Part 4

Lord Monboddo maintains that speech is not natural to man, and that the want of it is no proof that the Ourang-Outang is not of the same species, as that animal only wants the _artificial_ use of it. King John, of England,[3] held the same hypothesis upwards of five centuries before. Tradition (for such records are beneath the dignity of history) asserts, that this monarch imprisoned two children (a male and female) in separate cells.[4] When, at a certain age, they were brought before him, each of these little victims repeated a sarcasm on his folly in thus confining them. He considered his hypothesis as confirmed, but punished the keepers. The legend is here torn, and we do not learn (supposing it true) what became of the children, or what further progress they made in language. That man has the power, as well as the organs of speech, it appears an absurdity to deny; for, what country has ever been discovered where the natives had not the means of communicating verbally with each other? In the earliest records of the world we find no sanction for such an opinion; for the Antediluvians were certainly not defective in the power or use of speech to convey their ideas. If we deny this we virtually acknowledge our belief that the Mosaic account of the creation is "a cunningly devised fable." After the Flood we cannot doubt that Noah and his descendants still spoke the language of Adam. "All the nations spoke one language." Lord Kames contends that, after the building of Babel, "men again degenerated into a savage state," which he attributes to the confusion of tongues, and the dispersion of the tribes. We are no where told that they lost or forgot the use of speech, which lord Monboddo considers incidental to the savage state.

[3] The Prince John of Ivanhoe, whom Hume characterises as replete "with cowardice, inactivity, folly, levity, licentiousness, ingratitude, treachery, tyranny, and cruelty." What a tissue of crimes! And this was a King!

[4] In Newark Castle, where John died in 1216.

Lord Kames appears to take it for granted that _all_ the men then in existence were engaged in this stupendous and impious attempt to scale Heaven, and "make themselves a name."--This idea is not conveyed by the sacred historian; it therefore appears probable that the tribes which continued together still spoke the _original language_, and remained in one place, and as one people. I fear I have trespassed on your limits, but the subject arose from the preceding remarks. I conclude with reiterating my request respecting the children found in the Dismal Swamp.

[_Nat. Int._

ARTIFICIAL STONE FLOORS _and coverings for houses as made in some parts of Russia_.

The floors and coverings of houses in some parts of South Russia are made in the following manner:--For a floor let the ground be made even, and some stones of any shape be put on, and with a heavy wooden rammer force or break the stones into the ground, continuing to beat the floor until it becomes quite even, and incapable of receiving any further impression. Then run lime, immediately after it has been slacked, through a fine sieve as expeditiously as possible, because exposure to the air weakens the lime. Mix two parts of coarse sand or washed gravel, for there must be no earth in it, with one part of lime powder, and wet them with bullock's blood; so little moist however, as merely to prevent the lime blowing away in powder--in short, the less moist the better: spread it on the floor, and without a moment's loss of time, let several men be ready with large beetles to beat the mixture, which will become more and more moist by the excessive beating requisite. Then put on it some of the dry sand and lime mixed, and beat it till like a stone. If required to be very fine, take for the next layer finely sifted lime, with about a tenth part of rye flour, and a little ox blood; beat it with a trowel. The next day again smooth it with a trowel, and so continue to do daily till it be entirely dry. When it is quite dry and hard, rub it over with fresh ox blood, taking off all which it will not imbibe. No wet will penetrate this composition, which, however, after some time is often painted with oil colours. The whole floor appears as a single stone, and nothing will affect it.--The drier it is used the better, provided that with much beating it becomes like a very stiff mortar, and evidently forms a compact body.

On flat tops of houses, the beetles or rammers' ends must be smaller, to prevent the rebounding of the boards and timber, which would crack the cement; but, when the thickness of a foot is laid on, it will beat more firmly. A thick coating of ox blood, flour and lime, being beat in large, strong wooden troughs, or mortar, till it can be spread with a trowel, may be used without beating it again on the floor or house-top: but it must be very stiff, and used most expeditiously. Even frost will not affect it. With this composition, artificial stone may be made, rammed very hard into strong wooden frames of the required shape, particularly to turn arches for buildings of rammed earth. It is well known that earth which is not too argillaceous, with only the moisture it has when fresh dug, on being rammed between frames of wood till the rammer will no longer impress it, makes eternal walls; but a mass as hard as stone may be made with a little lime added to sand, horse-dung, or ox blood. The more the lime is beaten, the moister it becomes, and it must contain so much moisture as to become by beating a solid mass, adhering in all its parts, and not remain crumbling, that will properly set as a mortar. If there be too little moisture at first, it will remain a powder; if there be too much it will become a soft mortar. Lime is of no use mixed with clay or vegetable earths, which, if well beaten, are stronger without it.

