MISCELLANEOUS CURIOSITIES.—(Concluded.)
Lama—Nun—Mahometan Paradise—Opinions respecting Hell—London—Coins of the Kings of England—Singular Calculations respecting the National Debt—Moral and Physical Thermometer.—Conclusion.
Lama—Nun—Mahometan Paradise—Opinions respecting Hell—London—Coins of the Kings of England—Singular Calculations respecting the National Debt—Moral and Physical Thermometer.—Conclusion.
Lama.—This is the sovereign pontiff, or rather god, of the Asiatic Tartars, inhabiting the country of Barantola. The lama is not only adored by the inhabitants of the country, but also by the kings of Tartary, who send him rich presents, and go in pilgrimage to pay him adoration, calling himlama congiu, i. e. “god, the everlasting father of heaven.” He is never to be seen but in a secret place of his palace, amidst a great number of lamps, sitting crosslegged upon a cushion, and adorned all over with gold and precious stones; where at a distance they prostrate themselves before him, it not being lawful for any to kiss his feet. He is called the great lama, or lama of lamas; that is, “priest of priests.” The orthodox opinion is, that when the grand lama seems to die either of old age or infirmity, his soul in fact only quits a crazy habitation to look for another younger or better; and it is discovered again in the body of some child, by certain tokens known only to the lamas, or priests, in which order he always appears. A particular account of the pompous ceremonies attending the inauguration of the infant lama in Thibet, is given in the first volume of the Asiatic Researches. The emperor of China appears, on such occasions, to act a very conspicuous part, in giving testimony of his respect and zeal for the great religious father of his faith.
The twenty-eighth day of the seventh moon, corresponding nearly (as their year commences with the vernal equinox) with the middle of October, is reckoned the most auspicious for the ceremony of inauguration. The procession, on these occasions, from Terpaling to the Teeshoo Loombo, is conducted with such slow and majestic solemnity, that though the distance is only twenty miles, it takes up three days. The crowd of spectators is immense. The three next days are spent in the inauguration, in delivering the presents sent by the emperor to the lama, and in the public festivals on the occasion; during which, all who are at the capital are entertained at the public expense, and alms are distributed liberally to the poor. Universal rejoicings prevail throughout Thibet; banners are unfurled on all their fortresses, the peasantry fillup the day with music and festivity, and the night is cheered by general illuminations. A long period is afterwards employed in making presents and public entertainments to the newly-inducted lama, who, at the time of his accession to themusnud, or pontificate of Teeshoo Loombo, is often not three years of age. The whole ceremony, from its commencement to its consummation, lasts forty days.
Some particulars respectingNuns.—A nun is a woman dedicated to the severer duties of religion, secluded in a cloister from the world, and debarred by a vow from the converse of men. When a woman is to be made a nun, the habit, veil, and ring of the candidate, are carried to the altar; and she herself, accompanied by her nearest relations, is conducted to the bishop, who, after mass and an anthem (the subject of which is, “that she ought to have her lamp lighted, because the bridegroom is coming to meet her,”) pronounces the benediction: then she rises up, and the bishop consecrates the new habit, sprinkling it with holy water. When the candidate has put on her religious habit, she presents herself before the bishop, and sings on her knees,Ancilla Christi sum, &c.; then she receives the veil, and afterwards the ring, by which she is married to Christ; and lastly, the crown of virginity. When she is crowned, an anathema is denounced against all who shall attempt to make her break her vows. In some few instances, perhaps, nunneries and monasteries may have been useful to morality and religion, as well as to literature, but, in the gross, they have been highly prejudicial; and however pious they may appear in theory, in fact they are unnatural and impious.
Mahometan Paradise.—The paradise of the Mahometans is said by them to be situated above the seven heavens, or in the seventh, and next under the throne of God; and, to express the amenity of the place, they tell us that the earth of it is of the finest wheat flour, or of the purest musk, or of saffron; and that its stones are pearls and jacinths, the walls of its buildings enriched with gold and silver, and the trunks of all its trees of gold, amongst which the most remarkable is the treeluba, or tree of happiness. They pretend that this tree stands in the palace of Mahomet, though a branch of it will reach to the house of every true believer, loaded with pomegranates, grapes, dates, and other fruits, of surprising size, and delicious tastes, unknown to mortals.
If a man desires to eat of any particular kind of fruit, it will immediately be presented to him; or if he chooses flesh, birds ready dressed will be set before him, and such as he may wish for. They add that this tree will supply the blessed,not only with fruit, but with silk garments also, and beasts to ride on, adorned with rich trappings, all which will burst forth from the fruit; and that the tree is so large, that a person mounted on the fleetest horse would not be able to gallop from one end of its shade to the other in one hundred years. Plenty of water being one of the greatest additions to the pleasantness of any place, the Koran often speaks of the rivers of paradise as the principal ornament. Some of these rivers are said to flow with water, some with milk, some with wine, and others with honey: all of them have their sources in the root of this tree of happiness; and, as if these rivers were not sufficient, we are told that the garden of this paradise is also watered by a great number of lesser springs and fountains, whose pebbles are rubies and emeralds, their earth of camphor, their beds of musk, and their sides of saffron.
But all these glories will be eclipsed by the resplendent and exquisite beauty of the girls of paradise, the enjoyment of whose company will constitute the principal felicity of the faithful. These (they say) are not formed of clay, as mortal women, but of pure musk, and are, as their prophet often affirms in his Koran, free from all the natural defects and inconveniences incident to the sex. Being also of the strictest modesty, they keep themselves secluded from public view, in pavilions of hollow pearls, so large, that, as some traditions have it, one of them will be no less than sixteen, or, as others say, sixty miles long, and as many broad. With these the inhabitants of paradise may taste pleasures in their height; and for this purpose will be endowed with extraordinary abilities, and enjoy a perpetual youth.
