294 THE BRITISH ALMANAC AND THE COMPANION FOR 1830. concluded, that a little common sense would serve better than a display of symbolic charlatanry, to place the matter in its true light, and render it intelligible to the bulk of our readers. We make no apology for carrying out our strictures to some length. They relate to a phenomenon of daily occurrence and universal interest, which few persons, comparatively speaking, have minutely traced. Besides, as Mr. Lub bock is not very remarkable for the lucid arrangement of his materials, it is not easy to speak of them as they deserve in a small compass. Perhaps the task will be rendered less prolix if we separate our observations into two sections; giving 1. Remarks on p. 6, of the "Britisk Almanac." The "Mécanique Celeste" of Laplace is first quoted for an expression, from which it is said, "the time of high-water can be obtained" (meaning at London); and then we are told that "this appears to be incorrect, or at least indistinct; it should be" so and so. Now is not this rather a venturesome thing in a young gentleman who has not yet acquired the reputation of being at the head of British writers on physical astronomy? The authority of the illustrious Laplace-the most refined and profound of modern mathematiciansset aside by the brief should be of J. W. Lubbock, Esq, F. R. and L. S.!! The gentleman does not, to be sure, absolutely affirm that Laplace's expression is "incorrect, or at least indistinct;" he only asserts that it "appears" to be so. This is in your mock modesty style; than which few things are more offensive. Mr. Lubbock should make his election, and say manfully that in the formula in question Laplace is either incorrect or unintelligible. Let him not, as at p. 53, of the "Companion," skulk behind a doubt as to a misprint, and we have no apprehension but what the truth will soon appear. We do not stop, at present, to vindi, cate the accuracy of this formula; for we besitate not to say generally of Laplace's theory, that it is not, as Mr. Lubbock has given it, at all applicable to the state of the tides at London Bridge or the London Docks. Laplace would no more have thought of applyiug it to either of these localities than to Winandermere or Loch Katrine. Our readers are entitled to some proofs of this assertion. 1. Laplace's theory, beautiful as it is, is limited in its application by the data which supply the arbitrary quantities in his equations. These being taken from observations made in ports, principally in latitudes between 43o and 484-Brest especially, not far from 45o, (the cosine of whose double is nothing)-led to simplifications, which however safely they may do for Brest, cannot be correctly employed at London or even at the Nore. 2. Brest is exposed to the full tide of an open sea; London is more than 40 miles from the open sea. 3. The motion of the tidal wave at Brest has carried it over several hundred miles in the preceding hours; the tidal wave arrives at London Bridge after it has dragged along a comparatively slow and sinuous passage of 40 miles in 2 hours. 4. The tide at Brest is a simple tide; that at London not so. 5. At Brest the tide employs about ten minutes more in descending than in ascending ;* at London the ascent occupies between 4 and 5 hours, the descent between 7 and 8. 6. At Brest the spring-tides rise about 194 feet, the neap-tides 94 feet* (less than a half); at London the spring-tides rise about 18 feet, the neap-tides not quite 14 (nearly of the spring-tides). Other circumstances of dissimilarity between the phenomena of the tides at Brest and at London might be traced; but those we have cited will amply suffice to convince any thinking person, whether mathematician or not, that a theory depending mainly upon observations at Brest, cannot, without the utmost caution, or without considerable modifications, if at all, serve for the tides at London. Men may be influenced by public bodies and a phalanx of powerful names; but mathematical theories are not so easily fitted and moulded to purposes for which they were not originally intended. Having thus shown the inutility of the quoted theorem (excepting always as a matter of mere parade), let us look a little at the table on the lower part of the same page, which is said to give "the number of minutes, which if the time of the moon's southing is on the left hand side is to be subtracted from, and if on the right hand side to be added to the time of the moon's southing +1 hour 29 minutes;" the establishment of the port of the London Docks being supposed to be two hours. Of this table we have to remark 1st. That it is of no use to a computer of the times of high-water at London Bridge, or elsewhere, without the • See Biot, Astronomie de Physique, tom, p. 514. THE BRITISH ALMANAC AND THE COMPANION FOR 1830. 295 ephemeris of the moon's parallaxes for at least every day; and that such an ephemeris of parallaxes is not given by the Knowledge Diffusion. Society either in their Almanac or their Companion. If they had followed the example of the despised Francis Moore, who fills up those spaces, which would be otherwise vacant, in his Calendar, with times of the rising and setting of the planets, they might have turned their fastidious omission of Saints days to some purpose, by filling the numerous blank spaces which have been thus occasioned in their Calendar with lunar parallaxes. As the matter now stands, a computer cannot use this table of Mr. Lubbock's without giving half-a-crown for "White's Ephemeris," or twice as much for the "Nautical Almanac." If any person, however, wishes simply to compute the high-water for London Bridge, or the London Docks, he may save himself the expense of purchasing either