Curiosities for the Ingenious: Selected from the Most Authentic Treasures of Nature, Science and Art, Biography, History, and General LiteratureThomas Boys, Ludgate Hill, 1822 - 192 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
Abulfeda animal appears arms automaton Baltic merchant bell boat body bottom called coast colour curious diameter distance DIVING BELL divining rod earth eight equal fathoms feet figure fish five four French gives employment gold grains Guttemberg half hand history of Greenland horses houses hundred inches iron islands Isle of Mull Kilsyth king known kraken labour land latitudes letter Ludgate Hill machine MAGIC SQUARE mean temperature Menai Strait mentioned miles millions mirror move natural nearly nine observed occasion Olaus Wormius person piece Plate platina pounds present produce Published 1822 rising rock ROCKING stones round Sat Sat Sun says seems seen shew ship side singular species spiders square stone strength Sun Sun supposed surface Th Th F F thousand trees Tryphiodorus twenty vapour vessel weather whole William the Conqueror wind wire yards Youghal
Popular passages
Page 156 - Life is a jest, and all things show it, I thought so once, but now I know it, with what more you may think proper.
Page 143 - And the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the borders round about, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.
Page 27 - Lancashire, where it was manufactured into yarn; from Manchester it was sent to Paisley, where it was woven; it was sent to Ayrshire next, where it was tamboured...
Page 96 - Thus, a spider's web, even spun by the smallest species, and when so fine that it is almost imperceptible to our senses, is not, as we suppose, a single line, but a rope composed of at least four thousand strands.
Page 47 - Kegina/' queen by descent. By the knaves were designed the servants to knights, (for knave originally meant only servant; and in an old translation of the Bible, St. Paul is called the knave of Christ,) but French pages and valets, now indiscriminately used by various orders of persons, were formerly only allowed to persons of quality, esquires, (escuiers,) shield or armor bearers.
Page 106 - If it begin to rain from the South, with a high wind for two or three hours, and the wind falls, but the rain continues, it is likely to rain twelve hours or more, and does usually rain till a strong North wind clears the air. These long rains...
Page 119 - Phipps set sail in a ship of two hundred tons, having previously engaged to divide the profits according to the twenty shares of which the subscription consisted. At first all his labours proved fruitless ; but at last, when he seemed almost to despair...
Page 59 - Broken," observes M. Haue, from whose diary this account is transcribed, " for the thirtieth time, I was at length so fortunate as to have the pleasure of seeing this phenomenon. The sun rose about four o'clock, and the atmosphere being quite serene towards the east, his rays could pass .without any obstruction over the...
Page 39 - ... son and only child, the natural heir of the title and estates of Kilsyth, lay at her knee. His features were as composed as if he had been only asleep. His colour was as fresh, and his flesh as plump and full, as in the perfect glow of health; the smile of infancy and innocence sat on his lips. His shroud was not only entire, but perfectly clean, without a particle of dust upon it. He seems to have been only a few months old. " The body of Lady Kilsyth was equally well preserved, and at a little...
Page 61 - ... steadfastly upon them, and in all probability he will see the singular spectacle of his own shadow extending to the length of five or six hundred feet at the distance of about two miles before him. This is one of the most agreeable phenomena I ever had an opportunity of remarking on the great observatory of Germany.