MISCELLANY.
Other people's eyes the cause of ruin.—Almost all the parts of the body, says Dr. Franklin, require some expense. The feet demand shoes; the legs stockings; the rest of the body, clothing; and the stomach a good deal of victuals. Our eyes, though exceedingly useful, ask, when reasonable, only the cheap assistance of spectacles, which would not much impair our finances. But the eyes of other people are the eyes that ruin us. If all but myself were blind, I should want neither fine clothes, fine house nor fine furniture.
Enormous Bird.—Mr. Henderson has discovered, in New Siberia, the claws of a bird, measuring each a yard in length; and the Yaknts assured him they had frequently in their hunting excursions, met with skeletons, and even feathers of this bird, the quills of which were large enough to admit a man's arm. This is a fact in support of the tradition, that the earth was formerly inhabited by giants, for men, not exceeding ourselves in stature, would have been helpless against birds of prey of this magnitude.
Martial glory.—In the Edinburgh Review of Dr. Seybert's "Statistical Annals of the United States," there is an admonition to the Americans to abstain from martial glory. "We can inform them," (says the Reviewer) "what are the inevitable consequences of being too fond of glory. Taxes upon every article which enters into the mouth, or covers the back, or is placed under the foot—taxes upon every thing which is pleasant to see, hear, feel, smell, or taste—taxes upon warmth, light, or locomotion—taxes on every thing on earth, and the waters under the earth—of every thing that comes from abroad, or is grown at home—taxes on the raw material—taxes on every fresh value that is added to it by the industry of men—taxes on the sauce which pampers man's appetite, and the drug that restores him to health—on the ermine which decorate the judge, and the rope which hangs the criminal—on the poor man's salt, and the rich man's spice—on the brass nails of the coffin, and the ribands of the bride—at bed or at board, couchant or levant, we must pay! The school boy whips his taxed top—the beardless youth manages his taxed horse with a taxed bridle on a taxed road; and the dying Englishman, pouring his medicine which has paid seven per cent., into a spoon which has paid fifteen per cent., flings himself back upon his chintz bed, which has paid twenty-two per cent.—makes his will on an 8l. stamp, and expires in the arms of an apothecary, who has paid 100l. for the privilege of putting him to death.—His whole property is then taxed from 2 to 10 per cent., besides the probate. Large fees are demanded for burying him in the chancel; his virtues are handed down to posterity on taxed marble; and he is then gathered to his fathers to be taxed no more."
Law Intelligence.—R. & C. Rhodes, vs. Peleg Congdon. The court are of opinion that the legal mode of computing interest, where there have been partial payments, is, to cast the interest on the principal, up to the time of the first payment, which add to the principal; and from this sum deduct the payment, and so on through all the endorsements when one year or more intervenes between the payments, provided the sum paid is greater than the sum due for interest, when the payment is made; if less than such sum is paid, to be applied towards the payment of interest; and where the note or mortgage has not run one year, then, cast the interest tin the payment, as well as the principal, up to the end of the year.—The above decision was made by the Supreme Court, at their late April term, in Kent, Maryland.
On Books.—Dr. Aikin in his valuable letters from a Father to a Son, thus elucidates the value of a Library:—"Imagine (says he) that we had it in our power to call up the shades of the greatest and wisest men that ever existed, and obliged them to converse with us on the most interesting topics—what an inestimable privilege should we think it!—how superior to all common enjoyments! But in a well furnished library we, in fact, possess this power. We can question Xenophon and Cæsar on their campaigns—make Demosthenes and Cicero plead before us—join in the audiences of Socrates and Plato, and receive demonstrations from Euclid and Newton. In books we have the choicest thoughts of the ablest men in their best dress. We can, at pleasure, exclude dulness and impertinence, and open our doors to wit and good sense alone. Without books, I have never been able to pass a single day to my entire satisfaction; with them, no day has been so dark as not to have had its pleasure. Even pain and sickness have for a time been charmed away by them. By the easy provision of a book in my pocket, I have frequently worn through long nights and days in the most disagreeable parts of my profession, with all the difference in my feelings between calm content and fretful impatience."
European Literature.—-The catalogue of the fair of Leipsic, for 1819, contains one thousand two hundred and sixteen new works, in Greek, Latin, and German; thirty-eight novels, thirty dramatic pieces, twenty-seven geographical maps, fifty-nine pieces of music; and seventy-seven works in foreign languages, the French, Italian, Polish, Bohemian, Danish, and Spanish.
Egypt.—The last news from this country, of inexhaustible curiosity, contains information respecting the labours of that magnificent undertaking, the Grand Canal of Alexandria. Already the primary effects of it have given an impulse to agriculture and industry, such as might be expected from it. The culture of cotton, of the sugar cane, of the mulberry tree, is beginning to assume a degree of activity, as also the rearing of silkworms; and some important new manufactories are already at work, holding out the promise of future commercial prosperity.
Lakes in New Holland.—It appears that two large seas or sheets of water have been discovered in the interior of New Holland, supplied chiefly by two considerable rivers, whose sources are on the western side of the Blue Mountains.
Missions in India.—The Reverend James Bryce, in a sermon preached in Calcutta, March, 1818, said, "Zeal the most active and disinterested, and diligence the most assiduous, have not been spared by the Christian missionary, in his pious attempts to convert the natives of India. But, alas! it may be doubted, if at this day he boasts a single proselyte to his creed, over whom he is warranted to rejoice."
