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to the count, in which he describes, among others, five manuscripts of Nestor, the most ancient historian of Russia.

SWEDEN.

The king has not only repealed the prohibition to import French and Danish books, but also restored the liberty of the press, on condition that the publisher shall give up the name and address of any obnoxious work; in which case the former is released from all responsibility.

GERMANY.

The catalogue of books which appeared at the last Easter fair at Leipsic, includes in the whole two thousand articles, among which are one hundred and twenty eight novels, fifty theatrical pieces, and between three and four hundred translations.

A German author, in a work lately published, states the following curious fact:-A person having an artificial magnet suspended from the wall of his study, with a piece of iron adhering to it, remarked, for several years, that the flies in the room, though they frequently alighted on other iron articles, never settled on the artificial magnet; and even that, if any of those insects approached it, they again in a moment removed to some distance. "It is worth the trouble," says professor Voigt, who repeats this circumstance in his journal,“ to make further observations on this phenomenon; and were it confirmed, magnetised iron might be employed to preserve it from being soiled by flies, and perhaps also for other purposes.”

The Austrian government has lately proposed the following prize-questions, relative to substitutes for various foreign articles in the materia medica. 1. What indigenous or European productions, distinguished by specific effects, may be substituted for those now brought from India? 2. A substitute for camphor. 5. A substitute for Peruvian bark. 4. What species of plants may replace senna, jalap, and ipecacuanha? 5. A substitute for opium.-The prize for each question is five hundred ducats.

For the inquisitive traveller, a barometer is an instrument of the highest necessity, as it is not only serviceable for meteorological observations, but also for Teasuring heights in the countries through which he passes. The common barometers are unfit for this purpose, as the weight of the quicksilver would break the glass tubes in the carriage. For tins reason, M. de Luc, of Göttingen, a considerable time since, contrived a

travelling barometer, which was highly approved. Dr. SCHULTES has recently invented a new instrument of this description, which may be placed horizontally, or vertically, without suffering the air to penetrate into the interior cavity.

M. LAMPADIUS, of Freiberg, has discovered a method of condensing vapours in distillation, more rapidly than has yet been done. This is accomplished by means of a disk, attached to the tube of the still, which has the figure of a lens flattened as much as possible, and is made of copper. It produces a much better effect than the worms hitherto employed for that purpose.

M. GEITNER has, by the aid of various substances, extracted from the green shells of horse-chesnuts very beautiful yellow and brown colours, and the latter in the greatest diversity of hues. They are found to stand both on woollens and silks, though the stuffs have been wetted and wrung out, and some of them even washed in caustic liquids.

CRISTOPHER HEEREN, organ-builder, at Gottesbühren, in Westphalia, has invented a loom, which performs all the operations of itself. Without the intervention of the weaver, it sets the treadles in motion, throws the shuttle, and stops it at the opposite side; loosens the web, when a certain portion is finished, and winds the cloth upon the axle. Every thing is kept in proper order; and the piece of stuff, when finished, is smoothed. An index, attached to the machine, shows at any time the number of ells that are woven. This machine has as yet only been exhibited on a small scale to connoisseurs, and has obtained the highest appre bation.

Many ladies of Münich have learned to knit without needles. The inventor of this art is M. NELIISEN, a native of the county of Limburg, who teaches it himself in the Bavarian capital. It is, however, yet very imperfect; as, by this method, they can only knit breadthwise, and not circularly.

A. ROCKSTROH, of Berlin, has invented a machine for cutting paper straight, with any kind of scissars, which is likely to be of use to men of business.

We have already noticed the experi- " ments of M. DEGEN, of Vienna, to raise himself into the air. As his weight exceeded the power of the machinery with which he effected this, by thirty-four pounds, he conceived the idea of combining with it an air-balloon, imagining

that,

that, by means of the latter, he could be supported in the air, and at the same time have it sufficiently under his command. The experiments which he made with it, towards the conclusion of last year, in the Prater, before a numerous company, were completely successful. He flew at pleasure in all directions; raised and lowered himself; and the balloon followed him spontaneously which ever way he turned. The diaineter of the latter was nineteen feet five inches. After deducting the weight of Degen and his flying-machine, the balloon possessed a power equal to thirty-two pounds.

While the Prussian states were occupied by French troops, the Academy of Sciences at Berlin lost many of the treasures of art which it possessed, and which it was obliged to cede to the museums of Paris. As some compensation, the French government intends to send it casts of all the antiques at Paris, taken off with care.

