530 NOTES OF THE MONTH. 



GREAT DEGREE OF HEAT BORNE BY THE HUMAN BODY. The duke of 

 Ragusa in his travels in the East, states, that at the hot-baths of Kukurli at 

 Broussa in Bithynia, (the natural temperature of -which is as high as 183 to 

 18 9 2 Fahr.) he saw a Turk remain for a long time in a water-bath whose 

 temperature was 165 Fahr. Dr. Jeng, an Austrian physician, also witnessed 

 this remarkable occurrence. 



SGRICCI, THE IMPROVISATORS. This extraordinary man who died a short 

 time since at Florence, in his thirty-eighth year, astonished his audiences at 

 Paris, in 1824, by the recitation of numerous five acts Tragedies, among which 

 may be enumerated his " Bianca Capello," and " Morte di Carlo Primo." 

 Some of his dramas were afterwards printed, having been taken down by a 

 short-hand-writer during their recitation. 



SMOKING IN AMERICA. It appears from a treasury report furnished to the 

 American Congress, that the importation of cigars into the United States for 

 the year ending September 30, 1835, was no less than 76,761,000; of which 

 upwards of 75,000,000 came from Cuba. 



FLOGGING IN THE ARMY AND NAVY. By a return laid before the House 

 of Commons, it appears that during the five years ending the 30th of Septem- 

 ber, last, 1,227 soldiers suffered corporal punishment and during the same 

 period, 332 marines underwent the same discipline : out of whom 242 were 

 flogged a second time, and 44 a third time. 



GLASGOW STEAM ENGINES. There are in Glasgow and its suburbs 310 

 Steam-engines, viz. 176 employed in manufactories 59 in collieries 7 in 

 stone quarries and 68 in steam-boats. 



RAIL- ROADS IN CUBA. A rail-road passing through the most fertile parts 

 of the Island, and connecting two of the largest towns is nearly laid down, 

 and in the course of a few months will be in full operation. Don Miguel Ta- 

 con (the Governor) has placed a considerable number of convicts at the service 

 of the managers of the road, so that the works proceed vigorously. 



METHOD OF FATTENING HOGS IN MEXICO. In large establishments de- 

 voted to this very useful purpose, a number of young persons who have been 

 selected on account of the strength of their lungs are employed to sing the 

 animals to sleep, and in the intervals of their slumbers, and of their meals these 

 youthful vocalists are busily employed in appeasing the little jealousies and 

 quarrels excited among their charges by dyspepsia. 



IMPROVEMENT IN THE TRANSFER OF PLANTS. An interesting improvement 

 in the mode of transferring plants which thrive beat in a humid atmosphere, 

 has recently been communicated to the Society of Arts. They are merely to 

 be planted in a box, filled with moist earth, and covered with a glazed frame, 

 rendered as air-tight as possible ; some plants thus preserved, have just arrived 

 from Sydney, and are yet found to be in the most flourishing condition. 



IMPROVEMENT OF THE VINE. By some recent experiment made on this 

 plant, it is ascertained that if two inches and a half be deducted from the cir- 

 cumference of the stem, the capability of it will be equal to the maturation of 

 18lbs. of grapes for every remaining inch of growth. 



ELKCTRIC SPARKS VISIBLE FROM THE TORPEDO. M. Linari during some 

 recent experiments, obtained from a single torpedo ten sparks in succession, 

 every one very visible and brilliant ; A small torpedo of four inches and a 

 half in diameter furnished him with a long train of brilliant sparks. They 

 were also obtained from a torpedo which had been kept three days out of the 

 sea, but the brine of his tubs was obliged to be perpetually renewed. As far 

 as M. Linari could ascertain, neither the age nor the sex of the animal made 

 the slightest difference in the production of the spark. 



ENGLISH TRADING VESSELS. The number of these (exclusive of the royal 

 navy) amounts to 24,280. The capacity of these vessels is 2,553,685 tons, 

 and they give employment to 166,583 men and boys. The British empire also 

 possesses 3,579 ships of 214,878 tons, and 15,059 men which belong to her 

 colonies. 



