Lesley.] 3g0 [April. 



appears more easy to produce rotation in one direction, than in the 

 other. There may, therefore, be a natural connection between these 

 experiments and those of M. Du Bois Raymond, who attached two 

 strips of platinum to a very delicate galvanometer, and caused them 

 to dip into two cups of salt water. Dipping the fingers of each hand 

 into the cups, and alternately bracing the muscles of each arm, he 

 produced a perceptible deflection of the needle. MM. Becquerel and 

 Despretz repeated the experiment without obtaining very satisfactory 

 results, but M. Humboldt was more successful.* Add to these 

 phenomena the well-known evidences of a constant current, circu- 

 lating around magnets, and if we suppose that electricity consists 

 simply of vibrations, it will seem perfectly natural that the magnet 

 should obey the strongest vibrations. 



Mr. Briggs exhibited a suite of specimens, to illustrate the 

 steps of the new process by which non-resinous w'oods are 

 converted into paper pulp, by the application of soda at high 

 temperatures. 



Dr. Emerson embraced the opportunity to describe the suc- 

 cessful performance of the new machines, now employed in 

 cleaning out flax fibre for market, Avith little or no loss in the 

 form of tow, the flax, thus obtained, commanding a market 

 value three or four fold that of the seed; so that it hns been 

 stated that a profit of ^400 per acre of flax-sown ground has 

 been realized. The machine has three sizes and forms, and 

 may be called the cotton gin of the North. Mr. Briggs ex- 

 plained how much of the superiority of the Irish linen de- 

 pended on the perfection of the rotting process carried forward 

 under the regular humid climate of Ireland, and considered it 

 improbable that any successful competition could be made in 

 America, until some artificial chemical process shall be dis- 

 covered applicable to the case, like the hot soda process, which 

 he had described in connection with wood fibre, and by which 

 fine cotton-like flax had also been produced, a specimen of 

 which he exhibited. 



Mr, Lesley described the succession of gales encountered 

 by the B. M. S. S. Canada, on her hundredth and longest 

 voyage, from Liverpool to Boston, between the 11th and 21st 

 of January, 1864. 



* See Silliman's Journal, vol. 8. 



