NE 
 
a»ciipurtscnli' 
 
 / 
 
 ■'.' '■-'■. I ^"'.., 
 
 / 
 
THE 
 
 WONDERS 
 
 OF 
 
 NATURE AND ART, 
 
 CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF 
 
 THE MOST REMARKABLE AND CURIOUS 
 
 AND 
 
 MINERAL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS 
 
 IN 
 
 THE WORLD; 
 
 ALSO} THE 
 
 :^ati\xUctnvt^, iSutHrm^sBf, 
 
 AND 
 
 WONDERFUL INVENTIONS OF MAN. 
 
 COaPILEO FROH WORKS OF ESTABLISHED CELEBRITY. 
 
 BY THE REV. W. HUTTON, M. A. 
 
 Eontron : 
 
 PRINTED FOR A. K, NEWMAN AND CO.; STMPKIN AND MAR- 
 SHALL; TTEGG; AND EDWARDS AND KNIBBS ; ALSO 
 GRIFFIN AND CO» GLASGOW, 
 
 1823. 
 

 PREFACE. 
 
 TO mark the peculiarities which distinguish 
 the animal, vegetable, and mineral productions 
 of our globe ; to exhibit the wonderful works 
 of man, as shewn in the magnificent buildings, 
 sinofular inventions, and numerous manufactures 
 of different nations and countries, has been the 
 object of the Editor of this Volume; and he 
 trusts it will be found to contain information 
 that cannot fail to form a source of entertain- 
 ment to persons of all ages, but mdte especially 
 to youth, whose curiosity naturally seeks for 
 gratification in the contemplation of whatever 
 is wonderful and surprising. It is perhaps by 
 works of this kind, put into the hands of youth, 
 more than by any other means, that those pre- 
 
 819 
 
2 AVONBERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 The Upas Tree is surrounded by a circle of high hills 
 and mountains ; and the country round it, to the 
 distance often or twelve miles from the tree, is en- 
 tirely barren ; not a tree or a shrub, nor even the 
 least plant or grass, is to be seen. The destructive 
 efBuvia that proceeds from the tree is supposed to be 
 the cause of this steril appearance. The poison which 
 is procured from this tree is a gum that issues out 
 between the bark and [he tree itself, like the camphor. 
 Malefactors who are sentenced t-o die for their crimtis 
 are the only persons who collect the poison, and they 
 are allowed this chance of saving their lives. After 
 sentence is pronounced upon them by the judge, they 
 are asked in court whether they will die by the hands 
 of the excutioner, or go to the Upas Tree for a box of 
 poison ; they commonly prefer the latter proposal, as 
 there is not only some chance of preserving their lives, 
 but also a certainty, in case of their safe return, that 
 a provision will be made for them in future by the 
 Emperor ; they are also permitted to ask a favour of 
 the 'Emperor, which is generally of a trifling nature, 
 and usually granted ; they are then provided with a 
 silver box, in which they are to put the poisonous 
 gum, and are properly instructed how they are to 
 proceed. While they 'are upon their dangerous ex- 
 pedition, they are told to pay particular attention to 
 the direction' of the winds, as they are to go towards'^ 
 the tree before the wind, so that the effluvia from the 
 tree is always blown from them ; they are likewise 
 directed to travel with the utmost despatch, as th.at 
 is the only method of ensuring a safe return. They 
 are afterwards sent to the house of an old priest, who 
 lives on the nearest habitable spot, appointed by the 
 Emperor to reside there, for the purpose of preparing 
 the souls of those criminals for eternity who are sent 
 to the tree, by prayers and adm.onitions. To this 
 place they are commonly attended by their friends 
 and relations. When the hour of their departure ar- 
 rives, the priest puts on them a long leathern cap, 
 '^vith two glasses before their eyes, which comes down 
 as low as iheir breast, and also piovides tliem with. a 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. ^ 
 
 pair of leathern gloves ; thus equipped, they are con- 
 ducted by the priest and their relations about two 
 miles on their journey. Here the priest repeats his 
 instructions, and tells them where they are to look 
 for the tree. He show^s them a hill, which they are 
 to ascend, and that, on the other side, they will find 
 a rivulet, which will guide them to the Upas. They 
 now take leave of each other, and, amidst prayers for 
 their success, the delinquents hasten away. 
 
 Notwithstanding the precautions that are taken, 
 there are scarcely two out of twenty that escape. It 
 is certain, that, from fifteen to eighteen miles round 
 this tree, not only no human creature can exist, but 
 thai in that space of ground no living animal of any 
 kind has ever been discovered. 
 
 Every man of quality has his dagger or other arms 
 poisoned with the gum of this destructive tree ; and, 
 in times of war, the Malayans poison the springs and 
 other waters with it. By this treacherous practice 
 the Dutch suffered greatly during the last war, as it 
 occasioned the loss of half their army. For this rea- 
 son, they have ever since kept fish in those springs of 
 which they drink, and sentinels are placed near them, 
 who inspect the waters every hour to see whether the 
 fish are alive. If they march into an enemy's country, 
 they always carry live fish with them, which they throw 
 into the water some hours before they venture to drink 
 of it, by which means they have been able in some 
 degree to provide for their security. 
 
 DREADFUL DEVASTATIONS OF THE 
 LOCUSTS. 
 
 The annals of most of the warm countries are filled 
 with accounts of the devastations produced by locusts, 
 who sometimes make their appearance in clouds of 
 vast extent. They seldom visit Europe in such swarms 
 as formerly ; yet in the warmer parts of it they are 
 
 B 2 
 
4 AVONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 still formidable. — Those, which have at uncertain in- 
 tervals visited Europ© in our memory, are supposed 
 to have come from Africa : they are a large species, . 
 about three inches long. Tlie head and horns are of 
 a brownish colour ; it is blue about the mouth, as 
 also on the inside of the larger legs. The shield 
 which covers the back is greenish ; and the upper 
 bide of the body bruwn, spotted black, and the under 
 side purple. The upper wings are brown, with small 
 clusky spots, and one larger spot at the tips. The 
 under wings are more transparent, and of a light 
 brown tinctured with green, but there is a dark cloud 
 of spots near the tips. — These insects are bred in the 
 warm parts of Asia and Africa, from whence they 
 have often taken their flight into Europe, where they 
 committed terrible devastations. They multiply faster 
 than any other animal in the creation, and are truly 
 terrible in the countries where they breed. Some of 
 them were seen in different parts of Britain in the 
 year 1748, and great mischiefs were apprehended : 
 but, happily for us, the coldness of our climate, and 
 the humidity of our soil, are very unfavourable to 
 their production ; so that, as they are only animals 
 of a year's continuance, they all perished without 
 leaving a young generation to succeed them. 
 
 When the locusts take the fkld, it is said they have 
 a leader at their head, whose flight they observe, and 
 pay a strict regard to all his motions. They appear 
 at a distance bke a black cloud, which, as it ap- 
 proaches, gathers upon the horizon, and almost hides 
 the light of day. It often happens, that the husband- 
 man sees this imminent calamity pass away without 
 doing him any miseiriei'; and the whole swarm pro- 
 ceeds onward to 6€ttle upon some less fortunate 
 country. In those places, however, where they alight, 
 they destroy every green thing, stripping the trees of 
 their leaves, as well as devouring the corn and grass. 
 In the tropical climates they are not so pernicious as 
 in the more southern parts of Europe. In the first, 
 the power of vegetation is so strong, that an interval 
 of three or four days repairs the damage ; but in 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART, 5 
 
 Europe this cannot be done till next year. Besides, 
 in their Ions: flights to this part of the world, they are 
 famished by the length of their journey, and are there- 
 fore more voracious wherever they happen to settle. 
 But as much damage is occasioned by what they de- 
 strov as by what they devour. Their bite is thought 
 to contaminate the plant, and either to destroy or 
 greetly to weaken its vegetation. To use the ex- 
 pression of the husbandmen, they burn wherever they 
 touch, and leave the marks of their devastation for 
 three or four vears ensuing. When dead, they infect 
 the air in such a manner that the stench is insup- 
 portable. Orosius tells us, that in the year of the 
 world 3800, Africa was infested with a multitude of 
 locusts. After having eaten up every thing that was 
 green, they fiew off and were drowned in the sea ; 
 where thev caused such a stench as could not have 
 been equalled by the putrefying carcases of 100,000 
 men. 
 
 In the year 1650, a cloud of locusts was seen to 
 enter Russia in three different places ; and from thence 
 they spread themselves over Poland and Lithuauia in 
 such astonishino; multitudes, that the air was dark- 
 ened, and the earth covered with their numbers. In 
 some places they were seen lying dead, heaped upon 
 each other to the depth of four feet ; in others, they 
 covered the surface like a black cloth ; the trees bent 
 with their weiy;ht, and the damage which the country 
 sustained exceeded computation. 
 
 In Barbary, their numbers are formidable ; and 
 Dr. Shaw was a witness of their devastations there in 
 17-24. Their first appearance was in the latter end 
 of March, when the wind had been southerly for some 
 time. In the bea-inning of April, their numbers were 
 so vastlv increased, that, in the heat of the day. they 
 formed themselves into large swarms that appeared 
 like clouds, and darkened the sun. In the middle of 
 Mav they began to disappear, retiring into the plains 
 to deposit their eges. In June the young brood be- 
 gan to make their appearance, forming many compact 
 bodies of several hundred vards square ; which after- 
 
 e'3 
 
:^ WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 wards, marching forward, climbed the trees, walls, 
 and houses, eating every thing that was green in 
 their way. The inhabitants, to stop their progress, 
 laid trenches all over their fields and gardens, which 
 they filled with water. Some placed large quantities 
 of heath, stubble, and such like combustible matter, 
 in rows, and set them on fire on the approach of the 
 locusts. But all this was to no purpose; for the 
 trenches were quickly filled up, and the fires put out 
 bv the great numbers of swarms that succeeded each 
 other. A dav or two after one of these was in mo- 
 tion, others that were just hatched came to glean after 
 them, gnawing off the young branches, and the very 
 bark of the trees. Havins; lived near a month in this 
 manner, they arrived at their full growth, and threw 
 off their worm-like state, by casting their skins. To 
 prepare themselves for this change, they fixed their 
 hinder part to some bush or twig, or corner of a stone, 
 when immediately, by an undulatmg motion used on. 
 this occasion, their heads would first appear, and 
 ^oon after the rest of their bodies. The whole trans- 
 formation was performed in seven or eight minutes 
 time, after which they remained for a little while in 
 a languishing condition ; but as soon as the sun and 
 air had hardened their wings, and dried up the 
 moisture that remained after casting off their sloughs, 
 they returned to their former greediness, with an ad- 
 dition both of strength and agility. But they did not 
 long continue in this state before they were entirely 
 dispersed. After lavino- their esfSfS, thev directed 
 their course northward, and probably perished in the 
 sea. In that country, however, the amazing fertility 
 of the soil and warmness of the climate generally ren- 
 der the depredations of these insects of little conse- 
 quence ; besides that many circumstances concur to 
 diminish their number. Though naturally herbivorous, 
 they often fight with each other, and the victor de- 
 vours the vanquished. They are the prey, too, of 
 serpents, lizards, frogs, and the carnivorous birds. 
 They have been found in the stomachs of the eagle 
 and difierent kinds of owls. They at§ al.sQ used as- 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 7 
 
 food by the Moors ; who go to hunt them, fry them 
 in oil or butter, and sell them publicly at Tunis and 
 other places. 
 
 In 1754, 1755, 1756, and 1757, great devastations 
 were committed in Spain by a species of locusts, of 
 which we have the following description by Don 
 Ouillermo Bowles, published in Dillon's Travels 
 through that country* " The locusts are continually 
 seen in the southern, parts of Spain, particularly ia 
 the pastures and remote uncultivated districts of 
 Estraraadura, but in general are not taken notice of, 
 if not very numerous, as they commonly feed upon 
 wild herbs, without preying upon gardens and culti- 
 vated lands, or making their way into houses. The 
 peasants look at them v;ith indifference while they 
 are frisking about in the field, neglecting any measure 
 to destroy them till the danger is immediate and the 
 favourable moment to remedy the evil is elapsed. 
 Their yearly number is not very considerable, as the 
 males are far more numerous than the females. If an 
 equal proportion were allowed only for ten years, 
 their numbers would be so great as to destroy the 
 whole vegetative system. Beasts and birds would 
 starve for want of subsistence, and even mankind 
 would become a prey to their ravenous appetites. In 
 1754, their increase was so great from the raultiiude 
 of females, that all La Mancha and Portugal were 
 covered with them and tatally ravaged. The horrors 
 of famine were spread even farther, and assailed the 
 fruitful provinces of Andalusia, Murcia, and Valencia. 
 
 *' The amours of these creatures are objects of sur- 
 prise and astonishment, and their union is such that 
 it is difficult to separate them. When this separation 
 is voluntary, after having lasted some hours, they are 
 so exhausted, that the male retires immediately to the 
 water for refreshment, where, losing the use of his 
 limbs, he soon perishes, and becomes an easy prey to 
 the fish ; havin;g given life to his offspring at the ex- 
 pence of his own. The female, disembarrassed, 
 though not without violent struggle, spends the re- 
 caainder of her days in some solitary place, busy in 
 
 B. 4 
 
8 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 forming a retreat under ground, where she can secure 
 her eggs, of which she generally lays about forty, 
 screening them by her sagacity from the intemperature 
 of the air, as well as the more immediate dan^-er of 
 the plough or the spade, one fatal blow of which 
 would destroy all the hopes of a rising generation. 
 
 " The manner of her building this cell is equally 
 surprising. In the hinder part of her body, nature 
 has provided her with a round smooth instrument, 
 eight lines in length, which at its head is as big as a 
 writing-quill, diminishing to a hard sharp point, hollow 
 within like the tooth of a viper, but only to be seen 
 with a lens. At the root of this vehicle there is a 
 cavity, with a kind of bladder, containing a glutinous 
 matter, of the same colour, but without the consistency 
 or tenacity, of that of the silk-worm, as I found by an 
 experimiCnt, made for the purpose, by an infusion in 
 vinegar, for several days, without any effect. The 
 orifice of the bladder corresponds exactly with the 
 instrument which serves to eject the glutinous matter. 
 It is hid under the skin of the belly, and its interior 
 surface is united to the moveable parts of the belly, 
 and can partake of its motions, forming the most ad- 
 mirable contexture for every part of its operations, 
 as she can dispose of this ingredient at pleasure, and 
 eject the fluid, which has three very essential proper- 
 ties : first, being indissoluble in water, it prevents its 
 young from being drowned ; next, it resists the heat 
 of the sun, otherwise the structure would give way 
 and destroy its inhabitants ; lastly, it is proof against 
 the frost of w^inter, so as to preserve a necessary 
 warmth within. For greater security, this retreat is 
 always contrived in a solitary place : for, though a 
 million of locusts were to light upon a cultivated 
 field, not one would deposit her eggs there ; but, 
 wherever they meet a barren and lonesome situation, 
 there they are sure to repair and lay their eggs. 
 
 " These locusts seem to devour, not so much from 
 a ravenous appetite, as from a rage of destroyin^i- 
 every thing that comes in their way. It is not sur- 
 prising, that they should be fond of the most juicy 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 plants and fruits, such as melons, and all manner of 
 garden fruits and herbs, and feed also upon aromatic 
 plants, such as lavender, thyme, rosemary, &c. which 
 are so common in Spain, that they serve to heat ovens : 
 but it is very singular, that they equally eat mustard- 
 seed, onions, and garlic ; nay even hemlock, and the 
 most rank and poisonous plants, such as the thorn- 
 apple and deadly night-shade. They will even prey 
 upon crowfoot, whose causticity burns the very hides 
 of beasts ; and such is their universal taste, that they 
 do not prefer the innocent mallow to the bitter furze, 
 or rue to worm-wood, consuming all alike, without 
 predilection or favour ; with this remarkable circum- 
 stance, that, during the four years they committed 
 such havock in Estramadura, the love-apple, or lyco- 
 persicon solauum of Linnaeus, was the only plant that 
 escaped their rapacious tooth, and claimed a respect 
 to its root, leaves, flowers, and fruit. Naturalists 
 may search for their motives which I am at a loss to 
 discover ; the more so, as I saw millions of them light 
 on a field near Almaden, and devour the woollen and 
 linen garments of the peasants, which were lying to 
 dry on the ground. The curate of the village, a man 
 of veracity, at whose house 1 was, assured me, that a 
 tremendous body of them entered the church, and 
 devoured the silk garments that adorned the images 
 of the saints, not sparing even the varnish on the 
 altars. The better to discover the nature of such a 
 phenomenon, I examined the stomach of the locust, 
 but only found one thin and soft membrane, with 
 which, and the liquor it contains, it destroys and dis- 
 solves all kind of substances, equally with the most 
 caustic and venomous plants : extracting from them a 
 sufficient and salutary nourishment. 
 
 " Out of curiosity to know the nature of so formid- 
 able a creature, I was urged to examine all its parts 
 with the utmost exactness ; its head is of the size of a 
 pea, though longer, its forehead pointing downwards 
 like the handsome Andalusian horse, its mouth large 
 and open, its eyes black and rolling, added to a timid 
 aspect not unlike a hare. With such a dastardly 
 
 B 5 
 
IQ WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 countenance, who would imagine this creature to be 
 the scourge of mankind! In its two jaws it has four 
 incisive teeth, whose sharp points traverse each other 
 like scissars, their mechanism being such as to gripe 
 or to cut. Thus armed, what can resist a legion of 
 such enemies ? After devouring the vegetable king- 
 dom, were they, in proportion to their strength and 
 numbers, to become carnivorous like wasps, they would 
 then be able to destroy whole flocks of sheep, even to 
 the dogs and shepherds ; as we are told of ants in 
 America, that will overcome the fiercest serpents. 
 
 " The locust spends the months of April, May, and 
 June, in the place of its birth : at the end of June its 
 wings have a fine rose-colour, and its body is strong. 
 Being then in their prime, they assemble for the last 
 time, and burn with a desire to propagate their spe- 
 cies : this is observed by their motions, which are 
 unequal in the two sexes. The male is restless and 
 solicitous; the female is coy, and eager after food, 
 flying the approaches of the male, so that the morning 
 is spent in the courtship of the one and the retreat of 
 the other. About ten oclock, when the warmth of 
 the sun has cleared their wings from the dampness of 
 the night, the females seem uneasy at the forwardness 
 of the males, who continuing their pursuit, they rise 
 together five hundred feet high, forming a black cloud 
 that darkens the rays of the sun. The clear atmos- 
 phere of Spain becomes gloomy, and the finest sum- 
 mer-day of Estramadura more dismal than the winter 
 of Holland. The rustling of so many millions of 
 wings in the air, seems like the trees of a forest agi- 
 tated by the wind. The first direction of this formid- 
 able column is always against the wind, which if not 
 too strong, the column will extend about a couple of 
 leagues. The locusts then make a halt, when the 
 most dreadful havock begins ; their sense of smell 
 being so delicate, they can find at that distance a 
 corn-field or a garden, and, after demolishing it, rise 
 again in pursuit of another : this may be said to be 
 done in an instant. Each seems to have, as it were, 
 four arms and two feet: the males climb up the 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. J l? 
 
 plants, as sailors do the shrouds of a ship, and nip off* 
 the tenderest buds, which falls to the females below. 
 *' Many old people assured me, when so much mis- 
 chief was done in 1754, it was the third time in their 
 Femembrance, and that they always are found in the 
 pasture-grounds of Estramadura, from whence they 
 spread into the other provinces of Spain. They are 
 certainly indigenous, being of a different shape from 
 those of the north or the Levant, as is evident in com- 
 paring them with such in the cabinets of natural his- 
 tory. The locust of Spain is the only one that has 
 rose-coloured wings : besides, it is impossible they 
 can come from any other part. From the north it is 
 clear they do not, by the observation of so many 
 ages ; from the south they cannot, without crossing 
 the sea, which is hardly possible by the shortness of 
 their flight : and, like birds of passage, they would be 
 known. I once saw a cloud of them pass over 
 Malaga, and move towards the sea, and go over it, 
 for about a quarter of a league, to the great joy of the 
 inhabitants, who concluded they would soon be 
 drowned ; but, to their disappointment, they suddenly 
 veered about towards the coast, and pitched upon an 
 uncultivated space surrounded with vineyards, which 
 they soon after quitted. When once they appear, let 
 the number demolished be ever so great, the propor- 
 tion remaining is still too considerable : therefore, the 
 only way to put an end to such a calamity is to attack 
 them befbre-hand, and destroy their eggs, by whicb 
 means they might be totally extirpated." 
 
 PHENOMENA OF BURNING SPRINGS. 
 
 Of these there are many in different parts of the 
 world ; particularly one in Dauphiny near Grenoble ; 
 another near Hermanstadt in Transylvania ; a third 
 at Chermay, a village near Switzerland ; a fourth in 
 the canton of Friburg ; and a fifth not far from the 
 city of Cracow in Poland. There also is, or waS;^ a= 
 
 B G 
 
12 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 famous spring of the same kind at Wigan, in Lan- 
 cashire, which, upon the approach of a hghted candle, 
 Avould take fire and burn hke spirits of wine for a 
 whole day. But the most remarkable one of this kind, 
 or at least that of which we have the most particular 
 description, was discovered in 1711 at Brosely in 
 Shropshire. The following account of this remarkable 
 spring was given by the Rev. Mr. Mason, Woodwarden 
 Professor at Cambridge, dated February 18th, 1746 : 
 " The well for four or five feet deep is six or seven feet 
 wide; within that is another less hole of like depth 
 dug in the clay, in the bottom whereof is placed a 
 cylindric earthen vessel, of about four or five inches 
 diameter at the mouth, having the bottom taken oflT, 
 and the sides well fixed in the clay rammed close 
 about it. Within the pot is a brown water, thick as 
 puddle, continually forced up with a violent motion 
 beyond that of boiling water, and a rumbling hollow 
 noise, rising or falling by fits five or six inches ; but 
 there was no appearance of any vapour risinc, which 
 perhaps might have been visible, had not the sun 
 shone so bright. Upon putting a candle down at the 
 end of a stick, at about a quarter of a yard distance, 
 it took fire, darting and flashing after a very violent 
 manner for about half a yard high, much in the manner 
 of spiiits in a lamp, but with great agitation. It was 
 said, that a tea-kettle had been made to boil in about 
 nine minutes time, and that it had been left burning 
 for forty-eight hours without any sensible diminution. 
 It was extinguished by putting a wet mop upon it; 
 which must be kept there for a little time, otherwise 
 it would not go out. Upon the removal of the mop 
 there arises a sulphureous smoke lasting about a mi- 
 nute, and yet the water is cold to the touch." In 
 1755, this well totally disappeared by the sinking of a 
 coal-pit in its neighbourhood. 
 
 The cause of the inflammable property of such wa- 
 ters, is with great probability supposed to be their 
 mixture v/ith petroleum, which is one of the most in- 
 flammable substances in nature, and has the property 
 of burning on the surface of water* 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. I3 
 
 There are burning fountains in Iceland, of a most 
 extraordinary nature ; forming at times jets d'eaux of 
 scalding water ninety-four feet high and thirty in 
 diameter, creating the most magnificent gerbes that 
 can be imagined, especially when backed by the setting 
 sun. They arise out of cylindrical tubes of unknown 
 depths : near the surface they expand into apertures 
 of a funnel shape, and the mouths spiead into large 
 extent of stalactical matter, formed of successive scaly 
 concentric undulations. The playing of these stu- 
 pendous spouts is foretold by noises roaring like the 
 cataract of Niagara. The cylinder begins to fill : it 
 rises gradually to the surface, and gradually increases 
 its height, smoking amazingly, and flinging up great 
 stones. After attaining its greatest height it gradually 
 sinks till it totally disappears. Boiling jets d'eaux- 
 and boiling springs are frequent in most parts of 
 the island. In many parts they are applied to the 
 culinary uses of the natives. The most capital is that 
 which is called Geyer or Geyser, in a plain rising into 
 small hills, and in the midst of an amphitheatre, 
 bounded by the most magnificent and various-shaped 
 icy mountains ; amongst which the three-headed 
 Hecla soars pre-eminent. — These are not confined to 
 the land only ; they rise in the very sea, and form 
 scalding fountains amidst the waves. Their distance 
 from the land is unknown ; but the new volcanic isle, 
 twelve miles oflT the point of Reickenes, emitting fire 
 and smoke, proves that the subterraneous fires and 
 waters extend to that space; for these awful effects 
 arise from the united fury of these elements. 
 
 ART OF MAKING PINS. 
 
 Though pins are apparently simple, their manu- 
 facture is, however, not a little curious and complex. 
 We shall therefore give the reader an account of it 
 from Ellis's Campagna of London : 
 
 *' Whtn the brass-wire, of which the pins are form- 
 
] 4 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 ed, is first received at the manufactory, it is generally 
 too thick for the purpose of being cut into pins. The 
 first operation therefore is that of winding it off from 
 one wlieel to another with great velocity, and causing 
 it to pass between the two, through a circle in a piece 
 of iron of smaller diameter ; the wire being thus re- 
 duced to its proper dimensions, is straitened by draw- 
 ing it between iron pins, fixed in a board in a zig-zag 
 manner, but so as to leave a straight line between 
 them : afterwards it is cut into lengths of three or 
 four yards, and then into smaller ones, every length 
 being sufficient to make six pins ; each end of these 
 is ground to a point, which was performed when I 
 viewed the manufactory by boys who sat each with 
 two small grinding stones before him, turned by a 
 wheel. Taking up a handful, he applies the ends to 
 the coarsest of the two stones, being careful at the 
 same tiaie to keep each piece moving round between 
 his fingers, so that the points may not become flat : 
 he then gives them a smoother and sharper point, by 
 applying them to the other stone, and by that means a 
 lad of twelve or fourteen years of age is enabled to 
 point about sixteen thousand pins in an hour» When 
 the wire is thus pointed, a pin is taken off from each 
 end, and this is repeated till it is cut into six pieces. 
 The next operation is that of forming the heads, or, 
 as they term it, head-spinning ; which is done by 
 means of a spinning-wheel, one piece of wire being 
 thus with astonishing rapidity wound round another, 
 and the interior one being drawn out, leaves a hollow 
 tube between the circumvolutions : it is then cut with 
 sheers; every two circumvolutions or turns of the 
 wire forming one head ; these are softened by throwing 
 them into iron pans, and placing them in a furnace till 
 they are red-hot. As soon as they are cold, they are 
 distributed to children, who sit with anvils and iiam- 
 mers before them, which they work with their feet, by 
 means of a lathe, and, taking up one of the lengths, 
 they thrust the blunt end into a quantity of the heads 
 •which lie before them, and catching one at the ex- 
 tremity, they apply them imrnediately to the anvil andi 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 15 
 
 hammer, and by a motion or two of the foot, the top 
 and the head are fixed together in much less time thail 
 can be described, and with a dexterity only to be ac- 
 qtiired by practice ; the spectator being in continual 
 apprehension for the safety of their fingers ends. The 
 pin is now finished as to its form, but still it is merely 
 brass ; it is therefore thrown into a copper, containLng- 
 a solution of tin and the leys of wine. Here it remains 
 for some time; and when taken out assumes a white 
 though dull appearance : in order therefore to give it a 
 polish, it is put into a tub containing a quantity of 
 bran, which is set in motion by turning a shaft that 
 runs through its centre, and thus by means of friction 
 it becomes perfectly bright. The pin being complete, 
 nothing remains but to separate it from the bran, which 
 is perfectly similar to the winnowing of com ; the bran 
 flying off and leaving the pin behind fit for immediate 
 sale. I w^as the more pleased with this manufactory, 
 as it appeared to afford employment to a number of 
 children of both sexes, who are thus not only pre- 
 vented from acquiring the habits of idleness and vice, 
 but are on the contrary initiated in their early years> 
 in those of a beneficial and virtuous industry." 
 
 ACCOUNT OF THE CELEBRATED 
 
 SALT-MINES OF WEILITSKA, IN POLAND, 
 
 (From recent Travels.) 
 
 Before we quitted this part of Poland,^ we visited 
 the celebrated salt-mines of Weilitska, which are si- 
 tuated within eight miles of Cracow. These mines 
 are excavated on a ridge of hills on the northern ex- 
 tremity of the chain which joins to the Carpathian 
 mountains : they take their appellation from the small 
 village of Weilitska ; but are sometimes called in fo- 
 reign countries the mines of Cracow, from their vicinity 
 to that city. 
 
 ]Jpon our arrival at Weilitska, we repaired to the 
 
16 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 mouth of the mines. Having fastened three separate 
 hammocks in a circle round the great rope that is 
 employed in drawing up the salt, we seated ourselves 
 in a commodious manner, and were let down gently, 
 without the least apprehension of danger, about one 
 hundred and sixty yards below the first layer of salt. 
 Quitting our hammocks, we passed along and gradual 
 descent, sometimes through broad passages or galleries 
 capable of admitting several carriages abreast ; some- 
 times down steps cut in the solid salt, which had the 
 grandeur and commodiousness of the stair-case in a 
 palace. We each of us carried a light, and several 
 guides preceded us with lamps in their hands : the 
 reflection of these lights upon the glittering sides of 
 the mine was extremely beautiful, but did not cast 
 that luminous splendour which some writers have com- 
 pared to the lustre of precious stones. 
 
 The salt dug from this mine is called Ziehna, or 
 green salt, for what reason I cannot determine ; for 
 its colour is an iron-grey ; when pounded it has a dirty 
 ash-colour like what we call brown salt. The quality 
 improves in proportion to the depth of the mine : to- 
 wards the sides and surface it is mixed with earthy 
 or stony particles ; lower down it is said to be per- 
 fectly pure, and requires no other process before it is 
 used than to be pounded. The finest of this grey salt, 
 however, is of a weak quality when compared with 
 our common sea-salt : it is therefore undoubtedly by 
 no means perfectly pure, but is blended with extra- 
 neous mixtures, thoudi it serves verv well for common 
 purposes. Bemg almost as hard as stone, the miners 
 hew it with pick- axes and hatchets, by a tedious ope- 
 ration, into large blocks, many of which weigh six or 
 seven hundred pounds. These large masses are raised 
 by a windlass, but the smaller pieces are carried up 
 by horses along a winding gallery, which reaches to 
 the surface of the earfh. 
 
 Besides grey salt, the miners sometimes discover 
 small cubes of white salt, as transparent as crystal, 
 but not in any considerable quantity; they find like- 
 wise occasionally pieces of coal and petrified wood 
 buried in the salt. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. I7 
 
 The mine appears to be inexhaustible, as will easily 
 be conceived from the following account of its dimen- 
 sions. Its known breadth is 1115 feet; its length 
 6691 feet; and depth 743; and the best judges on 
 the spot suppose, with the greatest appearance of pro- 
 bability, this solid body of salt to branch into various 
 directions, the extent of which cannot be known: of 
 that part which has been perforated, the depth is only 
 calculated as far as they have hitherto dug ; and who 
 can ascertain how much farther it may descend ? 
 
 Our guide did not omit pointing out to us, what he 
 considered as one of the most remakable curiosities 
 of the place, several small chapels excavated in the 
 salt, in which mass is said on certain days of the 
 year ; one of these chapels is above thirty feet long 
 and twenty-five broad ; the altar, the crucifix, the or- 
 naments of the church, the statues cf several saints, 
 are all carved out of the salt. 
 
 Many of the excavations or chambers, from whence 
 the salt has been dug, are of an immense size; some 
 are supported with timber, others by vast pillars of 
 salt, which are left standing for that purpose : several 
 of vast dimensions are without any support in the 
 middle. I remarked one of this latter sort in parti- 
 cular, which was certainly eighty ftet in height, and 
 so extremely long and broad, as almost to appear 
 amid the subterraneous gloom without limits. The 
 roofs of these vaults are not arched, but flat. The 
 immense size of these chambers, with spacious pas- 
 sages or galleries, together with the chapels above- 
 mentioned, and a few sheds built for the horses which 
 are foddered below, probably gave rise to the exagge- 
 rated accounts of some travellers, that these mines 
 contain several villages inhabited by colonies of 
 miners, who never see the light. It is certain that 
 there is room sufficient for such purposes ; but the fact 
 is, that the miners have no dwellings under ground, 
 non.e of them remaining below more than eiffht hours 
 at a time, when they are relieved by others from above. 
 Those mines are of a most stupendous extent and 
 depth, and are sufficiently wonderful without the least 
 
13 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 exa^creration. We found them as dry as a room^ 
 without the least damp or moisture ; observing only 
 in our whole pr02,Tess one small spring of water, 
 ■which is impregnated with salt as it runs through the 
 mine. 
 
 Such an enormous mass of salt exhibits a wonderful 
 phenomenon in the natural history of this globe. — 
 Monsieur Guerard, who visited these mines with great 
 attention, and who has published a treatise upon the 
 subject, informs us, that the uppermost bed of earth 
 at the surface immediately over the mines is sand, the 
 second clay, occasionally mixed with sand and gravel, 
 and containing petrefactions of marine bodies, the third 
 calcarious stone. From all these circumstances he 
 conjectures that this spot was formerly covered by the 
 sea, and that the salt is a gradual deposit formed by 
 the evaporation of its waters. 
 
 ORIGIN AND INVENTION OF CLOCKS. 
 
 There have been very considerable differences 
 among nations with regard to the beginning and end- 
 ing of their days. The beginning of the day was 
 counted from sun-rise by the Babylonians, Syrians, 
 Persians, and Indians. The civil day of the Jews was 
 begun from sun-rise, and their sacred one from sun- 
 set; the latter mode of computation being followed 
 by the Athenians, Arabs, ancient Gauls, and other 
 European nations. According to some, the Egyptians 
 began their day at sun-set, while others are of opinion 
 that they computed from noon or from sun-rise : and 
 Pliny informs us that they computed their civil day 
 from one midnight to another. It is probable, how- 
 ever, that they had different modes of computation in 
 different provinces or cities. The Ausonians, the most 
 ancient inhabitants of Italy, computed the day from 
 midnight ; and the astronomers of Cathay and Oighur 
 in the East Indies reckoned in the same manner. This 
 mode of computation was adopted by Hipparchus, 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 19 
 
 Copernicus, and other astronomers, and is now in 
 common use among ourselves. The astronomical day, 
 however, as it is called, on account of its being used 
 in astronomical calculations, commences at noon, and 
 ends at the same time the follow^ing day. The Maho- 
 metans reckon from one twilight to another. In Italy, 
 the civil day commences at some indeterminate point 
 after sun-set j whence the time of noon varies with 
 the season of the year. At the summer solstice, the 
 clock strikes sixteen at noon, and nineteen at the time 
 of the winter solstice. Thus also the length of each 
 day differs by several minutes from that immediately 
 preceding; or following it. This variation occasions a 
 considerable difficulty in adjusting their time by 
 clocks. It is accom.plished, however, by a sudden 
 movement which corrects the difference when it 
 amounts to a quarter of an hour ; and this it does 
 sometimes at the end of eight days, sometimes at the 
 end of fifteen, and sometimes at the end of forty. Is- 
 formation of all this is given by a printed kalendai', 
 which announces, that from the 16th of February, for 
 instance, to the 24th, it will be noon at a quarter pa$t 
 eighteen; from the 24th of February to the 6th of 
 March, it will be noon at eighteen o'clock precisely ; 
 from the 1st of June to the 13th of July, the hour of 
 noon will be at sixteen o'clock; on the 13th of July 
 it will be at half an hour after sixteen ; and so oii 
 throughout the different months of the year. This 
 absurd method of measuring the day continues, not- 
 withstanding several attempts to suppress it, through-* 
 out the whole of Italy, a few provinces only excepted. 
 
 The subdivisions of the day have not been less va- 
 rious than the computations of the day itself. The 
 most obvious division, and which could at no time, 
 nar in no age, be mistaken, was that of morning and 
 evening. In process of time the two intermediate 
 points of noon and midnight were determined ; and 
 this division into quarters was in use long before the 
 invention of hours. 
 
 From this subdivision probably arose the method 
 used by the Jews, and Romans of dividixig the day and. 
 
20 WONDERS OF NATURE ANT) ART. 
 
 night into four vigils or watches. The first began at 
 sun-rising, or six in the morning ; the second at nine ; 
 the third at twelve ; and the fourth at three in the 
 afternoon. In like manner the night was divided into 
 four parts ; the first beginning at six in the evening, 
 the second at nine, the third at twelve, and the fourth 
 at three in the morning. The first of the divisions 
 was called by the Jews the third hour of the day; the 
 second the sixth ; the third the ninth ; and the fourth 
 the twelfth, and sometimes the eleventh. Another 
 division in use, not only among the nations above- 
 mentioned, but the Greeks also, was that which reck- 
 oned the first quarter from sun-set to midnight; the 
 second from midnight to sun-rise ; the third, or morn- 
 ing watch, from morning to noon ; and the fourth from 
 noon to sun-set. 
 
 It is uncertain at what time the more minute sub- 
 division of the day into hours first commenced. It 
 does not appear from the writings of Moses that he 
 was acquainted with it, as he mentions only the morn- 
 ing, mid-day, evening, and sun-set. Hence we may 
 conclude, that the Egyptians at that time knew nothing 
 of it, as Moses was well skilled in their learning. Ac- 
 cording to Herodotus, the Greeks received the know- 
 ledge of the twelve hours of the day from the Baby- 
 lonians. It is probable, however, that the division 
 was actually known and in use before the name hour 
 was applied to it; as Censorinus informs us that the 
 term was not made use of in Rome for three hundred 
 years after its foundation ; nor was it known at the 
 time the twelve tables were constructed. 
 
 The eastern nations divide the day and night in a 
 very singular manner ; the origin of which is not easily 
 discovered. The Chinese have five watches in the 
 night, which are announced by a certain number of 
 strokes on a bell or drum. They begin by giving one 
 stroke, which is answered by another ; and this is re- 
 peated at the distance of a minute or two, until the 
 second watch begin, which is announced by two 
 strokes ; and so on throughout the rest of the watches. 
 By the ancient Tartars, Indians, and Persians^ the day 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 21 
 
 was divided into eight parts, each of which contained 
 seven hours and a half. The Indians on the coast of 
 Malabar divide the day into six parts, called najika ; 
 each of these six parts is subdivided inio sixty others, 
 called venaigas ; the venaiga into six birpes ; the birpe 
 into ten kenikans ; thekenikan into four matfeires ; the 
 mattire into eight kannimas or ca'gnodes; which di- 
 visions, according to our mode of computation, stand 
 as follow : 
 
 Najika, Venaiga, Birpe, Kenikan, Mattire, Caignode. 
 24 min. 24 sec. 4 sec. 2-5 sec. 1-10 sec. 1-80 sec. 
 
 The day of the Chinese is begun at midnight, and ends 
 with the midnight following. It is divided into twelve 
 hours, each distinguished by a particular name and 
 figure. They also divide the natural day into one 
 hundred parts, and each of these into one hundred 
 minutes ; so that the whole contains ten thousand 
 minutes. In the northern parts of Europe, where only 
 two seasons are reckoned in the year, the divisions of 
 the day and night are considerably larger than with 
 us. In Iceland the twenty-four hours are divided into 
 eight parts; the first of which commences at three in 
 the morning ; the second at five ; the third at half an 
 hour after eight ; the fourth at eleven ; the fifth at 
 three in the afternoon ; the sixth at six in the evening ; 
 the seventh at eight, and the last at midnight. In 
 the eastern part of Turkestan, the day is divided into 
 twelve equal parts, each of which is distinguished by 
 the name of some animal. These are subdivided into 
 eight keh ; so that the whole twenty-four hours con- 
 tain ninety-six keh. 
 
 The modern divisions of the hour in use among us 
 are into minutes, seconds, thirds, fourths, &c. each 
 being a sixtieth part of the former subdivision. By 
 the Chaldseans, Jews, and Arabians, the hour is di- 
 vided into one thousand and eighty scruples ; so that 
 one hour contains sixty minutes, and one minute 
 eighteen scruples. The ancient Persians and Arabs 
 were likewise acquainted with this division ; but the 
 Jews are so fond of it, that they pretend to have re- 
 
22 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 oeived it in a supernatural manner : " Issachar (say 
 they) ascended into heaven, and brought from thence 
 one thousand and eighty parts for the benefit of the 
 nation." 
 
 The division of the day being ascertained, it soon 
 became an object to indicate in a public manner the 
 expiration of any particular hour or division ; as, with- 
 out some general knowledge of this kind, it would be 
 in a great measure impossible to carry on business. 
 Tiie methods of announcing this have been likewise 
 very different. Among the Egyptians it was customary 
 for the priests to proclaim the hours like watchmen 
 among us. The same method was followed at Rome; 
 nor was there any other method of knowing the hours 
 until the year 293 B.C. when Papirius Cursor first 
 set up a sun-dial in the Capitol. A similar method 
 is practised among the Turks, whose priests proclaim, 
 from the top of their mosques, the cock-crowing, day- 
 break, mid-day, three o'clock in the afternoon, and 
 twilight, being their appointed times of worship. 
 
 As this mode of proclaiming the hour could not but 
 be very inconvenient, as well as imperfect, the intro- 
 duction of an instrument which every one could have 
 in his possession, and which might answer the same 
 purpose, must have been considered as a valuable ac- 
 quisition. One of the first of these was the clepsydra 
 or water-clock. Various kinds of these were in use 
 nmong the Egyptians at a very early period. The in- 
 vention of the instrument is attributed to Thoth or 
 Mercury, and it was afterwards improved by Ctesibus 
 of Alexandria. It was a common measure of time 
 among the Greeks, Indians, and Chaldfeans, as well 
 as the Egyptians, but was not introduced into Rome 
 till the time of Scipio Nasica. The Chinese astrono- 
 mers have long made use of it; and by its means di- 
 vided the zodiac into twelve parts ; but it is a very 
 inaccurate measure of time, varying not only accord- 
 ing to the quantity of water in the vessel, but according 
 to the state of the atmosphere. 
 
 The clepsydra was succeeded by the gnomon or 
 sun-dial. — This at first was no more than a stile 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 03 
 
 erected perpendicularly to the horizon ; and it was a 
 long time before the principles of it came to be 
 thoroughly understood. The invention is with great 
 probability attributed to the Babylonians, from whom 
 the Jews received it before the time of Ahaz, when we 
 know that a sun-dial was already erected at Jerusa- 
 lem. The Chinese and Egyptians also were acquaint- 
 ed with the use of the dial at a very early period, and 
 it was considerably improved by Anaximander or 
 Anaximenes, one of whom is for that reason looked 
 upon to be the inventor. Various kinds of dials, 
 however, were invented and made use of in different 
 nations long before their introduction at Rome. The 
 first erected in that city, as has been already men- 
 tioned, was that by Parpirius Cursor; and, thirty 
 years after, Valerius Messala brought one from Sicily, 
 which was used in Rome for no less than ninety-nine 
 years, though constructed for a Sicilian latitude, and 
 consequently incapable of shewing the hours exactly 
 in any other place ; but, at last, another was con- 
 structed by L. Philippus, capable of measuring time 
 with greater accuracy. 
 
 It was long after the invention of dials before man- 
 kind began to form any idea of clocks ; nor is it well 
 known at what period they were first invented. A 
 clock was sent by Pope Paul I. to Pepin king of 
 France, which at that time was supposed to be the 
 only one in the world, A very curious one was also 
 sent to Charles the Great from the khalif Haroua 
 Alraschid, which the historians of the time speak of 
 with surprise and admiration : but the greatest im- 
 provement was that of Mr. Fluygens, who added the 
 pendulum to it. Still, however, the instruments for 
 dividing time were found to be inaccurate for nice 
 purposes. The expansion of tlie materials by heat, 
 and their contraction by cold, which cause a very 
 perceptible alteration in'the going of an instrument in 
 the same place at different tim.es of the year, and 
 much more if carried from one climate to another. 
 Va-ious methods have been contrived to correct this ; 
 which indeed can be done very effectually at land by 
 
24 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 a certain construction of the pendulum ; but at sea, 
 where a pendulum cannot be used, the inaccuracy is 
 of consequence much greater : nor was it thought 
 possible to correct the errors arising from these causes 
 in any tolerable degree, until the late invention of Mr. 
 Harrison's time-piece, which may be considered as 
 making perhaps as near an approach to perfection as 
 j^ssible. 
 
 THE BANIAN-TREE. 
 
 This most remarkable tree is the produce of India. 
 It is so called from the veneration it is held in by a 
 religious sect distinguished by the appellation of 
 banians. The branches of this tree bend down to the 
 ground, where the slender twigs take root and grow 
 upwards ; the branches of these bend down likewise, 
 take root, and grow up again ; and by this means 
 what was originally but one tree, will spread over a 
 vast space of ground, and become a multitude of 
 trees, forming by the manner of their growth very 
 delightful arbours and arches. Thevenot saw one of 
 these trees at Surat, v/hich he says was very large and 
 high, affording a most spacious shade, bein^ of a round 
 form and about eighty paces in diameter. The branches, 
 which had taken root irregularly, were cut with so 
 much art, that one might walk about underneath them, 
 without the least inconvenience. The heathen natives 
 frequently make use of these trees as places for thei? 
 idols, and retirements for their penitentiaries and other 
 persons, who seem in a more particular manner to be 
 devoted to the exercise of religion. 
 
 Of one of these trees, which grows on an island in 
 the river Nerbudda, and which is supposed to be the 
 most stupendous production of nature in the vegetable 
 world, the following description has been given, upon 
 very respectable authority : 
 
 " This tree, called in India Cubeer Burr, in honour 
 of a famous saint, was formerly much larger than it is 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 95 
 
 at present; for high floods have, at different times, 
 Carrie 1 away the banks of the island where it grows, 
 and along with them such parts of the tree as had 
 extended their roots thus far : yet what still remains 
 is about two thousand feet in circumference, measur- 
 ing round the principal stems ; but the hanging 
 branches, the roots of which have not reached the 
 ground, cover a much larger extent. The chief trunks 
 of this single tree amount to three hundred and fifty, 
 all superior in size to the generality of our English 
 oaks and elms ; the smallest stems, forming into 
 stronger supporters, are more than three thousand ; 
 and from each of these new branches, hanging roots 
 are proceeding, which in time will form trunks, and 
 become parents to a future progeny. 
 
 '*■ The Cnbeer Burr is famed throughout Hindostan 
 for its prodigious extent, antiquity, and great beauty. 
 The Indian armies frequently encamp round it ; and 
 at certain seasons Hindoo festivals are held here, to 
 v.'hich thousands of votaries repair from various parts 
 of the Mogul empire. Seven thousand persons, it is 
 said, may easily repose under its shade ; and there is 
 great reason to believe that this is the amazing tree 
 which Arrian describes, when speaking of the Gymno- 
 sophists, in his book of Indian Affairs. 
 
 " These people," says he, " live naked ; in winter 
 they enjoy the benefit of the solar rays in the open 
 air; and in summer, when the heat becomes exces- 
 sive, they pass their time in moist and marshy places, 
 under large trees, which, according to Nearchus, cover 
 a circumference of five acres, and extend their branches 
 so far, that ten thousand men may easily find shelter 
 under them. 
 
 " English gentlemen, when on hunting or shooting 
 parties, are accustomed to form extensive encamp- 
 ments, and to spend several weeks under this delight- 
 ful pavilion of foliage, which is generally filled with 
 green wood-pigeons, doves, peacocks, bulbuils, and 
 a variety of feathered songsters, together with 
 monkeys, bats, &c. This tree not only affords 
 shelter, but sustenance to all its inhabitants^ being 
 
 c 
 
^(5 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 loaded with small figs of a rich scarlet colour, on 
 ■which they regale with great delight." 
 
 Milton's description of this tree, in the ninth book 
 of his " Paradise Lost," is equally elegant and ac- 
 curate. 
 
 '' So counsell'd he, and both together went 
 
 Into the thickest of the wood ; where soon they chose 
 The fig-tree ; not that kind for fruit renown'd, 
 But such as at this daj-, to Indians known, 
 In Malabar or Deccan spreads her arms, 
 Branching so broad and long, that in the ground 
 I'he bended twigs take root, and daughters grow 
 About the mother tree, a pillar'd shade, 
 High over-arch'd, and echoing walks between : 
 There oft the Indian herdsman, sliunning heat. 
 Shelters in cool, and tends his pasturing herds 
 At loop-holes cut through thickest shade." 
 
 OF THE SAGACITY AND ECONOMY 
 OF THE ANTS. 
 
 This little insect the Scripture calls exceeding ivisc^ 
 and Solomon sends the sluggard to learn wisdom, 
 foresight, care, and diligence from it: *' Go to the 
 ant, thou sluggard, consider her w^ays, and be wise ; 
 which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth 
 her meat in summer, and gathereth her food in the 
 harvest." To view these busy animals (as an ingenious 
 author observes) is really an instructive sight ; for we 
 may consider them as a httle people, united, like the 
 bees, in a republic, governed by its own lavv^s and po- 
 litics. They have usually a kind of oblong city, di- 
 vided into various streets, which terminate at different 
 magazines. Some species of ants strengthen the 
 earth, and prevent its falling in, by incrusting it with 
 a surface of glutinous matter; but those we commonly 
 meet with make their habitations by amassing several 
 splinters of wood, which they use as rafters to sustain 
 the roof, and across these they lay another rank of 
 sphnters, covering them with dry rushes, grass, and 
 little straw, which they raise with a double slope, to 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 2/ 
 
 turn off the water from their magazines, some of which 
 are appropriated to receive their provisions, and in 
 others they deposit their eggs, and the worms that 
 proceed from them. — As to their provisions, they are 
 indefatigable in bringing tliem home ; and it is ex- 
 tremely cnrious to see one of them loaded with the 
 kernel of some fruit, another bending under the weiglit 
 of a dead gnat, or several of them at work on the 
 carcase of a larger fly or other insect. What cannot 
 be removed they eat on the spot, and carry to their 
 magazines what is capable of being preserved. They 
 sometimes carry, and sometimes push before them, 
 grains of wheat or barley much larger than them- 
 selves ; and we are told that they gnaw off the point 
 of the grain, to prevent its shooting up by the moisture 
 of the cells in which it is deposited. 
 
 After the ants have passed the summer in a constant 
 employment and fatigue, they shut themselves up in 
 winter, and enjoy the fruits of their labours ; but there 
 is reason to believe they eat little in that season, and 
 are either benumbed or buried in sleep, like many 
 other insects. Their industry therefore in storing up 
 provisions does not seem so much intended to guard 
 against the winter, as to provide a necessary sus- 
 tenance for their offspring; whom they nourish, as 
 soon as they quit the eg^, with wonderful assiduity, 
 the care of their little progeny being esteemed a matter 
 of public concern. 
 
 Dr. King, who was very curious in examining the 
 generation of ants, imagines their true eggs to be that 
 fine v/hite substance, like grains of sugar or salt, which 
 is observable upon opening an ant-hill ; for viewing a 
 bit of it with a good microscope, and opening it VY-ith 
 the point of a needle, he discerned many white ap- 
 pearances in the distinct membranes, resembling little 
 eggs, and as clear as a fish's bladder; and what con- 
 firms his conjecture is, that he found the very same 
 substance in the bodies of the ants themselves. This 
 substance, vvhen scattered, the ants diligently gather 
 into a heap, and lie upon it in multitudes, perhaps Uv^ 
 Dr. Derham supposes) by way of incubation. 
 * c 2 
 
28 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 When the young ants leave the eog-, they are little 
 ^vorms, no longer than common grains of sand, with- 
 out any sensible motion; but, after they have received 
 their nourishment for some tim.e, which is distributed 
 to them in equal proportions, they spin a thread, and 
 wrap themselves up in a whitish v;eb, in which state 
 they are vulgarly taken for eggs, but are in reality 
 aurelias or nymphs, that are to be transformed into a 
 new progeny. And now it is truly surprising, to see 
 v/ith what affection and care the parent-ants carry 
 about these aurelias ; how they expose themselves to 
 the greatest dangers rather than forsake them ; how 
 they remove them from place to place in their little 
 iiilis, for the benefit of proper warmth or moisture, 
 sometimes bringing them to the surface of the earth, 
 or carrying them down into the ground,- according as 
 the season is warm or cold, dry or rainy: When the 
 weather is serene, they bring them up towards the top 
 of the hill in the morning, commonly on the side ; 
 but, on the approach of night, or cold, or the ap- 
 pearance of showers, they descend with their beloved 
 charge to such a depth, that (as Dr. King observed) 
 vou may dis: a foot or more before vou can find them. 
 
 Of the white ant a most niteresting description has 
 been given by Mr. Henry Smeathman, in the Philoso- 
 phical Transactions for 1781. According to this ac- 
 count, the works of these insects surpass those of the 
 bees, wasps, and other animals, as much as those of 
 the most polished European nations excel those of 
 uncultivated savages ; and even with respect to man, 
 his greatest works, the boasted pyramids, fall, com- 
 paratively, far short, even in size alone, of the struc- 
 tures raised by these industrious insects. The labour- 
 ers among them employed in this service are not a 
 quarter of an inch in length, but the structures which 
 they erect rise to ten or twelve feet above the surface 
 of the earth. Supposing, therefore, the height of a 
 man to be six feet, our author calculates that the 
 buildings of these insects, relatively to their size and 
 that of a man, may be considered as raised to nearly 
 five times the height of the greatest Egyptian pyramid. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 29 
 
 And it may be added, that with respect to the interior 
 construction, and the various members and disposi- 
 tions of the parts of the building, they certainly appear 
 to exceed every work of human construction. 
 
 The most curious parts of these structures are, the 
 royal apartments, nurseries, magazines of provision, 
 arched chamoers and galleries, with their various 
 communications ; the ranges of Goth'c-shaped arches, 
 projected, and not formed by mere excavation, sonij 
 of which are two or three feet high, but which diminish 
 rapidly, like the arches of aisles in perspective ; tlie 
 various roads, sloping staircases, and bridges, con- 
 sisting of one immense arch, and constructed to shorten 
 the distance between the several parts of the building, 
 wliich would otherwise communicate only by winding 
 passages. 
 
 "The economy of these insects appears to have been 
 very minutely observed by an ingenious author; who 
 informs us, that there are three distinct ranks or orders 
 among them, constituting a v/ell regulated community. 
 These are, first, the labourers or working insects ; 
 next, the solditrs, or fighting class, which do no kind 
 of labour, and are much larger than the former; and, 
 lastly, the winged or perfect insects, which may be 
 called the nobility of the state ; for they neither labour 
 nor fight, being scarcely capable even of self defence. 
 These only are capable of being elected kin^s or 
 queens ; and Providence has so ordered it, that they 
 emigrate within a few weeks after their elevation to 
 the sovereignty, and either establish new kingdoms, or 
 perish within a day or two. 
 
 The first order, the working insects, are most nume- 
 rous ; being in the proportion of a hundred to one of 
 the soldiers. In this state they are only about a 
 quarter of an inch long, and so extremely small, that 
 twenty-five of them will scarcely weigh one grain. 
 
 The second class, or soldiers, have a very different 
 form from the labourers, and have been by some au- 
 thors supposed to be the males, and the former neuters; 
 but they are, in reality, the same insects as the fore- 
 going, only they have undergone a change of form, 
 
 c 3' 
 
30 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 and approached one degree nearer to the perfect 
 state. They are about half an inch long-, and equal 
 in bulk to fifteen of the labourers. 
 
 The third order, or the insect in its perfect state, 
 varies its form still more than ever. The head, throat, 
 and belly, differ almost entirely from the same parts 
 in the labourers and soldiers ; and besides this the 
 animal is now furnished v.'ith four large, transparent 
 v;ings, with which it is, at the time of emigration, to 
 wing its way in quest of a new settlement. These are 
 equal in bulk to two soldiers and about thirty labour- 
 ers ; and by means of the v/ings v/ith which they. are 
 i'urnished, they roam about for a few hours ; at the 
 end of which time they lose their wings, and become 
 the prey of innumerable birds and reptiles : while 
 scarcely one pair out of many millions of this unhappy 
 race get into a place of safety, fulfil the first law of 
 nature, and lay the foundation of a new community. 
 
 TiiC few ibrlunate pairs who survive this annual de- 
 straction are casually found by some of the labourers, 
 and are elected kings and queens of new states. By 
 tiiese industrious creatures the king and queen elect 
 are immediately protected and enclosed in a chamber 
 of clay v.'here the business of propagation scon com- 
 mences. Their voluntary subjects then busy them- 
 selves in constructing nurseries, or apartments, en- 
 tirely composed of v/ooden materials, and seemingly 
 joined together with gums. Into these they afterwards 
 carry the eg^s produced from the queen ; and here the 
 young are attended, after they are hatched, until they 
 are able to shift for themselves. 
 
 From the many singular accounts given of the police 
 of these insects, we shall mention one resoecting: the 
 diflerent functions of the labourers and soldiers, or the 
 civil and military establishments in this community, on 
 an attempt to explore their nest. 
 
 On making a breach in any part of the structure 
 with a hoe or pick-axe, a soldier immediately appears, 
 and walks about the breach, as if to see whether the 
 enemy be gone, or to examine whence the attack pro- 
 ceeds. In a short time he is followed by two or three 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 31 
 
 Others, and soon afterwards by a numerous body, who 
 rush out as fast as the breach will permit; their num- 
 bers increasing as long- as any one continues to batter 
 the building-. During this time they are in the most 
 violent bustle and agitation ; while some of them are 
 employed in beating with their forceps upon the build- 
 ing, so as to make a noise that may be heard at three 
 or four feet distance. On ceasing to disturb then), 
 the soldiers retire, and are succeeded by the labourers, 
 Avho hasten in various directions towards the breach, 
 each with a burden of mortar in his mouth ready tem- 
 pered. Though there are millions of them they never 
 stop nor embarrass eacli other ; and a wall gradually 
 rises that tills up the chasm. A soldier attends every 
 600 or 1000 of the labourers, seemingly as a director 
 of the works ; for he never touches the mortar either 
 to lift or carry it. One in particular places himself 
 close to the wall which they are repairing, and fre- 
 quently makes the noise above-mentioned; which is 
 constantly answered by a loud hiss from all the la- 
 bourers within the dome: and at every such signal, 
 they evidently redouble their pace^ and work as fast 
 again. 
 
 The work being completed, a renewal of the attack 
 constantly produces the same effects. The soldiers 
 again rush out, and then retreat, and are followed by 
 the labourers loaded with mortar, and as active and 
 diligent as before. " Thus," says our author, *' the 
 pleasure of seeing them come out to fight or to work 
 alternately miay be obtained as often as curiosity ex- 
 cites or time permits ; and it will certainly be found 
 that the one order never attempts to fight, nor tho 
 other to work, let the emiergency be ever so great. 
 The obstinacy of the soldiers is very remarkable : they 
 fio-ht to the last extremity, disputing every inch of 
 ground so effectually as often to drive av\^ay the ne- 
 oroes v;ho are without shoes, and make Europeans 
 bleed plentifully through their stockings. 
 
 ]Many curious and striking particulars are related of 
 the great devastations committed by this powerful 
 community, which construct roads, or covered way?, 
 
 c 4 
 
32 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 diverging in all directions from the nest, and leadino* 
 to every object of plunder within their reach. 1 hough 
 the mischiefs they commit are very great, yet snchis 
 the economy of nature, that these are counterbalanced 
 by theirdestruction of dead trees, and other substances, 
 which, by a tedious decav, would only serve to encum- 
 ber the face of the earth. Such is their alacrity and 
 dispatch in this ofHce, that the total destruction of 
 deserted towns is so efiectually accomplished, that in 
 two or three years a thick wood fiUs the space; and 
 not the least vestige of a house is to be discovered. 
 
 ON THE ECONOMY OF THE BEE. 
 
 With respect to the form of the bee, it is divided 
 by two ligaments into three parts, the head, the breast, 
 and the belly. The head is armed with two jaws and 
 a trunk, the former of which play like two saws, open- 
 ing and shutting to the rigiu and left. The trunk is 
 long and taper, and extremely pliant and flexible, being- 
 destined by nature for the insect to probe to the bot- 
 tom of flowers through all the impediments of their 
 chives and foliage, and drain them of their treasured 
 sweets. But were this trunk to be always extended, 
 it would prove incommodious, and be liable to be in- 
 jured by a thousand accidents ; it is therefore of such 
 a structure, that, after the performance of its necessary 
 functions, it may be contracted, or folded up : and be- 
 sides this, it is fortified against all injuries by four 
 strono; scales, two of which closely sheath it, and the 
 two others, whcse cavities and dimensions are larger, 
 encompass the whole. 
 
 From the middle part or breast of the bee grow the 
 legs, which are six in number; and at the extremities 
 of the paws are two little hooks, discernible bv the mi- 
 croscope, which appear like sickles with their points 
 opposite to each other. The wings are four, two great- 
 er and two sm.aller, which not only serve to transport 
 them t!iroup;h the air, but bv the noise they make, to 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 33 
 
 give notice of their departure and arrival, and to ani- 
 mate tlicm mutually to their several labours. The 
 hairs, with which the whole body is covered, are of shi- 
 gular use in retaining the small dust that falls from the 
 chives of the flowers. The belly of the bee consists of 
 six rings, which slide over one another, and may there- 
 fore be lengthened or contracted at pleasure ; and the 
 inside of this part of the body contains the intestines, 
 the bag of honey, the bag of poison, and the stmg. 
 The office of the intestines is the same as in other 
 animals. The bag of honey is transparent as crystal, 
 containing the sweet juices extracted from flowers, 
 which the bee discharo;es into the cells of the maga- 
 zine for the support of the community m wmter. 1 iie 
 bag of poison hangs at the root of the sting, through 
 the cavity of which, as through a pipe, the bee ejects 
 some drops of this venemous liquor into the wound, 
 and so renders the pain more excessive. 
 
 The mechanism of the sting is admirable, being com- 
 posed of two darts, inclosed within asheath that tapers 
 into a fine point, near which is an opening to let out 
 the poison. The two darts ate ejected through ano- 
 ther aperture, which, being armed with several sharp 
 .beards like those of fish-hooks, are not easily drav.'n 
 back again by the bee ; and indeed she never disen- 
 gages them, if the wounded party happens to start and 
 put her into confusion ; but if one can have patience 
 to continue calm and unmoved, she clinches those la- 
 teral points round the shaft of the dart, by which means 
 she recovers her weapon, and gives less pain to the 
 person stung. The liquor, which at tlie same time she 
 infuses into the wound, causes a fermentation, attended 
 with a swelling, which continues several days; but 
 that m.ay be prevented by immediately pulling out the 
 sting, and enlarging the puncture, to let the venemous 
 matter have room to escape. 
 
 We must now consider the generation, polity, and 
 labours of these insects, the true knowledge of which 
 has resulted in a great measure from the modern in- 
 vention of glass hives, through which all the secrets of 
 the community are laid open to a curious observer. 
 
 c 5 
 
3i WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 Any person who carefully examines a hive, at different 
 seasons of the year, will distinguish three sorts of bees; 
 of which the greater number are the common working 
 bees, who do all the business of the hive, and seem to 
 be neither male nor female. The second sort, called 
 drones, are ihe males, which are somewliat larger, 
 have no sting, nor ever stir from the hive, but live upon 
 the honey prepared by the others. The third sort is a 
 much larger and longer-bodied bee, of which there is 
 often but one in a hive, at least but one in every swarm 
 or colcnv of vountr bees, who are from time to time 
 detached from the hive in search of another habitation. 
 This large bte is what the ancients called the king, 
 from the respect they always saw paid to it by the 
 other bees ; but being a female, the moderns more pro- 
 perly give it the title of queen, or mother of the swarm. 
 
 Mr. Reaumur, desiring to try how far the accounts 
 given of the homage paid by the others to the queen- 
 bee was true, caused a swarm of bees to be swept 
 down into a glass-hive. Among these there was one 
 female, which was soon distinguished by her shape, 
 and the shortness of her wings. For some time she 
 walked alone at the bottom of the hive ; the rest seem- 
 inor to res^ard nothing; but their own safety. The fe- 
 male, after going twice or thrice up the sides of the 
 hive, to the top of it, where they were hung, at last 
 went in among the cluster, and brought down about a 
 dozen with her. Attended with these, she walked 
 along slowly at the bottom of the hive. But the rest 
 continuing at the top, she went again and again, till 
 they all came down and formed a circle about her, 
 leaving her a free passage wherever she turned to walk, 
 and feeding her with the honey they had gathered for 
 themselves. 
 
 While the hive is sufficient to contain the bees with- 
 out inconvenience, the society live peaceably together; 
 but when the numbers are multiplied so that their ha- 
 bitation is too small, the young brood quit the place of 
 their nativity, and fly in quest of a new settlement. 
 The swarm that goes out consists of the common bees, 
 under the conduct of one female or queen ; or if two 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 35> 
 
 queens come out of the same hive, then the body ot' 
 common bees divides into two parts, each foUowin':^ 
 one female: both parties, however, v/hen they alight 
 out of the air, usually settle near each other on a branch 
 of a tree ; and then those bees which form the smallest 
 swarm go off, one by one, to the other cluster, desert- 
 ing the queen they followed, who is at length murder- 
 ed by her subjects. The swarm being thus united and 
 hanging down from the tree, the countrymen, who are 
 always vigilant on these occasions, provide for their 
 accommodation a hive rubbed with balm, thyme, and 
 other odoriferous herbs, into which they gently brush 
 them from the branch, and carry them to a stand pre- 
 pared for that purpose. All this the bees besr veiy 
 patiently, and after they are a little composed, they 
 begin to think of forming themselves convenient apart- 
 ments in their new habitation. 
 
 When they set about this work, it is observed that 
 they divide themselves into four bands, one of which 
 fiies into the fields to provide materials for the struc- 
 ture ; the second works upon these materials, and 
 forms them into a rouofh sketch of the dimensions and 
 partitions of the ceils; the third band examines and 
 adjusts the angles, removes the superfiuous wax, po- 
 lishes the work, and gives it its necessary perfection; 
 and the fourth is employed in bringing provisions to 
 the labourers. ]\I. Marakli takes notice, that tli€ bees 
 employed in polishing the combs, work longer than 
 those that build them, because polishing is not so la- 
 borious. They begin their work at the top of the hive, 
 continuing it downwards to the bottom, and from one 
 side to another; and to make it the more solid, they 
 use a sort of tempered wax, which is pretty much like 
 glue. The form of the cells of the honey- comb is hex- 
 agonal, which figure, besides what is common with a 
 square and equilateral triangle, has the advantage of 
 including a greater space within the same surface. 
 The best mathematician, indeed, could not have chosen 
 a more proper figure than the bees do for such a com- 
 bination of apartments ; for although circular cells 
 would have been the most capacious, this would by no 
 
36 WONBERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 means have been a convenient figure, because much of 
 tlie room v*'ould have been taken up by vacancits be- 
 tween the circles. It was therefore necessary to make 
 use of some of the rectilinear figures, amongst which 
 the only proper ones were the triangle, the square, and 
 the hexagon; and the bees wisely chose that figure 
 v.'hich consisted of most angles, as su^^posing it the 
 most capacious. 
 
 The expedition of the bees in their labour is almost 
 incredible; for, notwithstanding the elegance and just 
 proportions of their work, they are so indefatigable, 
 that in one day's time they will finish a honey-comb a 
 foot long and six inches broad, capable of receiving 
 thice thousand bees. When the cells are completed, 
 the queen takes possession of those she likes best, to 
 deposit her eggs in, and the rest are left to be filled 
 with honey. She lays one egg in each cell, and some- 
 times more than a hundred in a day : but what is most 
 remarkable, as some afllirm, she lays those eggs which 
 are to produce comm.on bees in cells of the common 
 shape and size, those that are to become drones or 
 males in larger cells, and in two or three great cells of 
 a circular form, slie deposits those which are to be fe- 
 males like herself. These eggs, having lain a short 
 time in the cells, are hatched into white mag2;ots, and 
 are fed with honey for ten or twelve days, after which 
 the other bees close up the cells with a thin piece of 
 ■wax : and under this covering they become gradually 
 transformed into bees, in the same manner as silk- 
 worms are changed into butterflies. Having under- 
 gone this metamorphosis, the young bees pierce through 
 their waxen doors, wipe off the humidity from their 
 little wings, take their flight into the fields, rob the 
 flowers of their sweets, and are perfectly acquainted 
 with every necessary circumstance of their future con- 
 duct. — As to the males or drones, which are destined 
 only to propagate their species, they live very comfort- 
 ably for about three months after they are hatched ; 
 but when that time is over, and the females are im- 
 pregnated, the common bees either kill them or drive 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 37 
 
 tliem from the hive as burdensome to the community, 
 and not a drone is to be found till the next season. 
 
 Of the reciprocal affection subsisting between the 
 queen and the working bees, we find a most interest- 
 ing account in Mr. Warder's Monarchy of Bees, the 
 substance of which we shall lay before our readers. 
 
 "Many years ago," says our author, " I wished to 
 satisfy my curiosity respecting the queen bee, and was 
 resolved to hazard the destroying of a single swarm 
 for that purpose. One morning, about half an hour 
 before sun-rise, I took a swarm of bees that had been, 
 hived the day before, and carried it into a meadow 
 near my garden ; and there, with a smart stroke, 
 shook out all the bees in a lump upon the grass. Af- 
 ter thev had recovered from the confusion Vvhich so 
 violent a motion produced among them, I laid down 
 on the ground, and, with a little stick, gently stirred 
 among them, in order to find the queen. 1 at length 
 discovered her, and, shutting her in a box, carried her 
 into my apartment, where 1 let her fly, and a few of 
 the other bees, which I had taken along with her. 
 They, as was natural, flew against the window. I 
 therefore cut off one of her wings, and again shut her 
 up in the box. 
 
 " 1 was now desirous to know how the other bees 
 M'ould act in the absence of their queen; and this I 
 soon observed. — As soon as they discovered that she 
 was not among them, they scattered themselves about 
 in all directions, running up and down with a most pi- 
 teous and discontented note, in search of her. They 
 spent about an hour in this fruitless search ; after whicli 
 they took wing, and alighted on a hedge at a little 
 distance. This was the hedge where the same swarm 
 had pitched the morning before ; and it almost appear- 
 ed as though they had gone to search for her in a place 
 where they recollected having been but a little time 
 ago, in company with her. And now, instead of col- 
 lecting themselves into a bunch, as is iheir custom 
 when the queen is present, they scattered themselves 
 along the hedge for many yards, in little parties of 
 forty or fifty together. 
 
08 WONDEI^S OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 " Being" desirous of knowing- whether they would 
 again acknowledge their crippled sovereign, 1 took the 
 box from my pocket, and, having opened it, laid it 
 on the bank, when the little wanderers immediately 
 collected round it. Having thus found their queen 
 again, they now continued in a cluster about her, and 
 seemed perfectly happy and contented. 
 
 " Night coming on, I again hived them, and next 
 morning knocked them out in the meadov/ as before ; 
 when they soon united themselves together about their 
 sovereign. In this state I permitted them to continue 
 for some hours, to observe whether they would rise ; 
 but in this the strength of their loyalty was fully 
 evinced ; for as the poor queen was unable to lead 
 them to any place for their common preservation, her 
 subjects chose rather to perish with her than to forsake 
 her in distress. 
 
 '' I again shut up the queen in my box : when the 
 other bees, as before, spread themselves in every di- 
 rection in search of her. Whilst they were in this si- 
 tuation, I put her down on one side of them : they oil, 
 in a moment, ceased their search, and advanced im- 
 mediately towards her. Before she was quite con- 
 cealed, I took her up, and put her in another place ; 
 when the bees all turned directly toward her again. 
 After repeating this experiment a few times more, I 
 suffeied them to close round her. In this affecting si- 
 tuation they continued for the remainder of the dav, 
 not one of them offering to desert her, though by this 
 time they must certainly have been very much in want 
 of food. In the evening I hived them as before. 
 
 " On knocking them out the next morning, I formed 
 a resolution of trying to what length these loyal crea- 
 tures would carry their affection. They had now tasted 
 no food for two days; and their queen had at least 
 equalled them in this ; for though I had repeatedly 
 offered her some honey, she would not even taste it 
 without her beloved subjects. But to draw this cu- 
 rious, though melancholy narrative to a conclusion, I 
 must observe that they still retained their integrity, 
 and even famine itself could not diminish their affec- 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 39 
 
 tion ; for, after living five days and nights without the 
 least sustenance, they all died of hunger. The queen 
 existed a few hours longer than the rest, but at length 
 surrendered a life which the destruction of her friends 
 had rendered comfortless and insupportable." 
 
 The method in which the bees collect their wax and 
 honey deserves to be explained, and is particularly 
 worthy of attention. — At the bottom of all flowers there 
 are certain glands which contain more or less honey, 
 that is, the most exalted particles of the sugary juices 
 of the plant. These juices the bee sucks up with its. 
 proboscis or trunk, and draws it into its mouth ; and 
 when it has thus taken a sufficient quantity into its 
 stomach, it returns to the hive, and discharges the 
 honey into the common magazine. When the cells 
 prepared to receive it are full, the bees close up some 
 vvith wax till they have occasion for the honey ; the 
 rest they leave open, to which all the members of the 
 society resort, and take their repast with great mode- 
 ration. 
 
