between the room was intersecured, and also the floor and ceiling. At half-past twelve o'clock, a large, strong charcoal fire was made on the flooring-boards, clear of the sides of the room, and continued till four o'clock.

A large addi

tional wood fire was made in the angle of the room next the partition. And both fires were kept up by a constant accumulation of fuel, so as to render them exceedingly fierce. In the seat of the charcoal fire the flooring-boards were burnt through, and two of the joists damaged two inches deep. With respect to the angle fire, that part of the floor and skirting which was immediately contiguous to it was much damaged, two of the quarters were charred fifteen inches up, the plate of the partition and the bond timber was slightly charred.

Another experiment was made to resist the strongest fire in the back-parlour, which was doubly secured for the purpose; the floor, sides, and ceiling, with plaster, the door and window-shutter with Mr. Hartley's fire-plates. At a quarter to twelve o'clock a fierce fire was made with a tar-barrel, pitch-boards, and other combustible matter, so as to occupy the whole room, in a manner something similar to that described by Lord Stanhope, in his paper read to the Royal Society. Fresh fuel was continually added, and the fire remained in the same state till one o'clock, at which time the shutter was closed. By this the fire was choked, but continued to smoulder on till half an hour after two; when it appeared that the flooring-boards were charred considerably, the ceiling and plastering had given way, the joists and timbers which became exposed thereby were charred, but the rooms adjoining, and the wooden staircase, which were separated only by wooden partitions, were not at all affected during the whole experiment.

3, Furnival's Iun, Oct. 13, 1835. (To be continued.)

C. DAVY.

NOTES OF A TRAVELLER ON AMERICAN STEAM-NAVIGATION.

NO. II.

Mr. Editor,-If any accident occurs to a Western steamer, the captain at once takes the active command on himself. Accidents are very numerous,

so much so, that the risks are considered much greater in going 1000 miles on any of the Western rivers, than the same distance on the high seas. These dangers may be classed according to their frequency and danger; they differ in the up and down voyage.

The total loss of the vessel may arise from being "snagged" on the return voyage. Captain Hall and others have explained the circumstances which cause this accident; but as some of your readers may have not seen his work, I may state, that it is found by the stems of trees entering the bottoms of the vessels, whose roots, loaded with clay, &c. are touching the bottom. The stems, being light, float, while the roots drag along the bot tom, or are fixed by being interlocked amongst sunken logs. The tops of these stems sometimes remain permanently above the water, but generally the current forces them up and down, so that the pilot cannot perceive the log when it is under the surface, and steers the boat to certain destruction. These logs, whose ends rise above and fall below the surface of the water, are called "" sawyers," " from their movement re sembling a man at work over a saw-pit. Their ends are generally pointed. There appears to be no way of guarding against accidents from this cause, for the sawyers generally take the steamer about midships, in the very centre of the hold, a little further aft. The reason is evident; if its end is so near the surface that it would strike the bows in its ascent, the pilot would see it, or the ripple in the water which would precede it; now, as the boat sinks a certain distance, its bottom advances so far towards the ascending log, which has been constantly rising, and again the water moved forward by the boat itself, has had the effect of accelerating the rise of the log, so that it most frequently takes the steamer a little abaft the beam. If the log should not rise and strike the bottom until near the stern, the shape, or inclination, or "run," of that part is generally sufficient to prevent its entering. Cases, however, have occurred of vessels being snagged very far aft. The suag chamber is generally looked on as a preventive to such accidents, but it is not the slightest protection against the attacks of sawyers. It may be of great use in the case of accidents arising from the bows be

