November, 1882. 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST. 
59 
to my mental vision with such distinctness as the memorable 
wreck of the ship “Dunbar.” 
As most of the events connected with that lamentable affair 
have appeared from time to time in various journals, it will 
not be necessary for me to allude to them further than to 
chronicle some with which I was personally connected, which 
I do not recollect having before seen in print, and which, X 
am afraid, speak more for the curiosity of the gentler sex than 
either their humanity or their decency. 
Nearly every one now is cognisant of the fact that about 
twenty-five years ago (I forget the exact date) a fine new 
ship called the “ Dunbar” went down close to Sydney Heads 
through a fatal mistake of the captain’s, and that every soul 
on board save one found an immediate and watery grave. 
This occurred, if I recollect aright, on a Friday night, and 
the following Sunday I determined to go down to the Heads 
and have a look at the wreck. I had expected that there would 
be many of the masculine gender who would be touched with 
the same inclination as myself ; but I was not at all prepared 
for the scene which met my gaze when I got fairly on the road. 
Vehicles of every conceivable description had been pressed into 
the service of excited sightseers, and the whole distance from 
George-street to the Heads (as I subsequently found) was 
literally alive with carts, cabs, ’busses, private carriages, and 
pedestrians — men, women, and even children, trudging along 
with a pertinacity which could only be equalled by passengers 
on the road to Flemington on Cup Day. 
On arriving at the Heads I found an immense concourse of 
persons, of all ages and of both sexes, gathered at the edge of 
a cliff overlooking the scene of the catastrophe ; and here a 
sight met my gaze which I shall not forget to ray dying day — 
a sight which, I am sorry to record, was witnessed, not only 
by strong, stout-hearted men, able and willing to render 
assistance should such have been required, but by women and 
children, whose sole object must have been a morbid desire for 
sickly sight-seeing, and whose presence could only have been 
a hindrance to those whose painful occupation I will endea- 
vour to describe. 
On a flat ledge of rock, fully two hundred feet below the 
spectators, a man was standing nearly naked. A line was 
round his body, the end of which was held by his friends 
above. The end of another line, also held by his mates, he 
grasped in his left hand ; and, thus equipped, waited for the 
influx of the waves, nearly every one of which carried on to 
the rocky platform on which the man was standing portions 
of the mangled bodies of the unfortunates who had perished 
in the wreck. These mangled portions of humanity having been 
secured by the man on the rock before the retreating waters 
could carry them back to the deep, were made fast to the line, 
and, having been drawn up, were placed in a large black box. 
This box when filled was replaced by another, and thus were 
gathered together and subsequently interred portions of the 
bodies of the passengers and crew of the ill-fated ship 
“ Dunbar.” 
(To be continued.') 
anil JHagisterial. 
ECHUCA POLICE COURT. 
Tuesday, 24th October, 1882. 
(Before Mr. Graham Webster, P.M.) 
CASE OF ALLEGED ARSON. 
John Frederick Faulkner Grace, chemist, was charged 
with feloniously and maliciously setting fire to the house of 
Mrs. Shields. Mr. Conant appeared for prisoner. Mr. Penne- 
father, instructed by Mr. Akehurst, appeared for the prose- 
cution, and explained the circumstances of the case. 
Detective Hayes, stationed at Echuca, deposed that on the 
14th inst. he went to Mrs. Shields’ premises in company with 
Constable Rogers. In consequence of something he heard he 
went to the railway station, and told Grace there had been a 
fire at the house he lived in, and in consequence of statements 
made he wished him to come back. Grace asked if the place 
was burnt down. He said — “ No, only the back portion.” 
Prisoner then said — “ What a d shame.” They then went 
back at prisoner’s own request. Took prisoner to the police 
station and read the warrant to him. He made no statement. 
Searched prisoner, who had three keys (produced) on him. 
One opened No. 3 door, and another the back door of the 
front cottage. The third did not open any of the doors. The 
fire appeared to have originated in No. 3 room, and went 
towards No. 2. Found a match in the right-hand corner of 
No. 3 room, amongst some rubbish. By Mr. Conant — The 
match was damp when he picked it up. (His Worship was of 
opinion the match had never been lit.) Had no warrant to 
arrest Grace at the railway station. Looked at the lock of the 
door. 
