‘ 
2796-7 
are mariners, merchants, or the govern- 
ment. Confiderable difcoveries have 
been made within the prefent century, 
by which this valuable {cience has rifen 
toa ftate of perfection, which the old 
navigators could hardly have expected. 
The fubftitution of Hadley’s Gétant in 
the room of that very defective and dan- 
gerous inftrument Davis's Quadrant, has 
been a principal caufe to which this im- 
proved condition of navigation is to be 
attributed. 
The poffeffion of the means of obtain- 
ing a correct obfervation of the heavenly 
bodies at fea, has led to the difcovery of 
other objects than that which formed the 
original point of enquiry. 
Still the fcience, under all its prefent 
advantageous circumiftances, is tufcep- 
tidle of additional improvements; and 
every attempt, however trivial it may 
be, to give it more perfpicuity, 1s enti- 
tied to praife. 
Among the many de/derata which have 
Jain open to enquiry, that of obtaining a 
correét obfervation of the fun in fogg 
or hazy weather, when the real horizon 
cannot be afcertained, has not been the 
leaft. The want of this has been always 
the moft particularly felt when and where 
at was moft particularly needed. A 
‘mode has now beer adopted, fimple in- 
deed in its conftrudtion, clear in its prin- 
ciple, and certain in its effects, for ob- 
viating this dithculty. The inventor has 
obtained a patent for this improvement, 
which is nothing more than fixing an 
artificial horizon on the plane of an Had- 
fey's OGfant, and rendering the eye-glafs 
moveable. 
In juftice to the inventor, I fhall only 
mention what he offers to the public at- 
tention, without entering into an expla- 
mation of the principle of it, left intereft- 
ed men fhould take the advantage of 
profiting by it, to the injury of lis pa- 
tent. 
The patentee is Mr. Yoh Syeds, South- 
wark, who has juft publifhed a Collec- 
tion of ‘Tables for regulating Time, and 
correciing the Latitude, computed from 
Dead Reckonings, by a fimple Altitude, 
at any time in the forenoon, when the 
‘fun is not lefs than three points from the 
eaft; or any time in the afternoon, when 
the fun is not lefs than three points from 
the weft, &c. &c. aM 
If by thus noticing what I conceive 
Merits the attention and encouragement 
of all who are engaged in commerce and 
Mavigation, any fervice can be rendered 
to this induftrious man, I am certain, 
Nautical Improvements, 
303 
Mr. Editor, you will feel a faétisfaction, | 
as well as your humble fervant, 
London, April 19, 17.96. J: Wi. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 5 
AMONG the curious circumftances 
brought to light by the controverly 
on the famous verie in the firft epiftle of 
John, chap. v, perhaps the difcovery of 
manufcripts may be confidered as of the 
moft importance; but to an-indolent 
reader the talents difplayed by the vari- 
ous critics on this f{ubjeét may afford the 
greateft entertainment. Mr. Travis has 
amufed himfelf and the public by his 
journey to Paris, in which he found a 
reading, if of no other purpofe than to 
fhow his own critical acumen in that re- 
fpect, decifive, perhaps, as to his ac- 
juaintance with ancient manuferipts. It 
has been noticed, in fome of our periodi- 
cal publications, and it certainly, deferves 
a place in your ufefnl Repofitory ; but as 
in this country people are fuppofed to be 
too much influenced by the fide they take 
in the prefent controverfy, to do juftice 
to the rival candidates for fame, I fthall 
only tranflate the opinion of the Jenare- 
viewers on the collation, of cur: very 
learned archdeacon. 
«<A proof of > Mr. Travis’s -critical 
learning and fharpfightednefs we cannot 
potfibly withhold from our readers: in 
Matth. xix.28, are thefe words, vpsers & 
enorsduvles ixot. ey Tq moatyyeveciay olay xabion 
0 vioo Te avOrwty—- nabicucOe vot vyretct 
‘You who follow me in the regeneration, 
fhall, when the fon of man fitteth— 
fit alfo.” Some manuferipts place the 
comma before 2 In. ceatyyeveria, and then 
the meaning 1s, You who follow me, 
fhall, in the regeneration.—This read- 
ing was pointed out by Stephens, in 
the margin of his Teftament, po Ye. ey In 
TUMYY VET bey cheesormy eYSCt 10 y: Oye. é. I B 
before the words, in the regeneration, the 
following manufcripts, mark’d ,. 9.2. 2. 
1 ?, placea comma. Out of Stephens’s 
Greek, Travis has made out this very ele- 
gant and emphatical reading ; for part of 
our Saviour’s fpeech, vets of axorubuylec 
[496 ota sony EX ETL aley 2eOtoy 412, 66 ye who 
follaw me have a ftop when the fon of 
man ficteth.” Thus the good man thought 
that Stephens’s margin conveyed this. 
meaning. Inficad of ty In tersyyzvecta, the 
manufcripts above mentioned read Saco- 
Any eyuct. This exquifite reading the 
good man produces in three places in his 
book, and that no one may doubt of his 
{peaking from the bottom of his heart, 
edz he 
