152 Japafi or Varnish. 



attended with advantages, as it will enable Capt. Campbell, who 

 will make the necessary astronomical observations, to settle the 

 position of many places on the coast of Africa with more pre- 

 cision than has hitherto been done. He had in the month of 

 February last made a great number of observations of distances 

 of the sun and moon, and moon and stars, from which he found 

 the longitude of Senega! different from what is given in the 

 tables ; the latitude Capt. Campbell fixes from his observations 

 at 16" 2' 30" N. He was, however, anxious to avail himself 

 of a greater number of observations before he finally fixed the 

 longitude of the town ; which as soon as he has done, he pro- 

 mises to transmit for the use of navigators. The expedition has 

 been fitted out with several good sextants, principally of Mr. 

 Carey's make, and two of them contain a contrivance for takirig 

 single altitudes by means of a level contrived by the late Lieut. - 

 gen. Brown, under whose management the astronomical part of 

 the expedition was fitted out. Besides sextants, Capt. Campbell 

 has barometers (principally Mr. Arnold's), and a small transit 

 instrument ; but the latter is so badly made, that the captain 

 says, in a letter to his friend in England, he cannot make any 

 use of it. As this expedition was plaimed rather late in the 

 spring of last year, and great fear was entertained of losing the 

 searion, the astronomical apparatus was as well as many other 

 parts hurried. Mr. Troughton would no doubt have been em- 

 ployed; but the shortness of the time, and the engagements of 

 this excellent artist, deprived the expedition of the benefit of his 

 superior instruments; and although this circumstance has occa- 

 sioned some regret to the astronomer employed, he has however 

 great satisfaction in believing, with the exception of the transit*, 

 all the other instruments are very well executed. It was per- 

 haps impossible forGovernment to have selected two gentlemen 

 better qualified to undertake this arduous enterprise; and from 

 the care which has been taken in the equipment, the public mav 

 look forward with great probability to the full accomphshnient of 

 the object of the expedition. 



RECIPES FOR MAKING .JAI'AN OR VARNISH. 



The following recipes for making japan or varnish are given 

 in a contemporary journal, as havijig been recently imported 

 from Germany. These compositions are described as rendering 

 all articles to which they are applied impervious to wet without 

 destroying elasticity. 



IVkitc Japan. — ^This japan never changes its colour, and with- 



* Thfi transit instxuineiit was not of Mr. C:ircy's making;. Mr. Carey 

 attempted tc improve it; but its oii^^iiial bad coHSiUuctioii, it setins, wouid 

 not admit of it. 



stands 



