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MADRAS LITERARY SOCIETY.

A General Meeting was held of all well-wishers of this laudable attempt for the promotion and establishment of literature and knowledge in this Presidency, which was most respectably attended.

The President reminded the Meeting, that, when they had first assembled in that place, they had two objects in view, the one was, the esta blishment of a Public Library; the other, that of a Literary Society; and that, when they last met, their Committee satisfied them, by the calculations they had made, that the first, from the want of adequate funds, could not be realized at present, although they gave it as their opinion that the second might. The Meeting had therefore adopted the one which was prac. ticable, and postponed the other, with out losing sight of it altogether, to a future period, when the funds of the Society, with the aid of the Government, might enable them to carry it into effect.

The President then said, that considering they were now assembled sim ply as a Literary Society,-by which denomination he understood a Meeting to collect the detached labours of many, in the different departments of literature, into a common fund, he thought they ought, at this their first meeting, to resolve to invite all persons, including learned natives, either at the Presidency or elsewhere, to favour them with communications on all subjects connected with literature, not considering themselves as exclusively an Asiatic Society; and that at their meetings, the written essays and observations which might be approved of by the Committee, whose appointment he meant afterwards to recommend, might be read publicly, and become the subject of conversation. It

was also proposed, that specimens of natural and artificial curiosities, and remains of antiquity, might be exhibited at their meetings; and such as were thought worthy to be kept, might be formed into a collection.

The President also expressed it to be his opinion, that although their funds were not then sufficient for the formation of a regular library, they might, out of the entrance money and annual subscriptions, procure the best publications of the day; and that members might be invited to add to these, by presenting to the Society whatever books they could spare, as well as by depositing at the public rooms any part of their library which might not be in use, or which, on account of absence from the Presidency, or other cause, they might wish to leave in a safe place of custody.

The President observed, that this was the outline of the plan which had been suggested to him by the friends with whom he had communicated; and he thought, that for one so simple in its nature they had better have only the one rule proposed by Sir William Jones on a similar occasion, and that was to have no rule at all. When they came to establish a public library, that, like all other property, might require regulations to protect it; but he thought the affairs of such a Society as he conceived this to be, might safely be entrusted to their Committee, unfettered by any restrictions. would therefore leave it to the Committee to decide on their times of meeting,-what papers should be read,

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what books should be ordered,how their expenditure should be managed, and, in short, how the whole affairs of the Society should be regulated.

These sentiments were universally approved of; and, after deliberate discussion, the Meeting determined to execute what was practicable; but

also to keep in view what was desirable; for this purpose, among other resolutions, it was resolved,

That the gentlemen of the Society be invited to make donations of books, and also to deposit works at the So ciety's rooms for the use of the members, the Society becoming responsible that they be restored to the owners, whenever required, in the state in which they were sent.

Various other preliminary business was transacted, necessarily previous to more active operations. Officers were chosen, pro tempore, &c. &c.

SOCIETY FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF ARTS, MANUFACTURES, AND COMMERCE.

THE London Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, has published a volume of papers communicated to the Society, classed under the heads of Agriculture, Chemistry, Polite Arts, Manufactures, and Mechanics.

In the important department of Agriculture, we have an interesting account of the plantation of 212 acres with 985,300 forest trees, by J. Lawson, Esq. of Old Mill, near Elgin, for which the Society's gold medal was awarded to him. The silver Isis medals were presented to the Earl of Jersey, and Henry Grant, Esq., for embanking three hundred acres of marsh land from the sea. By this improve ment, the land, which was formerly not worth more than 5s. per acre, is rendered worth 40 or 50s., without any further expence being incurred by the landlord.

To Mrs D'Oyley, of Red Car, near Gisborough, thesilver medal was given for the culture of bull-rushes, which, few of our readers need to be inform ed, have been consumed in vast quan

tities by the chair-makers. This lady's method of cultivating the bull-rushes was merely to divide and plant the roots which the farmers were obliged to throw out from the river Triske, on account of their obstructing the cur rent; but on a large scale, she recom mends that they should be raised from seed, which may be easily procured at the end of the year when it is fully ripe. It should be sown in the spring, in a low situation, after the floods have subsided, on a tender light soil, where it should remain a year or two. Mrs D. however, does not recollect to have seen any above a foot and a half high, that were not growing at least that depth in water. Whenever rushes were planted, the workmen threw a line across the ponds, and forced the roots into the mud, with a three-pronged fork, in rows ten inches asunder. Where, however, the water is not too deep, it is a more ready and safe way for the man to press them down with his foot. When properly cultivated, the rushes grow as rank as corn, and probably average the same quantity per acre, shooting three or four times as high. Trifling as the subject of this communication may seem, it is one of very considerable importance in a commercial point of view. The chairmakers, coopers, and others, who use immense quantities of bull-rushes, are chiefly dependent upon Holland for their supplies, which, during war, are scanty, irregular, and dear. Mrs D. has conferred a valuable service upon the country, in thus pointing out a method by which to convert ponds that are occasionally overflowed, into use and profit.

