12 
SUPPLEMENT. 
though only a consequence of the former property, appears to be 
but of modern date. It is indeed pretended, that the eastern na¬ 
tions were well acquainted with the property of the magnet, 
long before the Europeans had learned any thing about it. Some 
allege, that Solomon knew the use of the compass, and that there¬ 
by he was enabled to send his mariners to Piru, which was then 
called Parvaim and Ophir* Other authors affiim, that the 
Chinese about that time, or even earlier than the days of Solo¬ 
mon, were acquainted with this most useful property of the 
magnet. This, however, has been much doubted, although it is 
spoken of both in Puhold’s History of China, and the learned 
Renaudot’s dissertation on the Chinese sciences. 
Flavius Bond affirms that, on or about the year 1802, one 
John Goia, a noble citizen of Amaiphi, a town of Principato in 
the kingdom of Naples, first discovered the mariner’s compass; 
and for this he quotes the following verse from Antony of Pa¬ 
lermo, recorded by the Neapolitan historians :— 
“ Prirao dedit nautis usum magnetis Amaiphi.” 
The arms of the territory of Principato has, it seems, been ever 
since a mariner's compass. It has also, with equal confidence^ 
been asserted, that Marco Paulo, the Venetian, learned the use of 
the mariner’s compass from the Chinese, and that he first made 
it known in Italy, about the year 1260 ; but this must evidently 
be a mistake, for we find in Purchas’ Pilgrims, that Marco Paulo 
did not set out on his journey to China before the year 1269, 
nor did he return before the year 1295. It appears, however, 
from some existing documents, that the directive property of the 
magnet, and the communication of that property to iron, was 
known in Europe before that time, though to all probability it 
was not used in navigation until some time afterwards, which 
may be very reasonably attributed to the clumsy way of suspend¬ 
ing the magnetic needle, which was at first used.t 
* See Pineda, de Rebus Solomon is. lib. iv. c. 15. 
+ The assertion of Dr. Wallis seems to be well founded, viz. that the magnetic 
' eedle or compass was brought to perfection by gradual steps and partial im¬ 
provements, and that to these, the English may claim a considerable share*, indeed 
it must be allowed, that they have brought the manufacture of instruments to 
greater perfection ‘ban any other people in the world. 
