XU

CONTENTS.

cause of the ascent of water in pumps—Invention of the air pump—Barometer and its various ap-plications—Intensity of atmospheric pressure different at different parts of the earth—A knowledgeof this necessary to pump makers—The limits towhich water maybe raised in atmospheric pumpsknown to anc-ient pump makers ---------- 187

CHAPTER III.

Ancient experiments on air—Various applications of it—Siphons used in ancient Egypt —Primitiveexperiments with vessels inverted in water—Suspension of liquids in them—Ancient atmosphericsprinkling pot—Watering gardens with it—Probably referred to by St. Paul, and also by Shake-speare—Glass sprinkling vessel and wine taster from Pompeii—Religious uses of sprinkling potsamong the ancient heathen—Figure of one from Montfaucon—Vestals—Miracle of Tutia carryingwater in a sieve described and explained—Modern liquor taster and dropping tubes—Trick per-formed with various liquids by a Chinese juggler—Various frauds of the ancients with liquids—Divining cups - -- -- -- -- -- - 191

CHAPTER IV.

Suction: impossible to raise liquids by that which is so called—Action of the muscles of the thoraxand abdomen in sucking explained—Two kinds of suction—Why the term is continued—Suckingpoison from wounds—Cupping and cupping horns—Ingenuity of a raven—Sucking tubes originalatmospheric pumps—The sanguisuchello—Peruvian mode of taking tea by sucking it throughtubes—Reflections on it—New application ofsuch tubes suggested—Explanation of an ambiguousproverbial expression - -- -- -- -- -- 201

CHAPTER V.

On bellows pumps: great variety in the forms and materials of machines to raise water—Simplebellows pump—Ancient German pump—French pump—Gosset’s frictionless pump : subsequeutlyre-invented—Martin’s pump—Robison’s bag pump—Disadvantages of bellows pumps—Naturalpumps in men, quadrupeds, insects, birds, &c.—Reflections on them. Ancient vases figured inthis chapter - 205

CHAPTER VI.

The atmospheric pump supposed by some persons to be of modern origin—Injustice towards theancients—Their knowledge of hydrodynamics—Absurdity of an alledged proof of their ignoranceof a simple principleof hydrostatics—Common cylindrical pump—Its autiquity—Anciently knownunder the name of a siphon—The antlia of the Greeks—Used as a ship pump by the Romans—Bilge pump—Portable pumps—Wooden pumps always used in ships—Description of some in theU. S. Navy —Ingenuity of sailors—Singular mode of making wooden pumps, from Dampier—Olddraining pump—Pumps in public and private wells—In mines—Pump from Agricola, with figuresof various boxes—Double pump formerly used in the mines of Germany , from Fludd’s works—*

The wooden pump not improved by the moderns—Its use confined chiefly to civilized States - Sil

CHAPTER VII.

Metallic pumps—Of more extended application than those of wood—Description of one—Devices toprevent water in them from freezing—Wells being closed, no obstacle in raising water from them—Application of the atmospheric pump to draw water from great distances as well as depth—Sin-gular circamstance attending the trial of a Spanish pump in Seville—Excitement produced by it—Water raised to great elevations by atmospheric pressure when mixed with air—Deceptions prac-ticed on this principle—Device to raise water fifty feet by atmospheric pressure—Modifications ofthe pump innmnerable—Pumps with two pistons—French marine pump—Curved pump—Musch-enbroeck’s pump—Centrifugal pump—West’s pump—Jorge’s improvement—Original centrifugalpump—Ancient buckets figured in this chapter ------ 221

BOOK III.

MACHINES FOR RAISING WATER BY COMPRESSURE INDEPENDENTLY OFATMOSPHERIC INFLUENCE-

CHAPTER I.

Definition of machines described in this Book—Forcing pumps—Analogy between them and bellows—History of the bellows that of the pump—Forcing pumps are water bellows—The bellows of ante-dilnvian origin—Tubal Cain—Anacharsis—Vulcan in his forge—Egyptian , Hindoo, and Peruvianblowing tubes—Primitive bellows ofgoldsmiths in ßarbary—Similar instruments employed toejectliquids—Devices to obtain a continuous blast—Double bellows of the Foulah blacksmiths withoutvalves—Simple Asiatic bellows—Domestic bellows of modern Egypt —Double bellows of the an-cient Egyptians—Bellows blowers in the middle ages—Lantern bellows common over all the east—Specimens from Agricola—Used by negroes in the interior of Africa —Modern Egyptian black-smiths’ bellows—Vulcan’s bellows—Various kinds of Roman bellows—Bellows of Grecian black-smiths referred to in a prediction of the Delphic oracle—Application of lantern bellows as forcingpumps—Sucking and forcing bellows pumps—Modern domestic bellows of ancient origin—Usedto raise water—Common blacksmiths’ bellows employed as forcing pumps—Ventilation of mines 231

CHAPTER II.

Piston bellows: used in water organs—Engraved on a medal of Valentinian —Used in Asia and Af­ rica . Bellows of Madagascar . Chinese bellows: account of two in the Philadelphia museum—Remarks on a knowledge of the pump among the ancient Chinese —Chinese bellows similar intheir construction to the water forcer of Ctesibins, the double acting pump of La Hire, the cylin-drical steam engine, and condensing and exhausting air pumps. Double acting bellows of Mada­ gascar —Alledered ignorance of the old Peruvian and Mexican smiths of bellows : tbeir constantüse of blowing tubes no proof of this—Examples from Asiatic gold and silver smiths—Balsas—Sarbacans—Mexican Vulcan. Natural bellows pumps: blowing apparatus of the whale—Elephant—