liberty-the liberty of the intellect to see and say warehouseful to choose from; and is it easier to After the retirement of Captain Harness, the posts of Comptroller and Deputy-Master were amalgamated, and fortunately for the interests of the establishment and of the State, in April, 1855, Dr. Graham, F.R.S., became Master of the Mint. That gentleman has proved a 'master and worker' indeed. The political Masters of former times received £2,000 per annum, and did nothing; the permanent Master of to-day enjoys a salary of £1,500, and works hard. Such is one of the changes made in these latter days of the Mint. Without further prelude we now proceed to the task of describing the mode of transforming auriferous sands into current coin of the realm. Of the manner in which the raw material is obtained, of quartz crushing, and the operations of the dig. ger in his pursuit of the yellow earth, our readers The reader will be struck with the dedication: probably know enough already. On the arrival of To the memory of her who was the inspirer of a lucky digger, he usually disposes of his gains to a all that is best in my writings," whose "all but bullion dealer at the market value, or to the Bank unrivalled wisdom" the writer vainly strives to of England, at such a rate as an assay of its reach. This rigorous logician, then, who always quality made by the Bank refiners warrant the will have his feet upon the firm earth, has an Old Lady in allowing for it. At Brown and unfathomable heaven over him, wherein he gives Wingrove's, Wood-street, Cheapside, the Bank place and shape and name to the imaginings of have their bullion intended for coinage reduced to the soul's love and wonder. This sturdy warrior, standard, and cast into ingots. These latter are so erect in his self-sovereignty, bows down before returned to Threadneedle-street, and thence trans- another and a gentler; like his brothers who lie in ferred in bags placed in iron-bound and trebly-effigy in our old churches, who loved even the dog locked boxes, and by means of carriers' carts, to the Mint. These carts-well known to the Mint police, as are the sturdy porters who sit on the lids of the gold-chests, and are their only guards through the City-are admitted at stated intervals, and disgorge their rich freight through one of the open windows of the Mint office. The ingots are then placed in the scales in presence of a Bank and several Mint officers, their weight duly registered, and receipt given for them. Assay pieces are next cut from them, and they are numbered so that reference may be made to each ingot after the Mint assayer has operated upon his assay pieces, and determined their "betterness" or "worseness" (these terms are still in use) than standard gold. The assayer's report determines the amount of alloy necessary to be added in the melting of the ingots for conversion into bars. similar process is observed with silver as regards the assaying, though silver is purchased for coinage by the Mint Master himself in the cheapest market-as is copper for the inferior coinageand does not, in other than exceptional cases, as that of worn coin, for example, come from the Bank at all. Into the process of assaying it is not our intention to go, that is purely a chemical matter, and is practised largely by other professionals than Her Majesty's coiners. A Assuming, then, that the assayers of the Mint have obtained assays of a batch of golden ingots, and duly noted, registered, numbered, and reported them, there is no reason why they, the in gots, should not be transferred to the first operative department of the Mint, the melting-house, and they are so forthwith, the melter in chief signing a receipt for them, and afterwards checking their weight by his own weighing beam. (To be continued.) Literature. On Liberty. By JOHN STUART MILL. London: John W. Parker and Son, West Strand. 1858. LIBERTY is man's dearest possession. The love of it is in proportion to his wealth and vitality and constitutional endowment. All things sug. gest it to him; the wide sky, the wide sea, the fair cloud that streams from horizon to horizon. The true man will part with one thing after another, but never with it. At any encroachment on it, his blood is up, and the whole man soon in a blaze. The above-named little book, although scrupu. lously sensitive, even to minutest details, to one man's invading by a hair's breadth the orbit of another, is yet in the main a book about true at their feet, much more the wife at their side, and The book goes to the root of all liberty, be alive bodily, and use his organs without receiving certain general impressions of things corporeal, so he cannot exist mentally, and use conclusions about things incorporeal. Now, we his mental organs, without coming to certain have but to look on human nature with eyes, and not through spectacles, and we cannot mistake what it is for; namely, to be developed to its utmost of harmonious strength and fulness, like any other product of nature. Nothing native