to place it in a spiral of wire connected with the end of the trough, and leave it there for some time. When removed it was strongly magnetic.

Sir H. Davy has laboured much in this field. He has confirmed the facts discovered by Arrago, and shown that iron-filings may be af fected, even though a thick plate of glass be placed between them and the connecting wire. He also succeeded in magnetising needles of two inches in length, and one-tenth of an inch in thickness, by a discharge from a battery, and this occurred though the needles were at the distance of five inches from the connecting wire. He found also, that when a number of wires were arranged around the wire, they were all rendered magnetic when the battery was discharged, and the north pole of one was always next the south of the ..other.

Another very important discvoery has been made in this subject; that most of the phenomena stated can be produced by common electricity. Sir H. Davy first announced to the Royal Society, that he had succeeded in magnetising a needle by the electricity of an electrical machine, and his experiments have been fully confirmed by those of Arrago and Von Buch. Von Buch found, that when a needle was placed in a spiral wire, fixed between the conductor of the machine and another conductor, it became magnetic when sparks were drawn from the latter. One turn of a machine, with two plates eighteen inches in diameter, was sufficient to magnetise it.

Sir H. Davy, from his discoveries, has pointed out a simple mode of making magnets, namely, by fixing bars of steel across, or circular pieces for horse-shoe magnets, round the electrical conductors of buildings, or other exposed situations.

MAGNETISM.

At a late meeting of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Captain Scoresby, whose name is well known as connected with the history of whalefishing, exhibited some interesting experiments on the magnet. His observations have been made principally with a view of correcting the errors of chronometers, which he has found are occasioned by the most simple, and frequently the most un

looked-for circumstances, such as the position of the material of which the balances are constructed at the time they were made. He showed that by a blow of a hammer the polarity of a bar of iron may be reversed according to the end on which it is struck-and that, if it be bent while in a horizontal position, it does not become magnetic; whereas, if it be held perpendicularly when bending it does so with the negative or positive ends, according to their being uppermost or undermost. From his experiments he draws the important conclusion, that as the simple stroke of a hammer is capable of rendering iron magnetic, in the event of shipwreck, and the boat being forced to sea without a compass, it is an easy matter to construct one for temporary purposes with the blade of a knife, or a pair of scissars.

PERFUMES AS PREVENTIVES OF

MOULDINESS.

An interesting paper on this subject has been lately published by Dr. Macculloch. We presume our readers are aware, that mouldiness is occasioned by the growth of minute vegetables. Ink, paste, leather, and seeds are the substances that most frequently suffer from it. The effect of cloves in preserving ink is well known; any of the perfumed oils answer equally well. Leather may be kept free from mould by the same substances. Thus Russian leather, which is perfumed with the tar of birch, never becomes mouldy; indeed it prevents it from occurring in other bodies. A few drops of any perfumed oil are sufficient also to keep books entirely free from it. For harness, oil of turpentine is recommended.

Bookbinders, in general, employ alum for preserving their paste, but mould frequently forms on it. Shoemaker's rosin is sometimes also used for the same purpose, but it is less effectual than oil of turpentine. The best preventives, however, are the essential oils, even in small quantity, as those of peppermint, anise, or bergamot, by which paste may be kept almost any length of time; indeed, it has, in this way, been preserved for years. The paste recommended by Dr. Macculloch is made in the usual way with flour, some brown sugar, and a little corrosive subli

mate; the sugar keeping it flexible when dry, and the sublimate preventing it from fermenting, and from being attacked by insects. After it is made, a few drops of any of the essential oils are added. Paste made in this way dries when exposed to the air, and may be used merely by wetting it. If required to be kept alway sready for use, it ought to be put into covered pots. Seeds may also be preserved by the essential oils; and this is of great consequence, when they are to be sent to a distance; of course moisture must be excluded as much as possible, as the oils prevent only the bad effects of mould. ATTEMPTS TO REACH THE SEA BY

MACKENZIE RIVER.