 It is an excellent observation of a modern author, 
 that the hive is a school to which numbers of people 
 ought to be sent : for prudence, industry, benevolence, 
 patriotism, economy, neatness, and temperance, are 
 ail visible among the bees. These little animals are 
 actuated by a social spirit, which forms them into a 
 body politic, immediately united, and perfectly happy. 
 They all labour for the general advantage ; they are 
 all submissive to the laws and regulations of the com- 
 munity ; having no particular interest, nor distinction, 
 but those which nature or the necessities of their young 
 have introduced am.ongst them. We never see them 
 dissatisfied with their condition, or inclinable to aban- 
 don the hive in disgust, at finding themselves slaves or 
 necessitous. On the contrary, they think themselves 
 in perfect freedom and perfect affluence ; and such in- 
 deed is their real condition. They are iree, because 
 they only depend on the laws; and they are happy, 
 because the concurrence of their several labours ine- 
 vitably produce an abundance, which contributes to 
 the riches of each individual. Human societies, com- 
 
40 AVONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 pared with this, will appear altogether monstrous; for 
 althoug-h necessity, reason and philosophy have esta- 
 blished them for the commendable purposes of mutual 
 aid and benefit, a spirit of selfishness too often destroys 
 all ; and one half of mankind, to load themselves with 
 superfluities, leave the other destitute of common ne- 
 cessaiias. 
 
 Naturalists have generally asserted, that the fine 
 dust of the apices of flowers, collected amongst the 
 hairs of the bee, which nature seems to have clothed it 
 with for that purpose, was afterwards converted into 
 wax ; and some of the moderns, as well as the ancient?, 
 have imagined wax to be the excrement of this labo- 
 rious insect: but the judicious Boerhaave supposes it 
 to be a juice issuing from the leaves of plants, and ad- 
 hering to their surface, where *t is inspissated by the 
 heat of tlie sun, as may be seen in rosemary by the 
 help of a microscope. This the bees collect with tiieir 
 fore feet and jaws, and roll up into little balls, wliich 
 thev convev, one at a time, tX) the feet of their middle 
 legs, and from thence to the middle joint of their hind 
 legs, where tliere is a small cavity, like a spoon, to re- 
 ceive the burden. — When those bees who are em.ploy- 
 ed in collecting the wax return to the hive, they are as- 
 sisted by their companions in discharging their load, 
 who by little and little pick off the wax from their legs 
 and carry it to the common treasure. Vv'ith this thev 
 build their combs, observing a wonderful frugality, not 
 the least orain of it bein^j wasted or ne2:lected. 
 
 Thus, as an ingenious author observes, their indul- 
 gent Creator has given them all imiplements necessary, 
 either for building their combs, or composing their ho- 
 ney. They have each a portable vessel, in which they 
 bring home their collected sweets ; and they have the 
 most commodious store-houses, wherein they deposit 
 them. They readily distinguish every plant, which 
 affords materials for their business : and are complete 
 practitioners in the arts of separation and refinement. 
 They are aware, that the vernal bloom and summer 
 sun contitme but for a season, and are therefore ea^-er 
 to improve every shining hour, and lay up a stock 
 
AVOKDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 41 
 
 sufficient to supply the whole state, till the return of 
 their flowery harvest. 
 
 Bees are extremely solicitous to remove such in- 
 sects or other foreign bodies as happen to get admis- 
 sion into the hive. When so light as not to exceed 
 their powers, they first kill the insect with their stings, 
 and then drag it out with their teeth. But it some- 
 times happens, that a snail intrudes upon their retire- 
 ment, and, although it is soon stung to death, the bees 
 are incapable of removing so heavy a burden. To pre- 
 vent the noxious odours, therefore, which might result 
 from the animal's putrefaction, they immediately cover 
 every part of its body with propolis, through which no 
 efFiUvia can escape. When a snai! with a shell gets 
 entrance, it is disposed of with much less trouble ; for 
 as soon as it receives the first wound from a sting, it 
 naturally retires witirn its shell; and the bees, by 
 glueing all round the margin of the shell, render it for 
 ever immoveable. 
 
 Almost every one knows the great and various uses 
 of wax and honey, the consumption whereof, throush- 
 out the several parts of Europe, is incredible; and if 
 honey were more used than it is, instead of sugar, it 
 would be found of excellent service. Being very pe- 
 netrating and deterging it is good in all obstructions, 
 especially from viscid and tough humours. It wonder- 
 fully promotes expectoration ; nor is there any disor-- 
 der arising from phlegm, or the produce of a col-d con- 
 stitution, in which it is not serviceable. But it is to 
 be observed, that there is a peculiarity in some consti- 
 tutions, which renders them incapable of bearing the 
 least quantity of honey, without sickness and great 
 uneasiness. In surgery, it is used to cleanse foul ul- 
 cers, either by immediate application, or washing them 
 with liquors in which it has been dissolved. 
 
 Considering therefore the advantages arising from 
 the labours of bees, is it not strange that our country- 
 people are not more solicitous about the preservation 
 and increase of these animals ? It is certain they 
 would multiply prodigiously with proper management; 
 and we might, upon a moderate computation, have 
 
42 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 five thousand times as much wax and honey produced 
 in this kingdom as we have at present. But instead 
 of taking due care to keep them warm in v/inter, and 
 to supply them with a sufficient quantity of food, vast 
 numbers are suffered to perish annually; and still 
 greater numbers are destroyed with the loss of an im- 
 mense future progeny, by smothering whole swarms in 
 the hive, in order to obtain the honey. 
 
 CATHEDRAL OF ST. PETER'S, ROME. 
 
 This church is esteemed a master-piece of modern 
 archilecture, and strikes the spectator v,ith admiration 
 and pleasing astonishment. Tlie circular area whicli 
 lies before this rnpignificent ediiice is encompassed by 
 a beautiful peristyle or colonnade, consisting of two 
 hundred and eighty-four marble pillars of the Doiic 
 order, which support an architrave, adorned with a 
 vast number of statues of saints and martyrs. The 
 obelisk and a fine fountain on each side of it, are great 
 additions to the beauty of this spacious court, from 
 whence there is a flight of steps to a grand terrace, 
 that leads into the lofty portico before the church. 
 Over this portico, which is supported by pillars eighteen 
 feet in circumference, are the statues of our Saviour, 
 and the twelve apostles ; and there is also a fine bal- 
 cony, where the popes are crowned in view of all the 
 people. The body of the church, as well as the cupola, 
 which is adorned with curious mosaic work, is sus- 
 tained by large square pillars, like those of St. Paul's 
 catliedral in London; and under the middle of the 
 cupola stands the higli altar, which is ninety feet in 
 height, being a kind of pavilion, supported by four 
 wreathed columns of brass, adorned with foliage; and 
 on the top of the canopy are four angels of gilt brass, 
 holdiuGC festoons of flowers most beautifully carved ; 
 and between them are figures of children playing on 
 the cornice. The ascent to the dome is by a winding 
 Stair-case, and from thence to the ball by an incom- 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 43 
 
 modious flight of stairs, which hes between the outer 
 and inner dome. The heio;ht from the pavement to the 
 top of the cross is four hundred and thirty-two feet, 
 and the diameter of the ball is eight feet four inches. 
 St. Peter's chair is made of gilded brass, and supported 
 by four gigantic figures, representing four fathers of 
 the church, with a glory over them, extending quite 
 to the roof. Under this chair is an altar, and on each 
 side are stately monuments of brass and marble, of 
 excellent workmanship. It is scarcely possible to de- 
 scribe the riches and beauty of the little chapels and 
 altars round this church ; yet the gilding, carving, 
 paintings, embossed work, brass and marble statues, 
 &c. arc so well contrived and disposed, that the abun- 
 dance occasions not the least confusion, nor does any 
 thing appear superfluous. But among all the orna- 
 mgnts of this cathedral, none deserve our attention 
 more than the mosaic pictures which represent several 
 pieces of scriptural and ecclesiastical history, and ex- 
 ceed any thing of that kind that ever was done by the 
 ancients. 
 
 Here it may be proper to inform the reader, that 
 tnosaic work is an assemblage of little pieces of glass, 
 marble, or precious stones, of various colours, cut 
 Tsquare, and cemented on a ground of plaster, imitating 
 the natural colours and degradations of painting. In 
 this sense it includes inlaid work, veneering, &c. ; but 
 in its more proper and restrained sense it only com- 
 prehends works of stone, metals, and glass, those of 
 wood being distinguished by the name of marquetry. 
 The mosaic of marble, which at present is most in use, 
 serves for the pavements of churches and palaces, and 
 the incrustations of the walls of the same edifices ; but 
 that of precious stones is so expensive, th.at it is sel- 
 dom used unless in small works, such as ornaments 
 for altar-pieces, rich tables, &c. The mosaic work 
 so much admired in St. Peter's is done with coloured 
 glass, which kind, though now little used, is extremely 
 brilliant and durable. It is laid on a sort of plaster 
 composed of lime, fine brick-dust, guni-tragacanth, 
 the whites of eggs, and other ingredients ; the pieces 
 
44 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 of glass being arranged with so mtich justness, and the 
 light and shadow so well observed, that they appear 
 as smooth as a table of marble, and as highly finished 
 as a painting in Fresco, with this advantage, that they 
 have a fine lustre, and will last almost for ever, whereas 
 time effaces all other kinds of painting. — There is an- 
 other sort of mosaic work, of a more modern invention 
 than any of the former, made with a kind of gypsum 
 or talc, found in the stone quarries near Paris. Of 
 this talc, calcined in a kiln, beaten in a mortar, and 
 sifted, they form a sort of artiticial marbles, imitating 
 precious stones, and of these compose a mosaic work, 
 little inferior to the natural stones either in point of 
 lustre or durability. 
 
 Mr. Smollet, speaking of this church, in his travels 
 through Italy, says, " the piazza is altogether sublime. 
 The double colonnade on each side extending in a 
 semi-circular sweep, the stupendous Egyptian obelisk, 
 the two fountains, the portico, and the admirable fa- 
 9ade of the church, form such an assemblage of mag- 
 nificent objects as cannot fail to impress the mind with 
 awe and admiration: but the church would have pro- 
 duced a still greater effect, had it been detached en- 
 tirely from the buildings of the Vatican. It would 
 then have beeji a master-piece of architecture, com- 
 plete in all its parts, entire and perfect : wdiereas, at 
 present, it is no more than a beautiful member at- 
 tached to a vast undigested and irregular pile of build- 
 ing. The great picture of mosaic work, and that of 
 St. Peter's bark, tossed by the tempest, which appear 
 over the gate of the church, though rude in comparison 
 with modern pieces, are nevertheless great curiosities, 
 when considered as the work of Giotto. 
 
 The tribune of the great altar, consisting of four 
 wreathed brass pillars, gilt, supporting a canopy, is 
 doubtless very magnificent, but rather over-charged 
 with sculpture, fluting, foliage, festoons, and figures 
 of boys and angels, which with the hundred and twenty- 
 two lamps of silver continually burning below, serve 
 to dazzle the eyes, and kindle the devotion of the igno= 
 
s 
 
 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 45 
 
 rant vulgar, rather than to excite the admiration of a 
 judicious observer. 
 
 There is nothing, however, in this famous structure, 
 so worthy of applause, as the admirable symmetry anel 
 proportion of its parts. Notwithstanding all the carv- 
 ing-, gilding, basso-relievos, medallions, urns, statues, 
 columns, and pictures, with which it abounds, it does 
 not, on the whole, appear orer crowded with orna- 
 ments. When you first enter, your eye is filled so 
 equally and regularly, that nothing appears stupend- 
 ous, and the church seems considerably smaller than it 
 really is. The statues of children, that support the 
 fonts of holy-water, when observed from the door, 
 seem, to be of the natural size ; but as you draw near, 
 you perceive they are gigantic. In the same manner, 
 the figures of the doves, with olive-branches in their 
 beaks, which are represented on the wall, appear to be 
 within your reach ; but as you approach them, they 
 recede to a considerable height, as if they had flown 
 upwards to avoid being taken. 
 
 INUNDATION OF THE NILE, &c. 
 
 TiiK river Nile has always been reckoned one of the 
 greatest wonders of Egypt, and it is chiefly to this that 
 the country owes its abundant fertility ; for, as it sel- 
 dom rains in the inland parts, and the soil is naturally 
 dry and sandy, if the lands were not annually watered 
 by the overflowing of this river, Egypt, instead of the 
 most fruitful, would be one of the most barren reo-ions 
 in the world. 
 
 The sources or springs of this famous river were 
 absolutely nnknov/n to the ancients ; and the discovery 
 of them having been repeatedly attempted in vain, 
 was deemed so honourable an enterprize, that Lucan 
 makes C^sar speak to this effect : 
 
 " Long has my curious soul, from early youth, 
 Toil'd in the noble search of sacred truth ; 
 Yet still no views have urged my ardour more, 
 Than Nile's remotest fountain to explore ; 
 
46 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 Then say what source the famous stream supplies, 
 
 And bids it at revolving periods rise ; 
 
 Show me that head from -whence, since time begun, 
 
 The long succession of his waves has run : 
 
 This let me know, and all my toils shall cease, 
 
 The sword be sheathed, and earth be blest with peace." 
 
 Mr. Bruce informs us, that the sources of the Nile 
 are situated in the country of t'ne Agows, in Abyssinia, 
 and that the lono'itnde of the principal fountain is 
 thirty-six degrees, fifty-five minutes, thirty seconds 
 east from Greenwich. The place through whiclus the 
 passage to the territory of the Agows^ is called Abala ; 
 a valley, generally about half a mile, and never ex- 
 ceeding one mile, in breadth. The mountains which 
 surround it are at first of an inconsiderable heig-ht, 
 and covered to their very summits with trees and 
 herbage, but as they proceed to the southv^^ard they 
 become more rugged. Those to the west join a moun- 
 tain called Asormaska, where they turn to the south, 
 and enclose the territory of Sacala, which lies at the 
 foot of them ; and further to the westward is the small 
 village of Geesh, where the fountains of the Nile are 
 situated. 
 
 Having passed several considerable streams, all of 
 \¥hich empty themselves into the Nile, ]Mr. Bruce 
 found himself obliged to ascend a very steep and 
 rugged mountain, where no path appeared but a very 
 narrow one made by the sheep, and rendered almost 
 impassable by thorny plants, and a number of large 
 stones which seemed to have remained there ever 
 since the creation. At length, however, he reached 
 the top, and had a sight of the Nile immediately be- 
 below him; but so diminished in size, that it now ap- 
 peared onlv a brook scarce sufficient to turn a mill. 
 Tiie villacre of Geesh is not within si^ht of the foun- 
 tains of this river, though not more than six hundred 
 yards distant from them. The country about that 
 place terminates in a cliff of about three hundred yards 
 high, which reaches down to the plain of Assoa, con- 
 tinuing in the same degree of elevation till it meets 
 the Nile again about seventeen miles to the southward. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 47 
 
 In the middle of this cliff is a large cave, running 
 straight northward, with several bye-paths, forming a 
 natural labyrinth, which seems capable of containing 
 the inhabitants of the whole village, together witii 
 their cattle. Into this cave Mr. Bruce advanced about 
 a hundred yards ; but did not chuse to go further, as 
 the candle he carried with him seemed ready to go 
 out, and the people assured him that there was no- 
 thing remarkable to be seen at the end. 
 
 From the edge of the cliff of Geesh, above the vil- 
 lage, the ground slopes on the northward with a regu- 
 lar descent to a triangular marsh upwards of eighty- 
 six yards broad ; and about the middle of this marsh 
 rises a circular hillock, about twelve feet in diameter, 
 and surrounded by a shallow trench which collects 
 the water, and sends it off to the eastward. This is 
 firmly built of sod, and kept in repair by the Agows, 
 who worship the river, and perform their religious ce- 
 remonies upon this, as an altar. In the midst of it is 
 a circular hole, which is always kept clear of grass and 
 aquatic plants, and the water in it is perfectly pure 
 and limpid, but without any ebullition or visible motion 
 on its suiface. The mouth is rather less than three 
 feet diameter, and at the period of our traveller's lirst 
 visit (Nov. 5, 1770), the water stood about two inches 
 from the brim, nor did it either increase or diminish 
 during all the time of his residence in the neighbour- 
 hood. On putting down the shaft of a lance, he found 
 a feeble resistance, at the depth of six feet four inches, 
 as if from grass and rushes; and about six inches 
 deeper, he found his lance had entered into soft earth, 
 but met with no obstruction from stones or gravel; and 
 the same was confirmed by using a heavy plunmiet with 
 a line besmeared with soap. — This is the first fountain 
 of the Nile. 
 
 The second fountain is situated about ten feet dis- 
 tant from the former, and is only eleven inches in dia- 
 meter, but eight feet three inches deep. — The third is 
 about twenty feet from the first; the mouth being rather 
 more than two feet in diameter, and five feet eight 
 inches in depth. These fountains are used as altars, 
 
4S WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 and from the foot of each issues a running rill, v/hicli 
 uniting with the water of the first trench, goes off at 
 the east side in a stream that would till a pipe of about 
 two inches diameter. The water of these fountains 
 is extremely light and intensely cold, though exposed 
 to the scorching heat of the sun without any shelter. 
 The elevation of the ground must be very great, as the 
 barometer stood only at twenty-two inches, " neither," 
 says Mr. Bruce, " did it vary from that height any of 
 the days I staid at Geesh, and thence I inferred, that 
 at the sources of the Nile, I was more than two miles 
 above the level of the sea; — a prodigious height to 
 enjoy a sky perpetually clear, as also a hot sun, never 
 overcast with clouds from risino;- to settins:.'' 
 
 Tne Nile, thus formed by the union of streams from 
 these three fountains, runs eastward through the marsh 
 for thirty yards, with a very little increase of water, 
 but perfectly visible, till it is met by the grassy bank 
 of land declining from Sacala. This turns it round 
 gradually to the north-east and then due north ; and 
 in the two miles it flows in that direction, the river 
 receives many small contributions from springs that 
 rise in the banks on each side of it, so that about this 
 distance from the fountains, it becomes a stream ca- 
 pable of turning a common mill. 
 
 From this spot the Nile turns to the westward, and 
 after running over loose stones occasionally in that 
 direction about four miles farther, a fall commences of 
 about six feet in height, after which it quits tlie moun- 
 tainous place of its nativity, and issues into the plains 
 of Goutto. Here it flows so gently that its motions 
 can scarcely be perceived, but, at the same time, it 
 makes so many sharp unnatural windings, that it dif- 
 fers from any other river we ever sav.^ ; makins; about 
 twenty sharp angular peninsulas in the course of five 
 miles, through a marshy plain of clay, quite destitute 
 of trees, and very unpleasant. After passing this 
 plain, it turns due north, and receives the tribute of 
 several small streams which descend from the moun- 
 tains of A.fo!masha. It now begins to run rapidly, and 
 again receives a number of beautiful rivulets, which 
 
1 
 
 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 49 
 
 have their rise in the heights of Litchambara. Here 
 it becomes a considerable stream, incHning to the north- 
 east, and winding exceedingly till it is joined by the 
 small river Diva. The mere names of places through 
 which it passes cannot be expected to afford any amuse- 
 ment to our readers; suffice it therefore to observe, 
 that after washing Upper and Lower Egypt, it at last 
 disembogues itself into the Mediterranean. 
 
 The native country of the Nile being now discovered, 
 the cause of its inundation is manifest. To say nothing 
 of the false conjectures that have been made about it, 
 it is now universally allowed to be occasioned by the 
 great rains that fall in Ethiopia during the months of 
 April and May, whereby the river is so swelled as to 
 lay that country almost entirely under water, and after- 
 wards Egypt in its course towards the Mediterranean. 
 Nor is this inundation peculiar to the Nile, but com- 
 mon to it with other rivers that have their rise or course 
 between the tropics, where heavy rains constantly fall 
 at a certain season of the year, which cause them to 
 break through their ordinary bounds, and overflow the 
 adjacent countries in their passage to the sea, parti- 
 cularly in Siam, Bengal, and other parts of the East 
 Indies. The northern winds, called Etesian by the 
 ancients, as blowing annually during a certain time, 
 have been likewise supposed to contribute not a little 
 to the overflowing of the Nile, by retarding its course, 
 and forcing the sea against the mouth of the river; but, 
 if these winds have any such effect, it must be incon- 
 siderable, as Ludolphus observes, though he allows 
 they may render the increase somewhat unequal, as 
 they blow weaker or strono;er. 
 
 These rains being undoubtedly the cause of the Nile's 
 overflowing, let us now consider its gradual rise, and 
 the beneficial effects it produces. The Nile begins to 
 swell in the month of May, but its increase is not con- 
 siderable in the Lower Egypt till about the 20th of 
 June, nor is any public notice taken of it till the 28th 
 of that month, at which time it is usually risen five or 
 six peeks, a Turkish measure equal to about five and 
 twenty inches. Being come to this height, the public 
 
50 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 criers proclaim the rise of the river in the city of Cairo, 
 and continue to publish how much it increases every 
 day, till it rises to sixteen peeks, at which time they 
 make great rejoicings; and this usually happens at 
 the latter end of July, or before the 20th of August; 
 but the sooner it happens, they have the greater hopes 
 of a plentiful season. If the Nile do not rise to six- 
 teen peeks, the people pay no tribute that year to the 
 grand Signior; but a still greater height is necessary 
 to cause a general flood, and prepare the lands for cul- 
 tivation. Eighteen peeks (Dr. Pococke informs us) 
 are reckoned but an indifferent Nile, twenty a middling 
 one, and twenty-two a very good one, beyond which it 
 seldom rises. If it chance to rise higher than twenty- 
 four, the inundation is said to be prejudicial, the waters 
 in that case not retiring soon enough for the people to 
 sow their corn; but we scarce know any instance of 
 this nature. The Nile is usually at its greatest height 
 about the middle of September. 
 
 In order to know exactly the rise of the Nile, there 
 is built, on a pleasant island opposite to old Cairo, a 
 place called the Makkias, in which is a famous pillar 
 for measuring the Nile. It is fixed in a deep bason, 
 the bottom of which is on a level with the bed of the 
 river, the water passing through it. This pillar, which 
 is placed under a dome, and crowned with a Corinthian 
 capital, is divided into measures, for observing the rise 
 of the waters; and from the court that leads to the 
 house is a descent to the Nile, by steps, on which the 
 common people beUeve that Moses was found after he 
 had been exposed on the banks of the river. 
 
 As the river cannot of itself overflow the lands every 
 where in the necessary proportion, the people have 
 cut, with incredible labour, a vast number of canals 
 and trenches from one end of Egypt to the other, so 
 that almost every town and village has its canal, which 
 is opened at the proper time, and conveys the water 
 of the Nile to distant places. It is from these canals, 
 where the banks of the Nile are high, that the lands are 
 overflowed ; but it is otherwise where they are low, 
 particularly in the Delta, which is that part of Egypt 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 51 
 
 that lies between the two mouths of the river. Canals 
 are carried along the higher grounds, that the water 
 may have a fall from them to the lower parts ; and from 
 the great canals it is drawn out into small channels, 
 and conveyed all over the country. It is likewise ob- 
 servable, that, as they have dikes or banks to keep the 
 water out of the canals till the river be risen to a pro- 
 per height to let it in, so in some of them they have 
 contrivances to keep it in after the Nile is fallen, and 
 also preserve it in certain lakes or ponds, from whence 
 they can let it out upon their lands at pleasure. 
 
 The reader, however, is to understand, that some 
 parts of the country lie too high to be watered by means 
 of the canals, and several gardens and plantations re- 
 quire more refreshment than what they receive from 
 the annual inundation ; and on this account they are 
 obliged to raise water from the river, which is lodg-ed 
 in cisterns or reservoirs contrived for that purpose. 
 This is generally done by the Persian wheel, a machine 
 turned by oxen, which carries a rope hung with several 
 vessels, that fill as it goes round, and empty themselves 
 at top into the reservoir. They have another contriv- 
 ance where the bank of the river is high ; in which 
 case they make a bason on the side of it, fixing near it 
 an upright pole, and across the top of that another with 
 an axle, at one end whereof hangs a great stone, and 
 at the other a leathern bucket, which, being drawn 
 down into the water by two men, is raised up again by 
 the weight of the stone, the men directing it, and 
 emptying it into the bason. The former of these ma- 
 chines is chiefly used in the low^r parts of Egypt, the 
 latter in the higher; for, as we advance up the river, 
 the difficulty of raising the water increases. 
 
 We may judge how much the fertility of Egypt is 
 owing to the inundation of the Nile, when we consider 
 that it leaves behind it a stratum of mud or slime, 
 which, without any other manure, renews all the 
 strength of the soil that the preceding harvest had im- 
 paired ; nay, it is frequently found necessary to temper 
 it with a little sand, to abate its excessive richness. 
 And here it is worth observing, that the surfaice of the 
 
 D 2 
 
52 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 ground must have been considerably raised, in a long 
 course of years, by these repeated accessions of mud 
 and shme, so that formerly a less rising of the Nile was 
 sufficient to overflow the country than at present. As 
 to the quantity of mud thus annually left by the river, 
 it is a point not easy to determine ; but Dr. Shaw sup- 
 poses that the surface of the land of Egypt is thereby 
 raised somewhat more than a foot in a hundred years; 
 according to which computation, the perpendicular ac- 
 cession of soil from the deluge to the present time must 
 have been about forty-two feet. And hence the doctor 
 imagines, that in process of time the whole country 
 may be reduced to the greatest barrenness, by being 
 raised so hio:h that the river will not be able to over- 
 flow its banks. But Dr. Pococke is of another opinion, 
 as supposing that a great quantity of soil is annually 
 carried off in the productions of the earth, (which in 
 Egypt is not supplied by manuring) and that the bed 
 of the Nile may be raised by the subsiding of the 
 heavier sandy particles ; for which reason he thinks it 
 improbable that the land will ever rise to such a height, 
 as to be deprived of the usual inundations. He ob- 
 serves, however, if that should ever be the case in the 
 Lower Egypt, the inhabitants would only be in the 
 condition of those of Upper Egypt, who are obliged 
 to raise the water by art and labour. 
 
 With respect to the distribution of the waters of the 
 Nile by means of canals, &c. we shall only add, that 
 there is a great canal called Khalis, which runs from 
 the river quite through the city of Cairo, and several 
 miles beyond it. Near the mouth of this canal there 
 is a mound or mole, v/hich is every year broken down 
 with great solemnity and rejoicing, when the Nile rises 
 to the height of sixteen peeks; and thereby the water 
 is conveyed into the city, and from thence into the 
 gardens and the adjacent country. The bashaw him- 
 self accompanied by all his great officers, and attended 
 by a vast multitude of people, assists at the ceremony 
 of cutting this bank ; and on this occasion the trum- 
 pets and other music, the repeated shouts of the people, 
 the firino^ of guns, &c. make an agreeable confusion. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 53 
 
 In short, bonfires, illuminations, fireworks, several sorts 
 of games and exercises, and whatever can express an 
 universal joy, are continued for three days and nights 
 successively. M. Thevenot, who was twice present at 
 this ceremony, tells us, that among other diverting 
 sights exhibited on that occasion, he saw two swim- 
 mers, whose performances were very surprising. One 
 of these, with his hands tied behind him, and his feet 
 bound with a chain weighing ten pounds, stood up- 
 right in the water, and in that manner went from the 
 opening of the canal quite through Cairo, which is three 
 miles and upwards. The other fellow swam in chains 
 from one end of the canal to the other, with a pipe in 
 his mouth, and a dish of coffee in his hand, without 
 spilling it; and both these swimmers were handsomely 
 rewarded. 
 
 Before we leave the Nile it is proper to take notice 
 of its famous cataracts, which are usually reckoned 
 seven in number, where the river pours itself down high 
 precipices, with such a prodigious noise, that it may 
 be heard at the distance of several leagues. De I'lsle 
 represents one of them as falling from a height of two 
 hundred feet, with a noise exceeding that of the loud- 
 est thunder; and it is said the v,'ater breaking with the 
 fall, raises such thick mists, that at a distance they 
 appear like clouds. It is also reported that the water 
 in its fall forms a kind of arch, under which one may 
 walk without being wetted ; and the neighbouring peo- 
 ple seem formerly to have made this a diversion, there 
 being several niches and seats cut in the rock, and 
 likewise some grottoes, which are now become inac- 
 cessible. Seneca relates a practice of the inhabitants 
 near the cataracts of the Nile, which appears quite in- 
 credible, viz. That two of them used to get into a 
 small boat, the one to guide it, the other to throw out 
 the water, and, directing the little vessel with their 
 hands, they dexterously steered through the narrow 
 channels without touching the rocks, till at last they 
 were hurried down the precipice by the falling river. 
 The frighted spectators then supposed them inevitably 
 swallowed up and lost, but presently saw them appear 
 
 D 3 
 
54 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 again upon the water at a great distance.— Some mo- 
 dern travellers seem to confirm this account; but Dr. 
 Pococke, who saw several of the cataracts, takes no 
 notice of any such practice ; nor does he represent 
 them as such frightful falls as they are generally sup- 
 posed to be. The doctor tell us of some rocks that 
 lie across the river in three different places, dividing 
 the stream, and causing several falls of water ; but he 
 makes the greatest of them not above seven or eight 
 feet, and others about four or five. He acknowledo;es 
 however, that the natives talked of other cataracts be- 
 sides those he saw, and even reckoned seven of them, 
 which seems to agree with the accounts of the ancients : 
 but, as to the Catadupa, those high cataracts whose 
 noise made the neighbouring inhabitants deaf, he looks, 
 upon the whole as fabulous. 
 
 THE PYRAMIDS OF EGYPT. 
 
 These famous pyramids, the wonderous monuments- 
 of the wealth and grandeur of the ancient kings of 
 Egypt, are on all hands allowed to have been built at 
 least twelve hundred years before the-birth of our Sa- 
 viour. The three pyramids that are most taken notice 
 of by travellers, as exceeding all the rest both in bulk 
 and beauty, are situated on a ridge of rocky hills on 
 the borders of the Lybian desert, about ten miles west- 
 ward from the village of Gize or Geeza, which is al- 
 most opposite to the city of Cairo, and is supposed to 
 be the spot where the ancient Memphis stood, though 
 there are now not the least traces to be found of the 
 ruins of that renowned city. The hill, on which they 
 stand, rises with an easy ascent from the plains of 
 Egypt, to the height of a hundred feet or upwards ; 
 and the rock consists of such freestone as is used in 
 the pyramids themselves. 
 
 The largest of these pyramids, which has suffered 
 least by time and weather, is six hundred and ninety- 
 three English feet square at the basis, and its perpen- 
 
If 
 
 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 55 
 
 dicular height is four hundred and ninety-nine feet ; 
 but, if we take the height as the pyramid ascends in- 
 dining) it is then six hundred and ninety-three feet, 
 which is exactly equal to the breadth of the basis, so 
 that the angles and basis make an equilateral triangle. 
 The whole area therefore of the base contains four hun- 
 dred and eighty two thousand two hundred and forty- 
 nine square feet, which is something more than eleven 
 acres of ground. 
 
 On the outside of this pyramid there is an ascent by 
 steps, which at the bottom are four feet in height and 
 three in breadth, but the higher we go they gradually 
 diminish ; being so contrived, that a line stretched 
 from any part of the basis to the top would touch the 
 edge of every step, if the stones were not impaired by 
 the air and rain; but at present they are so washed 
 and mouldered away, that they cannot conveniently 
 be ascended, except on the south side, or at the north- 
 east angle. The breadth and depth of every step is 
 one entire stone, several of them thirty feet in length ; 
 and the number of steps, according to Mr. Greaves, is 
 two hundred and seven, but travellers differ in their 
 computations. Whether these steps were intended to 
 facilitate the ascent to the top, or were designed to be 
 filled with prismatical stones, so as to make each side 
 of the pyramid smooth and upon a plane, we shall not 
 determine, but Dr. Shaw gives some cogent reasons for 
 the latter opinion. 
 
 The top of this pyramid does not end in a point, as 
 it appears to those who view it from below, but in a 
 little square, consisting of nine stones, besides two that 
 are wanting at the angles. Each side of the platform 
 is about sixteen feet, so that a considerable number of 
 people may stand upon it, from whence there is one of 
 the most beautiful prospects that can be imagined. It 
 has been reported by many travellers, that a man 
 standing on the top cannot shoot an arrow beyond the 
 bottom of the pyramid, but that it will fall on some 
 part of the structure ; whereas it is certain that a strong 
 arm and a good bow will send an arrow to a much 
 greater distance. As to the story of ihese pyramids 
 
56 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 casting no shadows, it is contrary both to reason and 
 experience ; for, though at noon they cast no shadow 
 in the summer, and for ahuost three parts of the year, 
 yet in winter at noon, and in the morning and evening 
 all the year round, they certainly cast a shadow pro- 
 portionable to their bigness: and it is observable, that 
 Thales took the height of these pyramids by their sha- 
 dows above two thousand years ago, as we learn from 
 Pliny and Laertius. 
 
 On the north side of the large pyramid, sixteen steps 
 from the bottom, there is a square narrow passage, 
 leading downwards into the body of the structure. 
 This entrance is about three feet high, and as many 
 wide, and its length ninety-two feet and a half. Those 
 who have been curious enough to creep through this 
 narrow passage inform us, that at the end of it there is 
 a wider place, about ninety feet long, and of unequal 
 breadth, supposed to have been dug for the discovery 
 of some hidden treasure, but not remarkable for any 
 thing except the large bats by which it is inhabited. 
 On the left hand there is another passage, five feet 
 high, and a hundred and ten in length, through which 
 is an ascent to two galleries, one of them running off 
 horizontally, and the other rising upwards in the same 
 direction with the passage. The horizontal gallery 
 leads to an arched vault or chamber, about seventeen 
 feet long, and fifteen broad, which smells like a grave, 
 and is half full of rubbish. The walls are entire, and 
 plastered over with lime ; and the roof consists of large 
 smooth stones laid sloping, so as to meet at top in an 
 angle. Near the entrance into this gallery there is a 
 circular well, three feet in diameter, which is lined 
 with white marble, and little holes are left in the sides, 
 opposite to one another, wherein a person that descends 
 into it must fix his hands and feet; which sort of con^ 
 trivance is seen in many of the wells and cisterns of 
 Egypt. — The ascending gallery, whether we regard the 
 materials or workmanship, is not inferior to the most 
 magnificent buildings. It is paved and lined with white 
 polished marble, cut in vast squares, and so curiously 
 put together, that the joints are scarce discernible. 
 
m 
 
 1 
 
 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 57 
 
 he height of this gallery is twenty-six feet, its breadth 
 six, and on each side of it there are benches of po- 
 lished stone. 
 
 From hence opens a square hole into some little 
 chambers or closets lined with marble, and then into a 
 noble hall situated in the centre of the pyramid, being 
 equally distant from all the sides, but rather nearer 
 the basis than the top. The floor, sides, and roof of 
 this room are all of Thebaic marble ; and the stones 
 are of a prodigious size, especially those that form the 
 roof, lying across from one side to the other, like so 
 many huge beams, and supporting an enormous weight. 
 As to its dimensions, its length is thirty-four feet, its 
 breadth seventeen, audits height near twenty. 
 
 In this stately hall stands a tomb, placed exactly 
 north and south, and equally distant from all sides of 
 the room except the east, from whence it is as far 
 again as from the west. It consists of one piece of 
 marble hollowed, without any lid or covering, and on 
 being struck it sounds like a bell. The general opi- 
 nion is, that it was designed for the tomb of Cheops or 
 Chemnis, king of Egypt, the supposed founder of this 
 pyramid. There is no appearance however of any 
 corpse having ever been laid in it, and probably there 
 never was ; for Diodorus, who wrote about sixteen 
 hundred years ago, informs us, that Chemnis, and Ce- 
 phren, the founder of the next pyramid, notwithstand- 
 ing they intended these structures for their sepulchres, 
 were not buried in them, the people being so exaspe- 
 rated by the hardships they had undergone in the 
 erecting them, and by their repeated cruelties and op- 
 pressions, that they threatened to tear their dead bo- 
 dies in pieces; upon which they commanded their 
 friends to bury them in some obscure place in a pri- 
 vate manner. 
 
 This tomb is of the same marble with which the 
 whole room is lined, viz. a sort that is so streaked 
 and variegated with black, red, and white spots, which 
 some call Thebaic, but others suppose to be a kind of 
 porphyry. Its figure is like an altar, and the marble 
 smooth and plain, without any sculpture or other or- 
 
58 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 nament. If we measure its outward superficies, it fg 
 seven feet three inches and a half in length, three feet 
 and almost four inches in depth, and much the same 
 in breadth ; but the cavity within is little more than 
 six feet long, two feet deep, and as many broad. 
 From these dimensions, as well as from the embalmed 
 bodies in Egypt, it has been justly observed by Mr. 
 Greaves and others, that there is no decay in nature, 
 but that the men of this age are of the sam.e stature 
 they were three thousand years ago. How this tomb 
 was brought into the place where it now stands is dif- 
 ficult to conceive, it being impossible it should come 
 through the narrow passages above described; which 
 makes it generally supposed to have been raised up 
 thither from without, before the room was finished, 
 and the roof closed up : but perhaps there is some 
 other way to the room within the structure, which 
 has not yet been discovered.— We have nothing to 
 add concerning this tomb, but that there is a hole dug 
 underneath it, and a large stone in the pavement near 
 it removed, which was probably done in hopes of find- 
 ing some treasure ; the burying of money in sepul- 
 chres being not only a practice of the ancients, but 
 continues to this day in some parts of the East-Indies. 
 
 Travellers take notice of a remarkable echo, or ra- 
 ther of a long continued sound, which is heard on dis- 
 charging a musket at the entrance into the first py- 
 ramid. This is mentioned by Plutarch ; but, sur- 
 prising as it is, the effect may be accounted for, as 
 iVIr. Greaves observes, by considering, that the sound 
 being shut in, and carried along those smooth narrow 
 passages already described, to the middle of the py- 
 ramid, finding no way out, reflects upon itself, causing 
 a circulation of the air and a confused noise, which 
 gradually lessens and dies away as the motion ceases. 
 
 To the southward of the first pyramid, at a very 
 little distance, stands the second, supposed to have 
 been built by Cephren the brother of Cheops, and de- 
 signed for a sepulchre, as well as the former. The 
 stones of this pyramid are white, but much less than 
 those of the first ; nor do the sides rise by degrees or 
 
II 
 
 
 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 59 
 
 steps, like the other, but are smooth and even; and 
 the whole structure, except on the south, seems not 
 to have received any considerable damage. The di- 
 mensions of it, both as to height and breadth, are 
 much the same as those of the pyramid already des- 
 cribed, but its ascent is somewhat steeper. At some 
 distance from the basis, on the north side of this py- 
 ramid, there is a hole, which probably was made in 
 order to find a passage to the inside of it; but none 
 has been yet discovered, nor is it known whether 
 there are any rooms or apartments within, though it 
 is reasonable to suppose there are, as well as in the 
 former. On the north and west sides of this pyramid 
 there is a fosse or trench, about ninety feet in breadth 
 and thirty in depth, along which are a great number 
 of cells or apartments hewn out of the solid rock, de- 
 signed (as is supposed) for lodgings for the Egyptian 
 priests. They are entered through such square open- 
 ings as that described in the first pyramid, and many 
 of the chambers have a communication with others be- 
 hind them, which are now filled with rubbish. 
 
 About a furlong from the second pyramid stands 
 the third, upon such an eminence or rising of the 
 rock, that it appears equal to the former at a distance, 
 though it is much less both in height and breadth. 
 Some ancient writers affirm, that this pyramid was 
 built, or at least cased, with black Ethiopic marble; 
 but, whatever it may have been formerly, at present 
 the whole structure seems to be of a clear whitish 
 stone, somewhat better and brighter than either of 
 the former pyramids. Each side of its base is about 
 three hundred feet, and its height is much the same; 
 and all round it are to be seen the remains of the 
 granite with which it was adorned, the greatest part 
 whereof has been carried away, though some few 
 pieces continue in their places. Mycerinus, the son 
 of Cheops, is said to have been the founder of this 
 pyramid, and Diodorus says his name was engraved 
 on the north side of it, but nothing of that kind is to 
 be seen at present. 
 
 At about the distance often miles from these pvra- 
 

 00 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 mids, are those of Socotra, so called from a mean vil- 
 lage of that name. These pyramids, which extend 
 from north to south, are seated at the foot of the moun- 
 tains, in a plain that appears formed by nature for the 
 use to which it is applied, it being of no great extent, 
 but so high, that it is never overflowed by the Nile. 
 One of these pyramids rises above the rest, and is call- 
 ed the great pyramid to the north. Mr. Norden, on 
 measuring it, found that its east side extended six 
 hundred and ninety feet, and the north side seven 
 hundred and ten. Its perpendicular height is three 
 hundred and forty-five feet. It has a hundred and 
 fifty-six steps, each from two to three feet in height; 
 and is built of the same kind of free-stone as the 
 others, but was cased with a fine hard stone, which 
 is still remaining in several parts of the structure, 
 though a great deal has fallen down. About one 
 third of the way up, is an entrance three feet five 
 inches wide, and four feet two inches high. The stones 
 within, are of the height and breadth of the entrance, 
 and about five feet in leno;th. Our author and his 
 companions entered this passage, which is steep, and 
 has also holes cut as rests for the feet. Having passed 
 through it, they entered a room twenty-two feet and 
 a half long, and eleven feet ten inches v/ide. At the 
 height of ten feet six inches, a range ot stones pro- 
 jects five inches inwards on each side; and in the 
 same manner twelve tiers project one farther than the 
 other, till they meet at the top. To the west of this 
 room is another that resembles it; and they are both 
 formed of smooth white stones, so large, that there 
 are only seven of them in length, and three or four in 
 breadth. 
 
 Another pyramid, at the distance of a mile to the 
 south-east, is termed the great pyramid to the south, 
 and is about six hundred feet square at the bottom. 
 It is built within of good hewn stone, and appears to 
 have been originally cased all the way up. 
 
 About two miles to the east of the last great pyra- 
 mid is one on a lower ground, built of unburned brick, 
 that seems to have been made of the mud of the Nile, 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. (jl 
 
 it being a sandy, black clay, with some pebbles and 
 shells in it, mixed up with chopped straw, in order to 
 bind the clay together, as unburned bricks are usually 
 made at present in Egypt, and other parts of the East. 
 Some of these bricks are thirteen inches and a half 
 long, six inches and a half broad, and four inches thick; 
 but others are fifteen inches Ions;, seven broad, and 
 four inches three quarters in thickness ; but were not 
 laid so as to bind each other. This pyramid is much 
 crumbled, and very ruinous. It extends two hundred 
 and ten feet on the v/est side, and is a hundred and 
 fifty feel high ; and the top is forty-three feet by thir- 
 ty-five. It seems to have been built with five degrees, 
 each being ten feet broad, and thirty deep ; yet the 
 ascent is pretty easy, on account of the bricks having 
 crumbled away. 
 
 Notwithstanding what we have said of Cheops, Ce- 
 phren, and Mycerinus, it is a subject of much dispute, 
 who were the builders of these wonderful structures. 
 Some pretend they were erected by the patriarch Jo- 
 seph for granaries, to lay up the corn of the seven 
 plentiful years against the ensuing famine; but, most 
 of them being solid piles of stones, with very few ca- 
 vities within them, and their figure the most improper 
 of any for that purpose, the conjecture at first sight 
 appears groundless and absurd. Others suppose them 
 to have been erected by the Israelites, during their 
 heavy bondage in Egypt under the tyranny of the Pha- 
 roahs ; and this opinion is supported by the authority 
 of Josephus, who says they were employed in cutting 
 canals, building walls, throwing up banks, and, 
 amongst other oppressions, in raising the vast pyra- 
 mids in question. We may add to this, that no time 
 seems more likely for the Egyptian kings to undertake 
 such amazing structures, than when they had so many 
 hundred thousand slaves in their dominions, whom it 
 was deemed prudent to keep in action, to divert them 
 from mutiny and rebellion. 
 
 After all, it must be confessed, that there is little 
 agreement either among the natives of Egypt, or an- 
 cient historians, with respect to the founders of these 
 
{]2 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 pyramids ; and, as this is a matter of uncertainty, it 
 would be in vain to endeavour to determine the time 
 when they were erected. However, if we do not allow 
 them to be so ancient as the time of the Israelites be- 
 ing in Egypt, (which yet does not appear improbable) 
 we must grant them to be above three thousand years 
 old ; for Herodotus, who lived above two thousand 
 two hundred years ago, could find little satisfaction in 
 his enquiries concerning them ; and Diodorus, who 
 hved before the birth of Christ, supposes the great 
 pyramid to have been built at least a thousand years 
 before his time. 
 
 Another thing disputed is the purpose for which 
 these pyramids were built; though the generality of 
 writers on this subject are of opinion that they were 
 intended for sepulchral monuments. Diodorus con- 
 firms this hypoth(jsis, and Strabo supposes all those 
 near Memphis to be royal sepulchres. And yet some 
 think it not improbable, from the sumptuous apart- 
 ments, galleries, benches, &c. that they were design- 
 ed for other uses than mere sepulchral monuments, 
 which are commonly plain arched vaults; perhaps for 
 temples, as Dr. Shaw imagines; for, as the whole 
 Egyptian theology was couched in mysterious em- 
 blems and figures, no places could be better contrived 
 for the adyta, which had so great a share in their mys- 
 teries. Besides, those chests which have been sup- 
 posed to have been the coffins wherein the bodies were 
 deposited, chiefly because theyare about six feet long, 
 the length of a man, may rather have been designed 
 to enclose some of the priestly vestments, or sacred 
 utensils, or some of their idols, &c. especially consi- 
 dering they are of an oblong square figure, and not 
 narrower at one end, which was the common form of 
 coffins ; and then the depth and breadth of these, 
 which is about three feet, are out of all proportion, as 
 Dr. Shaw observes. However, there is another rea- 
 son to think these huge structures were designed for 
 sepulchres, arising from the theology of the Egyptians, 
 who not only believed the resurrection, but that as 
 long as the body endured, the soul continued with it. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. g^ 
 
 Hence it was that they took so much care to embahn 
 then- dead, in order to preserve them from corruption, 
 that so the souls of the deceased might long remain 
 about their respective bodies, not to animate or quick- 
 en them, but only as attendants or guardians, unvv'il- 
 ling to leave their former habitations : and upon the 
 same account they deposited them in the most dura- 
 ble buildings, endeavouring thereby, as far as they 
 were able, to render them eternal. 
 
 The reason why the Egyptians built these monu- 
 ments, in a pyramidal figure, seems to have been, ac- 
 cording to Mr. Greaves, because this is the most per- 
 manent form of structure, being neither overpressed 
 by its own weight, nor so subject to the sinking in of 
 rain as other buildings. Add to this, that they might 
 thereby intend to represent their deities, it being cus- 
 tomary among the heathens to express the objects of 
 their worship either by columns fashioned like cones, 
 or by quadrilateral obelisks, which are a lesser sort 
 of pyramids, and of which several are still standing 
 entire in different parts of Egypt. 
 
 How these wonderful structures were built, and by 
 what means the stones, especially those vast ones of 
 the first pyramid, were raised to such a height, has 
 likewise been matter of much speculation. Herodo- 
 tus, whose expressions are a little obscure, supposes 
 that, when they had laid the first range, they raised 
 others hither from the ground, which formed the se- 
 cond row; and, by an engine placed upon that, they 
 drew up the stones that composed the third ; there 
 being as many engines as layers of stone, or else one 
 that might be occasionally removed. Mr. Greaves 
 imagines, that they first built a large tower, the height 
 of the intended pyramid, to the sides whereof they 
 applied the rest of the structure, piece after piece, like 
 so many buttresses, which lessened in height till they 
 came to the lowest degree. Some have conjectured, 
 that they took the advantage of building round a hill; 
 if so, these pyramids were built with much less la- 
 bour and expence than is generally imagined. In 
 short, in a matter of such uncertainty, every one must 
 
64 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 be left to his own conjectures; but, as to those al- 
 ready mentioned, they appear liable to various objec- 
 tions; nor does there seem any reason for endeavour- 
 ing to lessen the difficulty of erecting these prodigious 
 structures, since the wealth of the Egyptian monarchs, 
 and the number of hands employed, were undoubted- 
 ly equal to the undertaking, though confessedly great 
 and wonderful. — Diodorus tells us, that the number 
 of men employed in building the first or greatest py- 
 ramid was 360,000, large bodies of them relieving 
 one another at stated periods, and alternately taking 
 their turns of rest and labour. It is agreed that twen- 
 ty years were spent from the beginning to the finish- 
 ing of the work; and Herodotus adds, that in his 
 time there was an inscription on the pyramid, de- 
 claring how much had been expended only in radishes, 
 onions, and garlic for the workmen, being no less 
 than sixteen hundred talents of silver, or about 
 400,0001. sterling; from whence we may judge to 
 what vast sums the whole expence must have amount- 
 ed. 
 
 At a small distance from thesecond pyramid stands 
 a monstrous figure, usually called a Sphinx, which 
 the ancients represented as having the head and 
 breasts of a woman, the wings of a bird, the claws of 
 a lion, and the body of a dog. This figure the Egyp- 
 tians used in their hieroglyphics to represent a harlot, 
 intimating the danger of being captivated with the 
 beauty of a faithless woman, whom the fond lover in 
 the end, finds as cruel and rapacious as a lion. Of 
 this sphinx, however, there is little more to be dis- 
 cerned at present than from the shoulders upwards, 
 being a huge bust of a woman, all cut out of the solid 
 rock, except the upper part of the head, which seems 
 to have been a separate stone. Its height is almost 
 thirty feet, and the breadth is much the same at the 
 lower part of the neck, or beginning of the breast. It 
 is fifteen feet from the ear to the chin, and we may 
 suppose the other parts of the figure are proportion- 
 able; but the sand is so accumulated round it, that 
 one can but just discover the top of the back, wherein 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. (J5 
 
 there is a hole about five feet long, seventy-five feet 
 (according to Dr. Pococke) from the hinder part of 
 the neck, and thirty from the tail. Besides this hole 
 in the back, there is another on the top of the head, 
 into which a full grow^n person may descend, and from 
 whence it is supposed the artful priests used to deliver 
 their oracles. JSome travellers have also imagined, 
 that there is a subterraneous communication from the 
 sphinx to the largest pyramid ; but this seems to be 
 mere conjecture. This rock is dug away all round 
 the sphinx to a considerable distance, which was un- 
 doubtedly employed in building the pyramids. Pliny 
 makes mention of this sphinx, and tells us it was 
 thought to be the sepulchre of king Amasis. 
 
 THE CATACOMBS OR MUMMY PITS. 
 
 In the plain in which the last pyramids are placed, 
 are the famous catacombs or mummy-pits, of which 
 travellers give us the following description. Those 
 who have the curiosity to visit these pits, where the 
 mummies or embalmed bodies are deposited, are let 
 down by ropes, into a kind of wells about four feet 
 square, cut through a slaty rock, covered with sand, 
 which, being moved by the wind, sometimes fills up 
 these entrances. Some of the pits are twenty or 
 tv«renty-five, and others thirty feet deep ; but several 
 of them are cased, as far as the depth of the sand, 
 with large unburned bricks. At the bottom there are 
 horizontal passages, which lead into square rooms, 
 where are found the remains of embalmed bodies, 
 swathes scattered up and down, and sometimes chests 
 and coffins standing upright and entire, which are made 
 of sycamore or Pharaoh's fig-tree, and have continued 
 sound in these subterraneous apartments above three 
 thousand years, notwithstanding the wood is spongy 
 and porous to outward appearance. The top of the coffin 
 is commonly shaped like a head, with a face painted upon 
 it resembling a woman; the rest is one continued trunk, 
 and the bottom is broad and fiat, upon which it stands 
 
66 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 upright in the repository. Most of these coffins are 
 adorned with hieroglyphics, and some of them are 
 finely gilt and painted, either with the figure of some 
 tutelar deity, or that of the deceased. Little images 
 of various kinds, some of copper, others of stone, are 
 generally ranged round the pedestals of the coffins, 
 as if designed for so many guardian genii and attend- 
 ants. The bodies, upon opening the coffins, appear 
 wrapped up in a linen shroud, upon which are fasten- 
 ed several scrolls, painted with hieroglyphic charac- 
 ters. These scrolls commonly run down the belly 
 and sides, or else are fixed on the knees and legs. 
 On a kind of head-piece of linen, which covers the 
 face, the countenance of the person is represented in 
 gold, and the feet have also a covering of the same, 
 shaped like a slipper, and painted with hieroglyphics. 
 The whole body is swathed with fillets, or narrow ban- 
 dages of linen, which are wrapped round in such a 
 curious manner, with so many windings, and so often 
 one upon another, that it is supposed a corpse has 
 seldom less than a thousand ells of filleting. Those 
 especially about the head and face are laid on with 
 wonderful neatness, insomuch that the shape of the 
 eyes, nose, and mouth, are plainly perceived. The 
 breast is also covered with folds of linen richly gilt 
 and painted ; and sometimes we see the figure of a 
 woman with her arms extended, the wings of fowls, or 
 other ornaments. 
 
 It is to be observed, that the mummy-chests or cof- 
 fins are not always of wood, some few being of stone ; 
 and, of the wooden ones, some are made of boards, 
 and others hollowed out of one piece of timber. There 
 are also some bodies that have no other coffins than 
 pieces of linen gummed or glued together, which yet 
 are as durable as those of wood or stone; and there 
 are others which have no coffins at all, but are wrap- 
 ped up in reeds or branches of palm. These last, we 
 may imagine, were the poorer sort of people, whose 
 families could not bear the expence of coffins ; and it 
 is probable they were piled one upon another, where- 
 as the coffins stood upright upon their pedestals, 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 67 
 
 THE RATTLE-SNAKE. 
 
 The rattle-snake is found commonly in most of the 
 warm parts of America; and we shall be the more 
 particular on this subject, as it has afforded matter of 
 speculation and wonder to the most curious inspectors 
 into the works of nature. This creature derives its 
 name from certain joints at the end of its tail, which 
 fold over each other somewhat like the tail of a lobster; 
 and on being shook, make a rattling noise. The 
 number of these joints or rattles is uncertain, being 
 more or less according to the age of the snake, as 
 some authors assert, imaginmg that every year there 
 is the addition of a new rattle. However, they seldom 
 exceed twenty, though Mr. Dudley was told by a man 
 of credit, that he killed a rattle-snake, which had be- 
 tween seventy and eighty rattles, with a sprinkling of 
 grey hairs, like bristles, all over his body; and that it 
 was full five feet six inches long, and as big as the 
 calf of a man's leg:. Dr- Derham and others have ob- 
 served, that Providence has wisely given these rattles 
 to this poisonous serpent, that the noise might be a 
 warning to man and beast to avoid the approaching 
 danger. 
 
 The usual length of the rattle-snake Is from three 
 to five feet. Dr. Tyson dissected one four feet five 
 inches long:, whose 2:reatest circumference was six 
 inches and a half, that of the neck three inches, and 
 near the rattle two inches. The top of the head was 
 flat as in the viper, and by the protuberance of the 
 jaws it somewhat resembled the head of a bearded ar- 
 row. At the extremity of it were the nostrils; and be- 
 tween them and the eyes, but a little lower, were two 
 other orifices, which the doctor took for ears ; but he 
 afterwards found they only led into a bone that had a 
 pretty large cavity, but no perforation. The eye was 
 round, and about a quarter of an inch in diameter, 
 over which there was a large scale jetting out, which 
 seemed to serve it for an eye-lid. The scales on the 
 head were the smallest of any, those on the back the 
 
68 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 largest, increasing in proportion to the thickest part of 
 the body, and thence diminishing again to the junction 
 of the rattle, all of them in figure somewhat resembling 
 the seed of a parsnip. They were of various colours, 
 those on the head being like the feathers on the back 
 of a green-finch, speckled with black spots, four of 
 which were larger and very remarkable. Those on the 
 back were a dark fillemot and speckled, forming by 
 this mixture a curious chequer-work ; but as they ap- 
 proached the end of the tail they became darker, and 
 at last almost black. The scales on the back had an 
 edged rising in the middle, which was still less pro- 
 tuberant nearer the sides, where they were flat. The 
 belly was covered with long scales of a yellowish co- 
 lour, and speckled with black ; but beyond the anus 
 there were some scales of a lead colour, and from them 
 to the rattle were six rows of smaller scales of the 
 same colour. The scales of the belly were joined to- 
 gether by distinct muscles, the lower tendon of each 
 muscle being inserted into the upper edge of the fol- 
 lowing scale, and the other tendon of the same muscle 
 inserted about the middle of the preceding scale. To 
 each scale a rib was appropriated, whose point was 
 joined with the extremity of it, which must considera- 
 bly promote the use for which nature designed them, 
 assisting them to perform their reptile motions ; for the 
 scales are indeed so many feet, which, being free and 
 open below, do thereby take hold of the ground. They 
 move quicker on the rocks than on the earth or plains, 
 because there they have firmer footing; but in soft 
 ground, though their belly be flat, they can alter its 
 figure so as to take the deeper hold, as is observed in 
 a viper. In short, this coat of armour is so curiously 
 contrived, that, though it covers the whole body, yet 
 by its frequent jointings it admits the animal to make 
 various motions. 
 
 Upon examining the lungs of the rattle-snake, which 
 consist only of one lobe, the fore part whereof is full 
 of numerous vesicles, and the latter an entire large 
 bladder, our author takes occasion to observe, that, in 
 animals where respiration is not so frequent, nature 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. QQ 
 
 provides a sufficient store-house for the air in such 
 large bladders, whence it is dispensed as the animal 
 oecononiy requires it; for tortoises, vipers, rattle- 
 snakes, toads, &c. which sleep a great part of the 
 year, as previously to this repose they take in their 
 store of food, so perhaps of air too ; for, whilst they 
 remain thus asleep, and sometimes dead to all appear- 
 ance, it may be questioned whether they have any 
 motion of those parts w^iich are requisite to draw in 
 fresh air in inspiration. And this seems to be con- 
 firmed by the instance of a viper, which remained alive 
 some days after the skin and most of the viscera were 
 separated, and the lungs were not observed all that 
 time to rise or fall, as in inspiration and expiration, 
 but appeared equally extended with air; only as soon 
 as it died the lungs fell. The stomach of this viper 
 was empty, and so was that of the rattle-snake the 
 doctor dissected, w-hich for four months at least had 
 eaten nothing; so that, though they can live a long 
 time without food, air being necessary for their sub- 
 sistence, they are provided with the receptacles above- 
 mentioned. 
 
 The head of this snake is small, but the mouth is 
 very large, and its tongue in all respects like that of 
 a viper, and composed of two long round bodies, joined 
 together from the root two-thirds of its length. These 
 are darted out and retracted again with great agility. 
 To facilitate its exertion, the under jaw is divided for 
 a considerable space ; for if it were conjoined, as in 
 other animals, and beset with teeth, they would be apt 
 to injure the tongue, or at least it might prove incom- 
 modious to the use it is designed for, which is sup- 
 posed to be the catching of flies, and other small ani- 
 mals it has a mind to devour. Over the tono-ue lies 
 the larynx, not formed with that variety of cartilages 
 usual in other creatures, but having a sort of slit for 
 receiving and discharging the air, which, passing only 
 through such a slit, without other organs to modulate 
 it, causes the hissing sound emitted by ihe rattle-snake 
 and other serpents. 
 
 The teeth are of two sorts ; first, the lesser, which 
 
yO WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 are seated in each jaw, and serve the rattle-snakes for 
 the catching and retaining their food ; secondly, the 
 poisonous fangs which kill their prey: and, as they 
 neither chew nor bruise their food, but swallow it 
 whole, they have no occasion for grinders. Of the 
 first sort of teeth there are, in the lower jaw, two rows 
 on each side, and five in a row, the inward lesser thau 
 the outward, and in all twenty: in the upper jaw are 
 only sixteen, five on each side placed backwards, and 
 six before; and none of those are poisonous. The 
 fatal fangs are placed without the upper jaw, towards 
 the fore-part of the mouth, not fastened to the jaw- 
 bones, as the other teeth, but to muscles or tendons, 
 except the two outermost and largest, which are fixed 
 to a bone that may be taken for the ear-bone. These 
 fan^s are not to be perceived on first opening the 
 mouth, for they lie flat under a strong membrane, or 
 sheath, but are to be erected upon occasion. They 
 are hooked, and in all of them, especially the larger, 
 there is a hole towards the root, and towards the point 
 a very plain slit, from whence to the root they are per- 
 fectly hollow, as the doctor discovered by gently press- 
 ino- the side of the gum with his finger ; for then the 
 poison rose through the hollow of the teeth, and issued 
 out at the slit. This poisonous liquor is of a water- 
 colour, slightly tinged with yellow. 
 
 THE LAND CRAB. 
 
 The land-crabs are found in Barbadoes, and most 
 of the neighbouring islands in the West Indies. 
 
 The land- crab has a smooth entire thorax, and the 
 two last joints of its feet armed with spines. They are 
 of various sizes, the largest about six inches wide : 
 they walk sideways like the sea-crab, and are shaped 
 like them, but they differ considerably in colour; son.e 
 beinir black, some vellow, some red, and others varie- 
 gated with red, white, and yellow mixed. Some of 
 tliese are poisonous, and several people have died by 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 'J\ 
 
 eating them, particularly the black kind. The light 
 coloured are reckoned best; and when full of flesh, are 
 very well tasted. In some of the sugar islands they 
 are eaten without danger, and are no small help to 
 the negro slaves, who would frequently fare very hard 
 without them. 
 
 These animals live not only in a kind of orderly so- 
 ciety in their retreats among the mountains, but regu- 
 larly once a year march down to tiie sea-side, in a 
 body of some millions at a time. As they multiply in 
 great numbers, they choose the month of April or May 
 to begin their expedition; and then sally out by thou- 
 sands from the stumps of hollow trees, from the clefts 
 of rocks, and from the holes which they dig for them- 
 selves under the surface of the earth. At that time 
 the whole ground is covered with this band of adven- 
 turers, insomuch that a person cannot set down his 
 foot without treading upon them. The sea is their 
 place of destination, and to that they direct their 
 march with the utmost precision. No geometrician 
 could send them to their destined station by a shorter 
 course, for they neither turn to the right nor left, what- 
 ever obstacles may intervene ; and even if they meet 
 with a house, they will attempt to scale the walls, to 
 keep the unbroken tenor of their way. But, though 
 this be the general order of their route, they, upon 
 other occasions, are obliged to conform to the face of 
 the country; and if it is intersected with rivers, they 
 are then seen to wind along the course of the stream. 
 The procession sets forward from the mountains 
 with the regularity of an army under an experienced 
 commander. They are commonly divided into three 
 battalions; of which the first consists of the strongest 
 and boldest males, who, like pioneers, march forward 
 10 clear the route, and face the greatest dangers. 
 They are often obliged to halt for want of rain, and 
 to o-o into the most convenient encam.pment till the 
 weather changes. The main body of the army is 
 comDOsed of females, which never leave the moun- 
 tains till the rain is set in for some time, and then de- 
 scend in regular battalia, being formed into columns 
 
72 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 of fifty paces broad, and three miles deep, and so close 
 that they almost cover the ground. The rear-guard 
 follows three or four days after; a stragejling undis- 
 ciplined tribe, consisting of males and females, but 
 not so vigorous as the former. The night is their 
 chief time of proceeding; but if it rain by day, they 
 do not fail to profit by the occasion; and they continue 
 to move forward in their slow uniform manner. When 
 the sun shines hot upon the surface of the ground, 
 they make a general halt, and wait till the cool of the 
 evening. When terrified, they march back, in a con- 
 fused disorderly manner, holding up their nippers, 
 with which they sometimes tear off a piece of the skin, 
 and then leave the weapon where they inflicted the 
 wound. They even try to intimidate their enemies; 
 for they often clatter their nippers together, as if to 
 threaten those who disturb them. But though they 
 thus strive to be formidable to man, they are much 
 more so to each other; for they are possessed of one 
 most unsocial property, which is, that if any of them 
 by accident is maimed, in such a manner as to be in- 
 capable of proceeding, the rest fall upon and devour 
 it on the spot, and then pursue their journey. 
 
 When, after a fatiguing march, and escaping a thou- 
 sand dangers, (for they are sometimes three weeks in 
 getting to the shore) they have arrived at their des- 
 tined port, they prepare to cast their spawn. They 
 have no sooner reached the shore, than they go to the 
 edge of the water, and let the waves wash over their 
 bodies two or three times. This seems only a prepa- 
 ration for bringing the spawn to maturity ; for, without 
 farther delay, they withdraw to seek a lodging upon 
 land. In the mean time, the spawn grows larger, is 
 excluded out of the body, and sticks to the barbs under 
 , the tail. This bunch is seen as big: as a hen's-esfg- 
 and exactly resembles the roes of herrings. In this 
 state, they once more seek the shore, and shaking off 
 their spawn into the water, leave accident to bring it 
 to maturity. At this time whole shoals of hungry fish 
 are at the shore, in expectation of this annual supply ; 
 the sea to a gieat distance is black with them; and 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 73 
 
 about two-thirds of the crab's-eggs are immediately 
 devoured by these rapacious invaders. The eggs that 
 escape are hatched under the sand ; and soon after, 
 milhons of these Httle crabs are seen quitting the 
 shore, and slowly travelling up to the mountains. The 
 old ones, however, are not so active to return; they 
 have become so feeble and lean, that they can hardly 
 creep along, and their flesh at this time chang^es its 
 colour. Most of them, therefore, are obliged to con- 
 tinue in the flat parts of the country till they recover, 
 making holes in the earth, which they cover at the 
 mouth with leaves and dirt, that no air may enter. 
 There they throw oflP their old shells, which they leave 
 quite whole ; the place where they opened on the belly 
 being unseen. At that time they are quite naked, and 
 almost without motion for six days together, when 
 they become so fat as to be delicious food. They have 
 then under their stomachs four large white stones, 
 which gradually decrease in proportion as the shell 
 hardens, and, when they come to perfection, are not 
 to be found. It is at this time that the animals are 
 seen slowly making their way back, which is com- 
 monly performed in six weeks. 
 
 When possessed of its retreats in the mountains, the 
 land- crab is impregnable; for, only subsisting upon 
 vegetables, it seldom ventures out; and its habitation 
 being in the most inaccessible places, it remains for a 
 great part of the season in perfect security. It is only 
 when impelled by the desire of bringing forth its young, 
 and when compelled to descend into the flat country, 
 that it is taken. At that time the natives wait for their 
 descent in eager expectation, and destroy thousands ; 
 but, disregarding their bodies, they only seek for that 
 small spawn which lies on each side of the stomach 
 within the shell, of about the thickness of a man's 
 thumb. They are much more valuable upon their re- 
 turn after they have cast their shells; for being covered 
 with a skin resembling soft parchment, almost every 
 part except the stomach may be eaten. They are 
 taken in the holes, by feeling for them v/ith an instru- 
 ment, and are sought after by night, when on their 
 
 E 
 
74 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 journey, by flambeax. The instant these animals per- 
 ceive themselves attacked, they throw themselves on 
 their backs, and with their claws pinch most terribly 
 whatever they happen to fasten on. But the dextrous 
 crab-catcher takes them by the hinder legs, in such a 
 manner, that the nippers cannot touch them, and thus 
 he throws them into his bag. Sometimes also they 
 are caught when they take refuge in the bottoms of 
 holes in rocks by the sea-side, by covering the mouth 
 of the hole to prevent their getting out, and then soon 
 after, the tide enters the hole and the animal is found, 
 upon its ebbing, drowned in its retreat. 
 
 THE TURTLE, OR TORTOISE. 
 
 These animals are found on the coasts of Ascen- 
 sion, Bourbon, and many of the neighbouring African 
 islands. There are two kinds of them, viz. the land 
 and the sea-tortoise ; and the latter is of four kinds, 
 that is, the trunk turtle, the lo2:2:erhead, the hawks- 
 bill, and the green turtle; but it is only one sort, 
 called the hawksbill, which furnishes that beautiful 
 shell so much admired in Europe. Its shell is thick, 
 and consists of two parts, the one covering the back, 
 the other the belly, and the two are joined together at 
 the sides by strong ligaments, which yet allow of a 
 little motion. In the fore part is an aperture for the 
 head and fore legs, and behind for the hind legs and 
 tail. We are told that the under shell alone is used, 
 which is separated from the upper, by making a little 
 fire underneath, and as soon as it is warm it is easily 
 taken off in laminie, or leaves, with the point of a 
 knife, without killing the animal, which being turned 
 to sea again acquires a new shell. These leaves are 
 thirteen in number, eight of them flat, and five a little 
 bent ; and four of the flat ones are sometimes a foot 
 long, and six or seven inches broad. The best tor- 
 toise-shell is thick, clear, transparent, and sprinkled 
 .•with brown and white ; but, when used in marquetry, 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 75 
 
 &c. the workmen give it what colour they please, by 
 laying coloured leaves underneath it. It may be 
 fashioned in what manner the workman pleases, by 
 softening it in warm water, and then putting it into a 
 mould; for then, by the assistance of a strong iron 
 press, it will take any impression, and may afterwards 
 be adorned and embellished at pleasure. 
 
 Of the four kinds of turtle, only one of them is pro- 
 per for food ; this is the green turtle, which is gene- 
 rally esteemed, by the greatest part of tliose who are 
 acquainted with its taste, to be the most delicious of 
 all eatables; and, at the same time, nothing can be 
 more wholesome. The females go on shore to lay 
 their eggs, which they deposit in a large hole in the 
 sand, just above the high water mark, covering them 
 up and leaving them to be hatched by the heat of the 
 sun. A respectable writer informs us, that he has 
 seen, upon opening one of them, at least two hundred 
 eggs, exactly round, taken out of it, about forty of 
 which were enclosed in whitish touo-h skins, with a 
 substance like jelly round the yolk, and were ready to 
 be laid all at one time; and Mr. Rogers observes, that 
 he saw, on an island in the South Sea, a turtle that 
 had at least eight hundred eggs in its belly, a hundred 
 and fifty of which were skinned, and ready for laying. 
 In about twenty-five days after laying, the eggs are 
 hatched by the heat of the sun; and then the little 
 turtles, being as big as young quails, run directly to 
 the sea, without any guide to lead them or show them 
 the way. When any of these small ones are caught 
 before they get into the sea, they are generally fried 
 whole, and are said to be delicious eating. 
 
 Those who watch on shore for the turtles, turn them 
 on their backs, which is not performed without some 
 difficulty, for they are very heavy, and struggle hard. 
 After this, if they are not far enough on shore, they 
 haul them above high-water mark, and leave them 
 till it suits their convenience to take them away; for, 
 when once they are on their backs, they are not able 
 to stir from the place. The writer of commodore 
 Anson's voyage, says, that in the heat of the day, they 
 
 E "^ 
 
76 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 often saw great numbers of them fast asleep, floating" 
 on the surface of the water; when they usually sent 
 out their boat, with a man in the bow, who was a 
 dexterous diver; and as the boat came within a few 
 yards of the turtle, the diver plunged into the v/ater, 
 taking: care to rise close upon it ; when, seizing the 
 shell, near the tail, and pressing down the hinder 
 parts, the turtle was thereby awakened, and began to 
 strike with its feet, which motion, supported both it 
 and the diver, till the boat came up and took them in. 
 A turtle of an ordinary size, and of the best sort, will 
 yield at least two hundred pounds of flesh; and the 
 eggs, which are of the size of a hen's egg, but as round 
 as a ball, will keep for a considerable time. 
 
 Turtles being amphibious, feed on grass and weeds, 
 as well in the water as on the land; but they usually 
 make their residence and find their aliment at the bot- 
 tom of the sea. After they have fed sufficiently, they 
 take their progress into the outlets of rivers for fresh 
 water or air, and then return to their former station. 
 In the intermission of their feediu"-, they frequently 
 float with their heads above the surface of the water, 
 unless they are alarmed by any appearance of danger, 
 in which case they suddenly plunge to the bottom; 
 for the tortoise having the benefit of luniks, she can 
 distend herself by an influx of air, and be brought to 
 an equilibrium with the water, like a frog; and, like 
 other amphibious creatures, she is enabled to swim 
 by the impulse and retraction of her paws, though for 
 the generality she contents herself with creeping. 
 
 Shells in general make a very curious part of natural 
 history, on account of their great variety, the uncouth 
 make of some, and the beautiful colours and pretty 
 ornaments of others; but, as Dr. Deiham observes, it 
 ■would be endless to descend to particulars, and there- 
 fore he only mentions that of the tortoise. But, be- 
 sides the beauty of this covering, it is an instance of 
 the excellent provision the wise Creator has made for 
 the good of the animal world, being a stout guard to 
 its body, and affording a safe retreat for its head, legs, 
 ^nd tail, which it draws within the shell upon any 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 77 
 
 danger. And it is worth remarking, that the shell 
 supplies the place of all bones in the creature, except 
 those of the extreme parts, the head and neck, and 
 the four legs and tail : so that at first it is somewhat 
 surprising to see a complete skeleton consisting of so 
 small a number of bones, and yet those abundantly 
 sufficient for the use of the animal. 
 
 There remains another remarkable thing to be men- 
 tioned concerning these creatures, which is, that for 
 two or three months in the year ihey leave their com- 
 mon haunts, where they chiefly feed, and resort to 
 other places to lay their eggs ; and it is thought they 
 eat nothing during that season, so that both males and 
 females grow very lean. This however is certain, that 
 the land-tortoise, who is formed much in the same 
 manner as those of the sea, is able to subsist several 
 months without food; for those which are kept in gar- 
 dens, out of curiosity in England, are observed to bury 
 themselves in the ground at the approach of winter, 
 and there remain, in a kind of sleepy state, till the 
 return of spring invites them to leave their subterra- 
 neous retirement; for which, according to Dr. Derham, 
 they are admirably adapted by the structure of their 
 heart and lungs.j 
 
 THE COLOSSUS OF RHODES. 
 
