PREFATORY NOTICE. 17 



can rule, blindfolded or in the dark, with the natural 

 angle of a diamond on hard white metal, fifty-one 

 lines in the fiftieth part of an inch, and cross them 

 at the same distances, with an additional line each 

 way to complete the number of squares. There 

 are thus 2550 spaces, or 2551 lines in the inch in 

 length; and there are 6,502,500 squares between 

 the lines in the inch. These too are more regular 

 in their sizes than the majority of people could draw 

 lines by the eye at, say the fortieth or even the twen- 

 tieth of an inch. Small as that tactual, or rather 

 muscular, division is, the limit of it is in the instru- 

 ments and not in the feeling ; for if it were possible 

 to obtain any cutting substance sufficiently fine, 

 there seems no reason why each of those little 

 spaces should not be equally divided into any num- 

 ber of parts ; so that, if the eye could see the work 

 after it is done, it is probable that the muscular feel- 

 ing could discriminate down to the primary atom. 



A glance at the table of contents will show the 

 leading subjects, and the order in which they are 

 placed ; but as the book is intended to be one of 

 excitement, and not of reference, the reader must net 

 be surprised if upon any, or all, of the subjects, the 

 impression left on his mind is merely the desire of 

 knowing more. Having said thus much, I leave 

 the volume to its fate, anxious to meet with com- 

 mendation, but not unprepared to bear censure, if 

 that shall be the way in which the chances turn. 



ROBERT MUDIE, 



Grove Cottage, King's Road, Chelsea^ 

 November, 1832. 

 B2 



