_N. B. We presume that if this locality be not eractly the
same as that mentioned page 235 of this volume, it must at
least be in the same formation; the specimens |
from Mr. Boyd and from Mr. Fenn; cannot be di:
bern each other. —Ep.

3. Fluor ‘Spor of Hlinois.

ee pete Vol. L. we mentioned this locality of aoe
, and again at page 243 o: present

same this day (May 2, 1821) reeeived through the kindness of

Capt. Abm. Hawkins of Sh pinata pie

mens, which we mention for for the sake of drawing the atten-

tion of mineralogists to this locality, the most remarkable

368 Slide from Mount Pilatus to the Lake of Lucerne.

that has been observed in North America and probably one
of the most interesting in the world. A specimen now lies
before us more than six inches square, on which are depos-
ited between three and four hundred distinct cubes and par-
allelopipeds some of which are an inch in diameter, and
others so minute as to be almost microscopic; they are of a
deep violet and purple colour, and the whole group paid
that it has not quite the freshness of specimens which hav
been recently taken from the cavities of mines) is moe
inferior to the finest pieces of Derbyshire and France.

Il. FOREIGN LITERARURE AND SCIENCE.
cabs Slide from Mount Pilatus to the Lake of Lucerne.*
Communicated by Professor posts

A slide waserected in 1812, by Mr. Rupp, for the pupae
of bringing down to the lake of Lucerne the fine pine trees
which grow upon, Mount Pilatus. The wood was purchas-
ed by a company for 3,000/ and 9,000/ were expended in
forming the slide. The length of the slide is about 44,000
English feet, or about 8} miles, and the difference of level of
its two extremities is about 2,600 feet

It is a wooden trough about five feet broad and four deep,
the bottom of which consists of three trees, the middle one
vans a little hollowed, and small rills of water are conduc-

inish friction. _

tits commencement is about 221°, and it

sy I r Playfair thata heavy body, not
bln io feiction, would describe the whole length of the
trough in 66”.

The large pines with their - branches and bows cut off,
are placed in the slide, and descendin by their own gravity
they acquire ne an impetus by ee descent through
efiret part o

f the slide, thas they perform their journey ‘ a

tho facts have been slready published in our newspapers we
in; Se present them in a nope pwnmicge rmanent form. Indeed it often
at articles of scientific a

- Ovigenized Water. 5 369°

down the Reuf into the Rhine.
The very singular phenomena described by Mr. Playfair’s

iS

remarkable property of friction. —Ev. Phil. Joubast. yam eo

2. Oxigenized Water.

- Oxigenized water as prepared by Thenard is a real com-
bination of water with oxigen, and not a simple solution of
oxigen gus in water. It is not analagous to any compound
at present known in chemistry. Its density is 1.452 and
when poured into common water it fi n it like syrup
~The phenomena preset ted by its contact with other sub-
stances differ entirely from those ordinarily observed. Thus
platina, gold, silver, and oxide of manganese decompose it
immediately ; separating the whole of the combined oxigen
gas, and without appropriating to themselves any part of it.

his cannot be explained by affinity, at least as the term has
generally been used. This is certainly one of the most re-
markable discoveries of modern times, and opens to chem-

ists a new career, which can hardly fail to extend their views
of chemical combinations. The oxigenized water
employed in restoring ancient pictures for desig

painters. It is only necessary to wash the dark spots with
water feebly oxigenated, i.e. with five or six times its vol-
ume of oxige igen. - dark hue i diately disappears

white. ; : iz te oe its eae Oe ies Be X ‘3 a mee 2 S ; pte
= Vou Tb Ne 2: 2 Sag On ee

370 dvory Paper.—Manufacture of Glass.
3. Lathographie Paper.

eect Lasteryrie has reported to the Society D’En-
couragement of Paris (under date of June 28th, 1820) in
favour of the Lithographic paper or cards, invented by
Senefelder. The card is covered on one or both of its fa-
CE8 with an argillo-calcareous mixture, which bas the prop-

Common writing is easily transferred to the labographic
or papyrographic plate and copies of it taken. The Persian
ambassador being present with the commissioners at their
examination of the press, wrote in Arabic a note, of which
copies were taken. The translation is as follows :
Mirza Aboul Hassan Kham, ambassador extrao

from the illustrious court of Persia, residing in the sewed
city of Paris, the 24th May, 1820 of the christian era came

_ All that I have seen in Paris, either with respect to the cli-
mate or to objects of art, surpasses all that I have seen in
other countries.”

4. Ivory Paper.

A Mr. Einsle of London has invented what he calls Ivory
Paper which is found in regard to hardness, smoothness and
veneennest to answer as well as ivory in the hands of nsinia-
ture painters. A premium. of thirty guineas has been assign-
ed to the inventor by the Adelphi Society in London. —

8. Manufacture of Glass.

. -M. Westrumb has found that the salts of potash and so-
da deprived of their cag of crystalization answer as well
- ne pure alkali itself in the fabrication of glass. Muriate
of soda, sulphate of pouibeeat particularly sulphate of so-
és opin much water. The latter loses fifty eight per
nt by drying. Twenty four parts of sulphate of sodaare
oroughh; ‘dried and and mixed with eight parts of powde:
coal andsixteen of good white sand. The mixture is

Potash in Sea Water.—Salt.—Iron Boat. 371

to be calcined in the drying oven until the sulphur is dissi-
pated and then transported into the pots for fusion. It gives
a superb gone a General de Sciences de Physique
Brussels, May, 1820.

6. Portable Gas Lamps.

These have been contrived by David Gordon of Edin-
burgh, and it is probable they will become quite common in
private families.

They and made of strong soppess either spherical or cy]-
indrical, with hemispherical end’ The gas from coal or
oil is foreed into them m by a edits nsing pump, and is ail
charged through a stop cock to the burn rese
six inches diameter and nine inches high; filled with oni,
condensed by twenty-five atmospheres will burn six hours,
and afford a light equal to five candles of six to the pound.
If the gas be obtained from oil, such a lamp will burn
twelve set A sphere twelve inches in diameter will con-
tain sufficient gas for two argand lamps, equal to twelve
candles, burning six hours with coal gas or twelve hours with
gas from oil. Sue ch |, amps: © an be filled with very. jittle ex-

roe

q: Potash é in Sea Water.

Dr. Wollaston has sabortainctl the existence of potash i in
sea water. It is in the state of sulphate and constitutes rath-
er less than sas part of the water.—

8. Salt.

Pheulopees salt mines and salt springs os annu-
anys as nearly as the estimate can be made, from twenty-five
er millions of hundred weight of salt. Iden.

as Tron Boat. : ce
boston the Forth ‘of Clyde seats se

"The iron passage
structed under the direction of Henry Creighton, Esq. for-
merly of Soho, bas an extreme length of sixty feet, beam

BIT wit Electrometers.

thirteen feet and depth five feet. With two hundred pas-
sengers it draws forty eight inches of water. The weight
of iron is twelve and a half tons, rather less than that of a
wooden vessel of Jess internal dimensions. It is found to
be more easily tacked than a wooden boat.—Idem.

10. Supply of Water to Glasgow.

The city of Glasgow is supplied with water from the
ly de. This stream is commonly very turbid, but the wa-
> filters through a body of sand into a well on the left
bank of the river. Into this well dips a flexible iron tube
which passes across the river, lying on its bottom. ‘Three
engines are employed on the other side to raise the water,
two of thirty-six inch cylinders and seven feet stroke, and
one of fifty-four inch cylinder and eight feet stroke. The
flexible tube is the invention of the late celebrated J. Watt.
He derived his first idea of it from observing a aaa Fi tail.
BAT ee et See i _ Idem.

: Ss ale Air and Water support Vegetation.

