"It is a most remarkable fact, that not only in hills and valleys, and from the plains, have the enterprising explorations of the tinners been conducted. Some of the Cornish mines have actually been carried to a considerable distance under the sea. Some of these submarine excavations, as described by Mr. Hawkins, display, in a striking manner, the effects of perseverance and the defiance of danger on the part of the miners. For instance, the noted mine of Huel Cok, in the parish of St. Just, which descends eighty fathoms, and extends itself forward under the bed of the sea, beyond low water mark. In some places, the miners have only three fathoms of rock between them ard the sea, so that they could hear very distinctly the movement and the noise of the waves. This noise is sometimes terrible, being of an extraordinary loudness, as the Atlantic Ocean is here many hundred leagues in breadth. In the mine the rolling of the stones and rocks over-head, which the sea moves along its bed, is plainly heard; the noise of which, mixed with the roaring of the waves, sounds like reiterated claps of thunder, and causes both admiration and terror in those who have the curiosity to go down.

"In one place, where the vein was very rich, they searched it with imprudence, and left but four feet of rock between the excavation and the bed of the sea. At high water the howling of the waves is heard in this place in so dreadful a manner, that even the miners who work near it have often taken to flight, supposing that the sea was going to break through the weak roof, and penetrate into the mine."-p. 14.

The history of tin-plate working, now a process in such extensive use, presents some highly interesting facts :

"It is remarkable that the English, although they had so long a monopoly of the tin trade, and moreover possessed the richest mines in the world, should nevertheless have failed, as it appears, until a comparatively recent period, in their attempts at tinplating. Beckman states, that, about the year 1670, a company sent to Saxony, at their expense, an ingenious man named Andrew Yarrenton, in order to learn the process of tinning. Having acquired there the necessary knowledge, he returned to England with some German workmen, and manufactured tin-plate, which met with general approbation. Before the company, however, could carry on business on any extensive scale, a man of some distinction having made himself acquainted with Yarrenton's process, obtained a patent for this art; and the first undertakers were obliged to give up

their enterprise, which had cost them a great deal of money, and yet no use was made of the patent which had been obtained. Such is the account of the matter, as it stands in the account quoted: we may, however, reasonably doubt its absolute correctness, especially the intimation, that the process carried on by the English adventurer, and his German colleagues, was patented to an individual who himself purloined it.

"More certain and remarkable is it that, about the year 1720-which, on account of the many new schemes, and the deceptive trade carried on in consequence of them, will ever be memorable in the history of English folly-among the many bubbles, as they were then called, was the formation of an establishment for making tin-plate; and this was one of the few speculations of that period which were attended with advantage. The first manufactory of this kind was esta blished in Monmouthshire, at the village of Pontypool, where tin-plate was afterwards so extensively and successfully prepared. Towards the latter end of the last century, tinplate works were erected in this country, almost wherever the manufacture of iron was largely carried on; the perfection of the method of laminating the metal by means of rollers having more than any thing else contributed to the success of these undertakings.

The French call tin-plate by the expressive appellation of fer blanc, or white iron, which is exactly answerable to the ferrum candidum of the ancients, and a hundred talents of which were given as a present to Alexander in India. It is not reasonable, however, to suppose that this resemblance goes farther than the coincidence of terms, although it is difficult to guess what sort of metal the white iron of India can have been."-p. 27.

After "tin" is disposed of, we have chapters on Lead, Pewter, Zinc, and Britannia Metal, all of which include a good deal of valuable information. "Typefounding" succeeds; and to that three chapters on the various branches of Brassworks, in which is incorporated a very good description of the process of casting statuary in bronze; "Lamps and Brasstubes," "Optical Instruments," and "Clocks and Watches," then furnish their fair proportion of matter,-the last subject being treated at considerable length; and "Brass Toys and Pins" (with a sketch of the celebrated Pin-making Machine), carry us on to the "Precious Metals,"

whose history is of course amply sufficient to fill some twenty or thirty pages of amusing narrative. Take a short anecdote as a specimen :

"The goldsmiths of this country had considerable reputation in the middle ages. Anketil, a monk of St. Alban's, about the beginning of the 12th century, was so famous for his works in gold, silver, gilding, and jewellery, that he was invited by the King of Denmark to superintend his works in gold, and to be his banker or money-changer. A pair of candlesticks, made of silver and gold, and presented by Robert, Abbot of St. Alban's, to Pope Adrian IV, were so much esteemed for their exquisite workmanship, that they were consecrated to St. Peter; and were the principal means of obtaining high ecclesiastical distinctions for the abbey. According to Muratori, the English works in gold and silver were famous so early as the eighth century, even in Italy."-p. 376.