Opinions respecting Hell.—The hell of the ancient heathens was divided into two mansions: the one called Elysium, on the right hand, pleasant and delightful, appointed for the souls of good men; the other called Tartarus, on the left, a region of misery and torment, appointed for the wicked. The latter only was hell, in the present restrained sense of the word. The philosophers were of opinion, that the infernal regions were at an equal distance from all the parts of the earth; nevertheless, it was the opinion of some, that there were certain passages which led thither, as the river Lethe near the Syrtes, and the Acherusian cave in Epirus. At Hermione, it was thought, that there was a very short way to hell; for which reason the people of that country never put the fare into the mouths of the dead to pay their passage. The Jews placed hell in the centre of the earth, and believed it to be situated under waters and mountains. According to them, there are three passages leading to it: the first is in the wilderness, and by that Korah, Dathan, and Abiramdescended into hell; the second is in the sea, because Jonah, who was thrown into the sea, cried to God out of the belly of hell; the third is in Jerusalem, because it is said “the fire of the Lord is in Zion, and his furnace is in Jerusalem.” They likewise acknowledged seven degrees of pain in hell, because they find this place called by seven different names in Scripture. In the Koran of Mahomet, it is said that hell has seven gates; the first for the Mussulmans, the second for the Christians, the third for the Jews, the fourth for the Sabeans, the fifth for the Magians, the sixth for the Pagans, and the seventh for hypocrites of all religions.
Among Christians, there are two controverted questions in regard to hell; the one concerning the locality, the other the duration of its torments:—The locality of hell, and the reality of its fire, began first to be controverted by Origen. That father, interpreting the scripture account metaphorically, makes hell to consist, not in external punishments, but in a consciousness or sense of guilt, and a remembrance of past pleasures. Among the moderns, Mr. Whiston advanced a new hypothesis. The comets, he thinks, are so many hells, appointed in their orbits alternately to carry the damned into the confines of the sun, there to be scorched by its violent heat, and then to return with them beyond the orb of Saturn, there to starve them in those cold and dismal regions. Another modern author, Mr. Swinden, supposes the sun to be the local hell. However difficult it may be to ascertain the local place of hell, we may rest assured God will find both place and means to punish the obstinately wicked.
London.—This metropolis is unparalleled, in extent and opulence, in the whole habitable globe, except, perhaps, Pekin in China, Jeddo in Japan, and Houssa in Africa; which are all said to be larger.
It comprehends, besides London, Westminster, and Southwark, no less than forty-five villages, of considerable extent, independent of a vast accession of buildings upon the open fields in the vicinity. Its length is nearly eight miles, its breadth three, and its circumference twenty-six. It contains above 8000 streets, lanes, alleys, and courts, and more than 65 different squares. Its houses, warehouses, and other buildings, make 162,000, besides 246 churches and chapels, 207 meeting houses for dissenters, 43 chapels for foreigners, and 6 synagogues for the Jews, which in all make 504 places of public worship. The number of inhabitants, during the sitting of parliament, is estimated at 1,250,000. Among these are found about 50,000 common prostitutes, and no less than 60,000 thieves, coiners, and other bad persons of all descriptions. The annual depredations on the public, by this numerousbody of pilferers, are estimated at the sum of £2,100,000 sterling. In this vast city, there are, moreover, upwards of 4000 seminaries for education, 8 institutions for promoting morality, 10 institutions for promoting the arts, 122 asylums for the indigent, 17 for the sick and lame, 13 dispensaries, 704 charitable institutions, 58 courts of justice, and 7040 professional men connected with the various departments of the law.—There are 13,500 vessels trading in the river Thames in the course of a year; and 40,000 waggons going and returning to the metropolis in the same period, including their repeated voyages and journeys.—The amount of exports and imports to and from the Thames is estimated at £66,811,932 sterling annually, and the property floating in this vast city every year, is £170,000,000. These circumstances may be sufficient to convince us of the amazing extent and importance of the capital of the British empire.
The numbers of bullocks, sheep, lambs, calves, hogs, and sucking pigs, purchased at the Smithfield markets, and annually consumed in the metropolis, are in the following proportion: bullocks 110,000; sheep and lambs 776,000; calves 210,000; hogs 210,000; sucking pigs 60,000. Markets for hay, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The markets for the sale of provisions are numerous, and amply supplied with every sort, generally of the most excellent kind: the bread generally fine and sound. Besides animal food and bread, there are no less than 6,980,000 gallons of milk [and water] annually consumed here: of vegetables and fruit, there are 10,000 acres of ground near the metropolis, cultivated wholly for vegetables; and about 4000 acres of fruit. Of wheat, coals, ale, and porter, &c. the annual consumption is as follows: of wheat, 700,000 quarters; of coals 600,000 chaldrons; of ale and porter 1,113,500 barrels; of spirits and compounds 11,146,782 gallons; of wine 32,500 tons; of butter 16,600,000 pounds; and of cheese 21,100,000 pounds. Fish and poultry are sometimes excessively dear, and the quantities consumed are comparatively small.
Coins of the Kings of England.—The silver Penny, which was first circulated during the Heptarchy, continued to be the general coin after the kingdom had been united under one head, and extends, in a continued series, from Egbert almost to the present reign. The only kings wanting are Edmund Ironside, Richard I., and John. At first the penny weighed twenty-two and a half grains, but towards the close of the reign of Edward III. it fell to eighteen grains; in that of Edward IV. to twelve. In the time of Edward VI. it was reduced to eight grains; and in queen Elizabeth’s reign to 723⁄31grains, at which it still continues.
