Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-06-03

trtco w Idfis fute't tUus to tc'upet Weei,
but without success. Scott gives a de-
scripIion of the sword Of Richard, which
cut down steel with the same facility -
The cann0ns of the British in India, il
il we'll known, soon become honey comb
ed by the dampness Of the dew 80 ms 10
he totally useless IN war. The lines Of
Byron, on the rust upon the steel Of the
warriors, are Bceording to truth, though
that warrior had lain but one night be-
meath the open sky. Necessity has been
to the East Indian the mother Of inven-
ton. He will take the cast off hoop of
an English cask, and make OF il a sword
equal 10 the best Parisia6.blade. The
phablliiy Of the steel OF the ancients was
wonderful, but that Of their bronze was
more SO.
GEMS or rBe ASciENTs, THEIR CAMEL,
&c. The imitation of gems is truly
wonderful. Instance is cited Of a vase
preserved in q church at Genoa, believ-
cd since the middle ages to be a pure
cuerald declared by the priests 10 haze
been presented by the Queen of Sheba
10 Solomon, and TO have been the very
vase from which Christ drank at the
wedding IN Gailee held in such ven-
eralion that all were forbidden to touch
IL on the penalty Of death. lie men
toned QUO who but just escaped this
penalty, for trying 10 touch il with a
diamond. Coming near to il as he did,
he thought he perceived bubbles in il
which proved IL Ia have been glass
This vase, in the time OF Bonaparte, was
+. removed from The church in Genoa, to
The museum IN Paris, and there was sub
lcct TO an examination which proved it
10 be u false gem. IL has since been
returned to its place but still il is, by
the priests, declared tosbe an emerald,
and the vase presented To Solomon, and
used by our Saviour. The full beauty
and perfection OF many gems in the Nlu-
seums Of Italy, cmn only be seen by the
aid of glass, aud one is therefore hand
ed TO The traveller at the door. So iha,
II seems the ancients must have known
aud used the microscope, else how could
they have done work which cannot be
seen without its aid
There is evidence too, Of their use of
the telescope (; they are said 10 have
seen ships nj great distance by the aid
oI an instrument, and without such aid,
II - impossible Ia conceive how the as
ironoIners oi Baby lonia could have paint
ed their extensive knowledge Of the stars.
The stories Of lIcrodoius have been
.remed 80 incredible that he has been
So, led the father Of lies, IN contradistinc-
ton To the father OF history. Yet science
has discovered many of these stories to
have been mol only possible, but proba-
Bile. For instance the story OF Archi-
mcdes having sci fire by means Of a
glass To the enemy's feet lying At great
distance, has not only been proved by
actual experiment probable, out that the
result must have followed from The OBJ
"rvance OF the conditions stated
Sc"nce and research may hereafter
prove all his seeming lies to be indeed
truths. The Marquis of Worcester had
discovery IN his mind, which he could
noi carry out, but would sometimes he
declared be brought into use, and by
which a teakettle Of water might be
made to blow up an enemy's fort. When
The steam engine was really discovered,
this assertion, then deemed so absurd
was considered prophecy. Even so
may the progress OF science prove the as
sertious Of llerodotus true. There was
also liquid fire which could be thrown
into The enemy's ships at distance TO
destroy them. This was made use Of by
the Norwegian pirates, as late as l400,
buI the art of making it is now unknown
The MrcmANIcAL ARTs-The French
considered II SO great feat To place the
Obellsk (Which vas one solid piece of
stone) on board vessel and then con-
vcy II from thence to La Place Concord;
io raise 1t from its horizontal to per-
pcndic wlar position, that they deemed it
worthy recording on It's base with repre-
srnrarlons of the machines by means of
which it was done. And yet This Obe-
lIsk bad been drawn from the quarries,
aud thus raised ages before, and by me-
chanics now unknown.
l. Is we'll known that in the tombs OF
Egypt were represent atoms of the various
arts then praclised. "A distinguished de-
cirherer Of The hieroglyphcs thinks he
finds there The representations of the five
mechanic powers, the lever &c. Even
new patterns Of dress, and new patterns
i"r shawls arc taken from these tombs. |
Their cloth, TOO, cotton and linen, (and |
even the Muslin de Lame) were found |
there of superior quality. Most Of the |
mummy cloth was indeed coarse, but
some has been found Of great fnencss,
from one hundred and forty, one hun
drrd and sixty, 10 even five hundred and
forty threads TO the square inch. The
porcelain of the Egyptians was very
iIch and beautiful and here in passing
We have evidence OF commerce in very /
carly times. Jbore is found in Egypt /
uurh of the China porcelain, so that
there must have been commerce be-
tween these two distant nations Canals,
u boaslcd modern invention, were made
aud used by the anclenls, # not for trav-
cling, AT least To convey merchandise
and burdens. Descriptions Of a canal
across the valley Of Goshen, spoken of