 The name of colossus is given to any statue of an 
 enormous or gigantic size. The most eminent of this 
 kind was the colossus of Rhodes, which was a brazen 
 statue of Apollo, whose height was seventy cubits, or 
 one hundred and five feet, and every part proportion- 
 able, the thumb being so big that few men could grasp 
 it with their arms, and every finger of the size of an 
 ordinary statue. One of its feet stood on one side of 
 the mouth of the harbour, and the other on the oppo- 
 site side, so that ships under sail passed between its 
 legs. It was the work of Chares, a disciple of Ly- 
 sippus, who spent twelve years in making it, and, af- 
 
 E 3 
 
78 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 ter it had stood above 1300 years, it was thrown down 
 by an earthquake. When the Saracens made them- 
 selves masters of Rhodes, the statue was found upon 
 the srround bioken and demoHshed, and was sold to 
 a Jew, who loaded nine hundred camels with the me- 
 tal; which therefore, allowing eight hundred weight 
 to each load, (besides the diminution we may suppose 
 it had suffered by rust and theft in a long course of 
 time) amounted to 720,000 pounds weight, or three 
 hundred and sixty tons; a prodigious quantity of brass 
 to be employed in forming one single statue ! — Some 
 of the moderns have doubted whether there ever was 
 such a statue at Rhodes as the colossus above des- 
 cribed, and indeed the extravagant dimensions as- 
 cribed to it would tempt one to doubt the truth of 
 the relation : but, being mentioned by so many writers 
 of reputation, it is more than probable that there was 
 at Rhodes an image of a prodigious size, dedicated 
 to the sun ; though the hyperbolical or figurative ex- 
 pressions, used by some writers concerning it, may 
 have given occasion to others to magnify its dimen- 
 sions considerably beyond the truth. 
 
 CHINESE WALL. 
 
 OxE of the most astonishing remains of antiquity 
 now in the world, is that prodigious wall which was 
 built by the Chinese to prevent the frequent incursions 
 of the Tartars. This wall Du Halde informs us, is 
 higher and broader than the common wails of the ci- 
 ties of China, that is, about twenty-five feet in height, 
 and bioad enough for six horsemen to ride a-breast 
 upon it ; and it is fortified all along with strong square 
 towers at proper distances, to the number of three 
 thousand, which in the time of the Chinese monarchs, 
 before the Tartars subdued the country, used to be 
 guarded by a million of soldiers. The whole length 
 of it, with 'all its windings, is computed at near fifteen 
 hundred miles^ running all along the three northern 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 79 
 
 Drovinces of Pekeli, Shansi, and Shensi, and built on 
 some places which seem inaccessible, as well as over 
 rivers, and such marshes and sandy hollows as appear 
 utterly incapable of admitting a foundation for so 
 weighty a structure. It is chiefly built of brick, and 
 so strongly cemented with an extraordinary kind of 
 mortar, that though it has now stood above two thou- 
 sand years, exposed to all winds and weathers, it is 
 very little decayed, and the terrace on the top seems 
 still as firm as ever. This amazing wall was built by 
 the emperor Chihohamt, according to some authors, 
 or Tsinshiwhang, according to Du Halde, above two 
 hundred years before the birth of our Saviour; and, 
 though of such stupendous length and bulk, and car- 
 ried on over mountains and valleys, it was completed 
 within the space of five years, if we credit the Chinese 
 tradition. 
 
 Le Compe observes, that this wall was one of the 
 greatest and maddest undertakings ever known ; for, 
 though it was certainly prudent to guard the avenues, 
 nothino" could be more ridiculous than to carry a wall 
 to the top of some precipices, which it was impossible 
 the Tartarian cavalry should ever ascend : •' For my 
 part," says he, "I admire how the^materials were 
 conveyed thither; this was not done without a vast 
 expence, and the loss of more men tlian could have 
 perished in the greatest fury of their enemies." 
 
 THE SEA COW. 
 
 The Sea Cow is found among the amphibious ani- 
 mals of Kamptschatka. It never comes on shore, 
 but constantly lives in the water. It resembles the 
 cow only in its snout, having neither horns, straight 
 ears, nor legs. It is an animal like a seal, only vastly 
 larger, being about twenty-eight feet long, and of such 
 an enormous bulk, that it will sometimes weigh eight 
 thousand pounds. Its skin is black and thick, like 
 the bark of an aged oak ; and so extremely hard, that 
 
 E 5 
 
80 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 it can scarcely be cut with an axe. Its head is small 
 in proportion to its body, and its snout white and 
 rough, with white whiskers about nine inches long. 
 Instead of teeth, it has two flat white bones, one above, 
 and the other below. Its eyes are black, and no larger 
 than those of a sheep, which is remarkable in a crea- 
 ture of so monstrous a size, and its ears are only small 
 openings; its neck can scarcely be discovered, but 
 there are some vertebrse, which enable it to turn its 
 head, and to hang it down in feeding like a cow. The 
 body is round like that of a seal; the female has two 
 teats on her breast ; the tail is thick, with some re- 
 semblance to the fins of a fish. It has two fins under 
 its neck, about twenty-one inches long; these it uses 
 like hands, and not only swims with them, but takes 
 hold of the rocks with such force, that on being dragg- 
 ed thence with hooks, it will leave the skin behind. 
 
 In calm weather these animals swim in droves near 
 the mouths of the rivers: they bring forth in harvest, 
 and never have more than one at a time. They are 
 almost continually eating sea weeds, and have their 
 backs and sides above water ; upon which flocks of 
 crows settle, to pick off the vermin they find there. 
 They are caught with great iron hooks, somewhat re- 
 sembling the fluke of a small anchor. A man in a 
 boat, with three or four rowers, coming among the 
 herd, strikes the hook into one of them ; and then 
 about thirty men on the shore, who hold one end of 
 the rope that is fastened to the hook, draw the mane- 
 toe towards the land, while those in the boat stab and 
 cut the animal till it dies. When one of them strug- 
 gles to clear himself of the hook, those of the herd 
 that are nearest, come to his assistance; some frequent- 
 ly overset the boat by getting under it, and others 
 strive to remove the hook, by striking it with their 
 tails, which sometimes succeeds. The male and fe- 
 male have such an affection for each other, that when 
 one of them has in vain used every method in its 
 power to give assistance, it follows the body after it 
 is killed to the very shore, where it sometimes remains 
 two or three days. Their flesh when thoroughly 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 81 
 
 boiled, has a good taste, and resembles that of beef; 
 the fat of the young eats hke that of pork, and the 
 lean is said to resemble veal. 
 
 THE SEA CAT. 
 
 These animals are caught in spring and autumn, 
 and are thus called from the long hairs standing out 
 on both sides of the mouth. But Dampier, who saw 
 them in the south-sea, has termed them sea-bears. 
 The largest weigh about eight thousand weight. Most 
 of the females taken in spring are pregnant ; and those 
 that are near the time of parturition are immediately 
 opened, and the young ones killed. They breed on 
 the coast of America, which has been found by the 
 Russians to extend from east to west, almost to 
 Kamptschatka ; there they nurse their young three 
 months, and return with them at the end of summer. 
 The females give suck with two teats placed between 
 their hind legs ; but they have seldom more than one 
 at a time. The young see when they are whelped, 
 their eyes are as large as those of an ox ; and they 
 have thirty-two teeth, besides two tusks on each side, 
 which begin to appear the fourth day after their birth. 
 They are at first of a dark blue ; but grey hair begins 
 to appear in four or five days ; and in a month's time, 
 their belly is diversified with black and grey. The 
 male is larger and blacker than the female ; and they 
 are so different in their form and strength, that they 
 seem different animals : besides the former are fierce, 
 and the latter mild and timid. The male has from 
 eight to fifty females, of whom he is so jealous, that 
 he will allow none to come near them ; and though 
 many thousands lie on the shore, every family lives 
 apart; the male with his females, young ones, and 
 those of a year old, that have not attached themselves 
 to any male; so that the family sometimes consists of 
 a hundred and twenty. Those that are old, or have 
 
32 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 no mistress, live by themselves: and some lie asleep 
 a whole month, without nourishment. 
 
 They attack all that pass by, for on seeing a man 
 approach, some rush upon him, while others lie ready 
 to support them. They will even bite the stones that 
 are thrown at them, and rush with redoubled violence 
 on him that throws them. If the hunters strike out 
 their teeth with stones, or put out their eyes, they w^ill 
 not fly ; and indeed they dare not attempt it, for 
 could they save themselves from man, their own bre- 
 thren would destroy them ; for if any one seems to be 
 driven back ever so little, others approach to prevent 
 his running; and if he appears to design it, fall upon 
 him. Sometimes they are seen fighting for a mile to- 
 gether, and then on6 may pass them without danger. 
 If two fall upon one, othe»s advance to support the 
 weakest; for they will not allow of an unequal com- 
 bat. While these battles last, tho>e that are swimming 
 in the sea, raise their heads and look at the combat- 
 ants, and at length come ashore, and increase their 
 number. When only two of them fight, the battle 
 frequently lasts an hour; sometimes they rest, lying 
 by each other, then both rise at once, and renew the 
 engagement. 
 
 When fighting, they hold up their heads, and turn 
 aside to escape a blow ; for while their strength is 
 equal, they fight only with their fore paws; but one 
 of them no sooner becomes weak, than the other seiz- 
 ing him with his teeth, throws him on the ground, and 
 then the lookers an come to the assistance of the van- 
 quished. Their most bloody battles are when one en- 
 deavours to carry off the mistress or young females of 
 another. They also quarrel when one comes too near 
 them. 
 
 If a man endeavours to take a young one, the male 
 attacks him, while the female endeavours to escape 
 with it ; but if she drops it out of her mouth, the male 
 leaves his enemy, and seizing upon her with his teeth, 
 beats her against the stones, till she lies down as if 
 dead ; but she no sooner recovers, than she is said to 
 crawl to his feet, which she licks and washes with a 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. S3 
 
 copious flood of tears, while the male, stalking about, 
 gnashes his teeth, and tosses his head with every mark 
 of disdain and indignation. They swim exceedingly 
 fast, and when they happen to be wounded at sea, 
 they seize the boats of the fishermen with their teeth, 
 and drag them along so swiftly, that they seem to fly 
 rather than swim upon the water ; by which means 
 the boat is frequently overset, and the people drov/n- 
 ed. 
 
 GROTTO OF ANTIPAROS. 
 
 No curiosity of the kind is more deserving of atten- 
 tion than a subterraneous grotto in the island of Anti- 
 paros, in the Archipelago. It was first discovered by 
 an Italian traveller named Magni, to whom we are in- 
 debted for the following account. 
 
 " Having been informed," says our author, " that 
 in the island of Antiparos a gigantic statue was to be 
 seen at the mouth of a cavern, it was resolved that we 
 (the French consul and himself) should pay it a visit. 
 Accordingly we landed on the island, and walked 
 about four miles over some beautiful plains and slop- 
 ing woodlands, till we came to a little hill, on the side 
 of which yawned a cavern, whose terrific gloom almost 
 repressed our curiosity. After a moment's pause, 
 however, we entered ; and had not proceeded above 
 twenty paces when we perceived that the supposed 
 statue of a giant was, in reality, nothing more than a 
 sparry concretion, formed by water dripping from the 
 roof of the cave, and gradually hardening into a figure, 
 which the fears of the country people had formed into 
 a monster. 
 
 " Incited by this extraordinary appearance, we de- 
 termined to penetrate farther, in quest of new adven- 
 tures ; and as we proceeded, new wonders presented 
 themselves to our contemplation : the spars, formed 
 into a variety of trees and shrubs, exhibited a kind of 
 petrified grove, some white, some green, and all re- 
 
S4> WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 ceding in due perspective. Our amazement was much 
 .increased by considering that these objects were mere 
 productions of nature, who had, in her playful mo- 
 ments, decorated the scene for her own amusement. 
 But we had hitherto seen but a few of the wonders of 
 the place, and were only introduced into the portico of 
 this stupendous temple. 
 
 " In one corner of the half illuminated recess, we 
 discovered an opening about three feet wide, which 
 seemed to lead to a place totally dark, and which our 
 guide assured us contained nothing more than a reser- 
 voir of water. Upon this v;e threw down several 
 stones, which rumbled alono- the descent for some 
 time, and at length seemed to fall into a bed of water. 
 But as we were anxious to gain more satisfactory in- 
 telligence, we prevailed on a Levantine mariner to 
 light a flambeau, and explore the narrow aperture. 
 After continuing within it for about a quarter of an 
 hour, he returned, holding some beautiful pieces of 
 white spar in his hand, and informing us, that the 
 place was full of similar incrustations. 
 
 " We now ventured to follow him for about fifty 
 paces, cautiously descending by a steep and dangerous 
 path; but on approaching a precipice which led into 
 a sort of amphitheatre, wereturned fora ladder, flam- 
 beaux, and other things to expedite our descent. We 
 then went down into the most magnificent part of the 
 cavern, and, having lighted a number of candles, were 
 entertained with a most glittering and interesting 
 scene. The roof was hung with beautiful icicles, 
 transparent as glass, yet solid as marble; the sides 
 were regularly formed with spars ; the floor consisted 
 of solid marble ; and in several places were represen- 
 tations of magnificent columns, thrones, altars, and 
 other objects, as if nature had designed to mock the 
 richest works of art. 
 
 " In the midst of this splendid amphitheatre rose a 
 concretion of about fifteen feet high, which bore so 
 striking a resemblance to an altar that we caused mass 
 to be celebrated there. The beautiful columns that 
 shot lip round this altar appeared like candlesticks, 
 
M'ONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. §5 
 
 and many other natural objects represented the cus- 
 tomary ornaments of a church. Our voices, upon 
 speaking or singing, were increased to an astonishing 
 loudness, and the reverberations which followed the 
 firing of a gun were almost deafening. 
 
 " Below this spacious grotto there appeared another 
 cavern, into which I descended about tifty paces, by 
 means of a rope, and at length arrived at a small spot 
 of level ground, where the bottom consisted of a soft 
 clay, and easily yielded to my pressure; but here, as 
 in the upper cave, were a variety of beautiful crystaU- 
 zations, one of which particularly resembled a table. 
 Upon our egress from this stupendous grotto, we per- 
 ceived a Greek inscription upon a rock at the entrance, 
 but the characters were so obliterated by time, that it 
 was utterly impossible to decypher them." 
 
 From this account M. Tournefort varies in many 
 particulars : for whereas Magni mentions only one 
 abrupt descent or precipice from the entrance to the 
 most magnificent part of the grotto, the other gentle- 
 man asserts, that there are many dangerous precipices 
 and rugged ways, through which a visitor must some- 
 times creep on his belly. He likewise informs us, that 
 the Greek inscription, near the entry, contains a num- 
 ber of proper names ; and that there is a tradition 
 among the neighbouring peasants, that these are the 
 names of some persons who conspired against Alex- 
 ander the Great, and afterwards fled for refuge to this 
 sequestered retreat. 
 
 The most particular account of this grotto, however, 
 that has hitherto been published, appeared in the Bri- 
 tish Magazine in the year 1746, which, as it seems to 
 bear strong marks of authenticity, we shall insert for 
 the entertainment of our readers. 
 
 ''The entrance," says the writer of this article, 
 " lies in the side of a rock, about two miles from the 
 sea-shore; and is a very large arch, formed of rough 
 craggy rocks, overhung with brambles and climbing 
 plants that give it an air of awful gloominess. Our 
 surgeon, myself, and four other persons, attended by 
 six guides with lighted torches, entered this cavern 
 
86 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 about eight o'clock in the morning, in the middle of 
 August. We had not proceeded twenty yards when 
 we lost all sight of day-light , but the roof and sides 
 of the alley through which we were passing, glittered 
 like diamonds by the reflection of our torches. At 
 the end of this passage we were presented with ropes 
 to tie about our middles, whicli when we had done, 
 our guides led us to the brink of a most terrific preci- 
 pice. The dreadful depth of this place, and the horror 
 of a descent through a miserable darkness, made me 
 look back to the lane of diamonds we had just passed; 
 but the hope of seeing something curious at the end 
 of my journey, tempted me to lower myself down by 
 a rope as the guides directed. After reaching the 
 bottom, and congratulating my friends on our safe 
 descent, I enquired for the grotto ; but our guides told 
 us we had a great way to go yet; and they immedi- 
 ately led us forward, under a ridge of rugged rocks, 
 to the brink of another precipice, much deeper and 
 more terrible than the former. Two of the guides 
 now preceded us with torches ; and by their light we 
 could discern that this passage was not so perpendi- 
 cular as the other, but lay in a steep slant, with a 
 very slippery rock for the bottom ; vast pieces of rock 
 jutting out on one side in the descent, and forcing the 
 guides sometimes to creep under, sometimes to climb 
 over, and at other times to go quite round them ; 
 whilst a series of dark caverns, like so many monstrous 
 wells, yawned on the opposite side, ready, if a man 
 should slip, to swallow him up for ever. 
 
 " We stood some time on the edge, to watch the 
 motions of our guides ; and were equally amazed and 
 terrified to see them descend before us until they 
 seemed at a most frightful depth. On their calling 
 to us from .the bottom, we began to descend after 
 them ; but we had not gone thirty feet down when we 
 came to a place where the rock was perfectly perpen- 
 dicular, and a vast cavern seemed ready to swallow 
 us on one side, while a w^all of rugged rock threatened 
 to crush us on the other. At this terrible prospect I 
 was quite disheartened, and declared I would proceed 
 
V» ONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. g/" 
 
 no further ; but as the guides assured us there was 
 no danger, and my companions resolved to see the 
 bottom, I proceeded to a corner where was placed an 
 old ladder, and by this we all descended. 
 
 "Having surmounted this difficulty, we found our- 
 selves at the entrance of another passage, which, as 
 we slid down, appeared to be about nine feet high, 
 and seven wide, and to have for its bottom a o-reen 
 glossy marble. The walls and arched roof being as 
 smooth as if wrought by art, and composed of a glit- 
 tering red and white granite, supported with red por- 
 phyry, made a mosi splendid appearance. When we 
 entered this passage I expected that we should, at the 
 botton^ join the two guides we had first set down; 
 but alas! when we got there we found ourselves at 
 the n^outh of another precipice, which we descended 
 by a second ladder not much better than the former. 
 The dread of falling employed all my thoughts during 
 this descent ; but I observed, as my companions were 
 coming down after me, that the wall to which the 
 ladder was fastened, was a solid mass of red marble, 
 covered with white sprigs of rock crystal, and making, 
 with the glow of the purple from behind, one immense 
 sheet of amethysts. 
 
 *' After sliding about twenty feet through another 
 shallow vault of green and white marble, and refresh- 
 ing ourselves with a little rum, we proceeded through 
 a slanting passage of rough coarse stone, full of figures 
 of snakes rolled round, and seeminsrlv alive ; but in 
 reality as cold and hard as the rest of the stone. 
 When we had walked about two hundred yards down 
 this descent, we sav/ two beautiful pillars, of a glitter- 
 ing yellow marble, which seemed formed to support 
 the roof; and soon afterwards we descended another 
 precipice, which the guides assured us was the last. 
 
 " At the bottom of this precipice, we found our- 
 selves, for some way, upon plain even ground ; but 
 after walking about forty yards, we entered an alley, 
 the sides and roof of which were entirely composed 
 of black stone, and the rocks were in some places so 
 steep and rugged, that we were forced to slide down 
 
g8 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 on our backs, and were bruised miserably in passing. 
 Over our heads were nothing but dismal rocks, some 
 of which threatened to fall in upon us, and the light 
 of our guides' torches only served to show the sur- 
 faces of some dirty lakes of water. 
 
 '' If I had repented of my expedition before, I now 
 gave myself over for lost; bitterly accusing all the 
 travellers who had given such a description of the 
 place as excited people's curiosity, without warning 
 them of the horrors that lay in the way. In the midst 
 of 'these sad reflections we lost four of our guides, 
 and as the place was now much darker for want of 
 their torches, I expected to follow them into some of 
 those lakes where I supposed they had inevitably pe- 
 rished, although the two remaining guides assured us 
 that we should soon meet their companions again, and 
 that we were very near the end of our journey. 
 
 " Our passage was now become extremely narrow, 
 and we were obliged to crawl on our hands and knees 
 over the rugged rocks, when, in an instant, I heard a 
 hissing noise, and found myself in total darkness. 
 The guides told us they had accidentally dropped their 
 torches in a puddle of water, but exhorted us to crawl 
 forward, and told us there was no danger. I was, in- 
 deed, astonished at the courage of these men in a 
 place where I thought four of them had already pe- 
 rished ; but as I thought it impossible for any of us to 
 escape from our present situation, I determined to lie 
 down and die where I was. One of the guides, how- 
 ever, immediately came up to me, and, clapping his 
 hand firmly over my eyes, dragged me a few paces 
 forward. Whilst 1 was in this strange situation, ex- 
 pecting death in a thousand shapes, and trembling at 
 the rough behaviour of Hgy conductor, he suddenly 
 lifted me over a great stone, set me on my feet, and 
 removed his hand from my eyes. But what language 
 can express my transport and astonishment at that mo- 
 ment, when instead of darkness and despair, all was 
 splendor and magnificence before me ? My friends all 
 appeared about me ; the place was illuminated by fifty 
 torches : and all the guides welcomed me into the 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. gQ 
 
 Grotto of Antiparos. T now found that the four men 
 whom I had deemed lost, had given us the shp, in 
 order to get the torches Hghted before we came ; and 
 the other two had wilfully put out their lights, that 
 we might enter out of utter darkness into this pavilion 
 of splendor and glory. 
 
 " The grotto in which we now were, is a hundred 
 and twenty yards wide, a hundred and thirteen long, 
 and about sixty yards high. These dimensions are 
 somewhat different from those which travellers have 
 generally presented to the public; but they are cer-- 
 tainly accurate, for I took them with my own hand. 
 Imagine, then, an immense arch like this, lined with 
 crystallized white marble, and illuminated by fifty 
 torches, and you will have some idea of the place in 
 ■which I spent three hours. 
 
 "The roof, which is a fine vaulted arch, is hung all 
 over with icicles of white marble, some of them ten 
 feet long, and as thick as a man's waist; and from 
 these depend a thousand festoons of leaves and flow- 
 ers of the same substance, but so extremely glittering, 
 that it is impossible to look upon them without daz- 
 zling one's eyes. The sides of the arch seem planted 
 with trees of white marble, rising in rows above each 
 other ; from these are hung beautiful festoons, tied as 
 it were, from one to another, in prodigious quantities; 
 and in some places there actually seem to be rivers of 
 marble, winding in a thousand elegant meanders. All 
 these 'things have been made, in a long course of 
 years, by the dropping of water, but they really look 
 like trees and brooks transformed to marble. 
 
 " The floor was rough and uneven, with red, blue, 
 green, and yellow crystals growing out of it in an ir- 
 regular manner: these were all shaped like pieces of 
 salt-petre, but so hard that they cut our shoes; and 
 among them are placed icicles, or small pillars of white 
 shining marble, to each of which our guides fastened 
 two or three torches. All round the sides of the arch 
 are white masses of marble in the shape of oak trees, 
 and sufficiently large, in many places, to inclose a 
 piece of ground big enough for a bedchamber. One 
 
90 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 of these chambers has a beautiful curtain, whiter than 
 sattin, of the same marble, stretching entirely over 
 the front, on which we all cut our names and the date 
 of our visit, as many other persons had done before 
 
 us." 
 
 THE EVERLASTING FIRE. 
 
 In the neighbourhood of Baku, on the Caspian sen, 
 is a phenomenon of a very extraordinary nature, called 
 the " everlastiROf fire," to which a sect of Indians and 
 Persians, called Gaurs, pay religious worship. 
 
 It is situated about ten miles from the city of Baku, 
 in the province of Shir van, on a dry rocky spot of 
 ground. Here are several ancient temples built with 
 stone, and supposed to have been all dedicated to 
 fire; and among the others there is a little temple in 
 which the Indians now worship. Near the altar is a 
 large hollow cane, from the end of which issues a blue 
 flame, in colour and gentleness resembling a lamp, 
 but seemingly more pure. The Indians affirm that 
 this flame has continued ever since the flood; and 
 they believe that if it were resisted or suppressed in 
 that place, it would break out, and rise in some other. 
 
 At a short distance from this temple, is a low clifF 
 of a rock, in which there is a horizontal gap, two feet 
 from the ground, n^ar six feet long, and about three 
 feet broad, out of which issues a constant flame of the 
 colour and nature already described. When the wind 
 blows, it sometimes rises to the height of eight feet, 
 but is much lower in calm weather. 
 
 The earth round this place, for more than two miles, 
 has this extraordinary property, that by taking up two 
 or three inches of the surface, and applying a live coal 
 to it, the part so uncovered immediately takes fire, 
 almost before the coal touches the earth. The flame 
 makes the soil hot, but does not consume it, nor affect 
 what is near it with any degree of heat. It is said 
 that eight horses were once consumed by this fire, 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. Ql 
 
 being under a roof where the surface of the ground 
 had been turned up, and by some accident had taken 
 flame. 
 
 If a cane, or tube of paper, be set about two inches 
 in the ground, closed with earth below, and the top 
 of it touched with a live coal, a flame will immediately 
 issue out without consuming the tube, provided the 
 edges be covered with clay. Three or four of these 
 lighted canes will boil water in a pot, and are some- 
 times used to cook victuals. The flame may be ex- 
 tinguished in the same manner as that of spirits of 
 wine. It smells sulphureous, like naptha, but is not 
 very offensive. 
 
 THE COCHINEAL INSECT. 
 
 Amongst the most curious animals of North Ame- 
 rica may be reckoned the little insect which affords 
 that valuable drug called cochineal, of great use in 
 dying crimsons and scarlets, and esteemed in medi- 
 cine as a cardiac and alexipharmic. Naturalists have 
 been strangely divided with respect to the origin of 
 cochineal, some referring it to the vegetable, and others 
 to the animal kingdom ; to which last it is now proved 
 to belong by incontestable evidence* 
 
 These insects, so highly valued in every part of the 
 world for the incomparable beauty of their colour, are 
 of two sexes, but exceedingly dissimilar in their ap- 
 pearance. The female is ill shaped, tardy, and stupid; 
 its eyes, mouth, and antennae are fixed so deep, and 
 are so concealed in the folds of the skin, that it is im- 
 possible to distinguish them without a microscope. 
 The male is very scarce, and is sufficient for upwards 
 of three hundred females : it is active, small, and slen- 
 der in comparison with the female, and its neck is 
 much narrower than the rest of its body. Its throat 
 is of an eliptic form, a little longer than the head and 
 neck put together, and flattened below ; its antennae 
 are jointed, and from each joint issue long slender hairs^ 
 
92 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 that are disposed in pairs on each side. It has six 
 feet, each formed of distinct parts. From the posterior 
 extremity of its body two large hairs or bristles are 
 extended, which are about four or five times the length 
 of the insect. 
 
 To the upper part of the thorax are affixed two 
 wings of an oblong form, which fall, like the wings of 
 common flies, when the insect walks or rests : they 
 are strengthened by two oblong muscles, one of which 
 extends itself on the outside all round the wing; and 
 the other, which is internal and parallel to the former, 
 seems interrupted toward the summit of the wings. 
 
 When these little animals can bear the open air, 
 which is early in the spring, they soon grow large 
 enough to produce young ones ; at which time they 
 put twelve or fourteen together into a little nest, made 
 of fine soft hay, straw, moss of trees, or the down that 
 immediately encompasses the cocoa-nut. These nests 
 are placed upon the nopal, or prickly Indian fig-tree, 
 which is carefully cultivated for this purpose ; and in 
 three or four days a great many young ones are pro- 
 duced, after which the old ones die. The young ones, 
 coming out of their nests, climb up the nopal, fix 
 themselves to it, and suck its juice, which is their only 
 nourishment, for they do not eat the plant; and there- 
 fore they seek out those parts of it that are greenest 
 and fullest of juice, taking care to place themselves so 
 as to be screened from the wind and weather. During: 
 this time, whilst they are growing up and become 
 pregnant, great care is taken that no vermin incom- 
 mode them, and also to keep them clean, and disen- 
 gage them from certain threads like cobwebs, that 
 grow upon the nopal. They are likewise to be shel- 
 tered from too much heat or cold, and from the rain 
 and wind, for the finest of these insects are very tender. 
 The wild sort indeed bear all these inconveniences ; 
 but then they are gritty, of an ill smell, and of little 
 value. 
 
 With respect to the gathering of cochineal, they 
 first take the females, which die in the nests, after 
 having brought forth their young; and three or four 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 03 
 
 months after this, as the season permits, when the 
 first young ones are become large enough to bring 
 forth, and have produced some few, the Indians care- 
 fully gather them off the nopal with a small brush like 
 a pencil. Being thus collected, the little creatures 
 are killed by hot water or fire, and are called the se- 
 cond gathering, or rather the first of the young ones 
 that have been nourished and raised in the open air. 
 In three or four months more they gather the second 
 brood of those that have been brought forth upon the 
 nopal, and have likewise produced some young ones; 
 which is done much in the same manner as before, only 
 now they take from the plant a great m-any young 
 ones with their parent insects; and, from the number 
 of small ones found amongst this gathering of cochi- 
 neal, it is called granilla. In the mean time they keep 
 a number of these young ones alive upon the nopals, 
 which they pluck up or cut down, and take them into 
 their houses, in order to nourish the insects during the 
 rainy season. Lastly, when these are grown lar^e, 
 they put them into the nest, and proceed in the man- 
 ner above related; so that they usually make three 
 gatherings in a year. 
 
 The manner of planting the nopal is, by making 
 rows of holes about half a yard deep, and two yards 
 distant from each other. In each of these holes are 
 placed one or two leaves of the Indian fig-tree, in a 
 flat position, and then they are covered with earth. 
 This leaf soon shoots up into a single stem, which 
 during its growth, divides into several branches, which 
 successively produce fresh leaves, the largest being 
 nearest the stem, and full of knots, as are also the 
 branches, and from these the leaves have their origin. 
 The plant seldom exceeds three yards in height; its 
 blossom is small, of a bright red, and in the shape of 
 a bud, from the centre of which proceeds the fruit. 
 Wheu the fig is ripe, the outward skin becomes white, 
 and yet the pulp is fully impregnated with a deep red, 
 yet few fruits are more pleasant and wholesome. It 
 is remarkable, that this insect does not, in any visible 
 ;Tianner, injure the plant, but extracts its nourishment 
 
94 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 from the most succulent juice, which it sucks by 
 means of its proboscis, through the fine teguments of 
 the leaves. 
 
 There are three ways of killing these insects, viz. by 
 hot water, by little ovens made for that purpose, or 
 by roasting them upon flat stoves with fire under them, 
 such as the Indian women use to bake their bread. 
 These three different methods give the cochineal three 
 different colours. The first makes it of a brown red, 
 the hot water taking off the whiteness that covers the 
 insect when alive. The second makes them of an 
 ash-colour, and marbled ; and the third makes them 
 black, as if they had been burnt. Of the old ones 
 that die after bringing forth their young, four pounds, 
 when dried, produce but one, or rather one pound is 
 reduced to four ounces; but three pounds only of the 
 living ones, that have been carefully taken off the 
 nopals, being killed and dried, produce the same 
 quantity. 
 
 However, it seems proper to observe, that, though 
 cochineal is now known to be produced by an animal, 
 there is a berry growing in America, which yields a 
 dye almost as beautiful as that of the insect. The 
 first shoots of the tree produce a yellow flower, then 
 comes the fruit which is long, and opens when ripe 
 with a cleft of three or four inches. This fruit is full 
 of kernels or grains, which fall on the least agitation, 
 and are carefully gathered up by the Indians. Eight 
 or ten of these fruits will yield about an ounce of grain; 
 and a person may easily take it for the animal cochi- 
 neal, but this last is much the most esteemed. 
 
 THE NATURAL BRIDGE OF VIRGINIA. 
 
 The natural bridge of Virginia, in North America, 
 is one of the most sublime of Nature's works, and 
 consequently demands a place in a work of this nature. 
 It is on the ascent of a hill, which seems to have been 
 ploven through its length by some great convulsion. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 95 
 
 The fissure just at the bridge is, by some admeasure- 
 ments two hundred and seventy feet deep, but by 
 others only two hundred and five. It is about forty- 
 five feet wide at the bottom, and ninety at the top ; 
 which of course determines the length of the bridge, 
 and its elevation from the water. Its breadth in the 
 middle is about sixty feet, but more at the ends, and 
 the thickness of the mass at the summit of the arch is 
 about forty feet. A part of this thickness is constituted 
 by a coat of earth, which gives growth to many large 
 trees ; and the residue, with the hill on both sides, is 
 one solid rock of lime-stone. The arch approaches 
 the semi-elliptical form, but the larger axis of the 
 ellipses, which would be the cord of the arch, is seve- 
 ral times longer than the transverse. 
 
 " Though the sides of this bridge," says Mr. Jeffer- 
 son, " are provided in some parts with a parapet of 
 fixed rocks, yet few persons have resolution to walk 
 over them, and look over into the abyss. You invo- 
 luntarily fall on your hands and knees, creep to the 
 parapet, and peep over it. Looking down from this 
 height about a minute gave me a violent head-ache. 
 But if the view from the top be painful and intolerable, 
 that from below is delightful in an equal extreme. It 
 is impossible, indeed, for the emotions arising from 
 the sublime to be felt beyond what they are here : so 
 beautiful an arch, so elevated, so light, and springing 
 as it were up to heaven, the rapture of the spectator 
 is really indescribable 1 The fissure continuing nar- 
 row, deep, and straight for a considerable distance 
 above and below the bridge, opens a short, but very 
 pleasing view of the North Mountain on one side, and 
 ' Blue Ridge on the other, at the distance each of them 
 of about five miles. This bridge is in the county of 
 Rock-bridge, to which it has given name, and affords 
 a public and commodious passage over a valley, which 
 cannot be crossed elsewhere for a considerable dis- 
 tance. The stream passing under it, called Cedar 
 Creek, is the water of James river, and is sufficient in 
 the driest seasons to turn a grist-mill, though its foun- 
 tain is not more than tw^o miles above." 
 
96 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 THE SECRETARY FALCON. 
 
 This singular bird, the Secretary Falcon, inhabits 
 the internal parts of Africa, and is frequently seen 
 at the Cape of Good Hope. It is also met with in the 
 Philippine islands. It has the peculiar faculty of 
 striking forwards with its legs, never backwards. 
 Forster mentions a circumstance, which he supposes 
 to be peculiar to this bird; that should it by any ac- 
 cident break the leg, the bone would never unite 
 again. Dr. Solander saw one of these birds take up 
 a snake, small tortoise, or such like, in its claws; and 
 when dashing it against the ground with great vio- 
 lence, if the victim was not killed at first, it repeated 
 the operation till that end was answered ; after which 
 it devoured it. 
 
 M. Le Vaillant witnessed an engagement between 
 a secretary falcon and a serpent. The battle was ob- 
 stinate, and was conducted with equal address on both 
 sides. But the serpent at length feeling the inferiority 
 of his strength, employed, in his attempt to regain his 
 hole, all that cunning which is attributed to the tribe; 
 while the bird, apparently guessing his design, stopped 
 him on a sudden and cut off his retreat, by placing 
 herself before him at a single leap. On whatever side 
 the reptile endeavoured to make his escape, his enemy 
 still appeared before him. Then, uniting at once both 
 bravery and cunning, the serpent boldly erected him- 
 self to intimidate the bird ; and, hissing dreadfully, 
 displayed his menacing throat, inflamed eyes, and a 
 head swollen with rage and venom. Sometimes this 
 threatening appearance produced a momentary sus- 
 pension of hostilities ; but the bird soon returned to 
 the charo-e, and, coverina: her body with one of her 
 wings as a buckler, struck her enemy with the bony 
 protuberance of the other. " I saw him (says M. V.) 
 at last stagger and fall : the conqueror then fell upon 
 him to dispatch him, and, with one stroke of her beak, 
 laid open his skull." At this instant M. Le Vaillant 
 fired at and killed the bird. In her craw he tound, 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 97 
 
 on dissection, eleven tolerably large lizards ; three ser- 
 pents, each two feet long; elev^en small tortoises, 
 most of which were about two inches in diameter ; and 
 a number of locusts and other insects, several of them 
 sufficiently whole. He observed too, that, in addi- 
 tion to this mass of food, the craw contained a sort of 
 ball, as large as the egg of a goose, formed of the ver- 
 tebrae of serpents and lizards; shells of tortoises; and 
 wings, claws, and shields of different kinds of beetles. 
 
 THE ALPS. 
 
 The Alps, which divide Italy from France and 
 Germany, are the highest mountains in Europe, being, 
 according to some geometricians, about two miles in 
 perpendicular height. They begin at the Mediterra- 
 nean; and extending northward, separate Piedmont 
 and Savoy from the adjacent countries, whence direct- 
 ing their course toward the east, they form a bound- 
 ary between Switzerland and Italy, and terminate near 
 the Adriatic, north-east of Venice. 
 
 The prospect from many parts of this range of moun- 
 tains is peculiarly romantic, especially from the Grand 
 Chartreuse, which is a monastery, said to have been 
 founded about the year 1084. From the village of 
 Echelles to the top of the Chartreuse is a narrow wind- 
 ing road, skirted on one side^with umbrageous woods 
 of pine, and on the other by a terrific precipice, at the 
 bottom of which a torrent of water rolls over huge 
 masses of stone, and occasionally precipitates itself 
 down abrupt descents, with a thundering sound, that 
 is rendered still more tremendous by the echo from 
 the neighbouring mountains. This rude scenery, to- 
 gether with the singular views made by the crag^-gs 
 and cliffs, and the numerous cascades which tumble 
 from the very summit into the bosom of the vale, con- 
 cur to form one of the most solemn and interesting 
 scenes in nature ; and to inspire a contemplative spec- 
 
 E 
 
98 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 tator with becoming sentiments of reverence for the 
 power, wisdom, and majesty of the Adorable Creator. 
 
 Amongst the natural wonders of the Alps, the Gla- 
 ciers, or valleys of ice, are most particularly deserving 
 of attention ; and these may be properly divided into 
 the Upper and Lower Glaciers, the first covering the 
 declivities of the mountains, and the other occupying 
 the intermediate valleys. 
 
 The Upper Glaciers may be subdivided into those 
 which cover the summits, and those which extend 
 along the sides of the Alps. Those on the very sum- 
 mit consist chiefly of snow, hardened by the extreme 
 cold; but the sides are incrusted wilh a mixture of 
 ice and snow, by reason of the superior power of the 
 summer sun to dissolve the snow, which afterwards 
 congeals into ice. 
 
 The Lower Glaciers, which are by far the most con- 
 siderable, extend in some places to a length of several 
 leagues. They do not, however, communicate with 
 , each other; few of them being parallel to the central 
 chain, but, stretching mostly in a transverse direction, 
 their hitJ:her extremities are bordered by inaccessible 
 rocks, and their lower ones extend into the cultivated 
 valleys. The thickness of the ice appears to vary 
 considerably in different parts; for M. Saussure ob- 
 serves, that in the Glacier de Bois, he did not find it 
 exceed a hundred feet, though he was credibly in- 
 formed that in other places it was upwards of six hun- 
 dred feet. 
 
 These prodigious masses of ice generally rest on an 
 inclined plane ; where, being pushed forward by their 
 own enormous weiaht, and but weakly supported by 
 the rocks beneath, they are intersected by many large 
 chasms, and exhibit a fantastic appearance of walls, 
 pyramids, &c. The surface of the ice is rough and 
 granulated, so that persons may walk upon it in per- 
 fect safety, except in such parts as have a steep descent, 
 or are covered with a collection of earth and stones, 
 which have fallen from the mountains, and is generally 
 known by the appellation of the Moraine. A cele- 
 
WONHERS OV NATURAE AND ART. QQ 
 
 brated traveller who visited the Glacier de Bois in- 
 foruis us, that its appearance, at a distance, was reallv 
 tremendous, and that the design of crossing it seemed 
 utterly impracticable. Numerous broad chasms in- 
 tersected it in every direction; but when the company 
 entered upon it, they found that courage and activity 
 were only required to accomplish their task. Having 
 passed the Moraine, and entered upon the great body 
 of the glacier, they observed an abundance of little 
 rills, which, being produced by the thawing of the ice 
 on the upper parts of the glacier, precipitated them- 
 selves into the chasms with a violent noise, increasing 
 the body of waters formed by the melting of the inte- 
 rior surface, and finding an outlet under the immense 
 arch of ice in the valley of Chamouny. " Having 
 proceeded about an hour," says Mr. Coxe, " we were 
 astonished with a view more magnificent than imagi- 
 nation can Conceive ; hitherto the glaciers had scarcely 
 answered my expectations, but now they far surpassed 
 them. Nature had clad herself in all her terrors. 
 Before us lay a valley of ice, twenty miles in extent, 
 bounded by a circular glacier of pure unbroken snow, 
 surrounded by large conical rocks, terminating in 
 sharp points, like the towers of an ancient fortification ; 
 to the right rose a range of magnificent peaks, and far 
 above the rest the magnificent summit of Mount Blanc, 
 which appeared of such immense magnitude, that, at 
 his presence, the circumjacent mountains, however 
 gigantic, seemed to shrink before him, and hide their 
 diminished heads. In half an hour we crossed the 
 Moraine, which forms a boundary of the valley, and 
 proceeded upon a body of ice about three quarters of 
 a mile broad. Then passing a second and third Mo- 
 raine, we descended upon the last ridge of ice, which 
 was considerably broader than the two'former, and full 
 of large chasms." They continued to ascend the gla- 
 cier, the scene constantly increasing in awful magni- 
 ficence; and after walking about five miles, ihey quiUed 
 the ice, and gained the top of an eminence called the 
 Couverck, whence they had a most interesting pros- 
 pect of the surrounding scenery. 
 
 F 2 
 
100 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 In the narrative of Mr. Bouveit's journey to this ro- 
 mantic country, is also a very interesting account of 
 the Prieure, in the valley of Chamouny. — " We had," 
 says he, " the magnificent prospect of a chain of 
 mountains, totally inaccessible, and covered with ice; 
 and above the rest that of Mount Blanc, whose sum- 
 mit seemed to pierce the highest region of clouds. 
 The chain upon which this mountain looks down hke 
 a giant, is composed of masses of rock, terminating 
 in spires, which are called the needles, and are ranged 
 like tents in a camp. Their sides appear remarkably 
 light and airy, from the ornaments of several breaks 
 and furrows in the rock itself, as well as from the dif- 
 ferent streaks of ice and snow, which, without chang- 
 ing the general character of their form, or the majesty 
 of their appearance, give them a picturesque variety. 
 Lower down, the eye surveys, with astonishment, the 
 gills of ice, and the several glaciers, extending almost 
 into the richly cultivated plain ; and a picturesque op- 
 position to this chain is formed by innumerable moun- 
 tains, at the distance of nearly fifty leagues, between 
 whose tops is a partial glimpse of the plains which 
 they environ. 
 
 " In the valley of Montanvert," says the same re- 
 spectable writer, " we beheld a spacious icy plain, 
 upon which there rose a mountain of ice, with steps 
 ascending to the top, and resembling the throne of 
 some divinity. It likewise assumed the form of a 
 grand cascade, whose figure was beyond conception 
 beautiful, and the sun, shining upon it, gave a spark- 
 ling brilliance to the whole ; while the valley on our 
 right hand was ornamented with prodigious glaciers, 
 that shot up to an immeasurable height between the 
 mountains, and seemed to blend their colours with 
 the skies." 
 
 From one of the openings in the valley of Cha- 
 mouny, the river Arbairon rushes under two arches of 
 ice, composed of many vertical shoots, which resemble 
 the finest crystal, and reflect an infinity of the bright- 
 est colours. The Arbairon is a large stream that falls 
 into the Arva, carrying along with it many particles of 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. IQl 
 
 gold; and the rivulet of Argentiere flowing from a 
 glacier of the same name, is also enriched with parti- 
 cles of gold and silver. 
 
 The Avalanches, or snow-balls, which sometimes 
 gather and roll down the sides of these mountains, are 
 equally surprising and dangerous to travellers. They 
 are occasioned by the dropping of a quantity of snow 
 from some prominent rock, which increases as it falls 
 down the steep declivities, till it becomes of a prodi- 
 gious size, and sweeps away houses, trees, men, horses, 
 or whatever it meets with in its passage. As they 
 fall suddenly, and with great rapidity, it is very diffi- 
 cult for passengers to avoid them ; and nothing is able 
 to resist their force till they get to the bottom, where 
 they are generally broken in pieces by the violence of 
 the shock. Some of these mountain snow-balls have 
 been found, by measuring their track, to be above a 
 hundred yards in diameter; and one of them, in the 
 year 1695, fell upon a village in the night-time, and 
 destroyed eleven houses, besides barns and stables 
 burying men, women, and cattle in the ruins. These 
 terrible accidents are sometimes produced even by the 
 leaping of a chamois, the firing of a pistol, or any 
 noise that shakes the air, and loosens the snow from 
 the rocks above : for which reason, in places of the 
 greatest danger, people are careful to travel early, and 
 with all possible silence. Some of these avalanches 
 indeed are not so destructive ; for consisting of new- 
 fallen snow, driven by the wind, they are lighter, and 
 persons buried under them may live a long time with- 
 out being suffocated, and are often relieved by men 
 kept in pay to clear the roads, and give assistance on 
 such occasions. 
 
 The manner of crossing the Alps in some places is 
 extremely curious: the inhabitants of Mount Cennis, 
 who run up steep acclivities, loaded with the most 
 heavy burdens, without suffering the least inconve- 
 nience, carry a person directly up a mountain, whose 
 height is a good hour's journey, without panting or 
 resting; and, on the plain above, proceed with amazing 
 dispatch. Then, having retitted the chairs, which is 
 
 F 3 
 
J02 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 done in a few minutes, they carry the company orer 
 the -worst part of the wav, for two hours tocrether. 
 makmj^ only four pauses, and those very short ones :-— 
 such is the effect of custom, and of tlie simple diet, to 
 which they owe their uncommon longevity, many of 
 them attaining to above an hundred years of age. 
 Milk is their usual food, and they seldom taste any 
 wine. To secure their footing, their shoes are without 
 heels, and the soles rubbed with wax and rosin. The 
 machines in which they are carried, are a kind of 
 straw chairs, with low backs, two arms, and instead 
 of feet, a little board hanging down by cords, for rest- 
 ing the traveller's legs. The seat, which is made of 
 bark and ropes twisted together, is fastened to two 
 poles, and carried like a sedan, with broad leathern 
 straps. 
 
 During winter, the plain on the top of Mount Cennis, 
 being always covered with snov/, is crossed in sledges, 
 drawn by a horse or mule. In some places, the de- 
 scent is performed in chairs, but from Mount Cennis 
 to Laneburg, it is conducted in a most surprising 
 manner. On the edge of the declivity is a house, 
 where the traveller, getting into a sledge with his 
 guide, slides down with such rapidity, that he is car- 
 ried about three miles in seven or eight minutes, the 
 swiftness of the motion almost taking away his breath. 
 The guide sits forward, steerirg with a stick, and has 
 on each side an iron chain, which he drops like an 
 anchor, either to slacken or stop the couise of the 
 sledge. 
 
 Jn some of these mountains the river Arva runs for 
 many miles between high, craggy, and inaccessible 
 rocks> which seem as if split on purpose, to give its 
 rapid waters a free passage. The astonishing echos 
 and continual sounds occasioned by its streams, the 
 trampling of the horses and mules, and the halloo'ng 
 of passeng;ers in these places, are reverberated several 
 times, with such amazing loudness, as fills a stranger 
 with emotions of indescribable terror; and the firing 
 of a gun or pistol, is here more dreadful than the loud- 
 est clap of thunder. The great cataracts of the river 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 103 
 
 are, in several places, more or less loud and terrible 
 according as the waters are swelled by the melting 
 snows, with which the tops of the mountains are co- 
 vered. One in particular falls with great noise and 
 violence from a prodigious high rock, above eleven 
 hundred feet. 
 
 It has been already observed, that the Alps are the 
 highest mountains in Europe, not only from barome- 
 trical observations, but because they give rise to those 
 rivers which water all the countries around them ; and 
 they may probably vie in height with most of the con- 
 siderable mountains in other parts of the globe. The 
 Joch, a high mountain in the territory of Engelberg, 
 bordering upon the canton of Bern, has been found by 
 the falling of the mercury in the barometer, according 
 to Dr. Scheuchzer's calculation, to be five thousand 
 nine hundred and twenty-six feet above the level of 
 the sea : and yet this is far from being the highest 
 mountain in that neighbourhood, for next to it rises 
 another called Titlisberg, covered with perpetual snow, 
 which is at least a thousand feet higher. The Gemmi 
 is a very lofty mountain, over which there is a pas- 
 sage, but only in the summer, from the canton of 
 Bern to Leuck in Valesia. The descent on the south 
 side of this mountain is steep and frightful beyond 
 description, being a narrow path cut on the side of 
 almost perpendicular precipices, and sometimes the 
 passenger is compelled to cross over the clefts on 
 planks or quivering wooden bridges. The height of 
 this mountain, at a cottage called Zur Dauben, ap- 
 pears by the barometer to be six thousand and twelve 
 feet, being the highest part of it that is passable. As 
 to the Avicula, the St. Gothard, the Furea, the Grim- 
 sula, the Crispalt, and a long chain of other moun- 
 tains, which begin in the Upper Valais, traverse the 
 canton of Uri, and run across the country of the Gri- 
 sons towards Tyrol, their greatest height above the 
 level of the sea may be fixed in round numbers at 
 seven thousand five hundred, or eight thousand feet. 
 But the highest of all the mountains of Switzerland i^ 
 the btella, or Piz Siail, in the country of the Grisons, 
 
 F 4 
 
104 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 the perpendicular height of which is nine thousand 
 tive hundred and eighty-five feet, according to the 
 computation of Dr. Scheuchzer, or twelve thousand 
 one hundred and ninety-six, according to that of Cas- 
 sini. Mr. Martel, when he visited the glaciers of 
 Savoy, calculated the height of Mount Blanc to be 
 twelve thousand four hundred and fifty-nine feet above 
 the level of the Rhone at Geneva. These stupendous 
 mountains, however, are far inferior to the Andes. 
 
 The Appenines are another chain of lofty mountains, 
 which extend entirely through Italy, from the north- 
 west to the south-east, and which give rise to se- 
 veral rivers and brooks that fertilize the circumjacent 
 country. 
 
 MOUNT VESUVIUS AND ETNA. 
 
 Besides the Alps and Appenines, Italy is univer- 
 sally celebrated on account of its two volcanic moun- 
 tains, Vesuvius near N-aples, and Etna near Catania, 
 in Sicily. 
 
 Mount Vesuvius is situated at the distance of five 
 Italian miles from the city of Naples, and is justly 
 accounted one of the most dreadful volcanos in the 
 world. Its declivity toward the sea is richly clothed 
 with vines and fruit-trees, the circumambient air is 
 clear and salubrious, and the neighbouring plain af- 
 fords a most delightful prospect; but the ascent to the 
 summit is painfully tedious ; and, after walking two 
 miles over a kind of burnt earth mixed with calcined 
 stones and cinders, the traveller arrives at a naked 
 plain, from several parts of which issues a sulphureous 
 smoke, and in the centre of it rises another hill, shaped 
 like a sugar-loaf, and of more difficult access than the 
 former. 
 
 At the summit of this hill is a vast mouth or cavity, 
 about four hundred yards in diameter at the top, but 
 shelving down on all sides like a funnel, whence pro- 
 ceeds a continual smoke, and sometimes those asto- 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. ]05 
 
 wishing eruptions of flame, ashes, and burning matter, 
 which fill the neighbouring villages with consternation. 
 Every time it darts forth its flames, and pours forth 
 its liquid matter, the exterior form of the mountain, as 
 well as its height, receive considerable alterations. 
 In a small plain, resembling a half moon, situated 
 between the mountain of cinders and a semi-circui^.r 
 theatre of steep rocks, two hundred feet high, M. de 
 la Condamine viewed closely the breathing holes, 
 opened in the sides of the mountain, through which, 
 at the time of a late eruption, those torrents of en- 
 flamed matter had escaped, to which they give the 
 name of lava, and with which all this valley is filled. 
 " This singular spectacle presents us," says he, *>' v;ith 
 the appearance of metallic waves grown cold, and in 
 a state of congelation. One may form a slight idea of 
 it, by supposing to ourselves a sea of thick and tena- 
 cious matter, the waves of v.diich were beginning to 
 subside. This sea had its isles, which are solitary 
 masses, resembling hollow spungy rocks, opening into 
 arcades and grottos, fantastically formed, beneath 
 which the burning liquid matter had opened itself ma- 
 gazines or reservoirs similar to furnaces. These grottos, 
 with their vaults, and pillars, all the pure work of na- 
 ture, were loaded with scorioe, suspended around 
 them, in the form of stalactites, or irregular clusters 
 of grapes, of various colours. 
 
 In ancient history, we tind dismal accounts of the 
 devastations occasioned by this volcano; and in later 
 a^es, we meet with instances of its raging with extra- 
 ordinary fury. In the year 1694, there was a violent 
 eruption, which continued great part of the month of 
 April, and threw up ashes, stones, &c. with such force, 
 that some of them reached Benevento, nearly thirty 
 miles distant. A prodigious quantity of melted mi- 
 nerals was likewise thrown out of the mouth, and ran 
 slowly down the sides of the mountain, insomuch that 
 ^reat numbers of men were employed to cut trenches 
 and channels to receive it, and prevent its spreading 
 over the plains below. At this time, when the wind 
 
 F 5 
 
106 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART, 
 
 was in the east, the houses aud streets of Naples were 
 literally covered with ashes. 
 
 In the summer of 1707, there happened another ter- 
 rible eruption, attended with such a rumbling and 
 bellowing of the mountain, as far exceeded the report 
 of the largest artillery. Having thrown up clouds of 
 ashes into the air for several days and nights, and a 
 shower. of stones that killed both men and cattle, it 
 began to throw out a liquid torrent of bitumen, which 
 resembled a gentle stream of fire, and cooling in its 
 progress, became as hard as flint at the bottom, but 
 more porous and spungy on the surface. After this, 
 frequent flashes of (ire, like lightning, proceeded from 
 its mouth, follovved by loud claps of thunder; and 
 such a thick cloud of ashes hovered over Naples, that 
 the darkness was equal to that of midnight. Next 
 day, by the shifting of the wind, the ashes were driven 
 another way; and the mountain having raged after 
 this manner about fifteen days, the eruption entirely 
 ceased. 
 
 Mr. Edward Berkeley, afterwards bishop of Clogher, 
 in Ireland, gives the following description of an erup- 
 tion which happened in the year 1717. On the 5th 
 of June, the mountain was observed to throw a little 
 out of the crater, and the same continued the day fol- 
 lowing. The 7th, in the evening, it began a hideous 
 bellowing, which continued till noon the next day, 
 causing the windows and even the houses in Naples to 
 shake. From that time it vomited vast quantities of 
 melted matter to the south, which streamed down the 
 side of the mountain, like a pot boiling over. On the 
 10th, it roared and groaned most dreadfully; of which 
 one cannot form a juster idea, than by imagining a 
 mixed sound, made up of the raging of a tempest, the 
 murmur of a troubled sea, and the roaring of thunder 
 and artillery confused together. This induced our 
 author, with three or four more in company, to visit 
 the mountain; and they arrived at the burning river 
 about midnight, when the roaring of the volcano was 
 exceedins: loud and horrible. There was a mixture of 
 colours in the cloud over the crater, a ruddy dismal 
 
► 
 
 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. JQ^ 
 
 light in the air over the fiery torrent, and ashes con- 
 tinually showering upon their heads; all which cir- 
 cumstances, augmented by the horror and silence of 
 the nis-ht, made a most uncommon and astonishing: 
 scene. " Imagine,' says he, " a vast torrent of liquid 
 fire rolling along the side of a mountain, and with in- 
 credible fury bearing down vines, olives, fig-trees, 
 houses, and every thing that stood in its way." The 
 largest stream seemed half a mile broad at least, and 
 five miles long; and Mr. Berkeley walked so fai* up 
 the mountain by the side of this burning river, that 
 he was obliged to retire with precipitation, the sul- 
 phureous stream having surprised him. and almost 
 taken away his breath. They returned about three in 
 the morning, hearing constantly the murmur and 
 groaning of the mounttiin, v.-hich occasionally burst 
 into louder peals, throwing up huge spouts of fire and 
 burning stones, which in their fall resembled the stars 
 in our rockets. Sometimes there appeared two or 
 three distinct columns of tiame, and sometimes only 
 a sinde one, that seemed to fill the whole crater. It 
 was judged that the flames and fiery stones were shot 
 more than a thousand feet perpendicular above the 
 summit of the volcano; which continued raging^ in this 
 manner, more or less, till the 18th, when the whole 
 appearance ended, and the mountain remained per- 
 fectly quiet. During this eruption, the cinders shower- 
 ed down so fast at Naples, that the citizens v^ere 
 obliged to screen themselves beneath umbrellas; and 
 vessels at the distance of twenty leagues were exposed 
 to equal inconvenience. 
 
 In 1779, another eruption happened, which has 
 been particularly described by Sir William Hamilton, 
 in the Philosophical Transactions. This gentleman, 
 during his residence at Naples, had an opportunity of 
 makino' several observations on the lavas of Vesuvius, 
 and found that they constantly formed regular chan- 
 nels in the mountain. These channels, after small 
 eruptions, were generally from two to six feet wide, 
 and about eight in depth ; and were often hid from 
 the sight by a quantity of scorisp, that had formed a 
 
 F 6 
 
108 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 kind of crust over them. Sir William walked in some 
 of these subterraneous galleries, which appeared ex- 
 tremely curious, some being remarkably smooth and 
 even on the top, sides, and bottom; and others en-' 
 crusted with a remarkable scoriae, beautifully ramified 
 with salts, in the form of depending stalactites, &c. 
 
 On viewing a stream of lava in ils fluid state, our 
 author perceived that, after passing through the above- 
 mentioned channels, it extended into the valley, and 
 flowed gently along, like a river that had been frozen 
 and had masses of ice floating upon it. Being greatly 
 incommoded by the smoke, he passed over the heated 
 crust, and walked along the side of the current to its 
 very source. Here he perceived it boiling violently 
 out of the ground, with a hissing and crackling noise, 
 like that of an artificial fire-work. A hillock about 
 fifteen feet high was formed by the splashing up of the 
 vitrified matter; and under this was an arched hollow, 
 whence the lava issued into a regular channel, raised 
 upon a wall of scorise and cinders, nearly ten feet high, 
 and greatly resembling an ancient aqueduct. On 
 leaving this spot. Sir William proceeded up to the 
 crater, where he found the little mountain discharging 
 stones and red-hot scoriae with loud explosions ; but 
 the intolerable smoke and stench of sulphur soon com- 
 pelled him to retire. 
 
 By the eruption which happened in this year (1779), 
 the curious channels of scoriae were destroyed, and 
 the cone of the mountain was entirely covered with a 
 stratum of lava, from the cracks of which issued a sul- 
 phureous smoke, that tinged the cinders with a yellow 
 or whitish tint. The pores of this lava generally 
 abounded with perfect vitrification, and the scoriae, if 
 viewed through a magnifying glass, appeared like a 
 confused mass of filaments of a foul vitrification. 
 When a piece of the solid lava had been cracked in its 
 fall without totally separating, fibres of perfect glass 
 might be seen, reaching from side to side within the 
 cracks. This kind of volcanic glass is of a dirty yel- 
 low colour, and has much the same transparency with 
 our common glass bottles ; but when large pieces of 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 109 
 
 it are broken off by a hammer, it appears perfectly 
 opaque. 
 
 In the summer of 1794, another dreadful eruption 
 took place at Vesuvius, which destroyed many ot the 
 adjacent villages, and was attended by many surprising 
 phenomena. According to the account of Sir William 
 Hamilton (v*'ho has been justly styled the Natural 
 Historian of Vesuvius) the eruption was preceded by a 
 powerful shock of an earthquake, which extended over 
 the whole of the Campagna Felice, and was plainly 
 felt at the distance of forty miles. 
 
 "On Sunday (says our author) the 15ih of June, 
 another shock was felt at Naples, but did not appear 
 quite so violent as that of the r2th, nor did it con- 
 tinue so Ions: : at the same moment, a fountain of 
 bright fire, attended with very black smoke and a loud 
 report, issued from the middle of the cone of Vesuvius. 
 Soon after, a similar one broke out at some distance 
 lower down ; and then it appeared as if the lava had 
 taken its course directly up the steep cone of the vol- 
 cano. Fresh fountains quickly succeeded, and all in 
 a direct line, flowing toward the towns of Resina and 
 Torre del Greco. It is impossible that any descrip- 
 tion can give an adequate idea of this fiery scene, or 
 of the horrid noises that attended this great operation 
 of nature. It was- a mixture of the loudest thunder 
 with incessant reports, like those from a heavy artil- 
 lery, accompanied by a continued hollow murmur, like 
 the roaring of the ocean during a violent storm ; and 
 added to these was another blowing noise, like that 
 of a large flight of sky-rockets. The frequent falling 
 of the huge stones and scorioe, which were thrown up 
 to an incredible height, and one of which measured 
 thirty-five feet in circumference, contributed to the 
 concussion of the earth and air, which kept all the 
 houses in Naples in a constant tremor for several 
 hours, every door and window shaking, and the bells 
 ringing incessantly. This was an awful moment! 7 he 
 sky, from a bright full moon and star-light, began to 
 be obscured ; the moon gradually seemed to suffer an 
 eclipse, and was soon lost in obscurity ; and the prayers 
 
110 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 and lamentations of a numerous populace parading" 
 the streets, added likewise to the general horror. 
 
 *' About four o'clock in the morning of the 16lh, the 
 crater of Vesuvius began to show signs of being open, 
 by some black smoke issuing out of it, and at day- 
 break another smoke tinned with red issued from an 
 aperture near the crater; whilst a considerable stream 
 of lava issued from the other side of the mountain, 
 and ran with, great velocity through a wood, which it 
 destroyed. The conical part of Vesuvius was totally 
 involved in dark clouds; but above these we could 
 often discern fresh columns of smoke rising furiously 
 from the crater, until the whole mass remained in the 
 usual form of a pine-tree, and auiidst that gigantic 
 mass of clouds, the volcanic lightning was frequently 
 visible. 
 
 *• About five o'clock on the morning of the Kith, 
 we perceived that the lava which had broke out from 
 several new mouths on the south side of the moun- 
 tain, had reached the sen, and was running into it, 
 having overwhelmed and burnt the greatest part of 
 Torre del Greco. Soon after the beginning of this 
 eruption, ashes fell thick at the foot of the mountain, 
 from Portici to the Torre del Greco, and although 
 there were not at that time any clouds in the air, ex- 
 cept those of smoke from the mountain, the ashes were 
 accompanied v.ith large drops of water, and the road 
 was as wet as if there had been a heavy shov;er of 
 rain. 
 
 *' By the time the lava had reached the sea, Vesu- 
 vius was so completely involved in darkness, that we 
 could no longer discern the violent operation of nature 
 that was going on there ; but the dreadful noises we 
 heard at times, and the red tinpe on the highest clouds 
 were evident si2:ns of the activitv of the fire under- 
 neath. 
 
 " The lava (continues our author), ran but slowly 
 at Torre del Greco after it had reached the sea; and 
 on the morning of the 17th, when I went in my boat 
 to visit that unfortunate town, its course was stopped, 
 excepting that at times a small rivulet of liquid fire 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. ]]] 
 
 issued from under the smoking- scorife into the sea, 
 discovering it to be red hot under that surface. 1 ob- 
 served that the sea-water was boiling, as in a caldron, 
 where it washed the foot of a new-formed promontory; 
 and although I was a hundred yards distant from it, 
 the pitch from the bottom of my boat was observed to 
 melt away, and we therefore retired hastily from this 
 
 spot. 
 
 " On Wednesday, June 18, the wind having, for a 
 short time, cleared away the thick clouds from the 
 summit of Vesuvius, we discovered that a great part 
 of its crater had fallen in, and that the ashes which 
 before were as fine as Spanish snufF, were now of such 
 density as to appear to have the greatest difficulty in 
 forcing their passage. One cloud heaped on another, 
 and succeeding each other incessantly, formed, in a 
 few hours, such a gigantic column over the mountain, 
 as seemed to threaten Naples with immediate destruc- 
 tion, bending over the city, and appearing much too 
 ponderous to remain long suspended in the air. 
 
 " Vesuvius was, at this time, completely covered 
 with a thick coat of light grey ashes, which gave it a 
 horrid appearance ; and in comparison of the above- 
 mentioned mass of clouds, it appeared like a mole- 
 hill, although the perpendicular height of the moun- 
 tain is upwards of three thousand six hundred feet. 
 
 " The storms of thunder and lightning occasionally 
 attended with heavy falls of rain and ashes, causing 
 the most destructive torrents of water and glutinous 
 mud, mixed with huge stones, and trees torn up by 
 the roots, continued to afflict the inhabitants on both 
 sides of the volcano, until the 7th of July, when the 
 last torrent destroyed many hundred acres of culti- 
 vated land betvreen the towns of Torre del Greco and 
 Torre del Annunziata. 
 
 On the 30th of June, Sir William ventured to ascend 
 the volcanic mountain, but not without considerable 
 risk. " The crater (says he), except at short intervals, 
 had been continually obscured by clouds, ever since 
 the 16th, and was so this day, with frequent flashes 
 of lightning, and attended, as usual, with a noise like 
 
112 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 that of thunder. I went up the usual way by Resina, 
 and observed, in passing through the village, that 
 many of the stones of the pavement had been loosened; 
 and were deranged by the earthquakes. The leaves 
 of all the vines were burnt by the ashes that had fallen 
 on them, and many of the vines themselves were com- 
 pletely buried. In short, nothing but ruin and deso- 
 lation was to be seen. The ashes at the foot of the 
 mountain were about ten inches thick on the surface 
 of the earth, but m proportion as we ascended, their 
 thickness increased to several feet; so that the surface 
 of the old rugged lavas was now become a perfect 
 plain. We ascended to the spot whence the lava of 
 the 15th had issued, and we followed its course, which 
 was still very hot, down to the sea at Torre del Greco, 
 which is more than five miles. The horrid chasms 
 from the spot where the late eruption took place, in a 
 straight line for nearly two miles toward the sea, can- 
 not be imagined. They formed valleys more than two 
 hundred feet deep, and from half a mile to a mile 
 wide ; and where the fountains of fiery matter existed 
 during the eruption, are little mountains with deep 
 craters. Ten thousand men in as many years could 
 not, surely, make such an alteration on the face of 
 Vesuvius, as has been made by nature in the space of 
 a few hours.*' 
 
 It has been observed, however, that though Mount 
 Vesuvius often fills the neighbouring country with 
 terror, yet as few things in nature are so absolutely 
 noxious as not to produce some good, even this raging 
 volcano, by its sulphureous and nitrous manure, and 
 the heat of its subterraneous fire, contributes to the 
 uncommon fertility of the country, and the profusion 
 of fruit, herbage, &c. with which it is every where co- 
 vered. Those are observed to be the most fertile 
 spots which abound in sulphur, salt-petre, &c. and if 
 such igneous and in flammable substances were pent 
 up, their fermentations and ebullition would be pro- 
 ductive of the most calaip.itous effects; whereas, they 
 find a vent through these volcanos. Experience shows, 
 that earthquakes, after any continued eruptions of 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 113 
 
 Vesuvius, are neither so frequent, nor produce such 
 fatal effects as at other times. Hence the inhabitants 
 are far from being alarmed at this mountain's vernal 
 eruptions, when they are not violent; and the air is 
 so far from being: rendered unhealthy bv them, that 
 Barra, a village at the foot of Vesuvius, near the sea, 
 is remarkable for its healthfulness. To these advan- 
 tages it may be added, that M. de la Condamine ob- 
 serves, that the above lava, or liquid matter, on its 
 cooling, forms solid masses, surpassing in hardness 
 even that of marble ; whence tables, chimney-pieces, 
 and even snuff-boxes are made of it. With this mat- 
 ter the cities of Naples and Rome are paved, as are 
 also a great part of the ancient Roman highways. 
 
 Mount Etna, in the island of Sicily, appears to have 
 been well known to the ancients, on account of its 
 fiery eruptions ; for Pindar speaks of it as a volcano, 
 and Plato was invited by the younger Dionysius to 
 examine the state of the mountain after the sixth erup- 
 tion. It threw out flames and lava about a hundred 
 times between that period and the battle of Pharsalia, 
 and was remarkably furious while Sextus Pomoeius 
 was adding the horrors of a sanguinary war to its ter- 
 rific devastations. Charlemagne is said to have been 
 at Catania during one of its eruptions ; and since his 
 reign we find fifteen more recorded. 
 
 With respect to the dimensions of Mount Etna, it is 
 extremely difficult to extract any thing consistent, even 
 from the accounts of modern and truly respectable 
 travellers. Pindar, who flourished about four hundred 
 and thirty-five years before the Christian era, calls it 
 the " Pillar of Heaven," on account of its astonishing 
 elevation; and all the moderns agree that it is ex- 
 tremely high and large, but they differ excessively in 
 their descriptions ; some making it eight or twelve 
 miles hi2:h, and a hundred and ei2:hty miles roimd, 
 while others reduce it to about two miles in height, 
 and somewhat less than ninety miles in circumference. 
 After investigating these different relations, and con- 
 sidering their prodigious difference, we must give it as 
 
) 14 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 our opinion, that the true dimensions of the mountain 
 have not yet been accurately ascertained. 
 
 Concerning' the general appearance and products of 
 Etna, authors are better agreed ; and the journey from 
 Catania to its summit has been recently described by 
 three ingenious travellers — M, DOrville, Mr. Brydone, 
 and Sir William Hamilton ; all of whom affirm, that 
 this mountain affords an epitome of the different cli- 
 mates throughout the world. Towards the base it is 
 extremely hot; farther up more temperate; and grov/s 
 gradually more cold, till at length the traveller per- 
 ceives that its head is enveloped in a mantle of eternal 
 snow. 
 
 The top of Mount Etna being above the common 
 region of vapours, the prospects from thence are pe- 
 culiarly interesting, and the heavens appear to possess 
 an extraordinary splendour. Mr. Brydone and his 
 companions observed, as they ascended at night, that 
 the number of stars seemed to be greatly augmented; 
 that each of them sparkled with unusual brilliance; 
 and that the whiteness of the milky- way resembled a 
 pure flame shooting across the skies. To have a clear 
 and ample prospect from this mountain, it is neces- 
 sary to ascend before sun-rise, as the vapours raised 
 by the sun in the day-time, tend to obscure the cir- 
 cumjacent scenery. Here Sir William Hamilton and 
 Mr. Brydone had a delightful view of Calabria, in 
 Italy, with the sea beyond it; the Lipari islands, and 
 Stromboli, a volcano at seventy miles distance, seemed 
 to be just under their feet; the island of Sicily, with 
 its rivers, towns, and harbours, appeared as distinct 
 as if delineated on a map; and the pyramidal sha- 
 dow of the mountain reached entirely across the 
 island, and far into the s.^a on the other side, form- 
 ing a visible tract in the air, which is gradually short- 
 ened as the sun rises above the horizon. 
 
 Etna is divided into three regions — the Reglone 
 Culta, or cultivated; the Si/hosri, or woody; and the 
 DescrUi, or desart region ; all of which are plainly 
 distinguished from the summit. The B€s;ione Culta 
 is much broader than the rest, and extends on all 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. II5 
 
 Sides from the foot of the mountain, being bounded by 
 the sea on the south and south-east, and on the other 
 sides by the rivers Semetus and Alcantara. Here 
 terrible devastations are sometimes committed by the 
 eruptions, and the whole region abounds with little 
 conical mountains. The fiegione Si/kosa forms a 
 circle of beautiful green, surrounding the mountain 
 on every side, and variegated, like the former, by a 
 number of mountains of a conical form, thrown up by 
 the eruptions which burst out of the sides of the vol- 
 cano. Mr. Hamilton counted forty-four on the Cata- 
 nia side, each having its crater, and being prettily 
 feathered with trees, which seem to have acquired a 
 wonderful degree of fertility. The Regione De^erta 
 is marked out by a circle of snow and ice, which ex- 
 tends on all sides to the distance of eight miles, be- 
 ginning at the foot of the crater. 
 
 In the middle of the snowy region stands the srreat 
 mouth of the volcano, which Sir William Hamilton 
 describes as a little mountain about a quarter of 9 
 mile perpendicular, and situated in the centre of a 
 gently-inclining plain of about nine miles in circum- 
 ference. In the middle of this little mountain is a 
 large hollow, the inside of which is incrusted with salts 
 and sulphur of different colours. From many parts of 
 this aperture issue volumes of sulphureous smoke, 
 which, being heavier tiian the circumambient air, roll 
 down the side of the mountain, till, coming to a more 
 dense atmosphere, it shoots off horizontally, and forms 
 a tract in the air according to the direction of the 
 wind. In the midst of this funnel is the terrific and 
 unfathomable gulph, whence continually issue terrible 
 and confused noises, which, during an eruption, may 
 be heard at a prodigious distance. Sir William Ha- 
 milton and Mr. Brydone found the crater too hot to 
 admit of their descending into it; but M. D'Orville 
 and his fellow-traveller, having fastened themselves 
 with ropes which some men held at a distance, de- 
 scended as near as possible to the brink of the gulf; 
 where they saw distinctly a conical mass of matter, 
 which rose to the height of about sixty feet, and 
 
116 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 seemed to be about six hundred feet in circumference 
 toward the base. Whilst thev were viewinof this sub- 
 stance, the internal roarings augmented, and the 
 mountain began to send forth smoke and ashes, but 
 after a momentary dilation the volcano resumed its 
 former tranquillity. 
 
