BABBAGE AND HIS RIVALS,— INDIA RUBBER BOAT. 
27 
frror ; at the same time that the master has 
a coHnter check, which he can apply in a 
moment to a whole morning’s set of exer- 
cises. Such a plan, where a large number 
of boys are to be taught, as in National and 
Lancastarian scliools. must be of incalculable 
aflvantage ; and even in private schools must 
afford great assistance to teachers, from the 
variety of examples presented , and the ease 
with which their answers maybe ascertained, 
Discriptioti of the Frames. 
The “ Arithmetical Frames ’ consist of 
six frames, about 18 inches l)igh and 1 foot 
hroad. The first of which is fitted up with 
little balls transversely arranged on tour 
brass rods, as the ball frame of the infant 
schools ; but to this, which only forms trie top 
part o" the frame, nine cubical rods verti- 
cally placed, and revolving of pivots, are 
attached ; on one side of these rods are 
small pictures about an inch square, of sliips, 
horses, cats, co'vs, and such bke figures dif- 
ferently coloured ; their object is, as is also 
of the balls, to teach the infant to count, and 
to connect abstract signs with tangible ob- 
jects. The other three sides of the rollers 
are filled up with three numeration tallies, so 
ingeniously disposed, that by the turning of 
the rods, every variety of change of figure 
may be produced so strikingly, that a few 
hours are generally sufficient to teach a child 
the principles ol numeration and notation with 
the rudiments of addition. 
The succeeding frames comprise a frame 
for each of the following rules ; the addition 
frame consists of 12 cubical rod.s, horizontally 
placed, and by the simple turning of these, an 
infinite number of examples may be produced, 
and their answers discovered in a moment. 
To the subtraction fran;es, which are con* 
structed to hold only two rollers at a time, 
containing the subtractors, and the subtra- 
hend, large slates are also attached, on which 
the remainders are worked, one below the 
other, forming an example in addition, wh ch 
is added up. The multiplication and the 
division frames are made to contain only 
one roller, the former has a slide upon w hich 
the multipliers are printed, which shows one 
figure at a time through a square hole imme- 
diately under the unit of the multiplicand, and 
the latter has a slide for the divisors moving 
up and down the dividends to change the 
examples ; by which simple conti ivat'.ce, as 
many changes may be produced as upon a 
peal of 12 bells stated to be several thou- 
sands of millions. In these two latter frames 
there is still a recapitulation of preceding rules 
with different examples applied throughout 
the compound as well as through the simple 
rules; — the whole forming a system of teach- 
ing the theory of arithmetic so complete, as 
to make improvements extremely difficult, 
and presenting a combination of figures 
whose results are, as we have stated, “ 
most extraordinary in the history of the re- 
lations of number ;”~and their effects on the 
children who are taught by them, as is exem- 
plified at the Borough- Road Central Schools ; 
to use the words of liord Brougham, in his 
speech on Education — “ present the most 
extraordinary spectacle of the progress of ob- 
taining information which might be made by 
childern, and which he had never seen or 
heard of at any place, in any country, or at 
any time. It was perfectly wonderful how the 
human faculty could, at so early an age, be 
cultivated to so marvellous a degree. A 
dozen or tw'o of the children were asked such 
questions as the interest of various sums of 
money for any time, at any rate per cent., 
and their answers were as correct as they 
were immediate.” His Lordship repeated, 
that “ he had never witnessed a more extra- 
ordinary exhibition .” — Educational Magazine, 
MR. BABBAGE AND HIS RIVALS. 
Sir, — In a lafe number of your publication, 
I observed that one of your correspondents 
claims to be the inventor of a calculating 
engine which will perform the operations of 
Multiplication, Division, and even do sums 
in the Rule of Three. As this is a subject in 
which I take a considerable interest, I hope 
I slmll be excused if I request a little more in- 
formation ; and first I wish to learn whether 
this is a self-acting machine, that is, supposing 
that two numbers are to be multiplied toge- 
ther, is it merely necessary to put them into 
their proper places, and having adjusted the 
machine to multiply, to turn the handle until 
it shall give some signal that the operation is 
completed ? Or when one number is put in as 
a multiplicand, is it necessary to turn the 
handle as many times as the number indicated 
of the multiplier ? The question applies 
equally to Division, and to the Rule of Three, 
which is a combination of the other two. Also, 
can it be applied to calculated tables, and if 
so, how are its results indicated ? A machine 
which when once adjusted to perform an oper- 
ation requires an assistance from the ndnd 
(even the common operation of counting the 
number of turns of the handle to know when 
to expect the result) is open to the objection 
of liability to error. If one turn be omitted, 
an error is induced into the calculation, and 
an error made by a machine is the more 
dangerous because unsuspected. I understand 
that Mr. Babbage’s calculating engine is not 
liable to these objections, and that one great 
merit is, that its results are the operation of 
the machine itself, and engraved upon copper 
plate with unerring certainty. Has the inven- 
tor of this new machine taken any steps to 
make it public, or secure the patronage of 
Government? Matters of this kind are of 
great public interest, and many valuable in • 
ventions perish for w’ant of early attention. 
I trust, therefore, you will excuse my trou- 
bling you on the subject 
I remain, verv trulv vours, 
P. s. c. 
INDIAN-RUBBER BOAT. 
The Providence Journal gives a description 
of tht*' Indian-ruhher boat — a neat affair, 
weighing abbout 20 lbs., which may be folded 
up and carried about from place to place. It 
will sustain a ton weight, and accommodate 
quite a fishing party ! 
