revealed by the German artist, Zahn (the same so often mentioned in the report of the late Committee on Art), who communicated a short sketch of his own artistical experience to a review of a work he published on Pompeii, which was written by no less a person than Goethe, and appeared in the Vienna Annals of Literature (Jahrbucher des Literatur), No. 51, for July, 1833. Zahn informs us, that when he was at Paris in 1824, a lithochromic establishment was flourishing in full splendour on the Quai de la Seine; and it was extremely fashionable, among foreigners and strangers, to purchase a few specimens of the new invention. Becoming acquainted with a number of young artists, however, he soon got behind the scenes, and found that the whole art and mystery of lithochromy consisted in covering lithographs with a sort of varnish, and then colouring them in the usual way; that, in fact, the new invention was a downright swindle. When this became pretty generally known, as it soon afterwards did, the establishment was discontinued, and lithochromy no more heard of in France; bnt, on Zahn's return to Berlin, he found the productions of the new art still in request among the amateurs of the Prussian capital, and his statements were treated with disregard. It was impossible, they told him, to believe that hu man impudence could be carried so far as he asserted, even at Paris; and he was accordingly disbelieved, till his account of the humbug was confirmed by Alexander von Humboldt. All this is told by Zhan in a preface to the declaration that, in his own work on Pompeii, the coloured engravings introduced are in reality printed in colours, by means of a process invented by himself; and he concludes by observing, that if he were to bring this invention into use at London or Paris, he has no doubt he would soon acquire a fortune; but, from a feeling of patriotism, he prefers confining it to his own country, in which he seems to insinuate that patronage is scarce.

How

far his expectations of profit would have been justified, it is not easy to tell. Mr. Baxter must be the best judge. From the circumstance that in England the process is applied to wood-cut engravings, there is probably a good deal of difference in the inventions.

THE BRITISH MUSEUM. The "Note" on the British Museum, copied from the Standard newspaper into No. 694 of the Mechanics' Magazine, is not remarkable for correctness. The Italian workmen employed in taking casts in the Elgin Gallery do not take such "jealous care" as is represented, to prevent either the mode or the materials employed from being discovered; for although the canvass screen by which they are surrounded is impervious to the eyes of the public, the officers of the Museum are not precluded from visiting the interior. That the public should thus be deprived for a length of time of the view of some of the most celebrated statues in the Museum, or the world, is itself a sufficient ground of complaint, without any need of aggravation. These artists should have been directed to reserve their very exclusive labours for the month in which the establishment is shut up. The casts are being taken for the King of the French. The "200 specimens" of the most beautiful Etruscan vases compose about half the collection lately purchased from that of M. Durand-united to those of Sir William Hamilton, they will form the finest in existence. The mummies purchased from Mr. Salt's collection of Egyptian antiquities are only part of some extensive additions in that department lately made to the Museum, amongst which the sarcophagus presented by the Duke of Hamilton, and the curious model of an ancient Egyptian house, will not form the least prominent. ، Within the last twelve months the Library has received several valuable additions," but, it may be added, not onefifth of what it ought annually to receive; and the collection of " newspapers of the United Kingdom," which, in "rich bindings, gilt and lettered," seems to absorb so much of the admiration of the writer in the Standard, was arranged in the Reading-room long before the time he mentions, as well as the Arundel manuscripts. Among the really recent additions to the manuscript department, it may be added, are some most valuable collections of Spanish state documents, sufficient, in fact, to furnish employment for an inquirer into Spanish history for years to come. One quarto volume is wholly occupied with papers respecting the battle of Trafalgar; some

of them printed plans of the battle, &c., published in Cadiz at the time, but most of them manuscript communications from naval captains, eye-witnesses of the comAnbat, &c. to the Spanish Ministry. other volume, in folio, consists of documents relating to the surrender of Madrid. to Napoleon. To playwrights in want of a plot, it may not be uninteresting to learn that there are also three manuscript volumes of Spanish comedies, some of 200 years old, in the hand-writing of the authors, and several of distinguished merit. In fact, the manuscript collection of the Museum is a mine of inestimable value; and it may in some degree alleviate the mortification of an Englishman, who reflects that the libraries of Gottingen, Munich, &c. surpass the national collection of his country in printed books, to know, that the assemblage of manuscripts at the Museum is probably only excelled in value by those of the Vatican and the Royal Library of Paris.

NOTES AND NOTICES.

City Improvements.-Improvement is progressing, although perhaps not quite so rapidly as might be desired, at the top of Cheapside, between St. Martin's-le-Grand and St. Paul's Church-yard. The toy-shop at the corner of Paternoster-row is already set back, and the houses between that and Newgate-street pulled down, so that the whole effect of the intended alteration is visible-and most particularly visible is it, that it will be of a very half-and-half character. Sooner or later, it appears quite evident, that the whole clump must be set back so far as to be in a line with the western side of St. Martin's-le-Grand, thus opening a view of St. Paul's from the front of the Post-office. It is rumoured, indeed, that the City improvers see so clearly the insufficiency of their pullings-down in this quarter, that they have already decided that the newly-built toy-shop must come down again immediately, to be set further back! In that case, of course, the medicine-warehouse at the opposite corner of "the Row" must be considered a "doomed house!" The best way would be to " go the whole hog" at once, and not incur useless expense by nibbling at an indispensable improvement.

