74 
years, ending January 5, 1826, has amount- 
ed in Great Britain to 22,750,063 Ibs. 
Earthquake in Persia. — The following 
letter is extracted from the Madras Courier. 
Bushire, Nov. 10, 1825. I am sorry to 
inform you that a shock of an earthquake 
was felt at Shirauz, at the end of last month, 
almost equal to that of Jast year. A great 
number of buildings haye been thrown 
down, and much property destroyed ; I am, 
however, happy to say that few have lost 
their lives on this dreadful occasion. If 
you should ever revisit Shirauz, the changes 
that these dreadful visitations have made in 
it will fill you with grief and astonishment. 
The tombs of Hafiz and Saadi, the boast and 
glory of Shirauz, are now heaps of ruins, 
~ Rectification of Spirits. —A French che- 
mist, of the name of Decharme, has dis- 
covered a method of rectification which ean 
be performed in the cold, and consequently 
without the aid of an alembic or of combusti- 
bles. Hitherto alcohol in liquors and spirits 
could not be rectified or raised from an 
inferior to a higher degree, and consequently 
be brought to a superior state of purity and 
strength, except by distillation, an operation 
which could only be effected by an alembic 
and some heat. The principle of M. Pajot 
Decharme’s progress is, the absorption of 
its aqueous particles by the exposure of the 
spirit to one of the most deliquescent salts, 
either muriate of lime or muriate of manga- 
nese; the first is preferable in point of eco- 
nomy, and the superiority of the second gives 
it a claim to be chosen, but it is less com- 
mon and not so easily obtained. 
Vegetable Life.— A yather uncommon 
instance of the tenacity of life in the vege- 
table kingdom, occurred some time since 
in the royal park of Bushey. Some small 
portion of it was broken up for the purpose 
of ornamental culture, when immediately 
several flowers sprang up of the kinds which 
are ordinarily cultivated in gardens ; this led 
to an investigation, and it was ascertained 
that this identical plot had been used as a 
garden not later than the time of Oliver 
Cromwell, more than 150 years before. 
Mosaic Gold.—The mystery of the Mo- 
‘saic Gold is at length developed; and, after 
all that has been said regarding it, it is not 
a little amusing to find by the specification 
‘of the patent that it is nothing more than 
fine brass, so that the qualities to which it 
lays claim seem extremely problematical. | 
The pateniees are aware that a variety of 
alloys of copper and zine have been made, 
and that they cannot maintain the exclusive 
‘right of mixing alloys of those metals ab- 
stractedly ; but having, after great labour 
and observation, discovered the precise pro- 
. portions of the two metals, and the modes 
or treatment which will produce’ an alloy 
_ resembling fine gold, they claiman exclusive ~ 
Philosophical, Chemical, and Scientific Miscellanies. 
(J ULY; 
right of mixing an alloy of copper and zine 
consisting of from fifty-two to fifty-five parts 
zinc out of a hundred, and to prevent the 
zine flying off in vapour they, are melted at 
the lowest temperature at. which, copper 
will fuse, Hy tea eae 
Double Stars.—Professor Stune of Dor- 
fat, to whose hands Frauenhofer’s large re- 
fracting telescope has been entrusted, has 
determined on a review of all the double 
stars already obseryed, as well as on a mi- 
nute examination of. the heavens from the 
north pole to 15 degrees of south declina- 
tion, with respect to these objects. He 
has now accomplished one-third of. the 
labour, and has found 1,000 double stars of 
the first four classes ; among which 800 are 
new, and of these nearly 300 are of the 
first class. He extends the examination to 
all stars of the 8th and (8°9) magnitudes. 
Climate of India. — According to a regis- 
ter published in the Madras Gazette, the 
greatest height of the thermometer in 
August on the Neelgherry hills, 8000 feet 
above the level of the sea, was 63°, the least 
54°, In September the greatest height was 
62°, and the least 49°. The fall of rain 
in August having been 12°5 inches ; in Sep- 
tember 3°4. At Madras the greatest height 
of the thermometer in August was 95°, the 
least 80°; and fall of rain 7°7 inches, In 
September the greatest height was’ 94°8°, 
the least 81°; and fall of rain 3°5 inches. 
New Still.—Mr. Evans, whose method 
of dressing coffee we recently noticed, 
has constructed the model of a still upon a 
new principle, which if it answer ona Jarge 
scale wil] altogether supersede the old alem- 
bie. The theory of the machine ‘is such 
that it may without hesitation be pronoun- 
ced the most decided improvement hitherto 
effected; for, if we mistake not, the still at 
present in use remains in principle pre- 
cisely the same, through the operation of 
the excise laws, that it was‘a century ago. 
Whatever improvements have been at- 
tempted apply only to the rectification, 
while the first formation of the spirit is con- 
ducted in the same rude manner as in the 
infancy of science. We forbear entering into 
a more particular description until the design 
be carried into execution upon alarge seale. 
We should be extremely sorry by premature 
publicity to afford the continental distillers 
an opportunity of maintaining the superiority 
they have hitherto enjoyed, and we feel 
convinced that we shall now take the lead 
in this important branch of our productive 
industry. The new apparatus eminently 
combines economy in practice and simplicity 
in construction ; but'the most valable at- 
tainment is the production of pure untainted 
spirits, which may be drawn in one-opera- 
tion at any point of strengthi> { 09)! 