there is to be suppressed; nothing alien to be imported. We conjure you to give us the man, the whole man, and nothing but the man. Healthy artists complain of a purist model in painting, which abjures the bright-red arterial blood in the cheek and the fire in the eye; and healthy men have to complain now-a-days of a meek, pale, innocent, bloodless, nerveless type of character set up for their imitation. We want the whole man; we want self-assertion as well as self-denial; passionate impulsive energy as well as innocent submissiveness; laughter as well as seriousness; self-esteem, and high honour, and magnanimity, side by side with lowliness and meekness. Above all things we want whatever is unique, eccentric, and original, in the man. As every man can, with brain, or tongue, or head, do something better than his neighbour, we want him above all things to do that something, whatever else he leaves alone. But more than all, pleads this little book, we want to the full the originality of original men. They alone discover new thoughts, new modes of life, new paths for human activity. They alone keep society from sinking into pure mechanism and routine. They cannot take anything for granted, receive anything at second-hand, but must go to the ground, the reason, the meaning, the living soul of it. And so they make all things new for us, generation after generation. They are the salt of the earth; without them human life would become a stagnant pool. On the whole, the book is a sorrowful one, full of warning and protest. "A man cannot get a coat or a pair of boots to fit him, unless they are either made to his measure, or he has a whole But the MR. WILLICH's Tables, in their former editions, have taken so high a place in the estimation of men of business that they no longer need the contains, however, so much new and valuable commendations of the press. The present edition did we omit to particularize some at least of his matter that it would be most unfair to the author new additions. The first of these which claim The Astronomical Tables, including 56 of the asteroids, are brought up to the latest period, and they have been submitted to the revision of J. C. Adams, Esq., the discoverer of Neptune. Table VIII, page 88, gives the average price of consols from 1731 to 1858, together with much information connected with the past; under what administration the Government was carried on; progress of National Debt; if peace or war, &c., &e. At page 80, a table on Decimal Coinage is given. If the decimal system should ever be carried ont according to the recommendations made, the small table for converting the old into the new currency will be useful. It is not possible here to give any idea of the extent and comprehensiveness of the tables in this volume. It is a book to be at the hand of every educated man who has the least occasion to refer to such standard facts as a clever man can put into tabular form for him. Even those who possess former editions of the work will not attempt to dispense with this if they are wise. Mental Arithmetic. By HUGO REID, Author of the "Principles of Education," &c. London: Longman, Brown, and Co. 1859. THIS little book (published for a shilling) deserves to sell by tens of thousands, for its statement of the principles of arithmetic is as clear as a learner can require, and its exercises are such as will be of great service to the teacher. Indeed, the author's explanations of the arithmetical principles appear to ns to be the most lucid and correct that we remember having seen. THE NAVIES OF ENGLAND AND FRANCE. (From Blackwood's Magazine for June, 1859.) ALL critics, all reports, all writers, in their estimate of the comparative strength of the countries in stean force, select 1852 as the commencement of the steam era, and draw their conclusions from the progress made by each from that time. The relative standing of the navies was then according to the old ratio. England had 5 steam liners afloat, and 12 building, besides 4 block-ships. 24 frigates, 56 corvettes and sloops, and 66 gun vessels, brigs, &c. Of sailing ships she mustered 66 afloat and 7 building, 88 frigates, 81 corvettes and sloops, small vessels 45, making a total of steam 176, of sailing 299. France had 2 steam-ships of the line afloat, 4 building, 21 frigates, 28 corvettes, 3 on the stocks, 64 small craft, 2 in preparation. Of sailing ships there were 25 available, 20 in construction, 36 frigates, and 150 corvettes and smaller craft, with 27 to be added, constituting a fleet, ready and designed, of 176 steam-ships and 258 sailing vessels. In these numbers are seen the old as cendancy, both in the present strength and the future promise, in the possession of the new ele ment and of the old convertible material. We come to the year 1858, and find the statistics numerically unaltered. Still in numbers and in figures Britannia seems to rule the waves. She has raised her steam navy to 461 ships, her sailing force counts 296 more. Against this, France shows 