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Origin and Progress of the Arts.

Rome for many years after the government became depotic; even fo late as the eighth century it was not common in Europe.

"Thales, one of the feven wife men of Greece, about fix hundred years before Chrift, invented the following method for measuring the he gh of an Egyptian pyramid, He watched the progrefs of the fun, till his body and its fhadow were of the fame length; and at that inftant meafured the thadow of the pyramid, which confequently gave its height. Amafis, King of Egypt, prefent at the operation, thought it a wonderful effort of genius; and the Greeks admired it highly. Geometry must have been in its very cradle at that time. - Anaximander, fome ages before Chrift, made the first map of the earth, fo far as then known. About the end of the thirteenth century, spectacles for affiting the fight were invented by Alexander Spina, a Monk of Pifa. So uteful an invention cannot be too much extolled. At a period of life when the judgment is in maturity, and reading is of great benefit, the eyes begin to grow dim. One cannot help pitying the condition of bookin men before that invention; many of whom must have had their fight greatly impaired, while their appetite for reading was in vigour.

"As the origin and progrefs of -writing make a capital article in the prefent fk-tch, they must not be overlooked. To write, or, in other words, to exhibit thoughts to the eye, was early attempted in Egypt by hieroglyphics: but thefe were not confined to Egypt; figures compofed of painted feathers were used in Mexico to exprefs ideas, and by fuch figures Montezuma received intelligence of the Spanish invalion. In Pern, the only arithmetical figures known were knots of various colours, which ferved to caft up accounts. The fecond step naturally in the progrefs of the art of writing, is, to reprefent each word by a mark, termed a letter, which is the Chinese way of writing: they have about 11,000 of thefe marks or letters in common use; and in matters of Science they employ to the number of 60,000. Our way is far more easy and commodious: inftead of marks or letters for words, which are infinite, we reprefent, by marks or letters, the articulate founds that compofe words: thefe founds exceed not thirty in number;

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and confequently the fame number of marks or letters are fufficient for writing. This was at once to fep from hieroglyphics, the most imperfect mode of writing, to letters reprefenting founds, the most p.rfect; for there is no probability that the Chinese mode was ever practifed in this part of the world. With us, the learning to red is fo eafy as to be acquired in childhood; and we are ready for the fciences as foon as the mind is ripe for them: the Chinese mode, on the contrary, is an unfurmountable obftution to knowledge; because, it being the work of a life-time to read with cafe, no time remains for Rudying the fciences. Our cafe was in fome meafure the fame at the restoration of learning; it required an age to be familiarited with the Greek and Latin tongues; and too little time remained for gathering knowledge out of their books. The Chinese stand upon a more equal footing with refpect to arts; for thefe may be acquired by imitation or oral inftruction, without books.

"The art of writing with letters reprefenting founds, is of all inventions the most important, and the leaft obvious. The way of writing in China makes fo naturally the fecond ftep in the progrefs of the art, that our good fortune in ftumbling upon a way fo much more perfect cannot be fufficiently admired, when to it we are indebted for our fuperiority in literature above the Chinefe. Their way of writing is a fatal obstruction to science; for it is fo riveted by inveterate practice, that the difficulty would not be greater to make them change their language than their letters. Hieroglyphics were a fort of writing fo miferably impérfect, as to make every improvement welcome; but as the Chinese make a tolerable shift with their own letters, however cumbersome to those who know better, they never dream of any improvement. Hence it may be averred with great certainty, that in Chian, the fciences, though fill in infancy, will for ever continue fo.

"The art of writing was known'in Greece when Homer compofed his two ethics; for he gives (omewhere a hint of it. It was at that time probably in its infancy, and ufed only for recording laws, religious precepts, or other fhort works. Cyphers, invented in Hindoftan, were brought into France from Arabia, about the end of the tenth century."

A VOYAGE

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A Voyage towards the North Pole.

