word with which each begins; but the Greeks, whom our translators
generally follow, take the names from the subject-matter of them.
Thus, the first book is called by the Hebrews, _Bereshith_,
which signifies “In the beginning,” these being the first words; but
the Greeks called it Genesis, which signifies “production,” because
the creation of the world is the first thing of which it gives an
account. Exodus, which signifies in the Greek “The going out,” was so
called from the account which it gives of the Israelites going out of
Egypt; but the Hebrews call it _Velle Shemoth_, that is, “These
are the names,” which are the words with which it begins. Leviticus
they call _Vayicre_, that is, “And he called”; Numbers they call
_Vayedavber_, that is, “And he spake”; Deuteronomy they call
_Elle-haddebar_, that is, “These are the words”; etc., etc.
311. What is the national emblematic flower of China and Japan?
The Chrysanthemum. It receives the most reverential care and attention,
surpassing by far in devotion that accorded to the fleur-de-lis,
lilies, roses, and thistles, the emblems of other countries. Each
recurring year in November, in all the large cities in Japan, and in
nearly every street, thousands of plants are sold, trained generally to
one stem, with a solitary large flower of immense size, often ten to
twelve inches across. A very ordinary flower of some six inches is sold
for five cents, the very largest specimens being sold for twenty-five
cents, pot included.
312. When and by whom was the first steamboat invented?
The first practical success in steam navigation was made by John
Fitch, a native of Windsor, Conn., who had settled in New Jersey
as a silversmith. The happy thought of propelling vessels by steam
originated with him in 1784. He rapidly matured his plans, and in
August, 1785, he petitioned Congress for aid in constructing his boat.
The records of the American Philosophical Society of Philadelphia show
that “a model, accompanied by a drawing and description of a machine
for working a boat against a stream by means of a steam-engine, was
laid before the society by John Fitch on Sept. 27, 1785.” With the
pecuniary assistance of several gentlemen, he immediately undertook
to build a steamboat. In the _Columbia Magazine_ for December,
1786, he gave a description of this vessel and its machinery. A steam
cylinder over three feet long and one foot in diameter was placed
horizontally in the bottom of the boat; the steam was let in at each
end of the cylinder alternately, and after moving a reciprocating
piston was discharged into a condenser, which formed a vacuum in
the cylinder behind the moving piston. The force of the piston was
transmitted to cranks on each side of the boat; which by means of
connecting bars, moved twelve paddles, three on each side being in
the water and three out at the same time. On May 1, 1781, Fitch’s
steamboat, “The Perseverance,” was put in motion on the Delaware
River, and made three miles an hour. This speed did not satisfy Fitch,
and various improvements were soon added. The boat, with its greatly
increased power, was successfully tested in the fall of 1788. The late
Dr. Thornton, long at the head of the United States Patent Office, and
many other eminent men, certified that the steamer moved in dead water
at the rate of eight miles an hour, or one mile in seven and a half
minutes. With thirty passengers the boat left Philadelphia, and, moving
against the current of the Delaware, reached Burlington, a distance
of twenty miles, in three hours and ten minutes. Dr. Thornton stated
that “The Perseverance” afterwards made eighty miles in one day. This
speed will excite wonder when the difficulty of keeping the piston
tight against the comparatively rough interior surface of the cylinder
is taken into consideration. The steamboat was run for some time as a
packet to Burlington, but after several mishaps it was burned in 1792.
But more money was needed to introduce the invention, and the numerous
stockholders could not be brought to respond to further assessments.
Fitch himself was cramped for the necessaries of life. He repeatedly
asserted that the passenger traffic of the great Western rivers would
one day be carried on exclusively by steam, that ships of war and
packet ships would navigate the Atlantic by steam, and that some one
who came after him would reap fame and fortune from his invention.
Fitch’s claim of invention was contested by James Rumsey, of Maryland,
who, in 1786, drove a boat on the Potomac, near Sheppardstown, at the
rate of four miles an hour by means of a water-jet forced out at the
stern. But a careful examination of the evidence proves that the honor
of bringing the invention to a successful completion belongs to Fitch.
