558 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



the earth. "We have not yet developed our resources nor explored our 

 strata. 



Mr. Seeley. — Has seen many persons who have traveled in China, India, 

 and other countries, but they could give no account of the arts there prac- 

 ticed. But from some small paintings on mica, he learned how the Chinese 

 blacksmith works, what the shape of his tools are, etc. So we learn from 

 their boxes their mode of working and joining wood, etc. It may be well 

 to state that "cadmium" is now found in England, and has not yet been 

 found here. It is worth $2 a pound. 



Prof. Mason, during college vacation, examined Sir Wm, Jones' work in 

 10 volumes, and Meadows' work, and got no information of the knowledge 

 possessed by the Chinese, or other Eastern nations, on metals and ores. 

 Frequently he inquired of missionaries, merchants, and diplomatists, but 

 they were all interested in other matters, and neglected the arts and 

 sciences. 



The same ship which brought zinc at thirty cents a pound, and cotton 

 cloth at eighty cents a yard from the Deccan, lived to go back with zinc at 

 four cents, and cloth at ten cents. ♦ 



Mr. Tillman. — "We now produce five times as much zinc as England. 

 Poland and other countries produce more, but we will shortly exceed any 

 of them. 



Prof. Mason. — There are tv/o deposits in Europe, one in Silesia and the 

 other in Belgium. These are now failing. There are also two deposits in 

 America, one in the Bethlehem mountains, the other in Tennessee. 



After some desultory remarks upon the arts of the Chinese, Japanese, 

 etc., the Association adjourned. 



Subject for next evening, "Lead." 



Polytechnic Association op the American Institute, ) 



February \st, 1860. ) 



John Johnson, Esq., in the chair. Benjamin Garvey, Secretary pro tem. 



Mr. Garvey gave an account of Ehrenberg's and Foucalt's experiments 

 instituted to determine the fact of the earth's rotation. He also explained, 

 by the aid of a diagram on the black-board, the construction and mode of 

 operation of his "Gyrometer." The object of which is to render the earth's 

 rotation visible for any length of time desired so as to determine, first, the 

 rotation ; second, its uniformity. 



The apparatus consists of a fixed vertical tube supported by a frame, and 

 a loose horizontal tube, communicating at its centre with the vertical tube, 

 so as to give free passage to water from a reservoir above. The horizontal 

 tube is made as straight as possible, and turns freely upon a delicate pivot at 

 bottom and a water-tight joint above. There is a graduated scale to indicate 

 changes of direction, and levels to fix the horizontal tube true. It depends 

 for its action upon the fact that a current of water, flowing from a centre 

 outwards, tends to destroy rotation. 