Considering the lively interest that is at present excited by the expected publication of the journals of Capt. Franklin and Dr. Richardson, of the Overland Expedition, we trust that the following statement will not be unacceptable to our readers. The North West Company first established a fur-post on the banks of Mackenzie river, in the year 1795; since which they have always maintained establishments on various parts of its course. At present, the most northerly post is Fort Good Hope, about 100 or 120 miles below the influx of Great Bear Island Lake River, supposed to be about three days' voyage in a light canoe, from the sea, travelling at the rate of from fifty to eighty miles a day. In the vicinity of Fort Good Hope, and on the east side of the river, the Hare Indians reside, their lands to the north of Great Bear Island Lake bordering on the Esquimaux grounds, which skirt the sea coast. The fort is also visited by the Loucheux, or Squint-eyes, who inhabit the west bank, and who are separated by Vermilion river from the Esquimaux, two and a half days' journey below Fort Good Hope.

Two attempts have been made to reach the sea since Sir Alex. Mackenzie's voyage; the first by Mr. Livingstone, in 1799; the second by Mr. Clarke, in 1809. Mr. Livingstone, with James Sutherland, an interpreter, three Canadians, and three Indians, descended in a canoe, a little below Vermilion river, where they met an Esquimaux, who refused to receive any of their presents,

but made signs to them to leave them on shore. In the meantime he proceeded down the river, and returned with five of his companions, each armed with a bow and arrows. All attempts to conciliate them proving fruitless, Mr. Livingstone and his party were hastening on board, when they were assailed by a shower of arrows from the Esquimaux, each of whom shot three from his bow at once. Mr. Livingstone and one of the

Canadians were killed; two of the Indians escaped into the woods, while Sutherland and the rest floated down the river in the canoe, the paddle having been carried off. They were, however, pursued and overtaken by the Esquimaux, when a desperate struggle ensued, in which five of the latter were killed, and Sutherland was left alone in his boat, which drifted down opposite to the main settlement of the natives. He there swam ashore, and put himself under the protection of an elderly man, but a consultation being held, it was decided he should be destroyed, and as he was supposed invulnerable, having escaped in the previous conflict without a wound, a heavy stone was tied round his neck, and he was then thrown into the river, his protector having conveyed himself away, being contrary to their ideas of humanity that he should witness the death of his protegé. The year after this melancholy event, the Red Knife, or Copper Indians, making war on the Esquimaux, at the mouth of the Copper Mine river, found some of the clothes of Mr. Livingstone's party in their huts.

Mr. Clarke, who made the second attempt, descended the river as far as the assemblage of islands described by Mackenzie, but a number of Esquimaux drew up in battle array on both banks, and it was deemed imprudent to proceed farther.

The country through which Mackenzie river flows, appears to present a wide field for naturalists. A kind of sheep frequent the mountains, which seem to be the same as the Rocky Mountain sheep, lately described by Professor Jameson. They have large striated spiral horns, and are covered, during winter, with a thick coating of coarse hair, like that of a rein-deer, but which falls

one.

off on the approach of summer, and is succeeded by a shorter and finer Another animal, called by traders the goat, but which is the true Argali, abounds in the mountains. Its horns are smooth, short, and black, and directed backwards. In winter it has a covering of long curled hair, of silky fineness and lustre. There is also a kind of reindeer. The natives make knives of a white translucent stone, which they detach from the rock by greasing it, and kindling a fire beneath it. They also dig up an unctuous earth which they eat; and they use a stony substance as a paint, mixed with grease, A large piece of native silver was found in the neighbourhood, in 1796. Near the Great Bear Lake river there are some coal-mines on fire, and several fountains of mineral pitch.

From the fact of a large shoal of porpoises having come up to Fort Good Hope in 1810, it is presumed, that the sea must be at no great distance from this; indeed, it is most likely that Sir Alex. Mackenzie saw it.

NORTH-WEST EXPEDITION.

At the monthly meeting of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle, on the 7th ultimo, an interesting paper was read, on the probable situation, condition, and prospects of Captain Parry, and his brave fellow adventurers. It showed the probability of their having succeeded in getting a passage through some inlet in the north-west of Hudson's Bay; since if this had not been the case they would have returned, or been heard of. If they should have got beyond the Copper Mine River the first summer, they may, perhaps, have passed Mackenzie's river, and pushed on through Behring's Straits; and, if so, we may expect to hear of them soon, but, in this case, Franklin, it is likely, would have got intelligence of them; or they may have been obliged, owing to the state of the climate, to stop before reaching the Pacific, and are now passing a second winter on this side of Behring's Straits; still a fair hope may be entertained of their safety; but if in this situation, it may be far on in the season before we hear of them. Or, thirdly, they may not have been able to find a