ing stove in by collision with other boats, firm logs, rocks, and so forth; but if the steamer is carefully steered, no accidents of this kind can occur. On the downward voyage, it is the custom to load the boat to the water's-edge, if freight can be obtained; so that if the snag chamber were broken into and the water let in, the vessel would sink, though not a drop of water might get into her proper hold. Accidents, fron logs, are rather rare in the downward voyages. It is not uncommon for steamers to come in contact, for this reason in going down, the rule is to keep the very centre of the river, the current being there generally strongest and most favourable; a boat coming up, therefore, avoids the centre as much as possible, and endeavours to keep in the eddy: this obliges the pilot to run her across the main current at every turn of the river; and as some of these turns are very acute, and the trees grow to the water's-edge, neither pilot has any intimation of the presence of the other until the boats are in contact. The only remedy for this, would be to clear the timber from the points or capes which now obstruct the view. In the day time, the steam can be seen rising over the trees; but experience shows this to be insufficient, for steamers often come in contact even in the day-time. The pilots excuse themselves by saying the current deceived them; and if we consider the subject in all its bearings, we must admit the possibility of the currents being always different, not only at different points, but actually at the same point; for the shape of the point is constantly changing, and the water is constantly rising or falling. The Mississippi is more properly a flood, than a river at the season it is mostly navigated. I say it is a flood, because our notion of a river involves a presumption of the water being held in check by banks, which rise more or less above the level of the water: thus we have the Severn, the Clyde, and the Shannon, strictly and properly called rivers. But if the surface of one of these were to rise, so that the water would overflow the country for many miles on both sides, so that we could not see the extent of the inundation, we would, very properly, call it a flood. Such is the general character of the Mississippi at high-water in spring; in

deed, words can give no idea of the vast quantity of water which runs over its banks into the boundless levels which occupy its shores, and which never returns to the river. This water evaporates, is absorbed by the ground, or discharged into the sea, by many outlets, some of which are equal to large rivers. A great quantity of it remains in stagnant swamps, which poison the atmosphere on the return of warm weather.

The changes in the bed of the river, produced by the annual flood, are incalculable; the pilots notice then, and tell each other, so that they become a body of men, bound together by a common interest.

Great allowances are to be made for accidents arising from collision of boats, though it cannot be denied that much neglect has existed in some cases, and that wilful malice has even led pilots to run against boats, and sink and injure different craft.

The pilots were endeavouring to form a union amongst themselves, to regulate the number of apprentices and so forth. If the captain and owners have not set their faces against this measure, it is apprehended that in a short time the jealousy of "the body men" will lead them to injure all vessels not steered by one of the craft. The body will become indifferent to the duty, which, as individuals, they will be obliged to perform, and the public will be injured proportionably. At present, any man acquainted with the rivers may pilot, and be employed by any person. When these rules are established, the competition will be entirely destroyed. Then we shall see the same species of puppyism established on the Western waters, which is now so much complained of in the New York dandy pilots, who have become so nice, that they will not venture out to sea except when there is no occasion for them (as pilots); for they must not only take care of their precious and beautiful boats, but of their not less beautiful and elegant selves, wives, and so forth.

The Western steamers are frequently burned, particularly when they are loaded with cotton: many such cases have occurred when they were lying in port. Most of the latter have been attributed to incendiarism, and with, I fear, too much truth: though neglect

of the lamps near the engine, or fire in the cooking-stove, may have been the cause of some. The rapidity with which the fire seizes on the light framing and sheathing, which compose the cabins and roofing, is truly astonishing; in a few seconds, the whole body of the vessel, above water, presents one body of flame. There appears to be no chance of a person escaping, though the cabins have plenty of doors, for generally the majority of the people, in bed at the time, are destroyed. The spread of the fire may be attributed to the combustible nature of the white pine, the material used in the construction of the cabins and the tarred roof, and the perfect draft which is established through the doors and windows in all directions.

Several steamers have been set on fire by spontaneous combustion, produced by acids being spilled amongst the cargo, from packages of drugs. Gunpowder has also been shipped as common freight, and fired by accident. It is customary to have a powder-room in the steamers, into which this substance should be always stowed; but as the freight for powder is rather higher than for other commodities, the villanous merchants put the casks into boxes, and label them" glass," with "this side up," and so forth, to deceive the clerk of the boat, and save the slight difference in freight. This is one of the thousand instances of recklessness which the traveller sees every day in the United States.

Running aground, is a very common accident, particularly when the rivers are very high or very low. In the first case, the pilots venture to run through short cuts, to avoid long bends of the rivers, or in very high water, over tongues of land, which have been cleared of timber. In the second case, the pilot cannot know of the creation of new bars and banks on the moving of old ones, which is constantly going on. It is very interesting to examine the beds and. banks of these rivers after every flood, to observe the great changes. In the lowest water, there is a constant motion of the surface gravel of the rapids. If the water is clear, the stones appear to float down the stream. The channel narrows and deepens over the bars, so that a steamer may pass over a rapid today, which could not have done so

