The Sun. — London, England, 1821-10-11 00:00:00

Aa;4- NUMBER 908t4.1 OFFICE OF ORDNANCE, September 26, 1821. THE PRINCIPAL OFFICERS of His M.l - ORDNANCE do hereby give . Notice, that Proposals will be received at their Office, in Pall-Mall, on or be forejilonday, the 15th October next, from such Persons as-may be willin gto undertake the Supply of BAIN and CAP S for service of this Department far a period of Three Years, determinable after the expiration of the first year, upon Nbtice of three Months, at the Option of either Party. Patterns of the Articles may be viewed upon application a t the principal Storekeeper's Office in the Tower, and to the 'respective Officers of the Ordnance, at the Royal drsened, Prx g w ichl and farther Particulars, together with the Tema and COndiaoll4 of the Contract, may be knoual at the.Secre tarYs Officß, in Pall-Mall aforesaid, any day between the 11 " . " ".1' Ten and Four o'Clock, where the Proposals must be delivered, sealed up, and endorsed '‘ Proposals for !fats and Caps;" hut no Proposals can be admitted after the . sant 15 th October, at Twelve n'Clock ^ at Noon of the same day ; " e tther will any Tender be noticed, unless the Party making ate " dgent in his behalf, shall attend. By Order of the Board, R. H. CREW, Secreta, P ICTUeILLING-OFFICE, Oct. 5, 1821. ,ITS CO II TItiTISSIGNERS far •VICTU.4I,- LING His 31.4.IESTY'S N 4 1 71 do hereby give No tices That on Monday, Me 15M Instant, they will be ream to rec:eioe Tenders in writing (sealed up), and treat for Titre Hundred Sacks of :KILN DRIED HOUSEHOLD FLOUR, to 64t subject to the uaual taarrtutty of Twice Illcaths ; 47u1 One 7 housan4l Sacks of BISKET MEAL; To be delivered into His Majesty's Victualling Stores at bePtfoccl, in the space of one month, and to be paid fur 1 7 Bills, payable, without Interest, sixty days after date. The Conditions of the Contracts may be seen at the Secre lary's Office. ho regard will be had to any Tender in which the Price shall n t a •be inserted in words at length; or that shall not be delivered to the Board before One o'Clock on the said AleVay, the 15th Instant; nor antes.; the Per `on who niches the • Tender, or same Person on his bekalf, cutout s to answer when called for. Eac hreuderfor Flour must also be accompanied bg a "eller, 613. " 11 8 : 1 .1 two responsi¢le Persons, exiaging- to become hound the Party tendering, in the Penal Sam of about 15/. der " 14 ' 'Tan the amount, for thedue 'perfor . mance.of the ~ riIIIIRTIETH of THIS MONTH (October) Lottery begins. Three Prizes of 30,0001. and Thirty ' l ! ) tr iCapitals, besides 6,700 other Prizes !—All Sterling li "eY I—No Stock Prizes I—Every Ticket drawn singly. Tichets and Shares are selling by T. BISH, 4, Cornhill, a t Z I (314 Ting Cross, who has sold more than Half of all Plizes that have ever been. e st * The Prices of Stocks are affixed hourly against DISH'S in Co rnhill, by which the Public may see the flue- 141a1 ions. , 86th of THIS MONTH, THE GRAND MONEY LOTTERY BEGINS. CARROLL, the CONTRACTOR, reminds bra Ws Friends and the Public of the approach of the The Scheme has received the most - decided Appro a contains 'THREE OF £sn,oi►o! ! ! THIRTY OTHER CAPITALS, and NOT TWO BLANKS to a PRIZE! ! ! Theie are No Classes, and Every Prize is Sterling Money. CARROLL'S Offices, 19, CORNIIILL, and 26, 01F01tD SIItEET, have always been remarkable for the Sale of Ca- Prizes. The Very Last 90,0001. Prize ever drawn 10 .• 46, a 2l ,0001. Prize, and many Smaller Capitals in the Last Lottery, were all Shared and Sold by CARROI.L. EAST-STREET, RED LION-SQUARE. BE LET by the Masters, Governors, ,sa. and Tru s t ees o f the BEDFORD CHARITY, on a Re- IV ri ng Lease, for a Term '4 /2 Years and a Half from s'iristrnas•oext, a H u OUSE,East-strtet, Red Lion Pet suns desirous of taking the same, are to send in b t u d P u sals in writing, sealed up, to the Receiver, Mr. Goto loth94, Great Russell-street, Bloomsbury, on or haute the arr ") . of Noveber next. A form of the Proposal ? and 4 at N' o ctd ar of then epairs, may be seen on the Pre rises, or 4nd ' 9 , Great Russell-street, between the Hours of Eleven oree. • • po RT SE A, .H AN T S.-HOUSEHOLD It URNITURE, valuable assemblage , c , its . NC Old r , HP FLEMISH, an d DUTCH, I'AIN INGS; Fare e ud e n t ,s , small but wellselected Libiary, 208 Ounces of mat& 'late, Plated old Repeating and Hunting Stuffed s ' Jewellery and Trink e t s; an extensive collection of t.‘, 1 11 4 - I'll!, Shells, and Fossils; superior toned Finger - "' n eets ' . - I' China, Glass, Linen, and numerous .valuabl e which „tate the property of Mr. John Payne, decease d: eretni, Wl ll he SOLD by AUCTI N, , .11 Air. CROOK, on th e th e 30 1 1 ) No. 130, Q ueen -street,, Purtsea, on TUESDA Y, ° f OCTOBER, 1321, and following days, atj:leven Pr eelsely.