It might be observed, however, that the Pope alluded to had some natural predilections in favour of Anketil's workmanship, he having himself been born within the domains of St. Alban's Abbey, in whose favour he behaved so liberally: he was, in fact, the only Englishman who ever attained to the papal chair, and might naturally be expected to look with partiality on the production of his countryman. This says nothing, nevertheless, against the rest of the anecdote, as to the "Majesty of Denmark."

The manufacture of plate supplies the material of a chapter, which is about as good as any in the book.

We can spare room only for a quotation relating to one of the most beautiful processes in the art:

"One very ingenious department of the plate-working manufacture consists in what is called chasing or embossing; these terms being used respectively as the work is superficial or deep in the execution. To this practice the gold and silver smiths of antiquity are much indebted for the perfection of their wares; it is, indeed, a process which, next to the art of engraving, and with much greater effect, exhibits in wonderful perfection the designs of the draughtsman. embodies not merely outline with bold relief but superadds diversity of texture, surface, and even colour; and some pieces wrought, of the precious metals, ornamented in the first style of the art, are of extraordinary value, and justly command universal admi

it

ration. Those who have seen the superb table services of the British Sovereign, or those of some of the other princes of Europe, as well as many in private hands, and especially the plate repositories of the celebrated house of Rundle and Bridges, on Ludgatehill, will be able to judge of the truth of these remarks. The method of performing the work is very simple as to the details. The article being finished from the brazier, the design is, in the first place, delineated upon it in a very slight way; or, if it be not original, by means of red chalk and tracingpaper, as is done by engravers. The work, if at all hollow, as a tea-pot or a mug, and if the figures project considerably, is held upon a sand-bag, and the body of the design is bulged from the inside by the application of a hammer upon a knobbed rod, called a snarling-iron; the vessel is then filled with a composition of pitch and ashes from the grate, and rested upon the sand-bag during the operation on the outside, where the work is perfected. If it be a salver, or other flat article, it is imbedded upon a quantity of the composition laid on a board of the proper size, and having a hemispherical underpiece resting in a cavity on the work-bench, by which contrivance it is readily turned about by the chaser, so as to suit his convenience. The lines are then sunk by striking down upon and indenting the metal with little blunt steel punches, of shapes adapted to the figure. It would surprise a stranger to see with what facility a workman, by means of a small hammer, and about a score of simple tools, will bring up in bold relief the most elaborate designs."-p. 370.

"Plate" disposed of, the remaining pages of the volume are appropriated to the highly-contrasted subjects of "Button-making" and "Coining;" incongruous as they appear, we believe many a practitioner of the former has suffered the last penalty of the law for dabbling in the latter mystery,—so closely do the working parts of the two trades assimilate. The description of the operations of the Mint brings the history to its conclusion.

Taken altogether, we are inclined to think that this volume is the best of the three devoted to the Metal Manufac tures: it is free from any of the glaring faults which, in parts, disfigure the "History of Iron and Steel," while it possesses many recommendations of its own, besides the great one of the extent, variety, and importance of the subjects it embraces.

LIST OF NEW PATENTS GRANTED BETWEEN THE 24TH OF APRIL, AND 24TH OF MAY, 1834.

Ernst Wolf, of Stamford-hill, Middlesex, merchant, for an improvement in steam-engines, being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. April 26; six months to specify.

John Christophers, of New Broad-street, London, merchant, for an improvement on anchors. April 26; six months to specify.

William Gittins, of St. Pancras, Esq., for an improved mode of applying the water used for the purpose of condensation in marine and certain other steam-engines to the condenser. May 6; six months to specify.

William Alfred Noble, of Cross-street, Cherry Garden-street, Bermondsey, Surrey, engineer, for certain improvements in pumps, engines, machines, or apparatus for drawing, raising, forcing, or propelling water and other fluids. May 6; six months to specify.

Alexander Beattie Shankland, of Egremontplace, St. Pancras, Gent., for a machine or engine for cutting or fashioning wood into certain defined shapes or forms, to fit the same more readily to various purposes and uses, being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. May 6; sıx months to specify.

Louis Brunier, of Vineyard-walk, Clerkenwell, architect and civil engineer, for an hydraulic machine or apparatus (of a centrifugal force), applicable to the raising or forcing water. May 8; six months to specify.