A fig tree, seven anda half feet high, with a stem five
and a half inches in circumference, is growing luxuriantly
in the hot house of the botanic garden of Edinburg, com-

pletely suspended from the ground, and without a_ particle
earth to nourish it. Water is thrown over it every day:
es ‘ ; Pere ae aye ia) ; Idem.

J ek Electrometers.

The Abbe Haiiy has contrived two very delicate and
useful electrometers. Ist. A fine crystal of Iceland spar
attached to the end of a lever, and suspended by a silken
string, 1s electrified vitreously by simply pressing it between -
two fingers. It retains its excitementtwo hours; and is not
much altered by dipping in water.

i F

etains its excitement much longer that when sus-

—F

Royal Society of London. 873
18. Extraordinary Surgical Cpeneys.

The most surprising and most honorable operation of sur-
gery is, without any contradiction, that execute
Richerand, by par away a part of the ribs and of the
“pleura. The p tient was himself a medical map, and not
ignorant of the eee he ran in the operation he had re-
course to, but he also knew, that his disorder wasochemls
incurable. He was attacked with a cancer on the internal
surface of the ribs and of the pleura, which continually
produced enormous fungosities, that had been in vain. at-
tempted'to be suppressed by the actual cautery. M. Rich-
erand was obliged to lay the ribs bare, to saw away two,
to detach them from the pleura, and to — . all the
cancerous partof that membrane. As soon as he |
made the opening, the air rushing into die’ chest, occasion-
ed for the first day, great suffering, and distressing shortness
of breath; the surgeon could touch and see the sis
- through the pericardium,whie lass, an
could assure himself of the total insensibility of both ; ak
serous fluid flowed from the wound, as long as it remained
open, but it filled up niece hy means of the adhesion of
the lungs with the m, and the fleshy grai
that were formed in it. emias patient got so well that
on the twenty-seventh day after the operation he could not
resist the desire of going to the medical school to see the
fragments of the ribs, that had been taken from him, and in
three or four days after, he returned home and went about
his ordinary business.— Thomson’s An.

4. Royal Society of London. ag

Dr. Wollaston has been chosen ad: interim President™ of
the Royal Society of London. It would be difficult to
aoe any phimeopher of the present day, who excels him

n acuteness of perception, as well as depth of attainment.
A paper by him was read before the Royal Society in June
last, on sounds inaudible to human ears. On observing that
the ears of, Se ape oe

Vial p pe v

374. Antidote to Corrosive Sublimaie.

he found upon examination that this person’s hearing ter-
minated at a note four octaves above the middle e
piano-forte. Other instances were then referred to, of the
insensibility of certain persons to various acute sounds,
such as the chirping of the grasshopper, crickets, and spar-
rows, and especially the squeaking of the bat, the existence of
which is unknown in many individuals from its being inau-
dible to them. ‘The pitch of the sound was stated to be
about five octaves above the middle E. ‘The author fixed
the limits of his own hearing at six octaves above the same
riote. ‘The range of human hearing includes upwards of
tine octaves, the whole of which are distinctly audible to
most ears, although the vibration of the acuter sounds is
six or seven hundred times more frequent than that of the
lower. The author concluded by observing that it is very
probable that other animals are so organized as to be able to
distinguish sounds still more acute and of course more in-
audible by human ears, and thus to possess what may be

A Society for the Amelioration of Prisons has been es-
tablished at St. Petersburg ; Prince Galitzin is the presi-
ent.—Rev. Ency. .

16. Pompeia.

the eruption, the crater of Vesuvius was covered with crys-

mee at
Sal Saletan

1. Antidote to: Corrosive Sublimate:

“Me Patdet pestessot of Pharemeyin the hvepnatiatien-
‘a Marie Nuova, of Florence has ascertained that the gl

a of Thimbles——Auseultation. 375

18. Schools.

Schools for the instrustion of the poor on the system of

instruction are making rapid progress in Italy. The

deteas of Parma has established ee two at Parma and
one at St. Donino.— Ibid.

19. Manufactory of Thimbles. yet 78

A thimble manufactory has been established in Fratiees
by Rouy and Berthier, in which the mechanism is so in-
genious and perfect that they can afford to make steel thim-
bles lined with gold and of elegant workmanship, at the
rate of eames or nei francs per dozen. The same kind
of thimbles lined with silver, can be afforded at six or seven,
per dozen. Common iron thimbles, closed at the end,can —
be sold for one franc Se oe dozen.

In this single branch es France has been
tributary, it ae ren countries, to the amount of
875,000 franc t present it is seis that French
thimbles will be rh = after in other countries—Bul. Soe.
@encouragement.

20. Auscultation.

This singular method of discovering the various disor-
ders of the chest by y percussion, was, we believe, first sug~
in "M. Covi-

thick Anant ora aan i, woo — its axis with a nar-
row aperture. This, on being J tothe chest of 2
pean pete keatto; pee cite ing or singing, p

a sort of embling note moe or ls dines; ut fan

in the h
cer exists 'y singular p

376 Evaporation of Sprriis.

The voice of the sick person can no longer be heard by
the ear at liberty, the whole of the sound passing along the
aperture of the cylinder to the observer. Commissioners
appointed by the French Academy, have verified the exper-
iment in various cases of consumption.

21. Languages.

M. Frederick Aldeling counsellor of state to the emperor
of Russia, has lately published in one hundred and fifty
hree pages. “A view of all the known languages and
their dialects.” :

In this view, we find in all 937 Asiatic, 587 European,
276 African, and 1264 American languages and dialects
enumerated and classed, a total of 3064.

22. Evaporation of Spirits.

The rapidity of evaporation and the cold produced by it
have been applied by Mr. Ritchie of Perth, to the deter-
“Having made three very delicate hydrometers, according
to Leslie’s construction, I inserted the bulb of one of them
with strong whiskey, the bulb of another with a mixture of
equal quantities of the same spirits and water, and the bulb
of the third with water. I watched the descent of the fluids
in the stem till each had gained its maximum of cold and
marked the cold induced by the water 40, by the diluted
spirits 64, and by the strong spirits 88. Now the difference
40 and 64 is 24, and between 40 and 88 is 48. Hence the
“following proportion 24:48:: the strength of the dilute
to the strength of the strong spirits.

This I have tried with different proportions of spirits and
water, in different states of the atmosphere, and found the
same property uniformly obtain. The experiment requires

to be performed with great delicacy and care, as the spirits
soon acquire their maximum, after which the fluid in the
tube begins to ascend—An. of Phil,

8A

its.

newly discovered flower of extraordin ary dimensions.

- Mr. Brown read before the Linnean Society of London @
moir on a new species of plants, discovered in Sumatr?

Pan Diemen’s Land. 377

in 1818, by the late Dr. Jos. Arnold. It has been named
Rafilesia, from Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles under whose
auspices Dr. Arnold travelled.

This flower springs immediately from a horizontal root.
The stem is covered with round imbricated floral ——
of a darkish brown colour, and not very unlike a cab
The size of this flower is surprisingly great, when fully ex-
panded its diameter is three feet, and its weight is fifteen
pounds. Its tube holds twelve pints.

Mr. Brown in treating of the affinities of this singular
plant, compares it principally to the aristolochias and passi-
floras. He has not undertaken to decide however, to which
of these two. species it approaches the nearest. He sus-
pects that it is parasitic upon the root which supports it; but
to decide this question more fully, further observation ap-
pears to be necessary.