The successes of the French armies, and their long residence in Germany, have procured them an advantage which they formerly dispensed with in their victories, but of which they will not fail to avail themselves in their future military enterprizes. They have put them in possession of a map of Germany, surpassing all its predecessors in periection and accuracy. Hanover was surveyed by Epaillu, chef de bataillon, immediately after its occupation by the corps of Mortier. In Brandenburg and Silesia, the French had two year's time to collect the requisite topographical information; and it is not improbable, that the beautiful inaps of several provinces, drawn up by order of the Prussian government, have fallen into their hands; as their entrance into Berlin was so sudden, that a great quantity of important papers and valuable effects could not be secreted. Saxony caused a portion of its states to be surveyed every year: at the request of the French government, the work has been for some years accelerated; and the court of Dresden has made such communications as were required. It is believed, that the same has been done by Denmark, in regard to the duchy of Holstein, and perhaps of the whole Cimbrian peninsula. The French government has caused not only the northern. most provinces of Germany to the North Sea and Baltic, but likewise the counties of Stolberg, and the duchies of Weimar, Coburg, Meinungen, Hildburghausen, Acc. to be surveyed by engineers.

It

probably possesses fewer materials of the former circle of Franconia: but it is possible that the grand duke of Würtzburg may have furnished information, to extend the topographical knowledge of those countries. Of Swabia and Upper Austria, the geographical bureau at Paris has a beautiful manuscript map. Bavaria has been surveyed for sometime; and the inap of the Tyrol is already engraved and sold at Paris. In respect to Austria alone, the materials are perhaps rather scanty, as the French have remained there too short a time to undertake extensive measurements. It is concluded, that this large and complete map will be given to the public, from the circumstance that Suabia has already been engraved at Paris.

M. VON HAMMER, a skilful orientalist, and formerly agent of the Austrian government, in Moldavia, has lately been sent to Paris to claim the restitution of a great part of the Hebrew, Arabic, and Persian manuscripts, taken en masse from the imperial library of Vienna, last summer; M. DENON having given assurances, that only such should be kept as were not to be found in the imperial library at Paris.

A remarkably large parabolic lens was recently purchased at Vienna, for the French government. It was made at Gratz, in Styria, by Rospinè, a celebrated mechanist, for some alchemists. It was not cast, but softened by heat, and bent over a parabolic mould Several pieces were broken before he succeeded; so that it cost originally from 800 to 1200 guineas. It is three feet three inches in diameter, and of eight feet four inches focus; composed of two pieces of glass united together by an iron hoop, so as to form a hollow vessel, capable of holding eighty or ninety quarts of spirit of wine. M. JACQUIN, of Vienna, and several men of science, who witnessed the experiments, declare, that it burned a diamond in a few seconds, and fused platina in a few minutes. A button of platina, weighing twenty-nine grains, was melted by it, and inade in part to boil. The diameter of the focus does not appear to exceed four lines. It weighs 550lbs. avoirdupoise.

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seilles, has publicly called upon the French nation to bestow on Dr. Edward Jenner a reward worthy of the services which he has rendered to mankind. “It is ten years," says he, " since Dr. Jenner ascertained that vaccine inoculation it a preservative against the small-pox. It is upwards of thirty since he commenced his researches into the nature of the cow-pox. It is mine since he made public that invaluable discovery; and it is seven since his practice was introduced into France. It is now spread over almost every part of the globe. Several millions have experienced its beneficial effects, and every day is marked with new and uniform success. What a debt

of gratitude do we owe to the author of this new method! All nations pour forth their benedictions upon him. Every country, every city, would fain offer him a civic crown, and each individual express his gratitude. What mortal was ever more useful to society? No kind of reward, no dignity, can be an adequate compensation for such a service. The noble and generous manner in which Jenner communicated his knowledge, his solicitude to ascertain the results of his experiments, are beyond all praise. Engaged in accomplishing a great revolution in this important part of medicine, and in promoting the welfare of his fellow-creatures, by a practice as simple as it was extraordinary, he thought nothing, so that he could but ultimately succeed, either of time, trouble, or the expense incurred by a very extensive correspondence. The French physicians were not the last to proclaim him the benefactor of mankind; and in this they are joined by the public opinion. The central committee of vaccination, established at Paris, under the auspices of government, observes in the report published by it in 1803: The committee will not conclude this sketch of its proceedings, without paying a just tribute of gratitude to Dr. Jenner, the illustrious author of this discovery, who will benceforth be numbered among those men who have done the most honor to science, and the greatest service to humanity. The reward conferred on Jenner, by the English parliament, in 1802, though accompanied with the most gratifying expressions, is very inadequate to the incalculable advantages which will result from his discovery. If the English nation, during the reign of queen Anne, loaded the duke of Marlborough with honors; if, to reward his military achieve

