16 MAGAZINE OF 
circumference of the wheel, in ascending and descending 
from and to the ground; and the length of each arch is 
such, that when the two bottom sleepers are susnendecl 
freely from their respective pivots, their rails will form 
tangents to the point where the line of direction of gra¬ 
vity of the wheel intersects the circumference, supposing 
the wheel elevated on a jack, or the point of impact. 
The box again in which these cycloidal bars work is bolted 
to the felloes pare!lei to the tiro of the wheel, and equi¬ 
distant from each other. 
“ The sleepers are considerably longer than the rails, 
projecting bevond them at each end on the alternate sides, 
forming a joint analagous to that ot shipbuilding; so 
that, although the ends of the rails meet at the point ot, 
impact immediately under the wheel, yet the back and 
exterior projection, or heel, of the front sleeper extends 
behind this point; while the front ami interior projection 
of the back sleeper extends before it, thus forming a 
sleeper or bearing to the point of impact itself, which other¬ 
wise would be without. Such sleepers may be ot any 
breadth; such, for instance, as to support a loaded cart 
through newly-ploughed .land, if desired; or, say from G 
to 15 inches, and are attached .to the outside of the felloes 
by mechanical contrivances not so easily described.” 
Considering the reputation this machine 
had acquired in England, and the high ex¬ 
pectations that were raised previous to its 
performance here, we are inclined to think 
that the specimen that has been imported 
into this colony must be considered a partial 
failure. The enterprising owner, Mr. Clark, 
of Bundarra, is now endeavouring to take it 
to his station on the Darling Downs ; hut we 
hear that it had not travelled three miles on 
its journey before it broke down, and great 
doubts are entertained that it will ever reach 
the remote interior. The great difficulty is 
found in traversing a sideling, from the un¬ 
even pressure of the wheels on the conical 
arches in the sleepers, which are Lent by the 
weight. We shall, however, watch anxiously 
the progress of the machine, for the problem 
which it professes to solve is one of vast im¬ 
portance to the community at large. 
FINE ARTS.—SCULPTURE. 
About three years ago, a young artist, of 
the name of Woolner, arrived in this city 
from Melbourne, where he had been unsuc¬ 
cessful in finding patrons, and engaged in 
the practice of his profession, which was that 
of a sculptor. Few would have predicted 
success, for at that time Mr. Nichols, a 
talented man, also a sculptor, was leaving 
the colony, disheartened at the want of ap¬ 
preciation that lie had experienced. Mr. 
Woolner happened to have some good let¬ 
ters of introduction, and the late speaker, 
Sir Charles Nicholson, Mr. Wentworth, Mr. 
James Macarthur, Mr. Martin, and others of 
the more distinguished members of the com¬ 
munity, took him by the hand, and he com¬ 
menced to model medallion portraits. He 
ENCE AND ART. 
was extremely successful in obtaining like¬ 
nesses of his sitters, and employment soon 
crowded upon him. Many of our readers 
have doubtless seen the extremely spirited 
bronze medallion of Mr. Wentworth, which, 
is now published by Mr. J. D. Clarke, of 
George-street, from . the original executed 
by Mr. Woolner. We happen to know that 
Mr. Wentworth himself was so gratified hy 
this work of art, that lie insisted on paying 
the artist a double fee for its execution. 
Encouraged by the success he met with, the 
artist indulged the hope of being selected 
to execute the bronze statue, for which such 
a handsome subscription had been collected 
in the colony. He, therefore, abandoned a 
most lucrative practice here, and proceeded 
to England shortly after Mr. Wentworth 
left the colony, in order to urge his claims 
in person. We have not yet heard who is 
the artist that is selected to execute the 
work in question, but as an encouragement 
to those who advocated Mr. Woolner's fit¬ 
ness for the task, and as a proof that this 
colony does sometimes discover and reward 
true talent, we extract the following critique 
from the London “ Spectator,” a publication 
remarkable for the sobriety of its praise, as 
well its for the talent with which it is 
written :—- 
VOOBSEk’S BUST OF TEVNYSON . 
“To sco anything done thoroughly well is always a satis¬ 
faction, and iloublv so when the thing is of high interest 
or importance in itself. A marble bust of Altred Tenny¬ 
son, slivhtlv beyond life-size, which lias just been com¬ 
pleted by Mr. Thomas Woolner, and is now on view at bis 
studio in Albert-street, Momingtou Crescent, is in the 
fullest sense a case in point. The sitter lias one of ti c 
grandest heads which any artist could work from; and 
tlio sculptor lias succeeded in rendering it with tare fire 
and dignity, in combination with the. most living resem¬ 
blance..and with a perfection of finish such as we have 
not hitherto seen approached in portrait-sculpture. Of 
course we allude to that finish which is alone worthy cf 
the name; not the mere laborious trilling of the journey¬ 
man who.smooths down and touches up, hut the work of a 
hand uniformly- controlled by- thought, and whose every 
stroke aims at giving some additional shade of meaning 
or character, , 
Wo understand that the busts —which appears in Mr. 
Woolner’s studio in company with a fine full-length stable 
of Bacon for the Oxford University Museum, and with 
medallions or Carlyle, Browning, Pr. Lushington, Tennv- 
son, and numerous others,— will shortly be removed for 
public exhibition at Messrs. Dickinson’s in Bond-street.” 
EXTRACTS. 
Under this head we hope will be found 
from time to time valuable information, ex¬ 
tracted from the English and Foreign Scien¬ 
tific Journals. 
Pr.BSKUVATlOJt OF A XIUAI. SeBSTASCES WITIIOrT Silt 
or StiOAit. —A patent, No. 1340, was granted on June fi. 
185l>, to Mr. I1,. Marie, which is thus described in tU 
Mechanic’s Magazine, of Feb. 11, 1S5“- 