A VOYAGE towards the NORTH
POLE, undertaken by his Majelly's
Command in 1773. By Conftantine
John Phipps. 410. Nourk.
AN expedition having been recom-

mended to his Majesty about the beginning of February, 1773, by the Royal Society of London, the chief obj of which was, to try how far navigation was practicable towards the North Pole; and his Majefty having been graciously pleafed to countenance and encourage the propofai; Captain Phipps no fooner heard of the design, than he tendered his fervice to carry it into execution. The Board of Longitude at the fame time agreed with Mr. Ifrael Lyons, a gentleman eminent in the fcience of aftronomy, at Cambridge, to accompany Capt. Phipps, and fupplied him with an apparatus for making obfervations and experiments for the advancement of the nautical art, qual, if not fuperior, to any that was ever before put on board a fhip. Dr. Irving likewise embarked with Capt. Phipps, to give the difcovery for which he received the parliamentary reward a full trial; and it was found, that he could fupply the fhip's ufe with wholefome water with very little addition of fuel more than was neceffary to dress provifions for the crew. In this voyage, too, the Board of Longitude fent two time keepers for trial, the one conftructed by Mr. Kendall, on Mr. Harrison's principles; the other by Mr. Arnold, on principles of his own; and Capt. Phipps had himself a pocket-watch made by Mr. Arnold, by which he kept longitude with a much greater degree of exactness than was done with either of the other two, having only varied 2' 40" in the whole voyage.

The nature of the voyage requiring more than ordinary care in the strength and equipment of the hips, the RaceHorfe and Carcafs bombs were made choice of, on account of the foldity of their construction; and particular directions were given by Lord Sandwich to vary the ordinary courie of victualJing for the navy, and to accommodate the provisions to the inclemency of the climate. An extra quantity of fpirits were, in confequence, put on board, with porter and other liquors; and, in addition to all thefe, there was warm cloathing allotted for each man, to be delivered out as foon as they should arrive at fuch a height of latitude as to make that benevolent donation neceffary.

On the 19th of April, Capt. Phipps received his commiffio.; and immediately after the fhips were ordered into dock, to fit them for the intended fervice. They there received an additional ftrengthening; and as it was foreseen that one or both might be entangled in the ice, an extra number of boats were provided for the prefervation of the men.

On the 22d of May, the hips being in readiness to fail, Lord Sandwich went himself on board the Race-horse, to fee that nothing had been omitted that his Lordship had ordered in the courfe of the equipment; and he expreffed his fatisfaction at finding every particular completed according to his intention, and, he hoped, to the wishes of those who were embarked in the expedition.

May 26. Capt. Phipps received his inftructions from the Admiralty to proceed up to the North Pole, or as far towards it as possible, and as nearly upon a meridian as circumstances would admit.

May 30. He was joined at the Nore by the Carcafs, Capt. Lutwidge. During their stay here, Mr. Lyons, the aftronomer on board, landed at Sheernefs fort, and found the latitude to be 51° 31' 30", long. 30' E.

June 4. Delivered Mr. Lutwidge his orders; weighed, and proceeded on the voyage.

9. Were in lat. 54° 4′ 54′′, Flamborough Head N. W. by N. diftant fix miles.

12. Being well advanced, it was light enough all night to read upon deck.

13. At noon the latitude observed was 59° 32′ 31". Difference between latitude by dead reckoning and obfervation, 36, the thip being fo much more northerly than the reckoning. Long. 1° 37' E.

15. Determined the pofition of HangCliff, a remarkable point on the Shetland Ifles, and found it to be in latitude 60° 9', long. 56' 30" W. It is frequently vifited by ships, but was never before afcertained.

20. Sounded at a much greater depth than ever before attempted, with a line 780 fathom, but found no bottom. By a thermometer invented by Lord Charles Cavendish, found the temperature of the water at that depth to be 26° of Farenheit's, while the temperature of the air was 48. This day began to make use of Dr. Irving's apparatus for diftilling fresh-water from

the

A Voyage towards the fea. The water produced from it was perfectly free from falt, and wholefome; the quantity produced daily, without much additional fuel more than was neceffary for the fhips uie, from 34 10 40 gallons. Much more might have been produced in cafe of extremity by a fmall increase of fuel.

