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not stand it" without refreshment!" Then the gentlemen" in geniously contrived, by tying baskets and handkerchiefs, ful of oranges and cakes, to long poles, which they banded," &c. We are told that the orator "kindled enthusiasm in all who listened;" but what between his see-sawing on the chair, and the mounching of the cakes and oranges, the scene must have been any thing but dignified or impressive.

The following passage represents the eloquent member in repose after his laborious exhibition.

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Seeing Mrs. Mortimer, who was sitting on the steps which led up to the floor of the house, he glided from the group of friends who clustered round him, and throwing himself on the step below the one on which she

sat

'An alms,' said he, I beg an alms; pray have compassion on me, and divide with me that orange you are holding in your hand, for I am really exhausted." p. 14.

"While eating his orange, he leaned on his elbow, and looking in her face, listened with not unpleased attention to the compliments she bestowed on him."

Now if this had appeared in the pages of an English traveller, we think it would be regarded as a libel upon the dignity of our congress and a gross caricature of the manners of our ladies.

For the Port Folio.

SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE.

REPORT ON CHEMISTRY.

Analysis of the principal varieties of coal of Great Britain. Dr. Thomson has recently made an analysis of the different varieties of coal found in Great Britain, under the names of caking coal, splint coal, cherry coal, and cannel coal. The finest variety, named from its fragments melting and uniting in a mass, is the New Castle coal, and that which occurs in the neighbourhood of Manchester. The splint coal, so called from its fracture, is adapted to making coke and smelting iron ores. The cherry coal abounds near Glasgow and Birmingham, readily catches fire, and burns with a clear yellow flame. The cannel coal occurs in the greatest abundance at Wigan in Lancashire, and is remarkable for its great combustibility, and the vivid light which it emits.

Dr. Thomson's analysis had three principal objects in view; to ascertain the incombustible matter in each variety, the relative quantities of coke and volatile matter, and the ultimate constitu

ents.

The caking coal yielded 1 1-2 per cent of ashes, 77 per cent of coke, and, in the ultimate analysis, 75 1-4 per cent of carbon.

The splint coal gave 9 1-2 per cent of ashes, 65 per cent of coke, and 75 per cent of carbon.

The cherry coal, 10 per cent of ashes, 52 per cent of coke, and 74 1-2 per cent of carbon.

The cannel coal, 11 per cent of ashes, 40 per cent of coke, and 65 per cent of carbon.

The other ultimate constituents consist of hydrogen, azote, and oxygen, in various proportions, except for cannel coal, which according to Dr. Thomson, contains no oxygen. The cherry and cannel coal, contain by far the greatest quantity of hydrogen; the former in the proportion of 12 per cent, and the latter in that of 22 per cent.

We have given the above remarks, because the subject of coal is one of great and growing interest to our citizens, both with reference to its use as fuel, and in gas illumination. A careful analysis of our coals, conducted on the plan pursued by Dr. Thomson, is at present, a great desideratum, and might lead to important results.

On the subject of gas lighting, it may be interesting to mention, that Mr. Timothy Dewey, who was sent to England by the gas light company of New York, to obtain precise information on the best methods of conducting gas illumination, has addressed a letter to the editor of the Annals of Philosophy, giving the result of his observations, after visiting the principal gas works in Great Britain and France. The letter itself is published in the December number of the Annals, and contains some valuable information. The principal subject, which has recently engaged the attention of writers on this species of light, has been the relative value of coal and oil gas: but Mr. Dewey, we think, very justly considers, that no absolute decision of this question can be made. It must depend upon the relative prices of coal and oil in different places, the value of the coal for the purpose, and the quantity and value of the coke produced. Hence it must happen, that in some cities, oil gas will be preferred; while in others, coal gas, in quantities to produce the same intensity of light, will be cheaper.

The great advantage of oil gas is, its consisting almost entirely of olefiant gas, that species of carburetted hydrogen, which all admit to be the most proper for illumination; while coal gas is made up of olefiant gas, light carburetted hydrogen, free hydrogen, azote and carbonic oxide, mixed in ever-varying proportions, its value depending upon the greater amount of olefiant gas which it may contain. Hence it is that, to produce the same intensity of light, it requires 3 1-2 times the quantity in bulk of ordinary coal gas, that gas does: for the illuminating power of coal gas being represented by one, that of oil gas is three and a half-equal bulks of the two being compared. We give the results obtained by Mr. Dewey, which coincile very nearly with those obtained by Messrs. Faraday and R. Phillips.

From this statement, one great advantage of oil gas over gas from coal becomes evident. The pipes laid down to conduct it may be three and a half times less than for coal gas, and the gasometers and distilling vessels employed, in the same proportion smaller. Mr. Dewey also states, that the manufacture of oil gas requires less expenditure at first, and fewer hands to conduct it. It is on these accounts, and that oil is cheap, and coal comparatively dear in New York, that Mr. Dewey intends to recommend to his employers, to begin with the manufacture of oil gas.

Compounds of Carbon with Chlorine.-Mr. Faraday has the singular merit of having first effected the combination of these elements. It is well known that the combination cannot be effected by direct means, charcoal having been intensely ignited by gal. vanic electricity in chlorine, without undergoing the least change. But by subjecting the compound of olefiant gas with chlorine, repeatedly to the action of fresh portions of chlorine, the hydrogen is gradually replaced by the chlorine, until the former principle is entirely excluded, when nothing remains but the carbon and chlorine in combination. Already three compounds of these elements have been distinguished.