auxiliary: for 2ndly, Mr. Lubbock's table, even with the help of the lunar parallaxes,1s ALTOGETHER UNFIT for computing the high-water at London Docks,although actually employed for that purpose in getting up the computations exhibited in the British Almanac. This in fact Mr. Lubbock admits (Companion, pp. 59,61.) But there are other reasons for the inadequacy of this table, of which we suspect the learned gentleman has little notion. The tides in the Thames are always made up of two, and sometimes of three distinct lunar or lunisolar tides. As this assertion may startle some of our readers, as well as Mr. Lubbock, we will confirm it by a brief detail, in which our general accuracy may be confirmed by any one who will turn to Riddle's or Nories's tables, in their respective books of navigation. The tide which is occasioned by the joint influence of the two luminaries at new or full moon, and commencing (suppose) at noon, somewhere in the Atlantic, (the precise part we need not speculate upon) arrives at Brest, at the Land's End, and on the West of Ireland between four and five o'clock. At the Land's End the great tidal stream is divided. One portion pursuing its way along the Irish Channel, meets another tidal stream at the North of Ireland; then, pursuing its course along the northernly Scotish coast, and falling in with other tidal portions from the Shetland and Orkney coasts, it proceeds along the eastern shores of Scotland and England. The other portion of tidal waters at the Land's End proceeds along the southern coast of England, until it meets the other stream. Where does the junction happen? The tide which is at the Land's End, say at half past four o'clock, will be found at Plymouth at 5h. 30m., at Torbay at 6h. 10m., at Weymouth at 5h. 30m., at St. Alban's Head at 7h. 30m., at Dunnose at 8h. 56m., at Brighton at 10h. 6m., at Rye at 10h. 36m., and at Dover before half past 11. Meanwhile the tide proceeding northeruly, (and with many accessions of earlier tides,) will be at the Pentland Firth at 10h. 30m., at Banff at 11h. 30m., and at Peterhead about 12. So far, then, as the simultaneous operations of the luminaries are concerned, the coincident tides, for any one moment, must be sought between Rye and Margate in the south, and Banff and Peterhead in the north. Pursuing the northern portion, we shall find high-water at Montrose at 1h. 30m.; but that is, in fact, the high-water of the tide which precedes that which we have hitherto been tracing by 12 lunar hours. Let us pursue its course. It is at Berwick at 2h. 15m., at Sunderland at 3, at Scarborough at 4h. 30m., at Cromer at 6h. 45m., at Yarmouth Roads at 8h.45m. Thence a portion of it flows directly across to the North Foreland; another portion (either of them being stronger than the southern branch of tide, on account of the accessions,) winds its way to the Nore, where it arrives about 12 o'clock, viz. 24 hours after its origin in the Atlantic; and at that moment a third tide may be rising, under the immediate influence of the moon, between the Nore and the northern coasts of Europe. The other branch, which goes across from the Suffolk to the Kentish coast, usually reaches Dover about a quarter of an hour before the southern tide, and being stronger, forces it back. ward for nearly half an hour. We have several proofs of this, but need only specify two. One of them the reader will find in Smeaton's Reports on Ramsgate Harbour,* where he refers to the influence of the two streams in modifying the time of high-water. The other is deduced from the known fact that the spring-tide at Rye is a tide earlier than the spring-tide at the Nore. Part of this complex tide also slides along the eastern shore of Kent, and works its way to the Nore. And now we should be glad to know to which of these two or three tides, whose confluence produces high-water at London Smeaton's Reports, vol. iii. p. 82. 296 TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES.-CHEAP BEER. Bridge, or the London Docks, we are to refer the numbers in Mr. Lubbock's table, which has led to this induction of particulars? Must we, when employing this table, take the moon's'parallax, which agrees with her time of southing, just before any one high-water, or the southing for a tide earlier than that, or for two tides earlier? Or, are we to blend the parallaxes as the waters of the succeeding tides are blended? And, if so, in what manner, and by what rule? When it is recollected that a change of three minutes in the moon's parallax may cause a change of more than ten minutes in the time of high-water ; it will be seen that these questions are not put in order to insinuate an apparent difficulty where none really exists, but are, on the contrary, of vital and paramount importance. Either the Society, or their physical astronomer, Mr. Lubbock, must give a complete and satisfactory answer to them-an answer bearing practically on the table itself; or the public will be forced to conclude that that table is of no more use than a table of sloth measure or apothecaries' weight would be for determining the periods of time for which it is given. We dwell more particularly upon this second ground of objection to the table, because the motion, setting, meeting, and receding of the tides are intimately connected with many points of civil engineering, and have never yet, as far as we are aware, been investigated with the minuteness they deserve. After all, however, we must not forget to remark with respect to this extraordinary table 3dly. That though from its position it seems to be an immediate consequence of Laplace's theorem, which precedes it (and could precede it for no obvious purpose but to make that impression) it depends