288 IRELAND. Ireland-Abroad. A few days ago, a man labouring in a field belonging to Mr. Scott, of Castlelenaghan, about five miles from Newry, dug up a large cow-horn, which, on examination, appeared to be remarkably weighty. The man had the curiosity to break a piece off the horn, which, to his surprize. he found nearly full of old silver coins, of the different sizes of shillings, tenpenny, and sixpenny pieces. The coins, which had been carefully buried in the earth, are chiefly Scottish pieces of money. On one the words "Robertus Dei Gra. Rex Scotorum," are perfectly legible. The head of Robert, with the face in profile, is distinct. Married.] In Dublin, the Right Honorable Wm. M'Mahon, Master of the Rolls, to Charlotte, second daughter of the late Rob. Shaw, esq. M. P. At Fermoy, Capt. Rich. England, 12th infantry, to Anna Maria, daughter of John Anderson, esq. of Fermoy House. At Ballymaguoly, Capt. W. H. Herrick, R. N. to Mary, only daughter of Rob. De la Cour, of Beareforest, esq. Died.] At Bellevue, co. Wexford, the Right Hon. G. Ogle, 75. He had been many years governor of the county of Wexford, which he long represented in the Irish Parliament. At the Grove, Limerick, Mrs Odell, wife of Lieut.-col. Wm. O. M. P. for the county, and one of the lords of the Irish treasury. At the College of Fermoy, the Rev. Wm. Adair, LL.D. and head of that seminary since its establishment. Though a native of Scotland, Dr. Adair graduated in the university of Dublin, where he highly distinguished himself as a profound and accomplished scholar. In the early part of his life, after taking orders, he travelled Europe with the sons of several noblemen and gentlemen of high distinction, whose friendship he experienced to the last hour of his life. Independently of refined classical learning, he was a sound mathematician, was well acquainted with the sciences, and made belles lettres a part of his studies; by which he was a valuable companion, diffusing amusement, instruction, and delight, to all who were favoured with his friendship. In the pulpit his discourses were distinguished for acumen and close reasoning, pointing to a future state with a perfect confidence of en [Oct. 1, joying that blissful mansion towards which he encouraged his flock to direct their view. Iu Dublin, after a few hours illness, Mr. George Goulding, chief partner of the firm of that name, music-sellers, Soho-square London, On the morning of his death he was conversing with Incledon and Sinclair, respecting where they should go after they left Dublin, and was to have dined with them that day; but when dinner was ready, being indisposed, he retired to his room, and before the cloth was drawn became a corpse. At Ardfert abbey, co. Kerry, Diana, Countess of Glandore, daughter of Lord George Sackville, afterwards Viscount Sackville. She was born in 1756, and in 1777 married Viscount Crosbie, who in 1781 succeeded to the earldom of Glandore. Near Crossmona, co. Mayo, at the advanced age of 112 years, Thomas Gaughan. He passed 110 years of his life wholly unacquainted with sickness, and able to take a full share with the young in the labours of the field. In the county court, at the age of 106, by his clear evidence, he fully proved the validity of a survey made in 1725, thereby contributing chiefly to the terminafion of an important law-suit. His eldest son is upwards of 70. At Cork, Sir Hugh Massy, bart. of Glen ville, Limerick, late captain in the 35th foot. Sir Charles Des Voeux, bart. of India Ville, Queen's County. At the College, Carlow, the Rev. Henry' Staunton, Catholic Dean of Leighlin, President of the College, and Parish Priest of Carlow. BRITISH COLONIES. Married.] In the Island of St. Vincent, Arch. Bannatyne, esq. to Leonora, eldest daughter of the Hon. S. B. Windsor, solici tor-general for the island. Died.] At Newfoundland, Captain Edw Wrottesley, H. M. S. Sabine. ABROAD. Married.] At Amsterdam, Hugh Sinclair Allen, of Bothwell Park, Argyle, to the Hon. Miss Howard. At Brussels, R. B. Hoppner, esq. to Marie Isabelle, fourth daughter of Beal Louis May, Seigneur d'Oron et de Brandis, Canton of Berne, Switzerland. Died.] On board the Conquestador, while conveying home the Jamaica fleet, Lord Wm. Stewart, commander of that ship. NATURALIST'S MONTHLY REPORT. Wide o'er the thistly lawn, as swells the breeze, A whitening shower of vegetable down Amusive floats. AUGUST 18-The males of some kinds of ants attain their winged state. The large horse auts a species nearly allied to the formica herculanea of Linnæus, are 1814.] Naturalist's Report. 289 now extremely busy in the woods. Some of their nests are nearly a yard in height, and are very surprising structures, being formed of bits of furze, sticks, decayed leaves, grass, &c. So powerful is the acid in these ants, that when they are disturbed, it is almost impossible to hold the head for many minutes over them, from a very subtle effluvia, not unlike spirit of vinegar, which issues from them. Aug. 23.