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LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE.

WE understand that Captain Henry Kater, F. R. S., is appointed by the Board of Longitude to measure the length of the pendulum at Clifton, Leith Fort, and the Shetland Islands, including the stations at which M. Biot measured the length of the pendulum by Borda's apparatus. Captain Kater is well-known to the public, by several ingenious papers in the philosophical transactions, and has shewn himself peculiarly qualified for the present task, by the very fine experiments on the length of the pendulum, which he has recently performed at London. These observations were made by a very ingenious method of his own invention, which is free from almost all the sources of error which affect the French method, and were lately rewarded by the Royal Society of London, with the Copley Medal.

Gas Light from O.-Mr Taylor of Stratford has completed a very ingenious apparatus, by which gas, for the purposes of illumination, may be obtained from oil. This is a discovery of vast importance for our Greenland fisheries, and is also of great consequence in private houses, as only a very small apparatus is necessary, and there are no disagreeable products as in the distillation of coal. In the gas produced from oil there is more olefiant gas; and when a very fine and pure light is required on particular occasions, wax may be substituted in place of the oil, when almost nothing but olefiant gas is produced.

Comet of 1811.-During the course of the last year, M. Schröter, of Lilienthal, has published an account of the comet which appeared in 1811; and by comparing his observations on this comet with those which he made upon that which appeared in 1807, he has been led to form some singular conclusions. The nucleus of the comet of 1811, the apparent diameter of which was 1' 49", and which, calculating from the distance, must have had a real diameter of 10,900 miles, M. Schröter supposes to be composed of a fluid covering a solid mass. In the centre of this nucleus we distinguish a second, which is smaller and more luminous, the apparent diameter of which being 16.97", gives a real diameter of 1,697 geographical miles. This central part was surrounded with a particular kind of atmosphere, upon which many of its most remarkable variations depend. Besides this, it was surrounded by a luminous nebulosity, which always exhibited the same brilliancy in every part of its surface, without any appearance of phases; from which circum

stance he concludes, that this light, being always equable, cannot be the effect of any reflection of the solar light.

Two different parts may be distinguished in the head of this comet: 1. A spherical nebulosity of a whitish coloured light, which surrounded the exterior nucleus, and which is supposed to depend upon the spontaneous luminousness of the body; 2. The posterior part, opposite to the sun, beyond which was extended the double tail; this part was separated from the nucleus by a dark interval, equal to half the total diameter of the head of the comet. The apparent diameter of this head was 34' 12", which gives it a real diameter of 2,052,000 geographical miles.

The greatest apparent length of the tail is 18°, which gives a real length of 131,852,000 geographical miles. M. Schröter conceives, that we cannot explain this prodigious extent without admitting, that there exists in space around the sun a subtile matter, susceptible of becoming luminous by the combined influence of the sun and the comet. Independent of the force which comets exercise as masses of matter, he conceives that they are endowed with a repulsive and impulsive force, which has some analogy to the electric fluid, and, like it, acts in different directions.

Shower of Red Earth in Italy.-In the Annals of Philosophy, for January 1817, there is a short notice of a shower of red earth which fell at Gerace, in Calabria; a late number of the Giornale de Fisica of Brugnatelli, contains a full account of the circumstance, with a description of the substance, by Sig. Sementini, Professor of Chemistry at Naples, of which the following is an extract:

It occurred on March 14, 1813: the wind had been westerly for two days, when, at two P. M., it suddenly became calm, the atmosphere became cloudy, and the darkness gradually became so great as to render it necessary to light candles. The sky assumed the colour of red-hot iron, thunder and lightning continued for a considerable length of time, and the sea was heard to roar, although six miles from the city. Large drops of rain then began to fall, which were of a blood-red colour.

