80 ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES-CORRESPONDENCE. J. Masterman, Old Broad-street; for an improved method of corking bottles. -March 5. W. H. James, Cobourg-place, Winsongreen, near Birmingham, engineer; for improvements on railways, and carriages to be employed thereon.-March 5. W. Hirst and J. Wood, Leeds; for improvements in cleaning, milling, or fulling cloth.-March 5. J. L. Bond, Newman-street, Mary-labonne, architect, and J. Turner, Wellstreet, Mary-la-bonne, builder; for improvements in the construction of windows, casements, folding sashes, and doors, by means of which the same are hung and hinged in a manner adapted more effectually to exclude rain and wind, and to afford a free circulation of air.-March 9. T. Hancock, Goswell-mews, St. Luke's, patent cork-manufacturer; for a new manufacture which may be used as a substitute for leather and otherwise.March 15. T. Hancock, Goswell mews; for improvements in making ships' bottoms, vessels and utensils of different descriptions and various manufactures, and porous or fibrous substances, impervious to air and water, and for coating and protecting the furnaces of different metallic and other bodies.-March 15. ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES. NO. 73.-SHARPING KNIVES. Strap your penknife on a good razor strap, taking care to have the edge somewhat round, as a thin edge (although the blade be of the best steel) will not answer for cutting a pen. The advice, founded on practical experience, of A CUTLER. WHEEL CARRIAGES. Mechanics' Magazine, Vol. III. p. 340. SIR, I would recommend to your "Fore-wheel," to Correspondent, look into page 444 of the first volume of your valuable work, and also the 99th, 138th, 145th, and 189th pages of the second volume. Let him pay attention to the observations which he will there meet with, and avoid the error recommended by many, namely, a horizontal draught; for, to be easy, the draught must be on an angle, and the best line is immediately from the axle. Although there is no objection to the splinterbar or the shafts being raised according to the pleasure of the proprietor, yet they should be so high as to leave no chance of their being broken by the fall of the horse, should such an accident occur. If "Fore-wheel" will employ a person who will follow these rules, I am confident he will have a very safe and easy-drawn chariot. I am, Sir, CORRESPONDENCE. M. W.'s reply to "the Old Manufac turer" did not come to hand till the vo⚫ lunteer reply, inserted in the present Number, was in print. He may now probably wish to make some alterations in his paper; if so, we shall be glad to receive them before Tuesday. The information so much desired by Abel several Correspondents from Handy," will appear in our next. Communications received from-G. Wilson-Tudor-A. B.-A Subscriber at Deptford-X. Y. Z.-Another Blacksmith-Minor-W.R.Y.-Kappa--Gasometer--Peter Q.--A Stove-maker-— H. A. C.-D. B.-W. B.—Emilius. Communications (post paid) to be addressed to the Editor, at the Publishers', KNIGHT and LACEY, 55, Paternoster-row, London. Printed by B. BENSLEY, Bolt-court, Fleet-street. Fig. 1 is a view of the vessel complete. Fig. 2 is a ground-plan of a wind-box. A is a vertical shaft, which supports the arms, BBBBBBB; to these arms are attached vanes or sails, which, when acted upon by the wind, cause the shaft, A, to revolve. CCCC are wind-guides, or thin boards placed vertically in the whole circumference of the wind-box, which allow the wind to pass between them in the direction marked by the arrows. By this arrangement, from whatever point of the compass the wind may blow, the vanes or sails must turn one way; and, by an inspection of figure 3, it will be seen that the vessel will proceed in any direction in which her head may be placed. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the vessel in midships. A, the shaft. BBB, &c. the vanes or sails. (The wind-guides are not shown in this figure, as they would obscure the vanes.) D, a cogwheel, which, working in the trundle, E, turning the shaft, F, and giving motion to the paddle-wheels, GG, propels the vessel. HH, the wind-box. CARMARTHEN GUNS SURPASSED. SIR,-Your Correspondent, sign ing W. R. D.", who gave his opinion on Carmarthen Guns, in your 88th Number, page 57, has not, probably, seen a new invention of a mechanic named Davis, which surpasses all others. His gun is so constructed as to have the whole of the lock (except the cock) concealed, which renders it completely waterproof, and prevents any part of the copper cap from endangering the STATE