may always be seen seated at the shady side of the square, and never shifting their births un til dislodged by the sun. Their chief reve. nue, however, arises from shaving their fa. vorite water dogs, of which there is one in almost every family; and I have often been amused at seeing the four paws of one of these animals, as he impatiently submitted to this process of decoration, held by as many young Gipseys in as many different directions, whilst the old crone their mother divested him of his fleece. These people are almost universally tall and well made, their figures and carriage having in a rare degree the air of freedom and unconstraint. The women are very beautiful, their features, as well as those of the men, being very regular; with an Asiatic complexion and cast of counte. nance; long, straight, and very black hair; full dark eyes, and teeth of pearly whiteness. They are all fond of appearing in the worn out finery of the Andalusian dandies, and have a taste for elegance, though it be even in rags. Their pranks are often exhibited on the Spanish stage, to the great delight of the audience, who receive their quaint prac. tical jokes and less innocent rogueries with the greatest glee. Indeed, they have the character of being a light-hearted and hap. py race, and, notwithstanding their vicious propensities, are looked on with an extra share of that indulgence which is extended to vagrants of all classes in Spain.

da, that we one morning took a walk to the caves of the Albaycin, where they have their subterranean habitations. Crossing the ravine of the Daro, and passing through the more populous portion of the Albaycin, whose houses are often incorporated with the ruins of walls, that mark the gradual expansion of Granada, as it augmented its population in the days of the Saracens, we began at length to ascend the more precipitous portion of the rival mountain, where it looks towards the valley of the Daro and the fortress of the Alhambra. The Albaycin may be called the rival of the Alhambra, not only from its position immediately opposite, the two mountains being drawn up on either side of the Daro, and frowning upon each other, the pillars of Hercules in miniature; but because in Moorish days it was crowned with a fortress of nearly equal strength, which sometimes arrayed itself in hostility. When two kings reigned, not only in the same kingdom, but in the single city of Granada, it was the fortress of the Albaycin that formed the court and strong hold of Boabdil el Chico. Of this fortress scarce a vestige now remains; it doubtless dates its demolition from the period when, after the conquest, the Moriscos were compelled to take up their abode within the precincts of the Albaycin.

As we went on ascending, the streets of the Albaycin passed gradually into zig-zag pathways, winding their way up the acclivity;. There is much in the cast of countenance, and the houses rising above each other along complexion, and unfettered conformation of the hill side, gave place to caves artificialthese Gipseys, in connection with their men- ly hollowed beneath the surface of the earth. dicant air, and the distinctness of their ap. The whole superior part of the mountain was pearance, character, and sympathies, from perforated like a honey comb, and containthose of the Spaniards around them, to remind ing within its bowels a numerous population, an American of the vagrant Indians whom he of which, however, none of the ordinary inhas seen loitering about the frontier settlements dications could be discovered, except the of his native country. The Gipseys of Spain wreaths of thin smoke which rose in every do not, however, excite the same sympathy direction, curling among the prickly-pear as our unhappy aborigines. They came to bushes, which covered the whole surface, and that country of their own accord, and with a furnished food to the poor inhabitants who view to better their condition, bringing their lived below. At one of the first caves we vices with them, and making them instrumen- managed an invitation to walk in, by asking tal to self support and to the preservation of a decent old woman for some water. When their identity. But the Indians, instead of within the door, and we began to recover our dispossessing, are the dispossessed; their de. sight, we found ourselves in an apartment of gradation, instead of being derived from regular figure, and wanting in none of the their savage state, has supplanted the wild comforts of life. A fire-place stood in front virtues that adorned it, and is at once the re- of the entrance, its chimney being perforated sult of civilized encroachment and the effi- upwards through the rock. On the right was cient cause of their ruin. the door of the bed-room; it had a circular window or loop hole, was very clean and neat, and was ornamented with crosses, artificial flowers, and rude paintings of the saints.

It was in order to see something of the do. mestic economy of this strange race, of whom we daily meet inany in the streets of Grana.

A Living Lamp-Who first Invented Stamboats.

