The Sun.
London, England, 1812-12-10 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY • BOY.

[For, the following_ account of an American
Boy,, whose powerfinicaleulation arc of the 1»ost
wonderful nature, we are indebted to. ACKER-
MA.N'S-REPOSITORYI • • •

The attention of -the philosophical world tras
been lately attracted by the most -singular. phe-'
nomenon in the history of the human mind that
perhaps ever existed. It is the case of a Child;
tinder eight years of 'age, who, without any pre-
vious knowledge of the conniton talks of arid:,
metic, or even cif the use and power of the Arabic
numerals, and' without having given 'any particu-
lar attention to the subject. possesses (as if by
intuition) the singular faculty of solving a great
variety 'of Arithmetical Questions by the mere
operation of the mind, and withoutthe usual as-.
sistance of any visible syMbol or contrivance.—
His name is Zerah Colburn, born at Cabot- (a
town at the head of Onion River, in tile. United
States of America), September 1., 1804. In Au-
gust, 1810, although at that time not six years of
age, he first began to shew those wonderful
powers of calculation which have since so much
attracted the attention and excited 'the astonish- .
ment of every person who has witnessed his ex-
traordinary abilities. The discovery was made by
accident : His father, who had nut given hint
any other instruction than such as was to be ob-
tained at a small school establishment in that nu-,
frequented•and remote part of the country (add
which did not include either writing or cypher:
rug), was much surpri-.;cd one day to hear 'him'
repeating the products of several numbers.—,
Struck with amazement at the circumstance, he
proposed a variety of arithmetical questions to
him, all of which the child solved with remara-
able facility and correctness. The news of this
infant prodigy soon circulated through the 'neigh-
bourhood, and many persons came from distant
parts to witness so singular a circumstance. The
father,' encouraged by the, unanimous opinion of
all who came to see him, was induced to under-
take, with the child, the tour of the United Stites.
They Were every where received with the most
flattering expressions ; and in the several towns
which they visited, vatious plans were suggested
to educate and bring up the 'child, free front all
expense to his family. Yielding, ltowever;:to the
pressing solicitations of his friends, and urged by
,the most respectable and powerful recommenda
tions, as well as by a view to his son's more com-
plete education, the father has brought the child
to this country, where they Arrived on the 12th of
May last, and the inhabitants of this 'metropolis
have, for these last three months., had an oppor-
tunity of seeing and examining this wonderful
phenomenon and of verifying the reports that have
been circulated respecting him.

•
Many persons of the first eminence for their
knowledge in mathematics; and well known for
':their philosophical inquiries, have a made a point
of seeierg and conversing with him, and have been
struck with astonishment at his extrordiimry
powers. It is correctly true, as stated of him—
" he will not only determine, with the greatest
facility and dispatch, the exact number of minutes
and seconds in any given period of time, - but will
also solve any other question of a similar kind.—
He will tell the exact product arising from the
Multiplication of any number, consisting of two,
three, or four figures, by any other number con-
sisting of the like ntu•aber of figures ; or any
number consistiut, of six or seven places of figures,
being proposed, he will, determine, with equal ex-
' pedition and ease, all the factors
,of which it -is
composed. This singular faculty extends not only
to the raisingof powers, but also to the extraction
of the square and cube roots of the number propos-
ed ; and likewise to- the means of determining
whether it be a prime number (or a number in-
capable of division by any other number) for
which case there does not exist at present any ge-
neral rule amongst mathematicians." All these,.
and a variety. of other questions connected there-
with, are answered by this child with such prompt-
ness and accuracy (and in the midst of his juvenile
pursuitil, as to astonish every person who has
sited him.

At a meeting of his friends,• which was held for
the purpose of concerting the best method of pro
moting the views of his fattier, this child under,
took, and completely succeeded in, raising the
number 8 progressively up to the sixteenth power!
and in naming the last result, viz,. 281, 471, 976,
710, 656, he was right in every figure: Be was
then tried as to other numbers, consisting of
one figure ; all of which he raised (by actual mul-
tiplication, anti not by memory) as high as the.
tenth power, with so much facility and dispatch
that the 'person appointed to take down the re-
sults, was obliged to enjoin him not to be so rapid.
With ,respect to numbers consist ing of two figures,
. he would raise some of them to the sixth,seventh;
and eighth power; but not always with equal faci-
' lity: for the larger the products became, the more
difficult he found it to proced. He was asked the
square root of' lua29, and before the number
Could be written down, he immediately answered,
327. He was then required to name the cube
,root of 268, 536, 125, and with equal facility and
promptness he. replied 645: Various other ques-
-tions of a similar nature, respecting the roots and
powers of very high nurnbers, were proposed by
several of the gentlemen present, to all of which
lie answered in -a manne. One of the
party requested hini to mime the factors which
produced the number'247,4B3 which he immedi-
ately did by mentioning the two numbers !-;41 and.
263,' which, indeed, are the only two numbers
that will produce it, viz..: s>, 31279, 7 24415,