25. Made feveral obfervations on the variation. Found thofe taken in the morning to be 17° 9' W. At three in the afternoon only 7° 47′ W. Could not account for this fudden and extraordinary difference, which did not arife from error, but from fome hidden cause.

26. By two lunar obfervations the long. was 9° 57' 30" E. agreeing within 37 by the watch, though the day before the long. by moon and watch differed 2° 35

27. Variation by a mean of several obfervations 20° 38′ W.

28. Picked up a piece of drift-wood [about lat. 77°], which was fir, and not worm eaten. Between 10 and II at night faw land to the eastward, 10 or 12 leagues diftant.

29. Stood clofe in with the land. The court appeared neither habitable nor acceffible: high, barren, bleak rocks, without the least traces of vegetation, and vallies filled with fnow or ice, would have fuggefted the idea of perpetual winter, but for the mildness of the weather, the fmoothness of the water, bright funfhine, and conftant daylight, which gave chearfulness and novelty to a scene inexpreffibly romantic. Variation by a mean of 19 obfervations 11° 53'. No apparent caufe for the great difference between the variation now, and that obferved on the 27th.

30. The mafter of a Greenland ship just come out of the ice came on board, and informed, that three fhips had been loft this year, two English, and one Dutch. The weather fine and

warm.

July 2. With the megameter took the altitude of feveral of the mountains. One was 1503 yards high.

3. Run the whole day along the coast of Spitzbergen.

4. At noon, latitude by obfervation 79° 31'. Anchored in a final! bay to the fouthward of Hamburgher's bay, and took in fome water. Went afhore with the aftronomer, but the weather proved unfavourable for obfervation.

5. About four in the morning, the Rockingham Greenlandman informed, that he had juft fpoken with some ships,

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and that the ice was within ten leagues of Hacluyt's Head and, to the N. W. Weighed, and steered directly for that headland. Thick fog: neare the ice very fast, and was in dan er of running foul of it. Not very cold.

6. Having the wind off the ice, refolved to fee whether there was any opening to the N. E. of the headland, the ice by all report lying this year to the N. W.

7. Ranged along the ice, and kept clofe, not to mifs an opening. At four in the afternoon fhoaled the water fuddenly to 14 fathom. Hauled up, and inftantly deepened again to 28 fathom. Running to the eastward, the pieces of loofe ice increased in number and fize. No appearance of any opening, and much danger of being befet. Impracticable to proceed, and, therefore, abfolutely neceffary to retreat. midnight before the Race-horfe could extricate herself, and morning before fhe was joined by the Carcafs.

8. Stood in for the land.

It was

9. Having a fair opportunity, flood to the westward, but found the ice all faft that way. The fartheft they reached to the westward of Spitzbergen this voyage was 2° 2' E. The fervice now became very fevere, and the greateft attention was neceffary. Several of the men were confined by colds, and the extra cloathing of the Admiralty was of great ufe.

10. Being entangled in the ice, and forced to haul up to weather a point, fet the fore-fail, which with the breeze freshening, gave the fhip fo much way, that he preffed through it with a violent ftroke. Having now run along the ice from E. to W. for more than 10 degrees, began to fufpect that it was one compact impenetrable body, and that it was to no purpose to attempt to pafs it; but, to know whether it joined to Spitzbergen, Capt. Phipps determined to steer to the eastward, and if any opening presented in that direction, to pufhhrough it.

