Ingenious Machine.—The National Fire and Life Insurance Association, (London) have introduced a newly invented machine, which possesses the following properties: In case of fire, it instantly awakens the party in whose sleeping room it is placed—immediately lights a lamp—makes known the hour of the night, and not only that a fire has commenced, but in what room.
Chinese Superstition.—The following article, which gives some idea of Chinese superstition, is taken from a Peking Gazette:—"The 1st of May, 1818, there arose suddenly at Peking, a tempest, that obscured the heavens and filled the air with sand and dust. The Emperor, thinking it was a judgment from heaven, was very much alarmed, and very anxious to know what it meant: he assembled his ministers of state, and commanded them to endeavour to discover the cause of it: he then reprimanded his astronomers for not having foretold it to him. 'You announced to me,' said he to them, 'three days ago, the happy influence the stars had over me, foretelling a long and prosperous life; this was mere flattery, while you either would not or could not tell me of this impending misfortune.' Three of those sages gave their opinion, that the cause of this tempest was the dismissal of the late chief minister, Sung Tajin, and advised him to recall him; but his Majesty, far from approving their proposal, reprimanded them for having the presumption to meddle with the royal prerogative. The body of mathematicians gave in their opinion, assuring him that if this whirlwind, accompanied with dust, continued during the whole day, it indicated a perverse conduct and variance of opinion between the sovereign and his ministers, as well as a great drought and famine. If the wind disturbed the sand, moved the stones, and made much noise, inundations were to be expected; and if the dust continued to fall one hour more, the plague would rage in the southern regions, and half the inhabitants to the southeast would be sick."
The Gazette expresses his Majesty's uneasiness at this long drought. His Majesty has ordered his sons to fast, to pray, and offer sacrifices to heaven, to earth, and to the god of wind. There was to be a solemn festival on the 25th of May, 1819, at which all the princes, ministers, and nobles, were to appear in procession, wearing mourning as a mark of their contrition!
To Farmers' Wives.—A most excellent method of making BUTTER, is now practised in England, which effectually prevents its changing and becoming rancid.—The day before churning, scald the cream in a clean iron kettle, over a clear fire, taking care that it does not boil over. As soon as it begins to boil, or is fully scalded, strain it, when the particles of milk, which tended to sour and change the butter, are separated and left behind. Put the vessel into a tub of water, in a cellar, till the next morning, when it will be ready for churning, and become butter in less than quarter of the time required in the common method. It will also be hard, with peculiar additional sweetness, and will not change. The labour in this way is less than the other, as the butter comes so much sooner, and saves so much time in working out the buttermilk.—By this method good butter may be made in the hottest weather.
DIED,
In the parish of Aiglish, in the vicinity of Killarney, Ireland, at the very advanced age of one hundred and fifteen years, Theodore O'Sullivan, the celebrated Irish Bard.—This extraordinary man, who was a great composer in his native language, expired suddenly, in April last, whilst sowing oats in the field of his great grand children, and retaining his faculties to the last moment! He is said to have sung to the plough one of his favourite lyrics, and actually breathed his last at the final stanza of his national melody. The deceased also followed the occupation of a cooper, and is said to have made a churn, from which butter was taken for the christening of his 26th great grand child.
Lately, at the hospital at Bourges, France, aged 103 years, and 13 days, Etienne Delametaire. He was born blind, and employed for upwards of 60 years in turning a grindstone.