The class of Chemistry offers only three papers; but they are all of very considerable importance.

The first is a collection of receipts for making enamel colours, and for staining glass, for which the Society voted twenty guineas to Mr R. Wynn.

Explicit instructions are given for preparing and applying the colours, for which we must refer to the volume it self. The resources of modern chemistry may probably simplify and improve some of the receipts; but, as a register of actual practice, in a branch of art for the most part involved in secrecy and empiricism, it possesses sterling value.

Mr Callender's method of seasoning mahogany, for which the society rewarded him, is both simple and efficacious. The following is his process: Having provided a steam-tight wooden box, capable of holding conveniently such pieces of mahogany as are fit for chairs, &c. he adapts to it a pipe from a boiler, by means of which he fills the box (after the mahogany has been put into it,) with steam, the temperature of which is about equal to that of boiling water. The time required for wood, an inch and a half thick, is about two hours; and pieces of this thickness are stated to become sufficiently dry to work after being placed in a warm room or work-shop for twenty-four hours. By this treat ment, the wood is something improved in its general colour; and those blemishes, which are technically called green veins, are entirely removed. The eggs or larvæ, also, of any insect, which may be contained in the wood, will be destroyed by the heat of the steam. Two very important advantages are said to result from Mr Callender's process. In the first place, a considerable part of the capital, which is vested in wood lying to season during many months, may be saved. And secondly, as none of the small wood, from two to six inches thick is ever seasoned, according to the usual course of trade, chairs, ballustrades, and similar articles, which are usually made of such wood, must necessarily be very subject to warp, which incon

venience is prevented by adopting the expeditious mode of seasoning above described.

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The next article is on a new steam safety-lamp, founded on the fact, that the mixture of steam with the carburetted hydrogen of coal mines prevents the gas from exploding. For this important contrivance the public, it appears, are indebted to Dr Clanny, of Bishop-Wearmouth, whose meritorious efforts in the construction of safety-lamps, have in former years attracted the favourable notice of the society of arts. The structure of this lamp, for which the Society awarded Dr C. their gold medal, it is impossible to describe or to understand without the aid of the engraving which accompanies it. We may, however, remark, from the various trials which have been made with Dr C.'s contrivance, that it has been found an admirable preventive of explosion in mines.

These lamps may be constructed of any size, from eight inches in height to more than three feet. When much light is required, the lamps must be made large. The steam is consequently extricated in them, and in considerable quantity, which not only keeps the whole apparatus cool, but is likewise an excellent medium for causing the fire-damp to burn silently, and without explosion at the wick of the oil lamp. The strength of light afforded by these lamps is stated to be so great, that it may be thrown to a considerable distance by a mirror or mirrors in those parts of a mine where there may be such a scarcity of oxygen, that no light can be supported, and where the pit-men have hitherto been obliged to carry on their work in darkness, as is frequently the case in coal-mines. It is further added, that these lamps have given a clear light for sixteen hours, without trimming or a second supply of oil.

Mr Warren's piano-monitor for correcting the errors and assisting the weak wrists of young students on the piano-Mr Dick'sinstrument fordrawing in perspective-Mr Warcup's invention for drawing curve lines, which he terms a curvagraph-and Mr Hall's angulometer-are very useful instruments connected with the fine arts. The class of manufactures presents two papers :-one from Dr Sadding ton, on a machine for covering wire in long shops or sheds; and one from Mr Onwin, on a banding plane for cutting ornamental lines of brass and ebony, and also grooves to receive them in cabinet furniture. These pa pers are illustrated by engravings, without which the nature of the inventions described is unintelligible. Mr S. was rewarded with fifteen guineas, and Mr O. with the silver Isis medal.

