PATENTS LATELY ENROLLED. Communications of Specifications, and Accounts of New Patents, are earnestly MR. GEORGE SMART'S, (WESTMINSTER,) thus described. In many cases in which the before inserting the trusses. The boards to be employed for flooring should be passed edgeways between rollers to close the fibres of the wood, before laying down the floor. From the above descrip tion no competent workman will be at a loss to adapt his wood to the purpose to which it is to be applied." Observations. In making casks upon the present plan, the great inconvenience to the public is their liability of falling to pieces in very dry weather if left empty. This evil was felt to a very great extent in the article of CANTEENS, made for the use of the army, though got up with the utmost dexterity. Thousands required re-making on account of shrinkage, long before they were worn out, sometimes before they could be used. On the principle of this invention the evil is entirely prevented. Again, with all the care that could be given by the manufacturers, a considerable proportion was returned on their hands as unfit for use through leakage: but, we are told that out of 32,000 wrought with compressed wood, not a sin◄ gle canteen has failed, though subjected to the nicest scrutiny and most rigid experiment performed with the agitation of hot water in every vessel. MR. BLENKINSOP'S, (MIDDLETON, YORKSHIRE,) for Mechanical Means by which the Conveyance of Coals, Minerals, and other Articles is facilitated, and the Expense attending the same is rendered less than heretofore. The nature of this invention is thus set forth the patentee first constructs, and fixes in the ground or road over which the conveyance is to be made, a toothed rack, or longitudinal piece of cast-iron, having the teeth or protuberances, or other parts of the nature of teeth, standing either upwards or downwards, or sideways, in any required position: he continues and prolongs the said toothed rack, or longitudinal piece, by the addition and duly placing and fixing of other like pieces all along, or as far as may be required, upon the said ground or road. He next applies, fixes, and connects, with a car. riage required to bear and convey goods, a wheel having protuberances, or parts similar to teeth, at or near the circumferT2 enco ence so formed and placed as to act upon the teeth belonging to the rack or longi tudinal piece, when the carriage shall be suitably placed with regard to the same. Thirdly, he causes the wheel to revolve and drive the carriage along by the application of any such well known power or first mover as can be placed upon and carried along with the carriages, always preferring the steam-engine to any other first mover. He connects the wheel with the first mover by a crank, assisted by a fly, which connection is made either directly with the arbor of the wheel, or indirectly by other wheel-work, when the crank or other driving piece cannot conveniently be fixed upon the arbor. Fourthly, to render the motion of the carriage more easy, he avails himself of any contrivances already made use of for improving roads, such as. platforms, pavements, rail-ways, &c. upon which he causes the untoothed or common wheels of his carriage to run, and in this case he connects the longitudinal pieces afore said with the rail-road itself: or, by preference, he casts one of the sides or range of pieces from the rail-road with teeth, Bo that the same range shall constitute the toothed-rack or longitudinal piece, and at the same time afford a regular and even bearing for the wheels, and for the toothed wheel, which may be made with side-run, to bear upon the smooth part of the rail, and prevent the teeth from locking too deep. Finally, he gives motion to other carriages by attaching the same to the carriage upon which the first mover is placed, and these other carriages are fitted up as usual without the toothed wheel. Sometimes Mr. Bleukinsop makes use of two toothed wheels, acting upon correspondent racks on each side. The English, Flemish, and lock-bonds comprise the different modes by which brick-walls are at present erected; these are distinguished by the manner of connecting the bricks in each distinct course, but the courses themselves are separated by a regular smooth joint. The defect occasioned by this disunion of the courses, is attempted to be remedied by placing bond-timber longitudinally in the walls, but this alternative is attended with evil consequences in the case of fire, for when the bond-timber is destroyed by the violence of the heat, the walls become in capable of baring their own weight, and fall down; then the flames, increased by an open communication with the free air, spread with rapidity to the adjoining buildings. To guard against this calamity, the legislature have provided, that no timber shall be placed in the party-walls within a specified distance of a chimney, and that the walls shall be of a thickness cor responding with the rate of the building. This provision is certainly the most effec tual of any yet offered, but it is, and must continue, defective, so long