_ .
290, 83'el '..2065; 35;4 481i7,..295'el 581, and
313;4415. Be was then asked to give the'fac7
iors of 36,083 5 but he immediately replied, that
it had none, which in diict was the case, s 36,083
is a prime number. Other numbers were indis-
criminately proposed to hitd, and hd always suc-
ceeded in giving the correct factors, except in,
the case of prime, numbers which Ale discovered
annost as soon as proposed. Oise, of the gentle-
men asked hire how many minutes there were in.
48 years.; and before the question could be writ-

LONDON: printed by THOMAS'
'At the Ghieu

ten down, he replied, 23,225,500; and ittsi”nti
adited, that the number of seconds in the saute
period was 1;513,728,000, . Various queetionS of
the like kind were put to him, and to, all of thdin
he answered with equal facility and promptitude,
So as to astonish every one present, and to excite
a desire that so extraordinary a faculty should (if
possible) be rendered more extensive and use-
ful.
lle positively declares (and every observation
made seems to justify 'the 'assertion) that he does
not know how the answers Conte into his mind !
• and moreover he is entirely ignorant of the Coin-
mon rules of arithmetic, and cannot perform, tip-
on paper, a simple Sum in multiplicatioet or
sion.
It has been already observed, that it was evi-
dent, from some singular facts, that the child
operated by certain rules known only to himself:
This discovery was made in one or two instances,
when had been closely pressed npoti that point.
In one case he was asked to tell • the square of
4395 : liu at first hesitated, fearful, he shonld not
be able to answer it correctly; hut when he ap-
plied himself to he staid it was 19,316,025.--
I On being questioned as to the cause of his-hesita-
tion, he.repliel, that lie (lid not like'to multiply
fohr figures by four figures : " But," said he, " I
have found out another way; P inultipli!.!d 293 by
'293, and then multiplied this product twice by. the
number 15, Which produces the same result.:'--
On another occasion hiS* Highness the Duke. of
Gloucester asked him the product of 21,734 mul,
tipliecl by 343; heimmediately replied 11,801,562:
but on sonic remarks being made on the subject,
the child said that he had, in his own mind, mul-
,tiplieci 65,202 by 181. '
it must be evident, from what has been here
stated, that the singular faculty Which this child
possesses is not altogether dependent upon his
niemory. In the Multiplication of numbers, and
in•the eaising of powers, he 'is doubtless consi-•
derably assisted by that remarkable quality of the
mind, and in this respect, •he might be consider-
ed as bearing sonic. resemblance (if the diffeYence
of age did not prevent the.justness of the cOmpa.- -
rie,on)' to the celebrated Jedediah Buxton, and
other-persons of similar note. But in the extrac-
tion of the roots of numbers, and in determining
their factors (if any); it is cle'ar to all Who have
witnessed the astonishing quickness and aceur.cy
of this child, that the memory has little or nothing
to do with the process. Anti in this particular
point consists the remarkable difference beteen
the present and former instances of an apparently t
similar kind.

