The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-17 00:00:00

LONDON INSTITUTION.

The fourth and last Corwersatione for the season was
• held at this institution on Wednesday evening. The at-
tendance was as numerous as on former occasions. The
lectnre on the occasion was by E. Cowper, Esq., the
professor of manufacturing art at King's College, " On
self-registering instruments." Perhaps there tire no in..
strutnents which more fully exhibit the great triumph
Of scieuce and persev(rance in the nineteenth century
than those which were on Wednesday evening described
by the professor. Amrigst them were the anemometer
and rain-guage of the Royal Exchange, and the count-
ing machine of the Bank, both of which are so well-
known as to require no lengthened detail. Three new
instruments—a pyrometer, a thermometer, and a fire-
alarm—wei e exhibited, the action of all of which de-
pended on electro-magnetism. The pyrometer con-
sisted of a metallic bar, which, when it expanded to a
certain extent, made connexion with a voltaic battery,
which, by a mechanism similar to that in the electric
telegraph, struck a bell. In the same way the thermo-
meter caused the striking of the bell when the fluid con-
tained therein had expanded to a certain extent. The
fire-alarm consisted of a small metallic apparatus which,
when heated, act in the same way upon the voltaic ap-
paratus and the electro-mageetic bell, and thus gave
notice of danger. The other apparatus described, such
portrait,
uuse coalr(tui
as the dry gas-meter, are m re familiar to the general
reader. They were clearly described by Mr. Cowper,
who, by the aid of models, diagrams, and the instru-
ments themselves, succeeded in gratifying his audiemes.rt
Amongst the excellent and interesting objectsof
of
and science laid out in the Library for the inspectionatioularlv
the members and visitors, our attention w,,,a,a,iep particularly
attracted -,,f
attracted to the following :—A mosaic
the
Sir Thomas Luwrence's
Georgeof some
Fourth. This superb
thousands of pieces of various ermoe(l:dn stonessits
character of an oil painting,
such a way as to give the
tl
every degree
work.
ery of light and
and to represent most corortesc
ucyh a work must have taken
shade. The completion
valued at the high sum of 1,000
years of labour ; it is
fine
.., ,
of d
o.
~ t ,
' Some very specimens a„uctro ype,
guineas.
the productions
of Mes,rs. Claud, t, Leretirns,, and
Egerton, were also exhibited. A beautiful model of the
Portland vase, of the same size as the original, manufac-
tured by Vie electrotype process by Mr. H. Cox'; and
some specimens of wood-carving by machinery, toy
Messrs. Turner wore much admired. A new firm of ap-
paratus fur the exhibition of the magnetism of bght at-
tracted much attention. In this apparatus, which con-
sisted of a glass tube, fitted at each end with a tourma-
line, placed within a sott iron core, surrounded with a
copper wire helix. the light is polsrised by the first
tourmaline, and anmyseil by the second. When the po.
lariAid ray is perfectly invisiole through the tour inaline,
which acts as the eye-piece, cormexion with the batteri
immediately renders it visib!e. This mo.lification d
Farraday's apparatus we deem an exc,llent one.

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SINGULAR ACCIDENT.—On Thursday a young man,
named Archbold Donaldson, undertook for a trifling wager,
to carry two sacks of flour at one time for a distance of 20
yards. Donaldson was possessed of great personal strength,
and when the sacks (which were tied together) were lowered
by means of a crane upon his shoulders, he walked off under
his burthen. Before, however, he had gone many yards, he
suddenly fell, and on his companions raising him they found
blood gushing from his ears, eyes, n,se,land mouth. He was
removed to a surgeon's, when it was ascertained that some
internal vessel had been ruptured, causing an injury from
which there are no hopes of his recovery.
We annex an account in full fr,ln the Emigration
Office of the number of passengers which sailed this month
for Quebec, from this port, viz.—Borneo, 310; China, 209;
Ninian, 243; Jane Black, 38e I Priinros,. 361; Nerio, 140;
Mary of Milford, 28. Total, 1,772. For St. John's, New
Brunswick, Hornet, 40 passengers. The folkwing ships are
vet to sail, and all the berths are engaged;—Governor,
Thetis, Energy, Ann Moore, Bryan Abbs, Ellen Forestal,
Sara); and Stadacvnda,—Limerick Chronicle.