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Subftitutes for Oak Bark-Dutch Literature.

The Scotch-grafs, which had only two fmall lateral shoots, has now upwards of

60 fuckers.

The Guinea-grafs has four fuckers; it, at this moment, fills four large vafes,

and is about to feed.

The Caribbee-cabbage was deftitute of leaves; it is now covered with them, and feveral are fifteen inches.

The Guava, Banana, the Manioc (caffada) are in full vegetation.

The Nopal has leaves of 20 inches. In fhort, with the exception of the indigo of the ifle of France, which has not fprung, no individual has perished, and they are all in a thriving way. It ought to be added, also, that the feeds were not fown in the proper season.

The hopes entertained from this eftablifhment, begin to affume the character of certainty, when we recollect, that the fugar-cane* grows at Montpellier to its natural height; that is to fay, to eight feet, and that it arrives at maturity. The citizen GOUAN, profeffor of botany in that diftinguished fchool, has fown indigo there, which, after fpringing very kindly, has flowered and ripened. Different individuals, after his example, have fown various forts of cotton, even that of Siam, in wafte, arid, and ftony land, and have had a harveft of charming pods in return. Profeffor GoUAN has caufed ftockings to be made from his laft harvest.

GERMAN.

The difficulty of procuring a fufficient quantity of oak-bark, for the purposes of tanning, in the electorate of Hanover, has long been a fubject of ferious complaint, and feveral applications have been made to the government, to prohibit the exportation of this neceffary article. This circumftance attracting the notice of the aulic counsellor, WEKRS, he was induced to make a feries of experiments, to afcertain the poffibilty of procuring a fubftitute for oak-bark, from various indigenous trees. In these useful refearches he has been greatly affifted by Mr. FOEHLMAN, an ingenious tanner, who has lately established a very extensive tannery at Linden, in the vicinity of Hanovet; in which he has introduced confiderable improvements, that are not to be met with in any other tan-yard in the electorate. They commenced their joint experiments upon the Sumach (rhus coriaria), with which this country abounds.

The fugar-cane is faid to have been ori

ginally carried from Sicily to Spain, and from

Spain to the West-Indies.

213

The refult has exceeded their moft fanguine expectations. The tanners and cordwainers have found, that calf-fkin, prepared in this manner, equals the best English leather; and are eager to purchafe it at two florins per pound weight; whereas, formerly, the belt home-manufactured leather would not fetch more than one florin per pound. It is in great request for shoes and boots: and MONS. FOEHLMAN is profecuting his experiments on various other kinds of trees and plants, under the direction of M. WEHRS. This is not the only discovery for which the arts are indebted to the latter gentleman. The hats, manufactured from vegetable substances, which are worn at Lunenburg, and which are remarkable for durability and lightnefs, are his invention. At prefent, he is diligently occupied in the improvement of the ma nufacture of paper.

"Le Nord, Litteraire, Phyfique, Politique & Moral," publifhed at Kiel by profeffor OLIVARIUS, continues to be conducted with the degree of spirit which might have been expected from its able editor. The third Number has just ar rived in London.

DUTCH.

The convulfive crifis of the revolution has not checked the progrefs of literature in the Batavian republic. L. VAN SANTEN has recently published a new and elegant edition of "Terentianus Maurus: two volumes of a new edition

of " Plutarch," have lately appeared, edited by D. WYTTENBACH. The learned orientalift, RUHNKENIUS, is engaged in bringing out" Scheller's Dictionary," adapted to the ufe of the Batavian fchools; and the juftly celebrated DE BOSCH, is occupied upon the "Antho logia Graca, with the tranflation by Grotius, in Latin verfe. The learned editor is not in poffeffion of the Greek text, with the manufcript corrections of Grotius, the existence of which, it seems, is doubtful; but he has availed himself of many new, and hitherto unpublished, refources for perfecting this valuable work. SPANISH.

Notwithstanding the wretched ftate into which Spain has been thrown by the prefent war, literature, in that country, feems to be making fome progrefs. The following Spanish publications have been lately announced in the Madrid Gazette, from which the following very curious notices are tranflated almoft literally.

et Filofophico," &c. Obfervations of a "Obfervations de un Viagero Politico

Political

214
Political and Philofophical Traveller.
This work contains an account of the
progrefs of the arts and the fciences; dif-
coveries in the three kingdoms; of nature,
ufages, and customs of various nations,

State of Spanish Literature, from the Madrid Gazette.

