50 pieces which I have by me, for your future inspection. I am well aware that they are not perfect as to meet the correct taste of the present enlightened age. My excuse for not forming them more so, is the want of a liberal education. Born in humble life, and from my childhood engaged in business, I have not had those opportunities of acquiring classical learning, which I could wish. This, I hope, will induce you to look over those faults, which otherwise you might drem inexcuseable, I am, Sir, Your most obedient, &c. July 3, 1805. ADDRESS TO TRUTH. J.D. DAUGHTER of heav'n, lovely maid, 'Tis Truth that gifts the guiltless tongue Tis truth that makes, with haggard fear, Of servile courtiers backward shrink, Sweet is thy voice, oh! gentle maid, Who with delight of battles tell. I've sought thee too, on classic ground, Where swain's oft tell the love-sick tale. And seldom doth thy voice prevail. A more than competence to gain, Say, where thy heav'n-built temple stands, For thee I'll quit my humble cell To seek thee, though in foreign lands. Thy peaceful bright abode to gain MODERN DISCOVERIES AND IMPROVEMENTS IN ARTS, SCIENCES, AND LITERATURE; With Notices respecting Men of Letters, Artists, and Works in Hand, c. &c. [Specifications of patents are requested to be sent to the Editor before the 18th of the month, if an insertion in the first number is desired.] able parts, so connected with an axle within the aforesaid vessel, that they occasionally and alternately present unequal areas to the action PATENT to Mr. Jonathan of the steam, by which means the A of counterbalance or equipoise, Penryn, in Cornwall, for a newly- would otherwise exist on opposite invented steam wheel, or engine, for sides of the axis, is avoided. The raising water, and for other useful moveable parts which compose the purposes in arts and manufactures.- said unequal areas successively form. In respect to the leading principles of a partition, thereby constituting two this invention, the steam is caused to several apartments in the said steampass from boilers into steam vessels vessels, so that in their interchanges, so contrived as to produce an imme- a continuous circular motion is prodiate circular motion round an axis, duced, without suffering any comand thereby communicate a rotatory munication to exist between the motion to other parts connected with aforesaid two apartments. The steam the machines, without the inter- vessel is so constructed, as for one of vention of wheel-work and other its apartments to receive a constant complicated machinery. The steam supply of steam from the boiler, is caused to operate on certain move- whilst the other apartment cominu nicates uninterruptedly with the con- day, and then cut it up with brass densing apparatus. From the prac- wires, and in the same manner as is tical application of the aforesaid prin- done in the process of making soap. ciples, those inconveniences are ob- To make a ton or twenty hundred viated that attend on such steam- weight of the patent composition for engines as are retarded in their ope- the use of the navy, in washing by rations from vis inertia, as often as sea water, take 430 pounds weight, the direction of their motions are re- more or less, of tallow, or other fat, versed, or such as require fly-wheels, or oil, and proceed to convert it into of a magnitude so enormous as to oe- soap by the ordinary process; and casion a vast absorption of power. when the tallow, fat, or oil, is nearly This patent is dated March 26, 1805. converted into soap, put into another To William Everhard, Baron Van boiler 630 pounds weight, more of Doornik, of Well-street, in the coun- less, of the marl or saponaceous earth, ty of Middlesex, for certain compo- sifted, pulverized, and if needful, sitions formed by uniting an absorb- bleached, as above mentioned, with ent or detergent earth, with other in- an equal quantity of lees, stirring it gredients, so as to render the same constantly; and after boiling it three, more effectual in washing or scour- four, or five hours, as may be found ing, &c. &c. The nature of the said necessary, pour it when hot, and in a process or invention may be thus de- gluey state, into the boiler of soap, scribed and performed: Procure a prepared with tallow, fat, or oil, as sufficient quantity of marl or sapo- above, also hot, and bring the same naceous earth, taken as clear as pos- again into a gluey or liquid state, by sible out of the ground, and put into pouring it into about 290 pounds a kiln to dry; when perfectly dry, weight of lees, or such other quan reduce it to a fine powder, by grind- tity as may be thought sufficient.