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The Pump confined chiefly to civilized States, [Book II .
vers. The lower ends of the pumps are inserted in baskets which act asstrainers. A double series of pumps, (one over the other) as employedin a mine at Markirch in Germany , is also figured by Fludd. It is inte-resting on account of the mode of communicating motion to the rods. Acrank on the axle of a water wheel imparts motion to a walking beam, asin a steam engine; (in the latter the Operation is reversed) and the pumprods are attached to both ends of the beam. a
The idea may probably occur to the general reader, that the mechani-cal talent and enterprise of the preceding and present Century, whichhave produced so rnany original machines and scarcely left an ancientdevice unimproved, must have imparted to the old atmospherie pump newfeatures, and made it capable of increased results. It is true that few de-vices have occupied a greater share of attention, and on none have more ef-forts to improve them Seen bestowed; but how far these have been suc-cessful may be inferred front the fact—that notwithstanding the endlessvariety of forms into which its working parts have been changed, andthe great number of alledged improvements in suckers, pistons, valves, &c.the machine as made by the ancients, still generally prevails; so thatwere some of their pump makers to reäppear, and visit their fellow crafts-men throughout the World, they would find little difficulty in resumingtheir occupation.
The pump, although a simple instrument, is confined chiefly to civilizedStates, while the extent, to which it is employed, indicates pretty correctlythe degree of refinement attained by the people who possess it. Whetherit was known to the Egyptians under the Pharaohs or not, may be aquestion ; but when Egypt under the Greeks realized a partial revival ofher former glory, the forcing pump we know made its appearance there;and under the second Ptolemy , when that country was a school for therest of the World, its most valuable modifications were known. In suc-ceeding ages, the atmospherie pump has been a regulär attendant on therevival of learning and of the arts. Wherever these have made the mostprogress, there the pump is mostly used. In Germany , France , Holland ,Great Britain , and the United States , it is most extensively employed. InSpain , Portugal , Mexico and South America , but partially so. In Turkey ,Egypt , Greece , &c. still less ; while in Asia and Africa , generally, it is un-known. b Egypt , even under the auspices of Mohammed Ali, is not yet pre-pare to receive-it again. Its history in any country is that of the people.Take Russia for an example : of the devices for raising water there, weare informed the inhabitants use the swape, a rope passing over a pulley,(Nos. 13 and 14) a drum on which a rope is wound, (No. 23) horizontaland vertical wheels, and lastly pumps; these last it is said, were formerlyvery rare, but are now become common . c Just so of the people, they wereformerly very rüde and ignorant, but are now becoming enlightened.