1800.] 
the firft he propofes a new crane for load- 
ing and unloading veffels.. This ma- 
chine confifts of a ftrong poft in the form 
of a double gibbet, moveable on its axis, 
and furnifhed with two arms, at the 
extremity of which a pulley is fixed. The 
two cords which pafs through the pullies 
are both wound round the cylinder, but in 
oppofite directions ; fo that whilit the one 
is coiling round the cylinder, the other is 
uncoiling, and thus the delcent of the 
Joad attached to the arm, which is the 
furtheft from the fhip, affifts the afcend- 
ing weight from the hold. By experi- 
ments made on a {mall fcale, it would 
feem that with this contrivance three men 
in five minutes could do as much work as 
eight men in eight minutes in the common 
method. 
The fecond memoir is a plan for right- 
ing fhips when they fall afide in the mo- 
ment of launching. 
The third memoir difcuffes fome of the 
methods employed to raife from ftill or 
running water, vefiels that have been funk 
toa given depth. The author here pro- 
pofes the ufe of very heavy lighters, with 
epenings through their keel. through 
which may pafs firong cables, the other 
ends of which are to be faftened to the 
funken veflel. The advantage of pafline 
the cables in this direction is, that the 
vertical preflure of the water, which is the 
chief moving power in this operation, may 
be preferved in its perpendicular pofition. 
Cit. BERGERON has been employed on 
the interefting fubje&t of the amelioration 
of the wafte lands of Medoc, and has re- 
commended feveral improvernents to pro- 
mote their cultivation. Befides the fir, 
the alder and other trees, the ufe of which 
is well known, he recommends the acacia, 
from the eafe with which it is cultivated 
in any foil, and the numerous ufes to 
which its wood may be applied. 
In another memoir the fame Correfpon- 
dent makes feveral judicious remarks on 
the catt’e and other live flock of this dif- 
‘trict. He calls to mind the fuccefs that 
attended the introduétion of fome Engl. th 
rams fome years ago, in improving the 
breed of fheep, which, however, were loft 
for want of care and attention. He con- 
cludes with recommending a greater at- 
tention to the veterinary art, and the 
great inconvenience which arifes from ig- 
norance on this important fubjeét. 
Cit. BREMONTIER has prefented to the 
Society a paper of the greatett imp-rtance, 
** On the Sand Downs between Lalefte and 
Bayonne,’’ which has been already printed 
by order of Government. He propolesto 
MontTuHiy Mac. No. 62. 
Proceedings of Public Societies. 
57 
fix, by means of plantations, thefe loofe 
fands, which at prefent, when urged by 
high winds, are difperied over the neigh- 
bouring fields, and bury their crops; and 
thus, both to prevent this mifchief, and 
to gain new land for cuitivation. This 
-has already been begun onthe fliore of the 
bay cf Areachon, and about a thoufand 
acres thus gained already have proved the’ 
advantage of this undertaking. The fame 
perfon has alfo propofed to the inhabitants 
a plan for draining the marfhes about 
Bourdeaux, which at prefeut are the caufe 
of frequent epidemic dileafes, that annu- 
ally carry off many of its inhabitants. 
Cit. DurrouiL communicated jome 
Obfervations on the Gad-fly. After giv- 
ing a curious detail of its manners and 
habits, and the mifchief which it produces 
to horfes, oxen, and fheep, he gives an 
inftance in which man was not fecure from 
its attacks. A fhepherd having flightly 
razed the fkin on his face, a gad-fly de- 
pofited her eggs on the wound, the heat 
of the part batched them, and the confe- 
quence was an ulceration, which was af- 
terwards cured. 
Cit. Duroziz, of Daz, correfpond. 
ing member, has difcuffled, in a memoir 
delivered to the Society, the merits of the 
different operations for the hare Jip, and 
from experience he decides in favour of the 
dry future, or that which confifts merely 
of adhefive pialter, in preference to liga- 
tures that pafs through the fkin. 
Cit. FEsTON JauBERT, of Cadillac, 
in a paper on the Difeafis of Scrophula and 
Epilepfy, aferibes their unu(ual prevalency 
of late years to the feanty and bad diet 
which in time of fcareity the inhabitants 
have experienced ; and to the deep im- 
prefiion made on their minds by the cruel 
{cenes that were daily ated, at a period, 
the remembrance of which now excites the 
utmoft horror. 
Independently of thefe labours of the 
individuals of this Society, they have in 
view two important objeéts on which its 
collective induftry will be employed. The 
one is that of collecting, in a fingle f{pot, 
all the varieties of vine fiocks cultivated 
in France, and to arrange them under ex- 
act fynonyms. The utility of this pian to 
botany and agriculrure is very confpicu- 
ous, as at prefent much difficulty is thrown 
in the way of the full knowledge of this 
plant, from the number of the provincial 
terms and local cufloms. The Society 
have requefted of Government a piece of 
ground for this purpefe, and have reafon 
to hope for every thing from the liberal 
encouragement which it gives to every 
{cience. 
