1§22.] 
the position mentioned above, and even 
vibrated slowly about it. As the straight 
connecting wire is directed by a maguet, 
there is every reason to believe that it will 
actin the same way with the earth, and 
take a direction perpendicular to the mag- 
netic meridian. It also should act with 
the magnetic pole of the earth, as with the 
pole of a magnet, and endeavour to circu- 
late round it. Theoretically, therefore, a 
horizontal wire perpendicular to the mag- 
netic meridian, if connected first in one 
way with a voltaic battery, and then in 
the opposite way, should have its weight 
altered ; for in the one case it would tend 
_ to pass in a circle downwards, and in the 
other upwards. This alteration should 
take place differently in different parts of 
the world. The effect is actually produced 
by the pole of a magnet, but I have not 
succeeded, says Mr. F. in obtaining it, em- 
ploying only the polarity of the earth. 
Mr. WiLLiam Woop, of Bow, Middle- 
sex, has discovered that a light felt of 
hide or hair, or mixture of hide, hair, and 
wool, when saturated with tar, is highly 
elastic and water-proof, aud conceiving 
the useful application of the substance asa 
lining for the sheathing of ships, he manu- 
factures it in an expeditious and economi- 
cal manner, in sheets of suitable size for 
that purpose ; such sheets being attached 
to the external sides and bottom of the 
ship, by simply nailing with copper nails, 
are covered with planking. The substance 
he terms adhesive felt; it possesses the 
property of elasticity in so considerable a 
degree, as to stretch uniform!y without 
fracture or injury either to its texture or 
its complete impermeability to water, when- 
ever the ship’s seams are opened by strain- 
ing in hard weather, or in more dangerous 
eases of the starting of planks, or the 
breaking of timbers as in stranding. In 
all such cases this material forms an impe- 
netrable andelastic case or garment for the 
whole ship’s bottom, and in the case of the 
opening of seams by straining, it recovers 
its first dimensions with the return of the 
part so opened in the release of the strain ; 
in such ca-es it generally falls into the 
openings in a certain degree soas to render 
them afterwards more secure against a re- 
currence. He also finds it to be a com- 
plete protection against every destruction 
of worm in all climates; this destructive 
animal is never known to penetrate the 
material in the slightest degree. The hair, 
or hair and wool, is prepared for felting by 
the operation of dressing or bowing, as in 
the practice of hat-making, and is felted in 
the usual manner. Sheets or portions, 
thus felted, are dipped into the melted tar 
and pitch, certain stated proportions to 
each other, and then undergo a slight com- 
pressiouto take away the extraneous or 
dripping quantity of the material; they 
are then exposed for a short time to air to 
Report of Chemistry and Experimental Philosophy. 
159 
dry and coo], and are considered fit for 
use, 
In ANspAcua’s History of Newfoundland, 
recently published, is the following pic- 
turesque description of the Aurcra Bore- 
alis :—In Europe, says he, the dry freez- 
ing winds proceed from north to east: in 
North America they are from north to 
west. When these prevail, the sky is clear 
and of a dark blue, and the nights trans- 
cendently beautiful. The moon displays 
far greater radiance than in Europe; and, 
in her absence, her function is not ill sup- 
plied by the uncommon and fiery bright- 
ness of the stars. The Aurora Borealis 
frequenily tinges the sky with coloured 
raysofsuch brilliancy, that theirsplendour, 
not effaced even by that of the full moon, 
is of the utmost magnificence, if the moon 
does. not shine. Sometimes it begins in 
the form of a scarf, of bright light, with 
its extremities resting on ‘the horizon, 
which, with a motion resembling that of a 
fishing net, and a noise similar to the 
rustling of silk, glides softly up the sky, 
when the lights frequently unite in the 
zenith and form the top of a crown; at 
other times the motion is like that of a pair 
of colours waving in the air, and the dif- 
ferent tints of light present the appearance 
of so many vast streamers of changeable 
silk; or spreading into vast columns and 
altering slowly ; or by rapid motions into 
an immense variety of shapes, varying its 
colours from all the tints of yellow to the 
most obscure russet; and after having 
briskly skimmed along the heayens, or 
majestically spread itself from the horizon 
to the zenith, on a sudden it disappears, 
leaving behiid an uniform dusky tract: 
this is again illuminated, and in the same 
manner suddenly extinguished. Some-~ 
times it begins with some insulated rays 
from the north and the north-east, whick 
increase by degrees until they fill the whole 
sky, forming the most splendid sight that 
can be conceived, crackling, sparkling, 
hissing, and making a noise similar tq that 
of artificial fire-works. These phenomena, 
which are generally considered as the ef- 
fects of electricity, are looked upon as the 
forerunners of storms; and when these 
arise from the north-east they spread the 
most horrid gloom over the island. Im- 
mense islands and fields of ice, brought 
down from the northern regions, fill up 
and freeze every bay and harbour, and 
block up the coast to the distance of seve- 
ral leagues into the ocean. The wind 
blowing over this immense surface, is full 
of frozen fogs or frost smoke, arising from 
the ice, in the shape of an infinite number 
of icy spicula, visible to the naked eye, 
penetrating into every pore and into the 
smallest apertures of the wooden houses, 
aud rendering the exposure to the open air 
yery disagreeable and even painful. 
BRITISIL 