—The whole may be viewed three days pre eat!, ° the sale, (Sunday exceptedY, and Catalogues, at 6d. m 9 he be had, in due time, at the Auction Mart, Bat tho hour:%'"htne, London ; at the principal Inns in the neigh and _?,g towns • Promenade Rooms Southsea Place of Sale; " r • k " Rat 89, High-street, . In t DR,. KNOX'S SPIRIT OF DESPOTISM. i,_ ". Press, handsomely printed in an octavo volume, price 10s. Ø. hoards. TIT E SPIRIT OF DESPOTISM.- Load ° . B . y VICESIMUS KNOX, D.D. Hoge 4 • originally printed 17.35; reprinted by William , P 45, Ludgate-hill, and 32, Pnternoster-row, 1821. ----......—__ In Tins Day was published, T Wo.volumes, isnio. 15s. boards, or 11. calf gilt, E LIFE and ADVENTURES of GUZ- I go fMAN D 'ALFARACHE; or the Spanish Rogue, trans roin LE SAGE. By JOHN H. BRADY. t_rca‘dwyehcaosngratulate, th e public 'Ton the additior,Nl'made to their , literary amusements. " This °me of the most amusing. works we know."—(European Ma gaaine, May 1821.) Scl 4 , g il lir ', B rady has executed his duties as a Translator with ,!Y.' --(New Monthly Mag. 1821.) of ..Fhe Translator has produced a very entertaining version (al:he. adventures of that prototype of adventaters—the taller Gliz maii."—(Literary Gazette, I st 14 '1 I "I j •°rltnian and Co. Paternostei-row; and J. M. i t: ticbardsont AGRICULTURE, &c. PLOUGHIING MATCH AT EAST WICKHAM.' The pursuits of agriculture are ofaniiture so interesting to every mind capable of receiving delight from simple and natu ral objects, and are at the same time of so much importance in .a national point of view, that' we feel it to be unnecessary to offer any apology for calling attention to the establishment of a society for the improvement of agriculture. The society to which we allude is called " The Agricultural Association of the Hundred of Blackheath, Little and Greater Lessness ; 7 and Huxley, in the county of Kent ;" and it has been founded prin cipally by, the exertions of Mr. Dickson, an active and intel ligent Scotch Gentleman. When Mr. Dickson came to reside in the Hundred about a. year ago, lie was struck by the clumsy construction of the ploughs which were generally used in the. county. Mr. Dickson observed, that the great draught of these ploughs rendered it necessary to employ three horses and a driver, besides as man to manage the plough, a nd s a w th a t if he could succeed in introducing the use of ploughs of a lighter construction, similar to the Scotch ploughs, which require only two horses and a ploughman, a great saving of expence would be effected in favour ()laic farmer. Mr. Dickson; however, found. all his recommendations of the light plough thrown away upon the.fariners owing to their-attachment to old habits, acid their dislike of ;hat they called innovation.. They thought their plou, , ,rhs 'worked-well; and needed 'no' 4 - rtiendinett. But Mr. Dickson was.not to be deterred from endeavouring to do good to the farmer and hepersuaded several of his neighbburs to join with him in forming a society, which- by offering premiums for th'e emplOyment of two-horse light ploughs, would excite a spi rit of emulation, and enable the. farmers to obtain practical *evi dence of the utility of the light ploughs. In March last about JO Gentlemen, including two Noblemen, enrolled` their names as members of the new Association, which, as we think, will appear from the following list of premiums already offered, is calculated' to prixille results highly beneficial to the neighbour hood in which it.is established. The Society propose to give— To the best ploughman, having two horses without a driver, 3]. 3s. To the second best ploughmun, having two horses without a driver, 21. 2s. To the third best, ditto, 11. ls. Then follow three premiums for the three best ploughmen with three horsy, though to a less amount. To the ploughmaker who makes the best plough, to be ap proved by the Committee upon trial4n the field, 21. 2s. To the agricultural, servant who has served his master (a Member of the Society) the greatest.number of years, 11. ls: To the married servant who has brought up the largest family, the youngest child being under one year of age, without paro chial assistance, 11. 2s. _ _ , To the shepherd who has raised the greatest number of lambs from an equal number of ewes, not less than 100, 11. Is. • • For the best drill machine that will sow 9 and 10 ridges at once, froth 7,9, and 18 to 27 inches a p a rt, w ith cu p s for all kinds of grain and seed, the price of which is not to exceed 251.; '2l. 2s. To the maker of the best winnowing machine, price not to exceed 121., 2 21. 