134 



erected, on the top of a high building in Liverpool, so that it might be 

 well seen from the river and the surrounding neighbourhood, such a 

 ball might be dropped, by the transmission of a galvanic current from 

 the Observatory, with the same ease and precision as the ball which we 

 now have at the Observatory is dropped. 



Now, with regard to the advantages to be derived by an extensive 

 diffusion of accurate time, it is possible that, for the ordinary purposes of 

 life, a want of it does not often cause a more serious inconvenience than that 

 of our being too late for a steam-boat or a railway train ; but an exten- 

 sive dissemination of accurate time in a large sea-port, lends to facilitate 

 navigation, and to add greatly to its security. It is, therefore, a subject 

 well worthy of the attention of the authorities of the largest sea-port 

 in the world. 



AN ACCOUNT OF TWO GREEK SEPULCHRAL INSCRIP- 

 TIONS AT INCE BLUNDELL, (the Seat of Thomas Weld 

 Blundell, Esq.,) NEAR LIVERPOOL, 



By Joseph B. Yates, Esq., F.S.A., etc., V.P. 



In the valuable collection of Antient Marbles at Ince Blundell, near 

 Liverpool, made by the late Hemy Blundell, Esq., at an enormous 

 expense, are a few Greek inscriptions, of which no account has yet been 

 given to the public. Two of these are very remarkable, and of them it 

 is now proposed to furnish copies and a description. In the Catalogue, 

 printed with much labour and cost by the late proprietor, he merely 

 expresses an inability to interpret them, although they " are said to be 

 very interesting. "^- 



Subsequently to the printing of this catalogue, the late Mr. James 

 Christie had engravings of them made, which, however, were not very 

 accui-ate. They were purchased by the late Charles Townley, for Mr. 

 Blundell, at the sale of Lord Besborough's effects, at Roehampton, in 

 April, 1801, and are now built into the wall composing the front of the 

 Greenhouse, or smaller Pantheon, at Ince. It is evident that they 

 have formerly been affixed to the entrance of sepulchres, (r}pojojv,) or of 

 tombs, ifivrjfiuojv,) at Smyrna, or some other city of Ionia, or of the 

 neighbouring islands. One of them inflicts a fine, payable to the 

 goddess Cybele, as worshipped upon the mountain Sipylus, in illustra- 

 tion of which coins are still extant, bearing the turreted head of the 

 goddess surrounded by the word CinYAHNH on one side, and a 

 lion with the word CMYPNAIQN on the obverse. 



The term rjpwa was applied to sepulchres of a handsome description, 



• Vide Catalogue, p. 184. 



