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During that tour, the capabilities of New York for inland navigation formed a prominent subject of investigation and inquiry. They examined the carrying places between the Mohawk and Wood Creek, and between the former river and the sources of the Susquehanna. Even then may have been shadowed to their minds the dim outline of that great enterprise which has identified the illustrious nephew of Governor Clinton with the internal improvement of the state.

posts more than Governor Clinton himself. In a in company with General Washington, made a letter to General Washington, dated October the tour through the State of New York, and, passing ninth, 1777, after adverting to the ineffectual up the valley of the Mohawk, visited some of the efforts which he had made to collect the militia, scenes which have been rendered memorable by and stating that he had not been properly rein- the contests and privations and trials of the war forced, he concludes by saying:-"I have only to which had then recently terminated. They were add that where great losses are sustained, how- everywhere received with the attention and reever unavoidable, public censure is generally the spect to which their eminent stations and distinconsequence to those who are immediately con- guished virtues entitled them. cerned. If in the present instance this should be the case, I wish, so far as relates to the loss of Fort Montgomery and its dependances, it may fall on me alone, for I would be guilty of the greatest injustice, were I not to declare that the officers and men under me, of the different eorps, behaved with the greatest spirit and bravery." No censure, however, rested upon him or upon the men under his command. Under all the circumstances, the defence was considered a brave and gallant one, and drew from General Gates In 1788, George Clinton was unanimously and other officers, letters of high commendation. chosen president of the convention which met to Immediately after the loss of the forts, Gover- deliberate upon the new Constitution of the Union. nor Clinton collected together the scattered troops He was six times elected Governor and filled that and militia and watched the movements of the office for eighteen years. In 1804 he was elected enemy until their return to New York. He wrote Vice-President of the United States, in which to General Gates desiring him to order down distinguished station he continued until his death, some part of the army under his command to form which took place on the twentieth of April, 1812, a junction with him, by which he might prevent at the city of Washington. While Governor, his the advance of Sir Henry Clinton upon Albany. administration was characterized by integrity, The subsequent events of the campaign rendered such a movement unnecessary.

During the remainder of the war, Governor Clinton continued at the head of the State of New York as its chief magistrate, and divided his time between the discharge of his duties to the State and to the Union. He enjoyed, in an eminent degree, the confidence and friendship of General Washington. In May, 1779, the latter in writing to him says :- "The readiness with which you comply with all my requests in prosecution of the public service, has a claim to my warmest acknowledgements.

energy, and a vigilant attention to the public interests. As Vice-President he presided with dignity and firmness, and in all his relations in life sustained the character of an excellent man and a good citizen. The few aged people who yet survive, and who shared with him the toils and trials of war, and the perplexities and difficulties attendant upon the organization of a new government, still hold him in fond remembrance. The pioneers to the western part of the State shared largely in his kindest sympathies and good wishes, and were often the objects of his benevolence and care.

After the war, when General Washington had In the words of De Witt Clinton, "As a public retired to his seat at Mount Vernon, he continued character, he will live in the veneration of posa correspondence with Governor Clinton, in which terity, and the progress of time will thicken the he manifested anew his warm regard for him. In laurels that surround his monument. The chara letter, dated at Mount Vernon, December twenty-acteristic virtues which distinguished his life apeighth, 1783, he says:-"I am now a private citi-peared in full splendor in the trying hour of death, zen, on the banks of the Potomac, where I shall be and he died, as he lived, without fear and without happy to see you if your public business would reproach."

POWER OF ELECTRICITY.

ever permit, and where, in the meantime, I shall fondly cherish the remembrance of all your former friendship. Although I scarcely need tell you how much I have been satisfied with every instance of your public conduct, yet I could not suffer Colonel Walker to depart for New York, A SALAD of mustard or water-cress may be prowithout giving your Excellency one more testi-duced in a few minutes by the assistance of elecmony of the obligations I consider myself under, tricity. The process is to immerse the seed for for the spirited and able assistance I have often a few days previously, in diluted oxymuriatic derived from the state under your administration. acid, then sow it in a very light soil, letting it be The scene is at last closed. I feel myself eased covered with a metallic cover, and then bring it of a load of public care. I hope to spend the remainder of my days in cultivating the affections of good men, and in the practice of the domestic virtues. Permit me still to consider you in the number of my friends, and to wish you every felicity."

in contact with an electrical machine. By the agents employed in this process, eggs, which require from nineteen to twenty days' application of animal heat to hatch them-may be hatched in a few hours. Rain water, apparently free from any noxious animalculæ, may in an hour be renIn the following year, Governor Clinton, Idered full of living insects!