FROM A LATE ENGLISH PAPER.

ATTACK BY BEES.

Some days ago the following singular narrative appeared in the Berlin Gazette: it was furnished to that paper by M. Eulert, a merchant of that city, who was himself the party principally concerned:--

"I was travelling," says M. Eulert, "on the 20th of July, at 7 o'clock in the morning, in my carriage, accompanied by my wife, on my way from Wirtemberg to Berlin, between Kroppstadt and the town of Schmogelsdorf, which is contiguous to the high road; I observed one of my horses rub himself with uneasiness against the other. I remarked to my wife that the animal no doubt was stung by a horse-fly. Whilst we were talking upon the subject, we were suddenly surrounded by a swarm of bees, so thick, that our carriage horses, coachman, my wife, and myself, were completely covered. The furious insects attached themselves immediately to the nose, mouth, eyes and ears of each horse; the two animals seemed to be deprived of every sense, and as if overcome with stupor, they lay down, and stretched themselves out an unresisting prey to the bees.

"As soon as we perceived this cloud of insects to lessen around us, my wife threw over her hat the hood of her night cloak, got out of the carriage, went back a little way on the road, and instinctively fled into the ditch, where she lay down with her face to the earth. I exerted myself in the meantime in endeavouring to get over this disaster; I went also out of the carriage, and covering my face and neck with my handkerchief, I re-ascended the carriage, and with all my strength cried out for help.--Three peasants, a short distance off, had all the while calmly observed my situation; but neither by the offer of reward, nor by the most urgent entreaty, could I prevail upon them to render us any assistance; they turned their backs upon us, and pursued their way to the village. In this unhappy plight I walked on for half an hour, when I met the road-keeper, named Daniel Arndt, and a carrier, named David Henry, accompanied by some labourers, and driving a cart with three horses.--Still tormented by the bees, and pursued by them with inconceivable bitterness, I breathed at last, and was relieved by this rencontre, as these good people had lighted tobacco pipes, and the smoke dispersed my disagreeable guests.

"The carrier being informed of the danger, in order not to expose himself to it, would not stir one pace further; and as the bees began to surround us on all sides, he unharnessed his team, left his cart laden with goods on the road, and took a by-way in order to place his horses under shelter in the village. Soon after the other people accompanied me to where my horses were, and they brought with them an abundance of hay and straw. There we found my unfortunate coachman stretched in the ditch, his head and hands all covered with bees, so that the road-keeper was obliged to use a brush to get them off his face; his hair was matted with blood, and as the insects could not be extricated, they were crushed to death.--Whilst this operation was going on, we set fire to the straw, and succeeded in driving away the bees.

"As soon as the carrier had placed his horses in safety, he came back to us having fortified himself in every way against the bees, and showed himself anxious to give all the assistance in his power to my horses.--But one of them was so severely injured, that he died the same day. The other was conducted to Schmogelsdorf; but though the veterinary surgeon exhausted all his skill, the animal perished in twenty-four hours after.

"My coachman had brought his misfortune on himself, because, in endeavouring to succour the horses, he had lost his hat. The bees fastened on his naked head, and deprived him of his senses, and for forty-eight hours he remained in a state of suffering that threatened to terminate in his death. We were supplied with horses, and had him conveyed to Treuenbrietzen, where he recovered. He had at first cried out so vehemently for assistance, that the bees got into his mouth and throat. I myself passed twenty-four hours in extreme pain at the same place, and was compelled to apply several poultices, to my head, neck, and ears, to appease the inflammation.

"My wife, who, as if by inspiration, threw herself down into the ditch, came out again perfectly safe--and in a few days after, the coachman and I were at length entirely recovered.

"I attribute this accident to two causes. In the first place, I now believe it was not a horse fly that stung the horse, as I at first supposed, but rather the queen bee, which must have been killed when the animal rubbed against his companion. I conjecture this to have been the case, from the natural history of these insects; it is very common to see a swarm of bees, when deprived of their leading queen, unite with other swarms, and fall with a species of madness, upon the first objects they encounter.

"In the next place, I attribute the circumstance to the fact, that, contrary to express prohibition of the magistrates, the Commune of Schmogelsdorf, besides its proper number of 900 hives, takes in an equal number from the neighbouring communes to tend during the time of swarming, because the flowers, fields and gardens which it contains, present a singularly rich pasture for such insects. Hence it happens, that in a small space nearly two thousand hives are crowded together, so that in the season of swarming it is dangerous to pass that way.

ZOOLOGY Of THE SPITZBERGEN WHALE.

Extracted from Scoresby's valuable work, "Arctic Voyages," &c. just published.