It has been recorded as an astonishing effort of
memory, that the celebrated Euler (who, in the
science Otanalysis, might vie even with Newton
hitmelf,
_could remember the first six powers of
everN; number under 100. 'This, probably, must
be taken with some restrictions ; but if true to'
the fullest extent, it is not more astonishing than
the efforts'of this child : with this additional cir-
cumstancein_favour of the latter, that he is capa-
ble of verifying, in' a very few seconds every II- ,
gu7e which he may have occasion for.
We may be permitted to hope and expect'that
those wonderful talents, which are so conspicuous
at this tally age, ni-ty, by a suitable education, be
considerably improved and extended, and that
some new light will eventually be thrown upon
those subjects, for the elucidation of which his •
mind appears to be peculiarly formed by nature,
since he enters into the world with all those pow-
ers and faculties which are not even attainable bi7'
the most eminent, at a more .advanced period of
life., Every mathematician must be aware of the
important advantages which have sometimes been
derived from the-most simple and trifling circum-
stances, the full efict of which has not always
been evident at first sight. To mention one sin-
gular instance of this kind :7—the very simple irtt-:,
provement of expressing the Powers and roots of
of quantitie by means' of indices, introduced a
new and general arithmetic of exponents ; and this
algorithm of powers led the way to the invention
of logarithms, by means of which all arithmetical
computations are so much facilitated and abridged:
Perhaps this 'child posseSses a knowledge of some
mo..e important properties connected with. this
subject ; and though he is incapable at present of,
giving et re satisfactory account of- the state
of his mind, or of communicating to others
the knowledge which it is so evident that he does
possess, yet there is every reason to believe, that
when the mind is more cultivated, and his ideas
more expanded, he will be able/not only to divulge
the mode by'which he at peseta-- operates, but
also to, point out some new sources of information
on this interesting subject.
Thr case is certainly one of great novelty and
importance, and every literary character, and
every friend to science,. must be anxious to see the
experiment fairly tried, as to the effect which a
suitable education may prodUce on a !bind consti-
tuted as MI apnears to be. With this view, a.
nomber of gentlemen have taken the child under
their .patronage, and have formed themselves into
a commif.tee for the purpose. of superintending his
education. • Application has,been made to a gen-
tleman of science, well known for his mathemati-
cal abilities, who has consented to take the child
under his immediate tuition.

A British squadron was .stationed• at the en-
trance of the Gulph of ':Dantzic during the whole
of the months of August, September, ?Ind Octo-
ber, and kept the enemy in a state of anxiety' and
inquietude. The vessels freqtAmtly adventured
close in to shore, and exchanged shots with, tlu
-forts and land batteries, without however sus-
taining or doing much injury : the principal ob-
ject of their cruise, that of detaining a large body
of troops from being sent to Russia, was coin-
pletely answered. , About three weeks before the
squadron departed, the officers learned 'from the
fishing boats which ventured out, that the Go-
vernor had received orders to send all his dispos-
able force to Vilna, to aid the retreat of Buona-
parte from Moscow; and.thaf he waited with im-
patience for the departure of the British squa-
dron, which he hadgearnediwould. take place in a
feW clays, when he would, dispatch' 22,000 Men,
compliance with his directions.

WOOD, of No. 22, Russell-court, Brydges-street, Givent-q:l7,
Cl-6') No, 112, SU'aild, WheiT ildvortisOnc;ito Ord o

Tiit ARMY,

HORST.GUARDS, Nov. 7. 181.2.

At a General Court Martial, held at Quebec on
the I Ith of Ma'y, 1812, and continued by adjourn-
na,nts to the I,:;th of the same month, Lieutenant
William Sheehan, of the Royal .NewlOanclland
Fencibles, was arraigned upon the under-men-
fined Charge, viz.

For beini.driink on the Caqie-guard, of w'Mch
he had the command at Quebec, on the night of.
Thursday, the 7th of 1812.
Upon Which Charge the Court came to the fol-
lowing decisiim
The Court having beßrd, and examined the in-
formation, exhibited against the prisoner, to-
gether with his -defence, is. of ophlion, that Lieu-
tenant Willitun‘ Sheehan, of the Royal Newfound-
land Feneible Regiment 'of Infantry, is Guilty of
the Charge preferred :Ig...hist ii n, and 'cloth there-
fore,_ for the smne, adjpdge the said William
Sheehan to be cashiered.

, His Royal Hiu:hness the 'Prince Regent was
pleased, in the name and on the behalf of his Ma-
jesty, to approve and confirm the finding and -sen-
tence of the Court, and the CoMmaner-in-Chief
directs, that the Charge preferred againct Lien-
tenant William Sheehan, tog'ether with the find-
ing and sentence of the Court, be read at th..
head ()revery corps, and entered in the General
Order Book.

By Command of his. Royal Highness the Com-
mander-in-Chief,

HARRY CALVERT, Adj. Gcn.

FICrtE GUARDS, Nov. 17, 1812.

At a General COurt Martial held at liallinasloe,
on the 2th and 29th of August,
.1112, Private
Thomas Graley, of the :21st Regithent of Foot,
was arraigned upon the undermentioned Charge_
viz.

