240 



SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. 



Easlern Townships.— \t is no', peiliaps, generally 1,-nown to the pub- 

 lic ll.ai our Piovu.cial Genlogist, ilv.hgxxn, hascliscoiered materials 

 very al,u.,dautly exisiini: ,a ^ur viciiiily. sc, aJmirably adapted for the 

 luai.ufactnre ot evuiy de-ciiplion of Earthenware and Glass, -.uat a 

 company orga.iised lur the purpose of ti-siing the facts are only wanted 

 to pr,.duce, according to Mr. Logan and other piactioal men's as- 

 surance, articles jn these species of manufacture of a most superior 

 texture and usefulness, acd in abundance for e.xport and home con- 

 sumption the production of which would, most probably, contribute 

 towards the permanent prosperity of Sherbrnoke. moie than even the 

 discovery of the auriferous deposits rich as they may be said to be 

 found in several localities in our neighb.iurbood. B^si.le* tliese there 

 has been discovered lately marble of various kinds, and most superior 

 description, suited for tombstones, mantle pieces, <tc., and when I 

 mention further that in addition to these, Gvpsum has been found to a 

 Tcry considerable extent in O.Nford, an article hitherto imported prin- 

 cipally Irom ^ova Scotia, acd tliat men of some practical experience, 

 and at the same lime possessing capital, are living in our midst, it 

 cannot be considered too sanguine to e.xpoctthat influential gentlemen 

 will be found, during the absence of Jlr. Gait in England, ready to take 

 the initiatory belore organizing. The British An.eriian Land Company 

 have very recently, through their Chief Commissioner, signified more 

 than usual holicilude towards establishing every species of manufac- 

 turing industry in our Town ; by liberally afT-rding every facility to 

 the utmost e-xlent that water privileges &nd aid in money can be war- 

 rantably advanced to men of practical skill and enttrpnse, to render 

 bherbrooke what nature has destined it to be. the gieat workshop and 

 maculacturiug Lowell of Canada.- 6'or. of the Skerbrocke Gazette. 



The ireiai Trade cf the n,'Hcd Kingdom.— Hhe total declared value 

 of the exports o( vainuis desciiptions of melals during the month and 

 12 monibs, ending with the 5ih January, is as follows :— 



^'^"/^f- -For the month. For 12 months. 



1°?3 ....£^07,100 £9.928.405 



iSaa 5093r.8.... 89IS124 



^^ 1^51 637,354 8.7(>7.646 



1 hese li^uies show an extraerdiiiary expansion ot the e.xport trade iu 

 melals; and one of the most remarkable results consists in the f.ict, 

 that in the last monlh the nnnvement has been more maiked than ever 

 before known. It may be fairly assumed that the export of melals for 

 the current year will be larger ihan any known in the annals of our 

 commerce. The increase on the coriespoiulins morjth of 1832 is no 

 less than £318 714, or 62 p^r cent. The general increase in this branch 

 . of trade is ihe more woithy of notice, when it is considered ihat the 

 prices ol all descriptions of metals have during the last year expeiienced 

 an almost unexampled rise, a circumstance which ordinarily has 

 the effect of checking lorugn demand. On a more mmuie analysis of 

 the rptuins, we find ihat this check has been aclually perceptible in the 

 articles of copper, lead, and tin. but that the pi-sent tendency of these 

 Items is now in the direciion of a rally, the chief increase is in the 

 article which has also been maiked by ihe "reaiest lise \n price— iron. 

 The augmeutatiou in the shipments of this metal duiiug the last month' 

 more especially, is calculated to excite great attentiou, and fully bears 

 out the anticipations indulged in by ns on several occasions. The ex- 

 ports of this metal are shown below : — 



Years. For the month. For 12 months. 



IP £5.30.269 £6,155,600 



1852 297,588 5,414383 



1851 305,314 4,056,308 



This demand is mainly owing to the vast railway works -which are 

 now being Ciirried on by our enterprising capitalists iu so many parts 

 of the world. In fact, a large portion of the money which we have 

 lately subscribed to foreign and colonial railwav projects never leaves 

 the country at all, but is at once invested in niilway iron Again a 

 large portion of the American and other railway bonds lately taken 'up 

 here have been paid for iu our iro.i. The declared value of the ship- 

 ments is ol course increased by the enhanced prices now current for 

 metals ; but after making due allowance for this, we have still evidence 

 of au unexampled foreign and colonial demand. The demand for iron 

 Rliip-buildmgand iron houses, is also exercising an import ant influence. 