John M Dowall, of Johnstone, near Paisley, Renfrew, Scotland, mechanist and engineer, for certain improvements on metallic pistons, pump buckets, and boiler steam-engines. May 12; four months to specify.

James Dutton, of Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucester, clothier, for an improvement in dressing or finishing woollen cloths, and for the method of, and apparatus for, effecting the same. May 13; six months to specify.

NOTES AND NOTICES.

The Drummond Light.-In the article on the comparative intensity of different lights (page 57), it is stated, that Lieutenant Drummond's was seen at the distance of ninety miles!! Now this I think very improbable, if not impossible; for to see an object at a distance of ninety miles, would require, that either the light or the observer should be elevated more than a mile above the level of the highest land between them; or, if seen at sea, the light must have been a mile above the level of the sea, after making due allowance for refraction. If, however, we suppose that both the light and the spectator were on elevated situations, still those situations must have been at an elevation of 1,500 feet above the highest intervening land. If true, the atmosphere of the Emerald (isle) must be equal in retractive power to the diamond. A. MACKINNON.

A new steam-carriage has just entered the field, constructed by Mr. Redmund, who, some time ago, advertised that he was willing to furnish locomotives to run on common 10ads at any required speed, although he had never tried the experiment! The public will now, therefore, soon be enabled to judge whether he was justitied or no in his extraordinary confidence. As yet the carriage has only been on a few private trips, which are said to have been quite satisfactory. Publicity is, however, the only test in such matters.

A Correspondent at Brighton states that, in consequence of seeing, in some of the public journals, that cotton wool had been found to be a curative for scalds and burns, a friend of his, who was very severely burnt, had recourse to this means of relief, but that the wool produced a very violent inflam

mation and swelling of the parts burnt; and that, on the medical attendant causing the whole of it to be taken off, its adherence to the skin and flesh was so tenacious as to put him to the most excruciating pain. "I have myself," he adds, "used for many years with invariable and never-failing success, for all burns and scalds, lime-water and linseed oil mixed, and applied until all pain was removed. My plan is to send to the druggists for twopenny-worth, leaving the proportions to them. The mixture should be fresh when applied."

The Guernsey Star, which has of late been advocating, with great earnestness and ability, the project of forming a breakwater in Portland Roads, so often recommended in our pages, has discovered an advantage in it, not (we believe) hitherto noticed. "The stone-trade of 'ortland," it observes, "is by no means to be overlooked in the investigation of the merits of this undertaking. During the prevalence of easterly winds, and more especially during winter, it is obvious that under the existence of the present system, the loading of lighters and vessels, employed in the exportation of stone, is considerably impeded, and sometimes totally suspended. This, however, would never be the case if the proposed breakwater were once carried into effect. The dispatch of business in its various branches would be greatly facilitated, and the business itself, commensurate with such advantages, would also rapidly increase. In the year 1823, it appears that 23,497 tons of stone were exported in 333 vessels; and it is probable, that the greatest export in any one year never exceeded 30,000 tons. Upon a fair calculation, therefore, it is inferred, that the shipment of stone, by the completion of the breakwater, would be augmented at least one-third."

The following is an extract of a letter from a correspondent at Glasgow, dated 16th May:"The Steam-Carriage Company of Glasgow have stopped running; from what I have been able to learn respecting the affair, I believe their carriages will not do."

Mr. Hancock's "Autopsy" was seen, on Saturday last, in Cheapside, wending its way with the greatest adroitness amidst the multitude of carriages with which that thoroughfare is constantly crowded. A stronger proof of its manageableness could not possibly have been afforded. We understand that it was on its way from Stratford to its old quarters in the City-road, preparatory to its being again started to run for hire, in conjunction with two or three other carriages, between the City and Paddington.

Mr. Squires has, we are informed, sold out, and left Colonel Macerone sole proprietor of the steamcarriage prodigy, which did the 1700 miles without requiring a shilling for repairs, &c. &c &c.

We can give a "Victim to the Law's Delay" no hope of any alteration being made in the Patent Laws during the present session of Parliament. The assistance he requires might very probably be obtained by means of an advertisement.

We think Mr. Blackett in error, and shall write to him on the subject in a few days.

Communications received from Mr. Ennis-Mr. Rutter-G. A. W.-Mr. Ward-Dr. Udney.

The Supplement to Vol. XX., with a Portrait of William Symington, is now ready, price 6d. also Vol. XX., complete, in boards, price Ss

LONDON: Published by M. SALMON, at the Mechanics' Magazine Office, No. 6, Peterborough Court, between 135 and 136, Fleet-street. Agent for the American Edition, Mr. O. RICH, 12, Red Lion square. Sold by G. G. BENNIS, 55, Rie Neuve, Saint Augustin, Paris.

