1836.] 



MISCELLANEA. 



1 . — Percussion Caps for Musketry, &c. — We copy the following 

 from a private letter dated in August last, from an intelligent and 

 scientific officer in charge of H. M's Armoury Mills for the manufac- 

 ture of small arms, swords, &c. situated a few miles north of London 

 on the river Lea : — te We have been bewildered by a multiplicity of 

 inventions, but our original and safe principle of the nipple and cap is 

 working its way gradually and securely to the top, and I have no 

 doubt will eventually succeed. We have offers as low as Is. lOd. per 

 thousand for the caps uncharged, as it is proposed that the whole are 

 to be primed with the fulminate by the laboratory at Woolwich. A 

 man at Birmingham has offered a machine by which one boy can 

 prime 50,000 caps per Hour ! ! ! what think you of that ! — And I am now 

 in treaty with a Frenchman for a machine, or collection of machines, 

 that is capable of stocking a musket complete at the rate of 600 per 

 day. I have seen one of his stocks with the barrel, lock, brass work, 

 ramrod, &c. let in very neatly. — This if it is brought to bear will cause a 

 re-action in the gun trade. We are now busy arming the Spanish 

 auxiliaries, and are sadly pressed for men." 



J.B. 



2. — New Iron Mine in Sweden. — Another competitor has started 

 up near Th6rshalla,a little town about 90 miles inland from Stockholm. 

 A Mr. Zerthelius is working the ore there after the English manner? 

 and produces better ore than the Dannemora mines, who have already 

 been obliged to lower their prices 30 per cent. I have written to a 

 friend at Stockholm to send me a specimen of the ore and a sample of 

 the iron, which, if I succeed in procuring, I will find some opportunity 

 of communicating to you. 



3. — Drilling holes in Glass. — A common drill, dipped in spirits 

 of turpentine, is said to make quick work in boring through glass, and 

 not to be more blunted than by piercing iron of the same thickness. 

 It is a recent improvement adopted from the French. 



4. — Cost op Parliamentary Sanction.—-" In round numbers the 

 following are the costs of a few of the late bills as given to me by 

 those who profess to have the means of knowing, The London and 

 Southampton railway bill cost 31,000£, exclusive of the opposition to 

 the great Western. — The Birmingham railway 90,000£.— The Lon- 

 don Docks 100,000.— The great Western (railway) it is calculated will 

 fall little short of 150,000£, whether the bill be obtained or not ; 

 hence the last bill including the expenses of opposition may be set 

 down at least at 260,000£." — Mechanics Magazine, August, 1835. 



5. — Analysis op the Nellore Copper Ores ; by James Prinsep^ 

 Esq. Assay Master at Calcutta. 



" Through the kindness of Mr. C. A. Kerr, I have had a further op- 

 portunity of examining the produce ©f the Nellore copper mines, of 



