1816.] Dr. Clanny on the Lighting of Coal-Mines. why these lamps were not in general use long before this time, arose from an impression, that no light could be so guarded as to be perfectly safe in a field of firedamp. From this circumstance, I embraced the first opportunity which offered of descending into a coal mine, in which there was a certainty of meeting with an abundance of fire damp; and accordingly, accompanied by Mr. Holmes and Mr. Patterson, engine-wright of the Herrington Mill Pit, I had the honour, in October last, to be the first person who ever ventured a light into an atmo sphere of fire-damp at the exploding point. The particulars of these first and decisive trials were read before the Royal Society a few weeks ago. The courage, the talents, and the perseverance displayed by Mr. Patterson, demand ny warmest commendation, and I trust he will yet receive those rewards which he so well merits. Mr. Patterson defies danger from fire-damp when using my original lamp of the largest size, which completely refutes the unjust and erroneous insinuations thrown out against its size by some very interested individuals. The originality and priority of my idea of an insulated light for coal mines; the construction of the safety lamp; and the establishment of the safety and utility of that lamp in a coal mine greatly infested with inflammable air, are as clear as noon-day. All the lamps which have hitherto been constructed by others upon my plan of insulating the light, are greatly inferior to the original lamp for safety and strength of light, which is not compensated by their supplying themselves with air without the aid of bellows, for, from the inventors' own reports, their lamps require constant attention in dangerous situations; but as it has been considered by gentlemen concerned in coal mines, that a pitman's lamp which does not require bellows is a more convenient instrument, I have much pleasure in stating, that the lamp which I invented and constructed in December last, (after a series of tedious experiments) has lately been used in a diversity of places, when the atmosphere of the mine was in a highly explosive state; and in all instances the lamp continued to burn with common train oil very brightly and strongly, at the wick only, in the greatest safety, and not upon the inner surface of the lamp, such as is the case with the fine wire-gauze lamps, which are, on that very account, very dangerous in the hands of careless pitmen, from their liability of being burnt NEW MONTHLY MAG.-No. 29. 425 through by such a violent heat as that of fire-damp, if it be not immediately extinguished. All the attempts which have hitherto been made by those who have offered lamps to the public, for the purpose of effecting a light which would burn the fire-damp for any length of time, particularly at the wick, (except that which I discovered in December last) have been completely abortive. I beg leave to report, without fear of contradiction, that my new lamp is much superior, in every particular, to any other which has hitherto been made known; and as it has the singular virtue of giving a steady light, partly from trainoil, and partly from fire-damp, at the wick, it requires no attendance, is always cool, and continues to burn as long as there is a sufficiency of atmospheric air to support combustion; it will therefore be found very serviceable as a working lamp, an exploring lamp, a dialling lamp, and a standing lamp." FRANCE. On the 24th of April, the four academies of the ROYAL INSTITUTE held their first general meeting since his Majesty gave to this body its new constitution. Count VAUBLANC, minister of the interior, opened the business of the day in a speech, in which he informed the members, that he had been ordered by the King to instal in his name, the academies which his constant solicitude for the prosperity of literature, sciences, and the arts, had re-organized. He was followed by the Duke of RICHELIEU, who congratulated himself on his election to the presidency of the French Academy. The Count de FONTANES, vice-president, delivered a dissertation on the progress and properties of language; after which a Memoir on Homer, by the Count de CHOIseul GOUFFIER, president of the Academy of Belles Lettres was read by M. WALCKENAER. Having frequently verified on the spot the accuracy of the descriptions of the Grecian bard, the writer could not repress his indignation to find that modern authors, not content with denying the Iliad to be the work of Homer, and asserting that it is a collection of various poems, carry their scepticism to such a length as to pretend that this extraordinary genius is himself a fabulous being. The Academy of Sciences could not have selected a more worthy interpreter than M. CUVIER, who sketched a rapid and animated picture of the influ ence which the sciences had undeniably. exercised on the civilization and prosperity of nations. M. QUATREMERE DE VOL. V. 3 I 426 Costumes of England-Animal Magnetism. QUINCY delivered a discourse on the state of the Fine Arts, and the business of the day concluded with a posthumous epistle from M. Ducis to M. de Boufflers, read by M. CAMPENON. The first and second numbers of a Collection of Costumes, drawn from life, by C. VIRNET, have appeared at Paris; cach number contains six engravings, and these two first are especially devoted to the fastuous of the English, both male and female. On this subject a French critic, M. Boutard makes the following observations :-" Before the long interruption of our relations with