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possession of Rajah Brooke, European iron has been introduced as an article of commerce, and they have ceased to use the native metal. This part of the country is hilly and undulating, with very little jungle, not unlike some of our upland districts in Scotland; it is thickly populated and well cultivated; the natives grow their own cotton and make their own cloth, being very industrious, but, withal, very fond of human heads.

The Sakarran Dyaks are similar to these Sareban Dyaks, but more noble and gentlemanly—if I may say so-in all their habits, although they also have a penchant for human heads. The Balow-Hill, the Sow Dyaks, and the other Hill Dyaks resemble each other in their habits, but are not quite so addicted to the accumulation of skulls as the Sareban and Sakarran Dyaks. They are all spirit-worshippers; and they believe that the number of slaves they will possess in the next world will be equal to the number of skulls which they collect in the present. The Bishop of Labuan and his missionaries have made a great many converts to Christianity among the Dyaks and the Chinese, but few, if any, among the genuine Malays. Mission work in Borneo is very laborious, requiring much ability, energy, and patience. The Bishop of Labuan seems to me to possess all the requirements of a successful Bornean missionary. These Dyaks manufacture mats of various kinds for their own use and for sale; they hunt, fish, cultivate a little rice, and gather in orchard and wild fruits and roots of the country. Every river teems with fish of various kinds. Every district abounds with large trees called Tapangs, from 150 feet to 300 feet high, on which the bees construct their hives: when the honey is ready, the natives ascend by ladders of bamboo, smoke the bees, and remove the honey and wax. Wild pigs are in abundance: there are three kinds of deer hunted by the natives. The people know nothing of medicine; and when any one is sick, they ascribe it to a devil, and sing, chant, drum, and make a noise, to frighten it away. No very dangerous quadrupeds exist in Borneo: a small black bear with white breast, and a small tiger-cat, are dreaded by some of the natives, but these animals are not dangerous. There are many different kinds of monkeys; a brown one with a long nose, and the ourang-outang, being the only large species. I never saw either of these animals far beyond. the boundaries of the out-crop of the coal. I have seen a great many of the latter (the ourang), having lived some time in that part of the jungle which they frequent; but this paper will not admit of any details about them. Snakes of various kinds are plentiful, and these are the only animals I dreaded in that country. The crocodiles or alligators are of frequent occurrence in the rivers. Air-plants, pitcher-plants, rhodo

dendrons, tree-ferns, and many magnificent flowering plants are seen. Butterflies and beetles are abundant, and of great beauty. Pheasants, partridges, water-crows, and king-fishers of gorgeous plumage are occasionally seen, but in no great numbers. What are termed flying foxes, flying squirrels, flying sloths, and flying lizards, I have observed in different districts. Wild pigeons and snipes occur, very like the species in this country, but the pigeons are larger.

In the absence of Mr. James Young, of Bathgate, MR. NAPIER, Chemist, described a new Pyrometer.

The PRESIDENT, in intimating the close of the Session, congratulated the Society on the interest and practical importance of the proceedings during the past winter, and expressed a hope that the members would prosecute their pursuits in the summer months with a view to bringing the results of their investigations before the Society in the following Session.

PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF GLASGOW.

SIXTY-SECOND SESSION.

I.-History of the Invention of the Optical Illusion called the "Ghost." By DR. JOHN TAYLOR.

Read November 18, 1863.

FOR a number of years past, I have been engaged in experiments with a view of giving to transparent photographs on glass the quality of changing their effects and aspects as dioramic pictures. One of the methods adopted consists of a revolving cylinder of paper or calico, tinted of different hues and shades, and placed behind the picture so as, when seen through the sky and the transparent parts, to give corresponding changes to the colour and light and shade of the view. The apparatus and its effects have been at different times described in the photographic journals, and need not be here further alluded to than by mentioning, that in attempting to get all the charm and variety of change which can be given to the ordinary dioramic pictures, the transparency of the photograph on glass presented a difficulty, which will be at once understood by considering that in the ordinary picture the introduction of the sun or moon, or the appearance and disappearance of figures, or the change from a summer to a winter aspect, is made by showing the scene first by a front light, and afterwards by transmitted light, the figures, &c., being painted on the back of the picture, and only brought into view when light is allowed to traverse the canvas. As the photograph can only be seen by transmitted light, After many experiments it occurred to me that the appearance of the sun and moon, or of figures, might be introduced into the picture by reflection from a glass plate placed between the picture and the spectator. I accordingly placed a transparent plate of glass, of about seven square feet in surface, in front of the photograph, and inclined at such an angle that any object placed in a convenient position above the picture, and in front of it, might be VOL. V.-No. 4.

this artifice cannot be resorted to.

