The Gallery of Nature and Art; Or, a Tour Through Creation and Science, Volume 2

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R. Wilks for C. Cradock & W. Joy, 1815
 

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Page 439 - Though the sides of this bridge are provided in some parts with a parapet of fixed rocks, yet few men have resolution to walk to them, and look over into the abyss. You involuntarily fall on your hands and feet, creep to the parapet, and peep over it. Looking down from this height about a minute gave me a violent head-ache.
Page 311 - On the heap of cascalhao, at equal distances, are placed three high chairs, for the officers or overseers. After they are seated, the negroes enter the troughs, each provided with a rake of a peculiar form, and short handle, with which he rakes into the trough about fifty or eighty pounds weight of cascalhao.
Page 4 - Soon after this a most dreadful earthquake ensued, so that the whole tract upon which we stood seemed to vibrate, as if we were in the scale of a balance that continued wavering. This motion, however...
Page 351 - The miner knowing its irresistible power, instantly sees the inefficacy of every attempt to escape, and, like a physician attacked by some incurable complaint, and conscious that his art is unequal to its cure, makes no struggle to save his life. As each of the party came up, he was surrounded by a group of anxious inquirers. All their reports were equally hopeless ; and the second explosion so strongly corroborated their account of the impure state of the mine, that their assertions for the present...
Page 311 - When a negro is so fortunate as to find a diamond of the weight of an octavo, (17-i carats,) much ceremony takes place ; he is crowned with a wreath of flowers, and carried in procession to the administrator, who gives him his freedom, by paying his owner for it. He also receives a present of new clothes, and is permitted to work on his own account. — When a stone of...
Page 334 - ... freedom. Some hours were employed in mending the appearance of this faithful couple: nor could I without a tear, behold him taking leave of the former wretched companions of his toil. We soon emerged from the mine, and ALBERTI and his wife once more revisited the light of the sun.
Page 353 - As the baneful vapours had now taken possession of the whole of the mine, and they found it difficult to breathe even in the course of the full current of the atmospheric air, they immediately ascended. But the afflicted creatures, still clinging to hope, disbelieved their report. Wishful therefore to give as ample satisfaction as possible to the unhappy women Mr. Anderson and James Turnbull (a hewer of the colliery who had escaped the blast) again went down. At...
Page 357 - As the explosion had occasioned several falls of large masses of stone from the roof, their progress was considerably delayed by removing them. After the plane-board was reached, a stopping was put across it on the right hand, and one across the wall opposite the drift. The air, therefore, passed to the left, and number six was found. The shifts of men employed in this doleful and unwholesome work, were generally about eight in number.
Page 357 - As the weather was warm, and it was desirable that as much air might pass down the shaft as possible, constables were placed at proper distances, to keep off the crowd. Two surgeons were also in attendance, in case of accidents. At six o'clock in the morning, Mr. Straker, Mr. Anderson, the overman of the colliery, and six other persons, descended the William Pit, and began to traverse the north drift towards the plane board.
Page 439 - ... feet. A part of this thickness is constituted by a coat of earth, which gives growth to many large trees. The residue, with the hill on both sides, is one solid rock of limestone. The arch approaches the Semielliptical form; but the larger axis of the ellipsis, which would be the cord of the arch, is many times longer than the transverse.

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