261 steam, 141 sailing vessels. Still an analysis of the respective effectiveness of the navies as national forces admits a result rather different from the numbers. In the line of battle power, that which would most essentially affect a contest for supremacy, the fleets are equal-each could arrange 29 ships. In frigates France has a preponderance of 8, but in the corvettes and gunboots-the light infantry, the skirmishers, the covering force of future battles and attacks, a force too little thought of, too much underrated in the calculations England has still a vast superiority. We shall now, however, drop comparisons for a while, and adhere to a statement and dissection of the navy of France, reserving conclusions until we have fairly stated the results and the probabilities of the efforts made by these two great nations for maritime supremacy. The present product exhibited by France is a formidable proof of her power, a worthy test of her resolve, a strong development of her policy. We must again descend to figures; they are dull dry things, but in this case the only real elucidation of facts. The French navy consists now of 29 steam liners, and 2 about to receive engines (which may be now included) according to the English official report. From other sources there would appear to be one more. Of these, 10 are entirely constructed for the new power; of the remainder, 7 were old ships converted; the others were originally laid down or commenced for sailing vessels, and then altered on the stocks in different stages of completion. Out of this number there are five first-class ships, one of which is new, and another has only auxiliary horse-power, and there are six only carrying 100 guns or upwards. Thus the line-of-battle force is represented by 32 ships, mounting 2,878 guns, and possessing 20,700 horse power. The 66 Conversations Lexicon' asserts as a fact that these ships are all of a very superior class, and that in their quality they offer a counterbalance to a superiority of numbers. This writer appears from the beginning to have indulged in a remarkable fallacy relative to the naval architecture of the two countries. He commences on the theory that the French ships in the old war were very inferior in construction, in durability and strength, and goes on to show that now the comparison is entirely reversed. We believe-from the best and most impartial evi 66 | those who possessed a Renown. Those who saw the tests of the Baltic and Crimean operations, must have acknowledged also the handiness and manageableness and seaworthy capabilities of our modern ships, and felt that at last, after many trials and haltings betwixt systems, we had attained an excellence in the building art worthy of our naval character and our maritime pretensions. Much has been said of the ten 80-gun ships which were converted, and are supposed to be inferior to anything of their class in the rival fleet. It is true that they are very unequal to the new creations, and should not, or will not, of course, be pertemptible; many of them indeed, in nautical parpetuated. But as makeshifts they are not conlane, are good wholesome ships, and would hold a good place and do good work in a line of battle. The Royal George might fairly be matched with the Montebello or Charlemagne, and the rest would be certainly equal to the ships in the French navy which had undergone the like kind of transformation. On the components of the new force we may well look with satisfaction, both as to the present development or the future perfection of the science of ship-building. The Orion, Renown, Conqueror, James Watt, Princess Royal, Duke of Wellington, et hoc genus omne, whether as models or sea-boats, as specimens of art or engines of war, are, we believe, the best types which naval architecture has yet exhibited to the world, and "in dimensions, forms, means of propulsion, and powers of attack and defence," may justly be said to be "the embodiments of all such sound and well-tested improvements as have hitherto been found compatible with the purposes for which ships of war are designed." Thus the French line of battle ships stand before us as a formidable and respectable array of goodly models and engines of war; but there is nought in them to warrant the idea that they assert for their country a supremacy in the art power of construction. dences, from facts and the opinions of practical not viewed it à la distance that the very conmen who have investigated the subject closely, trary of this judgment would be the truth. A French writer says on this subject: "En effet, les vaisseaux lancés de 1760 à 1791 furent peut-être les plus beaux, les plus solides, et les meilleurs que nous ayons jamais eut ;" and states further, that these same ships illustrated the perfection of naval art, and excited the envy of all the great maritime powers, not even excepting England. Mr. Reed, one of the leaders of the modern school of architecture, strongly confirms this statement. "The science of naval architecture," he