pective jurisdiction of the Portuguese and Chinese Governments. Portugal has had a lease of part of the island for the past two centuries, which will continue so long as the yearly rent is paid. In former days, and during the existence of the East India Company's charter, Macao was the head quarters, in China, of that honorable body, and the improvements which they added to the place by the erection of superior buildings and the general adornment of the neighbourhood are still to be seen, but divested of their original attractions. The city lies between two hills, on a peninsula stretching forth from the island, and its breadth is only about a quarter of a mile or very little more; a current of cool air is continually circulating through it, which makes it a place of resort during the hottest months in the year. The Portuguese population is under the direction of a Governor who has a few soldiers allowed to him, to enable him to keep the place in subjection, and prevent the encroachments of the Chinese. A wall is built across the island, the Chinese Mandarin having his residence in the village on one side of it, and the Portuguese Governor his abode on the other. Each has exclusive jurisdiction over his own countrymen, and when a subject of one domain renders himself amenable to the laws of the other, he is transferred to his own Government to undergo his trial and receive his sentence if convicted. On the tops of the hills are extensive forts which perfectly guard the city from attack on any quarter. The buildings erected by the East India Company are located on the south side of the island, at a short distance from the beach, and give the place a pleasing appearance from the water. They give a frontage to the city between the hills, and form an agreeable contrast with the spires and domes which rise up in their rear. Parallel with the beach is a wide level road called the "Praya Grand," at the eastern extremity of which is a park. This is resorted to on Sunday afternoon, by the whole community, to enjoy the delightful music which the military band is generously discoursing, with a view to dispel any gloom that might

have arisen during the religious exercises of the morning.

There are two Roman Catholic Churches in Macoa, and as there are no seats in either of them, the female worshippers sit down on the floor, each having brought a small woollen mat, which she throws down on the spot she has selected. The women wear gay muslin or calico dresses, and a cambric shawl which is drawn up over the head in lieu of a bonnet

Nearly all the principal foreign merchants in Canton, have furnished houses in Macao which they visit in hot weather. They are

kept up for the benefit of the young men in their employment, who after a busy season are permitted to take a few days to themselves, which can be more agreeably passed in Macao than elsewhere. So great is the variety of fish in the waters surrounding Macao, that according to the statements of old residents, there is a separate fish for every day in the year.

Since the expiration of the charter of the East India Company, Macao has been gradually declining, but she would have revived during the war between England and China, in 1842, had not a spirit manifested itself which defeated its own object. At that time foreigners were obliged to leave Canton, and take up their abode and transact their business on this island, and all foreign vessels resorted to its harbour. If instead of imposing heavy duties on foreign. commodities, and harbour dues upon the shipping, the port had then been free, Macao would not have been obliged to transfer to Hong-Kong, the short lived distinction which circumstances involuntary granted her. Her rulers now feel the weakness of their policy, which evinces its effects in the harbour, the streets, and the buildings. Only native craft disturb her waters, the streets are desolate, and many of the India Company's Hongs are untenanted. Those merchants who have private residences at present, will not retain them after their lease expires, and thus by the short sighted policy of the governing powers of Macao, other islands are destined to outnumber her in population, and exceed her in wealth. Nevertheless, Macao must still be a place of interest to every foreigner, and sacred in the memory of Portugal. Her pure air and solitary retreats were once enjoyed by an exile, who conscious of his wrongs, still restrained the pen of calumny, and painted in immortal verse, the glory of his fatherland. The cave of Camoens, in which was composed a portion of the famous Lusiad, can be seen on this island; and when the stranger looks upon the cenotaph erected in its centre by order of the country which had exiled him,-calling to rememberance that the mighty spirit of the poet in whose honour it was tardily reared, had perished in the streets of Lisbon, driven forth by hunger, neglect and sorrow; and that no finger can point to the resting place of Portugal's greatest hero; he loses all sympathy for the oppressor in contemplating the sufferings of the victim, and feels that this,-like so many other national tributes to genius,-is rather a memorial of the nation's shame.

ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH FOR PREDICTING STORMS.

BY G. T. KINGSTON, M.A.,

PROFESSOR OF METEOROLOGY, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, AND DIRECTOR OF THE MAGNETIC OBSERVATORY, TORONTO.

Read before the Canadian Institute, 24th January, 1857.

The employment of the Electric Telegraph for transmitting intelligence relative to the Meteorological conditions that prevail at the same instant, over a wide area of country, is an application so obvious, that it is not surprising that it should have occurred to the minds of many. A few years since an arrangement was in existence in England, by which Mr. Glaisher at Greenwich, received by telegraph, daily reports, at a certain hour, of the state of the wind and weather from various localities in England, Ireland, and Belgium, and there is, I believe, a similar system at the present time in operation, with its centre at the Exchange in Liverpool.

