NOTES

PRACTICAL, HISTORICAL AND AMUSING

BY

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

Regulation of clocks and watches - Solar and siderialday

In eastern countries, the passage of time was
marked in the most primitive fashion. The instant that
the last segment of the sun's disc had disappeared beneath
the horizon, a new day had commenced But, as the sun not
only moves at different velocities but sets at widely
different places, this simple plan is worthless --

II In early periods, in the West, a line was drawn,
or a telescope fixed on an axis, lying directly north and
south. Whenever the sun passed immediately over this mark,
or entered the focus of the telescope, it was mid-day.
Even this, though more exact than the first method, is by
far too incorrect for the regulation of clocks.

III In observatories a sun is supposed to be moving
round at the mean velocity of the real orb, and thus, by a
calculation, the exact length of each day can be discovered.
The difference between the mean thus obtained, and the time
as taken by the sun itself, is called the equation of time.
This, however, is too intricate and too scientific for
common use.

IV But, though the sun is too irregular for purposes
of regulation, the stars are so equable, that, even in ob-
servatories, no correction is applied to them. The Siderial-
day, however, is shorter than the (mean) solar day by four

-2-

minutes less four seconds - to speak more correctly its absolute
length is 26 hours 56 minutes, 56 seconds .0905 -

V A piece of paper with a hole in it, pasted onto
the window and a stack of chimneys, a pillar, the peak of a
gable, or anything else in front of you, is all that is
required for regulating your watch. Looking through the
hole in the paper, watch the exact time at which a certain
star reached the chimney, or whatever it is. So ditto
next night, and thus you will be able to regulate the in-
strument perfectly. This is Edward Sang's way -

VI It struck me that perhaps a fully easier way
would be to listen to the time gun, set your watch to it,
and compare them every day. But I suppose the former was
the dodge of genius.

NOTES

BY

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

II

Contraction and Expansion of Water

1. Water when being cooled contracts till it reaches a temperature variously stated from 42 to 40. When it commences to expand as though being heated. This expansion continues as far as we can know and, even in the act of freezing, the water does so at an enormous extent.

2. This water is perfectly useless for thermometric purposes, as we should not be able to tell whether it was growing hotter than forty, or colder than forty when it expanded.

3. This property of water is one of the numerous instances of the wisdom and providence of God. Were it not for it, as water grew colder, it would contract, as it contracted, it would sink, so that the ice would commence at the bottom of a loch instead of the top. Further, as the hot water would never sink, each winter would leave successive cakes of ice at the bottom, and the loch would thus gradually fill. Fish too must inevitably perish, since they would be forced upwards by the ice, and, last of all, we should be forced to skate in divers' dresses.

NOTES

III

Edward Sang on Light Reading

"Well, Mr. M ______ k", said the great Edward,
coming up to a boy who had taken a very long Christmas
vacation, "Well, Mr. ______ k, what are you doing?"

The person addressed replied by indicating vaguely
some part of the page at which he had hardly looked.

"MM" by which we mean the affirmative word in-
vented by his Satanic Majesty on being asked whether he
could carry another victim to his unblessed shades - "MM,
I suppose you'll nothave been reading any of it, while
you were away?"

"No, sir".

Sang turned round to address the class. By
the smile upon his

NOTES

(Continued)

IV

MASTER AND WORKMAN (March, 1867)

T. S. I wish a waistcoat, if you please.

(Patterns are shown: none suit; and it is arranged
that one should be made)

T. S. I am going out of town tomorrow morning could you
get it ready in time?

London Tailor - Oh! We can send it out to you sir!

T. S. Four hundred miles?

L. T. Well, sir, that is rather a long way!

T. S. Let me see, if you could have it at my hotel by
eight o'clock tomorrow morning, I can take it.

L. T. Oh! We can do that, sir.

T. S. Are you certain?

L. T. Oh, yes, sir, yes we --

T. S. Can you promise?

L. T. Oh, yes sir, I'll engage to have it --

T. S. I advise you to take care.

L. T. How do you mean, sir?

T. S. You haven't asked your masters yet !

L. T. ()séant de risé) Ha - ha! sir! You're quite
right, I'm sure! They are our masters sir! But you see
we have one or two family men who stand by us, and so we
can promise you your waistcoat!

NOTES

(Continued)

VI

PARIS EXHIBITION: ENGLISH AND FRENCH PICKPOCKETS 67

From the morning Advertiser. Since competition
is so much in fashion nowadays, a trial of strength and
skill has of late come off between French and English
thieves. Seven of each started on their predatory exped-
ition through the Exhibition, and agreed to meet at a
restaurateur's where they had engaged a cabinet particulier
and had ordered a supper to be paid by the vanquished. They
met at the appointed hour; and you will be proud of your
countrymen's superiority, when you learn that they triumph-
antly displayed forty-five watches and nine porte mounaies;
whereas the French tyros in the noble art could only display
ten watches, three porte-mounais and half a dozen hand-
kerchiefs - small deer disdained by the professed thief, and
only faked during a noviciate in the art. They magnani-
mously avowed themselves vanquished and agreed to recognize
the superiority of the victors in the form most pleasing
to them, by "standing" half a dozen of champagne, followed
by bowls of blazing punch in quick succession. Up to
this stage all had been highly gratifying to our national
pride, but the hour of Britain's humiliation was drawing
nigh. Our countrymen fell under the table: thie hosts fell
upon their prostrate foes, eased them of their plunder and
retired, telling the waiters to apply for payment of the bill
to the gentlemen upstairs upon the floor".