England, there was a continual intercourse between the two nations and a rivalry in fashions, which left scarcely any difference between the Parisian beau monde, and the fashionable orid on London. After a separation of 25 years, we were surprized to see those same English, both men and women, in a costume, differing not only from that of France, but from that of the rest of Europe. Methought that in these new fashions, especially in the attire of the females, might be discovered many of the details, and a general system of dress borrowed from India. The form and the dimensions of the sabre of the English officers, and the manner of wearing it are likewise similar to the Indian practice. It was certainly neither the climate and the streets of London, nor the streets and the climate of Paris which suggested the idea of the white cotton pantaloons, which we have seen so many of them wearing. I could easily extend these observations to almost all the parts of the female apparel, and to some of the dresses and ornaments of the men; either because the mighty geniuses which devote their studies to the invention of new fashions, belong to the herd of imitators, or what would be a serious consideration of a very different kind, because the manners of the formidable Indian colony actually begin to acquire an ascendancy over those of the mother-country. Certain it is that the English fashions never differed so much from those of the European continent: and that they are not the better for it, especially as far as the dress of men is concerned." We deemed it right in our last number (p. 326) to insert a caution against the arts of the empirical puffers of the pretended science of Animal Magnetism. A late Paris paper gives the following particulars concerning the abbé FARIA, one of these quacks who practises his delusions in the rooms of Tivoli, every Thursday," Last week M. Faria brought [June 1, forward one of bis somnambules,”—or as we might without much licence, term them sleeping partners. Under the pow erful hand of the master, the lady fell asleep without resistance, but nobody was persuaded by her example to do the same. In vain did the operator shake the magnetic poppy over three fourths of his auditors; he could not obtain either from weariness or complaisance the slightest drowsiness, which did not fail to divert the assembly. M Faria challenged such of his auditors as were ailing to desire to be informed of the cause of their disorder and its remedy by the inspirations of the fair sleeper. An officer rose: the profes.or requested him to mention his ailment, and when it was remarked that this precaution did not indicate any great degree of penetration, M Faria requested the officer merely to mention the part of the body affected. He stated that it was his right leg. Not a word of this dialogue was lost by the sleeper. The doctor then urged the officer to assign with precision the cause of the complaint; on which the oracie talked of obstruction of the blood, thickened lymph &c. "Nothing of the sort," cried the soldier blunt ly; 'tis a wound!-you must be dreaming." This answer was followed by bursts of laughter, hisses and the protuse employment of the terms quack and impostor. It is related that M. Potier of the Theatre des Varietés, took it into his head a few days since, to play Faria a trick. He presented himself as if filled with saving faith, according to the fami liar expression of the professor. The latter, overjoyed at having met with a subject, said in a loud and most imperative tone: Sleep!-Potier began to nod. Upon his awaking, the same voice cried in the same tone, I paralyse you! and Potier was paralysed. The abbé to complete his success added: I restore to you the freedom of motion, but Potier abused this freedom of motion: for he moved his hands with such violence, that his right fist is said to have rudely encountered the face of the astonished professor." M. LE NORMANT has announced his intention of printing, under the general title of Politique, a collection of tracts by M. de CHATEAUBRIAND, such as Buonaparte et les Bourbons, le Quatre Octobre, les Reflexions politiques, le Vingt et un Janvier, le Rapport sur l'Etat de la France, presented at Ghent, &c. To this collection will be added, the speeches delivered by M. de Cha teaubriand, in the chamber of peers, dur 1816.] French Literary and Scientific Intelligence. ing the present session; and the whole will be preceded by an introduction on the proceedings of the two chambers, the spirit of the ministry, and the present state of France. GREAT BRITAIN, says the Journal des Debats, affords a retreat to all the exploded quacks of the continent. Thus Feinagle, the inventor of the system of Mnemonics, has formed a very successful establishment, which he calls the Feinaglian Institution, at Dublin, where all who are deficient in memory, are supplied with that useful quality.