papers are published, which are supposed to issue annually 14,536,000 printed sheets! Population, 1,500,000, of whom 50,000 are Blacks. The learned professions seem pretty well stocked :-number of clergy, 1362; lawyers, (counsel and attorneys) 1741; physicians and surgeons, 2549.

Symptoms of Decline on the Continent -The most celebrated scientific and literary journal of Germany, the Hermes, has been recently discontinued, after an existence of 13 years. As among its coutributors were numbered the most eminent scientific characters of the Continent, its failure seems to bespeak a "decline of science" elsewhere than in England.

Moveable Houses.- Mr. Michael Rough, whose plan for preserving houses from the effect of wind appeared in a late Number of the Mechanics' Magazine, is not the only person who has turned his attention to something of the kind, although his plan is perfectly novel and original. A Swedish engineer, named Blom, has for some years been endeavouring to introduce a method by which wooden houses may be so constructed as to be moved at pleasure, something after the fashion of a piece of furniture. He asserts, that his invention has been already adopted with perfect success in his native country; but, his ideas have been received with so much ridicule and mistrust by most persons out of it, that he has at last been induced to declare his intention of satisfying all doubts by erecting a moveable mansion in France ! Why not export one from Sweden ready-made?

A Modest Proposal.-Doctor Brew. ster, it appears, not satisfied with origi nating "The British Association for the Cultivation of Science" (vide last Notes worth Notice) has another grand scheme upon the stocks, the details of which are to see the light in the next Number of his Edinburgh Journal of Science! The Reform Bill does not meet his entire approbation, because it provides no representatives of the philosophy of the nation; and this defect he proposes to remove by introducing a clause, giving to each scientific body in the kingdom the privilege of sending one member, to be elected by the

66

Fellows!" The idea is a good one; but it does not go far enough. We would have every editor of a scientific periodical entitled to a seat by virtue of his office! We hope Dr. B. will attend to this humble suggestion-if he does not think his scheme ridiculous enough already.

Spread of Knowledge.- Family Libraries are to the full as common in the

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United States as in England. Most of ours are reprinted there, and they have one or two partially original. An American Society for the Diffusion of Useful, Knowledge has also been formed, and the first volume of its publications has appeared. It consists of a curious medley of introductions and persuasives to studyhalf original and half copied: the Lord Chancellor's "Objects, Advantages, and Pleasures of Science," being balanced by "Judge Story's "Discourse on the PurSuit of Knowledge ;" and Sir John Herschel's "Introduction to the Study of Natural Philosophy," by Mr. Edward Everett's" Address to the Mechanic Institution!" In the opinion of Brother Jonathan himself, the merits of the rival treatises are quite on a par. Among numberless other useful works, "Knowledge for the People, or the Plain Why and Because, is now regularly reprinted at Boston.

Iron Manufacture in India. — In a former note, we mentioned that exertions were making to procure iron from the ore in our Indian possessions. This desirable event has at length taken place, as appears by the following letter, which is taken from the Madras Government Gazette, of June 23.-"Having been on duty, the 16th June, at the station of Porto Novo, I cannot refrain from bringing to your knowledge and information, the gratifying sight I experienced in witnessing the manufacture of the first cast-iron ever produced in India. Being present at what I termed the tapping of the furnace, I beheld in a moment a pure and liquid stream of castiron running like water. The European workmen as momentarily gave the hearty English huzza! in which I as heartily joined. This casting of iron weighed three hundred weight, of which I send you a sample with the cinder, which is pure glass. The new Indian iron-furnace having now, so honourably to her founder, so well discharged her duty, I should obserye, what is not less worthy of remark, that this cast-iron has been produced from it within one month from the foundation having been laid."

Botany Bay Improvements. - A new species of timber has been discovered in New South Wales, which is said to possess the colour and grain of English oak, and, as far as trial has been made, hitherto to possess the same valuable properties. The discoverer is about to enter on the manufacture of casks on an extensive scale, with this material, which he has appropriately designated "Australian oak." The first Australian steam-vessel,

the Sopiria Jane, commenced running on the 17th of June.

