ADVANCED SERIES.

FOURTH BO O K.

EDITED BY

EDWARD HUGHES,

F.R.A.S., F.R.G.S.

ASSOCIATE OF THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS;

HEAD MASTER OF THE ROYAL NAVAL LOWER SCHOOL, GREENWICH HOSPITAL.

With Numerous Illustrations.

"No doubt the sovereignty of man lieth in knowledge; wherein
many things are reserved, which kings with their treasure cannot buy,
nor with their force command; their spials and intelligencers can
give no news of them, their seamen and discoverers cannot sail
where they grow."-BACON.

COPYRIGHT.

LONDON:

LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, LONGMANS, & ROBERTS.
EDINBURGH: A. & C. BLACK. DUBLIN: HODGES & SMITH.

1858.

The Editor reserves to himself the right of Translating this Work.

5000 /0/

13

LONDON: PRINTED BY W. CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET.

PREFACE.

As three Volumes of this series of Reading Lessons have been now, for some time, in the hands of teachers, families, and private students, and have received the most gratifying marks of approval, the Editor deems it unnecessary, in publishing the Fourth Book, to do more than assure his readers, that no care has been spared to make it, if possible, better than its predecessors.

The table of contents exhibits the very interesting nature of the subjects treated of in this Volume, and a glance at the pages will show the increased abundance of illustrations.

In the various departments of Natural Philosophy, Biography, Manufactures, and the Fine Arts, will be found a number of carefully-written articles, containing the most recent as well as most accurate information on the subjects of which they treat. In clearness of explanation, and general adaptation to the purposes of sound education, the closest attention has been paid to practical utility, both by the Editor and the gentlemen to whose labours he is so much indebted.

ROYAL NAVAL SCHOOLS,
GREENWICH HOSPITAL,
May, 1858.

E. H.