Lace-Sewing in Hamilton.-About 100 years ago the Duchess Ann of Hamilton, then residing in France, visited some of the lace-factories, and was so much taken up with their mode of teaching the art, that she brought a native with her to Hamilton to teach the poor children there. She also brought over some patterns, and even drew some new ones to please her own fancy. One of these new patterns she named Hamilton lace, and appeared at Court with her dress ornamented with it. In a short time the higher classes all ordered "Hamilton lace;" and the demand soon came to be so great, and the price so encouraging, that both rich and poor about Hamilton learned it and worked at it-the one for pleasure, and the other for profit. As it was considered no disparagement for a merchant's wife or daughter to take lessons from the Duchess, the trade continued to do much good to

the town. About the time the weaving of cotton cloth came to be so extensive, the lace came to be dull, and the women found it necessary to turn their hands to the flowering of muslin. At present. there are only three or four old lace-workers in Hamilton. A few years ago a spirited company in Nottingham sent down from thence a man and two girls to Paisley, to get the lace flowered and tamboured; but he could not get hands in sufficient numbers, and had lost all hopes of getting them in Scotland, when some person spoke of Hamilton. He took the hint, and pitched his camp in that town, and he, with his two assistants, soon got plenty of good hands, and for some time he kept the trade wholly with himself, on account of the difficulty of finding thread. Now it has got into a circle of other merchants and agents, who employ more than 1000 workers in and about Hamilton. Veils, tippets, caps, and full skirts of all patterns and colours, have been exported to all parts of the world; and, though prices have fallen considerably, the women employed make good wages yet.-Glasgow Chronicle.

Discovery in Effacing Writings.-A simple preparation has been discovered by which the writing with all sorts of ink (except Indian ink used for drawing) can be effaced, so as not afterwards to be known that it has been so, is about to be made known to the public. The moment this discovery is so made known, there will be no security for any one against having his simple signature to a letter being made a signature to a bill of exchange, or obligation for a large sum of money. For this discovery which has been made has this peculiar characteristic about it, that a portion of this writ ing may be effaced, and such portion as the effacer thinks it preserved, and yet the portion of the paper from which the writing has been effaced look precisely the same as to colour and appearance, and may be just as easily written upon afterwards, as if it had never been effaced at all.-French Paper.

New Material for Lighting.-A chemist of St. Amand, in the Nord, France, is said to have discovered a means of extracting from the water in which wool is washed, the grease which escapes from it, in great quantities, during the operation, and of making from it a cheap material for lighting the dwellings of the poorer classes.

The Supplement to Vol. XXV., containing Title, Table of Contents, Index, and Plate of Specimens of English Medallic Engraving by Mr. Bate, was published on the 1st of December, price 6d.

WOOD'S IMPROVEMENT IN LOCOMOTIVE

APPARATUS.

The prefixed drawing represents the frame of a locomotive engine carriage, the wheels of which are of a compound description, having teeth or cogs on the inner side, and made in the ordinary form on the outer side, with a rim or flange in the centre: the iron railway on which it is intended to traverse does not differ in any respect from the most approved rail in use, so long as the line is perfectly horizontal; but, when it is desired to change the level of the railroad, a compound rail corresponding with the wheels must be laid down, at a suitable angle (about one yard in ten), so that the wheels of the locomotive-engine may be then assisted by the cogs: these cogs should also extend on the horizontal line both above and below the angle required to the full leugth of any train to be drawn on the rails, in order that the engine may have the assistance of their fulcrum until the last carriage has passed the angle of ascent. And when descending, the cogs must in like manner extend on the lower level to the same length for the purpose of enabling the engine to support the train until the last carriage has again reached an horizontal line. In all cases the weight of the carriage rests upon the plain surface the cogs merely acting as fulcrums to assist the engine. I prefer the cogs to be made of wrought or beaten iron.

A comparison has been urged in favour of stationary-engines over the plan now shown.

1st. The outlay for the erection of stationary-engines is one item of considerable expense.

2dly. In many situations the coal is very expensive, and all that is consumed must be to the full value thereof an extra expense.

3dly. An establishment of engineers and firemen at every station is also an extra and constant expense. The delay of attaching and detaching the trains (granting the steam to be always in readiness), and the possibility of the breaking of chains or ropes are contingencies worth consideration.

This plan offers the advantage of such strength and simplicity, that no engineer can possibly make a mistake in ascending; for he has nothing to do, nor will the train be required to stop one moment.

