ARTS AND SCIENCES.

SELECTED FROM LATE LONDON PUBLICATIONS.

DURING the last three months the public have been gratified by an exhibition of the works of Sir Joshua Reynolds, at the rooms formerly the Shakspeare gallery in Pall Mall. The owners of many of the principal pictures of that great master having lent their treasures for the purposes of this exhibition, nearly 150 specimens of this transcendent genius have thus been brought into one point of view, and have afforded a high treat to the amateurs of fine painting. Sir Joshua required no better proofs of his divine grace, his accurate discrimination, his disciplined taste, and his powers of executing the happiest conceptions, than are to be found in every variety of composition in this exhibition. All the beauties of the first masters of the Italian and Flemish schools, with few or none of their offensive peculiarities, are to be seen in this assemblage of the original works of our British painter. Modest nature, graceful nature, intellectual nature, never appeared in more pleasing forms, than in the triumph of art afforded by these various works of our illustrious REYNOLDS.

Report of the progress of Chymistry.

A series of most interesting experiments upon the radiation of heat, has lately been instituted by Mr. Delaroche, which are at considerable variance with many of the principal conclusions formerly published by Count Rumford in his essays, and by Mr. Leslie, in his very excellent inquiry into the nature of heat, and which have hitherto been deemed incontrovertible. The celebrated Scheele first, we believe, observed the difficulty with which radiant heat made its way through solid bodies, and Mr. Leslie, from the great effect suddenly produced by the interposition of a glass screen between a radiating hot body and a thermometer, was led to conclude that glass is absolutely impermeable to radiant caloric; although at length it is heated by the absorption of caloric, and then becomes a radiating body itself. It is now, however, apparently proved that heat may radiate through glass; but that the rays of heat, like those of light, are of different kinds, some possessing the property of passing through glass more readily than others. Thus the radiant heat which flows from the body of a temperature beneath that of boiling water, is very difficultly transmitted through a glass screen, but as the temperature of the body is increased so is the facility of the transmission of its rays increased; the radiation of heat from a hot body to a colder one increasing in a greater proportion than the temperature of the body is increased. From these facts, were it not for the following one, viz. that a thick screen of glass, although as permeable to light as a thinner one, does not so easily afford a passage to calorific rays as a thin

screen, we should be tempted to believe that caloric and light are merely modifications of the same substance; light being that state of caloric which is manifested by its producing the sensation termed vision, an opinion many years ago divulged by one of the first chymists of our country, Dr. G. Pearson.

The same Dr. Delaroche has been also honoured with the prize conferred by the French National Institute, for some very important experiment, by which he has ascertained the specific heat of the different gaseous bodies existing in nature, and from which it would appear that the celebrated theories of Lavoisier on Combustion, and of Crawford on Animal Heat, have been founded upon erroneous data.

An immense Galvanic battery has been lately constructed for Mr. Children, of Tonbridge. It consists of 20 pairs of copper and zinc plates, and each pair is inclosed in a separate wooden cell, each plate being in length about six feet, and in breadth two feet eight inches. It is of course possessed of enormous power, and will no doubt afford us many interesting facts.

That ingenious mechanic, Mr. T. SHELDRAKE, has been long engaged on the means of impelling vessels on the water by machinery, to be set in motion by the human arm, or by the powers of steam, as occasion may require. His design is to produce covered boats which will carry fifty or sixty passengers, and be impelled by two or three men with such velocity as will enable them to make an average passage from Richmond to London in as little time as the stages go in, if not less. This will accommodate the public with a more comfortable conveyance than a stage-coach, and at two-thirds of the expense. These boats being established, larger ones may be made to be driven by steam, to any extent that may be required. There is a peculiarity in this invention that will be of advantage in every department of inland navigation, even supposing the steam system should not be adopted, by which it is expected that one-half the labour that is now expended in every department of inland navigation may be saved, by adding this improvement to the vessels that are at present employed. We learn too, that steam boats are already in use on the river Aire.

APPENDIX.

AMERICAN OFFICIAL LETTERS, &c.

CAPTURE OF THE CHESAPEAKE.

Copy of a Letter from Lieutenant Budd to the Secretary of the Navy, dated

Halifax, June 15, 1813.

SIR-The unfortunate death of Captain James Lawrence and Lieutenant Augustus C. Ludlow, has rendered it my duty to inform you of the capture of the late United States' frigate Chesapeake.

On Tuesday, June 1st, at eight, A. M., we unmoored ship, and at meridian got under way from President roads, with a light wind from the southward and westward, and proceeded on a cruise. A ship was then in sight in the offing, which had the appearance of a ship of war, and which, from information received from pilot boats and craft, we believed to be the British frigate Shannon. We made sail in chase, and cleared ship for action. At half past four, P. M., she hove to, with her head to the southward and eastward. At five, P. M., took in the royals and top-gallant sails, and at half past five hauled the courses up.

