Smyrna times., 1866-03-14

Many curious and interesting thinrs mirbt
be SAID concerning the history of numerical
characters used IN ancient and modern times
Dut' not to prolong this article, they must be
reserved Tor some future occasion
CURIOUS CALCULATIONS.
The simple interest of one cent, at six NOR
! cent. per annuln, from the commencement of
the christian err to the close of the vcar 1864
would be but the trihing sum of one dollar
eleven cents, and eight mills but if the same
lLlnclnai, at the same rate and time had been
allowed to accumulate at compound Interest i
would require the enormous number Of $40
| billions OF globes of solid gold, each equal TO
the earth III magnitude. to pay the interest
ana IL the sum We're equally divided among the
inhabitants ot the earth, now estimated To be-
| one Thousand millions, every man. woman and
child would receive 81 $40 golden worlds for
| an inheritance. Were all these globes placed
SiuG by side IN direct line, it would take
| h$Itlhg ltAeli, that can grdlc the earth in a
Wink 3l an eye, 1000 years to travel from end
to end. And if Parrot gun were DISCHARGED
at one extremity, while Il man was stationed at
the other,--heht travelling one hundred and
mnrty-two thousand miles in a Sccnnd-th,.
in!tlal velocity Of i cannon-hall being about
I,3Oo 1cet per second, and i'll this case sutpos-
cu 10 continue at the same rate. and sound uov-
ing through the atmosphere /. l2U feet in \ S.
c"ni, he would see the flash after waitiu,, ono
hundred and ten thousand years, the ball would
reach hn IN scycnty-iour billions ofycar, but
ne would NOT hear the report till the end Of one
Thousand millions OF centuries
NJ present system OF figure, j. called the
Afablc method but it should be more PROPER
" termed the Indian method, because it had
ITS origin among the llindoos of India, from
whom the Arabs learned it and they, in turn.
carried III" art INTO Spain, where they nracti,.
cd 1t during their long occupation fthat coun
try
The publication Of ,hcir astronomical tables |
In the forms OF ananacS, was the prinripal
means OF gradually spreading it abroad anon
thr surrounding nations but so Sow was the
progress, that 1t was not generally established !
until about the middle Of the sixteenth ccntu |
ry.
NACLTs or THE BANK OF FRANCE.-Ofthc
vast additions to the buildings of the Bank Of
France now IN progress, and which will afford |
considerable space to the administration and
DhceN now crowded together, the cellars are
the most important part, they being destined
To receive like the old ones, the metali. ra
serve OF the establishment. amounting rcner
Ally to several hundred millions of francs The
Walls vi theSc vaults are OF StupCndOuS thick
leSS. On deSccndin" the first Stcp, lcadin,, ~
=
ron door, locked with three keys, one Of which
:, III the hands of the Governor of the Bank
ne second Is kept by the cashier and the third
y the censor; so that this door cannot hr
opened without the simultaneous consent ofI
hose three tunctionarics. We thus gain ac :
eSS To hrSt compartments containing the {
nnds Tor current Use. The safe kent here !. i
o curlouSly constructed that if YOU do not
no" the secret OF It's construction the slight '
st touch anywhere will set noisy alarm aon. {
nr, loud enough to startle all the inmates of {
lIr establishments '
Inc next compartment is circular, and called /
>"fe; 1t cannot be entered without the same t
ceremonial, and it is fitted up with frc-nronf /
hcIHcS. 1t contain, all the important deed, )
oteN and papers belonging to the Bank also L
G4o,its OF private persons. Here the Duke a
brunswick used to leave his Jewels. Il
fcE"is to GOING ON 4 journey Made t
lol>rIic Wars used to send her diamonds there. Il
lo H"3"f Il or was deposited in the same place, 5
e. Attcr the Scrre came the vaults propcrly t
} cal Jet, the cntranc t. which is closed bv an I
"n door secured by several combination lock-. ;
turns on central Pivots. like Italian door,
gives access to u well hole. containing 4 "
lndlng staircase, admitting but one person at t!
timc' ana leading to Subtcrancan gallcric, 81
:" metres IN length. These are filled with "
On casks containing lingots and coin, ard la b
lrd according to their contents By way of al
idluonal security, the well hole might be fill IL
up with clay and The vaults with water at a W
mute notice, If the safety Of the treasure Il
ere mcnaccd in the slightest degree. W