1819.] Society of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. 53 



experiments were arranged in the form of tables, and conse- 

 quently did not admit of being detailed. The general conclusion 

 from the whole was, that the composition of sea waters in all 

 parts of the ocean is very nearly the same, both with respect to 

 the nature of the saline matters and their relative proportions to 

 one another, and that they only differ from one another with 

 respect to the absolute quantities of salt they contain. 



In the course of the paper, the following interesting facts 

 were mentioned. Dr. M. had been furnished with specimens of 

 sea water from both the late arctic expeditions ; and on compar- 

 ing the labels attached to them, he found that in the Greenland 

 seas the temperature, as ascertained by Lieutenants Franklin 

 and Beechy, uniformly increased with the depth ; while in Baffin's 

 Bay, according to the observations of Capt. Ross and Lieut. 

 Parry, it as constantly diminished. With respect to the compo- 

 sition of these waters, Dr. M. found that specimens taken from 

 the surface were not generally less saline than those taken from 

 great depths, unless the surface had been lately thawed, when 

 the quantity of saline matter in the surface water was much 

 diminished. 



In speaking of the general composition of sea waters, Dr. M." 

 stated the important discovery made by Dr. Wollaston that they 

 uniformly contain potash. The proportion of this alkali present, 

 Dr. W. estimates at somewhat less than -jVou-th part of the 

 water at its average density ; and he supposes it exists in the 

 state of sulphate. 



SOCIETY TOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF ARTS, MANUFAC- 

 TURES, AND COMMERCE. 



This Society has voted the following rewards since April last : 



Mr. T. Hack's Chuck for a Lathe. — This is somewhat similar 

 to Mr. Bell's, before-mentioned ; but it has four studs ; and its 

 construction is somewhat simplified. The Society voted its 

 silver medal to Mr. Hack for this contrivance. 



Mr. J. Beckway's Hay-weigher and Binder. — This instrument 

 js made conveniently portable, and will be found exceedingly 

 useful in adjusting the weight of trusses of hay, &c. They can 

 also be more conveniently bound in this machine. The silver 

 Isis medal and 15 guineas were awarded to Mr. Beckway for this 

 invention. 



Dr. W. W. Thackeray's, Mr. Creyke's, and Mr. Palmer's Plan- 

 tations of Timber Trees. — These plantations are made upon land 

 unfit for tillage ; and the Society voted the gold medal to Dr. 

 Thackeray, the silver medal to Mr. Creyke, and the silver Ceres 

 medal to Mr. Palmer, for their valuable labours. 



Mr. T. Lane's Fruit-Gatherer. — This useful instrument is 

 affixed to a light pole of considerable length, and is made to 

 grasp and hold the fruit firmly, but without injuring it. The 

 silver Ceres medal, or 10 guineas, was adjudged to Mr. Lane for 

 his invention. 