13. Nothing remarkable till this day, when the symptoms of an approaching ftorm obliged them to take fhelter in Vogel Sang, a small island, where they anchored in it fathom, foft clay. The north easternmost point of this harbour is Cloven Cliff, a remarkable rock, fo named from the earliest discovery of the iland. The north-westernmost land is an high bluff point, called by the Dutch Vogel Sang. This harbour is liable to no inconvenience, being defended on

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A Voyage towards the North Pole.

every fide by a clufter of ifiands, which the old navigators diftinguifh by the name of Fair Haven. Here they fupplied themfelves with water, and here they landed their inftruments to make obfervations, one main object of their voyage, but the foggy weather, to their gnat regret, prevented their making nie of theic apparatus to the best advantage, Mr. Lyons never having been able to get equal altitudes for settling the rates of going of the timekeepers: once, indeed, he availed himfelf of a revolution of the fun, to determine the going of the pendulum adjusted to vibrate feconds at London. During their stay they found the inland on which their obfervations were masie to be in lat. 79° 50′; long. 10° 2′ 32′′ E.` variation 20° 38′ W. dip of the magnetic needle 82° 7'. Latitude of Coven Cliff 79° 53'; long. 9° 59' 30" E. Hacluyt's Heartland 79° 47′; long. 911' 30" E. Tide four feet; flowed half af er one full and change; feemed to come from the weftward.

18. Weighed and food to the northward; and, having run about eight Jeagues, were embayed by ice, and could go no farther.

23. Nothing remarkable, only running on different courtes as appearances favoured till this day, when tanding to the northward among the loofe ice, the main body not a cable's length off, wore thip, not having room enough to tack, truck very hard against the ice in getting the hip round, and got upon one piece which lifted her in the water for near a minute before her weight broke it. The hips had been do well itrengthened, that they fuffered no damage from thefe fhocks. Finding the ice fait to the northward and weftward, it became the only practicable object to ascertain how far it was poffible to go to the caftward, and to try if any opening to the northward prefented ittelf in that direction.

25. By two in the afternoon had palled Deerfield, which had before been attempted without fuccefs. Krom this ifland the coaft to the eaitward bears a different face. The mountains are neither fo high or fo black as they appear to the westward. Hence the old navigators have given them fignificant names, as Red Hill, Red Beach, Red Cliff; but they are no lefs barren, though they wear a more fertile complexion. In the evening came in fight of Moffen inland. On this island the matter of the Carcafs landed, and found it about

two miles in diameter, full of the nets of wild ducks, geefe, and other feafowls. They alfo faw three bears, and obferved a piece of drift-wood three fathom long, with a root to it. In the middle of the inland was a lake or pond frozen in the middle, but open about the fides.

26. Between the hours of three and four in the afternoon, were in long. 12° 20′ 45′′ E. Variation 12° 47′ W.

27. Had hopes of getting far to the northward from the openness of the fea; but in latitude 80° 48', and longitude 14° 59' 30" E. found the ice lying in a line from E. to W. quite confolidated,

28. The longitude of the fhip was 15° 16′ 45′′ E. At feven in the evening came in fight of what is called in the Dutch charts the Seven Iflands.

29. An opening, fuppofed to be the entrance of Waygett's Straits, bore fouth. Oppofite to this lay a finall flat ifland, on which fome officers and men landed. In their return they fired at and wounded a fea-horfe, which dived immediately, and brought up with it a number of others, who all joined in the attack upon the boat, wiefted an oar from one of the men, and would, in all probability, have overpowered the party, had not a boat from the Carcafs come feafonably to their relief. On this ifland they found fi-trees lying on the fhore 16 or 18 feet above the level of the ica; fome of them 70 feet long, feemingly torn up by the roots; others cut down with the axe, and notched for -12 feet lengths. This timber was no ways decayed. The ifland they judged to be leven miles long, the middle covered with mols, on which two reindeer were feeding; one hey killed, and found it fat and high-flavoured. They alfo faw a grey coloured tux, and an animal fomewhat larger than a wealel, with its fkin fpotted white and black; great flocks of fmall fripes; and ducks and geele without number.

30. Being among the islands, in lat. 80° 31', and long. 18° 48', ent the mafter with a pirty to reconnoitre. Soon after their departure the ice came all round the fhips. In the evening they returned. They had afcended a mountain from whence they had an un bounded profpect to the E. and N. E. over a plain of fmooth unbroken ice, and few land to the S. E. laid down in the Dutch charts as iflinds, to which the ice feemed to unite. The scene they beheld was new and picturefque.

