labours, raised him with every demonstration of kindness, congratulated him on his reconciliation with the Catholic Church, assuring him of the final reward reserved for those who bring many souls to the purity of the faith. He concluded by urging his immediate and public signature of the Articles. The Archdeacon entreated that he might sign them in private, representing the probable disaffection which the other mode might excite among the people whom he was desirous to bring over. The force of this argument was instantly admitted, and the oath and subscription to the profession of faith and the ten Articles were made before the Jesuit. Francisco Roz, who had been the very soul of Menezes' counsels in the whole transaction. Nothing now remained but to arrange the preliminaries of the Synod. It was proposed that it should be held at Angamale, the Metropolitan Church of the diocese, but the Archbishop had strong reasons for objecting to this. Angamale was not within the territories of Cochin, and the inhabitants were strongly attached to their old religion. It was finally determined that it should assemble at Diamper, a short distance only from Cochin, on the 20th of June, 1599, the second Sunday after Trinity; and accordingly both the Archbishop and Archdeacon issued letters, commanding the attendance of all priests and four laymen from every town at the time and place appointed. The Archbishop on his return to Cranganore composed, and wrote with his own hand, the decrees of the Synod, which were immediately translated from Portuguese into Malayalim. He had taken good care to engage the assistance of the neighbouring chiefs; and in order to secure the great object-the majority of votes in the Synod-he ordained no less than fifty Priests in the Church of Paru on Trinity Sunday. These, together with the thirty eight ordained at Diamper a little time before, and others at Carturte, probably amounted to at least two thirds of the whole number present at the Synod, which did not exceed one hundred and fifty three. Many also of the lay delegates he conciliated by considerable presents, some of great value. On the 9th of June he arrived at Diamper accompanied by six Jesuits and his Chaplain, and appointed a Committee of eight Catanars and four laymen, who examined and approved the decrees which he had prepared. On the 20th of June the Synod was opened with great solemnity, the Clergy of Cochin, with their Choir, the Governor and his Officers being present on the occasion. The history and acts of the Synod will form the subject of another paper. IV.-Climate of Seringapatam. Latitude 12°45′ N. Long. 76°51′E. (Extracted from the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.) Being desirous of including within the pages of the Journal all the data necessary for a meteorologist, to judge of the contingencies of pressure and temperature on the whole continent of India, we extract the following results of a meteorological journal, kept for two years at Seringapatam, from Brewster's Edinburgh Journal of Science, No. 5. The original registers were kept by Mr. SCARMAN in 1814 and 1816. They were abstracted and reduced to order by Mr. J. FOGGO, Junior. The mean temperature of the whole year is by observation 77.06° The mean at sunrise is 63°.17: at 3 P. M. 90°.95:-of the day, 84o, of the night, 70.11. The average daily range of temperature 270.7. The curve of mean temperature has two convex summits, in May and October, corresponding with the sun's passage twice over the latitude of the place. The highest temperature is 115o, and the lowest, 48°. The mean temperature of the river Caveri, observed every day at 6 A. M. and 6 P. M. is 77.2 agreeing exactly with that of the air. The average height of the barometer is 27.568, whence the elevation of Seringapatam may be calculated to be 2412 feet above the sea, assuming the sea level, 29.88, and the temperature of the intercepted column of air, 78°. The average diurnal tide between the hour of 10 A. M. and 4 P. M. is 0.074 inch. During the prevalence of the south-west monsoon, the extent of the variation is diminished. The monthly variation also proceeds with great regularity, the whole range being 0.262. For the last three months of 1816, the register was extended to the hour of 8 P. M. and the average height of the barometer at that hour is 0.006 lower than at 4 A. M. The prevailing winds are the north-east and south-west, or the general monsoons of the Indian Ocean. The south-west sets in during the month of April. When it commences, its reciprocation with the north-east wind interrupts the serenity of the weather; and during its continuance, thunder storms occur almost every day, with heat-lightning at night. This is the rainy season, but the monsoon having deposited its superabundant moisture upon the ghats, very little rain falls at Seringapatam. During the north-east monsoon, which begins about the end of October, the weather is settled and fine, with heavy dews before sunrise. Range of the Thermometer, &c. in 1816. V.