The largest flower that has hitherto been found is the
purple flower of the aristolochia cordifolia. According to
the measurement of Humbolt its diameter is sometimes six-
teen inches. Upon the borders of the river Magdalena
ehildren amuse beqenelieya in ha ag their heads with it.

n. de sheiss — 1820.

eer ees Sy Sots a Rat ae ca tig

cs 5 eee oii
ii ye wt ae Akin: Dictionary. 22

ie Morrison is advancing with his Chinese Dictionary.
The second part of this important work was begun in
April 1811. It will contain one thousand pages in 4to and
more than twelve thousand chinese characters explained by
numerous examples. In the month of April 1817, they had
finished six hundred pages, comprising nearly eight
sand characters. The empeenion. of all the volumes w:
~— fo oA he to Siok wee”

eee os 5. Fan Diemen’ s or

es ete aN ease pay Ph esta tx

§ on tect ala :
in Van Diesen 8 i which convicts are e sent from Eng-
book :

of

brigands, disturbed the peac 2
Vou. Tw.No. 2. Tito

378 Comforts of Travelling in Finland.
26. Egypt.

The grand canal at Ramainah, which extends from Cai-
ro to Alexandria, was completed i in the month of January
1820. The Pacha made a voyage upon it to assure him-
self that the whole of it has been executed agreeably te
his instructions.—Rev. Eney.

Egypt under the intelligent and active government of the
present Pacha is opening commercial relations with differ-
ent parts of the world, by means of agents sent by his or-
ders. Epbaimens of refined sugar have been ‘received at
Trieste from Egyptian manufacture. Cotton, e and
cloth are also manufactured in that country.—Ide

27. Temple of Jupiter Ammon.

After sixteen days of great fatigue employed in travers-
ing the. desarts of Lybia and Marmorica, M. Frediani an
ft traveller, has at length succeeded in discovering the
foimoas edlihes e called the great temple of Jupiter Ammon,
which it is su supposed has not been visited since the time of
Alexander the great. M. Frediani was accompanied by an
escort of two thousand men, and was obliged to open bis
way by force to this celebrated monument “of pea

Idem

28. Comforts of travelling. in Finland.

a the course of last winter, the Russian government es-
ae the perfor, of eens, along gulf of

sarge posts are also erected surmounted Be a pease to
serve as a guide during a deep snow At mid distance an
inn is. So el wae vied with: needa sR te

Education of the Poor. 379
29. Monument of Pultowa.

A monument of cast iron bas been erected at Pultowa by

the emperor Alexander, in memory of the victory obtainec

by Peter the great over Charles the 12th of Sweden.
Idem.

30. Biography of Linneus.

Chaver has receidly brought to light at the house of a
Florist, a biography of Linneus, in’ the Swedish language,
written by himself and continued to his death.

The manuscript has been sent to Upral and will soon be
published in an 8vo. of five hundred pages. It will be or-
namented with six engravings, presenting two portraits of
the celebrated naturalist, a fac simile of his writing, his
monument in the cathedral church and the arms of his fam-
Hy.—Idem

31. Jurisprudence in Switzerland.

A premium of fifty louis has been granted to M. Han-
gard by a convention of inhabitants of the Canton de Vaud,
in Switzerland, for the’ best dissertation on the question,
‘would the institution of juries in criminal cases prove ad-
vantageous in the Canton de Vaud.” ‘The memoir will be
printed at the expense of the Canton and spread through-
out Switzerland. ‘The author has decided against the es-
tablishment of juries in Switzerland though an admirer in
general of that excellent institution. But in the Canton the
judges are appointed by the people at determinate site 2 ;
they receive nothing from government, and have
grace, favours, nor fortune to hope for. Their indepen

1ese
others not less ale, are dovloped inthe meni with
great pre cision.—:
‘ of the Poor.

vyl desitiniteates
upon a large scale,

If the bse fo — cebiidien: at Hosfe
the happy influence of a moral education

380 Medicwe..

She has been led instinctively to adopt the Lancasterian
mode of education by assigning to the elder the instruction
of the younger children. Would it be difficult to find in
each district females thus qualified, who might serve for
two or three villages, and who might be furnished with lodg-
pee and a small lot of ground which the pupils would
cultivate? Government might encourage such establish-
ments by granting a premium to the communes whic
formed them. The following is an instance similar to the
above.
The widow Rumph, aged 70 years, residing near Bethe-
ny, supports, with less than thirty francs a month, five boys
ee little girls. ese children are remarkable for
their lively and happy countenances, their good condition
and polite behaviour. The widow Rumph has been the
mother of fifteen children and has nursed thirty two at her

33. Medicine.

_M. Re, Professor of Materia Medica in the veterin
school of Turin, has discovered that the lycopus europceus
of Linneus, called the herb of China by the inhabitants of
Piedmont, where it grows abundantly, especially in marshy
Places, possesses the same properties as the quinguina and
may be : as tly Be. | eel tis side:

fet tees eee,
ae 5 @

New Hydraulic Ram. 28%
34. Bible Society of Athens.

A Bible Society has been formed at Athens in Greece,
the direction of which is committed to twelve respectable in-
habitants, all native Greeks.

35. Dictionary of Ancient und Modern Greek.

A Dictionary of the Greek Language, “Ancient and Mod-
ern, is now in the course of publication at the patriarchal
press at Constantinople. It will form more than six large
folio volumes, the first of which has already appeared. This
important work is under the auspices of the present patriarch
Gregorios, a native of Peloponnesus, a prelate as virtuou:
as he is enlightened. acid

36. College of Chios.

The grand College of Chios, has already become a kind
_ of European University. Ambrosios Argentis, one of its pu-
pils aged 17 years, has just published a discourse on Nayi-
gation, in which he exhorts with much ardour, his country-
men to engage in commercial navigation, as an imperisha-
ble source of riches and prosperity—Jdem.

97. Fruitfulness of the Potatoc.

Sn nS

Marseilles. —There has been brought here from London,
a kind of potatoe which is a prodigy of vegetation. A single
tubercule has produced 1,058 kilogrammes (2,160 pounds)
of potatoes, the quality of which is excellent—Dieppe. _

"38. Distillation of Sea Water.

‘stratum of charcoal.—Iden

_M. Godin, Rue de Poliveau, No. 21 Paris, has invented
a new hydraulic Ram of such sim icity as to be exe-

282 Remarkable Petrifaction.

cuted by any village ploughman. It is adapted to the rais-
ing of water for agricultural and economical purposes.
Godin furnishes those who desire it with engraved repre-
sentations of his machine, accompanied with wer
for its eRe TIO, and if desired a model in relief.—Jdem

40. Sea Signals.

41. Remarkable Petrifaction.

ae tree. alos ut: twenty six inches in diameter has —
hoe found in the actual erect condition in. which i it —
ry near pease in Scotland. 'The body of the tree aah
is composed of sandstone similar to the rest of the quar-
ry. But the bark has been converted into a perfect coal,
which adheres firmly to the tree and renders it easy to re-
move the rock with which the tree is incrusted. About
three feet of the bottom part has been uncovered. This
a is situated shows derss feet below the surface of the
| a solid d stone. The roots may be

ypin : eee the earth precisely as the roots of we

trees do. € roots may be seen issuing from

trunk and xioulig ant a foot before they are Jost in rs
quarry. The upper Fay of the trunk and branches has not
been traced. that the sa

tAit VPAICCUMLY Vs

— a proportion of the coal bails: bea : formation
the earth’s being covered with wood, we can entertain
no doubt that this was the case also with the slate clay, and

Magnetism by Voltaic Electricity. 283

the coal which alternate with this sand stone. If the coal
formation, eXists as a portion of the old red sand stone, we
can entertain no reasonable doubt that the old red sand
stone itself was formed after the earth was covered with wood,
and if it turn out to be true, as there is some reason for be-
lieving that the transition and some of the primitive rocks,
alternate with the old red sandstone, we must conclude that
these rocks also have been formed after the ears’ was cov-
ered with wood.—Thomson’s Annals, Nov. 1821.

42, Spontancous Combustion.

A barrel of coat-mieal whiolivad been left = a recess of
the chimney of a house in Glasgow, took fire = the fam-
ily were absent at bathing quarters last summe
remained but the iron hoops of the barrel and a ee w pieces
of charcoal. ‘The meal was probably a little moist. ioe

43.) Magnetism produced by V slice Electricity.

