The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-17 00:00:00

PARIS ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.

SIT nNcs OF MAY 5 AND 10.

The Academy did not meet for the ordinary business
on the 3d, in consequence of the annual meeting of, the
united academies having been fixed for that day. l'he
sitting was therefore postponed to the sth. On the 10th,
the academy met in tho usual way. We subjoin are •
port of the most interesting proceedings of the two sit-
tings
A report was made by M. Poncelet on a paper by M.
de la Gournerie, an engineer, respecting a sub-marine
boat employed last year in the harbour of Croisic, for the
removal of some rocks which obstructed the entrance.
We do not, however, find in the account anything new,
except as to the modifications rendered necessary for
the peculiar purpose to which the boat was to be applied.
The means of remaining under water in a boat supplied
by air from above, were known nearly half a century
ago, and many of our readers may remember the
account given by the notorious Johnstone, the smuggler,
of the submarine boat in which he proposed to remove
the Emperor Napoleon from his captivity at St. Helena.
There has not, we believe, been much improvement upon
Johnstone's system of operation, and the submarine ap-
paratus of Croisic appears to have been on a nearly
similar plan. The real improvement in submarine navi-
gation is the discovery announced about two years ago,
by which persons may, by means of a chemical process,
which restores to vitiated air its vital properties, remain
under water several hours without receiving a fresh sup-
ply of atmospheric air.
M. Arago gave au account of some improvements
made by M. Delvigne on the apparatus employed by
Captain Manby fur saving shipwrecked persons, by
conveying to them a cable tired from a gun or mortar.
The improvement consists in a greater degree of cer-
tainty as to the arrival of the cable, and the impossibi-
lity of inflicting any injury on the persons for whose re-
lief it is meant. M. Delvigne in his experiments has
been able to cover a range of 385 metres, but he hopes
with a Paixhans gun to obtain a range of at least 100
metres more.

A report was made of a break ;for railway carriages,
invented by M. Laignel, and almost generally adopted
in Belgium, where it is said to have rendered im-
portant service, but which, in spite of all exertions
of the inventor, bas been tried by only one rail-
road company in France. The committee of the
academy charged to examine the system, and report
upon it express great approbation, and as a proof
unanimously recommend that a prize of 2,500 f. shall
be awarded to M. Laignel. W e hope this report
will have the effect of inducing some of our railroad
companies to make a fair trial of the'break; but we are
still of opinion, until a permanent commission shall be
established, with funds to pay for experinitnts, and
power to compel the use of improvements when their
utility shall have been proved, nothing, in the interest
of the public will be done. The immense number of vain
things submitted to the companies is made an excuse for
confounding good with bad, and the frequent sacrifice of
human life seems to have little effect towards the adop-
tion of plans which, in the opinion of practical men,
would diminish the danger that attends the existing
modes.

A paper was received by M. Dolfus, on the injurious
effect upon health from the stagnant water in the pools,
occasioned by the excavations along the lines of railroad,
for the purpose of using the removed earth for embank-
ments. Some of the facts stated in this paper are pain-
fully interesting. In the commune of Bollivelu, on the
Strasburgh and Bale Railroad, where there are' several
of these pools, the number of cases of malayia has in-
creased to a frightful extent. In 1842, before these
pools were made, the number of cases of marsh fever was
only 36. In 1844 it was 160. In 1845 the plants charac-
teristic of stagnant water having increased the number was
743, and in 1846 it was 1166, and this, too, in a popula-
tion of only 1446 inhabitants. The mortality also has
been greatly augmented. The average number of deaths
per year, from 1836 to 1845, was only 36, although after
1844 the evil had already begun to pronounce itself in a
striking way, but in 1846 the number of deaths was 54.
In the small commune of Fcldkirch the number of Cases
of fever in 1843 was 2; in 1844, 20 ;in 1845 „n 5
and
in 1846, 376. It is astonishing that in a country where
science has made such strides, the natural result of these
excavations was not foreseen.

M. Lallemande made a favourable report on a paper
by M. Pujeade, recommending the use of medicinal
springs during the whole of the year, instead of con-
fining it to seasons, as is now done. M. Barrol sent in
a paper showing the comparative advantages and disad-
vantages of the two modes of gilding—viz., the old
process by mercury, and the electrochemical. For
solidity he gives the preference to the former, but for
safety, where the article gilded is one for domestic use,
and comes into contact with acid, he prefers the latter.

ANECDOTES OF SIR W. SCOTT.

