Dinsmore Documentation presents Western Views of the Muslim World
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Niebuhr, Carsten. |
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Travels through |
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Notes to Volume I. |
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HTML by Dinsmore Documentation * Added January 26, 2004 |
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409 NOTES TO VOL. I. Phosphoric Light of the Sea. The most careful observers have remarked, that this sight appears in various aspects, owing, most probably, to a diversity of causes. Of these appearances, one sort seems to undulate round the sides of vessels sailing in the ocean, and never spreads to any great distance: Another species is observed to arise in the course of long calms, or immediately after them, and at the termination of a series of hot weather; it spreads over the surface of the deep; and seems even to be intermingled with the waters; A third diversity of these lights often covers the ocean to a still wider extent, and is so modified in its shining, as if it arose from the bodies of different animals. 410 Concerning the first of these sea-lights, it has been suggested, that they are most probably produced by the operation of the laws of eletricity. The friction occasioned by the rapid motion of a ship through the waves, the bituminous substances upon the fides of vessels, the nails sticking in the bottom, and the conducting power of water, are circumstances from which the evolution of electrical matter, in this case, may be plausibly inferred. As to the second; it is well known that many animal bodies putrify and are dissolved in the sea, and that almost all animal matters, many mineral substances, and even the atmosphere itself, contain phosphoric acid. Inflammable matter added to this acid, will produce the substance called phosphoric acid. Large quantities of this substance may therefore be formed in the ocean by the union of the phosphoric acid evolved from various bodies, with the oily and other inflammable particles diffused in great abundance through the waters. Hence, probably, this light, which commonly succeeds calms, and hot weather, and appears not to depend upon any circumstance that can be readily referred to in the laws of electricity. The third sort has every appearance of being occasioned by living animals. The genera of Sapiæ and Medusae, with some shell fishies, are all phosphorescent, 411 phosphorescent. Some species, too, of the genus Scolapendra or Centipes, which shine during the darkness of the night, although land-insects, are at times conveyed by the winds into the sea. On the night of October 30th 1772, Dr. Forster saw a very beautiful exhibition of this sort of sea-light, off the Cape of Good Hope, at a few miles distance from the shore, and while a fresh gale blew. Upon examining, like Mr Forskal and Mr Niebuhr, a bucket of the water on which it was displayed, he was convinced that it proceeded from living animalcules. Dr Sparmann observed, in the years 1772 and 1775, that the Mollusca and Medusa, both phosphorescent animals, were diffused in such masses near the surface of the ocean, and moved with such a rising and falling motion, as seemed perfectly adequate to the production of the phœnomenon. See what is said on this subject by Pere Bourzes in the Lettres Edifiantes; Tome ix. Perhaps the reader may not be ill-pleased to find here some few particulars concerning this 412 celebrated city, extracted chiefly from a very amusing late publication. It is the most ancient city in Since its union with the other dominions of the King of France, 413 people, the New, one of the most beautiful towns in the world, for
clear, spacious and extensive streets, elegant, commodious, and regularly
built houses, is occupied by rich families whose only business is to enjoy
their fortunes; and by thrieving merchants,
tradesmen, and manufacturers. The port exhibits a noble spectacle of
commercial industry: a promiscuous and busy multitude, consisting of people
of almost all nations and languages; crowd the quay; and more than two
thousand vessels are often to be seen in the harbour. The neighbouring territorry is
thick set with villas belonging to the opulent inhabitants of I have extracted these particulars almost entirely from Lord Gardenstone’s travelling memorandums: A book which does honour to the author; being written with such happy propriety of reflection and observation, together with so much love of humanity, and these so pleasingly coloured with a portion of the spirit of the elegant bon vivant, that, (not to speak of the useful and solid information which it contains,) I know not any book of travels, over which a few hours may be more agreeably whiled away. 414 It would be a curious subject of enquiry, and would tend greatly to elucidate the physical history of the earth, and no less the history of society; if we could trace the various sorts of subterraneous excavations, natural and artificial, which have been formed or discovered in different ages of the world. If we adopt the opinion of many modern philosophers, which indeed can hardly be controverted, that, at the period which is commonly esteemed the era of the creation of the world, our earth was not actually raised out of non-existence, but only moulded by the hand of the Almighty into a new form, after having previously undergone perhaps numberless similar revolutions; we are then obliged to take up its physical history in the middle, and to view it as a broken system, the impeded part of which no efforts of human ingenuity can restore. Upon this idea, we must give up the hope of being able to class the various phœnomena which it exhibits. Among other things we must find it impossible to account for the natural excavations which are in different places to be discovered. Many of these may be the effects of earthquakes, subterraneous ravages by water or fire, and volcanic eruptions, 415 Some may have been produced by extraordinary accidents which have happened on the earth’s surface. Those which have been formed by human art, have generally been intended as
places of ordinary abode; as temporary recesses from danger; or as catacombs
for the sepulture of the dead. Of the latter sort many still remain in Another sort of artificial excavations have been formed by the extraction of rich materials for human use, from the bowels of the earth. This account of the imperfect state of the Turkish navigation is confirmed