-lit. For desertiOn from the 21st Regiment of
Foot, sonic time in July or Augm'it, 1811.
2d. For,maiming himself, or pel.mitting himself
to be tmiimed'on or.about the night of the 3d of
August, 181'2, (.while prisoner in the main-guard),
by cutting off two and injuring a third finger of
his lvft hand, with an intention of rendering him-
self utifit for his Majesty's service.
Upon which Charges the Court came to the fol-
lowing decision :

The Court having considered the evidence in
support of the prosecution on'the first Charge, as
also what -was ol::.'red by the prisoner in his de--
, fence, are of opinion, that he is guilty .of the
crime laid to his charge: •
The
.Court are farther of opinion, and do find
'the prisoner guilty on the second Charge.
The Court having found the_prisoner, private.
Thomas Graicy, of the 21st Re4iment of Foot,
guilty of both Charges, being in breach of the
Articles of War, do sentence him, private Thomas
Graley, to be transported as a felon for life.
His Royal Highness the Prince Regent was.
pleasedy in the name and on the behalf of. his
Majesty, io approve and confirm the finding and
sentence of the Court: and the Commander-in-
Chief directs, that the Charges preferred against
private Thomas Graley, together with the finding
and -sentence of the Court, shall be read at the
head ?I' every corps, and entered in the General
Order Book..

By command of his Royal Highness the Com-
mander-in-Chief,

HARRy Adj, Gen.

Account .(y some late occurrences in Madrid, ex-
tracted, and
,in part abiidged, froth thaeonciso,
of the 20th and 21st of N-Jvember, 1812.

MAnyap, Nov.. 10.-I'he brave people of
Aradrid were, not ignorant that the .French Army
of the South was approaching„by La Mancha, and
as little NI-are they ignorant that its force exceeded
fifty thouLinGl men, but at the same time it was
known, how great a number,of troops iiad passed
through the city towards the Tagus, and that the
Spanish ArMy of the Centre, under the command
of Senor Elio, rendered -the total of our forces
greater than that of the enemy. When the French
had taken the castle of Chinchella, they advanced,
and consequently the Whole Allied Army aban-
doned the left bank of the Tagus, breaking down
the bridges, &c.

On the 29th of October, at two, P. M. orders
from his Exceilencv.the Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo
were.received, th.A the whole army on the rfaus
should retreat to Ohl Castile. It would, be
ditli-
cult to describe the alarm which seemed to have
seized all the Officers of GGvernment, without re-:
fleeting on the effect which so sudden and incon-
siderate an impression might produce on the in-
habitants. Nothing seemed to be thought of but
the individual. security of their pers9us , and the
Junta having dissolved itself, on the Captain Ge-
ner:d, the. Political Chief, and. the Intendant affix-
ing: a notice, in substance purporting that the en.
trance of the enemy into the capital being at hand,
and considering that the sacrifice of their persons
would be useless, they hail resolve(J to remove to
another place, where they Might issue their orders
with more freedom. On the evening of the 20th
it was almost generally believed that the French
had broken the lines of the Allied Army ; others
reported !.he English had suffered a defeat in
Castile ; yet, notwithstanding, ajnd though on the
morning of the 30th, the people were without go-
vernment of any kind, and the care of the pri-
soners and hospitals abandoned, 110 'robbery or
mischief of any kind was committed.

The indignation at the. paper left by the Chiefs
was indeed great,- but it was not .manifested by
any cries or expressions which could
..propagat?, •
alarm. The two Alcides were among the first to
abandon the people—the greater part of the Regi-
dors did the same—but there were not wanting
of a firm chal.acter, and generous soul, who,
far from feeling alarm, brayed ail danger w:hen
the safety of the people. Was in qvcstion Three
Regidors alone remained, ,Dou P. S. de Baranda,
I)un M. de Rivacob4 y Gorhea, and I'. Uriarte,
'vho having called in the.assistanee of the Regi-:
d6r, Lominatcd of conpnoo accord, as. Corregidor
ud the:Corregidor Juan Don Pedro Sainz
de baranda: •

;leti ; IPublished by , ARMIGER. SCRIPPS, South
rtio- Paper, Le.U.:rs tor the I:l;tp.r, (ptet peat), r.

THE .LUDDITL'S.

trot TIE LEEI) UhRCI/ItY, DEC. t

HunDENsPIELbi Di.c..5.--,-Our Correspondent
male,. the above. (bite, sa's - that the spirit a
- ...