Erroneous opinions have been entertained respecting the Whale (the Balæna Mysticetus) having been of a much larger size in former times than now: from a comparison of the preceding accounts of all credible witnesses, the author says--

"Hence I conceive we may satisfactorily conclude, that whales of as large size are found now, as at any former period since the Spitzbergen fishery was discovered; and I may also remark, that where any respectable authority affords actual measurements exceeding 70 feet, it will always be found that the specimen referred to, was not one of the Mysticetus kind, but of the B. Physalis, or the B. Musculus, animals which considerably exceed in length any of the common whales that I have either heard of, or met with. When fully grown, therefore, the length of the whale may be stated as varying from 50 to 65, and rarely, if ever, reaching 70 feet; and its greatest circumference from 30 to 40 feet. It is thickest a little behind the fins, or in the middle, between the anterior and posterior extremes of the animal; from whence it gradually tapers in a conical form, towards the tail, and slightly towards the head. Its form is cylindrical from the neck, to within ten feet of the tail, beyond which it becomes somewhat quadrangular, the greatest ridge being upward, or on the back, and running backward nearly across the middle of the tail. The head has somewhat of a triangular shape. The under-part, the arched outline of which is given by the jaw-bones, is flat, and measures 16 to 20 feet in length, and 10 to 12 in breadth. The lips, extending 15 to 20 feet in length, and 5 or 6 in height, and forming the cavity of the mouth, are attached to the under-jaw, and rise from the jaw-bones, at an angle of about 80 degrees, having the appearance, when viewed in front, of the letter U. The upper jaw, including the 'crown-bone,' or skull, is bent down at the extremity, so as to shut the front and upper parts of the cavity of the mouth, and is overlapped by the lips in a squamous manner at the sides. When the mouth is open, it presents a cavity as large as a room, and capable of containing a merchant-ship's jolly-boat, full of men, being 6 or 8 feet wide, 10 or 12 feet high (in front), and 15 or 16 feet long. The fins, two in number, are placed between one-third and two-fifths of the length of the animal, from the snout, and about two feet behind the angle of the mouth. They are 7 to 9 feet in length, and 4 or 5 in breadth. The part by which they are attached to the body, is somewhat elliptical, and about 2 feet in diameter; the side which strikes the water is nearly flat. The articulation being perfectly spherical, the fins are capable of motion in any direction; but, from the tension of the flesh and skin below, they cannot be raised above the horizontal position. Hence the account given by some naturalists, that the whale supports its young by its fins, on its back, must be erroneous. The fins, after death, are always hard and stiff; but, in the living animal, it is presumed, from the nature of the internal structure, that they are capable of considerable flexion. The whale has no dorsal fin. The tail, comprising, in a single surface, 80 or 100 square feet, is a formidable instrument of motion and defence. Its length is only 5 or 6 feet; but its width is 18 to 24 or 26 feet. Its position is horizontal. In its form it is flat and semi-lunar; indented in the middle; the two lobes somewhat pointed, and turned a little backward. Its motions are rapid and universal; its strength immense. The eyes are situated in the sides of the head, about a foot obliquely above and behind the angle of the mouth. They are remarkably small in proportion to the bulk of the animal's body, being little larger than those of an ox. The whale has no external ear; not can any orifice for the admission of sound be discovered until the skin is removed.

On the most elevated part of the head, about 16 feet from the anterior extremity of the jaw, are situated the blow-holes, or spiracles; consisting of two longitudinal apertures 6 or eight inches in length. These are the proper nostrils of the whale. A moist vapour, mixed with mucus, is discharged from them, when the animal breathes; but no water accompanies it, unless an expiration of the breath be made under the surface.

