Nov. 4. 1854.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



37$ 



spondents of your own and the Photographic Journal, 

 may I be allowed to say a few words on the subject ? 



First of all, a gentleman Avho signs himself X. very 

 obligingly gives us, in the Photographic Journal, an ac- 

 count of the mode in which he obtains two pictures a-day 

 to his own entire satisfaction. This is taken up by an- 

 other correspondent, Novus, in " N. & Q.," who looks 

 upon two pictures a-day as scarcely worth taking all the 

 trouble for, and inquires how many are generally con- 

 sidered a fair number a-day by the calotype and collodion 

 processes. 



Upon thisX. fires up, beingjealous of any observations 

 on his dual accomplishments per diem, and, like an 

 Irishman at Donnybrook fair, hits round promiscuously. 

 Amongst the rest he attacks Buckle's brush, which he 

 miscalls " Buckle's abomination." 



After all, perhaps X. will be surprised at being told 

 that he threw the first stone in this controversy. We are 

 bound to suppose that X. is a first-rate photographer, for 

 he says he takes his photographic tours " without expe- 

 riencing a single failure," — a perfection which few of us, I 

 fear, can boast of as a regular custom. But X. first in- 

 troduced his plan by decrying the collodion and wax- 

 paper processes, and raked up all manner of objections 

 against them, and 1 must say not quite fairly, I think ; 

 for there are many advantages in these processes peculiar 

 to themselves, and there are contrivances for obviating 

 many of the difficulties which he mentions. For instance, 

 with one of Archer's folding cameras, I do not know what 

 process there is which we cannot practise with equal con- 

 venience and success at home or abroad ; whilst to the 

 experimental photographer it is almost indispensable, as 

 he can watch the progress of his experiments throughout 

 the whole process. With this camera, the quickest and 

 most perfect of all photographic processes (I mean, of 

 course, the collodion process) is as practicable in the 

 cotmtry as it is at home, with all our conveniences around 

 us ; with the advantage of its enabling us to take, deve- 

 lope, and fix a picture in from five to ten minutes, and 

 consequently enabling us to take as many pictures a-day 

 as we please ; and yet the whole apparatus and chemicals 

 necessary will be found as portable as X.'s blotting-book, 

 papers, dishes, bottles, camera, calico, &c., with this ad- 

 ditional advantage over X., that when the pictures are 

 taken and fixed they are finished on the spot, leaving 

 nothing farther to be done at night bej'ond admiring 

 them ; and obviating all necessity of preparing papers in 

 the morning, or " of sitting up half the night " to deve- 

 lope and fix. This will surely satisfy, not only Novus, 

 but the most hungry photographer. 



But enough of this. Our art is a new one, and it is as 

 well that there are dififerent opinions amongst those who 

 devote themselves to it, as it developes not pictures 

 merely, but skill and talents also ; and each may perhaps 

 be enabled to add a mite to the wonders of the nineteenth 

 century. And this, Mr. Editor, will be best accomplished 

 by each of us trying to excel in our own line, and com- 

 municating the results of our experience to each other 

 through the medium of this and other journals, without 

 decrj'ing other processes, or squabbling which is the best 

 process, collodion or albumen, wax-paper or calotype. 



Even Dr. Diamond, to whom we are all so much 

 obliged, has not refrained from abusing an instrument 

 (Buckle's brush) simply because he does not employ it 

 himself, whilst in other hands it is found a very admir- 

 able contrivance. j. \v, jj. 



Exeter. 



Coleridge's Lectures on Shakspeare (Vol. x., pp. 

 1. 21. 57. 117.). — Any one who can appreciate 

 the greatest philosopher of modern times, must 

 feel grateful to Mr. Collibe for the most valuable 

 contribution " N. & Q." ever received. At the 

 same time, the glimpse we have obtained of this 

 recovered treasure has a tantalising effect, and 

 produces a restless desire for the whole. Will 

 Mr. Collier kindly gratify the disciples of Cole- 

 ridge by mentioning if he have any intention of 

 immediately publishing these lectures, whether by 

 themselves, or as a supplement to a new edition 

 of Coleridge's Notes and Lectures upon Shakspeare 

 already published ? 



A very important Query here suggests itself, 

 viz., Has any one else besides Mr. Collier taken 

 notes of these lectures of Coleridge ? Can any 

 one supply the lectures not in Mr. Collier's 

 possession ? Even an outline from memory would 

 be better than nothing. Eirionnach. 



Darling's " Cyclopcedia Bibliographica " (Vol. 

 ix., p. 526.). — As "N. & Q.," besides being exten- 

 sively read in their fatherland, are also perused 

 by the literati of other countries, will you lend- 

 your assistance to correct the misapprehension 

 and unjust criticism of a reviewer of Mr. Dar- 

 ling's work, contained in Dr. Petzhold's Anzeiger 

 fur Bibliographie und Bihliothekswissenschaft, 

 Hefts, 1854? The reviewer complains that the 

 Cyclopaedia notices only a few of the works of 

 many eminent German authors, and cannot ac- 

 count for, and blames such a partial enumeration 

 of them. The cause of his ignorance is stated by 

 himself: his copy of the Cyclopsedia, he says, 

 wants the preface, which would have explained the 

 compiler's object, namely, to supply a select cata- 

 logue and a summary of the contents of works, 

 and chiefly of those composing his own theological 

 library. The reviewer should procure this pre- 

 face, the perusal of which will convince him that 

 his severe strictures are unmerited, and that Mr. 

 Darling's valuable and elaborate work is strictly 

 executed on the plan traced out by its compiler, 



J. Macbat. 



Oxford. 



Sir Walter Raleigh and his Descendants 

 (Vol. viii., p. 78.). — Mr. Warden's inquiry has 

 but this moment come under my notice. ^ My 

 maternal grandfather, the late Henry Stanlforth 

 (or Stanyford) Blanckley, Esq., formerly a major 

 in the army, and for many years consul-general in 

 the Balearic Islands and at Algiers, was lineally 

 descended from Sir Walter Raleigh, and pos- 

 sessed many interesting relics of his great an- 

 cestor. He also possessed some portion of Sir 

 Walter's estates in the county of Cork; these, 

 however, came to him with his wife, who was his 



