22 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



tory. During the recess the council have made ananijoments for the ilelivcry 

 of "lectures on acoustics and g-eology, two important ohjects connected with 

 aichitecture, and wliich will soon be delivered. It is also intended to enlarge 

 the benefits of the institute by establishing a new class, to be called the 

 students' class, for the instruction of those who arc not forward enough for 

 associates. 



Mr. Donaldson announced the list of presents received suice the last session, 

 and stated that the noble president had communicated with the Rajah of 

 Tanjore, to whom the institute is under so many obligations, to continue an 

 intercourse which has already been so beneficial. 



Mr. Barry exhibited various medals taken out of tl*e.xcava<ions for a sewer 

 near the site of the new Houses of P.'irliament, a deswiption of which was 

 promised on an early occasion. 



Mr. Fowler read a highly interesting paper on the art of glass painting, by 

 Mr. Shaw, member, entering at length into its antiquity, general divisions, 

 classification, diflerent styles, and proper employment. 



Messrs. Hoadley and Oldfield, of the Hampstead-road, exhibited some beau- 

 tiful specimens of stained glass. 



Mr. Godwin, jun., presented to the meeting an engraving of Girard College, 

 Philadelphia, now in progress of execution, together with the original drawing, 

 which had been left with him by the architect, T. Q. Walters, Esq., for that 

 purpose. Mr. Godwin did this personally, in order that he might inform the 

 meeting of the great respect with which the Institute was regarded by the 

 American architects, and of the endeavours which had been made to form a 

 similar society there. Widely separated as the .States are, circulars were 

 addressed to the chief architects in each, inviting thorn to attend in New York 

 on a certain day, for the purpose of organizing an association ; and several of 

 the instigators of the attempt travelled a hundred miles to keep the appoint- 

 ment. The meeting was more numerous than could have been expected. 

 Resolutions were passed, rules drawn up, and then, having first arranged an 

 annual re-union, they each departed to their widely-separated homes. The 

 second meeting, it need hardly be said, when the difficulties are considered, 

 was less numerously attended. The chief members of the society, who were 

 much engaged, found the sacrifice of time too great, and the attempt was 

 ultimately given up, although not before much good feeling had been pro- 

 moted, and some other good results effected. As Mr. Godwin observed, the 

 whole transaction was so creditable to our Trans- Atlantic colleagues that It 

 was worthy of mention at the Institute of Architects. 



Tlie second meelirir/ for the session ivas held Monduy ei'ening, 1 Ith Decemher, 



Mr. Robinson, F. P., in the chair. 

 Mr. Godwio,jun.,reada letter in explanation of some pubUshed views of 

 His upon concrete, and in reply to some remarks on the subject by Colonel 

 Pasley. 



The donations to the hbrary contained several works of rare archaiological 

 and architectural interest ; and amongst various novel objects exhibited were 

 some drawings of the Cathedral of Carlisle, and in particular of the circular 

 roof, from Mr. Billings ; some very superior embellishments and designs in 

 paper-hangings, from Mr. Clark ; and a French work from Mr. Bohn, on the 

 antiquities of Mexico, bemg a continuation of the splendid work of Lord 

 Kingsborough on the same subject. 



Mr. Donaldson, the secretary, read a memoir of the late Mr. Thomas Lee, 

 architect, who died in 1834, and who was one of the founders of this institute. 

 He was engaged in the construction of a great many public works, the most 

 prominent of which was the column to his Grace the Duke of Wellington, 

 erected on Wellinf^tou-hill, one mile and a half from Blackdowu, in Somerset- 

 shire, and near the place from which the title is derived. After a very suc- 

 cessful and eminent course, this deserving architect was found dead on the 

 shore, near which he had been bathing, near Exeter, meeting aii untimely 

 death at the age of 40 years. 



An interesting conversation ensued on the subject of the various com- 

 binations of the different ordersof architecli;;-, on which the probable opinion 

 was given of the formation of an English s'. ii-, of which there are now so 

 many proofs. 



ARCHITECTURAL SOCIETY. " ': 



At an ordinary monthly meeting of the society, held at their rooms, No. 35, 

 "Lincoln's-inn-tields, on Tuesday evening, Dec. 4, 1838, William Tite, Esq. 

 F.R.S., President, in the chair, a letter was read from Mr. Sims, on various 

 uses of asphalte, which the writer did not, however, consider applicable to 

 ornamental structures, from the ease with which it was affected by heat, from 

 the sun, and other causes. A notice was given that the next subject for a 

 sketch was a design for an entrance to a railway station, without offices. Mr. 

 Phillips read an interesting essay on some essential points connected with 

 strncturc, which we have inserted in another part of our journal. 



The foUou'hig Idler was inadverlently omilled to be forwarded hist month, but 



which tvas received some time since from the Architectural Union at Berlin, 



and read at the opminij ntceting. 



TO THE ARCUITECTUIIAL SOCIETY, LONDON. 



The Architectural Society have received our friendly greeting, which Mr. 

 Alexander undertook to deliver. We herewith beg to repeat the same, and 

 likewise to express the wish that, by means of interchange of information, 

 with a view to the promotion of our art, we may cement an intimate connexion 

 between the two societies. 



