Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-07-28 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.

Sir,—As the champion of the non-slavery question with
regard to short hours, and closing on Saturday afternoon,
I appeal to you as rears c'esing the Exchange-news
and Underwritcr2-rooms early on Saturday. As regards
the former, it is very little frequented after ore o'clock
by real men of business, but merely by loungers or
waiters on Providence. All first class men leave busi-
ness at one o'clock, and the hour of two would be qaite
late enough for the room to be open for all le,gitituate
business.

With respect to the Underwriters'-room, it is compara-
tively deserted from the hoar of one o'clock, with the ex-
ception of two or three individuals, who appear neither
to have any business to attend to, or home to go to, or
mind enough to enjly a few hours rational rec•eation.
At the same time, these few obstructives are the cause of
keeping their clerks in their counting-houses doing ab-
solutely nothing and the officials at the rooms moveing
about for no earthly purpose, unless it is to show a
morbid taste a la dog in the manger.
Surely these cannot be your liberals "par excellence;"—
surely these cannot be aristocrats; surely—But I will
say no more, only that at Lloyd's, London, the room
is closed on Saturday at two o'clock precisely. Your•, &e.
Saturday, four o'clock. St, svomo.

NAVIGATION, AND MR JOHN TAYLOR ON THE
USE OF THE GLOBES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.

Sir,—The science or art of navigation seems to paysess
some peculiar charms, in addition to its practical utility.
I know not whether the attention of so many modern
Writers is attracted to this subject, in consequence of what
to themselves appear the simplicity or the sublimity of the
science. Of one thing, however, lam satisfied—viz., that
among the hest are to be found some who, by an expression
of their ideas, evidently prove that they themselves are
lamentably ignorant' of the extent and efficiency of the
system of navigation in daily prac'ice in their native
country. Otherwise they should blush, ere they would
venture to suggest to the nautical community, through the
columns of the Liverpool Mercury, " An improvement in
the practice of navigation, which" they may " conceive to
be-new
and important," but with which I have no hesita-
whatever.in believing every boarding-school Miss in
England to be perfectly familiar.
P rha
kindly explain
Ps, Mr. Editor, some of your nautical readers will
' Mr. John Taylor's meaning of the
following sentence
"In the common occurence of laying down a ships's
course of farther voyage, each time that its place is pre-
sumed to be known, a somewhat intricate problem in
Spheric Trigonometry is resolved by logarithmic calcu-
lation."
I must elnfess that I dc' not perceive the idea, if any
intended, to be conveyed. But, continues Mr. T., " This
mode gives the line with accuracy , but it is not free from
chances of error, in taking out the logarithms. As a
check on this I would propose the use of a terrestrial
globe."

Not free from the chance of an error ! ! But this is not
the question. Is it more liable to a chance of an error
than any other calculation requiring the aid of logarithms
for solution ? this is the question for decision.
But further to this piece of sage information,—call it
admonition, if you eh .ose,—" In steering by the compass,
allowance must be made for its variation."
What else do mariners steer by, but by their compass ?
And where is the apprentice lad in any employ In Liver-
pool, upon whom this grand piece of new and important
information is not utterly thrown away ?
Really, Mr. Editor, I am almost led to conclude that,
at the present moment, were my poor old grandmother to
write sometbiru in the shape of a paragraph, and head it,
navigation, a seat would be conceded to trier in the Temple
of Fame, side by side with bold Scipio and Epaminendas.
so that her name should outlive monumental brass. Sed
rerbum Sat.—l am, sir, your obedient servant,
Liverpool, July 24, 1857. M. D., Nov MEDICVS.