86 French National hijlitute. 



became very common in the middle and fouthem parts of 

 Ei\rope. There can be no doubt that the remains of this 

 clolh, employed with thofe of linen for making paper, then 

 introduced into Europe, contributed to prcferve the anticnt 

 authors whofe works were effaced ; that the fame parchment 

 miirht be employed for the books of the church and treatifes 

 of theology. Mongez concludes his rcfearchcs by comparing 

 the paflages in anticnt authors, where mention is made of 

 torrelied hemp-feed, with the fmoke of which barbarous na- 

 tions got intoxicated, and the pra£lice ftill common in Egypt 

 and Afia of chewing tiiefe feeds for the like purpole. 



The Clafs of the Mathematical and Phyfical Sciences had 

 propofed in the year 8, as the fuhjeiSl of a prize, to be ad- 

 judged on the 7th of October 1801, the following queftion : 



" To point out the earthv fubftances, and the procefles 

 pYoper for making earthen -ware capable of ftanding a fudden 

 tranfition from heat to cold, and which may be wilhin the 

 reach of all clalTes of people." 



This queftion was accompanied with the following notice : 

 — ^The art of manufaCiuring that valuable pottery known 

 under the name of porcelain has been brought to a degree of 

 perfcftion in France which leaves nothing more to be defircd ; 

 but the cafe is not the fame with the common pottery em- 

 ployed for daily ufe: the latter is far from being carried to 

 that degree of increafe and profperity fo nccelfary for the 

 wants of the great body of the people; while fomc neigh- 

 bouring; nations, who do not make fo fine porcelain, manu- 

 fiacliire very ufefi.1l pottery, the properties of which are far 

 fuperior to that made in France. The Inftitute requires that 

 the competitors will examine the compofition of thefe excel- 

 lent kinds of pottery, the earths which mav be employed in 

 the compofition of them, and the artificial mixtures which 

 might be fubftituted in their ftead : the manner in which 

 thefe earths ought to be treated to give them the neceffary 

 qualities; the art of baking them; the degree of heat; the 

 form of the furnaces moft advantaacoiis ; and, in particular, 

 the procefles for glazing pottery without oxides and per- 

 nicious metals. 



The clafs received only one memoir on this fubjeft, ac- 

 companied with feveral fpecimens of pottery, and of the 

 earths of which thev were made. It found that the memoir 

 was written in a clear and methodical manner; that it con- 

 tained principles acknowledged by pliilofophv and ciicmiflry ; 

 and tliat the details, ferving to iliultratc iheni, annoujiecd 

 long practice in tiie art of pottery. toi:».ihcr with great theo- 

 retical 



