Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-06-11
CURIOUS BOOK.


Belford E. Davis, Esq, of Stow Creek
Township, has book which is 143
years old. 1t is called ga Compendium
of Cosmography.' On the f1y-leaf is
printed the following:-"AnI Introduc-
ton to Geography, Astronomy, and
Dialling, containing the most Useful
Elements of the said Sciences adapted
to the Meanest Capacity, by the De
scription and Uses of the Terrestrial
and Celestial Globes, with an Intro
duction to Chronology. The Third
Edition. In which, besides many
other great Additions, are about Twen-
ty Paradoxes belonging to the Globes,
entirely New. As also, the Construc-
tion and Uses of Refracting and Re
fiecting Telescopes, sc. By George
Gordon. London:-Printed for G.
Hitch, at the Red Lion in er-Noster
Row. 1742.
On the title page the author dedi-
Gates the work ''To the Noble, and
Right Honorable Sir Robert Walpole.
Knight of the most Noble Order of the
GARTER, Chancellor of the EX-
CHEQUER, and First Commissioner of
the TREASURY" and after eulogizing
Sir Robert and calling his attention to
the several parts of the work, he sub
scrbes himself as follows Great SIR.
Your most humble, and most devoted
| Servant. GEORGE GORDON.
On the first cover of the book, next
to the tiy-leaf, there is a curious piece
of writing which reads:-"IsabelC Croz-
ier. She is going to be married to
John MckJernond." No date accom-
panies this notice of intention to mar
ry but at the top of the fy-leaf there
is written in ink the following:-An-
drew Wilson, his book and pen 1862
Mr.. Gordon's "Cosmography' is
printed in the old style, the letter
always looking like an f. Considering
its age the work is, however, in a re-
markable state of preservation, its
pages being bright and clean, save
here and there stained leaf caused bv
much usage. The various chapters of
the work are very curiously worded.
1t pays but little attention to our
State, placing 1.-The Provinces of New
Scotland, New England, New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland,
Virginia, and South Carolina, in South
Canada"
Among the many peculiar things in
this curious volume, are the appended
paradoxes:-
There is certain Place of the Ter
raqueous Globe to which the Sun and
Moon rise always in the South, and set
in the South.
There are two Places of the Earth
which bear directly North and South
of one another, and their distance
from each other is 100 Miles, but the
true Course from one of those Places
to the other is to sail so Miles due
North, and so Miles due South.
There is certain Place of the Earth
from which two Ships may depart on
one and the same Day, yea, and on
the same Hour and Minute of that
Day, and upon one and the same Point
OF the Compass, may continue to sail
with the same Velocity for the Space
of "A Hours, and tho they depart from
the same Place, and at the same Time.
and both sail upon the same Point of
the Compass, with the same velocity.
yet, in "a Hours, they will be distant
from one another about 1000 Italian
Miles.
There are two Parallels of Latitude.
in one of which less Gold will make a
Pound Weight than in the other.
There are two Places of the Earth
where one and the same Vessel will
hold more Wine or Water in the one
Place than in the other.
There is a certain place of the Earth
where all the fixed stars have still the
same Altitude; and Notwithstanding of
the Diurnal Revolution of the Earth,
they always bear upon the same Point
of the Compass.
The Christians observe the first Day
of the Week for their Sunday, the
Jews the seventh Day for their Sab
bath, and the Turks the sixth Day of
the Week for the Time of their Wor-
ship; but there is particular Place of
the Globe to which, if a Christian,
Jew, and Turk sail in one and the
same Ship, they shall keep the Time
for their Worship on different Days,
as above, all the time they are sailing
to that particular Place; but when
they arrive at that Place, and during
the Time they remain at it, they shall
all keep their Sabbath on one and the
same Day; but when they depart from
that Place they shall all differ as be-
fore
There is Continent all lying in the
North Side of the Equator, to whose
Inhabitants the Body of the Sun
seems to be nearest to them, when he
is the farthest removed from them.
Moro,- ic oi,,nlxr a clint tba Nav