-Meadow saffron (colchicum autumnale) is now in flower. In the Swedish Flora there is a remark that this plant ought to admonish gardeners to put Indian plants under shelter, as the iron nights are near. These iron nights, as they are denominated in Sweden, generally take place betwixt the 17th and 29th of August, and destroy tender plants. Aug. 24.-White butterflies are busily employed in laying their eggs upon the cabbages, &c. The leaves of the lime tree begin to fall. Aug. 25.-A thunder storm, of short duration. Aug. 26-Accounts received from Cornwall state, that the pilchard season has hitherto been a very successful one. As many as twelve thousand two hundred hogsheads have been taken at Mevagissey, a small village betwixt Fowey and Tregony. Mulberries are ripe. This is also the case with greengages and filberts. Aug. 28.-Swifts have have not been seen for some days past. Aug. 29.-A caterpillar of the elephant hawkmoth, (sphinx elpenor) which had been fed with the leaves of ladies' bedstraw, (galium palustre) entered the earth, for the purpose of undergoing its change into a pupa state. These insects continue during winter under ground, and issue from thence, in a perfect state, about the middle of the ensuing summer. Sept. 1.-Sportsmen complain that the present has been an unfavourable season for partridges, as well as pheasants, owing to the wet and cold weather of the spring, by which great numbers of the young birds were destroyed. The oat harvest has now commenced, even in several parts of the north of England. Sept. 3. The second brood of swallows and martins come forth, and fly abroad. Sept. 4.-New hops are brought into the market. The redbreast begins its twittering song, the first signal of approaching winter. Sept. 7.-Thistle down floats. The following wild plants are in flower :-Sea southern wood, (artemisia maritima,) black-headed cud-weed, (gnaphalium uliginosum,) hooded willow-herb, (scutellaria galericulata,) and marsh dock, (rumer paludosus.) Sept. 9.-Swallows and martins begin to congregate. Guats and other small-winged insects which, from the late coldness of the winds, have not been seen for some days, now fly about in great multitudes. Sept. 11.-The berries of the pyracantha, or ever-green thorn, (mespilus pyracanthu,) assume their red wintry colour. Sept. 12.-Some of the larger kinds of tipula, or crane-flies, (denominated by children long-legs,) now abound amongst the grass in meadows and parks; so that in walking along, great numbers of them are disturbed at every step. They deposit here their eggs, and their larvæ or grubs live under the surface of the ground. Sept. 13.-Blackberries ripen. Sept. 15.-The wheat harvest is compleated in several parts of Hampshire; but the barley is not yet all carried. It has been necessary to leave this much longer upon the ground than usual, in consequence of the clover being more than usually luxuriant. Sept. 16.-Ivy (hedera helix) is in flower. Sept. 18.-There has been white frost for several nights past. Several hundred weight of grey mullet were this day caught in the harbour, near Christchurch, Hampshire. The weather, during the whole of the past month, has been peculiarly favourable for the harvest; there not having been rain on more than five or six of the days. The prevailing winds have been west, south-west, and north-west; and latterly east and north-east, NEW MONTHLY MAG. NO. 9. VOL. II. Q ૧ MONTHLY AGRICULTURAL REPORT. • THE weather through nearly the whole of last month has been remarkably calm, serene, and clear, forming a finer harvest season than is common in this fickle climate. The products of the earth have, in consequence, been secured in the best and most husbandmanlike manner. The hovels bend under their weighty loads; and the barns and stack-yards abound to an overflow. The produce of this harvest is of the bulky kind, and will, in some instances, yield more than an average crop. Wheat is affected, in some districts, with the blight and mildew, in some fields so much so, as to be scarcely worth harvesting and threshing; in others, more partially, the samples appearing of two distinct kinds, that is, head and tail. Letters patent have been granted in the last month for machinery for more effec tually separating mildewed wheat from the straw and chaff. We wish the invention may be successful, as this malady is unfortunately attended not only with a defici ency of the farina, but also increased difficulty of separating the grain from the straw and chaff. Barley is a full crop upon those soils properly called barley-lands, of fine quality, but not large in the grain; consequently the produce per acre will not be so large as might have been expected, from a more distant view of the crop. Oats are a partial crop, but well harvested, and the quality fine. The late dry weather has made them so hard and sound, as to bring them into competition with old corn for provender. Beans are a full crop. The weather has had the same effect on the pulse kind, and has given them a similar competition, if dryness forms the criterion of value. Vetches, and all the leguminous tribe, are not only prolific in pod, but of the finest quality. The fine weather, which has had such a beneficial effect upon the harvest, has been unfavourable to the turnip crop, and all the brassica tribe. Corn Exchange, Sept. 26.