Sig. Sementini collected a quantity of the powder which fell, and describes its physical properties to be as follows: It had a yellow colour, like canella; an earthy, insipid taste; it was unctuous to the touch, and extremely subtile. When the powder was moderately heated, it changed its co

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So large a proportion of loss was at first ascribed to some inaccuracy in the analysis, or to some body that had accidently been mixed with the powder; but when he found it always to occur, whatever care was taken in the analysis, he began to suspect that it depended upon some combustible matter essential to the substance. This suspicion was afterwards verified; and by digestion the powder in boiling acohol for a length of time, he obtained from it a greenish yellow colouring matter, which, when dried, acquired a pitchy consistence, was infammable, and left a carbonaceous residuum. The author remarks, that the existence of chrome in this mineral seems to connect it with the aerolites; but the origin of the combustible substance is very obscure: there were no circumstances connected with the phenomenon which would lead us to suppose that it was of volcanic origin.

Supposed Discovery of a Ship near the Cape of Good Hope. A discovery has been lately made of a quantity of wood in a carbonized state, buried at some depth under the sand, about 10 miles from Cape Town. From the appearance and position of pieces of timber, it has been supposed to consist of the frame-work of a large vessel; and as it is at a considerable distance from the sea, and bears every mark of having been in its present position for a very long period, many speculations have been formed concerning it. The evidence on this point appears, however, to be extremely vagued uncertain; and from the specimens of the wood which have been exhibited in this country, which appear to be in the state of brown coal, as well as from all the circumstances of the case, it is probable that it does not differ from the forests or collections of trees which have been found buried in different situations, in consequence of some of the great revolutions which have formerly occurred on the surface of our globe.

Redness of the Sea. The following account of the red colour of the sea on the coast of Africa, near the mouth of the river

Loango, is extracted from Professor Smith's journal.

Some days ago the sea had a colour as of blood. Some of us supposed it to be owing to the whales, which at this time approach the coasts, in order to bring forth their young. It is, however, a phenomenon which is generally known, has often been described, and is owing to myriads of infused animalcula. I examined some of them taken in this blood-coloured water; when highly magnified, they do not appear larger than the head of a small pin. They were at first in rapid motion, which, however, soon ceased, and at the same instant the whole animal separated into a number of spherical particles."

New Extracts from Coal.-Dr Jassmeyer, Professor of Chemistry in Vienna, has discovered the means of extracting from coals two hitherto unknown acids, a resin, a resinous gum, and other elements, which he has employed with surprising success to the purposes of dyeing wool, silk, hair, and linen, and has produced from them red, black, yellow, and various shades of brown and gray. Count Von Chorinsky, Presi dent of the Aulic Chamber, and many other enlightened judges of these matters, were present at these experiments, and testified their entire approbation of this useful discovery.

Locusts in India.-About the 20th June 1812, a very large flight of locusts was observed hovering about Etawah, which at length settled in the fields east of the town, where they remained some time, and were seen copulating in vast numbers; they then took their departure, but continued to hover about the place for a month afterwards.

On the 18th of July, while riding in that direction, I discovered a tremendous swarm of very small dark-coloured insects in the vicinity of a large pool of stagnant water they were collected in heaps, and covered the ground to a considerable distance. These, on minute inspection, proved to be locusts in miniature, but without wings. In this place they remained, hourly increasing in numbers, for some days, when the great body moved off, taking a direction towards the town of Etawah: they crept and hopped along at a slow rate, until they reached the town, where they divided into different bodies, still however keeping nearly the same direction, covering and destroying every thing green in their progress, and distributing themselves all over the neighbour. hood. The devastation daily committed by them being almost incalculable, the farmers were under the necessity of collecting as many people as they could, in the vain hope that they might preserve the crop by sweeping the swarm backwards; but as often as they succeeded in repelling them in one quarter, they approached in another: fires were then lighted all round the fields with the same view ;-this had the effect of keep

ing them off for a short time; but sufficient fuel could not be supplied, and the moment the fires became extinguished, the insects rushed in like a torrent. Multitudes were destroyed by the birds, and many more by branches of trees used by the farmers for that purpose, as well as by their being swept into large heaps, and consumed by fire; yet their numbers seemed nothing diminished. They so completely covered some mangoe trees, and the hedges surrounding the gardens, that the colour of the leaves could not be distinguished. They had no wings, and were about the size of small bees. They continued to creep along the ground, or hopped when their progress was interrupted.