on principles which were developed not by Laplace, but by Daniel Bernoulli before Laplace was born. A table similar to Mr. L.'s in principle is inserted in Bernoulli's Traite sur le flux et reflux de la Mer, and may be found at page 165, vol. iii. of the Glasgow edition of the Jesuit's Newton. We should be well content to think Mr. Lubbock knows nothing of this unacknowledged resemblance, but both the writers we have just referred to are quoted by Mr. Lubbock himself in the "Companion." On the whole, then, it may be asked, why was this table introduced at all, since it is confessedly and obviously useless? And why was it placed to seem to be what it is not-a straight-forward, fair deduction from Laplace? Are these things the result of pedantry, or of ignorance, or of an experiment to measure the gullibility of the British public, or of a mixture of all three ? The second section of these animadversions must be postponed until another week; and in the meanwhile, we beg it may be remembered that we are sounding the depths of the Knowledge Diffusion Society as to a matter of practical science in which they have undertaken to instruct the world. (To be continued.) TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES. BEER. CHEAP A great work of moral reformation has been recently begun in America, and has now happily reached our own shores. We allude to the institution of Temperance Societies for promoting the disuse of ardent spirits. No less than 500 of these Societies have lately been established throughout the United States, and at the commencement of the present year (1829), there is stated to have been 100,000 individuals in the American Republic who had publicly forsworn the sin of intemperance. This effect, too, has been brought about, as Professor Edgar, of Belfast, remarks, "not by legislative interference; not by legally prohibiting distillation and the use of spirituous liquors; nor by throwing heavy duties in the way of the poor--for all these would have been insufficient: the only remedy for the desolating evil of intemperance has been found in awakening the reason, the moral sense, and the piety of the community. All the efforts that have been made-efforts already crowned with unexpected and animating success have consisted in earnest, affectionate appeals to the understanding and consciences of the people." Encouraged by the example thus set by the philanthropists of the United States, some well-wishers to the Irish people (who, without offence be it spoken, stand, next to the Americans, most in need of a reform in this particular) associated together a few months ago under the name of the "Dublin Temperance Society," for the purpose of collecting information on the subject, and laying it from TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES.-CHEAP BEER. time to time before the public. Already half a dozen tracts have emanated from this Society, each embracing some different view of the evils of intemperance, and all of them very ably written; and Branch Societies have been formed at New Ross, Cookestown, Rathfriland, Drogheda, &c. The following vigorously sketched picture of that depraved condition of social life, which it is the object of this Society to reform, we quote from one of these tracts, written by Professor Edgar: "The evils of drunkenness are universally acknowledged. There is no necessity for entering into deep discussions respecting the causes of Ireland's misery. The chief cause is blazoned on the sign-board of every dram-shop-it looks forth from ten thousand bloated faces-it meets us wherever we turn, in hosts of destructive habits and practices. The poor-house, and infirmary, and gaol, are filled with its fruits; and its fresh graves are strewed every where in the place of the dead. Mothers drink, with infants hanging at their breasts; fathers drink, and let wives and families starve; children drink, after the example of their parents, and prepare themselves, in the company of drunkards, for becoming the scourge and curse of other generations. Drunken customs tyrannize every where; apprentices to all trades must drink; journeymen must be bullied, and ridiculed, and insulted, or drink. Every bargain is settled by drinking; every act of hospitality must commence with drinking; christenings must be drinking-matches; marriages must be celebrated with drinking; no wake would be deserving of the name which afforded no drinking; and to bury a man without drinking, would be giving him, in the opinion of many, the burial of a dog. Then, the sessions-house of each congregation must have its cupboard and its bottle, and after the sermon, and perhaps before it, the ruling elder is ready with the dram for the minister; wherever the minister goes, in his visitations, the bottle is ready; and, no matter how often he has drunk already, or how weak or hungry he may be, he must, in every house, take a drop of something. All this drinking is sanctioned by a community, who vainly imagine that intoxicating liquors are promoters of health and activity; and that hospitality and social intercourse could not exist without them." 297 We sincerely hope that the endeavours of Professor Edgar and his friends to amend this vicious state of things in the sister kingdom, will be crowned with speedy success; and that England and Scotland too will forthwith have their Temperance Societies, supported with equal energy and talent. We must notice, however, one or two features in the publications of the "Dublin Society," which we consider likely to lessen their usefulness, and would be glad therefore to see amended. In the first place, the intemperance they denounce is too exclusively the intemperance arising from the use of ardent spirits; as