when he was carried with a quick wind, and yet perceived it not, the coach's motion being equally quick." STEAM ENGINES. "Man fell with apples, and with apples rose, Steam Engines will conduct him to the moon."- Byron. We have often heard of the utility of steam, being derived from its effect on the lid of the tea kettle; be that as it may, it was first employed to produce motion by Brancas, a philosopher at Rome, about the year 1628. But the first real steam engine for raising water, is described in a small pamphlet, published in the reign of Charles the Second, in the year 1663, entitled, "A Century of the Names and Scantlings of the Marquis of Worcester's Inventions, written in the year 1655.” No use was made of this invaluable hint until Captain Savary, in 1698, obtained a patent for an engine which operated both by the expansive and condensive force of steam, to be employed in drawing mines, serving towns with water, and for working all sorts of mills. Thomas Newcomen, ironmonger, and John Cowley, glazier, of Dartmouth, obtained a patent in 1705 for improvements made in the steam engine, and in which Captain Savary was admitted to participate. But it was reserved for James Watt, a mathematical instrument maker at Glasgow, to bring the steam engine to perfection. He obtained a patent for his great invention of performing condensation in a separate vessel from the cylinder. Many inventions have, since that time, been made by him for effecting a saving and better application of steam. Watt often acknowledged, that his first ideas on this subject were acquired by his attendance on Dr. Black's Chemical Lectures, and from his consideration of latent heat, and the expansibility of steam. The value of the steam engine to this country, may be estimated from a calculation, which shows, that the steam engines in England represent the power of 320,000 horses, which is equal to that of 1,920,000 men, which being in fact managed by 36,000 men only, add actually to the power of our population 1,884,000 men. HORSE'S POWER. This term, used as the name of a measure of power, is an expression which had its origin in convenience. In its first application no great nicety was necessary; but as the value of mechanical power became better understood, an exact measure, nearly coinciding with the power of a horse, and uniformity in the practice of engineers, became desireable. Mr. Watt has fixed the elementary horse power at 1,980,000 lb. raised one foot per hour, or 33,000 lb. raised one foot per minute, or 55 raised one foot per second. Mr. Watt further assigned a proportion for the low-pressure steam engine, equivalent to a horse's power, which is 55 times the square of the diameter of the cylinder, in inches, multiplied by the velocity of the piston six feet per minute, and the product divided by 33,000, the result is the number of horse's power. The advantage of steam power is apparent; the horse can work at that rate only eight hours; the engine may be kept at work as long as wanted. Alluding to the Newtonian Discovery. WINNOWING MACHINES. These very useful machines were a Chinese invention, brought to Europe by the Dutch, and first made in Scotland by Rodgers, near Hawick, in 1733, from whence they were soon after brought into Northumberland, where they were first used in England. SPINNING JENNIES. The Spinning Jenny, to which this country owes so much of its commercial greatness, was invented by Richard Arkwright, a barber, but who afterwards became an eminent manufacturer, and ultimately Sir Richard Arkwright, Bart. The term Jenny, was derived from his wife, whose name was Jane; but whom he used to address by the familiar name of Jenny; thinking, no doubt, as the latter had been very prolific (which was the case), that his new invention would be equally so, under a similar appellation. The result justified such a conclusion. AIR BALLOONS. As balloon ascensions seem quite the rage, it may not be amiss to state. that Mr. Lunardi ascended in one from the Artillery Ground, Moorfields (the first attempt of the kind in England), September 15th, 1783. LANTHORNS, Were first invented by king Alfred, in 890. DIORAMA, &c. Reader, did you ever see the diorama, or the cosmorama, or the poecilorama, or any of the panoramas? If not, we advise you to go and see the whole of them immediately, because they are all very pretty affairs, and well worth seeing. But what is the meaning of these terrible-looking, fearfully-sounding words? What is pœcilorama especially? Greek, gentle reader, vile heathen Greek!— Now, first, you will notice, they all end in a three syllable word, orama, which, for all so big as it looks, is no other than our plain English view, with an old-fashioned cloak about it. When pan is placed before it, the two together signify neither more nor less than a complete view. If you prefix cosmo, the compound ought to mean a view of the universe; but as that would be rather an extensive one, the show folks have taken it in a somewhat narrow sense, as signifying views of several parts of the world; this, by the way, is a meaning which it will not bear, and therefore pacilorama has the advantage, since the name is formed, as the grammarians say, more legitimately, for it really signifies what it is, a varied view, or various views. Diorama, again, is a peep-through view, and is given to the pictures from part or all of them being transparent. The Panorama is neither more nor less than a large picture, the Diorama is a transparency, and the Cosmorama and Poecilorama a couple of galanta shows for grown up ladies and gentlemen. KALEIDOSCOPE. "Mystic trifle, whose perfection All things men so dearly prize; This ever varying optical instrument derives its name from xaños beautiful, dos a form, and σxone to see. The novelty was so enchanting that opticians could not manufacture kaleidoscopes fast enough to meet the universal desire for seeing the delightful and ever varying combinations presented by each turn of the magical cylinder. It was invented by Dr. Brewster, to whom, had its exclusive formation been ensured, it must have produced a handsome fortune in a single year. Unhappily, that gentleman was deprived of his just reward by fraudful anticipation.