Varieties.

A NOTE.

Leeds, Feb. 26, 1822.

COMMON SENSE presents his compliments to the Babbler, and will thank him to propose the following query as soon as convenient:

Is it (as commonly believed) a fact that the direct rays of the sun extinguish fire? and, if so, how do the readers of the Babbler account for that fact? The Babbler will, doubtless, open his pages for the discussion.

The Babbler is happy to oblige his friend COMMON SENSE, and hopes his Correspondents will furnish him with a reply; as in all the discussions that have taken place on this subject, there seems to be nothing satisfactory determined: -some writers denying the fact in toto; and the opinion given by others are but unphilosophical explications of the phe

nomenon.

EDS.

The Dugong.- Sir T. S. Raffles bas sent to England a skeleton of the Dugong, from Sumatra. This creature grazes at the bottom of the sea, without legs, and is of the figure and form of the whale; the position and structure of its mouth enables it to browse upon the fuci and submarine algæ, like a cow in a meadow, and the whole structure of the masticating and digestive organs shows it to be truly herbivorous. It never visits land, or fresh water, but lives in shallow inlets, where the water is two or three fathoms deep. Their usual length is eight or nine feet. But a curious, and to some, perhaps, the most interesting part of the detail of the history of this animal, is, that the flesh resembles young beef, being very delicate and juicy.

Ripening of W'all-Fruit.-It is a law which chemists have discovered and enrolled in the code of nature, that “The deeper the colour of an opaque body the greater is the rise of temperature which it experiences; or in other words, the more heat does it absorb, by exposure to the Sun's rays or other source of heats. Thus black, becomes the hottest in a given space of time, then blue, green, red, yellow and white, in the order given; this has been demonstrated by the experiments of Franklin, and Davy, the illustrious playmate of the lightening, and monarch of the fire-damp. Taking the hint from this page of philosophy, Mr. H. Davies, of Slough, has published the result of an experiment for facilitating the ripening of wall-fruit, by covering the wall with black paint. The experiment was tried on a vine, and it is stated that the weight of fine grapes gathered from the blackened part of the wall was 201b. 10oz. while the plain part yielded only 71b. 1oz. being little more than one-third of the other. The fruit on the blackened portion was also much finer, the bunches larger, and ripened better than on that which was left plain the wood of the vine was likewise more vigorous and better covered with leaves.

Coinage. Since his present majesty came to the throne, upwards of ten millions of sovereigns have been coined. The nation now abounds with a gold, silver, and copper coinage, never excelled in any former reign.

New Optical Machine.-Signor Amici, professor of Mathematics at the University of Modena, has invented an instrument which he calls a Gatadioptical Microscope. It is contrived for the purpose of viewing objects of every description, diaphaonus or opake, solid or fluid, without the necessity of dividing them into parts; and consists of a tube placed horizontally, as a telescope. At one extremity of this tube are several metallic mirrors, which reflect the object through a small hole beneath, corresponding prependicularly to the glass which carries the object. The latter is moved up and down by a screw, under which a mirror is placed as in other microscopes; and it is easily and instantly magnified or diminished by changing the eye-glasses only.

One great advantage attending this improved instrument is, that any object may be distinctly viewed, although immersed in a liquid half an inch below the surface, a circumstance which has hitherto been impracticable. A scale has also been contrived by which the objects are accurately measured.

Drills.-The first drill ever made in England was invented by Mr. Tull, an eminent lawyer, the principal part of which he made out of the barrel of an organ that he happened to have in his possession.

To prevent the Dry Rot.-Melt 12 ounces of rozin in an iron pot, add three gallons of train oil, and three or four rolls of brimstone, and when the brimstone and rozin are melted and become thin, add as much Spanish brown, or red and yellow ochre, or any other colour required, first ground with some of the oil, as will give the whole a shade of the depth required. Then lay it on with a brush as hot and thin as possible. Some days after the first coat is dried, give it a second. It will preserve the plank for ages, and keep the weather from driving through brick work.

Advantages of Early Rising.-The difference between rising every morning at six, and at eight, in the course of 40 years, supposing a man to go to bed at the same time he otherwise would, amounts to 29 thousand hours, or three years, one hundred and twenty days, and sixteen hours; so that that is the same, as if ten years of life was added, in which we could command eight hours every day, for the cultivation of our minds, or the dispatch of business.

Old Maids.-"I have sometimes conceived the bosom of an old maid as a kind of cell, in which it was intended that the lively bee, affection, should treasure up its collected sweets; but this bee happening to perish before it could properly settle on the flower that should afford its wealth, the vacant cell may unluckily become the abode of that drone indifference, or of the wasp malignity."-Haley's Essay on Old Maids.

Letter Writing.-"Some when they write to their friends are all affection, some are wise and sententious, some strain their powers for effects of gaiety, some write news, and some write secrets; but to make a letter without affectation, without wisdom, without gaiety, without news, and without a secret, is doubtless the great epistolic art." DR. JOHNSON.

