ITS APPLICATIONS AND CAPABILITIES. 143 



visible point where the Koyal Mother sits with 

 her two eldest-born in her arms. 



3. What a marvel, again, is that other micro- 

 scopic photograph, the " Arctic Council/' where, 

 on a space not larger than a pin's head, you 

 have thirteen distinct portraits where, with a 

 table before them, and charts and despatches 

 outspread in their hands, you look upon the 

 great chiefs of the then living Arctic naviga- 

 tors, Sir Edward Parry, Sir J. C. Koss, Sir 

 J. Back, and others as illustrious, in anxious 

 council, discussing the plan of search for Sir 

 John Franklin, while, on the wall behind, 

 alongside of the likenesses of Captain Fitz- 

 james and Sir J. Barrow, is seen suspended 

 the portrait of the illustrious though ill-fated 

 Franklin himself! " It is indeed marvellous," 

 as Sir D. Brewster remarks, " that 10,000 single 

 portraits could thus be included in a square 

 inch ;" and that, as he farther suggests, " Mi- 

 croscopic copies of despatches and plans might 

 be transmitted by post, and important secrets 

 placed in spaces not larger than afull stop, or 

 a small blot of ink!' l 



1 Encyclop. Brit. vol. xiv. p. 802. 