yesterday, though the water is actually the same; and if we judged by the bank, we would imagine it to be less, its level being lower. The Americans exhibit their peculiar cunning and daring, in meeting with, and overcoming, all the difficulties they have to encounter on these occasions. If the rapid is too shallow, and the ground hard, the boat must be lightened; for this purpose the passengers are sent ashore: if this will not do, a portion of the cargo is shifted into another boat, or landed; and if all this is not sufficient, a rope is made fast to an anchor right ahead, and brought round the main shaft, when all hands get into the water, and push and lift the boat, the engine being "set on." The anchor must come home, the rope slip or break, or the boat move, which generally happens. In some cases I have thought it would have been much safer and easier to make a dam abaft the vessel across the rapid, than to strain her by the purchase. A dam composed of stakes, with a canvas cloth stretched from one side to the other, with branches and dirt in front, would be often sufficient to raise the water a foot or 18 inches, which would be quite sufficient. The stakes could be removed and brought forward to the next stop, and so on until the rapid was got over. Thus we should have a portable lock established. I have tried this on a small scale, and think it will answer when the ground will hold stakes, and the sand is running. At first, one would think that it would be better to deepen the channel, but this would increase the current, and lower the water above; so that instead of having one shallow to overcome, great numbers might be created, and the whole navigation stopped by cutting thus a single bar, which might "back" the water for many miles.

There is a practice universal on the Western waters of "rounding to," or bringing a steamer's head up stream, whenever it is necessary to stop her for a few minutes. I confess my ignorance of the use of this practice. It takes up time, and is certainly attended with danger of running ashore, &c. As the paddles can be reversed in their movement, and as the boats generally steer very well, I see no utility in this. practice, which I think is found fault with by Captain Hall. It is adopted by some

very able sea captains who have the command of steamers, as well as the old stagers. One would be led to attribute the practice to the era, when engines were so rudely constructed, that they could not be made to reverse their movements, or back water. Neither pilots or captains defend the practice or explain it.

When a steamer runs aground on the bank, the usual mode adopted for inoving her, is to run out a boom in a sloping direction from the steamer's bow. The butt of the boom is firmly set in the bank; its other end extends some distance above and over the deck of the vessel; and a bolt or ring is fixed in the gunwale immediately under the boom. The upper end of the boon is then rigged with a system of pulleys, one end of which is attached to the ring. The fall is then passed to the capstan, or all hands are called. On the word being passed, a strain is given, which has the double effect of lifting the vessel and pushing her off the bank at the same time. The process is generally effective.

When it

speculation on the Quorra, though I do not see how it could have succeeded. To make sure of the trade of that river, I think the quondam slave-merchants of Liverpool might readily enter into arrangements with their old correspondents, King Tom, &c. &c., at the mouths of that river, and agree with them to enter into the more profitable business of carrying goods up and down, and slaves also when opportunity offered. But though I would permit the slaves to be sent down the river, I would also advise our government to prevent the slaves being shipped, or if shipped, to make sure of capture the trade would be then put an end to, and the traffic, if continued, confined to the continent itself. Looking on the subject merely as a moneymaking scheme, I do not see why Liverpool merchants, who have connexions onthe Quorra, should not propose to them to join them in the speculation, on such terms as would be profitable to all parties. No doubt we should soon see the same metamorphosis in the Bight of Benin, of slave dealers into philanthropists, that we now perceive in Liverpool, when it would be their interest to turn or change. The mere difference of colour is quite immaterial. The black man is as vain, and as much alive to his interest as the white. Make it his interest to be honest, just, and honourable, and he will be so, just as much, if not inore so than the white. Indeed, if the blacks at the mouths of the Quorra were not, like "honest thieves," true to each other, they would be unable to prevent or regulate the oil and slave trade in that quarter. The climate is a great ob jection to the navigation of that river; but it so closely resembles the Mississippi and its tributaries, that I think the officers should be selected from indivi duals who have long been accustomed to the climate of the Mississippi and Lousiana, the West Indies generally, and the Mexican mainland. These parties would be seasoned to "the vegetable" atmosphere, or miasma, which always abounds in flooded districts. They would also be accustomed to the heat, which is so distressing to Europeans, and also able to understand and overcome all the ordinary difficulties of river navigation.

is not, and the water is falling, the vessel remains fast until the next rise of water; or if there is no chance of that, the same arrangements are made for launching her, as if she were going for the first time into the water. I saw the Brandywine (650 tons) launched in this way, after she had been left high and dry on à bank.