→→ ing, sifting, or otherwise; then if Then keep it turning and boiling needful, expose the same to the air, gently for about an hour, when it is either made into cakes or otherwise, to be poured into the frames, and left that its colour may be improved, and to cool there till the next day-then its other qualities more or less altered. cut it up with brass wires in the same -To make a ton or twenty hundred manner as is done in the process of weight of this composition, for gene- making soap. ral use, take 690 pounds weight, Patent to Mr. William Hawks, the more or less, of tallow, or other fat, younger, Iron Manufacturer, of or oil, and proceed by the ordinary Gateshead, in the county of Durprocess to convert it into soap. But ham, for sundry improvements in when the tallow, fat, or oil, is nearly constructing and making chains for converted into soap, put into another the use of mines and other purposes, boiler 410 pounds weight or there- dated July 2, 1805. The nature of abouts of the marl or saponaceous this invention cannot be technically earth, pulverized, sifted, and bleached, described and ascertained without a by exposure to the air, if such bleach- plate. ing be thought necessary, with an Patent to Mr. Jacob Buffington, equal quantity of strong lees or so- gentleman, of the city of Bristol, for lution of caustic alkali, stirring it con- a new method of straining or stretchstantly, and after boiling it three, ing, (commonly called habiting) all four, or five hours, as may be neces- kinds of woollen cloth, for cropping sary, pour it when hot, and in a gluey or shearing, and for stretching or state, into the boiler of soap, prepar- straining all other kinds of piece ed with tallow, fat, or oil, as before, goods. To strain cloth, or any other being also hot; and bring the whole stuffs that require straining, the lists again into a gluey state, or liquid of the cloth must be secured to one state, by pouring into it about 290 edge of strong web, by lacing or pounds weight of the lees, or such otherwise; the other edge of the web quantity as may be thought suffici- is made fast to a small rope or cord ent. Then keep it turning and boil- that passes through apertures in frames ing gently for about an hour; then so made as to suiter the web to pass let it be poured into the frames, where freely when moved forwards, and to it must be left to cool till the next prevent the rope or cord from draw ing out in the act of straining. Al- lance vibrates so as to approach its though the construction of the frame utmost limits, the action of the spring, may be varied, if thought necessary, while in a state of unwinding, throws it is requisite that the principal object of the invention be adhered to, which is to strain the cloth or stuffs from selvage to selvage, or from list to list. By this means the operation of cropping, shearing, &c. is much facilitated, and the workman enabled to produce better work, and in less time than he could by any former method. the piece outward, so as to fall in the way of the pin, and stop the balance from proceeding farther. Another mode is, by a straight spring, screwed upon the plate, having a hook at the end of it, into which a pin placed in the balance strikes, when, as before, the pendulum spring, in unwinding, touches the straight spring, and moves it a little outwards. There is Mr. William Hardy, of Chapel- also a way of banking by means of a street, near White Conduit-house, bolt, which is thrown back by the Islington, has lately discovered a new pendulum-spring, and made to fall in method of banking the balance of a the way of a pin placed in the rim of time-keeper. The following is his the balance. These are the principal own account of it, as it lately appear- modes of banking now in use, and ed in the Transactions of the So- they do not differ materially from one ciety for the Encouragement of Arts, another in principle. But the weight Manufactures, and Commerce :- and friction of so many pieces on so "It was at first imagined that a delicate an organ as that of a penbanking to a watch, with a free es- dulum-spring, are, perhaps, nearly capement, was quite unnecessary, as as hurtful to the time-keeper, as the the limits of banking were so great injury it may sustain when it is left as to admit of almost twice 300 or without any banking whatever." 720 degrees; but, on trial, the ba- The following technical description lance was frequently found to exceed of the fossil called Phonolithe, or, this quantity, and that a very slight the Klingstein of the Germans, is motion given to the time-keeper abridged from that given by M. (particularly when the axis of the Daubuisson, in the Journal de Phybalance became the axis of that mo- sique. The phonolithe is principally tion,) was sufficient to alter the remarkable for containing a 12th strength and figure of the pendulum- part of soda in its composition; and spring, and position of the pieces, is found in many parts of France and in respect of the balance-wheel, so Germany in abundance. That of as to change the rate of the time- Mount Millischau, in Bohemia, and keeper; and what was worse, re- which