usually few, among which however we notice with pleasure the following interesting and valuable NEW EDITIONS. Eccentric Biography, 1 vol. 12mo.-B. & J. HOMANS-Boflon, The 1ft volume of the British Poets-(the Edition, which was announced in the Anthology for February.)-B. J. and R. JOHNSON-Philadelphia. The 1ft volume of Pinkerton's Modern Geography.-J. CONRAD & Co.-Philadelphia. The publishers have used their endeavours to make the work deserving of the very liberal encouragement afforded to it by the public, and equal in all refpects to the English quarto edition, which fells for nearly three times the price. The geography of this country is revised and considerably aug mented by Dr. Benjamin Smith Barton; the American maps are drafted by Mr. Samuel Lewis, principally from actual furveys, and engraved by Harri fon, Lawfon and Tanner. Careful attention has been paid to correcting the prefs, to binding, and to every thing that would enfure to the publishers the approbation of the fubfcribers. Subfcriptions will be received at twelve dollars per copy until the work is completed, when it will be raised to fif. teen dollars. The Hiflory of the Wars which arofe out of the French Revolution; to which is prefixed, a review of the causes of that event. By ALEXANDER STEPHENS, of the Hon. Society of the Middle Temple, Efq.-J. BIOREN and T. L. PLOWMAN-Philad. The Seafons, with the Caftle of Indolence; poems, by JAMES THOMSON to which are prefixed the Life of the Author, by Patrick Murdock, D.D. F.R.S. And an Effay on the Plan and Character of the Seafons, by J. Aikin, M. D.-THOMAS DOB SON-Philadelphia. Poems and Elays on various fubje&s; in two parts, by MARIA DE FLEURY.-T. H. BURNTON-New-York. MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. IN Paris, the moft fkilful engravers are employed upon a large collection of coloured drawings, fent from China to the national library by the French Miffionaries. The resemblance, which these Chinese vases bear to thofe of ancient Greece, will, it is expected, give new light on the origin of the arts. IN Falcion, a village about two leagues from Nice, a curious cavern has been lately discovered. Its entrance is formed by a fmall aperture. The interior, of which the extent is not yet fully explored, exhibits a variety of vast compartments, that refemble temples decorated with columns, formed by the crystalliza tion of waters. One fingle hall, or faloon, will contain four hundred perfons. The reflection is fo ftrong, that it requires but very little light for illumining the interior in a very fplendid ftyle. Only a small number of adventurers have, as yet, entered it; among whom are a poet and a Roman defigner, who fpeak of it with rapture and astonishment. A certain general, whofe name is not mentioned, intends speedily to make a descent into it, and to draw up a circumstantial report of whatever interesting particulars he may discover. MR. Peter Riffelgen, a native of Copenhagen, has juft invented a new musical instrument, which he names THE MELODICA. The found is produced in a manner hitherto unknown; viz. by the friction of metal forks against a moveable metal cylinder, which is effected by flackening, and ftraining the fork by means of keys, like those of an organ. As this invention is proved by judges to be entirely new, and superior to any one of a fimilar construction, under the name of HARMONICA; his Danish Majefty has granted him his royal letters patent, in which the formation and peculiar excellence of this MELODI CA is detailed at full length. IN the national library at Paris, there are a great number of Chinese works, and a valuable collection of coloured drawings, executed in China, and fent to Europe by the French miffionaries. These drawings represent the ancient vases of that country in a variety of forms, porcelain vases, culinary utenfils, furnaces, flower-pots, &c.; a variety of clasps, buckles, rings, earpendants, hair-pins, and other ornaments worn by the Chinese ladies; birds, minerals, flowers, plants, landscapes, tents of the emperor and mandarins, cabinets, Chinese obfervatories, towers, pyramids, bridges, temples, tombs, triumphal arches, and other new and interesting objects; the whole in a superb ftyle, both with respect to the drawing and colouring. Most of these pictures are accompanied with Chinese characters, explanatory of their names and uses. Dr. Hagar has begun to translate some of thefe characters, and Meffrs. Piranefi intend to publish fuch as fhall be deemed most interesting, as a fequel to their "Un edited Vafes of Herculaneum," as there is a striking resemblance between many of the antique vafes of the Chinese, and thofe of the Greeks and Hetrufcans. This may be adduced as an additional proof of the communication which muft anciently have fubfifted between our occidental countries and China. PROFESSOR Palmer, of Brunswick, has invented a powder for extinguishing fire; from the use of which great advantage is expected to arife, efpecially in winter, when the water is frozen. This powder is composed of equal parts of fulphur and ochre, mixed with fix times their weight of vitriol. These ingredients are mixed, and the mafs afterwards pulverifed. The powder is to be scattered over the places on fire; two ounces are fufficient for a furface a foot fquare. When it is not poffible to approach the flames, cartridges may be made of it, and fhot with a cross-bow against fuch parts of the building where the fire rages with the greatest violence. In order to preserve timber from fire, the Profeffor directs, to rub it over with common carpenter's glue, and then sprinkle the powder over it; repeating the operation three or four times, as the preceding layer becomes dry. If you wish to preserve cloth, paper, ropes, cables, &c. against fire, use water instead of glue in applying the powder. THE Brunonian fyftem of medicine feems to be rapidly gaining ground in Spain, where a number of works have lately appeared, elucidating and defending the doctrines of Brown, and his difciples of the German fchool. The Spanish literati continue to fpread illumination among their countrymen by publishing tranflations of the best French and German works that have lately appeared upon agriculture, natural-history, medicine, and other arts and sciences. A GERMAN tract has lately been discovered in the British Museum, printed in 1713, on the fubject of the Cow-pox. It was written by a student of the name of SALGER, and is entitled De lue Vaccarum. GARNERIN, the aëronaut, in his fecond afcenfion from St. Petersburg, rofe to the height of 1270 French toises, and thence brought down at the request of Profeffor Parrot, of Dorpat, fome bottles filled with air, with which that learned philofo pher has been making fome interefting experiments. |