314 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[Oct. 



passes, and apply it three times on the semicircle, at 1, 2, and 3 ; then take 

 the remainder D, 3, and apply it back upon 3, 2, which is but once, namely, 

 at -1 ; again, take the remainder 4, 2, and apply it three times on 4, 3, at 5, 6, 

 and 7 ; then take 3, 7, and apply it twice on 7,0, at 8, and 9 ; lastly, take 

 the remainder 9,G, and it will be found to be contained just five times, in8, 9. 

 Hence the series of quotients in this particular example is 3, 1, 3, 2, 5, which 

 give the continued fraction, 

 t 



2 ^ 



^, whichj when properly reduced, 

 gives vulgar fraction -jU^, and /^ of 180° = 47° 44' nearly. 



To those acquainted with the doctrine of continued fractions this method 

 of De Lagny is easy enough, and very accurate considering the means em- 

 ployed. If great accuracy be not required, our method may be much con- 

 tracted, by only applying the arc once round the circle, and then using A i to 

 find all the other required numbers. Taking the same augle as the one 



Fig. 5. 



measured in example 3, apply A B (fig. 5), from B to 1 ; from 1 to 2; 

 from 2 to 3 ; from 3 to 4 ; from 4 to 5. Then take B, 5, in the compasses, 

 and apply it from B to 11 ; from 11 to 12 ; from 12 to IS; from 13 to 14 ; 

 and from 14 to 15, near the middle of the arc A B. With the same opening 

 B, i, or A, 4, or A ,, as we have termed it, lay ofif, 4, 6 ; 6, 7 ; 7, 8 ; 8, 9 ; 

 and 9, 10. Then the arc between the points 15 and 10 is found to be con- 

 tained 33 times in the arc A B ; but before it was contained 29 times, for 

 29 Ao was found equal to 6. But by this latter contracted process we find 

 that 33 A J is equal g. Our object is to show that this discrepancy will not 

 alter in any great amount the result or measure of the angle in degrees, 

 minutes, &c. From (Q) we have 



nq-iT 10x33x360 ,^5 



mnq + q-tp 5x10x33-33+1 

 This result was 73° 25' J^. when q was 29. 



To obtain the divisor of (Q), the three numbers m, n, q, have to be multi- 

 plied together ; to their product q is to added if m be too small, but sub- 

 tracted if too great ; to this sum or difference we must add one if n be too 

 great, but subtract two if n be too small. In the latter case, (Q) becomes 



'^ ^ = 73° 33' nearly, a result which differs from the former 



5x10x33-33-2 



retults only by 6 or 7 minutes. This circumstance points out the great 

 value of the rule, for it is evident that the result remains nearly the same, 

 whatever be the positions of the points between A and B. Or in other words, 

 the carelessness of the operator does not much affect the result, for in all cases 

 it comes nearly right. I must digress, and add, — what a pity that our states- 

 men, architects, engineers, &c., cannot discover a few rules of this kind. 



A new Life boat was recently tried at Cowes, iu the presence of several 

 oflicers in the navy. The boat was built by Messrs. Mhile and Sons, of 

 Cowes ; it is 30 feet lon^.O feet beam, has double sides, and air-light ends. 

 IS.i men were placed in her, and she took ii] all the water that she could 

 gunwale under, and when she righted gave a lifteeu-inch side ; in fact, it 

 was found imimssible to sink her. She sails very fast, stays in tliirty-two 

 seconds, and weighs only seventeen hundred weight. She will carry in 

 her lockers a mouth's provision for fifty men. The novelty is priucipally 

 iu her form. 



ON HERALDRY. 



A paper " On Heraldry," by Mr. Partridge, read at a meeting of the 

 Decorative Society. 



Heraldry was explained to be an organization of emblems and devices, 

 which, undoubtedly, must have existed from the earliest establishment of 

 order and civilization among the human race ; and various passages con- 

 taining records of, and allusions to, iis symbols were quoted from Biblical 

 history, showing that it was the medium adopted for distinguishing friends 

 from foes, nation from nation, and tribes and families from each other. 

