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without interest, to the extent of five hundred rubles.

"The gratuitous instruction given to the children deserves the highest praise. Nothing is neglected to make them at once good agriculturists, well-instructed soldiers, and skilful artisans. In the schools, which are organised according to the methods of Lancaster and Pestalozzi, they are taught to read and write; they are exercised in music and singing, are taught the elements of arithmetic, painting, and geometry; and the precepts of religion are explained to them.

"Those who display most zeal and aptitude are placed in a school of subofficers, and these children of moujiks (pea sants) have before them a prospect of rising to the rank of officers, which they are entitled to after twelve years of irreproachable service. To sum up all, the internal management of the colonies procures for their inhabitants certain privileges and even positive rights. Liberty would there be sought for in vain; but, at least, order, justice, and the regular action of a paternal authority, are seen in the model of slavery. A stranger rarely obtains permission to visit these establishments; even Russians are admitted to them with difficulty."

Miscellaneous.

A REMORSE-STRICKEN JUDGE. Judge Sewall, of Salem, presided during the trials for sorcery in 1692, and pronounced sentence of death on the victims. When the frightful excitement of superstition had passed away, and humanity resumed its empire, he was one of the first to regret the part which he had taken in his official situation. Sixteen years afterwards, one Sunday, at the close of public worship, Judge Sewall left his seat, and advanced towards the pulpit, where he handed up to the minister a paper which he requested him to read aloud to the congregation. It was an acknowledgment of sincere recantation and deep repentance for having, in his capacity of judge, sentenced to death so many innocent people. He stated that he now believed himself to have acted un. der a delusion, which seemed contagious, and which on its first appearance should have been checked rather than encouraged by those who had power and influence to repress it. He added, remorse had soon come over him, and that he had since done all in his power to benefit the families of those who had suffered by his sentence, and to make atonement for his misguided severity. He now humbly, and in the presence of the assembled church, expressed his sorrow and compunction, and tremblingly implored the forgiveness of his God. While this memorial was

read to the congregation (amongst which were many relatives of the victims of the year, 1792) Judge Sewall stood at the foot of the pulpit in a posture of the deepest sorrow and contrition, with his head bowed down, his eyes cast on the ground, and his hands crossed humbly on his breast.

THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO CAMBRIDGE.~ A great sensation has been created at Cambridge, by the expected appearance of her Majesty in that celebrated seat of learning. Queen Elizabeth honoured the University with a visit in 1563. On that occasion, tragedies, orations, disputations, and other academical exercises were recited before her Majesty. The list of honorary degrees then conferred comprises many distinguished names in the history of their age and country. The following are copied from the University annals of the time :-Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk; Edward Veere, Earl of Oxforde; Ambrose Dudley, Earl of Warwicke; Edward Manners, Earl of Rutland; Thomas Ratclif, Earl of Sussex; Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicestre; Edward Clinton, Lord High Admiral; William Howard, Lord Chamberlain; Henry Carew, Lord Hunsden; Sir William Cecil, Secretary; Sir Francis Knolls, Vice Chamberlain. Thomas Henage, John Ashley, Richard Bartue, William Cooke, Edmond Cooke, Esqrs. -"The celebrated Thomas Cartwright," Fuller says, "and Thomas Preston, then Fellow of King's College, afterwards Master of Trinity Hall, were appointed two of the four disputants in the Philosophy Act before the Queen. Cartwright had dealt most with the Muses, Preston with the Graces, adorning his learning with comely carriage, graceful gesture, and pleasing pronunciation. Cartwright disputed like a great, Preston like a gentile scholler, being a handsome man; and the Queen (upon parity of deserts) alwaies preferred propernesse of person in conferring her favours. Hereupon with her looks, words, and deeds, she favoured Preston, calling him her scholler, as appears by his epitaph in Trinity-hall Chappell, which thus beginneth

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"Conderis hoc tumulo Thoma Prestone scholarem Quem dixit Princeps Elizabetha suum.' Insomuch for his good disputing and excellent acting in the tragedy of 'Dido,' she bestowed on him a pension of 20 lib. a year, whilst Cartwright received neither reward nor commendation, whereof he not only complained to his inward friends in Trinity College, but also after her Majesty's neglect of him, began to wade into divers opinions against her ecclesiastical government. But Mr Cartwright's followers, who lay the foundation of his disaffection in the discipline established in his conscience, not carnall discontentment, credit not the relation. Adding, more

over, that the Queen did highly commend though not reward him. But soon after he went beyond the seas, and after his travel returned a bitter enemy to the hierarchy." Queen Elizabeth herself, on this occasion, delivered a Latin oration before the assembled members of the University, in the Senate House.

