taught. They learn to model and to form all the designs in so complete a manner that they are not surpassed by any, except by those who are professionally sculptors and painters, and who go still further in studying those branches, and they enter the academy where their education is completed.

You are understood to say that all the artists of Bavaria receive a previous scientific education?-Yes; but besides that they are receiving at the same time a classical education in the polytechnic schools. In the primary schools they learn only German; in the secondary schools, French, history, geography, natural philosophy, chemistry; all that instruction goes on at the same time with drawing, and all who pass an examination in architecture, or any branch of design, must be acquainted with Latin and Greek to a certain point.

Are there not a number of celebrated artists in Bavaria who have not received this education? There are, because this is only a recent system, and hardly any living artist of any distinction has followed this course of education, except by following his own inclination at his own expense, or that of his friends. In Germany they are more regular in the course of education they pursue, and therefore some artists of their own accord have followed this system even now; but, hereafter, all who wish to obtain an employment by Government must have gone through this course of education, newly organised by the present King, who is a great promoter of fine arts.

Have you any institution in Bavaria such as the Gewerbe Institute in Berlin?-No; in our secondary schools they receive an education in the arts of manufacture, but not to so great an extent as at the institution in Berlin.

The Gewerbe Institute at Berlin is an institution for the manufactures as well as for the arts, that is where the arts and manufactures are united to form manufacturing artists? Yes.

Do you think that the Gewerbe Institute at Berlin is the best institution of that kind on the Continent ?-Certainly.

For the purpose of instructing a manufacturer in the arts, is not it necessary that the artist manufacturer should study the peculiar manufacture to which he is going to devote himself as well as the arts?-Certainly.

It is not enough to be an artist, but he must also be a manufacturer ?-Certainly. You must entirely unite the trade with the art? Yes.

Among the higher classes in the gymnasia and in the universities, do they receive any instruction in art?-No; those who wish to cultivate those tastes take private instruction. Are the richer and higher classes in Bava

ria generally well instructed in design, or is it generally neglected in their education? They are generally instructed in it; they have a general knowledge of design,

Does the Bavarian government publish works for the instruction of the people in these branches?-At present it has not published any, but there is an ordinance to that effect.

Do you know the works published at Berlin by Monsieur Beuth ?—Yes.

You have not such works in Bavaria?We have none such at present. There are some such works published by private individuals, but not by the government.

Do you think it would be an advantage to the people, especially to the manufacturers, that the government should publish such works?-A very great advantage.

Especially such works as those which are published at Berlin, which are so expensive that an individual could scarcely undertake them?-Certainly.

You think it would be of great advantage to manufacturers ?-A very great advantage. Since that work has been published at Berlin, wherever you go lately, you see every where in the shops the influence of that work; it has done a great deal of good.

In Bavaria you are going to imitate the example of Prussia in that respect?—Yes, but not on so expensive a scale.

It is necessary that such a work should be drawn with the utmost correctness?-Certainly, you must employ the first artists.

And consequently the government must undertake it and not a private individual?— Yes; at present every thing is done by private individuals. I have myself published a work of "Greek ornaments," but it is always difficult; it costs a great deal, and therefore it is necessary that it should be done by the government.

Besides the government work issued by Mr. Beuth, what are the best works containing specimens for manufacturing artists in Germany?-One of the best works is the work of Mr. Zahn, of Berlin, published in 1831; it is the ornaments of all classical epochs of art-" Ornamente aller classischen Kunstepochen nach den Originalen."

Have you ever turned your attention to the advantages and disadvantages of academies? In the countries where the fine arts are not much promoted by the government or the public, there I think academies are useful and advantageous as schools of art; but where the arts are much practised they are of less value.

Do you think that the academy ought to be merely a school for instruction in the arts? No, it ought to have a double end; to be a school and to extend the arts and sciences. I think, besides giving instruction, it may

be also an institution as in the case of the Institute of France, for the promulgation of the arts in general, and where the government may obtain any information with respect to the arts which it requires, from the men of science who are collected together there. With us, if any question of science arises, it is referred to those academies for their decision.

Has public opinion much influence upon the election of the academicians ?-Not directly, but indirectly it has; the men who are most celebrated among the public for their attainments are generally chosen by the academicians.

