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The Chain of Pots.

[Book 1

by its expulsion through so me small orifice, or by its escape between tliesides of the case and tbe weight. This sound bad probably remainedunnoticed like tbe ordinary creaking of a door, perhaps for years, und)one day as the barber’s son was amusing himself in his father’s shop, hisattention was arrested by it. This boy’s subsequent reflections inducedhim to investigate its cause ; and from this simple circumstanee, he wasled eventually either to invent, or greatly to improve the hydraulic organ,a musical instrument of great celebrity in ancient times. His ingenuityand industry were so conspicuous, that he was named ‘ The Delighter inWorks of Art.’ His studies in various branches of natural philosophy,were rewarded it is said, with the discovery of the pump, air-gun, fire-en-gine, &c. He also greatly improved the clepsydra or water-clock, in theconstruction of which he introduced toothed wheels, and even jeweledholes. Yitruvius, ix, 9. These ancient time-keepers, were therefore theorigin of modern clocks and watches. Now this barber’s son is the indi-vidual we wish to introduce to the reader, as Ctesibius of Alexandria,one of the most eminent mathematicians and mechanicians of antiquity—one, whose Claims upon our esteem, are not surpassed by those of anyother individual, ancient or modern.

It will be perceived that the simple, the trivial sound produced by the jdescent of the weight in his father’s shop, was to him, what the fall of theapple was to Newton, and the Vibration of the lamp or chandelier in the .church at Pisa , to Galileo. The circumstanee presents another to the nu- jmerous proofs which might be adduced, that inquiries into the causes ofthe most trifling or insignificant of physical effects, are sure to lead, di-rectly or indirectly, to important results—while to young men especially,it holds out the greatest encouragement to occupy their leisure in usefulresearches. It shows, that however unpropitious their circumstances maybe, they may by industrious application, become distinguished in Science ,and may add their names to those of Ctesibius and Franklin, and many jothers—immortal examples of the moral grandeur of irrepressible per- Iseverance in the midst of difficulties. i

CHAPTER XV.

THE CHAIN OF POTS—Its origin—Used in Joseph’s well at Cairo—Numerousin Egypt —Attempt olBelzoni to supersede it and the noria—Chain of pots of the Romans, Hindoos, Japanese , and Europeans—Described by Agricola—Spanish one—Modern one—Applications of it to other purposes than raisiugwater—Employed as a first mover and substitute for overshot wheels—Francini’s machine—Antiquity ofthe chain of pots—Often confounded with the noria by ancient and modern authors—Introduced intoGreeceby Danaus—Opinions of modern writers on its antiquity—Referred to by Solomon—Babylonianengine that raised the water of the Euphrates to supply the hanging gardens—Ropc pump—HydraulicBelt

The tympanum and noria in all their modifications, have been consider-ed as originating in the gutter or jantu, and the swape ; while the ma-chine we are now to examine is evidently derived from the primitive cordand bücket. The first improvement of the latter was the introduction ofa pulley (No. 11) over which the cord was directed—the next was the ad-dition of another vessel, so as to have one at each end of the rope, (Nos.13 and 14) and the last and most important consisted in uniting the ends