THEORY OF SPACE.

MR. EDITOR:-In the course of my scientific amusements I have been naturally led to consider among other things, whether space, in which the revolving worlds and systems pursue their trackless way, be filled with matter, or be absolutely void.

The conclusion drawn at the time, was, that if space be filled with matter of even an inconceivable rarity, a globe of such an immense magnitude as the Earth, moving with a velocity of more than 630 times greater than that of air rushing into a vacuum must experience a proportionate resistance, in performing its Orbicular motion; and such resistance acting on our elastic atmosphere, could not miss being felt periodically (in consequence of the Earth's rotation on its axis) by the barometer, particularly at the equator. I I accordingly made every possible inquiry to ascertain that fact, (as from our high latitude, and the Earth's being an oblate spheroid, no sensible effect could be expected to be felt here), but without success. The following paragraph in the Times of yesterday, seems however, to confirm the anticipated result.-" Periodical rise and fall of the barometer."

Colonel Wright, member of the Ceylon and Literary, and Agricultural Society, is said to have discovered, that within the tropics, the mercury rises and falls twice within twentyour hours, with such regularity, as to afford almost an opportunity of measuring the lapse of time by this instrument.-Ceylon Gazette.

It hence appears, that the barometer rises and falls twice within twenty-four hours: of the time of its greatest height and depression we are not informed, but I assume the greatest height to be at 6 o'clock in the evening and morning, and the greatest depression at noon and midnight.

If the height acquired by the baro

meter in the first instance, do arise from resistance on the fore part of the globe, must not the atmosphere, which from its elasticity is capable of any impression, be driven in some measure by such resistance behind or in the lee of the ball, and may not the accumulation there be the cause of the second rise, which takes place during one rotation of the Earth on its axis?

I merely throw out these remarks or the consideration of those who feel an interest in such subjects, and to elicit any information they may think proper to communicate. The chief difficulty to this theory appears to be, how matter can remain in a state of suspension within the attrac◄ tion of those huge bodies revolving in it. I am, Sir, Your's respectfully,

Fieldgate Street, October 21, 1823.

DISCOVERIES AND IMPROVEMENTS.

PERCUSSION POWDER.

G.

turned it to its native element, and thus prevented the scientific identification of an animal, which appears to have very nearly resembled what has been generally regarded as a merely fabulous creation.

Length of the animal, three feet; body without scales or hair; silver-grey above, whitish below, like the human skin; no gills were observed; no fins on the back or belly; tail like that of a dog-fish; body very thick over the breast.; by the eye the girth might be between two and three feet; the neck short, very distinct from the head and shoulders; the body rather depressed; the anterior extremities very like the buman hand, about the length of a seal's paw, webbed to about an inch of the ends of the fingers; mammæ as large as those of a woman; mouth and lips very distinct, and resembling the human.

CINGALESE JEWELLERS.

The Cingalese work in gold and silver with considerable dexterity and taste; and, with means that appear very inadequate, execute articles of jewellery that would be admired certainly in this country, and not very easily imitated. The best artist requires only the following apparatus and tools :-a low earthen pot full of chaff or saw-dust, on which he makes a little charcoal fire; a small bamboo blow-pipe, about six inches long, with which he excites the fire; a short earthen tube or nozzel, the extremity of which is placed at the bottom of the fire, and through which the artist directs the blast of the blowpipe; two or three small crucibles made of the fine clay of ant-hills: a pair of tongs, an apvil, two or three small hammers, a file, and, to conclude the list, a few small bars of iron and brass, about two inches long, differently pointed for different kinds of work. It is astonishing what an intense little fire, more than sufficiently strong to melt silver and gold, can be kindled in a few minutes in the way just described.

