vicar and Major Snapwell less curious to learn the nature of the proposed exhibition.

Mr. Seymour having rung the bell, a servant entered with a black pint bottle, and sundry small glasses, duly arranged on a waiter." I now propose to supply each of my guests, from the same magical bottle, with a glass of any wine he may call for," said Mr. Seymour.

The vicar preferred port, and received it; the major required sherry, and his wish was gratified; Tom asked for some sweet wine, and he obtained it; and thus did Mr. Seymour proceed, successively filling five glasses, each with a different wine, from the same identical bottle.

"Bless my heart!" exclaimed the major; "I hope Mr. Seymour has not formed an unholy alliance with the Prince of Darkness; for it must be confessed he rivals the magic of Mephistopheles in the wine-vaults of Leipsig.* At all events, let us beware how we spill a drop, lest it should turn to flame and consume us."

"Be not alarmed, my good and pious friends; as soon as I shall have described the ingenious construction of my bottle, its mysterious influence will be explained, and I shall be restored to your good opinion."

"This bottle," said Mr. Seymour, "is made of tin-plate, so japanned as to resemble a common wine-bottle. In its interior there are five compartments, each terminating in a small tube in the neck, with an orifice on the outside. These air-holes, having a connection with the cavities within, act like the vent-peg of the barrel, to which I have lately alluded. When, therefore, they are covered by the fingers, it is evident that the liquid contents of the respective compartments cannot flow out of the bottle; but by raising each finger successively, we can command, at pleasure, the flow of any one of the liquids, in the manner you have witnessed."

Major Snapwell observed that he had frequently heard of this conjuring trick, as being one of the most surprising and successful efforts of M. Robin; whose wonderful art had

*Goethe's Fanst.

lately elicited such general approbation from the sightseers of London.

We must now conclude the philosophic amusements of this day. To-morrow we hope to enter upon the interesting subject of the KITE.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE KITE.-ITS CONSTRUCTION. THE TAIL.-AN AUTHOR'S MEDITATIONS AMONG THE CATACOMBS OF PATERNOSTER ROW.-WORKS IN THEIR WINDING-SHEETS.-HOW MR. SEYMOUR STRUNG PUNS AS HE STRUNG THE KITE'S TAIL. THE VICAR'S DISMAY.-MR. SEYMOUR'S APOLOGY.— KITES CONSTRUCTED IN VARIOUS SHAPES.-ORIGIN OF THE NAME.THE KITE OF CHINESE ORIGIN.-KITE-FLYING A NATIONAL PASTIME.THE FIGURE USUALLY ADOPTED TO BE PREFERRED. THE EOLIAN KITE.-REFLECTIONS OCCASIONED BY THE MUSICAL SOUNDS OF TELEGRAPHIC WIRES.

THE children were summoned into the library, and informed by their father that he was at leisure to explain the philosophy of the kite; a subject with which Tom had repeatedly expressed some impatience to become acquainted.

"It is a beautiful day," exclaimed the boy joyously; "and there is such a delightful breeze, that I should really call it a complete kite-day."

"Gently, my fine fellow," replied Mr. Seymour: "the bird must be fledged ere it can fly. We have not, as yet, any kite; for you know that the one you possess is shattered beyond the possibility of repair."

"True; but could not Robert just step into the village and buy one? I saw several kites in the shop of Peg Robson yesterday."

"I do not doubt it, my boy; but the kites which are to be

found in the toyshop are made to sell, rather than to fly; we must, therefore, construct one for ourselves; and see! I have accordingly prepared all the necessary materials for the purpose. I have here, as you perceive, a straight lath of deal, about three-quarters of an inch wide, and less than a quarter of an inch thick, and about four feet in length; this is quite ready for forming the standard, or back-bone of the kite: and now for the bow. The cooper has complied with my directions, and sent an unbent hoop as free as possible from knots; you observe that it is about the same length as the lath, but it will be necessary to pare it down a little at each end, in order to make it bend more readily to the required shape."

This having been accomplished, Mr. Seymour proceeded to form the framework of the kite in the following manner. He first ascertained the central point of the bow, by balancing it on his fore-finger; he then affixed that point, by means of string, to the lath at c, about an inch and a half from its upper extremity; a notch was next cut in each end of the hoop, or bow, a d; having fixed the string in the notch, a, he drew it through another, e, previously cut in the bottom of the lath, and carried it to the opposite end of the bow d; the skeleton now presented the usual form of the kite. The next point, therefore, was to ascertain whether the two sides of the bow were in equilibrio, which he determined by balancing the lath on the finger, and observing whether it

remained horizontal, or dipped on either side. This adjustment having been accomplished, Mr. Seymour next continued the string from d across the skeleton to the opposite notch a, giving it one turn round the lath in its way; from a it was carried to f, and wound round the top of the lath, and then again fastened at d; from d it was extended rather more than midway down the lath, and having been secured at b,

was finally carried to, and secured in the notch a. The framework was now pronounced by Mr. Seymour to be complete.*

The next part of the process was to cover it with paper. Mr. Seymour observed, that the best kind which could be employed for this purpose was that known among stationers by the name of fan-paper, so called from its being manufactured for the use of the fan-maker; its merits, he said, depended upon the size of its sheets, as well as upon the thinness and firmness of its texture: this, however, was not at hand; he was therefore obliged to rest satisfied with its best substitute, viz., folio sheets of large thin post.

The party now went "ding-dong" to work; paper, paste, and scissors were immediately put in requisition. Sheets of paper were laid smooth on the table, and so arranged that each sheet overlapped its neighbour about half an inch. The skeleton of the kite was then placed upon them, and the paper was cut to its figure; a margin, of about three-quarters of an inch, having been left around it, except over the bow, where the margin was extended to an inch in width: this arrangement was for the purpose of allowing the paper to turn over the framework, when pasted to it. This part of the work having been completed, and a sufficient time allowed for the drying of the paste, Mr. Seymour proceeded to fix the string, usually termed the belly-band for this purpose two holes were drilled through the lath, at equal distances from its edges; the upper one about a fifth part of the length of the kite from the top, the lower hole rather more than the same distance above its extremity.

The last, and by far the most important point, was to make the loop in the belly-band. If the kite be accurately

The author has been thus minute, in order to afford his young friends clear directions for constructing a kite, and which, as far as he knows, are not to be found in any work hitherto published; and he will also avail himself of this opportunity to state, that the thin glazed linen of various colours, commonly known to haberdashers by the name of lining, has been found to be the best material as a covering for the kite. It is not only more durable than paper, defying the most boisterous wind, but superior to it as being secure from the effects of a shower of rain.