by Savary, particularly in his letters on 416 I cannot avoid taking this opportunity of recommending to the reader the observations of Mr Howard, and the valuable quarto in which Dr Russell has lately laid before the public the result of his long and enlightened experience, on a subject of such curious and awful importance as the plague. May we not hope that this dreadful epidemical distemper than be, one day, finally extirpated from the earth, or like the small-pox, disarmed of its terrors? I have forgotten to what book of travels I should refer for the story of an English ship-captain, who, in consequence of a wager, flew a paper-kite over it, and by this means raised a ladder of ropes, by which he and his comrades ascended to the top of this celebrated pillar, where they drank a bowl of punch very merrily, to the great astonishment of all who saw them. Whoever knows any thing of the turbulence and fantastic superstition of the Christians of Egypt, while 417 while it formed a part of the Greek Empire, will not very grieviously lament, that triumphant Mahometism has taught them moderation at least, if not good sense, of which they were incapable, in prosperity. The reader of Dr Robertson’s enlightened and elegant disquisition concerning the knowledge which the inhabitants of Europe had of India before the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope, will there find satisfactory information concerning the intercourse of the Italians with Egypt, and the introduction of their coins and language into that country. The charm is not in the Mikkias, but in the population and cultivation of the country. Ravenous animals, whether of the sea, or the land; are soon deterred by the frequent aspect of man. Men, too, in their anxiety to rid themselves of such enemies, gradually thin their numbers and at last entirely exterminate them. For the history of this race of Caliphs, the 418 reader will do well to consult Marigney; Ockley, and the Universal History. It should seem, that the disposition of the inhabitants of cold climates to remain as much within their houses as possible, has induced them to rear those towering edifices which we see in the North of Europe: while a contrary principle has made the people of mild, and of warm climates, content themselves with low huts often. The curiosities of Geesh are more fully explained by Mr Bruce, and some other late travellers. For the history of Ali Bey, I must refer the reader to the travels of Savary, Volney, Lusignan, and Bruce. 419 The history of Ibrahim is to be seen in Bruce. The adventures of Ali Bey, and the consequences of his defeat, have been narrated at length by the travellers referred to in note M. The formation of the Delta has been a subject of
speculation with every writer concerning Such a testimony as this, for the veracity of our fair country-woman, Lady Mary, must go farther in her favour, than the aspersions of twenty De Totts against her. 420 These anecdotes of the state of eastern music serve to confirm the received ideas concerning the rudeness of the Jewish music, and the simplicity of that of the ancient Greeks. In Those who are curious to prosecute investigations respecing the pyramids, would do well to consult Governor Pownall’s Essay on the Study of Antiquities; a work written in a very involved and perplexed style indeed, yet with great force of language, with extraordinary powers of penetration and invention, and with a very uncommon display of liberal, enlightened erudition. I shall here refer the reader, for farther information 421 concerning these places, not only to Shaw and Pococke,
but more especially to a small work intituled, A
Journal from Grand This circumstance is particularly worthy of notice,
for its relation to the miracle by which a path was opened through the We have all. observed how greatly objects are magnified, when seen through mist. note y. p. 199 Concerning this canal, the reader may see Herodotus, the late travellers in Egypt, and Robertson’s disquisition. 422 It occurs to me, as the most probable conjecture on this head, that this might have been the original burying place of some tribe or family, who were afterwards induced to advance nearer the sea-coast, and cultivate the arts, but still retained the same veneration for the sepulchres of their fathers, which made Jacob and Joseph so desirous that their bones might be carried into the land of Canaan. It is truely difficult to judge of the principles of conduct upon which those people acted, who could raise such piles of buildings as the pyramids for burying places. The reader of Mr Pennant’s British Zoology will find, that some equally ingenious expedients are practised in England for taking several sorts of wild fowls. Farther and later information concerning Jidda and its trade will be found in Bruce’s Travels. 423 The reader may also consult Hamilton’s account of the East Indies. Where inns are maintained by charitable hospitality, or at the public expence, or are imperfectly furnished with articles for the accommodation of travellers; in all these instances, the country must certainly be indifferently civilized, or thinly inhabited, and travelling not frequent. I know not if any speculations could exhibit society in a more interesting light, than a History of Hospitality. Not only in Arabia and Iceland, but in Ireland, in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, in the Hebudæ, in most countries in Europe and in all parts of the world, are Basaltic columns to be found. All rocks are either stratified or columnar; a distinction which seems to bespeak a diversity of origin. This mineralogists have laboured to explain, whether successfully or not, I shall not presume to say. 424 How late is it in the progress of social life, before the wrathful passions of the human heart are entirely subjected to impartial, disinterested law! I would here suggest to the reader, that, on the subject of the Gypsies, he may peruse with advantage and pleasure, a curious historical essay which has been translated from the German by Mr Raper. Some additional stories of this cast, relative to the dealings of European merchants with the Arabians in the ports of the Red Sea, are to be found in Hamilton’s account of the East Indies. In Mr Bruce’s travels the reader will find some valuable information concerting the commercial intercourse of the Europeans from their oriental settlements, with the Arabians and Egyptlans, by the way of the Red Sea. 425 Page 10th, line 8th from the bottom, for nine read fifteen. P. 18th, line 4th, from the bottom, for 2600 read 26,000. P. 21st, line 15th, from the top, for Beut read Bent; and also in line 16th. P. 23d, line 6th,
from the top, for Tripolis read P. 69th, line 12th, from the top, for the inlands read their lands. P. 76th, line 7th, from the bottom, for tho read the. P. 10th, line 13th, from the top, for shaved read shaven, and line 15th, for it read them. P. 152d, line 1st, top, for mun read mull. P. 163d, line 10th, from the top, for coffer read coffin. P. 190th line 8th, from the bottom, for dance where our tents, read distance from where our tents. |
Dinsmore Documentation presents Western Views of the Muslim World