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THE DAGUERREOTYPE.

For some time past, specimens of photogenic drawing, the extraordinary result of philosophical experiments by L. J. M. Daguerre of Paris, have been exhibited in this country; and many successful applications of the process have been made in New York city and elsewhere. To this wonderful discovery, the attention of scientific men is turned; and already, as will be observed by the remarks of the editor of the "Repertory of Arts," appended to the following article, American genius has made important improvements. And we learn, verbally, from the same source, that Mr. Wolcott of New York has still farther simplified and perfected the operation, by discarding the lens entirely, and using merely a concave mirror instead.

This article occupies more space than we usually allot for one subject, but we believe the reader will find it a valuable equivalent for other matter which might fill its place.

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The designs are executed upon thin plates of silver, plated on copper. Although the copper serves principally to support the silver foil, the combination of the two metals tends to the perfection of the effect. The silver must be the purest that can be procured. As to the copper, its thickness ought to be sufficient to maintain the perfect smoothness and flatness of the plate, so that the images may not be distorted by the warping of the tablet; but unnecessary thickness beyond this is to be avoided on account of the weight. The thickness of the two metals united, ought not to exceed that of a stout card.

The process is divided into five operations :1. The first consists in polishing and cleaning the plate, in order to prepare it for receiving the sensitive coating, upon which the light traces the design.

2. The second is to apply this coating.

3. The third is the placing the prepared plate properly in the camera obscura to the action of light, for the purpose of receiving the image of

nature.

4. The fourth brings out this image, which at first is not visible on the plate being withdrawn from the camera obscura.

5. The fifth and last operation has for its object to remove the sensitive coating on which the design is first impressed, because this coating would continue to be affected by the rays of light, a property which would necessarily and quickly destroy the picture.

FIRST OPERATION.

Preparing the Plate.

The requisites for this operation are:-
A small vial containing olive oil.
Some very finely carded cotton.

A small quantity of very fine pumice powder, ground with the utmost care, tied up in a bag of muslin, sufficiently thin to allow the powder to pass through when the bag is shaken.

A phial of nitric acid, diluted with water in the proportion of one pint of acid to sixteen pints of distilled water. These proportions express volume, not weight.

A frame of iron wire upon which to place the plate, in order that it may be heated by means of a spirit lamp.

Lastly, a small spirit lamp.

As already stated, these photographic delineations are executed upon silver plated on copper. The size of the plate will depend of course on the dimensions of the camera. We must begin by polishing it carefully. To accomplish this, the surface of the silver is powdered all over with the pumice, by shaking the bag without touching the plate.

Next, with some cotton dipped in a little olive oil, the operator rubs the plate gently, rounding his strokes, as represented, Fig. 2. beginning from C. During this operation the plate must be laid flat upon several folds of paper, care being taken to renew these from time to time, that the tablet be not twisted from any inequality in the support. The pumice must be renewed and the cotton changed several times. The mortar employed for preparing the pumice must be of porphyry. The powder is afterward finished by grinding upon polished glass, with a glass muller, and very pure water. And lastly, it must be perfectly dried. It will be readily apprehended of what importance it is to attend to these directions, since upon the high polish of the silver depends in a great measure the beauty of the future design. When the plate is well polished, it must next be cleaned by powdering it all over once more with pumice, and rubbing with dry cotton, always rounding and crossing the strokes, for it is impossible to obtain a true surface by any other motion of the hand. A little pledget of cotton is already mentioned, by applying the cotton to the now rolled up and moistened with the diluted acid mouth of the phial and inverting it, pressing gently, so that the centre only of the cotton may be wetted, and but slightly, care being taken not to allow any acid to touch the fingers. The surface of the plate is now rubbed equally all over with the acid applied by the pledget of cotton. Change the cotton and keep rubbing, rounding as before, that the acid may be equally spread, yet in so small a quantity as just to skim the surface, so to speak. If, as frequently happens, the acid run into small drops from the high polish, change the cotton repeatedly and break down the globules as quickly as possible, but always by gently rubbing, for if allowed to rest or run upon the plate they will leave stains. It will be seen when the acid has been properly diffused, from the appearance of a thin veil spread regularly

over the whole surface of the plate. Once more powder over pumice, and clean it with fresh cotton, rubbing as before, but very slightly.