LORD ROSSE'S TELESCOPE.-We have already noticed the gigantic telescope now constructing by the Earl of Rosse. The Rev. Dr Robinson, the astronomer of Armagh, thus describes it:-"The speculum, which weighs three tons, has been ground to figure, and can be polished in a day. The tube, partly a cubic chamber where the mirror is fixed, and partly a cylinder of inch-deal, strongly hooped, and eight feet diameter at its centre, is complete. The massive centres on which the telescope is to turn are in their place, and the apparatus which supports the speculum, which is of wire, and of great weight, is also complete. The telescope is not to be turned to any part of the sky, but limited to a range of half an hour on each side of the meridian, through which its motion will be given by powerful clock-work, independent of the observer. For this purpose it stands between two pieces of masonry of Gothic architecture, which harmonises well with the castle. One of these pillars will sustain the galleries for the observer, and the other the clockwork and other machinery, one of which is finished, and the other nearly completed. An extremely elegant arrangement of counterpoises is intended to balance the enormous mass, so

that a comparatively slight force only will be required to elevate or depress it, much of which is also completed, and Lord Rosse considers that a couple of months will be sufficient to have the instrument fit for trial. The aperture is six feet, and the focal length fifty-two feet."

The Gatherer.

Sir Robert Peel.-The following letter from Sir Robert Peel to Lady Bell, announcing the pension granted by her Majesty, deserves to be preserved as a model of delicacy and good feeling :- "Whitehall, September 4. Madam,-I have had great pleasure in recommending to her Majesty, that in consideration of the high attainments of your lamented husband, and the services rendered by him to the cause of science, a pension of one hundred pounds per annum for your life shall be granted to you, from that very limited fund which Parliament has placed at the disposal of the Crown for the reward and encouragement of scientific labours. This pension, small in amount as it necessarily is, will, perhaps, be acceptable to you as a public acknow

ledgment, on the part of the Crown, of the distinguished merit of Sir Charles Bell. I have the honour to be, Madam, your faithful and obedient servant, ROBERT PEEL."

The Rev. Dr Wolff. This gentleman has started for Constantinople, via Malta ; from thence to proceed to Bokhara, to ascertain the fate of Colonel Stoddart and Captain Conolly. The Oriental Steam Packet Company gave the reverend gentleman a passage at one half the usual charge; for the subscription which is to determine the fate and (as many of the best informed believe) effect the release of two distinguished countrymen-officers who were thrown into prison so long since as 1838, when employed on public service -goes on but slowly; 500%. only was required, Dr Wolff's services being gratuitous, and yet little more than half that amount has been raised.

The

The Isthmus of Panama.-The long-meditated project of piercing the Isthmus great oceans, is daily more and more atof Panama, for the junction of the two tracting the attention of nations. French government has despatched a mining engineer of distinction, M. Napoléon Garella, to make a careful examination of the Isthmus, and report on the most eligible direction for a canal of communication between the Atlantic and Pacific.

Vegetable Nature of certain supposed Animals.-M. Decaisne, an eminent French botanist, has lately come to the conclusion that certain marine productions, supposed to be animals, and called by naturalists "chalk-bearing Polypes (Polypiers calciThis fères), are in reality sea-weeds. view has been microscopically and chemically confirmed by M. Payen.

Extinguishing Fires.-A Vienna letter states that a M. Dietrich, of Gratz, has invented a powder which has the effect of extinguishing fire. Several very successful experiments are stated to have been made.

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Original Communications.

THE THAMES TUNNEL. WISHING to furnish a series of interesting local pictures, by the powerful aid of Glyphography, we are enabled this week to submit a strikingly correct representation of the entrance to the Thames Tunnel, in the opinion of foreigners the most remarkable structure in England, if not in the world. All strangers visiting this country deem this the object that must be visited, whatever else may be left unseen. Nothing in any moderate degree resembling it can be looked at elsewhere.

From the doors seen in the cut, a hundred steps conduct the visitor to the entrance of the passage or passages, for there are what may be called two streets, which pass beneath the bed of the river. We need not here repeat the description given No. 1188]

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at the time of the Tunnel being opened to the public. What has since occurred, its present appearance, and future prospects, will probably be more acceptable.