New Compression Pump.· If we can believe what we are told of a new French invention, Messrs. Perkins and Shalders may both hide their diminished heads. This is a 66 compression pump ;" it acts by means of the compression of gas, and the inventor, M. Perrot, asserts, that such are its advantages, that. "by the new pump a single man may perform as much work as a steam engine of thirty horse power, applied to the old pump!" Its last application is to a gun, which propels two hundred balls a minute.

F. H.

Cast-Iron Ornaments.-Sir, Can you, or any of your correspondents, inform me, whether there are in London any casters of iron after the fashion of some of the French bracelets. 1 have seen in the shops a specimen of the Lord's Supper, in alto relieve, executed in cast-iron, with a sharpness and fidelity equal to plaister of Paris. I have been informed that they are made at Berlin. If there are no artists here, perhaps some one can inform me what is the exact process used in casting.-Yours, &c. J., Dec. 18, 1831.

Locomotive, Controversy.Sir, I beg leave to observe that there is an error of the press in your last Number, which materially injures the sense of a passage in my communication relative to Mr. Bad deley's mistake. The sentence should read thus:"The action and re-action which Mr, B. describes are between parts of the same machine, and not be tween the machine and the road." The words in italics were omitted. I beg also to say, that the allusion to your correspondent, S. Y., was in reference to his letter to Saxula, and not to his notice of Mr. Baddeley's error. He has since said, that he stands nearly, if not quite alone, in his opinions on the locomotive controversy. 1 have yet to learn that he has brought forward any thing on the subject, whether it be true or false, in which he was not anticipated by others. This gratuitous assertion of his, as well as his mere ipse dixit on Mr. Baddeley's mistake, is nei ther very interesting nor very instructive.-A, Z. Ibid, "I find myself much edified by the magisterial decision of A. Z. upon the merits of your various correspondents, and shall feel obliged by his inform. ing me who told him the dispute between Saxula and his opponents was what he has done to represent it, or if not told, where he learned the fact."-S. Y.

swer.

Jones's Iron Wheels." As I seldom go to Lon don, I have no opportunity of seeing Jones's Patent Wheels; consequently, I do not know how they an But I think an improvement might be made by substituting chains instead of bars for spokes."A Farmer--Forest of Dean, November 7, 1831.[Mr. Jones's wheels answer so well that they are now getting into very general use. Our Gloucestershire correspondent will find a full description of them in the Mechanics' Magazine, vol. ix, p. 210. ED. M. M.]

Sail-worked Paddles." In the Mechanics' Ma. gazine for the month of November, I observe a plan by A. B. W. for assisting the motion of a ship by sail-worked paddles; and in the succeding pages two claims entered for the same invention. I believe I can in my own person furnish another exemplification how the same idea may enter into the brains of different. men, situated many miles apart. It is now two years ago since I had a small boat built which I intended to propel with machinery similar to that of the old-fashioned jacks

Transit of Mercury.-The last time this pheno. menon was observed, fell on the 9th November, 1802, and was remarkable from the delight which it afforded to the closing days of Lalande. "The passage of Mercury over the suu's disc," he says, was observed this morning for the 19th time. The weather was exceedingly favourable, and astro. nomers enjoyed, in the completest manner, the sight of this curious phenomenon. I was the more anx ious to have a view of it, as I shall never see it more." The gratification he experienced, arose from finding that his tables, the result of forty year's la. bour, had reached the utmost perfection which they can attain in the present state of science. Lalande wisely confined himself to his astronomical studies during the heat of the revolution; and, when he had consequently escaped the fury of the times, he jocosely said, I inay thank my stars for it."—United Service Journal. The next transit, as our readers are aware, will take place on the 5th May, 1832.

Temperance Societies.-The quantity of squibs and crackers with which we have been assailed on account of the opinion we have expressed of these Institutions, and particularly of our taking pleasure in the support of Junius Redivivus, is quite amaz ing. We make our bow to" Anacreon" and "Giles Fillpot," they are good marksmen, and mean no harm; as for the rest, they are chiefly of that order in pyrotechuics, typified by the serpent-good at a hiss, and nothing more. How is it that none of these buzzers venture to assail our positions in good earnest, and with real powder and shot? One of them, who takes the title of "Anti-Humbug," (as if all the humbug were not the other way) has fallen upon a strange mode to give vent to his spleen. A " Sonnet to Junius Redivivus!" A sweet sonnet, of all things in the world! We subjoin a specimen of this odd variety in polemics :