says, I was so greatly advanced on the Continent, and so much neglected in England, during the last century, that the forms, dimensions, and speed of the ships of the British navy, were for the most part inferior, class for class, to those of the ships of every other nation with which we had to cope." "Happily for us, and for those colonies and states whose liberties depend on our naval supremacy, the tactics of our admirals and the bravery of our men won for us much more than we lost by the inferiority of our vessels." Yet, spite of all the concurrent testimony of experience and opinion, the German essayist would fain make us believe that our success was owing to our superior capacity for being rammed, and that the solidity of our planks and timbers, rather than the mobility of our ships, won us our victories. This fallacy is We pass on from the line-of battle power to the well capped by the assertion that the French have frigate force, and here we perceive that the at present gone beyond us in the excellence of greatest effort has been made, and the greatest construction, and have produced the most supe- results obtained--37 frigates afloat, against 28 rior types of vessels of war. Strangely enough, English, give a preponderance in this arm of 9, our own authorities would seem rather to en- and those in preparation will further increase it. courage this idea; whether from a desire to be The armament and horse-power they represent is humble, or to give impulse to competition, it were also great, being 1,216 guns, and 17,000-horse hard to say. A wag used to say of a friend, noted power. The total force of frigates and line offor constitutional discontent, that whereas other battle ships afloat at the close of 1858 was 69, and men always made their geese swans, he delighted of these 16 of the first and 30 of the latter had to prove his swans to be geese. This is unbeen constructed in the seven years, giving an doubtedly with us a national propensity. In this average of between 6 and 7 in the year. In the case, however, we certainly have the swans, what-smaller vessels the increase had not been so great; ever we may say of them. The authority we have above quoted, in continuation of his subject, says: 'Happily, also, this inferiority no longer exists. The ships of our navy have not only ceased to be imitations, but have become the models for the navies of the world." All who have had the means of comparison, either under a war or peace aspect, must fully agree with him. Even unprofessional eyes which saw the Renown and Prince Albert floating side by side in the Rade of Cherbourg with the Napoleon and the Bretagne, recognised their superiority in beauty and symmetry, and ac knowledged the strong contrast they offered to the heaviness of the Austerlitz and the ugliness of the Donawerth. "Ugliness," Mr. Reed is right in saying, "is pardonable in a war ship, if anywhere; yet even here beauty is becoming." More than this, symmetry is strength, and proportion is power as well as beauty. In these respects the English vessels fairly challenged comparison. The practised ken, too, which looked not on ships as masses of woodwork and guns, but as motive things which were to be propelled and handled tactically, which were to buffet with waves, saw, in their lightness and buoyancy, in their capacity for carrying their guns high out of the water, in the fighting space betwixt the guns, qualities which would tell with advantage in exercise or in the real work of war. Even the Napoleon, the famous type, offered no temptation for copy to Mr. E. J. Reed's Lecture at the Society of Arts, still, however, the French navy was stronger in 1858 than it had been in 1852, by 100 ships of different classes. This was good earnest work, yet after all not so extraordinary for a great power, professing great resources, engaged in the reconstruction of her navy. It must be remembered that in these calculations we allude only to the ships actually complete, and which might presently be placed on the seas against an enemy. It was good work, yet not enough for the supremacy. The energy and resource of her rival, though taking a different direction, had produced greater results in numbers, and had created an immense aggregate of war power. The compara tive results will be seen France England below: Line-of-butt. ships. Frigates, screw, Corvettes, screw. bitto, paddle. Gun and despatch | Floating batteries. Troop and store ships, steam. Gunboats, screw. Tenders, tugs, &c. Block-ships. TOTAL. 