-Foreign wheat 48s. to 81s. English ditto, 54s. to 70s. Fine ditto, 72s. Rye, 32s. to 42s. Barley, 28s. to 30s. Fine ditto, 36s. Malt 645. to 70s. Fine ditto, 72s. to 78s. White Pease, 64s. to 75s. Grey ditto, 42s. to 54s. Beans, 39s. to 56s. Feed Oats, 20s. to 29s. Poland ditto, 21s. to 33a. Rape Seed, 331. Fine Flour, 70s. to 75s. Seconds, 65s. to 70s. Smithfield Market, Sept. 26.-Beef, 4s. 4d. to 5s. 4d. Mutton, 5s. to 6s. 4d, Veal, 6s. to 7s. Pork 7s. to 3s. 4d. Haymarket, Smithfield, Sept. 26.-Hay, 31. to 4l. 15s. 11. 18s. Clover, 41. 10s. to 61. 10s. Straw, 11. 10s. to Hops.-New Pockets.-Kent, 71. to 91. 9s. Sussex, 61. 10s. to 31. 10s. Fara ham, 101, to 121. CHEMICAL REPORT. Mr. Accum, whose talents as a practical chemist are well known, is engaged in analysing the mineral water discovered near Gloucester, as mentioned in another part of our work, and the results will soon be made public. Meanwhile, enough has been ascertained, both respecting the constituents of the water, and its effects on the human body, to stamp it as one of the most valuable of its class. The foi lowing account of it is furnished by Mr. Baron, of Gloucester:-" The water when fresh drawn from the pump is clear and sparkling, emits a sulphureous smell, and bas a salt brackish taste. Lime-water renders it turbid, and it reddens tincture of litmus. When treated with a few drops of nitric acid and afterwards with prussiate of potash, it assumes a beautiful green colour, and lets fall a fine purple précipitate. With tincture of galls it becomes first of a dingy green colour, and on standing a day or two turns alinost black, and exhibits a shining pellicle on its surface. It converts the tracings made by the nitrate of mercury to a bright yellow hue. It holds in solution large quantities of purging salts, as is proved both by evaporation and various re-agents. The facts already specified will, to those acquainted with chemical investigations, sufficiently denote the general qualities of this water. To others who have not devoted their attention to subjects of this kind, it may be necessary to observe that the first and second tests evince the presence of carbonic acid, and from the permanence of the colour which the litimus affords, there is 1814.] Chemical Report. 291 reason to believe that the water contains some other acid more fixed than the carbonic. The third and fourth tests prove the existence of iron, and the fifth that of sulphuretted hydrogen gas. It has not hitherto been in my power to push my experiments so far as to obtain a precise knowledge of the proportions of the different ingredients and of their combinations with each other. The water exudes through a thick stratum of blue clay, which is diffused through a great part of the vale of Gloucester. In this clay are found large quantities of marine exuviæ, sulphuret of iron, and various salts. The water, percolating through this mass, carries with it a certain portion of the soluble contents, and its impregnations of course vary according to the nature of the substances which it may meet with in its descent. These facts are drawn from what may be seen here, as well as from what has been demonstrated to take place at Cheltenham. It is probable, therefore, nay almost certain, that by digging in various places of the ground which has been already opened, not only any quantity of water may be obtained, but such varieties, likewise, as are found at the place just mentioned." Vauquelin has published some observations on the method of precipitating copper from its solutions by iron or zinc. For this purpose, zinc answers better than iron. Unless the zinc be allowed to remain a sufficiently long time in the solution, the whole of the copper is not precipitated; and unless there be an excess of acid in the liquid, a portion of copper is precipitated in the state of oxide. A portion of the zinc always falls in combination with the copper; therefore the copper, after the liquid is separated, ought always to be digested in dilute muriatic acid, which takes up the zinc without touching the copper. Gay Lussac has finished a very laborious and complete investigation of the properties of iodine. During his experiments he discovered that chlorine possesses the property of combining in two proportions with oxygen, and of forming two acids which he calls the chloric and chlorous acids. Davy's euchlorine is Gay Lussac's chlorous acid, but the chloric appears to be the more curious and important compound. We are not yet informed how it is obtained. M. Chevreul, Assistant Naturalist to the Museum of Natural History at Paris has made some new observations on the change which any fatty matter undergoes by its combination with alkali to form soap. The soap of potash and hog's lard dissolved in water leaves a pearl-coloured substance, which, when separated from the saline matter that it still contains, constitutes a substance possessing very peculiar proper ties, which, from its pearl colour, M. Chevreul denominates margarine. It is insoluble in cold, but easily resolved in hot water. It melts at 133; and, on cooling, erystallizes in beautiful white needles. It