466 
VARIETIES. 
inch  in  diameter,  laid  into  one  length,  and  weighing,  when  dry,  1  lb.  for 
every  hundred  fathoms.  Captain  Denham  received  from  Commodore 
McKeever,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  commanding  the  Congress  frigate,  a 
present  of  15,000  fathoms  of  this  line,  10,000  on  one  reel,  and  5000  on 
another  ;  and  considers  it  to  have  been  admirably  adapted  for  the  purpose 
for  which  it  was  made,  and  to  which  it  was  applied.  The  plummet  weighed 
9  lbs.,  and  was  11-5  inches  in  length,  and  1*7  inch  in  diameter.  When 
7706  fathoms  had  run  off  the  reel,  the  sea-bottom  was  reached.  Captain 
Denham  states  that  Lieut.  Hutcheson  and  himself,  in  separate  boats,  with 
their  own  hands,  drew  the  plummet  up  50  fathoms  several  times,  and  after 
it  had  renewed  its  descent,  it  stopped,  on  each  occasion,  abruptly,  at  the 
original  mark  to  a  fathom,  and  would  not  take  another  turn  off  the  reel. 
The  velocity  with  which  the  line  ran  out  was  as  follows : 
h.  HI.  s. 
The  first  1000  fathoms  in  .  .  .  .  0  27  15 
1000  to  2000  fathoms  in  .  .  .  .  0  39  40 
2000  to  3000  fathoms  in  .  .  .  .  0  48  10 
3000  to  4000  fathoms  in  .  .  .  .  1  13  39 
4000  to  5000  fathoms  in  .  .  .  .  1  27  06 
5000  to  6000  fathoms  in  .  .  .  .  1  45  25 
6000  to  7000  fathoms  in  .  .  .  .  1  49  15 
7000  to  7706  fathoms  in  .  .  .  .  1  14  15 
9    34  45 
The  whole  time,  therefore,  taken  by  the  plummet,  in  descending  through 
7706  fathoms,  or  nearly  7-7  geographical  miles  of  60  to  the  degree,  was 
9h.  34m.  45s.  The  highest  summits  of  the  Himalaya,  Dhawalagiri,  and 
Kinchinginga,  are  little  more  than  28,000  feet,  or  4-7  geographical  miles, 
above  the  sea.  The  sea-bottom  has,  therefore,  depths  greatly  exceeding 
the  elevation  of  the  highest  pinnacle  above  its  surface. 
The  strength  of  the  line,  tried  before  the  sounding,  was  found  to  be  equal 
to  bear  72  lbs.  in  air.  The  7706  fathoms  which  ran  out,  weighed,  when 
dry,  77  lbs.,  exclusive  of  the  plummet,  9  lbs.  Great  care  was  taken  in  the 
endeavor  to  bring  the  plummet  again  to  the  surface,  to  show  the  nature  of 
the  bottom,  but,  whilst  carefully  reeling  in,  the  line  broke  at  140  fathoms 
below  the  water-line,  carrying  away  a  Six's  thermometer  which  had  been 
bent  on  at  3000  fathoms. — Joum.  of  Frank.  Inst.,  from  London,  Edinburgh 
and  Dublin  Philosoph.  Mag.  March,  1853. 
On  the  Adulteration  of  the  Citrate  of  Iron  and  Quinine  of  Commerce.  By 
C.  Greville  Williams. — Physicians  not  yet  being  agreed  as  to  the  identi- 
ty of  action  on  the  system  of  quinine  and  its  accompanying  alkaloids,  it  is 
unnecessary  to  insist  on  the  fact,  that  until  the  question  has  been  settled  by 
decisive  experiments,  practitioners  should  be  aware  of  the  value  of  the  pre- 
parations they  are  administering  to  their  patients. 
A  quantity  of  beautifully  «  sealed  "  citrate  of  iron  and  quinine  having 
been  sent  to  me,  with  a  request  for  examination,  the  percentage  of  quinine 
