242 
sary only at the stages, by which alone 
about a fifth of all the materials would 
be saved, for six sidings of seventy 
yards each are necessary in eyery mile 
of horseway.—Repertory. ¥ 
To Mr. WitiiaM Lane, of Birming- 
ham ; for Improvements on Horizon- 
tal Roasting-jacks.—Oct. 21. 
These improvements consist in 
uniting the power of several springs 
together, by means of which their 
forces are applied collectively to pro- 
duce the movement. Spring-barrels 
or cylinders are employed, each con- 
taining a spring of steel coiled round 
an axle, to which it is attached at one 
Proceedings of Public Societies. 
[Oct. 1, 
end, and to the cylinder at the other ; 
the nature of which spring-barrels are 
well known as commonly applied to 
spring jacks and to clock movements. 
Two, three, or more of these spring- 
barrels are connected by means of 
cog-wheelsupon their periphery, which, 
by taking into each other, combine the 
effect of the several springs, the object of 
which is to gain an accumulated power. 
The patentee rests his invention 
merely in the combining of several 
spring-barrels together by means of 
geer, so as to employ the united power 
or effect of several springs together to 
produce the rotatory motion.— London 
Journal of Arts. 
CAPT. BROWN’S SUSPENSION PIER AT BRIGHTON. 
Capt. Brown, the architect of the 
Suspension Iron Bridge over the 
Tweed, of which we gave an engra- 
ving and description in our Number 
for August, has applied the same sus- 
pension principle to the construction 
of Piers, and is at this time erecting 
one at Brighton in the place and form 
represented in the engraving. 
About two years since, he erected a 
pier on this principle in Leith roads; 
while at the same time a solid stone 
pier, on the old principle, was erected 
near the same spot. The situation is 
a rough one, and in the course of the 
past winter the stone pier was so much 
shaken by the heavy gales, as to ren- 
der it necessary to take it down; while 
the suspension pier of Capt. Brown 
remained as firm as at its first erection. 
The principle is similar to that of 
the Suspension Bridge described in a 
former number; the plateau is sus- 
pended from chains, which hang from 
pier to pier, and the piers themselves, 
consisting of separated iron bars, are 
of course, as such, exposed to a very 
slight action of the water. 
Such a pier at Brighton will be at- 
tended with immense advantages to 
that flourishing town, which at present 
is without any port, and affords no 
means of embarkation and debarka- 
tion, while its much exposed anchorage 
affords no security to vessels of any 
description in agale of wind. The plan 
at Brighton will also add a luxury to 
the town, as well as an indispensable 
convenience ; for it is proposed to make 
a road for business and pleasure under 
the cliff, and thereby render the pier 
itself a place of fashionable and luxu- 
rious promenade. The execution of 
the entire design will cost about 
25,000/. ; but the pier, without the road 
and parade, might have been erected 
for about 15,0002. 
We regard this plan of erecting 
piers as of the highest social impor- 
tance; for many parts of our coast 
will by this means be rendered acces- 
sible to navigators, and convenient 
for commerce and communication ; 
while the expense of repairing and 
rebuilding stone piers will be prevented. 
On the sandy coasts of France, Flan- 
ders, and Holland, they will prove 
eminently useful, by enabling the go- 
vernments of those countries to carry 
out piers into deep water, without 
simultaneously creating impracticable 
sand-bars as in stone-piers. 
PROCEEDINGS OF PUBLIC SOCIETIES. 
i 
THE AFRICAN INSTITUTION. 
HIS noble Institution have just 
published their sixteenth Report. 
It is unusually large, and abounds in 
papers and documents of great curio- 
sity and interest. 
The fifteenth Report of the direc- 
tors, with the Supplementary Report 
which followed it, and which contained 
an abstract of the papers laid on the 
table of the Ffouse of Commoas, in the 
last session of parliament, on the sub- 
ject of the Slave Trade, exhibited a 
most afflicting view of the extent to 
which this trade was still carried on by 
the subjects of several European pow- 
ers, and of the unparalleled enormities 
which attended its continuance. 
An address to his majesty, founded 
on these authentic documents, was 
moved in the House of Lords by the 
Marquis of Lansdowne, and in the 
House 