2s. Tuesday last was the day ' appointed for the trial of skill among the competitors for the premiums for ploughing, and the match took place in a field of 27 acres, belonging to Nlr. Stod art, of East Wickham. There were thirty-two candidates for the premiums, a proof of the spirit of emulation which the so ciety.has already excited,- to each of whom half an acre was al lotted to plough. The scene which the field presented was in a . high degree interesting. Many of the surrounding entry pa raded up and down the ground on, horseback and on foot, at tentively watching the-labours of the ploughmen. Among the labouring classes, too, the day seemed to be observed as a holy day, -and large numbers of them repaired to the field, anxious to witness the skill.of their relations or friends. • When the candidates had comPleted their tasks, three prac tical farmers, who had been appointed the judges, inspeoted the ground, and deereed the first prize, for the two horse ploughs, to 'William Brack, ploughm an t o M r . C o lli er, o f Crayford. The second prize was awarded to James Black, ploughman to Mr. Dickson, Kidbrooke, Blackheath • and the third prize to Thomas Tilly, ploughm a n- t o Mr. Stodart, of East Wickhaiii. The first prize for the three horse ploughs was won by James Priug, ploughman to Mr. Owen, of- North-park farm; the se-' coral by John 'V ploughman to Mr. Pap, of Erith ; and the third by James Kimpton, ploughman to Mr. Saunders, of Bexley. The successful candidates were loudly cheered by the populace, and decorated with ribands ; and in order that their less fortunate compeers might participate in the general joy, the Society with great- liberality presented ss. to each. After-the rites were awarded, a large party of gentlemen repaired to the N'ag's Head tavern at Welling, and partook of a substantial English dinner. After dinfier the customary toasts upon such occasions were drank. Mr. DICKSON, who was in the Chair, then proposed the health of " Mr. Coke, the best landlord and . farmer in Eng land." Mr. ROBERTSON then gave the health of Mr. Dickson, the founder of the society, which was drank with much applause. Mr. Mc - le - soli . , in rising to return thapks for the honour which the company had done him by drinking his health, ob served that he might be allowed perhaps lo make a few observa tions with respect to the society of which he might be considered the founder. The society at the pr . esent time consisted of between 80 and 90 noblemen, gentlemen, and farmers. It might indeed be considered to be in a flourishing state, as the number of sub scribers was daily increasing. It was true that the plan of the society had originated with him, but he had been greatly as sisted in carrying it into effect by the exertions of the gentlemen composing the committee. These gentlemen had - consented to serve for the ensuing year, and he hoped that by their means the numbers of the society would be doubled at the. next anni.. versary. It would always give him great ple as ure t o d o any thing in . his power to support the institution whilst he lived in that part of the country. It was the interest of farmers to sup port the society. In a time of such general depression as the present, it became necessary to retrench all expenses as much as possible ; and if the farmers could be convinced that two horses could draw a plough of 4cwt., they might effect a saving of 30 percent. The worthy gentleman concluded, amidst applause, with toasting the Committee. Mr. GHAT %Vim (one of the Committee) observed, that al though his colleagues felt honoured by the fl a tt er i ng ment i on which Mr: Dickson had made of then, yet they.were persuaded that they could do little without the assistance of that gentle man. With respect to the society itself, he was of opinion that it would be attended with great moral good to that part of the 'country:. _ Many other toasts were drank, and . seyaral songs were sung during the course of the evening, and the company finally de parted, evidently much gratified with the events of the day. THE HARVEST. A great part of the crop in Ayrshire still remains uncut, and much of it lies unsecured in the sheaf. The wheat seems nearly an average crop ; about two-thirds of it are got in safe, the re mainder is a little sprung. Such oats as are got in early wii yield well ; but, in general the fibres attached to the pickles are so loose on the stack that there is a considerable less . in harvest ing and 'housing it. It. is an ascertained fact that the whole of Scotland, and at least three of the most northerly coun ties in England,. have not suffered any thing of importance from the late rains, and the harvest has thus far equalled the generality of harvests, and surpassed many. It must, however, be granted that the-severity of the dry weather in summer has very considerally injured the crops of Oats, barley, turnips, and even potatoes, in a great part of this district. On very rich highly cultivated ground, the texture of which is neither very friable nor very tenacious, the crops of these varieties arc good ; but on all light, very tenacious, and ill managed soils, the oats and barley do not average, in some instances, more than one half, and in other instances more than two thirds of a crop. Late sown turnips are general) , bad, though they have Much improved from the late reins. _(Ayr Paper.) EXTRAORDINARY COCIIIIBER.