the Ruins caused by the late great Fire at Edinburgh 97 
was very remarkable ; a deep silence marked, in the strongest 
manner, the doubt and anxiety which pervaded the minds of all 
the spectators. The first shot drove away a portion of the but- 
tress, and threw up a cloud of smoke. This was followed almost 
instantly by the second explosion, which completely destroyed 
the support, and the whole of the vast pile was observed to be in 
motion. At first it seemed merely to tremble, but, in the next 
instant, it was seen to writhe to and fro, from top to bottom ; 
next, a few loose stones fell ; then the immense stalks of chim- 
neys, and the tops of the walls, bowed their heads forwards 
the middle and lower parts now seemed all disjointed and power- 
less ; and all these motions rapidly accelerating, the whole fabric 
came thundering to the ground, with a most prodigious crash, 
filling the air, to a great height, with a dense cloud of dust. See 
Plate V. 
Nothing could be more completely successful -not a single 
person was hurt, nor a single building injured, though some 
were situated at no more than a few feet from the ruins. 
What is particularly remarkable is, that, in no case of the 
fall of these walls, did their effects extend to more than a few 
yards distance from their bases. This can only be accounted 
for, by supposing the stones completely disunited by the decom- 
position of the mortar, and the partial calcination of the stones 
by the heat, so that the instant the equilibrium was destroyed, 
all the parts were left to act independently, and being without 
any cohesion, fell straight to the ground 
Art, XII . — Memoir on the Millc of the Cow-Tree, By Maria- 
no de Rivero, and T, B. Boussingault -f* *. 
M R Laet appears to be the first who has made known, in 
Europe, one of the most curious vegetable productions of the 
• The engravings (Plates IV, and V.), illustrative of the above description, are 
taken from a set of eight admirably executed representations of the ruins after the 
fire, published in Edinburgh for the benefit of the sufferers. They are said to be 
the work of Mr James Hall, a rising young advocate at the Scotch Bar,— Edit. 
*1* Translated from the Spanish, 
VOL. XII. KO. 23. JANUARY 1825. 
G 
