Chapter L: B. G

MAPS OF AFRICA.

(Vol. v., p. 261.)

I do not know why, because a man publishes maps of Africa at Gotha, they should not be "fancy portraits," any more than why a man's book should be a good one, because it is printed on a composition which nobody but a German would have the effrontery to call paper.

I had seen Spruner's Map a few weeks after it came out, and the conclusion I came to about it at the time was, that it was certainly a fancy portrait. I shall be glad to be shown that I am in error; and, as I am more sure of the fact that I did come to this conclusion after some examination, than I am of the argument whereby I arrived at it--for my memory is singularly gifted in this way--I should be obliged by E. C. H., or any of your correspondents, informing me what grounds there are for believing Spruner, or any one else, to have produced a map or maps of the north coast of Africa between long. 5° west, and 25° east of Greenwich, or any portion of the said coast,--said map or maps being the result of actual survey. Moreover, if I further inquire when any survey whatever took place of this coast at any time, and profess my utter ignorance of the history of our present _North_ African maps, and my great doubts of their credibility, let not your correspondents imagine that this is one of a _few_ things that I ought to be acquainted with, and really know nothing whatever about.

AJAX.

Replies to Minor Queries.

_James Wilson, M.D._ (Vol. v., p. 276.).--To the numerous list of men whose services to literature our English biographers have injudiciously omitted to record may be added James Wilson, M.D. As editor of the _Mathematical tracts_ of Mr. Benjamin Robins in 1761, he has often been noticed with commendation. Beyond that circumstance, all is obscurity.

He wrote, however, a valuable _Dissertation on the rise and progress of the modern art of navigation_, which was first published by Mr. John Robertson in his _Elements of navigation_ in 1764, and republished by him in 1772. The authors shall now speak for themselves:--

"This edition [of the _Elements of navigation_] is also enriched
with the history of the art of navigation; for with the author's
leave, I have published the following dissertation on that
subject, written by Dr. Wilson, believing it would afford the most
ample satisfaction on that subject."--John ROBERTSON, 1764.

"My enquiries into these matters [navigation] induced the late
learned Dr. James Wilson to review and complete his observations
on the subject, and produced his _Dissertation_ on the history of
the art of navigation, which he was pleased to give me leave to
publish with the second edition of this work.... The second
edition of these _Elements_ having also been well received by the
public, Dr. Wilson took the pains to revise his _Dissertation_,
which he improved in many particulars."--John ROBERTSON, Nov. 1,
1772.

"This _Dissertation_, written at first by desire, is now reprinted
with alterations. Though I may be thought to have dwelt too long
on some particulars, not directly relating to the subject; yet I
hope that what is so delivered, will not be altogether
unentertaining to the candid reader. As to any apology for having
handled a matter quite foreign to my way of life, I shall only
plead, that very young, living in a sea-port town, I was eager to
be acquainted with an art that could enable the mariner to arrive
across the wide and pathless ocean at his desired harbour."

London. James WILSON, 1771?

The united libraries of Henry Pemberton, M.D., F.R.S., and James Wilson, M.D., were sold in 1772. The sale occupied eighteen evenings, and produced 701_l._ 17_s._ 6_d._ The learned writers, who were intimate friends, died within seven months of each other in 1771.

BOLTON CORNEY.

_History of Commerce_ (Vol. v., p. 276.).--As a learned and lucid account of the early commercial intercourse between Europe and the eastern countries, I believe there is no work comparable to that entitled _Histoire du commerce entre le Levant et l'Europe depuis les croisades jusqu'à la fondation des colonies d'Amérique_, par G. B. Depping. Paris, 1830. 8vo. 2 vols. This subject was proposed in 1826, as a prize essay, by the Académie royale des inscriptions et belles-lettres, and M. Depping was the successful competitor. The prize, a gold medal of the value of 1500 francs, was awarded in 1828. M. le baron Silvestre de Sacy, whose profound acquaintance with oriental history and literature enabled him to detect some slight errors in the work, thus concludes his review of it in the _Journal des savants_: "Mais ces légères critiques ne m'empêchent pas de rendre toute justice à un travail véritablement estimable, et digne de l'honneur qu'il a obtenu de l'Académie des belles-lettres."

BOLTON CORNEY.