143

There were other apartments penetrating were regular and expressive, with glowing farther into the recesses of the mountain, and eyes and a form finely moulded and unperwhich received no light from without; these verted by artificial embarrassments. She served for sleeping chambers and store rooms. had moreover a modest look, and seemed to The rock here, like that of the adjoining justify the idea, that chastity could exist, as it mountain, which contains the Mazmorras, is is said to do, in so humble and unfettered a of a soft nature and is easily cut, but hardens condition. Indeed, whatever may be the by exposure to the air. The caves that are vices of the Spanish Gipseys, Cervantes tells hewn in it are more comfortable than the orus that they respect this virtue both in their dinary habitations of the poor, keep out the wives and damsels, forming none but permaweather effectually, and being less subject to nent connexions, which, though not sanc. changes of temperature, are comparatively tioned by matrimony, are only broken by warm in winter and cool in summer. common consent. He gives them credit too for assuming, in an eminent degree towards each other, the laws and obligations of friendship. They do not take the trouble to pursue crimes committed among them beyond the tribunals of the country; but, like many others in Spain who are not Gipseys, execute justice on their own account.

net.

Taking leave of our old woman and her cave, we proceeded eastward along the accli. vity, until we found ourselves among the more wretched of these subterranean dwellings, the fit abode of Gipseys, vagabonds, and rob. bers. Having singled out one which we sup. posed to belong to the first of these honora. ble classes, from a group of tawny and more than half naked children, whom we found at their gambols before the door, we took the liberty of entering it, after the utterance of an ave maria purissima. We found no one with in but a young Gipsey girl, seated on the stone floor, surrounded by a litter of straw, which she was sleepily weaving into braid for a bonBeside her was a wild, shaggy dog, which, like those of our Indians, seemed to have adopted himself to the strange life of his masters, and gone back to his original and wolf-like condition. The dog is an ac. commodating animal; not only in manners, habits, and character, but even in appearance, he learns to assimilate himself to his owner. The dog of a prince takes something of a prince's pomposity; the butcher's dog shares in the butcher's fierceness; the dog of a thief may be easily known by his skulking, hang-gallows air; and that of the poor beg. gar learns to look as humble and imploring as his master. The theory may fail as often as any other theory; but at all events it applied to the treacherous cur who now growl. ed at our intrusion, until it was sanctioned by his mistress; when, though he ceased his menacings, he took his station beside her, and still kept a watchful and lowering eye upon

us.

The young woman too seemed embar. rassed by our presence; and when we would have our fortunes told by her, she pleaded ig. norance, bade us come when her mother should be there, and appeared willing to be rid of us. Ere we relieved her of our pres. ence, we had time to remark that, though neither very clean nor very tidy, she was yet pretty as Preciosa herself. Her features

A LIVING LAMP--The aborigines of South America, in the fire-fly, (the elater noctilucus,) had a living lamp provided for them by Di. vine Beneficence, which, supplied from itself, required no art to trim it, no combustible material to feed it. Eight or ten of these insects afford light equal to that of a candle: they illuminate the house-they serve to direct the traveller. On Sir Thomas Cavendish and Sir Robert Dudley landing in the West Indies, they were struck with astonishment at the moving lights of these curious insects in the woods, and, impressed with the idea that the Spaniards were advancing, pre. cipitately returned to their ships.-[The Voice of Humanity, No. X.]

Who first invented Steamboats. By ROBERT
LYON. [From the London Mechanics'
Magazine.]

In the Penny Magazine of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, there appeared lately an article extracted from an account published at New-York, awarding to Robert Fulton, of America, the right and merit of being the original inventor of steamboats. Knowing as I did the complete falsehood of the thing, I wrote them, and asked them if the dissemination of a notorious falsehood was the diffusion of useful knowledge? If so, I had nothing to add; but, on the other hand, if the correction of falsehood were a matter of any consequence to them (as I give them credit for not wilfully sinning), I would put them right. To make surety doubly sure, I referred them for proof to the

Journals of the Royal Society of London, where they would find ample proof that they were not only doing a very great injustice to their own country, but likewise to the memo. ry and family of the deceased Mr. William Symington, who was the man who had taught Fulton how to construct the machinery to im. pel vessels by steam.