The steam with which the train moves is always ready, and the action of the cogs follows the plain surface imperceptibly. In descending, the engineer has only to turn the handle of a screw, which acts upon powerful breaks on both axles, so as with ease to stop the whole train in the middle of a descent if required, or to regulate the speed with the greatest precision.

It cannot be necessary to say one word upon the enormous saving of expenses in laying down railways which this mode affords; nor upon the advantages of avoiding both tunnels and embankments. Kilsby Tunnel on the Birmingham line, and Chat-Moss on the Liverpool and Manchester, are specimens of the fearful expenses to he encountered. Noblemen and country gentlemen are quite able to judge of the effect of a long line of embankment in the prospects from their mansions, and on their sports in the field.

These brief remarks are only intended to draw attention to a plan which it is hoped has merits sufficiently obvious to meet all objections which may arise from interested motives only. To bonâ fide shareholders the possibility of saving one million sterling out of three, must be an bject worth their consideration.

Description of the Engraving.

AAA represents the ordinary horizontal rails; B, iron rails, having, in addition to the ordinary smooth surface, an inner line of teeth or cogs, and laid down at an angle of 1 in 10, which combined rail must be continued above and below the rise required to the length of any train of carriages which may travel thereon, and the cogged or toothed part must feather off at the extremities; C, a frame on which a locomotive-engine would rest; DD, iron wheels, having the inner side cogged, and the outer side plain with a rim between; EE, breaks, attached to one or both axles, to regulate the speed when going down hill.

than from any high opinion of its merits or of its originality. The plan of" mixed railways" has already been proposed and discussed in our Magazine some years ago. We refer Mr. Wood, and whoever else it may concern, to an arti cle in vol. xiii. p. 265, in particular. The following extract from this article will show that there is nothing new in Mr. Wood's plan:-" It consists in the mere addition to the outward edges of the rails on inclined planes of a raised flange or range of cogs, and of corresponding cogs on the power-wheels on the locomotive-engine, at a proper distance from the rim of the wheels to work in the interstices of the cogs on the rails." Several methods of applying the suggestion followed, and, amongst others, one by Messrs. W. and J. Hopkinson, which is almost a fac-simile of Mr. Wood's (see vol. xiv. p. 120). See also the same volume, pp. 24, 159, 213, and 304. A plan very similar was also communicated to us (though not for publication) several months ago by Mr. Tait.-ED. M. M.]

"Destructive fire at Messrs. Faulkner and Owen's cotton-spinning factory, Manchester. When Mr. Rose, conductor of the fire-police, arrived with the town engines, he found the whole of the upper part of the factory one volume of living fire, and the flames spreading with the utmost rapidity. The people were hurrying, men and women nearly naked, and their children clinging to them in terror, were seen only now escaping from the fatal pile. When the engines arrived, none of the disposition to aid the firemen, which ordinarily exhibits itself among the people, was manifested by them; they stood entirely aloof, and if at all asked to give a helpinghand, remained either doggedly silent and inactive, or vented some unfeeling expression against Mr. Faulkner. The loss of property is estimated at from 10,000l. to 15,000.Manchester, Dec. 10."

Good, Mr. Baddeley; would any entreaty for assistance have been necessary to this cold-blooded vindictive mob if Mr. Braithwaite's steam fire-engine had

been the town's engine instead of the (in this case, at least,) useless squirts they possessed-au contraire, without any appeal to such scoundrels as must have composed that mob, and may compose others hereafter, in Manchester and other great manufacturing towns, where differences exist between master and workman

"Swing" having stepped in to aid the latter in his system of intimidationthe steam fire-engine would, without aid being required from any, have done its work nobly, and been the means, probably, of saving considerable property.

Oh, Mr. Baddeley, may we be delivered from such fire-ex inguishers as are the different companies which you have taken under your steel (pen's) protection-they are unworthy of your ta ents-give them up, or they'll drown you for pure love some day in one of their buckets.

I am, Sir,

Your obedient servant,
FIRE-FURY.

THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND INSURANCE-COMPANIES FURTHER

EXPLAINED.

Sir, I am sorry I cannot congratulate 66 Fire-Fury" on the clearness of his perceptive powers, in return for the title and compliments he has lavished upon me in your last Number; had he carefully perused my communication on the relation in which the public and the InsuranceCompanies stand to each other, at p. 157, he would have found a clear and explicit answer to all the questions which he has thought proper to put to me at p. 179. However, I am extremely anxious that every person should fully understand what these simple relations, in fact, really are; I, therefore, willingly take up my pen to endeavour, if possible, to put the matter in a still clearer point of view.

To question the first (vide p. 179), from my own personal knowledge, I answer YES. The formation, by the InsuranceCompanies, of the London Fire-Establishment, and the history of its proceedings and performances for the past four years, establishes this fact. Every nerve has been strained to render the Fire-engine Establishment as efficient as possible; numerous improvements have been introduced from time to time-many