192 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 253, 



Vater will furnish the titles of grammars and 

 vocabularies ; whilst EichhofF and Kaltschmidt 

 will show an admirable method of prosecuting 

 such linguistic investigations. T. J. Buckton. 



Lichfield. 



PHOTOGEAPHIC COBRESPONDENCE. 



Hints upon Iodizing Paper. — In the calotype process I 

 believe the greater number of the failures arise from some 

 defect in the manufacture of the iodized paper. The 

 paper itself may not be calculated for the purpose, or if 

 calculated, may be spoiled by erroneous manipulation ; I 

 am therefore induced to make the following observations, 

 ■which, although they may appear trivial, will, I believe, 

 lead to good results. In a former communication I re- 

 commended the complete immersion of the paper in the 

 iodizing solution. My late experience has convinced me 

 that tliat is an erroneous proceeding ; for the good results 

 obtained are often much deteriorated hy the length of 

 time which it is required that the negative should be 

 soaked, in order to secure the entire removal of the iodide, 

 for I have often found a negative which has appeared very 

 intense after development, to have become feeble before 

 the iodide has been completelj- extracted — it having re- 

 quired some hours to accomplish that object ; and I am 

 convinced that we cannot be too careful in removing every 

 portion of yellow tint, for it not only impedes the light, 

 but produces a mottled appearance very unpleasant in the 

 positive. It has been supposed by some photographers 

 that a small portion remaining is not prejudicial, as it 

 produces a softening of the tone of the whole picture ; 

 but a negative really to print well, should be as white 

 and almost as transparent as glass. 



There is no doubt that the most effective way of apply- 

 ing the iodizing solution is by means of a camel's hair 

 pencil, beginning at the upper left hand corner and con- 

 tinuing it in a serpentine course over the whole paper, 

 taking care that each return of the brush passes partially 

 over its last course, and that a flowing edge is maintained. 

 This effects a perfect and uniform surface coating, is far 

 preferable to floating, or that bungling contrivance, a 

 Buckle's brush, which always causes a deal of roughness 

 on the surface of the paper. 



The expence of good camel's hair brushes has been 

 objected to by some ; I can only say I have never used 

 but one solitary brush for many scores of sheets of paper, 

 and that brush I keep in an egg cup ; not washing it, but 

 putting it by as used, so as to be ready when wanted ; 

 and in this simple way, by pinning the paper on a piece 

 of light board (a sheet of blotting-paper intervening), five 

 or six dozen papers may be prepared during the evening, 

 and soaked on the following or some future day. 



In the after-washing I do not think it is always a proof 

 of the iodide of potassium having been removed from the 

 paper when the water in which it has been soaked does 

 not yield to the test of the bichloride of mercury. But 

 the surest proof will be when paper loses the yellowish 

 or lemon colour which it first assumed, and becomes of a 

 pale primrose. 



The old process of iodizing with the two solutions is 

 extremely objectionable, from the impurities of the paper 

 (metallic or otherwise,) decomposing the nitrate of silver, 

 and thus, when the papers are immersed in the iodide of 

 potassium, a number of spots ensue, which is not the case 

 with papers iodized by the double solution. 



I would offer a caution to photographers, not too hastily 

 to reject a paper as bad ; for many papers, which when 



new iodize imperfectly, undergo in the course of time 

 some organic change which renders them verj' valuable. 



H. W. Diamond. 



[We have the greater confidence in recommending 

 these suggestions to the notice of our readers, having had 

 an opportunity of examining something like two hundred 

 negatives lately taken by Dr. Diamond, some of them of 

 the greatest beauty : and not one of them that can be con- 

 sidered anything approaching a failure. -r-Eo. "N, & Q."] 



Prophecies respecting Constantinople (Vol. x,, 

 p, 147). — The following is a translation of the 

 original prophecy of the expulsion of the Turks 

 from Europe, taken from Sansovino's Collection of 

 Treatises relative to Turkish History, published a.d. 

 1560 :— 



" Our emperor will come ; he will take the kingdom of 

 an Infidel prince ; he will take also a red apple and reduce 

 it under his power. If before the seventh year the sword 

 of the Christians shall not be drawn, he shall be their Lord 

 till the twelfth year. He will build houses, plant vines, 

 furnish gardens enclosed with hedges, and beget some 

 huts. After the twelfth year from the time he reduced the 

 red apple under his power, the sword of the Christians will 

 appear which will put the Turk to flight." 



By the red apple the troops understand some 

 great city, supposed to be Constantinople. The 

 periods of seven and twelve years are mystic. 

 Some suppose each year, like the jubilee, to com- 

 prehend 50 years, some a century, some 366 years. 



There is also a Persian version of the prophecy, 

 which Georgieultz thus translates : — 



"Imperator noster veniet, Gentilium regnum capiet, 

 rubrum malum capiet, subjugabit septem usque ad an- 

 nos. Ethnicorum gladius si non resurrexerit duodecim 

 usque ad annos eas dominabitur. Domum ajdificabit, vi- 

 neam plantabit, hortos saepe muniet, et filium et filiam 

 habebit. Duodecim post annos Christianorum gladius in- 

 surget, qui et Turcam retrorsum profligabit." 



There is also another prophecy mentioned in the 

 works of the Emperor Leo, the philosopher who 

 reigned in 886. It is as follows: — 



" Familia flava cum competitoribus totum Ismaelum in 

 fugam conjiciet septemque coUes possidentem cum ejua 

 possessoribus capiet." 



He also mentions a column in Constantinople 

 the inscription on which was explained by the pa- 

 triarch to signify, that the Muscovite and some 

 other European powers (Russians and Austrians?) 

 would take the city of Constantinople, and after 

 some disputes concur in electing a Christian em- 

 peror. 



"Patissa homoz ghelur csiaferum memle keti alur 

 capzeiler iedi vladegh Kelici esikmasse, on iki yladegh on- 

 larum bei,'lighider. Cusi iapar baghi diker baliesar bayh- 

 lar Ogli Kesi 01 ur, on iki yldenssora. Christianon Keieci 

 eseikar, ol Turki Gheressine tuskure," 



are the original Turkish words of the prophecy. 



Ahon. 



