The Rev. Willard Preston of Burlington, Vt. has been elected President of the College at that place, and George W. Benedict, A. M. of Newburgh, N. Y. elected Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy.

A gentleman in this city has received the first eight numbers of the Bulletin Universel des Sciences et de L'Industrie; each number consisting of nearly six hundred closely printed octavo pages. It is designed to exhibit the efforts of the human mind, in all parts of Europe and America, on subjects of science and the arts; giving notices and reviews of all books and memoirs on these subjects. Each number is divided into eight sections, which treat, 1st. of Mathematics, Natural Philosophy, and Chemistry; 2d. Geology, Mineralogy, Botany, and Zoology; 3d.Anatomy, Physiology, Medicine, Surgery, and Pharmacy; 4th. Agriculture, Rural and Domestic Economy; 5th. Chemic and Mechanic Arts; 6th. Geography, Topography, Statistics, Public Economy, Voyages, &c.; 7th. Philology, Etymology, Archæology, Mythology, History, &c.; 8th. Military Sciences. Each section is under the care of a particular editor, while M. De Ferussac, has the general superintendence of the whole. The authors of the several articles are mentioned, and we notice many of the first names among the French Mathematicians, Philosophers, and Literati. The sections are so printed and paged that they may be bound separately in seventeen volumes. The price of the whole work is 181 francs a year. That of the separate sections is from 15 to 30 francs.

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The Governor of New-York, in his Message to the Legislature, mentions that the number of children taught in the common schools of that State during the last year exceeds 400,000, and is probably more than one fourth of its whole population. Ten thousand three hundred and eighty-three have been instructed in the free and charity schools in the city of New-York, a number by no means proportioned to the wants of its population. The students in the incorporated academies amount to about 2683, and in the colleges to 755. The fund for the common schools may be stated at upwards of 1,739,000 dollars, and its annual income at 98,000 dollars, to which may be added the interest on the future sales of lands, and on the

disposal of escheated property, the proceeds of which latter item may be added to the capital.

Although this fund may appear large, the governor recommends that it be augmented. "The state is capable of supporting fourteen millions of inhabitants. This appropriation will therefore soon be found far behind the progress of population and the requisitions for instruction."-But while primary schools cannot be too numerous, he thinks that colleges ought to be few in number, and well endowed.

On the 14th of November there was seen at Munich, between noon and one o'clock, a very curious phenomenon. The Alps, covered with snow, appeared to approach nearer to Munich, and presented an imposing curtain, many parts of which were completely enlightened. The valleys and the projections appeared to be distinguishable, but the summits appeared as if on fire. Long rays of flame appeared to rise above them, and to disappear in the air. Professor Gruithugsen thought that he perceived through his telescope, that these appearances were owing to an impetuous wind, which raised the snow of the Alps to a height of 8000 feet.-Perhaps others, in reflecting on the facts, will find other causes for them.

M. Fresnel presented to the Academy of Sciences in Paris, at their session in May last, the model of a lamp for a lighthouse, which has since been put to the test of experiment, and found to succeed perfectly. The lamp has two concentric wicks, and is calculated to burn less than half a pound of oil in an hour, and it gives a light which is equal to that of forty-eight lamps of Carcel, and may be seen at the distance of six leagues. This effect is produced by surrounding it with demi-cylindrical lenses placed horizontally, which refract the light so as to give it a direction parallel to the horizon. By means of cylindrical lenses, and mirrors placed obliquely over and under the lamp, most of the light which issues from it is thus thrown into a horizontal direction. A lamp of four times the size above mentioned, and burning a pound and a half of oil in an hour, would give a light equal to three hundred lamps of Carcel, and by using Oil Gas, it is confidently expected that the light will equal in intensity four hundred such lamps. Such

