The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-01-30


IN the ocean, and eXposed~to the pressure
there, has It's pores filled with water. and
becomes as heavy as stone. Thus the boat
I OF whale ship, which has been dragged
tar under water by whale, on being after
words drawn up was supposed to be bring
Ing up piece of rock with it."
Elasticity:
Elastic bodies vary much in the extent
to which they yiel without BREAKING. and
In the degree of perfection with which.
alter the hendlng or displacement of atoms,
j they return to the former state India rub
Der is very elastic, for it Yields far f.; but it is
not perfectly elastic, for when stretched
much or often, it soon becomes permanent-
I ~ enlongated. Glass, again, is perfectly
elastic, tor 1t VIII retain no permanent
bend but, unless in very thin plates in
4 deed, 1t VIII not bend far without breaking.
! =" An ivory ball, let fall on marble slab.
rebounds by its perfect elasticity nearly to
the height from which it fell, and no mark
I IS left on either. If the slab be wet. it is
seen that the ivory had been a good deal
fiattened at the point Of contact, for con-
siderable circular surface of the slab is
found dried by the blow. Billiard balls
scarrel y lose their polish by long wear. al
though the touching parts yield at every
stroke"
/ The observations upon the centre of gray
/ lty are illustrated by more curious exam
I pies:
A body, we have seen, is totterinC in
t proportion as it has great altitude and mar
row base; but 1t is the noble prerogative
and distinction of man to he able to sun
port his towering figure on very narrow
base with great frlnness. This faculty is
acquired slowly because of the difficulty.
A child does well who walks at the end of
III or II months; while the young of quad
rupeds which have broad support, learn
to stand and move almost at once.
The supporting base of man consists
OF the feet and the space tsatween them.
The advantage Of turning out the toes is.
thHt without taking much from the length
OF the base, 1t adds good deal to the
breadth of it.
If there be art in walking on two PEI
feet feet, there must be still greater art n
walking on two wooden legs with rouid
eXtremities. This we see done nevertIe-
less, by many mutllated soldiers and sailors.
" But surprising in difficulty any of these
instances is the practice of walking on
{ l.
tants of the sandy plains in the south west
OF France, called Les Landes. These
plains afford tolerable pasturage for sheep :;
but during one season of the year they are
half covered with water and durinG tho
other it is most fatiguing to walk upon
them, by reason of their deep loose sand
and thick furze. The natives lessen the
annoyance from all these causes, hy length
fbo,r 4
through the addition of the stills mention
ed, which they call deS echo>8es. These
are wooden poles attached to the legs, and
put on and off as regularly as the other
/ parts of the Dress Raised upon them, the
/ people appear to strangers new and ex-
/ traordlnary race of long-legged beings !:
/ they march over the loose sand or through
( the water without Inconvenience, with steps
/ of eight or ten feet in length their walk
! ing speed is that of trotting horse. ana
they easily perform journey of 81 or 40
miles day. The shepherds, while watch
| ing their charge, post themselves in con-
venient stations, and with long staff sup
porting them behind, and their sheepskin
cloak and cap covering them above like "a
thatched roof they have the appearance OF
/ little Watch-toWers, or singular lofty tripods
scattered over the face of the country.'
/ TWo-thirds of our ordinary motions are
governed by the habitual necessity we Gnu
/ Of preserving the centre Of gravity.
when man rises from chair, he is
seen first to bend the body forward so as to
bring the centre of gravity over the ieet or
I base, and then he lifts it up. If he lift too
soon, that is before the body be sufficiently
! advanced he falls hack nraIn
"a man standing with his heels close to
a perpendicular wall, cannot bend forward
to pick up any thing that lies on the ground
near him, without himself falling forward,
because the wall prevents HIM from throw
ing part of his body backward, to counter
balance the head and arms that must pro
ject forward. A man little yersed in such
matters, offered ten guineas for PERMISSION
to try, under these circumstances, to pos
sess himself of a purse of 2Oi. lalu before
him: ne of course lost his money"
The painful affection called eu-sickness.
has relation also to this topic. Man re-
I curing always to maintain his perpenalcu-
larity, lnsensibly regulates and ascertalns
that point by the fixed and known position
Of objects about him.
Hence, on shipboard, where the lines
of the masts, windows, furniture, &c, are
constantly changing, sickness, vertigo, an.
other affections Of the same class are COM
mon to persons unaccustcmed to sbips.
Many experience similar effects in carrla-
ges and In swings, or looking from lofty
preclplce, where known objects being dis
tant, anu viewed under IA new aspect and
not so readily recognized: also in walking
on wall or root in looking directly up to ii
roof or to the stars. in the zenith, because
thenall standards disappear on walking IN
to round room, where there are no per-
pendicular lines of light and shade, as
when the walls and roof are covered with a
spotted paper without regular arrangement
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