this essential requisite. The board is now fitted into its position, the plate face downward, the whole being supported by small brackets projectThe plate is now to be subjected to a strong ing from the four corners of the box, the lid of heat. It is placed upon the wire frame, (Fig. 1, which, G, is then closed. In this position the both views,) the silver upward. The spirit lamp apparatus remains till the vaporization of the is applied below the hand, moving it round, the iodine, which is condensed upon the plate, has flame touching and playing upon the copper. covered its surface with a fine coating of a yellow This operation being continued at least five min- gold color. If this operation be protracted, the utes, a white strong coating is formed all over gold color passes into violet, which must be the surface of the silver, if the lamp has been avoided, because in this state the coating is not made to traverse with proper regularity; the so sensitive to the impressions of light. On the lamp is now withdrawn. A fire of charcoal may contrary, if the coating be too pale, the image of be used instead of the lamp, and is perhaps pref-nature in the camera will be too faint to produce erable, the operation being sooner completed. a good picture. A decided gold color-nothing In this latter case the wire frame is unnecessary, more-nothing less-is the only assurance that because the plate may be held by one corner the ground of the future picture is duly prepared. with pincers, and so held over the fire, moving it The time for this cannot be determined, because at the same time till all is equally heated, and the it depends upon several circumstances. Of these veil appear as before described. The plate is now two, the principal are the temperature of the to be cooled suddenly by placing it on a cold sub-apartment, and the state of the apparatus. The stance, such as a mass of metal or stone, or best operation should be left entirely to spontaneous of all a marble table. When perfectly cold, it is evaporation of the iodine-or at all events, no to be again polished, an operation speedily per- other heat should be used than what can be apformed, since the gummy appearance merely has plied through the temperature of the room in to be removed, which is done by the dry pumice which the operation takes place. It is also very and cotton repeated several times, changing the important that the temperature of the inside of cotton frequently. The polishing being thus the box be equal to that of the air outside, for completed, the operation of the acid is to be re- otherwise, a deposition of moisture takes place peated three different times, dry pumice being upon the plate, a circumstance most injurious to powdered over the plate each time, and polished the final result. Secondly, as respects the state off very gently with the cotton, which must be of the apparatus; the oftener it has been used, the very clean, care being taken not to breathe upon less time is required, because in this case, the inthe plate or to touch it with the fingers, or even terior of the box being penetrated with the vapors with the cotton upon which the fingers have rest- of iodine, these arise from all sides, condensing ed, for the slightest stain upon the surface will thus more equally and more rapidly upon the cause a defect in the drawing. surface of the plate, a very important advantage. Hence it is of consequence to leave always a small quantity of iodine in the cup, and to protect this latter from damp. Hence, likewise, it is obvious that an apparatus of this kind which has been some time in use, is preferable to a new box, for in the former the operation is always more expeditiously performed.

When the plate is not intended for immediate use, the last operation of the acid is not performed. This allows any number of plates to be kept prepared up to the last slight operation, and they may be purchased in this state if required. It is, however, indispensable that a last operation by acid as described, be performed on every plate, immediately before it be placed in the camera. Lastly, every particle of dust is removed by gently cleaning the whole edges and back also with cotton.

SECOND OPERATION.

Coating the Plate.

For this operation, we require :-
The box represented, Figs. 7 and 8.
The small board, Fig. 3.

Four small metallic bands, the same substance as the plates.

A small handle, Fig. 5, and a box of small tacks.
A vial of iodine.

The plate is first to be fixed upon the board by means of the metallic bands with their small catches and tacks, as represented Fig. 3. The iodine is now put into the little dish, D, at the bottom of the box, Figs. 7 and 8. It is necessary to divide the iodine into pieces, in order to render the exhalation the more extensively and more equally diffused, otherwise it would form circles in the centre of the plate, which would destroy

Since from these causes the time cannot be fixed, a priori, and may vary from five minutes to half an hour, rarely more, unless the weather be too cold, means must be adopted for examining the plate from time to time. In these examinations it is important not to allow the light to fall directly upon the plate. Also, if it appear that the color is deeper on one side of the plate than the other, to equalize the coating the board must be replaced, not exactly in its former position, but turned one quarter round at each inspection. In order to accomplish these repeated examinations without injuring the sensibility of the ground or coating, the process must be conducted in a darkened apartment into which the light is admitted sideways, never from the roof-the door left a little ajar answers best. When the operator would inspect the plate, he raises the lid of the box, and lifting the board with both hands turns up the plate quickly, and very little light suffices to show him the true color of the coating. If too pale, the plate must be instantly replaced, till it attain the proper gold tone; but if this teint be passed, the coating is useless, and the opera

tions must be repeated from the commencement | justment being made with satisfactory precision, of the first.