Luddism ~which his last letter; like the Plinct.-

Regent's s'peeeb, 'represented to be extinct, naer
raged with more than usual violence. Last Still-,
day night; about a quexter past nine o'olOck, a
number of men armed with pistols or short guns,
one of them with the lower part of his face co-
vered" with a black handkerchief, entered the
house of Mr. William Walker, of New-Hail,
fartowp, near Iludderz:field, Cloth-manufacturer,
and after taking from him a gun, a pistol, and a.
power- born,_ demanded his money; and obtained
From him about fifteen pounds in notes; the wt ole
of which they offered to return him except one,
lie would give them a guinea in gold; not be; b,,-
41%are of this "decoy, he took out a small yin
containing five guine:ts, which they
seized, and took all.the gold, without returnia
the notes : the 'chief then proceeded to rans.:ly-:
his papers, while others •of the patty presentc,i
their pieces at Mr. Waller, -and- after cantioning
the family, on pain of death, not to quit' the
house for two hours after, they departed. .
The same gang then proceeded to the house of
-Mr. George Scholes, a shopkeeper, at .1.-',:u-to:J.Tt;
from whom they took a gun, between 30 and 40,5.
'in silver; one five pound not and 9or 10 pro-
vincial onq poimd notes; • together with a pair of
silver tea tongs, mitt two silver ea-spoons ; Dot
content with this,booty, they went into the-cel-,
lar, and seized and carried away a bottle of tum,
and. some provisions. On taking their leave, they
told the family, that they should leave a guard
about the house to prevent anyone quitting it for
two hours. After their departure, it was .!'oruid
that they had left behind them a sort of blunder-
bws, and a Ratchet. •

From thence they proceeded to the house of
Mr. ,JOsias Thornton, of Gilley Royd, near Fixby;
farmer, where they arrived about half-rest tea
o'clock ; here four men entered the house, c,vo.of
them armed with blunderbusses, a, third with a
gun; and the caner with a pistol ; their ;I..st
wand was for arms, but on being tdld that the fa-
mily had neither arms nor money, they or4ere,,
‘‘. Enoch, Captain, Serjeant, and Hatchet-men to
enter," and two others entered the house, but oa•
"Mrs. Thornton promising to endeavour to fiat
them some money, they returned at the wortl'of
command ; she then took a locket-book contain-
ing five one-pound notes from a drawer, witic.ll-
- of them snatched from her, while others.were:
employed as guards over Mr. Thornton ; all rbi.i..
party was distiuised, and one of these wrerch;:s
struck Mrs. 'lhornton a violent blow over the
head, and another of them snapped a pistol.,
which did not explode, at her husband.
They next proceeded to the house of Mr. JPrnes
Brook of Bracken-Hall, in Fartown, whet e after
conducting themselves in the same outs igeons
manner, they carried away his silver watch, a
one-pound note, and 4s. in silver. , From thence
they proceeded to John Wood's ,tvli ere after break-
ing the door and windows and rummaging the btak'se
without finding any thing that answered their pur-
pose, they called over the numbers from 1 to 9
and went away.

From John Wood's they went to the house of
Mr. William Radcliffe at Woodside, where they
obtained 111. 10s. 6d. in notes, six .;itineits
gold, and between two and three pounds in sil-
ver and copper, besides a quantity of tea, some
loaf sugar and liquors, and several articles t;e
plate.

Their last visit was to Moses Ball, Gilley Rord„
which they plundered of about Two pounds worth
of silver change.
The number of this desperate banditti is nat
precisely linoWn, but it is supposed to: be a1.)..t;.t
sine or ten. Several persons have been appre-
hended on suspicion of having been concerned in,
the above robberies, but the result we. have
heard.

BIRTHS.

On the 48th October, the Lidif! of Henry ;'7,sPi.
:Majesty's Corisul,- &e. fus the Islaad of Madeira, of a
ter.

Ou Tuesday, the Lady at-Charles lloolse. Esq. of -AYcn-
tague-iquare, of a Daughttr.

I~IA~ZhIEI7,

On the Wth ult. at Pershore, the .Hon. Cocits,.
sc-
corrd son of the late, and brother to the present Lord 6:2:nefs,
t0r414.5; Herbert, Attie above
Oi Wednesday, tha 9th lust. in London, the Bev. Vincent
Edmiids,-Vicar of liro.onificid, to Jane, second da-ugnter of
Robert Tindal,. of Chelmsford, intim County of Essex, Esq.