Sigma.
Customs, London.
"Abscond."—This is a word which appears to have lost its primary meaning of concealment, apart from that of escape. Horace Walpole, however, uses it in the former sense:
"Virette absconds, and has sent M. de Pecquigny word that he shall abscond till he can find a proper opportunity of fighting him."
Cheverells.
Garlands, Broadsheets, &c.—Will you allow me to suggest to your correspondents, that it would be very desirable, for literary and antiquarian purposes, to form as complete a list as possible of public and private collections of garlands, broadsheets, chap-books, ballads, tracts, &c.; and to ask them to forward to "N. & Q." the names of any such public or private collections as they may be acquainted with. I need not say anything of the importance and value of the ballads, &c., contained in such collections, to the historical student and the archæologist, for their value is too well known to require it; but I would earnestly urge the formation of such a list as the one I now
suggest, which will greatly facilitate literary researches.
J.
Life-belts.—Suppose that each person on board the Tayleur had been supplied with a life-belt, how many hundreds of lives would have been saved? And when it is considered that such belts can be made for less than half-a-crown each, what reason can there be that government should not require them to be carried, at least in emigrant vessels, if passengers are so ignorant and stupid as not voluntarily to provide them for themselves?
Thinks I To Myself.