has been analysed by M. quire a new adjustment of the ba- Klaproth, contains, in the opinion of lance, to accommodate itself to the that eminent chemist, soda sufficient changes made in the spring and other to supply the demands of all Europe, parts connected with it. Hence it if any means could be devised to sebecame necessary, that some means parate it from the substances with should be used to stop the balance at which it is combined. The circumcertain limits beyond its natural arch stance whence this fossil derives its of vibration; and various attempts name, is the clear sound it emits have been made to effect it. One when struck pretty forcibly by a way is, by a moveable piece on the hard substance. Its colour is a greenaxis of the balance, which banks ish grey, varying frequently to a grey, against a pin, yet so as to suffer sometimes light, sometimes deep.the balance to vibrate more than 360 It is found in great masses traversed degrees. Another method is to have by fissures, which affect a regular a piece moveable on a centre in one direction, and divide it into plates of of the arms of the balance, and different thickness, and into irregular. applying itself as a tangent to the prisms. It has big, grey and redpendulum spring, which passes dish scales, and in the larger porthrough a hole in the piece. It tions it is schistose. Its hardness is has also a knee which almost touches rarely so great as to produce a few the plate, and just passes free of a sparks, when struck with steelpin placed in it. But when the ba- It is very transparent at its edges. Vol. IV. I Silex Bohemia. Its specific gravity is from 25 to 27; his conjecture. This of Italy seems that of water being 10. The ac- to be the true species of corundum tion of the air alters its surface, and hitherto found in Europe. The stony soon covers it with a whitish, earthy substance found in Germany that had crust, which is a property peculiar to been mistaken for corundum, was this substance. When exposed to found to be feldspath or leucolite.--the action of fire, it loses its water That in the British Museum, found of composition; in a violent fire it on the eastern coast of Scotland, was melts into a thick glass; at the blow- far from possessing the hardness propipe, it passes into a white or thick per and peculiar to this species. That enamel. The substances with which of Chesnut-hill, near the city of Phiit may be compounded are basalt, ladelphia, North America, which petrosilex, and soine species of schists. Mr. Smith announced, was found to -Its schistose appearance, and parti- be a fragment of quartz, badly crys cularly the substances found with it, tallized; that discovered by M. and the circumstances of its position, Bournon, at Forez, in France, was prevent its being compounded with by the Abbe Hauy, found deficient petrosilex, to which it bears a strong in specific gravity; but this of Italy resemblance in other respects. The is deficient in no one circumstance. phonolithe of Millischau, in Bohe- The following are the properties of mia, has been analysed by Klaproth, the corundum of Italy: 1. It cuts the and that of Mount Or, in Auvergne, hardest rock-crystal. 2. It does not south of France, by Mr. Bergman.- fuse by the blow-pipe, either alone The following are the results: or with the addition of borax. 3. Its Auvergne. substance is formed of laminæ, in 58 different directions. 4. It is cleave24,50 able three ways, and when it is cut 3,50 in the three directions, its form is 4,50 arhomboid, of which the acute angle is 643 degrees. 5. Its transverse fracture has the brilliancy of a diamond, and reflects the light in the same manner, and the reflection has 1,50 almost the colour of silver. 6. Its specific gravity is 3-87, which is the same as that of the true corundum.If rubies and sapphires are actually of the same genus as corundum, as most mineralogists seem inclined to suppose, it is probable that Europe likewise possesses mines of these precious stones, as it has mines of emeralds; witness those of Limoges, discovered by M. Lelievre, counsellor of mines. But these stones will continue to be the rubies, the sapphires, and the emeralds of the mineralogists and not of the jewellers, until they are found of a proper transparency, which M. Pini hopes will be the result of further researches. 