Notices respecting New Books. 307 



other earthy or alkaline body ; therefore, according to Ber- 

 thollet, sulphuric acid has a stronger affinity for baryta than 

 for any other substance; which is contradictory." 



The subject of " electrical attraction and repulsion, and 

 their relations to chemical changes," is discussed very am- 

 ply by the Professor, and many new facts are brought in 

 contrast with each other ; but it is candidly acknowledged 

 that we have as yet no definite ideas of many phaenomena 

 in electricity. No theory that has hitherto been devised is 

 at all compatible with the well-known facts : and although 

 the theoretical error of the present age may be that of at- 

 tempting to simplify every thing too far, and to refer nu- 

 merous phaenomena to one general principle; yet it would 

 appear that some simple law, to which all others are subor- 

 dinate or subservient, is still a desideratum in the science (if 

 a mass of conflicting observations may be so called) of 



eltctriciiy. 



[To be continued.] 



Directions for Sailing to and from the East Indies, China, 

 New Holland, Cape of Good Hope, and the interjacent 

 Parts, compiled chirjhj from origin alJournals at the East 

 India- House, and from Journals and Observations made 

 during Twenty-one Years' Experience navigating in those 

 Seas. By .fames Hoisburgh, F.R.S. 2 vols. 4to, above 

 500 pages in each. Black, Parry and Co. 

 Independent of the incalculable utility of these volumes, 

 as a " Sailing Directory,"" to navigators, they furnish to 

 geographers a most valuable repertory of the latitudes, 

 longitudes, bearings, &:c. ascertained with mathematical 

 accuracy, of nearly 5000 difierent places. The author, who 

 is hydrographer to the honourable East- India Company, 

 has evidently bestowed an immense labour on the work ; 

 and the Philosophical Transactions as well as the pages of 

 this Magazine bear testimony to his talents, industry, and 

 accurate research. To philosophers engaged in tracing the 

 general laws of the winds and tides, this work will be 

 equally interesting, as containing an unequalled collection 

 of facts and observations made by practical men, whose 

 minds were unbiassed by preconceived theories. Projectors 

 of maps, compilers of gazetteers, and all persons interested 

 in the physical geography of the vast portion of the world 

 mentioned in tb.e title, may derive important information 

 from these volumes, which are very judiciously arranged 

 to facilitate reference, and printed with side notes, which 

 lead the reader at once to whatever part he may wish to cx- 

 U 2 plore. 