31. The ice packed fo clofe that the

A Voyage towards the North Pole.

fhips could no longer make fail. Both fhips made faft to the fame field of ice, which at one end me fured 25 feet nearly in thi.knefs, and at the other 22 feet all but an inch. Longitude 19° 0' 15" E. Variation 12° 24′ W. Ships fait, weather fine, and the crews at play the pilots, however, much alarmed at beng befet.

August 1. The ice compreffed, and by its unequal refiftance role in fome places mountains high.

2. Thick foggy weather, blowing fresh, and not the leaft appearance of open water.

3. Weather clear and fine, an attempt was made to cut a paffage to fome finali opening that appeared to the weftward; the labour was continued a whole day, but without fuccefs. The ships drifted with the whole body of ice to the N. E. and E. the loole ice coming from the weftward.

4. A light air to the eastward, but no favourable effect.

5. The apprehenfions of the hips wintering in the prefent fi uation increafing, a midshipman was fent to an inland 12 miles diftant to reconnoitre.

6. The m dihipman returned with an account, that, tho' the ice was clofe all round the hips, the fea was open to the weftward. To furvive through the winter with the hips appeared impoffible to the pilots and officers. To move fo confiderable a body of ice as lay between the fhips and open fea, was fill lefs to be effected. To make the boats comfortable, and prepare them for tranfporting the crews to Spitzbergen, while the Dutchmen were still in harbour there, was the only probable measure; and that refolution, being once formed, was inftantly put in execution. At the fame time men were fent out every where with lead and line to found wherever they found a crack. As the fhips drove, and the water fhoaled hourly, the danger increafed. In the fituation they were then in, had either the ice or the fhips grounded, inevi table deftruction must have ensued.

7. Set out with the launches to haul them over the ice. They moved ealier than was expected; and before dinner had advanced two miles. While the people were dining, the ice about the thips was obferved to open. Encouraged by this favourable appearance, orders were inftantly given to spread all the canvas, to force a paffage if poffible through the fiffures. The people, however, were kept to their haul

423 ing, and thofe on board made the batt way they could with the fhips.

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8. Continned the labour of hauling the launches; the ice ciofe and heavy. advanced this day about 3 miles; and the hips had driven fill more with the body of ice to the weftward.

9. Foggy morning; but on its clear ing up in the afternoon, were over-joyed to find the fhips drifted farther to the weftward, than all the efforts that had been made had been able to effect. In the afternoon the hips paffed the launches, and the Captains ordered them on board. Their hope of deliverance began to revive, and the ment worked with inconceivable alacrity.

10. Preffed the hips, as it were, by main force, through much heavy ice, and about noon got out to fea.

11. About three in the moming, food with a brisk breeze, between the land and the ice, both in fight, though the weather was hazy; and, before night, came to an anchor in Smeerenburgh harbour, where four Dutchfhips were at anchor, on whom they had depended for a paffage home, in cafe of neceffity. Here the Dutch formerly used to boil and prepare their whale oil, and here they once attempted to winter, but all of them perished. Some remains of their buildings, and coppers for trying the oil, are stili visible.

12. Got the intruments afhore to make obfervations.

13. Rain and foul weather prevented proceeding.

14. Weather ferene, began to observe. 15, 16, 17. Employed in obferving. 18. Completed their obfervations. Oppofite to the place where the inftru ments ftood was one of the most remarkable ice-bergs, or ice-hills, in all this country. It was 300 feet high, with a calcade iffing out of its fide. The black mountains, white fnow, and beautiful colour of the ice, make here a very romantic appearance. Large pieces frequently break off from the Ice-bergs, and tumble into the fea with a dreadful crash.

Here Capt. Phipps introduces the general oblervations which his short Ray enabled him to make.. The ftone,. he fays, was chiefly a kind of marble, which easily diffolved in marine acid. No appearance of mineral or volcano, no infects, no reptiles, not even the. common earth worm. No rivers, nor fprings of water, but what proceed from the melting of the fnow. No thunder or lightning. No difference,

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