Revocation of the Edict of Nantes.—The immense loss sustained by France in all her great interests, as affecting her civil and religious liberties, her commerce, trade, arts, sciences, not to speak of the unutterable anguish inflicted upon hundred of thousands of individuals (among whom were the writer's maternal ancestors,—their name, Courage), by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, has lately called into action the pens of some industrious and talented men of letters, among whom M. Weiss is one of the most meritorious. His interesting work, I observe, is about to receive an English dress. In the shape of a Note through your medium, in order that the translator may avail himself of information which, possibly, may not have reached him, it should be known that Mr. William Jones, one of the highly respected and accomplished employés of the British Museum, has written a letter to the Journal des Débats (inserted in its number of Nov. 30, and signed with his name), containing farther information of a painfully-absorbing nature, from documents in the Museum, respecting the dragonnades, and the sufferings and persecutions of a French pastor.
John Macray.
Oxford.
Queries.
DERIVATION OF SILO.
Can you or any of your correspondents inform me what is the derivation of the word silo?
For many years after the colony of New South Wales was founded, it was almost wholly dependent upon the mother country for such supplies of grain, &c. as were necessary for the life and health of its inhabitants; and, consequently, store ships were regularly despatched from our shores to Sydney.
It happened however that, in consequence of wrecks and other disasters, the colonists were, on more than one occasion, reduced to the greatest distress, and starvation almost began to stare them in the face. Under these circumstances, one of the early governors of Sydney, to prevent the recurrence of famine, gathered a large supply of corn and deposited it in granaries which he had excavated out of the solid rock at the head of the bay, near the mouth of the Paramatta River. These were termed silos or siloes: they were hermetically sealed up, and from time to time the old corn was exchanged for new.