July 27. They were increasing in size, and had overspread that part of the country in every direction. From the want of rain, and the overwhelming inroad of these insects, the farmers were nearly ruined. Nothing impeded their progress; they climbed up the highest trees, and scrambled over walls; and, notwithstanding the exertions of several people with brooms, the verandah and outer walls of the hospital were completely covered with them. They no longer continued to move in one particular direction, but paraded backwards and forwards, wherever they could find food.

On the 28th of July the rains set in with considerable violence; the locusts took shelter on trees and bushes, devouring every leaf within their reach; none seemed to suffer from the rain.

On the 29th it did not rain, and the young swarm again were on the move, continuing their depredations; they were fast increasing in size, and equally lively as be

fore the rain.

It again rained on the 30th, and again the locusts took shelter on the trees and fences; several large flights of locusts passed over the cantonments, and I observed that the wings of the young ones began to appear. The head still retained the dark red colour, but the black lines on the body had become much fainter.

Again, on the 31st, large flights continued to pass, driven by the wind to the southward; of course very few alighted. They caused little mischief within our view. The wings of the young tribe (the whole four being now formed) were about oneeighth of an inch in length. After this time I made no particular observations on their progress, being otherwise engaged, but they disappeared in a few days.

An account of an extensive cavern, containing the remains of a colossal statue, recently discovered in the mountains in the vicinity of Shahpoor, in the modern province of Fars, the ancient Persia, was received from Lieut. R. Taylor, of the Bombay establishment, and presented by the secretary to the society. In Sept. 1816, Mr Williams and Capt. Maude, of his

Majesty's ship Favourite, on visiting the site of the ancient city of Shahpoor, accompanied by Meer Shumsoodeen, a predatory chieftain,-the cave, containing a prostrate colossal figure, was pointed out by the latter, who, from his plundering mode of life, had become well acquainted with the hidden recesses of the mountains. The cave is distant from Shahpoor three miles, on the opposite side of the river. From the base of the mountain, near the summit of which the excavation is made, no traces of a cavern are discernible. The ascent is difficult, chiefly from its perpendicular height. When the travellers had nearly reached the top, they found themselves at the foot of an abrupt rampart, about thirty feet high, the depth of which, from its upper edge to the entrance of the cave, to which it forms a level landing, was sixty feet. The entrance to the cavern is a plain roughly-hewn arch, thirty feet high, and thirty-five feet wide, beyond which the height increases to forty feet, and the width to sixty and seventy. The figure, which is of stone, appears to have stood originally on a pedestal in the middle of this excavation, but was discovered lying on the ground, and the legs, below the knees, broken off. The costume appears to be similar to the sculptures at Shahpoor, Nukshi-Roostum, and Persepolis, and with the same luxuriant flow of curled hair. Its arms rest upon the hips, and the costume is a robe fastened by a small button at the neck, and falling loosely over the elbows, and in this respect differs from the sculptures just mentioned. The length of the face from the forehead to the chin is two feet three inches, and the length of the body four feet and a half. According to this measurement, the whole figure must have been about fourteen feet high. From the statue to the most retired parts of the cavern, the excavation increases in height and width. After passing down an inclined plane for about twenty feet, and up an ascent of about fifty feet more, the travellers reached a dry reservoir, seventeen feet long by seven wide, and five feet deep. Farther on, they began to descend, by torch light, a low narrow passage in the rock, and reached another cavern, the roof of which was supported by a few huge shapeless pillars. No conjecture is offered respecting the use or object of this extraordinary excavation.

Pseudo-Volcano in Staffordshire.—Mr Finch, of Birmingham, has published some facts relative to what he calls a pseudovolcano, near the Bradley iron-works, in Staffordshire. The tract of ground is situated by the road-side from Birmingham to Wolverhampton, about half-way between Wednesbury and Bilston. It is mentioned by Plott, in his Natural History of Staffordshire, as being on fire in 1686, when he wrote; and he says, that it was not then known how long it had been on fire. It

1818.]

