100 



THE POPULAE EDUCATOE. 



as to the result wo are likely to obtain from our stock, which is 

 of considerable importance. In any case wo shall not send 

 more, but wait your orders. 



In the hope of our hearing from you, 



We remain, Gentlemen, 



Tour obedient servants, 



TEN DOREN & J. HAAS. 



Amsterdam, le 2 Mai, 1882. 

 Messieurs J. T. Tan Praat & C ie , a Londres. 



Les derniers courriers d'Amerique ont obscurci 1'horizon com- 

 mercial et jete 1'epouvante sur notre place. Nous tremblons 

 pour les consequences que peut amener une situation sem- 

 blable. Les maisons les plus solides vacillent sur leur base, et 

 1'on s' attend d'un moment a 1'autre a une suspension generale. 

 Nous ne savons dans quel etat se trouve votre marche et dans 

 tous les cas co ne serait pas a nous a vous donner des conseils, 

 mais nous pensons que le contre-coup de toutes ces mauvaises 

 affaires doit s'y faire sentir comme dans tous les grands centres 

 industriels. 



Veuillez done etre assez bons pour nous donner quelques ren- 

 seignements sur ce que TOUS faites, quelles sont vos craintes et 

 vos esperances, car nous sommes peu tranquilles sur les resultata 

 que nous devons retirer de nos marchandises, qui sont d'une cer- 

 taine importance. En tout cas, nous suspendrons nos envois et 

 attendrons vos commandes. 

 Dans 1'attente de vous lire, 



Nous vous presentons, 



Messieurs, 

 Nos salutations cordiales. 



TEN DOREN & J. HAAS. 



8. LETTER OF INQUIRY AS TO SOLVENCY OF A FIRM. 



Lyons, August 21st, 1882. 

 Messrs. A. J. Peters, London. 



Gentlemen, Upon the recommendation of Messrs. Lambert 

 Bros., of this city, we take the liberty to ask you to be good 

 enough to inform us as to the respectability and solvency of 

 Messrs. A. Wolff & Co., London, Commission Agents and Ex- 

 porters, who have a house in Paris, Porte St. Martin. 



As all their orders are to be sent to the London house, you 

 would oblige us greatly by giving us some information as to the 

 commercial position and repute of the said firm. 

 Thanking you beforehand for your trouble, 

 We are, Gentlemen, 



Your very obedient servants, 



Fa. BICHON BROTHERS. 



Lyon, le 21 Aout, 1882. 

 Messieurs A. J. Peters, a Londres. 



Sur la recommandation de Messieurs Lambert Freres, de 

 notre ville, nous prenons la liberte de nous adresser a votre 

 obligeance pour avoir des renseignemonts sur la maison A. Wolff 

 & Cie, de Londres, faisant la Commission et 1'Exportation, et 

 ayant un comptoir a Paris, Porte Saint-Martin. 



Comme tous leurs achats doivent etre expedies a leur maison 

 de Londres, vous nous obligeriez, Messieurs, en nous adressant 

 quelques renseignements sur leur position commerciale et leur 

 solvabilite. 



Nous vous remercions d'avance pour votre obligeance, 'et vous 

 prions d'agreer, 



Messieurs, 



Nos salutations empressees, 



FR. EICHON FR^EES. 



9. EEPLY TO LETTER OF INQUIRY AS TO SOLVENCY OF A 

 FIRM. 



London, August 28th, 1882. 

 Messrs. F. Eichon Bros., Lyons. 



Gentlemen, In reply to your favour of the 21st, requesting 

 some information, we confess that the wish to avoid injuring the 

 credit of a countryman on the one hand, and to cause you loss 

 by incomplete information on the other, greatly embarrasses us. 



The facts are thus : Messrs. Wolff & Co. have, as silk im- 

 porters, enjoyed a sound reputation, but their firm has in con- 

 sequence of unforeseen circumstances (the sudden death of one 

 of the partners, the prolonged struggle in America, and the 

 failure of two or three houses at Leghorn and Amsterdam), not 

 been able to compete with others more fortunate, and has en- 



gaged, it is said, in ruinous speculations. Still, the firm's credit 

 is sufficiently good, and if the orders are not too large, their 

 very magnitude causing them to be suspected, you may safely 

 execute them. 