Ignition of finely-divided platinum by a jet of Hydrogen. Some very surprising results have lately been obtained by professor Dæbereiner of Jena. Having ascertained that the protoxide of platinum had the power of converting alcohol into acetic acid and water, by causing it to attract oxygen from the air, he was led to ascertain the effect of the same oxide on different gases. On trying hydrogen, a considerable quantity of it was absorbed, and the oxide became red-hot. The oxide thus charged with hydrogen, being allowed the access of air, is immediately deprived of its hydrogen, and afterwards reduced to the metalllic state. In this state, it has no effect on alcohol, or power to absorb hydrogen, but causes this latter gas to combine with oxygen, producing water.

Finding these results produced by metallic platinum, Dæbereiner next tried the effect of the finely divided platinum, obtained by exposing to a red-heat, the precipitate thrown down by a solution of sal ammoniac, from muriate of platinum. It was found that this metallic powder, sometimes called spongy platinum, had the power of causing mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen to explode, and that when a jet of cold hydrogen from a capillary orifice, was directed upon a small portion of it, it became instantly red-hot, and in a few seconds inflamed the gas. What makes this wonderful phenomenon more extraordinary, is, as Dæbereiner remarks, that it takes place between the lightest and heaviest species of ponderable matter. The author of the discovery considers the phenomenon to be due to electricity, supposing the hydrogen and platinum to form a galvanic combination, in which the former has the ordinary relation of zinc, or is electro-positive.

The experiments of Dæbereiner have been confirmed by Dulong

and Thenard, who have made some additional observations; among which the most interesting are the facts, that other metals, such as gold, palladium, and iridium, produce analogous effects, and that platinum in the state of foil, if crumpled, will equally produce the explosion of oxygen and hydrogen.

As yet, no proof has been adduced of the occurrence of chemical composition or decomposition, as productive of the ignition observed. The hydrogen does not unite with the platinum; and the mixture of atmospheric air with it, is not essential to the ignition, since Mr. Faraday has ascertained that the action of hydrogen alone, in close tubes, produces the same effect.

For the Port Folio.

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

THE last production from the Waverley mine, has at length arrived, and all the reading world is doing homage at St. Ronan's Well. We are soon lead to expect a tale of horror;

A weary place, 'tis said, in days of yore;

But something ails it now-the place is cursed,

and we are not disappointed. The interest is well supported throughout, the characters are admirably delineated, and the termination is as tragical as the most pensive reader could desire. The publication has been unaccountably delayed in Edinburgh; which has given rise to a diverting imposture in London, in the appearance of a pretended German translation. It is entitled " Walladmor," and purports to be published at Berlin, by Herby. Our readers will recollect that a trick somewhat similar was played on the Continent, in regard to one of the preceding tales from the same pen.

It is said that Mrs. Radcliffe left several inedited MSS., some of which are in a fit state for publication.

A literary Censorship has been established at Geneva, once the cradle of literary freedom.

Another overland Expedition in North America, to be entrusted to the command of captain Franklin, is mentioned in the English papers.

A new periodical is advertised in London, under the title-the Westminster Review. Like all new publications, of this description, it abounds in fair promises.

Mr. Blaquiere is preparing a work on the Origin and Progress of the Greek Revolution, together with some account of the manners and customs of Greece, anecdotes of the Military Chiefs, &c. Mr. Coleridge has succeeded Mr. Gifford, as the editor of the Quarterly Review, at a salary of nearly 5000 dollars. This genMARCH, 1824.-No. 263.

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tleman was formerly a republican in his political sentiments, but as he has been some time in training in an office under the government, we presume he has qualified himself for this new station.

The Philadelphia Recorder, a weekly paper which was commenced last year by the clergy of the Protestant Episcopal church in this city, has been transferred to the Rev. Edward R. Lippitt, by whom it is now conducted.

Dr. Green, late President of Nassau Hall, is the editor of the Presbyterian Magazine in this city. In this respectable office he acquits himself with that ability, which his piety, his learning, and his long experience in the labours of the church, entitle his readers to expect from him.

"The Christian" is a weekly paper, recently established here by an apostle of Unitarianism. We know not who is the editor of this journal, but we are amused at observing how kindly he coaxes our straight-coated Quakers.

"La Corbeille" is the title of a weekly paper, devoted to literary pursuits, of which the first Number has just been issued in Philadelphia. The editor, professes to be a "gallant cavalier” in devotion to the ladies; but his sails will not be filled by their gentle breath, if his hostility to the companions of their leisure hours, be so unrelenting, as might be inferred from the following paragraph:

"Circulating Libraries may also be taken into the account, as productive of the effect we allude to. The facility with which Novels are procured from these depots of Utopian small wares, have a powerful influence in impeding the circulation of sound literature and useful knowledge. This kind of reading induces a sickly diathesis of the mind, which incapacitates it from relishing aught but the lachrymal sentiment, or incredible adventures of the respective Mysteriarchs. The simple and wholesome food presented to it, is rejected with disgust. It is too strong for its assimilating faculties. Persons thus situated are in a mental marasmus, from which nothing can relieve them, but the sure, though drastic operation of the sad realities of life."

Mr. Lemuel G. White, who calls himself Professor of Elocution, has published " A Selection from Walker's Pronouncing Dictionary, in which all those words subject to an incorrect pronunciation, are brought directly into view; with original notes designating those which are acknowledged to be exceptions." If this gentleman had contented himself with the selection, we should have been disposed to thank him; but his notes serve only to leave the matter in the same uncertainty which Mr. Walker did so much to remove. His preface is a wretched piece of composition. It is pedantic, ungrammatical, illogical, and not always intelligible. Let the Professor read the following once more, and tell us what it means: "Having been employed for many years in teaching elocution, during the course of which, independent of my regular pro

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