136 Foreign Notices : — Russia, West Indies. 



diately filled with the greensand brought up in abundance by the water. After 

 allowing the thermometer to remain thirty minutes in this basin, it indicated 

 27° 6' cent. (81; 68° Fahr.). 



We all know that it was owing to the influence of M. Arago that the 

 vote of the Municipal Council of Paris was obtained for the continuation of 

 the boring operations from the depth of 500 metres to that of 600. It was 

 doubted at that time if the water would rise to the surface ; and one of the 

 reasons which decided the vote was, the ascent of water in the wells bored at 

 Elbceuf, by which water was obtained from the subterranean sheet of water 

 which was sought for at Paris. M. Arago was sure that the water could rise 

 to a height of from 27 to 30 metres above the surface, which itself is 8 metres 

 above the level of the sea. Now, the surface at Grenelle being 31 metres 

 above the level of the sea, the comparison between these two points gave him 

 reason to hope that the column of water would rise to the surface at Paris, 

 (M. Walferdin, in Edin. Phil. Journ., July, 1841, vol. xxxi. p. 140.) 



Bore of the Artesian Well at Grenelle. — The bore passes through strata of 

 various kinds, such as, alluvial matter, sands and gravels, clays and lignites, 

 chalk, hard chalk, and chloritic chalk. At the lower part of the bore, the 

 following strata have been found, viz., green and grey clay ; a bed of fine 

 sand, containing water, gravel, and rolled stones ; and a calcareous and argil- 

 laceous bed. The total length of the bore is 1794§ English feet ; and the 

 total cost 12,000/. The quantity of water thrown up is estimated at nearly 

 880,000 imperial gallons. It appears, from the analysis of M. Pelouse, member 

 of the Institute, that the water is purer than that of the Seine. The temper- 

 ature of the water is 82*4° Fahr. (Sir John Robkon, in Edin. Phil. Jour., 

 July, 1841, p. 141.) 



RUSSIA. 



Riga, Dec. 20. 1841. — I must now say a few words about a flower-show 

 which we have had this year. It was the first attempt of the sort, and, con- 

 sequently, could not be compared to the brilliant collections that are displayed 

 so often under your own eyes. Besides, this was not only the first show in 

 Riga, but in Russia in general. The receipts were to be applied to a benevo- 

 lent purpose, and, consequently, I, who had the arrangement intrusted to me, 

 tried rather to make the whole as imposing as possible, instead, as in true 

 flower-shows, of displaying every specimen separately for the inspection of 

 connoisseurs. However, I managed in this arrangement to satisfy amateurs, 

 by placing tables for cut dahlias in flower, in the cultivation of which the 

 amateurs of our city excel. For this reason, the show was fixed for the end 

 of August, as being the most appropriate. In a public garden here there is a 

 Gothic room, which is used in general by the water-drinkers (it is a hydropathic 

 establishment) ; and here I had stages erected for plants in pots, and for cut 

 flowers. The colonnade at the entrance was ornamented with a row of orange 

 trees in flower, laurels, and pomegranates ; and two enormous plants of Agave 

 and A'loo vivipara closed the entrance on the side where the visiters were not 

 to enter. The entrance to the room was arched over by two majestic cy- 

 presses, and hung with silk and bronze in a very elegant manner. In the 

 middle of the room a hemispherical stage was placed against the wall, on 

 which was the bust of the emperor, adorned with the finest palm trees and 

 plants of the torrid zone, such as zamias, pandanuses, dracasnas, marantas, 

 &c. This centre-piece had an excellent effect, from the singular and com- 

 pletely foreign nature of the foliage. — Ft: Wagner, fib. 



WEST INDIES. 



Residence of Edward Otto at Cuba. (Continued from our preceding Volume, 

 p. 651.) — The immediate suburbs of Havanna no longer presented anything 

 interesting to our eager enquiries; and therefore on Saturday the 12th of 



