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Account of the Map of the Seat of War on the RHINE and in FRANCE. IN order to gratify the interest which the important military passing must excite, we have this month given a Map illustrative of the seat of war. It extends westward from the Rhine to Paris, and southward from the frontier of Holland to Lyons, and it is on so large a scale as to afford a satisfactory view of the great operations which are carrying on within this

circuit.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

chief articles from the United States. The purchases of tobacco might have been more extended, but for the present stoppage of shipping; the exporters have not lately been much in the been much augmented, and in the market; the enquiries have, however, sales that have taken place, an adobtained; the purchases on speculation vance of 1d. to 2d. per lb. has been

considerable.

equally affected with cotton; the latIt is not, however, ter is in immediate demand for the manufactures of the country: the supply in hand is very far short of former years, while the demand is very much increased. The supply of American ashes is very inconsiderable; the consumption of this country is calculated materially to have decreased of late years; yet, from the short supply, the prices have greatly advanced, and are still improving; it becomes difficult to affix an exact quotation, as under present circumstances few are inclined to sell at any thing near the late currency. may be stated at 82s. Pearls at 855.Rice, from its perishable nature, is less taken on speculation than any other article, and the high duty has deeply affected its consumption; we have not heard of any extensive sales; yet, under present circumstances, the hola nature, has materially affected the ders are asking advances on the late

COMMERCIAL speculation, in all
its branches, has been uncom-
monly active since the battle of Leip-
sic, and especially since the passage of
the Rhine by the allied powers. The
opening of all the ports of the conti-
nent, the prospect of a speedy pacifi-
cation with France, and the continued
hostility with America, have caused
a gradual and steady advance in al-
most all articles of West Indian and

American produce.

The President's speech to the American congress being of so warlike

Pots

currency

currency; those articles from America applied to naval purposes cannot be expected to advance so considerably, the prospect of a peace in Europe checking the request. There is no Pitch or Tar in the market.

Amsterdam, Feb. 5. The council of commerce informs the merchants, that Lord Clancarty, the British ambassador, has communicated to our government, that his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, wishing on every occasion to shew the greatest liberality towards Holland, as far as the interests of his Majesty's states will permit, has declared that the navigation and commerce between Holland and the old Dutch colonies is opened, under the following stipulations:

ART. I. The navigation of Holland with the colonies must be direct, and not circuitous. To prevent any abuse, licenses will be given by his Majesty's minister at the Hague, or by the English consuls at Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The ports and colonies to which the vessels are about to repair must be specified in the li

censes.

II. That this commerce may be placed upon the same footing as that between Great Britain and those colonies, duties shall be imposed on the articles exported and imported from thence, equal to those paid in England on the same articles.

III. Licenses can only be granted to vessels belonging to Holland, and manned with Dutch seamen. With regard to convoy, the Dutch vessels may avail themselves of any English convoy, destined to protect the commerce of Great Britain; and the commanders of his Majesty's ships shall give orders that all legal protection be afforded to such Dutch vessels as shall sail under English con

voy.

An order in council has been issued, extending the prohibition to the exportation of gunpowder, saltpetre,

arms, and ammunition, for six months longer, to commence from the 8th of February; also an order, extending, for the same period, the prohibition to transporting into any parts out of the kingdom, any pig iron, hemp, pitch, masts, anchors, or other naval stores.

MEMOIRS OF THE PROGRESS OF MANUFACTURES, CHEMISTRY, SCIENCE, AND THE FINE ARTS.

New Astronomical Fact.

IT has, hitherto, been the uniform

opinion of Astronomers, that it is impossible, in any instance, to see the planet, Venus at the time of her superior conjunction with the Sun, when she presents to the Earth a full enlightened hemisphere. This opinion is expressed in strong and pointed terms by Martin, Long, Ferguson, Gregory, Brewster, and other astronomical writers, and has been so generally taken for granted, that no writer on Astronomy has ever called it in question. In opposition to this opinion, Mr Thomas Dick of Methven, when engaged in a series of observations on the celestial bodies in the day-time, made by means of an Equatorial Telescope, lately ascertained, that Venus may be distinctly seen with a moderate magnifying power, at the moment of her superior conjunction with the Sun, when her geocentric latitude at the time of conjunction is not less than 3 degrees; having seen that planet on the 5th of June last, when only 23° distant from the Sun's eastern limb; when her surface and margin appeared distinct and well-defined, with a magnifying power of 60 times, and with a power of 15, would be easily perceived. is also of opinion, from the distinctness with which Venus appeared at that time, that she may be seen when only 10 from the Sun's centre; but cloudy weather prevented his obtain