 About a mile below the foot of the great crater, are 
 the ruins of an ancient structure, called II Torre del 
 Filosofo, which some imagine to have been built by 
 the philosopher Empedocles, and others suppose to 
 have been a temple of Vulcan. These ruins are of 
 brick, and seem to have been ornamented with marble. 
 
 The woody region, particularly on the east side, 
 abounds with large chesnut-trees, one of which has 
 been called, from its extraordinary size, Castagno de 
 Cento CaiaUi, or the chesnut-tree of a hundred horse. 
 Mr. Brydone was much disappointed at the sight of 
 this tree, as he found it to be only a bush of five large 
 ones growing together; but his guides assured him, 
 that all these v/ere once united in one stem; and Sig- 
 nior Recupero asserted, that having caused some pea- 
 sants to dig round this bush of trees, he had found 
 all the stems united under ground in one root. The 
 space of ground occupied by these five trees measured 
 two hundred and four feet in circumference. Another 
 of these trees, called the Castoga de Galia, rises from 
 one solid stem to a considerable height, and its cir- 
 cumference at a sm.all distance from the ground is 
 seventy-six feet; and Massa, one of the most respect- 
 able Sicilian authors, asserts, that he has seen solid 
 oaks there upwards of forty feet round. 
 
 At the foot of a mountain raised by the eruption in 
 1669, is a hole, leading to several subterraneous ca- 
 verns, some of which afibrd an asylum to wild pigeons, 
 and others are used as masrazines for snow. Here 
 also is the river Acis (celebrated in the fable of Acis 
 and Galatea), which bursts out of the earth in a laro;e 
 stream, runs with surprising rapidity, and about a mile 
 from its source falls into the sea. Its water is re- 
 markably clear, but being excessively cold, and strongly 
 
AVONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. ] [^ 
 
 impregnated with vitriol, it is reckoned dangerous to 
 drink it. 
 
 The great eruption of this volcano, in 1669, broke 
 out on the 11th of March, two hours before night, on 
 the south-east side of the mountain, about twenty- 
 miles from the old mouth, and ten from the city of 
 Catania. The noise of the eruption was heard a hun- 
 dred miles off, to which distance the ashes were like- 
 wise carried. The matter thrown out was a stream of 
 metals and minerals, rendered liquid by the fierceness 
 of the fire, which boiled up at the mouth like water at 
 the head of a great river; and having run a little way, 
 the extremity thereof began to crust and curdle, turn- 
 ing into hard porous stones called sciarri, resembling 
 large cakes of burning sea-coal. These came rolling 
 over each other, bearing down any common building 
 by their weight, and burning whatever was combusti- 
 ble. At first the progress of this inundation was at 
 the rate of three miles in twenty-four hours, but after- 
 wards it scarcely advanced a furlong in a day; and 
 thus it continued for fifteen or twenty days together, 
 running into the sea, close by the walls of Catania. 
 At length it made its way over the walls into the city, 
 where, however, it did no considerable damage, ex- 
 cept to a convent of Benedictines. In its course it 
 overwhelmed fourteen towns and villages, containing 
 three or four thousand inhabitants; and it is remark- 
 able, that during the whole time of this eruption, which 
 was fifty-four days, neither sun nor stars appeared. 
 
 But though Catania had this time the good fortune 
 to escape the threatened destruction, it was almost 
 totally ruined in 169"2, by an earthquake, which was 
 not only felt all over Sicily, but likewise in Naples and 
 Malta; and the shock was so violent, that people 
 could not stand upon their legs, and those who lay 
 upon the ground were tossed from side to side, as if 
 upon a rolling billow. The earth opened in several 
 places, throwing up large quantities of water ; and 
 great numbers perished in their houses by the fall of 
 rocks that were loosened and rent from the mountains. 
 The sea was violently agitated, and roared dreadfully, 
 
118 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 Mount Etna threw up vast spires of flame, and the 
 shock was attended with a noise exceedins: the loud- 
 est claps of thunder. Fifty-four cities and towns, 
 with an incredible number of villao;es, were either de- 
 stroyed or greatly damaged ; and it was computed 
 that near sixty thousand persons perished in different 
 parts of the island, of whom eighteen thousand were 
 inhabitants of Catania, very few escaping the general 
 and sudden destruction of that city. 
 
 In the eruption which happened in 1766, the lava 
 sprung up into the air to a very considerable height; 
 but the stream which it formed was only six miles in 
 length, and one mile in breadth. — The last eruption 
 happened in 1787.-— On the llth of July there was a 
 subterraneous noise, followed by a copious discharge 
 of black smoke. It was then calm till the 15th, when 
 the same prognostics recurred; on the 17th the sub- 
 terraneous noise was augmented, the smoke issued 
 out in greater abundance, some slight shocks of an 
 earthquake were felt, and a rivulet of lava began to 
 flow from behind one of the little mountains which 
 form the double head of Etna. On the 18th some 
 new shocks were perceived, and the mountain threw 
 out a thick smoke, which darkened the eastern hori- 
 zon, and was quickly succeeded by showers of black 
 sand, stones, scorise, and lava. These appearances 
 continued till sun-set, but then the scene was entirely 
 changed. Several conical flames rose from the vol- 
 cano; one on the north and another on the south 
 were particularly conspicuous, and rose and fell alter- 
 nately. At three o'clock in the morning the two heads 
 of the mountain seemed to be cut away, and at their 
 separation was a conical flame, which appeared about 
 two miles high, on a base of a mile and a half in dia- 
 meter. This cone was still covered with a thick smoke, 
 in which there sometimes appeared very brilliant 
 flashes of lightning, while a jet of flaming matter was 
 thrown lo the distance of six or seven miles, and 
 sounds like the explosion of cannon, were frequently 
 heard at a small distance. From the 20th to the 22nd, 
 these terrific appearances gradually subsided, and the 
 
 «' 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 119 
 
 stream of lava was carried towards Bronte, and the 
 plain of Lago. Subsequent to this eruption, the top 
 of the mountain on the western side was covered with 
 hardened lava, stones, and scoriae, and travellers were 
 dreadfully annoyed by smoke, showers of sand, ne- 
 phritic vapours, and excessive heat. The lava on the 
 western head of the mountain had evidently been in a 
 state of fusion ; and the odour which rose from one of 
 the spiracula was that of liver of sulphur. 
 
 JERUSALEM AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD. 
 
 Jeruslem, according to Josephus, was the capital 
 of Melchisedek's dominions, called Salem in the book 
 of Genesis: and the Arabs assert that it was built in 
 honourof Melchisedek, by twelve neighbouring princes. 
 No satisfactory account is given of it, however, till the 
 time of king David, who wrested it from the Jebu- 
 sites, and made it the capital of his kingdom. 
 
 From this time it flourished under the peculiar 
 blessing of the Deity, till the iniquity and ingratitude 
 of the Jews provoked their Divine Patron to pour out 
 his judgments upon them, and to give his holy city 
 into the hands of the heathen. It was first reduced, 
 in the days of Joash, by Hazael, king of Syria, who 
 massacred all the nobility, but did not destroy the 
 city. It was afterwards taken by Nebuchadnezzar, 
 kirig of Babylon, who destroyed it, and carried the 
 inhabitants into captivity. Seventy years after this 
 event, it was rebuilt by permission of Cyrus, king of 
 Persia; and it continued to be the capital of Judea, 
 (though frequently suffering from the monarchs of 
 Syria and Egypt) till the time of Vespasian, emperor 
 of Rome, when our Saviour's awful predictions were 
 accomplished in its utter destruction. 
 
 It was rebuilt by Adrian, and seemed likely to have 
 recovered something of its former grandeur ; being 
 surrounded with walls, and adorned with several hand- 
 some buildings. But this appears to have been a 
 
120 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 short-lived change; for when the empress Helena 
 visited the city, she found it in a most ruinous condi- 
 tion. Having formed a design of restoring it to its 
 pristine lustre, she ordered all the rubbish that had 
 been thrown upon Mount Calvary to be removed, and 
 caused a magnificent church to be built, which en- 
 enclosed several of the scenes of our Redeemer's suf- 
 ferings. 
 
 The vile apostate Julian formed a design of rebuild- 
 ing the temple of Jerusalem, and of restoring the Jew- 
 ish worship, in order to give the lie to the prophecies 
 of our blessed Lord, that the temple should be totally 
 destroyed, without one stone being left upon another, 
 and that the citv should be trodden down of the Gen- 
 tiles till the times of the Gentiles were fulfilled. In 
 this impious attempt, however, the emperor was frus- 
 trated, by a partial earthquake and fiery eruption, 
 wdiich totally destroyed the work, consumed the ma- 
 terials that had been collected and killed a srreat 
 number of the workmen. 
 
 Jerusalem continued in the hands of the eastern 
 emperors till the time of the caliph Omar, who re- 
 duced it under his dominion. It remained subject to 
 the Saracens till the year 1099, when it was taken by 
 the crusaders, and made the capital of a Christian 
 kingdom, which subsisted about eighty-eight years, 
 but was, at length, overthrown by Saladin, sultan of 
 Egypt. And in 1217, the Saracens were expelled by 
 the Turks, who are its present masters. 
 
 In its most flourishino; state. Jerusalem was divided 
 into four parts, each enclosed within its own walls, 
 viz. — 1. The old city of Jebus, on Mount Zion, which 
 became the residence of David and his successors, and 
 was therefore called "the citv of David." 2. The 
 lower city, called " the daughter of Zion," on which 
 stood the two magnificent palaces which Solomon 
 built for himself and his queen ; that of the Maccabean 
 princes; the strong citadel built by Antiochus to over- 
 look the temple; and the stately amphitheatre, built 
 by Herod, capable of containing eighty thousand spec- 
 tators. 3. The new city, which was chiefly inhabited 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 121 
 
 by merchants, artificers, and tradesmen. 4. Mount 
 Moriah, on which was built the famous temple of So- 
 lomon, and that erected by the Jews on their return 
 from Babylon, and afterwards built almost anew, and 
 sumptuously adorned by Herod the Great. 
 
 At present, however, Jerusalem is a poor and thin- 
 ly inhabited town, about three miles in circumference, 
 situated on a rocky mountain, with steep ascents on 
 all sides except the north, and surrounded by a deep 
 valley, which is ag-ain encompassed with hills at a mo- 
 derate distance. The private buildings are very mean, 
 the streets narrow, and several of them full of ruins. 
 It must likewise be observed, that the situation of the 
 present Jerusalem is very different from that of the 
 ancient city ; for Mount Calvary, which was formerly 
 appropriated to the execution of malefactors, was shut 
 out of the walls as a polluted place, whereas since 
 our Saviour's suffering upon it, the reverence paid to 
 it by the Christians has occasioned such an alteration, 
 that it now stands almost in the centre of the city, 
 and, on the contrary, mount Sinn, the most eminent 
 part of old Jerusalem, is now left without the walls. 
 In sho.t, the only thing that renders Jerusalem consi- 
 derable in the present day, is the great resort of pil- 
 grims thither ; and the accommodating them with pro- 
 visions, seems to be the principal business of the in- 
 habitants. 
 
 Ii is against Easter that the Christian pilgrims re- 
 pair to Jerusalem in the greatest numbers to attend 
 the religious solemnity of that season in the church of 
 the Holy Sepulchre. 
 
 The length of this church, which is built upon 
 Mount Calvary, is about a hundred paces, and its 
 width sixty, having at the west end of it a square 
 tower ')r steeple, which appears rather ruinous ; but 
 the edifice in general is kept in good repair, and looks 
 sumptuous and majestic. The nave or body of the 
 church is round, and has two circular galleries, one 
 above another, supported by large square pillars, for- 
 merly faced with white marble. Here are several Mo- 
 saic pictures in concave niches, representing prophets, 
 
 G 
 
122 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 apostles, &c. and amongst the rest are the figures of 
 the emperor Constantine, and his mother Helena, the 
 foundress of the building. This part of the church is 
 covered with a dome, sustained by rafters of cedar, 
 having an opening at top, through which it receives a 
 sufficient light. Exactly under this aperture is the 
 holy sepulchre, which at first, was a cave under ground, 
 but the rock about it having been cut away, it is now 
 considerably above the pavement of the church, and 
 is hewn into the form of a chapel. Pilgrims are forced 
 to creep into this chapel or grotto, the entrance being 
 not above a yard high ; but within it is about eight 
 feet square, and as much in height, all cut out of the 
 solid rock, and lined with white marble. The tomb 
 vv'herein our Lord is supposed to have been laid, is 
 raised in form of an altaf , almost three feet from the 
 floor, extending the whole length and half the breadth 
 of this little chapel, so that there is not room for above 
 three persons to kneel without much inconvenience. 
 A great number of lamps, which are kept here conti- 
 nually burning, make the place excessively hot; but 
 the smoke escapes by vent-holes cut through the roof, 
 over which there is a small canopy covered with lead, 
 supported by six double Corinthian columns. The 
 outside of the chapel is likewise adorned with ten beau- 
 tiful pillars of white marble, adjoining to the wall, and 
 sustaining a cornice. 
 
 The choir of this church is not unlike that of our 
 cathedrals. It is separated from the nave by a wall, 
 which has a door opposite to that of the holy sepul- 
 chre ; and to the east it terminates in a semicircle, 
 where the high altar stands, which is richly gilt, and 
 hiing round with the pictures of several saints, paint- 
 ed full-faced after the manner of the Greeks, to whom 
 the choir belongs : but the privilege of saying mass in 
 the chapel of the holy sepulchre is confined to the La- 
 tins. A dome of free-stone covers this choir, which 
 is close at top, rough-cast on the outside, and support- 
 ed by large pillars. 
 
 Several parts of this church are distinguished by 
 the name of Holy Places, and looked upon with more 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 123 
 
 than ordinary veneration, as having some particular 
 actions done in them relating; to the sufferings, death, 
 burial, or resurrection of our blessed Saviour; and 
 each of these sacred places has its respective altar. 
 One of these is called the Chupel of Derision, wherein 
 is an altar sustained by two pillars, and underneath 
 it a piece of greyish marble, on which they say the 
 soldiers placed our Saviour when they crowned him 
 with thorns, and mocked him, saying, " Hail King of 
 the Jews." The chapel of the prison is another, being 
 a little dark place, wherein they say our Lord was con- 
 fined whilst things were preparing for his crucifixion, 
 and where the Greeks keep a lamp continually burn- 
 ing. Another of the holy places is a particular part 
 of Mount Calvary, about twelve yards square, which 
 is left much higher than the floor of the church, hav- 
 ing steps to go up to it ; and here they pretend to 
 shew the very place where our Saviour was nailed to 
 the cross. 
 
 This chapel is covered all over with mosaic work ; 
 and in the middle of the pavement are some marble 
 stones of several colours, designed to point out the 
 spot where our Lord's blood fell when his hands and 
 feet were pierced. Here are two altars before which 
 hang sixteen lamps, and a candlestick with twelve 
 branches. 
 
 In an adjoining chapel the rock rises above the 
 floor in form of an altar, which is covered w^ith white 
 marble, and in the middle of it is a round hole, about 
 seven inches in diameter, and two feet deep, which is 
 affirmed to be the very same wherein the foot of the 
 cross was fixed, on which Christ suffered ; and just 
 by we see a cleft in the rock, which is evidently ge- 
 nuine and natural, and said to be made by the earth- 
 quake which happened at that time. This hole is 
 now plated with silver, and on each side of it the 
 places where the two thieves were crucified are re- 
 presented by two crosses fixed on little marble pe^ 
 destals. 
 
 The stone of unction is about seven feet long, and 
 two broad, adorned all round with a chequered border 
 
 G 2 
 
124 WONDERS OF NA.TURE AND ART. 
 
 of white and red marble, and enclosed within iron- 
 rails, to prevent its being trod upon. It is so called, 
 as being supposed to be the very spot where the Re- 
 deemers body was anointed, and prepared with myrrh 
 and aloes for the burial. To these might be added 
 several other holy places, as that where the soldiers 
 divided our Saviour's garments ; where he appeared 
 to Mary Magdalen after bis resurrection, &c., all 
 which things are supposed to have been transacted 
 within the narrow limits of this sacred structure. 
 
 *' If any one (says Le Brun,) be desirous to know 
 the sensations of a person who kneels, for the first 
 time, before the sepulchre of our Lord, I can only an- 
 swer, for my own part, that I never felt myself so much 
 affected in my life. A monk who visited the sacred 
 tomb with me, and who had never before been at Je- 
 rusalem, was so agitated, and shed so many tears, 
 that two full hours had elapsed before he could be 
 
 brouoht to himself ai^rain. I will not from thence 
 
 . . 1 . 
 
 conclude, that this was mdisputably the place of 
 Christ's sepulture ; but as no serious person can ap- 
 proach this spot without meditating upon the suffer- 
 ings of him who died for the sins of mankind, his soul, 
 must of nacessity, be very deeply affected. And, al- 
 thouo-h we live in an asre in which numbers seem to 
 glory in their infidelity, I am firmly ofopinija, that 
 the most professed atheist, with all his affected stupi- 
 dity, could not forbear feeling the same emotions with 
 myself upon such an occasion." 
 
 Every day a procession is made in the church of 
 the Holy Sepulchre, in which the monks carry tapers 
 and crucinx:es, and sing hymns; but in the holy week 
 before Easter, when the pilgrims flock to Jerusalem, 
 this is performed with extraordinary solemnity. 
 
 On Good Friday, all the most material circum- 
 stances of our Saviour's passion are represented; such 
 as crowning him with thorns, nailing him to the cross, 
 and then taking the body down, and laying it in the 
 sepulchre. The monks have first a sermon, and then 
 every one takes a lighted taper and a crucifix in his 
 hand to begin the procession. They visit first the 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. J 25 
 
 pillar of flagellation ; next the prison; afterwards the 
 altar of the division of Christ's garments, and the cha- 
 pel of derision, from whence they proceed to Mount 
 Calvary, leaving their shoes at the bottom of the stairs. 
 
 A pious fraud is performed every Easter-eve, by the 
 Greek priests, which it would be unpardonable to pass 
 over in silence. This is a pretended miraculous flame, 
 which descends into the holy sepulchre, and kindles 
 all the lamps and tapers with<;ut human assistance. 
 On entering the church upon cne of these occasions, 
 Mr. Maundrell found a multitude of people running 
 round the holy sepulchre in a tumultuous manner, and 
 exclaiming, with the utmost vehemence, Huia! Huia ! 
 *' That is he! that is he!" Having wearied them- 
 selves with their running and vociferation, they per- 
 form.ed a thousand antic tricks, dragging and carrying 
 each other, and rolling about in the most indecent 
 manner. 
 
 This riotous scene lasted about four hours, at the 
 expiration of which, a procession set out round the 
 sepulchre, and a profusion of standards, streamers, 
 and crucifixes, were ostentatiously displayed. To- 
 wards the end of the procession, a pigeon came flut- 
 tering into the cupola over the sepulchre, at which 
 the people redoubled their shouts and clamour. The 
 suffragan of the Greek patriarch, and the principal 
 Armenian bishop, then opened the door of the sepul- 
 chre, and having caused all the lights to be extin- 
 guished, shut themselves in. As the accomplishment 
 of the miracle drew nearer, the acclamations were in- 
 creased, and the crowd pressed eagerly forward to 
 light their candles at the holy flame as soon as it was 
 produced. 
 
 In a few moments after the bishops had been shut 
 up, the glimmering of the holy fire was seen through 
 the chinks of the door, and, soon after, the two pre- 
 lates came out, with blazing torches in their hands, 
 while the people thronged about them to light their 
 tapers. The mob now testified the most extravagant 
 joy, and an illumination of the church concluded the 
 ceremony. 
 
 G 3 
 
126 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 Upon mount Moriah stands a Turkish mosque, 
 •which is frequently called the temple of Solomon, and 
 is supposed to stand upon the same ground that was 
 formerly taken up by the Holy of Holies. It is an oc- 
 tagonal building, covered with a cupola, and though 
 it is neither a large nor elegant structure, it makes a 
 grand appearance from the sole advantage of its situa- 
 tion. The Turks have enclosed the area where Solo- 
 mon's temple formerly stood, and will not suffer a 
 Christian, on pain of death, to go within its borders; 
 but it may be distinctly viewed from the top of a 
 house called Pilate's palace, and one may plainly see, 
 that it must have cost immense labour to level such 
 a spacious area upon so strong and rocky a mountain. 
 
 From this pretended palace of Pilate, vvherein the 
 Turkish sangiack now resides, begins what the Chris- 
 tians call the Dolorous Way, that is, the way that our 
 Lord was led to Calvary, which is about a mile dis- 
 tant. In this journey we pass under an old arch that 
 crosses the street, in the side of which is a window, 
 where Pilate is said to have presented Christ to the 
 people, saying, "Behold the Man;'' and a little far- 
 ther are shown the ruins of a church, built on the 
 place where the blessed Virgin is reported to have 
 fallen into a swoon, on seeing her divine son bearing 
 his cross, and used with indignity. We likewise pass 
 by the Gate of Judgment, through which malefactors 
 were anciently led to the place of execution, and 
 which stood in the western wallof Old Jerusalem, but 
 is now considerably within the city. 
 
 Amongst other antiquities, they show an ancient 
 building, which is made use of as a prison, and is the 
 very same (they say,) from, which St. Peter was deli- 
 vered by an angel. About a furlong from thence, 
 stands an old church belonging to the Greeks, said to 
 have been erected by the pious Helena, upon the 
 ground where the house of Zebedee formerly stood, 
 who, they tell us, was a fisherman, and used to bring 
 fish from Joppa to Jerusalem. Where the house of 
 Mark stood, to which St. Peter retired after his mira- 
 culous deliverance, the Syrians have a small church, 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 127 
 
 wherein they boast of having a Syriac manuscript of 
 the New Testament about nine hundred years old, and 
 a Uttle stone font, which was used by the apostles. 
 
 It would be tedious to enumerate the pretended cu- 
 riosities with which strangers are amused ; and there- 
 fore we shall take leave of Jerusalem, after having 
 mentioned a few particulars observable in its neigh- 
 bourhood. Going out of the city, at the gate of Beth- 
 lehem we see Bathsheba's Pool, as it is called, being 
 supposed to be the same wherein the wife of Uriah 
 was washing herself when David discovered her from 
 the terrace of his palace. Passing by this pool, we 
 enter the valley of Hinnom, on the west side whereof 
 is the potter's field, or Aceldama, that is, the field of 
 blood, being purchased by the thirty pieces of silver, 
 the price of the innocent blood of our Saviour. At 
 present it is called the Holy Field, on account of the 
 veneration it has among Christians. The piece of 
 ground is only about thirty yards long, and half as 
 much in breadth, being now the burying-place of the 
 Armenians. One half of it is taken up by a square 
 fabric, near twelve yards high, over which are five 
 openings, in the form of cupolas, large enough to let 
 down a corpse, the flesh whereof it is said to consume 
 in the space of forty-eight hours. The Christians in 
 Jerusalem give implicit credit to this account; but Mr. 
 Maundrell says, that looking through the holes at 
 top, he could see many bodies under several degrees 
 of decay; from whence he conjectures, that this grave 
 does not make such quick dispatch with the corpses 
 committed to it as is commonly reported. 
 
 At a small distance from this field is a cave hewn 
 out of the rock, consisting of several rooms one with- 
 in another, where the apostles are said to have con- 
 cealed themselves when they forsook their master, on 
 his being apprehended in the garden. This cave, was 
 perhaps at first made for a sepulchre, and might after- 
 wards serve for a hermitage ; but it appears to have 
 been formerly adorned with painting and gilding, and 
 some pretend still to discern the pictures of several of 
 the apostles. 
 
 G 4 
 
128 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 In the valley of Jehosaphat, is a well, or rather a 
 dry pit, said to be the place from whence Nehemiah 
 recovered the fire of the altar, which had lain hid there 
 during the time of the Babylonish captivity. On the 
 same side of the valley is the po;.i of Siloam, whither 
 our Saviour sent the blind man to wash, after having 
 •anointed his eyes with earth and spittle. About a 
 furlong from hence is the fountain of the blessed Vir- 
 gin, to which there is a descent by several steps, the 
 spring lying deep in the cavity of a rock. At no great 
 distance from this place is the spot where Judas is 
 said to have hanged himsolf after he had betrayed our 
 Saviour; and a little farther, on the same side of the 
 valley, are several Jewish monuments, two of which 
 seem to be valuable antiquities, usually called the Se- 
 pulchre of Zacharias and the Pillar of Absalom. 
 
 The first of these, supposed to be that of Zacharias, 
 who was slain between the temple and altar, is cut 
 out of a natural rock, and is of a quadrangular form, 
 about six yards high, beautified with Doric coiunms, 
 which support the cornice; and above that the roof 
 rises in the shape of a pointed diamond. Absalom's 
 pillar is lofty, and its sides and corners are adorned 
 with Doric pilasters ; but after it has run a little way 
 in a square form, it changes into a round, and termi- 
 nates in a point, the top being almost shaped like a 
 bell. A great many stones lie near this monument, 
 thrown there by Turks and Jews, as well as Christians, 
 in detestation of Absalom's rebellion against his fa- 
 ther. 
 
 The sepulchre of the Blessed Virgin is situated in 
 the same valley, and was constructed at the expence 
 of the empress Helena. That part of it above-ground 
 is a square building, flat at the top ; and on the south 
 side of it is a door, from whence there is a descent of 
 about fifty steps. When travellers are halfway down, 
 the guides show them on the right hand the sepul- 
 chre of Anna, the mother of the Blessed Virgin, and 
 on the left, that of Joseph her husband. At the bot- 
 tom of the stairs is a spacious church, walled on each 
 side, and arched above with the natural rock. In the 
 
W ONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. ]29 
 
 middle of the church is a little square chapel, faced 
 with marble ; and opposite to the door is the virgin's 
 tomb, in form of an altar, where the papists affirm that 
 she was buried by the apostles. The Turks, as well as 
 Christians, have a great veneration for this place, and 
 contribute to the charge of eighteen lamps, which are 
 kept here continually burning. Each end of the church 
 is semicircular, in one of which stands the great altar, 
 upon which the light descends from a cupola above, 
 and at the other end is a well of excellent water. 
 
 Mount Olivet, or the Mount of Olives, is the loftiest 
 eminence in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem, and is 
 held in extraordinary veneration both by Christians 
 and Mahometans. Halfway up ihe hill are several 
 g'rottos, called the sepulchres of the prophets; and a 
 little higher is a subterraneous church, consisting of 
 twelve arched vaults. On the top of this hill, from 
 whence the Saviour of the world ascended into heaven, 
 the empress Helena caused a magnificent church and 
 monastery to be erected, the greatest part whereof is 
 now in ruins ; but there is a little octagonal chapel 
 still remaining, with a dome over it, sustained by eight 
 pillars of white marble. This is called the chapel of 
 the Ascension, and is at present in the possession of 
 the Mahometans, who make the Christians pay for ad- 
 mission to see a cavity in the rock, which they pretend 
 is the print of one of our Saviour's feet. 
 
 Between the foot of Mount Olivet and the brook 
 Cedron, is shown the^garden of Gethsemane, a piece 
 of ground about sixty yards square, and planted with 
 olive-trees of an uncommon size, which are said to be 
 the same that srevv in the time of our Saviour. At 
 the upper end of the garden is a flat naked rock, where 
 they say the apostles fell asleep during our Lords 
 agony ; and near this place is a grotto, wherein Chnst 
 is supposed to have undergone that bitter part of lils 
 passion, when his sweat resembled great drops oi 
 blood fallino; to the CTOund. 
 
 From Jerusalem it is usual to make an excursion Jo 
 Bethlehem, which is now dwindled to a small village, 
 but will be ever memorable as the birth-place of the 
 
 G .5 
 
130 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 Messiah, and, on this account, it is much resorted to 
 by pilgrims. Here is a magnificent church, built over 
 the very spot where our Saviour is supposed to have 
 been born. We enter this edifice through a portico 
 supported by sixteen pillars, and coming into the nave 
 or body of the church, we find its lofty roof, which is 
 of cedar, supported by four rows of marble columns. 
 The choir is large, and terminates in a semicircle, 
 where stands the high altar ; and on each hand are 
 two other divisions, with their respective altars. A 
 noble cupola, leaded on the outside, and adorned with- 
 in with mosaic figures, covers this part of the church ; 
 and near the great altar are two flights of marble steps 
 leading into the chapel of the Nativity, where there is 
 an altar, with several lamps continually burning before 
 it. Descending a few steps lower, we are shown the 
 manger where our Lord was laid, which is hewn out 
 of the rock, about two feet high from the floor, and is 
 lined with white marble. 
 
 At a little distance from the Latin convent is the 
 grotto of the Virgin, held in great veneration, on ac- 
 count of a tradition that the Virgin Mary hid herself 
 there with her divine son, to avoid the fury of Herod, 
 whilst Joseph made the necessary preparations for 
 their departure into Egypt. It is of a circular form, 
 cut out of a chalky rock, and has an altar in it, where 
 mass is sometimes celebrated. 
 
 About four miles south of Bethlehem are those fa- 
 mous fountains or pools, said to have been the contri- 
 vance and delight of Solomon. They are three in 
 number, one above another, and so disposed, that the 
 waters of the uppermost descend into the second, and 
 those of the second into the third. Their form is 
 quadrangular, and each of them about ninety paces 
 broad; but with respect to their length they are some- 
 what different. They are very deep, and lined all 
 round with a wall, except where the natural rock 
 makes it unnecessary ; and indeed it must be acknow- 
 ledged they are a work not unworthy of that wise 
 prince whose name they bear, and contain such a 
 store of excellent spring-water, as perhaps cannot be 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 131 
 
 found in any other part of Palestine. The remains of 
 an aqueduct, which conveyed water from hence to Je- 
 rusalem, are still to be seen, being a sort of coarse 
 marble stones, perforated and let into one another 
 after the manner of pipes, and, for their better preser- 
 vation, covered over with a case or arch of smaller 
 stones, cemented together with a very durable mortar; 
 and yet as strong as this work has been, the Turks 
 and Arabs have so destroyed it, that though it for- 
 merly extended five or six leagues, there are only 
 some fragments of it remaining. 
 
 Nazareth, which is celebrated in the Scriptures, as 
 having been the place of our Saviour's residence, pre- 
 viously to his entering on the great work of his minis- 
 try, contains some objects worthy of attention. Adam- 
 manus, a writer of the seventh century, tells us, that 
 in his time there were two great churches to be seeii 
 at Nazareth, one of which was built upon two arches, 
 in the place where our Saviour's house had stood. 
 The second was built on the spot where the augel 
 Gabriel revealed to the Blessed Virgin the mystery of 
 Christ's incarnation ; and we are assured that the 
 church of the incarnation is still in being. 
 
 Mr. Maundrell observes, that there is a convent 
 built over what is said to be the place of annuncia- 
 tion : for the chamber where Mary received the an- 
 gel's salutation was removed from Nazareth, (accord- 
 ing to the Popish legends) and transported, by angels, 
 to Loretto in Italy. 
 
 Mariti telis us, that in the eastern part of the city 
 stands a church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin; and 
 that the zeal of the Cenobites raised it from the ruins 
 of that which had been destroyed by the Saracens, it 
 is a very handsome building, and consists of three 
 naves ; in the middle of which is the principal altar, 
 ornamented with magnificent iron balustrades. 
 
 The descent to the grotto, or annunciation chapel, 
 is by steps of beautiful marble, cut with great taste; 
 and at the entrance are two columns of oriental gra- 
 nite, which seem intended both to support and orna- 
 ment the grotto. The alt^ of this subterraneous 
 
 G 6 
 
132 WONDERS OP NATURE AND ART. 
 
 chapel is very elegant, and the different kinds of mar- 
 ble with which it is ornamented, receive an additional 
 lustre from the hght of several silver lamps. On so- 
 lemn festivals, the walls and pilasters are hung with 
 various pieces of superb tapestry, representing the 
 mysteries of the Blessed Virgin. 
 
 In the western part of the city stands a Christian 
 church, supposed to occupy the site of the ancient sy- 
 nagogue where our Blessed Master showed the Jews 
 the accomplishment of the prophecies in his own per- 
 son. In this neighbourhood may be seen a fountain 
 of excellent water, which the Christian inhabitants 
 conjecture to have been used by the Virgin ; and at 
 some distance is a large round stone, called " Christ's 
 Table," from a tradition that he sometimes came thi- 
 ther to eat bread v;ith his disciples. 
 
 The Mountain of Forty Days, situated in the plain 
 of Jericho, is one of the highest in Palestine, and one 
 of its most sacred places ; as it derives its name from 
 the rigorous fast which Christ observed after having 
 triumphed over the vanities of the world, and the 
 powers of hell. 
 
 The summit of this mountain is covered neither 
 with shrubs, turf, nor earth; but consists of a solid 
 mass of white marble, the surface of which has be- 
 come yellow by the injuries of the air. *' The patli by 
 Avhich you ascend to it," says the Abbe Mariti, " fills 
 one with terror, as it rises, with a winding course, be- 
 tween two abysses, which the eye dares scarcely be- 
 hold. This path is at first tolerably broad; but at 
 length it becomes so extremely narrow, that it is al- 
 most impossible to place both feet upon it at the same 
 time. When we had ascended a little higher, we 
 found an Arab stretched on the path, who required a 
 ceitain toll for our passage. Here a traveller needs 
 courage- One of the parapets or path bemg broke, 
 we clung to the remaining part, until we reached a 
 small grotto, which gave us an opportunity of recover- 
 ing our breath. On resuming our progress, we be- 
 came exposed to more imminent danger ; for, beini^; 
 almost suspended from the rock, and having before 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. Jja 
 
 our eyes all the horror of the precipice, we could ad- 
 vance only by drag-ging one foot after the other: so 
 that if the smallest fragment had given way under us, 
 we must inevitably have been hurried to the button). 
 
 *' Proceeding a little farther, we found a second 
 grotto, the entrance of which was about three yards 
 broad ; and it would be very capacious, were not two- 
 thirds of it filled up by part of the roof, which had 
 tunabled in. This grotto conducts to another, which 
 our curiosity induced us to enter; but we were al- 
 most stifled by the number of bats that were fluttering 
 about in it. Being desirous of retreating almost as 
 soon as we had entered, the bats flew about us in 
 such a manner as to almost cover our bodies; but 
 they luckily made themselves a passage, and suftered 
 us to breathe with freedom. 
 
 *' By the glimmering light which reached this grotto, 
 we perceived that the bottom of it was covered to the 
 heia'ht of about four inches with the excrements of the 
 bats ; and we remarked some niches in the sides, 
 which o-ave us reason to conclude, that it had once 
 served as a sepulchre to the ancient anchorets. This 
 is the more probable, as the other grotto appears, by 
 the remains of an altar and some Greek paintings, to 
 have been formerly used as a church. 
 
 " In the rio-ht corner there is a laro'e cistern, the 
 plaster of which retains its original solidity, though 
 l3rokcn in a few places ; and in the left corner is a 
 small staircase, leading to a third grotto. This is 
 much longer and broader than either of the former, 
 and its walls are ornamented with Greek paintings of 
 the twelve apostles as large as life. But their figures 
 are so much changed, that they could scarcely be dis- 
 tinguished, were it not that their names are written in 
 Greek characters upon the glory which surrounds their 
 heads. At the farther end of the grotto sta;ids a 
 square altar, above which is an oval painting of the 
 Annunciation, in good pieservation. No writer has 
 been able to tell us who was the founder of these cu- 
 rious chapels; but it is evident that the chisel has 
 been employed to render the grottos smooth and re- 
 
134 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 gular ; and it appears that they were mhabited by a 
 number of hermits, who devoted themselves to a life 
 of retirement and holy meditation. 
 
 " In remembrance of our Saviour's miraculous fast, 
 a chapel was formerly erected on the summit of the 
 mountain, which may be seen from the plain ; but we 
 could not approach it, as the path was almost entire- 
 ly destroyed. It may be accessible, however, on the 
 other side of the mountain, which v/e did not visit. 
 Here we enjoyed the most beautiful prospect that can 
 be imagined ; for this eminence overlooks the moun- 
 tains of Arobia, the countries of Ammon and Gilead, 
 the plains of Moab and Jericho, the river Jordan, and 
 the whole extent of the Dead Sea. 
 
 THE OSTRICH. 
 
 The Ostrich, which is the largest of all birds, fre- 
 quently attains the height of seven or eight feet, and 
 upwards. Its long and slender neck is clad only with 
 a kind of down. The head is small in proportion to 
 the body ; but the eyes are large and vivid. The beak 
 is short, blunt, and flattened horizontally. The fea- 
 thers have no strength or hardness ; their stems are 
 flexible; and the barbs or vanes do not catch upon 
 each other, like those of most other birds. It is this 
 which gives them their tendency to wave, and has 
 caused them to be used as ornaments in head-dress. 
 The wings of the Ostrich are extremely short, when 
 compared with the size of the body; and they are 
 furnished only with these waving and flexible feathers. 
 The thighs and legs are of astonishing strength. The 
 feet have only two toes each, of which the outer one 
 is much shorter than the other, and has no nail or 
 claw. 
 
 The sight of the ostrich is very strong ; and its hear- 
 ing is peculiarly good ; but the senses of taste and 
 smell are both weak. The Ostrich swallows, indis- 
 criminately with its food, stones, and even pieces of 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. J 35 
 
 iron or copper. This habit has induced some writers 
 to assert that the animal could digest iron. The pieces 
 of metal found in the Ostrich's stomach, have, in some 
 instances, appeared not to have been worn, as if by 
 trituration with other hard bodies, but to have been 
 eaten or corroded by some juice, as is evident from 
 the inequality of the hollows or cleft produced by that 
 juice. 
 
 In 1804, an Ostrich was brought to New York 
 from the Cape of Good Hope, and died on the first of 
 June following. On the 19th of May, this animal 
 swallowed a small cotton handkerchief : and it picked 
 up, and swallowed, every day, a considerable quanti- 
 ty of gravel, besides many pieces of china, queen's 
 ware, glass, broken nails, and all kinds of metallic 
 substances which it could find, of such size as to be 
 admitted into its stomach. Its usual food was bread, 
 potatoes, corn, and grass, which it continued to eat in 
 great quantity during the first eight days after it had 
 swallowed the handkerchief; but, in the beginning of 
 the second week, it lost its appetite ; and it was con- 
 sidered necessary to cram it, in order to keep it alive. 
 This, however, proved ineffectual ; and it did not sur- 
 vive more than three or four days. On the day fol- 
 lowing that of its death, the body was opened in the 
 presence of several medical gentlemen of New York; 
 and, on examination, the stomach was found to be so 
 full, as to be considerably distended. It contained a 
 quantity of partly digested grass, mixed with corn 
 and potatoes undigested; and a great quantity of 
 gravel, pieces of earthenware and glass, some brass 
 buttons, old nails, a piece of a small key, and several 
 other things. The handkerchief was found uninjured 
 on the top of the contents of the stomach ; and it was 
 thought that this had caused an indigestion, which 
 had at least accelerated the death of the animal. It 
 could not, however, in all probability, have lived much 
 longer, on account of a general inflammation which 
 was discovered on the outside of the stomach, on the 
 breast and rump, occasioned by some severe bruises 
 which it had received either on board the vessel, or 
 
136 WONDEHS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 when it was shipped. The pieces of iron that were 
 found in its stomach, some of which appeared to have 
 been swallowed a great length of time, are said by 
 the examiners to liave underg;one verv little alteration, 
 further than what might he accounted for by their 
 friction against each other, caused by the powerful ac- 
 tion of the gizzard. 
 
 An Ostrich described by Cuvier, in the Menagerie 
 of the Museum at Paris, was excessively voracious; 
 and, although grain and vegetables constituted the 
 basis of its nourishment, it would indiscriminately de- 
 vour all kinds of substances, both vegetable and ani- 
 mal. It seemed most fond of barlev ; and would eat, 
 every day, about four pounds of this, with a pound of 
 bread, and ten or twelve lettuces. In the summ.er 
 lime, it drank four pints of water in the day ; and in 
 winter, when it vvas necessary to keep it confined it 
 would drink more than six. This circumstance com- 
 pletely refutes the assertion of the Arabs, mentioned 
 bv Bufibn, that the Ostrich never drinks. It very 
 frequently would throw the water over its body, and 
 afterwards roll upon the ground. 
 
 Ostriches often become excessive fat. The last 
 mentioned animal, when it was dissected, had fat to 
 the thickness of two or three fingers in several parts 
 of its body. 
 
 They have great muscular strength, particularly in 
 the legs; in running, they often throw behind them 
 verv heavy stones to a considerable distance. The 
 rapidity of the course of the Ostrich surj)asses that of 
 all known animals ; and is such, that those persons 
 who mount on its back, without having, by degrees, 
 habituated themselves to the exercise, are at tirst 
 nearly suffocated. The wings, by beating against the 
 air, serve to accelerate its speed : but they are not of 
 sufficient size to enable the animal to elevate its body 
 in the least degree from the ground. 
 
 With respect to instinctive faculties and sagacity, 
 the Ostrich is generally said to be much below most 
 other animals. The people of the countries which it 
 inhabits, consider it even as an emblem of stupidity ; 
 
WONDF.RS OF NATURE AND ART. ,]^y 
 
 thev assert that it v»i]l hide its head behind a tree or 
 othtr object, when pursued by the hunter, and there 
 remain immoveable, as if its whole body was con- 
 cealed. This, however, is by no means the fact. Its 
 cry is weak, and somewhat resembles the cooin<^ of a 
 pigeon. The voice of the male differs from that of the 
 female, chiefly in being more strong. When the ani- 
 mal is teased, it threatens by a kind of hissing noise, 
 not much unlike that cf a goose. It likewise indi- 
 cates its anger by raising and shaking its wings and 
 tail. 
 
 In 1802, a female Ostrich in the Museum at Paris, 
 deposited in the space of two months, six eggs. The 
 one of these which appeared most perfect, and which 
 was as largre as most of the CL'gs of Ostriches that are^ 
 brought to Europe, was examined in the scales imme- 
 diately after it was laid, and was found to weigh near- 
 ly three pounds. In the exaggerated relations of some 
 naturalists, it is asserted that the eggs of the Ostrich 
 sometimes weigh as much as fifteen pounds. A large 
 shell, preserved in the cabinet of the Academy of 
 Sweden, weighed eleven ounces. It was ten inches 
 and a half in length, and would have contained up- 
 wards of four pints of water. 
 
 At the Cape of Good Hope, the eggs of Ostriches 
 constitute an important article of commerce. The 
 Arabs frequently carry great quantities of them to 
 Cairo and other towns of Egypt, where they meet 
 with a ready sale, not only as articles of food, but 
 likewise for the purpose of ornamenting the mosques 
 and churches with the shells. The Mahometans of 
 the interior of Africa pflace the eggs of Ostriches on 
 the top of the spires of their mosques. The shells are 
 frequently employed as ornaments for the persons of 
 the Hottentots. They make collars and girdles of 
 them, by grinding small pieces into the form of rings. 
 
 In its wild state, the Ostrich, according to the as- 
 sertion of Aristotle, lays as many as twenty- five eo-ors; 
 according to Willono:hby and Linneeus, fifty ; and, ac- 
 cording to iElian, as many as eighty. This error, 
 says Thunberg, has arisen from an ignorance in those 
 
]38 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 writers, that the animals were polygamous, and that 
 three or four females deposited their eggs in the same 
 nest. The shells are sufficiently thick to admit of 
 their being cut into, and used as, drinking-vessels. 
 Without the torrid zone, it is said that the Ostriches 
 frequently leave their egos to be hatched by the heat 
 of the sun; but that within the tropics they incubate 
 in the manner of otlier birds, and that they will guard 
 and defend their offspring with great courage. The 
 period of incubation is stated to be six weeks. 
 
 Buffon asserts that, when Jannequin was in Sene- 
 gal, two eggs, taken from an Ostrich's nest, having 
 been presented to him, he wrapped them up in tow, 
 and put them into his chest; where, after some time, 
 he discovered, that, from one of the eggs, a young 
 bird had been produced. The folUowing is a transla- 
 tion of the original passage inserted in his Voyage. 
 
 " The Ostrich lays very large eggs, and, instead of 
 seeking to conceal them, does not herself sit on, but 
 abandons them to the heat of the sun, leaving them 
 to be hatched by the powerful rays of that eye of the 
 universe. A negro having made me a present of two 
 of these eggs, which I was desirous of carrying to 
 France, I deposited them in my chest, carefully wrap- 
 ped up in tow, lest they should be broken. They were 
 left here for a long time without being seen ; and one 
 day, on opening the chest, I was greatly astonished to 
 find that one of the shells was broken. Without at- 
 tempting- to ascertain by what means the accident had 
 happened, I took it up, with the intention of throwing 
 it out, when, to my infinite surprise, I observed a 
 young Ostrich moving under the thick skin of the eg^. 
 As there was no opening in this, I made one with my 
 knife, in order to give the animal air; and I carefully 
 replaced it in the chest. It lived for eight days, du- 
 ring which time I fed it with pieces of vegetables, 
 which it leadily took into its beak and sv, allowed. 
 The same circumstance, no doubt, took place in the 
 other e^^; for, on my return to France, I found that 
 the shell of that also v»-as broken.'' 
 
 The Ostrich is an inhabitant of nearly all parts of 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. I39 
 
 Africa, from Barbary almost to the Cape of Good 
 Hope; and it dtlights principally in arid and sandy 
 desarts. It is likewise very common in Arabia, and 
 is sometimes, though rarely, found in other parts of 
 Asia. 
 
 These birds traverse the desarts in great troops. 
 The Arabs pursue them on horseback, and sometimes 
 with dogs ; and they occasionally catch them by means 
 of nets and other snares. 'J hose that are taken alive 
 are easily tamed : they will allow men to mount on 
 their backs; but they are by no means so easy to be 
 guided as a horse. 
 
 The skin of the ostrich, ornaiiiented with the fea- 
 thers, serves some of the tribes of the Arabs to make 
 shields and breast-plates. It is well knov/n that the 
 great feathers of the wings and tail are employed in 
 Europe as ornaments for dress, furniture, &c. and they 
 have been used for that purpose from the remotest 
 period. 
 
 THE ANDES. 
 
 It is generally allov/ed, that the mountains of South 
 America are not to be paralleled in any other part of 
 the world, for their surprising height and extent; that 
 prodigious chain of them called the Andes, begins in 
 the most northern part of Peru, and extends itself 
 quite to the Straits of Magellan, a length of between 
 three and four thousand miles. Acosta relates, that 
 he once ascended one of the highest of these moun- 
 tains in Peru, called Pariacaca; and that he went pre- 
 pared according to the best instructions he could get, 
 with several more who had the like curiosity ; but, 
 notwithstanding all his precaution, when he came 
 near the top he was seized with such pains that he 
 thought he should have fallen to the ground: and the 
 rest of the company feeling similar emotions, they all 
 hastened down as fast as they could, without waiting 
 for one another. They were all taken with violent 
 
140 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 retchings, and not only brought up green phlegm and 
 choler, but a oreat deal of blood. 
 
 This lasted for three or four hours, till they had 
 descended to the lower part of the mountain; but it 
 seems that the sickness generally goes ofFbefore they 
 get to the bottom, and is attended with no ill conse- 
 quences. 
 
 People who pass this ridge of mountains in any part 
 of them, for upwards of five hundred leagues, are af- 
 fected in like manner, but more in some places than in 
 others. Acosta had passed ilie Andes at four different 
 places, and always felt the like disorder, but not so 
 much as at Pariacaca; and the best remedy they 
 found against it was to stop their mouths, noses, and 
 ears as much as possible ; the air being so subtile and 
 piercing, that it affects the entrails both of men and 
 beasts. This indeed is no wonder, since the height of 
 the Andes is such, that the Alps, in comparison to 
 them, seem but as ordinary houses in regard to lofty 
 towers. Hence our author concluded that the air on 
 the top of these mountains was too pure and subtile 
 for animals to breathe in, they requiiing a grosser me- 
 dium ; and this, he supposed, occasioned the above- 
 mentioned disorder in the stomach. 
 
 As to the retching's complained of by those who 
 pass the Andes in Peru, it is remarkable that those 
 who travel over that high chain of them m Chili called 
 the Cordillera, are not aftected with such disorders, 
 but only with a difficulty of breathing, which is per- 
 ceived more or less on the tops of all high mountains : 
 so that in Peru there may possible be a concurrence of 
 some other causes besides the thinness of the air, to 
 produce the above effects, since the mountains of Chili 
 are considerably higher, and consequently the air ^t 
 the top of them is more rarefied. 
 
 In order to give a more perfect idea of the climate 
 on the top of these mountains, we shall give some ac- 
 count of that which prevailed on Pichincha, when the 
 mathematicians, sent thither by the kinos of France 
 and Spain, were stationed there, in order to make ob- 
 servations on the figure of the earth. It ought to be 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 141 
 
 observed, that this mountain is almost directly under 
 the equinoctial, and that though it is famous for its 
 ^i^reat height, it is twelve hundred and seventy-eight 
 yards, in a perpendicular line, lower than the moun- 
 tain of Cotopaxi ; but it will be impossible for the 
 reader to conceive the comparative coldness of the 
 summit of the last mentioned mountain, from that felt 
 on this, since it must exceed every idea that can be 
 formed in the human mind, though both are situated 
 in the midst of the torrid zone. 
 
 Pichincha was formerly a volcano, but the mouth,- 
 on one of its sides, is at present covered with sand 
 and calcined matter, and neither fire nor smoke is 
 seen to issue from it. Our learned author Don George 
 Juan de Ulloa observes, that he found the cold on its 
 top extremely intense, and the wind violent: they 
 were also frequently involved in so thick a fog, or, in 
 other words, a cloud, that an object at six or eight 
 paces distance was scarcely perceptible. The air grew 
 clear, by the clouds descending nearer to the surface 
 of the earth, when they, on all sides, surrounded the 
 mountain to a vast distance, representing the sea, 
 with the rock standing like an island in the centre. 
 \yhen this happened, they h^ard the dreadful noise of 
 the tempests, that discharged themselves on the city 
 of Quito, and the neigbouring country. Looking down, 
 they saw the lightning issue from the clouds, and 
 heard the thunder roll far beneath them. While the 
 lower parts were involved in thunder and rain, they 
 enjoyed a delightful serenity; the wind was abated, 
 the sky clear, and the enlivening rays of the sun mo- 
 derated the severity of the cold. But, when the clouds 
 rose, their thickness rendered respiration difficult, 
 snow and hail fell continually, and the wind returned 
 with all its violence; so that it was impossible to over- 
 come entirely the fear of being, together with their 
 hut, blown down the precipice, or of being buried in 
 it, by the daily accumulations of ice and snow. Their 
 fears were likewise increased by the fall of enormous 
 fra^'ments of rocks. Though the smallest crevice, vi- 
 
142 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 sible in their hut, was stopped, the wind was so pierc- 
 ing, that it penetrated through ; and, though the hut 
 was small, crowded with inhabitants, and had several 
 lamps constantly burning, the cold was so great, that 
 every person was obliged to have a chafing-dish of 
 coals, and several men were constantly employed 
 every morning to remove the snow which fell in the 
 night. By the severity of this cold, their feet were 
 swelled, and grew so tender, that they could not walk 
 without extreme pain ; their hands also were covered 
 with chilblains, and their lips so swelled and chapped, 
 that every motion in speaking, made them bleed. 
 
 From barometrical experiments made on the moun- 
 tain Cotopaxi, it appears that its summit is elevated 
 six thousand two hundred and fifty-two yards above 
 the surface of the sea, something above three geogra- 
 phical miles, which g;rea!ly exceeds the height of any 
 other mountain in the known world. Cotopaxi be- 
 came a volcano at the first arrival of the Spaniards in 
 this country, and a new eruption happened in 1743, 
 which had been for some days preceded by a continual 
 rumbling in its bowels : after which an aperture was 
 made in its summit, and likewise three others, near 
 the middle of its declivity, at that period buried under 
 prodigious masses of snow. The ignited substances 
 ejected on that occasion, mixed with the vast quantity 
 of snow and ice, melting amidst the flames, were car- 
 ried down with such amazing rapidity, that, in an in- 
 stant, the plain from Callao to Latcunga was inun- 
 dated, the houses of the poor inhabitants were borne 
 down, and great numbers of them perished. The ri- 
 ver of Latacunga was the canal of this dreadful flood, 
 till, being too small for receiving the prodigious cur- 
 rent, it overflowed the adjacent country, carried away 
 all the buildings within its reach, and rendered the 
 land, near the town of the same name, like a vast 
 lake. The inhabitants retired to a spot of higher 
 ground behind the town, while those parts of it that 
 stood within the limits of the current, were entirely 
 destroyed. During three days the volcano ejected 
 cinders, while torrents of melted ice and snow poured 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. I43 
 
 down its sides. The fire lasted several days longer, 
 and was accompanied with terrible roarings of the 
 wind, rushing through the mouth of the volcano. At 
 last all was quiet, and neither fire nor smoke were to 
 be seen. But, in May 1744, the flames forced a pas- 
 sage through several otiier parts on the sides of the 
 mountain; so that, in clear nights, the flames, being 
 reflected by the transparent ice, formed a very grand 
 and beautiful illumination. But, on the thirteenth of 
 November following, it ejected such prodigious quan- 
 tities of fire and io;nited substances, that an inunda- 
 tion, equal to the former, soon ensued ; and the inha- 
 bitants of the town of Latacunga, for some time, gave 
 themselves over for lost. 
 
 We are told that there are fiery meteors about these 
 mountains, sometimes so high in the air, as to resem- 
 ble stars, and sometimes so low, as to frighten the 
 mules, by buzzing about their ears and feet. But a 
 phgenomenon, which in this climate must appear very 
 extraordinary, is said by M. Bouguerto happen almost 
 every day on the tops of these mountains; though 
 these gentlemen were the first who ever mentioned 
 them in Europe. The first time our authors observed 
 it, was when they were on the summit of Pambamorea, 
 a mountain not so high as Pichincha. A cloud, in 
 which they were involved at break of day, dissipating, 
 thev saw the rising sun extremely splendid, and the 
 cloud passed on the other side, opposite to the sun, 
 where it appeared very thin, and was about twenty 
 yards distant from the place where they were stand- 
 ing, when each of them saw in it, as in a looking-glass, 
 his own image, and, what appeared still more extra- 
 ordinary, the head was encompassedwith a glory, like 
 that seen round the heads of saints in pictures ; each 
 head being as it were, the centre of three concentric 
 irises of very lively colours, and each with the same 
 varieties as the rainbow, the red being outward ; the 
 last or most external colours of one touched the first 
 of the following ; and, at some distance from them all, 
 was a fourth arch, entirely white. These were perpen- 
 dicular to the horizon ; and, as the person moved, the 
 
144 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 phsenomenon moved also. But, what was very ex- 
 traordinary, though there were six or seven persons, 
 each could see none but his own shadow, because the 
 cloud had an uneven surface. The diameter of the 
 arches gradually altered with the ascent of the sun 
 above the horizon, and the phsenomenon itself, after 
 continuing a considerable time, insensibly vanished. 
 Several of the gentlemen, both French and Spaniards, 
 have particularly described this phsenomenon, and M. 
 Bouguer concludes with saying, " This was a kind of 
 apotheosis to each spectator ; and I cannot forbear 
 mentioning again, that each enjoyed the secret plea- 
 sure of seeing himself adorned with these crowns, 
 without perceiving those of his neighbours. I mus}, 
 however, obstrve, that this plieenomenon never ap- 
 pears, but when the aqueous particles of the cloud are 
 frozen." 
 
 Uiloa observes, that the roads over some of these 
 mountains, are not the least of those many extraordi- 
 nary particulars relating to them. These are in many 
 places so narrow, that the mules have scarcely room to 
 set their feet, and in others, there is a continued series 
 of precipices. These roads ai e likewise, full of holes, 
 near three quarters of a yard deep^in which tlie mules 
 put their fore and hind feet, whence they sometimes 
 draw, their bellies and their riders leo-s, aion^ the 
 ground. These holes indeed serve as steps, without 
 which the precipices would be in a manner impassable ; 
 but, should the mule happen to put his feet between 
 two of these holes, or not place them right, the rider 
 falls, and, if on the side of the precipice, inevitably pe- 
 rishes. But the manner of descending appears still 
 more dangerous. On one side are frequently steep 
 eminences, and on the other dreadful abysses; and, as 
 they generally follow (he direction of the mountain, 
 the road, instead of being on a level, forms sfeep emi- 
 nences and declivities. The muies are sensible of the 
 caution necessary in these descents; for coming to the 
 top of an eminence they stop, and having placed their 
 fore feet close together, put their hinder feet a little 
 forwards, as if going to lie down. Having in this at- 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 145 
 
 titude taken a survey of the road, they slide down with 
 the swiftnees of a meteor. All the rider has to do is 
 to keep himself fast in the saddle ; for the least mo- 
 tion is sufficient to disorder the equilibrium of the 
 mule, in which case, they both unavoidably perish. 
 Nothing, says our author, can be more amazing than 
 the animal's address on this occasion, for during this 
 rapid motion, when he seems to have lost all govern- 
 ment of himself, he follows with the utmost exactness 
 the different windings of the road, as if he had accu- 
 rately settled in his mind all the turnings he was to 
 follow, and taken every precaution for his safety. Yet 
 the longest practice in travelling these roads cannot 
 entirely free the mules from a kind of dread, which 
 they experience on arriving at the top of a steep de- 
 clivity ; for they not only attentively view the road, 
 but tremble and snort at the danger. If the rider in- 
 advertently endeavour to spur them on, they continue 
 immoveable, till, at length, having overcome the first 
 emotions of their fear, they stretch out their fore legs, 
 that by preserving a proper balance, they mav not 
 pitch head foru'ard ; and it is wonderful to consider 
 how they make with their body, all the gentle incli- 
 nations necessary to enable them to follow the several 
 windings of the road, and afterwards their address in 
 stopping themselves at the end of their impetuous 
 career. 
 
 The tediousness and danger of the way, however, 
 is in some parts, alleviated and rendered more tole- 
 rable by the fine prospects and agreeable cascades na- 
 turally formed arfions: the rocks and mountains. In 
 some parts, the water in the valleys springs up to a 
 great height, like artificial fountains, amongst odori- 
 ferous plants and flowers, that yield a delightful pros- 
 pect. Many of these streams and springs are so ex- 
 ceedingly cold, that a man can scarcely drink them, or. 
 hold his hand in them above a minute; but in some 
 places there are hot springs, which leave a green tinc- 
 ture in the channel through which they pass, and are 
 reckoned good against many distempers. 
 
 From most of the mountains flow large and rapid 
 
 H 
 
146 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 rivers, and we read of a natural bridge of rocks over 
 one of them, from the vault of which hang several 
 pieces of stone resembling icicles, formed as the water 
 drops from the rock, into various shapes, and of dif- 
 ferent colours. This bridye is broad enough for three 
 or four carts to pass abreast : and there is another 
 bridge near it, laid over by art, (as some say,) be- 
 tween two rocks, but our author, who saw it, thinks it 
 is rather the work of nature. It is so far above the 
 river that he could not hear the stream, though it runs 
 with great rapidity; and, though the river be of a 
 considerable breadth, it appeared like a brook, when 
 he looked down from the bridge, which he could not 
 do without horror. 
 
 But, according to Acosta, there is still a greater 
 danger in travelling over some of the mountains of 
 Peru, than any we have yet mentioned. He tells us, 
 that there are mountainous uninhabited deserts, where 
 a sudden blast of air sometimes strikes a traveller 
 dead in an instant; and that the Spaniards formerly 
 passed these mountains in their way to Chili, but now 
 either go by sea, or take another road by land, to avoid 
 the danger of crossing them, in which journey many 
 have perished, and others have lost their fingers and 
 toes, and have been rendered cripples. The same au- 
 thor relates, that general Costilla marching over them 
 with his army, great part of his men suddenly fell 
 down dead, and their bodies remained there without 
 stench or corruption. As incredible as this appears, 
 it seems to be confirmed by the reports of European 
 seamen, who assure us, that they have seen great 
 numbers of bodies of men, women, and children, lying 
 dead upon the sands in Peru, and looking as fresh as 
 if they had not lain there a week ; but, when they 
 were handled, they proved as dry and light as a 
 sponge or piece of cork. Whatever was the cause of 
 the death of these people, it is agreed on all hands, 
 that the dryness of the Peruvian air, and the heat of 
 the sands, preserved their bodies from putrefaction. 
 
 The audience of Lima enjoys extraordinary advan- 
 lases m being free from tempest, thunder, lightning, 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. J 47 
 
 snow, hail, and rain ; but we have already observed, 
 that is subject to earthquakes, which happen so fre- 
 quently, that the inhabitants are under continual ap- 
 prehensions of being buried in the ruins of their own 
 houses : yet they are said to have their presages ; one 
 of the chief of which is a rumbling; noise in the bowels 
 of the earth about a minute before the shocks are felt, 
 and seems to pervade all the adjacent subterraneous 
 parts. This is followed by the bowlings of the dogs, 
 who appear sensible of the approaching danger ; and 
 the very beasts of burden, passing the streets, are ob- 
 served to stop, and, by a natural instinct, to spread 
 open their legs, the better to secure themselves from 
 failing. These portents are no sooner observed, than 
 the terrified inhabitants fly from their houses into the 
 streets, with such precipitation, that, if it happens in 
 the niglit, they appear quite naked, fear and the ur- 
 gency of the danger banishing all sense of decency. 
 This sudden concourse is accompanied with the cries 
 of children awaked from sleep, mingled with the la- 
 mentations of the women, whose agonizing prayers to 
 the saints increase the common fear and confusion ; 
 and the men beins; also too much affected to refrain 
 from giving vent to their terror, the whole city exhi- 
 bits a dreadful scene of horror and consternation. 
 
 THE MINES OF PERU. 
 
 The most celebrated mines of Peru are those of 
 Potosi, which have now been opened nearly two hun- 
 dred and sixty years, and yet continue to be wrought 
 with equal advantage as when first discovered; only 
 with this difference, that the veins, which were then 
 almost on the surface of the mountain, are now sunk 
 to prodigious depths, some of the pits or wells being 
 two hundred fathoms deep, and yet not incommoded 
 with water. What renders the workins: of the mines 
 exceeding dangerous, are the exhalations arising from 
 them, which are even felt on the outside, and affect 
 
 ^ 2 
 
148 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 animals that graze in the neigbourhood ; but within, 
 they stupefy the miners, none of whom can bear so 
 noxious an air above a day together. Sometimes it 
 is so fatal as to kill on the spot, and oblige them to 
 stop up the veins from whence it exhales. The mines 
 of Potosi are the least subject to these vapours, and 
 yet, without the herb paraguay, the infusion whereof 
 is drank by the miners as we do tea, these mines must 
 soon be abandoned. Some millions of Indians have 
 perished in them, and prodigious numbers continue to 
 be destroyed every year. 
 
 The mountain of Potosi, which is famous for the 
 immense quantity of silver it has produced, was first 
 discovered to contain that metal, by a mere accident. 
 An Indian, named Gualca, pursuing some wild goats 
 up this mountain, and coming to a very steep part, . 
 laid hold of a shrub, in order to ascend with the great- 
 er celerity ; but, it being unable to support his weight, 
 came up by the roots, and discovered a mass of fine 
 silver; and at the same time he found some lumps of 
 the same metal among the clods which adhered to 
 the roots. The Indian, who lived at Porco, hasted 
 home, washed the silver, and made use of it, repair- 
 ing, when his stock was exhausted, to his perpetual 
 fund. At length, an intimate friend, perceiving the 
 happy chancre in his circumstances, eagerly enquired 
 the cause, and repeated his questions with such ear- 
 nestness, that Gualca, confiding in his friendship, re- 
 vealed the secret. For some time they resorted to 
 the mountain for fresh supplies, till Gualca, refusing 
 to discover his method of purifying the metal, the 
 other, in revenge, revealed the whole secret to his mas- 
 ter, who went in April 1545, to view this fortunate 
 breach in the mountain ; and the mine was instantly 
 worked with immense advantage. Ihe first mine 
 had the name of The Discoverer, from its occasioning 
 the discovery of other sources of wealth enclosed in 
 the bowels of this mountain ; for, in a few days, ano- 
 ther was- found, no less rich, and was named the Tin 
 mine ; afterwards another was found, and distinguish- 
 ed by the name of Rica, or Pvich, as exceeding all the 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. ]49 
 
 rest. At length, another was discovered, which was 
 called the Mendieta. These are the principal mines 
 of this celebrated mountain ; but there are several 
 smaller, crossing it in all directions. 
 
 The importance of these discoveries induced peo- 
 ple to flock to Potosi from all parts, particularly from 
 the city of Plata, which stands about seventy-five miles 
 from the mountain, whence the town of Potosi is at 
 present near six miles in circuit, and inhabited by 
 many noble families, particularly those concerned in 
 the mines. The air at the mountains is indeed so cold 
 as to render all the adjacent country remarkably bar- 
 ren ; for it produces neither corn, fruit, nor herbs, and 
 yet the town is so plentifully supplied, as to be in 
 want of nothing, the trade for provisions being greater 
 there than in any other place, Lima excepted. Some 
 provinces send the best of their corn and fruit, others 
 their cattle, others their manufactures ; while others 
 resort thither with European goods, as to a sure mar- 
 ket. A Spanish author declares on the best authori- 
 ty, that before the year i 638, it appeared by the pub- 
 lic accounts that the silver produced by this mountain, 
 amounted to three hundred ninety-five millions six 
 hundred and nineteen thousand dollars ; which in 
 ninety-three years, the time it had then been disco- 
 vered, amounted to forty-one millions two hundred 
 and fifty-five thousand and forty-three dollars per an- 
 num. Hence an idea may be formed of the immense 
 trade that has for many years been carried on in this 
 town, which consists entirely of the silver extracted 
 from this mountain, and is still very considerable, 
 though some diminution has been perceived in its 
 produce. 
 
 A LAND SHIP. 
 
 At Scheveling, a village on the sea-coast, about 
 two miles from the Ha^ue, in the United Provinces, is 
 the model of a land-ship, or sailing-chariot, which was 
 
 H 3 
 
150 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 made for prince Maurice of Nassau, by a celebrated 
 mathematician. In form it resembles a boat, is fixed 
 upon four wheels of equal bigness, has two sails, is 
 steered by a rudder placed between the two hindmost 
 wheels, and is stopped either by letting down the sails, 
 or turning it from the wind. In this machine, the 
 prince and his companions used to divert themselves 
 by sailing along the smooth strand; and it was con- 
 trived to move with such ease and swiftness, that a 
 brisk gale would carry eight or ten persons from 
 Scheveling to Petten, (a distance of about fifty Eng- 
 lish miles,) in three or four hours time ; the person at 
 the helm directing its course with very little labour. 
 Bishop Wilkins mentions several great men who have 
 described and admired this curious invention ; but we 
 can scarcely credit all that has been reported concern- 
 ing the swiftness of its motion. 
 
 REMARKABLE STONE QUARRY. 
 
 In a hill near Maestricht, in the United Provinces, 
 is a remarkable stone quarry, which has one entrance 
 by the side of the Maese, where carts can pass with 
 ease, and unload the stones on tlie bank of the river. 
 The quarry runs parallel with the horizon, and by the 
 light of torches aflfords one of the most surprising- 
 prospects imaginable ; for the walks are spacious and 
 level, and the earth over-head is supported by several 
 thousands of square pillars, most of them twenty feet 
 high, and all wrought with such neatness and regula- 
 rity as to resemble a subterraneous palace. There is 
 very little rubbish in this qaurry, which is owing to the 
 goodness of the stone, and the carefulness of the work- 
 men ; and in several places are little pools of water, 
 which perhaps have been made for beasts to drink, 
 and other uses. When armies march that way, the 
 quarry affords a secure retreat for the country people, 
 who convey thither their horses, cattle, and moveable 
 furniture ; and indeed it may well serve for such a 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 151 
 
 purpose, considering its vast extent ; for Mr. Ellis as- 
 serts, that it is capable of sheltering a hundred thou- 
 sand men; but the chillness of the place during his 
 researches, afflicted him with a fit of ague. The stone 
 dug out of this quarry, according to the same gentle- 
 man, is much like our Kettering ; and the Jesuits have 
 a fine chapel built of it at Maestricht. 
 
 INVENTION OF PAPER, AND ITS MANU- 
 FACTURE. 
 
 When and by whom linen paper was invented, is 
 not known, as Polydore Virgil confesses. Scalinger 
 ascribes the invention to the Germans, MaflPei to the 
 Italians, others to some refugee Greeks at Basil, who 
 took the hint from the manner of making cotton-paper 
 in their own country ; and Conringius thinks we re- 
 ceived it from the Arabs. It appears, however, to 
 have been first introduced amongst us towards the 
 beginning of the fourteenth century, which agrees with 
 the observations of count MafFei, who finds no marks 
 of its use before the year 1300. Some indeed go 
 much farther back, and take the Libri lintei, mention- 
 ed by Livy and other Roman writers, to have been 
 written on linen paper ; but this notion has been suffi- 
 ciently refuted. Others make the invention more mo- 
 dern than it really is, dating its origin about three 
 hundred and ninety years ago ; but Mabiilon proves 
 the contrary from many manuscripts, above four hun- 
 dred years old, written on linen paper ; and Balbinus 
 produces divers instances of such manuscripts writ- 
 ten before the year 1340. Add to this, that in the 
 Cottonian library there are writings on paper in the 
 times of most of our kings and queens, as high as the 
 year 1335 ; and Dr. Prideaux asserts, that he saw a 
 registration of some acts of John Cranden, prior of 
 Ely, made on paper, which bears date in the four- 
 teenth year of king Edward II. that is, A. D. 1320. 
 The invention, according to the learned doctor, seems 
 
 II 4 
 
152 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 to have been brought from the East, most of the old 
 manuscripts in Arabic and other oriental languages 
 being written on this sort of paper, some of which are 
 certainly much older than any of the dates above men- 
 tioned. This author thinks it most probable, that the 
 Saracens of Spain first brought it out of the East into 
 that country, from whence it was propagated through 
 the rest of Europe, As to the time of its being intro- 
 duced into England, we read of a paper-mill erected 
 at Dartford as early as the year 1588, which was pro- 
 bably the first, and is celebrated by Thomas Church- 
 yard, a noted poet of that age, in a poem, entitled, 
 "A Description and Discourse of Paper, and the Be- 
 nefits it brings ; with the setting forth of a Paper-mill 
 built near Dartford, by a High German, called M. 
 Spilman, Jeweller to the Queen." 
 
 The linen rags, of which our European paper is 
 made, being carried to the mill, are first sorted, then 
 washed very clean in puncheons, whose sides are 
 grated with strong wires, and the bottoms bored full 
 of holes. After this they are fermented, or laid in 
 square heaps closi; covered with sackmg, till they rot, 
 ■which is commonly done in four or five days. When 
 duly fermented they are twisted into handfuls, cut 
 small, and thrown into oval mortars made of well- 
 seasoned oak, about half a yard deep, with an iron 
 plate at bottom, an inch thick, eight inches broad, and 
 thirty inches long. In the m.iddle is a washing-block 
 with fine holes in it, and a piece of hair-sive fastened 
 on the inside, so that nothing can pass out, except 
 dirty water. These mortars are continually supplied 
 with water by little troughs from a cistern filled by 
 buckets fastened to the floats of the great v/heel, 
 which raises the wooden hammers for pounding the 
 raffS in the mortars. When the rao's are beaten to a 
 certain degree called the first stuff, the pulp is re- 
 moved into presses, where it is left to mellow about a 
 week; then it is put into clean mortars, pounded 
 afresh, and removed into presses or boxes as before, 
 in which state it is called the second stuff. The mass 
 beins: beaten a third time, it resembles flour and water 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. I53 
 
 without any lumps, it is carried to the pit-mortar, 
 Avhere it is perfectly dissolved, and is then taken to 
 the vat to be formed into paper. The vat is rightly 
 primed when the liquor has such a proportion of the 
 pulp, as that the mould dipped into it will take up 
 just enough to make a sheet of paper of the thickness 
 required. The mould is a square sieve about an inch 
 deep, having a brass-wire bottom, resting on sticks to 
 prevent its bagging, and keep it exactly horizontal. 
 This mould the workman dips into the liquor, and 
 gives it a shake as he takes it out to clear the water 
 from the pulp. He then slides it along a grove to the 
 coucher, who turns the sheet, lays it on a felt, and re- 
 turns the mould to the maker, who, by this time, has 
 prepared a second sheet in another mould ; and thus 
 they proceed, laying alternately a sheet and a felt, till 
 they have made six quires of paper, which is called a 
 post. This quantity is then put under a press, and 
 by the strength of four or five men, all the water is 
 pressed from it ; after which it is separated from the 
 felts, laid regularly one sheet upon another, and hav- 
 ing undergone a second pressing, it is hungup to dry. 
 When sufficiently dried it is taken off the lines, rubbed 
 smooth with the hands, and laid by till sized, which is 
 the next operation. For this they chuse a fine tem- 
 perate day, and having boiled a proper quantity of 
 clean parchment, or vellum shavings till they come to 
 a size, they prepare a fine cloth, on which they strew 
 a due proportion of white vitriol and rochalum finely 
 powdered, and strain the size through it into a large 
 tub, in which they dip as much paper at once as they 
 can conveniently hold, and with a quick motion give 
 every sheet its share of the size, which must be as hot 
 as the hand can well bear it. After this it is pressed, 
 hung up in sheets to dry, and then being sorted, it is 
 counted into quires, whicli are folded,"pressed verv 
 hard, and tied up in reams or bundles for sale. 
 
