1826.]'" Mr. Rainy*s Reply to Dr. Thotnson. 187 



ready to cry out here, " So that the benefits become ours, no 

 matter through what channel they reach us." This is not our 

 sentiment, for so inveterately are we imbued with national par- 

 tiality that we should wish our own Britain to engross, if pos- 

 sible, every great atchievement to herself. I object also on other 

 grounds to having any participators in the scheme which I have 

 now been so earnestly drawing. The conduct of France in all 

 that relates to the voyage of the navigators Baudin and Hamelin, 

 and their transactions with Flinders, coupled with what we know 

 of the influence of public opinion in that country, show suffi- 

 ciently what the world has to expect from a French expedition. 



Again, though in America the freedom of the press be recog- 

 nized to its utmost extent, I distrust the ability of those who 

 may be employed to perform the work in that finished style 

 which the advanced state of knowledge renders indispensable. 

 With Britain it is otlierwise. Her openness of proceeding, the 

 vastness of her reputation, her proved ability, point her out as 

 the only power capable of executing the task satisfactorily. She 

 has now reached that pre-eminence which entitles her to dictate, 

 and ensures the utmost attainable perfection to whatever under- 

 taking she applies herself. She has hitherto taken the lead in 

 all that is truly great and liberal in nautical affairs. Her posi- 

 tion being withal insular, the character and habits of her people 

 are of necessity maritime and commercial, and their genius bold 

 and enterprizing. No effort, therefore, should be neglected 

 that can in any way tend to exalt those peculiarities by which 

 they are honourably distinguished from any people now existing, 

 or that ever did exist, and enable them to maintain their high- 

 reaching " pride of place" among the nations. 



In one word, the thing is to be done, and Britain vmst do 

 it. H. 



Article VIII. 



Some further Remarks on the Specific Gravity of Hydrogen, and 

 on Dr. Front's Modification of the Atomic Theory, in Reply to 

 Dr. Thomson. By Harry Rainy, Esq. 



(To the Editors of the Annals of Philosophy.) 



GENTLEMEN, C/as^oic, FeJ. 15, 1826. 



In a former paper I made some remarks on the new experi- 

 ments on the specific gravities of oxygen and hydrogen, recently 

 published by Dr. Thomson in his valuable treatise on the Prin- 

 ciples of Chemical Philosophy. These experiments were consi- 

 dered by Dr. Thomson, as distinctly proving that the specific 

 gravity of oxygen is to that of hydrogen exactly as 16 to 1, thus 

 affording a strong confirmation of the truth of Dr, Prout'e hypo- 