-The journalist does not inform us how many British empirics we have exported to the continent in return; though we observe in the Paris papers, various announcements of the wonder-working powers of the renowned Dr. Williams, to the good people of that city. A periodical work has lately been commenced under the title of Panorame d'Angleterre. It is a selection from English works and from the notice given of its contents, not too well calculated to accomplish its professed object, that of "making the French intimately acquainted with this country in all its bearings." Mademoiselle Suzanne, who appeared some months since at the Comedie Francaise in Paris, with no very flattering success, lately returned to Bourdeaux. She bore, however, a very bad character among the people of that city, who recollected the excessive fondness which she had manifested last year for the violet. On making her first appearance after her return, no sooner was she recognized than she was ordered from all parts of the house to shout Vive Le Roi! She obeyed. Vive Madame! was next called for; again she complied. A tricoloured cockade was then thrown on the stage with this injunction: "Mademoiselle Suzanne, pick up that cockade and burn it immediately." The actress fetched a candle and reduced the sign of rebellion to ashes. Satisfied with this amende honorable, the audience permitted poor Finette to begin her part and for once to perform the character of a hoy. den with the humbled look and contrite tone of a penitent. PILLET, the author of a notorious libel on the English nation, which was suppressed by the French government about a year ago, died at Paris on the 28th of April, at the age of 54 years. The Journal des Savans, originally established during the reign of Louis XIV, is about to be revived. The different de 427 partments are thus arranged, Messrs. Visconti and Quatremère de Quincy will superintend what relates to the arts; Boissonade, Greek and Latin literature, Raoul-Rochette, modern history; Vanderbourg, foreign and French literature; de Chezy, oriental literature; Gay-Lussac, chemistry; Biot, the mathematical sciences, and Cousin philosophy and metaphysics. The Chevrette cutter, commanded by Capt.Gauttier, to whom the French navy is indebted for several hydrographical works sailed from Toulon on the 16th of April. That officer is direct d to determine the position of the capes and coasts forming the circumference of the Mediterranean. Similar operations are about to be undertaken by the royal command on the coasts of the Atlantic ocean. The charts of these coasts were drawn during the reign of Louis XIV, with all the accuracy which the state of knowledge at that period admitted of: but the king is sensible of the importance of furnishing nautical men with charts of the utmost precision that the improvements in the sciences and the instruments employed can bestow. Political events alone prevented the commencement of this interesting enterprize a year ago. It is under the direction of M. BEAUTEMS BEAUPRé, assisted by several engineers and draughtsmen. The government is extending its views to still more distant quarters. The fine ship Le Solide, which under the command of Capt. Marchandet, performed a voyage round the world, the account of which was drawn up by M. Fleurieu, has sailed for the Isle of Bourbon, on an expedition of discovery. The manufactory of files at Amboise is one of the most considerable in France, and also one of those that furnishes articles of the best quality. About ten years since, when it came into the hands of the present proprietor, it occupied only 20 workmen and produced goods to the amount of no more than 36,000 francs of such inferior qualities as to be unsaleable. Such have been the improvements since made in every branch of the ma nufacture, that the goods produced here are now in the highest request, and are employed exclusively in the naval arse nals. In 1815 the establishment employed 120 workmen, and turned out of hand 40,000 dozen of fime files and 30,000 packets of coarse ones. During the present year the demand and the number of workmen are so increased that the manufactory which in 1815 consumed BARONESS KRUDENER, of Riga, who some years since displayed considerable talent in a novel, entitled Valerie, has it seems been seized with an extraordinary religious mania. Having been obliged by the government of Basle to quit that city, she has for some time past, resided at Arau, where she preaches to the Protestants who assemble from the adjacent country to hear her. She holds a pious conference in French every evening, with the better educated of the inhabitants of Arau. It is said that she gives no preference to any sect; that her opinions which tend to the union of all religious societies, are founded on the principal truths of all the christian persuasions. She accordingly admits to her meetings, persons of all religious communious, who never fail to retire highly edified. The fourth and last volume of the Correspondence of the celebrated WIELAND has just appeared at Zurich. Mr. Füssli has published the ninth part of his great Dictionary of Arts, which comprizes the letter T. Two more parts will complete this excellent collection. GERMANY. Mr. LEOPOLD VON BUCH, known to the English reader by his travels in Norway, is just returned from the Canary Islands, where he spent a whole year. He had for his assistant Mr. Smith, a young botanist, who accompanies the expedition to Congo and the interior of Africa. Mr. VON BUSCHMANN has invented a musical instrument, which he denominates terpodion. It has neither strings nor pipes, being composed only of small sticks, and is said to produce astonishing tones. AUSTRIA. Mr. DAVID, astronomer at the imperial observatory, at Prague, remarked on the 12th April, at 9 P. M. two secondary moons, formed to the east and west of that luminary. They terminated in a cone of rays, resembling the tail of a comet. This phenomenon lasted about 50 minutes, STRAUSS of Vienna, has just printed in a splendid 4to volume, a translation into French verse, by Count LAGARDE, of a Polish poem, entitled Sophiowka, by STANISLAUS TREMBECKY. The subject of it is as follows.