 The method of making marbled paper is extremely 
 curious and interesting. A trough is provided, either 
 made of lead or pitched wood, of the shape and di- 
 mensions of the paper to be marbled, and about four 
 
 H 5 
 
ISts^fiv^ ^^., ^^Uicli j^ Id centain -tlie liqupr us&d in 
 lEb^ ppfs^ttkin. Tiii& iiquw is macle ty maceratiog a 
 ^uaniby of ^una tragrat^ntii four qr five liays in jjles^n 
 ^^«tjber^ wbitiii b stirred irum time tt) time, and fresb 
 v^ttf- ' ed^ till it be of a cpnsisience some- 
 
 »»bi* .u.uu'p- ,uao oil, and then it is strained into the 
 tPOUgbiof use. The colours lobe * •••"'ied on the sw- 
 feoe orf thi^ .litjuor., ^ whioii^re usu<, . ue. r<?^ . r'"-enj 
 attdyslbw.) bem^ prt-jmced «f" proper i .s., 
 
 thsa^ k «^ded to tltem^ji title ok or fisiv-gall ; and if 
 trbe cooiotti*, when tsprinkied Xin the liquor, .lio uot di' 
 Ittte tbomse.lLViJS^ufiiotetttly, nio- must he added^ 
 
 but M i\v ^aii loo.much, tut iault must be cor- 
 >i»Oted tb> «..-.. u- •■'■•- m! tlrt oolour. T- ' "-'louis 
 being' irat«g:ed it : .. uu the table whei^t — ^: ►^ngh 
 
 i^piaw^. tiie V . u bfcgm by dip'jinp^ a brush ol' 
 
 Ibog* iuiir mto «ny «coiour, oommoi blue ifirst^ 
 
 ^nd sprmkUn^ j$. iwi thfe surface of rthe Itquor ; then 
 t^ j«?d ts ,:apptied m like m*'.ni]«r, but with ^mother 
 llttuah;; \\>ut^ the yellow, and lastly the green. 
 
 ^- cm lAi. ^Vit oo.lours ai:»: >: liquor, 
 
 .u- N U6t i^ M'.uuieo ; "'' ' ivu j.:iui; . • c *' i iiom^ue 
 sirip n' ii.t.;h .. .... . .uer. Stirs Up the liquor and 
 
 ^ urs,; atier wuit:h they draw a comb 
 
 'Otx^^ the suriaoe of the iiquor, permitting only the 
 i^Efth 'tp «ttte!fr5 ftnd cuts bemf performed with a eentle 
 «md uniform imotion, .makes those clouds and undula- 
 ikOttS 'On whir - of ti*e paper depends. Tbe 
 
 oolourt .ut.vure, tlie operator applies ou 
 
 •thew k> cuv'.u V.' > rjape.r, previously moistened, 
 
 which i^uu^s ^ ^v...- .y ti»«; can oniy be obtained 
 fbj' piactice, tiie surlace ol tiie iiquor and paper being 
 ife> [meet ^uaUy m^li parts; which done, beibre the 
 «q$ilours liiave ti«fte tto soak througlx, he Atfts it up nim- 
 ^\ih,\, f^ttd sprea<fe it («q ;ft board, where Itaving lain 
 «, wi is hung (Upon ^ ilineio di*y, i^n^i is then po- 
 
 'iish> u a rmarble stone or knob of ivory, it must 
 
 be vvb•iI^^, thait tiie sprinkling of the colours is to 
 Ibe renewed, and itbe operations to be -performed with 
 th* stick and comb, at everv application of a fresh 
 
. WOiniEBS OF NATL'EE AND ART. i55 
 sheet of paper, bccanae eadi sheet takes off ail Ihe co- 
 
 lows firom the 
 
 THE STADHOUSE OF A31STERDAM. 
 
 e of Amstefdam is ootooly the most 
 
 - Uaited Pnmnces, hot is gcneiaiij 
 
 . tim^ of the Idiid in Eorope. 
 
 -' fireestoae, bult «poa llur' 
 
 T -Ttd^Xtj-mae piles, dnrea 
 
 v<"^ other; and the tint 
 
 vtober, 1648. It is a 
 
 et^ity-two feet in 
 
 a depth, ninety 
 
 i stztTtothe 
 
 died 
 
 -. be oe«- 
 
 • ••'■ m 
 
 . - ^ 
 
 •Led by 
 the 
 
 IS aoende : 
 •ms of p^ 
 
 '• • 'tttnes: 
 
 3aen 
 
 J€S, 
 
 and bdhind it 
 
 a gr^ 
 
 ith a 
 
 of 
 
156 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 the world (denoted by proper figures) offer presents 
 of their respective productions. On the sides of the 
 pediment are the statues of Peace and Plenty, and on 
 the (op stands a large Atlas with a globe of copper 
 on his shoulders. The inside of this stately fabric is 
 decorated with a profusion of fine paintings, sculptures, 
 and other ornaments. The courts of judicature are 
 lined with marble, and adorned with curious emble- 
 matical figures or historical pieces^ relating to the dis- 
 tribution of justice; particularly a representation of 
 Solomon passing judgment between the two harlots ; 
 and at the entrance of every office or chamber is some 
 sculpture or other appropriate decoration. 
 
 A flight of stairs leads to the gi'eal hall, at the en- 
 trance of which are two strong folding-doors of brass, 
 and several marble columns twenty feet high, support- 
 ing a most beautiful cornice. Over this cornice sits 
 the fi2:ure of a woman bearinsj on her breast the city 
 arms, while an eagle places on her head an imperial 
 crown. At her feet are two lions; on one side is a 
 statue of Fortitude, and that of Minerva on the other ; 
 and four naked children hover round her with cornu- 
 copias, pouring out fruits and flowers. The beauty 
 and magnificence of this hall are hardly to be described; 
 the stately marble pillars, the representation of the 
 four elements at the corners, the exquisite paintings, 
 statues, and other ornaments, at once surprise and 
 charm the spectator: but the greatest curiosity is the 
 marble floor, on which the celestial and terrestrial 
 globes are represented in planisphere ; the constella- 
 tions in the one, and the several parts of the earth in 
 the other, with the principal circles, being ail deline- 
 ated in brass neatly laid into marble, and the names of 
 the countries expressed in a similar manner. Each 
 hemisphere is about twenty-two feet in diameter, and 
 the whole is universally admired as a most ingenious 
 performance. This structure cost three millions of 
 guilders, or 300,0001. sterling, whenmoney was much 
 .more valuable than it is at present. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. J 57 
 
 THE PARROT. 
 
 Parrots are natives chiefly of tropical regions, 
 where they live, for the most part, on fruit and seeds. 
 They are gregarious, and excessively noisy and cla- 
 morous; yet, though they associate in vast multitudes, 
 they live chiefly in pairs of one male and a female. 
 The place they hold among the birds seems to be 
 exactly that which the apes and monkeys occupy 
 among the quadrupeds ; for, like these, they are very 
 numerous, imitative, and mischievous. 
 
 In a domestic state they are exceedmgly docile, and 
 very imitative of sounds ; most of the species being 
 able to counterfeit even the human voice, and to arti- 
 culate words with great distinctness : but their natu- 
 ral voice is a loud, harsh, and unpleasant scream. 
 Alexander the Great is supposed to have been the 
 first who introduced parrots into Europe. 
 
 The common ash-coloured parrot is the well-known 
 species which is now most commonly brought into 
 Europe. It is superior to most others, both in the 
 facility, and the eagerness with which it imitates the 
 human voice : it listens with attention, and strives to 
 repeat; it dwells constantly on some syllables which 
 it has heard, and seeks to surpass every voice by the 
 loudness of its own. 
 
 A parrot which Colonel O'Kelly bought for a hun- 
 dred guineas at Bristol, not only repeated a great 
 number of sentences, but answered many questions : 
 it was also able to whistle many tunes. It beat time 
 with all the appearance of science; and so accurate 
 was its judgment, that, if by chance it mistook a note, 
 it would revert to the bar where the mistake was made, 
 correct itself, and, still beating regular time, go 
 through the whole with wonderful exactness. Its 
 death was thus announced in the General Evening 
 Post for the 9th of October, 1802: '* A few days 
 ago died, in Half-moon-street, Piccadilly, the cele- 
 brated parrot of Colonel O'Kelly. This singular bird 
 sang a number of songs in perfect time and tune. 
 
158 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 She could express her wants articulately, and give her 
 orders in a manner approaching nearly to rationality. 
 Her age was not known , it was, however, more than 
 thirty years, for previously to that period, Colonel 
 O'Kelly bought her at Bristol for a hundred guineas. 
 The Colonel was repeatedly offered five hundred gui- 
 neas a-year for the bird, by persons who wished to 
 make a public exhibition of her; but this, out of ten- 
 derness to the favourite, he constantly refused. The 
 bird was dissected by Dr. Kennedy and Mr. Brookes; 
 and the muscles of the larynx, which regulate the 
 voice, were fonnd, from the effect of practice, to be 
 uncommonly strong.^' 
 
 Dr. Goldsmith relates that a parrot, belonging to 
 king Henry Vil,, having been kept in a room next the 
 Thames, in his palace at Westminster, had learned to 
 repeat many sentences from the boatmen and passen- 
 gers. One day, sporting on its perch, it unluckily 
 fell into tlie water. The bird had no sooner discovered 
 its situation, then it called out aloud, "A boat! twenty 
 pounds for a boat !" A waterman, happening to be 
 near the place where the parrot was floating, imme- 
 diately took it up, and restored it to the king; de- 
 manding, as the bird was a favourite, that he should 
 be paid the reward that it had called out. This was 
 refused ; but it was agreed that, as the parrot had 
 offered a reward, the man should again refer to its 
 determination for the sum he was to receive — "Give 
 the knave a groat," the bird screamed aloud, the in- 
 stant the reference was made. 
 
 Mr. Locke, in his Essay on the Human Understand- 
 ing, relates the following anecdote concerning a parrot : 
 During the government of Prince Maurice in Brasil, 
 he had heard of an old parrot that was much cele- 
 brated for answering, like a rational creature, many 
 of the common questions that were put to it. The 
 curiosity of the prince was roused, and he directed it 
 to be sent for. When it was introduced into the room 
 where the prince was sitting in company with several 
 Dutchmen, it immediately exclaimed, in the Brasilian 
 language, " What a company of white men are here!" 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 150 
 
 They asked, " VVho is that man?" (pointing to the 
 prince:) the parrot answered, " Some general or 
 other." When the attendants carried it up to him, 
 he asked through the medium of an interpreter, " From 
 what place do you come?" The parrot answered, 
 "From Marignan.'' Tlie prince asked, " To whom 
 do you belong?" It answered, "To a Portuguese." 
 He asked again, "What do you do there?" It an- 
 swered, " I look after chickens !" The parrot in con- 
 tinuation said, " Yes, I ; and 1 know well enough how 
 to do it ;" clucking at the same time, in imitation of 
 the noise made by the hen to call together her young 
 ones. 
 
 Madam Nadault, sister to BufFon, had a parrot, 
 which often spoke to his paw, and answered by hold- 
 ing it up. He loved the voice of children, yet hated 
 themselves, pursued and bit them till he drew blood. 
 He had also his objects of attachment; and though his 
 choice was not very nice, it was constant. He was 
 very fond of the cook-maid, followed and sought her, 
 and seldom missed finding her. If she had been some 
 time out of his sight, the bird climbed with his bill and 
 claws to her shoulders, lavished his caresses, and 
 would on no account quit her; his fondness had all 
 the marks of close and warm friendship. The girl 
 happened to have a very sore finger, which was tedious 
 in healing, and so painful as to make her scream ; 
 while she uttered her moans the parrot never left her 
 chamber. The first thing he did every day, was to 
 pay her a visit; and this tender condolence continued 
 the whole time of the cure, when he returned to his 
 calm settled attachment. Yet this strong predilection 
 seems to have been more to the office of the girl in 
 the kitchen, than to her person ; for, when another 
 cook-maid succeeded her, the parrot shewed the same 
 fondness the very first day. 
 
160 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 FOUNTAIN TREES. 
 
 The fountain trees are very extraordinary vegeta- 
 bles, growing in one of the Canary Islands, and like- 
 wise said to exist in some other places. Of these 
 remarkable trees we have the following account in 
 Glasse's History of the Canary Islands. " There are 
 only three fountains of water in the whole island of 
 Hiero, where the fountain tree grows. The great 
 cattle are watered at those fountains, and at a place 
 where water distils from the leaves of a tree. Many 
 writers have made mention of this famous tree, some 
 in such a manner as to make it appear miraculous ; 
 others again positively deny its existence ; among 
 whom is Fevjoo, a modern Spanish critic. But he 
 and those who agree with him in this matter, are as 
 much mistaken as those who would make it appear 
 miraculous. 
 
 *' The author of the ' History of the Discovery and 
 Conquest of the Canaries,' has given a particular ac- 
 count of this remarkable vegetable, which I shall here 
 insert at large : — The district in which this tree stands, 
 is called Tigulahe ; near to which, and in the steep 
 rocky ascent that surrounds the whole island, there is 
 a narrow gutter, commencing at the sea, and continu- 
 ing to the summit of the clifF, where it is joined with 
 a valley that is terminated by the steep front of a rock. 
 On the top of this rock grows a tree, called, in the 
 language of the ancient inhabitants, garse^ or ' sacred 
 tree,' which for many years has been preserved sound, 
 fresh, and entire. Its leaves constantly distil such a 
 quantity of water, as is sufficient to furnish drink to 
 every living creature in Hiero; nature having provided 
 this remedy for the drought of the island. Nobody 
 knows of what species this tree is, only that it is called 
 tilly and stands by itself at the distance of a league 
 and a half from the sea. The circumference is about 
 twelve spans, the diameter four, and its height from 
 the ground to the top of the highest branch forty spans. 
 The branches are thick and extended ; the lowest com- 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. \(j\ 
 
 mence about an ell from the ground ; and the circum- 
 ference of the whole of them is about a hundred and 
 twenty feet. The fruit resembles an acorn, and tastes 
 somewhat like the kernel of a pine-apple, but is softer 
 and more aromatic. The leaves appear like those of 
 the laurel, but are larger, wider, and more curved : 
 they come forth in a perpetual succession, so that the 
 tree always remains green. 
 
 *' On the north side of this tree are two large tanks, 
 or cisterns, of rough stone; or rather one cistern di- 
 vided, each half being twenty feet square, and sixteen 
 spans in breadth. One of these contains water for the 
 drinking of the inhabitants; and the other that which 
 they use for their cattle, and domestic purposes. 
 
 " Every morning-, near this part of the island, a 
 cloud or mist, rises from the sea, which the south and 
 east winds force against the above-mentioned steep 
 clifF; so that the cloud having no vent but by the 
 gutter, gradually ascends it, and from thence advances 
 slowly to the extremity of the valley, where it is 
 checked by the front of the rock which terminates the 
 valley, it then rests upon the thick leaves and wide- 
 spreading branches of the tree, from whence it distils 
 in drops during the remainder of the day until it is at' 
 length exhausted ; in the same manner that we see 
 water drip from the leaves of trees after a heavy shov/er 
 of rain. This distillation is not peculiar to the garse 
 or till, for some bresos which grow near it also drop 
 water; but their leaves being few and narrow, the 
 quantity is so trifling, that though the natives catch 
 some of it, yet they make little account of any but 
 what distils from the garse; which, together with the 
 water of some fountains, and what is saved in the win- 
 ter season, is sufficient to serve them and their flocks. 
 The tree yields most water in those years when the 
 easterly winds have prevailed for a continuance ; for, 
 by these winds only the clouds, or mists, are drav/n 
 hither from the sea. 
 
 *' A person lives on the spot near which this curious 
 tree grows, who is appointed to take care of it and its 
 water^ and is allowed a house to live in, together with 
 
162 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 a certain salary. He every day distributes to each 
 family in the district, seven pots of water, besides 
 what he gives to the principal people of the island." 
 
 Whether the tree which yields water at the present 
 time, be the same as that mentioned in the above de- 
 scription, we cannot determine; but it is probable there 
 has been a succession of them : for Pliny describing; 
 the Fortunate Islands, says, " In the mountains of 
 Ambrion are trees resembling the plant ferula, from 
 which water may be procured by pressure. What 
 comes from the black kind is bitter, but that which 
 the white yields is sweet and potable." 
 
 '• Trees yielding water, however, are not peculiar 
 to the island of Hiero ; for travellers inform us of one 
 of the same kind on the island of St. Thomas, in the 
 gulph of Guinea; and in " Cockburn's Voyages," we 
 lind the following account of a dropping tree, near the 
 mountains of Fera Paz, in America : — 
 
 " On the morning of the fourth day, we came out 
 on a large plain, in the middle of which stood a tree 
 of unusual size, spreading its branches over a vast 
 compass of ground. Curiosity led us up to it. We 
 had perceived, at some distance, the ground about it 
 to be wet, at which we were rather surprised, as well 
 knowing there had no rain fallen for near six months 
 past, according to the certain course of the season in 
 tiiat latitude; and that it was impossible to be occa- 
 sioned by a fall of dew, we were convinced by the sun's 
 having power to exhale all m.oisture of that nature a 
 few minutes alter its risins;. At lenoth to our great 
 amazement, we saw water dropping, or as it were dis- 
 tilling, pretty fast from the end of every leaf of this 
 tree, which might not improperly be termed mira- 
 culous ; at least it was so with respect to us, who had 
 been labouring four days through extreme heat without 
 receiving the least moisture, and were now almost ex- 
 piring for want of it. We could not help looking on 
 this as water sent from heaven to comfort us under 
 great extremity, and, having caught what we could of 
 it in our hands, we liked it so well, that we could 
 hardly prevail with ourselves to give over drinking. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. [63 
 
 " A matter of this nature could not but incite us to 
 make the strictest observations concerning- it; and, 
 accordingly, we staid under the tree about three hours, 
 and found that we could not fathom its body in five 
 times. We observed the soil where it grew to be very 
 strong; and, upon the nicest enquiry we could after- 
 wards make, both of the natives of the country and 
 the Spanish inhabitants, we could not learn that there 
 was any tree of a similar nature throughout New Spain, 
 nor perhaps all America over. I do not, however, re- 
 late this as a prodigy in nature ; because, though I 
 am not philosopher enough to ascribe any natural 
 cause for it, the learned may perhaps be able to give 
 substantial reasons, for what appeared to us a great 
 and marvellous secret." 
 
 REMARKABLE INSTANCES OF ABSTINENCE. 
 
 Martha Taylor, born in Derbyshire, having re- 
 ceived a violent blow on her back, is said to have fallen 
 into such a state, that she took little sustenance but 
 some drops with a feather for thirteen months, and 
 slept very little too all the time. S. Chilton, of Tins- 
 bury, near Bath, often slept for several weeks toge- 
 ther ; which case being very extraordinary, we hope 
 an extract of it from the Philosophical Treinsactions 
 will not be unacceptable to the reader. This Chilton 
 was a labourino; man, about twenty-five years of age, 
 not fat but fleshy, and on the 13th of May, 1694, with- 
 out any visible cause, fell into a profound sleep, out 
 of which he could by no means be roused by those 
 about him, but after a month's time he rose of himself, 
 put on his clothes, and went about his business of hus- 
 bandry as usual. From this time till about the 9th 
 of April, 1696, he remained free from any extraordi- 
 nary drowsiness, but then fell into his sleeping fit 
 again. After some days his friends were prevailed on 
 to try what remedies might effect ; and accordingly an 
 apothecary bled, blistered, cupped, and scarified him, 
 
164 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 and used all the external irritating medicines he could 
 think of, but all to no purpose. Victuals stood by 
 him (as before) which he ate now and then, but no- 
 body ever saw him eat though sometimes they found 
 him with his mouth full of meat. In this manner he 
 lay till the 7 th of August, which was seventeen weeks 
 from the time when he began to sleep ; and then he 
 awaked, put on his clothes, and walked about the 
 room, not knowing he had slept so long, till, going into 
 the fields, he found people busy in getting in their har- 
 vest, and he remembered that, when he fell asleep, 
 they were sowing their oats and barley. 
 
 From this time he remained well till the 17th of 
 August, 1697, when he complained of a shivering and 
 a coldness in his back, vomited once or twice, and the 
 same day fell fast asleep again. Dr. Oliver (from 
 whom this account is taken) went to see him, and felt 
 his pulse, which was then very regular; he was in a 
 breathing perspiration, and had an agreeable warmth 
 all over his body. The doctor then put his mouth to 
 his ear, and called him as loud as he could several 
 times by his name, pulled him by the shoulders, 
 pinched his nose, stopped his mouth and nose toge- 
 ther, but to no purpose, the man not giving the least 
 sign of being sensible. Upon this he held a phial with 
 spirit of sal armoniac under one of his nostrils, and 
 injected about half an ounce of it up the same nostril, 
 but it only made his nose run, and his eye-lids tremble 
 a little. Finding no success this way, the doctor 
 crammed that nostril with powder of white hellebore, 
 and waited some time to see what effect it would pro- 
 duce , but the man did not discover the least uneasi- 
 ness. The doctor then left him, fully satisfied that 
 he was really asleep, and no sullen counterfeit, as 
 some people supposed. 
 
 About ten days after, an apothecary took fourteen 
 ounces of blood from the man's arm, tied it again, and 
 left him as he found him, without his making the least 
 motion all the while. The latter end of September, 
 Dr. Oliver saw him again, and a gentleman ran a large 
 pin into his arm to the very bone, but he gave no signs 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 165 
 
 of beino^ sensible what was done to him. In this man- 
 ner he lay till the 19th of November, when his mother, 
 hearing- him make a noise, ran immediately up to him, 
 and found him eating. She asked him how he did? 
 Very well, he said, thank God : And again she asked 
 him, which he liked best, bread and butter, or bread 
 and cheese? He answered, bread and cheese: where- 
 upon the woman overjoyed, ran down to acquaint his 
 brother with it, and, both coming up again presently, 
 they found him as fast asleep as ever. Thus he con- 
 tinued till the end of January or beginning of February, 
 at which time he awaked perfectly well, remembering 
 nothing that had happened all the while. It was ob- 
 served, that he was very little altered in his flesh, only 
 he complained the cold pinched him more than usual, 
 and so went about his business as at other times. 
 
 Numerous other instances of extraordinary absti- 
 nence, particularly from morbid causes, are to be found 
 in the different periodical Memoirs, Transactions, &c. 
 We may add, that in most instances of extraordinary 
 abstinence, related by naturalists, there have been ap- 
 parent marks of a texture of blood and humour, much 
 like that of the tortoise, and some other animals, 
 though it is not improbable that the air itself may 
 furnish something for nutrition. It is certain there 
 are substances of all kinds, animal, vegetable, &c. 
 floating in the atm.osphere, which must be continually 
 taken in by respiration. And that an animal body 
 may be nourished thereby, is evident from the instance 
 of vipers, which, if taken when first brought forth, and 
 kept from every thing but air, will yet grow very con- 
 siderably in a few days. The eggs of lizards, also, are 
 observed to increase in bulk after they are produced, 
 though there be nothing to furnish the increment but 
 air alone ; in like manner, as the eggs or spawn of 
 fish grow and are nourished by the water. 
 
166 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 THE ORANG OUTANG. 
 
 One of the most remarkable animals of the monkey 
 species is, the orang outang, or wild man of the woods, 
 which sometimes grows to the height of six feet, and 
 is possessed of prodigious strength, insomuch that 
 they have been known to seize a defenceless woman 
 and carry her off, in spite of all her exertions. They 
 will also frequently drive away the elephants, and throw 
 stones at any person who presumes to offend them. 
 
 The face and ears of this animal bear a striking re- 
 semblance to those of man, and the hair on the head 
 is much longer than that on the body. The face and 
 paws are swarthy, and the body and limbs covered 
 with reddish shaggy hair, which is pretty long on the 
 back, but thinner on the fore parts. They commonly 
 walk erect, and are remarkably agile in their motions; 
 but they are of a grave appearance and melancholy 
 disposition. 
 
 An orang outang seen by BufFon, is described by 
 that naturaUstas mild, affectionate, and good natured. 
 His air was melancholy, his movements measured, 
 and his dispositions gentle. He had neither the im- 
 patience of the Barbary ape, the maliciousness of the 
 baboon, nor the extravagance of the monkey. •* I. 
 have seen this animal," says our author, *' present his 
 hand, to conduct the people who came to visit him, 
 and walk as gravely along with them as if he had 
 formed a part of the company. I have also seen him 
 sit down at table, unfold his napkin, wipe his lips, use 
 a spoon or fork in eating, pour his liquor into a glass, 
 and make it touch that of the person who drank along 
 with h'm. When invited to take tea, he would bring 
 a cup and saucer, place them on the table, put in sijgar, 
 pour out the tea, and let it cool before he attempted to 
 drink it. All these actions he performed without any 
 other instigation than the signs or commands of his 
 master, and very often of his own accord. He was 
 perfectly harmless, and approached company with cir- 
 cumspection when he wished to be caressed," 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. IQJ 
 
 He is said to have eaten almost every thin^, but 
 preferred fruit and sweetmeats to all other kinds of 
 food. He drank a little vv^ine, but was always willino- 
 to leave it for milk, tea, or other mild liquors. This 
 animal, which was a young one, and measured about 
 two feet four inches in heip>ht, lived one summer in 
 Paris and died at London in the winter following. As 
 his breast was diseased and he was afflicted with a 
 teazing cough, it is probable that the quantity of dain- 
 ties with which he was indulged, contributed to shorten 
 the period of his existence. 
 
 To enable our readers to form an accurate judg- 
 ment of this curious animal which has so great a re- 
 semblance to man, we shall quote from Buffon the most 
 remarkable differences and conformities which make 
 him approach, or recede from the human species. 
 ** He differs from man externally (says our author) by 
 the shortness of his front, the flatness of his nose, and 
 by his chin, which is not elevated at the base. His 
 ears are proportionably too large, his eyes too near 
 each other, and the distance between his nose and 
 mouth is too great. These are the only differences 
 between the human face and that of the orang outang: 
 but with respect to the members, the thighs are pro- 
 portionably too short, the arms too long, the fingers 
 too small, the palm of the hand too narrow, and the 
 feet rather resemble hands than the human foot. 
 
 "The orang outang differs internally from the human 
 species in the number of ribs, for he has thirteen, 
 whereas man has only twelve. The vertebrae of the 
 neck are also shorter, the buttocks flatter, and the 
 orbits of the eyes sunk deeper. The kidneys, like- 
 wise, are rounder than those of man, and the ureters 
 have a different figure, as well as the bladder and gall- 
 bladder, which are longer and narrower than in the 
 human subject. All the other parts of the body, head, 
 and members, both external and internal, bear so near 
 a resemblance to those of man, that we cannot make 
 the comparison without being astonished that such a 
 similarity in structure and organization should not pro- 
 duce the same effects. The tongue and all the organs 
 
]5S WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 of speech, for example, are exactly the same as in 
 man, and yet the orana: outang- enjoys not the faculty 
 of speaking; the brain has the same figure and pro- 
 portion, and yet he possesses not the power of think- 
 ing. Can there be a more evident proof, therefore, 
 than is exhibited in this creature, that matter alone, 
 though perfectly organized, can produce neither 
 thought nor language, unless it be animated by a su- 
 perior principle? 
 
 *' The orang outang has certainly a greater resem- 
 blance to man than even to the baboons or monkeys, 
 not only in all the parts abovementioned, but in the 
 largeness of the face, the figure of the jaws, teeth, and 
 bones of the head ; the thickness of the finger and 
 thumb ; the formation of the nails, &c. In short, if 
 there were a scale by which we could descend from 
 human nature to that of the brutes, and if the essence 
 of this nature consisted entirely in the form and orga- 
 nization of the body, the orang outang would approach 
 nearer to man than any other animal. — Placed in the 
 second rank of beings, he would m.ake the other ani- 
 mals fvicl his superiority, and oblige them to obey him; 
 and if the principle of imitation were a result of thought, 
 this ape would be still farther removed from the brutes, 
 and have a greater affinity to man. But the interval 
 which separates them is immense. Mind, reflection, 
 and language depend not on the figure or organization 
 of a body, but are endowments peculiar to man. 
 Though the orang outang has a body, members, a 
 brain, and a tongue perfectly similar to those of man, 
 he neither speaks nor thinks. Though he counterfeits 
 every human movement, he performs no action that is 
 characteristic of man, no action that has the same 
 principle or the same design." 
 
 THE CHIMPANZEE, OR PIOyxY. 
 
 Having described the orang outang, which ap- 
 jjroaches nearly to the human race, in its stature 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 169 
 
 manner of walking, shape, and sagacity, we shall now 
 notice the chimpanzee, or j)ig-my, which seems nearly 
 of the same species in every thing- but its size. In the 
 year 1733, (it we are rightly informed) captain Flower 
 brought over a female pigmy i'roni Angola, which was 
 two feet four inches high, had a face like a man, and 
 was tolerably fair, except on the chin, where a few 
 straggling ^jairs appeared. Its nose was small and 
 like that of an ape, its mouth about two inches and a 
 half wide, and its teeth shaped like human teeth, but 
 neither very white nor sound. The hair on its head 
 was an inch or more in length, and its back parts were 
 pretty hairy; but on its breast and belly the hair was 
 much thinner. Its t'eei v/ere entirely bare on the in- 
 side, as were also the hands both on the inside and 
 outside. 
 
 This creature walked erect, was extremely fond of 
 persons it was used to, and even knew how to behave 
 with good manners at the tea-table. It would fetch 
 its little chair, and sit down as naturally as any of the 
 company ; and if the tea were too hot, would pour it 
 into the saucer to cool ; with many other seemingly 
 rational actions, which were equally diverting and sur- 
 prising to the spectators. Its food was chiefly pota- 
 toes, bread, milk, nuts, apples, and raw onions, which 
 last it greedily devoured, showing an aversion to all 
 kinds of flesh, except now and then a bit of rabbit or 
 chicken. It lived in England about six months, and 
 being opened after its death, it was found to have died 
 of a confirmed jaundice. 
 
 The chimpanzee, dissected many years ago by Dr. 
 Tvson, was also brought from An2;ola, and measured 
 twenty-six inches from the top of the head to the heel. 
 The thickest part of its body was sixteen inches round, 
 and the length of the arm was seventeen inches from 
 the shoulder to the end of the fingers. The face of 
 this creature more nearly resembled that of a man, 
 than the face of an ape or a monkey does ; and its 
 head was as big as either of theirs; but the nose was 
 much alike in both. The ears, for size, colour, and 
 structure, were entirely like those of a man, but it had 
 
 I 
 
170 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 no eye-brows, thou^j;}! hair grew on the eye-lids. Its 
 breast was small, and not protuberant; but the two 
 nipples, which were very apparent, were exactly situ- 
 ated as in the human species. It had hair in the arm- 
 pits; and, all behind, from the head downwards, the 
 hair was so thick, as almost to prevent the skin from 
 being seen ; but, in all parts before, it was much 
 thinner. The navel of the chimpanzee is very visible 
 in the exact place, and is in all respects the same as 
 in man: but the palms of its hands, and the soles of 
 its feet, are always of an equal length, and longer in 
 proportion than those of men. Its toes are as long as 
 its fingers, the middlemost toe being longer than the 
 rest; and the great toe, like the thumb, is set off at a 
 distance from the others. 
 
 Several authors have said, that, in the sea of An* 
 gola, and in many other places, is a fish eight spans 
 in length, with the head oval, and the face somewhat 
 resembling that of a man. It is said to have a high 
 forehead, small eyes, a flat nose, and large mouth; 
 but it has neither chin nor ears. It has two arms, 
 v.'hich are short, and without elbows, with hands or 
 paws, to each of which are four long fingers, which are 
 not very flexible, connected by a membrane like that 
 of the foot of a goose. Their sex is distinguishable 
 by the parts of generiition. The females have breasts 
 to sackle their ofrspring, the upper part of their body 
 resembling: that of the human species, and the lower 
 part that of a fish. Their skin is of a brownish-grey 
 colour, and their intestines resemble those of a hog. 
 Their flesh is as fat as pork, particularly that of the 
 upper parts of their bodies; and this is a favourite 
 dish v/ith the natives on shore, who broil it. This 
 kind of sea-ape makes a lamentable cry, when drawn 
 out of the water. We are told there is a bone in the 
 head that divides the brain, which the Portuguese 
 powder, and say it is of great service in the stone and 
 eravel. Accounts of the catching of these animals in 
 Europe, are related by Wormius, Guicciardino, Mexia, 
 Seybold, Erasmus, Franciscus, and others. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. IJl 
 
 THE TAR LAKE. 
 
 There is a curious bituminous lake in the island 
 of Trinidad, of which Mr. Anderson has given the fol- 
 lowing interesting account in the seventy-ninth volume 
 of the Philosophical Transactions. 
 
 " A most remarkable production of nature in the 
 island of Trinidad, is a bitamiiious lake, or plain, 
 known by the name of 7 ar Lake; by the French called 
 La Bray, from its resemblance to, and answering the 
 intention of ship pitch. It lies in the leeward side of 
 the island, about half way from the Bocas to the south 
 end, where the mangrove swamps are interrupted by 
 sand-banks and hills ; and on a point of land which 
 extends into the sea about two miles, exactly opposite 
 to the high mountains of Paria on the north side of 
 the gulf. 
 
 *' This cape, or headland, is about fifty feet above 
 the level of the sea, and is the greatest elevation of land 
 on this side of the island. From the sea it appears 
 a mass of black vitrified rocks ; but on a close exa- 
 mination, it is found to be a composition of bituminous 
 scoriae, vitrified sand, and earth, cemented together: 
 in some parts, beds of cinders only are found. In 
 approaching this cape, there is a strong sulphureous 
 smell, sometimes disagreeable. This smell is preva- 
 lent in many parts of the ground, to the distance of 
 eight or ten miles. 
 
 " This point of land is about two miles broad, and 
 on the east and west sides, from the distance of about 
 half a mile from the sea, falls with a gentle declivity 
 to it, and is joined to the main land on the south by 
 the continuation of the mangrove swamps ; so that the 
 bituminous plain is on the highest part of it, and only 
 separated from the sea by a margin of wood which 
 surrounds it, and prevents a distant prospect of it. 
 Its situation is similar to a savannah, and like that, it 
 is not seen till treading upon its verge. Its colour and 
 even surface present at first the aspect of a lake of 
 water ; but it is possible it got the appellation of Lake 
 
 1 2 
 
172 V/ONDERS OF NATURE AND ART, 
 
 \vhen seen in the hot and dry weather, at which time 
 its surface, to the depth of an inch, is liquid; and then 
 from its cohesive quahty it cannot be walked upon. 
 
 '' It is of a circular form, about three miles in cir- 
 cumference. At my first approach it appeared a plain, 
 as smooth as grass, excepting- some small clumps of 
 shrubs and dwarf trees that had taken possession of 
 some spots of it ; but when I had proceeded some 
 yards, I found it divided into areolae of ditFerent sizes 
 Hud shapes: the chasms or divisions anastomosed 
 through every part of it ; the surface of the areolae per- 
 fectly smooth and horizontal; the margins undulated; 
 each undulation enlarged to the bottom till they join 
 the opposite. On the surface., the margin or first un- 
 dulation is distant from the opposite from four to six 
 feet, and the same depth before they coalesce ; but 
 where the angles of the areolae oppose, the chasms or 
 lamifications are wider and deeper. When I was at 
 it, all these chasms were full of water, the whole form- 
 ing one true horizontal plane, which rendered my in- 
 vestigation of it difficult and tedious, beingnecessitated. 
 to plunge into the water a great depth in passing from 
 one areolce to another. The most accurate idea that 
 can be formed of its surface, will be from the areolae 
 and their ramifications on the back of a turtle. Its 
 common consistence and appearance is that of pit- 
 coal, the colour rather greyer. It breaks into small 
 fragments of a glossy and cellular appearance, with a 
 riumber of minute and shining particles interspersed 
 through its substance: it is very friable, and when 
 liquid, is of a jet black colour. Some parts of the 
 surface are covered with a thin and brittle scoria, a 
 little elevated. As to its depth I can form no idea of 
 it; for in no part could 1 find a substratum of any other 
 jiubst<;i;ce : in some parts, however, I found calcined 
 earth mixed with it. 
 
 '* AUhough I smelt sulphur very strong on passing 
 over many parts of this plain, 1 could discover no ap- 
 pearance of it, nor any rent or crack through whick 
 the steams might issue ; probably it was from some 
 part of the adjacent woods ; for although sulphur is 
 
trONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. J ^3 
 
 the basis of tlils bituminous matter, yet the smells are 
 very difrerent and easily distinguished, for its smell 
 ronies the nearest to that of pitch of anv thino- 1 kno'vv. 
 ] could make no impression on its surface without an 
 yxe; but at the depth of a foot I found it a little softer, 
 Avith an oily appearance in small shells. A little of it 
 held to a burning candle makes a hissing or cracklino- 
 noise like nitre, emitting small sparks with a vivid 
 fiame, which extinguish the moment the candle is re- 
 moved. A piece put in the fire will boil up a Ion'-'- 
 time without suffering much diminution; and after a 
 long time's severe heat, the surface will burn, and form 
 a thin scoria, under which the rest remains liquid. 
 Heat seems not to render it fluid, nor to occupy a 
 larger space than when cold; from which I imas^ine 
 there is but little alteration on it during the dry monVhs, 
 as the solar rays cannot exert their force above an inch 
 l)elow the surface. I was told by one person, that in 
 the dry season the whole v/as an uniform smooth n^a>^s; 
 and by another that the ravins contained water fit for 
 use during the year. But neither of these asseTticns 
 can I believe; for if, according to the first, it were an 
 homogeneous mass, something more than an external 
 cause must alTect it to give it the present appearances ; 
 nor without some hidden cause can the second be 
 granted. Although [he bottoms of these ramified chan- 
 nels adm.lt not of absorption, yet from their open ex- 
 posure, and the black surface of the circumjacent parts, 
 evapoiation must go on amazingly quick, and a short 
 time of dry weather must soon empty them ; nor from 
 the situation and structure of the place is there a pos- 
 sibility of supply but from the clouds. To show that 
 the progress of evaporation is inconceivably quick 
 here, at the time I visited it, there were, on an average, 
 two-thirds of the time incessant torrents of rain ; but 
 from the afternoon beinir drv, with a gentle breeze, (as 
 
 • 111 */ ' O 7\ 
 
 IS generally the case during the rainy season in this 
 island), there evidently was an equilibrium between 
 the rain and the evaporation ; for in the course of three 
 days 1 saw it twice, and perceived no alteration on the 
 
 1 3 
 
]^4 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 height of the water, nor any outlet Tor it but by eva- 
 poration. 
 
 " I take this bituminous substance to be the bUu- 
 men asphaltum of Linneus. A gentle heat renders it 
 ductile: hence, mixed with a littie grease or common 
 pitch, it is much used for th.e bottoms of ships, for 
 which intention it is collected by many; and I should 
 eonceive it a preservative against the borer, so destruc- 
 tive to ships in this part of the world. 
 
 " Besides this place, where it is found in a solid 
 state, it is found liquid in many parts of the uoods, 
 and at the distance of twenty miles from this, about 
 two inches thick, in round holes of three or four inches 
 diameter, and often in cracks or rents. This is con- 
 sequently liquid, and smells stronger of tar than when 
 indurated, and adheres strongly to any thing it touches : 
 grease is the only thing that will divest the hands 
 
 of it. 
 
 " The soil in general, for some distance round La 
 Bray, consists of cinders and burnt earths; and wher« 
 not so, it is a strong argillaceous soil; the whole ex- 
 ceedino-ly fertile, which is always the case where there 
 are anv sulphureous particles in it. Every part of the 
 country, to the distance of thirty miles round, ha^ 
 every appearance of being formed by convulsions of 
 nature from subterraneous fires. In several parts of 
 the woods are hot springs ; some I tried with a well- 
 graduated thermometer of Fahrenheit, were twenty 
 and twentv-tvvo degrees hotter than the atmosphere at 
 the time of trial. From its position to them, this part 
 of the island has certainly experienced the efl^ects of 
 the volcanic eruptions, which have heaped up those 
 ■prodigious masses of mountains that terminate the 
 province of Paria on the north; and no doubt there 
 has been, and still probably is, a communication be- 
 tween them. — One of these mountains, opposite to La 
 Bray, in Trinidad, has every appearance of a volcanic 
 mountain: however, the volcanic effects have been 
 very weak here, as no traces of them extend above 
 two miles from the sea in this part of the island, anti 
 
 Sl 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 1^5 
 
 the greater part of it has had its origin from a very clif- 
 . I'erent cause to that of volcanoes ; but they have cer- 
 tainly laid the foundation of it, as is evident from the 
 liisfh rido;e of mountains which surrounds its windward 
 side, to protect it from the depredations of the ocean, 
 and is its only barrier against that overpowering- ele- 
 ment, and may properly be called the skeleton of the 
 island. 
 
 ''From every examination I have made, I find the 
 ■whole island formed of an argillaceous earth, either in 
 its primitive state, or under its different metamorpho- 
 ses. The bases of the mountains are composed of 
 schisti/s argillaceous, and talcum lithormargo ; but the 
 plains or lowlands remaining nearly in the same moist 
 state as at its formation, the component particles have 
 not experienced the vicissitudes of nature so much as 
 the more elevated parts, consequently retain more of 
 their primitive forms and properties. As argillaceous 
 earth is formed from the sediment of the ocean, from 
 the situation of Trinidad to the continent, its formation 
 is easily accounted for, granting first the formation of 
 the ridge of mountains that bounds its windward side, 
 and the high mountains on the continent that nearly 
 join it: for the great influx of currents into the gulf of 
 Paria, from the coasts of Brasil and Andalusia, must 
 bring a vast quantity of light earthy particles from the 
 mouth of the numerous large rivers which traverse 
 these parts of the continent : but the currents being 
 repelled by these ridges of mountains, eddies and 
 smooth water will be produced where they meet and 
 oppose, and therefore the earthy particles would sub- 
 side and form banks of mud, and, by fresh accumula- 
 tions, would soon form dry land : and from these 
 causes it is evident such a tract of country as Trinidad 
 must be formed. But these causes still exist, and the 
 effect from them is evident; for the island is daily 
 growing on the leeward side, as may be seen from the 
 mud-beds that extend a great way into the gulf, and 
 these constantly increase. But from the great influx 
 iVom the ocean at the south end of the island, and its 
 
 I 4 
 
]JQ WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 ep-ess to the Atlantic again, through the Bocas, a 
 channel must ever exist between the continent and 
 Trinidad." 
 
 FUNERALS OF THE HINDOOS. 
 
 With respect to the funerals of the Hindoos, some 
 of them burv the bodv, and others burn it. Mr. Grose 
 saw both these ceremonies performed, al Bombay. 
 The first he mentions was one who buried his wife, a 
 young woman of about twenty years of age. Those 
 who accompanied the husband, dug a pit in the form 
 of a well; on one side of wiiich was a niche for the 
 corpse to be placed in a sitting posture, with room suf- 
 ficient for a plate of raw rice, and a jar of water by 
 her side. The pit was no sooner ready, than she was 
 put into it, with all her clothes and jewels, exactly as 
 she wore them when alive; but she was no sooner 
 placed, than her husband, who stood bv, jumped into 
 the grave, and very composedly took off all her jewels, 
 and brought them up with him ; after v/hich the pit 
 was filled up. 
 
 The ceremony of burning is performied in the fol- 
 lov;ing manner: Having washed and dressed the corpse, 
 the relations and friends carry it on a bier to a small 
 distance from the town. This is usually done the nest 
 day; and if a person died in the morning, his bodv is 
 sometimes burnt the same evening ; for, in these hot 
 countries, a corpse \\\\ not keep long. The funeral 
 pile is usually prepared near some river or pond, and, 
 if he be a person of wealth, great quantities of fragrant 
 ■wood are mixed with the fuel. Mr. Grose was present 
 at burning the corpse of a youth of about eighteen 
 years of age, the son of a Banian. The funeral pile 
 w^as prepared on the beach, the father assisting at it 
 bare-headed, and dressed in such coarse tattered gur- 
 ments as are usually worn on such mournful occasions. 
 As soon as the corpse is placed on the pile, and some 
 prayers muttered by the attending Brahmin, fire is set 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. ]JJ 
 
 to it at one of the corners, when it soon blazes up and 
 consumes the body to ashes, without any noisome 
 smell. What particularly excited our author's atten- 
 tion, was the behaviour of the father, who, accor(lin<>* 
 to the Hindoo custom, of its being always the next 
 and dearest relation that sets fire to the pile, walked 
 thrice round it, with a sort of desperate haste, and 
 then, with his face averted, thrust his hand behijtd 
 him, and set fire to it; after which, he rolled himself 
 in the sand, and smote upon his aged breast with the 
 appearance of extreme a^^'ony. 
 
 The cruel custom of the women publicly burnin.?: 
 themselves, at the death of their husbands, is stil) 
 practised in some places, though both the Moguls and 
 Entrlish have endeavoured to abolish it. Mandeslo, 
 a traveller of undoubted veracity, gives the followinti- 
 description of one of these funeral rites at whicli he 
 was present : 
 
 •' A young woman, twenty years of age, having been 
 informed that her spouse died at two hundred leagues 
 distance, resolved to celebrate his obsequies by burn- 
 ing herself alive. In vain was it represented to her, 
 that the news was uncertain; nothing was capable of 
 making her change the resolution she had taken. We 
 saw her arrive at the place of her suffering with such 
 extraordinary gaiety and confidence, that I was per- 
 suaded she had stupified her senses with opium. At 
 the head of the retinue which accompanied her, was ;\ 
 band of the country music, consisting of hautboys and 
 kettle-drums. After that came several virgins and 
 married women, singing and dancing before the widow 
 who was dressed in her richest clothes, and whose' 
 neck, lingers, arms, and legs, were loaded with a oro- 
 fasion of jewels and bracelets. A troop of men, wo- 
 men, and children followed, and closed the procession. 
 IShe had previously washed herself in the river^ that 
 she might join her husband without any defilement. 
 The funeral pile was made of apricot-wood, mixed v/ith 
 branches of sandal and cinnamon. She beheld it afar 
 off with contempt, and approached it with apparent 
 composure: she took leave of her friends and relatiojis 
 
 I 5 
 
i 
 
 iWONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 and distributed her ornaments amongst them. I kept 
 myself near her on horse-back, along with two Englisli 
 njerchants. Judging, perhaps, by my countenanct.% 
 that I was sorry for her, to comfort me she threw me 
 one of her bracelets, which I luckily caught hold of. 
 When she was seated on the top of the pile, the at- 
 tendants set fire to it, and she poured on her head a 
 vessel of fragrant oil, which the flame immediately 
 seized on : thus she was stifled in a moment, without 
 being observed to alter her countenance. Some of the 
 assistants threw in several cruses of oil to increase the 
 fire, and filled the air with frightful cries. When sh<» 
 was entirely consumed, her ashes were thrown into 
 the river." 
 
 It has been said, that this inhuman custom was in- 
 troduced by the Hindoos, to put a stop to the cruelty 
 of the wives, who frequently poisoned their husbands; 
 but Mr. Grose observes, that their minds are generally 
 too soft and tender, to incur even the suspicion of their 
 being inclined to such acts of cruelty ; and he adds, 
 that their superstition and extreme fondness for their 
 husbands is the sole cause. "This," says he, "is 
 owing to their early marriage, after which the parties, 
 in the tenderness of the ductile age of childhood, are 
 brought up, till that of consummation, in the constant 
 inculcation of mutual tenderness, as a sacred point of 
 religion; and the women, especially, retain such strong- 
 impressions of this doctrine, that numbers of them 
 readily embrace the cruel practice of burning them- 
 selves with their husbands. Some of them, living; 
 imder governments where this barbarous act of super- 
 stition was not suffered, have voluntarily gone to Hin- 
 doo countries, merely to enjoy the liberty of performing 
 it. It must not, however, be understood, that this 
 practice of voluntarily burning is very general, many 
 of the lower tribes being entirely exempted from it; 
 and it is only with respect to the more considerable 
 jtersonages, that it is eyer used. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. I79 
 
 THE MINES OF DALMORA. 
 
 <'The mines of Dalraora, in Sweden,'' says a mo- 
 dern traveller, " are celebrated for producing the 
 finest iron ore in Europe. It is not du^ as in the 
 mines of tin and coal in England, but torn up by pow- 
 der. The operation is performed every day at noon, 
 and is one of the most tremendous and awful it is pos- 
 sible to conceive. We arrived at the mouth of the 
 great mine, which is nearly half an English mile in 
 circumference, in time to be present at it. Soon after 
 twelve o'clock, the first explosion began, which I can- 
 not compare to any thing so aptly as subterraneous 
 thunder, or volleys of artillery discharged under 
 ground, and the concussion was so violent as to shake 
 the surrounding earth on every side. 
 
 " As soon as the explosions were finished, I deter- 
 mined to descend into the mine, though there was no 
 way to do this but in a large deep bucket, fastened by 
 chains to a rope. The inspector, at whose house I 
 had slept the preceding night, took no little pains to 
 dissuade me from the resolution, and pointed out the 
 melancholy accidents that sometimes happened on 
 such occasions. Finding, however, that 1 was deaf to 
 all his remonstrances, he provided a clean bucket, 
 and put two men in to accompany me. — I am not 
 ashamed to own, that when I found myself suspended 
 between heaven and earth by a rope, and looked down 
 into the deep and dark abyss before me, to which I 
 could see no termination, I shuddered with apprehen- 
 sion, and half repented my curiosity. This, however, 
 was only a momentary sensation, and before I had 
 descended one hundred feet, I looked round on the 
 scene with tolerable composure. I was near nine mi- 
 nutes before I reached the bottom, it being eighty fa- 
 thoms, or four hundred and eighty feet deep. The 
 ■view of the mine, when I set my foot on the earth, 
 was awful and sublime in the highest degree : whether 
 terror or pleasure formed the predominant feeling as 
 I looked at it, is hard to say. The light of the day 
 
 1 6 
 
180 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 was very faintly admitted into these subterraneous 
 caverns, in many places it was absolutely lost, and 
 flambeau supplied its place ; I saw beams of wood 
 across from one side of the rock to another, where the 
 mmers sat employed in boring holes for the admission 
 of powder, with the utmost unconcern, though the 
 least dizziness, or even a failure in preserving their 
 equilibrium, must have made them lose their seat, 
 and dashed them to pieces against the ragged surface 
 of the rock beneath. The fragments torn up by the 
 explosion previous to my descent, lay in vast heaps 
 on all sides, and the whole scene was calculated to in- 
 spire a gloomy admiration. 
 
 *'I remained thiee quarters of an hour in these 
 gloomy and frightful caverns, aud traversed every ac- 
 cessible part of them, conducted by my guides. The 
 weather above was vtry wetrm ; but here the wliole 
 surface of the ground was covered with ice; I found 
 mvself surrounded with the colds of the most rigorous 
 winter, amid darkness tmd caves of iron. In one of 
 these, which ran a considerable way under the rock, 
 were eight wretches v/arniing themselves round a char- 
 coal fire, and eating the scanty subsistence produced 
 from their miserable occupation. They rose with sur- 
 prise at seeing so unexpected a guest among them ; 
 and I was not a little pleased to dry my feet, wet vvith 
 treading on the melted ice, at their fire. 
 
 *' There are no less than one thousand eight hun- 
 dred men constantly employed in these mines, and 
 their pay is only a copper dollar, or threepence Eng- 
 lish per day. They v»ere tirst opened about 1.580, 
 under the reitjn of John III. but have been worked 
 constantly since that time. After having gratified my 
 curiosity with a full view of these subterraneous apart- 
 meats, I made the signal to be drawn up, and felt s© 
 little terror while re-ascending, compared with that of 
 being let down, that 1 am convinced, that in five or six 
 times, I should have been perfectly indifferent to it. 
 So strong is the effect of custom on the human mind, 
 an,d so contemptible does danger or horror become, 
 whe» familiarized by constant repetition.'' 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 181 
 
 THE WHITE BEAR. 
 
 The white bears of Greenland diifer from those of 
 other countries, in having the head and neck of a 
 more lengthened form, and the body longer in pro- 
 portion to its bulk. The hair of tiiese animals is long 
 and soft as wool ; the ears and eyes are small, but the 
 teeth are large, and the limbs remarkably long. They 
 are not only seen at land, but olten on ice-floats, se- 
 veral leagues at sea. They are sometimes transported 
 in this manner to the coast of Iceland ; and it some- 
 times happens, that when a Greenlander and his wife 
 are paddling out at sea, a white bear unexpectedly 
 gets into their boat, and, like a passenger, suffers him- 
 self to be rowed to shore. 
 
 It appears, however, that the Greenland bear is an 
 animal of extraordinary fierceness, and if attacked, 
 will make astonishing exertions to avenge himself on 
 bis assailant. Barentz had the most horrid proofs of 
 their feiocity at Nova Zembla, where they attacked 
 and devoured many of his seamen, even in the sight 
 of their comrades. And an instance still more re- 
 markable is thus narrated by the Rev. Mr. Bingley, 
 in his Animal Biography. " Not m.any years ago, the 
 crew of a boat belonging to a ship in the whale-fishery, 
 shot at a bear at a little distance, and wounded it. 
 The animal immediately set up the most dreadful 
 howl, and ran along the ice towards the boat. Before 
 he reached it, a second shot was tired, and hit him. 
 This served but to increase his fury. He presently 
 swam to the boat, and, in attempting to get on board, 
 reached one of his fore- feet upon the gunnel ; but one 
 of the crew, having a hatchet in his hand, cut it off. 
 The animal still however, continued to swim after 
 them, till they arrived at the ship; and several shots 
 were fired at him, which also took effect : but ou 
 reaching the ship, he immediately ascended the deck; 
 and the crew having fled into the shrouds, he was 
 pursuing them thither, when a shot from one of them 
 laid him dead upon the deck." 
 
182 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 During the summer these creatures reside chiefly 
 ea the ice islands, frequently swimming from one to 
 another; but at the approach of winter they retire, 
 and bed themselves deep beneath the snow, where 
 they pass the long Arctic night in a state of torpidity. 
 Great numbers of them, however, are annually driven 
 from their favorite retreats, by impetuous winds or 
 currents, and perish in the open sea. 
 
 These bears produce one or tvio cubs at a time ; 
 and their maternal affection is so strong that they will 
 rather die than desert their vouna: in the hour of dan- 
 ger. We shall relate one instance which seems pecu- 
 liarly worthy of attention. "While a frigate, which 
 was sent out some years ago to make discoveries to- 
 wards the north pole, was locked in the ice, a man at 
 the mast-head gave notice, that three bears were ad- 
 vancing over the frozen ocean, and directing their 
 course directly toward the vessel; having, probably, 
 been invited by the scent of some blubber of a sea- 
 horse, which wa« burning on the ice at the time of 
 their approach. The animals, which proved to be a 
 she-bear and two large cubs, ran eagerly to the fire 
 and drew out the flesh that remained unconsumed. 
 The mariners then threw some other lumps of flesh 
 upon the ice, which the old bear fetched away singly, 
 and dividing each lump, gave a share to each of her 
 cubs ; but as she was fetching away the last piece 
 she received a wound from a musket-ball, and her 
 young ones were both shot dead. The scene now be- 
 came truly affecting, and the tender concern express- 
 ed by the poor animal in the last moments of her ex- 
 piring cubs, might have drawn tears of pity from any 
 but unfeeling minds. Though desperately wounded, 
 and scarcely able to crawl to the place where the vic- 
 tims lay, she carried the lump of flesh thither, divide-d 
 it between them, and laid her paws first upon one, 
 and then upon the other, anxiously endeavouring to 
 raise them up. When she found that she could nei- 
 ther stir them nor entice them to eat, she went off to 
 some distance, looked back, and mourned most pite- 
 Gusly ; but this not availing, she returned, and with 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. Jgg 
 
 sjons of inexpressible affection walked round them, 
 wawing them and moaning. At length, perceivino- 
 them to be cold and liCeless, she raised her head to- 
 •\vards the ship and uttered a growl of despair. This 
 was immediately returned by a discharge of musquet- 
 ry, and the affectionate animal, having fallen between 
 her cubs, expired in the act of licking their wounds. 
 
 The usual food of these quadrupeds consists of seals, 
 fish, and the carcases of whales; but when on land, 
 they prey on deer, hares, young birds, and other ani- 
 mals ; and they are also said to eat various kinds of 
 berries. When allured by the scent of the flesh of 
 seals, they assemble in large droves, and sometimes 
 attempt to break into the habitations of the Green- 
 landers ; but they are easily repulsed by the smoke 
 of burnt feathers. 
 
 Of their astonishing sagacity in searching for prey, 
 the following story is related. "The white bears of 
 Greenland, notwithstanding the coldness of the cli- 
 mate, have an exquisite sense of smelling, and some- 
 times when the fishermen have dismissed the carcase 
 of a whale, and left it floating on the waves three or 
 four leagues from the shore, these animals will stand 
 as near the water as they can, and raising themselves 
 on their hind legs, snulf in the air till they are at 
 length satisfied whence the odour comes. They theit 
 cast themselves into the sea, and swim directly to- 
 ward the carcase. Their flesh is said to be coarse, 
 and the liver is extremely unwholesome ; but their 
 skins are used for coverings of various kinds, and 
 their tendons, when split asunder, aie said to forna 
 excellent thread. 
 
 GRAND ROAD FROM PETERSBURGH TO 
 
 MOSCOW. 
 
 Among other grand works, Peter I. caused a road 
 to be cut from Peterburgh, that was to extend sevew 
 kimdred and thirty-four werstg, or four hundred anil 
 
184 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 eighty-seven English miles, in a direct line; but this 
 is not yet completed. Vast forests of fir, birch, and 
 other trees, were cut through, and a passage made 
 through morasses, till then thought impassable. Im- 
 mense quantities of timber were hewn down, ditches 
 were made, and the earth being thrown up and le- 
 velled, straight firs, with their surfaces made plain, 
 were laid close to each other upon it. These were 
 supported by a foundation of the same kind of timber 
 composed of a row of trees, on each side secured by 
 cross timbers. This road of timber was carried ac« 
 cording as the land required, for about a hundied and 
 fifty wersts, and as Mr. Hanway calculated, contained 
 two millions and one hundred-thousand trees. 
 
 To these works it will be proper to add, that since 
 the building: of Petersburg:!!, the whole road between 
 that city and Moscow has been planted with trees, to 
 distinguish it in winter, when the country is covered 
 with snow. These are firs planted on both sides, at 
 the distance of twenty yards from each other, which, 
 at a moderate computation, amount to a hundred and 
 twenty-eight thousand four hundred and eighty trees, 
 and at certain distances, are usually great piles of 
 wood, in order to give light to the court, if they pass 
 throug;!! that road in the nio-ht. On these occasions:, 
 lier late Imperial majesty was drawn in a kind of 
 house, that contained her bed, a table, and other con- 
 veniences, where four persons might take a repast. 
 This wooden structure, which had a sloping roof, and 
 small windows, to admit as little cold as possible, was 
 fixed on a sledge, and drawn by twenty-four post- 
 horses ; and if any of them failed on the road, others 
 were ready to supply their places. The empress was 
 seldom more than three days and nights on the way ; 
 notwithstanding her having several small palaces, at 
 which she sometimes stopped to refresh herself, and 
 the distance being no less than four hundred and 
 eighty-eight English miles. Peter the Great once 
 made the journey in forty-six hours, but did not travel 
 in the same carriage; and Mr. Busching observes, 
 that it is not uncommon to perform it with post-horses 
 in seventy-tv.'o hours. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 185 
 
 ST. PAUL'S. 
 
 St. Paul's Cathedral in Londcn is the most mng:- 
 nificent protestant church in the world, aiid one oF 
 the finest structures that any age has produced. It 
 is said to have been oiiginaily founded by Ethelbert a 
 Saxon prince, on the site of a temple which the Ro- 
 mans had formerly dedicated (o Diana. It sustained 
 several successive injuries from fire and lightning', and 
 in the conflagration of 1666 it was totally destroyed. 
 
 The first stone of the present structure was laid by 
 Sir Christopher Wren, on the twenty-first of June, 
 1675, and the desiscn was completed in 1710 ; but the 
 decorations were not finished till the year 1723. "^ 
 
 This cathedral is built of fine Portland stone, after 
 the model of St. Peter's at Rome ; having tvv-o ranges 
 of pilasters on the outside, one above another, th.e 
 lower range of the Corinthian order, and the upper of 
 the Composite. The spaces between the arches of 
 the windows and the architrave of the pilasters are 
 tilled up Vx'ith various decorations. 
 
 The west front is beautified v/ith a most magnificent 
 portico, supported by twelve massy columns of theCo- 
 rinihian order; and over these are eight composite 
 columns, supporting a beautiful pediment, in which 
 the history of St. Paul'sconversion is cut in bass re- 
 lief. The ascent to this portico is by a flight of black 
 marble steps, and over each corner of this front '.s an 
 elegant turret. On tiie south side of the church is a 
 portico, vrith a dome supported by sij: columns, and 
 on the pediment is a phoenix in flames, with the word 
 nsurgam carved underneath it. The north portico 
 corresponds with that on the south, and its pediment 
 is embellished with the royal arms and other orna- 
 ments. , 
 
 In the centre of the building rises a stupendous 
 dome or cupola; and about tv/enty feet above the 
 roof of the church is a circular range of columns, ter- 
 minated by an entablature which supports a handsome 
 gallery, adorned with a stone ballustrade. On the 
 
186 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 summit of the dome is an elegant balcony, from which 
 rises a beautiful lantern adorned with Corinthian co- 
 lumns, and the whole are terminated by a gilded ball 
 and cross. 
 
 On the inside the cupola is supported by eight stu- 
 pendous pillars curiously adorned : the roof of the 
 choir is supported by six pillars, and the roof of the 
 church by two ranges, consisting of twenty more. 
 Round the inside of the cupola runs a handsome iron 
 gallery, where a whisper, or even the ticking of a 
 watch, may be heard distinctly at the distance of a 
 hundred feet. The top of the dome is finely painted 
 by Sir James Thornhill ; the floor of the choir is paved 
 with marble; and the altar is adorned with four pilas- 
 ters painted and veined with gold, in imitation of 
 lapis-lazuli. 
 
 The length of this cathedral from east to west, in- 
 cluding the portico, is five hundred feet; its breadth, 
 including the north and south porticos, three hundred 
 and eleven ; and its height, from the ground to the 
 top of ihe cross, is three hundred and forty-four feet. 
 This pile of building occupies an area of six acres, and 
 is railed round with an iron ballustrade, which is said 
 to have vv^eiirhed nearly three liundred tons, and to 
 have cost upwards of 11,0001. The whole expence 
 of building the cathedral amounted to 736,7521. 
 2s. 3d. 
 
 At the west end of the cliurch, and widiin the rails, 
 is a marble statue of queen Anne, holding a sceptre 
 in one hand, and a globe in the other, surrounded 
 with four emblematical figures, representing Great 
 Biitain, France, Ireland, and America. 
 
 WKSTiMINSTER ABBEY. 
 
 One of the noblest specimens of Gothic architec- 
 tu'e in England, is the abbey of St. Peter at West- 
 iTjinster, so called from having been the church of a 
 convent dedicated to St. Peter, which was destroyed 
 
Vv'ONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. \gj 
 
 by the Danes about the year 850. It was rebuilt by 
 k in ;£ Edgar, and enlarged by PMward the Confessor; 
 but the present nia^nihcentedilice was erected during- 
 the reign of Henry ill. On the dissokition in 1539, 
 this fireat monastery underwent the common fate of 
 the rehgious houses ; and the abbot, SViUiam Benson, 
 having subscribed to ihe king's supremacy, was re- 
 warded with the oftice of first dean to the new foun- 
 dation, consisting of a dean and twelve prebendaries. 
 In 1560 it was changed into a collegiate church, con- 
 sisting of a dean and twelve secular canons, and other 
 member:^, two school masters, forty king's scholarg, 
 twelve almsmen, and several officers and servants. 
 
 The form of this church is that of a long cross ; its 
 length is four hundred and eightv-nine feet; the 
 breadth of the west end sixtv-six: that of the cross 
 aisle one hundred and eighty-nine ; and the height of 
 the middle roof about ninety-two feet. At the west 
 end are two noble towers, built by Sir Christopher 
 Wren; the nave and cross aisle are supported by fifty 
 slender pillars of Sussex m^arble, about twelve feet 
 asunder, besides pilasters. There are ninety-four 
 windows in the upper and lower ranges, all of which, 
 with the arches, loofs, and doors, are in the ancient 
 Gothic style. The interior of the church is adm.ira- 
 bly executed, and the prospective is very good, parti- 
 cularly that of the grand aisle. The new choir, which 
 is the work of the late Mr. Keen, is executed in the 
 ancient Gothic style, but the architect has so happily 
 blended simplicity with ornament, as to produce the 
 most pleasing effect. Jt has also this peculiar advan- 
 tao:e, that it can, upon solemn occasions, be easily re- 
 moved, and may be replaced without much trouble or 
 expence. The altar is extremely beautiful. 
 
 The great west window, setup in the year 1735, is 
 finely painted with representations of Abraham, Isaac, 
 and Jacob ; the twelve patriarchs; Moses and Aaron ; 
 and tlie coats of arms belongfing; to kins: Sebert, E !- 
 ward tlie Confessor, queen Elizabeth, George II. and 
 dean Wilcocks, bishop of Rochester. 
 
 In a smaller window ou the right, is a figure, iup- 
 
I^'g WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART! 
 
 {X)sed to be that of Edward the Black Prince, and on 
 the opposite is another, which is conjectured to repre- 
 sent Richard II., but the colours being of a water 
 blue, the features cannot be particularly distinguished. 
 The three windows at the east end contain figures of 
 Si. John the Evangelist, Melitus, bishop of London, 
 and two pilgrims ; and the beautiful north window, 
 which was put up in 1722, represents our Saviour 
 with his twelve apostles, and the four evangelists. 
 
 In this venerable structure are twelve sepulchral 
 chapels, containing several curious monuments of the 
 sovereigns and nobility of Great Britain. These are 
 the chapels of Henry VII. St. Benedict, St. Edmund, 
 St. Nicholas, St. Paul, Edward the Confessor, Henry 
 V. St. Erasmus, St. John the Baptist, St. John the 
 Evangelist, St. Michael, and St. Andrew; the three 
 last, however, are now laid into one. 
 
 The chapel of Henry Vil. is situated to the east 
 of the abbey, and is, in point of elegance, nearly the 
 rival of that at King's college, Cambridge. The royal 
 founder expended fourteen thousand pounds in this 
 building, wliich he expressly designed as the mauso- 
 leum of himself and his descendants. 
 
 The ascent to the interior of this chapel is from the 
 east end of the abbey, by steps of black marble lead- 
 ing to the gates, which are of brass, most curiously 
 wrought in the manner of frame-work, having a rose 
 and portcullis alternately on every other pannel. Oa 
 the first entrance the eye is naturally directed to the 
 roof, which is divided iiito sixteen circles of curious 
 Vv'orkmanship, and supported by twelve stately pillars, 
 enriched with figures, fruitage, and other ornaments. 
 The stalls are of brown wainscot, with Gothic cano- 
 pies, and the arms and banners of the knights pro- 
 duce a fine eftect. Here are many statues in niches ; 
 and in the body of the chapel is the superb tomb of 
 the royal founder and his queen, with their figures re- 
 cumbent in brass. Here also are some elegant monu- 
 ments erected to the memory of jVlargaret, countess 
 of Richmond, queen Elizabeth, the unfortunate Mary 
 Stuart, and several other illustrious personages^ 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART." 189 
 
 Between the knight's stalls, under a broad marble 
 pavement, is the royal vault, where repose the bodies 
 of James I., William IH., Anne, and George II. The 
 leno-th of this chapel is ninety-nine feet, the breadth 
 sixty-six, and the height fifty-four. 
 
 In the chapel of St. Benedict are an ancient tomb 
 of free-stone, supporting a recumbent statue of Lang- 
 ham, who was abbot of Westminster, and archbishop 
 of Canterbury ; a curious monument of black and 
 white marble, erected in memory of Lionel Craniield, 
 earl of Middlesex ; and a fine monument of lady 
 Frances, countess of Hertford. 
 
 At the entrance of St. Edmund's chapel is an ala- 
 baster statue of John of Eltham, second son of king 
 Edward II. ; his habit is that of an armed knight, and 
 his head is encircled with a coronet of leaves. On a 
 Grecian altar in the same chapel sits a statue of lady 
 Elizabeth Russel, who is commonly said to have lost 
 her life by accidentally pricking her finger; but this 
 story seems to have no other foundation than a mis- 
 apprehension of the design ; for, the statuary having 
 represented hei- as asleep, and pointing with her finger 
 to a death's head under her right foot, it has been 
 supposed that the bleeding of her finger closed her 
 eyes in death, whereas the design seems rather to al- 
 lude to the serenity of her mind at the approach of 
 death, which she considered only as a profound slum- 
 ber; of which the motto, '* Dormit, non mortua est," 
 (she is not dead, but sleepeth,) is a clear confirma- 
 tion. Here also are monuments to the memories of 
 John Lord Russel, Lady Jane Seymour, William de 
 Valence, and Mary countess of Stafford, wife to the 
 unfortunate viscount, who suffered decapitation, in the 
 reign of Charles 1 1, on Tower-hill. 
 
 In the chapel of S^ Nicholas are a magnificent tem- 
 ple of various coloured marble, erected in honour of 
 Ann duchess of Somerset; a most sumptuous monu- 
 ment to the memory of lady Burleigh ; two beautiful 
 pyramids, erected in remembrance of Nicholas Bage- 
 nal!, and Anna Sophia Harley, who died in their in- 
 fancy; and several other elegant monuments. 
 
190 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 On the west side of this chapel is a beautiful mo- 
 nument to the memory of the late duchess of Northum- 
 berland, who is represented sitting on a sofa, and dis- 
 pensing her bounty to a groupe of indio:ent beings who 
 surround her. The figures on each side appear to be 
 Faiih and Hope, and those above are weeping genii 
 mourning; over her urn. 
 
 At the entrance of St. Paul's chapel is a lofty mo- 
 nument to the memory of Sir John Puckering, lord 
 keeper of the great seal of England in the reign of 
 queen Elizabeth. Here also are a magnificent monu- 
 ment of alabaster, with pillars of Lydian marble, raised 
 to the memory of Sir Thomas Bromley, privy coun 
 seller and chancellor to queen Elizabeth : an alabaster 
 statue of Frances, countess of Sussex ; and a very an 
 cient monument of Lewis Robert, standard-bearer to 
 Henry V. 
 
 The shrine of Edward, which stands in the centre of 
 the chapel consecrated to that saint, was once ex- 
 tremely magnificent, but is now neglected, defaced, 
 and sadly abused. On the north side of this chapel 
 is an ancient tomb of admirable workmanship and ma- 
 terials, the pannels being of polished porphyry, and 
 the surrounding Mosaic work of gold and scarlet: at 
 the corners of the table are twisted pillars gilt and 
 enamelled, and the statue of Henry HI. upon it, is of 
 gilded brass, finely executed. The tombs of Edward 
 I. surnamed Longshanks ; John V/altham, tv/enty- 
 «ixlh bishop of Salisbury ; Elizabeth Tudor, second 
 daughter of king Henry V'll. ; and Eleanor, queen of 
 Edward I. must also be noticed in this place. 
 
 Separated only by an iron screen, is the chapel of 
 Henry V. which contains the magnificent tomb of its 
 founder, who acquired immortal honour by the memo- 
 rable battle of Agincourt: the sword and shield of 
 Edward HI.; a waxen figure of Edmund Sheffield, 
 duke of Buckingham ; and two ancient chairs, which 
 are used by the kings and queens of England at their 
 coronation. In a chantry over this chapel are an hel- 
 met, shield, and saddle, said to have been used by 
 Henry V. at the battle of Agincourt; and here also 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. ]91 
 
 are some curious models, designed by Sir Christopher 
 Wren, and other eminent architects. 
 
 St. Erasmus's chapel contains some fine monuments; 
 among which those of Henry Carey, first cousin of 
 queen Elizabeth ; Thomas Carey, gentleman of the 
 bed-chamber to king Charles I. and Thomas Cecil, 
 carl of Exeter, claim particular notice. 
 
 The chapel of St. John the Baptist contains but 
 two handsome monuments ; that of John Islip, abbot 
 of Westminster, and that of Sir Christopher Hatton. 
 But in the chantry above, there are some wax figures 
 of queen Elizabeth, king William and queen Mary, 
 queen Anne, and the famous earl of Chatham, in his 
 parliamentary robes. 
 
 In the chapel of St. John the Evangelist are some 
 handsome monuments, of which the most remarkable 
 are inscribed to the memory of Sir Francis Vere, and 
 of Sir George Pocock ; the latter of whom acquired 
 immortal reputation by his gallant conduct at the re- 
 duction of Geriah,Chandernagore, and the Havannah. 
 The tomb of this hero is ornamented with a figure of 
 Britannia, a fine medallion, and some emblematical 
 devices. 
 
 The chapel of St. Michael contains some of the finest 
 monuments in Westminster Abbey. The tomb of Jo- 
 seph Gascoigne Nightingale and his lady, is the work 
 of M. Roubiliac, and is justly admired by all judges 
 of merit. Above is represented a lady expiring in the 
 arms of her husband ; beneath, slily peepino; from a 
 tomb, the king of terrors presents his dreadful visage, 
 and points his unerring dart at the sinking figure, 
 while the distracted husband seems to clasp her to 
 his bosom, and attempts to defend her from the fatal 
 stroke. Opposite to this beautiful monument is that 
 of the earl and countess of Mountrath, which is equally 
 entitled to our admiration from the grandeur of the 
 design, and the extraordinary lightness of the execu- 
 tion. On the summit is a representation of the celes- 
 tial mansions, and their blessed inhabitants; and en 
 SI sarcophagus beneath, is the fioure of the countess, 
 in the attitude of rising from the grave, and supported 
 
192 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 by an angel, who^ with bis right hand points up to 
 heaven, where a seat is prepared for her reception, 
 and where another angel waits to crown her with a 
 wreath of sclorv. 
 