He

ing occular demonstration of this fact. A paper of considerable length, containing the details and results on this, and various other particulars, originally read before the Rational Institution Dundee (a Literary and Philosophical Society lately established) is published in No. 166 of Nicholson's Philosophical Journal. The following are the conclusions deduced from the observations made on Venus.1. That the difference (if any) between the polar and equatorial diameters of this planet, may, at some future conjunction, be determined; by which it will be ascertained, whether Venus, like the Earth, and several other planets, be of a spheroidal figure. 2. That during the space of 583 days, the time she takes in moving from one conjunction with the Sun to a like conjunction again, when her latitude at the time of her superior conjunction exceeds 3o, she may be seen with an equatorial telescope every clear day, without interruption, except at the time of her inferior conjunction, and 3 or 4 days before and after it. 3. That every variation of the places of this planet, from a slender crescent to a full enlightened hemisphere, may on any clear day be conveniently exhibited; which will form an easy and useful method of illustrating, by actual observation, the truth of the Copernican system, to students of astronomy.4. That useful observations on the planet Venus might frequently be made in the day-time, which might for ever set at rest those disputes which have arisen respecting the time of her rotation, and the existence of her supposed satellite. 5. That a contraction of the object glass of the telescope, and the interposition of an opake body to intercept the direct solar rays are requisite, in order to see this planet distinctly, when very near the Sun. Lastly, That the com

expressions of astronomical writrs, when describing the phases of

Venus, which assert, or imply the impossibility of seeing this planet at the time of its superior conjunction with the Sun, ought either to be laid aside, or qualified in such a manner as not to convey an erroneous idea.`

The same Observer has also deduced the following conclusions from a series of observations made on the fixed stars in the day-time. 1. That a telescope furnished with a magnifying power of 30 times is sufficient for distinguishing a star of the first magnitude even at noon day; provided it have a moderate degree of elevation above the horizon, and be not within 40° of the Sun's body. Also, that with a magnifying power of 15, a star of this class may be distinguished when the Sun is not above an hour and a half above the horizon; but that, in every case, higher pow ers, such as those of 45 or 60, are to be preferred. 2. That most of the stars of the second magnitude may be seen with a power of 60, when the Sun is not much more than two hours above the horizon, and at any time of the day with a power of 100 when the sky is serene. 3. That in every case, an encrease of magnifying power has the principal effect in rendering a star easily perceptible; that a contraction of the aperture of the object glass, in most cases, produces a very slight effect, in some cases none at all, and, when contracted beyond a certain limit, produces a hurtful effect. 4. That the celestial bodies may be as easily distinguished at noon-day, as at any time between the hours of 9 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon, except during the short days in winter. 5. That they are more easily distinguished at a high, than at a low altitude; in the afternoon, than in the morning; and in the northern than in the southern part of the heaven.

Dr Rostock, of Liverpool, has published in the Transactions of the Medico-Chirurgical Society of Lon

don,

don, some able observations on the Nature and Analysis of Animal Fluids.

Mucus is viscid or tenacious fluids, capable of being drawn into threads, but not of being poured in the form of drops, containing a great quantity of water, but not readily miscible with any additional quantity. Saliva may be adduced as a specimen of them and to the same class belongs the nasal mucus, the mucus found in the stomach, that occasionally discharged from the bladder, and that from the intestinal canal. These fluids differ from the albuminous, in being principally composed of a substance which is not exactly similar to any thing in the blood; and on this account, they are to be considered as the products of secretion, rather than of transudation. They also differ in another circumstance, which is of considerable importance in a pathological point of view; that whereas the albuminous fluids seem to be all confined in close cavities, the mucus fluids, in their natural state, are poured out into passages that communicate with the external surface of the body. It is not possible to collect and examine these fiuids in the same manner with the albuminous: they are secreted gradually, and are discharged as they are secreted they are united to variable quantities of water; and, in most cases, they are mixed with extraneous bodies before they are discharged.

