Ifi40.] 



THE Cn^L ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



67 



soplicr in his rloset, that after the appearance of Mr. Gilbert's memoir, the 

 engineer caused the suspension chains whicli had been prepared and coin- 

 plete.l to be again lalicn in lianj and lengthened by about thirty-six feet. 

 The manner in «hieh this magnificent structure has stood, proves that the 

 principles on which it was constructed are perfectly accurate, but that its 

 weight is insufficient to stand the storms to which it is exposed, without a 

 vibratory inotion, which is injurious to its stability. 



One of the most remarkable incidents in Mr. Gilbert's life was his disco- 

 vering, patronising, and encouraging the early struggles of Davy (afterwards 

 Sir Humphry), whose introduction to public life, and to other friends, who 

 brought him, liis genius, and .abilily into notice, was due to his active and 

 unvarying fiiendahip. This is, however, matter of history, and most of our 

 readers are acijLiainted with it. 



In 1S28 Mr. Gilbert was, by acclamation, calleil to that pre-eminently ho- 

 nourable station, Ihe chair of the Royal .Society, to which his profound 

 learning and sc-ientific researches, no less than his distinguished personal fit- 

 ness, recommended him Ijeyoud every other person as the proper successor of 

 Davy in the chair of Newton. This conspicuous place, at the head of British, 

 and we may say European, science. Mr. GilbiTt held, for about seven years, 

 witli the highest honour to himself, and tlie greatest utility to that learned 

 body. It is a case without par.allel, and one of which, as C'ornishmen, we 

 are justly proud, that we have furnished two succeeding Presidents of the 

 Roy.al .Society. During liis Presidency, Mr. Gilbert was a liberal donor to 

 the society's funds, and he extended a large and an enligliteucd patronage to 

 every object worthy of the illustrious body over which he presided. He re- 

 signed the chair in favour of his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, who is 

 now succeeded by the courteous and learned Marquis of Norlhampton. 



In his native county, to which he has ever clung with most tenacious af- 

 fection, in 1814, Mr. Gilbert founded the Royal Geological Society of Corn- 

 wall, (with a single exception) the oldest provincial philosophical society in 

 Kngltind, and continued to preside o\er it until his decease ; conferring on it 

 an importance which it would not have otherwise attained, and extending its 

 utility where, without him, it would have been unknown. To the other phi- 

 losophical, literary, and charitable institutions of Cornwall, he was equally 

 a liberal and enlightened patron. 



The last literary labour of Mr. Gilbert's long, honourable, and usefid life, 

 was editing the " Parochial History of Cornwall." originally commenced by 

 Mr. Hals, and continued by Mr. Tonkin. This w ork appeared but a year or 

 two since, with copious addenda by the editor, and geological notes by Dr. 

 Boase. It contains a vaist mass of curious and v.aluable antiquarian research, 

 and rich disquisitions on many suljjects of the highest local interest, its 

 effect has, however, been impaired by typographical inaccur.acies, which tlie 

 printer's carelessness has overlooked. 



The rare talents, abilities, and application of Mr. Davies Gidily, at an early 

 period of his hie. recommended him to the .acquaint. nee of the leading scien- 

 tific men of the age, and the principal mluabit.ants of the county ; among 

 these was the late Lord De Dunstanville. a nobleman as much dislingui.shed 

 by his discrimination as by his barge and munificent liberality. Through his 

 lordship's instrumentalily, Mr. Giddy was returned to Parliament for the 

 borough of Bodmin, in 1807. after having sat as member for Helston ; and 

 the distinction thus conferred on huu through, wdiat hc may not improperly 

 term, extraneous means, was continued from an honourable appreciation of 

 his own ability and worth, until the passing of the Reform Bill, in 1832. 

 when h s advanced age and increasing infirmities rendered him desirous of 

 avoiding the turmoil of public life, and of retiring into the pe.ace and tran- 

 quillity of his domestic circle. 



Whilst in Parliament, tliere were few members more regular and assiduous 

 in their attendance, than Mr. Gilbert ; he generally, though not uniformly, 

 supported the Conservative side of politics, but he seldom spoke, and was by 

 no means an active partisan. His great learning and habits of business, re- 

 commended him to all parlies ; and lie acted as chairman of a committee on 

 the financial system, in the critical and dilliiult period when Lord Castle- 

 reagh was the ministerial leader in the C mmons. The rectification of the 

 national standards of linear dimensions .and capacities, w hich w.as made a few 

 years since, was undertaken on his motion for an address to the Crown on 

 the subject. The bounty on the export of pilchards was long continued 

 through his active interposition ; and, indeed, every subject which in any 

 way afT'ected the interests of his native county, when it came before Parlia- 

 ment, ever found him at his post, an active, ready, and indefatigable advo- 

 cate of her interests. 