&c.

"Collecion de Autores Latinos," &c. or, A Collection of Latin Authors, 3 vol. by the P. P. DE LAS ESCUELAS PIAS, illuftrated with notes, geographical remarks, and paffages refpecting ancient manners, extracted from the Roman hiftorians.

"Adriano en Siria. Adrian in Syria. A comedy in three acts, by D. GASPER ZAVALA Y ZAMORA.

"Poefias de Gonzales del Orden de S. Auguflin. Poems, by GONZALES, of the order of St. Auguftine, 1 vol. 8vo.

"Collecion de Poetas Caftellanos," &c. A Collection of the Spanish Poets, by D. RAMON FERNANDEZ, vols. 18 and 19. The former contains the unpublifhed poems of FRANCISCO DE RIOJA D. JUAN DE ARGUIJO, BALTHASAR DE ALCAZAR, with the poetic fragments on painting, by PABLO DE CESPEDES. The latter contains a tranflation of the heroic epiles of Ovid, by MEXIA.

"El Viagero Univerfal o Noticia del Mundo Antiguo y Nuevo," &c. The Univerfal Traveller; or Account of the World, Ancient and Modern; compiled from the best authors, by D. PEDRO ESTALA, No. 41, which contains a continuation of the account of Lima, and other provinces of Peru.

"The Univerfal Voyager; or Defeription of the Ancient and New World." A work re-compiled from the beft voyagers, by Don Pedro Eftala, Prefbyter: the 36th book, which contains the voyage from Carthagena to PortoBello, Panama, and Guayaquil, with an account of every thing remarkable in thofe countries; with this book concludes the 12th vol.

(or pictures) of coxcombs; of those men affecting to be originals; of dullness and affectation; and of the tons of high-life.

"Patriotic Difcourfes," dedicated to the Spaniards, by a lover of that nation, difpofed in the form of dialogues; comprehending the most celebrated feats, the moft honourable fucceffes; the most famous wars; the most complete victories gained by the Spaniards-and the eulogium of our warriors, conquerors in the moft bloody battles, &c.

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Mifcellany," inftructive, curious, and agreeable-or, Annals of Literature, Sciences, and Arts-No. XI. and XII. with which the 4th vol. is completed; comprehending the following fubjects: examination of a paffage in Plutarch; on the death of Statira, wife of Darius; introduction to the courfe of ictyology in the museum of Paris; premiums of the fociety of the Havannah; obfervations on wounds of the head, and on a machine to grind chocolate; tranfactions of the royal academy of Ireland; of an illness peculiar to children, and but little known; an acccount of the labours of the national inftitute of France, fince its foundation until the year 1796; letters of Solis-copo, on the works in painting and fculpture expofed in the faloon of the museum of Paris; new method of tanning hides, in less than a month; an account of the plantation of fpice-trees, by the French in their American colonies; inftruction on the various kinds of Jefuit's bark, and the different ufe which ought be made of it, according to the complaints, by Dr. MUTIS, phyfician in America; WHITE's Voyage to Botany Bay; MASCAGNI's letters on the fympathetic fyftem; MARMONTEL'S difcourfe on criticifm; maxims of the king of Poland; defcription of the house of correction of Amfterdam, by citizen THOUIN; treatise on filk; a new difcovery of curing the fore-throat with almifcle, by CHARLES WHITE, English furgeon; account of the prefent ftate of literature in Milan; poetry; foreign books, &c.

"The World turned Upwards; or, Counter-Truths, dedicated to Mankind." In this work, (which is an interefting and delicate fatire on the prefent cuftoms) every clafs, and ftate, and condi- "Originals of the Spanish Poetry," by tion, that forms fociety, is noticed--and DON LUIS JOSEPH VELASQUEZ, cherepresenting men as they are not, it in-valier of the order of St. James, of the dicates them as they ought to be. It contains free ftrictures upon petits maitres, or coxcombs or memorandums to be ufed for the history of fashion and polite company; in which are ferious reflections on the luxury, the fashions and customs, of the prefent day. It alfo includes various tales, and moral and entertaining hiftories; pleafant and fatirical portraits

1oyal academies of history-infcriptions and belles lettres of Paris, 1 vol. 4to. zd edition, improved with all poffible care in its typography. This little work, which may pafs for an original of its kind, our author being the first perfon who has treated on this fubject of literary hiftory--is divided into four parts. In

the

Spanish Literature, copied from the Madrid Gazette.

