There is no firing up, or blowing up; all that is necessary, when wishing to commence a journey, is to start, and when tired of going, all that is to be done is to stop the mules; in giving a lick ahead, they are all made to bounce at once, and in giving a lick back, they are turned around and made to pull the other way: and should the wind prove favorable, by means of a mast, with which they are all provided, sails can be hoisted, and the the double power of mules and wind be put in requisition. This description of boat is getting to be quite fashionable on the Illinois and tributaries, and some two or three extend their trips to this city. They are a great benefit in low water, as they are of exceeding light draught, and the running of them is attended with but trifling expense. We learn that several new ones are in a state of completion, on the line of the Illinois, intended as regular traders up the Sangamon river, and from the head of navigation on the Illinois to this city. There is nothing like enterprise, or a mule boat on the Illinois, in a low stage of water, to get along.--[St. Louis New Era.
'As some merchants,' says Pliny, 'were carrying nitre, they stopped near a river which issues from Mount Carmel. As they could not readily find stones to rest their kettles on, they used for this purpose some of these pieces of nitre. The fire, which gradually dissolved the nitre, and mixed it with the sand, occasioned a transparent matter to flow, which in fact was nothing less than glass.'
=Pumping the water out of Lake Michigan.=
It is well known to our readers that, by an arrangement with the English bond holders, the State of Illinois has given over to them the unfinished canal, from the waters of Lake Michigan, at Chicago, to the Illinois river.--They are about completing it, but the principal difficulty now is, to supply it with water, owing to the level of the lake being _eight_ feet below the bottom of the canal. To overcome this, the present company, after various propositions, finally bethought themselves of raising the water of the lake, so as to supply the canal. They went to Messrs. Knapp & Totten, of this city, and furnished them with a data to calculate whether it could be done, and what force and what machinery would accomplish it. These gentlemen soon furnished an answer to build some powerful machinery for that purpose,--a steam engine and _eight_ pumps of four and a half bore and six feet stroke. We are glad to hear that this eminently scientific firm have been selected to execute this order. Their shop and mechanical force are not excelled by any establishment in the United States.--[Pittsburg Gaz.