passage to the Pacific; and then the question is, can they get back to the Atlantic before the open weather closes, or have they the means of passing a third winter in the Polar Seas; various presumptions are in favour of this. But on a fourth not improbable supposition of damage to the ships, deficiency of provisions, sickness, &c. their situation must be deplorable. In the event of this, the author recommends that vessels be sent to different quarters with provisions, that directions be transmitted to the Hudson's Bay Com pany, to dispatch parties of natives by the Copper Mine and Mackenzie rivers in search of them, and that the Davis's Straits' ships be encouraged to sail before their usual time, and explore the coast before arriving at the fishing quarters.

Such are the contents of this paper; it is to be hoped, however, that the fears entertained with respect to the fate of our adventurous countrymen are groundless. One probability of their success in obtaining a passage through some inlet on the north-west of Hudson's Bay, towards the Polar Sea, is from their not having been heard of by the traders from that quarter. Another probability is, if the archipelago of islands continues from Melville Island towards Behring's Straits, so as to have kept back the pressure of the polar ice towards the south, on the north parts of America, it may have afforded a sailing passage; as islands, shoals, &c. may have kept them off land, and as canoe sailing is circumscribed, it is not likely that Franklin should have heard of them; though, we understand, that at all the points he visited, the sea was open. Again, if they could not succeed the first year in finding a passage to the Pacific, they would naturally pass another winter among the ice, and attempt it when this gave way. Their vessels are constructed on the strongest principles, having, in addition, six feet of solid timber, strongly bolted in their bows, which are well fended with the best iron, and they have a strong wall of planks a foot thick above their water-mark, to enable them to resist the pressure of the ice. Besides their usual complement of every necessary, they took on board a quantity of coals, sheep,

bullocks, &c. at the entrance of Hudson's Straits; at the frozen season, deer and other animals come in abundance near the sea, and when the water is open, there is plenty of fish along the coasts. Taking all these circumstances into consideration, we entertain the most sanguine hopes, with respect to the fate of this expedition.

NEW PERCUSSION LOCK.

Mr. Forrest, gun-maker, in Jedburgh, has lately contrived a percussion lock, which with a double barrelled gun will answer for eighty discharges, with scarcely any farther trouble than merely filling the magazine before setting out. By the intervention of a cylinder betwixt the pan and the magazine, on turning which the pan is filled, all communication with the gunpowder is cut off; for in whatever position the cylinder is placed, the priming in the magazine is never brought in contact with the powder; all possibility of accident is thus prevented; indeed, it appears, that with the greatest carelessness there is no danger. The priming is the same as that used for Forsyth's lock, three parts of superoxymuriate of potash, one of flowers of sulphur, and one of charcoal.

FOSSIL ELK.

A very fine specimen of elk from the Isle of Man has lately been presented to the Museum of the University of Edinburgh. It was dug up in the parish of Kirk Balaff, and sent to the college by the Duke of Athol. It was found imbedded in loose shell marl, over which was a bed of sand, and above this a layer of peat, composed chiefly of small branches and decayed leaves, and over these was the common soil of the country. The following are the dimensions of this specimen:

Feet. Inch.

ASIATIC RHINOCEROS.

Sir Everard Home has lately published an account of the manners and habits of this animal, the particulars of which were obtained from the person who had the charge of it at Exeter Change. It was so savage, that shortly after its arrival it attempted to kill its keeper, but its horns fortunately passed between his thighs and penetrated a wooden partition, from which the animal with difficulty extricated itself. Its skin was covered with small scales of the thickness of paper, and having the appearance of tortoise shell, and the edges of which were extremely sensible, being the only part that ap peared to smart under the lash of the keeper's whip. Though in a great measure subdued, it frequently became quite ferocious, more especial ly in the night, during which it often made a hideous noise and destroyed every thing that was near it. It was quick in its motions, and ate all kinds of vegetables, appearing to make no selection.

SUCCORY AS BLANCHED SALAD.