215

the firft he examines the true fources tem; on the subject of ancient statues from whence the Spanish poetry is de- tranfactions of the philofophical fociety rived, viz. the poetry of the primitive of Philadelphia; art of writing as quick Spaniards, the Latin, the Arabic, the as fpeaking; letters on the works in Provençal or Limoufin, the Gallician, the painting and fculpture expofed in the muPortuguese, and the Bifcayan. In the feum of Paris; reflections on commerce; fecond, the principles, progrefs, and cure for burns; feffions of the lyceum ages of the Caftilian poetry are described. of the arts in Paris; criticism on RiIn the third, he examines every thing chardfon's "Clariffa;" discourse refpecting relating to the origin of that poetry, in the mutual dependence of man and woits feveral particular branches; and in man; premiums of the economical fothe fourth, he treats of other matters ap- ciety of Florence, and that of fciences in pertaining to the Caftilian poetry; fuch Holland; difcourfe refpecting the proofs as the collections formed of our poets, the comprehended under the appellation of comments and notes with which their God's judgments; new method of teachworks have been illuftrated, the Spanish ing geography; experiments on the folid tranflations from various foreign poets, tints of European plants; chymistry; and the authors who have written in Spa- agriculture; cure for bad humour; menish on the fubject of poetry. thod of rendering leather water-proof; hiftory of two women, who live without taking nourishinent, &c.

"Select Poems of LOPE DE VEGA CARPIO." The name alone fuffices to enfure the estimation of this work which is compofed of his beft pieces, felected from among thofe works which he published both in his own name, and that of the licenciate TOME DE BURGILLOS, prefaced by a concife account of the hte of the poet, and a difcourfe on lyric poetry, or the ancient and modern ode, taken from the writings of Marmontel; with fome additions.

"The Difcernment of Genius for the Arts and Sciences." In this work, fo ufeful to literary men, and formerly treated upon bythe celebrated JohnHuarte, but wherein he had stated erroneous opinions, that rendered it improper for general perufal, are now difcuffed in an admirable ftile, and with the obfervations of the most eminent authors, the various degrees of genius or talents relative to the liberal or mechanical arts. It is evidently proved, that there exifts no man, however barbarous or dull he may appear, but who poffeffes fome talent capable of improvement, in fome, profeffon or other; and herein is afcertained, exactly, the fcience or profeffion which be applies to each perfon's particular genius. And the genius requifite for theology, philofophy, jurifprudence, medicine, poetry, eloquence, profane as well as facred, the military art, &c. is finally determined; indicating alfo the means of preferving the genius of childhood.

"Inftructive and agreeable Mifcellany, or Annals of Literature, Sciences and Arts: Nos. xiii and xiv, containing, the life of Afpafia; a fragment, on the unity in dramatic poems; of mineralogy in De Pafco, in Peru; on the lymphatic fyfMONTHLY MAG. No. XXIX.

66

Aphorifms of the Spanish and Latin Letters of the famous Politician ANTONIO PEIEZ, Secretary of State to our Sovereign Lord D. PHILIP the IId.” 1 vol. in 4to.

"A new and complete Dictionary of the Spanish and English Languages:" containing the explanation of the words, their different fignifications, the terms of arts, fciences and profeffions; the conftruetion, idioms and proverbs, of each in particular: the whole drawn from the beft authors, and confiderably augmented by the P P. MM. Friar THOMAS CONNELLY, of the Dominican order, family confeffor to his majesty, and Friar THOMAS HIGGINS, of the Carmelite order, family confeffor at the royal feat of St. Ildefonfo; 2 vols. in large 4to. containing the English before the Spanih: the other two volumes, containing the Spanish before the English, will be published as fpeedily as poffible. This work, as ufeful as it is neceffary, for thofe who aim at the ftudy and perfect knowledge of the English tongue, poffeffes the fuperiority over every other publication of the kind; for it not only includes every word in common ufe in the English language, but likewife the greater part of thofe in the arts and fciences, ancient as well as modern, with their equivalent in Spanish; fo that whoever finds himself but tolerably inftructed in the grammatical rules of the faid tongue, will be enabled, by means of this dictionary, to attain a perfect knowledge of it; and may, even without any other affiftance, tranflate into Spanish the best English works, however difficult they ma appear at first fight.