A new and i interesting discovery has been made in relation
oe the connexion between te Seectiuiee. obs Gs vanism.

eee ="

properties to bars er steel. Ir steel bars or ets be capa to
the Galvanic current, placed in the direction of the magnetic
axis, no effect follows ; but if they be placed parallel with the
magnetic equator, they become magnetic, the end placed to
the west becoming the north pole of the new magnet, and
that toward the east the south pole. The galvanic “influence
is So great in this respect as to exert its power ata distance
egies inches ‘so that if the s
b ed in a circle round the course of galve nic ¢ Cur-"
rent, bast 808 kept paral to me magnetic a u
comes :

wire, or under i it, or on its. sides, become permanent ig i
onthe dise. °

t

384 Population of Greenland.

Ifthe quantity of electric fluid be very great, contact
with the wire is not requisite. In one instance magnetism
was communicated at fourteen inches distance from the
conducting wire. It was also communicated through plates
of glass and even when the bars or needles were immersed
in water. These experiments were made both at the Roy-
al and London Institutions. At the latter, the electrical
batteries used, were from eighteen to seventy cubic arabe

The voltaic: troughs of four inch plates, mounted
with = copper’ agreeably to Dr. pe an s plan. |
Phil. Mag. for Nov.

44, French Translations from the Arabic,

The French literati are occupied at this time in a work
of some importance, preparing translations of Plutarch,
— Tacitus, Aristotle, Hippocrates, &c. from the Ara-

ic MSS. into which languages many or all the best Greek
man authors are known to have been translated.

The French Ambassador at Constantinople, M. Giardin,
has latel MSS. in Arabic, from
the Tmperat Library there, among which are the et
works of Plutarch and Heroditus.—Ibid.

_ 45. New Alkalss

Pelletier and C: aventon have, it appears detected another
alkali in the seeds of the veratrum sabadilla, or meadow
saffron. It has been named veratrine. It is white; pulveru-
lent, without smell, but excites violent sneezing ; it is very
acrid, but not bitter, producing violent vomiting in so small
doses, that according to some experiments, a few grains
may cause death. It is but little soluble in cold water,
water dissolves about ;}55 part, and acquires a0
Cs taste. It is very soluble in seohal The super sul-
phate alone appears to form crystals. —Ibid.

48. Population of Greenlant. ti

whole population of Greenland, according to the last
ror of the missionary board, consists of three thousand
five hundred and eighty-six individuals, spread through-

Gas Illumination. 385

seventeen colonies on the western coast. The interior is
not habitable owing to accumulations of ice. The popu-
lation has increased seven hundred and fourteen since the
year 1789.—Ibid.

47. Mildew.

been complete-
ly verified. Its operation is so quick, that in forty eight
hours, the vestiges of the disease are hardly discernible.

48. Theory of Electricity.

A paper was read by Dr. Van Marum, at the Royal In-
stitution of the Sciences at Amsterdam in 1819, the reason-
ing of which goes far to prove that the Franklinian hypoth-
theory of Du Fay, of vitreous and resinous fluids principally
supported by the French philosophers, does not so well ex~
plain the phenomena. The paper of Van Marum is pub-
Hshed in Thomson’s Annals, December 1820.

49. Gas illumination,

™ b4
sash
#: f
es ad

Has been introduced into one of the districts of Paris
with the best effects, under the judicious direction of
Deak ae Satta seve

- a z
* 6 Fin pe.

ee
ings

386 Connexion beiween wMagaetism and Electricity.
50. Iodine.

2 This substance has been found to be an excellent reme-
3 dyi in the cure of Goitre. An able memoir upon it by Dr.
Coindet in the Bib. Univ. of Geneva contains the following.
lode is a stimulant, it gives tone to the stomach, and excites
appetite ; it acts ieither as a cathartic, nor diuretic, nor
does it excite sweating; but its action is directed to the re-
productive system, and especially to the uterus. If given
in a certain quantity and continued for some time, it is one
of the most active emmenagogues that I know. It is per-
haps by the sympathetic action that, in the greater number
ef cases it cures Goitre. This substance deserves, under
this new point of view, the i of physicians, and 1}
doubt not, that it will become in skilful hands one of the
most powerful remedies with vahich modern chemistry has
enriched the materia medica. It has been discovered in
sponge matin in peat.

Ble Mereurial Aim sphere.

“Mr. a shelical operator at the fos a
London, has found that when a thin stratum of mercury
rests in the bottom of a clean vial, a piece of gold leaf care-
fully suspended from the stopper, becomes in the course of
a few weeks, whitened by a quantity of mercury through ev-
ery part of the bottle, the ee: nodes as before.

Brande’s J

82. Connexion between Magnetism ok Electricity:
The discoveries of Professor Oersted of Copenhagen
which so clearly establish the connexion between Mag-
Refism and Voltaic electricity I have been penssicontae so _

ret i Cre medal. as the Journal of the ~~

se highly i interesting results.
a long time, e cited
the attention of the philosophic world, as that ¢ mag-

ort
ment t of het has been done in this department of scientific
inquiry.

Connexion between Magnetism and Electricity. 387

. If the extremes of a voltaic battery (we will suppose
it = consist of 20 pairs of 8 inch plates,) be connected by
a platinum wire, it becomes heated, and, if of sufficiently
small diameter, it suffers ignition. ‘Let ts suppose such a
wire W, lying upon the supports P and N, which represent

the positieg: and negative con avers fees aire Voltaic
appara s, P being connected with the first zine plate, and
N a the last copper plate ; upon bringing thie north |

of a common magnetic needle below and ata right angle to
the platinum wire, it will be repelled or driven domnweht 4

toe so that its north pole may be above the platinum wire,
will then be attracted towards it. If the electric poles be
bet these eae will also be reversed.
at we suppose the conjunctive Eplesoun wire to be vertic-
1 of horizont position approach it
ther end of the e tea the needle will os-
cillate, tr ‘will not be Sy attracted | or repelled b
any part of the conjunctive wire—Professor Or TED.

2. If a small steel bar be EE Mies to the conjunctive
wire, and parallel to it, it does not become a polar magnet ;
but if it be attached transversely, it does become polar, and
it becomes north and south, or south and north, according
to the direction of the supposed electric current traversing
ithe conjunctive wire, Jenne as one nt of
it is positive or n tive. us su V

eee ee re |

the platinum cqtyaciize wire of the

388 Connexion between Magnetism and Electricity.

N S a wire of iron wiecned, ransvorsely se it the latter be-
comes permanently magnetic.—Sir H.

3. If we suppose a oe papas wire parallel to,
and similarly situated nih, the first, as in this figure, those

wires will attract each other; but if one conjunctive wire be
traversed by the electric fluid in one direction, and another
in an opposite direction, as in the following wood-cut, those

re. ain

INE Big

wires will repel each other. In this circumstance, the dis-
similarity of the electro-magnetic and of simple electric
phenomena is observed: for bodies similarly electrified re-
pel eac r, and, dissimilarly electrified, attract each
eaiere ; but here the horizontal wires, s similarly electro-mag-
netized, attract; and, seme electro-magnetized, re-
pel each other —M. Amp
4. The shock of a Leyden jar, or battery, passed through
a wire, confers upon it, at the moment of its passage, prop-
erties precisely similar to those of the Voltaic apparatus.
fey peer a steel bar magnetic, it is not necessary that
it should touch the oan unctive wire, to which it is attached.
at right angles, for the electro-magnetic influence is convey-
to some distance, and is not excluded by the interposi-.
tion of a ie of glass, of metal, or of water.—Sir H. Davy. .
. The phenomena, exhibited by the electro-magnetic
or conjunctive wire, may be explained upon the supposition
of an electro-magnetic current passing round the axis of
conjunctive wire, its direction aegis upon that of
the electric current, or upon the poles of the battery with
which it is connected.—Dr. Wotuaston.