Finally, steamers are frequently much injured by the branches of trees projecting from the sides of the banks, or hanging into the water, when they are going up stream. I might enumerate other causes of accidents, but as they are common to craft of all kinds, I shall pass them over in silence. The wind has much power on the Western steamers, from the great height and extent of their roofing and balconies. Several have had narrow escapes of being upset from this cause, but I do not recollect any serious accident having occurred from it,

I have been rather particular in pointing out these peculiarities of fresh water or river navigation, for I wish that the subject should be well considered before any more attempts are made to navigate the African or Asiatic rivers. In common with many friends to the improvement of the tribes which inhabit central Africa, I regret the failure of the steam

Our merchants, generally, are interested in opening this trade, which offers incredible advantages in a pecuniary

point of view when once established. The philanthropist and Christian are interested in having the lights of civilisation and religion carried into the centre of that vast continent. The mere philosopher is desirous of knowing its productions, and all men are now interested in extending the markets for home industry in obtaining new raw materials for manufacture, or the old at lower prices. It has been proved that cotton, rice, indigo, &c., could be procured from that river in great quantities in a few years, if the trade were once established.

If the Tobins of Liverpool, the Ba.. rings of London, and a few more individuals who have connexions both in Bonny and New Orleans, would set to work properly, I have no doubt that the navigation of the Quorra could be established in a few years, in a permanent and profitable system, on similar plan and principles to that of the Mississippi.

The navigation of the Indies, Ganges, &c. in India, should, I think, be con. ducted by experienced persons from the Western rivers, and in boats of similar construction. The navigation and its dangers and difficulties, are the same in all; for all these rivers are subject to the same rises and falls.

In my next, I will give you some account of the construction and arrangement of the boats alluded to in this paper. Truly yours,

E. TALEBOIS.

COOKING BY GAS-REPLY OF MR. T. G. BARLOW TO MR. BEALE

Sir, If your correspondent, Mr. Beale, whose letter on Mr. Hicks's patent gas-cooking apparatus, in a late number of your periodical, bas attracted my attention, will be kind enough to peruse a few observations I have to make on that communication, I think he will retract some of the harsh language, which, without sufficient inquiry, he has indulged in; or if he still persist in all he has asserted, I must leave it to your readers to decide against whom his charge of "unjust and unmanly" conduct, may most truly be brought. Allow me, however, to premise, that I should not have taken upon myself to notice this communication, had not Mr. John Barlow, against whom is directed

much of its abuse, been in the country,

and many of its misrepresentations requiring in the opinion of his friends a prompt denial.

With what propriety the courtly epithets of "unfair dealer, impostor, marauder," and such Whitechapel slang, are applied to a humble individual, who unostentatiously, and without arrogating to himself any claims, either as an inventor or improver, endeavours to bring into practical operation a novel process; and without the remotest prospect of personal gain, but actuated solely by a desire to increase the public convenience, I leave your candid readers to determine. Mr. Beale, himself, seems already to have been assured, and I can confirm the impression, that neither directly nor indirectly has Mr. J. Barlow any interest whatever on the sale or manufacture of any gas.. cooking apparatus, except, indeed, that of being generally interested in the success of gas-works, on which ground, I presume, Mr. Beale does not seek to ground his quarrel. Mr Beale appears, however, to have incurred his displeasure, by having, in a private communication to a friend in New York, drawn his attention to this novel process, with- " out naming Mr. Hicks as the inventor and patentee; this surely can be no great crime, for the defects of Hicks apparatus must be apparent to any one who has witnessed its practical, not experimental, operation; and if any one has reason to complain, I think it is Mr. Sharp and Mr. Ricketts, for so far as I can judge, they are the only persons who have really constructed an effective and economical apparatus. Mr. J. Barlow's object, however, was not to recommend this or the other machine; it was solely to draw his friend's attention to the process, leaving him, and the ingenious citizens of the United States, to devise the means of effecting it. I need scarcely add, that the insertion in the New York American was made without his sanction or knowledge.

My own business had called me to visit that country in the early part of that year, and I was repeatedly solicited by many of my hospitable friends in New York, to construct some rough apparatus sufficient to convince them that ineat might really be roasted by a gasflame, without communicating any dis