The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-01-25


gari:sn language, by Professor RUM. Upon the
whole, there is suiiiciency of m,terisls for the
European languages, with the exception, per-
haps.', OF the primitive Creek, on which ABE
LyNe's Researches have not thrown muci, more
light. than those OF his predecessors. The third
and fourth volumes viii be occupied with the
language az America, and the South Sea Islands.
II is in this part, AS may be easily conceived.
that .ApELUNC's manuscripts are most defici-
cnt but the public will learn with So muck more
pleasure, that NJ. Won EuMpol ID /, in order to
supply 1t as much as possible, has generously
transmitted to his friend, Professor WATER,
all his manuscripts relative to the languages OF
America. j..
A correspondent of Nicholson's Journal, has
process for obtaining from ginger,
acid, which he proposes to call zingiberic. One
ounce of the best white ginger was infused two
or three days, in six ounces of nitrous acid ; aE
ter which, rather more than AN equal quantity of
water was added, and the whole was kept at
the heat f2i2o, adding water to supply the loss
by evaporation, till the nitrous smell had dlisap-
peared. Carbonate of lead was then added to
saturation, and the solution hltred alter which
the lead was precipitated by suiphuric acid, and
second filtration made. by evaporating
the ftred liquor, acid similar in appearance to
short white pieces of raw silk, was obtained,
which oxidstes zinc and iron, and dissolves pot
ash, soda, and ammonia, barytes, strontian, lime.
magnesia, and the>oxides Of zinc, iron, lead and
copper The xingiberic acid differs from the
suphuric, sulphurous carbonic, oxalic, tartarous,
citric, mucous, succnc and canphoric acids, in
forming soluble salt with bsrytes and lime ;
from the nitric, nitrous, rnuratc, acetic acetous,
sebacic, malic and prussic, by remaining, in the
solid form at 212e from the benzoic, and .sube-
ric. by its greater solubilty and it does not, lie
Sailic acid, precipdate copper OF q brown color.
Mr. WILLIAM Curtis, of the Botanic Gar
den. Brcmpton, has been rewarded by the Socie-
ty of Arts, for his valuable application of the
g a.. nj
oalustre, LINN to the packing of young trees
for expectation. This is done by squee zing out
part of the moisture from the moss, and laying
courses of it about three inches thick, interposed
with other courses of the trees previously shor-
tened III their branches and roots) stratum above
stratum, till the box is filed, when the whole
must be trodden down, and the lid properly Sc
cured. The trees will wsnt no care, even du-
ring voyage of ten or twelve months the moss
being wonderfully retentive of moisture, and
seeming to possess an antiseptic property, which
totally prevents fermentation, or putrefacton. In
fact, vegetation actually proceeds during tine time
the trees remain inclosed / shoots being formed
both from the branches and roots, which, howe
Yer, are bianched and tender, for want of light
and air, to which the trees consequently require
to be gradually Injured This moss is very COM
mon in most parts otEurope and America, which
renders the application more easy, and the DISCO
very more important.
fine co,oress varnish with copal. AS all copal
is not lit for this purpose, and 10 ascertain such
pieces as are good, each must be taken separate.
y. and single drop of pure essential oil of rose
mary, not altered by keeping, ledst he let fall on
it. Those pieces which soften. at the part that
imbibes the oil, are good; reduce them to pow
der, which siit through avery fine hair sieve, and
put it into glass, on the bottom Of which it must
not lie more than fingers breadth thick. Pour
upon 1T essence of rosemary to similar height /;
stir the whole for few minutes, when the copaI
will dissolve into viscous fluid. Let it stand
for two hours, and then pour gently on it two or
three drops ofvery pure alcohol, which distribute
over the oily mass, by inclining the bottle in diff
ferent directions with avery gentle motion. Re-
pest TINS operation by little and little, till the in
corporation is effected, and the yarnish reduced
to a proper degree of fluidity. 1t must then be
left TO stand few days, and when very clear be
decanted off. This v: csish, thus made without
heat, may be applied with equal success to paste
beard, wood, and metals, and takes better po-
lish than any other. 1t may be used on paintings,
the Beauty of which it greatly heightens.
M. CUvIER has published brief description
of bird produced by swan and goose She
laid nine eggs, and began to hatch them, but only
one living bird was obtained. On quitting the
she'll, this Young one differed very little from a
gosllng it was covered with Ia yeliowish down,
with dark olive tint on the back, neck, and
head. The upper mandbe OF the bill was black
lower was orange-coloured. The feet were also
of the latter colour and disproportionably large
the circle of the iris was brown, and tine eyeids
yellow The only change which it has since un-
dergone is in its size, which considerably ex-
ceeds that of the mother, though il bears much
greater resemblance to her than to the swan.
M. FoURNIER has invented an apparatus for
determining with precision, the quantity of spirit
contained in any liquid, TO which he gives the
name OF alconometer, or o.n0meter This instru-
ment is composed of glass tube, six or seven
inches long, and placed vertically upon cap of
copper, and having graduated bar of the same
metal attached to its centre. At the place where
the bar enters the tube adjusted to its base there
is screw, by which it is Theoretically closed, &
which prevents the liquid to be analized from
splitting. This little apparatus stands upon three
legs; at the foot is lamp with spirit of wine,
placed under the copper cap, and direc'iy beneath
the bar, to heat it quickly. On one of the legs is
movable ferrule, with damper, for the pur.
pose OF moderating at pleasure, the action OF the
lainc, and thus preventing the liquid in the tube
from running over.
M FAvIER, having remarked that black truf.
Hss are principally met with in the vicinity OF
oak AMI chestnut trees, and even found this highly
esteemed species in soil formed entirely of the
fragments OF those astringent vegetables, has
made the experiment of planting potatoes in
trenches prepared with tan and earth, disposed in
alternate strata OF about two inches each. These
very much like trufHes. He imagines, that in
this manner the quality Of those roots might, in
two or three years, be so far changed as 10 give
them the exact taste and Appearance Of truifies
| The following method of preserving grapes 10
riven i'm a French journal Iako a cagL or ha rrs.I