* WATER CARRIAGE. Floats, or rafts, are believed by most authors to have been the first kind of water carriage. To these succeeded canoes, made of one large tree excavated, to secure its freight from being wetted or washed away. "Tunc alnos primum, fluvii sensere cavatas." As uncultivated natives wanted proper tools for sawing large trees into planks, the most ancient vessels or boats in several countries were made of oziers, and the flexible branches of trees interwoven as close as possible, and covered with skins. The sea which flows between Britain and Ireland, says Cæsar, is so unquiet and stormy, that it is only navigable in summer, when the people of these countries pass and repass it in small boats made of wattles, and covered carefully with the hides of oxen. SHIPS OF WAR. The art of ship-building was first invented by the Egyptians; the first ship (probably a galley) being brought from Egypt by Darius, 1485, B. C. The first ship of 800 tons was built in England, 1509. The first double decked one built in England was of 1000 tons burthen, by order of Henry 7th; it cost £14,000, and was called the Great Harry; before this, 24 gun ships were the largest in our navy. Port-holes, and other improvements, were first invented by Descharges, a French builder at Brest, in the reign of Louis 12th, 1500. Brewster's History of Kaleidoscope. D BASKETS. "From Britain's painted sons I came, That Rome would claim me for her own." Baskets were first made by the ancient Britons, who exported vast quantities of them. Julius Cæsar, particularly alludes to them in his Commentaries. MARINER'S COMPASS. The Mariner's Compass was invented by Flavio Gioia, or Goya, a Neopolitan, and from which period we may date the general intercourse among nations. It was discovered early in the fourteenth century. FLEUR DE LIS ON THE MARINER'S COMPASS. Those who have seen the mariner's compass, or indeed a drawing of it, must have observed the fleur de lis at the point of the needle. This takes its origin from the inventor, who in compliment to the duke of Anjou, then king of Naples, placed his arms (fleur de lis) in that conspicuous situation. BRIDGES. Bridges were originally called Bows. Stow says, at Stratford by Bow is a bridge, the first that was built of stone in England. It was built by orders of queen Matilda, relict of Henry 1st, over the river Lea, and called Stratford Bow, from its arch which was a piece of architecture then probably new to the British nation. It was built in 1087. It is related, that queen Matilda, being closely pursued by her enemies, forded the river Lea below Old Ford, on which occasion, the waters being much out, some of her favorite attendants were drowned, and which afflicted her so much, that afterwards she caused the bridge above alluded to to be built over the said place. FISHING WITH NETS IN ENGLAND. The means of supplying life with necessaries, was but imperfectly known and cultivated. The poor pagans of Sussex, though starving for want of food, knew not how to catch any fish except eels, until bishop Wilfred (who in 678 took shelter in that district), instructed them in the use of nets. He took 300 at a draught, and thus supplying the bodily wants of his catechumens, rendered their minds tractable to his doctrines, and easily accomplished their conversion. GUNPOWDER. Kunz.-Friend Kinz, I've heard grave people mention, Kinz.-Whoe'er inform'd you so was drunk, Kunz.-Well, well, no matter what the name, Fables of Lessing. Gunpowder was known in the Eastern world long before its discovery took place in Europe. It is a curious fact, that upon our discovery of China, we found that nation possessed of gunpowder, a composition which could not have been made without a considerable knowledge of chemistry. The discovery of this death-dealing combustible in Europe is by some attributed to Bartholdus Schwartz, a German chemist, and monk, who happening to triturate some sulphur, nitre, and charcoal, in a mortar, was surprised and alarmed at an unexpected explosion, which blew off the head of his mortar to a considerable distance. The probability, however, is, that this was a second discovery of the same thing, for the first intimation that was given of it, was considerably before, by that great philosopher, Roger Bacon, in his posthumous treatise, entitled, De Nulliate Magice, published at Oxford in 1316, nearly 150 years before the invention of printing, and about 22 years after the death of its venerable author. You may, says he, raise thunder and lightning at pleasure, by only taking sulphur, nitre, and charcoal, which singly have no ef fect, but mixed together, and confined in a close place, cause a noise and explosion greater than a clap of thunder. "Pent in dark chambers of cylindric brass And strength and courage yield to chimic arts." Gunpowder was first made use of in warfare, in Europe, by the English, at the battle of Cressy, in the year 1345, when, for the first time, three pieces of field ordnance, or cannon, * were first used. It was afterwards used by the Venetians at the siege of Genoa, and from that period was adopted by every power in Europe. Before the introduction of gunpowder, however, an highly inflammable compound, called Greek fire, was in use; and this, having the property of burning under water, could not easily be extinguished; consequently, it did surprising.execution. In the 12th century the emperors of Constantinople used to send quantities of this dreadful combustible to princes in friendship with them, as the most valuable present they could give them, and the greatest mark of their favour. It was considered so important an article of offence, that the use of it was continued long after the introduction of gunpowder. CANNONS. Cannons were first used at the battle of Cressy in the year 1345, they were, however, of a small kind. Great guns were first used in England at the siege of Berwick in 1405. Muskets were not invented till the year 1521. Cannons were first made of wood, bound with iron. Brass cannons first cast in England by John Owen, 1535. Iron cannons first cast 1543, in Sussex. BOMBS. Bombs were first invented in 1388, by a man at Venlo. Some attribute them to Galen, bishop of Munster. They were first *The first cannons were made of trees bored, and bound with iron hoops. Stone balls were used till the reign of Henry Sth. |