of about £80 was effected; and it is anticipated that the preparations which are now being made for the Art Union of 1853 will have an equally beneficial effect on your next annual exhibition.

For the paintings on the north side of the gallery, you were chiefly indebted to the kindness of Mr. Michael Williams, of Trevince, Mr. W. Williams, of Tregullow, and the Rev. W. J. Coope, of Falmouth. Among them were choice specimens by Rembrandt, Titian, Cuyp, Bassano, Carlo Dolci, Vandyke, Vander Bosch, Backhuyson, and other admired masters.

The other departments of the exhibition require but little comment from your committee, as the judges' reports particularize the principal contributions, and more minute descriptions will appear in the appendix to the annual report. An exception must however be made in respect of a collection of miners' lamps and candles, and candle lamps for domestic use, which were sent to the exhibition by Mr. Edward Simons, of Birmingham, who kindly attended on one of the days of the exhibition and gave an able lecture on the various kinds of lamps in common use, in which he described and illustrated the improvements that he had himself introduced. They would also refer to the extremely beautiful specimens of serpentine and steatite from Penzance, which in their execution, and especially in their elegant inlaying, exceed any thing of the kind that has been hitherto exhibited.

In the absence of professional lecturers at the exhibition, an evening conversational meeting was decided upon, at which Mr. Charles Fox, the Rev. John Punnett, and Mr. R. W. Fox made some interesting observations on recent optical discoveries, on flax culture, on the metamorphoses of plants, and on a visit to Lord Rosse's monster telescope. The meeting gave so much satisfaction to those members who attended, that your committee beg to suggest that arrangements be made for similar conversational meetings next year.

Your esteemed contributors, Mr. Jonathan Couch, F.L.S., and Mr. W. P. Cocks, have again forwarded Papers for insertion in the annual report, which will also contain some notices, by Mr. Giles, of Liskeard, of the earthquake which was felt during the

past summer in the eastern part of this and in the adjoining county; also a Paper on the China-clay manufactures of Cornwall, by Mr. H. N. Stoker, of St. Austell.-This Essay was accompanied by a model, illustrating a method of drying China clay by centrifugal force, and received from the judges a second silver medal.

It will perhaps be remembered by many members of the society, that at the exhibition of 1851, a number of loan prints and drawings were presented by Miss Fox for the use of apprentices and others who are unable to obtain professional instruction, and who frequently waste much time and talent in copying inferior productions. For some months scarcely any applications were made for the loan of these drawings, but recently the demand has been more frequent, and your committee have reason to suppose that a small pecuniary grant for the purchase of a greater variety of patterns will have the effect of still further increasing the number of applicants. At a time when public attention is so much directed to improving the artistic taste of the community by the formation of schools of drawing and design, it is hoped that the effort in this direction which Miss Fox has commenced will not be considered unworthy your attention, or at variance with the objects of your society. Neither must it be considered local to Falmouth, as through your agents in the principal towns of Cornwall, the conductors of public schools and apprentices in any part of the county may obtain the use of this collection.

In a

For some years past the reports of your committee have recorded the loss by death of old and valued members. society which has completed its second decade, such occurrences are in the common course of events, and the present year has not been an exceptional one. The late Earl of Falmouth and the Rev. R. G. Grylls are among the most recent losses. The former recently held the office of Vice-president, and both, by their donations and attendance at the exhibitions, manifested the interest they felt in the welfare of the Society.

During the year which is now closing, your committee have undertaken some expensive but necessary repairs in the hall, and have had the walls painted; by this its internal appearance has

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been much improved, and your committee have the pleasure of adding that the receipts for the year have been sufficient to meet these extra demands without in any way curtailing the amount given for premiums and prizes at the exhibition, or any of the other expenses of the Society. This satisfactory result is to some extent due to the continued support and confidence of the mining interest, as pleasingly evinced by an increase in the number of annual subscriptions. For the particulars of these and the other items of your income and expenditure you are respectfully referredto the treasurer's balance sheet.

Your committee have now under their consideration some further modifications in the list of premiums and prizes, but they have not been sufficiently matured to be brought before you at present. Suggestions for other improvements in the hall and premises behind it have also been discussed during the past year. The large attendance of visitors at the exhibition, and the larger numbers which may be expected on the completion of the Cornwall Railway, with the necessity which exists for a separate lecture room, and other accommodations, will soon press upon you the propriety of taking measures for effecting these desiderata, and in order to accomplish them without taxing the present distribution of the society's funds, it is hoped the members generally, and particularly those belonging to the committee, will by still further interesting the community in behalf of this confessedly useful and popular institution, so increase the list of subscribers as to render these improvements speedily and easily attainable.

THE ANNUAL EXHIBITION.

