in the course of time I observed a pararaph in the Morning Chronicle, "that a patent was taken out for the invention in England." I therefore concluded I had been betrayed—that the advantage was lost to me, and there the matter rested.

About 1833 I was shown some samples of the sugar from Demerara, by a broker who informed me that it was held in bond, as government conceiving it to be half refined, would not admit it for home consumption. I then wrote to Lord Althorp on the subject, told him he had been misled, showed him that the crystals were perfect, that it needed little refining, that the sugar was made as nature makes her salt in bays, without burning it; that all sugar had, by carbonisation, been the opposite of what it ought to have been, and that it was his duty to encourage and protect so important an improvement, instead of ruining the parties who had introduced it, by such an inequitable prohibition. This correspondence, I believe it will be found, was the cause of relieving the crystalised Demerara sugar, as it is termed, from bond, and of securing that benefit to the planters who had produced it, which his lordship's erroneous impressions had previously deprived them of.

As the above facts are capable of the most indubitable proof, no one can equitably dispute with me the merit of planning and applying the apparatus to the crystalising the juice of cane, nor of obtaining for the Demerara sugar the privilege of home consumption; although up to the present I have benefited by neither, and possibly never may.

Indeed I not only used the apparatus for the above purpose, but for making a most perfect and beautiful extract of Brazil wood, which I at one time intended to have effected on so large a scale locally, as to have saved all the freight on shipping it home in bulk.

Now, is it not incomprehensible, that here is a process which enables the West India planter to make double the ordinary quantity of sugar he has been accustomed to make; which sells for twelve shillings a hundred weight higher than the usual quality of brown, raw sugar; that it has been in active operation locally-and of course universally known-for at least seven years; that he complains of the indolence of the

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STEAM CARRIAGES ON COMMON
ROADS.

Sir, It is, I believe, years back since I published in your pages my declaration of faith in the eligibility of steam carriages for highways to take the place of horse power. Notwithstanding the blunders innumerable which have been committed by steam carriage projectors -notwithstanding the almost marvellous rapidity of railroad progression-notwithstanding the entire public apathy on the subject, my faith is still unchanged. Perhaps, some of your readers may think it would be well to use it to remove a portion of the hills from the highways, but unless they have thought as earnestly as I have on the subject, their disbelief will make nothing to the argument. I believe that, at this time, Mr. Hancock's engine is far superior to any in use on the railroads, and that if the railroad engines were tried by the same test his has been exposed to-roads of rough metal-those same roads would " gar them a' in flinders flie," in less than twelve hours' trial. At present, on the smooth iron rails, they double their original cost within twelve months in the form of repairs, and it is not very creditable to the skill of our engineers that such should be the result, after the ample experience of ten years.

But superior as Mr. Hancock's engine unquestionably is, neither his nor any other is as yet fitted for road work. It possesses the element of power, but it does not possess the element of durability. To enable him to work to profit, it must possess the average durability of a common stage coach, at the least; but it ought to possess much more. Mr. Hancock has made an excellent engine, but he has not made an efficient steam carriage. But he is not the man to despair, nor has he any reason. He is not fighting to accomplish an impracticability. All the elements exist to make a durable steam carriage, but they are at

present in an uncombined state. When these elements shall be efficiently combined, all the world will say, "How simple! Why was this not thought of before?" And then the mass of persons existing by, and for, the highways, will rush in crowds to embark in the new project, with a credulity as absurd as their present incredulity. They will speculate on inflicting the same mischief on the railroad companies, that the railroad companies have, as they fancy, inflicted on them, though they have suffered more by their own want of energy than by anything else. The railroads have, to a great extent, created their own traffic, and efficient vehicles on the highways will do the same.

Let me not be misunderstood. There can be no rivalry between railroads and highways; each have their appointed purpose to fulfil. Cæteris paribus the railroad will carry both cheaper and faster, but there are abundant circumstances peculiar to highways which will compensate for the slower speed and extra cost whenever the highway-men shall recover from their paralysis. The railroads will benefit still more than the highways by the success of steam on the highways; for the steam carriage, which on the highways attains an average durability, will on the railroads be absolutely indestructible.