The mouth, in place of teeth, contains two extensive rows of "fins," or whalebone, which are suspended from the sides of the crown-bone. These series of fins are generally curved longitudinally, although they are sometimes straight, and give an arched form to the roof of the mouth.--They are covered immediately by the lips attached to the lower jaw, and enclose the tongue between their lower extremities. Each series or "side of bone," as the whalefishers term it, consists of upwards of 300 laminæ; the longest are near the middle, from whence they gradually diminish away to nothing at each extremity. Fifteen feet is the greatest length of the whalebone; but 10 or 11 feet is the average size, and 13 feet is a magnitude seldom met with. The greatest breadth, which is at the gum, is 10 or 12 inches. The laminæ, composing the two series of bone, are ranged side by side, two thirds of an inch apart, (thickness of the blade included,) and resemble a frame of saws, in a saw-mill. The interior edges are covered with a fringe of hair, and the exterior edge of every blade, excepting a few at each extremity of the series, is curved and flattened down, so as to present a smooth surface to the lips. In some whales, a curious hollow on one side, and ridge on the other, occurs in many of the central blades of whalebone, at regular intervals of 6 or 7 inches.--May not this irregularity, like the rings in the horns of the ox, which they resemble, afford an intimation of the age of the whale? If so, twice the number of running feet in the longest laminæ of whalebone in the head of a whale not full grown, would represent its age in years. In the youngest whales, called _suckers_, the whalebone is only a few inches long; when the length reaches 6 feet or upwards, the whale is said to be _size_. The colour of the whalebone is brownish-black, or bluish-black. In some animals, it is striped longitudinally with white. When newly cleaned, the surface exhibits a fine play of colour. A large whale sometimes affords a ton and a half of whalebone. If the "sample blade," that is, the largest lamina in the series, weigh 7 pounds, the whole produce may be estimated at a ton; and so on in proportion. The whalebone is inserted into the crown-bone, in a sort of rabbet. All the blades in the same series are connected together by the gum, in which the thick ends are inserted. This substance, (the gum,) is white, fibrous, tender, and tasteless. It cuts like cheese. It has the appearance of the interior or kernel of the cocoa-nut.

The tongue occupies a large proportion of the cavity of the mouth, and the arch formed by the whalebone. It is incapable of protrusion, being fixed from root to tip, to the fat extending between the jaw-bones.--A slight beard, consisting of a short scattered white hair, surmounts the anterior extremity of both jaws. The throat is remarkably strait.

Two paps in the female, afford the means of rearing its young. The milk of the whale resembles that of quadrupeds in its appearance. It is said to be rich and well-flavoured.

Immediately beneath the skin lies the _blubber_ or fat, encompassing the whole body of the animal, together with the fins and tail. Its colour is yellowish-white, yellow, or red. In the very young animal it is always yellowish-white. In some old animals, it resembles in colour the substance of the salmon. It swims in water. Its thickness all round the body, is 8 or 10 to 20 inches, varying in different parts as well as in different individuals. The lips are composed almost entirely of blubber, and yield from one to two tons of pure oil each. The tongue is chiefly composed of a soft kind of fat, that affords less oil than any other blubber; in the centre of the tongue, and towards the root, this fat is intermixed with fibres of a muscular substance. The under jaw, excepting the two jaw-bones, consists almost wholly of fat; and the crown-bone possesses a considerable coating of it. The fins are principally blubber, tendons, and bones; and the tail possesses a thin stratum of blubber. The oil appears to be retained in the blubber in minute cells, connected together by a strong reticulated combination of tendinous fibres. The blubber, in its fresh state, is without any unpleasant smell; and it is not until after the termination of the voyage, when the cargo is unstowed, that a Greenland ship becomes disagreeable.

Four tons of blubber by measure, generally afford three tons of oil; but the blubber of a sucker contains a very small proportion. Whales have been caught that afforded nearly thirty tons of pure oil; and whales yielding twenty tons of oil, are by no means uncommon. The quantity of oil yielded by a whale, generally bears a certain proportion to the length of its longest blade of whalebone.

A stout whale of sixty feet in length, is of the enormous weight of seventy tons; the blubber weighs about thirty tons, the bones of the head, whalebone, fins and tail, eight or ten; carcase thirty or thirty-two.

The flesh of the young whale is of a red colour; and when cleared of fat, broiled, and seasoned with pepper and salt, does not eat unlike coarse beef; that of the old whale approaches to black, and is exceedingly coarse.--An immense bed of muscles surrounding the body, is appropriated chiefly to the movements of the tail.

The number of ribs, according to Sir Charles Giesecké, is thirteen on each side. The bones of the fins are analogous, both in proportion and number, to those of the fingers of the human hand. From this peculiarity of structure, the fins have been denominated by Dr. Flemming, "swimming paws." The posterior extremity of the whale, however, is a real tail; the termination of the spine or coccygis, running through the middle of it almost to the edge.

The whale seems dull of hearing. A noise in the air, such as that produced by a person shouting, is not noticed by it, though at the distance only of a ship's length; but a very slight splashing in the water, in calm weather, excites its attention, and alarms it. Its sense of seeing is acute. Whales are observed to discover one another, in clear water, when under the surface, at an amazing distance. When at the surface, however, they do not see far. They have no voice; but in breathing or _blowing_, they make a very loud noise. The vapour they discharge, is ejected to the height of some yards, and appears at a distance, like a puff of smoke. When the animals are wounded, it is often stained with blood; and, on the approach of death, jets of blood are sometimes discharged alone. They blow strongest, densest, and loudest, when, "running," when in a state of alarm, or when they first appear at the surface, after being a long time down. They respire or blow about four or five times a-minute.