 J he presr-nl pusilinn of the market for this metal is exciting so much 

 attention, tliat these returns arc invested with additional interest The 

 export? ot cojipcr of all kinds for the month and 12 mouths are thus 

 stated : — 



Tears. For the monlh. For 12 months. 



1853 £ I ls,609 £ I 6 1 '' 73'^ 



1852 ;iO,.5n3 l'53.5'93'l 



1851 172,747 XfibXA'db 



In the twelve monllis the exports of tin have been to the extent of 

 £8.3,608, against £80,017, in the corresponding period ending the 5lh 

 January, 1852, and £124,798 in 1851. Those ot' tin iilales h.ivc been 

 £1,103 317 against £1,020,206 .and £927,202; auU those of lead 

 £353,101 against £344,315 and £387,394. 



[1853. 



Mr. "ff. Pringle, of Edinburgh, -writes to the Phil. JIag., the follow- 

 ing singular account : — 



•■Ou February 20th, 1846, about 10 P. Jf., when looking from an 

 eastern window, I observed a very splendid Arch in the Heavens. Its 

 open was situated some degrees south of the ziiith, its direction bein" 

 nearly at right angles to the magnetic meridian. While gazing at i1 

 I was astonished to see a portion of the eastern limb at a hefglit of 

 about 45 deg.or 50 deg., suddeulv change its character and aspect, and 

 tor an extent of perhaps 5 deg., exhibit the spectacle of a crowd of 

 mmute meteors rnshing and commingling with one another ; each indi- 

 vidually, so far as the eye could detect for the rapiditv and confusion 

 ot their motions, precisely resembling an ordinarv shooting star, hav- 

 ing an apparent nucleus and a luminous train follo-svingit. This'si-'ht 

 lasted. It may be, neai-ly a minute. The portion of the luminous boa 

 thus occupied was strictly confined in breadth to that of the arch: 

 there wa.s an obvious motion of the luminous matter of the arch itself 

 from East to West, resembling a treinulius sti-eaiii. and the cometary 

 projections followed the same course while they lasted. 



Obituary. 



VoxBuciT.— This eminent geoL. gist died at Berlin, on the 4th of 

 March aged 79 years. The foUowing is a letter from Humboldt to Sir 

 b J^Iuichisou, announcing his death, (Atliena>um. No. 1924.) 

 " That I should be destined— I, au old man of eighty -three— to an- 

 nounce to you, dear Sir Roderick, the saddest news that I could have 

 to convey :— to you for whom JL De Buch professed a friendship so 

 tender and to the many admirers of his genius, his v.ist labours, and 

 bis noble character ! Leopold De Buch was taken from us this morn- 

 ing by typhoid fever, so violent iu its attack that two davs only of 

 danger warned us. He -nas at my house so latelv as the 26th [uU. 1 

 despite the suow and the distance between us, tdking geology with 

 the mo.st lively interest That evening he went into society ; and on 

 Sijuday and Monday (the 27th and 28th) he camplained of a feverish 

 attack, which he believed to be caused bv a large chilblain swellin<r 

 ironi which lie had suffered for years. The inflammation required the 

 application of leeches, but the pain and the fever increased. He was 

 speechless for forty-eight hours. * * He died surrounded bv his 

 mends,— most of whom knew nothing of his danger tiU Wednesday 

 evening, the 2nd of March. = = y 



." He and I were uuiteil by a friendship of si.xtv-three years,— a 

 triendship which never knew intciTuptiou. I found him in" 1791 in 

 Werner s house in Freiburgh, when I entered the School of Mines. We 

 were togotlier lu Italy, in Switzerland, iu France,-four mouths in Saltz- 

 Durg. iVl. De Bueh was uot only one of the great illustrations of his 

 age,— he -lyas a man of a noble soul. His mind left a track of liu-ht 

 wherever it passed. Always in contact with Nature herself, he coSld 

 jeU boast ot having extended the Umits of geological science. I n-rieve 

 tor hull protouudly,— without him I feel desolate. I consulted him as 

 a master; and his affection (like that of G.ay Lussac and that of .dVra-o 

 -svho were also his friends) sustained me in my labours. He was four 

 years my |uuior,_and nothing forewarned me of this misfortune It 

 is not at the distance of a few hours onlv b-oiu such a loss, that I can 

 say more resjiecting it. Pity me,— and accept the homage of my pro- 

 tound respect and affectionate devotion " ^ 



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