Halfpence and farthings were first struck in silver by Edward I. in 1280: the former continued to the time of the Commonwealth, but the latter ceased with Edward VI. The groat and half groat were introduced in the reign of Edward III., in 1354, and continue to this day, though not in common circulation.
Shillings were first coined by Henry VII. in 1503; at first they were called testoon, from the teste, tête, or head of the king, upon them; the name shilling being derived from the Germanschelling, under which name coins had been struck at Hamburgh in 1407. The crown was first coined in its present form by Henry VIII. The half-crown, six-pence, and three-pence, were coined by Edward VI. In 1558, queen Elizabeth coined three-halfpenny, and in 1561, three-farthing pieces; but they were discontinued in 1582. Gold was coined in England by Henry III. in 1257; the piece was called a gold penny, and was larger than the silver one, and the execution by no means bad for the time. The series of gold coinage, however, commences properly from Edward III. In 1344, this monarch first struck florins, in imitation of those in Italy; and it is remarkable, that though these coins, at the time they were first issued, bore only six shillings value, they were (even before the late increased value of gold) intrinsically worth nineteen shillings; so much has the value of gold increased since that time. The half and quarter florin were struck at the same time, but only the last has been found. The florin being found inconvenient, gave place to the noble, of six shillings and eight-pence value, and exactly half a mark. The latter had its name from being a limited sum in accounts; and was eight ounces in weight, two-thirds of the money pound. The noble had its name from the nobility of the metal; the gold of which it is coined being of the finest sort. Sometimes it was calledrose-noble, from both sides being impaled in an undulating circle. It continued, with the half and quarter noble, to be the only gold coin till the angels of Edward IV. appeared in 1465. These had their name from the image of Michael and the Dragon which they bore. The angelites, of three shillings and four-pence value, were substituted in their place. In 1527, Henry VIII. added to the gold coins the crown and half-crown at their present value; the same year he gave sovereigns of twenty-two shillings, and six-pence, and ryals of eleven shillings and three-pence, angels at seven shillings and six-pence, and nobles at their old value of six shillings and eight-pence. In 1546 he caused sovereigns to be coined of the value of twenty shillings, and half sovereigns in proportion.
On the union of the two crowns, James gave the sovereign the name of unite; the value continuing twenty shillings, asbefore. He coined also rose ryals of thirty shillings, spur ryals of fifteen shillings, angels of ten shillings, and angelites of five shillings value. Under the Commonwealth, the sovereign received the name of the twenty shilling piece, and continued current till the coinage of guineas. These were so called, from their being coined of gold brought from the coast of Guinea, and were at first to pass but for twenty shillings, though by a universal but tacit consent, they always passed for twenty-one shillings. Half-guineas, double-guineas, and five guinea pieces, were also coined during the same reign; which still continue, though the two latter are not in common circulation. Quarter-guineas were coined by George I. and likewise by his late Majesty; but they were found so troublesome on account of their small size, that they were stopped at the Bank of England; and therefore are not to be met with in circulation at present. A few pieces of seven shillings value were likewise coined, and are known by the lion above the helmet; but none were issued. In 1668, the guinea rose to twenty-one shillings and sixpence, and continued to increase in value till 1696, when it was as high as thirty shillings; but after the recoinage in 1697 and 1698, it fell by degrees, and in 1717 was at its old standard of twenty-one shillings. During the reign of George III. vast numbers of seven shilling pieces were issued, which continued some years in general circulation. Sovereigns have also been coined since his present Majesty’s accession, and they constitute at present the prevailing gold currency of the realm.
Singular Calculation respecting the National Debt.—The national debt, funded and unfunded, on the 5th of January, 1811, was £811,898,811, which are equal to 773,236,267 guineas, which, at 5 dwts. 8 grains each guinea, weigh 6312 tons, 11 cwt. 3 qrs. 5 lbs. 1 oz. 6 drs. nearly, avoirdupois. Now supposing a waggon and five horses to extend in length twenty yards, and to carry two and a half tons of the said guineas, the number of teams necessary to carry the whole would extend in length twenty-eight miles twenty-three yards. To count the debt in shillings, at the rate of thirty shillings in a minute, for ten hours a day, and six days in a week, would take 2,469 years, 306 days, 17 hours, and 30 minutes, nearly. Its height in guineas, supposing twenty guineas in thickness to be an inch, would be 610 miles, 339 yards, 9 inches; and supposing each guinea an inch in diameter, they would extend in a right line, 12,203 miles, 150 yards, 7 inches. Moreover, the said guineas would cover, in space, 348 acres, 2 roods, 202 yards, nearly. And, lastly, in shillings, each being an inch in diameter, would cover 7319 acres, 1 rood, and 349 yards!
AMORAL AND PHYSICALTHERMOMETER;OR, ASCALE OF THE PROGRESSOFTEMPERANCEANDINTEMPERANCE.
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Liquors,with theirEffectsin their usual Order.
Larger Image
Conclusion.
Thus we have conducted our reader through some of the principal curiosities of Nature and Art, Science and Literature. We trust he has found both amusement and instruction. Our object has been, throughout the work, to assist the reader in looking through Nature up to Nature’s God. All second causes derive their origin, permanency, and efficacy from Him alone.
Since, then, theLord Godis himself the source and perfection of all beauty and excellency, the author of our existence, and the bountiful giver of all good gifts; we undoubtedly ought to love him with our whole hearts, and to serve him with all our powers; we ought to reverence his majesty and authority, and endeavour above all things to obtain his favour; we ought to devote ourselves entirely to his service, and make all our actions tend to the advancement of his glory. And as his mercy and goodness are unbounded, so should be our gratitude and praise.