Increase of Taxes in England.—A meeting of the magistrates, and other owners and occupiers of land in Monmouthshire, was held lately at Abergavenny, for the purpose of petitioning Parliament for relief. The 1st clause of the petition states, "That the farmer at this time can obtain but little more for his corn than in the year 1793, although the taxes are increased four fold, and the poors' rates above trebled, since that period."
British Exports.—The exports of white and plain calicoes from Great Britain, were—In 1814, 58,928,174 yards; in 1815, 65,669 930; in 1816, 50,251,102; and in 1817, 63,525,555.
Scull of king Robert the Bruce.—Lately in the church of Dumfermline, the grave of the celebrated warrior king Robert the Bruce was opened, in presence of a numerous assemblage of men of rank and science. The scull, and various parts of the skeleton, were in a state of preservation: now that the opinions of Gall and Spurzheim are not passed over as mere pieces of quackery, the curiosity of anatomists, and even of the public in general, was excited by this invaluable opportunity of inspecting and examining such a scull as that of king Robert the Bruce. We are told, that several of the propensities of this great man, were strongly expressed in the eminences of the scull—in particular, that the organ of combativeness was the most prominent of the whole.
Power of Ice.—The following singular account of the power of ice, is taken from an English periodical publication, of January 1820.
"Huyghens, in order to try the force with which ice would expand itself when confined, filled a cannon, the sides of which were an inch thick, with water, and then closed the mouth and touch hole so that none could escape. The instrument, thus filled was exposed in a strong freezing air. In less than twelve hours the water within was frozen, and began to dilate itself with such force, that it actually burst the piece in two different places. Mathematicians have calculated the force of the ice on this occasion; such a force, they say, would raise a weight of 27,730 pounds. From hence, therefore, we need not be surprised at the effects of ice destroying the substance of vegetables, trees, and even splitting rocks, when the frost is carried to excess.
"The late frost produced quite a phenomenon at the back of the Cold-Bath-Fields prison, where the New River Water Company's leading iron pipes cross the Fleet Ditch. The pipes not having been properly cemented, or the cement having worn away, the water had spouted up high in the air: and when the very severe weather was, it commenced freezing, and continued to freeze till a large cascade or fountain of ice was actually formed, as white as snow, about ten feet above the pipe, and reaching in large icicles concocted together nearly to the water in the ditch below. The bank was covered with a thick coat of ice from the spray, which blew from the water-fall. The circumference of the frozen pile could not be less than eight or ten feet, at half that height from the pipe. At a distance it was not possible to distinguish it from water spouting and falling down; and when close to it the ice looked so clear and beautiful, and the rarity of such an object being considered, made every one behold it with wonder and admiration."
Ingenious Machine.—The National Fire and Life Insurance Association, (London) have introduced a newly invented machine, which possesses the following properties: In case of fire, it instantly awakens the party in whose sleeping room it is placed—immediately lights a lamp—makes known the hour of the night, and not only that a fire has commenced, but in what room.
Chinese Superstition.—The following article, which gives some idea of Chinese superstition, is taken from a Peking Gazette:—"The 1st of May, 1818, there arose suddenly at Peking, a tempest, that obscured the heavens and filled the air with sand and dust. The Emperor, thinking it was a judgment from heaven, was very much alarmed, and very anxious to know what it meant: he assembled his ministers of state, and commanded them to endeavour to discover the cause of it: he then reprimanded his astronomers for not having foretold it to him. 'You announced to me,' said he to them, 'three days ago, the happy influence the stars had over me, foretelling a long and prosperous life; this was mere flattery, while you either would not or could not tell me of this impending misfortune.' Three of those sages gave their opinion, that the cause of this tempest was the dismissal of the late chief minister, Sung Tajin, and advised him to recall him; but his Majesty, far from approving their proposal, reprimanded them for having the presumption to meddle with the royal prerogative. The body of mathematicians gave in their opinion, assuring him that if this whirlwind, accompanied with dust, continued during the whole day, it indicated a perverse conduct and variance of opinion between the sovereign and his ministers, as well as a great drought and famine. If the wind disturbed the sand, moved the stones, and made much noise, inundations were to be expected; and if the dust continued to fall one hour more, the plague would rage in the southern regions, and half the inhabitants to the southeast would be sick."
The Gazette expresses his Majesty's uneasiness at this long drought. His Majesty has ordered his sons to fast, to pray, and offer sacrifices to heaven, to earth, and to the god of wind. There was to be a solemn festival on the 25th of May, 1819, at which all the princes, ministers, and nobles, were to appear in procession, wearing mourning as a mark of their contrition!
To Farmers' Wives.—A most excellent method of making BUTTER, is now practised in England, which effectually prevents its changing and becoming rancid.—The day before churning, scald the cream in a clean iron kettle, over a clear fire, taking care that it does not boil over. As soon as it begins to boil, or is fully scalded, strain it, when the particles of milk, which tended to sour and change the butter, are separated and left behind. Put the vessel into a tub of water, in a cellar, till the next morning, when it will be ready for churning, and become butter in less than quarter of the time required in the common method. It will also be hard, with peculiar additional sweetness, and will not change. The labour in this way is less than the other, as the butter comes so much sooner, and saves so much time in working out the buttermilk.—By this method good butter may be made in the hottest weather.