158 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[Mat, 



A small piece of block tin is put into a die upon which a punch worked 

 by a fly-press descends and forces the metal up, of the required thickness, 

 between the surfaces of the die and the punch ; thus by a single blow the 

 body of the tube is formed. It is then removed to a second press, by which 

 the screw on the neck of the tube is formed, and by a second blow, in the 

 same pres<, the maker's name is stamped upon it. The cap is formed in a 

 similar manner by a third machine. The tube when struck is placed on a 

 lathe and cut the required length. Thus an air-tight bottle is formed with- 

 out seam in a few seconds. 



The second communication was by Mr. Banks, on the Cotton produced 

 in Honduras and Yucatan, and the practicability of introducing free-labour 

 cotton from Africa and other countries into the British market. The ob- 

 ject of the communication was to point out the importance of our cotton 

 manufactures — the successful competition of white and grey fabrics with 

 those of Britain in foreign markets — the great production of raw materials 

 by slave labour in the States — the general inferiority of the cotton imported 

 from India — the practicability of obtaining larger supplies by free labour, 

 from other quarters within our reach — the improvement of the staple, and 

 consequently of the fabric, and the opening of a new market with Africa 

 and elsewhere. 



April 22. — R. TwiNiNS, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. 



The first communication was by Mr. Hanks, who resumed his paper on 

 cotton produced in Honduras and Yucatan, &c. Heproceeded to show why 

 the American white and grey fabrics maintained a higher price and so 

 snccesfuUy competed with the British manufactures in foreign markets. 

 He next described the peculiarities of the kinds of cotton ; and means re- 

 sorted to by the Americans for cleaning or freeing the cotton from the seed, 

 — namely, the Saw Gin. The amount of cotton exported to England from 

 America he stated to be 1,500,000 bales per annum ; while that from India 

 and other countries amounted to only 500,000 bales. He next proceeded 

 to show that the sea-coast of Africa presents a large territory which is 

 capable of being made to produce cotton in larger quantities, and of a 

 quality equal, ifnot superior, to the American. From inquiries which had 

 been made at the Wesleyan and Baptist Missionary Societies, he had as- 

 certained that the missionaries of both those Societies have instructions to 

 promote such objects as the cultivation of cotton among the natives at their 

 several stations, which extend ail along the coast of Western Africa — and 

 he strongly urged the necessity of their introducing the saw gin, in lieu of 

 the roller gin and hand labour, to free the cotton from the seed, and the 

 screw-press for packing it into bales. 



The second communication was by Mr. Keyse, on an apparatus for pre- 

 scrrm? life htj supporlin/; persons when in the water. It consists of a 

 covering for the arms, which are made of mackintosh cloth, and are capable 

 of being inflated, of a pair of webbed gloves, and also a pair of cork clogs, 

 ■with concave bottoms. The apparatus is stated to give an additional 

 buoyancy of 35 pounds to the body. 



EOYAX INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS. 



Extract from the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting, held on Monday, 

 March 23, 1846. 



Resolved, — That the Medals of the Institute be awarded next year to the 

 Authors of the best Essays on the following subjects : — 



1. On the Adaptation and Modification of the Orders of the Greeks by 

 the Romans and Moderns. 



2. On the best system to be adopted with regard to the arrangements for 

 the thorough Drainage of a Town House, and of a Nobleman's JIansion 

 and Offices in the Countn.', respectively. Comprising the general arrange- 

 ment for carrying off the Waters and Sewage, the sizes and most convenient 

 forms for the Drains or Conduits, the requisite fall, the description of ma- 

 terial to be employed, and the several precautious for the prevention of 

 damp, smell, and passage of vermin ; — to be accompanied by block Plans 

 and Details. 



N.B. Each Essay to be written in a clear and distinct hand, on alternate 

 pages, and to be distinguished by a Mark, or Motto, without any name at- 

 tached thereto. 



Resolved, — That the Soane Medallion be awarded to the best design for 

 an Edifice, suitable to the Congregational Worship of the Church of Eng- 

 land, and capable of accommodating One Thousand Persons, without Gal- 

 leries. 



The design to be Roman or Italian, expressive of its purpose both intern- 

 ally and externally, presenting as little obstruction to sight as possible. The 

 Chancel to be properly marked in Plan and decoration, with reference to its 

 Protestant uses. All the Windows to be charged with stained glass. 



There must be a conspicuous Belfry, but the body of the Church is not to 

 be surmounted by a Dome. 



The Drawings of the Elevations and Two Sections, to be to a scale of 

 one-quarter of an inch to a foot, — the Plans and Perspective View to one- 

 eighth of an inch to a foot, and tinted with India ink or sepia only. 



The competition is not confined to Members of the Institute. 



Directions for Candidates. 



£ach Essay and set of Drawings is to be accompanied by a sealed letter, 

 containing the nameof the writer within, and on the outside the same motto 

 as that attached to the Essay or Drawings ; this is to be enclosed in a sealed 



envelope, containing an address to which a communication may be sent of 

 the decision of the Institute, and directed — 



To the Honorary Secrefarieg of the Royal Institute of British Architects. 

 Essay for Medal (or) Drawings for Medal f Motto). 



