Scientific Intelligence. — Hydrography. 869 
8. Pouillet on Evaporation. — Pouillet, from a series of ex- 
periments he made, on the evaporation of liquids, infers, 1. That, 
during the evaporation of perfectly pure water, no electricity is 
evolved. 2. That when water contains certain alkalies in solu- 
tion, electricity is evolved, which is vitreous for the apparatus, 
when the alkali is fixed, and resinous when the alkali is volatile, 
as ammonia. 
HYDROGRAPHY. 
9- Inundation in Holland . — The public papers have shewn, 
that the last inundation has extended and multiplied its ravages 
on all sides. The provinces of Over-Yssel and Frise are those 
which have suffered most. If the accounts are not exaggerated, 
more than five thousand acres of land must have been over- 
whelmed in these provinces, in consequence of the breaking 
down of the dikes. The town of Embden, in particular, pre- 
sents a perfect picture of devastation. The water has every 
where risen to a greater height than it has done since the fright- 
ful inundation of 1775. Without entering into details, we must 
content ourselves with communicating to our readers the follow- 
ing circumstantial relation, which is so much the more interest- 
ing, that it bears an official character. u On Tuesday, the 1st 
February, the air being sultry for the season, presaged an ap- 
proaching storm. In the evening, dark clouds were seen sweep- 
ing along, with rapidity, from the south-west : the wind imme- 
diately began to blow from this point. On Wednesday, the 2d, 
it blew strongly from the same direction: toward evening, it 
changed to the north-east. On Thursday morning, at the time of 
flowing, it had not changed, which gave rise to the apprehension 
of a high tide. The same day, after noon, the water rose to a 
much greater height than that of mean tides : the wind remained 
at north-west, keeping back the ebb, which, in fact, was but in- 
complete. From this, the following tide, it was apprehended, 
would be higher. In fact, in the morning of Friday, the 5th, 
the storm -always continuing, the tide rose 26 Dutch inches high- 
er than the preceding one. At the time of low-water, it remained 
evidently at half the height of ordinary ebbs, which was a proof 
that the storm continued at a distance, and pushed up the wa- 
ters. These symptoms were not observed, without inspiring the 
