426 
stem of the calycanthus floridus. M. Gay 
Lussac presented a specimen of artificial 
ultra-marine, manufactured by M. Guimet ; 
and a new pyrophorus, formed by the calci- 
nation of sulphate of potass with charcoal ; 
and showed by experiment that it is much 
more inflammable than the pyrophorus for- 
merly known. MM. Dulong and Ampere 
reported on an Italian memoir of M. L. 
Nobili, relative to an effective system for 
Proceedings of Learned Societies. 
[Ocr, 
measuring the electric currents; and this 
eminent philosopher was solicited to con~ 
tinue his researches.—July 7. M. Poisson 
read a note on the problem of the waves.— 
14. M. Arago communicated a letter of 
M. De la Rive, on some electrical experi- 
ments. M. Latreille made a verbal report 
on a paper of M. Macquart, entitled Dip- 
téres du Nord de la France. 
VARIETIES, SCIENTIFIC AND MISCELLANEOUS. 
Meteorology.—On the evening of the 
second of November, 1827, a halo was ob- 
served in America, at New Haven, to which 
nothing similar seems to have been remark- 
ed. Between the hours of seven and eight 
there appeared around the moon, a little 
more than its width in distance, a very 
luminous saffron-coloured light. On the 
outer edge was a circle of bright red, which 
now graduated into a deep purple ; around 
the purple was a circle of bright blue, which 
faded into a yellowish green, increasing to- 
wards the outer edge to a very vivid green. 
‘Phere appeared to be faint white rays pass- 
ing from the moon across these columns, 
whose circles formed around this lunar 
glory a larger circle, of a dark leaden co- 
lour, which gave the whole a very beautiful 
appearance. 
Antiquities.—Some most interesting in- 
telligence has recently been transmitted to 
Europe by two French travellers, relative to 
the city of Petra, in Arabia Petrwa, and 
concerning the country of the Nabathzai. 
The following particulars regarding Wadi- 
Moasa, a place of which preceding travellers 
had scarcely obtained a view, are worthy of 
being laid before the public, and are ex- 
tracted from a letter written on the spot by 
M. Laborde. ‘ Arrived .in the ravine, we 
descended from our camels, and began to 
sketch, when the Arabs inquired what we 
were about, as these were not the ruins; in 
fact, we soon after entered the true Wadi- 
Moasa, in the midst of the most magnificent 
tombs, cut in the solid rock, and more ele- 
vated than the first; and in the back ground 
we perceived a range of giganticmonuments, 
of which the effect is indescribable. We had 
seen the ruins of Balbek, the long ranges of 
columns of Palmyra, the street and the oval 
of Djerask; but all these were far behind 
these immense piles of two or three stages 
of columns, this square league of rock, ex- 
cavated and strewed with the most splendid 
ruins. We wereina continual ecstasy. At 
length we arrived at the place called Serai 
Pharaon, palace of Pharaoh, an edifice 
near which we established our head quarters, 
in a grotto, and while examining these 
monuments, only intreated heaven to allow 
us sufficient time to pourtray and lay down 
plans of them. But scarcely had we began 
to sketch that which was nearest to us, when 
an Arab came to say that this was nothing, 
and that we should proceed without loss of 
time to the Kamel Pharaon, treasury of 
Pharaoh. We followed him, and passed 
by a vast theatre, excavated in the rock, and 
by other mausoleums. We soon saw @ 
chef-d’ceuvre, both for its state of preserva- 
tion and its singularity, of which the style 
and the construction are full of faults, but of 
which the mass, consisting of two stages of 
columns, interspersed with the richest orna~ 
ments, curious bas-reliefs, and great eques- 
trian statues, presented the most extraordi- 
nary appearance that we had ever seen, and 
of which the finest drawings would give but 
a faint idea. We subsequently penetrated 
deeper into the ravine, and found a great 
triumphal arch, supported by the two sides of 
the rock which enclose this narrow valley, 
and another avenue of the most interesting 
tombs, still richer than the first. All these 
monuments, cut in a rose-coloured granite 
rock, have a soft harmonious tint, and are 
still further embellished by the large sha- 
dows of the surrounding rocks.” 
Moniment to Kosciuzko.—On the moun- 
tain of Bronislawa (composed of two words, 
signifying to defend glory), almost at the 
gates of Cracow, the Poles have raised an in- 
destructible monument to Kosciuzko :—it is 
a mountain piled upon another mountain. 
Seven years it has been in progress, and is 
only now finished. Subscriptions were col- 
lected for the purpose of erecting it, in Po- 
land, Lithuania, and even in Russia. All — 
the youth of Warsaw, the nobility, the peo- 
ple, old men, women, and children, either 
handled the spade or wheeled the barrow ; 
and those who were unable to work them- 
selves, contributed to support the labour of 
others. But the tomb of the hero has not 
been placed on this monument; it still re- 
mains within the city, on the mountain of 
Wazel, where with Joseph Poniatowski only, 
Kosciuzko shares the honour of the regal 
sepulchre, and is placed near the great 
Sobieski. lit 
Circulating Manure.—Common salt and 
lime, when mixed together, gradually de- 
compose each other; the result of the decom- 
position is soda, and a peculiar deliquescing 
salt, muriate of lime. This salt, from its — 
great attraction for the moisture of the at-— 
mosphere, is an admirable fertilizer for sandy 