A quantity of other evidence was taken, and the prisoner 
was committed to the first gaol delivery. Bail was allowed in 
his own recognisance of £200 and two sureties of £100 each. 
TESTING OF BENZOIC ACID. 
C. Schneider has modified Schacht’s method of testing 
benzoic acid, sublimed from Siam benzoin, by using 16 (in- 
stead of 5) drops of half per cent, solution of potassium per- 
magnate, which is completely decolourised, and after eight 
hours the liquid remains colourless ( Pliar . Zeitung , No. 20). 
The artificial benzoic acids, or such sublimed with Siam 
benzoin, or prepared from benzoin by the wet process, do not 
effect the complete reduction of the test solution, and in the 
presence of cinnamic acid the odour of benzaldehyde becomes 
apparent. The sublimed acid, carefully preserved in dark- 
coloured bottles, does not lose this deoxidising power on keep- 
ing. 
Mr. Jahns having noticed the strong reducing power of 
vanillin upon permanganate, experiments were also made 
with this compound and with mixtures of vanillin and toluol- 
benzoic acid. Such mixtures, more particularly those con- 
taining one- tenth, one- twentieth, or one-thirtieth of vanillin 
behave very similar to sublimed benzoic acid ; but, aside from 
the peculiar odour, the liquid, after eight hours, is of a dis- 
tinct yellow colour, and contains a deposit of colourless or 
slightly-coloured crystals. 
The author regards the permanganate test as well adapted 
for distinguishing benzoic acid, sublimed from benzoin, from 
the acid of other sources, and from that which is contaminated 
with cinnamic acid ; but he advocates its preparation by the 
pharmacist. — Archie d. Phar ., June, 1882, pp. 401 — 403. 
Professor Ed. Schaer has likewise made a series of compara- 
tive experiments with benzoic acid of different origin and per- 
manganate, following Schacht’s directions, and arrived at the 
following conclusions : — 
1. Benzoic acid, sublimed from benzoin, exerts a striking 
reducing action, both in acid and alkaline solution, upon per- 
manganate solution, not shared by benzoic acid of other 
modes of preparation, or only in a limited degree. The non- 
officinal benzoic acids give, in alkaline solution, at first a green 
colour. 
2. Benzoic acid, prepared from benzoin with lime, behaves 
like the artificial acid, and resembles the sublimed acid in its 
reducing action only if prepared from the residues of sublima- 
tion or from benzoin containing cinnamic acid. 
3. The acid prepared from benzoin with lime does not, by 
sequent sublimation, acquire the reducing action of genuine 
flowers of benzoin. 
4. Non-officinal benzoic acids acquire, by sublimation with 
benzoin, the reducing action upon permanganate ; but even 
with an addition of 20 per cent, of benzoin before the sub- 
limation, the action is^by far less pronounced that that of the 
officinal acid. 
5. Cinnamic acid possesses an energetic reducing action in 
acid and alkaline solution, and in mixtures with non-officinal 
benzoic acids modifies the behaviour of the latter. 
6. Benzoic acid, which does not reduce permanganate in 
acid solution, and causes with it a green colour in alkaline 
solution, does not acquire the property of instantaneously re- 
ducing the permanganate, even when mixed with 10 per cent, 
of cinnamic acid ; the reduction takes place only after several 
minutes. — Archie d. Phar,, June, 1882, pp. 425 — 430. 
LECTURE ON AGRICULTURE. 
The lecture on the “ Science of Agriculture,” by Mr. Marks, 
of the School of Mines, delivered on the show ground on the 26th 
October, was listened to by a very large audience. The speaker 
was introduced by the Hon. Mr. M‘Bain. The Minister of 
Agriculture presided. The Minister of Mines and the Hon. R. 
Clark also appeared on the platform, and at the close the latter 
gentleman spoke in high terms of what had been heard. The 
lecture itself was attentively listened to, and commenced 