-The Ukraine, a fertile and beautiful province of Poland, incorporated with Russia by the first partition, was long an uncultivated wild. The Zaporogian Cossacks, who were its neighbours often made incursions into it across the Bog, and the inhabitants fled to escape captivity. It was restored to agriculture and the arts, by the care of the Empress Catherine, who caused the ferocious horde to be dispersed or destroyed. The great proprietors then returned; among them was Count Felix Potocky, whom the troubles in Poland had long kept at a distance. The cultivated steppes were soon covered with abundant harvests; convenient and elegant habitations rose around magnificent palaces; regular and commercial towns presented to colonists all that industry can furnish for the supply of the wauts and luxury of new inhabitants. Thus in the midst of a wilderness, Count Potocky projected and created a garden,dedicated to his beloved consort, and named after her, Sophiowka. Two thousand workmen, vassals to the count, were employed ten years in executing the plan, designed by able artists; nearly a million of ducats was expended upon it with taste and discernment, and this garden is now one of those which are reckoned most worthy of being visited by all the lovers of the beauties of nature and of the arts. Por try soon seized a subject which lent such charms to its fictions, and friendship sung the production of love. Trembecky, who was warmly attached to Count Potocky, and is styled by his coun trymen the Polish Homer, composed this poem at the age of 70 years. A translation is ill calculated to do justice to this work, whose chief merits consist in the harmony of its numbers and the boldness of its expressions, many of which, crea ted by the author, have been adopted by his countrymen. The same motive which inspired the author, supported the translator under his difficult task. The friendship of M. de Lagarde for the Countess Potocka, bis gratitude for the generous hospitality which he experienced during a long exile, occasioned by the political troubles of France, from this lady, her noble husband, and the generous Polish nation, guided his pen and animated his muse. The erudite works of Count J. Potocky, well known for his researches on the origin of the Slavonian nations, have furnished M. Lagarde with materials for notes replete with learning and interest. The work is embellished with engravings by the best artists of Vienna, among which are two highly finished portraits of the author and his interpreter. The typographical part, in Polish and French, rivals the best productions of the press of Didot. 1816.] Statistical Sketch of the Austrian Empire. In the fourth number of Baron Lichtenstern's Historical, Political and Statistical Repository, printed at Vienna, is a new statistical sketch of the states and population of the Austrian monarchy, since the treaty signed on the fourteenth 429 of April last, with Bavaria. According to the territorial arrangements concluded with the neighbouring states, this monarchy now consists of the following provinces : German square miles. Inhabitants. 1,048,000 Country below the Ens Country above the Ens," 364 It is proper to observe, that the foreign paper from which the above statement is extracted, gives a different result, making the total number of square miles 12046%, and of the inhabitants 27,956,000. RUSSIA. The Emperor has appointed M. KARAMSIN, historiographer of the empire, a counsellor of state, conferred on him the order of St. Anne, of the first class, and ordered the sum of 60,000 rubles to be placed at his disposal for the purpose of printing his History. TURKEY AND THE EAST. The positive statement of the death of Dr. SEETZEN, the celebrated traveller, who has, for 16 years past, been exploring with indefatigable zeal, Asia Minor, Palestine, Egypt, and Arabia, is now as positively contradicted. Letters from Constantinople, dated Nov. 2, 1815, assert that he is detained a prisoner by the Iman of Sana, in Yemen. The Iman conceived that he had secured a rich prize, and was disappointed to find that the traveller had in his possession nothing but some astronomical instruments and dried herbs, and about 600 piastres. It is to be hoped, that this enterprizing man will not be suffered to languish long in the prisons of Sana, but that the interference of some powerful prince with the 11,900 27,035,000 Porte will procure his liberty. It would be an act worthy of the British government to exert its influence in his behalf. The same letters from Constantinople inform us, that Mr. RICH, author of an interesting Description of the Ruins of Babylon, lately published, has returned to Bagdad, where he is about to engage in fresh researches. During the last year, Messrs. RICHTER and LIEDMAN, the one a Livonian, the other a Swede, have explored the whole of Egypt and Nubia. They discovered above Philoe superb architectural remains in what is called the Egyptian style. They returned by way of Syria; Mr. Liedman proceeded to Coustantinople; but his companion is gone to the north-west, and will endeavour to pene trate toward Bokhara and Bactria. M. VON HALLER is busily employed at Constantinople in arranging the materials which he collected in Attica. AMERICA. The Swiss papers make us acquainted with the existence of a new town, called New Vevey, on the banks of the Ohio, which already contains four large and six small streets. They also relate, that a colony has been founded under the name of New Switzerland, but without informing us in what part of the United States, by wealthy proprietors of the |