110 THE PERAAlBULATOfc, NO. II. 



But the magnitude of the work is not less admirable 

 than its execution. The flies of the apparatus for 

 striking the hours and quarters, are sheets of iron 

 three feet long by one foot broad, fixed on bars twelve 

 oi' fourteen feet long, and crossing on a pivot; the 

 inspector must keep a sharp eye upon these ; for if, 

 at striking time, one of these flies should impinge on 

 his heac^, it ( i. e. the head ) would be crushed as flat 

 as the dial plate. 



The pendulum vibrates double seconds, and is of 

 course more than 13 feet long; the stem is of Teak 

 wood, to obviate expansion and contraction by change 

 of temperature ; and the cast iron bob is of the enor- 

 mous weight of 2J cwt a ticker to some purpose. 



We cannot call this a descriptt&n of such an admi- 

 rable instrument ; but rather an indication of it: to 

 those that are curious in mechanism, that they may 

 see and examine it for themselves, and to all who value 

 time and punctuality, that they may know where to find 

 a regulator wherein to confide. 



We investigated it with mingled feelings ; in the 

 greatest admiration of the simplicity of the machinery, 

 and the excellency of the execution : but we love our 

 own town ; we have a Mechanics' Institute here : we 

 Jiave had abundant opportunities of witnessing the 

 skill and acuteness of our own artificers ; and whilst 

 we were compelled to acknowledge, that, for want of 

 the requisite machinery, such work could not be done 

 here : we did at the same time regret that any thin- 

 should be wanting ; and resolved that, so far as lay in 

 our power, as townsmen, we would always promote 

 the progress of mechanics amongst our own fieigh- 

 bours. We, however, cannot but confess that if, in- 

 stead of " Vulhamy, London," a Plymouth or Devon- 

 port, or even a Devonshire name had been engraved 

 on the clock as its maker, our gratification in the ex- 

 amination would have been doubled. 



