116 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 118. 



probably most of your readers will think a very 

 wild one. 



It has sometimes occurred to me that the origin 

 of the symbol now generally known as the " broad 

 aiTOw" might be traced back to the mysteries of 

 Mithi'as. At all events, it is known that the same 

 figure occurs on coins, gems, &c. as the symbol of 

 Mithras as the Sun. Now, so widely was the 

 worship of Mithras spread throughout the Roman 

 empire, that I believe no one would feel any sur- 

 prise at the adoption of a Mithraic symbol even in 

 the remotest parts of the empire ; and indeed the 

 fact that Carausius, during his usurpation of the 

 imperial authority in Britain, issued coins Avith the 

 inscription 'HAiy ^'^&p^ o.viKi)«f, brings the worship 

 of Mithras, as it were, home to our own 'doors. 

 Whether the symbol of the sun was ever employed 

 for any such purpose as our modern broad arrow, 

 is a question on which I hope some of your readers 

 may be able to throw some light. Meanwhile, 

 being quite ignorant as to the antiquity of our 

 Ordnance mark, the above is merely thrown out 

 as a conjecture. It is perhaps, to some extent, 

 confirmed by a statement of Grimm's {Deutsche 

 Mythologie), that the symbol of the Moon was 

 used by the ancient Germans precisely as our 

 broad arrow, viz. on boundary stones, &c. 



I think there is more probability in another con- 

 jecture of mine, that the same symbol occurs else- 

 where, and for a very different purpose, viz. in 

 our churches, and as symbolical of the Sun of 

 Righteousness. Our painted windows and our 

 altar-cloths contain the symbol /JV, which I be- 

 lieve generally goes by the name of the " three 

 sacred nails," — an explanation which I always 

 thought ridiculous, even at a time when I could 

 give no other. Is it not far more in accordance 

 with the principles of symbolism, and the practice 

 of the early Christians, to believe it to be the 

 adoption of a heathen symbol, and its application 

 to Christian purposes? J. M. (4). 



St. Mary Tavy, Tavistock. 



Quarter Waggoner (Yol. v., p. II.). — I have 

 met with a gentleman in the navy who informs 

 me that these words should be " Quarter Wagner," 

 and was so called from the publisher's name, 

 " Wagner," who published the charts in four parts 

 answering to the four quarters of the globe. 

 These charts so called have been disused for near 

 thirty years ; and it was commonly observed that 

 they who did not make alteration by improvement 

 in the charts, or who knew not of anything beyond 

 what was then known in maritime affairs, did not 

 know anything beyond what was noted on the then 

 existing charts by Wagner. Hence the phrase, f 



In connexion with the notes of Bolton Cornet, 

 I would mention that I have a ponderous folio 

 volume, with thick oak backs, covered with canvas. 



on which is tiie name of the book. The Dutch 

 Waggoner : the printed title is — 



" The Lightning Coliimne, or Sea-Mirrour, contain- 

 ing the Sea- Coasts of the Northern, Eastern, and 

 Western Navigation ; Setting forth in divers necessarie 

 Sea- Cards, all the Ports, Rivers, Bayes, Roads, Depths 

 and Sands, very curiously placed on its due Polus heigt 

 furnished, With the discoveries of the chief Countries, 

 and on what cours and distance they lay one from 

 another. Never theretofore so clearly laid open, and 

 here and there very diligently bettered and augmented 

 for the use of all Seamen. As also the Situation of 

 the Northernly Countries, as Islands, the Strate Davids, 

 the Isle of Jan Mayen, Bear's Island, Old Greenland, 

 Spitzbergen and Nova Zeinbla : Adorned with many 

 Sea-Cards and Discoveries, gathered out of the Expe- 

 rience and Practice of divers Pilots and Lovers of the 

 famous Art of Navigation. Whereunto is added a 

 brief Instruction of the Art of Navigation, together 

 with New Tables of the Sun's Declination, wit an New 

 Almanach. At Amsterdam. Printed by Casparus 

 Loots-man, Bookseller upon the Water in the Loots- 

 man, 1689. With previledge for fiftheen lears." 



The " priviledge " is signed " Arent Baron van 

 Waggenaer. By the appointment of the States, 

 Symon van Beaumont." The book is full of very 

 curious charts, sections, and headlands, and other 

 engravings, and is very rare ; but I merely mention 

 it to show that books of charts, &c. were known as 

 waggoners. L. Jewitt. 



Mr. Bolton Corney has traced the "Wag- 

 goner " to Wagenaer's work satisfactorily ; but 

 surely the Quarter is merely Quarto. I believe 

 the term is not now used in the navy, and appa- 

 rently was never officially recognised : at least it 

 does not occur in the Admiralty Instructions for 

 the Navy of 1747, 1790, or 1808. I may add a 

 reference to Falconer's Marine Dictionary, where 

 " Waggoner " is explained to be a " book of 

 charts, describing the coasts, rocks, &c. ; " and to 

 Dalrymple's Charts and Memoirs (1772), where a 

 work called The English Waggoner is mentioned. 



Log-hook is so called because the rate of sail- 

 ing of the ship, as ascertained by heaving the log, 

 is one of the most frequent and important entries. 



B. R. I. 



Cibbers Lives of the Poets (Vol. v., p. 25.). — 

 I have not Croker's last edition of Boswell's lAfe 

 of Johnson to refer to, to see what is there said re- 

 specting Gibber's title to the authorship of this 

 book ; but I find the following MS. note on the 

 fly-leaf of the first volume of my copy of the 

 Lives of the Poets : — 



" Steevens says that not the smallest part of the work 

 called ' Cibber's Lives of the Poets ' was the compilation 

 of Cibber ; being entirely written by Mr. Shiells, 

 amanuensis to Dr. Johnson, when his Dictionary was 

 preparing for the press. T. Cibbur was in the King's 

 Bench, and accepted of ten guineas from the booksellers 



