
1800.] 
WILLIAM REYNOLDS FOR PREPARING 
IRON. 
Mr. WILLIAM REYNOLDS, of Ketley, 
in the county of Salop, for a method of 
preparing iron for its converfion into fteel. 
This method fimply confifts in mixing 
the black oxyd of manganefe along with 
the materials from which the caft iron is 
obtained, or with the caft iron in the 
procefs of its converfion into fteel. 
It is not,eafy exactly to explain the ope- 
ration of the manganefe .here, perhaps it 
may be “by fully oxygenating and thereby 
feparating the crude iron from the remaining 
quantity of fulphur and of phofphuret of 
iron, with which it is alloyed after the firft 
fufien, to procure the regulus. 
MR, LUDLOW AND ANN WILCOX FOR 
PLAYING-CARDS. 
Epwarp LupLow of Walworth, 
Surry, and Ann W1LLcOox, of London, 
for new-invented playing-cards, 
To card-players whofe fight is not very 
diftin&t, it may be an advantage to know 
that the diamonds and clubs of thefe new 
cards are made white on the infide, and 
that the hearts and {pades are diftinguifhed 
by a white line added to the ufual figure, 
A great deal of ornamental work is like- 
wife added to the different court cards, aif- 
tinguifhed by the different orders.: Thus 
the ace of {pades remains with his ufual 
State of Public Affairs in February, 1800, © 
W8E 
dignities of the order ofthe garter; the ace 
of clubs bears the infignia of the order of the 
thiftle; ‘the ace of hearts thofe of St.Patrick ; 
and the ace of diamonds thofe of the Bath. 
The court cards of each {uit have, befide the 
ornaments of ftars, garters, ba dges, &c. 
agreeably to the refpective orders. 
—— 
MR. LESTER FOR AN ENGINE TO CUE 
| CHAFF. 
WittraM Lester of Cotton End, 
near Northampton, for a new-invented 
pendulum engine for,cutting hay or firaw 
into chaff. 
This engine is fo conftruéted that, by 
the fimple operation of throwing the pen- 
dulum backwards and forwards, the ftraw 
is cut into any length required. The 
pendulum at one vibration feeds twice, 
prefles twice, and carries the knife twice 
through thecut. Sixty of thefe vibrations 
may be made in one minute through a 
trufs of ftraw eighteen inches wide, and 
from two to three inches thick. The 
knife is femicircular, with an alternate ro- 
tatory motion on its own centre, with its 
edge moving between two bars. of fteel, 
which prevents the itraw from yielding to 
the knife. 
If worked by two people, it will cut 
between forty and fifty quarters a day 5 
and it is not cafily put out of order. 
STATE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, 
In February, 1800. 
| FRANCE. 
N O fooner had Bonaparte feized on the 
reins of government, than he began 
to difplay his accuftomed promptitude both 
in council and the field. While, on one 
hand, he exhibited great readinefs to treat 
with the external enemies of the republic, 
he difplayed no lefs energy againft her in- 
ternal foes; and he has already achieved 
in a few days what the late Direétory were 
unable to accomplifh during the plenitude 
of their power, and the duration of their 
* authority. 
‘Taking advantage of a rigorous feafon, 
which had produced a ceffation of hoftili- 
ties on the frontiers, he marched large bo- 
dies of treops under Brune and Hedouville, 
two able and experienced leaders, again 
the infurgent departments of the Weft, 
and.has flaughtered, fubdued, difperfed, or 
reduced to unconditional fubmiffion, the 
MONTHLY Mac, Nog, 56, 
numerous and warlike bands of armed pea- 
fantry, who threatened France on one hand 
with a civil war, while they continued, on 
the other, to render fome of her moft fer- 
tile provinces a burden, rather than an ad- 
vantage. 
In fine, feveral of the chiefs, fuch as 
Gorges and Frotté, have been obliged to 
furrender ; the inhabitants of both fides of 
the Loire have laid down their arms ; and 
as their priefts are now reftored to themy 
and their leaders have loft their confidence, 
there 1s no great likelihood that they will 
become fpeedily formidable. 
In the mean time, Maffena has taken 
the command of the army of Italy, and 
obtained fome flight advantages : but thefe 
confift merely of the temporary poflefion 
of open towns, or an accidental fuperiority 
in refpeét to foraging parties ; for the main 
bodies are at prefent endeavouring to recruit 
a thew 
