Aiitiipdlie'i of y^cw-York. 233 



protect them against their invaders, or whether they were made 

 by anterior inhabitants, are mysteries which cannot be pene- 

 trated by human sagacity ; noi can I pretend to decide whether 

 tlie Eries or their predecessors raised the works ot" defence in 

 their territory ; but I am persuaded that enough has been 

 said to demonstrate the existence of a vast population, settled 

 in towns, defended by forts, cultivating agriculture, and more 

 advanced in civilization than the nations which have inhabited 

 the same countries since the European discovery. 



Art. V. Account of a Portahlc Gas Lamp. 



Str, London, Nov. 1, 1819. 



In the second Number of the Edinburgh Philosophical Journal, 

 I observe an account of what is termed a new portable gas-lamp, 

 invented by David Gordon, esq., of Edinburgh. We are further 

 informed that Mr. Gordon has secured, by patent, the exclusive 

 privilege of ihis invention. May I beg leave to ask, whether, in 

 the Spring of 1817, you did not exhibit a similar contrivance in 

 your lectures at the Royal Institution, with the observation that, 

 " the size of the lamp, the difficulty of filling it with condensed 

 gas, and its great liability to leak, were only a few of the obsta- 

 cles to its useful application and adoption." 



Your obedient Servant, 

 " Professor Brande, M. R. I. 



Royal Institution." 



In answer to the above, I subjoin a short account of the lamp 

 in question, which is represented in the annexed wood cut; and 

 which, as appears from Mr. Newman's books, was made by him 

 for the Royal Institution at my request, in May, 1816. 



X>ecm6er, 1819. W. T. B. 



The lannp consists of a hollow glass globe of adequate thick- 

 ness, ajid surmounted by a stopcock and burner, resting upon, 



