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The Ramillies unfortunate.

ritual their DUE weight. The coincidencies and correfpondencies, I fay, are fpiritual. Befides the Ramillies, every fhip that bore the name, and, recurring to the first connexion of France and England with the name, we will fay every place that bore the name, was under an active and visible dæmon of mifchief. Every fhip of that name in the English fervice, has foundered and deftroyed her crew; this fhot her Admiral-and I do not believe, that any thing but the evil genius of that fhip brought on his fate; nor will the hiftory of his conduct and trial furnish any other ground; it never has furnished it. The readers of Swedenborg have a ground in the year 1757, which will furnish more extenfive contemplation.

But there was also a fingular domeftic omen. During his paffage to England in the Antelope, as his brother, Mr. Edward Byng, was fitting in the room alone, their creft, which ornamented the top of a looking-glafs, fell into the middle of the floor and broke to pieces. This crest also is very near an Antelope.

All the veffels fitted out from England for beginning the fettlement of Sierra Leone have met mifcarriages of fome kind or other. The Harpy (a name the Romans would not have fuffered in an expedition intended to defroy Harpies) their principal ship, after being out nearly two months, or twice the time of the paffage, had not got half way, being oppofed by WESTERLY WINDS. Now I muft fpeak a little feriously to the gentlemen concerned in that undertaking-Conciliate the genius of the Weft! If ye do not, ye fhall all likewife perifh! That my brother

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and my first coufin are your chaplains is not enough to feduce me to a softer expreffion. In 1783, the year of American peace, I paid my laft vifit to the Weft Indics. Though Eaft winds are known to prevail in March, we lay that month wind-bound at the Mother-bank. Though feamen expect Eaft winds on' the Atlantic near the tropics as furely as day and night, we could hardly reach our destination for Weft winds. During three years that I ftaid in the islands, there was a frequency of WEST winds before unknown. Favoured by the WEST winds, I made my paffage to England in 30 days in H. M. S. the Mediator, Captain Collingwood,though the wind was feldom more than would just fill the fails, and though we were oppofed three days by a gale from the Eastward. From this paffage of mine, exclufive of every concomitant circumflance throughout the world, I augur conclufively to myself, that the NEW sun, which has arifen in the WEST, and whofe courfe the winds follow as formerly the Eastern trades followed the Eastern Sun, is mild, benignant, and peaceable, in his fupplantation of the old light,even on the boom of the ocean, and that all violences proceed from the old, and finally vanquished, fyftem. The Sierra Leone Company, I fhall remark, have on their lift of Directors a very particular root of bitterness—a man, who combines the augury drawn from my paffage immediately with the Sierra Leone company, as he has profitutedly oppofed himself to the fuccefs of the pure object of my visit to England. But let him remember, that the three days Eaftern gale cannot longer oppofe the fweeping West.

METALLURGY.

B.

Cornwall, March 26, 1792. is entirely confined to this county, and afterwards make a few obfervations on F. Spilbury's method of affaying gold and filver.

MR. EDITOR, THROUGH the medium of your entertaining Magazine, I beg leave to communicate to your readers the method of aflaying copper ores, which VOL. I.

Every chymift knows, that the intention of affaying, is to know what Nn quantity

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Hints to Mr. Spilbury.

quantity of metal is to be found in a certain quantity of ore, and whether it will pay the expences of fimelting in the large way.

In the first place, the ore is pounded and paffed through a fine wire fieve, and afterwards well mixed, fo that one part may not be richer than another. A troy ounce of this ore is weighed, and put into a large crucible, which is placed in the melting furnace, and a red heat kept up, and conftantly flirred, as long as it emits an arfenical or fulphurous fmell; when it is well roafled, it is removed from the furnace, and left to cool; when cold, half an ounce of white tartar, half an ounce of red tartar, half an ounce of borax, a quarter of an ounce of nitre, and a quarter of an ounce of fluor fpar are to be mixed with it in the crucible in which it was roailed, and the mixture is afterwards covered one finger thick with common falt. It is again placed in the furnace, and the strongest heat which it is capable of giving, is kept up for the space of ten minutes or a quarter of an hour; the time must be regulated according to the fufibility of the ore; when it is perfectly fufed, it is poured into a round mould, and the metal feparated from the scoria. The copper is ftill very impure, and is melted a fecond, and fometimes a third and fourth time, before it is perfectly fine.

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In the fecond melting, the crucible is firit placed in the furnace, and made white hot; the copper is then put in, and when it begins to melt, one tenth of an ounce of white flux, which is made by detonating together two pints of nitre, and one of tartar, is thrown on it, and as soon as poffible afterwards a quarter of an ounce of falt must be put into the crucible; when the ebullition ceafes, it is poured into

* The ounce is divided into an hundred

parts.

the mould, and when cold, the fcoria is feparated, and fet apart to dry; if the button of copper is not fine (which is known by its colour, grain, and ductility) this operation is repeated till it is. In the above procefs for refining the copper, the flux always diffolves a part of it; the dried flagg or scoria therefore is mixed with its weight of tartar, put into a crucible, covered with a layer of falt, and melted as in the process for reducing the roasted ore. When the whole is perfectly fluid, it is poured into the mould.