Notices of Vegetable Remains in Coal Strata. 389

In the above figure, such a current is represented in two
sections at right angles to the axis of the wires, when simiy
larly electrified, from which it will be apparent that the
north and south powers meeting, will attract each other. —

In the following figure, the sections of the wire are shown

oo electrified, ee which sissies magnetic powers
t, and consequently occasion a repulsion. ©

53. Notices of Vegetable Remains in Coal Strata.
TO THE EDITOR. |

SIR—The very close resemblance the figures in your

last Journal marked C 4—, bear to a remarkable
sandstone which occurs pe oe in the coal fields of
Scotland, a ey equainte nted with the latter.

th of. th are vast qual
of this Cau = imitative forms, more ‘com-
monly rcsembiing’bi Hitches or of trees. “These are seldom
less than an inch in diameter, and often exceed four inches.
Branches of smaller size are sent off from the larger, and
the exterior of all is covered with the impressions so we
delineated in Mr. Granger’s paper. Although they have
been examined by gers cin naturalists in Great
1

ef Large Organic pM

- In some éf the sandstone rocks _ ‘which alternate with
+ eleaery sne ene in all the coal-
fields of England,’ fie retaaiils of very large, thin, hollow or

390 Ancient Sarcophagus, from Dr. J. W. Websites.

reed-like vegetables have been found, sometimes lying aitiis
in the-stone, and sometimes standing erect therein ; the in
side hollow of the vegetable being now completely. filled
with sandstone, in all respects like that which surrounds it,
and the vegetable ease or sheath is found converted into
perfect coal ; * on the outside of which coaly case or sheath,
the papilia or places where very numerous large leaves
were once attached to the vegetable, are in general visible ;
and not uncommonly, particularly in the medium an
smaller sizes of these reed-like remains, the leaves are yet
d and in a coaly state, and spread out into the sand-
stone on every side: it is seldom that these remains are
quite round, but mostly somewhat oval; particularly to-
wards the bottom, where they usually swell out into an ir-
regular club-like form, much more resembling the lower
parts of coralline and other aquatic stems, than the com-
Sonne of the roots of a tree, or of any Jand plant; no
anches have ever been observed, proceeding from the
fice or the aes. of these remains; but it is very common
to observe 1 medium sizes of them, to ter-
_ minate at top = a Taite. bud, very closely resembling the
top of an asparagus shoot in the state the same are brought
to market. In a free sandstone quarry on the western side
of Glasgow, a large organic remain has lately been found,
which in every essential ae seems to agree with the
description above mentioned.”

54, dace ne (J. W. W. re

te 5 Da oy ‘Clarke has communicated to the Cambridge
Philose phical Society a discovery which he had made re-
apecting 4 the su alabaster Ask brought by Mr. Bel-
per Egypt; and which he had found to con-

ant tat of on one ie mhass of sR GA >

. * “« Tes seems mo’ bl t hollow magitebie pipes conte
ete pedi masses of ng the coal-seams are no

tops of many ‘infer whase =

= sa san found ied wi the bad coal, such pipy vegetables, near-

qui d, and converted i oal, ve: 3

pilia, es | Ste coo aiece: ing of aan

collapsed: commonly called.

the process pry Basten a coal eration of the’

‘mass has taken place, b ire all traces Warcaurcction are obliterated.””

Siliceous Sinter of the Azores. 391
55. Siliceous Sinter of the Azores.
Mr. SILuiman,

In examining some varieties of siliceous sinter from the
Azores, I have met with one which differs from any hither-
to found in Iceland or other countries, ag the substance
occurs under those forms usually seen in our cabinets
From the island where this variety occurs (St. Michaels) it
might perhaps be distinguished by the term Michaelite.
From the specimens_ before me I send you the following

description. — four’ ae ie:
Sy es : a WEBSTER.

External Characters. ~ z pee

Color snow white, reddish and yellowish white, passing
in some specimens to yellowish grey.

It oceurs in ae slender (capillary) filaments, from one
to four inches in

The filaments cross each other in every direction.

On the cross kag Se viewed with a microscope, a aa
pata vitreous and pearly is observed. —
tis nes

bins gravity 1.866.

Chemical Characters.
Infusible without sisting before Brooke’s sessed

Sir grains in fife ieee intensely ged in a platina

crucible for fifteen minutes, lost 0.98125 grains, equal to

16.35 per cent. 5, itis an hydrate ofl and is composed of
Silex

Water, - -~ 16.35

392 Notice of the Revue Encyclopedique, §.

This approaches very nearly 2 ol anon of water
== 18 — five proportionals of Silex: =

Geological and Geographical Situation.

It occurs in cavities in massive and other varieties of sin-
ter, and upon conglomerated masses of altered lava and
pumice, in the vicinity of the hot springs of the island of
Saint Michaels, (Azores) and has probably been deposited
from the waters which held it in solution by their elevated
temperature, aided by an alkali.

56. Swainson’s Zoological Miscellany.

Notice agrseng sa by Professor Rafinesque, in a letter
ed Lexington, 10th October, 1820.

. am requested by the author to have the following no-

“Mr. William Sites bi Liverpool, a gentleman —
has travelled in Brazils, here ltaly, Sicily, &c. was
commence publishing in London, in October, 1820, a Zoo.
logical Miscellany, with coloured plates. He is an able
naturalist and painter, me nage which will renee his
aor ed valuable. It i ede on the pilin: of the Zoolo-

st. Notice oft _ Revue Epnenane ple in Paris

pes Monthly cu has ie recenth uD to be
known in this country. Indeed. ey a, only

Notice of the Revue Encyelopedique, &c. 393

two years since, but this period has been sufficient to shew
that it is one of the ablest and most interesting publications
of the kind extant.
es embraces within its plan

i. ‘ Analysis of and extracts from choice works.

2. ““ Memoirs, notices and miscellanies, Gaiek abject of
seneree interest.

“Literary and scientific news from all countries.

arned men ; of Ae Ge and Bes ay of all
ous labour i in this work, and seem honourably to
Pepreneet in it, universal literature and the extent of hu-
an knowledge. This new “ Recueil literaire” has al-
ready obtained honourable mention and copious extracts
are made from it in many of the literary and_ scientific
Toasts of Germany, England and Italy + The effect
of this Hever 4 is to 2 Re a central chakaal of commu-

ence and humani Bhd
and i whatarer Oop

offers and ane ice a valuabi le and continued ab
stract of all the works useful to man in ey ‘Tr presents
by degrees the annals of comparative civilization
‘It is remarked that the six numbers published in the six
first months of the baad 1819, contained analyee? or extracts
ons of more than three hundred choice
than thy memoirs or

394 Notice of the Revue Encyclopedique, &c.

In another Parisian Journal* there is a very minute and
animated picture of this Review, and an analysis of the last
number in detail: our limits will allow us to cite only some
passages. The work is spoken of as being highly meritori-
ous on account of the extent and importance of the plan,
the merit of the execution, the reputation and talents of its
editors, the noble. end which they have in view and the
spirit of moderation and of true philanthropy by which they
are actuated. The United States and with them our own

humble labours: and those of our collaborators are honoured
with a good degree of attention in this Journal. _ It is re-
marked, in the notice before us, that the United States ap-
pear to a, particularly the physical sciences and sta-
tistics, and that we are a rising nation (une nation naissante)
still peoniisen in making out the inventory of the riches of
our vast territory and of the means of exploring them.
Speaking of the notice of all nations in the Revue En-
dite tasted the Journalist goes on to remark—‘“ thus, in
heir turn, many d mab comitrios. oe been passed in re-
, brought tog »mpared, and the nob

le ex-

, the ir nt facts, the pregnan

observations c with decereuiant and presented with
perspicuity, hive esbtttbted to manifest and still to excite
the movement of human intellect, embraced in the peace-
ful sphere of the sciences, of letters and the arts. With re-
spect to that ahivigtost of the work which sane to scien?

