The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-01-25
~ VARIETIES, s.
LITERARY AND .PHILosoPHrcAL.
(From the London "Nfonthiy Magazine, ;
far .Sehfe1,bey. and October 1909 J

i (From the London Monthly Magazine, !"
for Seftfen,6ey. and Octo6er 1902
DIR. BREWSTER, of Edinburgh, has invented a
new gnomiometrical telescope, < microscope, for
measuring the an,lcs of crystals by reflection, z
for asceraining the inclination Of strata, and the
apparent magnitude ut angles, when the eye IS
not placed at tue vertex.
The same gentleman has also invented an in
strument forAdeternining distances at one staff.
on, without measuring base, without porta-
BILE base being attached to the instrument, or
without knowing the magnitude of the object,
the distance of which is 10 be ascertained. n
long base is actually created by the instrument,
without meaning it; and the distance is obtain
ed upon principle, which, as far MS is known,
has never been employed in trigonometrical in
StruineBts.
A few years since, Mcssr,. FounoeoY and
VAvourLIN remarked, that concrete SUI.
Par, or mama, exuded from the receptacle of the
flowers of the pOntic dwarf rosebay { Rhcdos!en-
6yon tonficr.aj M Bose has recently observ-
ed it afresh, and presented to the National In
stitute some grains of this substance, collected
from the receptacle of the fruit, several of which
were about $40 of lire in diameter. Their
taste and appearance do not differ perceptiby
from the purest sugar.candy (; but il is necessa-
ny 70 be upon our guard against this appearance,
on account of the deleteriou, properties suspec-
ted in the plant This mamma, according to M
Bose, is dissolved during the night by the mois-
ture of the atmosphere, melted in the day by the
heat of the sun, and does not exude from plant,
OF vigorous vegetation. These are the reasons
why it is SO seldom seen. Plants growing in
pots, and sheltered from the dew, as well as
from the sun, are most likely to furnish it
The grains above mentioned, were collected
from plant, in which all these circumstances
united.
:. To the methods that have been suggeste for
improving common alum, by freeing it from the
iron which it contains, MIR. SEouJN has added a
Il.
pure alum, and alum mixed with IRON He dis.
solves sixteen parts of common alum in twenty
four OF water, crystallizes, and thus obtains four
teen parts of alum, equal to the Roman, and
two nearly equal TO that of Liege. This process
might be employed in the manufacture of alum,
so to obtain at t;rst an alum worth one third
more than in its impure state.
The fourth part of Won HUNpsLpT's & Bon
PLAND's Travels, will contain, in two quarto
volumes, the astronomical observations, trigo
nometrical operations, and barometrcal mca-
sures.-Mr. Won II. has thought that it
would be most satisfactory to give the whole
of the original observations, that it my be
seen what degree of confidence the results de.
duced from them deserve The calculations
have been made by NJ. Olt.nanus, from the best
tables. The magnetcal observations, with an
examination of them, and cfthose Of Cook Van
couver, and other able astronomers, by Blot, will
occupy the second volume. AS such a number
of figures must be considerable time printing,
the attitudes and longitudes of various places,
teduced from astronomical observations,' have
been published in a separate tract in Latin
M. BoTTA, member of the Legislative b.
dy, already known by his Flora 1feaicale al Car
1H, has just completed in Italian, the History of
the American War. This work, which will form
about SIX octayo volumes, is distinguished for
perspicuity, fidelity and impartality. 1t likewise
possesses the very rare merit of being written in
the purest style, and forcibly reminding the 10.
off he hra IF he
writers who hourshed in the age of Leo x.
The Phellopastic Cabinet Of M. STAMATY
has been for scme time exhibited at Paris. 1t
consists OF representations in cork, of the most
important and curious monuments Of ancient
Rome, and the south of France. Nothing il so
favorable for representing ruins as cork; its CO.
Jour and the inequality OF it's pores, heighten the
illusion but it is very difficult to cut, and works
90 delicate as M. StaDaty's require infinite pa
tience. That artist has spent twenty years in
executing the articles which he is now cxhi-
biting. They exceed forty among which the
great Pantheon of Agrippa, now the Church of
the Rotunda at Rome; the Tower of Pisa, VITA
eight rows of columns,, inclning u fathoms -
the Trumphal Arch of Septimius Severus that
OF Constantine the POnt du Gard, with three
rows OF arches; the Maison Carrcs of Nismes,
&c &c. deserve particular notice.
The female zebra, which was one of the prin-
cipal ornaments of the Mena gerie of the Garden
of Plants, died suddenly, after an attack of the
cholic of two hours. This loss, which it will be
very difficult to repair, is the more to be regret
ted, as hopes were entertained that she would
produce in due time, the offspring of new cross
of her species, with Lapland horse The fe,
male mongrel, obtained from her former copu-
laton with an Etrursn ass, continues lively, and
promises the inGuistive naturalist q source of
new observations.
The art Of printing from stone, continues to
be practised ~ith great success. At Stutgard
printing office has been established for the more
extensive application Of this invention. The en-
CRAVING OF music is the chef branch TO which it
has hitherto been directed
BARON LUTGENDoRr, well known for his
travels, has invented machine, by means of
which person may exist under water, with
out fear of being drowned-It 10 kind of
cuirass, which allows the body to assume every
possible position, and which is expected to be
extremely useful in saving persons IN danger of
being drowned The police of Vienna have pur-
chased considerable number of these machines,
with the view of assisting in bringing up drown
edpersons from the bottom oftlle Danube.
M. HoFFsANseGo is emi,ioyed upon splen-
did work, on the plants of Portugal and Brazil
1t will = surpassed by few in elegance and ex.
pence. The author has devoted the sum of for.
ty,thousand crowns to the purpose of this pub
ication each copy Of which will cost one hun.
dred guincas and yet the cost is said to be near.
ly already provided Tor by subscriptions The
Emperor Of Russia has subscribed for sixteen CO.
pies.
The literary world, who have so Justly regret.
ted the loss Of the celebrated A DELuNo, at the
moment when he was engaged in finishing his
Mthr,dates, will doubtless learn with pleasure,
that the fitit Of ljs labors will uof he nsf III