The attention of our countryman, Perkins, seems now to be principally directed to the application of the force of steam, to the throwing of projectiles, and especially to the discharge of cannon balls. He proposes to, throw balls of any size, even of many hundred pounds weight. This project will not appear extravagant, when it is known that steam, at the temperature of 1200 Farenheit, exerts an expansive force of more than 50,000 pounds to the square inch, and that the force of gunpowder, by which a cannon is discharged, is no more than 600 pounds to the square inch. In addition to the immense power of these new machines, their great recommendation is the saving of expense; the formation of steam requiring only the expense of fuel, which is trifling in comparison with powder. Perhaps a greater excellence in the eyes of a Christain observer is, that should they be put in practice and succeed, they would probably tend in no small degree to prevent wars, especially wars of aggression and conquest. It is a remark which has been frequently made, and its justness generally admitted, that wars,contrary to what was anticipated, have been less bloody since the invention of gunpowder and the use of fire-arms, than before; and the reason is evident: the certainty of death, or at least the improbability of escaping or resisting the instruments of death, prevent that pride of personal strength and prowess, by which the heroes of antiquity chased with exultation a host before them. There is less of resentment and vengeance in the individual combatants; there is also much justness in the remarks of Dupin.* "When gunpowder was first applied to combat, the friends of humanity were alarmed with the idea that we had acquired a means of destruction so powerful; but effects

* Boston Journal of Philosophy and the Arts, September 1824.

altogether opposite have dissipated for ever these chimerical fears. When destruction comes, slowly and gradually, and mingled with some successes, the disasters of yesterday are forgotten in the present triumph; and as there is no great catastrophe, neither of the parties is struck with the propriety of demanding peace." It will be a great excellence of these engines, in the eyes of every lover of freedom and of the independence of nations, that they can obviously be used with a peculiar advantage in fortifications, and generally in defensive warfare. We add, that the reason why Mr. Perkins has not made experiments on a larger scale, is stated to be, that he is waiting to obtain a patent for his inventions.

It was stated in the public papers, in the beginning of the last year, that Sir H. Davy, proposed to preserve the copper sheathing of vessels from the corroding action of sea water, by attaching to it a piece of zinc, or soft iron. By this means, on the principle of the Voltaic apparatus, the copper would be permanently in an electro-negative state, which would prevent the chemical action of the sea-water upon it. Some experiments made upon vessels lying in still water, were stated to be unfavourable. Sir Humphrey returned in August or September from a voyage to Norway, where he was engaged during the months of July and August, in pursuing various philosophical researches, for which the admiralty granted him the use of the Comet steamboat. "He has ascertained that his principle of protecting the copper sheathing of ships by the contact of of iron, is perfectly successful, even in the most rapid sailing, and in the roughest sea.**

Σ

The Board of Longitude have conferred on Mr. Barlow, professor in the Military Academy, Woolwich, England, the premium of 500 pounds sterling, for his discovery of the means of preventing the local action of a ship on the magnetic needle. It consists in placing a plate of iron 12 or 16 inches in diameter, near the compass, so as to neutralize and destroy the magnetic action of the iron of the ship.

A Sermon on the duty and advan tages of affording Instruction to the Deaf and Dumb. By Thomas H. Gallaudet, Principal of the American Asylum at Hartford, Conn. for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb. Concord.

The intellectual and moral glories of the Christian Temple, illustrated from the history of the Evangelical Lutheran Church; a Synodical Discourse. By the Rev. S. S. Schmucker, A. M. Preached October 17th, in the Lutheran Church, Middletown, Md. and published by the Vestry of said Church.

Biblical Repertory, a Collection of Tracts in Biblical Literature. By Charles Hodge. Vol. I. No. 1. pp. 151. 8vo.

The Misrepresentations of Anna Braithwait, in relation to the Doctrines preached by Elias Hicks, together with the Refutation of the same, in a Letter from Elias Hicks to Dr. Atlee of Philadelphia.

A Letter on the Dispute of the Statements of Anna Braithwait and Elias Hicks, said to have been written by Aun Shipley. Reprinted from the New

York edition, with a review of the same. Philadelphia.

Calumny Refuted; or Plain Facts versus Misrepresentation, being a Reply to a pamphlet, entitled, "The Misrepresentations of Anna Braithwait, in relation to the doctrines preached by Elias Hicks,' &c. Philadelphia. October, 1824.