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ments, they presented him with princely domains, built for him the magnificent palace of Blenheim, and erected on a hill in his park, a splendid monument, whose base, covered with inscriptions, attests his martial exploits, and whose summit is crowned with a statue of that general, there is nothing astonishing in all this. But what excites much greater surprise is, that the same nation has, since 1802, done nothing more for Jenner, except that in 1805, the lord mayor, and common council of London, bestowed on him a testimony of the publie gratitude, by presenting him with the freedom of the city, in a gold box, enriched with diamonds and emblems allusive to science, for the salutary dis covery of the vaccine inoculation, owing to his indefatigable researches.' Jenner has become the man of all nations. Like Hippocrates, he belongs to every country. His name will live to the most remote posterity. It is the present generation which owes him a great remunera tion. May it be worthy of one of the fairest epochs of the world! May the French nation, which is capable of appre ciating great things, not delay it too long! Induced by these considerations, I would suggest to all the societies in the French empire for promoting the advancement of the healing art, the following propositions:-1. To open, with the consent and under the patronage of government, a subscription for Dr. Jenner. 2. The committee of the central vaccine society, and the medical societies of the metropolis, should be exclusively empowered to determine the nature of the recompence to be decreed to that great man. S. These societies might depute some of their members, to present a plan to that effect; and to obtain permission of the minister of the interior, to invite the medical societies of the departments to contribute to the present, by voluntary subscriptions. 4. Every learned society, and every individual who cultivates the healing art, should likewise be at liberty to contribute. 5. At the period fixed for closing the subscription, the committee formed by the societies of Paris, should appoint deputies to go to England, when circum stances, and the government, shall permit, to present our homage and our gratitude to Dr. Jenner. 6. The same commit

tee should likewise determine the time and place for erecting a statue in honor of him. 7. It is to be presumed, that the medical societies will not fail to

place

place the bust of Jenner beside that of Hippocrates."

ITALY.

A very simple contrivance has been invented by M. FABRONI, for transforming any good common balance into an hydrostatic balance. It is a moveable column, which, being placed in a vessel proper for the purpose, bencath any balance whatever, provided it be exact, renders it capable of giving specific gravities, without the necessity of recurring to the extraordinary and expensive methods with which the machines now called hydrostatic balances are attended.

M. GONZATTI has discovered a liquid which instantaneously extinguishes fire. The following experiments were publicly made with it at Venice. Some resin and oil were set fire to, and scarcely had a few drops of this liquid been poured on the flame, when it immediately disappeared, leaving behind not the least trace of fire. Billets of wood, besmeared with pitch and resin, and afterwards dipped in this liquid, resisted the action of the hottest fire, to which they were exposed for several hours. The inventor affirms, that a few applications of this composition to wood-work would preserve it from all danger of fire. He has not thought fit to publish the manner in which this composition is prepared; but it is probable that a solution of alum, pot ash, and vitriol, is one of the ingredients.

By a decree of the government of Lucca, a school of sculpture is to be established at Carrara, to which will be granted revenues for founding prizes, and for assisting young sculptors.

The celebrated sculptor CANOVA has erected a funeral mounment to the memory of his friend and fellow-citizen, Giovanni Volpato, au eminent engraver. It consists of a beautiful marble tablet, sculptured in demi-relievo, and representing the portrait of the artist; before him, Friendship, seated, mourns the loss

which she has sustained. The bust is placed on a cippus, or the shaft of a column, supported by a simple pedestal, and adorned with a garland. Friendship, personified under the form of a young and beautiful female, is in a pensive and sorrowful attitude. She is raising to her eyes a corner of her garment to dry her tears. The drapery is well contrived; notwithstanding its fullness, and the quantity of folds, it shows the contours of the figure. The portrait of Volpato is a striking resemblance; and the whole composition combines grace with simplicity. It is to be placed in the vestibule of the church of the Apostles.