The destruction of the Effluvia.- The nuisance arising from some of these manufactories where animal matters are employed, is, in populous neigbourhoods, dreadfully annoying. Those of cart grease, soap, &c, are only a few among the number. Any simple plan, therefore, which shall tend to the destruction of these fumes, by an effective economical process, will be valuable information-will be conducive both to the interests of the manufacturer and to bis suffering neighbour.-The plan adopted for this purpose by Messrs. Colchester, soap-manufacturers of Ipswich, is distinguished for its scientific simplicity. The effluvia arising fro animal matters is rarely in such quantities as to be offensive, except when they are heated. This in the process of soap-boiling is a necessary part of the operation, to render the soap of a proper consistency.-Fire is therefore employed under iron-pans; and, during the concentration of the soap, the fumes arise. To destroy these fumes, Messrs. Colchester have simply caused the ashpit of the furnace of the soap-pan to communicate by a wooden trough with the surface of the heated soap in the pan, which pan is slightly covered with a wooden moveable cover, open on one side to admit the air.-The whole, therefore, of the current of atmospheric air necessary for the supply of the coals burnt in the furnace passes over the surface of the melting-oils, and the animal fumes are thus drawn in the current under the furnace, where they are immediately destroyed, and, by

their combustion, increase the power of the coals consumed. The result is most satisfactory, the moment the cover is on, all trace of the offensive fumes immediately disappears. We should hope Messrs. Colchester may be induced to favour the public with a more detailed account of their plan.

Locke. A workman employed in removing the foundation of an old house near Montpelier, found a glass bottle hermetically sealed; it was found to contain, in an excellent state of preservation, the following Latin inscription on vellum:-Mortalis! In the sauros incidista! Hic in Christo FIDES, rebus in humanis MODUS patent. Ampulla nec vacua, nec vilis, quæ animo hilaritatem, corpori salutem, affert. Ex bac imbibe, et haustum, vino vel Falerno vel Chio, gratiorem hauries. Scripsit Johannes Locke, Anglus; A. D. 1675.

Pure Water.-The Parisians have an excellent mode of purifying the water of the Seine. It is put into what is called a fountain, which is a large and strong earthen jar, about four feet high, placed on a wooden pedestal. At the bottom there is gravel to the height of six or eight inches, which should be eleared annually. The fountain costs a guinea, and the waterman receives a trifle for filling it twice a week, which is generally sufficient for one family. The water thus filtered through the gravel, becomes as pure as crystal, and is drawn by a spout at the bottom of the fountain. This machine is evidently not liable to the common accidents and constant wear of the usual filtering stones.

Machinery. An apparatus has been invented at Glasgow, for the manufacture of any mineral water requiring to be charged with carbonic acid gas, which amounts, in fact, to the developement of a power hitherto unknown, but equal to that of steam. This machine is described as having neither

gasometer nor air pump, yet thes treng tir of a boy is ascertained to be capable of compressing into any vessel from 30 to 40 atmospheres, as gas, in a a few minutes: while to effect the same with a

forcing pump, would c doccupy the strength of several men as many hours. A machine equal in force to an engine of forty-horse power, and requiring neither fire or water, would not occupy a space of more than four feet square. In many purposes it may be more appli cable than steam.

To Correspondents.

In our next we shall give the first of a series of papers under the title Every-day Scenes. We do not see with the same eyes as W. B. L. and therefore he must excuse us, if we think his Lines on Beauty, are misnamed,—they should have been called, Deformity exemplified. The Sonnet in imitation of modern Sonnetteers, has considerable ingenuity, as we think it no small difficulty to weave thirteen lines to rhyme with dine; but it does not suit our pages. The Hirlas, sent by Rhys ap Llewellen, is merely a copy, verbatim et literatim, of one of the unfortunate Chatterton's pieces in the Scandalous Magazine; we hope to have no more such impositions attempted.

We offer our acknowledgments to Marm. Tulket, O.S. B. and hope a continuance of his fa

vours.

The Visit to the Rev. Wooly Jollond's Hermitage, at Lonth, Com. Linc; and Stanzas, or the same subject, as early as possible. The Goatherd's Song from the Welsh very shortly Nature's Restorative;-Evening amusements in the Peak;-The Outlaw's Grave;-A Wreath for ***;-V. F. F.;-J. W. R.; and the Curse of the Blue-eyed Wanderer,-are received, and under consideration.

Price 3 d.]

[No. 21. Vol. 1.

"THE way to avoid the imputation of impudence," says my motto," is not to be ashamed of what we do, but never to do what we ought to be ashamed of." If this precept was put in practice among men, and found to operate in their dealings one with another, many of the abuses to which they are exposed would be laid aside for a mutual interchange of favours. Many of those blemishes in their characters which rank them little above a state of barbarity, would be sought for in vain, and the duplicity which they cherish as a cloak to cover their vices, would be exchanged for that undisguised freedom and sincerity which indicates a heart fraught with purity of principle, and which holds a respect to society at large.