Literary and Scientific Intelligence.

then occupied a space of eleven acres; but
its ravages have since extended about one
mile and a half in extreme length, and one
mile in breadth. Whether the fire origin-
ated in accident, or from the sulphur con-
tained in the coal and pyrites, is not known;
but it probably arose from the latter cause,
as, at other pits, the small coal has taken
As the
fire on being exposed to the air.
combustible matter is exhausted, the hand
of cultivation requires its labour; and, even
in parts where the fire is still, by carefully
stopping the fissures, and preventing the
access of air, different crops can be raised.
A neglect of these precautions sometimes
destroys half the produce, whilst the re-
mainder continues flourishing. About two
years ago it began to penetrate through the
floors of some houses: it produced great
alarm, by appearing in the night; and four
of the houses were taken down. It exhi-
bits a red heat in this situation, and the
smoke has forced its way through a bed of
cinders forty feet in height. On the south
it is arrested by beds of sand, which cover
the coal formation in that part; and on the
At
north-east it is impeded by cultivation.
first view a stranger might suppose himself
in a volcanic region. The exterior view of
the strata, exposed by the falling in of the
ground, presents a surface blackened by the
action of fire, and presenting most of the
porphyritic and trappean colours in high
perfection. The cinder-dust on which you
tread, the sulphureous vapours and smoke
which arise from the various parts of the
surface, and the feeling of insecurity which
attend most of your footsteps, all combine
to give a high degree of interest to the
The mineral substances found in
this region are:-1. Sulphur in small bril-
liant crystals, also massy and amorphous.
2. Mineral tar. 3. Coal, in some places
only four feet from the surface. 4. Sul
5. Muriate of ammonia,
phate of alum.
combined with a small proportion of sulphate
of ammonia. 6. Sulphate of zinc. 7. Sul
8. Porcelain jasper. 9.
phate of lime.
Newest floetz trap, basalt or rowley-rag.
Crystallized Tin.-A new art has been

scene.

341

lately discovered, by accident, in France, by
M. Baget, called Metallic Watering (Moiré
Metallique). It depends upon the action of
acids, either pure or mixed together, and in
different degrees of dilution, on alloys of tin.
The variety of designs resemble mother-of-
pearl, and reflect the light in the form of
clouds. The process is this:-first dissolve
four ounces of muriate of soda in eight ounces
of water, and add two ounces of nitric acid:-
second mixture-eight ounces of water, two
ounces of nitric acid, and three ounces of
muriatic acid :-third mixture-eight ounces
of water, two ounces of muriatic acid, and
one ounce of sulphuric acid. One of these
mixtures is to be poured warm upon a sheet
of tinned iron, placed upon a vessel of stone-
ware; it is to be poured on in separate por-
tions, until the sheet is completely watered;
it is then to be plunged into water, slightly
acidulated, and washed. The watering ob-
tained by the action of these different mix.
tures upon tinned iron, imitates, very
closely, mother-of-pearl and its reflections;
but the designs, although varied, are quite
accidental. By heating the tinned iron to
different degrees of heat, stars, fern-leaves,
and other figures, are produced; and, by
pouring one of the above mixtures, cold,
upon a plate of tinned iron, at a red heat,
a beautiful granular appearance is obtained.
These metallic waterings will bear the blow
of a mallet, but not of a hammer; hence,
the invention may be used for embossed
patterns, but not for those which are
punched. Different colours and shades may
be given by varnishes, which, when properly
polished, will set off the beauty of the wa-
tering. When the tin is upon copper, the
crystallization appears in the form of radia-
tions or stars.-Mr Shaw of London has, we
understand, taken out a patent for this very
curious invention; and tin plates are made
under his patent, at the manufactory of Mr
Brunell of Battersea. Very paltry imita-
tions of this invention have been made in a
piratical manner in London; but the public
will no doubt discourage these spurious
imitations.

WORKS PREPARING FOR PUBLICATION.

LONDON.

THE Bishop of St Davids has in the press, the Grand Schism, or the Roman Catholics of Great Britain and Ireland shown to be Separatists from the Church of England.