What then must have been my surprise, Sir, when a Society, at the head of which is Lord Brougham, in place of referring to home documents to correct a most palpable falsehood, after some delay, and in a most flippant manner, replied to my communica. tion by saying, they were content to let the matter rest as it was, as Judge Story's account of the matter from New-York was fully sufficient for them-the plan of their work not permitting them to sift out the truth.

Desiring most sincerely, Sir, that right alone should prevail over might, is the wish ROBERT LYON.

of

Willowfield, Upper Clapton, Middlesex,

December 24th, 1832.

Applegath and Cowper's Improvement
on Koe.
nig's Printing Machine. [From Nichol-
son's Operative Mechanic.]

to receive the impression upon both sides, and the mode of applying the ink to the surface of the types by fig. 2. Though in these figures all the material motions of the ma chine are displayed, yet some of the minute parts, which produce the various movements, have been omitted, in consequence of the diminutive scale of the figures, which is only about one-third of an inch to a foot.

The supply of the blank paper is laid upon a support, or table, A, from whence the sheets are taken, one by one, by a boy, standing upon an elevated platform, who lays them out upon the table B, which has a number of narrow linen tapes or girths passing across its surface. These tapes are formed into endless bands, which extend round the cylinders, or rollers, C and D, in such a manner that when the rollers are turned round, the motion of the tapes will carry the sheet of paper along with them, and deliver it over the roller E, where it is seized between two systems of endless tapes, passing over a series of rollers to keep them extended. These endless tapes are so adapted, in number and position, as to fall between the pages of printing, and also on the outsides, or beyond the margin of the printing; they may, therefore, remain in contact with the sheet of paper on both sides during [We present our readers with a detailed its whole passage through the machine; by account of this ingenious improvement, which which means, the paper being once received in Europe has attracted the attention of the or taken in between the two systems of endcurious and the learned for a considerable less tapes, it will be capable of continuing its time past. It has been brought into practical motion along with the tapes, in order to bring operation in many of the large printing offi- it into a situation to be printed on both sides, ces in London, particularly in newspaper es- without destroying the register (or coincitablishments. By it is printed the "Times," dence of the pages on the opposite side of "The Morning Herald," "The Morning the sheet.) F and G represent the two main Chronicle," the "Ballott," the "John Bull," cylinders, which effect the pressure upon the "Observer,' "The Penny Magazine," ,"issued paper. They are mounted upon strong axes, by the Society for diffusing Useful Knowledge, which turn in stationary bearings affixed to (of which 130,000 are published weekly,) and the main frame of the machine. H and I several others of the most popular leading journals, as well as several publications, which, from their extraordinary cheapness, (considering that in England there is yet a consideradle tax on knowledge,) have very extensive circulation. It is an improvement on Koenig's invention, by discarding for. ty wheels which he had introduced, and he must be a bold man that will say that as much credit is not due to the improvers for the getting rid of these wheels, as to the original projector for placing them there.-ED. M. M.]

A perspective view is represented by fig. 1, and a longitudinal section, to explain the manner in which the paper passes through

are two intermediate cylinders, situated upon axes between the main cylinders. Their use is to effect the inversion of the sheet of paper, in order to print the opposite side.

We must now describe the manner in which the two systems of endless tapes be. fore mentioned are arranged, to give a clear idea of the operation of the machine. We will suppose one system of tapes to commence at the upper part of the roller E, from whence they proceed in contact with the under portion of the circumference of the main cylinder F; they then pass over the upper part of the intermediate cylinder H, and under the intermediate cylinder I, from whence they proceed to encompass a considerable

portion of the main cylinder G; and by pass at the roller h. They are equal in their num. ing in contact with the rollers a, b, c, d, and ber to the tapes already described, and cor. e, they arrive again at the roller E, from respond with them also in their place upon whence they commenced, thereby forming the cylinders, so that the sheets of paper may one of the systems of endless tapes. The be securely held between them. The second other system we will suppose to commence tapes descend from the roller h to the roller

E, where they meet and coincide with the first system, in such a manner that the tapes proceed together under the main cylinder F, over the cylinder H, under the cylinder I, and round the main cylinder G, until they arrive at the roller i, where they separate; having remained thus far in actual contact, except at the places where the sheets of paper are held between them. From the roller i, the paper descends to the roller k, and by passing in contact with the rollers m, n, and o, they ar. rived at the roller h, from whence they commenced. Thus the two systems of the end. less tapes are established and arranged so as to be capable of circulating continually, with. out interfering with each other.

