406 On Lite Sugar and Spirits oltained in Dalmalia 



to Dr. Pearson, this artist, who does not j^enerally work in brass, 

 r.ontentn.d himself with making one of tiie lenses that compose 

 the eve-piece to lie moved along a groove by friction ; whereas 

 those made bv Fortin were moved by a pinion and rack-work." 

 Here the learned journalist has drawn on his memory, which 

 before was treacherous, for more than it could fairly answer : 

 the motion in (juestion was effected by the means I laid down in 

 my plan at Paris ; namely, an endless screw, lying parallel to the 

 optical axis of the eve- piece, in which position it yet remains; 

 a clear proof this, that he never saw the eye-piece in question, 

 nor had any thing to do with its construction. It is also quite 

 clear to me, that if Solcil ever made an eye-piece for Dr. Gil- 

 bert, it must have been after mine had been constructed. My 

 pocket journal fortunately contains the dates and particulars of 

 all my conferences with Parisian artists and men of science ; 

 and I am ready to bring it forward, to lubstantiate every fact I 

 have here asserted. 1 remain, sir, 



Yours very respectfully, 

 East Sheen, Dec. 1, 1820. VVm. PeaRSON. 



LXV, On the Sugar and Spirits oltaiucd in Dabnatia from the 

 Fruit of the common Arlmlus. By CvJinseUor Prechtl, nf 

 Vienna*. 



Ihk common arbutus [Arlmtus niredo Linn.), which is not 

 regarded as indigenous in any country in Europe, except Spain, 

 grows spontaneously and in great abundance in Dalmatia. The 

 Italians give to its fruit the name offragoUni or coriezzoLi^ and 

 the Illyrians inagniclie or planlke. 



The fruit of tFic common aibutus is of the form of the straw- 

 berry, with this difference, that it is twice or thrice as large. Its 

 taste is pleasant, rather tart than sour. The tree i.s bushy, and 

 rises sometimes to more than twenty feet in height. It preserves 

 its leaves during the winter, and does not dro)> them till the new 

 5-hoots appear in spring-time. It is not till November that the 

 fruits of the year ripen, and then they possess their greatest 

 sweetness. 



The inhabited islands of Dalmatia appear to possess a soil 

 particularly favourable to the arbutus ; it multiplies there tq 

 sucli a degree, that it cover.s vast plains, and renders them in a 

 manner impenetrable. The enormous quantity of fruit produced 

 by it was not turned to any profitable account till the year 1817, 

 wlien the expejiuient was made of extracting spirits from it. At 



* Fiom the ^ni'.'xtfis G^verriJes deit Sciences Physifjues, par MM. Eory 

 de St. Vintent, Diajne/, 6»; V'an Mons, for August IS20. 



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