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seen by reflection in the glass plate when the picture itself was seen through it, and that they should both thus be seen together, and at such relative distances from the eye as might best suit the effect desired. The first experiments were made with the view of introducing the appearance of the sun or moon bursting forth in the sky of the picture. This was done as follows, and succeeded to admiration:-In the annexed sketch P P represents the picture seen in its ordinary state by light traversing it towards the eye at E; PM is a plate of transparent glass placed between the eye and the picture, while P R is another plate of glass or paper, on which a sky is painted, having a transparent portion to represent the sun or moon. So long as no light is allowed to fall on the plate PB, the picture is seen in its

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ordinary state; but so soon as the row of gas burners placed at L are turned on, the transparent portion at s, representing the sun, is seen by reflection in the glass plate at G, and appears to occupy a position in the sky of the picture at s', and so with other portions of the sky, as o, &c. Figures were next tried, by being placed in a suitable position above the line of sight near E, and were made to appear or disappear in the picture according as light was allowed to fall on them from the gas jets, or was excluded. The apparatus, so adjusted, was exhibited to many persons, some of whom are members of this Society, in March, 1862. In proof of this I may read to the Society the following note :

"I hereby certify that in the month of March, 1862, I saw at the residence of Dr. Taylor, of Glasgow, an apparatus for the production of apparitions of human figures, which came into view, or vanished suddenly or gradually in the position in which they appeared; and that the means of doing this consisted of a glass plate placed at an angle in front of the spectator, and so arranged as to be invisible to ordinary observation. The figures themselves were placed in an aperture in the roof of a box, to conceal them from view, and they appeared or vanished in the space behind the glass plate when the light which shone on them was turned on or lowered. I remarked, This is the old magic revived, and insisted that if a patent were taken, a fortune might be made of it.

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The following is from Mr. M'Nab, the well-known photographer:"I hereby certify that on various occasions in the month of March, 1862, and at subsequent dates of the same year, I saw at the residence of Dr. Taylor, of Glasgow, the appearance of figures and other movable objects introduced into the same field of view with photographic pictures as backgrounds. The figures, &c., were made gradually to appear in the space without visible motion of entrance, and in the same way they gradually or suddenly vanished in the place in which they appeared. The means of doing this I could not discover till it was pointed out to me. I then found it to be a glass plate of about seven square feet of surface, placed at an angle between the eye and the background. The figures, &c., were arranged in They appeared as if in the space

an opening in a board above the plate. behind the plate when a light was allowed to fall on them, and vanished in an instant when it was shut off.

"18th November, 1863."

"(Signed)

ALEXANDER M'NAB, "98 West Nile Street, Glasgow.

The apparatus was shown and described at a meeting of the Glasgow Photographic Association on the evening of December 5, 1862, when it was stated that the arrangement was a mere model, and that as soon as plates of sufficient size could be got, the intention was to have them large enough to cover the end of the room, when such an exhibition as never yet had been possible, would be produced. The substance of the paper was published in London, in the British Journal of Photography, on December 15, 1862, with a description of the mode of using the glass plate, and its effects.

In January, 1863, the spectral illusion began to be shown in the Polytechnic Institution in London, and shortly took the name of "Professor Pepper's Ghost." It was said to be invented by Mr. Dircks, of Blackheath, while rumour stated that it had come from Glasgow.

Mr. William Glover, of the Theatre-Royal of Glasgow, has sent me the following note:

"In the early part of 1863 I visited the Polytechnic Institution in London, for the purpose of seeing a really wonderful effect. I was told it was produced by the lime light. It was exhibited by Professor Pepper in much the same class of entertainment as at present. It was said at the Institution to be invented by a Mr. Dircks; but I was told even at that time that it was in reality the invention of a gentleman in Glasgow."

It ought to be noticed that the description of the glass plate placed in an inclined position, and the mode of using it for introducing

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