OF CIVIL ARCHITECTURE. loss of an eye, as is the case with the Carmarthen guns. The cap, too, explodes quite at the end of the breech, and having neither an angle nor an oblique direction for the fire to pass, but lighting immediately behind, and, consequently, having the whole body of the charge before it, the recoil, so much complained of in other guns, is prevented. Your readers may judge for themselves, by applying at Blanch's, the gunmaker's. The readiness with which you give publicity to every new invention, convinces me that your object is to see true merit duly appreciated, and it is therefore I have been induced to trespass thus far on your valuable columns. I remain, Sir, STATE OF CIVIL ARCHITECTURE, SIR,-Your Correspondent "Omega," having shown much frankness in his able refutation of the article in the Journal of Science, I trust he will peruse with the same feelings the few observations which I am about to offer upon his letter. It is not my intention to state any thing in opposition to his remarks upon Naval Architecture, but to those upon Civil Architecture, which appear to have been written in error, rather than in the spirit of error. Omega states, that civil architecture has not made any advancement since the time of the ancients, and thinks "Alpha" to be the first person who would lead men to perfect experience by the study of theory alone (probably he is). Allow me, Sir, to say, that he appears to represent both Alpha and Omega, when speaking of civil architecture, in the manner he has lately thought proper to do. I would ask him, in the first place, (speaking of what he considers architectural design), what is invention? or whether there is any such thing in the present day as real invention? All the arts have arisen either from necessity, or from observation upon the works of nature; and "the same images and incidents, with little variation, have served all authors who have ever written," and all men who have ever thought. Having formed this opinion, it appears to me, that what we now call invention, is more properly imitation (or the selecting and modifying to our several purposes those 83 things which are already in a state of entity). We require no new Orders in architecture-they are already sufficiently of these Orders which we require, and numerous; it is the just appropriation which Omega may find has already been done, in almost innumerable instances, in the metropolis and its environs. Let him visit that part of the metropolis in carried on, and if he really is unprejuwhich improvements are at present being diced, respecting the comparative merit of ancient and modern architects, he will behold stately edifices, equalling the productions of the ancients, and of which any country would have reason to boast. If Omega take any work representing the temples of Greece, he will find them generally of a parallelogramic form, one of the most simple that geometry affords. The constructive parts of these temples accorded with the plan, and the chasteness pervading the whole attracted the attention, and lulled the mind into a state of perfect serenity, the most proper for meditation. Among the Romans, it is true, construction appears rather in a superior light; yet we may perceive, that architecture was considered by them more an ornamental than an useful art. Without preserving the purity of the Grecian style, they introduced a profusion of embellisment, which presenting no relief, tended rather to tire than satiate the eyes of the beholder. Most of their edifices were for religious, triumphal, or theatrical purposes, and did not, therefore, offer that diversification of plan which is necessary in works of a more domestic kind. The invention of the arch has been ascribed to them, but with how much reason, is a matter of doubt. The indefatigable and lamented Belzoni discovered in Egypt what he considered to have been the origin of the arch; and should we feel unwilling to award that country the merit of invention, Greece, as an intermediate claimant, stands forth to assert her rights. It was seldom used by the Grecians, but this may have arisen from an idea of its producing an effect contrary to the sublime, and not from any inability or ignorance as to its application. We must, however, allow the Romans great merit for the use which they made of this important auxiliary in constructive architecture; but we must, at the same time, attach blame to them for its abuse: its application was at first very confined, but it continued to increase until there was scarcely an aperture to be seen in which it