321 33 1 9 176 28 161 15 47 9429 93 35 4 8 29 In respect of numbers this navy would demand no comment-it is not above that which a first-rate power might deem necessary for the Reed's Lecture. + The liners receiving engines are included, support of its dignity, though far beyond that piece of real leather that can be cut from a bul- | remarkably fitted. Its thickness, which may be which France has for many years been able to lock's hide, is not more than seven feet by five, and carried to any extent, is obtained by additional maintain, and still further beyond in power, as this includes the stomach and other inferior parts. backings of linen, &c., cemented with the caoutthis is an effective statement, and includes no Vegetable leather, on the contrary, is now pro-chouc, and its strength is something marvellous, dummies or lame ducks. It challenges attention, duced 50 yards in length and 14 yards wide, every while in the all-important commercial view, it is however, as to the rapidity and efficiency of its portion being of equal and of any required thick- but one-third the price of leather. Many of the construction, and the proportion of its parts. The ness, and the smallest portion is convertible. We articles we were shown possessed the appearance same purpose is apparent in both-the same intent were agreeably disappointed, however, to find of much elegance and finish; but it was curious to coincident. The policy which resolved the one that instead of vegetable leather being a discovery observe that although most of these could be designed the other. That policy is to concentrate requiring the aid of ourselves and contemporaries, it made without a stitch, and within the factory all the national strength and force on that element was, although so young, an active agent in the fa- itself, a deference to the feelings of the workmen of the naval force which shall best effect the ma- brication of numerous articles of daily requirement, in the several trades has been shown by the firm, ritime and the military supremacy. Thus we see and that it had already become the subject of and the material is given out as ordinary leather that the ships of battle and the heavy frigates--large-indeed, we may say enormous-contracts. to undergo the process of the needle, which it all carrying heavy guns, and propelled by great Caoutchouc and naptha are used in its manufac- submits to with a greater facility than its original horse power-constitute the main classes of the ture, but by a process known to the senior of the prototype. Perhaps this concession upon the fleet. The steam transports, too, occupy a promi- firm, who is himself an accomplished chemist, all part of the discoverers is both wise and politic, nent place, and a still greater one in the designs odour is removed from the naptha, and the smell inasmuch as their object is more to manufacture for the future. The building of smaller ships, of vegetable leather is rendered thereby less in and supply the article in the gross to the saddler, cruisers, gunboats, &c., has been altogether aban- strength, if anything, than that of leather. The &c., than to make it up upon their own premises doned of late, and omitted in the calculations; principal objects to which it is at present applied, -a monopoly which might become exceedingly whilst the other classes have been increased by although it is obvious it will take a wider range formidable and injurious. We think we have extraordinary efforts. All this would seem to de- of usefulness than leather itself, are carriage and glanced, although hastily, at the principal feanote that the great aim has been to make the horse aprons, antigropole, soldier's belts, buckets tures of this important discovery, and said quite navy effective for contest on the seas, and to com. which pack flat, harness of every description, book- sufficient to raise the curiosity of all interested bine the maritime with the military force of binding, &c. For the latter its toughness, wash- in the advance and consequent cheapening of our France, and make it an agent, and a powerful one, able quality, and resistance to stains render it manufactures. in the plans and strategies of future conquest and aggression. The director of the present movement in the naval development of his country, has not apparently shown his usual prescience and forecast in the recognition and adoption of a coming power. The mind which had foreseen and forethought the probable means by which steam would act, has overlooked the most fitting agents for the introduction of the projectile power, which now looms before us as the chief and most terrible agent in the operations of war. He has provided for defence against it, in the construction of ironcased vessels; but the gunboats and small craft, which, from their mobility and their small size, will be probably the machines by which rifled cannon will be first and most efficiently applied in the purposes of attack, have been omitted altogether in his estimate of the present and future requirements of the French marine. This light force will be henceforth, doubtless, what riflemen are to an army, and by their capability of maintaining a long range and well-aimed fire-which would not be possible in the mêlée of a general action-will be powerful auxiliaries or opponents of a line of battle. (To be concluded in our next.) GUTHRIE'S IMPROVED MAINSAIL. VEGETABLE LEATHERS. HAVING seen some specimens of these leathers, as well as various articles of utility manufactured