By an imperial decree, the museum of sculpture, of Turin, is to be restored. M. SPALLA has been appointed director, and sculptor to the emperor, with a pension of 6000 francs.

AMERICA.

The following circumstance, related on the authority of an officer of his majesty's ship Dædalus, occurred while that vessel was lying at Samana, St. Domingo.-Early in the forenoon of 20th November, 1808, several sharks were seen swimming about the ship in expectation of prey. A hook and baie were put overboard, which one of them immediately seized with the greatest voracity. A rope being passed over its fins, it was hoisted on board by twenty men. In its maw was found a calf that had been thrown overboard a few hours before. The length, from the snout to the extremity of the tail, was ten feet, and the circumference of the body proportionate. Three others of equal size were successively caught; in the last were found sixty-two living young ones, a turkey, and a live hawk's-bill turtle, two feet six inches in length, and one foot nine inches broad; which, immediately after its release, swam about in a tub of water, apparently not in the least injured by its confinement.

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requisitions for information from the minister, or either house of parliament, the board has acted on various occasions in perfect conformity with the theory of its institution; and I need not observe how extremely necessary it is to be prepared, with this view, by having such well-arranged collections of facts, as may at once be applicable to the inquiries which may probably come from higher assemblies to this board.

Another branch of our quiescent duties, and perhaps not the least important, is that of considering the institution as an office of intelligence, for the use of individuals who desire information on any subject of rural economy. It is certainly the duty of the secretary to give at all times, and to all persons, every species of information in his power; to make whatever inquiries may be neces sary, with that view; and to introduce such persons to each other, as can best supply their mutual wants: and it is no exaggeration to assert, that this has been done to the amount of some thousands of cases.

The institution was hardly established, before a severe scarcity afflicted the kingdom; and the board, with the utmost assiduity, gave an immediate attention to a subject which naturally drew upon it every eye. To answer the immediate pressure, many experiments were or dered and executed on the manufacturing of bread from every species of grain which could, by various inixtures, be made to enter into its composition. Fourscore sorts of bread were at once exhibited to the eyes of the public; and those who recollect the examination, must remember the pleasure very generally expressed at the sight of a resource which till then had been quite unknown. These experiments were registered and printed, and remain for future use.

But an object of much greater importance, also occupied the attention of the board; this was the cultivation of the immense wastes of the kingdom, by a general enclosure act. In order to ascertain the amount of these deserts, so disgraceful to the richest country in the world, inquiries were set on foot in every district, and the result produced the enormous amount of more than twentytwo millions of acres! The energy and vigour with which the president executed the wishes of the board, in making these inquiries, and in framing a bill that should remedy so great an evil, merited the highest commendation, and deserves

the gratitude of every succeeding age: though the effort unfortunately was unsuccessful; and it is lamentable to reflect, that the obstacles which arose to the measure, were aggravated in no slight degree by efforts of private in

terest.

The next effort to which I beg leave to call your attention, was a successfut attempt to bring all the weights and measures of the kingdom under the summary jurisdiction of the magistrate. The board received ample information that the poor were defrauded in a multitude of cases, more especially in villages, by defective weights and measures, without there existing sufficient powers for the speedy application of a remedy: it requested one of its members to bring a bill into parliament to remedy the evil; this was done, and it passed into a law which has ever since been a blessing to thousands.

An act of parliament which had its origin in the board, was that which took off a preposterous duty on the import of oil-cakes from America: and another legislative measure adopted on the recommendation of the board was, the exemption from excise granted to draining tiles; an object of no slight importance, as, without this attention, the tax would have operated as a prohibition in this branch of the first of all improve

ments.

An object which at a very early period attracted the attention of the board, was the inquiry into the propriety of annexing land to cottages. Some persons eutertaining doubts as to the general application of this system, the board adopted a measure that was founded in prudence, in order to ascertain how far this system extended, and what were its effects in situations removed from the immediate superinten dance of a few humane landlords. The board, under the auspices of a noble lord, himself the beneficent patronizer of the system on his own extensive estates, dispatched a person (Mr. Gourlay) every way qualified for the employ ment, to ascertain all the circumstances on the spot: he was directed to proceed to Burleigh, and to follow the system wherever he found it. This he did through an extent of between, seventy and eighty miles; he saw it under almost every variation of circumstance, with no other exception than that of soils too barren to support a cow. The report he made was equally curious and im

portant:

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