Such a simple portable forge deserves to be better known: it is perhaps even deserving the attention of the scientific experimenter, and may be useful to him when he wishes to excite a small fire, Jarger than can be produced by the common blow-pipe, and he has not a forge at command. The success of the little Cingalese forge depends a good deal on the bed of the fire being com posed of a combustible material, aud a

very bad conductor of heat. The smiths of Ceylon use a composition as a hone in sharpening knives, and cutting instruments, that is worth noticing. It is made of the capitia resin and of corundum. The corundum, in a state of impalpable powder, is mixed with the resin rendered liquid by heat, and well incorporated. The mixture is poured into a wooden mould, and its surface. levelled and smoothed while it is hot; for when cold, it is extremely hard. It is much valued by the natives, and preferred by them to the best of our hones. -(From Dr. Davy's Travels in Ceylon.)

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WATER-PROOF CLOTH.

We mentioned in our fourth Number, that a patent had been obtained by a Chemist, at Glasgow, for a water-proof cloth. We since learn, that as lining for shoes, cloaks, &c. it has proved eminently suc cessful A pair of shoes, which had lain soaking in water in a shoe shop in Trongate, for nine weeks, remained in the inside completely free of the slightest degree of moisture. There are only tyvo considerable objections to the gene ral use of this prepared cloth. One is the excessive high price. The quantity requisite to line a pair of shoes, which would cost 11s. to 12s., raises the price to 20s.; and even at that rate the additional trouble is so great, that the shoe-maker has more profit on a 12s. article. The other objection is the disagreeable gaseous smell which the preparation has while new; but this, we are informed, goes off after the shoes have been wora some time, and exposed to the air.

RECEIPTS IN THE MECHANICAL ARTS.

To soften Ivory.-Slice abont half a pound of mandrake, and put it into a quart of the best vinegar, into which place the ivory you wish to be bent; let it stand in the solution forty-eight hours, and you may bend it to your mind.

To bleach Ivory. Take two handfuls of lime, and slack it, by sprinkling it with a little water; add three pints of water, and stir it up together, let it then settle fifteen minutes, and pour the water into a pan for using it; then take your ivory, and steep it in the lime-water about twenty-four hours, after which it must be boiled in very strong alum-water for about an hour, and then dried in the air.

To polish Ivory-Rub the ivory with a rubber made of hat, with putty and

water, which in a short time will produce a fine gloss.

For cleaning Marble, Jasper, Sienna, and Porphyry-Mix up a quantity of very strong soap lees with quick lime, to the consistence of milk, and lay it on the marble you wish to clean, where it may remain twenty-four or thirty hours; it is afterwards to be cleaned with soap and water, and it will appear as if new..

To take Ink Spots out of Mahogany. -Apply spirits of salts with a soft bit of sponge, and the ink will soon disappear it done once or twice at short intervals.

To make Furniture Oil.-Put some alkanet root into a glazed pipkin with as much inseed oil as will cover it; let it boil moderately, it will become of a strong red colour; let it cool, and it is then fit for use.

DOMESTIC ECONOMY.

COFFEE.

A correspondent in the Annals of Philosophy gives the following as an im proved method of preparing this delightful beverage :-"From the highly fugacious nature of that part of coffee on which its fine flavour depends, a prac tice has become very generally adopted of late years of preparing the liquor by mere straining. This method has not only the great defect of being exces sively wasteful, but the coffee is likewise apt to be cold. Coction and the preservation of the fragrant matter are, however, not inconsistent. The union of these advantages is attainable by performing the operation in a close ves

sel.

To obviate the production of vapour, by which the vessel would be ruptured, the boiling temperature must be obtained in a water bath. In my ex

periments, I made use of a glass phias closed with a cork, at first let loose to allow the exit of the air. Cold water was put to the coffee. This process is equally applicable to tea. Perhaps it may also be employed advantageously in the boiling of hops, during which, I understand, that a material portion of their aroma is dissipated; as likewise possibly for making certain medicaladecoctions. This way of preparing coffee and tea, presents various advantages. It is productive of a very considerable economy, since, by allowing of any continuance of coction without the least iniury to the goodness, ali the soluble matter may be extracted, and, consequently, a proportionably less quantity of them becomes required. By allowing the coffee to cool in the closed vessel, it may be filtered through paper, then returned into the closed vessel and heated aga.n, and thus had of the most perfect clearness without any foreign addition to it, by which coffee is impaired."

