104 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[2>«i S. X, Aug. U. '60. 



no notice appeared in the police report of next 

 morning's Times. 



Tlie catapult consists of a handle with two 

 prongs, to the looped extremities of which are 

 attached the two ends of an india-rubber spring 

 in the form of a sling, the sling having at its base 

 a pocket foi' the insertion of a stone. In making 

 practice, the left hand grasps the handle and holds 

 it upright, while the right hand holds the pocket 

 and stone, pulls the india-rnbber to its full stretch, 

 lets go, and discharges the stone witli such amus- 

 ing results as may be sufficiently gathered from 

 what has been stated above. 



It is reported on good authority that a man has 

 been killed by one of these ingenious instruments 

 at Liverpool, where they are called " catspells " 

 (catspel, qu. a corruption of catapult ?) 



The object of the present communication is a 

 fourfold Query : — 



1. Is the sale of such articles lawful trade ? 



2. Is there any published account of the re- 

 ported casualty at Liverpool ? 



3. Supposing the report correct, what (if atty) 

 steps have been taken in consequence by the 

 Liverpool authorities ? 



4. The Roman and mediasval catapultse evi- 

 dently had various forms. Was there any one of 

 them which can be viewed as the prototype of the 

 instrument now, under the name of catapult, com- 

 ing into use in our streets ? 



The modern catapult, be it observed, is not to 

 be confounded with the more common " bird- 

 shooter." This also is elastic, but single, not 

 double, and loaded at the end. It labours under 

 the disadvantage of not being available, like the 

 catapult, for glass-breaking. No doubt it would 

 make a very clean hole ; but when used It must 

 be wholly let go ; and when shot through a gentle- 

 man's sash-window into his parlour it would of 

 course be irrecoverable, the true tactics in such a 

 case being to cut, not to knock and ask for it. 

 The catapult, on the contrary, discharges its shot, 

 and remains in hand for fresh achievements. 



There are some grounds for a conjecture that 

 in mediaeval times the youth of Avignon had a 

 plaything of a not very different character, whe- 

 ther it threw stones or arrows. The law was, 

 *' Qui contra columbarium projecerit icttim cata- 

 pultce, duos ictus funis sustineat." {Stat. Avenion. 

 cited by Carpent.) Hence it would appear that, 

 in the judgment of the "Dark Ages," the best 

 remedy for the unlawful use of the catapult was 

 a rope's end. Has the hint no significance now ? 

 The modern practice of stone-shooting, should it 

 become too frequent in our streets, is not likely to 

 be repressed by the occasional infliction of a 1*. or 

 even a 5s. fine. Vedette. 



LEIGH HUNT'S FATHER. 



The following extracts from Christopher Mar- 

 shall's Diary (vol. i.) refer to the poet's father, a 

 Philadelphia lawyer, who sided with the mother 

 country in the American revolution. To explain 

 the first entry the following note is given on 

 p. 43. : — 



« On the 27th of September, 1774, the Congress unani- 

 mously resolved that from and after the First of Decem- 

 ber, 1774, there should be no importations from Great 

 Britain or Ireland of any goods, wares, or merchandise ; 

 and that they should not be used or purchased if im- 

 ported after that daj'." 



« 1775, August 19th. Complaint was made by G. 

 Schlosser of his having stopped a piece of linen of a ped- 

 ler, who thereupon applied to [Isaac] Hunt, the la^yye^, 

 who issued out a summons against him for the said piece ; 

 upon which a motion was made to send for the said 

 Hunt, who, after first notice, refused, upon which a line 

 from the chairman brought him. He owned the doing of 

 it, but insisted it was according to the rule of his profes- 

 sion, and could see no injury he had done. A good deal 

 was said to him upon the imprudence of such proceedings, 

 upon which he requested time to consult his client, and 

 then he would give the Committee his answer whether 

 he would proceed in carrying on the suit against G. 

 Schlosser, or withdraw and discontinue the action at the 

 next meeting, which was granted him." 

 ■ " August 22nd. At seven I went to meet the Com- 

 mittee; came home past ten, sundry debates detaining 

 till that time. The one respecting Blair M<=Clenagan's 

 ship is referred to the determination of the Congress, as 

 we could not overrule their resolve of June — \ the other 

 respecting [Isaac] Hunt, who would give no positive, 

 answer whether he would prosecute the suit or no, but 

 requested to have the minutes of this meeting in writing, 

 with leave to give his answer in writing ; the which was 

 looked upon to be only evasive, so it was determined, 

 nemine contradicente, thAt hia answer was not to satis- 

 faction." 



" August 26th. At five I went to the Coflfee House, 

 being called there to meet the sub-committee on account 

 of Isaac Hunt's case ; and, after some conference, agreed 

 to meet at said place next Second Day morning at nine 

 o'clock." 



" August 28th. At nine I went to the Coffee House ; 

 met the Committee respecting Isaac Hunt; went away 

 at eleven." 



" September 6th. Between eleven and twelve this 

 forenoon, about thirty of our associators waited upon and 

 conducted Isaac Hunt from his dwelling to the Coffee 

 House, where, having placed him in a cart, he very po- 

 litely acknowledged he had said and acted wrong; for 

 which he asked pardon of the public, and committed 

 himself under the protection of the associators to defend 

 him from any gross insults from the populace. This, his 

 behaviour, they approved him, and conducted him in 

 that situation, with drum beating, through the principal 

 streets; he acknowledging his misconduct in divers 

 places. But as they were coming down town, stopping 

 at the corner where Dr. Kearsley lives, to make his de- 

 claration, it's said the Dr. threw open his window, snap- 

 ped a pistol twice amongst the crowd ; upon which they 

 seized bim, took his pistol, with another in his pocket 

 from him, both of which were loaded with swan-shot. 

 In the scuffle he got wounded in the hand. They then 

 took Hunt out of the cart, conducted him safe home, put 

 Kearsley in, brought him to [the] Coffee House, where 

 persuasions were used to cause him to make concessions, 