A variety of this plant improved by cultivation is much employed in France. The young leaves are used in salad; and for procuring them, successive growings are kept up in gardens. When the plant is raised in fields, the outer leaves are plucked at different periods of summer and autumn, and given to milch cows, by which it is said they afford about a third more milk than when fed on common fodder, but it at first acquires a slightly sour taste. The butter is also more easily obtained from it. At the approach of winter, the roots are dug up and laid in a cellar horizontally in alternate layers with sand or light soil, with their heads outermost and uncovered. In this situation they are kept excluded from frost and also from light, during which they afford the blanched roots called Burbe de Capucin, used as winter salad. The roots are sometimes also put with sand into barrels having numerous holes in their sides, through which the shoots very easily push, and are cut off when required. Barrels thus prepared are sometimes taken on board vessels about to sail, and afford fresh salad for many months.

PEAT MOSSES OF HOLLAND.

There are two kinds of peat employed by the Dutch, found in different layers. The highest affords grey or dry peat, composed of leaves and stems of reedy plants, and occasionally pieces of branches of large trees. The lowest layer produces mud peats, in which trunks of trees are often found; and, what is remarkable, with their heads invariably pointing to the east. Some of the timber, oak in particular, is so sound, that it is often employed in carpentry, but it is of a dark colour, as if stained with ink. The Dutch ashes are much employed in agriculture and gardening, after they have been kept for some time. Fruit trees in a languishing state are restored to vigour by them. They are said to open and stimulate the soil, and afford additional nourishment to the plants, by means of the water which they absorb and gradually give out; and that by carrying into the soil principles calculated to attract the carbonic acid or fixed air in the atmosphere, the solubility of the portions adapted for the food of plants is promoted. When the ashes are old, they may be spread on the garden in greater quantity, by which the ground is always kept damp. When old garden soil is overloaded with rich mould, or when too frequent manurings have been used, stale ashes are found to restore it to its due state of sharpness and activity.

RAIN IN THE TROPICS.

The following almost incredible statement is from the American Journal of Sciences, on the authority of Captain Roussin, dated Cayenne, February 28, 1820; we give it in his own words, lest it be supposed that in abridging it we have committed some mistake. "You will, perhaps, learn with no inconsiderable interest, the following meteorological fact, the authenticity of which I am able to certify. From the 1st to the 24th of February, there fell upon the Isle of Cayenne twelve feet seven inches of water. This observation was made by a person of the highest veracity; and I assured my self, by exposing a vessel in the middle of my yard, that there fell in the city ten and a quarter inches of water, between eight in the evening

and six in the morning, of the 14th and 15th of that month. From those enormous rains has resulted an inundation from which every plantation has suffered."

PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES.

Royal Society, Dec. 19.-A paper was read by J. F. Davis, Esq. on the Chinese Year. The introductory part of this paper was occupied in proving that there was no scientific knowledge of Astronomy in China, before that introduced by the Arabians, and afterwards by European missionaries. The 36 eclipses, recorded by Confucius, are useful in determining chronological points, but afford no evidence of astronomical science. The encouragement and promotion of foreign professors of astronomy, and their adopting the errors of those professors, show that they had not been originally acquainted with it themselves. A drawing was also exhibited, illustrating the 28 constellations, of which the year consists, with the degrees they respectively occupy; the Chinese have no solar year.

A paper was read by Dr. Daubeny, on the Rocks that contain Magnesia; and another, on the Corrections applied to the Great Meridional Arc, extending from latitude 8° 9′ 38-39", to latitude 18° 3′ 23.64′′, to reduce it to the parliamentary standard, by Lieut.-Colonel William Lambton. Colonel Lambton has likewise completed some measurements which, when the requisite calculations are made, he intends to lay before the society. He is proceeding with his arc through Hindostan. If Scindiah's country continue quiet, a section of it will pass through Gwalior, his capital, and end at Agra on the Jumnah.

An interesting paper was also read, entitled, Some Practical Observations on the Communication and Concentration of the Magnetic Influence, by Mr. J. H. Abraham, of Sheffield.

Linnean Society, Jun. 21.-Papers were read by Major-Gen. J. Hardwicke, entitled, Description of three Insects of Nepaul, and of a tail-less Deer, native of the Snowy Mountains of Nepaul. It is of a brownish ash colour. Its head is the size of that of a full grown stag, horns trifurcate and tuberculated at the roots, neck curved like that of a camel, with a mane on the back; when walking it