was not introduced. I cannot omit stating my surprise, that Omega should have considered vox populi vox Dei. Had he not done so, and had he not been prejudiced against modern architecture, he would never have adduced the beauty of the steeple of Langham-place Church, or the stability of the Custom-house, as 84 BACKS OF STOVES-FROFIT AND DISCOUNT. criteria of the state of practical experience among its professors. I shall make very few other remarks upon his letter, but I am sorry to find he has got hold of the common but erroneous opinion, "that so many eyes cannot but see right, and so many understandings cannot be deceived." With respect to the Customhouse, I can assure him, that he who makes his decision upon a matter without having heard both sides of the question, will be considered far from just, even should it happen to be correct. I daily, and almost hourly, hear of the decline of civil architecture; and if those who have the power and influence to cherish one of the most useful and important of the arts, are altogether indifferent about it, we cannot be surprised (when such persons render it unworthy the attention of the ingenious) if carpenters, auctioneers, and others, assume to themselves the enviable but misplaced title of architects. Every art depends upon public patronage, and if civil architecture is yet to keep up its character, it can only do so under the superintendence of those who are willing to sacrifice their health and property to its advancement; and who, disdaining the mere acquirement of filthy lucre, seek to obtain a niche in the temple of Fame, to have the laurel of assenting Time awarded him, and be handed down to posterity with a Jones, a Wren, and a Stuart, as ornaments of their profession, and benefactors of their country. 1 remain, Sir, Your constant reader, BACKS OF STOVES. KAPPA. SIR,-Your Correspondent, "T. Hartshorne," No. 88, page 60, of your valuable Magazine, is in error in supposing that the practice of having the inside backs of stoves perforated at certain distances is obsolete. There are scarcely any stoves, except the very common sort, without them (I always use them myself). He is likewise wrong when he says that these holes prevent the back breaking, by allowing it to expand. The only way in which they have a good effect is, that they prevent the back from cracking a greater distance at any one time than from one hole to another. If T. H. thinks the main back should have holes in it, I must differ from him, and consider it a very dangerous plan, and not at all likely to be revived. I never saw one of that description myself. Perhaps he mistakes the false back for the outer or main back. I am, Sir, May 3rd, 1825. A STOVE-MAKER. PROFIT AND DISCOUNT. I find an article purporting to be on SIR,-In your 87th Number, p. 35, relate that I some time ago forwarded the same subject to which the rules to you, and which were published in page 342 of your 78th Number. If Your Birmingham Correspondent has condescended to adopt the example given in your 78th Number, in order to show that the rule there used does not produce a correct answer. you will refer to my paper, you will see that I assert CR + C is equal to S-SD, or, in words, that the cost price added to the cost price multiplied by the rate per cent. of profit, is equal to the dif ference between the sum sold for and the product arising from multiplying the sum sold for by the rate per cent. of discount; or, as it may accommodate the "Old Manufacturer," we may say, that the cost price added to the profit is equal to the selling price, less the discount and here I take my ground. The "Old Manufacturer," after volunteering to plead the cause of "common sense," happens to introduce the letter N, to represent what he calls the nett amount, apparently without being aware that the amount of cost and profit is truly denoted by CR+C, or S-SD, and not by N+NR, as erroneously stated by the "Old Manufacturer." The "Old Manufacturer" may not, perhaps, object to take a lesson from Walkingame, one of the descendants of Old Cocker, whom I, therefore, prefer to Francis Walkingame, the schoolmaster. In the "Tutor's Assistant," by Francis Walkingame, page 67, it will be found that the old schoolmaster says "If a parcel of cloth be sold for 5601. at 12 per cent. gain, the cost price was 500l." This is the fourth question in page 67, and, from its being in whole numbers, may be some recommendation to the "Old Manufacturer." 1, as above stated, say that C+CR is the amount of cost and profit: now let us see whether that expression C + CR will accord |