It may also be mentioned that a boat was propelled by steam on the
Conestoga River in 1763 by William Henry, of Chester County, Penn., but
this was only an experiment, although attended with flattering results,
and had no permanent effect. It was from Fitch’s labors that Fulton
first conceived the idea of steam navigation, which has made his name
famous.
313. In what American city are burials made entirely above the ground?
One of the noted features of New Orleans is its cemeteries. Owing to
the undrained condition of the subsoil, burials are made entirely above
ground, in tombs of stuccoed brick and of granite and marble. Some of
these are very elegant and costly, and many of the burial grounds, with
their long alleys of these tombs of diverse designs deeply shaded by
avenues of cedars and the _Magnolia grandiflora_, possess a severe
but emphatic beauty.
314. Who were the “Three Kings of Cologne”?
This name is given to the three Magi who came from the East to
offer gifts to the infant Jesus. Their names are commonly said to
be Malchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar. Gaspar means “the white one”;
Malchior, “king of light”; Balthazar, “lord of treasures.” The first
offered gold, symbolic of kingship; the second, frankincense, symbolic
of divinity; the third, myrrh, symbolic of death, myrrh being used
in embalming the dead. Their bodies are said to have been brought by
the Empress Helena from the East to Constantinople, whence they were
transferred to Milan. Afterward, in 1164, on Milan being taken by the
Emperor Frederick, they were presented by him to the Archbishop of
Cologne, who placed them in the principal church of the city, where,
says Cressy, “they are to this day celebrated with great veneration.”
Another tradition gives their names as Apellius, Amerus, and Damascus;
another as Magalath, Galgalath, and Sarasin; and still another as Ator,
Sator, and Peratoras.
315. Which is the highest spot inhabited by human beings?
It is said to be the Buddhist cloister of Hanie, Thibet, where
twenty-one priests live at an altitude of sixteen thousand feet.
316. When was the “Dark Day”?
May 19, 1780, was so called on account of a remarkable darkness on that
day extending over all New England. In some places persons could not
see to read common print in the open air for several hours together.
Birds sang their evening song, disappeared, and became silent; fowls
went to roost; cattle sought the barnyard; and candles were lighted in
the houses. The obscuration began about ten o’clock in the morning,
and continued till the middle of the next night, but with differences
of degree and duration in different places. For several days previous
the wind had been variable, but chiefly from the southwest and the
northeast. The true cause of this remarkable phenomenon is not known.
317. When was the “Day of Barricades”?
May 12, 1588. On this day the Duke of Guise entered Paris, when Henry
III., at his instigation, consented to take severe measures against the
Huguenots, on the promise that the duke would assist him in purging
Paris of strangers and obnoxious persons. No sooner, however, was an
attempt made to carry out this plan, than the populace arose, erected
barricades, and attacked the king’s troops with irresistible fury.
Henry III., having requested the Duke of Guise to put a stop to the
conflict, fled from Paris, and the moment the duke showed himself to
the people, they pulled down the barricades.
This name is also given to Aug. 26, 1648; so called on account of a
riot, instigated by the leaders of the Fronde, which took place in
Paris on that day.
318. Why are the oceans so named?
When, on the 27th of November, 1520, Ferdinand-Magellan swept into the
calm waters of that new sea on which he was the first to sail, he named
it the _Mar Pacifico_, on account of its peacefully rolling waters
and its freedom from violent storms.
The Atlantic is so called from the Atlas Mountains near its eastern
shores, or from the fabled island of Atlantis, which was situated in
its bosom.
The Indian Ocean is so called because it lies about India and the
Indies.
The Arctic Ocean lies directly under the constellation of the Bear.
Greek Αρκτος, a bear.
The Antarctic Ocean lies opposite to the Arctic. Greek ’αντί, against.
319. What was the “El Dorado”?
El Dorado, or the golden land, was a name given by the Spaniards
to an imaginary country, supposed, in the sixteenth century, to
be situated in the interior of South America, between the rivers
Orinoco and Amazon, and abounding in gold and all manner of precious
stones. Expeditions were fitted out for the purpose of discovering
this fabulous region; and, though all such attempts proved abortive,
the rumors of its existence continued to be believed down to the
beginning of the eighteenth century. It is said that the name was at
first applied, not to a country, but to a man, “el rey dorado.” Sir
Walter Raleigh, in his “Discovery of the Large, Rich, and Beautiful
Empire of Guiana,” gives a description of the rising of this gilded
king, whose chamberlains, every morning after having rubbed his naked
body with aromatic oils, blew powdered gold over it through long
_sarbacans_. After the name came to be used as the designation of
a country, it seems to have been variously applied, and the expeditions
in search of the golden land had different destinations. Francisco
Orellana, a companion of Pizarro, was the first to spread the account
of this fabulous region in Europe.
