Miscellanies. 193 



19. Another work on Chemistry. — Messrs. Barnes and Saxe of Mid- 

 dletown, have in press and will shortly publish, a Manual of Chemistry 

 on the basis of Turner's Elements of Chemistry, designed as a text- 

 book for students in colleges and other seminaries of learning, by 

 Prof. J. Johnston of the Wesleyan University. Dr. Turner's excellent 

 work has been held in deservedly high repute, and as a general trea- 

 tise on this branch of science, for a book of the size it is considered 

 unrivalled. Much of the work, however, and especially in the later 

 editions, is occupied with the minutias of the science, which, in order 

 to give a full view of the subject, are indeed important, but which to 

 the student in his eftbrts to master its great principles, are rather 

 embarrassing and perplexing. Prof. J. has therefore formed the plan 

 of preparing a work on Chemistry designed exclusively for use as a 

 text-book, which shall present faithfully the great features of the sci- 

 ence, with the most recent improvements, unencumbered with other 

 matter that cannot be made directly available in the recitation room. 

 To do this he has adopted Dr. Turner's general arrangement, and 

 made use of so much of his work as was adapted to his purpose, 

 supplying the place of the remainder by other matter chosen from 

 every source within his reach. The work will be of a medium size, 

 but will contain as much matter as is generally made use of by col- 

 lege classes. 



20. Progress of the U. S. Exploring Expedition. — The vessels of the 

 Exploring Squadron arrived at Sydney, New South Wales, early in De- 

 cember, 1839. The officers and men were received with great kindness 

 and treated with much hospitality by the authorities and the people. The 

 Expedition sailed from Sydney on the 26th December, with the intention 

 of proceeding as far south as circumstances would permit. It was ex- 

 pected that the squadron would return from its southern explorations so 

 as to be at New Zealand about the 1st of April, whence it will proceed 

 to the Sandwich isles previous to visiting the Columbia river. The sci- 

 entific corps were left at Sydney, with orders to join the squadron at New 

 Zealand. 



The schooner Sea Gull, containing fifteen persons, officers and men, 

 has not been heard from for more than a year. There seems to be little 

 ground for doubt that she perished at sea during the first southern explo- 

 ration of the squadron early in the year 1839, and probably left no sur- 

 vivor to tell her melancholy fate. 



21. Magnetic Observations. — We are gratified to hear that the Ameri- 

 can Academy of Arts and Sciences have also resolved to co-operate in the 

 great system of magnetical observations now going on in all parts of the 

 globe. The Academy have appropriated $1000 for purchasing the ne- 



Vol. XXXIX, No. 1.— April-June, 1840. 25 