^Ve have now seen him an illustrious philosopher, a learned historian, and 

 .an enlightened legislator; but the most distinguishing (.and if we may use 

 the language without charge of alieclation), the most endearing character 

 we have yet to mention, for it w ould be vain to attempt to describe it— his 



conversation; it was not brilliant — it was something infinitely beyond and 

 better than mere display ; it was a continued stream of the most profound 

 learning and most exalted philosophy, adapted with exquisite taste to the 

 capacity of his auditory, and enlivened wilh anecdotes to which the most 

 listless could not but listen and learn. His in.anners were most unaffected, 

 child-like, gentle, and natural. As a friend, he was kind, considerate, for- 

 bearing, patient, and generous; and when the grave was closed over him, 

 not one man, woman or child, who was honoured with his acquaintance, but 

 will feel that he has a friend less in the world ; enemies, he cannot have left 

 a single one. A Cornishman he was in every good sense of the word ; the 

 mention of a Cornish custom, of a provincialism familiar in his youth, would 

 make tlu> aged m:in young again ; the scenes of his early years, tales of times 

 long gone, were piuired forth in debghtlul glowing language, the more 

 touching from its hearty, e.arnest, unatVeclerl, and simple elegance. 



M'iihin a few years of 1810, Mr. Davies Giddy was married to Mary, only 

 child and heiress of — Gilbert, Esq., of Eastbourne, and took the n.ame of 

 Gilbert, instead of his patronymic of Giddy. This .alliance brought a con- 

 siderable accession of fortune to his ;ilrcady considerable paternal inheritance. 

 By this lady, who survives him, he has had several children, but four only 

 are now alive : — a son, John Davies Gilbert, Esq., a daughter, married to 

 J(din S. Enys, Esq., of Enys, in this county, and two other daughters yet 

 unmarried. Mr. Gilbert's age was, we believe, about seventy-four, and his 

 long, honourable, and himoured life, crowned with peace. riches, and distinc- 

 tion, w as in the bosom of his family. 



" QHOT NOTOS, TOT HABUIT AMICOS." 



WOODEN PAVEMENT. 



Extract from Leltch Ritchie's " Glance at Russia in IBS.')." 

 The wooilen pavement is, I believe, pecidiar to Si. Petersburg, and merits 

 a description. It consists of small hexagons sawed from a piece of resinous 

 Wood, .and laid into a bed of ciushed stones .and sand. These are fastened 

 laterally into each other with wooden pegs ; and w hen the w hole bu'ms a 

 plane surface, the interstices are filled wiih fine sand, and then boiling pilch 

 is poured over all. This pitch, from the porous nature of tlie wood, is speed- 

 ily absorbed ; and on a quantity of sand being strewed above if, the operation 

 is complete, and a pavement constructed which is found to be extremely 

 dur.able, and which seems to me to sull'er much less injury from the frost 

 than the stone causeway. The honor of the invention is due to Mr. Gourief, 

 and I have no doubt he will ultimately see it adopted in most of the great 

 towns towards the north. It is the custom of the peasantry to cut down the 

 trees at some distance from the root, and thus a great deal of woml w ill be 

 turneil to a useful purpose, which would otherwise only encumber the ground. 

 Everv peasant, besides, by means of his axe alone, is able to constnfct sucli 

 a pavement ; and in Russia, hands are both plenty and cheap. 



THE NEW ROYAL EXCHANGE. 



In the Court of Common Council, on the 23rd ult., Mr. R. L. Jones brought 

 up the report of the Royal Exchange Committee, which w.as as follows: — 

 •'To Ihe Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Commons 

 of the city of London, in Common Council assembled. 

 " We whose names are hereunto subscribed of your committee in relation 

 to the Royal Exchange and Gresham trusts, to whom on the (ilh day of Au- 

 gust, 1831, il Wits referred to carry into execution the Act of Parliament for 

 improving the site of the Royal Exchange, in the city of London, .and the 

 avenues adjoining therein, anil to report our proceedings from time to time, 

 do certify that we immediately proceeded to carry the provisions of the said 

 act into execution, and directed several notices to be given to the several 

 parties inferestetl for the purchasing of their properly required lor the site of 

 the new E.vchange. and, having received the claims of the respecfiv.' parties, 

 we duly considered the same, and have great ple.asuie in being able to report 

 that the whole of such claims, with two exceptions only, have been adjusted ; 

 and, for the further Information of this Hon. Courl. we have caused a state- 

 ment to be hereunto annexed, setting forth the .sums claimed, and the amounts 

 paid or agreed to be paid, for the purchase of the several premises, including 

 the loss and damage incurred by removal, together with the manner in which 

 each claim was seitlcd ; all wdiich we submit to the judgment of this Hon. 

 Courl. D.ited this 23rd day of January, 1840. 



" Richard L. Jones. Edward Hickson. 



B..STiaimNG, Henry J. Elmes. 



W. Richardson. Thomas Cornev. ^ 



K. OuuAHD. Thomas Burton. 



J.iMES Frisby. William Croucher." 



The follow ing is the slatinient alludeil to : 



Buildings purchased for the new Royal E.Kchange and avenues. Estimate 

 l.W.OOO/., for whicli there were 51! claims. 

 42 cases claimed . 69,283 — .Settled by committee at . 38,852 

 8 ditto for freeholds 107.081 — Referred to surveyors,, and 



settled at . . . 04.136 

 i cases claimed . 37.065— Settled by verdicts at . 12,284 

 2 ditto not settled . .0,508 



£219,817 



£115,272 



K2 



