ossessing their original
freshness, firmness, goodness, and taste. _From the French_.

_Leeches._

It is well known that atmospheric changes have a remarkable influence
upon leeches. In 1825, M. Derheim, of St. Omer, ascribes the almost
sudden death of them at the approach of, or during storms, to the
coagulation of the blood of these creatures, caused by the impression
of the atmospheric electricity.--_From the French_.

_Carpenter's Microscope._

Mr. Carpenter's achromatic solar microscope has now a white circular
area of nine feet in diameter, to receive the images of the objects
upon, some of which are magnified to the enormous size of upwards of
eight feet in length!

Mr. Carpenter's lucernal microscopes are now arranged in a kind of
temple, placed in the middle of a room, and illuminated by the light
of one powerful Argand lamp, so as to be independent of all natural
light; thus, in all seasons, even in cloudy weather, the objects are
as brilliantly displayed as they could be last year when the sun
shone.--_Gill's Repository_.

_Beet Root Sugar._

There are now in France upwards of one hundred manufactories of beet
root sugar, from which were produced last year upwards of 5,000 tons
of sugar, worth 60 _l._ per ton, or 300,000 _l_.; the profit of which
is estimated at 15 _l._ an acre; but, says one of the manufacturers,
the process may be so far improved, that sugar will be made in France
from the beet root at 30 _l._ per ton, which will increase the profit
to 24 _l._ an acre. A writer in the _Quarterly Journal of Agriculture_
observes that "it is difficult to conceive that one half of the sugar
consumed in Great Britain, or in all Europe, will not, in a few years,
be home-made beet root sugar."

* * * * *

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS

* * * * *

LORD BYRON AND SIR WALTER SCOTT AT WATERLOO.

_By a Sexagenarian._

In his transit to Italy in August, 1816, Lord Byron visited Brussels
(where I was residing) accompanied by Dr. Polidori. The moment I heard
of his arrival, I waited on him, and was received with the greatest
cordiality and kindness.

As he proposed visiting Waterloo on the following morning, I offered
my services as his cicerone, which were graciously accepted, and we
set out at an early hour, accompanied by his _compagnon de voyage_.
The weather was propitious, but the poet's spirits seemed depressed,
and we