Love to the Church the highest distinction; a Sermon, preached before the First Church in North-Yarmouth, Maine, July 25th, 1824, preceding an election to the office of Deacon. By Asa Cummings.

A Discourse delivered at Hartford, Conn. September 15, 1824, at the fifteenth annual meeting of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. By Samuel Austin, D. Ď. Boston.

Remarks on the Modern Doctrines of the Universalists.

A Sermon delivered at Bangor, Me. June 21, 1824, before the Maine Missionary Society, at their Seventeenth Anniversary. By Allen Greely, pastor of the church in Turner.

THE Missionary Herald for January, contains a list of three Auxiliary Societies, and upwards of sixty Gentlemen's and Ladies' Associations, recently formed in aid of the American Board, in pursuance of the plan lately adopted by that body for the regular supply of its Treasury.

The Board solicit donations of printing paper, for the presses at Bombay and the Sandwich Islands; writing paper and other stationary articles for the missions and mission schools especially at the Sandwich Islands; also, shoes, blankets, domestic cloths, &c. principally for the Indian missions.

The number of Schools in the connexion of the American Sunday School Union, is 723: the number of Teachers, 7,300; the number of Scholars, 49,613.

The Connecticut Branch of the American Tract Society, as appears

from their ninth report just published, have issued from their Depository during the past year, 14,616 tracts-and since the formation of the Society, 320,203.

We learn that there is a revival of religion in Hamilton College, N. Y. A letter,dated Jan.11, states that eighteen of the students had become the subjects of it. It had extended to the neighbouring village of Clinton.

The Friends in North Carolina, at their late annual meeting passed a resolution to send all the people of colour under their care, amounting to about seven hundred, to the Island of Hayti: immediately for their transportation. It and an order was granted to raise funds is generally known that the principles of the Society of Friends do not permit its members to hold slaves.

No. 3.]

[VOL. VII.

For the Christian Spectator.

MEMOIR OF MR. RUFUS WOODWARD.

THIS sketch of the life and character of Mr. Woodward has been delayed, in the hope of receiving from Edinburgh, some farther account of his last sickness and death. With the best materials, it is sufficiently difficult to write the mental history of any one, in such a manner that exact justice shall be done to the deceased, and others instruct ed. Especially is it difficult to unite the faithfulness of a biographer with the affection of a friend: a multitude of mingled feelings come thronging upon the mind, and fix the attention too exclusively on those features in the character of the deceased, which wou and secured his affection: a crowd of recollections rising up, demand the recording pen for those passages of his life only, connected with the scenes in which they moved together.His intimate friends cannot, in this delineation, find a portrait distinct and glowing like that which memory has drawn upon their own hearts; it is hoped that they will find a correspondence with truth, and with "that which they themselves do know." Others, and especially those whose path may lie in the walks of contemplative life, may find something to gratify a rational curiosity, and some incentives to the attainment of kindred excellencies of character. The lamented subject of this memoir, was not anxious for the praise of men while he was among us; and now, so VOL. VII.-No. 3.

much respect shall be paid to his memory, as not to bestow unreserved eulogies upon him when dead, that would have pained his modesty when living.

RUFUS WOODWARD, the son of Dr. Samuel Woodward, was born in Torringford, (Con.) July 16th, 1793. Residing at home, he had the advantage of spending his early years in a family much respected for their good sense and amiable disposition; and to this circumstance, as an active cause, must be referred many of those valuable traits in his character, which,in subsequent life, were matured by his own exertions. It appears, that during this period,he showed little of that precocity of mind which sometimes indicates genius, but which, perhaps, more often, is the harbinger of intellectual impotence. He entered on the studies of childhood with little interest; as is not unfrequently the case with those whose mental habits, so far as they are formed,lead them to prefer ideas to words, until from use, the latter, by suggesting trains of thought in the mind, fully assume their representative character, and become nearly identified with the former.

When he entered upon the period of youth, he gradually acquired a fondness for study. It was only at the vestibule of the temple of learning that he discovered any reluctance, for soon after it appears that he became a confirmed votary. Mr. Goodman,in his funeral sermon, says of him, 'while other youths

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