268 



two wires, and preventing the current striking across from one to the 

 other. A wire, buried in the earth, would be protected, in most 

 cases, from the effect of a direct discharge; but the inductive in- 

 fluence would still be exerted, though perhaps in a less degree. 



The wires of the telegraph are too small and too few in number to 

 affect, as some have supposed, the electrical condition of the atmos- 

 phere, by equalizing the quantity of the fluid in different places, and 

 thus producing a less changeable state of the weather. The feeble 

 currents of electricity which must be constantly passing along the 

 wires of a long line, may, however, with proper study, be the means 

 of discovering many interesting facts relative to the electrical state of 

 the air over different regions. 



A communication was read from Prof. Locke, of Cincinnati, 

 detailing certain phenomena of terrestrial magnetism, as ob- 

 served in the trap rock of the Brandy wine, which exhibited 

 manifest polarity. 



Prof. Frazer stated that some of the trap rock of the Bran- 

 dywine contained magnetic pyrites; and if the rock alluded to 

 by Prof. Locke contained pyrites, it might account for the 

 phenomena. 



Mr. Haldeman made the following remarks on the Phono- 

 logy of the Wyandots. 



Missionaries and others have asserted that the peculiarities of this 

 language are such that it cannot be reduced to writing. A tolerably 

 thorough examination of it, with the assistance of Mr. .1. E. Arm- 

 strong, a native, have shown that this is not the fact. To a person 

 unaccustomed to rigid analysis of the sounds capable of being pro- 

 duced by the organs of speech, it would be found much more difficult 

 to appreciate the peculiarities of the Cherokee. 



The Wyandot alphabet is as follows: — 1. i (in field), 2. 1 (fit), 

 3. e (where), 4. e (met), 5. i (man, nasal), 6. a (far), 7. a (fi^aw, 

 not), 8. o (moan, no, nasal), 9. o (word, nut), 10. u (rule, full), 

 11. w (English in we), 12. m, 13. n, 14. d, 15". t, 15'. t, 16. f (the 

 smooth English sound, never vibrant), 17. j (azure, French j), 18. s 

 (hiss), 19. f (ship, French ch), 20. j (year, German jahr, Italian 

 jeri), 21. g (gui in get), 22". k, 22'. k, 23. ^ (Greek, German ich), 

 24. h (English and German initial in held), 25. > (close of the 

 glottis). 



The series of vowels is very full, amounting to the five primaries 