 The chapel of St. Andrew contains monuments to 
 the memory of several honourable personages ; but 
 the most elegant are those of Sir Henry Noitjs, famous 
 for his gallant conduct in the Low Countries, during 
 the reign of queen Elizabeth, and Susanna Jane Da- 
 vidson, who is represented just expiring, Death having 
 pierced her breast with his fatal dart: an angel sup- 
 ports the female figure, and appears to offer consola- 
 tion by pointing to the joys of futurity. 
 
 The tombs in the area and aisles of the church are 
 far too numerous to admit of description in a work o£ 
 this nature. Suftice it, therefore, to say, that many of 
 them are indeed master-pieces in the art of sculpture, 
 and that among the most celebrated, the spectator 
 may recognise those of general Wolfe, the earl of 
 Mansfield, William Shakspeare, Matthew Prior, John 
 Milton, James Thomson, Nicholas Rowe, John Gay, 
 Oliver Goldsmith, xA.braham Cowley, Geofiery Chau- 
 cer, George Frederick Handel, Sir Isaac Newton, and 
 many others who have acquired immortal reputation 
 by the brilliancy of their genius, or the happy result 
 of their extraordinary exertions. 
 
 THE TOWER. 
 
 Of the several fortresses in Great Britain, the most 
 remarks-ble js the Tower of London, situated on the 
 east side of that citv, near the bank of the Thames. 
 It was anciently a royal palace, and consisted of no 
 more than what is now called the White Tower, 
 Avhich appears to have been tirst marked out by Wil- 
 liam the Conqueror, in the year 1076, and completed 
 by his son William Rufus, who, in 1098, surrounded 
 it with walls, and a broad and deep ditch. Several 
 succeeding princes made additions to it, and king Ed- 
 
Wonders of nature and art. 193 
 
 ward 111. rebuilt the church. In the year 1638 the 
 White Tower was rebuilt ; and since the restoration 
 of king Charles II. it has been thoroughly repaired, 
 and a great number of additional buildings made to 
 it. At present, besides the White Tower, here are 
 the offices of ordnance, of the keepers of the records, 
 the jewel office, the Spanish armoury, the horse ar- 
 moury, the new or small armoury, barracks for the 
 soldiers, and several handsome houses ; so that the 
 Tower of London has at present more the appearance 
 of a town than a fortress. Upon the wharf was a 
 line of about sixty pieces of cannon, which have been 
 removed. On this side of the Tower the ditch 
 is narrow, and over it is a draw-bridge : under the 
 tower-wall, on the same side, is a water-gate, com- 
 monly called Traitor's Gate, because it had been cus- 
 tomary to convey traitors and other state prisoners 
 through it by water, to and from the Tower. 
 
 Parallel to the wharf, upon the walls, is a platform 
 seventy yards in length, called the Ladies Line, whence 
 there is a fine prospect of the shipping and the river 
 Thames. From this line there is a walk round the 
 Tower walls, on which are three batteries distinguish- 
 ed bv the names of the Devil's Batterv, the Stone 
 Battery, and the Wooden Battery, each of which is 
 mounted with several pieces of brass cannon. 
 
 The principal entrance to the Tower is by two gates 
 one within the other, on the west side, both large 
 enough to admit carriages, and parted by a stone 
 bridge, built over the ditch. 
 
 The principal officers of the Tower are a constable, 
 a lieutenant, and a deputy-lieutenant. 
 
 Within the outer gate is the Lion Tower, in which 
 is a fine collection of wild beasts, consisting of lions 
 and lionesses, with a great variety of birds; which 
 are all regularly fed, and carefully attended. 
 
 In the first story of the White Tower is an armoury 
 for the sea-service, containing various sorts of arms 
 curiously laid up, for above ten thousand seamen ; 
 and the upper stories are filled with arras, and othe^ 
 
 K 
 
194 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 warlike instruments, as spades, shovels, pickaxes, and 
 cheveaux-de-frize. 
 
 Near the south-west angle of the White Tower is 
 the Spanish armoury, being; the depositary of the 
 spoils of the Spanish armada, fitted out by Philip II. 
 of Spain, to invade England in the reign of queen 
 Elizabeth. It consisted of one hundred and thirty- 
 two ships, of which scarcely seventy returned home ; 
 and of thirty thousand troops on board, of which 
 twenty thousand were either killed, drowned or made 
 prisoners in England. The trophies preserved here 
 of this memorable victory are as follow; — A Spanish 
 battle-axe with a pistol in the handle and a match- 
 lock ; the Spanish general's halbert, covered with vel- 
 vet, the nails are double gilt, and on the top is the 
 pope's head curiously engraven. An engine called 
 the Spanish morning star, from its figure, which is 
 that of a star. Of this kind of engine there were 
 many thousands on board, all with poisoned points, 
 designed to strike at the English in case they ven- 
 tured to board the Spanish fleet. Thumb-screws, of 
 which there were several chests full on board, intend- 
 ed to extort a confession from the English where their 
 money was hid. A Spanish poll-axe, used in board- 
 ing of ships. Spanish halberts, or spears, some of 
 which are curiously engraved, and inlaid with gold. 
 Spanish spadas or long swords, poisoned at the points. 
 Spanish cravats, consisting of engines of torture, made 
 of iron, and put on board to lock the feet, arms, and 
 heads together, of such as the Spaniards called Eng- 
 lish heretics. Bilboes, being instruments also made 
 of iron, for yoking th^ English prisoners two and two. 
 Spanish shot, of which there are four ilifierent sorts 
 — pike-shot, star-shot, ciiain-shot, and link -shot, all 
 admirably contrived, as well for the destruction of the. 
 masts and rigging of ships, as for sweeping the men 
 off the decks. The banner, with a crucifix on it, 
 which was to have been carried before the Spanish 
 o-eneral. An uscommon piece of arms, consisting of 
 a pistol in a shield, contrived in such a manner, that 
 the pistol might be fired, and the body covered at the 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. |95 
 
 same time ; it is to be fired by a match-lock, and the 
 sijjht of the enemy taken through a little grate in the 
 shield, which is pistol-proof. The Spanish rangeur, 
 made in different forms, and intended either to kill 
 the men on horseback, or to pull them off their horses; 
 and on one of them is apiece of silver coin, which the 
 Spaniards intended to have made current in England. 
 The Spanish officers lances, finely engraved and gilt. 
 The common soldiers pikes, eighteen feet in length, 
 pointed with long sharp spikes, and shod with iron. 
 The Spanish general's shield, which was to have been 
 carried before him as an ensign of honour ; upon 
 which are depicted, in most curious workmanship, the 
 labours of Hercules, 
 
 Here also are deposited several Danish and Saxon 
 clubs, a sort of weapons which the Danes and Saxons 
 are said to have used in their conquests of England ; 
 an instrument called kins: Henrv the Eii^hth's walking:- 
 staff, with three match-lock pistols in it, and cover- 
 ings to keep t:ie charges dry ; a large wooden cannon, 
 called Folic/, because, as is said, when king Henry 
 VIII. besieged Boulogne, the roads being impassable 
 for heavy cannon, he caused a number of these wood- 
 en ones to be made, and mounted on proper batteries 
 before the town, as if real cannon, which so terrified 
 the French commandant, that he gave up the place 
 without firing a shot; and the axe with which Ann 
 Bullen, the mother of queen Elizabeth, and the earl 
 of Essex, the favourite of queen Elizabeth, were be- 
 headed. 
 
 The other curiosities in this place are, a train of 
 little cannon, neatly mounted on proper carriages, 
 being a present from the foundry of London to king 
 Charles 1. when a child, to assist him in learning the 
 art of gunnery ; weapons made with the blades of 
 scythes, fixed strait to the ends of poles, and taken 
 from the duke of Monmouth's party at the battle of 
 Sedgemoor, in the reign of James IK; the partizans 
 that were carried at the funeral of king William III. ; 
 and a model of an admirable machine, the design of 
 which was brought from Italy, by Sir Thomas Lombe, 
 
 K 2 
 
196 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 at the hazard of his life. The latter object of atten^ 
 tion is a mill for the manufacture of silk, and was first 
 erected in the year 1734, by Sir Thomas, at his own 
 expence, in an island of the river Derwent, facing the 
 town of Derby. It works three capital engines for 
 making orgazine, or thrown silk ; has twenty-six 
 thousand five hundred and eighty-six wheels ; and 
 ninety-seven thousand seven hundred and forty-six 
 movements, which are all worked by one water-wheel, 
 that turns round three times in a minute. By every 
 turn of the water-wheel, the machine twists seventy- 
 three thousand seven hundred and twenty-six yards 
 of silk thread, so that in twenty-four hours it will 
 twist three hundred and eighteen million four hundred 
 and ninety-six thousand three hundred and twenty 
 yards ; yet any single wheel or movement may be 
 stopped, without impeding the rest; and the whole 
 is governed by one regulator. This machine was 
 thought of such importance by the legislature, that, 
 on the expiration of the patent which Sir Thomas had 
 obtained for the sole use of it during fourteen years, 
 the parliament granted him fourteen thousand pounds 
 as a farther recompence for the hazard he ran, and 
 the expence he had incurred, by introducing and 
 erecting it, on condition that he should suffer a perfect 
 model of it to be taken, in order to secure and perpe- 
 tuate the invention. 
 
 Northward of the White Tower is a noble building, 
 called the Grand Store-house, extending two hundred 
 and forty-five feet in length, and sixty in breadth. It 
 was begun by king James II. and finisiied by William 
 III. who erected that magnificent room called the 
 New or Small Armoury, to which there is a passage 
 by a folding-door, adjoining to the east end of the 
 Tower chapel, which leads to a grand stair-case of 
 easy ascent. On the left side of the uppermost land- 
 in-^'is a workshop, in which are constantly employed 
 ab'out fourteen furbishers, in cleaning, repairing, and 
 arranp'ing the arms contained in this place ; which are 
 so artfully disposed, that at one view may be seen arms 
 for nearly two hundred thousand men, all bright and 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. IQJ 
 
 fit for service at a moment's warning. Of the disposi- 
 tion of these arms no adequate idea can be formed by 
 description ; and there are a thousand peculiarities in 
 the disposition of so vast a variety which no descrip- 
 tion can reach. 
 
 Upon the ground-floor, under the small armoury, 
 is a laro-e room of equal dimensions with that, sup- 
 ported by twenty pillars, all hung round with warlike 
 implements. This room, which contains the royal 
 train of artillery, is twenty-four feet high, and is full 
 of the most dreadful engines of destruction; besides 
 harness for horses, men's harness, drag-ropes, trophies 
 of standards, colours, &c. 
 
 Eastward of the White Tower, is the Horse-ar- 
 moury, consisting of a plain brick building, in which 
 are several curiosities. 
 
 Before the room door is the figure of a grenadier in 
 his accoutrements, as if upon duty, with his piece 
 rested upon his arm. Within the room, on the left 
 hand, are figures as large as life, of horse and foot, 
 supposed to be drawn up in military order, to attend 
 a line of kings on the other side of the room, shown 
 in the following order: — King George I. in a complete 
 suit of armour, with a truncheon in his hand, seated 
 on a white horse, richly caparisoned, having a fine 
 Turkey bridle, gilt, with a globe, crescent, and star, 
 velvet furniture laced with gold, and gold trappings. 
 King William III. dressed in the suit of armour worn 
 by Edward the Black Prince, at the battle of Cressy ; 
 he is mounted on a sorrel horse, whose furniture is 
 green velvet, embroidered with silver, and holds in his 
 right hand a flaming sword. King Charles II. dressed 
 in armour, with a truncheon in his hand, seated on a 
 fine horse, richly caparisoned, with crimson velvet, 
 luced with gold. King Charles I. in a rich suit of gilt 
 armour, curiously wrought, presented to him by the 
 city of London, when he was prince of Wales. James 
 I. in a complete suit of figured armour, with a trun- 
 cheon in his right hand. King Edward VI. in a cu- 
 rious suit of steel armour, whereon are depicted, in 
 different compartments, a variety of scripture histo- 
 
 K 3 
 
198 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 ries: he sits like the rest on horseback, with a trun- 
 cheon in his hand. King Henry Vlfl. in his own ar- 
 mour, which is of pohshed steel, with the foliages gilt, 
 and bearing a sword in his right hand. King Henry 
 
 VII. who also holds a sword, and is seated on horse- 
 back in a complete suit of armour, finely wrought, and 
 washed with silver. King Edward V. who, with his 
 brother Richard, was smothered in the Tower, by or- 
 der of their uncle and guardian Richard III. ; and 
 having been proclaimed king, but never crowned, a 
 crown is suspended over his head; he holds a lance 
 in his right hand, and is dressed in a rich suit of ar- 
 mour, studded, with a drawn sword in his hand. 
 King Henry VI. Henry V. and Henry IV. King Ed- 
 ward III. with a venerable beard, in a suit of plain 
 bright armour, with two crowns on his sword, alluding 
 to his having been crowned king both of England and 
 France. King Edward I. dressed m a very curious 
 suit of gilt armour, and in shoes of mail, with a battle 
 axe in his hand. And William the Conqueror, the 
 first in the line, though the last shown, in a suit of 
 plain armour. 
 
 The other principal curiosities in this room are a 
 large tilting-lance of Charles Brandon, duke of Suf- 
 folk ; a complete suit of armour, made for king Henry 
 
 VIII. when he was but eighteen years of age, rough 
 from the hammer; a small suit of armour made for 
 king Charles II. when he was about seven or eight 
 years of age, with a piece of armour for his horse's 
 head ; real coats of mails, called Brigandine jackets, 
 consisting of small bits of steel, so artfully quilted 
 one over another, as to resist the point of a sword, 
 and perhaps a musket ball, and yet so flexible, that 
 the wearer may bend his body any way, as well as in 
 an ordinary suit of clothes ; an Indian suit of armour, 
 sent by the great mogul as a present to king Charles 
 II. ; the armour of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, 
 the son of Edward III. ; and a droll figure of one Wil- 
 liam Somers, said to have been jester to king Henry 
 
 viir. 
 
 Over the door of the armoury, on the inside, is a 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 199 
 
 target, on which are engraved the figures of Justice, 
 Fortune and Fortitude ; and the walls of the room 
 are entirely lined with various pieces of armour for 
 horses heads and breasts, targets, and many pieces 
 that now want a name. 
 
 About twenty yards east of the grand store-house, 
 or new armoury!^ is the Jewel Office : a dark stone 
 room, in which the jewels of the crown are deposited. 
 The jewels shown at this time are those following: 
 
 The imperial crown, v.'ith which it is pretended all 
 the kings of England have been crowned since Edward 
 the Confessor, in 1042. It is of gold, enriched with 
 diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and pearls. 
 The cap within is of purple velvet, hned with white 
 tafFety, turned up with three rows of ermine. The 
 golden orb, or globe, put into the king's right hand, 
 before he is crowned ; and borne in his left, with the 
 sceptre in his right, upon his return into Westminster- 
 hall, after he is crowned at Westminster-abbey. 
 
 The globe is about six inches in diameter, edged 
 with pearl, and enriched with precious stones. On 
 the top is an amethyst of a violet colour, nearly an 
 inch and a half high, set with a rich cross of gold, 
 adorned with diamonds, pearls, and other jewels ; the 
 whole height of the ball is eleven inches. 
 
 The golden sceptre, with its cross set upon a large 
 amethyst of great value, garnished round v/ith table- 
 diamonds. The top rises into a fleur-de-lis of six 
 leaves, all enriched with precious stones ; fiom whence 
 issues a mound, or ball, made of the amethyst al- 
 ready mentioned. The sceptre with the dove, the 
 emblem of peace, perched on the top of a small Jeru- 
 salem cross, finely ornamented with table- diamonds, 
 and jewels of great value. St. Edward's staff, four 
 feet seven inches and a half in length, and three in- 
 ches three quarters in circumference, all of beaten 
 gold, which is carried before the king at his corona- 
 tion. The rich crown of state worn by his majesty in 
 parliament, in which is a large emerald, seven inches 
 round, a pearl esteemed the finest in the world, and a 
 ruby of inestimable value. The crown belonging to 
 
 K 4 
 
2G0 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 the prince of Wales, which is carried together with 
 the king's crown, as often as his majesty goes to the 
 parliament-house, by the keeper of the jewel office, 
 attended by the warders, to Whitehall, where both 
 crowns are delivered to the officers appointed to re- 
 ceive them, who, with some yeomen of the guard carry 
 them to the robing rooms adjoining to the House of 
 Lords, where his majesty and the prince of Wales put 
 on their robes. The king wears his crown on his head 
 while he sits upon the throne ; but that of the prince 
 is placed before him. As soon as the king is disrobed 
 the crowns are carried back to the tower, and again 
 locked up in the jewel office. 
 
 The crown, globe, and sceptre of queen Mary, with 
 the diadem she wore at her coronation with her con- 
 sort William III. An ivory sceptre, with a dove on 
 the top, made for the queen of James II. whose garni- 
 ture is gold, and the dove on the top gold, enamelled 
 with white. The curtana, or sword of mercy, the 
 blade of which is thirty-two inches long, and nearly 
 two broad, without a point, carried before the king at 
 his coronation, between the two swords of justice. 
 The golden spurs, and the armillas, or bracelets for 
 the wrists, which, though very antique, are worn at 
 the coronation. The ampulla, or eagle of gold, which 
 is finely engraved, and holds the holy oil the kings 
 and queens of England are anointed with ; and the 
 golden spoon that the bishops pour the oil into. The 
 eagle and spoon are pieces of great antiquity; the 
 former, including the pedestal, is about nine inches 
 high, and the wings expand about seven inches; the 
 head of the eagle screws off about the middle of the 
 neck, which is made hollow for holding the holy oil; 
 and when the king is anointed, the oil is poured into 
 the spoon out of the bird's bill. 
 
 A rich salt-seller of state, in the form of the square 
 white tower ; the workmanship is exquisitely fine : it 
 is of gold, and used only on the king's table at the 
 coronation. A noble silver font, double gilt, and ele- 
 gantly wrought; in which the royal family are chris- 
 tened. And a large silver fountain presented to 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 201 
 
 Charles II. by the town of Plymouth, curiouslywrought. 
 Here also are deposited all the crown jewels worn by 
 the princes and princesses at coronations, and an 
 abundance of curious old plate. 
 
 THE AIR PUMP. 
 
 The invention of this noble instrument, to which 
 the present age is indebted for so many fine disco- 
 veries, is ascribed to Otto de Guerick, a consul or 
 burgomaster of Magdebourg, in Germany, who exhi- 
 bited his first experiments before the emperor and 
 the states of Germany, at Ratisbon, in the year 
 1654. Some persons, indeed, have ascribed the in- 
 vention to the honourable Mr. Boyle, and the engine 
 has obtained the name of machina Boyleana; but 
 this is rather on account of the improvements made in 
 it, or the various experiments it was applied to, by 
 that great philosopher : for though he had actually 
 made some attempts of this nature before he knew 
 any thing of what was done in Germany, yet he inge- 
 nuously confesses de Guerick to have been beforehand 
 with him, and that it was the information he after- 
 wards received from a book published by Schottus, 
 containing an account of de Guerick's experiments, 
 which enabled him to bring his design to maturity. 
 This machine has been of late years much improved, 
 and seems now to be brought to its utmost perfection. 
 
 'the use and effect of the air-pump is to exhaust the 
 air out of any proper vessel, and thereby make what 
 is properly called a vacuum, which in reality is only 
 such a degree of rarefaction as is sufficient to suspend 
 the ordinary effects of the atmosphere. Hence there- 
 fore we learn, in some measure, what our earth would 
 be without the mass of air v/hich surrounds it, and 
 how indispensibly necessary it is to the life, genera- 
 tion, and nutrition both of animals and vegetables, 
 and to various other purposes. The principle on 
 
 K 5 
 
202 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 which this machine is founded is the elasticity or spring- 
 of the air ; and the basis or essential part of it is a 
 metalline tube, answering to the barrel of a common 
 pump or syringe, having a valve at the bottom, open- 
 ing upwards, and a moveable piston or embolus, an- 
 swering to the sucker of a pump, furnished likewise 
 with a valve opening upwards ; the whole properly 
 fitted to a vessel as a receiver, whence the air is to be 
 exhausted. The other parts, chiefly respecting con- 
 veniency, have been diversified and improved from 
 time to time ; and particularly Mr. Hawksbee, by add- 
 ing a second barrel and piston to the former, to rise 
 as the other falls and fall as it rises, has greatly facili- 
 tated the working of the engine. To this gentleman 
 we are indebted for the structure of the air-pump now 
 in common use : but Mr. Martin contrived one of a 
 different form, which he called a portable air-pump, 
 being so constructed, that it might, together with 
 its receivers, be contained iu a box of a small size, 
 and sold at a moderate price. 
 
 The reader must observe, as we have already hinted, 
 that an absolute vacuum cannot be obtained by the 
 air-pump, i. e. all the air cannot be exhausted out of 
 the receiver, be the pump ever so good, or worked 
 ever so long ; for as the air wliich is drawn out is only 
 expelled by the sprinjj^ of that which remains behind, 
 if we suppose every particle to be exhausted, the last 
 must be expelled without an agent, or there would be 
 an effect without a cause. But the air is dilated by 
 this machine to such a degree, that bodies placed in 
 an exhausted receiver are usually said to i)e ia vacuo ; 
 and by this means a vast number of curious experi- 
 ments iiave been made, which have thrown great 
 light upon the secrets of nature, and of which we shall 
 mention a few of the.most remarkable, for the enter- 
 tainment of those who are unacquainted with sucli 
 phaenomena. 
 
 First then, to demonstrate the spring of the air, if \ 
 bottle whose mouth is securely sealed, so that no air 
 can escape from within, be placed under a receiver, 
 and the air exhausted from the surface of the bottle, 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. gQS 
 
 the spring of the included air will burst it to pieces. 
 2. If a bladder be almost emptied of air, and tied very 
 tight, the air within will expand itself " in vacuo," so 
 as to make the bladder appear full blown. 3. By 
 making a little hole in the small end of a new-laid egg, 
 and exhausting the receiver, the bubble of air con- 
 tained between the shell and the skin at the great end 
 will expand itself, so as to force the white and yolk of 
 the eg^ through the hole ; and if half the shell of the 
 egg thus emptied be taken off, the said bubble will 
 raise up the skin, so as to resemble an entire e^^. 
 4. A shrivelled apple will become smooth and plumfl 
 under the exhausted receiver, by the expansion of the 
 air contained in its substance. 5. Fishes are made 
 so light by increasing the spring of the air in their 
 bladders, upon exhausting the receiver, that they rise 
 to the top of the water, and cannot again descend to 
 the bottom. 6. Water heated as hot as the finger 
 can well bear it, will boil vehemently under the ex- 
 hausted receiver; but upon letting the air in a^-ain, 
 the agitation ceases. 7. Fresh small-beer placed in 
 vacuo rises up in froth, dies, and loses all its taste. 
 8. Vegetable substances put in water under the re- 
 ceiver admit great quantities of air from all parts of 
 their surface. 9. The weight or pressure of the air is 
 shown by exhausting two hollow brass hemispheres, 
 which are then compressed together by the external 
 air, so as to require a force to pull them asunder equal 
 to one hundred and eighty-eight pounds, if the dia- 
 meter of the hemispheres be four inches. 10. A per- 
 son placing his hand on the top of an open receiver, 
 will feel a very sensible pressure of the air on the back 
 of his hand, in proportion as the receiver is exhaust- 
 ed; and the spring of the air contained in the flesh 
 exerting itself at the same time, the inside of his hand 
 swells downwards into the receiver. 11. If the air 
 be exhausted from a thin bottle placed under a re- 
 ceiver, and then suddenly let in ao-ain, its weisj;ht will 
 instantly crush the bottle to pieces. 12. If a piece 
 of wood be cemented in the lower part of the neck of 
 an open receiver, and mercury poured upon it, after 
 
 K 6 
 
204 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 two or three exhaustions the pressure of the external 
 air will be so great on the mercury as to cause it to 
 descend through the pores of the wood in form of a 
 beautiful shower, which will shine in a dark room. 
 13. The lightest and heaviest bodies descend with 
 equal velocity in vacuo ; thus a guinea and a feather 
 let fall from the top of a tall exhausted receiver, arrive 
 at the bottom both together. 14. It appears that air 
 is necessary to the existence of fire and flame ; for a 
 piece of burning charcoal, or a lighted candle, is soon 
 extinguished in the exhausted receiver : neither will 
 gunpowder flash or make any explosion, but melt and 
 die away. 15. Air is likewise proved to be the me- 
 dium of sounds ; for a bell rung in vacuo is not heard; 
 but as the air is admitted into the receiver, the sound 
 increases in proportion. 16. That fermentation and 
 putrefaction depend on the air, is shown by preserving 
 fruits in their native bloom and perfection through the 
 winter in an exhausted glass : and eggs, which in the 
 air soon grow stale and putrid, retain their goodness 
 a long time in vacuo. 17. How necessary air is to 
 vegetation appears from hence, that seed sown in 
 earth kept under an exhausted receiver will not grow 
 at all. 18. Air is likewise absolutely necessary to 
 most sorts of animals, though some will live a long 
 time in vacuo, whilst others expire presently. 
 
 Dr. Derham observed, from various experiments, 
 that animals whose hearts have two ventricles and no 
 foramen ovale, as birds, dogs, cats, mice, &c. die in 
 less than half a minute under a small exhausted re- 
 ceiver. A mole died in one minute: a bat remained 
 four minutes and a half, and revived upon re-admit- 
 ting the air ; but in twenty minutes he was dead be- 
 yond recovery. Wasps, bees, grasshoppers, and other 
 insects, appeared dead in two minutes : but revived 
 in the open air, after they had lain twenty-four hours 
 in vacuo. Snails continued twenty-four hours under 
 the exhausted receiver, and seemed not much affect- 
 ed. Frogs and toads bear the pump a long time, 
 especially the former ; one of which recovered in the 
 open air, after remaining eleven hours in the receiver. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 205 
 
 Fish are not easily killed by the air pump. At first 
 they appear greatly disturbed, swolii and sickish; but 
 Mr. Hawksbee says, he has kept them a week and 
 found them as lively as those which had been kept as 
 long in the air. — Slow-worms, according to Mr. Boyle, 
 will live two or three days in vacuo, and leeches five 
 or six. 
 
 The same Otto de Guerick, who invented the air- 
 pump, contrived a new sort of air-gun, which dis- 
 charged shot by the rarefaction of the air, whereas 
 the common air-guns produce their effects by its com- 
 pression. Dr. Papin improved upon de Guerick's in- 
 vention, and experiments were made before the Royal 
 Society to try the force of his machine ; which was 
 very considerable, but not equal to those whose struc- 
 ture is founded on the compression of the air. Of 
 these the most common and portable kind consists of 
 two barrels, one of a small bore, into which the bullet 
 is rammed as in other guns, and another on the out- 
 side, so large as to leave a space between them, where- 
 in the air is be to enclosed. Into this cavity the air is 
 injected through a valve, by a syringe fixed in the 
 stock of the gun, and the discharge is made by draw- 
 ing a trigger, which opens another valve, whereupon 
 the compressed air rushes through a hole into the in- 
 ner barrel, and expels the bullet with great violence. 
 There is also a contrivance in the lock, that either the 
 whole charge of air may be spent at one explosion, or 
 only part of it, and the rest reserved for fresh bullets; 
 but the force is much greater, if all the air be dis- 
 charged upon one single bullet. The magazine air- 
 gun is so contrived, that ten bullets, lodged in a ca- 
 vity near the place of discharge, may be drawn one 
 by one into the shooting barrel, and successively ex- 
 ploded in a very expeditious manner. Dr. Burnet ob- 
 serves that a gunsmith at Basil, showed him one of 
 these machines, and pretended the invention was his 
 own, which must be acknowledged to be curious ; but 
 as the discharge of air-gun's is attended with an in- 
 considerable report compared to that of fire-arms, nor 
 is there any flash like that of gunpowder to discover 
 
205 "VrONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 from what hand the shot comes, it seems the interest 
 of mankind to forbid the use of instruments so conve- 
 nient for assassination. 
 
 WHIRLPOOLS. 
 
 Near the coast of Norway, in about latitude 63, is 
 a vast whirlpool, commonly called Maelstrom, or 
 Moskoestrom, from the island of Moskoe, and by ma- 
 riners the navel of the sea. Its violence exceeds that 
 of a cataract, being heard at a great distance, without 
 any intermission, except for a quarter of an hour, at 
 the turn of high and low water, when its impetuosity 
 seems at a stand : but this motion soon returns, and 
 gradually increases with such a draught and vortex, 
 as absorbs whatever comes within their sphere of ac- 
 tion, keeping it for some hours under water, wlien the 
 fragments shivered by the rocks appear again. From 
 this circumstance several authors imagine, that here 
 is an abvss, which penetrates the a:lobe, issuing in 
 some very remote parts. But the learned bishop 
 Pontoppidon observes, that there is no foundation for 
 this conjecture; it havina; no other cause than the 
 collision of the waves, rising and falling at the flux 
 and reflux against a ridge of rocks and shelves, which 
 confine the w'ater, so that it precipitates like a cata- 
 ract ; and thus the higher the tiuod rises, the deeper 
 must be the fall, the natural result of which is a whirl- 
 pool. Mr. Ramus is of the same opinion, and ob- 
 serves, that at the time of flood, the streams ran up 
 the country, between the islands of Lofoden and Mos- 
 coe, with a boisterous rauiditv; but the roar of its 
 impetuous ebb to the sea, is scarcely equalled by the 
 loudest cataracts, the noise beino; heard at the dis- 
 tance of several leagues. The whirlpool is then of 
 such extent and depth, that if a ship comes w^ithin its 
 attractioiij it is inevitably absorbed, and dasned to 
 pieces against the rocks at the bottom. But when 
 the stream is most boisterous, and its fury heightened 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. gO^ 
 
 by a storm, it is dangerous to come within six Encr- 
 lish miles of it ; ships, boats, and yachts, having been 
 carried away by not guarding against it, before it was 
 too late. It frequently happens that even whales, 
 coming too near the stream, are overpowered by its 
 violence ; and then it is impossible to describe their 
 bellowings in their fruitless struggles to diseni>-ao-e 
 themselves. A bear once attempting to swim to the 
 island of Moscoe, in order to prey on the sheep feed- 
 ing on the island, afforded a similar spectacle; for the 
 stream caught him, and bore him down, while h« 
 roared so terribly as to be heard on shore. It is re- 
 markable that large firs and pine trees, after bein^- 
 absorbed by the current, rise again with their trunks 
 so broken and lecerated, that they seem as if covered 
 with bristles. 
 
 The account we have of the whirlpools about the 
 islands of Ferro, which belong to the crown of Den- 
 mark, given us by Mr. Jacobson Debes, provost of 
 the churches in those islands, is also very extraordi- 
 nary. The most dangerous is that which lies south 
 of Suderoe, near a rock called the Monk, where seve- 
 ral vessels have been swallowed up. The sea round 
 this whirlpool is eighty or ninety fathoms deep, and 
 the surface of the water is smooth and serene : but a 
 little farther in, the ground lies at the depth of twen- 
 ty-five or thirty fathoms, where the sea begins to rise 
 and turn round. Within this the ground lies from 
 eight to ten or twelve fathoms deep, in four circles ; 
 and rises up in points or clifts, which are about eight 
 fathoms under water, and about twelve distant from 
 each other. Between these circles are three channels 
 from twenty-five to thirty fathoms deep, wherein the 
 sea runs round : and within every circle is a hole, the 
 depth of which, in the middle, is above sixty fathoms. 
 The innermost current turns round but slowly, but the 
 others with great swiftness. On the south side of 
 this hole the rock called the Monk rises ten fathoms 
 above water, and north of this are six lesser rocks, 
 on the top of which, our author observes, ihecompass 
 runs round like the whirlpool. Considering the dan- 
 
208 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 ger that vessels run by approaching this vortex, the 
 reader may probably wonder how so particular a de- 
 scription of it could be taken ; but our author informs 
 us, that in very calm weather, during the reflux of the 
 sea, the inhabitants venture to fish there, and to climb 
 the rocks. 
 
 THE SPIDER. 
 
 M. Leewexhoeck having dissected the body of the 
 largest spider he could find, and nicely examined each 
 part, at last discovered the vast number of instruments 
 from whence the spider draws threads of various fine- 
 ness, which he judged to be at least four hundred, 
 lying not close together, but in several distinct clus- 
 ters. At another time this gentleman took a spider, 
 and laid it upon its back so that it could not stir, and 
 then pulled out, with a very fine pair of pincers, a 
 thread that he perceived sticking out of one of the 
 working instruments. At the same time he saw many 
 fine threads issuing out of its body, which, at the dis- 
 tance of a hairs-breadth or two from the body, joined 
 together and made thick threads. Hence it appears, 
 that the threads of a spider's web, which to the naked 
 eye seem to be single, do really consist of several 
 threads ; some of which, even supposing the spider 
 full-grown, are so exceedingly fine, that M. Leewen- 
 hoeck thought a hundred of them put together would 
 not make a hundredth part of the thickness of a hair 
 of his head. Ten thousand, therefore, of the fine 
 threads of a full grown spider are not so thick as a 
 hair ; and if we add to this, that four hundred young 
 spiders, when they first begin to spin, are not, one 
 with another, bigger than a full-grown one, and that 
 each of those spiders are provided with all the instru- 
 ments of the old one, it will follow, that the smallest 
 thread of a young spider is four hundred times smaller 
 than that of a great one; and that four millions of such 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 209 
 
 threads are not so thick as a hair of a man's head ; 
 which is a fineness perfectly astonishing, and beyond 
 our conception. 
 
 THE ART OF CASTING ALL SORTS OF 
 
 METALS. 
 
 1. Foundry of small-works^ or casting in sand. 
 
 The sand is, at first, of a yellowish colour, and a soft 
 and clammy nature: but charcoal- dust being strewed 
 in the mould, it soon becomes of a black colour, and 
 loose texture. 
 
 In founding, the hollow of a wooden board, of a 
 length and breadth proportional to the things to be 
 cast, and surrounded with a ledge sufficiently deep, is 
 filled with sand, a little moistened, to make it cohere. 
 Then they take either wood or metal models of what 
 they intend to cast, and so apply them to the mould, 
 and press them into the sand, as to leave their im- 
 pression there. Along the middle of the mould is 
 laid half a small brass cylinder, as the chief canal for 
 the metal to run through, when melted, into the mo- 
 dels or patterns ; and from this chief canal are placed 
 several others, which extend to each model or pattern 
 placed in the frame. After this frame is finished, they 
 take out the patterns, by first loosening them all round, 
 that the sand may not give way. 
 
 They now proceed to work the other half of the 
 mould with the same patterns in just such another 
 frame, only that it has pins, which, entering into holes 
 that correspond to it in the other, make the two cavi- 
 ties of the pattern fall exactly on each other. 
 
 The frame thus moulded is carried to the melter, 
 who, after extending the chief canal of the counterpart, 
 and adding the cross canals to the several models in 
 both, and strewing mill-dust over them, dries them 
 in a kind of oven for that purpose. 
 
 Both parts of the mould being dry, they are joined 
 together by means of the pins ; and, to prevent their 
 
210 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 giving way, by reason of the melted metal passing^ 
 through the chief cylindrical canal, they are screwed 
 or wedged up like a kind of a press. 
 
 While the moulds are thus preparing, the metal is 
 fusing in a crucible of a size proportionate to the quan- 
 tity of metal intended to be cast. 
 
 Some of these small- work founder's furnaces are 
 like a smith's forge ; others stand a few feet under- 
 l^round, for the more easily and safely taking out a 
 weighty pot of metal ; which is done by means of a 
 circular ton2:s that grasps round the top of the cruci- 
 ble. When the metal is melted, the workman pours 
 it through the chief canal of each mould, which con- 
 veys it to every distinct pattern. 
 
 When the moulds are cool, the frames are un- 
 screwed, or unwedged, and the cast work taken out of 
 the sand, which sand is worked over again for other 
 castings. 
 
 2. Foundcry of statues. The casting of statues de- 
 pends on the due preparation of the pit, the core, the 
 wax, the outer mould, the inferior furnace to melt otF 
 the wax, and the upper to fuse the metal. The pit is 
 a hole dug in a dry place something deeper than the 
 intended figure, and made according to the prominence 
 of certain parts thereof. The inside of the pit is com- 
 monly lined with stone, or brick ; or, when the figure 
 is very large, they sometimes work on the ground, and 
 raise a proper fence to resist the impulsion of the 
 melted metal. 
 
 The inner mould, or core, is a rude mass to which 
 is given the intended attitude and contours, it is 
 raised on an iron grate, strong enough to sustain it, 
 and is strengthened within by several bars of iron. It 
 is generally made either of potter's clay, mixed with 
 hair, and horse-dung; or of plaster of Paris mixed 
 with brick-dust. The use of the core is to support the 
 wax and shell, and lessen the weight of the metal. 
 The iron bars and the core are taken out of the brass 
 figure through an aperture left in it for that purpose, 
 which is soldered up afterwards. It is necessary to 
 leave some of the iron bars of the core, that contribute 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 211 
 
 to the steadiness of the projecting part within the brass 
 figure. 
 
 The wax is a representation of the intended statue. 
 If it be a piece of sculpture, the wax should be all of 
 the sculpture's own hand, who usually forms it on the 
 core; though it may be wrought separately in cavi- 
 ties, moulded on a model, and afterwards arranged on 
 the ribs of iron over the grate ; filling the vacant space 
 in the middle with liquid plaster and brick-dust, 
 whereby the inner core is proportioned as the sculptor 
 carries on the wax. When the wax, which is the in- 
 tended thickness of the metal, is finished, they fill 
 small vraxen tubes perpendicular to it from top to bot- 
 tom, to serve both as canals for the conveyance of the 
 metal to all parts of the work, and as vent-holes, to 
 give passage to the air, which would otherwise occa- 
 sion great disorder, when the hot metal came to en- 
 compass it. 
 
 The work, being brought thus far, must be covered 
 with its shell, which is a kind of crust laid over the 
 wax, and which, being of a soft matter, easily receives 
 the impression of every part, which is afterwards com- 
 municated to the metal upon its taking the place of 
 the wax, between the shell and the mould. The mat- 
 ter of this outer mould is varied according as difl^erent 
 layers are applied. I'he first is generally a composi- 
 tion of clay, and old white crucibles well ground and 
 sifted, and mixed up w^th water, to the consistence of 
 a colour fit for painting : accordingly they apply it with 
 a pencil, laying it seven or eight times over, and lett- 
 ing it dry between whiles. For the second impression, 
 they add horse-dung and natural earth to the former 
 composition. The third impression is only horse-dung 
 and earth. Lastly, the shell is finished by laying on 
 several more impressions of this last matter, made very 
 thick with the hand. 
 
 The shell, thus finished, is secured by several iron 
 girts bound round it, at about half a foot distance 
 from each other, and fastened at the bottom to the 
 grate under the statue, and at top to a circle of iron 
 where they all terminate. If the statue be so large 
 
212 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 that it would not be easy to move the moulds with 
 safety, they must be wrought on the spot where it is 
 to be cast. This is performed two ways : in the first, 
 a square hole is dug under-ground, much bigger than 
 the mould to be made therein, and its inside lined with 
 walls of free-stone, or brick. At the bottom is made 
 a hole of the same materials with a kind of furnace, 
 having its aperture outwards: in this is a tire made to 
 dry the mould, and afterwards melt the wax. Over 
 this furnace is placed the grate, and upon this the 
 mould, &c. formed as above. Lastly, at one of the 
 edges of the square pit, is made another large furnace 
 to melt the metal. In the other way, it is sutficient to 
 work the mould above-ground, but with the like pre- 
 caution of a furnace and grate underneath. When 
 finished, four walls are to be run around it, and by the 
 side thereof a massive one made for a melting furnace. 
 For the rest, the method is the same in both. The 
 mould being finished, and inclosed as described, whe- 
 ther under-ground or above it, a moderate fire is 
 lighted in the furnace under it, and the whole covered 
 with planks, that the wax may melt gently down, and 
 run out at pipes contrived for that purpose, at the foot 
 of the mould, which are afterwards exactly closed with 
 earth, so soon as the wax is carried off. This done, 
 the hole is filled up with bricks thrown in it at random, 
 and the fire in the furnace augmented, till such time 
 as both the bricks and mould become red hot. After 
 this, the fire being extinguished, and every thing cold 
 again, they take out the bricks and fill ujj their place 
 with earth, moistened, and a little beaten to the top 
 of the mould, in order to make it the more firm and 
 steady. These preparatory measures being duly taken, 
 there remains nothing but to melt the metal, and run 
 it into the mould. This is the office of the furnace 
 above described, which is commonly made in the form 
 of an oven with three apertures, one to put in the 
 wood, another for a vent, and a third to run the metal 
 out at. From this last aperture, which is kept very 
 close, while the metal is in fusion, a small tube is laid, 
 whereby the melted metal is conveyed into a large 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 2K1 
 
 earthen bason, over the mould, into the bottom of 
 which all the big branches of the jets, or casts, which 
 are to convey the metal into all the parts of the mould, 
 are inserted. These casts, or jets, are all terminated 
 with a kind of plugs, which are kept close, that, upon 
 opening the furnace, the brass, which gushes out with 
 violence, may not enter any of them, till the bason be 
 full enough of matter to run into them all at once. 
 Upon which occasion, they pull out the plugs, which 
 are long iron rods with a head at one end, capable of 
 filling the whole diameter of each tube. The whole 
 of the furnace is opened with a long piece of iron fitted 
 at the end of each pole, and the mould filled in an 
 instant. This completes the work in relation to the 
 casting part; the rest being the sculptor's or carver's 
 business, who, taking the figure out of the mould, and 
 earth, wherewith it is encompassed, saws off the jets 
 with which it appears covered over, and repairs it \vith 
 chissels, gravers, punches, &c. 
 
 3. Foundry of hells. The metal, it is to be ob- 
 served, is different for bells, from what it is for statues; 
 there being no tin in the statue-metal : but there is a 
 fifth, and sometimes more, in the bell-metal. The 
 dimensions of the core, and the wax, for bells, if a ring 
 of bells especially, are not left to chance, but must be 
 measured on a scale or diapason, which gives the 
 height, aperture, and thickness necessary for the seve- 
 ral tones required. It is on the wax that the several 
 mouldino^s and other ornaments are formed to be re- 
 presented in relievo, on the outside of the bell. 
 
 4. Fouudtry of great guns and mortar pieces. The 
 method of casting these pieces is little different from 
 that of bells: they are run massy, without any core, 
 being determined by the hollow of the shell ; and they 
 are afterwards bored with a steel trepan, which is 
 worked either by horses, or a water-mill, 
 
 5. Letter founder y, or casting of printing lettei\i. 
 The first thing requisite is to prepare good steel punches, 
 on the face of which is drawn the exact shape of the 
 letter with pen and ink, if the letter be large, or with 
 a smooth blunted point of a needle, if small ; and then, 
 
214 "WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 with proper gravers, the cutter digs deep between the 
 strokes, letting the marks stand on the punch ; then 
 files the outside, till it is fit for the matrice. They 
 have a mould by which to justify or regulate the ma- 
 trices, and which consists of an upper and under part, 
 both which are alike, except the stool and spring be- 
 hind, and a small roundish wire in the upper part, for 
 makins: the nick in the shank of the letter. These two 
 parts are exactly fitted into each other, to slide back- 
 ward and forward. Then they justify the mould, by 
 casting about twenty samples of letters, which are set 
 in a composing-stick, with the nicks towards the right 
 . hand ; and comparing these every way with the pat- 
 tern-letters, set up in the same manner, they find the 
 exact measure of the body to be cast. Next they pre- 
 pare the matrice, which is of brass or copper, an inch 
 and a half long, and of a proportionable thickness to 
 the size of the letter it is to contain. In this metal is 
 sunk the face of the letter, by striking the letter-puncii 
 the depth of an n. After this, the sides and face of 
 the matrice are justified, and cleared, with files, of all 
 bunchings that have been made by sinking the punch. 
 Then it is brought to the furnace, v;hich is built upright, 
 of brick with square sides, and a stone at top, in which 
 is a hole for the pan to stand in. They have several 
 of these furnaces. The metal of which types are 
 formed is lead, v'ith a mixture of the regulus of anti- 
 mony, or such other substance as the letter-founder 
 approves. These being duly mixed and melted in a 
 large cauldron of cast-iron, by continued stirring with 
 an iron ladle, the workmen proceed to draw the metal 
 off into small troughs of cast-iron, which are ranged 
 to the number of four score, on a level platform faced 
 with stone. In the course of a day, fiiteen hundred 
 weight of metal can be prepared in this manner. 
 
 The founder must now be provided with a ladle dif- 
 fering from other iron ladles only in its size, which is 
 adapted to that of the letter he is to cast. Before he 
 begins this operation, he must kindle the fire in his 
 furnace to melt the metal in the pan. If it be a small- 
 bodied letter, or a thin letter with great bodies, that 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 215 
 
 he intends to cast, his metal must be very hot, and 
 sometimes red hot, to make the letter come. Then 
 taking a ladle that will hold as much as will make the 
 letter and break, he lies it at the hole where the flame 
 bursts out to heat; then he ties a thin leather, cut with 
 its narrow end against the face, to the leather groove 
 of the matrice, by whipping a brown thread twice 
 about the leather groove, and fastening the thread 
 with a knot. Then he puts both pieces of the mould 
 together, and the matrice into the matrice-cheek ; and 
 places the foot of the matrice on the stool of the mould, 
 and the broad end of the leather on the wood of the 
 upper haft of the mould, but not tight up, lest it hinder 
 the foot of the matrice from sinking close down upon 
 the stool, in a train of work. Afterward, laying a little 
 rosin on the upper part of the mould, and having his 
 casting-ladle hot, he, with the boiling side, melts the 
 rosin and presses the broad end of the leather hard 
 down on the wood, and so fastens it thereto. In the 
 act of casting, placing the under half of the mould in 
 his left hand, with the hook or jag forward, he holds 
 the ends of its wood between the lower part of the ball 
 of his thumb and his three hinder fingers ; then he lays 
 the upper half of the mould upon the under half; and, 
 at the same time, the loot of the matrice places itself 
 upon the stool, and clasping his left hand thumb 
 strongly over the upper half, he nimbly catches hold 
 of the bow or spring, with his right hand fingers at the 
 top of it, and his thumb under it, and places the point 
 of it against the middle of the notch in the reverse side 
 of the matrice, pressing it forward as well toward the 
 mould as downward, by the shoulder of the notch, 
 close upon the stool, while at the same time, with his 
 hinder fingers, he draws the under half of the mould 
 toward the ball of his thumb, and thru-ts, with the ball 
 of his thumb, the upper part towards his fingers, that 
 both the registers of the mould may press against both 
 sides of the matrice, and his thumb and fingers press 
 both sides of the mould close together. Tnen he 
 takes the handle of his ladle in his right hand, and 
 with the ball of it gives two or three strokes outwards 
 
216 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 upon the surface of the melted metal, to clear it of the 
 scum ; then he takes up the ladle full, and having- the 
 mould in the left hand, turns his left side a little froni^ 
 the furnace, and brings the jet of his ladle to the 
 mouth of the mould ; and turns the upper part of his 
 right hand towards him, to pour the metal into it, 
 while, at the same instant, he puts the mould in his 
 left hand forwards, to receive the metal with a strong 
 shake, not only into the bodies of the mould, but, 
 while the metal is yet hot, into the very face of the 
 matrice, to receive its perfect form there as well as in 
 the shank. Then he takes the upper half of the mould 
 off, by placing his rigiit thumb on the end of the wood 
 next his left thumb, and his two middle fingers at the 
 other end of the wood : he tosses the letter, break and 
 all, upon a sheet of waste paper, laid on a bench, a 
 little beyond his left hand ; and then is ready to cast 
 another letter, as before, and likewise the whole num- 
 ber in that matrice. 
 
 Then, boys, commonly employed for this purpose, 
 separate the breaks from the shanks, and rub them on 
 a stone, and afterwards a man cuts them all of an even 
 height, which finishes the fount for the use of the 
 printer. A workman will ordinarily cast 3000 of these 
 letters in a day. The perfection of letters thus cast, 
 consists in their being severally square and straighten 
 every side ; all of the same height, and evenly lined, 
 without stooping one way or other; neither too big in 
 the foot, nor the head ; well grooved, so as the two 
 extremes of the foot contain half the body of the letter: 
 and well ground, barbed, and scraped, with a sensible 
 notch. 
 
 Fcunt, or font , among printers (means a found, or 
 cast), is a set or quantity of letters, and all the ap- 
 pendages belonging thereto, as numeral characters, 
 quadrates, points, &c. cast by a letter-founder, and 
 sorted. 
 
 Founts are large or small, according to the demand 
 of the printer, who orders them by the hundred weight, 
 or by sheets. When a printer orders a fount of Jive 
 hvndred, he means that the fount should weigh 5001b. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 217 
 
 When he demands a fount of ten sheets, it is under- 
 stood, that with that fount he shall be able to compose 
 ten sheets, or twenty forms, without being obliged to 
 distribute. The founder takes his measures accord- 
 ingly; he reckons 1201b. for a sheet, including the 
 quadrates, &c. or 601b. for a form ; which is only half 
 a sheet: not that the sheet always weighs 1201b. or 
 the form 601b., on the contrary, it varies according to 
 the size of the form ; besides, it is always supposed 
 that there are letters left in the cases. As therefore 
 every sheet does not comprehend the same number of 
 letters, nor the same sort of letters, we must observe, 
 that, as in every language some sounds recur more 
 frequently than others, some letters will be in much 
 more use, and oftener repeated than others, and con- 
 sequently their cells, or cases, should be better stored 
 than those of the letters which do not recur so fre- 
 quentlv : thus, a fount does not contain an equal num- 
 ber of a and 6, or of b and c, &c. the letter-founders 
 have therefore a list or tariff, or, as the French call it, 
 a police, by which they regulate the proportions be- 
 tween the different sorts of characters that compose a 
 fount; and it is evident that this tariff will vary in dif- 
 ferent languages, but will remain the same for all sorts 
 4)f characters employed in the same language. 
 
 WONDERS IN THE HEAVENS. 
 
 The soul of man was made to walk the skies; 
 Delightful outlet of her prison here! 
 There, disencumber'd from her chains, the ties 
 Of toys terrestrial she can rove at large ; 
 There, freely can respire, dilate, extend. 
 In full proportion let loose all her powers;. 
 And undeluded, grasp at something great. 
 
 If we take the trouble to walk beyond the threshold 
 of our own doors in a clear frosty evening, and turn 
 our eyes to the starry firmament, we shall behold 
 wonders above wonders, beyond the utmost stretch of 
 
 L 
 
218 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 human thought to comprehend, and far, very far be- 
 yond the power of man to describe : — and these won- 
 ders, if considered a-right, cannot fail to produce the 
 happiest effects. 
 
 Dr. Young says, in his Night Thoughts, '* An uii' 
 devout astronomer is mad,'' and he most assuredly is in 
 the right; for what man, in possession of his faculties, 
 can turn his eyes for a moment to the nocturnal hea- 
 vens, and consider the tremendous span of that mighty 
 arch which embraces the immensity of space — the pon- 
 derous and numerous orbs that glide along in silent 
 majesty through those boundless fields of aether ; and 
 the exact regularity they have continued to maintain 
 in their movements from the creation until now ; with- 
 out feeling his soul irresistibly drawn out, in adoration 
 to the Almighty Creator of the Universe, and being 
 completely overwhelmed with reverential awe, in the 
 presence of that august being, who stretched out the 
 heavens as a curtain, whose hand formed those glo- 
 rious luminaries, and whose mighty arm preserves 
 them in their being and motions. 
 
 What an enlarsred and mao-nificent idea must we be 
 led to entertain of the universe, when we reflect, that 
 the more it is inquired into, the more unsearchable 
 does it appear; and that, the utmost that can be said 
 of its extent, is, that it is in every direction unlimited. 
 We mav travel far into the vast expanse by our natu- 
 ral powers of vision: — We can go a degree still farther, 
 by the artificial help of the sight-invigorating tube, but 
 our thoughts are bewildered and our conceptions lost, 
 when we attempt to fathom this mighty sea without a 
 shore, or to reach the margin of an expansion which 
 knows no bounds. How wondrous then is that God, 
 whose presence fills the immensity of space — who has 
 peopled its desarts with so many huge automatons — 
 who upholds them by his power— and confines and 
 restrains them by his omnipotent mandate, to the va- 
 rious paths he has chalked out for them in the heavens. 
 
 Were we to behold one of the Andes, or the Alps, 
 or even that comparatively smaller object, although it 
 has been justly denominated " sea-rock immense," the 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 219 
 
 Bass, raised from its bed into the air, and there sus- 
 pended, without any visible prop, made to revolve with 
 considerable celerity, over a given space, in a certain 
 time, with the greatest possible regularity, and always 
 preserving an equidistance from the earth, would we 
 not be struck with admiration at the magnitude of that 
 force unseen, and the greatness of that power, which 
 could at first accomplish, and afterwards prolong, for 
 any length of time, such an event? But what are all 
 the rocks and mountains in the world in comparison 
 with those bulky and ponderous masses, which, sup- 
 ported by invisible agency, are made to roll in a me- 
 dium far more rare than the atmosphere ; and, yet, 
 the amazing velocity with which they perform their 
 several revolutions, have continued to circulate ever 
 since the creation, with a steadiness and uniformity 
 that is astonishing ! 
 
 The planets, it is true, seem to take a considerable 
 time in moving from one part of the heavens to ano- 
 ther, and on this account, it may be supposed, that 
 their motion being slow and deliberate, these bodies 
 may be the more easily guided; but this is an illusion 
 arising from distance ; for it is a fact notorious, that 
 the moon, slow as her progress from one star to an- 
 other appears, drives incessantly in her orbit, with an 
 impetuosity, exceeding two thousand miles an hour; 
 being more than double the swiftness with which a ball 
 is shot off from the mouth of a cannon ! 
 
 The heavens indeed, in an emphatical manner, de« 
 •clare the glory of God, and, as if to leave those people 
 in every nation without excuse, who act as insensible 
 of the divine presence, their line is gone out through 
 all the earth ; there is no spot, however secluded, no 
 desart, however remote, where this heavenly call tc> 
 devotion is not heard. 
 
 *' Has the Great Sovereign sent ten thousand worlds 
 To tell us, He resides above them all. 
 In glory's unapproachable recess ? 
 And dare earth's bold inhabitants deny 
 The sumptuous, the magnificent embassy 
 A BiQments' audience !" 
 
 I. 2 
 
220 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 The brute indeed, as the poet expresses himself^ 
 " sees nought but spangles here ;" but who, among 
 the sons of reason, 
 
 " Who turns his eye on Nature's midnight face, 
 But must inquire — " What hand behind the scene, 
 What arm almighty put these Avheeling globes 
 In motion, and wound up the vast machine ? 
 Who rounded in his palm these spacious orbs ? 
 \ Who bowl'd them flaming through the dark profound^ 
 
 Num'rous as glittering gems of morning dew, 
 Or spai'ks from populous cities in a blaze. 
 And set the bosom of Old Night on fire ; 
 Peopled her desart, and made horrors smile." 
 
 The Sun, whose powerful energies and renovating 
 influence, makes creation rejoice in his presence. He, 
 who is the parent of seasons, and occasions, as he 
 shows or hides his face, the vicissitudes of day and 
 night; although to our eyes, he may have now sunk 
 beneath the shades of the horizon, and in midnight 
 veiled his face. The Moon, which protracts and 
 lengthens out the glories of the day, although painted 
 in fainter hues, and lifts, and heaves old ocean on its 
 bed. The various Planets in their orbits — Mercury, 
 twinkling in his pure white lustre ; Venus, brilliant in 
 her varying phases ; Mars, whose bloody tint gives 
 way to the superior brightness of his poles; Ceres and 
 Pailas, and Juno and Vesta, children but of yesterday, 
 for the discovery of which we are indebted to modern 
 astronomers ; Jupiter, distinguished by his belts and 
 spots; Saturn, encircled by his maonificent rings; the 
 Georgium Sidus, the most remote of the planets yet 
 discovered, with all the attendant Satellites that dance 
 round them; Comets blazing in their eccentric orbits; 
 Arcturus, Mazaroth, the Pleiades, and Orion, with all 
 the host of fixed stars, visible or invisible to the naked 
 eye, and whether reduced to constellations on our 
 o-lobes, or not, compose the actors in this great theatre 
 of nature, and perform their various parts in the mag- 
 iiificent scene. 
 
 And can man witness, unmoved, a prospect so vast, 
 and a spectacle so full of wonders ?-— No, it is impos- 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 221 
 
 sible? — Man returning- from his labour in the evening, 
 and taking even a momentary glance of these glories 
 of Jehovah, must experience some of the sweet in- 
 fluences of pleiades ; but far more sublime must be his 
 conceptions of the Deity, who goes forth purposely to 
 worship before him, and consider his works, in the 
 temple of the universe. 
 
 " A banquet this, where men and angels meet, 
 Eat the same manna, mingle earth and heaven. 
 
 Who can satiate si2;ht 
 
 In such a scene? In such an ocean wide, 
 Of deep astonishment! where depth, height, breadth, 
 Are lost in their extremes ; and where, to count 
 The thick sown glories in this field of tire, 
 Perhaps a Seraph's computation fails. 
 
 A devout spirit: a soul filled with the most exalted 
 conceptions of the Divine Being, is the undoubted 
 consequence of contemplating such a scene as this ; 
 and if so, devotion must indeed be justly defined 
 *' The Daughter of Astronomy." What an incitement 
 this to the young, to study this improving and delight- 
 ful science, especially when it is considered, that De- 
 votion is, in her turn, "The Mother of Virtue." From 
 a devotion so inspired— 
 
 " Rushes Omnipotence. To curb our pride, 
 Our reason rouse, and lead it to that power 
 Whose love lets down these silver chains of light 
 To draw up man's ambition to Himself, 
 And l)end our chaste affections to His throne. 
 Thus the three virtues, least alive on earth, 
 And welcom'd on hea\ en's coast with most applause, 
 An humble, pure, and heav'nly minded heart 
 Are here inspir'd ! 
 
 What call we then the firmament? 
 
 As earth the body, since the skies sustain 
 The soul with food, that gives immortal life, 
 Call it " The noble pasture of the mind;" 
 Which there expatiates, strengthens, and exults, 
 And riots through the luxuries of thought. 
 Call it "The garden of the Deity,'*' 
 Blossom'd with stars, redundant in the growth 
 Of fruit ambrosial ; moral fruit to man. 
 Call it "The breast-plate of the true High-priest," 
 
 L 3 
 
222 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 Ardent with gems oracular, that give, 
 
 In points of highest moment, night response | 
 
 And ill neglected, if we prize our peace. 
 
 Great objects make 
 
 Great minds, enlarging as their views enlarge. 
 
 Those still more godlike, as these more divine. 
 
 As man was made for glory and for bliss. 
 
 All littleness is an approach to woe. 
 
 "What's vice r — Mere want of compass in our thoughts. 
 
 Now go Ambition ! boast thy boundless might 
 In conquest o'er the tenth part of a grain ! 
 
 How insignificant does the earth, with all her glo- 
 ries, appear, after the contemplation of a scene so rich 
 and magnificent! It has been judiciously observed, 
 that, *' were the sun which enlightens this part of 
 creation, with all the host of planetary worlds that 
 move about him, utterly extinguished and annihilated, 
 they would not be missed more than a grain of sand 
 upon the sea-shore. The space they possess is so ex- 
 ceedingly little in comparison of the whole, that it 
 would scarce make a blank in the creation. The 
 chasm would be imperceptible to an eye, that could 
 take in the whole compass of nature, and pass from 
 one end of the creation to the other. 
 
 If the sun then, with the whole of the planetary 
 system, is of so little account in the system of the 
 universe, what are we to think of this globe that forms 
 only a small part of it? and, if the earth itself dwindles 
 into insignificance when compared with the whole ex- 
 tent of creation, in what estimation are we to hold 
 those little allotments, and minute subdivisions, about 
 which so much bustle is made by ambitious mortals? 
 " What," says the pious Hervey, " are a few lord- 
 ships, or the so much admired patrimonies of those 
 who are styled wealthy.'^ When I measure them with 
 my own little pittance, they swell into proud and 
 bloated dim.ensions. But when I take the universe 
 for my standard, how scanty is their size, how con- 
 temptible their figure! They shrink into pompous 
 nothings !" 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. ^03 
 
 WONDERS AT THE FIRESIDE. 
 
 Contrivance exquisite ! expressed with ease, 
 ' Where unassisted sight no beauty sees ; 
 
 The shapely limb, and lubricated joint, 
 Within the small dimensions of a point ; 
 Muscle and nerve miraculously spun, 
 HIS mighty work, who speaks, and it is done ; 
 THE INVISIBLE in things scarce seen reveal'd! 
 To whom an atom is an ample field ! Cowper. 
 
 We have just remarked in our preceding article, 
 that if any one will take the trouble to walk beyond 
 the threshold of his own door in a clear frosty even- 
 ing, and turn his eyes to the starry firmament, he will 
 behold wonders above wonders, beyond the utmost 
 stretch of human thought to comprehend, and far, 
 very far, beyond the power of man to describe ;" and 
 we there said enough to illustrate and confirm this 
 our observation — But such is the diffusive nature of 
 creative wisdom — such the unlimited extent of the 
 operations of Omnipotence, that 
 
 " Where'er we cast our eyes— -to water, earth, or air, 
 God is in every place — his footsteps every where." 
 
 And it is even unnecessary to step beyond the amuse- 
 ments of the fireside, to be gratified with sights that 
 must strike with admiration and overwhelm with sa- 
 cred awe every person, who, with the help that mo- 
 dern discovery affords, will give himself the trouble, 
 (we should rather say pleasure) attentively to consider 
 the wondrous works of God in the minute objects of 
 creation. 
 
 Nay, if the judgment of that profound philosopher, 
 Mr. Robert Boyle, must be esteemed correct, when he 
 said ; *' that his wonders dwelt not so much on Na- 
 ture's clocks as her watches," we have reason to be- 
 lieve, that, with the help of a good microscope, we 
 may be able to find more to excite our wonder and as- 
 tonishment among the little, or almost invisibles, 
 within doors, that we can possibly discover by the 
 
 L 5 
 
^04 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 magnifier among the celestial beauties of a cloudless 
 sky. 
 
 The heavens, no doubt, in a very superior degree 
 declare the glory of God, and bhnd and stupid must 
 that mortal be, who can contemplate unmoved such a 
 scene as is often presented on the azure canopy of the 
 firmament — but 
 
 *' Mark'd by the magnifying crystal's aid 
 In every place -what proofs of skill's display'd! 
 Search the least path creative power has trod, 
 How plain the footsteps of th' apparent God ! 
 His art could organs, strength, and sense implant 
 In the small agile fly and reptile ant. 
 In the mean mite, so much minuter still, 
 Thy finger's pressing point may millions kill." 
 
 Take but a small portion of that white dust which 
 has just fallen on the table from the cheese, place it 
 at a convenient distance from the microscope, apply 
 the eye, and what do you discover? — Don't start back 
 with disgust from the sti-ange looking objects ! These 
 lively active creatures that you now behold, rioting 
 and tumbling over each other in such a frolicsome 
 mood, and aping as it were the sportive gaiety of so 
 many kittens, while their plump transparent bodies, 
 beset with bristly hairs, their mole-like snouts and 
 numerous legs, plainly designate them to be of a dif- 
 ferent species — are mites! No other than mites, 
 which in eating old cheese you make no scruple to 
 swallow by hundreds, and which, you have hitherto 
 been accustomed to view with marked indifference, 
 as to consider them as the most insignificant objects 
 in the creation, and but one remove from nothing. 
 Yet see with what agility some of them move from 
 place to place! — Behold how they ply their jointed 
 limbs ! — Observe with what impetuosity they bound in 
 their gambols, and seem as zealously employed in their 
 different pursuits as the crowded throng at a country 
 fair, or the sons of Mars in the evolutions of a review ; 
 while others, removed at a convenient distance from 
 the busy scene, seem munching and chewing the cud 
 like so many guinea pigs. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 225 
 
 t3ught not. these litlle insignificants, as ypu have 
 erroneously been accustomed to consider them, truly 
 to be reckoned amongst Nature's wonders? — And do 
 not they become of magnitied importance, in propor- 
 tion as you are acquainted with their conformation 
 and habits? — What then must be your conceptions of 
 the woi^DEREUL FORMER of these exquisite machines 
 'H'hen you consider, that you have only as yet seen 
 but a small part, or rather, but the outlines of these 
 curious little structures; — that each individual of that 
 numerous lively groupe you have just beheld with 
 wonder and astonishment, must, as well as external, 
 be in possession of a complete set of internal organs ; 
 — that, as well as a head and mouth, a body and legs, 
 bristly hairs and pointed claws, there is not a mite in 
 the creation of God, but must also, (in the words of 
 an eminent naturalist,) have " a heart to be the foun- 
 tain of life, muscles necessary to its motions, glands 
 for the secretion of the fluids, a stomach and bowels 
 to digest its food, besides other innumerable members, 
 without which an animalcule cannot subsist. But 
 since every one of these members is also an organic 
 body, they must have likewise pans necessary to their 
 action; for they consist of fibres, membranes, coats, 
 veins, arteries, nerves, and an almost infinite number 
 of fine tubes like those whose minuteness seem to ex- 
 ceed all efforts of imagination. But there are some 
 parts that ought almost to be infinitely less than these, 
 as the fluids that flow along these fine tubes, the 
 blood, lymph and animal spirits, whose subtily, even 
 in large animals, is incredible !" 
 
 Take now a small portion of that sediment of vine- 
 gat, and see what it will produce ; for there are ani- 
 malcules in fluids as well as in solids. You start back 
 again ! and cry out — It is full of live ells, or rather 
 little serpents, whose rapidity of movements baffles all 
 pursuit, and gives you no time to distinguish one from 
 the other! — See with what brisk evolutions they dart 
 from one extremity of the field to the other, mixing 
 and turning, and crossing each other as they go along ! 
 You take your eye from the glass, and turn it to the 
 
 L 5 
 
226 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 small speck, in the expectation no doubt of observing 
 some motion where you have just had ocular demon- 
 stration so much exists, but now all is still and qui- 
 escent, -not a particle stirs, — the smallest agitation is 
 not perceptible. You again have recourse to the 
 glass, and all is bustle, tumult, and activity. 
 
 But here is a small stripe which we have just taken 
 from the twig of a rose-bush, bring it under the magical 
 operation of the glass, and say what are all these 
 crystal-like appendages which give it the air and ap- 
 pearance of the exhibition in a glass-shop. — These 
 are nothino- more than the oozinjs of o-um, in the va- 
 negated shapes they have congealed over the pores 
 from which thev had been drawn bv the heat of the 
 sun. You thought perhaps you could have here dis- 
 covered a wood in miniature! and have been disap- 
 pointed. But bring forward tii at little speck of mould ! 
 and we may vet contrive to 2:ratifv vour curiosity. — A 
 forest! a forest! you exclaim. — Yes, it is a forest, 
 where not only the trees, but the branches, leaves, 
 flowers and fruit, are visible I 
 
 Turn your or-lass now to the surface of vour skin, 
 and see how you are defended by Nature, from the 
 injury of the air, by a scaly covering, resembling that 
 of the inhabitants of the waters ; and to the dust that 
 adheres to the wing of a butterfly, and behold what a 
 beautiful arrangement of feathers; and, to v.hat you 
 account of so little value, one of the hairs of your 
 heail, and see what a grand transparenttube, or view- 
 ed transversely, when cut in two, what a variety of 
 vessels, in regular figures, encompassed with a rind or 
 bark, it presents to your view. 
 
 But v.hat, you enquire, are these two objects brought 
 under review at the same time ? This is the last ex- 
 hibition we mean to present you with, and may be 
 called the comparison; for, we mean to finish, by shev/- 
 ing the difference between the operations of nature 
 and those of art; in the firm conviction, that you will 
 need no greater stimulus to have low conceptions of 
 yourself, and to dispose you to give God all the praise. 
 One of these you will observe, is a long tapering sub- 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 227 
 
 stance, of an exquisite polish and gloss, terminating 
 at the end with a point of inconceivable sharpness. 
 The other object also appears to taper gradually, but 
 you cannot fail to observe a rough unevenness on its 
 surface, and an obtuseness :\t the point, which makes 
 it appear very different from what it really is. — The 
 former of these is a natural production, well known, 
 being nothing more than the sting of a bee, the ex- 
 quisite polish of which, no magnifier can remove, nei- 
 ther can the best glass rob it of its acuteness at the 
 extremity. The latter is one of the nicest specimens 
 of art, being the pointed end of a delicately formed 
 and very fine needle! — A needle! you exclaim — this 
 is impossible. As sharp as a needle! is a common 
 expression, when we mean to denominate any thing 
 remarkably so, but this has the appearance of a rough 
 unseemly piece of iron, without either sharpness or 
 polish. Examine it, however, and you will find that 
 it is nothing more or less than what we have just as- 
 serted it to be, the pointed end of a very fine needle! 
 
 What do you now think of the work of man, when 
 brought in competition with that of his Maker under 
 the scrutinizing eye of the microscope ? Does not the 
 latter redound more to the praise and glory of him 
 who made it, while the former, the more it is ex- 
 amined, the more it must be allowed to lose by the 
 comparison. 
 
 Thus we see, that in the minuter as well as in the 
 greater objects of creation, the inimitable attributes 
 and perfections of tlie Deity conspicuously shine forth, 
 and that any attempt to come up with them on the 
 part of man, were he so foolish as to make the attempt, 
 would only end in the more complete demonstration 
 of the infinite superiority of his adorable Creator and 
 of his own imbecility. 
 
 It is, indeed, in the words of Hume, a great morti- 
 fication to the vanity of man, that his utmost art and 
 industry can never equal the meanest of nature's pro- 
 ductions either for beauty or value ; but is, neverthe- 
 less, true, and such a knowledge is necessary to give 
 us proper ideas and adequate conceptions of ourselves. 
 
 L 6 
 
228 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 The most perfect works of art, if intimately examined 
 betray a meanness, a poverty, an inability in the work- 
 man, but " the wonders of nature, the more they are 
 searched into, the more perfect they do appear," 
 
 Whether then, as has been observed, with a New- 
 ton or a Herschel we take the telescope, and compare 
 the stupendous magnitude and velocity of a planet, 
 or with a Leewenhoeck or a Baker, survey, through a 
 microscope, the structure and conformation of a mite, 
 in each we are compelled to admire and adore the 
 pervading wisdom and energy of the Creator: 
 
 " Who gives its lustre to an insect's wing, 
 
 And wheels his throne upon the rolling worlds !'* 
 
 And in each, also, we are obliged, in humility to ad- 
 mit, the amazing difference between the operations of 
 nature's God and the most curious and exquisite per- 
 formances of man. 
 
 When the Psalmist, from a view of the nocturnal 
 heavens, turned back his thoughts upon himself, it 
 was indeed very natural for him to exclaim : " What 
 is man that thou art mindful of him ! ' but the con- 
 clusion of the poet, after a microscopic survey of the^ 
 sting of a hornet and the point of a needle, is no les* 
 just: 
 
 " The microscopic glass admiring bring. 
 
 And view the humble hornet's sharpen'd sting ; ■* 
 
 Then on the slend'rest needle turn thy eye 
 
 And the vast difference in their points descry : 
 
 This view'd, more polish'd seems, acuter far ; 
 
 That, rough as from the forge some blunted bar. 
 
 God's smallest work all human skill degrades, 
 Foils the lost man, and sinks his worth in shades. 
 
 SINGULAR DEXTERITY OF A GOAT. 
 
 Upon our road (from Jerusalem to Bethlehem),^ 
 says Dr. Clarke, in his Travels, we met an Arab with 
 a goat, which he led about the country for exhibition, 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 22l> 
 
 in order to gain a livelihood for itself and its owner. 
 He had taught this animal, while he accompanied its 
 movements with a song, to mount upon little cylin- 
 drical blocks of wood, placed successively one above 
 the other, and in shape resembling the dice-boxes be- 
 longing to a backgammon table. In this manner the 
 goat stood, first upon the top of one cylinder, then 
 upon the top of two, and afterwards of three, four, five, 
 and six, until it remained balanced upon the top of 
 them all, elevated several feet from the ground, and 
 with its four feet collected upon a single point without 
 throwing down the disjointed fabric upon which it 
 stood. The practice is very ancient. It is also no- 
 ticed by Sandys. Nothing can show more strikingly 
 the tenacious footing possessed by this quadruped 
 upon the jutty points and crags of rocks ; and the cir- 
 cumstance of its ability to remain thus poised may 
 render its appearance less surprising, as it is some- 
 times seen in the Alps, and in all mountainous coun- 
 tries, with hardly any place for its feet upon the sides, 
 and by the brinic of most tremendous precipices. The 
 diameter of the upper cylinder, on which its feet ulti- 
 mately remained until the Arab li^d ended his ditty, 
 was only two inches ; and the length of each cylinder 
 was six inches. The most curious part of the per- 
 formance occurred afterwards; for the Arab, to con- 
 vince us of the animal's attention to the turn of the 
 air, interrupted the da capo ; as often as he did this,^ 
 the goat tottered, appeared uneasy, and upon his be- 
 coming suddenly silent in the middle of tlie song, it 
 fell to the ground. 
 