About fifteen minutes before 6, P. M., the action commenced within pistol shot. The first broadside did great execution on both sides, damaged our rigging, killed among others Mr. White the sailing master, and wounded Captain Lawrence. In about twelve minutes after the commencement of the action, we fell on board of the enemy; and immediately after, one of our arm chests on the quarter-deck was blown up by a hand grenade thrown from the enemy's ship. In a few minutes one of the captain's aids came on the gun-deck to inform me that the boarders were called. I immediately called the boarders away, and proceeded to the spardeck, where I found that the enemy had succeeded in boarding us, and had gained possession of our quarter-deck.

I immediately gave orders to haul on board the fore-tack, for the purpose of shooting her clear of the other, and then make an attempt to regain the quarter-deck, but was wounded and thrown down on the gun-deck. I again made an effort to collect the boarders, but in the mean time the enemy had gained complete possesVOL. II. 2D ED.

66

sion of the ship. On my being carried down to the cockpit, I there found Captain Lawrence and Lieutenant Ludlow both mortally wounded; the former had been carried below previously to the ship's being boarded: the latter was wounded in attempting to repel the boarders. Among those who fell in the early part of the action was Mr. Edward J. Ballard, the fourth lieutenant, and Lieutenant James Broom of marines.

I herein inclose to you a return of the killed and wounded, by which you will perceive, that every officer upon whom the charge of the ship would devolve was either killed or wounded previously to her capture. The enemy report the loss of Mr. Watt, their first lieutenant; the purser; the captain's clerk, and 23 seamen killed; and Captain Broke, a midshipman, and 56 seamen wounded.

The Shannon had in addition to her full complement, an officer and 16 men belonging to the Belle Poul, and a part of the crew belonging to the Tenedos.

I have the honour to be, with very great respect, &c.

GEORGE BUDD. The Hon. William Jones, Secretary of the Navy, Washington.

CAPTURE OF THE FLY.

Copy of a Letter from Captain Blakely, forwarded by Captain Hull to the Navy Department.

United States' brig Enterprize,

Portsmouth, N. H. 20th Aug. 1815.

SIR-I have the honour to report to you the capture of the British privateer schooner the Fly. She was captured yesterday afternoon off cape Porpoise, after a chase of eight hours.

Very respectfully, &c.

(Signed)

J. BLAKELEY.

Isaac Hull, Esq., commanding United States' Naval
Forces on the Eastern Station, Portsmouth,
New Hampshire.

ACCOUNT OF THE CAPTURE OF THE UNITED STATES' BRIG ARGUS, AUGUST, 1813, WITH THE DECISION OF THE COURT MARTIAL.

Extract of a Letter from James Inderwick, Surgeon of the late United States' brig Argus, to the Secretary of the Navy, dated Boston, September 5, 1814.

"HAVING been appointed by Commodore Decatur as acting surgeon on board the late United States' brig Argus, a short time previous to her departure from New York, and having served in

that capacity until the unfortunate termination of her cruise, I was, with her surviving officers, detained as a prisoner of war, on parole, in England. I have now, sir, however, the honour of reporting to you my arrival on the 3d instant at this port, in the cartel ship Saratoga, having at length obtained my release and passport as a non-combatant.

"As Lieutenant Watson, our surviving commanding officer, has been unable, under parole restrictions, to transmit any official documents relative to the action and capture of the Argus, I have the honour to inclose, for your information, a report of the casualties attending that event. I regret that I have not yet been able to furnish the wounded with the regular certificates; it was impossible, without personal communication with them, to obtain the information necessary to the filling up of the blanks, with the precision enjoined in the orders of your honourable department."

Return of killed and wounded on board the late United States' brig Argus, Wm. H. Allen, Esq., late commander, in action with H. B. M. sloop Pelican, on the 4th August, 1813.

Killed Mr. William Edwards, midshipman; Mr. Richard Delphy, do.; Joshua Jones, seaman; George Gardner, do.; John Findfey, do.; William Moulton, do.

Wounded-William H. Allen, Esq., commander, severelydied August 18th, 1813; William H. Watson, first-lieutenant, do. -cured; Collin M.Leod, boatswain, do.-discharged Nov. 22d 1813, from Mill Prison Hospital, and sent to Dartmore Depot; James White, carpenter, do.-died August 17, at Mill Prison; Joseph Jordan, boatswain's mate, do.-died Aug. 16, at sea; John Young, quarter-master, do.-remaining in hospital March 1, 1814; Francis Eggern, seaman, do.-died Aug. 30th, at Mill Prison; John Nugent, seaman, do.-remaining in hospital on the 1st of March, 1814; Charles Baxter, seaman, do.-died Sept. 2d, at Mill Prison; James Kellman, ordinary seaman, slightly-discharged Oct. 24th, at Dartmore Depot; William Hovington, seaman, severely discharged from hospital to Dartmore Depot, Sept. 11th; James Hull, seaman, slightly-discharged to Depot, Aug. 28th.

The following who were on board the Pelican immediately after the action, have been ascertained to be among the number wounded.

George Starbuck, seaman; John Sniffin, carpenter's mate; John Scott, the first seaman; John Hadden; Joseph Allen.

Several others whose names have not been ascertained, were taken on board the enemy's vessel. I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant,

JAMES INDERWICK, Acting Surgeon of the U. S. brig Argus. Hon. Wm. Jones, Secretary of the Navy.