From description this operation may perhaps seem difficult, but with a little practice one comes to know pretty nearly the precise interval necessary to produce the true tone of color, and also to inspect the plate with great rapidity, so as not to allow time for the light to act.

When the coating has reached the proper tone of yellow, the plate to which it is fitted, is slipped into the frame, (Fig. 13.) and thus adjusted at once in the camera. In this transference care must be taken to protect the plate from the light; a taper should be used, and even with this precaution, the operation ought to be performed as quickly as possible, for a taper will leave traces of its action if continued for any length of time. We e pass now to the third operation, that of the If possible the one should immediately succeed the other, the longest interval between the second and third ought not to exceed an hour. Beyond this space the action of the iodine and silver no longer possesses the requisite photogenic properties.

camera.

the moveable part of the camera is fixed by the
proper means, and the obscured glass being with-
drawn, its place is supplied by the apparatus, with
the plate attached as already described, and the
whole secured by small brass screws.
The light
is of course all this time excluded by the inner
doors; these are now opened by means of two
semicircles (see illustration) and the plate is dis-
posed ready to receive its proper impressions.
It remains only to open the aperture of the camera,
and to consult a watch.

This latter is a task of some nicety, as nothing is visible, and as it is quite impossible to determine the time necessary for producing a design, this depending entirely on the intensity of the light on the objects, the imagery of which is to be reproduced. At Paris, for example, this varies from three to thirty minutes.

It is likewise to be remarked, that the seasons as well as the hour of the day, exert considerable influence on the celerity of the operation. The most favorable time is from seven to three o'clock; and a drawing which, in the months of June and July at Paris, may be taken in three or four minutes, will require five or six in May or August, seven or eight in April and September, and so on in proportion to the progress of the season. These are only general data for very bright or strongly illuminated objects, for it often happens that twenty minutes are necessary in the most favorable months, when the objects are en

Observanda.-Before making use of the box, the operator should clean it thoroughly, turning it bottom upward, in order to empty it of all the particles of iodine which may have escaped from the cup, avoiding at the same time touching the iodine with the fingers. During the operation of coating, the cup ought to be covered with a piece of gauze stretched on a ring. The gauze regulates the evaporation of the iodine, and also pre-tirely in shadow. vents the compression of the air, on the lid being After what has just been said, it will readily shut, from scattering the particles of iodine, some of which reaching the plate, would leave the large stains on the coating. For the same reason the top should always be let down with the greatest gentleness, not to raise the dust in the inside, the particles of which being charged with the vapor of the iodine, would certainly reach and damage the plate.

THIRD OPERATION.

The Camera.

The apparatus required in this operation is limited to the camera obscura. (Figs. 14 and 15.)

occur to the reader that it is impossible to specify with precision the exact length of time necessary to obtain photographic designs; practice is the only sure guide and with this advantage, one soon comes to appreciate the required time very correctly. The latitude is of course a fixed element in this calculation. In the south of France, for example, and generally in all those countries in which light has great intensity, as Spain, Italy, &c.: we can easily understand that these designs must be obtained with greater promptitude than in more northern regions. It is, however, very important not to exceed the time necessary, in different circumstances, for producing a design, because, in that case, the lights in the drawing will not be clear, but will be blackened by a too prolonged solarization. If, on the contrary, the time has been too short, the sketch will be very vague, and without the proper details.

This third operation is that in which by means of light, acting through the camera, nature impresses an image of herself on the photographic plate, enlightened by the sun, for then the operation is more speedy. It is easy to conceive that this operation, being accomplished only through Supposing that he has failed in a first trial, by the agency of light, will be the more rapid in pro-withdrawing the tablet too soon, or by leaving it portion as the objects, whose photographic images too long exposed, the operator, in either case, are to be delineated, stand exposed to a strong should commence with another plate immediateillumination, or in their own nature present brightly; the second trial, being corrected by the first, lines and surfaces. almost insures success. It is even useful, in order to acquire experience, to make some essays of this kind.

After having placed the camera in front of the landscape, or facing any other object of which it may be desirable to obtain a representation, the first essential is a perfect adjustment of the focus, that is to say, making your arrangements so as to obtain the outlines of the subject with great neatness. This is accomplished by advancing or withdrawing the frame of the obscured glass which receives the images of natural objects. The adVOL. VII.-53

In this stage of the process, it is the same as for the coating; we must hasten to the next operation. When the plate is withdrawn from the camera, it should immediately be subjected to the subsequent process; there ought not to be at most a longer interval than an hour between the third and fourth operations; but one is al

ways surest of disengaging the images when no both of iodine and of mercury which they have space has been allowed to intervene.