When we look around us in the world, and observe the petty discordances which are incessantly stirred up among men from every trivial occurrence, we cannot but lam ent the want of that feeling of humanity which would render them the promoters of comfort and pleasure to society. But, we find self-interest stands a barrier to the exercise of those duties which he, as a link in the chain of being, is required to perform. Society is combined of many tender threads, which are liable to destruction, 2 T

VOL. I.

Tull.

if not strengthened by every individual support. The more active duties which man is called upon to perform, do not comprise the only fulcrum by which society is upheld; there are many minor associations composing the tender thread, which requires the most careful usage to maintain. Amongst the first of these may be ranked civility, or the observance of that respect which one man owes to another. This, above every other, is requisite for the preservation of that peace and harmony which dispenses happiness to all. Without it, man would be as a brute; destitute of every principle, except that which seeks its own support. To exercise this duty rightly, he should banish every thought bordering upon malice or envy, together with every ambitious principle that may tend to its encouragement. He should make no distinction between opposite stations in life, but look upon all men as beings of similar habits and propensities to himself. Whether they be born in the lap of poverty, or nursed in the arms of plenty, he should maintain a proportionable regard to each. It is a duty which society imposes on him, nor will any thing absolve him from it. Whatever rank or situation man holds in life, however dependant he may rest on others,

he attaches to it a degree of pride as congenial to his own peculiar feelings, which, if exposed to derision, he considers the offence as offered to himself.

Though good-will does not voluntarily trespass beyond the bounds of decency and decorum, yet it may, by inadverten. cy, overlook that respect which it owes, and incautiously give offence. In order to remedy this, it gives vent to a variety of gestures and expressions, indicative of the fullness of regard one man may entertain for another.-and this is what we commonly term POLITENESS. To pay to every man a degree of respect agreeable to the situation he holds in the chain of being, is a duty incumbent on every one. All can claim it as members of society; and, consequently politeness, which is too generally assumed as an exterior show of accomplishment, becomes an actual duty. What was once looked upon as an honour conferred upon an individual of subordinate rank from his superior, is now considered merely as an act of common civility. The complacency which was formerly extended from a menial to his employer, is now diffused through every rank in society. But though a wide difference will present itself when we compare former uncouth manners with modern polished civilities, we need only take the latter for inspection, and we shall find much room for exposure, and which alone will convince us of the existing depravity of mankind. A man of truly generous principles, and who considers his fellowmen to be possessed of like feelings to himself, will see much in the present affairs of society to excite his disgust. He will be convinced of the ungenerous spirit and keen irritability which yields bitterness to numerous individuals who are incapable of extenuating their dis tresses by the hope of bettering their conditions; and he will find that where the social affections ought to have the greatest influence, malevolence takes possession in an undue proportion.

Though humanity may claim a considerable share in the natural disposition, yet politeness is alone the effect of education and habit.-The former may link together the affections, but it is the latter only which gives them proper force and direction. As the bud nourished by the radiant influence of the sun, discloses the beauties or defects which it has imbibed, so man deals out

to society the good or evil he has gathered in his youth.

But it is much to be regretted that the dispositions of many receive a wrong bias, and instead of sincerity and complacency being inculcated, dissimulation and moroseness takes possession of their characters. It is to such men that the world has to impute its grossness of manners, and that species of impudence wearing the mask of friendship. They pay little regard to the feelings of others, any farther than may suit the motives of self-interest or esteem. Politeness only discovers itself in a specious form, when one of superior rank claims their notice. Their words are a mere mock. ery on coinmon sense, and accompanied with gestures which signify as little.

What is still more reprehensible in this class of society is, the brutal manner in which they treat the lower orders of men. Their menial dependants and servants, sn whom they have to look for most of their domestic comforts, are totally neglected, and exposed to the grossest brutality which inhumanity can invent. They look upon them as beings who have been debarred from education, and, consequently, devoid of that acute feeling and sensibility which belongs to superior rank; but which, in fact, characterize the human race. But how widely are they mistaken. The most abject have their desires and expectan cies, which, when frustrated, cause a disappointmentequal to the greater demands of their superiors. They have a sense of honour allied to their abject birth and occupation, which, though distant from the sun-beams of prosperity, are as susceptible of injury as a more opulent character. A man of good breeding will look upon those beneath him with an eye of pity rather than disgust, and will delight in offering them the attention which their respective situations duly claim.

It would, however, be absurd to suppose, that men of inferior rank should meet with the same degree of attention as those whom nature has placed so much above them, and whom education classes so materially higher in the scale of society. One who practised this, would be equally devoid of good breeding, as he who paid them no civility at all. Their habits have, from their ex istence, been trained up in a different line. Their desires are repressed under