therewith, we have been induced to pay the extensive works of Messrs. Spill and Co., the eminent Government contractors on Stepney Green, a visit, in order to cull sufficient to place upon record the present position of artificial as a substitute for real leather. The face and general character of the vegetable leather resembles the natural product so closely that it is only by actual examination that the difference can be determined. This is more particularly the case in that description which is made for book-binding, the covering of library tables, and like purposes. Amongst other advantages it possesses over leather proper, may be mentioned, that however thin the imitation is, it will not tear without considerable force is exercised, that it resists all damp, and that moisture may be left upon it for any period without injury, consequently, it does not sodden or cockle, is always dry, and its polish is rather increased than diminished by friction, Add to these facts that any attempt to scratch or raise its surface with the nail, or by contact with any ordinary substance, will not abrade it, and enough will have been said to justify its entering the lists against an article of daily use, which has of late years been deemed far from sufficient for the demand, and has consequently risen in price to the manifest loss and injury of every class of the community. We believe that the largest entire 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 MR. T. GUTHRIE, of Newcastle, who has had made fast at once to its proper place on the boom. At the same time it costs no Proceedings of Societies. THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. May 18.-Major-Gen. Portlock, Vice-President, in the chair. Richard Meeson, Esq., Grays, Essex; Graham Stuart, Esq., Brindcliffe, Sheffield; and Col. age on the occurrence of Silurian fossils in the rock of all the gold districts-on the newly-discovered bone cave at Gisborne, about twenty-five miles north of Melbourne-and on the progress of the Geological Survey of the Colony. [Portions of the Geological Survey Map of Victoria, lent by the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and specimens of gold, &c., lent by Prof. Tennant, F.G.S., were exhibited in MEETINGS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. MON.-Royal Geographical Society, the Earl of Ripon, President, in the chair. I. Capt. R. F. Burton, F.R.G.S.; II. Capt. J. H. Speke, F.R.G.S. "Explorations in Eastern Africa," 84 p.m. TUES.-Royal Inst., General Facts and Leading Principles of Geological Science," by John Morris, F.G.S., at 3 p.m. Stepney Cowell Stepney, St. George's Place, Hyde illustration of this paper.] [Fossils from Mayence, WED.-Geological, Special General Meeting at 8 p.m., Park, were elected Fellows. The following communications were read :1. "Palichthyologic Notes, No. 12. Remarks on the Nomenclature of the Fishes of the Old Red Sandstone." By Sir P. Egerton, Bart., M.P., F.R.S., F.G.S. &c. 2. "On the Yellow Sandstone of Dura Den and its Fossil Fishes." By the Rev. John Anderson, D.D., F.G.S., &c. &c., presented by W. J. Hamilton, Esq., For. Sec. G.S., Fossil Trigoniæ from South Africa, presented by Capt. Harvey, R.E., and a series of Photolithographs of fossil foot-tracks from Connecticut, lent by Dr. Bowditch, were exhibited at this meeting.] ROYAL AGRICULTURAL OF ENGLAND. May 27.-A Special Council was held, by order of the President, Lord Washingham in the chair. The report of the Finance Committee was read. A communication having been made by the Council to Mr. Hudson, the Secretary, and his reply having been received, it was unanimously resolved on the motion of Mr. Milward, seconded by Lord Feversham, "That Mr. Hudson be suspended from the office of Secretary from this time." On the motion of the Hon. Col. Hood, seconded by Mr. Jonas, "That Mr. Braindreth Gibbs be requested to accept the office of Honorary Acting Secretary pro tem." On the motion of the Hon. Col. Hood, seconded by Lord Feversham, "That all letters be addressed to Mr. Brandreth Gibbs, as Honorary Secretary to the Society." On the motion of the Hon. Col. Hood, seconded by Mr. Jonas, "That these resolutions be made known to the public journals in the usual manner." The Council came to other resolutions relative to the details rendered necessary for carrying into effect the above decisions, and gave orders accordingly. June 1, 1859.-Major-Gen. Portlock, Vice-President, in the Chair. J. Lamont, Esq., Knockdow, Argylshire, and W. Longman, Esq., 36 Hyde Parksquare, were elected Fellows. The following communications were read:-1. "On the Sinking for Coal at the Shireoaks Colliery, near Worksop, Notts." By J. Lancaster, Esq., and C. C. Wright, Esq., F.G.S. In two shafts sunk for the Duke of Newcastle on the north-west side of his estate of Worksop Manor, it was found that the New Red Sandstone and marl have a thickness of 54 ft., and the Permian beds 112 ft.; the latter consisting of hard yellow limestone (54 ft.), blue limestone and shale (20 ft.), blue shale (33 ft.), and soft gritstone, probably equivalent to the "Quicksand" of the north (5 ft.). Below the grit stone the coal-measures commence with 5 feet of blue shale, in which there are four bands of ironstone; another band, 15 inches thick, lies immediately below. This iron-ore is chiefly in the state of peroxide, gives an average of 42 per cent. of metallic iron, and promises to be of great economical value. The first June 1.