Jehovah reigns: let ev’ry nation hear,And at his footstool bow with holy fear;Let heav’n’s high arches echo with his name.And the wide-peopled earth his praise proclaim;Then send it down to hell’s deep gloom resounding,Thro’ all her caves in dreadful murmurs sounding.He rules with wide and absolute commandO’er the broad ocean and the stedfast land:Jehovah reigns, unbounded and alone,And all creation hangs beneath his throne:He reigns alone; let no inferior natureUsurp or share the throne of the Creator.He saw the struggling beams of infant lightShoot thro’ the massy gloom of ancient night;His spirit hush’d the elemental strife,And brooded o’er the kindling seeds of life:Seasons and months began the long procession,And measur’d o’er the year in bright succession.The joyful sun sprung up th’ ethereal way,Strong as a giant, as a bridegroom gay;And the pale moon diffus’d her shadowy light,Superior o’er the dusky brow of night;Ten thousand glittering lamps the skies adorning,Num’rous as dew-drops from the womb of morning.Earth’s blooming face with rising flow’rs he dress’d,And spread a verdant mantle o’er her breast;Then from the hollow of his hand he poursThe circling waters round her winding shores,The new-born world in their cool arms embracing,And with soft murmurs still her banks caressing.At length she rose complete in finish’d pride,All fair and spotless like a virgin bride:Fresh with untarnish’d lustre as she stood,Her Maker bless’d his work, and call’d it good;The morning stars with joyful acclamation,Exulting sung, and hail’d the new creation.Yet this fair world, the creature of a day,Tho’ built by God’s right hand, must pass away;And long oblivion creep o’er mortal things,The fate of empires, and the pride of kings:Eternal night shall veil their proudest story,And drop the curtain o’er all human glory.The sun himself, with weary clouds opprest,Shall in his silent dark pavilion rest;His golden urn shall broke and useless lie,Amidst the common ruins of the sky!The stars rush headlong in the wild commotion,And bathe their glittering foreheads in the ocean.But fix’d, O God! for ever stands thy throne,Jehovah reigns, a universe alone;Th’ eternal fire that feeds each vital flame,Collected or diffus’d, is still the same.He dwells within his own unfathom’d essence,And fills all space with his unbounded presence.But oh! our highest notes the theme debase,And silence is our least injurious praise:Cease, cease your songs, the daring flight control,Revere him in the stillness of the soul;With silent duty meekly bend before him,And deep within your inmost hearts—adore him.Mrs. Barbauld.
APPENDIXTO THEBOOK OF CURIOSITIES;CONTAININGCURIOUS EXPERIMENTS,ANDAMUSING RECREATIONS,WHICH MAY BE PERFORMED WITH EASE,AND AT A SMALL EXPENSE.
A Person having an even Number of Counters in one Hand, and an odd Number in the other, to tell in which Hand each of them is.
Desire the person to multiply the number in his right hand by three, and the number in his left by two.
Bid him add the two products together, and tell you whether the sum be odd or even.
If it be even, the even number is in the right hand; but if it be odd, the even number is in the left hand.
A Person having fixed on a Number in his Mind, to tell him what Number it is.
Bid him quadruple the number thought on, or multiply it by 4; and having done this, desire him to add 6, 8, 10, or any even number you please, to the product; then let him take the half of this sum, and tell you how much it is; from which, if you take away half the number you desired him at first to add to it, there will remain the double of the number thought on.
Example.
Therefore 5 was the number thought on.
Another Method of discovering a Number thought on.
After the person has fixed on a number, bid him double it, and add 4 to that sum; then let him multiply the whole by 5, and to that product add 12; desire him also to multiply this sum by 10, and after having deducted 302 from the product, to tell you the remainder, from which, if you cut off the last two figures, the number that remains will be the one thought on.
Example.
which, by striking off the last two figures, gives 7,—the number thought on.
To tell the Number a Person has fixed upon, without asking him any Questions.
The person having chosen any number in his mind, from 1 to 15, bid him add one to it, and triple the amount. Then,
If it be an even number, let him take the half of it, and triple that half; but if it be an odd number, he must add 1 to it, and then halve it, and triple that half.
In like manner let him take the half of this number, if it be even, or the half of the next greater, if it be odd; and triple that half.
Again, bid him take the half of this last number, if even, or of the next greater, if odd; and the half of that half in the same way; and by observing at what steps he is obliged to add 1 in the halving, the following table will shew the number thought on:
Thus, if he be obliged to add 1 only at the first step, or halving, either 4 or 8 was the number thought on; if there were a necessity to add 1 both at the first and second steps, either 2 or 10 was the number thought on, &c.
And which of the two numbers is the true one may always be known from the last step of the operation; for if 1 must be added before the last half can be taken, the number is in the second column, or otherwise in the first, as will appear from the following examples:
From which it appears, that it was necessary to add 1 both at the second and third steps, or halvings; and therefore, by the table, the number thought on is either 1 or 9. And as the last number was obliged to be augmented by 1 before the half could be taken, it follows also, by the above rule, that the number must be in the second column; and consequently it is 9.
From which it appears, that it was necessary to add 1 at all the steps, or halvings, 1, 2, 3, therefore, by the table, the number thought on is either 6 or 14.
And as the last number required no augmentation before its half could be taken, it follows also, by the above rule, that the number must be in the first column; and consequently it is 6.
A curious Recreation, usually called—The Blind Abbess and her Nuns.