—A cucumber has been reared in the garden of .Mr. Maccalloch, of Guernsey, which 'on Sunday se'nnight measured seven feet, and it was supposed it would still grow five inches more. Its circumference is five inches. The country of the birth of this vegetable is not yet as certained ; some supposing it to have been brought from Botany Bay; and others from Persia. The seeds were first introduced into this country by Sir Joseph Banks. It was sown in the latter part of June last ; and it would have grown better if it had been sown a month sooner. The shape of this cucumber 'is exactly that of a snake,: ‘ and the surface striped, or rather . wrinkled, and the colour dark -green. It is essential to observe, that it has grown in nn open ground ; merely with the protection of 4 bell glass. (. 4 , Att, r r , . 4.e. _.. • ~."*. ~. , :.; _,....._.i ,„ ..., vs/ ~., , ::. ,! _c _ r -,... 1 —73 J N ! V.l-_,: , r N.-, • . . ''.-- it 4 „e•t -Iv - ',. 4. • • , ' 7,.....---.--- ~ " - ..N" ....-:, ~ .zt„,t. 41.• 'I L I' Wit -A .7S , Ca,, /, ' ,41, ' ~, !4 3 3 / 4 . . : e ., 3O V •,,.. ' 41; r k , ~, it . 7 4T 1 4:.. '",,,-- _ A . 4 * z kt- ,;. .9i4es,^ "71,, t ,/" i // 4.11 // THURSDAt. OCTOBER AFRICA.-RI %TER NIGER. The ascertainment of the source of the Niger, near to our colony at Sierra Leone, or of a stream which can be navigated to a junction with that great river at or dbout Bammakoos, would; by the common course of trade, even in the, imperfect state in which trade is carried on in Africa, place in the hands of the colonists the benefit of sup plying European commodities to all the nations on the banks of the river through an immense range of its course. All the productions of the country which are given in return for the articles imported, would coma hither, and these are the most valuable productions of Africa. Informa tion collected from liberated negroes, brought originally from the vicinity of the place to be visited, has led the persons wbo conversed, with those negroes, to concluck, that the source to be discovered there_is 4.105 e to the source .of the river Caramanea, which is the southern bounthiry of the colony.. It was supposed, therefore, that the shortest course to arrive at the object would be by tracing the Caramanca upwards. By this, or by some other direct course, a much nearer communication with Bammakoo may be esta blished at a future time ; but at present it would be better to proceed through Fontah Jallon ; for in that way there is some intimation of a known path, and the influence of the Foulabs could give protection. In. the other line, thq way itself, and the dispositions of. the people, would be al together matterof experiment; consequently we must, on the principles of prudence and practica bility which have governed all our reasonings on this subject, revert to the propriety of establish ing a communication with Teembo, and a good un derstanding with the Foulah chiefs,before any ulte rior enterprise shall be undertaken from the colony. According to an observation taken, by PARK at Marraboo, a little further down the course of the Niger than Bammakoo, the river flowing east ward, the latitude of that place would be about 12 deg. 30 min. North. The latitude of Teembo is about 10 deg. North ; that of Port Logo pro bably about the same as the latitude of Sierra Leone—we will say nearly S deg. 30 min. Thus Bammakoo would be about four'degrees more to the northward, and Teembo one degree and a half; the difference of longitude we are not en abled to calculate ;''hut as Teembo -is stated to be_distant ten days' jduruey, or about 200 miles from Port Logo, we may conceive the excess above the difference of latitude to be in an easterly line ; Bammakoo will probably be in the same proportion east as well as north of Teembo. The fountain of the river to be ascer tained is to be supposed ten days' journey from Teembo; and the way thence to Bammakoo, partly by land and partly by water, ten days' journey more ; thus thirty days' travelling would be sufficient to arrive at Bammakoo. The return would not require so much