THE Twentieth Annual Exhibition of the Polytechnic Society was opened on Tuesday, September 28th, 1852, and remained open the four following days.

The chair was taken about half-past one o'clock by Sir Charles Lemon, Bart., the President, who commenced the proceedings by stating that the Reports of the judges in the various departments, with the list of prizes, would be read to the meeting, and called on Mr. R. R. Broad for the report in the

MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT.

Mr. Broad then read the following:-The judges of Natural Philosophy and its associated subjects have great pleasure in reporting that the contributions in their department for the present year are of a very respectable and creditable class; and although at some previous exhibitions more inventive talent, and a greater amount of seientific and mechanical skill may have been displayed, yet on the whole they agree that no inconsiderable advance has been made, whether of an intuitive or practical character. Among the various contributions they would particularly solicit attention to a process for the more expeditious drying of China-clay. Also to a method of boring holes in stone, an improved whim, and the inlaying of serpentine. In the highest class of mechanical skill they refer with pleasure to an improved miner's quadrant by Mr. Wilton; to a miniature model of a steam engine; and to an eight-day clock, made throughout by J. Ingram of-Hayle. They would also allude with satisfaction and praise to the model of a mine and machinery by S. Hancock, a working man, as both novel and ingenious, and displaying an amount of perseverance and talent of no ordinary kind. With these brief remarks they present their report, and in doing so have no hesitation in affirming

that the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society not only continues to respond to the sanguine expectations of its founders and supporters, but they would add their conviction that in attaining to this anniversary-the double decade of its useful career—a progressively increasing popularity has been accorded to its efforts and exertions, whilst the interests of art, of science, and of humanity have been not simply encouraged, but fostered and advanced to no inconsiderable extent.

Judges. Mr. R. R. Broad, Mr. W. Carne, Mr. S. Davey, Mr. R. Were Fox, F.R.S., Mr. Alfred Fox, Capt. M. Loam, Rev. J. Punnett, Capt. John Richards, Mr. W. Richards, Mr. J. Rule, Mr. J. Sims, C.E., Mr. R. Thomas, C.E., Capt. N. Vivian, Mr. W. P. Williams, and Mr. R. Williams.

Machine for drying clay, with an essay on the manufacture of China-clay, &c., H. N. Stocker, St. Austell, second silver medal. Method of boring holes in stone, John Tresidder, Gwennap, second silver medal. Model of steam engine, by a working miner, T. Vincent, Redruth, £4. Improved whim, by a miner, John Maynard, Illogan, £2 10s. Miner's quadrant attached to theodolite, W. Wilton, St. Day, £2. Pair of easels, F. W. Harvey, Oxford, first bronze medal. Coil machine, by a working carpenter, Thomas Hitchens, Falmouth, second bronze medal. Eight-day bracket spring clock, John Ingram, Hayle, first bronze medal. Specimens of graining, A. Saunders, Plymouth, second bronze medal. Specimen of oak graining, John F. Hamlyn, Falmouth, first prize. For five papers explaining mechanical inventions, W. Morshead, jun., Liskeard, £1 for encouragement. Eight daguerreotypes, J. Stephens, Redruth, £1. Man machine, Thomas Sampson, Hayle, £1 as an encouragement. Improved locks for sliding pannels, by a joiner in H.M. dockyard, Devonport, J. Lidstone, first prize. Improved refrigerator, Jacob Wilkins, Hayle, £1. Perpetual almanack, John Oram, Devonport, 10s. Model showing a method of stamping and dressing ores, by a miner, Peter Mathews, Illogan, £1 towards expenses. An instrument for copying drawings to any scale, Stephen Usticke, Halsetown, second prize. Model of steam engine, Joseph Tangye, Pool, 10s. Model of direct acting steam engine, by an engine fitter, James Goodman, Hayle, 10s. Three brass blocks, Thomas Martin, Redruth, 10s. Guage of steam boilers, James Goodfellow, Devonport, £1. Pen-holder, James Goodfellow, Devonport, 10s. Method of disconnecting steam carriages which get off the rails, Samuel Luke, Hayle, for ingenuity, 10s. Portable encreture, by an apprentice, W. Harris, Redruth, 5s. Dress boots, cork bottom boots, slippers, ladies' elastic boots and kid shoes, made by a workman named Joseph Cock, of Truro, 10s., and the closing done by an apprentice named Richard Pascoe, of Truro, aged 16, 5s. Improved lamps of various kinds, Edward Simons, Birmingham, first bronze medal for general excellence of manufacture. Serpentine manufactures, as specimens of fine art in inlaying work, John Organ, Penzance, first bronze medal. Specimens of serpentine and marble manufactures, W. Pearce and Son, Truro, first prize. Model of mine machinery, S. Hancock, Redruth, first silver medal and £5.