The reduced copper, which is called the prill, is found beneath the scoria, and is always impure; it is therefore carefully refined, as above, with the white flux.

The refined prill being added to the button of copper, and weighed, a calculation is made of the contents and value of a ton of ore.

Having this briefly defcribed the procefs for aflaying copper, I shall take the liberty to fay, that the greatest part of Mr. Spilfbury's way for aflaying gold and filver is taken from Macquer's Chymical Dictionary, though differently expreffed. I am furprised that one who ftiles himself Chymift, fhould be at a lofs for a menftruum that would diffolve copper and not filver! Could he be ignorant that the marine acid, when hot and concentrated, diffolves copper, and has not the least effect upon filver? Mr. S. fhould have given his readers a procels for feparating the marine acid from the aqua-fortis, which he ufes, as it is always adulterated with it, and which would precipitate the filver as foon as it was diffolved, and confequently the affay would not be juft. What does Mr. S. mean by the following fentenee, fpeaking of the gold affay in the cucurbite?" but if otherwife it will be Small duft, from any acid falts the aqua-fortis leaves beind."

R. E.

PHILOSOPHICAL

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PHILOSOPHICAL AND INGENIOUS AMUSEMENTS.

(Continued from Page 354.)

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EXPLANATION.

This trick is fo fimple, that it hardly merits an explanation: it first confifts in making a perfon draw a forced card, which you know by the touch, because it is larger than the reft. After having fhuffled them, you withdraw it from the pack, to fhew the company that it is not there, and when you order it to appear on the wall, the confederate dexterously draws a thread, at the end of which is faftened a fimilar card, which comes from behind a glass, and this card is fattened by very minute loops of filk to another thread fully ftretched, along which the card runs, and performs its rout--fi licet parva componere magnis, it resembles the rope across the Seine, by which the fer=ry-boat of the Invalids is conducted.

THE CARD NAILED TO THE WALL

BY A PISTOL SHOT.

A Card is defired to be drawn, and the person who chose it requested to tear off a corner, and to keep it, that he may know the card; the card fo torn, is then burnt to cinders, and a pitol is charged with gunpowder, with

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which the afhes of the card are mixed. Instead of a ball, a nail is put into the barrel, which is marked by fome of the company. The pack of cards is then thrown up in the air, the piftol is fired, and the burnt card appears nailed against the wall; the bit of the corner which was torn off, is then compared with it, and is found exactly to fit, and the nail which faflens it to the wall is recognized by the perfons who marked it.

EXPLANATION.

When the performer fees that a corner has been torn from the chofen card, he retires, and makes a fimilar tear on a like card. Returning on the theatre, he asks for the chofen card, and paffes it to the bottom of the pack, and subftitutes expertly in the place, the card which he has prepared, which he burns instead of the firit.

When the pitol is loaded, he takes it in his hand under pretence of fhewing how to direct it, &c. He avails himself of this opportunity to open a hole in the barrel near the touch hole, through which the nail falls by its own weight into his hand; having fhut this paffage carefully, he requests fome one of the company to put more powder and wadding into the piftol; whilst that is doing, he carries the nail and card to his confederate, who quickly nails the card to a piece of fquare wood which ftops, hermetically, a fpace left open in the partition, and in the tapestry, but which is not perceived, as it is covered by a piece of tapestry fimilar to the rest of the room, and by which means when the nailed card is put in, it is not perceived; the piece of tapestry which covers it, is nicely fastened on the one end with two pins, and to the other a thread is fastened, one end of which the Nnz confederate

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confederate holds in his hand. foon as the report of the pistol is heard, the confederate draws his thread, by which means the piece of tapestry falls behind a glafs---the card appears the fame that was marked---and with the nail that was put in the pistol. It is not astonishing that this trick being fo difficult by its complexity to be gueffed at, fhould have received fuch univerfal applaufe.

N. B. After the pistol has been charged with powder, a tin tube may be flipped upon the charge, into which the nail being rammed along with the wadding, by inclining it a little in prefenting it to one of the fpectators to fire, the tube and contents will fall into the performer's hand to convey to his confederate. If any one fufpects that the nail has been stolen out of the pistol, you perfist in the contrary, and beg the company at the next exhibition to be further convinced; you are then to fhew a pistol which you take to pieces to fhew that all is fair without any preparation you charge it with a nail, which is marked by fome perfon in confederacy with you, or you fhew it to many people on purpofe to avoid its being marked. In this cafe the card is nailed with another nail, but to perfuade the company that it is the fame, you boldly affert that the nail was marked by feveral perfons, and you request the fpectators to view it and be convinced.

TO SHUFFLE CARDS IN SUCH A MANNER AS ALWAYS TO KEEP ONE CERTAIN CARD AT THE BOTTOM.