 THE SILK WORM. 
 
 The silk-worm is not originally a native of France, 
 nor even of Europe, but the French breed and ma- 
 nage them very successfully in their southern pro- 
 vinces, and have brought their silk manufactures to 
 great perfection. It was not till the year 555, that 
 
230 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 two Greek monks, returning from the Indies to Con- 
 stantinople, brought with them a number of these 
 wonderful and profitable insects, with instructions for 
 hatching their eggs, rearing and feeding the worms, 
 drawing out the silk, &c. upon which manufactures 
 were set up at Athens, Thebes, and Corinth. In the 
 twelfth century, Roger, king of Sicily, established a 
 manufactory at Palermo, and another in Calabria, 
 having brought workmen from the cities of Greece, 
 which he had conquered in his expedition to the Holy 
 Land ; and by degrees the rest of Italy, as well as 
 Spain, learned the art from the Sicilians and Calabri- 
 ans. In the reign of Henry II. the French began to 
 imitate their neighbours, with good success; and king 
 James I. was very desirous of having mulberry-trees 
 planted, and siik-worms propagated in his British 
 dominions, where, from various experiments, it ap- 
 pears they will thrive and work as well as in any other 
 part of Europe. 
 
 This insect, from a small egg, about the size of a 
 pin's head, becomes a large worm or maggot, of a 
 whitish colour, inclining to yellow. In this state it 
 feeds on mulberry leaves, till being come to maturity, 
 it winds itself up in a silken bag or case, about the 
 size of a pigeon's ega;, and is metamorphosed into a 
 crysalis. Thus it remains without any signs of life or 
 motion, till at length it awakes to become a butterfly, 
 after making itself a passage through its silken sepul- 
 chre. It dies at last, having, by its egg or seed, pre- 
 pared itself for a new life, which the warmth of the en- 
 suing summer enables it to resume. 
 
 There are two methods of bringing up these curious 
 insects, either by letting them expatiate at full liberty 
 on the mulberry trees that nourish them, as is prac- 
 tised in China and other hot countries ; or else, as it 
 is customary in Europe, by keeping them in rooms 
 furnished for that purpose, with a sort of hurdles made 
 of osier twigs, which are fixed in horizontal ranges 
 one above another ; and under every range there is a 
 floor, which, like the bottom of a caae, may be drawn 
 out at pleasure. Over these hurdles are strewad 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 231 
 
 mulberry leaves, upon which the insects feed; and 
 they are supplied with fresh leaves every morning. 
 The leaves should be gathered in a dry season, and 
 kept in a place where no moisture can come. In fine 
 weather fresh air should be let into the room from 
 time to time, and great care taken to keep the place 
 as neat as possible, particularly to cleanse the floors 
 appointed to receive the fragments of their leaves and 
 other impurities ; for cleanliness and good air contri- 
 bute greatly to their growth and welfare. 
 
 The worms are hatched in boxes lined with linen or 
 paper, over which it is usual to spread some soft mul- 
 berry leaves ; and from hence, when they have gained 
 a little strength they are removed to the ranges of 
 hurdles. AYhen tie silk-worm leaves its little egg, 
 it is perfectly black, but its head is of a more shining 
 sable than the body. In a few days it assumes a 
 whitish hue, or an ash-grey; after which its coat sul- 
 lies, and becomes ragged, at which time the animal 
 casts it otf, and appears iu a new habit. As it in- 
 creases in bulk, it grows whiter, but a little inclining 
 to a green ; till ceasing to feed, and sleeping for al- 
 most two days, it divests itself of its skin a second 
 time, and appears in its third habit ; its colour, head, 
 and whole form, being so much changed, that one 
 would almost suppose it to be another animal. It 
 now begins to eat again, and continues to do so for 
 some days, when it relapses into its former lethargy, 
 at the conclusion of which it once more quits its co- 
 vering ; and having continued feeding some time 
 longer, at length it renounces all feasting and society, 
 and prepares for a retirement, by building itself a 
 silken cell of admirable structure and beauty. 
 
 The beginning of this curious work looks like con- 
 fusion, being only a sort of down or flue to keep off 
 the rain, nature having ordained them to work upon 
 trees in the open air, though we now bring them up in 
 the house. This is the insect's first day's employ- 
 ment ; on the second it forms its ball or cone, almost 
 covering itself over with silk; and on the third day it 
 is entirely hid, and the rest of the operation becomes 
 
232 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 invisible; but it continues spinning for several da}^:?, 
 till the cone is brought to perfection ; and then fold- 
 ing itself in a sort of shell, formed of less delicate silk, 
 intermixed with a gluttinous matter, it takes its repose. 
 Having remained in this state fifteen days, or three 
 weeks, and sometimes longer, it is transformed into a 
 perfect butterfly, and forces its way out at the small 
 end of the cone, which is neither so strongly cemented, 
 nor so exactly closed as the rest of the covering. 
 
 Before the butterfly leaves its apartment, it frees it- 
 self of all that superfluous humidity which had been 
 serviceable to it in its former state ; by which evacu- 
 ation, the silk is soiled and damaged, as well as by 
 the opening the creature makes for its escape. To 
 prevent this, the cones designed for use are exposed 
 to the heat of the sun, or laid in an oven, by which 
 means the insect is destroyed before it comes to the 
 state of a butterfly ; those only being permitted to ar- 
 rive to that maturity, which are designed to lay eggs' 
 for a future stock of silk-worms ; and a small number 
 is sufficient for this purpose, since one female some- 
 times lays above five hundred eggs. 
 
 In order to wind oft' the silk, the down is cleared 
 away in the first place^ and the cones thrown into a 
 copper of warm water, where they are stirred about 
 with small twigs bound together, and cut like brush- 
 es ; by which means the ends of the silk being disen- 
 gaged are apt to catch on the twigs, and so are drawn 
 out and fastened to the reel ; eight, ten, or twelve of 
 them being joined together, according as they would 
 make a weaker or stronger thread. The workman 
 then gives motion to the reel, guides his threads, 
 substitutes new ones when any of them break, and 
 strengthens them where necessary, by adding others, 
 till the silk is exhausted. Then the cones, after open- 
 ing them with scissars, and taking out the insects, 
 are steeped three or four days in water; and being 
 thus softened, and cleared of their gummy matter, 
 they are boiled in a lye of ashes well strained, then 
 washed in a river, and dried in the sun. Thus pre- 
 pared, they are carded like wool, and yield a kind of 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 233 
 
 Silken flax, which is spun with a wheel, and woven 
 into stuffs of an inferior value. 
 
 Some who have considered attentively the fineness 
 and length of the thread which the silk-worm spins, 
 think they speak within compass, when they affirm, 
 that each cone or ball contains silk enough to reach 
 the length of six English miles. This however is cer- 
 tain, that an ingenious person having measured the 
 silk drawn from one of these balls, it was found to 
 measure above three hundred yards, and yet weighed 
 but two grains and a half. 
 
 To these remarks concerning the silk-worm, it may 
 not be improper to subjoin a short account of the silk 
 of spiders, which the French have had the curiosity 
 to manufacture into gloves and stockings. The disco- 
 very is owing to M. Bon, a member of the academy 
 at Montpellier, who in the year 1710 published a dis- 
 sertation on the subject, wherein he reduces all the 
 different sorts of spiders to two principal kinds, viz. 
 such as have long legs, and such as have short ones, 
 which last are those that furnish the silk. These ani- 
 mals spin their silk out of the anus, around which are 
 five papillae, or small nipples, whereby the threads 
 are formed, some weaker and some stronger, accord- 
 ing to the use for which they are designed. The 
 weaker sorts of threads are those which serve to make 
 their webs, in which they catch flies ; but they spin a 
 much stronger kind, wherein they wrap up their eggs, 
 and by that means preserve them from the cold, and 
 from such insects as would destroy them. These 
 threads they wind loosely round the eggs, resembling 
 in shape the balls or bags of silk-worms that have 
 been prepared and loosened for the distaff. Having 
 collected twelve or thirteen ounces of these bags, M. 
 Bon had them well beaten for some time with the hand 
 and a small stick to get out the dust. He then wash- 
 ed them in warm water, changing it several times till 
 they left the water vei-y clean, and afterwards laid 
 them to steep in a large vessel with soap, salt-petre, 
 and gum arabic. Then letting the whole boil together 
 two or three hours over a gentle fire, he washed them- 
 
234 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 again in warm water to free them from the soap, and 
 laid them to dry some days to prepare them for card- 
 ing, which was performed by the silk-carders, but 
 with cards much finer than ordinary. By this means 
 he had a silk of a particular ash-colour, which was 
 easily spun, and the thread was stronger and finer 
 than that of common silk. Of this he caused stock- 
 ings and gloves to be manufactured, and found that 
 three ounces of it would make a pair of stockings for 
 the largest man, whereas those of common silk weigh 
 seven or eight ounces. 
 
 The possibility of making this silk being shown, 
 the only difficulty lies in procuring a sufficient quan- 
 tity of spiders bags ; which would be no difficulty at 
 all, if we had the art of breeding them as they do silk- 
 worms ; for spiders multiply much more, and are not 
 so subject to diseases. M. Bon, who kept a great 
 number of young spiders in paper coffins and pots co- 
 vered with paper pricked full of pin-holes to give them 
 air, observed, that of seven or eight hundred scarcely 
 one died in a year, whereas of a hundred silk-worms 
 not forty lived to make their bags. This gentleman 
 procured his spiders in the months of August and Sep- 
 tember, at which time their eggs are hatched, the old. 
 ones that laid them dying soon after. 
 
 From M. Bon's experiments it was at first supposed, 
 that great advantage might have been made of these 
 insects ; but M. Reaumur, who was appointed by the 
 Royal Academy of Sciences to make a farther enqui- 
 ry into this new manufacture, gave no hopes of its 
 ever turning to any account. The natural fierceness 
 of the spiders, he observes, renders them unfit to be 
 bred and kept together ; for having distributed four 
 or five thousand into different cells, fifty in some, a 
 hundred or two in others, where they were fed with 
 flies and the ends of young feathers, the large ones 
 devoured the little ones, so that in a short time they 
 were almost entirely destroyed : and to this inclina- 
 tion of devouring one another, we may in some mea- 
 sure ascribe the scarcity of spiders, considering the 
 number of eggs they lay. It is therefore impossible 
 
AVONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 235 
 
 to establish these creatures into a community; and 
 were it practicable, it would require too much room 
 and application, because a much greater number of 
 spiders than of silk-worms would be necessary to 
 produce the same quantity of silk ; besides that the 
 spider's bag is inferior to that of the silk-worm both 
 in lustre and strength. According to M. Reaumur's 
 computation, two thousand three hundred and four 
 worms will produce a pound of silk; and as he reckons 
 the work of twelve spiders only equals that of one 
 silk-worm, a pound of silk would require twenty- 
 seven thousand, six hundred, and forty-eight spiders ; 
 nay, he supposes double the number must be ke kept 
 for that end, as the bags are only spun by the females. 
 
 STONEHENGE. 
 
 Or those remains of antiquity, found in Great Bri- 
 tain, which are not generally ascribed to the Romans, 
 the most curious is a pile of large stones on Salisbury 
 Plain, about six miles from the city of Salisbury, called 
 Stonehenge; the origin, structure, and use of which 
 have occasioned many disputes among the learned. 
 
 The name Stonehenge, which is purely Saxon, and 
 signifies nothing more than hanging-stones, probably 
 alludes to the disposition of several parts of this won- 
 derful fabric ; but some authors have supposed the 
 true name to be Stonehengist, and thence imagined 
 this structure to have been erected in memory of Hen- 
 gist the famous Saxon general ; others have asserted 
 that it is the tomb of Ambrosius Aurelianus, king of 
 the Britons ; and others have declared that it was 
 raised by Ambrosius in memory of those Britons who 
 were slain near this place by Hengist the Saxon. 
 Some ingenious arguments have also been used to 
 prove it is a temple of the Tuscan order built by the 
 Romans ; but most antiquaries have now agreed in 
 the opinion of Dr. Stukely, that it was a temple of the 
 
236 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 British Druids.* We shall therefore borrow a short 
 account of it from the doctor's learned dissertation on 
 this subject, 
 
 Stonehenoe is situated on a rising^ o;round, and makes 
 a grand and awful appearance, especially as we ap- 
 proach it on the north-east, which side remains most 
 perfect. It is encompassed by a circular ditch or 
 trench, which having passed, we ascend thirty-five 
 yards before we come at the work itself. The whole 
 consists of four circles of stones, or rather two circles 
 and two ovals, the outermost being about a hundred 
 and eight feet in diameter. Of the outer circle, which 
 originally consisted of sixty stones, that is, thirty up- 
 rights, and thirty imposts, there are seventeen up- 
 rights left standing, six of which have imposts upon 
 them, and two more are still to be seen lying upon 
 the ground, and also six more uprights. These stones 
 are of a vast buik, the uprights being fifteen feet high, 
 exclusive of the imposts. The inner circle, which is 
 about eight feet distant from the first, consisted of 
 forty lesser stones which never had any imposts. 
 They are flat parallelograms, like those of the outer 
 circle ; and nineteen of them are yet standing:. They 
 are about twenty inches thick, and four feet high, being 
 just half as big as the uprights of the outer circle. 
 The walk between these two circles, which is a hun- 
 dred yards in circumference, must have been very de- 
 lightful when this wonderful structure was entire. 
 
 * The Druids were the priests or ministers of religion 
 among the ancient Britons, Gauls, and Germans ; and being 
 chosen out of the best families, the honors of their birth, to- 
 gether with those of their function, procured them the liighest 
 veneration. Nor had they only the administration of sacred 
 things, but ^vere the judges and arbiters of all affairs indif- 
 ferently, both public and private, and being in the greatest 
 esteem, the British and Gaulish youth flocked to them for in- 
 struction, 'ihe children of the nobility retired with them 
 into caves and furests, where tliey sometimes lived twenty 
 years under their tuition. They preserved the memory of 
 the actions of great men in their verses, which they never al- 
 lowed to be wrote down, but made their pupils learn by 
 heart. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 237 
 
 i Within these circles are the two ovals, which are 
 the principal part of the work, here being the adytum, 
 or cell, into which we may suppose none but the high- 
 er order of druids were to enter. This is composed 
 of what the doctor calls trilithons, each of which con- 
 sists of two upright stones, supporting another laid 
 across their heads and joined by mortises. Of these 
 there are five remaining, three of which are entire, and 
 two ruined in some measure, but the stones are still 
 upon the spot. From the entrance into the adytum, 
 these trilithons are placed two and two on each side, 
 and one at the upper end, which was the highest, as 
 the two first on the right and left were the lowest; 
 but all the stones are of a surprising magnitude. The 
 first trilithon on the right has suffered much, its im- 
 post and one of the uprights being tumbled down, 
 and each broken into three pieces. The opposite tri- 
 lithon on the left band is standing, but very much de- 
 cayed : the next to it is entire, as is likewise that 
 facing it on the right, except that one end of the im- 
 post is fallen off, and its upper part is much impaired 
 by the weather. The trilithon at the upper end, 
 which stood beyond the altar, was the finest part of 
 the whole work, the uprights having been above ten 
 yards long, well chisselled, and justly proportioned in 
 their dimensions. One of them stands entire, but 
 leans against one of the stones of the inner oval ; the 
 other is bioken asunder, and lies upon the altar, as 
 does also the huge impost it once supported. This 
 broken stone weighs above forty tons, and would re« 
 quire a hundred and forty oxen to draw it, and yet is 
 not the heaviest stone in the pile. It is therefore 
 amazing, not only how such massy loads were brought 
 hither, from the distance of fifteen or sixteen miles, but 
 to see so many of them placed together in a nice and 
 critical figure, artfully joined by tenons and mortises, 
 and a geometrical proportion observed through the 
 whole structure. How the builders could move such 
 prodigious stones as these, which they have fixed as 
 it were in sockets dug in the chalk, and rammed in 
 
238 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 like posts, without more irregularity in their height 
 and distance, is altogether inexplicable. 
 
 The inner oval consists of smaller stones, which 
 rose gradually in height from the entrance to the up- 
 per end of the adytum. There are only six of these 
 remaining upright, with the stumps of three or four 
 more, and several lying on the ground. The stone 
 which our author supposes to have been the altar, is 
 of a different kind from the rest, resembling the blue 
 coarse marble that is brought from Derbyshire, and 
 frequently used for tomb-stones. It is twenty inches 
 thick, and about twice as broad ; but its length is not 
 easily ascertained, it being broken into several pieces, 
 and almost sunk into the ground by the weight of the 
 ruins falling upon it, particularly the impost, and one 
 of the uprights of the great trilithon above mentioned. 
 The heads of oxen, deer, and other beasts, the un- 
 doubted relics of sacrifices, which have been found 
 upon digging in and about this place, are a confirma- 
 tion that Stonehenge was originally a pagan temple. 
 
 All the rising grounds about Stonehenge, for several 
 miles round, are covered with barrows, or monuments 
 of earth, thrown up in form of a bell, and surrounded 
 with little ditches, from which circumstance, some 
 have concluded, that great battles have been fought 
 upon the plain, and that the bodies of the slain were 
 there interred ; but it is more reasonable to suppose 
 that they are no other than family burying-places, 
 which are situated near this temple, for the same rea- 
 son that the moderns bury in church-yards and conse- 
 crated ground : for it is observable, that all the bar- 
 rows, even those at the greatest distance, are within 
 view of Stonehenge. 
 
 In the year 1722, a barrow was opened in the pre- 
 sence of lord Pembroke, and in the centre of it, about 
 three feet under the surface, was found a perfect skele« 
 ton, the head lying north towards Stonehenge, The 
 year following, by his lordship's order. Dr. Stukely 
 opened another, and found an urn of unbaked clay, 
 containing a heap of burnt bones, intermixed with 
 beads of vj^rious shapes and colours,, A collar-bone^ 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. ~' Q3g 
 
 and one side of an under-jaw remained very entire ; 
 from the size of wiiich, and from the female trinkets 
 deposited in the urn, it was conjectured to have been 
 a young woman of fourteen or fifteen years of ao-e, 
 who had carried arms, as the British virgins used to, 
 the brass head of herjaveUn being found amongst the 
 remains. In other barrows were found human bones, 
 together with those of horses, deer, dogs, and other 
 animals. 
 
 Dr. Stukely supposes, that Stonehenge was built 
 soon after Cambyses invaded Egypt, and by his out- 
 rages forced the priests and inhabitants in general to 
 disperse themselves into all parts of the world. Some 
 of these, he imagines, came into Britain, and intro- 
 duced part of their learning, arts, and religion, amono- 
 the Druids, and probably had a hand in this very fa- 
 bric, the stones being wrought with a tool, whereas 
 all the other works of the Druids consisted of rude 
 stones, after the patriarchal and Jewish mode. At 
 that time the Phoenician trade was at its height, whose 
 vessels might convey the Egyptians to this island ; 
 which makes our author's conjecture the more proba- 
 ble. What might possibly have cleared up these un- 
 certainties, was a tablet of tin, with an inscription 
 upon it, found at Stonehenge in the reign of klnf 
 Henry VIII. But as the characters were not under- 
 stood by the persons consulted on that occasion, the 
 plate was either destroyed or lost. 
 
 THE SEA SNAKE, 
 
 Perhaps the most wonderful and terrible animal 
 in nature is a sea monster, called the Great Sea Snake, 
 or the Serpent of the Ocean, which, though seldom 
 seen, sometimes visits the coast of Norway, and keeps 
 continually at the bottom of the sea, except in the 
 months of July and August, which is its spawning-, 
 time ; and then it comes to the surface in calm wea- 
 
240 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 ther, but plunges into the water so soon as the wind 
 raises the least wave. 
 
 According to the best accounts which Bishop Pon- 
 toppidan could gather concerning this monster, it will, 
 at times, rear so much of its body out of the water, 
 that its head will reach much higher than the main- 
 top of any ship; and it will spout water out of its 
 mouth like a whale : the form of it is that of a snake, 
 the body is covered with scales, and the skin is un- 
 even and wrinkled : it has two flaps, or perhaps broad 
 fins, under its body, and is supposed to be 600 feet 
 in length. It lies on the surface of the water in many 
 folds ; and there generally are, in a line with the head, 
 some small parts of the back to be seen above the 
 surface of the water, when it moves or bends; and 
 these at some distance, appear like so many casks, or 
 hogsheads, floating in a line, with a considerable dis- 
 tance between each of them ; the eyes are very large, 
 of a blue colour, and look like two large pewter 
 plates. The whole animal is of a dark brown colour, 
 but variegated with light streaks or spots, that shine 
 like a tortoise-shell, it has a kind of a mane, which 
 looks like a parcel of sea weeds, hanging down to the 
 water edge ; and, in its progress, it throws the water 
 in such agitation, that it runs round it like the cur« 
 rent of a mill. It is said, that this monster will some- 
 times raise up its head, and snap a man out of a boat; 
 and it is affirmed, that it has been known to rear part 
 of its body out of the water and throw it across a ves- 
 Bel of some hundred tons, and by its weight, sunk it 
 down to the bottom. 
 
 THE POISON TREE OF NORTH AMERICA. 
 
 A VERY remarkable vegetable of North America, 
 is the Poison-Wood-Tree, which grows in New Eng- 
 land, in swamps or low wet grounds, and is described 
 by Mr. Dudley as somewhat like a small ash, but 
 much more like a sumach, which it exactly resembles 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 241 
 
 in its twigs, leaves, and shape, so that some call it 
 the Swamp-Sumach ; and it likewise bears a dry 
 berry. It never grows bigger than about the thick- 
 ness of a man's leg, and as tall as an alder ; but it 
 spreads much, and several grow together, especially 
 about the roots of one that has been cut down. The 
 inside of the wood is yellow, and very full of juice, 
 which is as glutinous as honey or turpentine, and 
 stinks as bad as carrion ; and the wood itself has a 
 very strong disagreeable smell. As to its poisonous 
 quality, our author observes, that it poisons two ways, 
 either by the touch or by the smell ; the scent of it, 
 when cut down in the woods, or burning in the fire, 
 being poisonous to a great degree. One of Mr. Dud- 
 ley's neighbours was blind for above a week with only 
 handling it; and a gentleman sitting by his fire-side 
 in the winter, was swelled for several days with the 
 smoke of some of this wood that happened to be in 
 the fire. But what is strange, it has this effect only 
 on some particular persons and constitutions, for Mr. 
 Dudley has seen his own brother not only handle it, 
 but chew it without any harm at all ; and so by the 
 same fire, one shall be poisoned, and another not in 
 the least affected. However, this sort of poison is 
 never mortal, but will go off" in a few days of itself; 
 though generally the patient applies plantain-water, or 
 sallad oil and cream. A few hours after a person is 
 poisoned, he feels an itching pain that provokes a 
 scratching, which is followed by an inflammation and 
 swelling. 
 
 The wood is as cold as ice, as Mr. Dudley's neigh- 
 bour that was poisoned told him, so that he plainly 
 perceived it differed from the other ^yood he was 
 throwing up into his cart; and he assured him he 
 could distinguish it blindfold, or in the dark, from 
 any other wood in the world by its coldness. 
 
 M 
 
242 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 THE FECUNDITY OF PLANTS. 
 
 The fecundity of divers plants is very surprising. 
 We have an account in the Philosophical Transactions 
 of a single plant of barley, that by steeping and water- 
 ing it with salt-petre dissolved in water, produced 
 two hundred and forty-nine stalks, and eighteen thou- 
 sand grains. In this case indeed there was art and 
 force made use of; but we have remarkable instances 
 of this kind, effected by unassisted nature, particularly 
 that of a pompion-seed, attested by Mr. Edwards of 
 Windsor. This seed, in the year 1669, was acciden- 
 tally dropped in a small pasture, where cattle had 
 been foddering for some time ; and taking root of it- 
 self, without any manner of care, the vine ran along 
 over several fences, and spread over a large piece of 
 ground far and wide, continuing its progress till it 
 was killed by the frost. The seed produced no more 
 than one stalk, but it was a very large one, being 
 eight inches round ; and from this single vine they 
 gathered two hundred and fifty pompions, one with 
 another as big as half a peck, besides a considerable 
 number of small ones, not ripe, which they left upon 
 the vine. Add to this what M. Dodart observes, 
 who has an express discourse on the fecundity of 
 plants, in the Memoirs of the Academy of Sciences, 
 wherein he shews, that an elm, at a moderate com- 
 putation, yields one year with another 329,000 grains 
 or seeds; each of which, if properly lodged, would 
 o-row up to a tree. Now an elm ordinarily lives a 
 hundred years, and consequently, in the course of its 
 life, produces near thirty-three millions of grains, all 
 coming originally from one single seed. 
 
 THE BEAVER. 
 
 The Beaver abounds rr>-^e in Canada than in any 
 other part of the world. There are many surprising 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 343 
 
 particulars related of this animal. In the memoirs of 
 the Royal Academy of Sciences there is an extract of 
 a letter from M. isarrasin, formerly the French king's 
 physician in Canada, concerning the dissection of a 
 beaver. He says the largest are three or four feet 
 long, and about twelve or fifteen inches broad in the 
 chest and haunches ; that they commonly weigh about 
 fifty pounds ; and that they usually live to the age of 
 twenty years : but Francus says, they live thirty or 
 forty years, and that he had heard of a tame one being 
 kept seventy-eight years. Dr. Sarrasin says farther, 
 that a great way north the beavers are very black, 
 though there are some white ; but those of Canada 
 are commonly brown, and their colour grows lighter 
 as they are found in more southern countries. 
 
 These creatures observe a wonderful polity, and 
 their manner of living and building their habitations 
 shows an extraordinary instinct implanted in them 
 by the great Author of nature. In order to raise 
 themselves a convenient abode, they chuse alow level 
 ground, watered with a small rivulet, where, by mak- 
 ing dams across it, they can form a reservoir of water 
 and overflow the ground. These dams or causeys 
 are formed by thrusting stakes five or six feet long 
 and as thick as a man's arm, deep into the earth : and 
 these they wattle across with tender pliable boughs, 
 and fill up the spaces with clay, making a slope on 
 the side against which the water presses, and leaving 
 the other perpendicular. One of these dikes may be 
 ten or twelve feet thick at the foundation, and they 
 raise it in height proportionably to the water's ele- 
 vation. As they are sensible that materials for build- 
 ing are not so easily transported by land as by water, 
 they take the opportunity of swimming, whenever 
 they can, with clay placed on their tails, and stakes of 
 wood between their teeth, to every place where those 
 materials are wanted. If the violence of the water, 
 or the footsteps of the hunters who pass over the 
 work, should damage it in any degree, they immedi- 
 ately visit all the edifice, and with indefatigable ap- 
 plication, repair and adjust whatever they find out of 
 
 M 2 
 
244 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 order; but, if they are too frequently disturbed by 
 the hunters, they only work in the night, or else dis- 
 continue their labours. 
 
 When the beavers have completed their causey or 
 dike, they begin to form their cells, which are round 
 or oval apartments, divided into three partitions or 
 stories, raised one above another. The first is sunk 
 below the level of the dike, and is generally full of 
 water; the other two are formed above it. The walls 
 of these houses are upright, and about two feet thick ; 
 and they are always built in stories, that in case the 
 water rises, the beavers may retire to a higher situa- 
 tion. The materials are the same as they use for the 
 dike : and, as their teeth supply the place of saws, 
 they cut off all projections that shoot out from the 
 stakes beyond the perpendicular of the wall ; after 
 which they work up a mixture of clay and dry grass 
 into a kind of mortar, and by means of their tails lay 
 it over the building both within and without. They 
 likewise drive stakes into the earth to fortify the 
 structure against the winds and wate?; and at the 
 bottom they strike out two openings to the stream, 
 one of v/hich leads to the place where they bathe, 
 and the other is a passage to that quarter where they 
 carry out every thing that would rot or defile the up- 
 per apartments. There is a third aperture much 
 higher, calculated to prevent their being shut up 
 when the ice has closed the openings into the lower 
 lodgments. 
 
 The dimensions of these houses are proportioned 
 to the number of the intended inhabitants, twelve feet 
 in length and ten in breadth being found sufficient for 
 eight or ten beavers : and, if the number increases, 
 they enlarge the building accordingly. It has been 
 asserted, that there have been found above four hun- 
 dred of these creatures in different apartments com- 
 municating with one another; but these populous so- 
 cieties are very rare, because they are too unmanage- 
 able, and the beavers are generally better acquamted 
 with their own interests. They associate to the num- 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 245 
 
 ber of ten or twelve, and sometimes a few more, and 
 so pass the winter together in a very agreeable manner. 
 
 There are some beavers called terriers, which bur- 
 row in the earth, beginning their hole at such a depth 
 under water as they are sensible it will not freeze at ; 
 and this they carry on for five or six feet, just large 
 enough for them to creep through. Then they make 
 a bathing-place three or four feet square, from whence 
 they continue the burrow, always ascending by sto- 
 ries, that they may lodj^e dry as the water rises. Some 
 of these burrows have been found to be a hundred feet 
 in length. This is Dr. Sarrasin's account of the ter- 
 riers, but others say they begin their burrow on the 
 land, and having dug downwards to a proper depth, 
 they then dig horizontally till they come to the water. 
 
 The beavers of Canada have generally completed 
 all their works in August or September, after which 
 they furnish themselves with provisions for the winter. 
 During the summer they regale themselves with all 
 the fruits, plants, and roots, the country produces ; 
 but against winter they lay up a stock of wood, which 
 they feed upon after steeping it in water, and this in 
 quantities proportionable to their necessary consump- 
 tion. They gnaw off twigs and branches from the 
 trees, of which the large ones are conveyed to the ma- 
 gazine by several beavers, and the smaller by a single 
 one ; and it is observed that they take diiferent ways, 
 each having his walk assigned him, that they may not 
 interrupt one another in their labour. The dimensions 
 of their pile of wood are regulated in proportion to 
 their numbers, and we are told that one of twenty- 
 five or thirty feet square, and eight or ten feet high, 
 is the usual provision for eight or ten beavers. When 
 the wood is soaked in water, they gnaw it into small 
 pieces, and convey it to their cells, where it is regu- 
 larly divided amongst them. Sometimes they wander 
 about in the woods, and regale themselves and their 
 young with a fresh collation : for they love green 
 wood better than that which is old and withered : 
 and the hunters, sensible of this, place a parcel of the 
 former about their habitations, and then have several 
 
 M 3 
 
246 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 devices to ensnare them. When the winter is severe, 
 and the water frozen over, the hunters sometimes 
 break the ice ; and, when the beavers come to the 
 opening for the benefit of the fresh air, they kill them 
 with hatchets ; or else they cover the aperture with 
 a strong net, and then overturn their lodge^ upon 
 which the poor animals, thinking to escape by betak- 
 ing themselves to the water, and emerging at the hole 
 in the ice, fall into the snare and are taken. Many 
 other things are related concerning the sagacity and 
 industry of these creatures, the strength and beauty of 
 their little cities, of the wars which one canton wages 
 against another, and of their putting the most labori- 
 ous part of their work upon those they take prison- 
 ers, &c. 
 
 ORIGIN OF IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES. 
 
 GLASS. 
 
 It is certain, says Pliny, that the most valuable dis- 
 coveries have found their origin in the most trivial 
 accidents. " As some merchants were carrying nitre, 
 they stopped near a river which issues from Mount 
 Carmel, and not happening to find stones for the pur- 
 pose of resting their kettles upon, they substituted in 
 their place some pieces of the nitre, which the fire 
 gradually dissolving, mixed with the sand, and occa- 
 sioned a transparent matter to flow, which, in fact, 
 was nothing else but glass.'' 
 
 BARK. 
 
 An Indian, in a delirious fever, having been left by 
 his companions by the side of a river, for the purpose 
 of quenching his thirst, ccmceiving him incurable, 
 drank large and copious draughts of the stream, which, 
 having imbibed the virtues of the bark from the trees 
 which grew upon its margin, soon vanquished the 
 fever, and he returned to his astonished friends per- 
 fectly restored. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 247 
 
 The singularity of the circumstance excited their 
 surprise, and waked their superstition; the indisposed 
 crowded round the holy stream, as they termed it, and 
 experienced its healing effects, without being able to 
 discover the cause from which it was derived. The 
 sages of the tribes, however, found out, at length, in 
 what it consisted, and disclosed the important secret. 
 In the year 1640, the Americans became acquainted 
 with the use of this excellent medicine ; and, in 1649, 
 its fame had extended into Spain, Italy, and Rome, 
 through the representation of cardinal Lugo, and other 
 Jesuits, who had beheld its surprising and wonderful 
 effects. 
 
 TELESCOPES. 
 
 It is said that the use of telescopes was first disco- 
 vered by one Hansen, a spectacle-maker, at Middle- 
 burgh, in Holland, whose children, playing in the shop, 
 casually placed a convex and concave glass in such a 
 manner, that, by looking through them at the weather- 
 cock, they observed it appeared much larger and 
 nearer than usual, and, by their expressions of sur- 
 prise, excited the attention of their father, who soon 
 obtained great credit for this useful discovery. 
 
 COFFEE, 
 
 A PRIOR belonging to a monastery in that part of 
 Arabia, where this berry grows in the greatest abun- 
 dance, having observed that the goats which ate it, 
 became extremely brisk and alert, resolved to try the 
 experiment upon his monks, of whom he continually 
 complained for their lethargic propensities. The ex- 
 periment proved successful, and it is said, that it is 
 owing to this circumstance, that the use of this Ara- 
 bian berry became universal. 
 
 STEERING SHIPS. 
 
 Hey LIN, in his Cosmography, tells us that the art 
 of steering was discovered by a man of the name of 
 Typhis, who took his hints for making both the rudder 
 
 M 4 
 
248 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 and helm, from seeing a kite, in flying, guide her 
 whole body by her tail. 
 
 THE PURPLE DYE. 
 
 The purple dye was found out at Tyre, by the sim- 
 ple circumstance of a dog seizing the fish conchilis or 
 purpura, by which his lips were observed to be tinged 
 with that beautiful colour, 
 
 THE pendulum. 
 
 It is said, that Galileo accidentally fixing his eyes 
 on the waving to and fro of a lamp suspended from 
 the roof of a lofty building, had the first idea of a pen- 
 dulum suggested to his mind. 
 
 NUTMEG, CINNAMON, & CLOVE TREES. 
 
 It is the Indian islands that furnish us with nutmegs, 
 cinnamon, cloves, &c. which spices are justly esteemed 
 for their salutary heat and aromatic odour, and seem 
 in the first place to deserve our attention. A vulgar 
 error long prevailed, and is perhaps still entertained 
 by some people, that nutmegs, mace, cloves, and cin- 
 namon, were all produced by one and the same tree ; 
 but this is contradicted bv all our latest and best ac- 
 counts, the opinion being only true with respect to 
 mace and nutmegs. The nutmeg-tree grows sponta- 
 neously in the Banda islands, and especially iu that 
 which particularly bears the name of Banda, formerly 
 possessed by the English, but now by the Dutch, who 
 have monopolized the spice trade to themselves. And 
 such prodigious quantities of nutmegs are produced in 
 these islands, that we are credibly informed the Dutch 
 sometimes burn vast heaps of them upon the spot, 
 rather than bring them to Europe, and overstock the 
 markets. 
 
 But to proceed with our account of the tree that 
 bears these aromatic nuts, it is as large as our common 
 pear-trees, and its leaves like those of the peach-tree, 
 
V\^ONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 249 
 
 but somewhat rounder. The fruit is about the size of 
 a small peach, consisting first of a soft juicy hull, like 
 that of a walnut, and immediately underneath it lies a 
 thin reddish coat called mace, and by some, though 
 improperly, the flower of nutmeg. This incloses a 
 hard woody shell, and opens in proportion with the 
 outward hull. The shell is blackish ; under which is 
 a green film of no use, and in this is found the nut- 
 meg. We are told that this fruit is gathered three 
 times a year, viz. in April, August, and December; but 
 the best are those gathered m April. They must be 
 chosen heavy, of a whitish-brown colour, well marbled 
 on the outside, reddish within, having an agreeable 
 smell, and a fat unctuous moisture. It is to be ob- 
 served farther, that there are two kinds of nutmegs, 
 male and female ; the latter of which is chiefly used 
 amongst us, the male being a wild nut of a longish 
 form, without either smell or taste. 
 
 The nutmeg-tree is propagated after a particular 
 manner, according toTaveinier's account, who relates, 
 that when the fruit is ripe, certain birds devour it 
 whole, but are forced to throw it up again before it be 
 digested, and that the nutmeg, thus besmeared with 
 a viscous matter, takes root where it falls, and pro- 
 duces a tree, which would never thrive was it planted. 
 Thevenot says, that the birds having picked off the 
 green husk, swallow the nuts, which after some time 
 they void in the ordinary way undigested ; adding, 
 that they are shaped like a cuckow, and that the 
 Dutch prohibit the killing of them under pain of death. 
 Mr. Ray tells us, that several sorts of birds devour the 
 nutmegs, but chiefly a small white kind of pigeons ; 
 and that being voided whole, they take root the sooner, 
 as having been previously macerated in the stomach 
 of the animal. He adds, however, that the fruit of the 
 trees produced in this manner is much worse than that 
 of others, and that the natives take no notice of it ex- 
 cept for the mace, which they use to adulterate that 
 ■which is better. 
 
 The clove-tree was formerly very common in most 
 of the Molucca islands, and all nations furnished them- 
 
 n 5 
 
250 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 selves with cloves at liberty ; but the Dutch, to render 
 themselves sole masters of that merchandize, have 
 found means to destroy all the clove-trees, except 
 those of Ternate, and a few other small islands in their 
 own possession. The fruit of this tree falling on the 
 ground, takes root, and thus it is multiplied without 
 any culture. The tree resembles a laurel, but its 
 leaves are narrower; and it is said that no grass will 
 grow under its branches, its own root attracting all the 
 humidity of the soil. From the age of eight years to 
 a hundred it bears fruit, which is gathered once a year; 
 though some say they crop the buds one year, to make 
 them thrive the better next; and so gather the fruit 
 only every second year. Vv^hen the clove first begins 
 to appear, it is of a whitish-green colour, but grows 
 brown as it ripens ; nor is there any preparation ne- 
 cessary in order to render it such as it comes to us, 
 but to dry it in the sun, notv/ithstanding what some 
 authors talk of steeping it in sea-water to preserve it 
 from worms. Towards the head it separates into four 
 parts, whose apices meeting at the top, form a kind of 
 crown, somewhat in the antique manner. 
 
 The fine spice we call cinnamon, is the bark of a tree 
 growing plentifully in Ceylon, and perhaps peculiar to 
 that island ; at least the best sort is brought from 
 thence, and the commerce thereof monopolized, like 
 the other spices, by the Dutch East India Company. 
 By an account given us in the Philosophical Trans- 
 actions, there appears to be several species of the cin- 
 namon-tree, though some are not easily distinguished 
 from each other. That which yields the true and best 
 cinnamon, has leaves like those of the lemon-tree, 
 bears white fragrant blossoms, and a yellowish fruit, 
 not unlike an acorn, which has neither the smell nor 
 taste of the bark, but yields, when boiled, an oily J nice, 
 that hardens and becomes like tallow, and is not only 
 used by the Ceylonese both internally and externally 
 for several disorders, but also for candles, which is 
 said are only allowed to be burnt in the king's palace. 
 Tlie young leaves of this tree are red, and if rubbed 
 between the hands, yield an odour more like that of 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. Sol 
 
 cloves than of cinnamon. These, by distillation, afford 
 an oil of a bitterish taste, resembling oil of cloves, to 
 which a little oil of cinnamon has been added. This 
 is called Oleum Malubuthri, and is celebrated as an 
 instantaneous remedy for pains of the head and sto- 
 mach, and some other disorders. 
 
 The inhabitants of this island extract from the root 
 of the cinnamon-tree, by incision, a liquor that smells 
 like camphire, and gradually coagulates into white 
 grains. This species of camphire is also obtained by 
 distillation from the bark of the root dried, bruised, 
 and immersed in water. The physicians of Ceylon 
 use this distilled camphirated liquor with success, ex- 
 hibiting a spoonful of it at proper intervals, as a sudo- 
 rific, in continual and malignant fevers. 
 
 The cinnamon-tree must grow a certain number of 
 years before the bark is fit to be taken off; but the best 
 sort ripens two or three years sooner than the other 
 trees, which is owing to the difference of the soil they 
 grow in. Those, for instance, where the soil is a fine 
 white sand, will be ready in five years time, whereas 
 those that stand in a wet slimy soil must have seven 
 or eight years before they are ripe enough. Those 
 trees likewise that grow in the shade of others, whereby 
 the sun is kept from their roots, are later on that ac- 
 count; and for the same reason the bark of such trees 
 has not that agreeable taste, which is observed in those 
 that grow in a white sandy soil, where, with a little 
 wet, they stand exposed to the sun. It is rather of a 
 bitterish* taste, somewhat astringent, and smells like 
 camphire ; for, by the heat of the sun the camphire is 
 rendered so thin and volatile, that it rises up and 
 mixes with the juices of the tree, where it undergoes 
 a small fermentation ; and then risini,^ still higher be- 
 tween the substance of the wood and the thin inner 
 membrane of the bark, it is at last so effectually dif- 
 fused through the branches and leaves, that the least 
 trace of it is not to be perceived. Mean time the thin 
 glutinous membrane between the baik and the sub- 
 stance of the wood attracts the purest, sweetest, und 
 most agreeable particles of the juice, leaving the thick 
 
 M 6 
 
252 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 and gross ones, which are pushed forwards, and serve 
 to nourish the branches, leaves, and fruit. 
 
 To confirm the truth of what has been said, our au- 
 thor observes, that if the bark be fresh taken off, the 
 juice remaining in the tree has a bitterish taste, not 
 unhke that of cloves; but, on the contrary, if you taste 
 the inner membrane of the bark, when just taken off, 
 you will find it most exquisitely sweet and pleasant, 
 whereas, the outer part of the bark differs very little in 
 taste from that of the common trees, which shews that 
 all iis sweetness is owing to the inner membrane. 
 When the bark is laid in the sun in order to be dried 
 and convolved, this oily sweetness of the inner mem- 
 brane diffuses itself through the outer part of it, which 
 has been stripped, while still upon the tree, of its outer- 
 most greenish coat, and impregnates it so strongly, as 
 to make it a commodity which is coveted and admired 
 by all the world for its aromatic taste and fragrancy. 
 
 The cinnamon may be taken from trees that have 
 stood fourteen, fifteen, or sixteen years after coming 
 to maturity; but then they begin to lose their agreeable 
 sweetness, and the bark has more of the taste of cam- 
 phire ; besides, it is then grown so thick, that when it 
 is laid in the sun, it does not shrink and wind itself up, 
 but remains flat. And now our author thinks it worth 
 enquiring, considering the vast quantities of cinnamon 
 that have been exported from the island of Ceylon, 
 how such numbers of trees fit to be barked still remain ; 
 for it is absolutely false, that v;hen the bark has been 
 stripped from the tree it grows again in four or five 
 years, as some have reported. The truth of the mat- 
 ter is, that after the trees have been barked, new shoots 
 arise from the roots, which in six or seven years are 
 fit to be barked ; and hence it appears how instru- 
 mental the old roots are to the plenty and grov/th of 
 cinnamon. The tree is propagated by the fall of the 
 fruit, and its being scattered by a sort of wild pigeons, 
 as we have observed of the nutmegs. These birds, 
 when they fetch food for their young ones, disperse 
 the fruit over several parts of the island, which occa- 
 sions the rise of many thousands of young trees, which 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 253 
 
 grow on the sides of the roads, and form woods and 
 groves in several places. 
 
 In the shops, that cinnamon is generally accounted 
 best that is of a yellowish-red externally, and internally 
 of a somewhat darker colour; and it is to be chosen 
 smooth, easily broken, of a fragrant scent, and pun- 
 gent taste. That which is small is preferable to the 
 large kind, and the long pipes are more valuable than 
 the short ones. It is sometimes adulterated with the 
 bark of the caper-bush, tamarisk, or the cassia lignea; 
 but this piece of fraud is easily detected. As to its 
 virtues, though it be an excellent cordial, and highly 
 beneficial in palpitations of the heart, yet by being too 
 often used it has been found to bring on the same dis- 
 order; in which case acids are the most effectual 
 means of relief. 
 
 To the account we have given of the cinnamon- 
 tree, we shall only add, that the cassia lignea just 
 mentioned, is a species of it produced in Malabar, 
 Java, Sumatra, and the Philippme Islands, and is 
 brought into Europe in small pipes like the Ceylonian 
 cinnamon, but is of a darker and more rusty colour, 
 of a more complete texture, and more languid smell. 
 That sort of this bark is reckoned best which is of a 
 purplish colour, easily broken, fragrant, and of a 
 sweetish taste, because then it abounds with a vola- 
 tile oleous salt, sheathed in a mucilaginous substance, 
 and is therefore proper when the intention is only mo- 
 derately to heat, open, resolve, and strengthen. 
 
 Having mentioned that camphire is obtained frOm 
 the root of the cinnamon-tree, it is proper to observe, 
 that it does not come from that tree only, but from 
 another which grows very frequent in the island of 
 Borneo. It is a substance of a very singular nature, 
 distilling from the tree in manner of a gum, and thick- 
 ening into little grains of different figures and sizes. 
 It is white, transparent, friable, of an acrid and some- 
 what bitterish taste, of a penetrating smell, and to 
 some people greatly offensive. We are told that cam- 
 phire is red at first, but whitened either by the sun or 
 by fire ; and indeed we have very little of the raw na- 
 
254 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 tural camphire among us, the Dutch taking care it 
 shall come refined by sublimation, and prepared to 
 our hands. 
 
 INNS IN EASTERN COUNTRIES. 
 
 To give the reader some idea of the Caravansera's, 
 or inns of Persia, and other eastern countries, it may 
 not be amiss to describe the royal one at Cashan, 
 which, according to Sir John Chardin, is the fairest, 
 not only in that city, but in the whole Persian empire. 
 It is a square building, every side of the court or area 
 within being two hundred geometrical paces. It has 
 two stories, with a sort of antichamber below, that 
 runs the whole length of two of the fronts, railed about 
 the height of a man above the court, and four inches 
 lower than the level of the chamber. The second story 
 is contrived like that below, with a balustrade four 
 feet high, that lets in the light, and runs round the 
 structure. The entrance is under a high and magni- 
 ficent portal, adorned with mosaic work, as is the rest 
 of the building; and in the middle of the court there 
 is a fine fountain. The hinder part of this caravansera 
 consists of large stables, rooms for servants and lug- 
 gage, store-houses, and lodgings for the poor, and for 
 the country people who bring their goods to market; 
 and behind all there are large gardens. The founder 
 of this magnificent caravansera was Abas the Great, 
 and adjoining to it stands the royal palace, and ano- 
 ther designed for the lodging of embassadors, both 
 erected at the expence of the same monarch. 
 
 It is to be observed, tliat most of the caravanseras 
 in the cities of Persia and Turkey are built in this 
 quadrangular form, having galleries running round 
 them, into which the chambers open, like many of our 
 great inns in England. In one respect they resemble 
 monasteries, for they have a little mosque belonging 
 to them, and the apartments are like the cells in the 
 dormitories of religious houses. When a merchant 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 255 
 
 arrives at one of these caravanseras, he has nothing to 
 do but apply to the director or intendant of the house, 
 who will assign him a lodging and a warehouse for his 
 poods, upon paying a small piece of money at his en- 
 trance, and two- pence or three-pence a day afterwards. 
 As to provisions, candles, fuel, and other necessaries, 
 they are brought to the caravansera, and sold at an 
 easy rate. 
 
 But the caravanseras built on the roads are some- 
 what different from those in the cities. These are often 
 erected in dry, barren, desart places, and some of them 
 are furnished with water from a great distance, and at 
 a vast expence, there being no caravansera without its 
 well or cistern. As they are designed for the recep- 
 tion of companies of merchants travelling together, 
 with their camels, mules, merchandize, &c. they are 
 always large buildings, long or square, having the ap- 
 pearance of a barn, without any distinct rooms or 
 partitions. 
 
 THE TORPEDO. 
 
 Of all the productions of Africa, perhaps none more 
 deserves the attention of the curious than the torpedo. 
 Some of the natives having got a net, Mr. Moore went 
 along; with them to fish in a lake over-against one of 
 the factories, where they caught a great number of 
 fish ; and amongst the rest, one something like a gud- 
 geon, but much larger. None of them cared to touch 
 it, and persuaded our author not to come near it, tell- 
 ing him it would kill him. Some of them got long 
 sticks, and touched the fish with them; but finding 
 the effect not so bad as they apprehended, they cut 
 the sticks shorter and shorter, and even at six inches 
 leno-th the fish had no effect. At last they ventured 
 to touch it with their fingers, but could not bear it the 
 twentieth part of a minute. By this time Mr. Moore 
 understood it was a torpedo, or numb-fish, and had 
 the curiosity to touch it with one of his fingers ; but 
 
256 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 ia a moment his arm was dead quite up to his elbow, 
 which came to itself again as soon as he withdrew his 
 hand from the fish. He repeated the experiment seve- 
 ral times, and found it have the same effect, even after 
 the fish was dead. He then ordered the fish to be 
 skinned, and found that the benumbing quality lay in 
 the skin only, which it entirely lost when dried. 
 
 This is the plain matter of fact, as Mr. Moore has 
 related it ; but as it is one of the most curious sub- 
 jects in all natural history, we think it will not be dis- 
 agreeable to enquire into the cause of such a wonder- 
 ful effect. But let us first observe, that whereas Mr, 
 Moore represents the torpedo to be like a gudgeon, 
 other authors speak of it as a flat fish, much of the 
 figure of a thornback, found commonly enough about 
 the coasts of Provence, Gascony, &c. and eaten by 
 the people of those countries. And whether the sur- 
 prising quality of the fish lies in its skin, as our author 
 supposes, let the reader judge, after he has considered 
 the following hypotheses. 
 
 There are different ways of accounting for the effect 
 produced by touching the torpedo. The first is that 
 of the ancients, who contented themselves with as- 
 cribing a torporific virtue or faculty to the animal, 
 which is iust the same as savin^: nothing; at all. The 
 second supposes the effect to depend on an infinite 
 number of corpuscles issuing continually from the tish, 
 b»it more copiously under some circumstances than 
 others. This is the opinion most generally received, 
 being adopted by Redi, Perrauit, and Lorenzini, who 
 thus explain themselves : as the fire emits a quantity 
 of corpuscles proper to heat us, so the torpedo emits 
 a number of corpuscles fit to numb the part they insi- 
 nuate themselves into, whether it be by entering in 
 too great abundance, or by their falling into tracts or 
 passages disproportionate to their figures. The third 
 account is that of Borelli, who looks upon this emis- 
 sion of corpuscles as imaginary, and says, that the 
 fish, upon being touched, puts itself into a violent tre- 
 mor or agitation, which occasions a painful numbness 
 in the hand that touches it : but M. Reaumur, vvhose 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 257 
 
 hypothesis is the last and justest, could never observe 
 any such trembling, notwithstanding he viewed the 
 fish with great attention when ready to strike the 
 numbness. 
 
 This gentleman observes, that the torpedo, like 
 other flat fishes, is not absolutely flat, but its back, 
 or rather all the upper part of its body, a little convex. 
 Now M. Reaumur always found, that when the fish 
 did not, or would not, produce any numbness in the 
 person who touched it, its back preserved its natural 
 convexity; but whenever it would dispose itself to re- 
 sent a touch or thrust, it gradually diminished the 
 convexity of its back parts, rendering them quite flat, 
 and sometimes even concave. The very moment after 
 this disposition the numbness seizes the arm, the fin- 
 gers that touched are obliged to withdraw, and all the 
 flat and concave part of the body is again seen convex: 
 and whereas it becomes flat so gradually as to be per- 
 ceived, the return to its convexity is so swift, that it 
 is absolutely imperceptible. It is from this sudden 
 stroke, according to M. Reaumur, that the numbness 
 of the arm arises ; for the person, when he begins to 
 feel it, imagines that his fingers have been violently 
 struck. The wonder is, how so soft a substance as 
 that of the fish, can give so rude a blow; and indeed 
 a single stroke of a soft body could never do it, but in 
 this case there is an infinity of such strokes given in 
 an instant. To understand this, we must consider the 
 mechanism of the parts whereon it depends, which are 
 two very singular muscles, described by several au- 
 thors. They are shaped like a half- moon, and both 
 together take up almost half the back of the fish, the 
 one on the right side, the other on the left. Their 
 origin is a little above the mouth, and they are sepa- 
 rated from each other by the bronchia, into the last 
 of which they are inserted. But what is singular in 
 them is their fibres, if we may give that name to a sort 
 of smaller muscles as big as goose-quills, of an assem- 
 blage whereof the two great muscles are formed. 
 These lesser muscles are hollow cylinders, their length 
 nearly equal to the thickness of the fish, and ranged 
 
258 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 perpendicular to its upper and lower surfaces, account- 
 ing those surfaces as nearly parallel planes. These 
 again are composed of twenty-five or thirty smaller 
 cylinders placed over each other, and each full of a 
 medullary substance. 
 
 Now we need only remember, that when the torpedo 
 is ready to strike its numbness, it slowly flattens the 
 surface of its upper part; and the whole mechanism, 
 whereon its force depends, will be apparent. By that 
 gradual contraction it.bends, as it were, all its springs, 
 renders its cylinders shorter, and at the same time 
 augments their bases ; and in all probability too, the 
 large fibres, or little muscles, at that instant lose their 
 cylindrical form, to fill the vacuities between them. 
 The contraction being made, the longitudinal fibres 
 are lengthened, the transverse ones are shortened, 
 and the soft matter they inclose is driven upwards, 
 which is promoted by an undulatory motion apparent 
 in the fibres when contracting. The parts of the tor- 
 pedo being thus disposed, a finger that touches it, in- 
 stantly receives a stroke, or rather several successive 
 strokes, from each of the cylinders to which it is ap- 
 plied. As the soft matter is distributed into divers 
 inclosures, it is more than probable that all the strokes 
 are not given precisely at the same moment; nor in- 
 deed would they be so if there were no inclosures at 
 all, but they serve however to augment the number of 
 the springs, and consequently the velocity and force 
 of the action. These quick reiterated strokes shake 
 the nerves, and suspend or change the course of the 
 animal spirits ; or they produce a motion in the fibres 
 of the nerves, which clashes or disagrees with that 
 they should have in order to move the arm, and occa- 
 sions a painful sensation. Hence it is that the torpedo 
 does not convey its numbness to any considerable de- 
 gree, except when touched on these great muscles; 
 so that the fish may be safely taken by the tail, which 
 is the part by which the fishermen catch it. 
 
 As the torpedo lives on other fishes, it is probable 
 that its benumbing faculty is of use to it in catching 
 them; and this is the opinion of Pliny, Aristotle, and 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 259 
 
 many other naturalists. M. Reaumur had no fish 
 aUve, to try whether the torpedo would kill them ; but 
 having shut up a drake in water with the fish for some 
 time, the drake was taken out dead, doubtless from 
 its too frequent contacts with the torpedo. But what 
 is still more strange than the torpedo's killing of fishes, 
 the History of Abyssinia speaks of its bringmg dead 
 ones to life again, they being seen to stir if put toge- 
 ther in the same vessel. What is related in the same 
 history is much more credible, viz. that the Abyssi- 
 nians use the torpedo for the cure of fevers, by tymg 
 the patient to a table, and applying the fish successively 
 to all his members, which puts him to great pam, but 
 effectually carries oflt* the disease. Bellonms assures 
 us, that the torpedo applied to the soles of the feet, 
 has proved successful against fevers; and Dr. James 
 says, it mitigates the violence of the pain in an mve- 
 terate head-ache : but we suppose such instances very 
 rarely occur. 
 
 INSTANCES OF BODILY STRENGTH. 
 
 The prodigious strength of Bussiqua, made Milon 
 cry out, " Jupiter, have you then made another Her- 
 cules." This Bussiqua lifted a stone which Milon 
 could scarcely move : he carried it to a considerable 
 distance, and threw it from him with the greatest ease. 
 This same Bussiqua laid hold of a bull with one hand, 
 in the middle of his course, and held him fast, in spite 
 of his greatest efforts to disengage himself; nay, he 
 even seized another bull who was passing by accident 
 at that time, and held them both at the same time. 
 
 Peter of Portugal lifted with his right hand a sack 
 of wheat, and put it upon his left shoulder; then he 
 put upon his right shoulder another sack full of wheat 
 with his left hand. One day a lad of twenty-five years 
 of age presented himself at court, saymg he could 
 show the king something extraordinary with respect 
 to strength. He obtained permission to appear before 
 
260 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 the king. That youth having ordered three sacks of 
 wheat to be brought, did with the two first what the 
 king- had done; he then took a third sack into his 
 teeth, and threw it above that which he had on his left 
 shonkler. This surprised all the spectators, and as- 
 tonished the prince, who could not enough admire the 
 force and address of this youth. They say the prince 
 in vain attempted to imitate him. This youth ex- 
 ceeded the other Portuguese of his time in stature ; he 
 was hard and thin, and was a great eater. What was 
 still more extraordinary, this youth could hold fast a 
 chariot drawn by six horses or cattle, in spite of their 
 utmost efforts to go on. The name of this youth is 
 not preserved upon record ; it is only known that he 
 was a native of the village of Freixo ; which made him 
 be called Menino de Freixo. 
 
 THE MOLE AND WORM. 
 
 By an Observer. 
 
 All animals are endowed by nature with an in- 
 stinctive fear of danger, and powers, in most cases, 
 by which they are enabled to distinguish their ene- 
 mies, and in some measure to evade the pursuit of 
 those who seek to devour them. The oyster, on any 
 prospect of danger, shuts its shell ; the snail and the 
 tortoise retreat within the hard coat that covers th-em; 
 the hedge-hog rolls itself into a ball; the chicken, on 
 the first appearance of the kite, is agitated with the 
 most violent alarm, and fiies to its mother for protec- 
 tion ; and the hare, on the first appearance of a dog, 
 betakes itself to flight, and exerts its utmost powers 
 to elude its ravenous pursuer. This is a general lav/ 
 of nature ; and it extends, as I have reason to believe, 
 to animals of a lower class than we are accustomed to 
 imagine. The mole, it is well known, feeds upon the 
 common earth-worm ; but I believe it is not generally 
 known, that in the dark regions it inhabits, it is en- 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 261 
 
 dowed with faculties for distinguishing its prey at 
 some distance, and far less, that the reptile it is in 
 search of can distinguish its approaching dano-er, and 
 try to elude it. Yet, from some facts that have fallen 
 under my own observation, there seems to be no doubt 
 of this circumstance, and that in consequence of it, 
 the mole, in the bowels of the earth, chaces its prey 
 with the same avidity as the lion, or the wolf, or the 
 bear, upon its surface ; and that the worm flies with 
 the same degree of eagerness from its greedy pursuer, 
 as the stag in the forest, or the hare among the 
 stubble. 
 
 One damp cloudy day, as I was standing in the 
 garden, contemplating some of the beautiful produc- 
 tions of the vegetable tribe, I saw the earth near me 
 begin to be heaved up by the working of a mole, and 
 immediately directed my attention to that object. I 
 could soon perceive that the mole was working with 
 an unusual degree of agility, which still more com- 
 manded my attention. It was not long before I per- 
 ceived the head of an earth-worm penetrate the mould 
 with a surprising degree of rapidity — nearly half its 
 body came above the earth at the first push, and at 
 the second, it freed itself from the mould entirely, and 
 ran off along the surface with a degree of agility I 
 never had seen this animal exert till then. The mole 
 too pursued still ; but on coming very near the surface, 
 immediately desisted, and retired, as I supposed, dis- 
 appointed, from the chace : my imagination at least 
 made me conclude this was the case. I leave the 
 reader to draw vrhat conclusions he thinks natural 
 from this fact. 
 
 Havino^ had mv attention thus awakened with re- 
 gard to this phenomenon, I have been, since that time, 
 on the watch, in similar cases, to see if I could observe 
 the like, and had one opportunity of observing a simi- 
 lar mole-chace at a further period. I state these facts, 
 of the exactitude of which I am certain, that your 
 readers may take notice if any of them ever remarked 
 -any of the same kind. Whether the inference I draw 
 Trom it be just or not, 1 leave every one to judge for 
 
262 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 himself: But if it should be admitted that the mole 
 can thus pursue its prey at a distance, we should be 
 forced, I think, to conclude, that it distinguishes its 
 tract by the scent, like a spaniel or hound ; but by i| 
 what means the worm should be made sensible of its 
 danger, it is perhaps impossible to divine. 
 
 N. B. In both the instances I observed, the worm 
 that made its escape was of a bright, lively, red co- 
 lour, more so than is common among this class of rep- 
 tiles. Whether this could be ascribed to the ardour 
 of the chace, or whether it was only accidental, I can- 
 not pretend to say, as in both cases I allowed the 
 worm to make its escape without detaining it for fu- 
 ture observation. 
 
 ! 
 
 THE MUSICAL PIGEON. 
 As related by Mrs. Piozzi. 
 
 An odd thing to which T was this morning witness, . 
 has called my thoughts away to a curious train of re- 
 flections upon the animal race; and how far they may 
 be made companionable and intelligent. The famous 
 Ferdinand Bertoni, so well known in London by his 
 long residence among us, and from the undisputed 
 merit of his compositions, now inhabits this his native 
 city, and being fond of dumb creatures, as we call 
 them, took to petting a pigeon, one of the few animals 
 that can live at Venice, where, as I observed, scarcely 
 any quadrupeds can be admitted, or would exist with 
 any degree of comfort lo themselves. This creature 
 has, however, by keeping his master compjiny, I trust, 
 obtained so perfect an ear and taste for music, that 
 no one who sees his behaviour, can doubt for a moment 
 of the pleasure he takes in hearing Mr. Bertoni play 
 and sing: for as soon as he sits down to the instru- < 
 ment, Columbo begins shaking his wings, perches on 
 the piano-forte, and expresses the niost indubitable 
 emotions of delight. U, however, he or any one else 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 263 
 
 strike a note false, or make any discord upon the keys, 
 the dove never fails to shew evident tokens of anger 
 and distress; and if teazed too long-, grows quite en- 
 raged ; pecking the offender's legs and fingers in such 
 a manner, as to leave nothing less doubtful than the 
 sincerity of his resentment. Signora Cecilia Giuliani, 
 a scholar of Bertoni's, who has rt. ceived some over- 
 tures from the London theatre lately, will, if she ever 
 arrives there, bear testimony to the truth of an asser- 
 tion very difficult to believe, and to which I should 
 hardly myself give credit, were I not witness to it 
 every raoining that I chuse to call and confirm my 
 own belief. A friend present protested he should feel 
 afraid to touch the harpsichord before so nice a critic; 
 and though we all laughed at the assertion, Bertoni 
 declared he never knew the bird's judgment fail; and 
 that he often kept him out of the room, for fear of his 
 affronting or tormenting those who came to take mu- 
 sical instructions. With regard to the other actions of 
 ,life, I saw nothing particular in the pigeon, but his 
 tameness, and strong attachment to his master : for 
 though never winged, and only clipped a very little, 
 he never seeks to range away from the house, or quit 
 his master's service, any more than the dove of Ana- 
 creon : 
 
 While his better lot bestows 
 Sweet repast and soft repose ; 
 And when feast and frolic tire, 
 Drops asleep upon his lyre. 
 
 FRESH AND SALT LAKE OF MEXICO. 
 
 There is no lake in the world, we know of, like 
 this : a part of its water is fresh, and the other salt; 
 which gives room to think that there are two sources, 
 though but one lake appears. 
 
 The fresh water seems stagnant and nrkotionless, and 
 the salt water ebbs and flows as the sea, with this dif- 
 ference, that it does not follow the rule of tides, he'iag 
 
264 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 only produced by the blowing of winds, wbicli some- 
 times makes this lake as tempestuous as the sea. 
 
 If the salt water comes from the same source as the 
 fresh, it is probable, that its saltness is occasioned by 
 the earth, which lies under the water in that part, 
 being impregnated with salt; for great quantities of 
 salt are there made, and it is an article of considerable 
 commerce for the city with the most distant provinces. 
 
 The fresh water of this lake is good and wholesome, 
 and affords plenty of small fish ; it is higher than the 
 salt water, and falls into it; the part of the lake that 
 ebbs and flows is brackish, and has no sort of fish. 
 
 The salt lake is seven leagues in length, as many in 
 breadth, and upwards of twenty-two in circumference; 
 the lake of fresh water is much the same ; so that the 
 whole lake is about fifty leagues in circumference. 
 
 A TERRIBLE SEA-MONSTER. 
 
 A FISHERMAN being out in a little vessel near 
 Trepani, unfortunately fell overboard, and was in- 
 stantly snapt up by a monster resembling a large sea- 
 dog, in sight of several other fishermen, who then 
 made to shore with all speed, lest the monster should 
 take a fancy to make a dinner of them next: but as 
 soon as they had recovered from this panic, they con- 
 sidered the damage the monster might do their fishery, 
 and being likewise desirous to revenge the deathjof 
 their comrade, they got divers iron instruments made, 
 to which they fixed large steel hooks, and then went 
 out in their boats in quest of the monster, which had 
 appeared several times before near that shore. Hav- 
 ing found him on the 6th of November, they baited 
 their hooks with pieces of horse-flesh ; but this device 
 did not succeed; the monster kept aloof, as if he sus- 
 pected their design : wherefore they threw out a noose 
 with a bait suspended in the middle of it, two or three 
 men holding each end of the cord. This stratagem 
 succeeded ; the monster leapt at the bait so vigorously, 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 265 
 
 that its whole head got through the noose, and the 
 fishermen instantly pulling the rope, dragged it to 
 shore. It was twenty palms in length, and its mouth 
 excessively large, with three rows of teeth in the upper 
 jaw ; and the tail was six palms in length ; the belly 
 was not proportionate to the rest of the body, being 
 only fourteen palms in circumference. It was a fe- 
 male, and weighed upwards of 40001b. The next day 
 the fishermen cut it up, and found in it a great quan- 
 tity of fish, one half of a man's skull with the hair on, 
 as also two legs, part of the back-bone, and the ribs, 
 which they judged to be those of their unfortunate 
 comrade, that was devoured a few days before. They 
 afterwards burnt this monster, lest it should infect the 
 air. 
 
 It appears from Pliny and other authors, that sea- 
 monsters of this kind were known to the ancients by 
 the name of Canis Carcharias. 
 
 A CURIOUS ACCOUNT OF A WILD MAN. 
 
 The following relation, concerning a wild man, 
 though but Kttle known, is well authenticated. The 
 account is translated from a work published at Paris, 
 by M. Le Roy. 
 
 *' In the year 1774, a savage, or wild man, was dis- 
 covered by the shepherds, who fed their flocks in the 
 neighbourhood of the forest of Yuary. This man, who 
 inhabited the rocks that lay near the forest, was very 
 tall, covered with hair, like a bear, nimble as the 
 Hisars, of a gay humour, and, in all appearance of a 
 mild character, as he neither did, nor seemed to in- 
 tend, harm to any body. He often visited the cot- 
 tages, without ever attempting to carry off any thing. 
 He had no knowledge of bread, milk, or cheese. His 
 greatest amusement was to see the sheep running, and 
 to scatter them, and he testified his pleasure at this 
 sight by loud fits of laughter, but never attempted to 
 hurt those innocent animals. When the shepherds 
 
266 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 (as was frequently the case) let loose their dogs after 
 him, he fled with the swiftness of an arrow shot from 
 a bow, and never allowed the dogs to come too near 
 him. One morning he came to the cottage of some 
 workmen, and one of them endeavom-ed to get near 
 him, and catch him by the leg, he laughed heartily, 
 and then made his escape. He seemed to be about 
 thirty years of age. As the forest in question is very 
 extensive, and has a communication with vast woods 
 that belong to the Spanish territory, it is natural to 
 suppose that this solitary, but cheerful creature, had 
 been lost in his infancy, and had subsisted on herbs. 
 
 THE TARANTULA. 
 
 The Tarantula, a venomous kind of spider, is found 
 chiefly in Naples, near the city of Taranto, from whence 
 the insect derives its name. The tarantula is about 
 the size of a large nutmeg, furnished with eight feet, 
 and as many eyes ; it is hairy, and of various colours. 
 From its mouth arise two horns, or trunks, formed a 
 little crooked, with the points exceeding sharp, through 
 which it conveys its poison. These horns are in con- 
 tinual motion, especially when the animal is seeking 
 for food; whence it is conjectured, that they are a kind 
 of moveable nostrils. Tarantulas are also found in 
 several other parts of Italy ; but those of Apulia, in 
 which the city of Taranto stands, are the only kind 
 that are reckoned dangerous, and that chiefly in the 
 heat of summer. The bite or sting of this insect occa- 
 sions a pain like that felt on the stinging of a bee or 
 an ant ; and in a few hours a livid circle appears about 
 the part aftected, which is followed by a painful swell- 
 ing. Soon after this the afflicted person falls into a 
 profound sadness, breathes with difficulty, and at 
 length loses all sense and motion. Some people who 
 are wounded express great satisfaction at the sight of 
 particular colours, and display a strange aversion to 
 others* Tremblings, anger, fear, laughter, weeping, 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 267 
 
 absence, talk, and action, are also symptoms attend- 
 ing persons bit by the tarantula, who infallibly die in 
 a few days, unless proper means are used to expel the 
 poison. All the assistance that medicine has yet dis- 
 covered, consists in some external applications on the 
 wound, in cordials and sudorifics. But these are of 
 little efficacy, music being the great and only remedy. 
 As soon as the patient has lost his sense and motion, 
 a musician is sent for, who tries several tunes on an 
 instrument, till he hits on that which is most agree- 
 able to the disordered person. This is known by his 
 first moving his fingers^ then his arras, afterwards his 
 legs, and by degrees his whole body, till at length he 
 rises on his feet and begins to dance, which he conti- 
 nues for several hours. After this he is put to bed, 
 and when he is judged to have sufficiently recruited 
 his whole strength, the musician calls him out of bed 
 by the same tune, to take a second dance. This ex- 
 ercise is repeated for four or five days, till the patient 
 grows weary and unable to dance any longer, which is 
 a sign of his being cured. When he comes to himself, 
 he is like one awaked out of a profound sleep, not 
 having the least recollection of his dancing, or of any 
 thing that passed during the time of his disorder. If 
 the cure be not completely effected, the patient con- 
 tinues melancholy, shuns company, and perhaps drowns 
 himself, if he has an opportunity. Some have had re- 
 gular returns of their fits every twelve months, for a 
 great many years successively, at which times they are 
 treated in the manner already described, findino- no 
 relief from any thing but music and dancing. 
 
 Dr. Mead, in his curious treatise on the effects of 
 the bite of the tarantula, supposes the malignity of the 
 poison of this animal, to consist in its great force and 
 energy, whereby it immediately raises an extraordinary 
 fermentation in the whole arterial fluid. As to the 
 tarantuti (or those bit by the tarantula) he says, thci 
 benefit of music arises not only from their dancin^ ta 
 it, and so evacuating by sweat, a great part of the 
 poison ; but the percussions and vibrations of the air 
 break the cohesion of the parts of the blood, and pre- 
 
 N 2 
 
268 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 vent coagulation ; so that the heat being removed by 
 sweating, and the coagulation by the contraction of 
 the muscular fibrillse, the wounded person is restored 
 to his former condition. 
 
 THE SURPRISING CUPRESSUS DISTICHIA. 
 
 THE cupressus distichia stands in the first order of 
 North American trees. Its majestic stature is sur- 
 prising; and on approaching it, we are struck with a 
 kind of awe, at beholding the stateliness of the trunk, 
 lifting its cumbrous top towards the skies, and casting 
 a wide shade upon the ground, as a dark intervening 
 cloud, which, for a time, excludes the rays of the sun. 
 The delicacy of its colour and texture of its leaves, 
 exceed every thing of the kind in vegetation. It ge- 
 nerally grows in the water, or in low flat lands, near 
 the banks of great rivers and lakes, that are covered 
 with two or three feet depth of water ; and that part of 
 the trunk which is subject to be under water, and four 
 or five feet higher up, is greatly enlarged by prodi- 
 gious buttresses, or pilasters, which, in full grown 
 trees, project out on every side to such a distance, 
 that several men might easily hide themselves in the 
 hollows between. Each pilaster terminates under- 
 ground, in a very large, strong, and serpentine root, 
 which strikes oft" and branches every way, just under 
 the surface of the earth : and from these roots grow 
 woody cones, called cypress knees, four, five, and six 
 leet high, and from six to eighteen inches and two feet 
 in diameter at their bases. The large ones are hol- 
 low, and serve very well for bee-hives ; a small space 
 of the tree itself is hollow, nearly as high as the but- 
 tresses already mentioned. From this place, the tree, 
 as it were, takes another beginning, forming a grand 
 straight column, eighty or ninety feet high, when it 
 divides every way around into an extensive flat hori- 
 zontal top, like an umbrella, where eagles have their 
 secure nests, and cranes and storks their temporary 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 269 
 
 resting places ; and what adds to the magnificence of 
 their appearance, is the streamers of long moss that 
 hang from their lofty limbs and float in the winds. 
 This is their majestic appearance when standing alone, 
 in large rice plantations, or thinly planted on the banks 
 of great rivers. 
 