NEW PATENTS.

To Thomas Wickham, of the town of Nottingham, lace manufacturer; för his invention of a prepared and improved rice, rendered applicable for use in all cases in which Starch is applied.--11th September-6 months.

To William Hase, of Saxtorpe, in the county of Norfolk, Ironfounder; for his invention of a new method of constructing mills, or machines, chiefly app cable to prison disc:pline.-11th September-2 months..

TO CORRESPONDENTS. Answers to a very numerous list o correspondents in our next.

NARRATIVE OF THE VOYAGE.

(Continued.)

Summer of 1822.-As I have already stated, the melting of the snow at the beginning of May, put an end to our intimacy with the Esquimaux. They then moved off to the southward, I believe, to resume their summer occupation of fishing. Though the loss of their company was sensibly perceived, yet, as our curiosity had been amply gratified, and they had, like other acquaintances of some months standing, become a little tiresome and troublesome, we were not altogether displeased at parting with them, as their movement was to us a promise of being again soon afloat. We all felt willing to change the dreariness of constant inaction for the hope of accomplishing our object, though we knew, from former experience, that returning summer brought us very hard labour, and exposed us to considerable danger. It was not, however, till July 2nd, that the sea was sufficiently clear for us to attempt moving the ships. One of the most astonishing things at this period, was the tremendous and constant noise of the breaking up of the ice, and the friction of the separating masses. The loudest thunder scarcely ever equalled the crashing, as the ice broke into long rents, which sometimes seemed to extend for miles. The situation in which the ships were ecured, was, however, so good, that the ice separated and moved off without doing us any mischief, and by the middle of July we could say we were afloat, and again in our own element. We kept along the coast to the Northward without making any discovery of importance, or finding any opening which promised a passage. progress was very slow, owing to the necessity of looking at every gulf which seemed to lead to the northwest, and owing to the ice, with which, close to the land, we were constantly impeded. In the beginning of September, we entered a straight tending to the westward, which we had good hopes would lead to our object; but after pene

Our

rating about a dozen miles, we were quite stopped by the ice. By the best accounts we could collect from the Esquimaux, carefully compared with our Own observations, we imagined this straight might separate all the land to the northward, from the main land of America. We forced our way up, therefore, with great expectations, but were completely checked by the ice; firmly persuaded that success to the westward lay in this direction, the ships remained on the spot nearly a month, in hourly hope that the ice might separate, and allow our progress. Even this last chance failed us, and the sea beginning to freeze in September, we looked out for a good winter birth. At that time we had got as far to the North as 69. 40, being only 3 degrees to the North of our last winter station; and after returning about 20 miles, a proper spot was selected; and on September the 24th, our ships were again secured for the long and dreary season. We were therefore only 74 days moving about; part of that time too the ships were occasionally fastened to the ice, or brought to anchor; and in these 74 days, the progress that we made was astonishingly small. In truth, wè were able to do little or nothing, and made up our minds to wait patiently for another summer.

Winter of 1822-1823.-Our preparations for meeting the winter were begun immediately after the resolu tion was taken to stop Great care was in the first place taken to select á place where the ships would be sccure in the first instance, and not exposed to danger when the ice again began to break up. Beyond the inlet in which we chose our winter station, there was a solid mass of ice, which seemed as durable as the earth itself, and probably will never be pe netrated. It is about ten miles in breadth; its length we did not attempt to ascertain. Our ebb tide here set from the south-west; the flood-tide from the south-east. The ice had many small channels, or runs of water, passing through it, although none of them of sufficient width to admit the ships.