time, since the planting, there is only one magnificent tree, in a secluded part, where there grows plenty of fern to protect the young fawns. It has always been greatly admired for its varied and extensive prospects. Barclay, in his "Icon Animorum," recommends Greenwich for one of the best prospects in Europe, and to see London, on the one side ships, and pleasant meadows on the other." In vol. i. p. 42, I mentioned some of the European observatories; besides those there are the following: at Uranburgh, 1576; Utrecht, 1636; Nuremberg, 1678; Berlin, 1711; Bologna, 1714; Lisbon, 1728; Pisa, 1730; Stockholm, 1746. The first person appointed to the office of astronomer royal was John Flamstead, "With that he circles draws, and squares, With cyphers, astral characters." HUDIBRAS. He drew the following chart of the heavenly bodies at the time of laying the first stone, still preserved on a sheet of parchment. The Phoenicians, the first navigators, are said to have sailed by the stars, in the great and little bears. The years 1708 and 1715, were very severe winters. BALLOONS. From a communication from Mr. Clark, in " the Gentleman's Magazine," 1834, it appears, that "in 1767, Mr. Black, was the first who (after Cavendish in the preceding year, ascertained the weight and other properties of inflammable air,) threw out the suggestion in one of his lectures, that if a bladder, sufficiently strong and thin, was filled with inflammable air, it would form a mass lighter than the same bulk of atmospheric air, and, consequently, rise in it." He farther states, "while pursuing my antiquarian researches the other day, in a rare poetical work, entitled "the ship wrecke of Jonas," translated from Du Bartas, by Sylvester, 1592, I was much struck on meeting with the following couplet: "Against one shipe that skips from stars to grounde, "In this single couplet, therefore, we appear to be presented with "confirmation strong as proofs of holy writ ;" that instead of balloons being, as is generally supposed, an invention of no more than sixty years' standing, they were known at least two centuries previous." "Balloons were certainly in existence long before 1782, if not in England, at all events, on the continent. What can the most sceptical say to the following?" "T. Macfarland, Esq. of Gressnal, when in Germany, on his way home with those specimens of the Ruta Baga, which he had the happiness to introduce to the notice of the British agriculturists, in 1797, had the singular felicity of being introduced to the celebrated mathematician, M. Von Mendleshim, at Stettin on the Oder, who showed him a drawing, &c. of a balloon, in a scarce work, published by John Christopher Sturm, bearing date 1701 !” "It was drawn and described, says Mr. Macfarland, as used by the inventor, and two others, many years previous, for the purpose of bringing them on shore from a ship anchored off Winslow." The first ærial voyagers were Messrs. Charles and Roberts, from Paris, 1783. The first female voyager was Madame Thible, from Lyons, who ascended 8,500 feet. POST-OFFICE. In 1632, began the post-office system from London to Edinburgh; in 1635, it was extended to other parts; the letters were sent on horseback; they went about six miles per hour; the price for a single letter, was two pence; in 1683, began the penny post, in London. The British government have turned this thing to a source of revenue, and it has reached to more than one million per year, more than its ex penses; but the prices charged were found to be so oppressive, that notwithstanding heavy penalties, people found out methods of evading it. Therefore, in the year 1839, a new, and perhaps the best alteration ever made came into practice, of charging no more than one penny, if previously paid, for any letter under half an ounce, to any distance all over the three kingdoms. There is now no franking, that privilege, which had been much abused, is abolished, never I hope to be revived again. In a debate in the House of Commons, in 1805, Mr. Pitt stated, that if the franking privilege was abolished, it would produce then about £40,000 per year: but in 1812, it was considered it detained from the revenue £250,400. The following account I give from the New York Sun, 20th February, 1843: "under the old rates, the annual number of letters, including franks, passing through the whole kingdom, was 82,470,596. Under the penny rate, taking the week ending March, 1841, the annual number was 193,515,666.” DIVING BELLS.-Captain Marryat, observes, "how many thousands of vessels, how many millions of property, have been abandoned, and eventually consigned to the all-receiving depths of the ocean, through ignorance or through fear." In remote ages, divers were kept in ships to assist in raising anchors, and goods thrown over in time of danger; and by the laws of the Rhodians, they were allowed a share in proportion to the depth. Thus "if gold or silver, or any other article, be brought up from the depth of eight cubits, the person who saves it, shall receive one third; if from fifteen cubits, the person who saves it, shall from the danger of the depth, receive one half; if goods are cast by the waves toward the shore, and found at the depth of one cubit, the person who carries them out safe, shall receive a tenth. Beekman. The recovering, therefore, of goods from the ocean, was not unknown; but, during this period, there was a "William Phipps, the son of a blacksmith, born in America, 1650, who had been brought up as a ship carpenter, at Boston, raised himself to fame, and his family to fortune, title, and distinction; he formed a project for searching and unloading a rich Spanish ship, sunk on the coast of Hispaniola; and represented his plan in such a plausible manner, that King Charles II. gave him a ship, and furnished him with everything necessary for the undertaking. He set sail in the year 1683, but being unsuccessful, he returned in great poverty, though with a firm conviction of the possibility of his scheme. He endeavoured, therefore, to procure another vessel from James II. who was then on the throne: but as he failed in this, he tried to find the means of executing his design by the support of private persons; and according to the prevailing practice, opened for that purpose a subscription. At first he was laughed at; but at length, the duke of Albemarle (son of the celebrated General Monk,) took part in it, and advanced a considerable sum to enable him to make the necessary preparations for a new voyage; and in 1687, set sail in a ship of 200 tons burden, to try his fortune once more, having previously engaged to divide the profit, according to the twenty shares of which the subscriptions consisted. At first, all his labours again proved fruitless; but at last, when his patience was almost exhausted, he was so lucky as to bring up from the depth of six or seven fathoms, so much treasure, that he returned to England with the value of £200,000. Of this sum, he himself got about a sixteenth, others say £20,000, and the duke £90,000. After he came back, some persons endeavoured to persuade the king to seize both the ship and the cargo, under a pretence that Phipps, when he solicited for his majesty's permission, had not given accurate information respecting the business. But the king answered, with much greatness of mind, that he knew Phipps to be an honest man, and that he and his friends should share the whole among them, had he returned with double the value. His majesty even conferred upon him the honour of knighthood, to show how much he was satisfied with his persevering conduct. This Phipps, was afterwards High Sheriff of New England, and died at London greatly respected, in 1693. Beekman. A descendant of this enterprising gentleman, was created Lord Mulgrave, of New Ross, in Ireland, 1767; which became extinct, but was revived, 1794, by the title of Baron Mulgrave, of Mulgrave in Yorkshire.* The motto to his coat of arms is "VIRTUTE QUIES," content in virtue. The happiest condition in this troublesome world. The diving-bell was used, 1665, on the coast of Scotland, to recover the treasures which were lost in the dispersed ships of the Spanish armada, wrecked on that and the Irish coasts, but with little success. But it has since been very successfully used, about the wreck of the Mary Rose Yacht, sunk in a gale off Spithead, in the reign of King William III.; she had on board some very curious cannon, neither the powder nor shot went in at the muzzle, and they could be fired out of either end. Although she has been sunk 140 years, her timbers are in a good state. I sup *This gentleman, the Honourable Captain Constantine Phipps, was commander of the Carcass bomb vessel, which with its consort, the Race-horse, another bomb vessel, set sail 1773, to explore the North pole. |