A blind abbess visiting her nuns, who were twenty-four in number, and equally distributed in eight cells, built at the four corners of a square, and in the middle of each side, finds an equal number in every row, containing three cells. At a second visit, she finds the same number of persons in each row as before, though the company was increased by the accession of four men. And coming a third time, she still finds the same number of persons in each row, though the four men were then gone, and had each of them carried away a nun.
Let the nuns be first placed as in fig. 1, three in each cell; then when the four men have got into the cells, there must be a man placed in each corner, and two nuns removed thence to each of the middle cells, as in fig. 2, in which case there will evidently be still nine in each row; and when the four men are gone, with the four nuns with them, each corner cell must contain four nuns, and every other cell one, as in fig. 3; it being evident, that in this case also, there will still be nine in a row, as before.
Any Number being named, to add a Figure to it, which shall make it divisible by 9.
Add the figures together in your mind which compose the number named; and the figure which must be added to this sum, in order to make it divisible by 9, is the one required.
Suppose, for example, the number named was 8654; you find that the sum of its figures is 23; and that 4 being added to this sum will make it 27; which is a number exactly divisible by 9.
You therefore desire the person who named the number 8654, to add 4 to it; and the result, which is 8658, will be divisible by 9, as was required.
This recreation may be diversified, by your specifying, before the sum is named, the particular place where the figure shall be inserted, to make the number divisible by 9; for it is exactly the same thing, whether the figure be put at the end of the number, or between any two of its digits.
A Person having made choice of several Numbers, to tell him what Number will exactly divide the Sum of those which he has chosen.
Provide a small bag, divided into two parts; into one of which put several tickets, numbered 6, 9, 15, 36, 63, 120, 213, 309, or any others you please, that are divisible by 3, and in the other part put as many different tickets marked with the number 3 only.
Draw a handful of tickets from the first part, and, after shewing them to the company, put them into the bag again; and having opened it a second time, desire any one to take out as many tickets as he thinks proper.
When he has done this, open privately the other part of the bag, and tell him to take out of it one ticket only.
You may then pronounce, that this ticket shall contain the number by which the amount of the other numbers is divisible; for, as each of these numbers is some multiple of 3, their sum must evidently be divisible by that number.
This recreation may also be diversified, by marking the tickets in one part of the bag with any numbers which are divisible by 9, and those in the other part of the bag with the number 9 only; the properties of both 9 and 3 being the same; or if the numbers in one part of the bag be divisible by 9, the other part of the bag may contain tickets marked both with 9 and 3, as every number divisible by 9 is also divisible by 3.
To find the Difference between any two Numbers, the greater of which is unknown.
Take as many 9’s as there are figures in the less number, and subtract the one from the other.
Let another person add that difference to the larger number; and then, if he take away the first figure of the amount, and add it to the remaining figures, the sum will be the difference of the two numbers, as was required.
Suppose, for example, that Matthew, who is 22 years ofage, tells Henry, who is older, that he can discover the difference of their ages.
He privately deducts 22, his own age, from 99, and the difference, which is 77, he tells Henry to add to his age, and to take away the first figure from the amount.
Then if this figure, so taken away, be added to the remaining ones, the sum will be the difference of their ages; as, for instance:
A Person striking a Figure out of the Sum of two given Numbers, to tell him what that Figure was.
Such numbers must be offered as are divisible by 9; such, for instance, as 36, 63, 81, 117, 126, 162, 207, 216, 252, 261, 306, 315, 360, and 432.
Then let a person choose any two of these numbers, and after adding them together in his mind, strike out any one of the figures he pleases, from the sum.
After he has done this, desire him to tell you the sum of the remaining figures; and that number which you are obliged to add to this amount, in order to make it 9, or 18, is the one he struck out.
For example, suppose he chose the numbers 126 and 252, the sum of which is 378.
Then, if he strike out 7 from this amount, the remaining figures, 3 and 8, will make 11; to which 7 must be added to make 18.
If he strike out the 3, the sum of the remaining figures, 7 and 8, will be 15; to which 3 must be added, to make 18; and so in like manner, for the 8.
By knowing the last Figure of the Product of two Numbers, to tell the other Figures.
If the number 73 be multiplied by each of the numbers in the following arithmetical progression, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21. 24, 27, the products will terminate with the nine digits, inthis order, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1; the numbers themselves being as follows, 219, 438, 657, 876, 1095, 1314, 1533, 1752, and 1971.
Let therefore a little bag be provided, consisting of two partitions, into one of which put several tickets, marked with the number 73; and into the other part, as many tickets numbered 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, and 27.
Then open that part of the bag which contains the number 73, and desire a person to take out one ticket only; after which, dexterously change the opening, and desire another person to take a ticket from the other part.
Let them now multiply their two numbers together, and tell you the last figure of the product, and you will readily determine, from the foregoing series, what the remaining figures must be.
Suppose, for example, the numbers taken out of the bag were 73, and 12; then, as the product of these two numbers, which is 876, has 6 for its last figure, you will readily know that it is the fourth in the series, and that the remaining figures are 87.
A curious Recreation with a Hundred Numbers, usually called the Magical Century.
If the number 11 be multiplied by any one of the nine digits, the two figures of the product will always be alike, as appears from the following example:—
Now, if another person and yourself have fifty counters apiece, and agree never to stake more than ten at a time, you may tell him, that if he will permit you to stake first, you will always undertake to make the even century before him.
In order to this you must first stake one, and remembering the order of the above series, constantly add to what he stakes as many as will make one more than the numbers 11, 22, 33, &c. of which it is composed, till you come to 89; after which, the other party cannot possibly make the even century himself, or prevent you from making it.