 Mr. Partridge also referred to, and quoted passages in, Homer, Hesiod, 

 and others, describing the shields of their heroes ; adding, that the shields 

 of Achilles, jEneas, and Hercules had, in bis opinion, been described with 

 poetical license, but, nevertheless, supplied evidence of the custom of 

 ornamenting shields in the richest manner of the arts of that period. He 

 likewise considered as fabulous the descriptions gi»en by the Jewish rabbi 

 of the standards pitched by the Ten Tribes of Israel. Some references to 

 the subject during the Roman era were followed by observations upon the 

 great change made in the institutions of this country by William the Nor- 

 man ; who modelled his court, as far as practicable, after that of Nor- 

 mandy, and who, therefore, introduced the very remarkable oflicers whose 

 duties were strictly heraldic. — The Great Constable, whose authority in 

 matters of war and chivalry, both in France and England, during the 

 Norman and Plantagenet reigns, was little less than that of the monarch. 

 The Great Marshal was an important dignitary, whose influence was at 

 its zenith at the time of the Conquest ; and the office still remains, through 

 all the changes of legislation and government, one of great power and 

 influence. The third office, being, perhaps, the most singular of any 

 adopted by the Conqueror, was that of Champion. jNlr. Partridge traced 

 the hereditary descent of the rhanipionship from iMarmyon, who received 

 his appointment, with the manor of Scrivelsby, from H illiam ; and quoted 

 verses from an ancient poem in which the changes in the families of Mar- 

 myon, Ludlow, and Dymoke, the present champion, are set forth. He then 

 referred to Camden, Guillira, Sir Henry Spelman, aud other eminent au- 

 thorities, showing that although many of our noble families can prove their 

 descent from before the time of the Crusades, yet their arms or heraldic 

 bearings had not become hereditary. After the crusades it was accounted 

 honourable to display those ensigns which had been borne in the Holy 

 Wars ; and hence the descendants treasured them as their hereditary arms, 

 and the opinion of Lord Chief Justice Cuke was quoted showing that he 

 considered this as one of the strongest proofs of a noble and worthy 

 origin. 



Mr. Partridge then recited the Roll of Carlaverock — a record in old 

 Norman-French of the names and arms of the leaders who served under 

 King Edward I. at the siege of Carlaverock Castle, Scotland, in 1300 ; 

 and explained that at that time heraldry was embodied as a science as 

 nearly as possible to its form at the present day. Tournaments were 

 alluded to as an important means in sustaining the dignified bearing and 

 accurate transmission of armorial bearings down to the time of Elizabeth, 

 — when the establishment of the College of Heraldry and the visitations 

 made under its direction created a broad distinctive line between the 

 ancient families and those who have risen to greatness by the increase of 

 civilization and wealth since that period. 



Mr. Partridge next drew attention to those arms and mottos which from 

 their relation to names have been ordinarily considered and termed " pun- 

 ning arms," — but which he said had been practised iu remote antiquity, 

 when names had a symbolical source aud meaning. He mentioned several 

 names derived from important ofhcial duties, such as Usher, Butler, Stew- 

 art, &c., in which cases the previous family-uaine had been disused, — as 

 also that of Godolphin, in accordance with the signification of which a 

 white eagle is adopted as the crest by that tamily : and this was followed 

 by notices of others of a similar nature. 



The lecturer then proceeded to show that the great poets of modern 

 Europe have fully appreciated the value of heraldic distinctions; and said 

 that in the descriptions of their heroes they are usually as heraldically 

 correct as they are poetically beautiful. He referred to and quoted parts 

 from Tasso's " Jerusalem," Shakspeare's " Wars of the Roses," &c. Im- 

 portant allusions in many family mottos, &c., were illustrated : aud then he 

 brought the subject to a general summary by maintaining that the detrac- 

 tors of heraldic science are bound to admit one of these two things,— 

 either to prove that all the honours and distinctions which the sovereign of 

 this or any other European state can bestow on eminent men are utter 

 trash, or else to admit that heraldry is one of the important institutions of 

 civilised Europe, as being the recognised mediian b) which the sovereign 

 — the fountain of honour — bestows that honour on men who have deserved 

 well of their country. This part of the paper was concluded by remarks 

 upon the shield of Baron Napier, and the heraldic honours which he quar- 

 ters by his descent from Scott of Thirlestane, wlio received them from King 

 James for his services at the battle of Falkirk in 12US ; and the verses by 

 Sir Walter Scott were recited as affordiug the most eloquent aud perfect 

 illustration. Heraldry, he observed, would be found intimately blended 

 with the general history of the middle ages — with the biography of emi- 

 nent persons and families — with manners aud customs — with poetry and 

 polite literature; — and, moreover, it alibids a key capable of explaining 

 correctly the meaning of many mysterious and important tonus prevalent 

 ia embellishmeats during the feudal period. He alluded to several points 