_Ecclesiastical Geography_ (Vol. v., p. 276.).--There is a work on this subject by I. E. T. Wiltsch, _Handbuch der Kirchlichen Geographie and Statistik_, Berlin, 1846, 2 vols. 8vo., which, in so far as I have looked at it, appears to be carefully done.

J. C. R.

_Butts Family_ (Vol. iv., p. 501.).--I read yesterday an article signed COWGILL, asking information concerning the family of Butts, anciently of Thornage, Norfolk. Sir William Butts, physician to Henry VIII., and Dr. Robert Butts, my great-grandfather, formerly Bishop of Norwich, were of that family, and if your correspondent will communicate privately with me, I shall be happy to receive from him, and communicate to him, any particulars of a public character concerning a family of which I am nearly the only representative. My address is "Rev. Edward Drury Butts, Camesworth, Bridport."

E. D. B.

_Friday at Sea_ (Vol. v., p. 200.).--The story to which your correspondent? refers may be found in a note to one of Fennimore Cooper's sea novels; I do not remember which, and am unable at present to ascertain by reference to the book itself. If my recollection be accurate, the novelist speaks of it as an event of which he had personal knowledge, and does not quote any earlier authority.

K. E.

It is a most curious circumstance connected with the superstition sailors have regarding putting to sea on a Friday, which will now have greater weight attached to it than ever, that I can inform your correspondent, W. FRASER, that the ill-fated Amazon, Captain Symons, did really sail on a Friday, as he suggested she might have done.

The day was January 2, 1852, by Lloyd's Lists, which is the day of the month the West India mail always leaves this country.

J. S. O.

Old Broad Street.

_A Pinch of Snuff from Dean Swift's Box_ (Vol. v., p. 274.).--The printed leaves inquired for by A SUBSCRIBER, are from the _Irish Union Magazine_, No. 2., April, 1845, and are quoted at p. 182. of Wilde's _Closing Scenes of Dean Swift's Life_, where may be found several particulars of the snuff-box inquired about. The inscription within the lid is curious, and is copied by Wilde.

E. D.

_English Translation of the Canons_ (Vol. v., p. 246.).--M. tells us that in the second clause of the 36th canon of 1603, the words _quodque eodem taliter uti liceat_ are translated "and that the same may be lawfully used," the word _taliter_ being altogether omitted in the English. What authority is there for this statement? In all the copies of the English Canons that I have examined, the translation is exact, viz., "and that it may lawfully _so_ be used;" and that the form now presented for subscription at ordination agrees with this, may be inferred from the fact that the words are so printed in Mr. Hodgson's _Instructions for the Clergy_ (6th edition, p. 8.).

It would seem that M. has confounded with the Canons of 1603 an older form, which was prescribed by Archbishop Whitgift in 1584 (Cardwell, _Docum. Annals_, i. 414.). The words of that form agree with your correspondent's quotation; and it has also a bearing on his assumption that the 36th canon was originally presented for subscription in Latin, and that the English version has been wrongfully substituted. Not only is there (as I believe) no proof of this assumption; but we have the fact that a set of _English_ articles, substantially the same with those of the 36th canon of 1603 (or rather 1604), was subscribed for twenty years before the body of the canons existed.

J. C. R.

_Few Descents through a long Period._--The pedigree of the noble family of Dartmouth, given by Edmondson in his _Baronagium Genealogicum_, No. 197., contains an extraordinary instance of few descents through a long period of time.

The stock of descent is Thomas Legge, Sheriff of London in 1343, and Lord Mayor in 1346. He had a son, Simon, whose son, Thomas, had issue, William, who had issue an only son, Edward. This Edward had thirteen children, one of whom, John, is stated to have died in 1702, aged 109. Supposing Thomas Legge to have been 46 years old at his Mayoralty (_i.e._ born in 1300) these six lives would extend over more than 400 years. This is so extraordinary that I append a Query. Is Edmondson's _Genealogy_ correct, or are there any intermediate descents omitted?

The ages at death of four only of Edward's children are given, and they, too, are remarkable: the before-mentioned John, aged 109 years; Elizabeth (unmarried), 105 years; Margaret (married ---- Fitzgerald, Esq.), 105 years; and Anne (married ---- Anthony, Esq.), 112 years. Can any of your correspondents inform me the years when any of these died, or where they are buried? to enable me to verify these facts by certificates.