CANDLES MANUFACTURED FROM CAOUTCHOUC. 
401 
to the exclusion of every other mode of transit. 
1’he possibility of competition as an element, 
that never enters into the composition of a 
railway prospectus; the fortunate shareholders 
of the concern whose glorious prospects are 
being held out to view', are always to engross 
the whole trade, not only of their own line, 
but of all the neighbouring country, although 
perhaps at the same time half-a-dozen other 
rail-roads are projected in the immediate 
vicinity. 
NEW POWER. 
We learn from Frankfort that there has 
been communicated to the Society of Natural 
Sciences of that city a discovery of a new mo- 
tive power, created by means of a galvanic 
battery, the action of which will supersede 
the use of steam, be more powerful, much less 
expensive, and less dangerous . — Morning 
Herald. 
A NEW LIGHT OF THE AGE. 
In the course of a recent lecture on the 
properties of caoutchouc. Dr. Birckbeck 
introduced to public notice a pair of candles 
made of that material, at his own suggestion. 
After many unsuccessful attempts, they were 
at length fairly lighted ; and it is only justice 
to the worthy Doctor to say, that his invention 
is likely to prove of greatimportance, whenever 
it shall come to pass that candles which are 
very difficult to light, which burn badly and 
gutter immensely when they are lighted, and 
which pretty soon go out of their own accord, 
are considered a desideratum. Until then, 
those less expensive, but more appropriate 
articles — tallow and wax — are likely to remain 
in general use for the purposes of domestic 
illumination.— F. H. 
CHEAP LOCOMOTION. 
Such is the march of competition abioad, 
that (if we may put faith in coach- proprietors’ 
advertisements) the whole fare by diligence 
from Boulogne to Paiis is only nine shillings. 
If this were quite true, the journey from Lon- 
don to Paris throughout might be performed 
for no more than fourteen shillings, the fare 
per steamer to Boulogne being only five ! The 
fact however is, we believe, that what with the 
regular fee of the French conducteur, and 
other extras, the trip can hardly be expected 
to cost much less than a sovereign, or fully 
three farthings a miteI~F. H. 
A HINT. 
Mr. Alderman Wood, by his recent acces- 
sion of fortune, under the will of his name- 
sake Gloucester, enjoys a rare opportunity of 
immortalising his name. It is well known 
that the Alderman, some short time back, 
promulgated a plan for the general improve- 
ment of London, among other things, by throw- 
ing open Waterloo and Southwark Bridges 
toll-free to the public; erecting anew street 
froin the Mansion House to Southwark Bridge ; 
straightening the upper end of Holborn,so as to 
effect a direct junction with Oxford-street ; and 
executing divers other plans of unquestiona- 
ble utility. And all this, and more, the Aider- 
man calculated (it is not known by what ela- 
borate ptocess) might be done at an outlay of 
only 800,000/. ! By a turn ofFortune’s wheel, 
the projector of these mighty alterations has 
this sum at his own disposal ; and how could 
he more gloriously display his civic patriotism 
than by carrying into effect his magnificent 
ideas for changing the whole aspect of the 
metropolis over which he twice presided as 
Lord Mayor? It is to be feaied, however, 
maugre his own estimate, that he would ar- 
rive at the t)ottom of his purse, some time 
before be had got to the end of his trifling 
undertaking.— F. H. 
FRENCH THEORY AND ENGLISH- 
PRACTICE. 
It is not a little singular, that, while Eng- 
land is making so great a progress in the actual 
establishment of railways, the French have 
published a much larger number of works on 
their mathematical theory ; although this is, 
perhaps, not by any means the first instance 
in which the same state of thingshas occurred. 
A Colonel de Pambour has just added to the 
rather long list of publications by his coun- 
trymen on the subject, a very elaborate book 
of calculations on railway theorems, in which 
he lays down his positions rather mq^e dog- 
matically than his little experience (all appa- 
rently gained in England) seems to warrant. 
He has not, however, much to fear from his 
English competitors in the line, the principal 
of whom are Mr. Macneil, of “canal navi- 
gation” celebrity, and— John Herapath, 
Esq.!-F. H. 
TRUTH STRONGER THAN FICTION. 
It is a well-ascertained, but rather unac- 
countable fact, that, notwithstanding the 
amazing increase of late years in the manufac- 
ture of steel pens, there has not been the 
slightest falling off in the extent of the quill 
trade. —E. H. 
APPLICATION OF THE RISING AND 
FALLING OF THE TIDE TO THE 
PROPELLING OF MACHINERY, 
HENRY B. FERNALD, PORTS- 
MOUTH, MAINE. 
A buoy of sufficient strength and dimen- 
sions, connected by a rope or chain passing 
from the buoy under a pulley at the bottom of 
the water, with a wheel which moves the 
rnachinery. In the falling of the tide, or water, 
the weight of the buoy, filled with water by 
means of a stop-cock, or otherwise, operates 
as a propelling- power, being so connected 
by another rope or chain to another wheel, 
as to operate alternately with the wheel above- 
mentioned. 