 Paroquets are commonly seen hovering on their 
 tops: they delight to shell the balls, its seed being 
 their favourite food. The trunks of these trees when 
 hollowed out, make large and durable pettiaugers and 
 canoes, and afford excellent shingles, boards, and other 
 timber, adapted to every purpose in frame buildings. 
 When the planters fell these mighty trees, they raise 
 a stage round them, as high as to reach above the but- 
 tresses ; on this stage, eight or ten negroes ascend 
 with their axes, and fall to work round its trunk. 
 ■ The trunks of these trees sometimes measure eight, 
 ten, and twelve feet in diameter, for forty and fifty 
 feet straight shaft. 
 
 THE HUMMING BIRD. 
 
 The humming bird is to be met with in no country 
 but America, and may be looked upon as one of na- 
 ture's master-pieces, not only on account of its beauty, 
 but of its manner of life, and the minuteness of its 
 parts : though the dimensions of it do not exceed the 
 bulk of a large fly, yet the plumage of it strikes the 
 eye in the most agreeable manner, and glows with all 
 the colours of the rainbow. His neck is dyed with 
 such a blushing red, that it is frequently mistaken for 
 a ruby. The belly, and down beneath the wings, are 
 as yellow as gold, and its green thighs surpass the 
 emerald : its feet and bill have as fine a gloss, and 
 are as black as ebony : its eyes appear like two oval 
 diamonds, resembling in colour, the most polished 
 steel; and its head a lively green, with an intermixture 
 of gold, the lustre whereof is beyond expression. The 
 males have a little tuft or tossel on their heads, in 
 
 N 3 
 
270 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 which all the beauteous colours that shine so conspi- 
 cuous throughout the whole, are assembled and con- 
 centered. These birds fly with such a velocity, that 
 one may more properly be said to hear, than see them. 
 Their principal sustenance is, as we are informed, the 
 dews and juices of the most fragrant flowers. These 
 they extract with their little tongues, which are much 
 longer than their bills. This little instrument performs 
 the office of a trunk, which they contract at pleasure, 
 and infold within their beaks, as in a case or scabbard. 
 This beak, though no larger than a fine needle, ren- 
 ders them formidable even to the large birds there, 
 called grosbegs, who make it their business to devour 
 the young of the humming bird in their nest : if, how- 
 ever, their dam, who is a little heroine, happens to spy 
 one of these cowardly invaders, he flies before her, 
 and cries with all his might, as dreading to feel the 
 weight of her just resentment. The humming bird 
 closely pursues him ; and if she once overtakes him, 
 lays fast hold of him with her little talons, under his 
 wing, and wounds him with her pointed beak to that 
 degree, that he is obliged to decline the combat, and 
 submit to her superior power. 
 
 ANTIQUITIES NEAR NAPLES. 
 
 By Captain Sutherland. 
 
 We lost no time in seeing the wonders of this ex- 
 traordinary country. Our first object was to follow 
 ^neas to the Cuman shore ; and on our way thither, 
 it was but just to pay our oblations at Virgil's tomb. 
 This celebrated monument is close to the top of the 
 grotto of Pausilippe, on the left of the eastern entrance. 
 The inside is a square of twelve feet, with three niches 
 for urns on the east and west sides, two niches and a 
 door, through which you enter on the south, and the 
 same on the north. The roof is arched, and about 
 nine feet high. The outside was originally octagonal : 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 271 
 
 but the angles being worn away, it is now circular, 
 and at a distance, looks like the remains of a small 
 tower. The materials are of the common kind, and 
 we did not observe any marble near it, except two 
 modern inscriptions. 
 
 Formerly, the tomb v/as surrounded with laurels, 
 but as every idle visitor took a leaf, there is not a sprig- 
 left. We could not help exclaiming against such sa- 
 crilege, but our Cicerone endeavoured to com.fort us, 
 by saying, that the Marquis Salcitro had ordered a 
 new set to be planted. 
 
 The grotto of Pausilippe is at the west end of the 
 suburbs of Naples. It is a public road cut through 
 the mountain, near half a mile in length, and wide 
 enough for two carriaojes to drive abreast. Its height 
 is very irregular, in some parts eighty feet, and at 
 others only five and twenty. In the day time you may 
 see from the one end to the other, by the help of two 
 large apertures, cut diagonally from the centre of the 
 grotto to the surface of the mount; but, at night, we 
 were obliged to use torches, which, when any number 
 of vehicles are driving together, have a most beautiful 
 effect. The bottom, like all Naples, is paved with 
 square pieces of lava.— Its exact date has not been 
 ascertained. The common people insist that it was 
 done by enchantment; as a proof of which they al- 
 ledge, that no stones were found near the entrance. 
 It would be to no purpose to tell them, that those who 
 perforated the mount very naturally made use of the 
 stone in building the town. 
 
 But after all, the difficulty in accomplishing this 
 passage was by no means so great as one would at first 
 imagine ; for the stone is so soft, that until it has been 
 for some time exposed to the air, you may crumble it 
 to dust. Neither, in my opinion, is this celebrated 
 excavation equal to the batteries, magazines, and com- 
 munications, formed in the solid rock of Gibraltar, by 
 Pvlr. Inch, under the direction of general Eliott, and 
 continued with astonishing success by major general 
 O'Hara. 
 
 After passing the grotto, we drove to Puzzoli. The 
 
 N 4 
 
272 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 road is remarkably pleasant, great part of it running 
 between groves of poplars, planted in regular order, 
 to sustain the vines in the style of our hop-gardens. 
 The vines are loaded with grapes, and, encircling the 
 trees, form a variety of beautiful festoons from one 
 tree to another, in every direction. The ground be- 
 neath, is either covered with grass, or laid out for 
 corn. 
 
 Turning a Httle out of the way to the right, we came 
 to Lago D'Agnano, formerly a volcano, now a roman- 
 tic, beautiful lake. Close to it is a little cave called 
 Grotto del Cane, from a vapour that rises in it so ob- 
 noxious to dogs that it kills them in a few minutes ; 
 and doubtless it would have the same effect on man, 
 or any other animal, whose head was held near the 
 ground. 
 
 Between Lago D'Agnano and Puzzoli, on the side of 
 another extinguished volcano, called the Solfaterra, 
 we saw the Piscattelli, or boiling springs, of whose 
 wonderful effect, in turning lava and pumice stone 
 into clay and into soil, I had, the same evening, the 
 satisfaction of hearing a philosophical account from 
 Sir William Hamilton, with which he has already fa- 
 voured the public. 
 
 We hired a boat at Puzzoli ; and after rowing about 
 two miles across part of the celebrated Bay of Baia, 
 with Virgil in my pocket, landed close to the Lucrine 
 Lake, at the foot of Monte Nuovo. This mountain, 
 which is several hundred yards in height, and above 
 a mile in circumference, was thrown up by the Lucrine 
 Lake, in a violent earthquake in the year 1538. How- 
 ever strange this may appear, such phenomena are by 
 no means uncommon in Italy. The lake was of course 
 much reduced by this eruption, and now only covers 
 three or four acres. It is about ten yards from the 
 sea, and has a sluice to communicate with it. 
 
 After a short walk in a pleasant vineyard, we en- 
 tered the Sybil's Cave, a road cut through a mountain 
 in the style of the grotto of Pausilippe, but on a smaller 
 scale. The passage from the cave to her palace, is 
 only wide enough for one person. After descending 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 273 
 
 ten or twelve yards, we came to her baths, four small 
 chambers with water still in them. — We were carried 
 through on men's backs, with candles in our hands, 
 and ascending a little on the opposite side, came to 
 the door of her palace, but it was so choaked up with 
 rubbish, that we were obliged to return without finding 
 an entrance; and passing through her cave and a wild 
 shrubbery on the west of it, we arrived at Lake Aver- 
 nus, and on the opposite banks saw a grove where 
 iEneas was to find the golden bough. 
 
 The lake seems to have lost the noxious qualities 
 which Virgil ascribed to it; but this I imagine, is 
 owing to most of the high trees, with which it was 
 closely surrounded, being cut down, and little but 
 brushwood left. The temple is at a small distance on 
 the right of the lake; we wished to go to it, but our 
 Cicerone persuaded us that it would be better to delay 
 seeing that and the entrance into hell, until we had 
 been at Cuma. 
 
 We therefore repassed the Sybil's Cave, and return- 
 ing to the Lucrine Lake, again embarked, and pro- 
 ceeded along the shore to the foot of Nero's palace, 
 where the sand under the sea-water is so hot, that we 
 could scarcely touch it. The effect of subterraneous 
 fire. 
 
 The baths are above. These are several large 
 chambers, divided into different apartments for the 
 men and women, with two subterranean passages 
 leadins: to the water, which unite at the distance of 
 two hundred yards from the spnng. Here the heat 
 is so excessive and insupportable, that it is supposed 
 no longer necessary to continue the separate passages, 
 since, even should persons of different sexes advance 
 thus far, there is no danger of their being noticed by 
 each other, for to get here cost us great pain ; and all 
 our clothes, in a few seconds, were wet through with 
 perspiration. 
 
 This is what they call bathing, for nobody can bear ' 
 the water. One of our guides, for a pecuniary reward, 
 brought a little in a bucket, and boiled some eggs in 
 it, which were afterwards served at our table in a 
 
 N 5 
 
274 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 shady spot, on the adjoining classic ground; and we 
 crowned this grateful repast with the health of a fa- 
 vourite fair, in a smiling bumper of real Falernian, 
 from the very vineyards which have been celebrated by 
 Horace. The wine was remarkably good, and the 
 charming toast, gave it a still higher flavour. I am 
 convinced that it would have found its way to England, 
 had not the Italians lost the art of preserving it. One 
 must therefore either drink it new, or sour. 
 
 About two miles from Nero's baths, we were shewn 
 the temple of Diana, a large dome, one half of which 
 was destroyed by an earthquake, the other remains. 
 The temple of Mercury is on the opposite side of a mo- 
 dern bridge. The dome is still entire, and is seventy 
 feet in diameter. It has a similar effect to the whis- 
 pering gallery at St. Paul's. Part of the roof is lined 
 with common mosaic. The walls of the different out- 
 offices are still standing, and the court has been lately 
 planted with lemon and orange trees, which in time, 
 will add greatly to the beauty of its appearance. This 
 spot seems to have been particularly sacred, for, not 
 an hundred yards further, is a large octagon tower, the 
 remains of a temple of Venus Genetrix, but no other 
 vestisce of it is left. 
 
 Here we again embarked, and after rowing some 
 little way along the shore, landed and walked to the 
 top of a hill, from which we had a view of the Elysian 
 Fields, and of Lake Acheron below us. The lake is 
 chano:ed, like Avernus, but the Elvsian Fields are still 
 a beautiful wilderness. On our way, we passed se- 
 veral ancient burying places, and a variety of other 
 ruins — ruins in the truest sense of the word, for the 
 whole is an heap of rubbish. 
 
 A little way beyond this, is the famous reservoir 
 constructed for the use of the Roman navy. The 
 roof is supported by forty-eight square pillars, v/ith a 
 proportionable number of arches, something in the 
 style of the Nun's Cistern at Gibraltar, but on a scale 
 so much more grand, that it would contain above an 
 hundred times the quantity of water. 
 
 From this reservoir, we proceeded through a vine-r 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 2/5 
 
 yard, to an amazing subterraneous building, supposed 
 to have been Nero's prisons. The gallery is about 
 twelve feet high, and nine wide. We were told that 
 it proceeds in a right line from the entrance to the sea, 
 and is divided into nearly an hundred apartments ; 
 but as it is full of stones, "and as the air is said to be 
 extremely hurtful, we could not prevail on our guide 
 to descend to any distance in this direction; but turn- 
 ing to the left, we entered a range of apartments in 
 the form of a cross, which we supposed were for the 
 officers, as the partition walls are only carried to within 
 two feet of the arch. In the inmost, fourteen bronze 
 lamps were found. The niches in which they stood, 
 still remain. On striking the ground, it returned a 
 hollow sound, as if there was a range of prisons be- 
 neath. 
 
 As soon as we returned to day-light, we descended 
 to the sea-side, to the tomb of Agrippina. It is an 
 arched vault, fifteen feet long, and nine wide, almost 
 filled up with rubbish. The walls are covered with 
 elegant basso relievo miniature figures, in a small 
 square, remarkably neat and beautiful; one represents 
 a female deity, with extended wings, soaring in the 
 air; two others are women, reclining on a couch, but 
 so choaked up with smoke and soot from the torches, 
 that it is impossible to determine who they are : the 
 workmanship, however, one easily perceives, exhibits 
 the hand of a capital master, who has displayed so 
 much taste, beauty, and harmony, that we are almost 
 tempted to forget Agrippina's crimes; and, in pitying 
 her fate, we redouble our horror at the inhuman pa- 
 racide who sent her to her tomb. 
 
 It is not known by whom this monument was 
 erected ; and I think it not improbable, that it might 
 have been ordered by Nero himself, since he is reported 
 to have said, that had he known how beautiful his mo- 
 ther was, he never would have destroyed her. 
 
 Having now seen every thing on the coast of Baia, 
 we returned to Puzzoli, and to our inexpressible con- 
 cern, found it was too late to continue our excursion 
 to Cuma, 
 
 N 6 
 
276 WONDERS (yP NATURE AND ART. 
 
 Puzzoli abounds with antiquities; but the temple of 
 Jupiter Serapis is the only one we had time to see. 
 This was one of the most noble structures yet brought 
 to Hght; and we can never sufficiently lament, that it 
 has not been preserved in the state in which it was 
 found. 
 
 The court is a square of one hundred and twenty 
 feet, and was surrounded by a magnificent colonnade, 
 which, together with the roof and pavement, were of 
 beautiful marble. It contained many elegant statues, 
 and every other religious ornament ; but the king was 
 seized with such an avidity for these treasures, that 
 he had them all removed to his different palaces, with 
 the exception of four columns only, which are left, as 
 a sample, before the entrance of the inner temple, each 
 eighteen feet in circumference, and forty in height. 
 The temple itself was again stopped up with rubbish, 
 after all its ornaments were taken away. 
 
 In the centre of the court, an altar was raised for 
 sacrifice; but as it was composed of the finest mate- 
 rials, it was crushed by the earthquake that buried the 
 temple. The base still remains, with the ring to which 
 the victim was tied, and the vessels for holding its 
 blood. 
 
 WONDERFUL THINGS PRODUCED BY ART. 
 
 The Silver Sphere, a most noble and ingenious 
 performance, which was presented by his Imperial 
 Majesty Ferdinand, to Sultan Solyman, the magnifi- 
 cent, is mentioned by Paulus Jovius, and Sabellicus, 
 as shewing and keeping time with the motions of ce- 
 lestial bodies in their various configurations. It was 
 carried to Constantinople, in several parts, by twelve 
 men, and there put together by the artist that made 
 it, in the Grand Signior's presence, who also shewed 
 him the mysterious use of it. 
 
 Praxiteles, a famous carver in imagery, born in 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 277 
 
 Mao-na Greecia, in the utmost confines of Italy, and 
 from thence brought to Rome, employed his art to 
 the admiration of all men. He made a statue of Ve- 
 nus for the Gnidians, so exquisitely, that a young man 
 fell in love with it, and in his amorous passion, lost 
 first his wits, and then his life. This curious piece 
 was so highly valued by King Nicodes, that the Gni- 
 dians being indebted to him in a vast sum of money, 
 he freely offered to accept that statue in full payment 
 of his debt ; but they were too fond of their goddess 
 to part with her ladyship at any rate. 
 
 Cornelius van Drebble, that excellent artificer, 
 -' made an instrument like an organ, that being set in 
 the open air, under a warm sun, would make fine 
 music of itself, vyithout the keys being touched by an 
 organist, but would make no symphony in the shade ; 
 for which reason, the curious concluded, that it was 
 inclosed air, rarified by the strictures of the radiant 
 sun, that caused the harmony. 
 
 A famous mathematician, named Janellus Turianus, 
 ' commonly pleased the emperor Charles V. with some 
 curious results of his study. He would make wood- 
 .en sparrows fly up and down the emperor's dining 
 room, and return to him that sent them. Sometimes 
 he would cause little soldiers, armed cap a pee, to 
 muster on the emperor's table, and with great dexte- 
 rity perform their military exercises, which being a 
 strange and uncommon sight, the warden of the con- 
 vent of St. Jerome, being unskilled in those mysterious 
 arts, suspected it to be downright witchcraft, done by 
 a league with the devil. 
 
 A Roman artificer had the knack of making glass 
 utensils so strong, yet pliable, that they could not be 
 broken. A phial so contrived he made a present to 
 the emperor Tiberius, who accepted it, with commen- 
 dations of his art : the mechanist, to raise the admi- 
 ration of the spectators, and ingratiate himself further 
 into the favour of the emperor, took the phial again 
 
278 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 out of Ccesar's hand, and threw it with all his force 
 against the floor, without any prejudice, save only 
 that it was a little shrivelled, which, with an instru- 
 ment he had about him, he immediately put again into 
 its original form, by hammering it as they do brass or 
 other metal. All this being done, without any collu- 
 sion, he flattered himself that it would raise him into 
 an intimate familiarity with Tiberius, and make him a 
 great man ; but those teeming ambitious hopes were 
 soon frustrated ; for the Emperor enquired whether 
 there were any other proficients in that art, and he an- 
 swering ** there were none but himself that had at- 
 tained to perfection in it," Tiberius commanded his 
 officers to cut oft' his head, saying, " If this art should 
 be more known and practised, gold and silver would 
 be as cheap as dirt and soil of the streets." However 
 this piece of cruelty was to little purpose, for Mr. 
 Knowles acquaints us, in his Turkish History, page 
 1273, that in the year 1610, which was a long time 
 after, among other rarities presented to the king of 
 Spain by Sophy of Persia, there were six vessels of 
 Maleable Glass, that could not be broken, which 
 shews that the art continued, and is now every day's 
 practice. 
 
 At Segovia in Spain, is a mint so ingeniously con- 
 trived, that one part of it dilates an ingot of gold into 
 proper dimensions fur coinage, another part delivers 
 the plate so formed into another that stamps it ; from 
 that part of the engine it is delivered to another that 
 cuts it, accordmg to the standard ; and, last of all, it 
 falls into a repository in another room, where the 
 officer appointed for that purpose, finds money ready 
 coined without any other help than that of the engine. 
 
 OswaldusNorthengerous, an incomparable artificer, 
 turned sixteen hundred platters out of ivory, in their 
 proper figure, and yet were so thin and small, that 
 the whole number, all at the same time, were inclosed 
 in a cup turned out of a common pepper-corn. 
 
AVONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 279 
 
 At Herdelbiirg, in Germany, upon the Town House 
 was a clock with divers motions, and when the clock 
 struck, the figure of an old man pulled off his hat, a 
 cock crowed and clapt his wings, soldiers fought with 
 one another, &c. but this curious piece of workman- 
 ship, with the castle and town, were burnt by the 
 French, when they took those garrisons, June 2, 
 1693. 
 
 At Strasburg, in Germany, is a clock invented and 
 made by Conradus Dasepodius, anno 1571, before 
 which, on the ground, stands a celestial globe, de- 
 monstrating the diary and annual motions of the hea- 
 vens, stars, and planets, with great exactness. In 
 the clock the eclipses of the sun and moon are shewed 
 in two tables. On a third table, which is subdivided 
 into three parts, are seen on the first table, the sta- 
 tues of Apollo and Diana, and the annual revolution 
 of the heavens. The second shews the year of the 
 world, the year of our Lord, the hour and minutes of 
 the day, the great festivals, and the dominical letter. 
 The third makes a plan of Germany, and more parti- 
 cularly the city of Strasburg. In the middle frame of 
 the clock is an astrolabe, representing the twelve signs 
 of the zodiac, and the planets posited in those houses, 
 as they appear every day. There is likewise a terres- 
 trial globe, where the quarters, the half hour, and the 
 sixty minutes are delineated. There are also the sta- 
 tues of the spring, summer, and winter. In the high- 
 er frame of the clock are the statues of four very old 
 men, which strike the quarters of the hour : when 
 also appears a statue of Death attempting to strike 
 each quarter, but is forced back by a statue of Christ 
 with a spear in his right hand, for three quarters ; but, 
 at the end of each hour, the statue of Christ diappears, 
 and that of Death strikes the hour with a dead man's 
 bone in his hand ; and then the chimes play. On 
 the top of the clock is a cock, which every twelve 
 hours claps his wings and crows audibly. 
 
 At Trivoli; an ancient city in Compagna di Roma, 
 
280 WONDERS OF NATURE Ax\D ART. 
 
 on the river Tevirone, eighteen miles from Rome, in 
 the gardens of HippoHtas d'Este, Cardinal of Ferrara, 
 there is a lively figure of several sorts of birds, perch- 
 ing on the tops of trees, which, by a water-organ con- 
 veying water through the body and branches of the 
 trees, makes the birds for some time chant melodious- 
 ly ; but, as soon as an owl appears out of a bush, by 
 the same hydraulic art, the birds are, all of a sudden, 
 hushed and silent. Claudius Gallus, as Pos'sevine 
 reports, was author of this curiosity. 
 
 - Proclus, whose fame in mathematical performances 
 equalled that of Archimedes, made burning glasses in 
 tiie reign of Anastatius Decorus, of such wonderful 
 efficacy, that, at a great distance, he burnt and destroy- 
 ed the Mysian and Thracian fleet of ships that had 
 blocked up Byzantium, now Constantinople. 
 
 Sir Christopher Wren found out the way of making 
 diaries of wind and weather, and the different repre- 
 sentations of the air in respect to heat, cold, drought, 
 and moisture, in every day in the year, and this, in 
 order to the history of seasons, with observations 
 which are the most healthful or contagious to man or 
 beast. To this end he also contrived a thermometer 
 to be its own register. He has also made instruments 
 to shew the mechanical reason of sailing to all winds, 
 with several other curiosities, as useful as admirable, 
 when they fall into the hands that have sense enough 
 to know the use of them. 
 
 The honourable Mr. Boyle was the inventor of the 
 barometer, commonly called the weather-glass, which 
 is now of general use to the world, which, before being 
 only filled with water, was a mere whim without use : 
 but now being filled with quicksilver, the degrees 
 exactly calculated, and made portable by an ingeni- 
 ous artist, will never fail to make a true discovery of 
 the weather for many years together, as has been 
 experimented by the learned Dr. Wallis, of Oxford. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 281 
 
 And whilst I am mentioning the name of that 
 learned person, Dr. WalHs, Doctor in Divinity, Geo- 
 metry, Professor in Oxford, and Fellow of the Royal 
 Society, let me not forget that he was the first in 
 England that made art supply the defects of nature, 
 learning persons that were deaf and dumb to speak 
 and write distinctly and intelHgibly ; as, for example, 
 Mr. Nathaniel Whaly, born in Northampton, of repu- 
 table parents, was taught by him in Oxford (ai twenty 
 six years years) in the year 1662, and that in the 
 space of one year. At the same time the doctor taught 
 a son of the Lord Wharton's, that was born deaf and 
 dumb, and afterwards Mr. Popham ; but Dr. Holder 
 laying (though unjustly) some claim to the last per- 
 formance, and the strangeness of the thing being the 
 discourse of all England, Mr. Whaly was had before 
 the Royal Society, and there discoursed to their en- 
 tire satisfaction. King Charles II. also hearing of it, 
 desired to see Mr. Whaly, who appearing before him, 
 his Majesty asked him several questions, and was sa- 
 tisfied with his pertinent answers ; among others, he 
 asked Mr. Whaly, who taught him to speak and 
 write? to which he replied, Dr. Wallis did. This 
 worthy doctor, in a treatise entitled De Loquela, has 
 given us the method how to teach deaf and dumb folks 
 to speak and write a language, and more particularly, 
 in a Letter to Mr. Thomas Beverly, Secretary to the 
 Royal Society, dated September 30, 1698, and print- 
 ed in the Philosophical Transactions for October 1698, 
 No. 245, p. 349. It is a great pity that this letter is 
 not printed in Latin, for the benefit of foreigners, and 
 better kno'wn among the English ; for the method the 
 doctor prescribes is so plain, familiar, and demonstra- 
 tive, that any person of common ingenuity might at- 
 tain this art with ease and abundance of pleasure. 
 
2S2 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF A CASCADE NEAR TERNI, 
 
 IN ITALY. 
 
 In a Letter from a Gentleman, 
 
 I AM Still at Terni ; I have been taken about five 
 miles from the place, to see the vast cascade. It is a 
 work of nature, and one of the most stupendous of 
 her irregularities. The noise is such that I do not 
 hear yet ; and you can conceive nothing so stupen- 
 dous ^as the sight of this vast and terrible cataract. 
 The water that throws itself down is a whole river ; 
 the fall is not less than three hundred feet. Con* 
 ceive to yourself a river thrown from the sharp edge 
 of a rock to such a depth, without interruption, and 
 received on another rock below, and you will imagine 
 that both the eye and the ear must be filled with the 
 effect. The very appendages to this miracle are them- 
 selves amazing ; the mountain which we ascended to 
 it is of white marble : they call it Monte di Marmore. 
 I was vastly delighted with the sight of it ; but I had 
 like to have had a very feeling remembrance of it also. 
 The way up is in some parts very steep, the track not 
 greatly beaten, and you may imagine that a pavement 
 of natural marble slabs is not the best footing in the 
 world for a horse. It was against the advice of the 
 company that I would continue on the creature ; they 
 had dismounted, and the guides, who told them it 
 was the custom to do so, were leading their horses. 
 I placed more dependence than I ought to have done 
 on mine, and I was nearly a sacrifice to the temerity. 
 We were on a part where the narrow road was wind- 
 ing, as well as steep ; vast rocks of marble, like walls 
 were on each side, and their height and edges fright- 
 ful enough. I was admiring so strange and beautiful 
 a scene as presented itself before me, when my horse 
 stumbled. Happy for the company I was hindmost; 
 to stumble is to fall, in such a place; and to fall, is 
 to roll down to the next angle of some block of mar- 
 ble that stops you. I followed the creature down the 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 283 
 
 precipice, but his weight carried him much before me. 
 He was destroyed by the corner of a huge mass of 
 , marble, that stood out at a turning of the road ; and 
 the dexterity of one of the guides, who ran faster 
 than I rolled down, saved me from certain destruction, 
 from his flouncing in his agonies ; for I must have 
 fallen upon his feet. It was not long before we came 
 in sight of the cascade. We marched to it nearly in 
 front ; but you would not guess at the appearance : 
 nothing of that smooth sheet of water which I had 
 expected, presented itself. We saw before us a cloud, 
 or a thick smoke, rising from the ground to the height 
 of six hundred feet at least : and as the situation was 
 high, and the day none of the brightest, you will have 
 some guess at the violence, as well as depth of the 
 fall, when I have told you that this is no other than 
 the quantity of loose particles of the water which re- 
 bound from the rock that receives the cataract ; and, 
 by the violence of the fall; are thrown twice, or more 
 than twice the height of the level of the river. Above 
 this cloud appears continually the succession of parti- 
 cles of water that form, without remission ; and, after 
 they have reached this height, they fall again, in form 
 of a shower of rain, on all the circumjacent place. 
 When the weather is calm, they drop in a smaller 
 compass; but a gust of wind blows the artificial 
 shower to a vast distance. 
 
 As we approached this cloud, we saw all the leaves 
 of the trees and plants, and the very surface of the 
 mountain, covered with a fine powder, as white as 
 snow, and equal in softness to that used for the hair. 
 This is the marble of the mountain, beat and washed 
 off by the fall of the water, and raised in these imper- 
 ceptible particles in the artificial clouds : they fall 
 again in the shower, and the water runs off without 
 them. You have seen the effects of the salt left by 
 what is called the spray of the sea ; our gardens in 
 the inland parts of Essex are often destroyed by it, 
 after a strong wind ; that, however, is but partial ; 
 this is universal : every thing is covered v;ith it, and 
 it visibly injures and impedes the growth of the vege- 
 
284 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 tables, by choaking up their pores, and obstructing 
 the dews that should be received into them. 
 
 We had a very advantageous view of the cataract, 
 as we advanced nearer to it. A little wind rose upon 
 us, ' which carried away the cloud on one part, and 
 gave us a view into the fall. We examined every part 
 of the cascade, the river above, the channel below, 
 the descent of the flood, and the bason into which it 
 is received at the bottom. It is the Velino, a not in- 
 considerable river, the Velinus of Virgil, which forms 
 this cataract. It runs through a great extent of coun- 
 try, nearly level, before it arrives at the rock : but 
 though the declivity is not great, the sudden fall at 
 this place draws on a very strong current. For some 
 miles above, the river is very rapid ; and, T need not 
 tell you, nothing is seen upon it. The rock, upon 
 whose level surface it is received before this fall, is of 
 white marble, as is the rest of the mountain, and the 
 descent is a perpendicular wall of near three hundred 
 feet ; the edge is worn round where the water falls 
 over; but such a body, moving with such rapidity, 
 does not trickle down the surface of it : the whole 
 river rolls over, and throws itself forward with a vast 
 sweep. It is said there is, towards the bottom, a dry 
 space between this rock and the water ; but I do not 
 know how any body has been informed of this. The 
 sight from the top is dreadful, yet wonderfully pleas- 
 ing ; the river is clear ; and the immediate and rapid 
 curve formed in the bending over, is a sight of pleas- 
 ing horror. While I was near this part, a little kind 
 of boat (a coarse contrivance of some peasants up the 
 river) came down the stream : we saw it at a dis- 
 tance, and kept our eyes upon it : it had been tost 
 from its fastening, and the destruction was near. It 
 travelled down to us with great rapidity : as it came 
 near, it was difficult to keep the eye upon it. When 
 it came to the precipice, it rolled clean over, and in a 
 moment struck upon the head of water at the bottom. 
 Wliether it met a rock in its way, or to what other ac- 
 cident it was owing, I know not; for it is impossible 
 the mere resistance of the water could do it ; it re- 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 285 
 
 bounded up to a very considerable height, in three se- 
 parate pieces, and immediately after rolled down the 
 channel with the water. 
 
 From this terrifying view of the top, we descended 
 to examine the bottom of the cataract. Here was a 
 sight truly surprising. You heard me mention the 
 smooth and compact body in which the water rolled 
 over the edge of the precipice : there is nothing in 
 the descent to break it, but the mere resistance of 
 the air, and the rapidity of that descent ; yet it is here 
 divided all to pieces ; and as it comes near the bot- 
 tom, is not a bed of water, but a kind of heavy and 
 terrible shower of rain. It is from this that the drops 
 rise in a constant succession, so as to form the cloud 
 already mentioned ; which descends again in still 
 more minute drops, after it has been tossed to that 
 surprising height. 
 
 From the level of the river, that is, from the head of 
 the cataract, the sight is very odd. When one looks 
 upon this rising cloud, the body of it seems no more 
 than a thick vapour, or mist : it is white indeed ; but 
 whether this be owing to the disturbed motion of the 
 water, or to the small particles of the marble carried 
 up with it, I cannot say. It is seen in a continued 
 fluctuation, arising by starts and lifts one way, and 
 falling more equally another : it rose a vast height 
 above our heads, and then seemed to lose itself in the 
 air, like a smoke at a farther distance from the chim- 
 ney ; and it was odd to us, to conceive that it came 
 down again. 
 
 The bottom is a part one would have yet more curio- 
 sity to examine than even the top : but the curiosity 
 is not so happily satisfied. We had the advantage of 
 a wind to carry off the pillar of the ascending cloud, 
 and so to shew us the lower part ; but still all was 
 confusion and obscurity. I had a great mind to see 
 the vast bason into which the falling river was re- 
 ceived ; but all 1 could discover of it, was a great ca- 
 vity : the surface of the water in this, was in too much 
 motion to let me see any thing of it distinctly ; and 
 the clash of the falling drops, with those which 
 
286 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 formed the rising cloud, confused the eye and deafen- 
 ed the ear. 
 
 The quantity of water raised in form of this cloud, 
 must be very considerable ; for it diminishes the very 
 river in a great proportion. The quantity of water 
 carried off by the stream, as it runs from the great 
 bason, in which it is received immediately from the 
 cataract, is nothing in proportion to that which is 
 brought to it by the river above. It throws itself 
 down in a vast sheet; and the whole river, for a great 
 way above the head, is considerable in its extent ; 
 but it runs from the bason (though with violent rapi- 
 dity) yet in a very much diminished body : it bursts 
 away from the reservoir all in foam, and roars along 
 among the marble rocks that confine it on each side, 
 and which in some places interrupt the channel : but 
 the bed here is of small capacity, in proportion to the 
 river above ; it runs in this peculiar channel to some 
 distance, and then falls into the Nar, the Nera of the 
 ancient Romans. 
 
 THE ELEPHANT. 
 
 Of all the animals with which we are acquainted, 
 the elephant is, next to man, the most sagacious. 
 The dog, the horse, and some others, are equally do- 
 cile, and perhaps still more submissive to man ; but 
 none of them discover such strong indications of me- 
 mory, and the power of connecting causes with events, 
 which we call reasoning, as the elephant. Hence it 
 is not only susceptible of kindness and affection to 
 the person who feeds and cares for it, and of immedi- 
 ate resentment against those who injure it; but it has 
 also the faculty of retaining the sense of injury for a 
 long time, and of seemingly contriving plans for being 
 revenged, and executing these with much cunning 
 and sagacity at a distant period. On account of 
 these qualities, not less than because of its great 
 strength, the elephant has long been the favourite do« 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 037 
 
 mesticated animal among the monarchs of those coun- 
 tries where it is a native. 
 
 The elephant, when tamed, on account of its great 
 size, and the vast quantity of food it consumes, is too 
 expensive for private individuals ; and is, therefore, 
 in a great measure an attendant of royalty, and the 
 most unequivocal badge of dignity and state in east- 
 ern nations. It has been for time immemorial also 
 employed in war ; and in old times the Asiatic princes 
 used to indicate the force of armies, by the number of 
 elephants each could bring into the field, in the same 
 manner as the maritime nations in Europe now esti- 
 mate their power by the number of ships of war they 
 can fit out for sea. They were, indeed, in those days, 
 a kind of moving fortresses, which, for many ages, 
 could only be resisted by more powerful fortifications 
 of the same sort. It was only after the Greeks and 
 Romans came to contend for power with the princes 
 of Asia and Africa, that it was discovered that even 
 the enormous strength of these animals was not proof 
 against the power of men acquainted with the best 
 modes of military tactics. They were long, however, 
 employed in the armies both of Carthage and of Rome. 
 But in modern times their use has been entirely laid 
 aside in battle, where European forces can be brought 
 into the field; and they are now employed only for 
 parade, or as beasts of burden, which in the warmer 
 climates are peculiarly commodious ; and where pro- 
 vender can be found in abundance, extremely useful 
 attendants of an army. During the war just now 
 concluded with Tippoo Saib, lord Cornwallis employ= 
 ed elephants for transportinghis artillery up the Gauls, 
 without which, I have been assured, he would have 
 found great difficulty in accomplishing the object of 
 his wishes. 
 
 The elephant is a huge, unwieldy, uncouth looking 
 animal, which, if we had not been acquainted v/ith 
 its rare qualities, all mankind would have called ugly. 
 Its immense ears, its huge tusks, its flexible probos- 
 cis, which may be writhed into an infinite variety of 
 forms, its thick clumsy legs, and small eyes, all con- 
 
288 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 tribute to render this animal a striking object to those 
 who behold it, even independent of its size ; but when 
 taken altogether, it is so unlike to what we call ele- 
 gant in other creatures, that it could only have been 
 viewed as an object of terror or disgust. 
 
 The works of God are wonderfully varied ; and the 
 same objects are attained by means so very dissimilar, 
 as to afford a perpetual source of wonder and of ad- 
 miration to the contemplative mind. The power of 
 animals, in a good measure, depends on the structure 
 of those members of the body they can employ as 
 tools for effecting its purposes ; and it has long ago 
 been justly observed, that the human hand is a tool of 
 the most admirable construction, which, under the 
 guidance of reason, has enabled man to effect those 
 wonderful things he has achieved. The paw of the 
 lion, and others of the cat kind, which admits of being 
 expanded and contracted like the human hand, gives 
 to these animals a tremendous power, which is exerted 
 for no other purpose but to destroy. The trunk, or 
 proboscis, of the elephant, is a member, which, to all 
 appearance, could be of little use for grasping small 
 objects, or effecting any useful purpose; yet it is so 
 admirably constructed, by means of flexible cartilages 
 and muscles, and is endowed at the same time with 
 such sensibility and strength, as to be capable of 
 being employed for many uses, that we could not, 
 without experience, have believed possible. With its 
 point it can grasp even very small objects, with w^on- 
 derful pliability ; and by its power of being contracted 
 or dilated, turned upwards or downwards, or in any 
 other direction, at will, it is capable of being employ- 
 ed by that animal for much the same purposes as the 
 human hand by man ; and what seems still more ex- 
 traordinary, notwithstanding its great flexibility and 
 sensibility, it is so little susceptible of pain in that 
 member, that it is employed as a tool for striking and 
 chastising any object of its resentment with great 
 force, so as to be used instead of a rod of correction 
 for most purposes. 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 039 
 
 Though the elephant be easily tamed, and contracts 
 a great famiharity and kindness for man, it can never 
 be so thoroughly domesticated as to procreate while 
 in confinement. All those that have ever been under 
 the dominion of man have been bred in the desart, 
 and catched by art. The various devices that have 
 been employed for catching them, have been so often 
 re-told, in books of various descriptions, that it is 
 needless to repeat them here. The tame elephants 
 themselves have been found to be at all times the 
 best agents for subduing the wild ones when first 
 caught. 
 
 The elephant is a native of Asia and Africa, and is 
 not to be found in its natural state either in Europe 
 or America. From the river Senegal to the Cape of 
 Good Hope, they are met with in great numbers. In 
 this extensive region, as they are more numerous than 
 in any other part of the world, so are they less fearful 
 of man. The savage inhabitants of this dreary coun- 
 try, instead of attempting to subdue this powerful 
 animal, and rendering it subservient to their necessi- 
 ties, seem only desirous of avoiding its fury. In the 
 internal parts of the country, which are uninhabited 
 by man, they are found in large herds; but these are 
 only at times seen by a few persons who venture a 
 little into those inhospitable regions. Along the 
 coasts, especially near the European settlements, few 
 are to be seen ; but the inhabitants there, allured by 
 the gain they make by their tusks, are now become 
 extremely expert in shooting them, and frequently 
 make excursions into the interior parts of the country, 
 for the sake of hunting such stragglers from the herd 
 as may chance to fall in their way ; but in this kind 
 of enterprise the hunters run great risks, and are 
 therefore obliged to act with much caution. In ap- 
 proaching this animal, great care must be taken to 
 steal upon him unperceived. If the elephant discover 
 his enemy near, he rushes out, and endeavours to kill 
 him. One of these hunters being out upon a plain, 
 under the shelter of a few scattered thorn trees, 
 thought he could be able to advance near enough to 
 
 o 
 
290 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 shoot an elephant that was at a httle distance from 
 him; but he was discovered, pursued, and overtaken 
 by the animal, which laid hold of him with his trunk, 
 and beat him instantly to death. It is peculiarly dan- 
 gerous to attack a female elephant while its young is 
 along with it : for the affection between the parent 
 and the young is so strong and reciprocal, that unless 
 they be both killed, there is no safety; for the survivor 
 will never desert its fallen companion, but assail the 
 enemies with the utmost fury, till either itself or the 
 hunters be killed. Mr. Bruce relates a combat of 
 this sort, in which the dam was shot at the first by 
 the hunters, and though the young was so small as 
 not to exceed the size of an ass, and had run away at 
 first from fear; yet on seeing its dam fall, it returned, 
 and attacked the hunters with the utmost fury, until 
 it was at length shot dead by them. 
 
 The height of the elephant at the Cape, is from 
 twelve to fifteen feet. The female is less than the 
 male, and her tusks do not grow to such a size. The 
 largest tusks weigh an hundred and fifty pounds, and 
 are usually sold to the governor of the Cape, at the 
 rate of a guilder per pound ; so that a man may earn 
 three hundred guilders at one shot ; a strong induce- 
 ment for running some risk. The tusk is the only 
 part of the elephant that is productive of profit to the 
 
 hunter. 
 
 The eyes of the elephant are small ; but they are 
 lively, brilliant, and capable of great expression. His 
 ears are large, and much longer in proportion to his 
 body than those of the ass; they lie flat on the head, 
 and are commonly pendulous : but he can raise and 
 move them with great facility, and frequently uses 
 them as a fan to cool himself. His hearing likewise 
 is remarkably fine; for he delights in the sound of 
 musical instruments, and moves in cadence to the 
 trumpet and tabor. There are four grinders in each 
 jaw, closely united together, forming with the jaw 
 bone one hard and compact body. The texture of the 
 skin is uneven, wrinkled, and knotty ; full of deep fis- 
 sures, resembling the bark of an old oak tree, which 
 
^VONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 09I 
 
 run in all directions over its surface. It is of a deep 
 tawny colour, approaching- to black; the inside of the 
 ear is of a faint flesh colour. The legs resemble massy 
 columns of fifteen or eighteen inches in diameter, and 
 not exceeding four or five feet in height. The foot is 
 short, and divided into five toes, covered with the 
 skin so as not to be visible. To each toe there is af- 
 fixed a nail or a hoof of a horny substance. 
 
 The trunk, or proboscis, is composed of membranes, 
 nerves, and muscles ; and is both an organ of feelino- 
 and of motion. The animal can not only move and 
 bend it, but can contract, lengthen, and turn it in 
 every direction. The extremity of the trunk termi- 
 nates in a protuberance, which stretches out in the 
 form of a finger, and possesses in a great degree the 
 niceness and dexterity of that useful member. It is 
 equally flexible, and as capable of laying hold of ob- 
 jects as the fingers of a man. With it he lifts from 
 the ground the smallest piece of money ; he selects 
 herbs and flowers, and picks them up one by one; he 
 unties the knots of ropes, opens and shuts gates, &c. 
 With his trunk he grasps any body which it is apphed 
 to so firmly, that no force can tear it from his gTipe. 
 It is eight feet long in an elephant of fourteen feet 
 high, and five feet in circumference at the thickest 
 part. The nostrils are situated at the extremity; 
 through which it draws in water by a strong suction, 
 either for the purpose of quenching its thirst, or of 
 washing and cooling itself, which it frequently does by 
 taking a large quantity, part of which it carries to its 
 mouth and drinks, and by elevating its trunk, allows 
 the remainder to run over every part of its body. The 
 mouth is situated directly under the trunk, from each 
 side of which, project upwards, the two large tusks 
 which are so valuable on account of the ivory, of 
 which substance they entirely consist. 
 
 Roots, herbs, leaves, and tender wood, are the or- 
 dinary food of the elephant. He does not ruminate, 
 and has but one stomach ; this want however is am- 
 ply supplied by the magnitude and length of his in- 
 testines, and particularly of the colon, which is from 
 
 2 
 
292 WONDEKS OF NATURE AND ART.. 
 
 fifteen to twenty feet in lengtii, and two or three in 
 diameter. When one of them discovers a plentiful 
 pasture, he calls to the others, and invites them to 
 partake. As they require a great quantity of forage, 
 they frequently change their pastures, and do incredi- 
 ble damage wherever they stray into cultivated grounds. 
 On these occasions it is difficult to drive them off. 
 They go in herds, nor is it easy to separate them. 
 They .generally act in concert, whether they attack, 
 march, or fly. 
 
 The ordinary walk of the elephant is not quicker 
 than that of a horse ; but when pushed he assumes 
 a kind of ambling pace, which in fleetness is equal to 
 a gallop. He goes forward with ease; but it is with 
 2:reat difficulty he turns himself round ; and that not 
 without taking a large circuit. It is generally in nar- 
 row and hollow places that the negroes attack him, 
 and cut off his tail, which they value above every other 
 part of his body. He swims well, and is of great use 
 in carrying baggage across large rivers. When swim- 
 mino- he raises his iono; trunk above the surface of 
 the water for the sake of respiration, every other part 
 of his body is below. In this manner several of these 
 animals swim together, and steer their course without 
 danger of running foul of each other. 
 
 The elephant when tamed is gentle, obedient, and 
 docile; patient of labour, and so attentive to the 
 command of its governor, that a word or a look is 
 sufficient to stimulate it to the most violent exertions. 
 In India, where they were once employed in launch- 
 ing ships, one of them was directed to force a large 
 vessel into the water, which proving superior to its 
 strength, the master in an angry tone cried out, 
 "Take awav that lazv beast, and brin^ another in its 
 place ;" the poor animal instantly redoubled it efforts, 
 fractured its skull, and died upon the spot. 
 
 The conductor of the elephant is usually mounted 
 upon its neck ; and sometimes makes use of a rod of 
 iron sharpened at the end, with which he urges the 
 animal forward ; but usually his voice alone is suffi- 
 cient for that purpose. Its attachment to its keeper 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 293 
 
 is very great; it knows his voice; it receives his or- 
 ders with attention, and executes them with eagerness, 
 but without precipitation. All its motions are order- 
 ly, and seem to correspond with the dignity of its ap- 
 pearance, being gra^'e, majestic, and cautious. It 
 kneels down for the accommodation of those \yho 
 mount upon its back, and its pliant trunk even assists 
 them to ascend. It suiters itself to be harnessed, 
 and seems to have a pleasure in the hnery of its trap- 
 pings. They are row used chiefly for the purposes of 
 labour or magnificent parade. 
 
 The Indian princes m their travels are attended by 
 hundreds of these animals. Some are employed to 
 convey the ladies which compose the seraglio in lat- 
 ticed cages made for that purpose, and covered wdth 
 branches of trees : whilst others transport imm.ense 
 quantities of baggage, with which the sovereigns of 
 the east are always accompanied in their marches 
 from one place to another. They are likewise made 
 use of as the dreadful instruments of executing con- 
 dem.ned criminals; a task which they perform with 
 great dexterity. At the word of command they 
 break the limbs of the criminal with their trunks ; 
 they sometimes trample him to death, or impale him 
 on their enormous tusks, just as they are directed by 
 their more barbarous keeper. 
 
 Sometimes the elephant is employed like the an- 
 cient gladiators at Rome, to fight with wild beasts in 
 the Arena, for the purpose of aftbrding amusement to 
 a luxurious court.'' Two strong tigers are usually 
 deemed a match for an elephant. 
 
 The time of the gestation of the elephant is hither- 
 to but imperfectly known. Aristotle says it goes 
 two years with young; which is the more likely, as 
 the season of desire, in the male, returns but once in 
 three years. The female produces but one young at 
 a time. The young elephants are said to suck with 
 their trunk, the teats of the female being situated be- 
 tween the fore legs. 
 
 The elephant is thirty years in arriving at its full 
 growth ; and is said to live, even in a state of capti- 
 
 o 3 
 
294 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 vity, to the age of an hundred and twenty, or an hun- 
 dred and thirty years. In a state of 'freedom it is 
 supposed to hve much longer. 
 
 The elephant will drink wine, and is fond of spi- 
 rituous liquors. By shewing him a vessel filled with 
 arrack, he is induced to exert the greatest efforts, 
 and perform the most painful tasks, in hopes of re- 
 ceiving it as a reward of his labour. To disappoint 
 him is dangerous, as he seldom fails to be reveno-ed. 
 The following instance is given as a fact, and deserves 
 to be recorded. An elephant, disappointed of its re- 
 ward, out of revenge killed his cornac or governor. 
 The poor man's wife, who beheld the dreadful scene, 
 took her two infants and threw them at the feet of 
 the enraged animal, saying, " since you have slain 
 my husband, take my life also as w^ell as that of my 
 children." The elephant instantly stopped, relented, 
 and, as if stung with remorse, took the eldest boy in 
 its trunk, placed him on its neck, adopted him for its 
 cornac, and would never allow any other person to 
 mount it. 
 
 Many other facts, equally curious and interesting, 
 might be quoted respecting this singular animal ; but 
 those already cited are sufficient to show that the 
 elephant is possessed of faculties superior to those of 
 any other animal. ^Ye must at the same time admire 
 the beneficent order of that dispensation, which to an 
 animal of such unequalled powers has added a dispo- 
 sition so mild and tractable. What ravages might 
 we not expect from the prodigious strength of the 
 elephant if combined with the fierceness and rapacity 
 of the tiger ! 
 
 ON THE INSTINCT OF ANIMALS. 
 
 We come into the world ignorant of every thing, 
 yet we must do many things in order to our subsist- 
 ence and well being. A new-born child may be car- 
 ried in arms, and kept warm by his nurse; but he 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 295 
 
 must suck and swallow his food for himself. And 
 
 this must be done before he has any conception of 
 
 sucking and swallowing-, or of the manners in which 
 
 [they are to be performed. He is led by nature to do 
 
 jthese actions, without knowing for what end, or what 
 
 I he is about. This we call instinct. 
 
 In the animals we are best acquainted with, and 
 which we look upon as the more perfect of the brute 
 creation, we see much the same instincts, or mecha- 
 nical principles of action, as in the human kind, or 
 very similar ones, suited to the particular state and 
 manner of life of the animal. 
 
 Besides these, there are, in brute animals, instincts 
 peculiar to each tribe, by which they are fitted for 
 defence, for offence, or for providing for themselves 
 and for their offspring. 
 
 It is not more certain, that nature hath furnished 
 various animals with various weapons of offence and 
 defence, than that the same nature hath taught them 
 how to use them ; the bull and the ram to butt, the 
 horse to kick, the dog to bite, the lion to use his 
 paws, the boar his tusks, the serpent his fangs, and 
 the bee and the wasp their sting. 
 
 The manufactures of animals, if we may call them 
 by that name, present us with a wonderful variety of 
 instincts belonging to particular species, whether of 
 the social or the solitary kind — the nests of birds, so 
 similar in their situation and architecture in the same 
 kind, so various in different kinds — the webs of spi- 
 ders and of other spinning animals — the ball of the 
 silk worm — the nests of ants and other mining; ani- 
 mals — the combs of wasps, hornets, and bees, — the 
 dams and houses of beavers. 
 
 The instinct of animals is one of the most delight- 
 ful and instructive parts of a most pleasant study, that 
 of natural history ; and deserves to be more cultivated 
 than it has yet been. 
 
 Every manufacturing art among men was invented 
 by some man, improved by others, and brought to 
 perfection by time and experience. Men learn to 
 w ork in it by long practice, which produces a habit. 
 
 o 4 
 
296 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 The arts of men vary in every age, and in every na- 
 tion, and are found only in those who have been 
 taught them. 
 
 The manufactures of animals differ from those of 
 men, in many striking particulars. 
 
 No animal of the species can claim the invention. 
 No animal ever introduced any new improvement, or 
 any variation from the former practice. Every one of 
 the species has equal skill from the beginning, without 
 teaching, without experience or habit. Every one 
 has its art by a kind of inspiration. I do not mean 
 that it is inspired with the principles or rules of the 
 art, but with the ability and inclination of working: in 
 It to perfection, without any knowledge of its princi- 
 ples, rules, or end. 
 
 The more sagacious animals may be taught to do 
 many things which they do not by instinct. What 
 they are taught to do, they do with more or less skill, 
 according to their sagacity and their training. But, 
 in their own arts, they need no teaching nor training, 
 nor is the art ever improved or lost. Bees gather 
 their honey and their wax, they fabricate their combs, 
 and rear their young at this day, neither better nor 
 worse than they did when Virgil so sweetly sung their 
 works. 
 
 The work of every animal is indeed like the works 
 of nature, perfect in its kind, and can bear the most 
 critical examination of the mechanic or the mathema- 
 tician. One example from the animal last mentioned 
 may serve to illustrate this. 
 
 Bees, it is well known, construct their combs with 
 small cells on both sides, fit both for holding their 
 store of honey, and for rearing their young. There 
 are only three possible figures of the cells, which can 
 make them all equal and similar, without any useless 
 interstices. These are the equilateral triangle, the 
 square, and the regular hexagon. 
 
 It is well known to mathematicians, that there is 
 not a fourth way possible, in which a plane may be 
 cut into little spaces that shall be equal, similar, and 
 regular, without leaving any interstices. Of the three. 
 
WOxNDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 29/ 
 
 the hexagon is the most proper, both for conveniency 
 and strength. Bees, as if they knew this, make their 
 cells regular hexagons. 
 
 As the combs have cells on both sides, the cells 
 may either be exactly opposite, having partition 
 against partition, or the bottom of a cell may rest 
 upon the partitions between the cells on the other 
 side, which will serve as a buttress to strengthen it. 
 . The last way is best for strength ; accordingly, the 
 bottom of each cell rests against the point where 
 three partitions meet on the other side, which gives it 
 all the strength possible. 
 
 The bottom of a cell may either be one plane, per- 
 pendicular to the side partitions, or it may be composed 
 of several planes, meeting in a solid angle in the mid- 
 dle point. It is only in one of these two ways that 
 all the cells can be similar without losing room. And, 
 for the same intention, the planes of which the bottom 
 is composed, if there be more than one, must be three 
 in number, and neither more nor fewer. 
 
 It has been demonstrated, that, by making the bot- 
 toms of the cells to consist of three planes meeting in, 
 a point, there is a saving of material and labour no 
 way inconsiderable. The bees, as if acquainted with 
 these principles of solid geometry, follow them most 
 accurately ; the bottom of each cell being composed 
 of three planes which make obtuse angles with the 
 side partitions, and with one another, and meet in a 
 point in the middle of the bottom ; the three angles of 
 this bottom being supported by three partitions on the 
 other side of the comb, and the point of it by the com- 
 mon intersection of those three partitions. 
 
 One instance more of the mathematical skill dis- 
 played in the structure of a honey-comb, deserves to 
 be mentioned. 
 
 It is a curious mathematical problem, at what pre- 
 cise angle the three planes, which compose the bot- 
 tom of a cell, ought to meet, in order to make the 
 greatest possible saving, or the least expence of mate* 
 rial and labour. 
 
 This is one of those problems, belonging to the 
 
298 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 higher parts of mathematics, which are called pro- 
 blems of maxima and minima. It has been resolved 
 by some mathematicians, particularly by the ingenious 
 Mr. Maclaurin, by a fluxionary calculation, which is 
 to be found in the transactions of the Royal Society of 
 London. He has determined precisely the angle re- 
 quired ; and he found by the most exact mensuration 
 the subject could admit, that it is the very angle in 
 which the three planes in the bottom of the cell of a 
 honey-comb do actually meet. 
 
 Shall we ask here, who taught the bee the proper- 
 ties of solids, and to resolve problems of maxima and 
 minima ? If a honey- comb were a work of human art, 
 every man of common sense would conclude, without 
 hesitation, that he who invented the construction, 
 must have understood the principles on which it is 
 constructed. 
 
 We need not sav, that bees know none of these 
 thinijs. They work most geometrically, without any 
 knowledge of geometry ; somewhat like a child, who, 
 by turning the handle of an organ, makes good music, 
 without any knowledge of music. 
 
 The art is not in the child, but in him v.-ho made 
 the organ. In like manner, when a bee makes his 
 combs so geometrically, the geometry is not in the 
 bee, but in that Great Geometrician, who made the 
 bee, and made all things in number, weight, and mea- 
 sure ! 
 
 BAVARIAN SALT-WORKS. 
 
 Between Saltzburg and Uncken, in Germany, 
 which are about sixteen English miles distant, are the 
 Bavarian salt-works, at Reichenhall, where the salt- 
 spring is called God's Goodness. The water is raised 
 by two large wheels, on the edges of which are fast- 
 ened small leathern buckets, that throw the water up 
 to a place, whence half of it is conveyed in leaden 
 pipes over high mountains, as far as Traunstein; 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 299 
 
 where, (though it is three German miles distant from 
 the spring), more salt is made than at Reichenhall. 
 Near this salt spring is a stream of fresh water, by the 
 swift current of which, the wheels and water-engines 
 are worked. As these springs are encompassed with 
 hills, and the place, by laying in a valley, was sup- 
 posed in danger of being overflowed, an aqueduct was 
 made at a prodigious expence, about three hundred 
 years ago. This channel is, indeed, an amazing work, 
 running half a league in length under the town of Rei- 
 chenhall, and several gardens and fields, twelve fa- 
 thoms below the surface. But the most curious 
 circumstance is, that this subterraneous channel is 
 navigable, and people pass through it in a boat by the 
 help of candles, with such rapidity, that they get into 
 open day-light in a quarter of an hour. The water is 
 generally between three and four feet deep ; but it is 
 often so swelled by the rains, as not to leave room for 
 the boat wiih the passengers sitting upright. The 
 canal is five feet broad, and every eight or ten years 
 the bottom is cleared of the stones carried thither by 
 the floods, or wantonly thrown down the spiracles or 
 openings, which are raised up in the form of towers, 
 and are open on the top to admit the fresh air. The 
 roof is not only formed of free-stone, but in many 
 places covered with a very hard kind of rosin, as with 
 a varnish, so that it looks as if it were one entire solid 
 piece. The descent to this subterraneous canal, is by 
 the steps of a tower near the spring. 
 
 THE RUINS OF HERCULANEUM AND 
 
 POMPEII. 
 
 An inexhaustible mine of antique curiosities exists 
 in the ruins of Herculaneum, a city lying between 
 Naples and Mount Vesuvius, which, in the first year 
 of the reign of Titus, was overwhelmed by a stream 
 of lava from the neighbouring volcano. This lava is 
 
300 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 now of a consistency which renders it extremely dif- 
 ficult to be removed, being composed of bituminous 
 particles, mixed with cinders, minerals, and vitrified 
 substances, which altogether form a close and pon- 
 derous mass. In the revolution of several ages, the 
 spot it stood upon was entirely forgotten ; but in the 
 year 1713, it was accidentally discovered by some la- 
 bourers, who, in digging a well, struck upon a statue 
 on the benches of the theatre. Several curiosities 
 were afterward dug out, and sent to France, by the 
 prince of Elbauf; but the search was soon disconti- 
 nued, and Herculaneum remained in obscurity till the 
 year 1736, when the king of Naples employed men 
 to dig perpendicularly eighty feet deep, whereupon 
 not only the city made its appearance, but also the 
 bed of the river which ran through it. In the Temple 
 of Jupiter was found a statue of gold, and the inscrip- 
 tion that decorated the great doors of the entrance. 
 In the theatre were some fragments of a gilded cha- 
 riot of bronze, with horses of the same metal, which 
 had been placed over the principal entrance ; on a 
 ballustrade which divided the orchestra from the stage, 
 was found a row of statues ; and on each side of the 
 pulpilum stood an equestrian figure of a person of the 
 Nonian family. 
 
 A great variety of curious articles have also been 
 found in other parts of this city, which are now ar- 
 ranged in a wing of the palace at Naples, and consist 
 not only of statues, busts, altars, inscriptions, and 
 other appendages of opulence and luxury ; but also 
 comprehend a complete assortment of domestic, mu- 
 sical, and surgical instruments ; tripods of elegant 
 form and exquisite execution ; lamps and chandeliers 
 in endless variety ; pateras, and other appurtenances 
 of sacrifice ; mirrors of polished metal, silver kettles, 
 cisterns for heating water, and various culinary uten- 
 sils ; a lady's toilet, furnished with combs, thimbles, 
 rings, paint, ear-rings, &c. &c. Two statues, repre- 
 senting a Mercury and a sleeping Faun, are particu- 
 larly admired by connoisseurs ; and several rooms are 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 301 
 
 filled with handsome busts. The fresco paintings, 
 which, for the sake of preservation, have been framed 
 and glazed, are deposited in another part of the palace. 
 A large parcel of manuscripts were also found among 
 the ruins, and very sanguine hopes were entertained 
 by the literati, that many works of the ancients would 
 be restored to light, and that a new mine of science 
 was on the point of being opened ; but the difficulty 
 of unrolling the burnt parchments, of pasting the frag- 
 ments on a flat surface, and of decyphering the ob- 
 scure letters, have proved such obstacles, that very 
 little progress has been made in the work. 
 
 The streets of Herculaneum appear to have been 
 perfectly straight and regular ; the houses well built, 
 and generally uniform; and the rooms paved either 
 with large Roman bricks, mosaic work, or fine marble. 
 It appears that the town was not filled up so unex- 
 pectedly with the melted lava as to prevent the greatest 
 part of the inhabitants from escaping with their richest 
 effects : for there were not more than a dozen skele- 
 tons found, and but little gold or precious stones. 
 
 The town of Pompeii was involved in the same me- 
 lancholy catastrophe with Herculaneum; but it was 
 i not discovered till near forty years after the discovery 
 of that place. One street, which has been entirely 
 cleared, is paved with the same kind of stone of which 
 the ancient roads are made ; and narrow causeways 
 are raised about eighteen inches on each side, for foot 
 passengers. Dr. Moore observes, that the street itself 
 is not so broad as the narrowest part of the Strand, in 
 London, and is supposed to have been chiefly inha- 
 bited by tradesmen. The houses are small, but neat 
 and convenient ; the stucco on the walls is smooth and 
 beautiful; and some of the rooms are ornamented with 
 paintings, which appear extremely fresh, and tolerably 
 well executed. In one part of the town is a rectangu- 
 lar building, with a colonnade toward the court, some- 
 what resembling the Royal Exchange, in London ; and 
 at a considerable distance is the temple of the goddess 
 Isis, the pillars of which are of brick stuccoed; but 
 
302 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 there is nothing very magnificent in the appearance of 
 this edifice. Few skeletons were found in the streets 
 of this town, but in the houses there were many in 
 situations which plainly proved that they were endea- 
 vouring to escape when the tremendous torrent of lava 
 overtook them. 
 
 FALL OF THE NIAGARA. 
 
 About six leagues from the fort of Niagara, in Ca- 
 nada, in North America, is the greatest cataract in the 
 world, known by the name of the Waterfall of Niagara. 
 The river at this fall runs from S.S.E. to N.N.W. ; and 
 the rock of the fall, forms a kind of figure like a hol- 
 low semicircle or horse-shoe. Above the fall, in the 
 middle of the river, is an island about eight hundred 
 feet long; the lower end of which is just at the per- 
 pendicular edge of the fall. Before the water comes 
 to this island, it runs but slowly compared with its mo- 
 tion afterwards, when it grows extremely rapid, run- 
 ning with a surprising swiftness before it comes to the 
 fall. It is perfectly white, and in several places is 
 thrown high up into the air. The water that runs 
 down on the west side is in greater abundance, and 
 whiter than that on the opposite side; and seems al- 
 most to outfly an arrow in swiftness. When a person 
 is at the fall and looks up the river, he may perceive 
 that the water is every where exceedingly steep, al- 
 most like the side of a hill ; but on looking at the fall 
 itself, it is impossible to describe the astonishment it 
 occasions. 
 
 The height of the cataract, as measured by mathe- 
 matical instruments, is found to be exactly a hundred 
 and thirty-seven feet; and when the water is come to 
 the bottom it flies back to a great height in the air. 
 The noise may sometimes be heard at the distance of 
 forty miles, but seldom farther. At some times the 
 fall makes a much greater noise than at others ; and 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 303 
 
 this is regarded as an infallible prognostic of rain or 
 other bad weather. 
 
 From the place where the water falls there arises a 
 prodigious vapour, like a thick smoke, insomuch that 
 when viewed at a distance, a stranger might suppose, 
 that the Indians had set their forests on fire. These 
 vapours rise very high in the air when it is calm, but 
 are dispersed by the wind when it blows hard. If any 
 person go into this vapour, or if the wind blow it on 
 him, it is so penetrating, that in a few moments he will 
 be as wet as if immersed in water. 
 
 Some persons are of opinion, that when birds hap- 
 pen to fly into the smoke of the fall, they immediately 
 drop down, and perish in the water; either because 
 their wings are become wet, or that the tremendous 
 noise of the fall astonishes and confounds them : but 
 others think that this idea is merely chimerical ; be- 
 cause, among the great numbers of birds found dead 
 below the fall, there are no other sorts than such as 
 live and swim frequently in the water, as swans, geese, 
 ducks, teal, &c. Great flocks of these animals are 
 often seen going to destruction, in the following man- 
 ner : — They swim in the river above the fall, and so 
 are carried down lower and lower by the water; and 
 as water-fowl are commonly pleased with being carried 
 by the stream, they indulge themselves in this plea- 
 sure, till the rapidity of the water renders it impossi- 
 ble for them to rise, and they are consequently hurried 
 down the precipice. 
 
 In the months of September and October, such pro- 
 digious quantities of dead water-fowl are found every 
 morning below the fall, that they afford ample sub- 
 sistence for the garrison at the fort. Here also are 
 frequently found the bodies of deer, bears, and other 
 animals, which have attempted to cross the water 
 above the fall. Some melancholy instances of human 
 beings having lost their lives in a similar manner, are 
 related by travellers ; and the following one is too af- 
 fecting to be passed over in silence. — 
 
 '' An unfortunate Indian was reposing, in a state of 
 
304 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 inebriety, in his canoe, which was properly secured, 
 at the distance of some miles above the cataracts, 
 while his wife sat on the shore to watch his slumbers. 
 After some time, a sailor, from one of the vessels on 
 the lake, happened to arrive at the spot, and began to 
 take some indecent liberties with the Indian female. 
 The woman naturally attempted to rouse her husband, 
 but before she could effect her design, the brutal ma- 
 riner cut the cord of the canoe and set it adrift. The 
 little vessel ghded swiftly down the stream, and in the 
 space of a few minutes it was seen to enter the Rapids. 
 The Indian, awakened by the violent motion of the 
 waves, started up, and on perceiving his perilous situa- 
 tion, he grasped his paddle with a look of inexpressi- 
 ble horror; but finding it absolutely impossible to 
 stem the force of the current, he calmly wrapped him- 
 self up in his blanket, and resumed his former position 
 at the bottom of the canoe. In the space of a few 
 moments, he was hurried down the precipice, and was 
 never discovered more." 
 
 CARNIOLA QUICKSILVER-MINES. 
 
 The mines of quicksilver, near Idra, in Carniola, 
 are, perhaps, the richest of their kind in Europe : and 
 were first discovered in the year 1497, in the following 
 singular manner. A cooper having one evening placed 
 a new tub under a dropping spring, in order to try if 
 it would hold water, when he came in the morning 
 found it so heavy, that he could hardly move it. At 
 first the superstitious notions that are apt to possess 
 the minds of the ignorant, made him suspect that his 
 tub was bewitched ; but at last, perceiving a shining 
 fluid at the bottom, he went to Laubatch, and showed 
 it to an apothecary, who immediately dismissed him 
 with a small gratuity, and bid him bring some more of 
 the same stuff, whenever he could meet with it. This 
 the poor cooper frequently did, being highly pleased 
 
WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 305 
 
 with his good fortune, till, at length, the affair being 
 made public, several persons formed themselves into 
 a society, in order to search farther into the quick- 
 silver-mine. In their possession it continued, till 
 Charles, duke of Austria, perceiving the great import- 
 ance of such a work, gave them a sum of money, as a 
 compensation for the expences they had been at, and 
 took it into his own hands. 
 
 The subterraneous passages of this mine are so ex- 
 tensive, that it would take up several hours to go 
 through them. The greatest perpendicular height, 
 computing from the entrance of the shaft, is eight hun- 
 dred and forty feet ; but as they advance horizontally 
 under a high mountain, the depth would be much 
 greater, if it were measured from the surface of the 
 hill. One way of descending down the shafts is by a 
 bucket; but as the entrance is narrow, the bucket is 
 liable to strike against the sides, or to be stopped in 
 the way, so that it may be easily overset. The other 
 way of going down is that of descending by a great 
 number of ladders, placed obliquely; but as the lad- 
 ders are wet and narrow, a person must step very 
 cautiously to prevent himself from falling. In some 
 of the subterranean passages the heat is so intense, 
 as to throw a man into a profuse perspiration ; and 
 formerly, in some of the shafts, the air was so ex- 
 tremely confined, that several miners were suffocated 
 by a kind of igneous vapour; but by sinking the main 
 shaft deeper, the progress of this mischief has been 
 happily prevented. Near the main shaft is a large 
 wheel, and an hydraulic machine to raise the water 
 from the bottom of the mine. 
 
 Virgin Mercury is prepared by nature, and is found 
 in some of the ores of this mine, in a multitude of little 
 drops of pure quicksilver : it is also to be met with in 
 a kind of clay, and sometimes flows down the passages 
 or fissures of the mine in a small continued stream, so 
 that a man has frequently gathered in six hours thirty- 
 six pounds of Virgin Mercury, which bears a higher 
 price than common quicksilver. The rest is extracted 
 
306 WONDERS OF NATURE AND ART. 
 
 from cinnabar, or ore of quicksilver, which is pounded, 
 washed, and distilled in large iron retorts, whence the 
 mercury comes over pure into a receiver. Eight hun- 
 dred retorts are employed at one time in the furnaces 
 belonging to this mine ; and we may judge of the vast 
 quantities of quicksilver procured from them, by the 
 remarks of an intelligent traveller, who tells us, that 
 he saw in the castle above four hundred and seventy 
 tons of it in barrels, and in another place, as much ore 
 as would take up two years to distil. 
 
 Many of the miners are afflicted with a nervous 
 disorder, accompanied with violent tremblings, convul- 
 sive motions of the hands and legs, and frightful dis- 
 tortions of the face. These disorders may be chiefly 
 attributed to the Virgin Mercury, which in a surprising 
 manner insinuates itself into the bodies of the miners, 
 so that when they go into a warm bath, or are put into 
 a profuse sweat by steam, drops of pure mercury have 
 been actually known to issue through their pores. 
 These mines are sometimes infested with rats and 
 mice, which feed on the crumbs of bread, &c. dropped 
 by the miners at their meals ; but these animals soon 
 fall victims to the same convulsive disorders which 
 attack the workmen. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 Plummer and Brewis, Printers, Love Lane, Eastcheap. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 A. 
 
 Pag-e. 
 
 ••*t««»««« 
 
 201 
 
 Air Pump 
 
 Andes, the 139 
 
 Antiquities near Na- 
 ples 270 
 
 Alps, the 97 
 
 Art of Making Pins . . 13 
 
 B. 
 
 Banian Tree 24 
 
 Bavarian Salt- Works. .298 
 Beaver, the 242 
 
 C. 
 
 Casting Metals 209 
 
 Cascade nearTerni.. 282 
 Catacombs or Mummy 
 
 Pits 65 
 
 Cathedral of St. Pe- 
 ter's at Rome 42 
 
 Colossus of Rhodes. . 77 
 
 Chinese Wall 78 
 
 Cochineal Insects 91 
 
 Chimpanzee or Pigmy 168 
 Curious Account of a 
 
 Wild Man 265 
 
 D. 
 
 Dreadful Devastations 
 
 of the Locusts 3 
 
 Dexterity of a Goat . . 22S 
 
 E. 
 
 Economy of the Bee . 32 
 
 Elephant, the 286 
 
 Everlasting Fire 90 
 
 
 Page. 
 F. 
 
 Fall of the Niagara.. 302 
 Fecundity of Plants . . 242 
 Funerals of the Hin- 
 doos 176 
 
 Fountain Trees 160 
 
 Fresh and Salt Lake of 
 Mexico 263 
 
 G. 
 
 Grotto of Antiparos . . 83 
 Grand Road from Pe- 
 tersburgh to Mos- 
 cow 183 
 
 H. 
 
 Humming Bird 269 
 
 I. 
 
 Instances of Bodily 
 
 Strength 259 
 
 Instinct of Animals .. 294 
 Invention of Paper and 
 
 its Manufacture . . . 151 
 Inundation of the Nile 45 
 Inns in Eastern Coun- 
 tries 254 
 
 J. 
 
 Jerusalem and Neigh- 
 bourhood 1X9 
 
 L. 
 
 Land Crab 70 
 
 Land Ship 14q 
 
VI 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 M. 
 
 Pa^e. 
 
 Mines of Carniola.... 304 
 
 Mines of Peru 147 
 
 Mines of Dalmora . . . 179 
 
 Mole and Worm 260 
 
 Mount Vesuvius and 
 
 Etna 104 
 
 Musical Pigeon 262 
 
 N. 
 
 Natural Bridge of 
 Virginia 94 
 
 Nutmeg, Cinnamon, & 
 Clove Trees 248 
 
 O. 
 
 Orang Outang 166 
 
 Ostrich, the 134 
 
 Origin and Invention 
 
 of Clocks 18 
 
 Origin of Important 
 
 Discoveries 246 
 
 P. 
 
 Parrot, the 157 
 
 Phenomena of Burning 
 
 Springs 11 
 
 Poison Tree of North 
 
 America 240 
 
 Pyramids of Egypt . . 54 
 
 R. 
 
 Rattle-Snake 67 
 
 Remarkable Quarrj'. 150 
 Remarkable instances 
 
 of Abstinence 163 
 
 Ruins of Herculaneum 
 
 and Pompeii 299 
 
 Page. 
 
 s. 
 
 Salt-Mines of Weilits- 
 ka 15 
 
 Sagacity and Economy 
 
 of the Ants 26 
 
 Sea Cow 79 
 
 Sea Cat 81 
 
 Sea Snake 239 
 
 Secretary Falcon .... 96 
 
 Silkworm .... 229 
 
 Spider, the 2<'8 
 
 St. Paul's 185 
 
 Stadhouse of Amster- 
 dam 155 
 
 Stonehenge ........ 235 
 
 Surprising Cupressus 
 Distichia 268 
 
 T. 
 
 Tarantula, the 2G6 
 
 Turtle or Tortoise ... 74 
 
 Tar Lake 171 
 
 Tower, the 192 
 
 Torpedo, the 255 
 
 Terrible Sea-Monster. 264 
 
 U. 
 
 Upas, or Poison Tree 1 
 
 W. 
 
 Westminster Abbey. , 186 
 
 AVhirlpools 206 
 
 Wonders in the Hea- 
 vens 217 
 
 Wonders at the Fire- 
 side .....••• 223 
 
 WonderfulThings pro- 
 duced by Art 276 
 
 White Bear 181 
 
 <r^J 
 
I