1818.] Scientific Intelligence* 391 



Oxide of iron 61 



Silica 35 



Oxide of manganese 2 



Alumina 2 



100 

 (Schweigger's Journ. xxi. 121.) 



VI L North West Expedition. 



I have seen a letter from a gentleman on board Capt. Ross's 

 vessel, at present employed in endeavouring to find a north west 

 passage, dated July 25, 1818. At that time the ship was in 

 north latitude 75° 45', and in longitude 60° 30" west from 

 Greenwich. The coast was found generally 100 geographical 

 miles further west than as laid down in the Admiralty charts. 

 In Davis's Strait four different barriers of ice had been met 

 with ; one in lat. 68° ; one in lat. 70° ; one in 72° 40' ; and one 

 between 74° and 75° ; this they were in hopes would prove the 

 last. In lat. 75° 4', the variation of the compass was 88° west. 

 The temperature of the water at the depth of 200 fathoms was 

 29° ; at the depth of 80 fathoms it was 30°, and at the surface 

 34°. The water was found deeper near the coast than at some 

 distance from it. At three islands, described by Baffin, within 

 half a gun shot of the shore, the depth was 160 fathoms ; while 

 15 leagues off it was only 8'3 fathoms. Capt. Ross had invented 

 a deep sea clamm, by which a portion of the ground could be 

 brought up from a great depth. The crew were in excellent 

 health and spirits. 



VIII. Zumic Acid. 



Some years ago Braconnot announced that when water 

 containing oatmeal, rice, &c. was allowed to run into fermenta- 

 tion, a peculiar acid was formed, to which he gave the name of 

 nanceic acid, from the town in which he happens to live. As 

 this mode of naming bodies is never tolerated in chemistry, I 

 gave it in the last edition of my System of Chemistry the name 

 of zumic acid, and gave an account of its properties as they were 

 ascertained by Braconnot. This acid has lately attracted the 

 attention of Vogel ; he has examined it when formed by the 

 fermentation of different species of corn. He found it always 

 the same acid when properly purified ; and he assures us that it 

 is nothing more than the lactic acid of Scheele and Berzelius. 

 Zumic acid, therefore, supposing Vogel's statement to be 

 correct, must be struck out of the list of acids. 



IX. Kucbelife. 



This is a name given by Dobereiner to a mineral which was 

 given him by Major Von Knebel, and which differs in its compo- 

 sition and characters from all other minerals hitherto observed. 

 Nothing is stated respecting the place where this mineral was 