nee of science and of the labours of their literary
and scient societies 5 Pap ao eoigennren of prizes | }
eda ibuted <r fof the

Notice of the Revue Encyclopedique, &c. 395

tion of public establishments, universities, museums, hos-
pitals, savings banks, &c.; national remunerations, accord-
ed by governments or by societies to learned men and te
benefactors of the human race ; monuments consecrated to
celebrated men ; the. phenomena of natural history or of
meteorology, processes of domestic ee — ex-
iracts, discoveries of objects of art or of a it u-
scripts, the finest recent productions of caine e, sculp-
ture or painting, the progress of mutual saasracgon pe Ri
by all governments ae —— themselves in the well be-
ing of their hed ice state of lithography ; the new dra-
vhich obtain a ig BO of celebrity, and
the theatres which ~

may be Baie iohac of public foeli es ; lastly, « fer
tices SFinete men whose lives have been illustrated by poate

tions or by good productions; such are the infinitely varied
sptis which are created and multiplied in this pllees of

Be ‘added, < <The Revue Encyclopedique is not then
nerely a scientific work destined for the savans 3. or, leterary,
for mere. scholars, or national, designed for one nation only.
collection — 2 interesting facts, which

st: man, t

which all elevated minds ought to be~ all
generous hearts summoned to form a kind ‘of eléctric and
mysterious chain infinitely extended, embracing the desti-
nies of man and which from age to age, from country to
country, u unites all the rraees “all the works having refer-
nee to the great end o oUF revagng P ecuee roy. and
on of man, as well asto the more

. ee ot pat A Paris of t
work. - TAS fat as ete peng ye =

396 Palermo.
58. Atomic Weights of Bodies.

Extract of a letter dated Glasgow, November 2, 1820, frow
Thomas Thomson Regius, Professor of Chemistry
in the University of Glasgow, &c. &c. to the Editor.

I have but little scientific news to communicate to you.
Little is doing at present in “chemistry, either in this coun-
try, or on the continent of Europ am at present en-
gaged ina set of experiinents, to determine the true atomic
weights of bodies with mathematical accuracy, and I have

Iready made considerable progress. A first paper on the
subject has just appeared in the annals for November, @
second will appear in the January number. Having this
winter a course of clinical lectures to deliver, and being
anxious to take the opportunity of investigating more exact-
ly than has been done, the state of the urine in various dis-
eases, I shall be a to eee ete 2 oy experiments for
the winter. —— shall res cio ner ext May. As soon
as Ihave completed this investigation 1 shall bave it in my

59. Palermo.

Extract ie a letter to the Editor from Mr. William 7
a mac the American Asylum for the ve and
Dumb, i Barary 3 a) dees: Palermo.

stu ) attend ch The professors are su ported
pthiefunds now much ecvtntgsdt win 4 apes A
’ the I st Palace is the 0 : ' der the direction of

deb a =the se beatin: te
n presente him to the University

ate by was the Professor. ira to have cost him
two years labour. Tt seems. to be about three feet in di-
ameter and revolves horizontally in an iron frame, fixed on

a foundation of stone, at the height of at least sixty or seven-
ty feet from the ground.

‘Palermo offers little that is interesting. in mineralogy.
The able Ferrara tells me that the whole region is transi-
tion limestone, and calcareous tufa, and that the only inter-
esting minerals are jasper and agate. It is situated much
like New-Haven, on a plain, surrounded by mommaing:
The country is beautiful.

“ The weather has been as mild as September i is ‘with « us.
In two instances only have we bad a little snow, which
melted immediately.. Green peas and other yegetables are
abundant. Oranges are just pening.”

Communicated (in MS.) for this Journal.

Read before the New-York EPS of Natural pee, April 30, 1621. —
ede communication Fagot too late for sa pla
tor.)

nmunication 2
ame candies of Peru, Secretary of

mein CP BNC Samuan Le "Miremty dated a

i elcome leaves ofthe Coes im-

_ 398 Appendix.

tobacco-chewers, but swallowed together with the substance
extracted from the plant. Employed in this way, the Coca
enables the people, whose principal articles of substance
are maize and potatoes to undergo the toil of cpltivating the
land, the labour of working the mines, the fatigue of tending
herds of cattle in the mountains, and other severe exercises.
In short they find the coca capable of repairing lost vigour,
of withstanding the ee of ee of opposing the inroads
of the elements, and of per. ming in short, the function of
a true ————* elevati eetiie th eee on occasions of trouble
and inducing a feeseticlness of the ills of life, as is observed
in the sea on the drink prepared by Helen to refresh
her gues

Charmed by that virtuous: draught, th th’ exalted mind,

All sense of woe ot vers to the’

Lib. iv.
pears, - alee the Coca contains much
"he gum i has" a bitter | and stimulant
taste; and the leaves exhale an agreeable s: smell. When
chewed, the ¢ cota is wire” ine tongue and ps ate, stimu-

tes the glands, and provokes a copious flow of saliva.
Thi, with the abundance of gum expressed and swallowed,
produces a most comfortable operation on the stomach,
which is nourished and supported’ by the gum. In some
weakly persons who are not accustomed to its eae the
nerves are sometimes segs and an agreable slee
induced. If an 5 pe sit emetae lime, ag example}

From ne it ap se
and no resin. ©

with coca '
creased. Its eee are Sorsiderediabet = tabi ~ nutritive
and calming. Hence are explained tie riemoksble ben-
efits derived from it cae the well Indians. They who are
oft i is exonli tates

| +A en i.e eda aa

re

Appendix. 399

its extraordinary restorative and prophylactic qualities
recommend it to be used by seamen who are exposed to the
hardships of all climates, ‘and by soldiers who are obliged
to hazard themselves in all sorts of expeditions.

The Coca isa shrub of middling size, growing on the An-
_ des. It belongs to the class Decanpria, and order Diey-
nia. Its botanical name is Erythrorylon Peruvianum, or
Peruvian red-wood. The leaves are eliptical with short
footstalks, alternate, entire, smooth and shining, three-nerv-
ed, with the two lateral nerves less observable than the
middle one.

The Coca sectebttaterd in dorsum tracts adjoining the mouns
tains, and blossoms in May and June. It grows best in the
strong, moist soils of hot climates. Therefore it is most
congenial to the valleys. The seeds are planted during the
moist and rainy season, to wit, in December and January.
When grown to the height of a foot and a half, they are
transplanted into the grounds prepared to receive them.

he shrub lives many years, and in favourable situations,
the leaves may be picked, three times in twelve months.

This plant had acquired = = in the time of the
Incas, before the i the. holy ° iards. Ve smoke of
the leaves was incense offered tothe on the

se tial nn 0

A lete ae detailed ietory. of the Coes,’ was
published in in that highly noes work, the Peruvian
botanica

**FO-C)
Several communications came
ced in our next. capers he
mistaid ; ‘they are, however, either obvions orn rte Editor)
piers,

ke

INDEX.