M. SALMON, Printer, Fleet-street.

LIST OF NEW PATENTS GRANTED BETWEEN THE 24TH OF APRIL, AND 24TH OF MAY, 1834.

Ernst Wolf, of Stamford-hill, Middlesex, merchant, for an improvement in steam-engines, being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. April 26; six months to specify.

John Christophers, of New Broad-street, London, merchant, for an improvement on anchors. April 26; six months to specify.

William Gittins, of St. Pancras, Esq., for an improved mode of applying the water used for the purpose of condensation in marine and certain other steam-engines to the condenser. May 6;

William Alfred Noble, of Cross-street, Cherry Garden-street, Bermondsey, Surrey, engineer, for certain improvements in pumps, engines, machines, or apparatus for drawing, raising, forcing, or propelling water and other fluids. May 6; six months to specify.

Alexander Beattie Shankland, of Egremontplace, St. Paneras, Gent., for a machine or engine for cutting or fashioning wood into certain defined shapes or forms, to fit the same more readily to various purposes and uses, being a communication from a foreigner residing abroad. May 6; six months to specify.

Louis Brunier, of Vineyard-walk, Clerkenwell, architect and civil engineer, for an hydraulic machine or apparatus (of a centrifugal force), applicable to the raising or forcing water. May 8; six months to specify.

John M Dowall, of Johnstone, near Paisley, Renfrew, Scotland, mechanist and engineer, for certain improvements on metallic pistons, pump buckets, and boiler steam-engines. May 12; four months to specify.

James Dutton, of Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucester, clothier, for an improvement in dressing or finishing woollen cloths, and for the method of, and apparatus for, effecting the same. May 13; six months to specify.

NOTES AND NOTICES.

The Drummond Light.-In the article on the comparative intensity of different lights (page 57), it is stated, that Lieutenant Drummond's was seen at the distance of ninety miles!! Now this I think very improbable, if not impossible; for to see an object at a distance of ninety miles, would require, that either the light or the observer should be elevated more than a mile above the level of the highest land between them; or, if seen at sea, the light must have been a mile above the level of the sea, after making due allowance for refraction. If, however, we suppose that both the light and the spectator were on elevated situations, still those situations must have been at an elevation of 1,500 feet above the highest intervening land. If true, the atmosphere of the Emerald (isle) must be equal in retractive power to the diamond. A. MACKINNON.

A new steam-carriage has just entered the field, constructed by Mr. Redinund, who, some time ago, advertised that he was willing to furnish locomotives to run on common 10ads at any required speed, although he had never tried the experiment! The public will now, therefore, soon be enabled to judge whether he was justified or no in his extraordinary confidence. As yet the carriage has only been on a few private trips, which are said to have been quite satisfactory. Publicity is, however, the only test in such matters.

A Correspondent at Brighton states that, in consequence of seeing, in some of the public journals, that cotton wool had been found to be a curative for scalds and burns, a friend of his, who was very severely burnt, had recourse to this means of relief, but that the wool produced a very violent inflam

mation and swelling of the parts burnt; and that, on the medical attendant causing the whole of it to be taken off, its adherence to the skin and flesh was so tenacious as to put him to the most excruciating pain. "I have myself," he adds, " used for many years with invariable and never-failing success, for all burns and scalds, lime-water and linseed oil mixed, and applied until all pain was removed. My plan is to send to the druggists for twopenny-worth, leaving the proportions to them. The mixture should be fresh when applied."

The Guernsey Star, which has of late been advocating, with great earnestness and ability, the project of forming a breakwater in Portland Roads, so often recommended in our pages, has discovered an advantage in it, not (we believe) hitherto noticed. "The stone-trade of ortland," it observes, is by no means to be overlooked in the investiga tion of the merits of this undertaking. During the prevalence of dmore espe that under th cially during winter, it is wids, and existence of the present system, the loading lighters and vessels, employed in the exportatio of stone, is considerably impeded, and sometim totally suspended. This, however, would nev be the case if the proposed breakwater were or carried into effect. The dispatch of business in various branches would be greatly facilitated, the business itself, commensurate with such vantages, would also rapidly increase. year 1823, it appears that 23, 197 tons of stone exported in 333 vessels; and it is probable, the greatest export in any one year never exce 30,000 tons. Upon a fair calculation, therefo is inferred, that the shipment of stone, by the pletion of the breakwater, would be augment least one-third."