-At a Monthly Council (for the transaction seam of coal (2 feet thick and of inferior quality) was cut at a depth of 88 yards. Four yards below this of business), held on this day, the Right Hon. Lord is a compact sandstone 66 feet thick. The sinking Portman, Trustee, in the chair, several new members were elected. The Chairman of the Finance Comthrough this rock occupied 20 months; each pit made 500 gallons of water a minute, which was stopped inmittee, presented the monthly report on the accounts. Mr. Wren Hoskyns, Chairman of the Chemical Comdetail by cast-iron tubing. The pressure from the mittee, reported that Professor Voelcker had analysed gas at the bottom of this thick rock was at times as high as 210 pounds per square inch, but is now about and that the Professor will be prepared at an early a specimen of Mangel that had been stored two years, 196 pounds per square inch. Shales, with coal-seams and bands of ironstone, all thin or of inferior quality, meeting of the Council to make some remarks upon the were met with in the next 170 yards. At 346 yards analysis he has made. Lord Leigh, Vice-Chairman of the General Warwick Committee, reported the recomthe first thick coal was cut, and found to be 4 ft. 6 in. mendations of the Committee. The President was thick, and of good quality. This is considered to be the "Wathwood Coal." The "Top Hard Coal" was requested to summon a Special Council for 10 o'clock on June 22, for receiving the report of the Special cut at a depth of 510 yards, and found to be 3 ft. 10 in. thick; the strata intervening between this and the Committee on accounts, and of the Judges Com"Wathwood Coal" were found to have much the mittee, and appointing the judges for the several same characters and thickness as they are known to departments of live stock, implements, and also for cheese and wool at the Warwick meeting. On the have elsewhere. The sinkings were commenced in March, 1854, and perseveringly continued until their Leigh was unanimously appointed Steward elect of immotion of Colonel Challoner, the Right Hon. Lord completion on February 1st, 1859. Altogether 37 plements. The Council gave authority to the House feet of coal were passed through; but only four seams are of workable thickness. The authors of this comCommittee as to carrying out the details of matters intrusted to them. munication remark that the district appears to be remarkably free from faults, that the dip decreases considerably towards the east, and that the "Top Hard Coal" appears to thin out eastwardly. [This paper was illustrated by carefully-prepared sections (vertical and horizontal), and by specimens of the ironstones, &c.] 2. "Notes on the Geology of Southern Australia." By A. R. C. Selwyn, Esq., Director of the Geological Survey of Victoria. In a letter to Sir R. I. Murchison, F.G.S. Mr. Selwyn remarked that as to the impoverishment of auriferous veins in depth, the only evidence of such being the case in Victoria is the great richness of the older drifts, for, judging from the large size of the nuggets sometimes found in the gravels, compared with that of the nuggets met with in the gold-bearing quartzveins (usually from about dwt. to oz., though occasionally as much as 12 ozs. or even 13 pounds), the upper portions of the veins, now ground down into gravel, were probably richer in gold (as formerly suggested) than the lower parts, now remaining. As far as actual mining experience shows, some of the "quartz-reefs" in Victoria prove as rich in gold at a depth of 200, 230, and 400 feet as at the surface; the yield, however, fluctuates at any depth yet reached. According to the author's latest observations, the gold-drifts, and their accompanying basaltic lavas, are of Pliocene and Post-pliocene age. Miocene beds occur at Corio Bay, Cape Otway coast, Murray basin, and Brighton; and Eocene beds on the cast shore of Port Phillip, Muddy Creek, and Hamilton. Two silicified fossils (Echinoderm and Coral), thought by Prof. M'Coy to be of Cretaceous origin, have been found in the gravel near Melbourne. This letter also contains some remarks on the probability of some of the coal of Eastern Victoria being of "Carboniferous" ASSOCIATION OF FOREMEN ENGINEERS. June 4.