us Dr. Cutbush on the Chinese Fire, &cs 
tee mise to inyest all our national concerns. At any — 
eriod of the history of British industry, they must have 
ati he the highest expectations ; but, originating as they 
are one, when our commerce, our mapufactures, and our 
agriculture, 3 the three stars of our national prosperity, have 
just passed the lowest point of their orbit, and quitted, we 
trust for long, the scene of their disturbing forces, we can- 
not but hail them with the liveliest enthusiasm, and regard 
them as contributing to insure the pre-eminence of our in- 
dustry, to augment the wealth and resources of the nation, 
and, by giving employment to idle hands, and direction to 
minds, to secure the 2 Integrity and the permanence o! 
our national institutions. 
Ant. XVI.—Remarks on the composition and properties of 
the Chinese fire, and on the so called Brilliant fires: 
by James Cutsusn, A. S.U.S. A. acting Professor 
of Chemistry and Mineralogy, U.S. Military Academy. 
In pyrotechny a variety of compositions are employed 
for the she oh of giving gisiiehinn appearances to flame, 
and to accelerate as well as retard, according to circum- 
stances, the iomaing of pyro-preparations. The im- 
provement in fire works depends altogether on this princi- 
ple, viz. to vary as much as possible, with the greatest 
number of colours, the flame produced by the combustion 
gun powder, or of charcoal, &c. in contact with nitrate 
of potash. Hence we find, that sundry saline and other 
substances are used for that purpose. By the presence or 
absence of particular substances, certain fires, so called, are 
designated. The name also is made to ——— either 
with that of the inventor, the composition made u 
appearance of the flame, or some remarkable seh 
*It is due to the truth and candor of So history to mention, 
that Mr. Perkins is not our countryman ; but the age of jealous 
nd pageesbey 
cannot but respond to mt rareipnt sapere a oscrmage 4 a 
feo opener and intelligence we shall henceforth be 
indeed companions.—Ed. . Amer. Jour. 
