ISO 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 171. 



•where, of all the houses in England, we are most 

 sure that it must have been. C. 



An ancient Tombstone. — In the month of De- 

 cember, 1851, a tombstone' was found at the quay 

 of Aberdeen, near Weigh House Square, in ex- 

 cavating for a common sewer. On it is carved a 

 cross, and a shield containing the initials " G. M.," 

 a nameless instrument, or a couple of instruments, 

 placed crosswise, and a heart with a cross in the 

 centre. Round the edge is cut exquisitely, in Old 

 English letters, with contractions such as we see in 

 old MSS., the following inscription, " Hie jacet 

 honorabilis Vir Georgius Manzs (Menzies ?), civis 

 de Abirden, cum uxore eius Anneta Scherar, qui 

 obiit XXVII die mensis Septembiis, anno D. N, I. 

 Minixx." In former times, the Menzieses, the Col- 

 lisons, and the Rutherfords held ruling power in 

 Aberdeen, as in more recent times did the Gib- 

 bons, Bannermans, and Hogarths. 



KiRKWAiLENSIS. 



cattcrteiS. 



EXCESSIVE RAINFALL. 



The following quotation induces me to put a 

 Query to the numerous scientific readers of your 

 widely-circulated publication : 



" It is a remarkable circumstance that an unprece- 

 dented quantity of rain has fallen during the last year 

 (1852) all over the world, — England, Ireland, Europe 

 generally, Africa, India, and even in Australia." 



Query, Is it anywhere recorded that so wide- 

 spread a rainfall has been previously noticed ? 

 It is said that excessive rainfall has been general 

 all over the Avorld ; and it would appear to have 

 been general over a great portion of the land. 

 This, however, does not constitute the whole world. 

 The area of our globe is composed of about four- 

 fifths water to one-fifth land ; so that an excess of 

 rain might fall upon every square mile of land, 

 and yet the average rainfall of the whole world not 

 be exceeded. This is an important truth, and 

 should be generally understood. Taking the sur- 

 face of the whole world, there is probably, year by 

 year, the same amount of sunshine and heat, the 

 same quantity of evaporation, and the same volume 

 of rainfall ; but there is inequality of distribution. 

 We find a dry summer in America, and a wet one 

 in Europe ; excessive wet in the south of Europe, 

 with excessive drought in the north ; with similar 

 excesses over much more limited areas. This case 

 holds good even for the extraordinary year of 

 1852. Excess of rain has fallen on most of the 

 land over the earth's surface ; but there has been 

 a minimum on the great oceans ; as see the accounts 

 of the fine weather, light winds, and calms, expe- 

 rienced in the voyages to Australia. 



The question of general equality and local ex- 

 cesses may now, through our commerce, have that 



attention given to it which has hitherto been im- 

 possible. It is well worthy of study. 



Robert Rawlinson. 



BAPTIST VINCENT LAVALL. 



I have in my possession a manuscript of about 

 six hundred pages, entitled " Lavall's Tour across 

 the American Continent, from the North Pacific 

 to the Atlantic Ocean, in a more southern Lati- 

 tude than any yet attempted : performed in the 

 Years 1809 and 1810." A map of the route ac- 

 companies it. 



The accounts of the country, and of the Indian 

 tribes, correspond with what we learn from other 

 sources ; and gentlemen of information in Indian 

 affairs believe the work to be the genuine produc- 

 tion of a person who has been over the ground 

 described. 



According to this work, Lavall was a native of 

 Philadelphia, and born in 1774. His father, who 

 was a royalist, settled in Upper Canada, and en- 

 gaged in the fur trade. In 1809 Baptist Vincent 

 Lavall visited England to receive a legacy left him 

 by a relation. Here he was persuaded to join a 

 vessel fitting out for the purpose of trading in the 

 North Pacific. It was a schooner of about two 

 hundred tons, called the Sea Otter, commanded by 

 Captain Niles. This vessel was lost upon the 

 coast of Oregon, on the 15th of August, 1809, 

 whilst Lavall and three of the crew were on shore 

 hunting. They made their way across the con- 

 tinent to New Orleans. 



Can any information be furnished from any 

 custom-house in England as to the Sea Otter, 

 Captain Niles ? William Duane. 



Philadelphia. 



GRAVES OF MICKLETON, CO. GLOUCESTER. 



There are three portraits engraved by Vertue,. 

 which give the pedigree of this fiimily thus far : 

 John Graves of York, = 

 born 15 15, ob. 1616. 1 



Graves = 



= Richard Graves of Mick leton, Esq.,= 

 ob. 1669. 



— Graves = 



Richard Graves of Mickleton, Esq. = 

 ob. 1731. 

 The title engraved on the plate states that the 

 first Richard Graves given above, was twice 