time. Allowing for accidents and delays, voluntary as well as invo luntary, the whole expedition, out and home, may be accomplished in four months. We hope to see the time when it will be done in one month. With respect to the supposition that the Niger passes into the Nile, the informa tion obtained in the Colony, by inquiries among. Africans brought from the borders of the Niger, as tar as Houssa and Bornou, is against that supposition. It must be admitted, that this information is very indistinct and indecisive; for Africans, at best, are but confined travellers, and by no means acute observers; and those who are sold into slavery are to - be generally regarded as by no means of the first class of their respective nations. But the chief priest of Dallah Maham madoo's settlement on the Bullom shore, oppo site this town, who has travelled from the shores of the Red Sea', on the borders of Egypt, through Houssa, and who appears a very correct, as well as a very intelligent man, declares that he did not pass any large river until he 'caxe to the Niger, on his way hither from Hougsa. Accord ing to the supposition in the extract from The Quarterly Review, he should have crossed it as he passed towards the junction with the Nile : he thinks the Niger flows into the Red Sea.— The communications obtained from this person are very interesting ; we hope that his Majesty's Government may order the publication of them, together with the other similar tracts collected in the office of the Colonial Secretary. SCARCITY OF WATza.—ln a former paper, we noticed the very unseasonable hours at which the water is put on at some of the public wells in the city.. We understand that this is entirely owing to its deficiency, which, at present, is so great, as to make it absolntely necessary for the different wells to he served- progressively, as there is not a sufficient quantity to permit the whole being put on at. one time ; and that the water cannot be turned on at the wells COM plained of at a more. convenient time, _without making•an equally late delivery in other parts of the town, where a greater supply is wanted. The,proving of the water-pipes, which has Also been objected to at this time, - when water is so scarce, has been discontinued by order of the Directors of the Water Company.--( Edinburgh Courant, Oct. 8.) There is, s. - ,`,;j;:jhe French Papers, a man named Cret, living in the commune of Challen o near Gex, who has reached the age of 111 and some months, and is still so robust as to do the work of an agricultural labourer. On, Friday last a - considerable quantity of French silks, &c. were seized at Eastbourne, in the dwelling-houses of two individuals, by two officers from London, and deposited in is Ma jesty's stores. Nl_ LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. [PROM VARIOUS SOURCES.] Nd. NUMISMITOLOGY.—(Extract o f a . Leitei- pion.; Dr. Sickler.)—" I have great pleasUre iii ac quai-nting you, that we possess 'in this neighbour hood a collection of coins, which may becalled - unique in its kind. • Mr. Von, .Douop, Vice;; Chancellor in Meiningen, - has now in his hands the whole collection of silver coins found in Jersey, amounting to nearly a thOusarid: - Among these, there are scarcely 80 . totally intelligible, but 300 in perfect preservation, and about 200 with characters, which do not so much resemble .. • the old , Irish alphabet, as they are remarkably similar to the Sauscrit. Besides this, we find upon these coins several ancient Egyptian hiero glyphics ; among others in particular, the sacred Tau, sometimes standing alone, sometimes -in closed in a circle, the spiral, the half globe, with ray-s issuing from, it, &c. I think I may justly assert, or at least hope, that these coins will most probably, when theyhave:been carefully and ju diciously studied, throw•great light not only upon Celtic - antiquity, but also upon Germany, and the whole North of Europe. I shall-not fail to communicate, in due time, farther - accounts of this most valuable collection, .-'which has hitherto been kept in England, and, as it were, buried a second time." HORIZONTORIUM•—This instrument affords a pleasing optical illusion, anti, was invented by a person named Shires. The illusiod is produced by the picture of a castle, projected on a hori zontal plane, whence its name is derivea. The picture• is laid flat on the table, with the light on the left of the Spectator. In front there is a small perpendicular parchment sight, with a grove in it, to which the eye is applied, and the effect is, that the whole appears to be solid building ; the walls of the castle, the ruin of a well, &c. &c. being, in every respect, like a model, in stead of a coloured horizontal projection. By removing the candle to the floor, that which was a sun light becomes a moon-light scene.. The illusion, though very pretty, in its principles . is not entirely new. GREEN PAINT.