In mechanics, Mr Wynn, of Farnham, has invented a time-keeper and compensation pendulum, for which a gold medal and twenty guineas were voted to him. Besides reducing friction, Mr W.'s instrument displays much novelty and real improvement in the construction of the pendulum.Much time and unnecessary labour are saved by Mr James Jones's self-adjust ing crane, for which he was also rewarded with a gold medal.-It is impossible to convey any idea of both these useful contrivances, without re. ferring to the plates by which the descriptions are accompanied. The same remark is applicable to Mr Barchard's cylindrical traversing rake, for the purpose of stirring tobacco, malt, corn, hops, &c. when drying on the kiln. To tobacco-manufacturers, this contrivance (for which the inventor received the society's silver medal,) is peculiarly valuable; as the fumes arising from it are so powerful as to render it scarcely possible for a man to go into the kiln until he has thorough

ly ventilated it, by drawing up the windows, &c.

Mr Farnham's steam-trap, Mr Caslon's gas lamp, Mr Preston's ventilator for ships' cabins, and Mr Joseph Farey's very ingenious and effectual improvements on the common ball-cock, have each their peculiar merits, and as such have been proportionably distinguished. Nor should Capt. Bagnold's contrivance for rendering a rudder serviceable after sustaining material injury be passed over. It is honourable to his ingenuity, as well as to his presence of mind; for he had recourse to it when his ship was in most imminent danger of entirely losing her rudder.

Mr Aust's machine for freeing the shaft horse of a laden cart when fallen, will, from its cheapness and simplicity, contribute to obviate the serious inconveniences of those frequent and distressing accidents which daily occur in the crowded streets of the metropolis. It consists of the simple addition to the common props of the cart of an iron bar and hook about half their length, attached to the top of each prop, and a bent iron prong at the bottom to prevent their slipping: the props are strengthened with an iron ferrule at each end. When a horse falls, the props are taken from their usual fastenings, with the hooks attached to the shaft ends; the fore-horse chains are then hooked'in at the top of the props, and, as they stick in the ground when he pulls, he raises them perpendicular, and they pull the shaft up after them; the horse's power on the props increase as they become more upright, which is essential, as it gives the best help to the fallen horse when he is about to rise.

The Society has conferred repeated and liberal rewards on life-boats and other means of saving shipwrecked mariners; on machines for superseding the present barbarous practice of cleansing

chimneys by means of climbing-boys; and on methods by which shoe-makers and other artizans may be enabled to perform their work standing, and may thus avoid the organic diseases attendant on a constrained sitting posture. Captain Bray's life-boat, Mr Wilson's chimney-sweeping machine, and Mr Coad's very ingenious and simple contrivance to enable shoe-makers to work standing, have been liberally rewarded. Mr Essex's machine for cleaning corn is confidently recommended by the society, as a very important appendage to the thrashing-mill. The grain is step by step separated from the fragments of straw, from the chaff, from the seeds of the weeds, and from the lighter grain; and, by friction and ventilation, comes out, not only thoroughly cleansed from all impurities, but also materially improved in dryness and external aspect. At the same time, the chaff is freed from the dust, with which it is usually freed in large proportion, and thus is rendered a more agreeable and nutritious food for horses, and other domestic animals. This most valuable invention was justly honoured with the society's gold medal.

Mr Conolly's telegraph system has received the attention and reward to which, from its facility and expedition, it seems fairly entitled: and Dr Davis's craniotomy forceps have been reward

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REPORT OF THE AFRICAN SOCIETY.

Delivered April 9, 1818.

The Directors begin their Report of the proceedings of the last year, by laying before the general meeting a brief view of what has occurred in relation to the foreign slave trade. The first article is upon the necessity of the right of search in time of peace, by which it appears that the Danes, and the King of the Netherlands, have acknowledged this right.

In reviewing the state of the French slave trade, it appears, that the benevolent views of the king have not been properly acted upon by individuals, and that a very culpable degree of supineness has been shewn by that government, in executing the conditions of the treaty solemnly subscribed to.' The Portuguese and Spaniards also' appear to have been extremely active in this horrid traffic, though the sincerity of the latter in its intended abolition, is argued from their having admitted the right of search.

In America, it appears that the condition of the free blacks and people of colour in the United States, amounting to 200,000, has lately excited the interest and sympathy of many leading persons in that country; and an extensive society has been formed, of which the nephew of the venerable Washington, now Chief Judge of the Federal Court, is the president. In the Isle of France and Ceylon, the same encouraging prospect is held out.

The evil effects of the revival of the slave trade are thus noticed :

The preceding part of the Report will have prepared the meeting to expect very discouraging accounts of the state of the slave trade on the coast of Africa. The report of persons on the spot is, that it has been carried on du

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