Reviews and Notices of Booh, 463 



rose which he named after the lake, Primula Mistassinca. This 

 was his last discovery in that part of North America. Before 

 leaving this continent however, he once more visited the United 

 States, and returned to his native country in 1196. His diary 

 contains interesting information on the climate and vegetable pro- 

 ductions of the northern regions visited by him, and the author 

 expresses a hope that the government or some public institution 

 may be induced to cause it to be printed. Mr. Brunet, we under- 

 stand, intends travelling over the same region, up to Lake Mistas- 

 sin, with a view to completing the beautiful herbarium which he 

 is making for the Laval University. — Journal of Education^ L. C, 



Iron ; its history, properties, and processes of Manufacture By 

 William Fairbairn, C.E., LL. D., &c., <fec. Edinburgh : A. 

 & C. Black. Montreal : B. Dawson & Son. 



This volume is a reprint, with additions and corrections, of the 

 article on the iron manufacture in the eighth edition of the Ency- 

 clopaedia Britannica. 



It endeavours, in a concise history, to trace the progress of the 

 iron manufacture from its earliest beginnings down to the present 

 time, and the various improvements which have been effected in 

 the reduction of the ores, and the subsequent manipulation of the 

 crude iron. The author also gives us analyses of the ores and 

 fuel, so far as they bear on the results of the different processes of 

 manufacture ; and shows the reader how much we owe to chem- 

 ical science, and to the distinguished men who have laboured 

 80 industriously and successfully in this important field of research. 

 From his own experience Mr. Fairbairn has been enabled to trace 

 the kinds of furnaces and machinery, from their almost primitive 

 condition, to their present high state of improvement. Chapter 

 I treats of the history of the iron manufacture ; then follows an 

 account of the various ores, and of the strata and localities in 

 which they are found. The following chapters treat of fuels* 

 the reduction of ores ; the conversion of crude into malleable 

 jron ; the mechanical operations of the wrought-iron manufacture • 

 the production of steel ; the strength of iron and steel ; the chem- 

 ical composition of iron ; statistics of the iron trade ; and a brief 

 notice of armour plated ships. 



This is the most complete and reliable treatise on this subject 

 in the English language. The eminence of its author as a worker 