combines with potash, and then resumes the characters of the pearl-coloured deposit. It has a stronger affinity for that base than carbonic acid, which it expels from the carbonate of potash by the assistance of a boiling heat. It likewise separates potash from turnsole, and restores it to its red colour. M. Hildebrandt has recently made some curious experiments on the preservation of Aesh in the gases. Into a receiver of the capacity of three cubic inches, filled with very pure sulphurous acid gas, he introduced, through mercury, a piece of fresh beef: in a few minutes it had absorbed almost all the gas, and the mercury filled the capacity of the receiver, except some air-bubbles, probably owing to the atmospheric air. The flesh soon lost its natural red colour, and assumed that of boiled ingat: it underwent no other apparent alteration, and the air in the bell-glass preserved its volume. At the end of 76 days, during which time the temperature had varied from 0 to 10° Reaumur, the beef had acquired scarcely any smell of subphurous acid, and was harder and drier than roasted meat. After being left four days in the open air, it became more compact without being putrified, and did not change colour: it merely lost the weak smell of acid, without acquiring any other. A piece of ox beef was treated in the same way in the fluoric acid gas, and the results were in every respect similar: the phenomena were only less visible, because the acid attacked the glass, and a thin coating of mercury was deposited on the flesh. Beef deposited in a receiver filled with ammoniacal gas exhibited very different alterations: a total absorption of the elastic fluid had taken place; the meat sumed a fine red colour, nearly resembling the effect of nitrous gas, and retained this fresh appearance 76 days: it was much softer than in the foregoing experiment, without smell, and having the colour and consistence of fresh meat, When exposed four days to the open air, it did not putrify, but lost its red colour, became brown, dry, and covered with a kind of varnish. [ 292 ] MONTHLY COMMERCIAL REPORT. [Oct. 1, THE commercial transactions of the last month have been considerable, with less speculation than for some time past. In the early part of the month purchases were made in a number of the leading articles of export merchandize, at rather advancing prices; but within the last ten or fourteen days the demand has been less considerable, and a trifling depression in price in some articles has been experienced, and, upon the whole, prices remain much the same as at the close of the month of August. A due reflexion upon the following expositions of imports and exports, is better éalculated to convey a correct idea of the probable future value of the great staple articles of merchandize included in the respective statements, than any observations that can be adduced. The great alteration in the course of exchange between Great Britain and every commercial place in Europe, having operated as a double obstacle to the profitable result of all commercial transactions, instead of our usual quotations of the course of exchange, we have affixed a Table, shewing the intrinsic par of exchange, with all the chief places of negociation of bills, and also the extreme courses that resulted from the prohibition of English merchandize from the Continent, by which it will be observed that from 25 to 30 per cent. additional advance upon the goods has been requisite, to meet the alteration in the mode of realizing the money; and this subject still deserves particular consideration, as it will be observed that all the courses of exchange are still from five to eight per cent. under the standard value of the money of the respective countries. When specie becomes sufficiently plentiful to be brought in aid to regulate the balance of exchange with any one of the great marts of negociation; and even if political confidence should not be so far established, as to permit specie again to become the circulating medium and regulator of the balance of trade, we apprehend the courses of exchange are more likely to preponderate above par than otherwise; because, for a length of time to come, the exports of merchandize from Great Britain to the Continent will doubtless very much exceed the imports; nor will any military expenditure, however considerable, in merely a defensive or observatory establishment, be such as to render bills drawn in England, for actual transactions, equal to the full amount of payments due to this country. Bills will in consequence be eagerly sought after upon the Continent; and, instead of the Hamburgh exchange continuing at from 32 to 33 shillings Flemish per pound sterling, it will probably attain S6 or 37, and Amsterdam and Paris follow in the same proportion. Contents of the Cargoes of Four Fleets, consisting together of Fifty-Seven Ships, arrived this Season from India, viz. Twenty from Bengal, Four from Madras, Three from Ceylon, Three from Batavia, Four from Bombay, Five from Bengal and Fort St. George, One from Bengal and Bencoolen, and Two from Bengal and Bombay. For Account of the Honourable East India Company. |