24 S Ueport nf the Committee respecting the unrolling 



had time to make, I succeeded in constructing a small hygrome- 

 ter on the principle of fig. 1. ; and though the range is too li- 

 mited to give the necessary degree of accuracy, it is sufficient to 

 convince me that the construction is not only practicable, but, 

 to those who are dexterous in the use of the blowpipe, extremely 

 easy. I remain, sir, your obedient servant, 



Feb. 27, 1818. ' R. G. 



In the above, as well as in the original form of the hygrome- 

 ter, the covered bulb may be kept continually moist with water, 

 conveyed to it by filaments of floss silk from an adjoining vessel. 



XLIIT. Report of (he Committee appo'mted to superintend the 

 Experiments of Dr. SiCKt.ER,/o;- the Pitrpose of proving the 

 Efficacy of a Method proposed by him, for unrolling and de- 

 ciphering the tierculaneurn Manuscripts. 



X REViousLY to a detail of the proceedings of the Committee 

 charged with the superintendence of Dr. Sickler's experiments, 

 it appears proper, for a full elucidation thereof, to recapitulate 

 the circumstances under which the views of His Majesty's Govern- 

 ment were directed to the interesting suljject of the Herculaneum 

 rolls. It IS well known that, from the first discovery of these 

 remams of ancient literature among the ruins of Herculaneum, 

 a more efficacious method of ascertaining their contents has been 

 a desideratum, the attainment of which has occupied the atten- 

 tion of men of learning and science, in almost every country of 

 Europe; and much has already been done, though by a very la- 

 borious and protracted operation, at Naples, within the last thirty 

 years ; during a part of which period, some persons were em- 

 ployed there by His Royal Highness the Prince Regent, in con- 

 cert with the establishment formed for the purpose by His Sici- 

 lian Majestv. 



Soon after the re-establishment of peace, and the return of 

 His Sicilian Majestv to Naples, and whilst steps were taking at 

 Paris for applying the Neapolitan method to some Herculaneum 

 manuscripts which were in that capital, it came to the know- 

 ledge of a member of this Committee, tliat Dr. Sickler, a pro- 

 fessor of eminence at Hildburghausen, had made some success- 

 ful experiments, likely to lead to the accomplishment of the ob- 

 ject, by a more easy and expeditious mode of proceeding. 



A correspondence which has been laid before the Committee, 

 took place with Dr. Sickler ; in the course of which, he expressed 

 his readiness to come, upon certain conditions, to this country, 

 in order to pursue his experiments upon the rolls which his Si- 

 cilian Majesty had recently presented to His Royal Highr^essj, the 



Prince 