By an authorised account, published a few weeks back, it appears that in the first half year from it becoming a regular thoroughfare, no fewer than a million and a half of persons passed through. A good beginning this, and though it cannot by any possibility be kept up, those interested in the success of the speculation have a right to calculate that, besides the constantly-growing regular traffic, a vast number of visitors will annually be attracted for the reasons above stated, so that the falling off will be less enormous than might otherwise be expected. At first, shops, or stalls, were established beneath almost every arch. Of these about two-thirds have vanished, but enough remain to give [VOL. XLIIL

the place a somewhat lively and variegated aspect. On a wet day, however, the visitors are found to fall off so considerably, that many of the traders who still retain their standings seem to give themselves a holiday.

One thing strikes the eye which seems hardly necessary. Wherever we turn we find an announcement that no smoking can be allowed in the Tunnel. What mighty evil could arise from the use of a pipe or a cigar is not very obvious. But the directors seem affected with a perfect fumophobia, and have ridiculously multiplied the prohibitions. If there be one place in the country where the practice would be more harmless and less offensive than another, the uninitiated think it is this immense vault, where the damp earthy vapour perceived could hardly be combated with success if all the smokers in London were to resort to it to hold their jubilee. Yet if a powder magazine were in the vicinity more anxious caution could not be manifested. The idea is that the smoke could not find vent. Be it so; but still the weed must be consumed on a greater scale than ordinary minds can imagine possible before the slightest nuisance could be created. In this, and in the formidable announcement that no writing is to be allowed on the walls, which the grave directors hold in like horror, there is something almost childish. If silly people choose to commemorate their advent to the tunnel by scribbling their names as they pass through, they could do no more harm in a place where it would hardly be seen than it does to the cathedrals, in which it has been permitted, time out of mind, in the face of day. Why is Sir Isambert Brunel's great work, admirable as it is, to be heli more sacred than Westminster Abbey and all the abbey churches in the kingdom? Improper inscriptions ought, of course, to be dealt with there as elsewhere.

Last week it was reported that the water had begun to find its way through the roof of the wall. Of this, in a recent visit, we could see no marks, but the ground, we observed, was damp in many places.

Of the progress of the carriage roads we hear nothing. They, it is stated, are to be forty feet wide. When completed they will materially alter the appearance of the Tunnel altogether. Undoubtedly they will add largely to its receipts, but they must be preceded by a vast outlay. We are told that "an immense amount of the foreign goods brought into the West India, the London, and St Katherine's Docks, on the north side, is absorbed by the coasting, trade on the south; and it appears is almost entirely conveyed from one to the other by land carriage. During the year 1829, of 887 waggons and 3,241 carts which

passed over London bridge southwards, no less than 480 of the first and 1,700 of the second turned down Tooley streetone half of which are supposed to be engaged in the traffic mentioned. The accommodation a tunnel may afford to passengers receives a striking illustration from the returns made to Parliament of the watermen engaged at the different ferries in the neighbourhood, who were 350 in number, and calculated to take, on an average, not less than 3,700 passengers daily."

Whatever the result, it must, at all events, be admitted that this undertaking will always rank high among the scientific triumphs of England. As one of the wonders of art, it must claim more admiration than the famed hanging gardens of Babylon. We wish its success may console its proprietors for all the sacrifices they have made.

That day is distant, but many costly works, which have in the end largely remunerated those with whom they originated, have not opened with better prospects. One thing at least is certain, that it will not soon have a rival. Already it has materially changed the aspect of parts adjacent. Pictorial representations of it furnish signs to the places of recreation in its approaches, which must aspire to honourable distinction; the present neighbourhoods are rapidly increasing, and new ones will, no doubt, in the fulness of time, be formed to take advantage of the novel communication thus supplied to connect the two important counties of Kent and Essex.

ON METALLO-CHROMES, AND ANION DEPOSITS GENERALLY.

BY CHARLES V. WALKER, ESQ., EDITOR OF THE ELECTRICAL MAGAZINE,' &c.

Introductory.