We observe by the laws of the Architectural Society, which Mr. A. pre- 

 sented to us, that, with some variation in form, the society has the same object 

 jn view, and consists of similar members to our own. Wo believe, therefore, 



that each society may he benefited by reciprocal communication.^, and accord- 

 ingly beg that wc may be entrusted with inquiries and commissions within the 

 sphere of our profession, and that we may be permitted to use the same free- 

 dom. 



With the laws of our society we beg herewith to present the first number 

 of the Architectural Album, which is not the work of the members of our 

 society alone, like the architectural designs, but of German architects gene- 

 rally, and which, by means of details, individual buildings, and construction, 

 may be also useful to the workmen. 



We purpose sending the continuation of this work, as well iis the designs 

 from the collection of the Architectural ITnion, together with the appertaining 

 letter-press, and wc beg your friendly acceptance of the same. 

 With high respect, 



THE COUNCIL OF THE ARCHITECTURAL UNION, BERLIN. 



SOCIETY OF ARTS. 

 The ordinary meeting was held on Wednesday evening, 19th December, 

 David Pollock, Esq., vice-president, in the chair. The silver medal was bal- 

 loted for, and awarded to Mr. J. Gray, for an improved instrument for taking 

 out teeth and stumps from their sockets. The arrangements allowed of a 

 greater facility for its introduction, and upon extra claws which allowed of 

 freer purchase upon the stump. A letter was read from the secretary of the 

 East India Company, accompanying a sample of tea from Assam for the opi- 

 nion of the society. A silver medal was next voted to Mr. H. Page, for an 

 improved, easier, and more durable method of lettering marble. A commu- 

 nication was read from Mr. Geoi'ge Aikin, on the recent agricultural improve- 

 ments in the lens of Cambridgeshire. The natural soil of these parts is dark, 

 being almost gray, and is mixed with a quantity of silt, below being a spongy 

 peat, and great part being on a stratum of blue calcareous clay. The Bedford 

 level, comprising 300,000 acres, was formerly very subject to overflows, and it 

 was only possible to work the land in spring and summer. The greatest 

 quantity of oats that could be procured was from four to five quarters pel acre, 

 and the crops were often lost by the floods , but now, owing to improved agri- 

 culture, principally resulting from the application of steam power for windmills 

 in drainage, the produce was from five to eight quarters. One great insprove- 

 ment was in the introduction of clay or marl, and where formerly only bad oats 

 grew there could now be obtained excellent crops of good wheat and oats. 

 The proportion and succession of crops were stated, and the thanks of the 

 society were voted for the communication. Communications were next read 

 from Mr. Roberts and Mr. Hickson on the growth of a new variety of potato, 

 submitted to them by the society in January last, but which were referred 

 back for further experiments. The meeting then adjourned over the recess to 

 the 9th of January. 



ARTISTS' AND AMATEURS' CONVERSAZIONE. 

 The first'conversazione for the season of this valuable society took place on the 

 5th Dec. last, at the Freemasons' Tavern. We cannot expect many visitants at 

 this early period of the season, but we were pleased to see It so well attended. 

 There were perhaps not so many publishers present as on ordinary occasions, 

 and fewer novelties, as to engravings ; but this deficiency was well supplied by 

 the general interest in the proceedings which seemed to animate the company. 

 Among the engravings was one in the line style, by Robert Graves, A.R. A., 

 from the picture of .Shakspeare, taken before Justice Lucy for deer stealing. 

 It does equal honour to the engraver, and to Mr. George Harvey the painter. 

 An additional point of interest attached to this work is that the room and its 

 furniture are studies, by permission of the descendants of the Midas judge 

 from the objects now in their possession. The picture and engraving both 

 belong to the Scotch Association. There was also a picture by Allen, of 

 Whittington and his cat, and another by Cooper, and also an engraving of the 

 Battle of the Covenanters at Drumclog. Stanfield contributed several draw- 

 ings, and among the minor objects were a portrait of Miss Roberts by Mr. 

 John Wood, a miniature, copied from Gainsborough, by Miss Augusta Cole, 

 and nautical sketches by D. Serres, &c. We were glad to see the ladies come 

 forward to support those elegant arts which instead of meriting the designation 

 of Pliny, " Solatia servitutis," ought more properly to he considered as 

 ornaments of the household, and handmaids of the domestic virtues. As the 

 season advsmces these conversazioni will, no doubt, be more fully attended by 

 the numerous members ; but even at the present early period thoy afforded full 

 evidence of the pleasure they were capable of communicating, and the good 

 they are likely to effect. It is, indeed, through such means that artists must 

 hope to promote the progress of the Arts, which are no mysteries to he kept 

 secluded, nor objects of difficult comprehension, but as they appeal strongly to 

 the human mind, so by that they must be judged, and to be admired they must 

 first be known. 



HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 At the ordinary meeting on the 4th instant. Dr. Henderson in the chair. Dr. 

 Lindley read a lengthened report of the effects of the late frost of 1837-8. 

 The intensify of the cold was much greater than in many previous years. It 

 had been proved, notwithstanding the assertion that the ground had been frozen 

 to a depth of two feet, that although on the surface the thermometer was four 

 degrees and a half below zero, it was never frozen for a foot below the surface. 

 In the kitchen ground the frost was not found at more than nine inches, in 

 ordidai7 soil at ten inches, and in an arboretum of moss not below five inches. 

 The concluding part of the paper was devoted to an examination of the 

 mechanical and other effects of frost upon plants. 