if beer could not be drank to excess as well as whisky or gin, or as if gluttony did not count its millions of victims as well as drunkenness. Secondly, they recommend no substitute for the pernicious liquors which they denounce; they do not blame the use of ale or beer, but they say nothing in favour of them, and thus leave it to be inferred that what the Society advocate is an entire abstinence from fermented as well as distilled liquors of every kind: an extent of reform which can scarcely be considered as practicable, and if practicable, not called for by any considerations either moral or physical. And, thirdly, they say nothing of the deplorable influence which the enormous duties on malt liquors, (175 per cent.!!!) and the comparatively trifling duties imposed on whisky and gin, have had in promoting the use of the latter and that profligacy and wretchedness which invariably follow in their train. The Society by insisting for too much, will expose themselves to the chance of accomplishing little or nothing. They should join their efforts to those of the many equally sincere friends of the people, who think that one of the surest practical means of weaning the multitude from the use of ardent spirits, is to provide them with a wholesome malt beverage at a cheap rate, and who are with this view striving to enforce on the Govern→ ment and Legislature the urgent expediency of abolishing, or, at least, greatly reducing the present enormous taxes on malt and beer. "Earnest 298 SOLUTION OF EQUATIONS OF ALL DIMENSIONS. and affectionate appeals," such as Mr. Edgar speaks of, are quite as much needed to prick the consciences of the governing as the governed; nor until an entire change takes place in our system of legislation, as it affects the sources of intemperance, can there be much likelihood of any general reform in habits which are in their worst excesses but the natural fruits of that system. Following this article there is a communication from an esteemed Correspondent, which we earnestly recommend to the notice of our Dublin friends, and to the attention of the public at large. The Society could not forward the objects it has in view more effectually than by circulating it as widely as possible. It gives an account of the discovery of a new material from which beer almost if not quite as good as from malt may be manufactured for one-fifth of the price. The author of the discovery is a respectable surgeon in the north of England; on the correctness of whose statements every reliance may be placed. CHEAP SUBSTITUTE FOR MALT. Sir,-It is not from a desire to withhold any useful knowledge that I have thus long deferred fulfilling the promise I some time since made, to furnish you with a method of brewing beer at a much cheaper rate than is usually done. The article I use is well known to most people by the name of mangel-wurzel, and is, in many respects, well worth every person's attention. It is very easy to cultivate, and I will give some further account of it previous to the season for sowing. The process for brewing is, to take as many of the roots as you choose to brew, wash them well, slice them across, and fill any sized boiler with them, so cut; add as much water as the boiler will hold, and, if possible, lay a weight of some sort on the roots to keep them under the water; after boiling them for about an hour and a half, they may be taken out, well broken, and pressed, as the strongest part of the liquor remains in the roots. After they are well pressed, put the liquor that comes from them, and the water they were boiled in, together, and reduce, by boiling, to any strength you please; then put in what quantity of hops is thought necessary, and boil for one hour. Cool the liquor as quickly as possible, and put a sufficient quantity of yeast to work it, as ale is generally done. After saying so much, it may be thought by some superfluous to add more; but as this is intended chiefly for those who have not been much in the habit of brewing, I will beg leave to give the process by which I have lately brewed. I took 150lb. of the roots, being the quantity my boiler would hold, boiled, bruised, and pressed, as above, adding one pound of hops, which I infused all night in some of the hot liquor; and by a saccharometer I have made, such as is recommended by Mr. Saddington,in vol. ix., page 361,of your very valuable Magazine, I reduced the liquor to the strength of about 28lb. of saccharine matter to the barrel of 36 gallons. I then boiled the hops in the liquor one hour, cooled it as soon as possible to 70 degrees Fahr., and then added one pound of good yeast, let it stand 24 hours, then beat it in, and again in 12 hours; I then took off all the yeast I could, after letting it stand six hours; in six hours more I again took all the yeast off, and tunned the beer, allowing it to work well out of the barrel. When done working, I put in a handful of the cold hops I reserved for the purpose, stirred them well in the barrel, and in a few hours bunged it down. The result is, 16 gallons of ale, apparently very strong, of a very fine flavour, and equal to any malt ale. The whole expense thereof does not exceed seven shillings, which is only 51d. per gallon for ale which would not disgrace a nobleman's table. The refuse left from the press is an excellent food for pigs. I am, Sir, &c. HOMO. SOLUTION OF EQUATIONS OF ALL DIMENSIONS. Sir, Two or three weeks ago I purchased Wallace's "Elements of Algebra," lately published by Mr. Stuart, 139, Cheapside: at the end of which a rule is given for the solution of equations of all dimensions, said to have been discovered by Mr. Halbert, schoolmaster of Auchinleck, and published by him at Paisley, in 1789. |