1809. ] 
other costly woods, usedfor furniture and 
the finishing of houses. The substitute 
which he proposes isiron, In bedsteads 
for instance, the posts, as well as the 
frame might be cast hollow; the former 
might be beautifully wreathed with flow- 
ers, festoons, or clusters of fruit, or em- 
bossed with numberless fanciful orna- 
ments, which the workman might touch 
up with his graver and chisel, to clear 
them from the sand, and to make them 
sharp and neat before they go to the 
finisher. The painter might colour them, 
so as to give them a more handsome 
and elegant appearance, than it is pos- 
sible to give to carved wood. This would 
furnish employment to numberless hands, 
and afford ample scope for ingenuity. 
Chests of drawers, bookcases and bu- 
“reaus, might all be made of sheet iron. 
Such furniture would be made at a con- 
siderably less price, than articles of 
mahogany, it would not be heavier than 
wood; it would be more beautiful, and 
exclusive of the convenience for re- 
moval, as it might easily be taken to 
pieces, and all the parts screwed up 
egain without injury; it would afford a 
great security against fire. 
The sheep lately sent over from 
Spain, as a present to his Majesty, 
are of the flock of PauLar, one of the 
finest iii point of pile, and esteemed also 
above all others, for the beauty of the 
carcase. The fleeces of these sheep, as 
well as those of the flocks of Negrete and 
Eescurial, were formerly withheld from 
exportation, and retained for the royal 
manufactory of Guadalaxara. The flock 
or cavaiia of Paular, consisted of 36,000 
sheep. It originally belonged to the rich 
Carthusian monastery, ofthat name, near 
Segovia. Soon after the Prince of the 
Peace rose into power, he purchased the 
flock of the monks, with the land be- 
longing to it, both in Estremadura and 
Leon. Accordingly, all the sheep are 
marked with a large M. the mark of Don 
Manuel. The sheep sent to England, 
were selected from eight subdivisions, in 
order to choose young, well-shaped, and 
fine-woolled animals. ‘The total number 
embarked, was 2,214. Of these, 214 
were presented by the Spaniards to some 
of his majesty’s ministers, and 427 died 
on the journey, either at sea, or on the 
way from Portsmouth to Kew. His 
Majesty was pleased to take upon him- 
self toe whole of the loss, which reduced 
the royal flock to 1573, and severa’ more 
have since died. he ewes were fullof 
tmb when they embarked; several of 
Literary and Philosophical Intelligence. 
379 
them cast their lambs when the weather 
was bad at sea, and are in consequence 
so weak, that it is feared more will die, 
notwithstanding the great care that is 
taken of then. <A few have died of the 
rot. This disease must have been cone 
tracted, by halting on some swampy 
district in their Journey from the moun- 
tains, to the sea at Gijon, where they 
were embarked, as one died of it at- 
Portsmouth. There is every reason, 
however, to hope, that this distemper 
will not spread, as the land, on which 
they are now kept, has never been sub- 
ject to its ravages, being of a light and 
sandy nature. 
HOLLAND. 
M. Detuy, a chemist of Amsterdam, 
has discovered a composition which he 
conceived, from its superior strength, 
would supersede the use of gun-powder, 
While lately employed, however, in some 
experiments, a large paper exploded, and 
tore off his left arm, also most of the 
fingers of his right hand, and otherwise 
wounded him so severely, that his life is 
despaired of. 
No more than 861 ships arrived at 
Amsterdam, from sea, during the year 
1808. Within the saine period, 8,962 
persons died in that city. The number 
of the poor there increases daily, and 
that of the physicians appointed to ate 
tend them, has been augmented from 
four to twelve. 
ITALY. 
M. Putty, a Neapolitan chemist, has 
recently analized the celebrated Dr. 
James’s powder, and from his experie 
ments on 29 grs. he states that he hag 
found it to be composed of 
Oxide of antimony, at a Pet ep 
mum of oxidation q 
Phosphate of lime - ae 
Sulphate of potash - - 4.5 
Free pot-ash, Lent Os ance 3.5 
timony at a mmimuim ; 
19. 
To recompose this powder, it is ne- 
cessary, according to M. Pully, to take: 
Sulphuret of anumony - a, 
Calcined phosphate of lime se. S, 
Nitrate of pot-ash - Be, 
These being powdered, mixed, and 
triturated together, are putinto a cru» 
cible, which is to be covered and exa 
posed to a strong beat. During this 
Operation, the oxigen of the nitric acid, 
attacking the sulphur of the antimonial 
sulphuret, converts it into sulpburig acid 