With respect to galleries; will you have the goodness to state to the Committee your ideas with respect to the construction of a good gallery, and the arrangement of the pictures and statues?-In the galleries at Munich, of which I was the architect, I thought it was essential to separate the statues and the pictures, because the one and the other are so different in the light, and so on, that they require, that it is difficult to unite them in the same building. without sacrificing the one to the other. For the gallery of sculpture, I thought it was desirable to arrange them historically. There were two modes of arrangement hitherto pursued; the one the mythological or ideal, and the other the historical. I thought it right to follow the historical plan. I began with the Egyptian the first, because the Greek art sprang from the Egyptian. Then after the Egyptian room, the hall for the ancient Greek or Archaiic sculpture, which is the second room. The third room is the school of Egina; here we have the famous Egina marbles. Next comes the room for the school and the times of Phidias. Then come two rooms for the most beautiful Greek epochs; after that there are three rooms, in which there are no statues, but they are richly painted in fresco, representing the history of the ancient gods and heroes, to refresh the eye after having seen the statues, by the sight of colours again. After those rooms begins the second gallery of sculpture; it begins in a room in which there are heroes and other celebrated persons. Here we begin the Roman art: two very large rooms contain the Roman art. Then we come to the last room, in which are placed some modern statues, since the "renaissance" to our times, in order to show how ancient art has entered into modern art. With respect to the collocation of the statues, my object has been to light them all from one side only; and the principle on which I have differed from all the museums hitherto constructed, is, in the employing of colour as a ground for the statues, instead of a dirty gray wall. I have put the deepest and richest colours, so that all

the statues have the appearance of being quite new and fresh, in consequence of being relieved by the depth of the back ground. The ceilings also are very rich, being decorated with gilded stucco. The floors are also very ornamental. In showing the works of antiquity, you must not hesitate to show them in contrast with richness of colour. In

the Roman hall, where the sculptures are all of deep coloured marble, the walls, on the contrary, are of a light colour.

Will you have the goodness to describe the construction and arrangement of the gallery of paintings?—The gallery of paintings (or pinacotheca) is destined to receive all those objects of art which are represented upon a plain surface; that is, those which have no relief, such as pictures, drawings, engravings, enamels, glass paintings, mosaics, &c. The first floor contains the pictures, and the entrance floor contains the other objects. With respect to the pictures, this is the system which has been adopted:-They are placed according to the schools. I wished to allow the possibility of arriving at any particular school without going through another, and for this purpose 1 have a corridor running the whole length of the building, which communicates with each separate room. The large pictures are in very large rooms, lighted from above; the smaller pictures are in small rooms, lighted with a side light from the north; such is the general disposition. The rooms are so arranged that the spectator is not annoyed by reflected lights; but wherever he stands he sees the pictures without any reflection. With regard to the classing of the pictures, there is first a large ante-chamber, which is extremely richly ornamented, but only with white and gold; no colour. It is ornamented with six large pictures, portraits of the founders of the gallery. There is a room attached for restoring pictures and for copying, upon a special permission being given to take down a picture from the walls of the gallery for that purpose; it serves also for the exhibition of pictures newly purchased. The first large room is for the ancient Flemish school, with three smaller rooms attached for the smaller pictures; after that a great room for the ancient German school, with four small rooms; then three large rooms for the more recent Flemish school, with ten small rooms; then a room for the French and Spanish school, and then three large rooms, one of which is 93 feet long, for the Italian school, and three small rooms for the smaller pictures. Then there are some rooms attached for the subordinate purposes of the gallery. Then, on the entrance floor, there is a gallery for engravings; one for original drawings of the great masters; there is a considerable space for ancient paintings; such as the ancient terra cotta vases, mosaic;

and the other rooms are for paintings executed by means of fire; such as glass, porcelain, enamels, &c.

What is the greatest height of your rooms in the gallery of paintings; what is the height and width of the largest picture they would contain in English feet?-The rooms of the principal floor are 52 feet high to the top of the vaulted ceiling, 314 feet to the springing. The width 42 feet. The principle upon which the several dimensions were regulated, in consultation with the director of the gallery, was this:-All the pictures are fixed upright against the wall, not sloping. The highest point at which the top of the largest pictures should be placed was assumed to be 29 feet, the lowest 4 feet. The shortest distance from which it should be seen 25 feet.

Does any person reside in the building?No person is allowed to reside in the building for fear of fire.

Is the building fire-proof?-It is entirely fire-proof. All this gallery is heated with warm air, in order to preserve the pictures from humidity, which is very essential for the preservation of the paintings, and more particularly in such a climate as this of England.

Should the temperature be always the same?-As much as possible; in winter the temperature should never be less than ten degrees of Reaumur.

Have you not also several provincial galleries in Bavaria ?—Yes; we have three at present, at Augsburgh, Nuremberg and Schleissheim, and they are going to establish several others in other principal towns.

All those galleries are open to the public'without any payment?-Yes, it is open to every body. It is most expressly prohibited to take the least payment.

Do you think it is desirable in a picture gallery to put over the different schools the name of the school, and upon each picture the name of the painter and the time when he was born and died, and perhaps the name of his master?-Certainly.

Have you also a catalogue raisonné ?We have; that is quite necessary.

Have not you in Bavaria what is called Kunst-vrreinse, or associations which purchase works of art, and dispose of them by lottery to the contributers of the lottery?We have. Those galleries are open all the year round, and they act as a very great encouragement to art in that branch which does not receive the patronage of the Government, which is of course confined to pictures of the highest class.

SUGGESTIONS ON AERIAL LOCOMOTION.

Sir, It is remarkable, that while the art of directing balloons is acknowledged

to be such a desideratum, that so few experiments have been tried towards effecting it.