"See Junius here, the advocate of gin,
(Or some dull donkey in that lion's skin)
See here, to plead the cause of rum,
Great Junius, from the shades has come;
Ile, too, defends inspiring brandy,

In his esteem, it seems to stand high." We desire to except from the preceding observations, a reply which we have received from T. M. B., and for which we regret we have not room this week; also a very well written letter, signed "F. W. G." in which the writer, alluding to the personalities, which Junius Redivivus has so lavishly and, as we are free to confess, so improperly indulged, sensibly observes: "Whoever wishes to submit his views to the public, should recollect that the public are only so far interested as the cause of truth is served, and that he must not look upon every one who questions his opinions as an intellectual gladiator, whom he must get rid of at whatever hazard; but as one, seeking, like himself, his own information, and the benefit of others, and with whom it would be manly, as well as wise, to agree to differ."

INTERIM NOTICES.

Cominunications received from Mr. MackinnonMr. Hirsch A Labouring Mechanic-B. F. F. T. M. B.-S. Y.-F. W. G.-Junius RedivivusII. C.-Mr. Baddeley-Mr. Davy- Mr. Sharp-P. B.-A Reader-Mr. Rough-G. L. S.

LONDON: Published by M. SALMON, at the Mechanics' Magazine Office, Wine office-court, (between 145 and 146) Fleet Street, where Com. munications (post paid) are requested to be addressed. Sold by G. G. BENNIS, 55, Rue Neuve, St. Augustin, Paris..

M. SALMON, Printer, Fleet Street.

HYDRAULIC CYDER PRESSES.

Sir, I beg to submit the accompanying design for an Hydraulic Cyder Press to the consideration of your Stiverton correspondent, and others interested in the manufacture of cyder.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the press with the large cylinder fixed to the top frame work; the situation of the force pump is shown by the dotted lines on the top. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the machinery. Fig. 3 an end section. The same letters of reference are used in all the figures.

In order to work the press, a complete rotary action must be given to the handle B, which, of course, will cause the pin of the crank C (which should have a roller on it) to move in the path cc c, and give the requisite action to the pistons, or rather rods, passing through stuffing boxes at D D. The action of the valves will be found, I think, sufficiently explained by the figures.

With this press, made according to the proportions observed in the drawing, one man may, with the greatest ease, produce a pressure on the cheese equal to 27,000 pounds, or upwards of 12 tons.

It may be requisite to vary these proportions considerably, either to gain power or speed, which I must leave to those better acquainted with cyder making than I am. I must confess I was rather astonished to hear it asserted, that the screw was not sufficiently powerful.

TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES.

Reply of T. M. B. to Junius Redivivus.

"There may be a thousand reasons for differing in opinions, but not one good one for quarrelling about them."

Sir, I could, if I pleased, reply to Junius Redivivus in the same spirit in which he has been pleased to attack me, and your subscribers might thus be disgusted or entertained according to their taste, by warfare of words, containing only tirades of personal abuse, and leaving the main question as a matter of minor importance; but, Sir, I have nothing to do with the man who writesit is with his opinions and sentiments alone. One anonymous writer is the same to me as another; I neither want to know, nor do I care, who or what he is; but I shall take the liberty of attacking places and systems, and notions, wherever I find them, be they advanced under the cloak of assumed signatures or openly avowed.

I am surprised that you should offer an excuse for the asperity of J. R. I confidently deny that my letter contained any thing calculated to provoke a calm and temperate mind so to travel out of the record. Contempt is the only feeling I entertain for the man who can condescend to defend his opinions by personal abuse.

I pass by the intolerable presumption of your correspondent, who assumes to himself the power of wielding the glit tering and deadly weapons of the mighty Junius, and proceed at once to notice those "few and far between" remarks of his letter, which apply to the nfatter in discussion.

In so doing, I shall occasionally revert to the remarks with which you have introduced the letter of J. R. to the public notice.

It will be remembered, that approving of the design of the Temperance societies, I did not give any opinion as to the wisdom or propriety of their plans, I combatted the views of your correspondent, who appeared, from the tone of his remarks, very strongly inclined to throw the odium of intemperance on the government of the land-making them the responsible persons; and, consequently, according to such a theory, the people are to go on, and get drunk until the taxes on knowledge are taken off.