THE very brilliant electro-chemical productions termed metallo-chromes have of late become comparatively familiar objects to the philosopher, but are not so generally known to those who tread the humbler paths of science as they deserve. They are so very easily produced, they are of so attractive a character, and they involve in them so many points of scientific interest, that we have thought a popular account of the means of obtaining them would not be devoid of interest to the lover of science generally. We propose, therefore, devoting a series of articles not merely to metallo-chromes as such, but to those modifications of them which promise to be of practical avail in the arts. We shall not wander from our purpose to follow out the several phenomena which may present themselves as we proceed, but will be as careful as possible to give a familiar description of such portions of each phe

nomenon as are concerned in the case before us.

In the outset, we are aware that these pages will pass before the eyes of many readers to whom the science of electrochemistry is no new thing; but we are bold to assume that there are many more to whom its laws are far less familiar. Those, then, who have advanced far forward in these pursuits, will bear with us awhile as we pave the path and make it easy for others to follow them, and also to comprehend equally with them the nature of our present experiments.

Metallo-chromes, as the name implies, are coloured metallic productions; they are thin films of oxide of lead placed on the surface of steel plates by the proper application of the laws of electro-chemistry, and by means of voltaic agency; and, by duly regulating the character of the action and the form of materials employed, an endless variety of patterns may be obtained, and an almost endless modification of colour. But of this hereafter; for the present we will content ourselves with a few illustrations of voltaic agency, and this will lead to the explanation of the means most effectual for the object in view. If three wine glasses be taken, each containing salt and water, and a shilling be placed in one, a piece of zinc in the second, and a shilling and a piece of zinc touching each other in the third, it will be found, after a certain time, that the metals in the first and second glasses have undergone no change; but in the third glass the zinc will be found very evidently to have undergone some action; it will appear very dirty, and, when touched with the finger, a black powder will be found on it. Or, again, if a thin piece of copper be nailed on a board by two nails, one iron the other copper, and be then exposed to the weather for some weeks, it will be found that the iron nail is very much worn away, while the copper nail is as sound as ever. That this is not a case of mere rust will be evident by exposing an iron plate, secured with an iron nail, for the same length of time. To take another case: if we put faith in the judg. ment of the lovers of malt liquor-and in no matter are they more competent to pass judgment than in that before us-they agree in maintaining that porter drunk from the pewter tankard is of better flavour than that taken from a glass tumbler. Or, if we take two eggs and two silver spoons, and with one spoon eat one of the eggs, and with the other spoon merely lade out the contents of the second egg, the latter spoon will be comparatively clean, but the former will be very deeply stained.

These cases are from facts: they may be very much modified, and, as we shall see

presently, may be presented under much more favourable forms. Let us, however, take them as they are, and begin to reflect upon them, and we shall soon establish some general resemblance between them all. When a shilling is in contact with salt water, no change takes place; when a piece of zinc is in contact with salt water, no change takes place; and if a shilling, resting on a piece of zinc, were placed in a fourth glass without water, no change would take place; but when the three things, silver, zinc, and water, were in contact, the change occurred. When copper in contact with copper was exposed, no peculiar effect followed; when iron in contact with iron was similarly exposed, nothing unusual occurred; but when iron and copper in contact were exposed to atmospheric moisture, the iron was speedily rusted.

The connexion between these two facts is evident the condition for success in each experiment being two metals and a liquid in mutual contact. We here gain two pieces of information: we learn, first, that some certain arrangements will not give us effects. This kind of negative information is positive knowledge, and is of far greater importance, especially in experimental philosophy, than at first sight may appear; for when we have an object in view, and several paths are open before us, one only of which is the true path, it is no small step gained when we have discovered those of the other paths which do not lead thitherward; our investigation is so far shortened, its limits are narrowed, and we have less work before us in what remains.

We learn, secondly, that some certain arrangements will give us the effect. But this knowledge is evidently limited, for, though the arrangements before us teach that the combination of two metals and one liquid is a condition favourable to the destruction of one of the metals, it does not prove that this is the only favourable condition.

Indeed, when we come to regard our fourth experiment, it is evident that two metals are not essential; for here we have a single metal, silver, in one case unchanged, and in the other greatly discoloured. A silver spoon is not discoloured when we put it into our mouth; it is not discoloured when we put it into an egg; but when it contains egg, and is then placed in the mouth, the effect occurs; in fact, when the moisture of the mouth, the moisture of the egg, and the metal are in contact, the effects occur. Thus, the contact of two' liquids and a metal is a condition favoura ble to success. In drinking porter from a glass we have two liquids, and no metal; but when, by using a metal tankard, we complete the conditions of two liquids and

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