FOURTH OPERATION.

Mercurial or disengaging process.

Here are required :—

18.

A vial of mercury, containing at least 3 oz.
A lamp with spirit of wine.

The apparatus represented by Figs. 16, 17, and

A glass funnel with a long neck.

acquired. The plate is now deposited in the grooved box (Fig. 9.) until it undergoes the fifth and last operation. This may be deferred if not convenient; for the sketch may now be kept for months in its present state without alteration, provided it be not too frequently inspected by the full daylight.

FIFTH OPERATION.

Fixing the impression.

By means of the funnel the mercury is poured The object of this final process is to remove into the cup C at the bottom of the larger vessel. from the tablet the coating of iodine, which, conThe quantity must be sufficient to cover the bulb tinuing to decompose by light would otherwise of a thermometer F. Afterward, and through-speedily destroy the design when too long exout the remaining operations, no light save a posed. For this operation the requisites are:taper can be used. A saturated solution of common salt, or a weak solution of hyposulphite of pure soda.

The board with the plate affixed is now to be withdrawn from the frame already described as adapted to the camera, and figured Fig. 13. The board and plate are placed within the ledges of the black iron vessel Fig. 16, at an angle of 45° the tablet with sketch downward, so that it can be seen through the glass G. The top A is then gently put down, so as not to raise up particles of the mercury.

When all things are thus disposed, the spirit lamp is lighted, and placed under the cup containing mercury. The operation of the lamp is allowed to continue till the thermometer, the bulb of which is covered by the mercury, indicates a temperature of 60° centigrade. The lamp is then immediately withdrawn; if the thermometer has risen rapidly, it will continue to rise without the aid of a lamp, but this elevation ought not to exceed 75° centigrade.

The impress of the image of nature exists upon the plate, but it is invisible. It is not till after the lapse of several minutes that the faint tracery of objects begins to appear, of which the operator assures himself by looking through the glass G, by the light of a taper, using it cautiously that its rays may not fall upon, and injure the nascent images of the sketch. The operation is continued till the thermometer sinks to 450 centigrade; the plate is then withdrawn, and this operation completed.

When the objects have been strongly illuminated, or when the action in the camera has been continued rather too long, it happens that this fourth operation is completed before the thermometer has fallen even to 55° centigrade. One may always know this, however, by observing the sketch through the glass.

It is necessary after each operation to clean the inside of the apparatus carefully, to remove the slight coating of mercury adhering to it. When the apparatus has to be packed for the purpose of removal, the mercury is withdrawn by the small cock E, inclining the vessel to that side.

The apparatus represented Fig. 19, first and second views.

Two square troughs, sheet copper, Fig. 21, both views.

A vessel for distilled water, Fig. 23.

In order to remove the coating of iodine, common salt is put into a bottle with a wide mouth, which is filled one-fourth with salt, and threefourths with pure water. To dissolve the salt, shake the bottle, and when the whole forms a saturated solution, filter through paper. This solution is prepared in large quantities beforehand, and kept in corked bottles.

The solu

Into one of the square troughs, pour the solution, filling it to the height of an inch; into the other pour in like manner the water. tion of salt may be replaced by one of hyposulphite of soda, which is even preferable, because it removes the iodine entirely, which the saline solution does not always accomplish, especially, when the sketches have been laid aside for some time between the fourth and fifth operations. It does not require to be warmed, and a less quantity is required.

First, the plate is placed in common water, poured into a trough, plunging and withdrawing it immediately-the surface merely requiring to be moistened-then plunge it into the saline solution, which latter would act upon the drawing if not previously hardened by the washing in

pure water.

To assist the effect of the saline

solutions, the plate is moved about in them by means of a little hoop of copper wire, Fig. 22. When the yellow color has quite disappeared, the plate is lifted up with both hands, care being taken not to touch the drawing, and plunged again into the first trough of pure water.

the bottle Fig. 23, having been previously preNext, the apparatus, Fig. 19, (two views) and pared, made very clean, and the bottle filled with distilled water, the plate is withdrawn from the clined plane, Fig. 19, distilled water, hot, but not trough, and being instantly placed upon the inboiling, is made to flow in a stream over its whole surface, carrying away every remaining portion of the saline wash.*

One may now examine the sketch by a feeble light in order to be certain that the processes hitherto have succeeded. The plate is now detached from the board, and the little bands of metal which held it there are carefully cleaned with pumice and water after each experiment, a If hyposulphite has been used, the distilled water need not precaution rendered necessary from the coating be so hot as when common salt has been employed.

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