If the person who is your opponent have no knowledge of numbers, you may stake any other number first, under 10, provided you afterwards take care to secure one of the last terms, 56, 67, 78, &c.: or you may even let him stake first, provided you take care afterwards to secure one of these numbers.
This recreation may be performed with other numbers; but, in order to succeed, you must divide the number to be attained, by a number which is an unit greater than what you can stake each time; and the remainder will then be the number you first stake. Suppose, for example, the number to be attained is 52, and that you are never to add more than six; then dividing 52 by 7, the remainder, which is 3, will be the number you must stake first; and whatever the other stakes, you must add as much to it as will make it equal to 7, the number by which you divided; and so on.
A Person in Company having privately put a Ring on one of his fingers, to Name the Person, the Hand, the Finger, and even the Joint on which it is placed.
Desire a third person to double the number of the order in which the wearer of the ring stands, and add 5 to that number, then multiply that sum by 5, and to the product add 10. Let him then add 1 to the last number, if the ring be on the right hand, and 2 if on the left, and multiply the whole by 10: to this product he must add the number of the finger, beginning with the thumb, and multiply the whole again by 10. Desire him then to add the number of the joint; and lastly, to increase the whole by 35.
This being done, he is to declare the amount of the whole, from which you are to subtract 3535; and the remainder will consist of four figures, the first of which will give the place in which the person stands, the second the hand, 1 denoting the right, and 2 the left hand, the third number the finger, and the fourth the joint.
Example.
Suppose the person stands the second in order, and has put the ring on the second joint of the little finger of the left hand:
Hence it will appear that the first 2 denotes the second person in order, the second 2 the left hand, 5 the little finger, and 2 the second joint.
To make a Deaf Man hear the Sound of a Musical Instrument.
It must be a stringed instrument, with a neck of some length, as a lute, a guitar, or the like; and before you begin to play, you must by signs direct the deaf man to take hold with his teeth of the end of the neck of the instrument; for then, if one strikes the strings with the bow one after another, the sound will enter the deaf man’s mouth, and be conveyed to the organ of hearing through a hole in the palate, and thus the deaf man will hear with a great deal of pleasure the sound of the instrument, as has been several times experienced; nay, those who are not deaf may make the experiment upon themselves, by stopping their ears so as not to hear the instrument, and then holding the end of the instrument in their teeth, while another touches the strings.
When two Vessels or Chests are like one another, and of equal Weight, being filled with different Metals, to distinguish the one from the other.
This is easily resolved, if we consider that two pieces of different metals, of equal weight in air, do not weigh equally in water, because that of the greatest specific gravity takes up a lesser space in water; it being a certain truth, that any metal weighs less in water than in air, by reason of the water, the room of which it fills; for example, if the water weighs a pound, the metal will weigh in that water a pound less than in the air: this gravitation diminishes more or less, according as the specific gravity of the metal is greater than that of the water.
We will suppose, then, two chests perfectly like one another, of equal weight in the air, one of which is full of gold, and the other of silver; we weigh them in water, and that which then weighs down the other must needs be the gold chest, the specific gravity of gold being greater than that of silver, which makes the gold lose less of its gravitation in water than silver. We know by experience, that gold loses in water about an eighteenth part only, whereas silver loses near a tenth part; so that if each of the two chests weighs in the air, for example, 180 pounds, the chest that is full of gold will lose in the water ten pounds of its weight; and the chest that is full of silver will lose eighteen: that is, the chest full of gold will weigh 170 pounds, and that of silver only 162.
Or, if you will, considering that gold is of a greater specific gravity than silver, the chest full of gold, though similar andof equal weight with the other, must needs contain a less bulk, and consequently it contains the gold.
To find the Burden of a Ship at Sea, or in a River.
It is a certain truth, that a ship will carry a weight equal to that of a quantity of water of the same bulk with itself; subtracting from it the weight of the iron about the ship, for the wood is of much the same weight with water; and so, if it were not for the iron, a ship might sail full of water.
The consequence of this is, that, however a ship be loaded, it will not totally sink, as long as the weight of its cargo is less than that of an equal bulk of water: now, to know this bulk or extent, you must measure the capacity or solidity of the ship, which we here suppose to be 1000 cubical feet, and multiply that by 73 pounds, the weight of a cubical foot of sea-water; then you have in the product 73,000 pounds for the weight of a bulk of water equal to that of the ship; so that in this example, we may call the burden of the ship 73,000 pounds, or 36½ tons, reckoning a ton 2,000 pounds, that being the weight of a ton of sea-water; if the cargo of this ship exceeds 36½ tons, she will sink; and if her loading is just 73,000 pounds, she will swim very deep in the water upon the very point of sinking; so that she cannot sail safe and easy, unless her loading be considerably short of 73,000 pounds weight; if the loading come near to 73,000 pounds, as being, for example, just 36 tons, she will swim at sea, but will sink when she comes into the mouth of a fresh water river; for this water being lighter than sea-water will be surmounted by the weight of the vessel, especially if that weight is greater than the weight of an equal bulk of the same water.
To Measure the Depth of the Sea.
Tie a great weight to a very long cord, or rope, and let it fall into the sea till you find it can descend no further, which will happen when the weight touches the bottom of the sea: if the quantity or bulk of water, the room of which is taken up by the weight, and the rope, weighs less than the weight and rope themselves; for if they weigh more, the weight would cease to descend, though it did not touch the bottom of the sea.
Thus one may be deceived in measuring the length of a rope let down into the water, in order to determine the depth of the sea; and therefore, to prevent mistakes, you had best tie to the end of the same rope another weight heavier than the former, and if this weight does not sink the rope deeper thanthe other did, you may rest assured that the length of the rope is the true depth of the sea; if it does sink the rope deeper, you must tie a third weight, yet heavier, and so on, till you find two weights of unequal gravitation, that run just the same length of the rope, upon which you may conclude, that the length of the wet rope is certainly the same with the depth of the sea.