The cylinders, P, G, H, and I, as also the roller E, are connected by toothed wheels, as represented in the perspective view, so as to cause their circumferences to move with one uniform velocity, and thereby prevent any sliding or shifting of the two systems of tapes over each other during their motion, as much of the perfection of the printing depends upon this circumstance. Separate forms of types for printing the two sides of the sheet are placed at a certain distance asunder, upon one long carriage. This carriage, with the forms of type secured upon it, is adapted to move backwards and forwards upon steady guides or supporters attached to the main frame of the machine, in such a position that the surface of the types may be operated upon by the circumference of their respect. ive cylinders F and G, to produce the impression as the carriage moves backwards and for. wards. This reciprocating movement of the carriage is effected by a pinion fixed upon the end of a vertical spindle K, fig. 2, engaging in the teeth of an endless rack, L L, which is connected by a system of levers with the type carriage, in such manner that, when the pinion is turned round, it engages at alternate periods in the teeth formed upon the opposite side of the rack L L, and, consequent. ly, on the opposite circumference of the pinion; thereby a continuous motion of the pinion communicates a reciprocating motion to the rack and carriage. The verticle spindle K is turned by a pair of bevelled wheels from the pinion P, fig. 1, which receives its motion by an intermediate wheel, Q, from the toothed wheel upon the end of the main cylinder G.

points, and the most difficult to effect in printing machines. Two similar and complete systems of inking apparatus, one situated at each end of the machine, are adapted to ink their respective forms of types; we will therefore describe, by references to fig. 1, the inking apparatus situated at the right hand end of the machine. It consists of a cylin drical roller, N, which has a slow rotatory mo. tion communicated to it by a catgut band passing round a small pulley, upon the end of the axis of the main cylinder, G. The roller, N, is adapted to carry down a thin film of ink upon its circumference, by turning in contact with a mass of ink disposed upon a horizontal plate of metal, the edge of which plate is ground straight, and fixed by screws, r, r, at a small adjustable distance from the surface of the said roller. V represents an elastic composition roller, which is mounted upon a frame turning in an axis p, extending across the main frame of the machine. This roller is connected by cranked levers, with a small eccentric circle fixed upon the end of the axis of the cylinder G, (as seen in fig. 1,) which causes it to move round the axis, p, and remain for a short period in contact with the surface of the ink roller N, (as seen by the position at the left hand end of the ma chine, fig. 2,) thereby receiving a portion of ink upon its surface; it then descends and rests with its whole weight upon the surface of a flat metal plate or table, T, which is af. fixed to the type carriage, so that the reciprocating motion of the carriage causes the ink table T to receive ink upon its surface from the elastic roller V. In this situation, when the type carriage returns, the surface of the table T is obliged to pass under three small elastic rollers seen at R, which are mounted upon pivots in a frame, with liberty of motion up and down, in order that the rollers may bear with their weight upon the surface of the table.

The frame in which they are centered has also a slight end motion given to it, by the inclined form of the end of the table T bearing against a roller fixed upon the said frame. Thus the small composition roller operates in a very complete manner to equalize the supply of ink over the surface of the table T, and by the farther motion of the type car. riage, the ink table is caused to pass under The mechanism for furnishing and distri. four small elastic rollers (seen at S), which buting the ink upon the surfaces of the types in like manner bear with their weight upon in this machine, is very ingeniously arranged, the surface of the table (but without end moand performs its operations with great cer. tion), and thereby take up the ink upon their tainty. It is one of the most important circumferences. The type carriage then re