Absorption, Dr. F. Magendie on, 288
Achafalaya, drift wood of, 18
Acid Prussic, or hydrocyanic, 182 & 187
Adams, William, A. 5 — Agaric Mineral of Vermont, a
Affections, Calculous, 300
Affection, paralytic, cured by lightning, 100
Albany, geological survey of the county, 239

Alkali, a new one, 384
Allen, J. A. Dr. on West River mountain, 73

prussic acid, 187
Alluvial districts, view of, 48 Alum slate, 25
Alum, essay on,
in mica slate, 240
at Zanesville, 245 Aimbek variety of, $
American Geological Society, 360
Amygdaloid of Salem, 232
Analysis of hydraulic lime, 231 |
Anecdote, historical, 33—42 Annales de chimie, &e. 87
Anthracite, 41 "Apparatus, oe rof. Hare’s, 105
nstruction of, 345

Archeologia Americana, notice of, 357
Arrowacks, their names for things, 31
Arse tests for, 354

Atm mercuria rial, 386 :
Auwater, Caleb, Esq. al . 245
William, serpent, Ee. &c. 238 Auscultation, 315

Banks‘of the Mississippi, 16

Barns, their liability to be struck by lightning, 345

Barton, R. P. and D. W. on Virginia fluor—manganese and
sulphat of lime, 243

Basin, calcareous of lake Huron, 264

Beck, T. R. Dr. mineral survey, &e. 23

Bees ” honey, memoir on, by J. C. Vanden Heuvel Ean. 79

Bigsby ‘John, I. Dr. on lake Huron, &e

J c.
Biogra of Linneus, 379 Blossom of lead, 67

Baht, of Hare, 87—90— 5]... ..doat of Iron, 371
Bones, in alluvion 53, of ratilesnakes, 85, fossil in East-

‘indsor,
Boyd, John, Mr. fluor spar of Genesee, 233
Brattleborough, ee 76
Bridge buildi Mr. own, 15)
Bridges eiaing, by Bringier, L. Esq. his memoir, 15
t. HEANe: 2. 51

402 INDEX.

Bristol, England, how lighted by gas,

Brongniart, Alexr. Mr. his views, besries “s° re 216
his remarks on American rg &e.

Buckland, Prof. his Instructions, &c. 2

Bursting of lakes through mountains, 252

Calabria, its geological ehiaietar, 224— 273

Calendar, floral: by Dr. J. Porter, 273

Canal, Sivies lime used in constructing, 230

Carolinas, mineralogy and geology of parts of, 1 & 227

Catskill, apace spring, 236, marl and tufa, &c. do. Ly-
m, 2. Cayuga, Terebratulites, from, 222

Cliiyhexts, waters, 235—236

ase, George, Dolomite, &c. 246

Chemistry, medical, 300

Chemistry, Elements of, vo Gorhams, 330

Cherokees, 35—38—39—43 &e. Chesnut, Spanish, 77

Chinese Dictionary, te Chinquapin, 77

Chios, oe in, eet pas
Chlorin sme of, 3 mystrogen,

yo

341—heat on he aia
Clay, Country of the Carolinas
Clays, 26 Clifford, J. D. tsi Medusa, 285
Coal impressions from England, 2 Coca of Peru, 397
Coffin, ancient, 37 Cold of Passed 1821, (note,) 179
—— on Lake ‘Champlain, 86 |
Combustion, Spontaneous, pied
Comstock, Dr. on Prussie acid, 189

Conglomerate 0 of Lake Huro n, 259—269
Copper native of Lake Rubeeioh; 201—212 of Connecticut

&e.
Copperas, eens td of in Vermont, 326
Cornelius = Pig Pan Corundum in Carolina, 4—229
ruelty, In _ Crystalization, instantaneous, 93
Currents, eee of, by H. ge seeagy. , Esq. 49—51 &e,

Deltas of rivers, how formed, 55
Dense ph sical causes of, 52
C. Prof. on Prussic acid, 188—fetid dolomite, 239
wavellite, 250—donation to Geol. Soc, 357
on snow cry
Dickson, John Mr. on Min. and Geol, of Carolinas, 1
ionary, Chinese, 377 Divining Rod, 102
Dolomite, 246 Dolomite, fetid, 239

INDEX. 403

Doolittle, Isaac, letter and translation of a memoir, 288
Drift wood, 17

Earthquakes and eruptions, 20
Eaton, Amos Prof. 236—238
Edminston, J. W. Kentucky marbles, 23
Education of the BOO 379 = Egypt, its sail and arts, 378
Electricity, medical, J. Hall, Esq. on, 16
theory of, 3 385
Electrometer of Abbe Haity, 372.
Elements of Chemistry, notice of - Gorham’ s, 330
Ellington, Connecticut, coal there, 24
Enfield’s Institutes, remarks on, 12
Emerson, R. Rev. on ig a rod, 1
Engraving on steel, by Mr. J. Pe nas 5
Epidote at Nahant, 364 Essays, seckigical 47
Experiments with Dr. Hare’s Deflagrator, ro
Explosion te of potash, (note) 90
chlorine and hydrogen, 341 Evaporation of spirits, 376
F

Fenn, H. R. Mr. discovers fluor spar, 367
Fetid limestones, 234—239
Finland, comforts of hecey Ao in, 378
Fish, fossil at W. and Sunde

: year Verona

Bolea. 1, 224
Fisher A.M. Prof. on printing y pried, sit)
Floral ee noqwasen” Calendar, 273 ~
Flower of great size, 376
Fluor aah on Genesee river, 235—367
Virginia, 243, Ulinois, igen
Foot, seas Dr. on cold at Plattsburgh,

F tions. ical of ber be, their yore te 225
ples eh oe mek kinds,on same level, 266
Fossil M ied 285

Fortifications, ancient, 3
Fusions by Prof. Hare’s ‘ow-pipe 87

Galena argentiferous, 173 .
Gadesaie apparatne, construction of, 345
Galvanism, theory of, by Dr. Hare, 105
arnet locality in Gares. es 241
cal )
Gases: mech Scan ‘376-38 Genesee river, fluor spar, 235
Geodes, 2 Geological my 325
Geolo ists, American, their duty, 225
Geol 70 8s — inas, 1—Mississip pe Reg. 1s—Trey, 73
n the study of, of, 363

404 INDEX.

Gibbs, G. Col. donation to Am. Geol. Soc. 357
Gilmor, R. jr. Mr. pyrites npg A 233

Glass, manufacture of, 370 biche not eternal, 238
Gold o :

Gorham, John Prof. his elements, 330

Granite in South Carolina, “s bo 2

Granger, Ebenezer, Esq. on oal eaaasin of Zanesville, 5
Green, Jacob Prof. on bones of. rattle snake, 85—crystalization, 98
Greenland, population of, 3

Green stone of S. Car. 2 ee Lake Huron, 259

Griscom, Jeli Prof. on pats literature mad science, 368.

Gum elastic tree,

H;
Hadley, Dr. his ee of ee lime, 231
Haines, Reuben letter from

y, 72
Hall, 7 Esq. on the staining of wood, and on medical electri-
city, 166—on fossil hopes, $47-—cbal- 24
Hall, F. Prof. on iron, &c. 57—agaric mineral, 234
Hare, Rob. Prof. his deflagrator, 103—345—on chlorine, 344
_ Hay. Abby. his electrometer, 372

Hayden, H. H. Mr. his Ge ological essays, a7

Hydrogen & Chlorine, explosions of, 341

Hygera del Oule, elastic gum tree, 44 —_ Historical anecdote, 33

History of Lake Superior copper, 248

Hitchcock, Ed. on Fossil fish, 365

Heematite of Lake Huron, 2

Holley, Myron, Esq. on water cement, 231 Hones, 26

= es, memoir on, 79 Hot Springs of Wachitta, 29
Huron Lake, geolo ony ofits Ms W. Shore, 254

Hydrargillite, American, 23

de
Tce, circumstances renting its formation, 179
Illinois, fluor spar, 24

ee rmont, 57——micaceous, 332 3

——, native of Louisiana, 45 _Iron, mountain, 63
——, Sulphat of, manufactory of, i in Si ge 26
isatis tinctoria, roposed for r spring fe

355.” iy paper, 370

INDEX. 405

Jasper, brown, striped &c. Ae
Jupiter, Ammon, temple o
Jarman, Thomas, Esq. on te lights, 170

Kaykag, Watonica, seats of hin, 42
Kentucky Marbles, 2.

Lakes, bursting of, &c.

