1814.].

Chemical Report.

291

reason to believe that the water contains some other acid more fixed than the carbonic. The third and fourth tests prove the existence of iron, and the fifth that of sulphurotted hydrogen gas. It has not hitherto been in my power to push my experiments so far as to obtain a precise knowledge of the proportions of the different ingredients and of their combinations with each other. The water exudes through a thick stratum of blue clay, which is diffused through a great part of the vale of Gloucester. In this clay are found large quantities of marine exuviæ, sulphuret of iron, and various salts. The water, percolating through this mass, carries with it a certain portion of the soluble contents, and its impregnations of course vary according to the nature of the substances which it may meet with in its descent. These facts are drawn from what may be seen here, as well as from what has been demonstrated to take place at Cheltenham. It is probable, therefore, nay almost certain, that by digging in various places of the ground which has been already opened, not only any quantity of water may be obtained, but such varieties, likewise, as are found at the place just mentioned."

Vauquelin has published some observations on the method of precipitating copper from its solutions by iron or zinc. For this purpose, zinc answers better than iron. Unless the zinc be allowed to remain a sufficiently long time in the solution, the whole of the copper is not precipitated; and unless there be an excess of acid in the liquid, a portion of copper is precipitated in the state of oxide. A portion of the zinc always falls in combination with the copper; therefore the copper, after the liquid is separated, ought always to be digested in dilute muriatic acid, which takes пр the zinc without touching the copper.

Gay Lussac has finished a very laborious and complete investigation of the properties of iodine. During his experiments he discovered that chlorine possesses the property of combining in two proportions with oxygen, and of forming two acids which he calls the chloric and chlorous acids. Davy's euchlorine is Gay Lussac's chlorous acid, but the chloric appears to be the more curious and important compound. We are not yet informed how it is obtained.

M. Chevreul, Assistant Naturalist to the Museum of Natural History at Paris has made some new observations on the change which any fatty matter undergoes by its combination with alkali to form soap. The soap of potash and hog's lard dissolved in water leaves a pearl-coloured substance, which, when separated from the saline matter that it still contains, constitutes a substance possessing very peculiar proper ties, which, from its pearl colour, M. Chevreul denominates margarine. It is insoJuble in cold, but easily resolved in hot water. It melts at 138°; and, on cooling, crystallizes in beautiful white needles. It combines with potash, and then resumes the characters of the pearl-coloured deposit. It has a stronger affinity for that base than carbonic acid, which it expels from the carbonate of potash by the assistance of a boiling heat. It likewise separates potash from turnsole, and restores it to its red colour.

M. Hildebrandt has recently made some curious experiments on the preservation of flesh in the gases. Into a receiver of the capacity of three cubic inches, filled with very pure sulphurous acid gas, he introduced, through mercury, a piece of fresh becf: in a few minutes it had absorbed almost all the gas, and the mercury filled the capacity of the receiver, except some air-bubbles, probably owing to the atmospheric air. The flesh soon lost its natural red colour, and assumed that of boiled eat: it underwent no other apparent alteration, and the air in the bell-glass preserved its volume. At the end of 76 days, during which time the temperature had varied from 0 to 10° Reaumur, the beef had acquired scarcely any smell of sulphorous acid, and was harder and drier than roasted meat. After being left four days in the open air, it became more compact without being putrified, and did not change colour: it merely lost the weak smell of acid, without acquiring any other. A piece of ox beef was treated in the same way in the fluoric acid gas, and the results were in every respect similar: the phenomena were only less visible, because the acid attacked the glass, and a thin coating of mercury was deposited on the flesh. Beef deposited in a receiver filled with ammoniacal gas exhibited very different alterations: a total absorption of the elastic fluid had taken place; the meat assumed a fine red colour, nearly resembling the effect of nitrous gas, and retained this fresh appearance 76 days: it was much softer than in the foregoing experiment, without smell, and having the colour and consistence of fresh meat. When exposed four days to the open air, it did not putrify, but lost its red colour, became brown, dry, and covered with a kind of varnish.

[ 292 ]

MONTHLY COMMERCIAL REPORT.

[Oct. 1,

THE commercial transactions of the last month have been considerable, with less speculation than for some time past. In the early part of the month purchases were made in a number of the leading articles of export merchandize, at rather advancing prices; but within the last ten or fourteen days the demand has been less considerable, and a trifling depression in price in some articles has been experienced, and, upon the whole, prices remain much the same as at the close of the month of August.

A due reflection upon the following expositions of imports and exports, is better calculated to convey a correct idea of the probable future value of the great staple articles of merchandize included in the respective statements, than any observations that can be adduced.