When the Liverpool and Manchester railroad was about to come into use, the directors offered a reward for the best locomotive produced. The result was the present railroad locomotive, in which no further improvement has been made. Let the trustees, and others connected with highways, become a body, and offer a premium for the best plan of steam carriage, and they may depend upon it that, out of much rubbish, they will find some few effective. If not sufficient, give a second premium for improvements on the first plan, and out of many brains the thing will grow perfect, and the stigma of apathy be removed from them. Let the joint body then build the trial carriage at their own expense, and not leave it to the imperfect means of projectors, who, being reduced to expedients, are apt, in sailor phrase—" to spoil the ship for a hap'orth of tar." The best plan being obtained, the best workmen and materials should be provided to carry it out. There is no fear

of the result, when once the scheme takes the business form it ought long since to have taken, and without which, exemplified in the conduct of the projectors of the Liverpool and Manchester, railroads would still have been a theory as regards public travelling. Let the highway-men give up the temporary feverish excitements of newspaper paragraphs, respecting the doings of Sir James Anderson and others, and put their own energies to their right uses, and it requires but little foresight_to predict their complete success. them continue with their hands in their pockets, waiting for an Act of Parliament, or the chapter of accidents, and they may wear away their whole existence in fruitless repining. I remain, Sir, Yours very truly, JUNIUS REDIVIVUS.

October 15, 1839.

Let

BRITISH AND FRENCH ENCOURAGEMENT OF INVENTION.

They manage these things better in France," is an old saying; but, perhaps, it was never more strikingly exemplified than by the opposite courses pursued by the governments of Britain and France, in respect to two great desiderata in art.

The British ministry are in want of some easy method of carrying out the penny postage plan (conceded only to the unanimous demand of the people), and many hundred thousands of pounds are dependent on the suitableness of the plan which may be adopted. Well, to make sure of having the best plan which human ingenuity can possibly devise, the British Ministers offer a reward of

2007.! Nay, more; they liberally throw open the competition for this magnificent prize to the sons of genius of all nations! The lively and dexterous Frenchman, the dreamy German, the methodical Prussian, the inventive Swiss, the slavishly imitative Russ, the dull Belgian, the duller Dutchman, nay, even the stolid Turk, who never invented any thing in his life, save, perhaps, the bowstring and sack, have been all alike invoked to come to the aid of the unmechanical and torpid genius of Great Britain, and are all expected to be stirred to un

wonted emulation by so glittering a prize!

66

Now for the contrast. The government of France are in anxious search of a preventive of forgery; and, that they may not fail to obtain it from want of sufficient encouragement to their men of science to apply their minds to the subject, they offer a reward of more than seven times 2001. A premium of 36,000 francs, (1,500l.)," says our contemporary Galignani, "has been proposed by government, for the discovery of means to prevent forgery of stamps. water-marks in paper, and engine-turned engraving, and also for an indelible ink, so that characters once written with it on any writing material cannot be obliterated. The decision is to be under the direction of the Academie des Sciences, which has long been consulted by government on the means of saving the public and individuals from frauds of this kind. We are informed, that, in order to show how easy it is to get over every precaution that has hitherto been taken to prevent counterfeits, imitations of every species of invention for that purpose have been exhibited to the officers of the different government departments, which were so perfect that it was impossible to distinguish them from the originals. The trial was not extended to the notes of the Bank, because that establishment protested against its being made. It is said that the loss sustained by the revenue from documents written upon stamped paper being, when no longer of use, obliterated by chymical process, and the stamps used for fresh purposes, amounts to 600,000 francs ayear." The difference, it must be confessed, is considerable between 2001. and 1,500l.; nor is the larger prize likely to be the less tempting, that the competition for it is confined (as we understand) to France. The French Ministers think they may safely rely on the native talent of their country; and, we hope, will find their reliance not misplaced. At all events, it must be allowed that they have given their native talent noble encouragement. A couple of years would not be mispent in earning a prize of 1,500l. But 2007.! Either for native or foreigner, and whether money or time is considered, it is a miserable-to the British ministry -most disgraceful pittance..

S.

ANCIENT INVENTIONS.

'45

Sir,-If the following extracts from an old German work, appear to you likely to interest the readers of the Mechanics' Magazine, may I request their inser ion. The work has the following title; "Delicia Physico-Mathematica," by Daniel Schwenter, Professor of Mathematics and Oriental Languages in the University of Altdorff; Nuremberg, 1636.

In one of the extracts you will recognise the principle of Rangeley's modern, patent roller pump, (see Mech. Mag., vol. 1, p. 202). In another, the lately invented swimming belt, and a modern recipe for waterproofing. Truly, there seems to be "nothing new under the sun." Many of the articles in this curious old book, as stated in its preface, are taken from still older works. Some of these, at a future time, I may send to you.