as these walls are suffered to contain a large quantity of combustible matter as part of their substance. The improvement now offered consists in uniting the brick-work into one solid mass, by placing bricks vertically in the inside of the wall, either in a direct or varied course, from the foundation to the top of the building; as will more fully appear by the following specification. In forming the first horizontal course of bricks, in the foundation of a wall of the breadth of fourteen inches or upwards, there is placed in the inside thereof an hard brick in a vertical or per pendicular position, with its edge to ward the front of the wall, at the distance of four and an half inches from the left-hand end of the same; there are also placed vertical bricks at the distance of six feet from the centre of each other in succession throughout the whole length of the wall. In forming the second course, there is placed in succession a vertical brick at the distance of two feet from the centre thereof, to the centre of the verti tical brick placed in the first course. In forming the third course, there is placed a like vertical brick at the like distance of two feet from the vertical brick built in the second course. And, in forming the fourth course, there is placed a like vertical brick immediately above each verti. cal brick situate in the first course. And, against the side of each of these columns, as they ascend, there is placed other vertical bricks, the middle of one brick being opposite to the end of the other. This process is continued to the top of the wall. Or these vertical bricks may be placed with their edge towards the end of the wall. Or this improvement inay be obtained by placing the vertical bricks in a transverse direction, changing to the right and left alternately to the top of the wall; regard being had, that in building a wall up a hill the vertical bricks continue pointing upwards, without changing their course. Double-calcined bricks are advantageously applied as vertical bricks. The horizontal courses may be formed in any usual bond or method, due care being taken that the ver tical bricks are firmly fixed with mortar. It is here necessary to explain, that, although the distances between the vertical bricks are expressly stated above, yet various deviations or alterations may be made therein, and also in the figure or inclination of the vertical bricks, as circumstances may appear to require; and that, in proportion to the increase or reduction of the pressure, the distance between the vertical bricks may be decreased or increased; which may be extended to the forming of each column with a single row of vertical bricks, or even to the placing of the like vertical bricks apart from each other. These processes are equally applicable, where stones or other hard substances are placed vertically. PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. THE AFRICAN INSTITUTION. HIS excellent society have just Tpublished their sixth Annual Re port, and we hasten to introduce its substance to our readers. The Directors observe, that it is with real concern they feel themselves under the necessity of admitting that the representations, which they made in their last Report, of the extent to which the Slave Trade had revived on the coast of Africa, appear to have fallen short of the truth. The result of the intelligence which they have since received, and which they consider as entitled to credit, is, that, during the year 1810, no less than from SEVENTY to EIGHTY THOUSAND Africans were transported as slaves from the western coast of Africa to the opposite shores of the Atlantic. This enormous traffic was chiefly confined to that part of Africa which lies between Cape Palmas and Benguela. The naval force stationed on the African coast, had succeeded in nearly extinguishing the slave trade on that part of it which lies to the northward of Cape Palmas; and Captain Columbine gave it as his opinion, that, even without any accession of force, it would have been in his power to have delivered the whole of that district from the ravages of this traffic, were it not that the Portuguese settlement of Bissão intervened, and furnished the slave-traders with a point from which they could carry slaves without the risk of capture. It will be recollected, that, by the tenth article of the late Treaty of Amity with the court of Brazil, the Portuguese were restricted in their slave trade to places belonging to the crown of Por. tugal. Had it not been for Bissao, the operation of this article, according to the construction which the directors are disposed to put upon it, would have been at once to have interdicted the Portuguese slave trade at every part of the African coast, to the northward of the Equator. Bissao, however, remaining in the pos session of Portugal, an opportunity was thus afforded for continuing the slave trade from that settlement; and the opportunity has not been neglected. In proportion as the vigilance of our cruizers rendered it hazardous to trade for slaves to other parts of the windward coast, the slave trade from Bissao was