Vincenzio Zuccaro, a child seven years old. 321 



replied, the steam boat will have sailed 105 ajid \lfths of a mile, 

 and the other 74 and j%ths. Upon observing that he had for- 

 gotten to mention when the two ships met, he answered with- 

 out hesitation, that is self-evident, the meeting would take place 

 10 hours and \^ths after their departure. This second an- 

 swer being in some measure comprehended in the former, the 

 child did not think it necessary to state it, thinking that every 

 body understood it as well as he. ; e 



In another question proposed to him, the child showed how 

 confident he was in the exactness of the solutions given by 

 him. 



Problem. " In order to make 13 soldiers' uniforms, it re- 

 quires 11 ells of cloth. How many ells will it require to make 

 245 uniforms .?" In an instant the child replied, it will re- 

 quire 207 ells, 2 palms and j%ths. One of the professors hav- 

 ing found by calculation that it would require 207 and j^^^th 

 of an ell, the child, after having reflected again, insisted on 

 the correctness of his solution. The professor having then 

 compared the two fractions, he found them perfectly equal. 



This trial, and many others, having proved the existence of 

 an extraordinary talent in this child, it appears to be a matter 

 of great interest to discover by what method he arrived at the 

 exact results so quickly. An astronomer of Palermo, Signor 

 Nicolas Cacciatore, proposed in consequence different questions 

 to the child ; and after each answer was obtained, he asked him 

 by what means he obtained the solution ? We shall give here 

 some examples of it, such as have been published by M. Cac-*. 

 ciatore in the journals of Palermo. 



Question. What is the square of 429 "^ Answer. 184041. 

 Question. How have you calculated it ? Answer. 400 by 

 400 makes 160000; 29 by 29 makes 841, and that makes al- 

 together 160841 ; 29 by 400 makes 11600, which doubled 

 makes 23200 ; and this last number added to the first makes 

 184041. 



It is obvious that he divides the given number under the 

 form of a binomial, 400 -h 29 (« + 6,) and that he finds the 

 square by the algebraical method. 



a^^%ah-^h'^— 1 60000 -}- 23200 + 841. 



Question, What is the square of 123 ? Answer. 15129. 



NEW SERIES. VOL. 1. NO. II. OCT. 1829. X 