We regret not to be able to give you a more circumstantial 

 account of the firm in question, and relying upon your discre- 

 tion as to the statement contained in this letter, 

 We have the honour to be, Gentlemen, 



Your very obedient servants, 



A. J. PETERS. 



Londres, le 28 Aout, 1882 

 Messieurs F. Eichon Freres, a Lyon. 



Messieurs, En reponse a votro lettre du 21 courant, con- 

 tenant nne demande de renseignements, nous vous avouons que, 

 ne desirant ni nuire an credit d'un compatriote, ni vous occa- 

 sionner de perte par des renseignements incomplets, nous nous 

 trouvons dans un embarras extreme. 



Voici les faits : Messieurs Wolff & Cie, faisant 1' exportation 

 de soieries, ont joui d'une bonne reputation, mais par suite de 

 circonstances imprevues (la mort subite d'un des associes, la 

 duree de la guerre en Amerique et la f aillite de deux ou troia 

 maisons a Livourne et a Amsterdam), la maison n'a pu soutenir 

 la concurrence et s'est livree, dit-on, a des speculations ruineuses. 

 Toutefois nous devons avouer qu'elle jouit encore d'un assez 

 bon credit, et si les achats ne sont pas d'une grande importance 

 de maniere & les rendre suspects, vous pouvez lea executer en 

 toute assurance. 



Nous regrottons de ne pouvoir vous donner dea details plus 

 circonstancies sur la maison en question, et comptaat BUT votre 

 discretion sur ce que nous venons de dire, 



Nous avons bien 1'honneur 



de voua saluer, 



A. J. PETERS. 



LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY. XXVII. 



TESTING, ETC. 



IN this, the final lesson in Inorganic Chemistry, we propose to 

 give, in an assembled form, those tests which have been described 

 under the various bodies whose characteristics have been dwelt 

 upon. 



The Bloiupipe. The behaviour of various metallic oxides in 

 the blowpipe flame has frequently been given. That the student 

 may be enabled to prove experimentally the truth of our asser- 

 tions, it is necessary briefly to describe the management of the 

 blowpipe. It has been already stated, and a moment's inspection 

 will decide the point, that the blowpipe flame consists of two 

 distinct cones the inner and outer flames. The inner flame is 

 in great need of oxygen, since the air supplied by the blast only 

 affords sufficient to satisfy the demands of the hydrogen in the 

 gas, or hydrocarbon vapour ; hence, if an oxide of a metal be 

 placed in this cone, it becomes heated to a high temperature, 

 and is induced to part with its oxygen to the needy carbon in 

 the flame ; thus the metal becomes reduced. This property of 

 the inner flame has procured for it the name of the reducing 

 flame. 



In the outer flame the complete combustion of the carbon is 

 determined, for much oxygen mingles with it from the surround- 

 ing air with which it is in contact. If a piece of metal be sub- 

 mitted to the action of this flame, it is heated to a high tempe- 

 rature, and is thus in a condition to be readily oxidised, which 

 is always effected, save in the case, of course, of the nobk 

 metals. This flame is therefore called the oxidising flame. 



To illustrate the peculiarity of these two flames, place a 

 particle of lead on a piece of well-burnt charcoal ; direct upon 

 the metal the blowpipe flame, so that the point of the flame may 

 play upon the metal. The lead will melt, then oxidise, and be- 

 come a transparent liquid bead. Now move the charcoal further 

 into the flame, so that the bead may be enclosed in the inner 

 cone. Here it will soon be deprived of its oxygen, and return to 

 the metallic state. This may be perhaps even more strikingly 

 illustrated by submitting a piece of flint glass to the action of 

 the whole flame ; that part of the glass which is heated by the 

 outer cone will remain clear, but that in the reducing flame will 

 become opaque, being covered with a dark metallic lustre, the 

 fact being that the lead oxide in the glass is reduced. 



The means by which bodies are held in the blowpipe flame are 