increased. It was further swelled by a sort of coasting trade, carried on in canoes, from a considerable distance both to the north and south of this pri vileged spot. The effect of the distinction which it enjoyed became particu. larly visible in its own more immediate vicinity; and an intelligent officer of the navy, who lately visited the Rio Grande, at the mouth of which the island of Bissao is situated, describes the devastation which had taken place along the banks of that river as almost exceeding belief. He distinctly states, that the country on both its banks was quite unpeopled by the slave trade. The directors are deeply concerned that some arrangement has not been made, by the cession of Bissao or otherwise, to put a stop to this evil. It is an evil, indeed, which was anticipated in its full extent by the directors, as their minutes from the commencement of their labors will testify; and they have not ceased, during the time which has intervened, to make the most urgent representations to his Majesty's govern ment on the subject. The recent intelligence which has been received has, unhappily, confirmed all their previous apprehensions; although they trust it may have the effect of giving new weight to their representations. It is due to his Majesty's government, at the same time, to add, that they have uniformly expressed a desire to promote the wishes of the directors on this important point, although hitherto little progress appears to have been made towards their accomplishment. The captures of slave-ships, made since the last meeting of the Society, have nevertheless been numerous, and the examinations which have taken place in the Courts of Admiralty, have thrown great light on the frauds which are resorted to in carrying on this trade. Some curious details on this subject will be inserted in the Appendix." The general result seems to be, that, of the existing Slave Trade, a considerable share may be regarded as a bona fide Portuguese trade; carried on, however, for the most part, as the directors apprehend, in contravention of the treaty already referred to. But a still greater proportion, the directors are well as sured, is either a British or an American trade, conducted under the flags of Spain and Portugal. In some cases, where the disguise was so complete as to leave hardly any room, in the first instance, to question the truth of the allegation, that the property was Spanish or Portuguese, discoveries have been accidentally made, in the course of investigation, which have established, beyond all doubt, the British or American ownership. A very small part, if any, of the existing slave trade can be considered as really Spanish. The Act of the last session of Parliament, which makes slave trading on the part of British subjects a felony, will probably have had the effect of diminishing the proportion of this trade which is prosecuted on British account. As this law, however, was not in operation on the coast of Africa, until the month of September last, there has as yet been no opportunity afforded of procuring any of those convictions under it which are likely, more than any thing else, to operate as a discouragement to such an em ployment of British capital. Commodore Irby, as well as the governors of Sierra Leone and Goree, have expressed a fixed determination to lose no opportunity of carrying this salutary law into full effect. The cases have been very numerous, in which subjects of the United States have been found, under the disguise of * As our limits do not allow us to give the details, we must refer to the Report itself, which may be had of all booksellers. Spanish and Portuguese flags, prosecuting The attention of the directors has naturally been drawn, by the papers which have lately been laid on the table of the House of Commons, to the treatment of slaves in the West Indian islands, and to the kind and degree of legal pro tection which persons of this description enjoy. The facts of Mr. Huggins's case require no comment. Mr. Huggins had most flagrantly violated not only every law of humanity, but the clear and express enactment of his own legislature, in the measure of punishment which he bad inflicted on his slaves. He had done this openly, in the public market-place of the chief town of the island of Nevis, and in the presence of several magistrates, without any attempt being made to prevent the outrage. When brought to trial, through the public-spirited conduct of a few individuals, he was acquitted by the jury, in direct opposition, as it appears, to the evidence, and to the charge of the judge. Not satisfied with this acquittal, he prosecuted in his turn, and prosecuted to conviction, the printer of the St. Kitt's newspaper, who had merely inserted, by desire of the assembly of Nevis, a resolution of that body, expressive of their abhorrence of Mr. Huggins's conduct; and this poor man is still suffering under the sentence which was pronounced upon him by the court of St. Kitt's. Parliament had scarcely been made acquainted with these transactions, when another communication was made to government by