320. What people formed the first temperance society?
The Rechabites. “But they said, We will drink no wine; for Jonadab the
son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine,
neither ye nor your sons forever.”--JEREMIAH xxxv. 6.
321. Where is the “Bridge of Sighs”?
The “Bridge of Sighs” is a name popularly given to the covered
passageway which connects the Doge’s palace in Venice with the state
prisons, from the circumstance that the condemned prisoners were
transported over the bridge from the hall of judgment to the place of
execution. This bridge was built in 1589 by Da Ponte. Hood has used the
name as the title of one of his poems.
322. In what country does grass grow upon trees?
The grass-tree is a native of Australia. It belongs to the order
_Liliaceæ_. These trees are especially distinguished by their
crowns of long, pendulous, grass-like leaves, from the centre of which
arises a long stalk bearing at its summit a dense flower spike looking
somewhat like a large cat-tail. Some species have very short stems,
while others have trunks six to eighteen feet high, which, with their
singular tufts of leaves, form a striking feature in the Australian
landscape. The grassy leaves are gathered as food for cattle, and their
tender base is often relished by man.
323. What is the origin of the phrase “To row up Salt River”?
This phrase has its origin in the fact that there is a small stream
of that name in Kentucky, the passage of which is made difficult
and laborious as well by its tortuous course as by the abundance of
shallows and bars. The real application of the phrase is to the unhappy
wight who has the task of propelling the boat up the stream; but in
political or slang usage it was to those who are _rowed up_.
324. Who was the “American Pathfinder”?
This title is popularly given to Major-General John Charles Fremont,
who conducted four exploring expeditions across the Rocky Mountains. On
one instance, when he was intercepted by a range of mountains covered
with snows, which the Indians declared no man could cross, and over
which no reward could induce them to attempt to guide him, Fremont
undertook the passage without a guide, and accomplished it in forty
days, reaching Sutter’s Fort on the Sacramento with his men reduced
almost to skeletons, and with only thirty-three out of sixty-seven
horses and mules remaining. He is also called the “Pathfinder of the
Rocky Mountains.”
325. Which is the largest locomotive in the world?
The largest locomotive in the world is called El Gobernador, built at
the Central Pacific Railroad shops in Sacramento, Cal., in 1883. The
engine and tender are sixty-five feet five inches long; there are five
pairs of drivers, each four feet nine inches in diameter; the cylinders
are twenty-one inches in diameter, thirty-six inch stroke; there are
twenty-six wheels, and the weight of the engine is seventy-three tons.
326. Whence does the cravat obtain its name?
The cravat is so called from a French regiment of light horse called
“_the royal Cravate_,” because they were attired in the fashion
of the Cravates or Croats, as they are now called, inhabitants of an
Austrian province, who largely composed the Austrian army. In 1636
the French regiment was uniformed in imitation, as the Zouaves were
at a later day; and when the neckties worn by these troops became
fashionable in civil as well as military ranks, the name of the
regiment was given to the tie.
327. Who wrote the first English book?
Sir John Mandeville in 1356. In it he shows a correct idea of the form
of the earth, and of position in latitude ascertained by observation
of the Pole Star; he knows that there are antipodes, and that if ships
were sent on voyages of discovery they might sail round the world. And
he tells a curious story which he heard in his youth, how a worthy man
did travel ever eastward until he came to his own country again. But,
on the other hand, he repeatedly asserts the old belief that Jerusalem
was in the centre of the world, whilst he maintains in proof of this
that at the equinox a spear planted erect in Jerusalem casts no shadow
at noon; which, if true, would only show that the city was on the
equator.
328. Who was the first child born of English parents in America?
Virginia Dare, who was born at Roanoke, on the 18th of August, 1587.
Her mother, Eleanor Dare, was the daughter of John White, the governor
of the colony.
