CONTENTS. VJ1 



Real feats of strength performed by Thomas Topham 

 Remarkable power of lifting heavy persons when the 

 lungs are inflated Belzoni's feat of sustaining pyramids 

 of men Deception of walking along the ceiling in an 

 inverted position Pneumatic apparatus in the foot of 

 the house-fly for enabling it to walk in opposition to 

 gravity Description of the analogous apparatus employed 

 by the gecko lizard for the same purpose Apparatus used 

 by the Echineis remora, or sucking-fish . Page 244 



LETTER XL 



Mechanical automata of the ancients Moving tripods 

 Automata of Daedalus Wooden pigeon of Archytas 

 Automatic clock of Charlemagne Automata made by 

 Turrianus for Charles V. Camus's automatic carriage 

 made for Louis XIV. Degenne's mechanical peacock 

 Vaucanson's duck which ate and digested its food Du 

 Moulin's automata Baron Kempelin's automaton chess- 

 player Drawing and writing automata Maillardet's 

 conjurer Benefits derived from the passion for automata 

 Examples of wonderful machinery for useful purposes 

 Duncan's tambouring machinery Watt's statue-turn- 

 ing machinery Babbage's calculating machinery . 264 



LETTER XII. 



Wonders of chemistry Origin, progress, and objects of 

 alchemy Art of breathing fire Employed by Barcho- 

 chebas, Eunus, &c. Modern method Art of walking 

 upon burning coals and red-hot iron, and of plunging the 

 hands in melted lead and boiling water Singular pro- 

 perty of boiling tar Workmen plunge their hands in 

 melted copper Trial of ordeal by fire Aldini's incom- 

 bustible dresses Examples of their wonderful power in 

 resisting flame Power of breathing and enduring air of 

 high temperatures Experiments made by Sir Joseph 

 Banks, Sir Charles Blagden, and Mr. Chantrey . 227 



