732 
words. The prizes of the current year 
are; for eloquence, the elogium of STEIN 
Srure, the elder, Regent of Sweden; and 
for poetry, a cantata to the Mules of the 
Lyric Theatre. 
- The population of Berlin, without in- 
cluding the military, amounted in 1796 
to 134,647 inhabitants. - The military 
and their families formed a total of about 
26,000 ; {6 that this capital offers a mals 
of about 165,0c0 individuals. wi 
A Society has been lately eftablifhed at 
-Abo, in Sweden, under the name of 
OECONOMICAL SOCIETY OF FINLAND; 
the object of which is to endeavour to 
ameliorate the country by the propagation 
of knowledge, advice, and inftru&ion, 
and €o excite emulation by premiums, &c. 
_Fwo prizes have been already propofed : 
the firft for the compofition of an clemen- 
tary Treatife on Agriculture for the ufe 
of the Finland Peafantry ; and the fecond 
for the folution of this queftion: What 
are the moft proper means to excite induf- 
try? This fociety.is compofed of a num- 
berofaCtive intelligent men, whofe zeal will 
not be limitted to mere attempts ; their 
prefident is M. Gapouin. If Sweden 
through its whole extent were to break up 
the foil, and transform its vaft forefts into 
pafture and arable lands, its power would 
egual that of moft other countries. Lap- 
Jand, efpecially, and Finland would fupporet 
2 population much more confiderable, than 
what they contain at this times — | 
_ The lai number of the ANNALES DE 
CHYMIE prefents us with an interefting 
memeir.on the combuftion of the Dia- 
mond, by Guyton (Morveau), which 
throws confiderable light on its compofi- 
tion, and verifies the important experi- 
ments made by Lavoifier and Tennant.— 
‘The diamonds employed in thefe experi- 
ments were taken on board an Enelith 
fhip coming from Senegal, and being in 
the rough, and not fit for the jeweller, a 
part of them was given to the Polytechnic 
Schoel by order of government, out of 
which were taken the two that were the 
fabje&ts of thefe experiments. The com- 
buftion was performed in oxygen gas, by 
means of the folar light, and all proper 
attention was paid to the accuracy and 
purity of the gas employed. In the firft 
experiment, the large lens belonging to 
the Polytechnic School was employed; and 
in the fecond, that of Tichirnhaufen. 
‘The circumftances of combuftion were the 
following :—The diamond at firft became 
black, and of a coaly appearance; then, as 
the heat increaftd, the blacknefs was fuc- 
seeded by luminous points, boiling up, as 
s 
' Literary and Philjophécal Intelligence. 
f O€tober, 
it were, through the blackened part, till _ 
it was beautifully tranfparent throughout, 
and with fomewhat of a metallic luftre, 
tili the diamond was totally confumed. If 
at any time the fun’s rays were intercepted, 
it appeared of a glorious red, but which 
foon went off ; and it grew cold without 
being able {pontaneoufly to continue the 
combuftion, and when cold, remained 
beautifully tranfparent. During the com- 
buftion (which was carried on at intervals 
for fome days), the angles of the diamond 
were gradually rounded off, awd melted 
down, as it were, till the oftahedral form 
was no longer diftinguifhable; but it con- 
tinued tran{parent to the laft particle. The 
air remaining in the veffels after the com- 
buftion, affayed by barytic: lime water, 
fhewed a large produétion of carbonic acid, 
and (what 1s remarkable in this experi- 
ment) this acid, inftead of being compofed 
of 28 of carbon, and 72 of cxygen, as is 
the cafe with common charcoal, fhewed a 
compofition of :7.88 of diamond, and 
82.12 of oxygen. From this important 
‘refult it would appear, that the diamond 
is a carbonaceous fubftance, much richer 
in combuftible matter than charcoal, as it 
requires a much greater quantity of oxygen 
for the produétion of an equal quantity of 
carbonic acid 3 for_if the above numbers 
are reduced to unjty, it will be found that 
one part of charcoal abforbs in combuftion 
2.527 of oxygen, and produces 3.575 of 
acid: whereas, 1 part of diamond abforbs 
4. of oxygen, and gives §. of acid. From 
the leaden colour which the diamond af- 
fumed in the courfe of combuftion, the au- 
thor fuppofes a partial converfion inte 
plumbago, which is intermediate between 
the diamond and charcoz!, as to the quan- 
tity of oxygen abforbed in combuftion, and 
the heat required for this procefs. ‘The 
carbonaceous mineral authracolite, or cax- 
buret of alumine, refembles plumbago in 
this refpeét. Therefore the author con- 
cludes, that diamond is the pure carbona- 
ceous principle ; and this in-a low degree 
of oxygenation produces plumbago, an- 
thracolite, and the different fpecies of dif- 
ficultly combuftible coals; in a higher de- 
gree, coramon charccal; and in complete 
oxygenation, carbonic acid.’ Of thefe, 
the pureft carbone is that which requires 
the higheft heat for combuftion; and 
‘therefore diamond and plumbago, even 
when fully ignited, cannot continue to 
burn when the igniting heat is removed. 
This difficulty of oxygenation refembles 
that of azote, which, when pure, requireg 
the ele€tric fpark, or fome’ very powerful 
agent, to produce oxygenation; but when 
partly 