The saliva consists of a variable proportion of water, of two animal substances, one which, in its chemical nature, resembles coagulated albumen, of another which is uncoagulable, and of salts. From the circumstance of its being united to a large quantity of water, while at the same time it is very difficult to unite an additional quantity to it, we must suppose that it possesses a certain degree of organization; and as its chemical properties are the same with those of membrane, it is perhaps the first step towards the

formation of this body. From its half organized state, it is less affected by different re-agents than albumen; but after a sufficient length of time, it exhibits the same attraction for the oxy-muriate of mercury and for tar, and in the same manner it has its union with the former of these substances promoted by heat. The other animal substance in saliva, he considers, as being very nearly, if not entirely, similar to the uncoagulable matter in albumen ovi and in scrum.

There is still a third class of animal fluids, the particled, which should next come under our consideration, the peculiar characteristic of which consists in their containing particles visible to the naked eye. He examined a few of these fluids which had been discharged from tumours situate both in muscular and in glandular parts. One of them was procured from a confined tumour on the thigh; its basis consisted of an albuminous fluid, and the particles were composed of a substance very similar to spermaceti, both in its physical and chemical properties. Like this substance, it exhibited a considerable lustre, which it communicated to the fluid, so that when it was gently agitated, it gave to it a waved or glossy appearance, not unlike satin. As the fluid part was miscible with water, while the particles were insoluble, they were readily separated, and retained their lustre for some time after being dried.

The following is a summary of the chief labours and discoveries of Fourcroy, according to Dr Thomson :

1. He repeated the curious experiments of Berthollet upon the evolution of azotic gas from animal substances.

2. He ascertained that ammonia is decomposed by the oxides of manganese, mercury, and iron; and that these oxides, at the same time, lose either the whole or a portion of their oxygen.

He

3. He ascertained that the most common constituent of biliary calculi, is a substance very similar in its properties to spermaceti.

4. He found that vegetable juices

of animal mucus, and showed that it differed from all other animal substan

ces.

frequently contain a substance which Monthly Meroranda in Natural His

coagulates when the juice is exposed to a gentle heat.

5. He ascertained the properties of several triple salts, which magnesia, and ammonia, and an acid, are capable of forming.

6. He published a very elaborate analysis of the quinquina, a species of bark from St Domingo, which was considered at the time as a model for vegetable analysis.

7. His experiments on the brain contain several valuable facts, and his opinion approaches to accuracy.

8. The analysis of tears, and the mucus of the nose, by Fourcroy and Vauquelin, is valuable.

9. The analysis of urine, and of urinary calculi, by the same gentlemen, has been much admired.

10. A method of obtaining barytes in a state of purity, by exposing the nitrate of barytes to a red heat in a porcelain crucible.

11. He and Vaquelin ascertained by experiment that the three liquids, known by the names of pyromucous, pyrolignous, and pyrotartarous acids, are vinegar holding in solution a portion of empyreumatic oil.

12. They ascertained the presence of phosphate of magnesia in the bones of all animals.

13. They discovered a quantity of uncombined phosphorus in the melts of fishes. They showed, likewise, an analogy between the pollen of the anthere of some flowers, and the seminal fluid of animals.

14. They detected in the common onion the presence of a considerable quantity of saccharine matter, and showed by experiment that this saccharine matter was converted into manna by a spontaneous change.

15. They ascertained the properties

tory.

January and February. THE remarkable frost which prevailed during the month of January last will naturally fall to be entered among the great frosts recorded in the annals of the country. There has been nothing like it since 1794,5; and this being just nineteen years ago, there are not wanting observers who are inclined to connect the recurrence of so severe a season with the period of the retrocession of the lunar nodes. Though of shorter duration, the intensity of the late frost was greater than that of 1795. In severity, indeed, it seems to have equalled that of 1739,40.

It was accompanied with a very heavy fall of snow, which, while it saved the vegetable productions of the earth, bore extremely hard on the annual. Details of many of the singular effects of this severe season will be found in the Historical department of this publication; all that seems proper in this place, therefore, is to mention a few facts that fell more immediately under the notice of the writer of this article, or were communicated by his private friends.

On Sunday 24 January there was a good deal of rain; but towards evening the atmosphere grew clear, and the cold became so intense, thro' the night, that next morning boys were venturing on the ice which covered the mill-pond at Canonmills.The snow soon after began to fall, and it lay on the open fields about Edinburgh, nearly 16 inches deep on an average; where drifted, it was from 3 to 6 feet deep.

The cold was very great. The mercury in Fahrenheit's thermometer generally varied from 17° to 22°;

but

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