ON THE USE OF THE CAMERA I.UCIDA. 



woodcock, which, IckI the eo2;i'avin2;s should, in addition to 

 the others, occupy too much valuable space in your Journal, 

 must be reserved to a future opportunity. 



173 



II. 



On the Use of the Camera Lucida as a Substitute for the 

 Camera OLscura. In a Letter from Mr, T. Sheldrake, 



I 



To Mr. NICHOLSON. 

 SIR, 



AM glad to find, that my communication has inf^nced 

 your correspondent, Mr. Bale, to illustrate the camera lu- 

 cida ; and, that it may receive all the light that can be 

 thrown upon it, I beg leave to resume the subject. 



I propose to show, that the camera lucida does not pos- 7]-,e camera 

 sess one property, that will induce an artist, who has suffi- ^"cida not an ! 

 cient motives to make use of the camera obscura, to lay substitufe°fof 

 aside that instrument, and substitute the camera iucida in thecameraob- 

 its stead. In doing this I must be understood to confine ^'"^^^' 

 my investigation to this single point, without attempting to 

 affect the general character of tlie camera lucida, which / 

 know has some, and j«oy have many more valuable properties, 

 with which I am not acquainted. 



I beg leave to say in plain terms, that I question no other 

 property of the camera lucida ; and I beg farther, to pre- 

 vent me from being misunderstood, to describe the purposes 

 for which it is det.irable to make use of either instrument. 



It is to be presumed, that whoever undertakes to draw Use of the ca- 

 from nature has acquired some power of representing the '"^'^^ °^^'^"''** 

 objects that appear before him. When he wishes to draw a 

 view, he surveys the scene, and determines what objects are 

 to be concluded in his design: he determines their relative 

 gizes and positions, and executes his view well or otherwise, 

 according to4he power of practice that he has acquired. 

 But all this requires mental exertion, as well as practical 

 skill, and a portion of time proportioned to the care and 

 skill that is to be employed. It is with a view to save time, 



and 