Lane, Ephraim, his siento galena, 173

Lamps, portable gas, 370 Lan nguages, Indian, 38
of mankciath their number, 376

Lead ores, &c. notes on, 176 Lead aaess paapniferode, 173
Leconte, Mr. his opinion, &c.7 —_Leffers, San
Lightning, why it strikes oe 345° eats: 2

Limestone country and c
-Lime, for water cement, 230, its analysis, 231
disintegrated, 242
stone of aaa its ee character, 248
secondary crysta
Linneus, biography of, 379 Litchfield mineral Spring, 235
Lythographic paper, 370 Localities of minerals, 76
Locke, John, Dr. re of Copperas, 326
i

Mec eee esq. 357- -his dor “2 n to American Geologic

ly of gee

agendie, F. Dr..on aieeciae 288
agnetism by galvanism, 283—286 ~
anganese of Vermont, 57—of Virginia 2 245
arbles of Missouri, 93—of Ken ntucky, 234
astodon, fossil remains of, 22
ecg electricity, PS. Hall. jr. 168. Medusa fossil, 285
a, 26, mica slate, alum in it, 240
ichiliomekinet, island of, its geology, | 268 |
Michiwacan, proviaice of, 36 — Mildew, ee for, 385
ill-stones, burr, 28 - Mining in Missouri, ho ye dicted 7 70
Mineralogy, ke. of Carolina, 1—of Masnappt region, 15—of

Missouri, 59 Mine al saat of Missouri, Se 71
Mineral, as singular one
Mineral waters, wi beiel putictet of, 95.

sEETEEEEES

Ba Western, 265 Mines of lead in Miscousi, 9459
“rites in Vermont, 526 oe banks of, 16
Missouri, He marbles, 93—lead min es 248
Mitchili, S. L. Hon. Mr. Prince’s ae to, Tr—ansher 7
Mr, Vandenheuvel’s letter to, 79 :
on Coes of Peru, letter to.
Mounds, indian, 36 Mountain of ie iron, eve. 928

M contaiod: Dosti of, 252—eatp of, 364

406 INDEX.

Monson, A. S. Dr. on Prussic acid 195
Morey, Samuel, Mr. on mineral waters, 94
fetid Fuueticne, 234

Nations, Indian, 30 Natere; annals of, 365
Notice of Hayden’s essays, 471—of archeologia americana, 357
of Schoolcraft’s mission, 59 ‘Notices, chemical, 241
O.

Ochre in Vermont, 58
Oliver, B. L. D _ on Prussic , 182—specimens,
Olmstead, D. Prof. on a peculiar effect of pea 100
oe baci petrifactions from, 222
surgical, extraordinary, 373

Ores wr ried of Missouri, 24

iron on the Wachitta, 26 Organic remains, 389
Osages, 31-—32—

P:
Paloothrissum phil wasmecs of Westfield, Conn. 220
Palermo, extract of a letter from,

Paper i Ta 920-1 Ory. do. 370
P ralysis cured tog pai

Me, socatpeinly. of aut 347—engra-

ring on steel, 353
Petrifaction, jermatkablé: 282
Pierce, James, esq. on mineral waters, &c. 235
Pilatus. mount, slide down,
Plaster of Paris in vies ha

Pompeia, how cov ered, 3 Poor, education of, 379
r, T. D. Dr. his ae &e. heed for arsenic, 354
Porter, J. quartz from ve Pe arcana calender, 273

Porter, Dr. fossil bones, 2

Presses, printing, improve ents and t theory, 8 Sil

Prince, Wm. Mr. o a singular vegetable production, 77

Prussic acid,

Pultowa, monument at 379 Pumice stone on Missioetpets 247
Pyrites, iron, 3, 67—233—beds of in Vermont, 3

Quartz in South Carolina, ae Miséouri, 67
Fairfield, New-York, 233 |
Quinquina, substitute for, 380.
Radiation of heat a win
edusa, 285
Rem haribo, 281 Rattlesnakes, bones of, 85
Region, sandy of oe

ins, onl act, Sek okie at Q71
ld’s loa, 125

INDEX. 407

Revue Encyclopedique, notice of, 392
Rock, garnet, 241 Rod, ining 102

Salem Sienite, &c. 232 Salt, ee sprigs,
tity o: made ’ ees 371
Salts, various used in glass abakaee.! 370
Santee, high hills of, 2 Sa arcophagus, ee 390"
Schmidt, Dr. 80
Schoolcraft, oe sa Mr. on Missouri lead, 59—limestone, &c. 248
ative copper of L. Superior, 201—Schools, 375

Sea water, distillation of, 38 | Signals, 282
Seeley, Lloyd Dr. garnet locality, 241
Serpent Rock of Lake acawants j is Serpentine, hill of, 238
Shaquaw Cherokee, his prophecy, 39 ——_- Sienite of Salem, 232
Silliman, B. compound real ig seats ores, 173
formation of ice, 179 & -
Silver of bab River mountain, 7 50 ,
n lead ores, 173 Soe Siticeous, 391
Slate, agilaceou in Carolina, ging ae s, 28—micaceous
alum, 240 Slide down Mount Pilatus, 368
Smith, Ed. D. Prof. on Buncombe cries, 117—calculous affec-
ions, 300 now crystals, 36

Society, American Geological, 357-—Hoya of London, 375
Somers, Connecticut, coal in, 24: hei

Spe culations, geological, 262 > 3 pe iri . evaporation of, as!
Springs, salt, 33 a

warm of Buncombe County, N. c. 117

Staining of wood b

State’s prison of Connecticut, in an old copper mine, 222°
Steel, mode of engraving on,

Stafford, Vermont, its eg manufactory, 326
Strontian, sulphat of from L.

Sublimate Corrosive, anti antidote si 374

Sulphate of lime, 26 |

Virginia, 245 se aoe
Surgery, Lake, copper of, 201 bee oa 4 eee .

ee 7 P3
urvey, y asclagcsl of Albany County, 239
pend s zoological misc paps Oe

Switzerland, jurisprudence

Table mountain, 22. aisle of Jupiter Ammon, S78
Terebratulites of Cayuga, 222 — for arsenic, 354
Theory of printing Sis 311

Thetford, passa

408 INDEX.

ae sata manufacture of, 375
Thom homas, Prof. extract ofa fetigr from, 396
Titan, oxid os —
outh Carolina, 228
soci of rae Huron, &c. 254 4
rap region, of New-England, 221
Transition formation of Lake Huron, 257
Translations from the Arabic, 384 Trees in alluvion, 53
Trilobite of Albany, 225 Troost G. Dr. on Amber,
Troy, geological notiee of, 7
Town, Ithiel. Mr. on Bridge Building 158

Unanue, Hippolite, letter from to Prof. 5. L. Mitchill, 397

Vanden Heuvel, J. C. _ on honey bees, 79
Van Diemen’s land, 3
Vegetation how suppo ted, 3 372
Vegeta’ tab fee eae “of Zanesville, Ohio. 5
mains in coal, in Scotiand &c. 389
Virginia uae spar, 24
Volcano, ES River Mosntain was ever the seat of
one

WwW.
Wachitta, cove of, 20—28, niet springs of 29°
Ware, N. A. Esq. his opinion on drift wood, 19 {note
Warm springs of Buncombe county, N. Car. 11
Water, formation of, by compound blowpipe pe
compressibility. aie) Sac 369.
sea contains potash,
. Wenn. mineral, artificial formation ae 95
chalybeate, 235° -Wavellite, American, 239:
Webster, J. W. Dr. on prussic ac cid, 179—epido
Sinter of St. Michael, 391
Westfield, hae its analogies with Mansfield in Hesse, 226
tine

e, 238
West river cp re notice of, 73. White, — Mr. 320
Wilson, J. W. Mr. on bursting of lakes throu gh mountains, 25?

Woad recommended for spring pasture, 35
WwW orem of staining 166
C. Mr. extract of a letter from, 396

Wash Beam, Mr. — lime, 230 _
Yellow wood, 44

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