The Packet, so prepared and directed, is to he delivered at the Rooms of 

 the Institute, on or before the 31st of December, 1846, by Twelve o'clock 

 at noon. 



The Council will not consider themselves called upon to adjudge a Pre- 

 mium, unless the Essays or Drawings be of sufficient merit to deserve that 

 distinction ; and, if the best Drawings should be by a candidate who has 

 been successful on a former occasion, the Institute reserve to themselves the 

 power of adjudging such other adequate reward as they may think fit, 

 and of awarding the medals offered to the second in merit. The Essays and 

 Drawings, to which Premiums are awarded, become the property of the In- 

 stitute, to be published by them if thought fit. In case of the papers not 

 being published within eighteen months after receiving the Medals, the 

 authors will be at liberty to publish them. 



The object of the Institute is not merely to draw the attention of the 

 Students, and younger members of the Profession, to the importont theo- 

 retical and practical subjects which are annually brought forward as subject 

 matter for the Prize Essays, — they have a still higher aim ; — they would wish 

 to enlist the experience, the judgment, and the taste of those profoundly 

 acquainted with the several departments of the .\rt, whether Members of 

 the Institute or not; in the hope of collecting a series of authoritative Es- 

 says upon every branch of Architecture, considered both as a Fine Art and a 

 Science, so as ultimately to form an important body of information on Ar- 

 chitecture, both decorative and constructive. 



The Institute trust that this appeal to professional men will not be in vain, 

 and when they consider the honoured names of Palladio, Chambers, Ron- 

 delet, Smeaton, Tredgold, Nicholson, KrafTt, and others who have done so 

 much, and deservedly gained so much honor in like investigations, |they can- 

 not but confidently hope that many other men of erudition, taste, and 

 science, will be induced to add in like manner to the stores of Architectur»l 

 knowledge. 



April 20. — Earl de Grev, President, in the Chair. 



A paper was read by the Rev. Richard Bdrgess, on " The Ancient 

 Triumphal Arches." The paper commenced by explaining the purposes 

 for which those monuments were erected ; that they were properly divided 

 into two classes, arches of triumph and honorary arches. The former 

 placed nowhere but across triumphal roads, like the Via Appia, Via 

 Flaminia, and other great approaches : the Via Sacra, by which the pro- 

 cession moved to the Capitol, was distinguished by several. The honorary 

 arches were placed where the acts they commemorated had taken place, 

 as the Arch of Trajan at Ancona, where that Emperor had built a port, 

 the Arch of Augustus at Susa, at the foot of Mount Cenis, where Augustus 

 passed in journeying to or from the transalpine provinces. Mr. Burgess 

 having established this distinction, then enumerated all the arches now ex. 

 isting or known to have existed in Rome or Italy, in chronological order. 

 Before proceeding to the description of the principal existing arches, he 

 described a triumphal procession, especially taking Vopiscus's account of 

 Aurelian's triumph. After disposing of the provincial honorary arches, 

 and some general remarks on such as might be termed mere gateways, the 

 paper contained an historical account of the arches of Drusus, Titus, Sep- 

 timius Severus, and Constantine in order, and to the historical account 

 were added various architectonic observations, and illustrations of the or- 

 naments which still exist upon those arches. Mr. Burgess pointed out the 

 decline of Art in the arch of Septimius Severus, and the perfection of it in 

 that of Constantine, which he showed to have been an arch belonging to 

 the best age of sculpture, and was adopted but not erected by Constantine, 

 In the course of the dissertation Mr. Burgess paid a tribute of respect to 

 the memory of the late Mr. Basevi, and mentioned the Fitzwilliam Museum, 

 at Cambridge, as a fine example of genius soaring above the littleexpedient 

 of loading with ornament that which was deficient in architectural result. 

 Mr. Burgess took occasion to compare the pageantry of the Roman triumphs 

 with the modest deportment of our commanders, and drew some parallel 

 between the Indian victories and those of the Romans iu Asia, and the 

 paper was concluded with a reference to the influence of Christianity in 

 moderating the proceedings of modern warfare. 



The President announced that the Academic Royale des Sciences, des 

 Lettres et des Beaux Arts de Belgique had expressed a desire to place it- 

 self in communication with the Institute ; and likewise that the Accademia 

 Olimpica, of Vicenza, had acknowledged the receipt of the report of 

 Messrs. Poynter and Donaldson, the honorary secretaries, on the colleclion 

 of drawings by Palladio, in the possession of the Duke of Devonshire, 

 and as a mark of their sense of the courtesy of the Institute on the occa- 

 sion, had elected Messrs. Poynter and Donaldson, Members of that Aca- 

 demy. 



The Honorary Medal, voted on the 17th of November last, to the Che- 

 valier Beuth, as a testimonial of the sense entertained by the members of 

 the Institute of the benefit conferred by him on the art during the period he 

 held the important oliice under tlie Prussian Government, from which he 

 has retired, was presented, with an appropriate address, to the Chevalier 

 Hebeler, who had been requested by the Chevalier Beuth to receive it oa 

 his behalf. 



The Prize Medals awarded on the 23rd of February, were presented by 



