is cut out

the bracket, which is to support it. A piece of tin from the upper part of the tube, a little more than of its circumference, and of an inch deep, which of course, renders.

of the upper part of the tube higher by of an inch than the remaining. The edge of the higher part is then (to use the heraldic term) invected, that is, cut into a con inuation of small convexities, of a size to fit the concavity of the scoop, or quill; so that when the latter is drawn across the edge to discharge its contents, its concavity may be sure to fall upon one of the convexities, and thus be scraped out clean. In the inside of the lower part of the tube, are soldered two small sockets, of a size to admit the pointed ends of the quills, but not suffer them wholly to pass through.

5. A bracket for supporting the tin cup, made of a piece of iron wire about of an inch in diameter, and 2 feet 9 inches in length. The middle part of this piece of wire is bent close round the tin cup, in the groove formed by the circular wire abovementioned, so as to encircle the whole of the cup, excepting about of an inch, where the wire is again bent back on each side, horizontally, in angles of about 62 degrees; at which angles it is confined close to the cup, by a hook of the same VOL. VIII.

R

kind of wire, forming a ring round the top of the cup. The wire is then bent double, at six inches from each extremity, and both extremities secured by coiling some small brass wire round, for the length of about 1 inch, which last is of course to be properly fastened. The united wires are then to be bent perpendicularly downwards, in right angles, at 3ğ inches from their extremities, and the bracket is then finished.

The utility of this last contrivance does not consist merely in supporting the receiver, and keeping it firm and steady in one place (for which purposes neither of the hands could be applied, being both otherwise employed); but more especially in bringing it forwards in advance from the body, to meet the collecting implement, and into a situation to be more readily and easily observed by the eyes of the collector.

The expense of the whole of this apparatus, if purchased on wholesale terms, would not probably exceed eighteen pence or two shillings.

As soon as the forwardest poppies have their capsules about 14 inch in diameter (of which size they will generally be in about five or six days after the fall of the petals), accoutred with the above described apparatus, (the pocket tied round the waist; the tin cup encircled in the ring of the bracket, with its cover on; the invected part turned to the right hand, and the quills in their sockets; the arms of the bracket inserted in their sheaths, at the back of the pocket; and the lancet-blade slung on the wrist of the right hand, with the slide drawn up to the wrist), the operator begins his work.

He first, with the thumb of the left hand placed on the summit, or crown, and with the first and second fingers underneath, gently lays hold of a capsule; and with the lancet-blade held between the fingers and thumb of his right hand, makes a slight incision horizontally, about a quarter of an inch below the upper

of the bulb of the capsule, about an inch in length, taking care just to penetrate through the cuticle into the cellular tissue, (but not through it into the hollow part of the capsule, which would prove of bad consequence); he then as speedily as possible makes a second incision in the same direction, one fourth of an

inch below the first, and a third at the same distance below the second. He then lets go the wounded capsule, and proceeds to a second, third, and so on, till he observes the milky fluid on the first nearly ready to drop; when he is to return to that, and to lay hold of it with the left hand in the same manner as at first; at the same time dropping the lancet-blade from the right hand, he takes one of the quills out of its socket, and with it begins scraping up the juice which has exuded, observing always, whilst doing this, to keep the point of the scoop upwards. From the first he is to proceed to the other wounded capsules in succession. After having scraped the whole of these, he is to return the quill into its socket; to resume the lancet-blade, by hanging down his right arm in a perpendicular direction (whereby he will instantly feel the instrument in his fingers), and proceed in scarifying. Whilst using the scoop, he is frequently to draw it across the invected edge of the tube, in order to relieve it from the juice collected therein; and whenever he observes the bole, or hollow part of it, to be nearly full, he is immediately to turn it down into its socket, that it may empty itself whilst he is using the other.

When the day's work is ended, the juice collected in the receiver is to be discharged into a deep earthenware plate, the cup scraped out clean with a table-knife appropriated to this use, and the quills well cleansed by means of each other. The plate is to be placed in some dry out-house (for its strong scent will scarcely allow it to be admitted into a dwelling-house), with a paper cover to prevent dust, &c., from mixing with its contents; and when a mass is accumulated therein, sufficient to make a loaf, or cake, it must be either exposed to the sun's heat in the middle of the day, when the weather is fine, or (which is the safer way), be removed to a stove, kitchen, or some other warm and dry room, where a constant fire is kept, and the mass be well worked up together with the opium-knife, and turned daily, till it acquires plasticity sufficient to be moulded into the form required; after which, the cake must be turned frequently, till it be dry and hard enough to be committed to the chest. It is to be expected, that those persons who attempt to prepare this

drug by the process and apparatus above described, will be at first a little dissatisfied; and be inclined to think that the method by which they are directed to collect the milky juice of poppies, drop by drop as it were, by means of so small an implement as a goose-quill, cannot possibly be the best and most effectual mode of filling the chest with solid opium. But they may be assured that neither the Turks, Persians, nor Hindoos, have any more expeditious way of obtaining the succus proprius, or real narcotic juice of the poppy.

If they patiently persevere, and proceed with care and diligence, rapidity of execution will presently be acquired; and they will soon be convinced, by experience, of the correctness of the wealthy accumulator's favourite maxim, that many a little make a mickle.

Dyrham, Nov. 25th, 1819.

G. S.

ART. VII. On the Progress of Steam Navigation in

Britain.

To the Editor of the Quarterly Journal, edited at the Royal Institution.

SIR,

IN page 152 of this volume, there is inserted a notice of the number of steam-boats now in operation on the Mississippi, and its tributary streams, with an account of those which are building; presenting a singularly-interesting view of the immense advantages which will be derived by that rapidly-advancing country, from the introduction of this improved means of communication, peopled as it is with the descendants of Englishmen, and inheriting from their descent, all the active energy of character which distinguishes the parent stock. Interesting, however, as this statement must be to all in a philanthropic point of view, yet an account of the progress of the same system in our own country must be far more so, as even to us the practical adoption of this our native invention, holds out the most important results, and which are daily developing themselves with increased energy.

It has been resorted to upon the Clyde to a far greater extent than in any other quarter of the United Kingdom, owing to the necessity of adopting the best means of communication between Glasgow, the second city of the island, and its two ports, Port Glasgow and Greenock. The formation of this Frith, besides, branching into various sea-water lochs, renders it peculiarly fit. for this mode of conveyance, which has been lately infinitely extended by the completion of the Crinan canal, under the authority of parliament, laying open all the inlets of the western Highlands, and the Hebrides, to the use of the steam boat. The advantages derived from this circumstance, will be fully estimated, by all those who have ever made an expedition to Staffa a part of their Scotch tour, when it is stated, that the traveller may, by means of this conveyance, be now carried in less than 24 hours from Greenock to Oban. As soon as the Caledonian canal is finished, it is intended to continue the Fort William boat from that place, across the island to Inverness; and in furtherance of this plan, a vessel is to be placed on Loch-Ness early in the spring, while another is to connect the distant islands of Lewis and Skye, immediately with the most populous part of Scotland.

The following is a list of the steam vessels now plying on the Clyde :