The old wood cuts I have copied as accurately as possible upon tracing paper, for the use of your engraver. Believe me,

Respectfully yours,

N. S. HEINEKEN.

dog's skins shall be sewn, as it were, near one another, like two sacks. After that, you must furnish each of these bags of the swimming girdle with a wooden pipe, so long, that when the girdle is fastened round the body it may reach to the mouth, and both pipes must be well sewn to the bag and strongly bound round, so that one may perfectly trust to them. Then, lastly, each pipe must be provided with a stopper, which shall hang on the end of it, and fit tight into it. And in order that the girdle may be more easily blown up and better hold the air, you may cause a piece of bladder to be fastened under the pipes. How such a gir. dle is to be supplied with rings and straps you may best see from the figure. Such a girdle is a good thing to take with you on ship-board, since it is easily blown up and may be used for a cushion; and you may save yourself with it, since it will not let a man sink,"

Recipe, for preparing the leather, "take 2lbs. of wax, 1lb. of Venice turpentine and 4lb. of pitch, and melt together."

How to make a pair of Wind Breeches, with which you may walk over the sea or any still standing water." Make a pair of water boots of ox hide, prepared in such manner as we have before spoken of, reaching nearly to the navel, and which may be fastened on the body in the way that the breeches of the Swabian peasants are fastened. He, however, who can stand the water does not need these things. Then you place about your hips two bags of dog's skin made in the above described manner, and provide them with pipes and valves and stoppers, as in the case of the swimming girdle. Further, you must cause a pair of leaden soles to be made according to the person's weight, in order that the head may remain erect, and bind them on fast with leathern straps; above these you bind on your feet two fins, so to speak, as may be seen from the annexed figure (fig. 3). Bind them above the ancles, and use them for rowing, to enable you to go wherever you will-and for this purpose you must have on the foot a contrivance to render them moveable. With such a pair of wind breeches, his royal Majesty of Denmark is said to have walked about a long time, with a court servant, on the open sea."

How to make a Ladder, so that you cannot see the rundles, and which is in form like a pole. "Cause two ladder trees ADB'C (fig. 4.) to be made, which are in the middle hollow; and above, at B and D have a projecting piece B F and D E. Then in the hollows you fasten good strong broad rundles of oak or other strong wood, with strong wooden, or what is better, iron rails on which they may be moved up and

47

down; so that when you push the two ladder trees together, the rundles withdraw themselves into the hollows; and when it is thus shut up, it appears like a pole, and not a ladder."

ON PROVISIONS AGAINST FIRE-VOLUNTARY FIRE-BRIGADES-FIRE-ESCAPE LADDers,

&c. &c.

Sir,-From the truly apathetic indifference, which too commonly prevails with regard to fire-prevention and extinction, it is extremely gratifying occasionally to observe exceptions to the general rule. We are all of us much too apt to think, that the providing of any safeguard against the disastrous consequences of fire, is a matter so wholly unimportant as regards each of us, individually, as to be not worth the outlay of a single shilling-nor even worth a thought; constantly illustrating to the very letter, the truism that “what is every-body's business, is nobody's."

The fact is, that there is no calamity of life, to which we are, every one of us so liable, as that of fire; and this too, in spite of our utmost vigilance and care for we are each exposed to all the consequences of our neighbour's recklessness, as well as to a numerous class of accidents, scarcely to be guarded against.

A feeling of indifference to these matters manifests itself most strikingly, when observed collectively, as in parishes, where the neglect of all precautionary measures, and the entire withholding of encouragement for laudable exertions, has long been notorious. Without entering into needless detail, I would just observe, by way of illustration, that there are at this time many populous parishes in this metropolis, in which scarcely a mark is to be found affixed to the houses to indicate the situation of the waterplugs; although every churchwarden or overseer is liable to a penalty of ten pounds for neglect of this highly important precaution, one moiety of which goes to the informer. I fancy some of those useful nuisances, ycleped "common informers" might reap a fine harvest by taking up this matter, and while enriching themselves would really do a great public service.

As I said before, however, it is pleasing to find a different feeling prevail. I have already alluded in your pages to the voluntary fire-brigades of Southampton and Cheltenham, and I am happy to state that both are highly prosperous: the latter is now composed of twenty-four men fully equipped after the manner of the London Fire Establishment. The parish of St. Clement

By 14th George 3d, cap. 78.