THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
193 
the Sirius, in 1838. The Sirius on this occasion 
took out Dr. Lardner, who had spent a vast deal 
of time in "proving the voyage impossible!!"— 
One Jenkins. 
73. The End of the Wokld.— The end of the 
world is your own death, as f;ir as you are con- 
cerned, and it is wise to be always ready for that. 
No man can fix a date for such an event. The year 
1000 was to see the end, but it did not. De Cusa 
pledged himself to 1704, Swedenborg to 1757, Ben- 
gel to 1836, Miller to 1843, Gumming to 1866, Mrs. 
Shipton to 1881, and there have been many others, 
and the world lives on and laughs at them. We 
are not aware that there are any impending pre- 
dictions at this time. There was a report a few 
years agx) to the effect that Proctor, the astron- 
omer, had predicted that the earth and some 
comet would collide, resulting in a complete 
smashing-up of the former. Proctor, however, 
denied the report. We are inclined to believe 
that for the f ature it will be best for timid people 
to remain satisfied on this point and await events, 
for it is not likely that any sane person will again 
predict the exact time when the general break-up 
of the earth will take place.— Cleeicus. 
74. Painting Photographs,— Thirza McB. 
should procure the following for painting photo- 
graphs in ordinary water colors. Gouache or 
Chinese white is generally used. The colors nec- 
essary for this will be Chinese white, yellow 
ochre, rose madder, cobalt, sepia, liglit red, ver- 
milion, black, gamboge (or cadmium). The sur- 
face of the photograph is prepared by washing it 
over with a size which comes for that purpose, 
and can be procured of any dealer in art 
materials. The whole of these materials, or any 
of a like kind, may be obtained in this city— New 
York—at Devoe's, Fulton street.— Amateur. 
75. Glass.— The Hebrew word zechuchith is em- 
ployed to denote "glass." Whether it has this 
signification in Job xxvii., 17, or whether it re- 
lates to some precious stone, is a debatable 
question. The word zechuchith means a pure 
substance, which does not imply transparency. 
The Phoenicians, though credited with the inven- 
tion of glass, have not left any other records ex- 
cept the names of some makers of glass vessels. 
On some Phoenician relics occurs the name of 
Artas the Zidoiiian. Whether the Jews, as neigh- 
bors of the Phoenicians, were manufacturers of 
glass during the Biblical period of their history 
cannot be proved by any relics. Of glass which 
came from Assyrian excavations, the British Mu- 
seum has several specimens ; one of 700 B.C. bears 
the inscription of Sargon. A more direct insight 
is given by the Egyptian monuments, where we 
have pictorial representations of glass-making. 
The earliest relic brought from Egypt beaTs the 
inscription of Thothmes III., and wa,s made 1500 
B.C. The Coptic name of glass, hadjiein or ahad- 
jein, and some variations of this word have no 
connection with Semitic words. The Arabs have 
given a wide extension to the word zajaj or zagag 
among Mahometan nations. But among the 
Aryan Mahometans in India, in Persia, in Kur- 
distan, as also among the Turks, glass is called 
shish. In Hebrew shiah or shayish is the name of 
marble, and may eventually have been used in 
the signification of glass. Whether glass was in 
the earliest days manufactured in Palestine or 
not, glass vessels must have been known to the 
Jews. This is not solely to be inferred from the 
circumstance that the Palestine Exploration 
Fund has brought to light numerous fragments 
of glass vessels, for such vessels may have been 
made at a la^e period, but it is an indubitable 
tact that the Phoenician traders, according to the 
testimony of the Bible (Proverbs xxxi., 24, and 
Hosea xii., 8). constantly came to Judea to offer 
their wares. Israelite women liked to adorn 
their necks with glass beads. Specimens of such 
ornaments occur everywhere; note for example 
the specimens found in the tombs of the Egyp- 
tians and the Etruscans. Among the treasures 
which Dr. Schliemann discovered at Hissarlick, 
the so-called site of Troy, a.iul again in the graves; 
of Myceiisp., Egyptia,n or Pliosnician glass beads, 
have been found. Even beneath the lakes of 
Switzerland, where the pile buildings of ancient 
inhabitants have been brought to light, glass 
beads were discovered, which none but Phoenic- 
ian traffickers could have carried to Switzerland, 
just as they brought them into the lands of the 
ancient Britons. No doubt can therefore exist 
that the Hebrews of the earliest date were fully 
acquainted with articles made of glass.— Ezra. 
76. Monograms.— We take pleasure in publish- 
ing the annexed monograms; G. B., M. D. H.. 
L. F. R, W. A., W. W., M. G. T., and G. E. T. We 
have received several other monograms, which 
are simply duplicates to those presented. 