Method of Melting Steel, and causing it to Liquefy.
Heat a piece of steel in the fire, almost to a state of fusion, then holding it with a pair of pincers or tongs, take in the other hand a stick of brimstone, and touch the piece of steel with it: immediately after the contact, you will see the steel melt and drop like a liquid.
How to dispose two little Figures, so that one shall light a Candle, and the other put it out.
Take two little figures of wood or clay, or any other materials you please, only taking care that there is a little hole at the mouth of each: put in the mouth of one a few grains of bruised gunpowder, and a little bit of phosphorus in the mouth of the other, taking care that these preparations are made beforehand.
Then take a lighted wax candle, and present it to the mouth of the figure with the gunpowder, which, taking fire, will put the candle out; then present your candle, having the snuff still hot, to the other figure; it will immediately light again by means of the phosphorus.
You may propose the same effects to be produced by two figures drawn on a wall with a pencil or coal, by applying with a little starch, or water, a few grains of bruised gunpowder to the mouth of one, and a bit of phosphorus to the mouth of the other.
The Camera Obscura, or Dark Chamber.
We shall here give a short description of this optical invention; for though it is very common, it is also very pleasing: but every one knows not how to construct it.
Make a circular hole in the shutter of a window, from whence there is a prospect of the fields, or any other object not too near: and in this hole place a convex glass, either double or single, whose focus is at the distance of five or six feet: the distance should not be less than three feet; if it be, the images will be too small, and there will not be sufficient room for the spectators to stand conveniently; on the other hand,the focus should never be more than fifteen or twenty feet, for then the images would be obscure, and the colouring faint; the best distance is from six to twelve feet:—take care that no light enters the room but by this glass: at a distance from it, equal to that of its focus, place a pasteboard, covered with the whitest paper; this paper should have a black border, to prevent any of the side rays from disturbing the picture; let it be two feet and a half long, and eighteen or twenty inches high; bend the length of it inwards to the form of part of a circle, whose diameter is equal to double the focal distance of the glass: then fix it on a frame of the same figure, and put it on a moveable foot, that it may be easily fixed at that exact distance from the glass where the objects paint themselves to the greatest perfection: when it is thus placed, all the objects that are in the front of the window will be painted on the paper in an inverted position; this inverted position of the images may be deemed an imperfection, but it is easily remedied; for if you stand above the board on which they are received, and look down on it, they will appear in their natural position; or if you stand before it, and, placing a common mirror against your breast in an oblique direction, look down in it, you will there see the images erect, and they will receive an additional lustre from the reflection of the glass: or place two lenses in a tube that draws out: or, lastly, if you place a large concave mirror at a proper distance before the picture, it will appear before the mirror in the air, and in an erect position, with the greatest regularity, and in the most natural colours.
If you place a moveable mirror without the window, by turning it more or less, you will have on the paper all the objects that are on each side of the window.
There is another method of making the dark chamber, which is by a scioptric ball, that is, a ball of wood, through which a hole is made, in which hole a lens is fixed; this ball is placed in a wooden frame, in which it turns freely round: the frame is fixed to the hole in the shutter, and the ball by turning about answers, in great part, the use of the mirror on the outside of the window: if the hole in the window be no bigger than a pea, the objects will be represented without any lens.
If instead of placing the mirror without the window, you place it in the room, and above the hole, (which must then be made near the top of the shutter,) you may receive the representation on a paper placed horizontally on a table; and draw at your leisure all the objects that are there painted.
Nothing can be more pleasing than this recreation, especially when the objects are strongly enlightened by the sun; and not only land prospects, but a sea-port, when the wateris somewhat agitated, or at the setting of the sun, presents a very delightful appearance.
This representation affords the most perfect model for painters, as well for the tone of colours, as that gradation of shades occasioned by the interposition of the air, which has been so justly expressed by some modern painters.
It is necessary that the paper have a circular form, for otherwise, when the centre of it was in the focus of the glass, the two sides would be beyond it, and consequently the images would be confused: if the frame were contrived of a spherical figure, and the glass were in its centre, the representation would be still more accurate. If the object without be at the distance of twice the focal length of the glass, the image in the room will be of the same magnitude with the object.
The lights, shades, and colours in the camera obscura, appear not only just, but, by the images being reduced to a smaller compass, much stronger than in nature; add to this, that these pictures exceed all others, by representing the motion of the several objects: thus we see the animals walk, run, or fly, the clouds float in the air, the leaves quiver, the waves roll, &c. and all in strict conformity to the laws of nature. The best situation for a dark chamber is directly north, and the best time of the day is noon.
To shew the Spots in the Sun’s Disk, by its image in the Camera Obscura.
Put the object-glass of a ten or twelve feet telescope into the scioptric ball, and turn it about till it be directly opposite the sun: when the sun is directly opposite the hole, the lens will itself be sufficient; or by means of the mirror on the outside of the window, as in the last recreation, in the focus of the lens, and you will see a clear bright image of the sun, of about an inch diameter, in which the spots on the sun’s surface will be exactly described.
As this image is too bright to be seen with pleasure by the naked eye, you may view it through a lens, whose focus is six or eight inches diameter, which, at the same time that it prevents the light from being offensive, will, by magnifying both the image and the spots, make them appear to greater advantage.
To magnify small Objects by means of the Sun’s Rays let into a dark Chamber.