Ff

"Prints

216

Spanish Literature, copied from the Madrid Gazette.

"Prints and Defcriptions of the Plants of Spain, and of thoje cultivated in its Gardens" vol. 4th. the first part by D. ANTONIO JOSEPH CAVANILLES. In this book there are 60 plates, and 71 defcriptions of plants, eight of which are new kinds. The author has characterized fome others, in order to illuftrate thofe genera of GAERTNER, named Septoipermum, Metrofideros, and Epacris; alfo that to which L' HERITIER had given the name of Eucalyptus, and now augmented with fome new ipecics, brought from New Holland : others, in fine, cultivated in the royal botanical garden, prove the rich collection of this eftablishment; and fome obferved by the author in the kingdom of Valencia, enrich the flora of this realm.

The fubfcribers to the work intituled, "Surgery, foreign, general, and particular." This is an original work of D. JUAN FERNANDEZ DEL VALLE, profeffor of furgery, and first affiftant in anaatomy to the royal hofpital at this court. The faculty, profeffors of every defcription, and parochial minifters, will find in this work, the decifive refult of every cafe which common practice prefents; a requifite not to be found in the works of Zacchias, Valentini, or Sanchez, "The fecret Life of King Philip II.” commonly attributed to the ABBE DE ST. REAL, but by fome to the celebrated Spaniard, ANTONIO PEREZ, his fecretary of state. D. ANTONIO VALLADARES is the publisher. To be found in the library of Hurtado, ftreet de las Carre

tas.

A Treatise on warlike hercical Fortitude," (Esfuerzo,) compofed by the learned PALACIOS RUBIOS; illuftrated with notes and obfervations by the very reverend father, Friar FRANCISCO MoRALES, Jeronimite monk of the royal monaftery of the Efcuriel. The Dr. D. Juan Lopez de Palacios Rubios was one of the moft illuftrious fons that the college of St. Bartholomew of Salamanca ever produced. His well-known literature, and profound judgment, obtained him, among other things, la plaza of the fupreme council of the Indies; and at the cortes celebrated in the city of Toro in the year 1505, he was elected to compofe the compendium (or book) of laws; which, from its excellency and equity, acquired the first rank among the other codes of the kingdom. He wrote va rious works on the civil and canonical law. His fon afking him what fortitude

meant, he wrote the treatife here announced; wherein he exemplified (or demonftrated) his found doctring, his erudition, and his criticifm. The editor having had no other object in view, but to pay a compliment to the Prince of Peace, to whom this work is dedicated, has endeavoured to produce an impreffion as fimilar as poffible to the Salluft, and has not fpared any expence.

The following translations into Spanish have alfo been announced:

St. Real's Treatife on Female Beauty, from the French.

Cato's Diftichs, with the Scholia of Erafmus, tranflated and enlarged, by D, LEON DE ARROYAL.

Tom Jones, from the English, by Fielding.

Errors and Prejudices of the Spafmodic Syftem of Dr. Cullen, demonftrated by J. BROWN, with a Critical and Apologetic Difcourfe in honour of medicine, and particularly the Hippocratic, by Dr. JOACHIM SERRANO MANZANO,

Dr. Rowley's Treatife on Diet, tranflated by the fame.

A complete edition of the works of the late Sir William Jones, are announced, by the authority of the executrix.

The pofthumous works of the late Robert Burns, with an account of his lifę, by a gentleman of Liverpool, is announced for publication, by fubfcription, at one guinea, for the benefit of his widow and family.

FROM THE ANNALES DE CHIMIE, Experiments on Platina, by the Count Muffin Pufchkin, Vice-Prefident of the Board of Mines, at Petersburgh.

