Ma. W, Keddif. on theEarly History and Proceedings of the Society. 125 



and it being moved by Mr. Thomson, seconded by Mr. Fleming, and 

 carried, " that the poetry in pages 169, 171, and 172, be expunged, as 

 being foreign to the business of the Society," the poetry was expunged 

 accordingly. 



Amongst the subjects of discussion at this time were the following : — 

 The density of water in boilers, it being believed to increase with the 

 increment of saline matter ; the freezing-point of sea water ; the manu- 

 facture of snow soap, then a favourite piece of household economy with 

 the ladies ; the singeing of muslin by gas ; the natural history of the 

 cocoa-nut palm ; to which miscellany the sprightly Mr. Robert M'Call 

 contributed a pai-aphrase he had written some years ago on a passage in 

 the Proverbs of Solomon. 



A communication was received from a gentleman in America, main- 

 taining that the globe of the earth is hollow and populated, there being 

 a large opening at each end for the admission of light from the sun ; 

 while the water rushing through perforations in the sides would satis- 

 factorily account for the currents of the ocean. 



Mr. John Thomson, the chemist, being desirous of imitating the 

 reverberations of thunder, proposed to inflate a small balloon with car- 

 buretted hydrogen gas, and explode it, along with some bladders of the 

 same gas, at a great height in the atmosphere, in order to ascertain 

 thereby, and compare, the respective reports with that of thunder, and 

 for other purposes, which may hereafter occur. In endeavouring to 

 interest the Society in this experiment, he mentioned that the Messrs. 

 Hart were prepared both to aid in its performance and to bear part of 

 the expense. The bladders were afterwards launched into the air, 

 attached to a bellows, and exploded by a match, at a considerable height, 

 with very little sound, and no reverberation. 



In 182.3, the Cranstonhill Water Company having removed their 

 works up the river, to Dalmarnock Bridge, Mr. John Hart instituted 

 experiments, which he reported to the Society, on the filtration of water. 



The old Glasgow Observatory was broken up at this time, for want 

 of pubhc support. The instruments were sold for £590. The Society 

 made unavailing efforts to recover them ; but after commencing a sub- 

 scription, which reached £7 10s., abandoned it in despaii-. 



An essay was read by Mr. R. Hart on the economy of fuel, which 

 afterwards appeared in Wallaces Scottish Mechanics' Magazine. 



Mr. Houldsworth's patent method of heating apartments by steam- 

 pipes was considered by the Society, when Mr. R. Hart -suggested an 

 improvement, by which hot water would rise, by a vacuum in the pipes, 

 in place of steam. 



Mr. Huttery reported, tlinl he had united silver and steel in the pro- 