the governor of the Leeward Islands, of details, if possible, still more revolting than those which respected Mr. Huggins. These details were afterwards laid on the table of the House of Commons. The main facts which they have brought to the knowledge of the public, are these:—a Mr. Hodge, a planter of Tortola, bad for many years been notorious in that small island for the barbarities which he exercised on his slaves. It was known that, by a succession of acts of the most wanton crucity, he had nearly exterminated a once once-flourishing gang of negroes. But no attempt was made to bring Mr. Hodge to justice; nor did his conduct excite the slightest notice of the magistracy of Tortola; until, in consequence of some political differences, one of the magistrates, who had previously lived with him in habits of friendship, caused a charge to be preferred against Mr. Hodge, for the murders he had committed among his slaves, all of which had been perpetrated more than three years before. A special commission was appointed to try Mr. Hodge; but such was the ferment produced among the white inhabitants of Tortola, by this unheard-of proceeding of trying a master for the murder of his slave, that Governor Elliott found himself compelled to come down to that island in a ship of war, and to proclaim martial law, in order to prevent the tumults which were apprehended in case of a conviction. Mr. Hodge was found guilty; but was recommended to mercy by a majority of the jury. Governor Elhott, however, disregarded the recommendation, and Mr. Hodge suffered the awful sentence of the law. The directors then call the attention of the public to the African Continent. In their former Reports, they frequently alluded to the Commission of Inquiry sent thither by government. The execution of the objects of this commission was long retarded by unforeseen circum stances; and before much progress had been made in it, Mr. Ludlam, one of the commissioners, died. Their labors had scarcely been brought to a close, when Captain Columbine, another of the commissioners, shared a similar fate. As he died on his passage home to this country, both the government and the directors were deprived of the benefit of any information which they might have ob tained from personal communication with him. A Report, however, was drawn up by him before his death, and has since been presented to government. In this Report Mr. Dawes, the remaining commissioner, has generally concurred, only subjoining some additional observations of his own. The directors consider the Report as a valuable document; and, as extracts from it have been printed by order of the House of Commons, they will have it in their power to lay the substance of it before the members of the Society. The information contained in this Report, the directors hope, may lead to the adoption of some new and beneficial measures with respect to Africa. Mr. Dawes, on his return to England, presented to the Board a variety of spe cimens of African produce and manu facture, of which a more detailed account will hereafter be given. One or two remarks on them will suffice for the present. The indigo manufactured at Sierra Leone, by one of the black settlers, is found to be quite as good in its quality as that which was first brought from the East Indies when its culture there commenced. When carefully compared with some East India indigo, which was lately sold at 4s. 8d. per lb. it proves to be of about half the value. This inferiority, however, arises not from any defect in the plant producing the dye, but from the want of skill in its manufacture. The directors hope to furnish the colony with some useful in-, formation on this point. A further experiment has been made on the substitute for hemp produced from the leaves of the palm-tree, and its superior strength, as compared with the Russian hemp, and as stated in a former Report, has been fully ascertained. It seems well adapted for various uses, and particularly for bolting-cloths, and objects of the same description; and the directors apprehend that it would be possible to obtain it in considerable quantities. A specimen of the hemp produced from the Sunn of Bengal, proves that this useful plant may be cultivated with advantage on the African continent; and the vicinity of that continent seems to obviate one great objection to its use, arising from the enormous expense of freight which attends the bringing of it from India. The Bourbon and Nankeen cotton seeds are also stated to have come up. For the details of the information received during the last year from Africa, the directors refer to their appendix, wherein the public will be particularly interested by some extracts from a posthumous Journal of Mr. Ludlam, and from the communications of the person sent by Governor Columbine, to negociate, with the native chiefs in the river Sherbro, for a concurrent abolition of the slave trade. The man who was sent on this mission was originally the son of a chief in that very river. He was carried, when about twelve years of age, as a slave to North America; he there obtained his freedom, |