374 Intelligence and Miscellanies. 



sumed by the Department, for a moderate and competent 

 remuneration, will deserve tlie consideration of Congress. — 

 Message of the President of the United States, Dec. IB'iS. 



13. American Blistered, Steel. — From a printed notice 

 which we have received, supported by numerous and decided 

 certificates, it appears that excellent blistered steel is now 

 manufactured by the American Eagle Company, whose ref- 

 erence is to Townsend, Titus & Co. 299 Pearl street. New 

 York. The artists who have borne witness to the excellence 

 of this steel, have manufactured it into cutting instruments, 

 both coarse and fine, and find that in firmness and strength, 

 in delicacy and permanency of edge, and in brilliancy of pol- 

 ish, it is equal to the best English blistered steel. 



1 4. Notices of Palestine, <J-c. in a letter from the Rev. J. 



Bird to the Editor, dated Lazaretto Rooms, Malta, June 



20, 1828 — received Oct. 7. 



Dear Sir — I was not long since reminded in a letter from 

 the Rev. Mr. Brewer, that you were expecting a few more 

 mineralogical specimens from Syrm, accordiiig to promise.* 

 Indeed sir, I had not forgotten the promise nor relinquished 

 the intention of fulfilling it. Were it otherwise, you would 

 have had an earlier reply to your obliging favor of March, 

 1826. I intended that the fulfilment and the reply should 

 come to you together. But if you have found time to keep 

 a little watch of our motions, you will have observed that, for 

 the last two years, I have hardly been without the precincts 

 of Beyroot. I have had, durmg this period, so much more 

 to do with men than with things, that nothing of special in- 

 terest, connected with your departments of science has fall- 

 en under my observation. Quite lately, however, I have 

 been a little more abroad, and have not failed to improve the 

 opportunity to collect together all thmgs within my reach 

 which I supposed would be acceptable to you. This col- 

 lection I now send you. 



Of the former box, sent two years ago, I have not had a 

 word of history except from yourself How it should have 

 been opened on the way, and its contents put into such a 

 state of confusion, I am, of course, unable to explain, Per- 



* The boxes referred to, by Mr. Bird, arrived, while this proof was passing 

 through the press and there has been no time to examine them ; they may 

 be noticed hereafter. — Ed. 