Let the rays of light that pass through the lens in the shutter be thrown on a large concave mirror, properly fixedin a frame; then take a slip, or thin plate of glass, and sticking any small object on it, hold it in the incident rays, at a little more than the focal distance from the mirror, and you will see, on the opposite wall, amidst the reflected rays, the image of that object, very large, and extremely clear and bright. This experiment never fails to give the spectator the highest satisfaction.
To cut a Looking-glass, or piece of Crystal, let it be ever so thick, without the help of a Diamond, in the same shape as the Mark of the Drawing made on it with Ink.
This remarkable operation unites utility with amusement; for being in the country, or in a place where there is no glazier to be had, the following means will answer the purpose without their help.
Take a bit of walnut-tree, about the thickness of a candle, and cut one of its ends to a point; put that end in the fire, and let it burn till it is quite red: while the stick is burning, draw on the glass or crystal, with ink, the design or outline of the form in which you mean to cut it out: then take a file, or bit of glass, and scratch a little the place where you mean to begin your section; then take the wood red-hot from the fire, and lay the point of it about the twentieth part of an inch, or thickness of a guinea, from the marked place, taking care to blow always on that point, in order to keep it red; following the drawing traced on the glass, leaving, as before, about the twentieth part of an inch interval every time that you present your piece of wood, which you must take care to blow often.
After having followed exactly the outlines of your drawing, to separate the two pieces thus cut, you need only pull them up and down, and they will divide.
By the means of two plain Looking-glasses, to make a Face appear under different forms.
Having placed one of the two glasses horizontally, raise the other to about right angles over the first; and while the two glasses continue in this posture, if you come up to the perpendicular glass, you will set your face quite deformed and imperfect; for it will appear without forehead, eyes, nose, or ears, and nothing will be seen but a mouth and a chin boldly raised: do but incline the glass ever so little from the perpendicular, and your face will appear with all its parts, excepting the eyes and the forehead; stoop a little more, and you will see two noses and four eyes; and then a little further, and you will see three noses and six eyes;—continue to inclineit still a little more, and you will see nothing but two noses, two mouths, and two chins; and then a little further again, and you will see one nose and one mouth; at last incline a little further, that is, till the angle of inclination comes to be 44 degrees, and your face will quite disappear.
If you incline the two glasses, the one towards the other, you will see your face perfect and entire; and by the different inclinations, you will see the representation of your face, upright and inverted, alternately.
To know which of two different Waters is the lightest, without any Scales.
Take a solid body, the specific gravity of which is less than that of water, deal, or fir-wood, for instance, and put it into each of the two waters, and rest assured that it will sink deeper in the lighter than in the heavier water; and so, by observing the difference of the sinking, you will know which is the lightest water, and consequently the wholesomest for drinking.
To know if a suspicious Piece of Money is good or bad.
If it be a piece of silver that is not very thick, as a crown, or half a crown, the goodness of which you want to try; take another piece of good silver, of equal balance with it, and tie both pieces with thread or horse hair to the scales of an exact balance, (to avoid the wetting of the scales themselves,) and dip the two pieces thus tied, in water; for then, if they are of equal goodness, that is, of equal purity, they will hang in equilibrio in the water as well as in the air: but if the piece in question is lighter in the water than the other, it is certainly false, that is, there is some other metal mixed with it, that has less specific gravity than silver, such as copper; if it is heavier than the other, it is likewise bad, as being mixed with a metal of greater specific gravity than silver, such as lead.
If the piece proposed is very thick, such as that crown of gold which Hiero, king of Syracuse, sent to Archimedes, to know if the goldsmith had put into it all the eighteen pounds of gold that he had given him for that end; take a piece of pure gold of equal weight with the crown proposed, viz. eighteen pounds; and without taking the trouble of weighing them in water, put them into a vessel full of water, one after another, and that which drives out most water, must necessarily be mixed with another metal of less specific gravity than gold, as taking up more space, though of equal weight.
To hold a Glass full of Water with the Mouth downwards, so that the Water shall not run out.
Take a glass full of water, cover it with a cup that is a little hollow, inverting the cup upon the glass; hold the cup firm in this position with one hand, and the glass with the other; then with a jerk turn the glass and the cup upside down, and so the cup will stand upright, and the glass will be inverted, resting its mouth upon the interior bottom of the cup: this done, you will find that part of the water contained in the glass will run out by the void space between the bottom of the cup, and the brim of the glass; and when that space is filled, so that the water in it reaches the brim of the glass, all passage being then denied to the air, so that it cannot enter the glass, nor succeed in the room of the water, the water remaining in the glass will not fall lower, but continue suspended in the glass.
If you would have a little more water descend into the cup, you must, with a pipe or otherwise, draw the water out of the cup, to give passage to the air in the glass; upon which, part of the water will fall into the glass till it has stopped up the passage of the air afresh, in which case no more will come down; or, without sucking out the water in the cup, you may incline the cup and glass so that the water in the cup shall quit one side of the brim of the glass, and so give passage to the air, which will then suffer the water in the glass to descend till the passage is stopped again.
This may likewise be resolved by covering the brim of the glass that is full of water, with a leaf of strong paper, and then turn the glass as above; and without holding your hand any longer upon the paper, you will find it as it were glued for some time to the brim of the glass, and during that time the water will be kept in the glass.
The Mysterious Watch.
Desire any person to lend you his watch, and ask if he thinks it will or will not go when it is laid on the table: if he says it will, place it over the end of a magnet, and it will presently stop; then mark with chalk, or a pencil, the precise point where you placed the watch, and, moving the position of the magnet, give the watch to another person, and desire him to make the experiment; in which he not succeeding, give it to a third person, at the same time replacing the magnet, and he will immediately perform the experiment.