—Gas tar, Mixed - with yellow ochre, makes - an invisible green paint, very use ful for preserVing coarse wood-work, or other articles, where more ornament is required than tar alone. 0 IMPORTANT DISCOVERY.—Mr. Lister has dis covered a simple method for letting the hydro gen gas out of coal-mines before it becomes ex plosive. lie asserts that all the coal strata pro duce this gas when exposed to atmospheric air; that he has visited many mines that are not liable to explosion, which arises from their peculiar situa tion in the earth. He has found that all coal mines, whose entrance is betwixt the horizontal line, and the angle of forty-five degrees, are not liable, to the accumulation of hydrogen, the cause of which he proves from a law of nature in the gravitation of fluids. The explosion of hydrogen in a coal-mine, he calls the ferocious rage of a fiery dragon, the safety lamp a muzzle to the dragon, which too often leads the miner to: his destruction, as it induces him to work where the hydrogen has accumulated. The lamp not af fording him sufficient light to shew the fissures of the falling coal, tempts him to remove the gauze, by which not only himself, but his fellow workmen are immolated in a moment. THE PARISIAN COUNCIL OF HEALTH . !•as just published the result of its labours during 1820. Among the discoveries which have particularly attracted attention, Are, a fermented liquor called claret, extremely refreshing and economi cal, and calculated to be a substitute for beer and cider; and a liquor for keeping eggs fresh for the space of a year. The aid administered to drowning and suffocating persons, last year pre, rented the most satisfactory results;• of sixty drowning persons, forty.-seven have been. restored to animation. It is expected that the loss of .Im. man life will be still further diminished on the adoption of the new plan of stationing well trained Newfoundland dogs, under the guidance of intelligent keepers, along the banks of the •Seine. A new method of ventilating theatres and crowded rooms, has, on the recommendation of the Council, been introduced at the Opera. By this new plan, the air may be continually re newed without lowering the temperature, which May always be regulated according to the season and the number of spectators. EGYPTIAN WHITINGS.—At a late meeting Of the Royal Academy of Inscriptions; at Paris, M. Champollion presented to the Academy a part of- his-work pn Egyptian writings, designed to form au, appendix to the two volumes already published. After noticing the Egyptian modes of writing in 'hieroglyphics, and in what has been thought alphabetical or Merengue, he comes to the Conclusion that the Egyptian MSS. of the second kind are not alphabetical. 9411 y, That the_second,mode of writing is only a simple mo dification Of the 'hieroglyphic, and differs_ only in the form of the signs used. 3dly, That the second species is the hierelique of Greek authors, and should be regarded as a hieroglyphic, graphy. 4thly, That the hieratic characters are signs of things and not of sounds. M. Chanlpol lion enthavoured to find the numerical signs in this species of and he was not a little surprised to discover - that some of the characters corresponded . with the cyphers of. the Hindoos and Arabs, and like them derive a value. Crom position. GYANOTUS _ELECTRICUS.—A symizotus elec.= PRICE SEkriNPEIVCE trac s, or electric eel, lately arrived 'alive and sit food health, from Surinam at the Jardin des Plantes, at Parts. The savans -and naturalists 4 , ,re. alt-in ; motion, and hastened to see . with their own eyes, and: touch with their o\in.hands . this living electrical machine. The greater number Were satisfied with a single touch an&c:onsequent shock ; but one Doctor, either urged. by a greater 'zeal for science, or governed by, a moreinsa tiable curiosity, resolved to try the uttrioSt ekten't of the animal's powers, and seized it with both his -hands, but had quickly reason to repent.his temerity, for he immediately felt a rapidly repeat ed" set ies of the most violent and successively' in creasing shocks, which forced him to caper about in the most extraordinary manner, and to utter the most piercing screams from the agony that he felt. He then fell into convulsions, in conse quence of which his muscles became so contracted, or 'from some strange property iu the fish, it became impossible to detach the animal from. his grasp. In this situation he remained a con- siderable time, and would in - all probability have expired under the 'agony of his sensations, if some one of the persons present had not suggest ed the plunging of his hands in -water, when the eel immediately dropped off.