The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-01-30
EDITORS CORRESPONDENCE.
From our European Correspondent.

No Xxx
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES application OF
! H.-MagnetIc TcIcgraph-Immense extension of Its
povers.-Progress OF age.
| FRANKFoRr-oN-rHE- MAINE, December %, 1876
DEAR In paragraph noticing the discovery of Pro
cssors Sohonbsn and Botger contained in the Union
October % it remarked: 'We should like
account Of the impression which this and important
position-GUNPowDER- produced upon the world, il
any trace OF it be found upon the ancient manuscript
records have recently searched with much for in
formation upon the subject, and after having examined
several works, concluded to translate and abridge the
account given in R,unH='s Encyclopaedia, being more
satisfactory than any other could find.
1t is supposed ha thunder and lightning, terrific and
powerful in their influences occasioned the discovery
GUNPowpER. The experiments produce material
that would ignite and explode in imitation Of them
so numerous that history has been unable retain
succnc of each. not properly explained
what was the nature OF the invention from which the old
Greek poet derived the fable of Promeiheus stealing the
fire from Heaven According authors, this son
oil Jaet was great naturalist, who taught the Assyrans
astronomy and enlightened them upon the nature thun-
der and lightning Saimoneas, of IEous, King OF
Thessaia is also mentioned in the fables who mi-
ated the thunder of Jupiter, and, Notwithstanding
ce taken OF him by Homer yet Eustatus found in his
torica books that Samoneus distinguished artist
who could he immortal Joves dread clanors counterfeit
which he effected is stated by Apolodor the collector
of fables, by the OF vessels of bronco by which
enabled to throw fire or burning torches immense
distance into the air It is related by the trustworthy
bio CHssus and others, that the mad Roman Empe-
ror, Caus Caligula who declared himself be a
god and called himself Jupiter, erected temples, and
appointed priests 10 reverence him. Previous this
| he lived in constant fear of thunder and lightning
In his dignity, however, he bid defiance the heav
emily Jupiter, with artificial MISUNDERSTANDING, du-
ring stoms thunder and lightning. As often lightning
struck object he would discharged thnderbo the
time repeating the words which, in Homer, Aax
says Ulysses "either thou shalt kill me, or | will kill
thee 1t is quite certain, therefore, that gunpowder,
substance unlike it, have been used the
noise well as the light
1t is believed that the article originally invented in
the East Indies. Du Hade says, his description of
China Though the of gunpowder in the empire has
been very long, yet that of artillery quite late in its intro
ducton The latter is scarcely employed for other purposes
than fireworks" but immediately afterwards he remarks
hee three four large short guns laying the
gates of Nankn, which conclusive proof that the
| Chinese had knowledge of artillery but it
seems that they did know how them, and
| that they placed there merely curiosity
More recently has been ascertaned that gunpowder and
irmarms known in the East Indies many centuries
before the Christian When Warren Hastings gov
OF Bengal, he induced eleven learned Bramins
senbe nj Calcutta and there to make extracts from the
religious books OF all the civil laws and These
tracts translated from the Sancrit into the Persian and
then into the English languages and from them is
tanned that among other obligations imposed upon
arch, he expressly forbidden .cmpoy in pois
oned arrows, any kind of firearms. Phlosa
states, in the life of Appoonius of Thyane, that the
Bramins Of India threw thunder and lightning their
enemies. If this rue then is highly probable that
Caigua used gunpowder in his thundermaking machine
When the PhGnicans inhabing the shores of the
Red sea, they had vast trade to the East Indies, and
when they afterwards founded Tyre the Meditera-
mean, they continued this profitable commerce but
when Tyre destroyed by Alexander the Great, Alex
andria became the of commerce between the east
and the In the Augustan age, 120 ships sailed
nualy from Myoshoos Egypt to the East Indies and the
merchandise imported from there, which re-exported
from Alexandria to Rome amounted to 1000 dollars
year Under these circumstances, may be inferred that
among other articles, gunpower may have occasionally
been imported Mr. Halhed secretary and translator
Warren Hastings, that he told by the Branins
at their ancestors, before guns introduced had used
different description of instrument Tor shooting They
made powerful discharges from banboose which divided in
the air into several forks arrows, and seldom failed
reach the point aimed at Thomas HYDE in his history OF
chess relates number of facts corroboraing the frcsoot
ing, termed of the East Indians. The combusti-
BILE article employed may have been similar the famous
Cirecian fire of the middle ages which composed OF
napa, ews-pitch, SULPHUR rosn, &c, and invented,
is supposed by Marcus Gracious Roman This compost
first used in battle in the seventh century, and with
extraordinary against the Saracens the Hell
espon where the fleet of the enemy, with 1900 men,
blown up The discovery of this material has d
connexion with that OF gunpowder and is only
eed because il does belong Europe, for all authors
in the opinion that it brought Constannople
from Asia by Calinius and because, in later times the
properties represented be contained sub
stance of totally different quality In the siege of Da
stance which produced horrible effect, destroying every
thing with which it in contact Joinvile, who
present. mentioned that sit thrown hy mortar pieces
appeared in the air like star with long and fiery tail
and produced noise like thunder" The probability is
that this gunpowder, something closely resembling
it, for its use, about that time, became known in
western Europe. lncontestble proof of this is Civ
en- by Roger Bacon in his treatise, "de muabHibus
ct de niitae magic wherein he says
Eve make from sapee, and other substances, burning
fire; and besides, that produce violent thunder
like that of natre This great died in the 18th year
of his age l2S3 years after the siege OF Danetta and
although the treatise referred bears date, yet it is
than probable that written the period of
the siege and the article used upon that occasion was pre-
csey such he speaks of manufacturing Great the
invention was, Roger Bacon did not claim the credit of it,
and il consequently believed that he acquired his
knowledge in relation from elsewhere than in
Europe. Mortar-peces not known at that period
Romanus, the instructor of Philip the Fair, wrote book
for his royal STUDENT who assembled the throne of France in
1885, entitled " De regimene princpiun, wherein he fully
describes all offensive and defensive arms then in use He
notices the tomentd efravie, aJuccha, be and also the
shooting fiery arrows, singing red hot balls dischargng
tubes filed with burning OIL sulphur, pitch, and tar de-
royng foesses with rc-nne but he says not word OF
firearms mortar-peces Gunpowder was undoubtedly
not unknown Romanus his DEATH in 1916; but he
haps egned Ignorance with respect it, for was not con-
dered credabe in that chvnrc age gain victories by
destructive means, inasmuch test was afforded in
combat to true courage In 1886 its use became general as