57,25 Alumen 23,50 Lime 2,75 Oxyde of iron 3,25 Oxyde of man-0,23 ganese Soda 8,10 3 1,90 100 6 100 Sometimes the phonolithe contains a greater proportion of iron, in which case its colour is deeper, and the substance itself is heavier, and less transparent. M. Pini, inspecter of Italian Mines, has lately announced the discovery of a substance in one of the mountains of that country, to which the name of corundum stone has been given. It appears that he first saw t among some fossils that had been collected in the department of Serio, by M. Brochi, professor of Natural History at Brescia, who, at first, considered it as a species of feldspath, as the corundum has been only hitherto supplied from far distant countries;-but on a more minute investigation, he found its colour so entirely to resemble that from Madras, some of which M. Pini had in his possession, that he began to suspect it to be the same; and on trial he found he had not been mistaken in Mr. T. C. Banks is preparing for the press a work, to be entitled, "The Extinct Peerage of England, on an entirely new plan, giving an account of all the peers who have been created, and whose titles now are either dormant, in abeyance, or absolutely extinct; with their descents, marriages, and issues, public employments, and most memorable actions, from the Norman conquest to the year 1803." The Memoirs of Richard Cumberland. Esq. written by himself, and containing an account of his life and writings, interspersed with anecdotes and characters of the most distinguished persons of his time, with whom he had intercourse and connection," are announced as being in the press, and shortly to be published in two volumes 4to. souri, from its influx to its source, and then to discover the nearest river that is situated to the westward of it, and to descend thence into the Pacific Ocean. The present expedition, consisting of about twelve persons, are expected to return about the end of the ensuing year. As any attempt to simplify the practice of merchants' accounts, cannot fail of being received with pleasure in a country so distinguished for its Mr. Southey intends speedily to extensive trade carried on with every publish a collection of Specimens of known part of the globe, it is not English Poetry, in the manner of without a degree of satisfaction, arisMr. Ellis, accompanied with biogra- ing from the utility of the work, as phical sketches. Dr. Griffiths is now employed on a translation of Lenoir's French Monuments, which will extend to six volumes Svo. well as from the known abilities of the author, that we inform the public, more particularly those in any. way concerned in commerce, that Mr. Dubost, author of a small work As a number of labouring men entitled, "The Merchants' Assistwere lately employed in digging up ant," and which receives universal the earth in the town of Dover, New approbation, is in the press, and it is Hampshire, North America, for the expected will be ready in a few days, purpose of making an aqueduct, they Commercial Arithmetic, adapted to discovered a vein of dark brown sand, the exclusive consideration of the running in a direction from east to practice of commercial operations, west, much impregnated with quick- and intended to serve as an introduc saver, considered as of the best qua- tion to the elements of commerce.lity. Globules of the metal were He has also in the press, which is found dispersed about the soil, from expected to appear in about four the size of the smallest grain of sand months, Elements of Commerce, to that of a duck-shot, which induces being a general treatise upon the a probable supposition that upon fur- monies, weights, and measures of ther investigation larger quantities every foreign country and commermay be discovered. cial place, by comparison with those of England, demonstrating, mathematically, the science of commercial calculations, and shewing the advantages resulting from a knowledge of them. Mungo Park, Esq. the celebrated African traveller, arrived at the island of Goree, on the coast of Africa, on the 28th of March last, with an intention to penetrate, if possible, still further, and to make fresh discoveries Mr. Nicholson, of Ludlow, will, in the unexplored interior of that con- shortly publish a New System of timent. In his passage they touched Stenography, included in a single at the island of St. Jago, where Mr. page, and comprehending uncommon Park purchased 44 asses for his jour- lineality, legibility, simplicity, and Dey. On the 6th of April following, shortness. he intended to proceed from Goree, An individual, at Petersburgh, has up the river Gambia, with 40 sol- now in his possession one of the most ders, who are to accompany him in ancient Russian MSS. extant. It is the ship Crescent which he sailed in, a Lectionarium, or an extract of the and when they have ascended as high gospels, for the use of the church. up the river as possible, the Crescent The format, or size, is a folio, on was to land Mr. P. and his suite, and very fine parchment, adorned with return to Goree, from whence she miniatures by Greek artists: a cywas expected to sail for England. pher or flourish of letters indicates A journey has been lately under that it is of the year 1066. Several taken by order of the American go- amateurs of antiquities have made ofvernment, the primary object of fers to purchase it; but although the which is to explore the river Mis- sum of 20,000 1oubles has been tender. |