1. On the falts and precipitates of platina.

The brick-coloured falt obtained by the addition of muriate of ammonia to a folution of platina, is wholly foluble in water, and depofits, after being boiled, a blackish matter, that appears to be either oxide of iron or plumbago, This falt requires for its perfect folution, between eight and nine pounds of water to each ounce : and by repeated folutions and cryftallizations, the black matter being entirely got rid of, fmall crystals are obtained of a fine topaz yellow; forming alumniform octaedrons, with or without an intermediate fix fided prifm. The alcalis, with difficulty, caufe a precipitate from the aqueous folution in form of a yellow powder.

From

Mr. Tennant's New Patent.

From the liquor remaining after the precipitation of the brick-coloured falt, by ammoniacal muriate, a brownish yellow precipitate is obtained by the addition of pot-afh. This being feparated by the filter, and mixed with nitric acid, in the proportion of half an ounce of acid to one drachm of the precipitate, forms a glutinous mass of a yellow colour, afterwards affuming the green hue of chryfolite. This jelly expofed to the blowpipe is converted into a black matter, which is probably platina in a state of femi-oxidation.

Urine, both fresh and putrid, precipitates the platina in a faline form, accompanied by a greyish yellow powder that is probably phosphate of iron.

2. On the amalgam of platina. To a drachm of the orange coloured falt of platina, was added an equal quantity of mercury, and the mixture was triturated in a glafs mortar. In a few minutes the colour of the falt was changed to brown and greenish brown. On the addition of another drachm of mercury, the platina appeared in the form of a grey powder; the third drachm of mercury began to amalgamate the platina, and when fix drachms were added, the amalgamation was complete: the whole

ON

217

operation taking up fcarcely more than twenty minutes.

The quantity of mercury being increafed to nine times that of the falt, the amalgam ftill continued fo tenacious as' to bear impreffions of very delicate feals, and to extend perfectly well under the peitle. Now, as the falt contains only 40 per ct. of platina, it appears that one part of platina is capable of reducing to a firm amalgam 22.5. parts of mercury. On covering the furface of the amalgam with water, and rubbing it in a mortar for the space of about ten minutes, the whole of it was converted into black pulverulent oxide of mercury, intermixed with extremely brilliant particles of platina. The fame effect was produced on rubbing it with the finger in the palm. of the hand: and from further experiments, it appeared that most metallic fubftances, and all animal matters decompofe this amalgam by fimple contact. If to the black oxide thus produced, be added liquid fulphure of ammonia, it is converted, in a few hours, to a fubftance of a dull red colour, not distinguishable from cinnabar.

[The Analyfis of the other curious memoirs in 71ft No. of the "Annales de Chimie," to be concluded in our next.]

NEW PATENTS, Enrolled in the Month of February.

N the 30th of January letters patent were granted to Mr. C. TENNANT, of Darnley, near Glasgow, for the use of lime, barytes, or frontian earth, instead of an alkali, in the preparation of a bleaching liquor from the oxygenated marine acid. The difcovery which the patentee claims, is not that the acid is capable of combining with thofe earths as with an alkali; but in the mode of applying them. In this procefs, the acid is to be procured from manganefe in the fame apparatus as has been heretofore uled, but the receiver, which is to detain the acid, instead of containing an alkaline ley, is to be filled with quicklime, or either of the other earths, fifted fine, and kept in conftant motion by an agitator of any kind, fo long as the acid gas comes over. By keeping the lime thus conftantly fufpended in the water of the receiver, it is enabled to be rapidly faturated with the acid gas, in as complete a manner as if lime-water had been employed; and with the capital advantage of presenting a much greater quan

tity while only fufpended, than could have been done if it had been diffolved. The oxy-muriat of lime thus produced remains in folution, and, after a few hours reft, may be drawn off clear from the unfaturated part whith remains at the bottom. Mr. T. alfo adds fome common falt to the water of the receiver, to give it a greater fpecific gravity, and thus to favour the fufpenfion of the earth.

The proportions of the ingredients are as follow where the retort is charged with 30 lbs. of manganefe, and the fame quantity of fea-falt and vitriolic acid, the receiver may contain 140 gallons of water, to which he adds 30 lbs. of common falt, and 60 lbs. of quick-lime, fifted to a fine powder. This fhould be ftirred about as foon as the acid gas brgins to come over, and kept in conftant agitation during the whole of the distillation. The liquor thus produced, will be equal in effect to the faturated alkaline folution ufually employed, and there will be a faving of the difference of expence between the lime and alkali.

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