329. What are the “Horse Latitudes”?
Seamen give this name to a bank or region of calms in the Atlantic
Ocean, about the parallels of 30–35 degrees north. The name is said
to be derived from the circumstance that vessels formerly bound from
New England to the West Indies, with a deck-load of horses, were often
delayed in this calm belt of Cancer, and, for want of water, were
obliged to throw the animals overboard.
330. What city is called “Porkopolis”?
Cincinnati, one of the greatest American pork markets, is popularly so
called.
331. Who was the “Iron Duke”?
Arthur Wellesley, K. G., Duke of Wellington. According to the Rev. G.
R. Gleig, this sobriquet arose from the building of an iron steamboat,
which plied between Liverpool and Dublin, and which its owners called
the “Duke of Wellington.” The term “Iron Duke” was first applied to
the vessel; and by and by, rather in jest than in earnest, it was
transferred to the duke himself. It had no reference whatever, at
the outset, to any peculiarities or assumed peculiarities in his
disposition; though, from the popular belief that he never entertained
a single generous feeling toward the masses, it is sometimes understood
as a figurative allusion to his supposed hostility to the interests of
the lower orders.
332. Where is the “Island of St. Brandan”?
This marvellous flying island, the subject of many traditions, is
represented as about ninety leagues in length, lying beyond the
Canaries. This island appears on most of the maps of the time of
Columbus, and is laid down in a French geographical chart of as late
a date as 1755, in which it is placed five degrees west of the island
of Ferro, in latitude twenty-nine degrees north. The name _St.
Brandan_, or _Borandan_, given to this imaginary island, is
said to be derived from an Irish abbot who flourished in the sixth
century, and concerning whose voyage in search of the Islands of
Paradise many legends are related. Many expeditions were sent forth in
quest of this mysterious island, the last being from Spain in 1721; but
it always eluded the search. The Spaniards believe this lost island
to be the retreat of their King Rodrigo; the Portuguese assign it to
their Don Sebastian. “Its reality,” says Irving, “was for a long time a
matter of firm belief. The public, after trying all kinds of sophistry,
took refuge in the supernatural to defend their favorite chimera. They
maintained that it was rendered inaccessible to mortals by Divine
Providence, or by diabolical magic. Poetry, it is said, has owed to
this popular belief one of its beautiful fictions, and the garden of
Armida, where Rinaldo was detained enchanted, and which Tasso places
in one of the Canary Isles, has been identified with the imaginary San
Borandan.” The origin of this illusion has been ascribed to certain
atmospherical deceptions, like that of the _Fata Morgana_.
333. Where is the “Island of the Seven Cities”?
This imaginary island is the subject of one of the popular traditions
concerning the ocean, which were current in the time of Columbus.
It is represented as abounding in gold, with magnificent houses and
temples, and high towers that shone at a distance. The legend relates
that at the time of the conquest of Spain and Portugal by the Moors,
when the inhabitants fled in every direction to escape from slavery,
seven bishops, followed by a great number of people, took shipping and
abandoned themselves to their fate upon the high seas. After tossing
about for a time, they landed upon an unknown island in the midst of
the ocean. Here the bishops burned the ships to prevent the desertion
of their followers, and founded seven cities. This mysterious island
is said to have been visited at different times by navigators, who,
however, were never permitted to return.
334. Why has March 25 been adopted as “Moving Day” in many parts of our
country?
Until the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, in 1752, the English
legal year began on the 25th of March. Consequently on that day all
leases, etc., expired, lands changed hands, etc. This custom still
survives in many parts of our own country, and March 25 is our “Moving
Day.” Under the name of Lady Day, the 25th of March is still one of the
regular quarter-days in England and Ireland for the payment of rent.
335. Who was Lalla Rookh?
This heroine of a poem of the same name by Moore is the daughter of
the great Aurungzebe. She is betrothed to the young king of Bucharia,
and sets forth, with a splendid train of attendants, to meet him in
the delightful valley of Cashmere. To amuse the languor, or divert
the impatience of the royal bride, in the noontide and night halts
of her luxurious progress, a young Cashmerian poet had been sent by
the gallantry of the bridegroom, and recites, on these occasions, the
several tales that make up the bulk of the poem. With him she falls
desperately in love, and by the time she enters the lovely vale of
Cashmere, and sees the glittering palaces and towers prepared for her
reception, she feels that she would joyfully forego all this pomp and
splendor, and fly to the desert with the youthful bard whom she adores.