To attach oars or wings to the car must be inefficient, because the balloon draws the car (as well as keeps it up), and not the car the balloon. All the propelling power, therefore, that can be thus gained, will be uselessly expended, as the car will never get a-head of the balloon.

I would propose, then, that two light and ample wings be connected with the balloon to a strong hoop, with valves admitting the passage of the air in their backward motion. Two poles or bowsprits can be projected "fore" and "aft" of the car, with pulleys at the ends; and by two ropes fastened to the wings near the hoop, and running through the pulleys, a reciprocating action can be produced, which will enable the balloon to move with a somewhat greater celerity than the current, and in proportion to the relative speed thus gained, will be the advantage derivable from the rudder.

Nature is generally the best guide. It may be desirable to keep in view the action of a bird, remembering that art gives us an advantage, by rendering unnecessary the immense muscular power required to keep the bird buoyant, the gas answering that purpose.

To oppose the wind, of course, will ever! be impracticable; but I doubt not that at few trials will suffice to adapt the principle already unsuccessfully attempted, a to the purpose so generally desired, so far as to allow of a deviation of one or T two points from the wind's direct course.

The mode adverted to by a former correspondent, of connecting birds with d the balloon, appears to me well worth experiment. If attached to the frame in such a way that they must fly in one direction, that direction would ofte course be regulated by the rudder, and si training rendered needless. I wish Mr.d Green or Mr. Graham would avail him on self of the opportunity which the liberal proprietors of the Zoological Gardens would doubtless present them with, of borrowing a few eagles to try it partially. The balloon, however, not the car, must be primarily drawn.

I am, Sir,

Yours respectfully,
WM. RANWELL.

Woolwich, Nov. 22, 1836.

Sir, With this you will receive a drawing representing an improvement in the water-wheel governor, which, having tried and found it to answer, I can confidently recommend for the adoption of such of your readers as may have the superintendence of water-wheels where a steady and uniform motion is required. The difficulty of making a water-wheel governor to act well, is known only to those who have, in the course of their business, been called upon to fix one to a wheel where an irregular action is a necessary consequence, from the nature of the work which the wheel has to perform. But, independent of any irregu larity in the resistance which the wheel has to overcome, the wheel itself is extremely liable to get out of balance from the unequal absorption of water by the different parts, and other causes, which renders it extremely difficult to adjust the governor, so that the machinery shall

work with a uniform motion. To obviate this difficulty, I introduced the counterweight and bridles, marked A and B in the drawing, which entirely neutralizes the evil effects produced by small and unavoidable inequalities in the balance of the wheel, arising from the unequal absorption of water by the different parts. So decided an effect was produced by this small improvement, that for upwards of two years the governor maintained a uniform command upon the velocity of the wheel without requiring any adjustment whatever; and I have been informed, that this plan has been adopted at several manufactories in the west of England. When any portion of the resistance is removed from the wheel, the governor acts as in ordinary cases, whilst, at the same time, the improvement here recommended checks the evil arising from small irregularities.-Yours, &c. HYDRAULICUS.

In our last year's notice of this almanac we were induced to recommend it strongly to the attention of our readers, from a conviction of its peculiar adaptation to engineers and mechanics-to every person, in fact, in any way connected with mechanical or engineering operations. As every thing connected with the advancement of mechanical science claims our special attention-so, in like manner, wherever we perceive a disposition, as in the present case, to recognise the important station which the mechanic holds in the body politic, we are at all times ready to concede our meed of approbation, cheerfully and cordially. That the present wealth, greatness, and political status of England, is to be attributed to the pre-eminent skill and industry of her artisans and mechanics, is as plain and incontrovertible as any axiom in Euclid. The Inventors of Britain-these are the true nobles of the land, the best benefactors of their country.

"Nelson and the Nile"-" Wellington and Waterloo"-may be sounds agreeable enough to martial ears; but to those who delight to cultivate the arts of social life, who rejoice in the contemplation of whatever adds to our store of pure and peaceful enjoyments, "Watt and the Steam-Engine"- "Arkwright and the Spinning-Machine". are associations that will ever recur to their minds with much deeper and livelier feelings of gratitude and veneration. The engineers and mechanics are the true bones and sinews of the nation. As a body, they

are possessed of a larger amount of sound, practical, and productive knowledge, than any other body of men in the whole world. And to revert to our more immediate theme-the Mechanics' Almanacwe would say, as the highest praise we can bestow, that it is in every respect worthy of the body to whom it is addressed.

A simple enumeration of its principal contents will show that this is not unmerited commendation. Opposite to the usual calendar pages (in which the times of the sun's rising and setting for every day are given, as shown by a well-regulated clock or watch, and not according to solar time as before-a judicious change) there are historical and biographical reminiscences of each month, culled principally from the annals of invention and discovery, and likely to be of a most usefully suggestive character to the minds of mechanical readers. quote an example or two →

We