132 Management of Light in Illumination. 



The square foot on which the column is placed may 

 be made of tin, and it may be filled with sand in order 

 to give it sufficient weight. To prevent its scratching 

 the table on which it is placed, a very simple contri- 

 vance has been used. Two pieces of hammered sole 

 leather, each i inch square, being cut diagonally, they 

 form four triangular pieces ; each of which being 

 riveted by three rivets to a triangular piece of strong 

 tin of the same form and size, care being taken to sink 

 the heads of the rivets below the surface of the leather, 

 on soldering these triangular pieces to the bottom of 

 the square foot of the column, one at each of its four 

 corners, these pieces of leather prevent the bottom of 

 the stand from touching the table. Horn or wood 

 might be made use of instead of leather for this pur- 

 pose. 



A considerable expense might be saved by making 

 the column and its foot of one piece of cast iron. As it 

 might be japanned and gilded as easily as tin or plate 

 iron, it might be as highly finished, and its form might 

 more easily be made correct and elegant. 



I have a table illuminator in my house, which is 

 placed on a gilt Ionic column, which is furnished with 

 its capital and all its members, in just proportion ; and 

 it is really a very beautiful object. But, as it is chiefly 

 made of gilt brass, it comes high ; but it might be 

 made nearly as beautiful of cast iron, and probably at 

 one quarter of the expense. 



A little ornament, well chosen and well placed, often 

 produces a very fine effect. I had a striking proof 

 of this in the effect produced by covering the ribs of 

 the dome belonging to this illuminator with artificial 

 diamonds of fine cut glass, and placing a gallery or 



