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Rumb, another line of runibs ;
M. L. miles of longitude;
Chor. another line of chords.
Also in the middle of this foot are L and P, two otherlines of equal parts: and all these lines on this side of thescale serve for laying down the figures to the cases in trigo-nometry and navigation. On the other side of the scale arethe following artificial or logarithmic lines, which serve forworking or resolving those cases, viz.
S. R. the sine of rumbs ;
T. R. the tangent rumbs;
Numb, line of numbers;
Sine, sines;
V. S. the versed sines;
Tang, the tangents;
Meri. meridional parts;
E. P. equal parts.
There is, perhaps, no apology required for the insertionof this article in this place, since practical utility sanctionsit.
These sciences, if those can be called sciences whichare yet comparatively in infancy; because a sufficiency ofobservation has not been made upon them from well authen-ticated facts, supporting each other, to constitute what isthought the basis of science; yet these have been thoughtso pertinent in numerous instances, that we think we mayventure to pronounce them sciences in embryo: they havenow our attention. Although, as surmised, we may nothave much historical matter to adduce, we think it properto give the principles upon which the chief supporters ofthem have acted, and which they pronounce to be clear anddefinite.
The first-named science in esse, claims an ancient andhigh descent, even as remote as the period of Admantiusand Aristotle , who have both written upon it; of the trea-tise of the latter, we have a Latin translation by Lacuna.The most eminent of writers who have since discussed thesesubjects, are Baptisla Porta, Robert Fludd , Gall, Cam-par, Kant , Lavater, ayd Blumenbach. The hero of latephysiognomical writers is J. Caspar Lavater; and of itssister science, Craniology, Professor Gall, of Vienna , theinventor.