A PERSON with a hard hand and ftiff joints fhould never think of playing deception with the cards, as clumfy fin gers will not do. In fhewing tricks with cards, the principal point confifts in fhuffling them nimbly, and yet keeping one certain card, either at the bottom or in fome known place of the pack, four or five cards from the bot

tom; for by this, you may feem to work wonders; fince it is eafy for you to fee, or take notice of a card; which though you are perceived to do, it will not be fufpected if you fhuffle them well together, afterwards, by the method here to be taught, which is this: in fhuffling let the bottom card be always kept a little before, or, which is beft, a little behind all the rest of the cards; put it a little beyond the reft before, right over your fore-finger, or else, which is the beft, a little behind the reft, fo as the little finger of the left hand may flip up, and meet with it at the firit; fhuffle as thick as you can, and at laft throw upon the board the bottom card, with as many more as you would preferve for any purpofe, a little before or a little behind the rest: and be fure to let your fore-finger, (if the pack be laid before) or your little finger, (if the pack be laid behind) always creep up to meet with the bottom card, and when you feel it, you may there hold it till you have fhuffled over again, which being done, the card which was firft at the bottom will come there again; thus you may fhuffle them before their faces, and yet leave your noted card at the bottom; you must try to be very perfect in your fhuffling; and having once attained it, you may do almoit what you please; for whatever pack you make, though it is ten, twelve, or twenty cards, you may still keep it next the bottom, and yet fhuffle them often to please the curious.

HOW TO MAKE A CARD JUMP OUT OF THE PACK AND RUN ON THE TABLE.

THIS is a wonderful fancy if it be well handled; as thus:

Take a pack of cards, and let any one draw any card that they fancy best, and afterwards take and put it into the pack, but fo as you know where to find it at pleafure; for by this time I fuppofe you know how to fhuffle the cards, and where to find any card when it is

put

The Unfortunate Visible.

put into the pack; then take a piece of wax and put it under the thumb-nail of your right-hand, and there fasten a hair to your thumb, and the other end of the hair to the card; then fpread the pack of cards open on the table: then fay, If you are a pure virgin the card will jump out of the pack; then by your words or charms feem to make it jump on the table.

1

THE VISIBLE INVISIBLE.

VARIOUS are the tricks and fancies made use of to amuse and furprise by the nimble-fingered gentry, who exhibit for a livelihood, and gain a confortable fubfiftence from their gaping audi

ences.

The astonishment of the fpectators encreases as their fenfes are impofed upon: in fact, they themfelves (though they do not know it) aflift the deceit ! for, being more attentive to the trick than to the performer of it, they cannot fee or comprehend how it is done; when, were they acquainted with the manner, a little practice would make them capable of doing the fame.

But as people will be amufed by fome means or other, according to their different difpofitions, fo thofe who practise these diverfions, are in the right to vary their fcenes as much as they can, and as often as poffible introduce fomething new. Novelty has a charm the most attractive imaginable; yet they should be careful, in these attempts, not to promife too much, and well confider that what they have to offer will bear the test of fcrutiny, left they become the fcoff and ridicule of their auditors, instead of their admiration.

A certain gentleman, well known for his talents in the deceptive arts, a few years back, brought together a great number of genteel people at the Lebeck's Head, in the Strand.

His bills fet forth a wonderful new discovery, which was to furprize and aftonish all the beholders; and he called it the Vifible Invifible: his appa

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ratus was a large looking-glafs, on which was difplayed a variety of devices, and fome very pretty verses, defcriptive and applicable to his defign: this was handed round the company, who having read it very plainly, he took his handkerchief and wiped it all out, and the glafs appeared without the leaft mark whatever; but on his defiring any one to breathe upon it, the writing and characters became as vifible as ever.

This was really altonishing to many prefent; but fome gentlemen, being well acquainted with the manner it was done, and knowing it was too trifling to pay half-a-crown for fo fimple a thing, declared against the impofition, and undeceived the audience, by fhewing the deception was nothing more than French chalk; this fet the whole place in an uproar, and vengeance was: declared against the performer, who, with the utmost precipitation, was endeavouring to make his escape out of the window to avoid their fury; but being prevented, he was brought back to the audience, where, having afked pardon on his knees, and returning the money, he afterwards told them, and told them truly, if he had got off with the money, he should have been invifible; but, as it was, he was visible; after breaking his glass, he was fuffered to depart.

The French chalk is a compound of a greafy but extraordinary nature, and has been often made ufe of to draw portraits upon looking-glaffes, when the picture may be vifible or invifible, as the poffeffor thinks proper, only by breathing or wiping of it, and it will continue so for many months.

Mr. Conjuror declared he gave five guineas for the fecret, and it must be confeffed he bought the bargain.

SYMPATHETIC INKS.

THESE kinds of inks are very curious, and may ferve for a great number of phyfical recreations, very furprising to

fuch

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