SPE C TAB I LT 1.
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION OF ENGLAND.—The improvements of Great Britain, in her internal communications, is, perhaps, the most extraordinary circumstance in the records of civilization. It is impossible to contemplate our roads, our canals, and, within these few years, our railways, without a sentimeet of national pride, which philosophy would scarcely ask us to re- press. The turnpiker-oads of England alone extend twenty thousand miles, and upwards of a million sterling is annually bestowed upon their repair and maintenance. The rapidity, the precision, and the security with which the whole communication of the kingdom is thus carried on, is one of the prin- cipal causes of our astonishing commercial activity. In the late Session, sixty-five new road-bills have passed into law ; in the session of 1S27, there were fifty-three. We thus see that this extraordinary course of improve- ment never stops—and the cause is this, the people know their own wants, and have the power to supply them.—London Magazine for September.
RECEIPT "f0 MAKE EAU DE COLOGNE.—Take of the essence of bergamot, lemon-peel, lavender, and orange-flower, of each one Ounce; essence of cinnamon half an ounce ; spirit of rosemary, and of the spirituous water of melisse, of each fifteen ounces ; strong alcohol, seven pints and a half. Mix the whole together, and let the mixture stand for the space of a fortnight ; after which introduce it into a glass retort, the body of which is immersed into boiling water contained in a vessel placed over a lamp, while the beak is introduced into a large glass reservoir well luted. By keeping the water to the boiling point, the mixture in the retort will distil over into the receiver, which should be covered over with wet cloths. In this manner will be ob- tained pure Eau tie Cologne.—Granville's St. Petersburgh.
PREACIIINC BEFORE PsnissmENT.—A thanksgiving was ordered on the Protector's escape. "Warren was suggested by one member to be the preacher. Alderman Foot desired Dr. Reynolds might preach. Exceptions were taken to his low voice. If so, then,' replied Foot, I desire Mr. Jenkins (a preacher described by Baxter as "sententious and elegant") may be appointed ; for why need we fetch them out of the country, having enough about us to do the duty ? ' Other members objected to Dr. Rey-
nolds's.voice as too low, as well as Caryll's. is strange,' observed Lord Strickland, r we should not hear as well now as we did fourteen years ago.'
Ministers tell u sour faults,' said Rolrinson; ' it is fit %re should tell them theirs. Their reading of sermons. making their voices low—I doubt we are going the Episcopal way of reading prayers too.' Lord Cochrane moved Galaspy, a Scotch divine, might. preach. lie said. he used not to read his sermons. Ile said something, of an evil man that read svrinons. This caused laughter. Lord Strickland moved that Galaspy be desired to preach, as was moved,' said he, ' by that noble lord, who I perceive is a very godly man.' Warren and Galaspy accordingly preached."—Burtods NV EL USrtINED Ficrios.—On Monday last, a gentleman from the North.
passing through Dalkeith. called at the shop of a respectable bookseller here, and inquired for the shop of one Mansie Wauch, a tailor. The book- seller stared at him in astonishment, and replied. that, to the best of his know- ledge, there was no individual of that MIMI; in Dalkeith. " What ! no one of that name here?—you inlet he mistaken—I just finished reading his life before I left home, and was quite delighted with it. He must surely be well known here.''—" Yes, sir ; his life was even well drawn up ; but I can assure you, sir, it was all a fiction.'.—" .Nonsense!" exclaimed the thunder- struck Aberdonian. " Fictitious I—and I to travel so much out of my way merely to make a purchase from him—astonishing, !—And his son Benjie ?"— " All of a piece."—" Bless me !---then I should not wonder now that my own life was all a fiction!"—returned the disappointed young man, as he turned on his heel, and left the bookseller laughing heartily at the back of his counter.—Edinburgh Evening Post.
TILE CONTRIVANCE FOR BELLS IN THE INNS OF COVRLAND.—A large square board is fixed on the landing-place of each floor, having several horizontal narrow slides in it, placed one above the other, each of which is marked at one of its extremities with the number of each of the rooms or apartments on that floor. In these slides a square piece of wood is fitted, which admits of being easily pushed from one end of the slide to the other. When a lodger has had his tug at the pro bona public() bell outside his room, he need nut wait for the servant, but, after pushing the square piece of wood right against the number marked at the end of the slide which corresponds with the num- ber of his room, he may retire, certain that the servant will wait upon him.— Granville's St. Petersburgh.
Pararoes.—It is customary, says Dr. Paris, in his amusing Guide to Mount's Bay and the Land's End, for the gardeners in the vicinity of Pen- zance to raise two crops of potatoes in one year. The first being planted in November is gathered in April, May, andJune; the second crop is planted immediately on taking up the first, and as late as to the middle of July. The first or spring clop has, in general, no other defence from the cold of winter than the stable dung used as manure, and it is rarely injured by the frost.
THE RAFTS.—The most curious objects of human industry, that are to be met in the course of the navigation on the Rhine, are the celebrated timber- rafts, of one of which I have given a representation in this place. These singular floating machines are composed of many thousand trees, disposed in layers, and properly lashed together. They are frequently from nine hundred to one thousand feet in length, and from sixty to eighty feet in breadth. and draw perhaps as much as six or eight feet of water. They are rowed by eight hundred men, who are disposed at the end of the float, as seen in the plate. This crew is lodged in a small village of wooden huts, neatly erected on the float, presenting every curious appearance. Every arrangement, as to discipline, provisions, and such other regulations, as are generally prevalent On board of large vessels at sea, obtains in this case. To these machines may with propriety be applied the motto rites acluirit eundo. For, at first starting, they consist. of a few trees fastened loosely together, and their more regular construction by gradual additions, takes place at certain fixed sta- tions, in proportion as the navigation becomes less entangled, until, at last, the whole assumes the appearance I have described.—Grenviile's St. Peters- burgh.
KING'S COLLEGE.—The Committee of this institution are unceasing in their efforts to procure an eligible situation for the College. Various places have been examined, and rejected. We have now, however, the pleasure to state, that there is great probability of the ground near Finsbury-square, belonging to the Honourable Artillery Company, being selected ; a cor- respondence on the subject having taken place between the Committee and the Company, with every prospect of a satisfactory termination. The situation is central, and the removal of the houses in Bunhill-row, the leases of which arc nearly expired, will enable the Committee to erect a building equally splendid and commodious. Among the matters which have also engaged their attention, is the defective character of our elementary treatises on education, and :hey have determined on engaging the best literary assist- ance to prepare a series of works on the various branches of this subject. Such is the state of forwardness of this department, that a bookseller has now in the press, under their sanction, " The Students' First Instructor ;" the production, it is said, of the venerable and talented Bishop of London.
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