The great alteration in the course of exchange between Great Britain and every commercial place in Europe, having operated as a double obstacle to the profitable result of all commercial transactions, instead of our usual quotations of the course of exchange, we have affixed a Table, shewing the intrinsic par of exchange, with all the chief places of negociation of bills, and also the extreme courses that resulted from the prohibition of English merchandize from the Coutinent, by which it will be observed that from 25 to 30 per cent. additional advance upon the goods has been requisite, to meet the alteration in the mode of realizing the money; and this subject still deserves particular consideration, as it will be observed that all the courses of exchange are still from five to eight per cent. under the standard value of the money of the respective countries. When specie becomes sufficiently plentiful to be brought in aid to regulate the balance of exchange with any one of the great marts of negociation; and even if political confidence should not be so far established, as to permit specie again to become the circulating medium and regulator of the balance of trade, we apprehend the courses of exchange are more likely to preponderate above par than otherwise; because, for a length of time to come, the exports of merchandize from Great Britain to the Continent will doubtless very much exceed the imports; nor will any military expenditure, however considerable, in merely a defensive or observatory establishment, be such as to render bills drawn in England, for actual transactions, equal to the full amount of payments due to this country. Bills will in consequence be eagerly sought after upon the Continent; and, instead of the Hamburgh exchange continuing at from 32 to 33 shillings Flemish per pound sterling, it will probably attain 36 or 37, and Amsterdam and Paris follow in the same proportion.

Contents of the Cargoes of Four Fleets, consisting together of Fifty-Seven Ships, arrived this Season from India, viz. Twenty from Bengal, Four from Madras, Three from Ceylon, Three from Batavia, Four from Bombay, Five from Bengal and Fort St. George, One from Bengal and Bencoolen, and Two from Bengal and Bombay.

For Account of the Honourable East India Company.

BENGAL White Piece Goods. 2,100

Romals and various

40,582 pieces Muslins

8,940

Ginghams
Pullicat Ro-
mals
Soot do, and
various

12,150

10,651

SURAT Coloured Piece

Goods.

11,775

Sannaes and

COAST Coloured PieceGoods.

BENGAL Coloured Piece

13,800

Goods.

Cloths

44,840

Guinea Stuffs
Nicannees &

36,100 pieces Bandannoes

3,960

Blue Sallem

10,107

various

pores

Nutmegs

SHELL

41 boxes

29 do.

131 casks

WOODS, 25,020 pieces 2,155 maunds 136 tons and 438 logs Redwood, 674 pieces Ebony, 50 Teak and 100 Jarrol Planks, 360 Deals, and 30,950 Ground Rattans. In addition to the above, there has been four or five ships from the Isles of France and Bourbon, laden with about 1,000 or 1,200 tons of coffee, sugar, cottons, &c. &c. and two or three Country ships from other ports of India, chiefly laden with rice, the whole of which being exclusively for private account, no report has been made by the East India Company of the particulars of the cargoes; nor have we as yet met with any report of the privilege and private trade goods by seventeen ships from China, which renders the above statements defective, as the quantity of teas, silks, nankeens, cassia, and some other articles, for private ac/count, by so great a number of ships, is no doubt very considerable. We are almost induced to suspect some sinister motive for withholding the report from the public.

The following goods remain declared for sale.

Date of Sale.

Oct. 14.

Oct. 25.

Oct. 18.

1,445 bags Coffee and 5,000 bags Rice

Prompt.

27th Jan. 1914.

20,000 lbs. Mace, 80,009 lbs. Nutmegs, 160,000 lbs.

Cloves, 180,000 Cinnamon

800 oz. Oil of Mace, 704 oz. Oil of Nutmegs, 800 oz.
Qil ol Cloves, 425 oz. Oil of Cinnamon

Sundry small parcels of Private Trade Spices
2,122 bags of 316 lbs. each, and 740 do. 112 lbs. each,
Black Pepper, uncleared of a former sale
2,275 bags, of 316 lbs. each, Privilege Black Pepper
325 packages of sundry China, Rengal, and other Pri-
vate Trade and Privilege Silks and Piece Goods
6,798 chests of Indigo
do.

1314, July 15. 11,573 do.

NEW MONTHLY MAG.NO. 9.

17th Feb. 27th Jan.

26th May.

294

Delivered, from ditto

to ditro

36.971

111.374

5,057

7,412
245

5911 229

6,504

81

4.3

Statement of Exports of the undermentioned Articles from the Port of London:

332,370

113,415

593

71,978

75,590

178 593

1,445 719 325.651

20.382

75.348

1,001,000

3,789,566

776

4.457

21.143

24,043

55.736

21.692

34,591

213,933 pieces.

903 944 Pireps.

4,460,896
1,851,358

2,357

17,258

62.517 hides.

976,545 Hides.

Colonial Merchandize and Exports.

[Oct. 1,

FROM AUGUST 23 TO SEPTEMBER 23 INCLUSIVE.

Where the address of the Solicitor is not mentioned, he must be understood to reside at the same place as the bankrupt. The Solicitors names are between Parentheses.

Anderson J. and J. Brown, Wormwood street,
merchants (Blackstone and Bance, Temple
Atkinson J. Crutched Frius, merchant (Kearsey
and Spurr, Bishopsgate street

Ancland W. J. Doncaster, saddler (Waterworth
Ayre W. Spalding, merchant (Mitchell jun. and