—He. (the doctor) has been since most dangerously ill. . NATURAL- ISTOR Ir.-A heavy shower of snails was reported to have fallen lately near Tocking ton, in Gloucestershire. Ground, to-the extent of two acres, is said to haie been covered with them.. ' These supposed" specimens of the -sideral systems were eagerly purchased by the curious and the credulous, who will probably be some what surprized to learn, that they may pick up bushels of sinailaf rarities favourable situa. tions, any morning between - the hours of four and six o'clock. The natural history of this snail is accurately given in: Montague's Testac'ea Britannica, Its name is Felix z , irgatiz ; or .Zoned Snail. Shell. ". It may be considered," he .says:, "as a local species ; but is found in prodigiou.s abundance iu some sandy or barren stony situa tions,, most plentifully near the coast, especially about Whitsand-bay, Cornwall, and in the South of Devonshire, where .it is believed they contri bute not a little to fatten sheep, the ground be ing covered with them." This snail occurs also abundantly in the neighbourhood of Bristol,: and County of Somerset. On approaching heat they are observed to leave their hiding-place near the roots of grass, crawling upon- the leaves and plants near it, •and thus- becoming visible to, the superficial observer. From this remark Of Montague, -and the well-known fact that snails furnish much nourishing matter, it would be; perhaps, best for the farmer' belonging to the field at Tockington, to tura into it a flock of sheep * which would soon crush the snails, in' eatilig them with the grass, and they would: doubtless improve thereby. In this phenomenon the phi losophic mind will easily trace the provision of nature to render these snails (fattened near the roots of C:e succulent grass) a pasture, ,V, hen parched by the rays of the sun, of a most nou rishing nature to herbaceous animals. A. Kimilar circumstance occurred in the same field about three years ago. PENTATEUCII.—Moses Samuel, Esq. of Bold street, Liverpool, has presented to the Library of the LiverpoolAthenoeum, a Manuscript Pen.. tateuch, or Sacred Law of the Jews. This sin ,gular curiosity is of very great value, and beauti fully written on a roll of tine vellum, four inches wide, and upwards of 45 feet long ;it is attached at each end to an ivory roller, and the whole is inclosed in a splendid case of crithson, velvet.. A. special meeting of 'the Committee was summoned for the purpose of receiving this valuable present; and an ark was , ordered to be prepared for its preservation, under Mr. Samuel's directions.--- ; Rich as this Library has always been in literary treasures, it is now indebted to' the generosity of Mr: Samuel for its greatest rarity. • • RECEIPT FOR. PRESERVING MILK.—The fol lowing method. of preserving milk at sea, during the longest voyage, and in the warmest climate, equally sweet as when it was 'first drawn from the cow, ought to be more generally known Provide a quantity.of pint or quart bottles (new ones are perhaps. the best); they must be per- . fectly sweet and. , clean,. and likewise verydry . before they are made use of. Instead of diaw' in g the - milk from the cow into the pail as usual it . is to be milked into*the bottles ; as soon as any, of them are filled sufficiently, they shoufd be . immediately well corked with the very best corks, in order to keep out the external air, and fastened tight with packthread or wire, as .the corks in bottles which contain cider genera'ly are. Then on the bottom of an iron or copper boiler spread a little straw; on that lay a row Of the bottles filled with milk, with some:straw be-. twixt each to prevent them from breaking, and so on alternately, until the boiler has got a suffi:: cient quantity; then fill it up with cold water Heat the water gradually until it begins: to boil; and as soon as thatis : p,erceivable draw _the fire ; the bottles must remain undisturbed in the boiler until they are quite cold; then take them out and afterwards pack them in hampers, either with straw or saw.-dust and stow them in the cooliest part of the ship. Several years since the writer tasted some milk on board a Swedish`or Danish ship in the harbour of Liverpool, which had b.een carried twice to the West Indies ? and hack to Denmark. The Captain said it was milked into the bottles at Copenhagen upwards, of eighteen months previous to that time ; it was .as sweet pr more so (we imagined), then when first milked from the cow.' The perpetual motion of the sea in time improVes milk equally as much as it does. Madeira -wine.