-The usual monthly meeting of the abovenamed society took place at the Bay Tree Rooms, City. An adjourned discussion of Mr. Briggs' paper on the "Concussion of Water," was the principal feature of the evening, the election of two auditors, Messrs. Hosken and Stabler, however, preceding it; and it was opened with a supplementary paper by Mr. Briggs himself on hydraulic matters generally. The very great importance of a knowledge of all the phenomena relating to pumps, pumping, and hydrostatic arrangements was urged by that gentleman, who proved yet further his own mastery of the subject. Mr. Warner coincided almost entirely with the statements of the author of the paper, and spoke of the laws which governed the passage of fluids through pipes connected with pumps. The hydraulic ram afforded Mr. Warner useful matter for illustrating his views, and Mr. Stabler, who followed, and who has had considerable experience in the matter of fire engines, gave practical information on these valuable adjuncts of civilisation. Other speakers remarked upon the use of scientific discussions to persons situated as the Members of the Association were, and of the indirect advantage which their employers must derive from them. These last remarks, the Chairman, Mr. Joseph Newton, warmly agreed with; and he wished that employers were present on all occasions of their meetings. A vote of thanks to Mr. Briggs and the announcement of a paper on the first Saturday in July, by Mr. Stabler, on the "Economical Formation of Steam," brought the meeting to a satisfactory close. afterwards the following papers will be read :-I. "Notes on Spitzbergen," by A. Lamont, Esq., communicated by Sir C. Lyell, F.G.S.; II. "On the Origin of Dolomites and Gypsums," by J. Sterry Hunt, communicated by Prof. Ramsay, F.G.S.: III. "On Tertiary Shells from Central India," by the Rev. S. Hislop, communicated by the President. THUR.-Linnean Society, Professor Anderssen, "On East Indian Salaces;" Rev. W. Foulkes, "On the Cultivation of the Cocoa Nut in Ceylon," at 8 p.m. Chemical Society, "On Gas Analysis," Professor Williamson, at 8 p.m. FRID.-Royal Inst., Professor Faraday, D.C.L., F.R.S., M.R.D.; "On Becquerel's Phenomena of Phosphorescence," at 8 p.m. SAT.-Royal Inst., On Modern Italian Literature," by J. P. Lacaita, Esq., at 3 p.m. LATHE FOR RE-TURNING RAILWAY IN the annexed engraving we have represented in Fig. 1 a plan and in Fig. 2 a side elevation of a large double-face wheel lathe, adapted more particularly to the turning or trimming up of worn railway wheels, without the expense of taking them off their axles.* This machine consists of two strong and heavy headstocks bolted down to an irregularly-formed bed-plate slotted with grooves throughout its entire length, and recessed back both ways to take the T-headed bolts for holding down the two massive slide-rests shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The centres of these latter are 2 feet 10 inches from the bed, so that they will take in a wheel 5 feet 8 inches diameter. One of the headstocks-that through which the power is in the the bed, and the other can at will be shifted into first instance transmitted-is permanently fixed to closer proximity when required. The greatest length which can be obtained between the centres is about 10 feet, so that we have here a lathe competent to take in anything ordinarily required for either broad or narrow gauge. The main spindles, which are 9 inches diameter at the neck, are driven by 12 inch pinions gearing into teeth at the back of the face-plates, and keyed upon a long shaft 4, which runs the greatest part of the length of the bed; this shaft is 4inches diameter, and is supported bolted to the front end of the moveable headstock. upon 4 fixed and 1 sliding bearing, which last is The gearing is first actuated by the 4-speeded pulley B, having on its spindle a pinion of 9 inches diameter, which gears into a spur wheel 4 feet diameter, keyed upon the shaft A. This arrangement gives a proportion between the velocity of the first motion to that of the spindle of 28 to 1. The 12-inch pinion CC, which gear into the teeth of the moveable headstock, is fitted with a feather which allows it to slide along a groove on 4, so that it can be driven when in any position along the bed. By this arrangement each railway wheel is driven from the face-plates without any dependence having to be placed upon the axles except for support, so that a heavy cut can be taken on both wheels at one time without any fear of a spring taking place. It will be seen also that one of the main spindles is fitted with a 3 feet pulley D, so as to allow of its being driven at a greater velocity for purposes of polishing or trimming up the journals of the axles when required. The moveable headstock is also supplied with an adjustable cylinder, in which the centre is fixed, and which can be screwed backwards or forwards by means of the wheel E, situated at the reverse end to the pulley D. The great object in all large lathes is to make them so solid as, in effect, to nullify all vibration; and this is as important in the case of the slide rest as in the bed itself. The two slide rests, a slide and front elevation of one of which are Our correspondent who sends this article omits to state tioned in a future number, at whose works this lathe is in use. This shall be men |