The general idea then involved in the present communication is not new; but this circumstance, though it destroys any claim to originality, possesses at least this advantage, that members of the Institute who may be called on either to reject the following suggestions, or to co-operate in carrying them into effect, will take up the matter with minds somewhat prepared for the task, by previous experience and reflection.

Not to occupy time with further preliminary remarks, I shall proceed at once to state briefly the general nature of the scheme that I have to propose.

That the annual loss by shipwreck, of property, (not to say life,) in the American lakes is considerable, there can be no question. The Lake Association of underwriters on the American side, estimated, the loss during the season just closing as over FOUR MILLIONS OF DOLLARS; and it will be found, I have little doubt, that the loss on the British side is proportionably great. It should be remembered further that these losses' whatever they may be, other things remaining the same, will increase with increasing commerce. I have not at command any statistics relative to the loss of shipping on the rivers and sea coasts; nor is it essential that I should produce such; since the general fact without precise numerical data, is a sufficient basis for that which is to follow.

There can be no question but that many shipwrecks would be prevented, if vessels in port had timely notice of a coming gale.

VOL. II.-M

Ships intending to remain would make preparations requisite for withstanding it; and those about to sail would either postpone, or hasten their departure.

Admitting then that wrecks are numerous, and that their number, as well as that of many minor disasters, might be materially diminished if gales were commonly foreseen, I go on to consider the means, first of procuring the necessary intelligence; secondly of transmitting that intelligence to the shipping.

On the latter object, the transmission namely of intelligence, it is not necessary to dwell, since for this purpose the ordinary machinery of the telegraph is sufficient; and I may therefore confine my attention to the object first named, that of procuring the information requisite for the prediction of an approaching storm.

The possibility of doing this depends on the truth of the two following statements, the first of which is certain, and the second highly probable.

1. That gales prevail in some localities often many hours, sometimes two or three days before they reach other places only a few hundred miles distant.

2. That storms in their progress are subject to definite laws, which extended observation will discover.

Assuming the object to be practicable, I propose to effect it by an arrangement of which the following is a rough sketch : With the concurrence of the telegraph companies, the operator at each of certain specified stations in British North America, should have orders to send immediate notice to the telegraph office at Toronto, of the commencement of a gale at his station. On receiving such a message, the operator at Toronto would call the attention of the Observatory by an alarum, or other contrivance; then repeat the message and connect the observatory wires with those from the various selected stations. The Observatory would then issue orders for hourly or half-hourly returns, or make such occasional enquiries as might be thought expedient.

The information thus collected would supply the data from which to derive a knowledge of the laws that govern the progress of storms, and if these laws were understood, would enable the central office to send notice to the ports along the lake and sea coast, and the various districts through which the storm was about to pass, of the probable time of its arrival, the quarter from which it might be expected, and its approximate duration.

I do not anticipate that the expenses attending such an arrange

ment would be heavy; but at any rate I feel certain, that if it were carried into successful operation, the expenses would be covered a thousand fold by the saving to life and property that it would occasion. To enter at present into further details, would I think be premature; I therefore leave the matter for the Institute either to take up or to reject.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PROFESSOR KINGSTON'S PLAN FOR PREDICTING STORMS.

Read before the Canadian Institute, 14th March, 1857.

The Committee of the Council of the Canadian Institute, to whom was referred Professor Kingston's paper on the application of the Electric Telegraph, in giving intimation of storms ocurring at different localities, present the following Report:

The Committee consisted of Baron de Rottenburg, Professor Croft, and Professor Cherriman; in addition to whom they had the assistance of Professor Kingston, and of Mr. Alexander, telegraph operator.

The Committee recommend that Professor Kingston's paper be printed, and a letter be addressed, with a copy of the paper, to the several Boards of Trade and Insurance Offices in the Province, with a view of securing their co-operation in carrying out the objects the Professor has in view; and suggesting to these bodies the advisability of their entering into some agreement with the several Telegraph Companies, to defray the expenses of forwarding the necessary telegraphic messages from one station to another, and also to the magnetic observatory at Toronto; and whenever these arrangements shall be completed, that a letter be addressed to the Secretary of the Province, to obtain for the Magnetic Observatory the services of an additional assistant, as a telegraphic operator, and that authority shall also be demanded to defray the expenses of laying down wires from the observatory to the telegraph office.

The telegraph stations which appear to the Committee to be favourably situated for the transmission of notices of storms which may occur in the localities, or for forwarding such notices from other places are as follows, viz: