MISCELLANY.
Mode of engraving union steel and then transferring the same to steel or other metals.—This invention deservedly demands while it receives the admiration of every lover of the Fine Arts; and at the same time it presents the means of perpetuating whatever is beautiful in the art of engraving, and will probably produce a general refinement in the state of the public by furnishing engravings of the most beautiful kinds, at the same cost as those of inferior execution.
This invention promises to be of great advantage to some of our manufacturers, particularly that of pottery, which may now be embellished with beautiful engravings, so as to place the successful competition of other nations at a more distant period. It may also be applied with great advantage to calico printing, by producing entire new patterns upon the cylinders from which they are printed, an object of great importance to our manufacturing interest. These are among its obvious applications; but as a means of rendering forgery impracticable, it claims the attention of statesmen and the gratitude of philanthropists, who shudder at the hundreds of victims which are now immolated to the laws by the facility with which they may be violated.
The association of Mr. Charles Heath with the American inventors is a fortunate circumstance, as it affords a pledge, that all which is exquisite in art will be combined with the ingenious mechanical inventions of Mr. Perkins, and the perseverance of Mr. Fairman; and the means of conferring every desirable perfection on various applications of the Siderographic process.
Great Britain and the U. States.—(A Contrast.)—A correspondent observes, that from an article in the last Inquirer, taken from a London paper, it is computed that the expense of the approaching coronation of his Britannic Majesty, George IV., will exceed eight hundred thousand pounds sterling.
This, at $4 44 cents the pound sterling, amounts to the moderate sum of three millions five hundred and fifty two thousand dollars, of the currency of the United States.
This sum would pay the salaries of the President of the U. States for a succession of one hundred and forty-two years,—and leave a balance of two thousand dollars remaining.
[Richmond Com.
English Churn.—An improvement has been made in England in the construction of the dasher of the churn, which "is made to turn on a pivot, fixed in the lower end of the handle, and consists of two pieces set crosswise, so as to form four wings, diagonally shaped, and something similar to those of a windmill. Let the wings be about two inches wide, proportioned in length to the dimensions of the churn, and of such a level as gives them an inclination of about forty-five degrees.
The pivot on which the wings turn to be of iron, otherwise it will soon wear out."
The above plan is more efficacious than any other, and requires the operation to be moderately performed lest the butter come too soon, and therefore become swetted.
Watermelon Sirup.—Those of our readers who may not be acquainted with the fact, but yet are friendly to domestic economy, are informed, that one gallon of watermelon-juice will, by boiling, afford one pint of pure sirup, preferable either to honey or molasses, for domestic or medical purposes. The trial is easily made, and the expense trifling.
Patent Churn.—A churn has been invented by a young man in Vermont, which answers every purpose with a very trifling labour. It stands perpendicularly, and is perfectly tight.—The operation is performed by a person sitting near the churn and working the machine by each hand, as you work a pump. The dasher is turned by means of two leather straps, which are fastened at one end of the upright cylinder, and passing each once round it in opposite directions, are fastened at the other end of the handle on each side of the upright. So that the stroke with one hand turns the dasher once round, and that with the other turns it back.
Socrates.—One day when Alcibiades was boasting of his wealth and the great estates in his possession, (which generally blow up the pride of young people of quality,) Socrates carried him to a geographical map, and asked him to find Attica. It was so small, it could scarcely be discerned upon the draft; he found it, however, though with some difficulty. But, upon being desired to point out his own estate there—"It is too small," says he, "to be distinguished in so little a space."
"See then," replied Socrates, "how much you are affected about an imperceptible point of the earth."
Georgetown, (Ky.) August 3.—A white crow was lately shot by Col. Rhodes Thompson, at his residence, on Elkhorn, about two and a half miles from this town. It was examined by several scientific gentlemen, and pronounced to be of the crow species; it resembled the common black crow in every thing but its colour, which was of a dingy white.—Col. Thompson had observed it for some time among a flock of black crows, and had ascertained its note to be the same as theirs.
Scotch Adventurers.—The character which the Scotch have acquired, beyond almost any other people, for the art of pushing their fortune abroad, was never perhaps more singularly illustrated than by the following anecdote, which Dr. Anderson relates in his "Bee," on the authority of a baronet of scientific eminence.
The Russians and Turks, in the war of 1739, having diverted themselves long enough in the contest, agreed to treat for peace. The commisioners, for this purpose, were marshal Gen. Keith, on the part of Russia, and the grand vizier on that of the Turks. These personages met, and carried on their negotiations by means of interpreters. When all was concluded, they rose to separate: the marshal made his bow, with his hat in his hand, and the vizier his salam, with his turban on his head. But when these ceremonies of taking leave were over, the vizier turned suddenly, and coming up to marshal Keith, took him cordially by the hand, and in the broadest Scotch dialect, declared warmly that it made him "unco happy to meet a countryman in his exalted station." Keith started with astonishment, eager for an explanation of the mystery, when the vizier added, "Dinna be surprised, mon, I'm o' the same country wi' yoursel'. I mind weel seeing you and your brother, when boys, passin by to the school at Kirkaldy; my father, Sir, was bellman of Kirkaldy." What more extraordinary can be imagined, than to behold in the plenipotentiaries of two mighty nations, two foreign adventurers, natives of the same mountainous territory; nay, of the very same village!—What indeed more extraordinary, unless it be the spectacle of a Scotchman turned Turk for the sake of honours, held on the tenure of a caprice from which even Scotch prudence can be no guarantee!
Garrick.—Mr. Twiss, a romancing traveller, was talking of a church he had seen in Spain which was a mile and a half long. "Bless me, (cried Garrick,) how broad was it?" "About ten yards," said Twiss. "This is, you'll observe, gentlemen, (said Garrick to the company,) not a round lie, but differs from his other stories, which are generally as broad as they are long."
Franklin Donation Fund.—The trustees of the fund established by Dr. Franklin, for the benefit of young married mechanics, in Boston, give notice, that they will make loans, in sums not exceeding 200 dollars to one individual, on the terms prescribed by Dr. Franklin, viz.
"The applicant must be a married mechanic, under the age of 25 years, who has faithfully served an apprenticeship of five years at least, in the town of Boston. He must produce a certificate of his moral character, from at least two respectable citizens of said town, who are willing to become bound with him, to the trustees, for the repayment of the sum loaned, by annual instalments of 10 per cent. with interest annually, at the rate of 5 per cent."
Flour.—Flour has recently been sold at Cincinnati for $2.25 per bbl. "good money." The crops of grain have been exceedingly heavy in the western country.
Herculaneum Manuscripts.—Sir Humphrey Davy has had great success in unrolling the manuscripts of Herculaneum and Pompeii. In a short time the contents of each roll will be known, as well as its title, which is generally found in the interiour.
Whaling!—It would seem by the following articles from the Boston Patriot, that the invention of the torpedo by the late Robert Fulton, to destroy enemies' ships in the late war, is about to be made use of for another valuable purpose, viz. blowing up whales!
"It was hardly to have been expected, that these destructive engines should have been adopted in the prosecution of one of the most thriving branches of business in which navigation is now employed. Yet, we are informed that a vessel has recently been fitted at New Bedford, bound on a whaling cruise, with an apparatus on board for the purpose of taking whales by blowing them up.
"Torpedoes, of arrow form, are thrown from a gun on board the vessel, which are calculated to sink into the body of the whale, and there explode. As the experiment has not yet been fully tested, we think its success, to say, the least, is problematical."
New York school fund, &c.—We have a long and interesting statement in the New York papers, of the funds set apart for literary purposes. They chiefly consist of bonds and mortgages, for money loaned, a considerable quantity of bank stocks, and sundry valuable tracts of land. The amounts are as follows:
The fund for the support of "common schools" is equal to $1,232,908, and its annual product about $78,964.
The fund for the "promotion of literature" amounts to $201,439, and its income is $5,288. This fund is divided among the colleges, in proportion to their scholars. Both of these funds are on the increase as to value and product.
Besides,—the occasional grants of the legislature for literary purposes since 1790, amounts to $1,189,056. And the general aggregate of appropriations, for the last thirty years, including escheated lands, schools lots, fees, &c., but excluding the annual revenue derived from the permanent funds, is estimated to amount to 3,000,000 of dollars!
Premiums.—At a meeting of the Merino Society in London, 12th May, after awarding the prizes to the best show of sheep and superfine broadcloth, the premium of ten guineas for worsted yarn, was adjudged to Mr. J. Head, of Kirkstall, near Leeds, for one pound of wool spun by a newly invented machine, which was superior in fineness to any heretofore seen, and peculiarly adapted for the finest bombazeens, &c. It produced 95 hanks of 530 yards each in length, equal to 30 miles and 400 yards, to a pound of wool.
Salt mines of Meurthe.—The researches for the discovery of rock salt, which commenced in July last, at Moyenire, in the department of La Meurthe, in France, are carried on to advantage. After exploring to the depth of 200 feet, and reaching the first layer, which is 11 feet in thickness, the workmen had to perforate a bed of gypsum and clay of five hundred and forty-six feet, when they came to a second stratum of salt, eight feet in thickness. It is intended to remove the researches to two other neighbouring points, to ascertain the breadth and magnitude of the whole bed. The two points form a triangle nearly equilateral, each side of which may be about 6 or 700 toises in length. One of these points is the city of Vic, and the other to the south of it. On this latter point they have already pierced to the depth of 26 feet of vegetable earth: the orifice of each bore is 31⁄2 inches, which constantly fills up with fresh water. The salt of the first bed is extremely white, and transparent as rock crystal. It is likewise very pure, and free from every noxious or terrene substance. The second appears to be intermixed with gypseous or argillaceous substance, but a very small proportion. This salt is brown, not unlike a clouded flint; both the kinds are very compact, well crystallized, the fractures cubical, and the saline taste superior to that of any salt obtained by evaporation. It contains but very little of muriate of magnesia, or of sulphate of lime.
More silver!—We have the following account of the discovery of a silver mine, in a paper printed at Salem, Indiana, July 10.—"We have been informed by gentlemen of credibility, that there has been a silver mine lately discovered in the late purchase in this state. The circumstances relating to it are these: A few months ago, a gentleman near the boundary line, was informed by an Indian, that there was a mine of this kind somewhere, but refused to tell him where it was, unless the man would pay him fifty dollars, a horse, a gun and several blankets, which the man did, and was taken to the place, and brought away several pounds of the ore. He has since, we are told, brought away about 300 pounds. He refuses to tell where it is, but says there is at least three wagon loads already cast into bars by the Indians, which he intends to bring away. We have seen (so have several citizens of Salem) some of the ore, and should suppose it at least two-thirds silver. The ore is so pure that it can be drawn out with the hammer into bars of almost any size, and it is thought by some to be sufficiently pure in its natural state. From the representation of it, the mine is inexhaustible, and in a situation difficult to be discovered."