155 



Ojt " Nobert's Tests." 



By Wm Webb. 



(Read 28th March, 1873.; 



Practical knowledge, acquired bj many years' study of the sub- 

 ject of this paper, and of analogous work, has induced the hope 

 that I shall not be wholly frittering away your time. I have pre- 

 pared engravings for printing my illustrations, so that as to that 

 part of my paper there shall be no misunderstanding. Every state- 

 ment of opinion shall be accompanied with a numbered specimen 

 exhibiting that which I shall endeavour to pourtray in words. The 

 specimens, if thought worthy of a place in your cabinet, you will 

 honour me by accepting. 



I may be forgiven if I state that astonishment and admiration 

 upon my first examination, under the guidance of the late Mr. Ross, 

 the agent of M. Nobert, and the kind assistance of Mr. Hewitt, of 

 M. Nobert's Tests, betrayed me into an impulsive expression of in- 

 credibility and the cry, '' Can such things be ?" Perhaps my mind 

 was as much impressed as that of any one, and, as a consequence, 

 I worked at the subject with all the ardour of my nature as ex- 

 haustively as I was able. At the International Exhibition, 1862, 

 despite the vibration of the gallery in which philosophical instru- 

 ments were placed, and despite all the surrounding circumstances, 

 I produced about half a dozen coarse specimens after Mons. Nobert. 

 I have related the above bit of egotism simply that you may have 

 a just appreciation of my labour of love. A very short study of 

 the subject produced opinions totally at variance with those of 

 every gentleman who (as far as I know) had expressed himself 

 upon the matter, and that variation of opinion has never been 

 altered, nor have I ever since been in accord with any one gentle- 

 man upon the subject. My first proceeding was to ask " What is a 

 line ?" My answer was " A line has length and breadth." If a 

 white line be drawn upon a black board [thus] it will be seen that 

 the line is bounded by black sides. To draw another line, the hand 

 must be moved over or past an intervening space of black [thus], 

 so that there shall be a black boundary to each side of the two lines. 



JouRN. Q. M. C. No. 22. l 