He, however, has now disappeared from her side, and she is supported,
with fainting heart and downcast eye, into the presence of her tyrant;
when a well-known voice bids her be of good cheer, and, looking up,
she sees her beloved poet in the prince himself, who had assumed this
gallant disguise, and won her affections without any aid from his rank
or her engagement.
336. Which is the “Land of Steady Habits”?
Connecticut is sometimes so designated, in allusion to the moral
character of its inhabitants.
337. Which is the “Lumber State”?
Maine. The inhabitants of this State are largely engaged in the
business of cutting and rafting lumber, or of converting it into
boards, shingles, scantlings, and the like.
338. What was the “Bible of the Greeks”?
This name is sometimes applied to the works of Homer and Hesiod, as
they put into writing the beliefs concerning the gods.
339. Who was the “Prince of Destruction”?
This name was conferred upon Tamerlane, or Timour (1335–1405), one
of the most celebrated of Oriental conquerors, who overran Persia,
Tartary, and Hindostan, his conquests extending from the Volga to the
Persian Gulf, and from the Ganges to the Archipelago. He was prevented
only by the want of shipping from crossing into Europe. He died just as
he was making vast preparations for the invasion of China. No conquests
were ever attended with greater cruelty, devastation, and waste of life.
340. What was the “Luz”?
This name was given by the old Jewish rabbins to an imaginary little
bone which they believed to exist at the base of the spinal column, and
to be incapable of destruction. To its ever-living power, fermented by
a kind of dew from heaven, they ascribed the resurrection of the dead.
“Hadrian (whose bones may they be ground, and his name blotted out!)
asked R. Joshua, Ben Hananiah, ‘How doth a man revive again in the
world to come?’ He answered and said, ‘From _luz_, in the
backbone.’ Saith he to him, ‘Demonstrate this to me.’ Then he took
_luz_, a little bone out of the backbone, and put it in water, and
it was not steeped; he put it in the fire, and it was not burned; he
brought it to the mill, and that could not grind it; he laid it on the
anvil, and knocked it with a hammer, but the anvil was cleft, and the
hammer broken.” _Lightfoot._
341. Who was the “Queen of Hearts”?
Elizabeth, the daughter of James I., and the unfortunate queen of
Bohemia, was so engaging in her behavior, that she was so called in the
Low Countries. When her fortunes were at the lowest ebb, she never
departed from her dignity; and poverty and distress seemed to have no
other effect upon her but to render her more an object of admiration
than before.
342. Why is New Jersey sometimes called “Spain”?
New Jersey receives this sobriquet from the fact that Joseph Bonaparte,
the eldest brother of Napoleon, and ex-king of Spain, once occupied
the extensive grounds and mansion called Point Breeze, at Bordentown,
in that State. Here he lived for some years under the title of Comte
de Survilliers, endeared to the inhabitants by his liberality and
gracious manners, and he was elected to many philanthropical and
learned associations. An act was passed in 1817 by the Legislature of
New Jersey to enable him, as an alien, to hold real estate.
343. Who were the “Roundheads”?
In English history this nickname was given, in the reign of Charles
I., to the Puritans or parliamentary party, who were accustomed to
wear their hair cut close to the head. The term was soon extended in
its application so as to include all the adherents of the Parliament,
whether Puritans or not. The origin of the term is not certainly
known. Some attribute it to the circumstance that staid and serious
persons at the time of the civil wars were used to wear black skullcaps
reaching down to the ears. Others say it was because the Puritans
wore their hair short, while the opposite party, the Cavaliers, wore
theirs in long ringlets. According to Haydn, the Puritans were in the
habit of putting a round bowl or wooden dish upon their heads, and
cutting their hair by the edge or brim. Still another account is,
that Queen Henrietta Maria, at Stratford’s trial, asked “who that
_round-headed_ man was,” meaning Mr. Pym, her attention having
been directed to him “because he spake so strongly.”
344. What was the origin of the expression “Simon Pure”?