Society of Arts for Scotlund. 36$ 



to the Society, with a view of exciting some of our artists to direct their 

 attention to this important branch of the arts. 



Feb. 22. — There was laid before the Society a Drawing and Description 

 of an Improved Mortice Lock, invented by Messrs John and Thomas 

 Smith of Darnick, near Melrose. This lock exhibited much ingenuity, 

 and possesses many advantages over the common one. 



Mr William Galbraith, A. M. gave an account of a method where- 

 by, with a small additional apparatus, Hartley's sextant may be converted 

 into a dip sector. This improved sextant was exhibited to the Society. 



Mr John Broster described to the Society his Apparatus for convers- 

 ing with the Deaf and Dumb, and exhibited it to the Society. 



March 8. — A Description of a Boat with a Revolving Paddle Scull, in- 

 vented by Andrkw Waddell, Esq. of Hermitage Hill, was read, and a 

 model of the boat was exhibited to the meeting. 



The Model which accompanied Mr Waddell's paper, is from the Plan 

 of a French corvette, or sloop of war, and is on a scale of one-fourth of an 

 inch to a foot; but although this vessel measures abov* 300 tons, her real 

 burden is much less, being constructed with a very sharp bottom, for the 

 purposes of fast sailing. With this model, many of Mr Waddell's experi- 

 ments were made, and by the revolving scull at present fixed to the stern, 

 the greatest velocity has been produced It. is of the same construction 

 as that used in the boat with which the experiments were made on the 

 Wet Dock at Leith, as described in this Number, p. 206. Each of the 

 paddle-plates of the scull, according to the scale of the model, have a 

 surface of eighteeen feet, or thirty-six square feet in both. 



The accompanying common paddle-wheels, of fifteen feet diameter, 

 when fixed on the end of the Axle, in the centre of the model, and set in 

 motion, produce a propelling surface nearly double that of the scull, not- 

 withstanding which, the scull propels the model with a velocity of ninety 

 English feet in sixty-four seconds of time, while the common paddle- 

 wheels above stated, take eighty seconds of time to perform the same; 

 and the moving power applied to both, is a small clock-spring with a train 

 of wheels. See p. 206. 



Mr Shiell gave a Description of his very ingenious Triangle used at 

 the late Fire for elevating the Jet of the extinguishing Engine, and exhi- 

 bited a Model of it to the Society. 



The following articles of foreign and domestic manufacture were exhi- 

 bited to the Society : 



1. Several specimens of Wood Screws, of French manufacture, with 

 specimens of German ditto. 



2. Specimens of French Glue. 



3. Specimens of Painted Canvas from Antwerp. 



4. Specimens of Gelatine from a manufactory near Paris. 



5. Specimens of Woollen Cloths from MM. Terneaux of Paris. 



6. Specimen of a stuff made from the produce of the Cashemire Goats 

 introduced into France by Messrs Terneaux. 



7. Specimens of a very cheap manufacture by the same. 

 B< Specimens of cheap Sheffield Cutlery. 



