I. An Introductory Discourse, delivered at the London Insti- tution, on the 5th May, 1819. By WILLIAM THomas Brande, Sec. R. S. and Prof. of Chem. in the Royal Institution of Great II. Microscopical Observations on the Red Snow. By FRANCIS BAUER, F.L.S.F.H.S., in a Letter to W. T. Brande, Esq., Sec. III. Additional Remarks relating to the Ægina Marbles, de- scribed in the Sixth Volume of this Journal. By C. R. IV. On the Periodical Suspension and Renewal of Function VII. Account of Batavia,—its Inhabitants, Commerce, Climate, a XI. On the Figure of the Earth, as deduced from the Measure- ments of Arcs of the Meridian, and Observations on Pendulums, XIV. Cursory Observations on the Geography of Africa, in- serted in an Account of a Mission to Ashantee, by J. ED. WARD BOWDICH, Esq., demonstrating the Errors that have been committed by European Travellers in that Continent, from their ignorance of the African Arabic, the learned and the general travelling Language of those interesting Countries. By JAMES GRAY JACKSON, Esq. XVIII. Dr. Wilson Philip's Reply to some Observations relating to his Inquiry into the Laws of the Vital Functions in the last § 1. Astronomy, Mechanics, &c. 1. Single Microscopes of Glass. 2. New Timekeeper of M.M. § 2. Pneumatics, Agriculture, the Arts, &c. 4. Resistance of the Atmosphere to Falling Bodies. 5. Velocity for Paper. 11. Rupert's Drops. 12. Prize Subject in the Arts 369 1. On a New Acid of Sulphur and Oxygen, by M. M. Welter and Gay Lussac. 2. New Vegetable Alkali, Strychnine. 3. New Results on the Combination of Oxygen with Water. 4. Weight of Water and Air. 5. On the Specific heat of Bodies, by M.M. Petit and Dulong. 6. On the mode of producing Cold, proposed by M. Gay Lussac, by Marshall Hall, M.D. F.R.S., &c. 7. Evolution of Light by the Expansion of Oxygen. 8. Pyrometrical Guage. 9. Detection of Lithia., 10. Action of Carbonic acid Gas on Fruits, and the Formation of Alcohol in them. 11. On the Preparation of Sulphuret of Antimony. 12. Sub-Carbonate of Potash. 13. Alloys of Platinum. 14. Palm Wine. 15. Analysis of the Liver. 16. Caseic Acid and Caseous Oxide. 17. Pyroligneous Acid. 18. Prize Question in Vegetable Chemistry. 19. Mr: Cooper on the 2 English Gold. 3. Native Copper. 4. Analysis of a Stone used in setting fine Cutlery. 5. Analysis of some Minerals 8. Medical Prize Question. 9. Anatomical Prize Question. 10. 1. Pompeii. 2. Roman Medals. S. Hieroglyphics in Sweden XXIII. Meteorological Diary for the Months of March, April, 409 Vol. VII. p. 101, line 21, for 7.5, read 7.25. p. 176, line 2, for 23.24, read 24.6. The Editor takes this opportunity of expressing his acknowledgment to Dr. John Gorham, of Boston, U. S., for his obliging letter, which, with the accompanying specimens from the United States, has only just come to hand, though bearing date" July 4, 1818." Mr. R. Marshall's paper, " on an improved portable barometer," is not inserted, in consequence of the inaccurary of the accompanying drawing, which the Editor, not having seen the instrument, is unable to rectify. The communication signed I. T-s, relating to Mr. Davies Gilbert's motion in the House of Commons, for an Address to H. R. H. the Prince Regent, praying " that His Majesty's ministers at the Court of Paris may be directed to take such steps, as may be most expedient for procuring the very valuable and important Logarithmic Tables, contained in the large manuscript of logarithmic numbers and measurements, calculated in France, and now extant in that country," is necessarily omitted, in consequence of the indistinctness of the decimals, which neither the Editor nor the Printer are capable of rendering intelligible. Had the author favoured us with his address, we should have troubled him with the correction of the press. The letter signed VITRUVIUS would have been inserted in this number, had it been permitted to separate the facts from the invec tive. We are quite aware of the cracking or explosion of certain cast-iron columns, and we attribute it to an improper mode of casting, and not to any inherent property of cast-iron, that unfits it for those purposes to which we think it has been most judiciously applied. We can assure our correspondent, that the statements alluding to the Trafalgar or Southwark bridge, are not correct; the Architect of that magnificent ornament of the metropolis has, we are informed, long ago examined into the points which it is desired we should suggest. THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL, April 1819. ART I. Account of Batavia-Its Inhabitants, Commerce, Climate, &c. By the late Dr. Gillan, Physician to the Embassy to China, under Lord Macartney. [The following Account of the once splendid Capital of the Oriental Islands, now mouldering in ruins, aud of its various inhabitants,— Dutch, Javanese, Malays, Chinese, &c., is from the pen of the late Doctor Gillan, who accompanied Lord Macartney to China, in the capacity of Physician to the Embassy. It will be read with the deeper interest from the lively description it contains of the manners and mode of life of a people "whose merchants were once princes, and traders the honourable of the earth." Of a people who, from the moment they deserted their Sovereign, and betrayed their allies, whom they had called to their assistance, fell rapidly from their elevated station, into the lowest depths of poverty and misery. Their foreign possessions slipt from their dominion; and Batavia, like another Tyre, saw the awful prophecy fulfilled: "Thy riches and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy caulkers, and the occupiers of thy merchandise, and all thy men of war that are in thee, and all thy company which are in the midst of thee, shall fall into the midst of the seas, on the day of thy ruin." It was but a few years before the fulfilment of this prophecy was realized with regard to Batavia, `that Doctor Gillan drew up, on the spot, the account which we are now enabled, by the kindness of a friend, to lay before our readers. ED.] BATAVIA, from the excessive heat of its climate, and the peculiar disadvantages of its situation, in a low fenny plain, surrounded with bogs and morasses on every side, has always been accounted one of the most unhealthy spots on the face of the earth; and the uniform experience of its fatal effects upon Europeans who have ventured to settle there, has abundantly confirmed the justice of the apprehension usually entertained against a place of residence. It is generally believed that it proves a grave to nine-tenths of the Europeans who remain there in the space of one year; and of those who survive, there is VOL. VII. it as B |