Star.
London, England, 1824-09-16 00:00:00

M MICA I. BAROMETER.

A Gentleman at Burkil, by the name of Ventain, not
far from Basle, -in Switzerland, invented, some yeas
ago, a sort of musical barometer, which has been called
in. German teetterharfe (weather harp), or riesen harfe
(giant harp), which possesses the singular property of
indicating changes of the weather by musical tones.—
This Gentleman was in the habit of amusing himself
by shooting at a mark from his window, and that he
might not be obliged to go after the mark at every
shot, he fixed a piece of iron wise to it, so as to be able
to draw it to him at pleasure. He frequently remarked,
that this wire gave musical tones, sounding exactly
an octave, and he found that any iron wire, extended
in a direction parallel to the meridian, gave this tone
every time the weathei changed. A piece of brass wire
gave no sound, nor did an iron wire extended east and
west. In consequence of these observations, a musical
barometer was constricted. In the year 1787, Captain
Hans, of Basle, made one in the following manner:—
Thirteen pieces of iron wire, each 320 feet long, were
extended from his summerhouse to the outer court,
crossing a garden. They wee placed about two inches
apart; the largest %%ere two lines in diameter; the
smallest only one; and the others were about one and
a half. They were on the side of the house, and made
an angle of 20 or 30 degrees with the hcrizon. They
were stretched and kept tight by wheels for the pur-
pose, Every time the weather changes, these wires make
so much noise that it is impossible to continue concerts
in the parlour, and the sound sometimes resembles that
of a tea-urn when boiling, sometimes that of an harmo-
nica, a distant bell, or an organ. In the opinion of the
celebrated chemist, M. Dobereiner, as stated in the But.
letin Technolagicue, this is an electro-magnetical pheno.
rnenon. Do any of our Readers know of sucl: an instru-
ment having ever been tried in Li; itain Chen:Lt.

The LORD CH A NCELLOR has bagged a number of birds
this season. He is an excellent shot, and is always early
in the field.

Slur CoLustaus.—As we think that whatever con-
cerns this vessel must be interesting to our Commercial
Readers, we offer no apology for presenting them with
the following eight and dimensions of her ground
tackle:—

Tins. re I.frs.l6s.
I chain cable, 2 in. diameter, 120 fathoms . 11 9 0 6
I chain cable, 2 in. diameter, 120 fathoms . 11 7 220
anchor for chain cable, Mews. 1 qr. 271135. t
4 3. 3 10
Shackle therein, 3cwt. 1 qr. 1 Ilbs.
Thirty years ago it was thought quick travelling
from London to Oxford in 20 hours, but twice last
'week the Magnet Cheltenham . coach performed the
journey from Cheltenham to London (a distance of 100
miles) in eight hours and a half, with a full load, in-
cluding a stoppage of 25 minutes for breakfast
Letters were anciently fastened with.wax and ravelled
silk, as late as 1595, and continued until 1678. One
from Christine Il."of Sweden, to Charles 11. Sir John
Cullum says he saw so seemed. This custom is men-
tioned by Shakspeare, in his Lover's Complaint:
" Letters sadly penn'd in blood,
With sleided silk, feat and affectedly,
Enivrath'd and seed to curious secrecy."

OUTRAGES IN CORSICA.
The Journal of Corsica furnishes a series of crimes :
" On the Sd of August, after a disturbance which
took place at Paggiodimorians between two brothers,
Bastien and Martin Albertini, both labourers and of
the same commune, the latter killed the former with a
hatchet by two blowy on the kead, and then stabbed his
sister in law with a stiletto in the groin. The assassin
afterwards fled.
" On the 13th of the same month the wife of Sieur
Antoine Ercole, an inhabitant of Bastin, was sitting be-
fore the door of her house with a soldier, who was pre-
sumed to be her gallant, when her husband ordered her
to go in. The woman, seeing that, upon her refusing,
her husband would force her to obey him, immediately
rose, and baying a carving-knife in her hand, gm him
three stabs, by which he was severely wounded.
" On the 16th of the same month, one Sicche, of St.
Margaret, in the Duchy of Genes, having embarked iu
an opeb boat, reached the island of Rousse, in company
with a friend named Galinna. Sicche now asked for
some supper, when Galinna requested him to accom-
pany him to the Custom-house. Sicche here repeated
his request, upon which Galinna, who seemed to be
sporting with his carbine, said—' Ilere is what I have
to give you to eat!' The unfortunate Sicche tried to
turn away the muzzle of the piece, but ineffectuAly ; it
went off, and the ball passed through his body. It Ap-
peared, however, the wound was not mortal ; the crimi-
nal, who took to flight, is pursued."