-Experiments on the Preservation of Sheet Iron from Rust in India. By James Princep, Sec. &c. (Extracted from the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal) The proposed extensive employment of iron steam boats for the navigation of the Ganges, rendered it a desideratum to ascertain what varnish or composition would best preserve the exterior surface of such vessels from the rapid corrosion to which iron is so peculiarly subject in a hot climate. A series of experiments was undertaken with this view by myself at the requisition of Government; and it may perhaps be useful to record the principal results in a journal of science. Two sets of six wrought-iron plates, each measuring three feet by two feet, were fixed to two iron triangles, the plates being prevented by studs from coming into contact with each other. The same varnishes were applied to both sets, one being intended for entire submersion under water, the other to be only half immerged, in order to feel the united influence of air and water. The following were the coatings applied. 1. Common coal tar, laid on hot, and the plate heated. 2. Theetsee varnish of Ava, one coat. This took a very considerable time (two months) to dry, kept first in a cool-room, and afterwards in a room heated by furnaces.* 3. Native Dhúna, applied to the iron hot, in a thick uneven coat. 4. Best white-lead paint, three coats; allowed to dry and harden for nearly three months. 5. Coach-makers' varnish, two coats; dried rapidly. 6. Spirit varnish, several coats; warmed. 7. White wax, melted on the surface. 8. White wash, of pure lime water. 9. The surface of the iron plate cleaned and guarded with an edging of zinc soldered on. 10. The natural surface of the rolled iron sheets, covered with its usual hardened grey oxide. Many of the foregoing were employed from curiosity only, especially No. 6, the spirit varnish, which had on many occasions proved quite ineffectual in preserving the surface of polished iron and steel from rust in the atmosphere of Calcutta. The two frames were suspended as above described, one under water, the other half immersed, from one of the unused dredging boats near the Chitpur lock gates of the Circular canal, where they were left undisturbed for three months, during a period of the year, Major BURNEY states, that three or four days are sufficient for the varnish to dry when laid on wood, (Journal, Vol. I. p. 172.). I had not a damp vault in which to expose the plate as recommended by that officer, and that may partly account for the delay in drying; but all varnish and paint takes longer to dry on metal than on wood, from its non-absorbent nature. when the water of the canal was only slightly salt. They were then taken up for examination, and presented the following appearances. No. Varnish. 1 Tar, 2 Theetsee, 8 Dhoona,.. 4 Paint,.... 5 Copal varnish, 9 Zinc,....... 10 None,.. Plates under water. Perfectly preserved and free from rust. Perfectly uninjured in appearance. Plates half above water. A few dots of rust between wind and water. A line of rust at the level of the water. Large cracks from the con White and pulverulent; soft and easily rubbed off traction of the part exposed while wet; rust here and to the sun, whitened where there. thick, black where thin; plate preserved, above water. Paint uninjured above wa Almost wholly disappeared, and blotches of rust on ter mark, and plate preservthe surface. ed, but below water entirely removed. Whitened, pulverulent, In air less, whitened spots and soft; but not much ox-of rust breaking out every lidated. where. Whitened and very rusty. The clean iron excessively Very much corroded. water. In air remains on and acts pretty well. Much more rusty in the air than under water, where ja kind of crust was formed. The natural surface was a Rusty on the edges or where little whitened and pretty it had been scraped; elsewell preserved. where little injured The superior preservative power of the coal-tar to all the substances tried, with the exception perhaps of the theetsee, was evident; the Burmese varnish laboured under the disadvantage of being a single coat, otherwise it would doubtless, from its hardness, its firm adherence, and its inalterability by water, prove fully equal as a lacquer to the coal-tar: the latter has on the other hand the advantage of drying and hardening as soon as laid on." The change effected on the resinous varnishes is produced by an actual chemical combination with the water; the soft pulverulent matter is analogous to the white powder obtained by the addition of water to an alcoholic or of acid solution of rosin. The failure of the zinc guard, which was expected to act as an electro-positive protector to the iron, may I think, be attributed to its being adulterated with lead, which being negative with respect to iron, would cause, as was actually the case, a more rapid oxidation of the latter metal: (the impurity of the zinc was afterwards fully proved.) The wax and the white paint had entirely disappeared from the |