for the Defence of this Island. Bi 



marquis of Worcester. The articles of his Century of In- 

 ventions, in which he makes mention of his contrivance for 

 this purpose, are the following : — Art. IX. " An engine, 

 portable in one's pocket, which may he carried and fastened 

 on the inside of any ship, tanqnam alhid ogens," (as if ona 

 was doing something else) " and at any appointed minute, 

 though a week after, either of day or night, it shall irre- 

 coverably sink that ship." Art. X., " A way from a mile 

 otf, to dire andfasltn a like engine to any skip, so as it may 

 punctually work the same effect cither tor tim-c or execu- 

 tion." 



In Savericn's Dictionary, article Vaisseau Urinatoire, we 

 read that Dr. Papin endeavoured to recover the lost inven- 

 tion of Drebcll, and that he has described a submarine boat 

 in his Fasciculus Dissert utionum ; but w helher or not this 

 boat was ever tried, we are not told. 



Claiulero (as he called himself, for his real name was 

 Wilson) a minor poet, who, about 30 years Qigo,flo2irished m 

 Edinburgh, by \\ riting satires, or rather lampoons, dedi- 

 cates one of his pieces, which I read with much pleasur« 

 when a bov, to his scheming countryman Peter William- 

 ion *. Amoncr other reasons for his chusins; that great 

 man tor his patron, the poet mentions, or ui truth ridicules, 

 his proposal for opening a sulforlhian communication be- 

 tween Leith and Kinghorn, without the tedious formality 

 of waiting: for wind and tide. Hence it is probable, that 

 Williamson had proposed or attempted this species of na- 



liquor was nothing more than spirit of nitre rectified in an extraordinary- 

 manner. " But modern chemists will be apt to consider De Coetlogon's 

 remark as equally ridiculous with those which he laughs at. 



* Willi.imson certainly was a man of genius or mental resource. As 

 his life has never appeared, at least in any respectable form, the reader 

 will probably pardon the insertion of the following particulars, which I 

 believe are pretty correct: — Peter Williamson was stolen when a boy 

 fiom Aberdeen — sold in America, for his passage — married, or raa 

 away with his master's daughter — settled in the back, country — had his 

 house burnt, and his wife and family murdered by a party of Indians, 

 who seeing Isim a stout man spared his life, and, loading him with the 

 most portabl" of h'S own effects, marched him to their village — lived 

 there for several years in the Indian style— tired of this mode of life- 

 eloped and returned to Scotland, where he found means to bring such of 

 liis kidn;!ppcrs as were alive, to punishment — went about the country 

 with models of Indian canoes, dresses, toraahauks, &c., exhibiting him- 

 self in the Indian costume, and fnplaining their mode of warfare, &c., 

 &:c. — His war-whoop and death-holla (or hollow as he called it) were 



horrible. Peter had many schemes, but I have not heard that any of 



them succeeded, except the Penny Post-Office at Edinburgh, of which 

 useful institution he was the founder. (Jovernment afterwards took it 

 into their own Imnds, and allowed him aii annuity, 



4 vigatipn. 



