In a recent No. of the _Voice of Humanity_, (already noticed in the
_Mirror_,) occurs the following:
We doubt whether our labours to accomplish either of the objects of
this publication, if ever so successful, could produce such complete
mitigation (rather abolition) of animal suffering as the substitution
of locomotive machinery for the inhuman, merciless treatment of horses
in our stage-coaches. The man who started the first steam-carriage was
the greatest benefactor to the cause of humanity the world ever had.
But in a political view the subject is very important. We have a
superabundant population with a very limited territory, while each
horse requires a greater quantity of land than would be sufficient to
support a man. How extensive then would be the beneficial effect of
withdrawing two-thirds of the horses and appropriating the land
required for them to the rearing of cattle and to agricultural
produce? The Liverpool and Manchester steam-coaches have driven
fourteen horse-coaches off the road. Each of the horse-coaches
employed twelve horses--there being three stages, and a change of four
horses each stage. The total horses employed by these coaches was
therefore 168. Now each horse consumes, on an average, in pasture,
hay, and corn, annually, the produce of one and a half acre. The whole
would thus consume the produce of 252 acres. Suppose, therefore,
"every man had his acre" upon which to rear his family, which some
politicians have deemed sufficient, the maintenance of 252 families is
gained to the country by these steam-coaches. The average number in
families is six, that is, four children, besides the father and
mother.--The subsistence of 1,512 individuals is thus attained.
* * * * *
[Illustration: DIALLING.]
(_For the Mirror._)
The following method of constructing a dial, may be novel and
interesting to many of those readers of the _Mirror_ who are fond of
that ancient art; whilst its simplicity and the great ease with which
it may be constructed, will render it acceptable to all.
_To make a Cross Dial._--A cross dial is one which shows the time of
the day without a gnomon, by a shadow of one part of the dial itself,
appearing upon another part thereof. _Observe._--In making this dial
you need have no regard to the latitude of the situation, for that is
to be considered in the _placing_, and not in the _making_ of it. 1st.
Prepare a piece of wood or stone of what size you please, and fashion
it in the form of a cross (see _fig._ 1) so that _ab, bc, cd, de, eh,
hi, ik, kl, lm_, and _ma_, may be all equal: the length of _ef_ is
immaterial, it may be more than double to _a e_. 2ndly. Set one foot
of your compasses in _e_ and describe the arc _h n_, which divide into
six equal parts for six hours, because it is a quarter of a circle;
lay a ruler from _e_ to the three first divisions, and draw the lines
_e o, e p, e q_. 3rdly. Now the position of this dial being such that
its end _a m_ must face the south, and the upper part of it or the
line _a f_ lying parallel to the _equinoctial_, it is evident that the
sun at noon will shine just along the line _a b_, and _m l_;
therefore you must place 12 at _b_ and _l_, then from 12 to 3 P.M. the
shadow of the corner _a_ will pass along the line _b c_, therefore
take from the quadrant _h n_, the distance _h o_, and set it from 12
to 1. Take also _h p_ and set it from 12 to 2, _h q_ being equal to _b
c_; at _c_ you may place 3 where the shadow of the corner _a_ goes
quite off the dial at _c_, or 3 o'clock in the afternoon; at this time
the shadow of the corner _i_ will appear on the side _h g_ at _q_ or 3
o'clock, where place the figure 3; the shadow will then ascend to _p_
at 4, to _o_ at 5; at 6 there will be no shadow, the sun shining right
along the line _i h_; place a VI also at the corner _l_, because it
also shines along the line _l k_, and from 6 till 9, (if it be in a
latitude where the sun continues up so late) the shadow of the corner
at _k_ is passing along the line _l m_: therefore take the distances
_h o_, &c., and set off from 6 to 7 and from 6 to 8, as before at 12,
1, and 2. Then for the morning hours, the shadow of the corner _c_
will enter upon the line _a b_ at the point _a_, just at 3 o'clock in
the morning, and if you draw lines from 7 and 8 parallel to _a m_,
their terminations will point out 4 and 5. Six o'clock is in the very
corner opposite to 6 in the evening. Parallel lines below the
transverse piece drawn from 5, 4, 3, will indicate the proper places
for 7, 8, 9. It then remains to set off the same distances as before
on line _l k_ on which the shadow of _m_ will point out 11, 10, and 9
o'clock; the dial will then be finished.
_Observe._ These dials require considerable thickness (_let it be
equal to a m_,) because being placed parallel to the equator, the sun
shines upon the upper face till the summer, and on the longest day is
elevated 23° 29' above the plane of the dial, and consequently the
shadow of _a_ will fall at noon in the line _a b_, not in the point
_b_, but at an angle of 23° 29' therewith, and on the shortest day the
like angle will be formed, but in an opposite direction. It must
further be observed that after the proper points are determined on the
plane, they had better be transferred to the sides of the cross, as is
shown in _fig._ 2, for there it is the shadow will be seen to pass. A
dial thus formed is universal; when made according to the foregoing
directions there is nothing more to do but to fix it by the help of
your quadrant to the elevation of the equinoctial or complement of the
latitude of your habitation, and so that the side _a m_ may exactly
face the south. A dial of this sort has been standing in my garden,
more than 12 months, and is found to answer the purpose well, being
both useful and ornamental.
When the figures are painted on the thickness as in _fig._ 2, the
upper surface being unoccupied, an equinoctial dial may be described
thereon, which will be useful the summer half year, while on the lower
surface a similar one may be placed for the winter half; or it may be
made the bearer of some useful lesson, in the form of a motto, e.g.
"_Disce dies numerare tuos_." But this is only a hint to the curious.