(From Hogg's Weekly Instructor.) -
He used to relish Creech's stories prodigiously. 1
have seen him in convulsions of laughter at a ludicrous
anecdote told by the bookseller of a country woman,
who, one market day, came into his shop (then in
the Luckenbooths) with a basket of butter on her
arm, which having deposited on the counter, to the
imminent peril of some of his most splendid "wire-wove,
hotpressed " volumes, she asked him for " tippence worth
o"oo creash." Utterly at a loss for the woman's mean-
ing, he replied that he sold nothing but books and
stationary—articles totally out of her way ; and
very naturally concluded that she was wrong in the
upper storey, civilly requested her to quit the shop,
which was much more easy in theory than practice ; for
she insisted on being served, while he insisted that h.
sold no such article. " What for div ye tell lees then?"
demanded she, stretching her neck out at the shop-
door, and pointing with one finger to the large golden
letters on the sign-board—" What for div ye pit double
00 creash over your door to cheat folk then?" It is
scarcely necessary to add, that the honest woman, whose
education had unquestionably not been first rate, had
mistaken the name on the sign- board—" W. Creech"—
for the article she demanded, which was wool grease for
the purpose of spinning.
When the mirth and laughter at this drollery had
somewhat subdued, the conversation for a few minutes
turned on the impositions of horse-dealers, Scott (who
had a ready rebound for every story) said—" Well, that
reminds me of an anecdote quite characteristic of the
fraternity, I once heard from a friend, who happened to
meet with two horse coupers at a public-house. My
friend loved everything which marked a character
strongly, and had purposely placed himself where he
could hear without being seen, and listen to a bargain
about a mare which one of these worthies wanted to sell
to his companion, whom he filled mortal fou, while he
contrived to keep himself comparatively sober. At last,
after sitting till a late hour, the bargain was concluded,
the money paid, and bill and their horses called for, each
having to ride in a different direction to their respective
places of abode ; but before mounting, the one who had
sold the " meare" turned round suddenly, and told his
companion that, though she was a guid beast, she had
twa faults—" In the first place, man," said he, " she's
unco ill to catch," " Ou, man, that's naething to speak
o', " stammered his friend ; " but what's the tither
faut?" " Wait a wee," was the reply, " till I ha'e my
fit in the stirrup (making sundry hopeless efforts to seat
himself in the saddle). Whist, noo, dinna hurry me—
hurry nac man's cattle," clapping his hand on the pocket
of his " smalls," to make sure tbat the siller was safe.
" Toot, toot, man," impatiently exclaimed he who had
bought the beast, " yer unco lang coming out wi' the
tither faut—oot wi' it ; ye telt me she was ill to catch."
" I did so," was the reply, " and noo I tell ye she's no
worth a single boddle when ye've gotten herr' Clap-
ping spurs to his steed, he was off like a shot.

FUNERAL OF TUE LATE DUKE OF ARGYLE.--
On Tuesday the remains of the late Duke of Argyle were
conveyed from Inverary Castle and deposited in the family
vault of Kilmun. Early in the morning a large concourse
of people had assembled in Inverary, habited in deep
mourning, to pay the last mark of respect to their departed
chieftain. About seven o'clock, A.M., the coffin containing
the body of the departed Duke was brought out of the castle
to the lawn in front, surrounded by the chief mourners, the
ladies of the household, and a large assemblage of the
neighbouring gentry. Prayers were offered up by the Rev.
Mr. Smith, of Inverary, after which the procession formed
and. walked down to the steam- boats in waiting, amidst a
dense concourse of people, most of whom were dressed in
deep mourning. The procession amounted to about 500 in-
dividuals. The steamers Dolphin, Craignish Castle, and the
Dunrobin Castle, were chartered to convey the funeral com-
pany to the place of sepulture. The coffin was taken on ,
board the Dophin, and deposited in the after part of the
cabin, where it lay in state, surrounded by the distinguished
relatives of the deceased and a body of Highlanders. The
vessels in Inverary harbour had their colours half-mast high,
and the various vessels which met the steamers in their course
to Kilmun, also lowered their colours as they passed. The
steamers proceeded through the Kyles of Bute with a fair
passage, and arrived in the Holy Loch a few minutes before
two o'clock, where a large assemblage of people, amounting
to about 2,000 from Glasgow and the surrounding country,
were in waiting to witness the last pageant of departed great-
ness. The forenoon of the day at liilinun and eastward was
very unpropitious, it having rained without intermission
for several hours ; and consequently the concourse of stran-
gers was not what it would have been had the morning of
the day been more favourable. By the time the funeral
procession had disembarked. the weather had cleared up, ind
the mist began to roll upwards from the hills, and the
afternoon turned out agreeable and pleasant; every eminence
along the line of procession was occupied by
orderly and respectably-dressed people, anxiouslytwen
awaiting
t minutes
the landing of the funeral train. About c rowf
pKasiitintowoo,
aoo'cdlobcokgathoetpo move towards the church,rocession was arranged on
theh pGierracoef
gim rueoa,ca hnedd
tthhee Dukeborial ovfaAolresilteobaeteindg
beet
the coffin having been deposited, the Rev. Dr. M,- Leod offered
iienfdmthourenen church ioiats. Kilmun,
up an i.npressive and fervent prayer. Immediately after
the funeral, the Duke, Lady. Emma Campbell, Mrs. Boner,
and a small party of their friends, left the ground in their
carriages ; and the company re-embarked on board the Dol-
phin, the Craignish Castle, and the Dunrobin Castle, for
their several destinations.—North British Mail.

NUMEROUS ROBBERIES.—On Saturday information
was received of the following robberies .--From Mr. Hes-
keth, in the Edgware-road, a purse, containing thirteen so-
vereigns; from the office of the terminus of the railway,
Brighton, the property of the Brighton Railway Company,
2291. 2s. 4d; from the billy-boy Sarah, lying off the Rose
and Crown-stairs, Shad Thames, the property of William
Wake, a silver watch, No. 951, chain and seals ; from Mr.
Goodfellow's, the Waterman's Arms, Lower Shadwell, several
silver spoons, a quantity of tobacco, su'iar, and clothes, be-
longing to lodgers ; from Mr. Howell's, the Haxd-in-hand,
Holborn, 60/. in gold ; from the Thatched House Tavern,
9, Red Lion-street, Holborn, a quantity of silver plate and
' linen, marked "T. H. 1."; from Mr. Brown, of South-
ampton, in a house in Leman's-pond, Southwark, 27 sove-
reigns, six 51. and four 101. Bank of England notes; and
from Mrs. Gullives, 51, Trafalgar-square, Walworth, 50
so-
vereigns, and 10s. in silver, and a quantity of plate, marked
~ S. A. 0."
MILL STOPPAGE IN WAKEFIELD.---I,Ve
learn that the extensive worsted mill of P.," •Tuesday
last. Wakefield, suspended
last. We hear that about 200 hands will
operations on
employment by this unexpected stoppage—DoncasterSamuel
Mr. Lee,
be thrown out of
regret to
Pron.