348 
Scientific Intelligence. 
[Nov. 
Keith Prize proposed by the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 
The Royal Society of Edinburgh have determined to appropriate the interest of a 
sum amounting to jt'dOO, left them by the late Alexander Keith Esq. towards the for- 
mation of a biennial prize, to consist of a gold medal not exceeding fifteen guineas in 
value, together with a sum of money or piece of plate bearing the inscription and 
devices of the medal. The prize is to he adjudged to the author of the most im- 
portant discovery in science made in any part of the world, but communicated by 
their author to the Royal Society, and published for the first time in their Transac- 
tions. — Phil. Mag. and An. Phil, for May, 1829. 
Platina Coinage. 
The coinage of money in Russia is of the platina found in the Oural mountains. 
The coin is dated Petersburg!; 1828 ; and of the value of three roubles, or nearly 
ten shillings in silver. It is about the size of a sovereign, and so beautifully executed 
as to do great credit to the mintage and arts in Russia. On the one side is the 
Russian eagle emblazoned with its shields and bearings, on the reverse a central 
inscription, stating the amount of the piece, and round the border, the words, “ 2 zol. 
(quasi zolotniks) 41 parts of pure oural platina .” — New Monthly Magazine , No. 99. 
Geographical Society of Paris. 
The Geographical Society at Paris have presented their annual gold medal, of the 
value of one thousand francs, to Captain Sir John Franklin, as a testimony of their 
sense of the importance of his second expedition to the stores of the polar sea— 
Phil. Mag. and An. Phil, for May, 1829. 
3. New Patent. 
Mr. Langley’s Improved method of fixing the Compass on Board Ship. 
This is an American patent, and the following is the patentee’s account of it. 
“ The object of my improvement is to dispense altogether with the binacle,in which 
the compass is ordinarily' fixed, to cause it to answer all the purposes of a tell-tale, 
and to secure it against accidents from cannon-shot, the shipping of heavy seas, 
or any other cause of injury'. The mode in which these ends are attained, is by 
cutting a hole through the deck of the vessel, at or near the place where thebinacle 
is usually situated , this hole is cut through into the cabin, and within it, is placed 
the compass with its box, suspended in the usual way ; and when so situated, it is 
completely out of the reach of cannon or other shot. In order to cause it to act as 
a tell-tale, the compass-box is made with a glass bottom, so that the card can be 
seen as perfectly in the cabin as upon deck. I also make the compass-card trans- 
lucent, or semi-transparent, in consequence of which, it may always he lighted from 
below, and will be much more plainly seen at night than when lighted in the ordi- 
nary way. 
The compass is defended at top by a very thick piece of glass ; sneh as I have 
used, has been three-fourths of an inch in thickness, and this is also defended by a 
rim or band, projecting above the deck; the lower side of the box is also glazed ; 
and I contemplate sometimes making the aides of the box of glass, should it be de- 
sirable to admit light in that way. 
What I claim as new in the above described invention, is the fixing of the com- 
pass entirely within the planking of the deck of a vessel ; and the mode of render- 
ing it equally visible, both upon deck and in the cabin.” — Tech. Rep. 
4. New Publications. 
1, Elements of Mechanical Philosophy. 
A treatise on this subject by Dr. Lloyd, Professor of Natural Philosophy in the 
university of Dublin, has been recently published, of which a favorable critique is 
given in the 78th Number of the Quarterly Review. Such a work was wanted, and 
if well executed, we doubt not of its success. 
2. A new System of Geology. 
Dr. Ure, the author of the Dictionary of Chemistry, has published a new System 
of . Geology, a principal object of which appears to be to refute the ill considered 
objections made by' sciolists to the hook of Genesis on geological grounds. It contains 
a popular and well written account of the new Theory' of Light ; a theory which has 
been gaining ground lately, and promises to be generally adopted by the scientific 
world. 
