1823.] 
A new diving-bell, or improved instru- 
ment, is now in tse in making a new pier 
at Port Patrick. It is a square cast metal 
frame, about eight feet high, twenty-two 
feet in circumference, and weighing up- 
wards of four tous. ‘lhis frame is open 
below, and at the top are twelve small cir- 
cular windows made of very thick glass, 
such as are sometimes seep used on-board 
of ships. ‘These windows are so cemented 
or puttied in, that not a bubble of water 
can penetrate; and when the sea is clear, 
and particularly when the sun is shining, 
the workmen are enabled to carry on 
their operations without the aid o7 candles. 
In the inside of the bell are seats for the 
workmen with pegs to hang their tools on, 
and attached to it isa strung double air- 
pump, which isa great improvement on 
the old-fashioned plan of sinking barrels 
filled with air. From this pump issues a 
thick leathern tube, which is closely fitted 
into the bell,-and the length of which ean 
easily be proportioned to the depth of wa- 
Commercial Report, 
271 
ter. The bell is suspended from a very 
long crane, the shaft of which is sunk to 
the very keel of a vessel fitted up for the 
purpose, and which is, in fact, a necessary 
part of the diving apparatus. On the deck 
of this vessel is placed an air-pump, work- 
ed by fonr men, with an additional hand 
to watch the signals. When about to com- 
mence operations, the sloop is moved to 
the ontside of the breakwater, the air- 
pump put in notion, and the crane work- 
ed. {rom its weight and shape, the ma- 
chine must dip perpendicularly ; while 
the volume of air within enables the work- 
men fo breathe, and keeps out the water. 
Two or three men work with perfect ease 
and safety 20, 25, and sometimes 30, feet 
below water. With picks, hammers, 
jumpers, and gunpowder, the most rugged 
surface is made even ; aud not only a bed 
prepared for the huge masses of stone 
which are afterwards let down, but the 
blocks themselves strongly bound together 
with iron and cement. 
MONTHLY COMM 
ERCIAL REPORT. 
——— 
| iw concerns us to learn, that although 
the trade of the empire is progressively 
increasing, that of the port of London is 
simultaneously decreasing. The canse is 
to be ascribed to the system of docks, the 
dues and charges connected with which 
operate so heavily on imports, as to confer 
great advantages on Liverpool, and other 
PRICES or MERCHANDIZE. = Aug 
Cocoa, W.1.common--f5 5 0 to 4 
Coffee, Jamaica, ordinary 315 0 — 4 
Mine 665 7 0. — 6 
D , Mocha ---ee+ee2 5 0 0 — 8 
Cotton, W.I.common-- 0 0 9 — O 
, Demerara>--++- 0 O 115 — O 
Currants ------ seoeesee 5 12 0 — O 
Figs, Turkey --------- 118 0 — 2 
Flax, Riga ---+---++++--63 0 O — 64 
Hemp, Riga, Rhine .-..42 0 0 — 43 
Hops, new, Pockets---- 8 0 0 — 10 
————,, Sussex,do. 610 0 — 7 
Iron, British, Bars ---- 810 0 — 9 
—————., Pigs -+---» 6 0 0 — 7 
Oil, Lucca --++++++-++- 9.10 0 — 10 
—, Galipoli---++-----++-- 54 0 0 — O 
Rags --ccssccesccsees 2 4 0 — 0 
Raisins, bloom or jar,jnew 310 0 — 0O 
Rice, Patna --+.-..++-. OG, 0.4 
——, Carolina -+-+«.-+» 118 0 -+ 2 
Silk, Chima, raw--+---e- 016 1 — O 
——,, Bengal, skein -+-+-» 011 5 — O 
Spices, Cinnamon ---.-. 0 7 0 — O 
» Cloves «-+ee0-. 0 3 9 — O 
, Nutmegs ---e-- 0 3 1 — O 
, Pepper, black.. 0 0 64 — 0O 
——__—_—,, white-- 0 1 34— 0 
Spirits, Brandy, Cogniaec 0 2 9 — O 
, Geneva Hollands 0 2 1 — O 
, Rum, Jamaicas- 0 2 4 — O 
ports; while the restrictions which attend 
ships and their crews while within the 
docks, deprive the proprietor of cargoes 
of all free agency. We foresaw that such 
waslikely to be the consequence of the Col- 
quhoun system when it was commenced, 
and pride will abet it till London has lost 
the greater part of its foreign commerce, 
. 20. ; Sept. 23. 
0 0 4 0 0 to 510 O perewt. 
3.0; 5315 0 — 4 0 0° do. 
2 0 310° O —, 6 2 Ov.do. 
0 0 dD» 06:0 '— 7:10 0 - ‘do, 
O11} 0 0 9 — O O 10f per lb, 
1 12} 0 0112 — 0 1 12 do 
0 0 5 8 0 — 510 O perewt. 
2 0} 115 0 — 2 O O perchest 
0 0;}64 0 0 —65 0 0 per ton, 
0 0)41 0 0 — 45° 0 0° do. 
10 0 8 8 0 — 411 11 O perewt. 
10 0 710 0 — 810 0 do. 
0 0 810 0 — 9 0 O per ton, 
0 0 6.0 0.» 7) 0.0 do. 
0 0; 9 0 0 — 9106 0 95 galls, 
0-0 }53 0 0 —.0 0 O per ton. 
0 0 20 6 — 0 0 O perewt, 
0 0 310 0 — 0 00° do, 
0 0 016 0 — 018 0. do. 
ON OM) ANTS MON MB IAO! — fey 
18 1] 016 1 — 0418 1 per Ib, 
12 10 011 5 — 01210 do, 
8 4); 0°88 0 —' 0 8 8 ‘do. 
49);03 9 — 0 4 0. do. 
0 0;!]0 3 1— 0 0 0§ do. 
0 64) 0 0 6§— 0 O 6 do. 
4° 85) .0 1.03. — OOD SN udos 
3.3, 0 2 9 —'0 3 3 pergal, 
9°2 0,2 1— 0 2 2 = do, 
26102 4+ 02 6 do. 
Sugar 