Mr Richard Lawrence is preparing Forty Etchings from specimens in the Elgin Collection; to be accompanied with Critical Remarks on those Grecian Relics.

Robert Huish, Esq. Author of a Treatise on Bees, has in the press, Venezzi, a Romance of former days, in 4 vols.

Mr Bagster is printing an edition of the Book of Common Prayer, with Translations into the Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, French, and German languages; to be comprised in a 4to volume, uniform with his Polyglott Bible.

A new edition of Seneca's Morals, in an Svo vol. with a portrait, will appear early in July.

Edward Dodwell, Esq. is preparing for publication, a Classical and Topographical Tour in Greece, during the years 1801, 1805, and 1806. A long residence in Turkey has enabled the Author to examine, and the assistance of a first-rate Artist, to illustrate the Topography of, that Seat of Early History. Greece, including Peloponnesus and the Ionian Islands, were the particular objects of his Tour; in the course of which, many Districts, unexplored by Modern Travellers, have been penetrated, and remains, hitherto unknown, visited, and most faithful Drawings made of their actual state. Many of the Drawings being upon a scale which, consistent with their extreine accuracy, will not allow of reduction to the size of a quarto volume, it is intended to publish a separate Work, consisting of Sixty Views of the most celebrated Scenes and Monuments of Greece; in which fac-similes of the Drawings, taken and coloured up. on the spot, will be produced, of the size of Stuart's Athens,-forming a complete series of all that now exists of Grecian Antiquity.

Sir John Byerley, a gentleman admirably qualified by his various attainments, and by a critical knowledge of both languages, has undertaken a translation of Shakspeare into French. We hail the circumstance as auspicious to the fame of our British Bard, whose works have, by former translators, been so grossly abused and perverted.

Dr Bateman is preparing for the press, a Sketch of the Character of the Epidemic Fever prevailing in the Metropolis, with some Observations on the Method of Treatment, and on the Means of diminishing the Influence of Contagion.

In the course of the season, "Sketches

of the Philosophy of Life," will appear, from the pen of Sir Charles Morgan, Fellow of the College of Physicians. It is intend. ed to convey a Popular View of the Leading Facts of Physiology, as they bear more especially upon the Moral and Social Animal.

An Introduction to the Critical Study and Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures; by Thomas Hartwell Horne, A. M., in two volumes, 8vo, illustrated with Maps, and Fac-similes of Biblical Manuscripts. This Work will consist of Three Parts:-Part I. will comprise a Concise View of the Geography of Palestine, and of the Political, Religious, Moral, and Civil State of the Jews; illustrating the principal Events recorded in the Bible. Part II. will present a copious Investigation of the Principles of Scripture Interpretation, and their Application to the Historical, Prophetical, Typical, Doctrinal, and Moral Parts of the Sacred Writings. Part III. will be appropriated to the Analysis of the Bible; including an Account of the Canon of Scripture; toge, ther with Critical Prefaces and Synopses to each book, upon an improved Plan. An Appendix will be subjoined, containing an Account of the Principal MSS. and Editions of the Old and New Testaments.

We understand that the remaining Vol. of the Work on the History, Literature, and Mythology of the Hindus, printing at the Serampore press, is at length nearly finished. The delay attending the publication of this Work has arisen from a cause which, we are persuaded, will give satisfaction to the subscribers: more than 250 pages have been devoted to very difficult Translations from the Hindu Philosophical Works, and the Lives of their Sages. The Introductory Chapter, also, will contain a Review of their Philosophical Opinions, compared with those of other Ancient Nations, and an Ac count of the present State of Learning a mong the Hindus.

We understand that a Pamphlet is about to be published, illustrative of the Cause and Treatment of the Cholera Morbus, which lately prevailed at Jessore, in which it is ar gued, that to the immoderate use of New Rice was principally owing the occurrence of the disease. The same complaint has prevailed with considerable violence at Balasore, where it appears that Sable Fish is not to be procured, and the New Rice had not come into use. These two articles of food have been severally charged with the production of the Epidemic in question, but apparently without sufficient consideration. Mr Brande, Chemical Professor at the

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