North Areas, F, 44 to 48; G-. H. 46.

Commissioner in London , Professor Pniup Corridi, Director of the Imperial and Royal Technological Institute of

Florence, 7 Piccadilly.

Although Tuscany has long since ceased to enjoy the industrial superiority which she held during the MiddleAges, when she reckoned among her tributaries some of what are now the most powerful nations in Europe, —she still looks forward to brighter prospects ; and believes that the same sort of pre-eminence which she oncederived from her skill in the manufacture of woollen and silk fabrics, may again, in some degree, he realizedfrom the valuable productions of her mines and her soils. It is unquestionable, indeed, that Tuscany , owingto her numerous mines, which are daily being discovered, is the Saxony of Italy ; while, for her flourishing agri-culture, she may be properly compared to Belgium . The grounds for this assertion are to be found upon thetables of this collection, on which are laid out the numerous specimens of minerals, extracted from mines thatare now in full work, and from others which, though not worked, are yet well known to contain rich ores.The samples of hard stones, marbles, metallic ores—all so remarkable from their abundance—and the greatquantity of woods of all descriptions, suited for cabinet-making, and adapted for naval constructions—supplysatisfactory evidence of her natural wealth. The collection of agricultural produce is not so complete as mighthave been expected; but, boracic acid, of which we are here shown superior specimens, is a produce very muchsought for, and of Tuscan origin. Discovered in 1777, it was substituted for the borax of India and Thibet ,which had for a long time supplied the trade. It is now extracted, on an extensive scale, under the intelligentsuperintendence of Count de Larderell, in the volcanic localities of Monterotondo and Montecerboli, in theprovince of Yolterra; and nearly all the manufactories in Europe use it. “ The demand for borax,” saysMr. M'Gulloch, “ is now in great part supplied from the famous lagoons near Montecerboli, in Tuscany .These lagoons, which occupy a large extent of surface, consist of an infinite number of low volcanoes andsprings in a furious state of ebullition ; the ground, which shakes and burns beneath the feet, is covered withcrystallizations of sulphur and other minerals,—the whole scene presenting a striking picture of the mosttremendous energy and sterility. The vapours that are constantly bursting forth from the boiling lagoonsbeing found to contain boracic acid, it occurred to a most ingenious person, a M. Larderell, to construct pansthrough which the vapours being made to pass impregnate the water in them with the acid. The pans arekept boiling by the heat of the lagoons; and the water being evaporated, the acid is deposited in crystals. Inconsequence of this discovery, the lagoons, from being altogether worthless, have become most valuable. From10,000 to 12,000 lbs. (12 oz. each) of acid, are now daily produced ; and this vast supply, and the facilityyitli which borax may be obtained from the acid, has occasioned a great reduction in its price, and enabled it0 be much more extensively employed than before.”-— M‘Culloch’s Dictionary of Commerce, p. 175.

E m e T ua bties of the iron from the rich mine of Elba , many samples of which have been sent^ to the generalExhibition, are well known. Interesting specimens of iron from that island will be found in the Tuscan ^yision, as well as some of the splendid marbles, granite, cipollino, &c., from the same place.

The Tuscan timber is well known to many of the English ship-builders, who are in the habit of usingluscan in preference to British oak in some departments of ship-building.

Of ^ the specimens of madder-root from the Maremme , the fine samples exhibited are quite equal to the bestused in England, and which is imported in large quantities from the Continent . The evidence supplied by the1 uscan manufactories, as to their quality, is satisfactory, especially if we look at the red cotton from the dye-s an exhibitor of Pisa , who carries on the various processes on a very extensive scale.

(specimens of cotton are exhibited from Bavacchio, near Pisa , where there exists a large manufactory of cottonissue, which has been the means of improving the whole locality, and of benefiting Tuscany , by substituting^>r the foreign tissues its own cotton cloth and cashmeres, which are to bo seen in the Exhibition, and will

comparison with those of any other country.