302 Royal Institution of Cornwatl. 
cess of smelting iron is remarkable for its simplicity. The most 
complete Singalese smelting-house which Dr. D. had an oppor- 
tunity of seeing, consisted of two small furnaces under a thatched 
shed. The Singalese blacksmith is in the exercise of his art far 
from being unskilful ; he is perhaps (says Dr. D.) on a par with 
the common country blacksmith in any part of Europe. 
The preparing of saltpetre and the manufacture of gunpowder 
are arts which the Singalese have for many years constantly 
practised. According to their own account, they first learnt from 
the a eae the use of fire-arms and the art of making them, 
and of manufacturing gunpowder, of both which they were com- 
pletely ignorant before they had intercourse with Europeans. 
LXIX. Proceedings of Learned Societies. 
ROYAL INSTITUTION OF CORNWALL. 
Ax the Third Annual Meeting of this Institution, on the 27th 
of August last, the Council reported that the Museum has been 
enriched by many valuable presents during the past year; they 
notice particularly the present of an Egyptian Isis from the noble 
President, Viscount Exmouth. his statue was for a vast num- 
ber of years in the family of Elfi Bey, and presented by the Bri- 
tish Consul at Alexandria to His Lordship. 
The Council have recommended to the Society the appropria~ 
tion of a room for the exhibition of paintings and drawings, to 
which artists should be invited to send their productions. And 
at another Anniversary they hope the Society will be able to carry 
into effect a plan for offering premiums for papers on literary or 
Scientific suljects, or for improvements in the various arts and 
manufactures of the County. It will, they conceive, be attended 
with very advantageous effects to the Institution, and, they flatter 
themselves, prove eventually beneficial to the County: : if in no 
other way, by calling forth talent, latent only for want of a sti- 
mulus to excite it to exertion. 
From the members of the Institution the Council hope that many 
original communications may be expected, on the numerous in- 
teresting phznomena which this County exhibits. To the ad- 
mirers of Chemistry a very wide field is presented by the numerous 
minerals of this County, many of which have never been analysed, 
and others only hastily, and at a distance from their localities. 
In concluding their Report, the Council made a strong appeal 
to the County ‘at large on behalf of an Institution which em- 
braces so wide a sphere of usefulness. ¢* Shall Cornwall,” they 
say, “ that part which, of all the British dominions, depends. most 
upon 