I am prepared to agree with you, that the causes of drunkenness lie deeper, and require a sounder remedy, than are stated and proposed by the advocates of a forswearing obligation; but that it is contrary to Scripture, to Vow a vow" voluntarily, is a doctrine I am not yet prepared to admit.

I still maintain that if good can be done by such means, it is wrong to treat its advocates otherwise than respectfully. The question is, how may Temperance societies be rendered more efficient? And a sincere friend to their principle, in discussing it, will abstain from ridicule, a weapon only to be used against folly and wickedness. You have failed in proving-for it is merely assertion-that the causes named by you have made the English a nation among whom drunkenness is one of their conspicuous vices. In the Saxon days, the wassail bowl-in the days of the Commonwealth, the ale pot and wine cup-were freely circu lated; in fact, the English have ever been notorious for this abominable contamination. Notwithstanding your earnest appeal against the assumption, of the founders of the Temperance societies, and your expressed wish to put down drunkenness, you end without pointing out any definite mode by which such an object may be obtained.*

The mode we would recommend is obviously and distinctly deducible from the course of argument we have followed on the subject. It may be summed up in a few brief precepts. Carry comfort to the poor man's hearth-deny him not a free parti. cipation in every innocent out-of-door amusementand make all things essential to his bodily comfort, or calculated to give an intellectual direction to his pleasures, as cheap as you possibly can. T. M. B. says we have failed in proving" that the prevalence of habits of intemperance among the English has been owing to any of the causes we have specified (page 203), and that there is nothing for our theory of the matter but mere "assertion.' If this be not quibbling we know not what to understand by the term. How would he have us prove that to discourage the home-brewing of wholesome malt liquors, and to make gin cheap, is a certain method of encouraging a taste for ardent spirits? Or that to plough up the commons is sure to drive those who used to sport upon them, to the ale-house and skittle-ground? There are some things so self-evi dent, that they only require to be stated to carry instant conviction along with them; and such facts as these are of the number. T. M. B. is pleased to remind us, that the English were always an intemperate race, even during their days of Republicanism and Puritanism; but though we were, for the sake of argument, to admit this to be true (however libellous it might be of the bulk of the people) T. M. B. would still have to explain how it is-except from such artificial causes as we have pointed outthat they have not improved in this respect, as they have done in every other. The problem to be solved is this-how with so much knowledge as is abroad,

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Your correspondent's letter is so very illogical, and so utterly confounds natural and educational causes, that I find myself somewhat mazed in his entangling confusion of assertions. For example, he maintains, that no disposition is natural-it is all educational. His proofs show the contrary. The child, by his own account, is taught to drink gin; he says, it has an aversion to itwhat, but a natural aversion?

And so on to the next example, where. in he proves that a natural principle may be conquered by education. But such a question as this requires a discussion to itself.

I am glad to hear that inebriety is on the decline; I shall be better pleased to have it proved.

Your correspondent mis-states my observations. I nowhere maintain that the stupid and illiterate are the least intemperate, my experience leads me to a different result; and the whole of my argument goes to show that drunkenness is not restricted to one class of people in particular, or to one cause, but that it is prevalent from the lord to the beggar, and attributable to various causes, and controuled by opportunities or circumstances; it is absolutely absurd to assert, that dulness is a protection against drunkenness. If it be all educational, the sheep may be taught to gluttonize, and the swine to be clean and abstemious.

I will by no means compromise my opinion, by assenting to the latitudinarian sentiments of J. R., on the subject of religion. "Talks he of morals!" Where is so beautiful and so perfect a code of morality to be found as that set forth in the scriptures of truth? If men would condescend to teach it, and learn and practise its holy precepts, they would do more than by sitting still and lamenting the evils of bad government and heavy taxation; those means superadded to others, would bring them at last as near to the goal of perfection as it is possible for humanity to approach.

Yours, &c.

T. M. B. P. S.-You are wrong in supposing that you stand alone among the publications of the day, in opposing the main rule of the Temperance Society.t

and so many marks of high civilization as we see around us, a vice which is at such variance with both should prevail to such an extent.-ED. M. M.

Why not name the other publications which have taken the same side? We were not aware that we had any auxiliaries.-ED. M. M.

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