one moment relates. in his natural voice, a plain narrative of Foosien's a Iventures. then speaks. in the harsh and angry tone of offended authority as His Holiness Hoosien addressed the men of Cufa who betrayed him, and next excites the sorrow of his hearers in the most bitter and heart-rending lamentations by sounds of feminine tenderness as soft as those uttered by the sister of Hoossien, when she consoled her beloved brother on his going to the field of battle. These indeed require considerable talent and great study. (g)

To return to the narrator in the pulpit. After finish. ing the Reewayet, he suddenly gets up from the pulpit, and striking into a mournful song, such as

"Grandson of the holy Prophet; and the son of the saint Alee; (was slain);"

and beating his breast, the whole congregation, including the chorus themselves, join him, the more enthusi

(g) Speaking of the Persian story-tellers, "Derish Suffer, of Shiraz," says Sir John Male Im in his history of Persia (vol. II, page 553 N)" is one of the best narrators of stories, as well as reciters of verses, that I have known in Persia. In 1800, when he was one day on the point of commencing a tale, two gentlemen rose to go away. On seeing him look disappointed, I observed to him, that the cause of their wishing to depart was owing to their inability to envoy his story, from being unacquainted with the lan guage in which it was to be told, I beg they will stay' he exchmed, and you shall see my power will reach them, in spite of their want of knowledge of Persian.' They remained, and the changes of his countenance, and the different tones in which he spoke, had the effect expected. They were delighted with the humorous part of his narrative, and moved by the pathetic."

astic of the assembly beating their breasts with violence, calling at every blow alternately upon the names of Hasun and Hoosien, to which blows they keep very good time with the voice; while others content themselves with the mere motion and repetition of the names. They do so for a length of time, and with the concluding prayers the assembly is dismissed.

It is to be observed, that a single narrator as has been already stated, undertakes the whole process before mentioned, if he is a man of parts. If not, different persons are allowed to officiate at different parts of the relation. Sometimes the assembly contents itself with a single part of the relation. This is for want of good and able narrators. The mournful history of Hoosien is composed by different authors in verse and prose. Therefore the verse and prose before inentioned are not of course the only compositions made use of during the anniversary.

Such are the ceremonies, observed by the Sheeahs alone. They are authorized to do so by their own laws. The Soonnees reject the doctrine in toto. They, however, admit, that good Mussulmans are to weep for the loss of Hoosien. This is founded on an alleged prophetic saying of the Prophet, that "one that weeps for the loss of Hoosien will undoubtedly go to Heaven." MADRAS, 7th November 1829.

II. On the best position of a prop or support to sustain a superincumbent Load on an inclined plane. By a Miner.

To the Editor of the Madras Journal of Science, &c. SIR,

The best position of a prop, or support, to sustain a superincumbent load on an Inclined Plane, (such as a descending mine gallery) is so different to what I my

self once conceived, and so foreign to the ideas of common reasoners, that I venture to hope the following solu tions will be acceptable to your widely scattered readers. That the props should not be upright,' or perpendicu lar to the horizon, is a startling assertion, and I have seldom met the man who did not at first consider the proposition altogether absurd and erroneous. I am not aware that these proofs are in print, and for the knowledge of them, I am indebted to a highly talented officer of Artillery on the Bombay establishment, Capt. Jacob. The first and simplest demonstration is by the Rev. G. Harker; the author of the latter we do not know; my own was founded on the former reasoning. With every good wish for the success of the Journal,' believe me,

Yours sincerely,

A MINER.

It is required to determine the best position for the supports of a gallery, on an inclined plane.

D
B

SOLUTION 1st. Let AB be the direction of the gal lery, AC perpendicular to the horizon, draw BC perpendicular to AB; BC is the best position for the prop or support.

For, by mechanics, the power exerted is to the weight sustained, as the perpendicular distances upon the di rections in which the forces act, inversely.

Hence P:W::BC: AC or Px AC=W x BC, and since AC and W are constant, P will be the greatest when BC is the least, that is when perpendicular to the line AB, the plane of descent.

For if not, let CD be the position of the prop, and because DBC is a right angle, BC is manifestly less than DC, (being the hypothenuse) and the same may be shown of any other direction whatever.

The construction may be as follows, upon AC describe the semicircle ABC cutting AB in B, join BC which is the position of the prop for the gallery on a de

scent or an ascent.

It is required to determine the position of a prop ED to support a body ACB that shall be least liable to break. (By the Rev. G. Harker.)

SOLUTION 2d.--Conceive the whole mass to be concentrated into the centre of gravity g, then since every body tends towards the Earth's centre, the whole weight is acting in direction g D. Let this be resolved into two GH perpendicular to A B and D H

=

Let s and c represent the sine and cosine of the angle QDM-BAM; and sine of angle AED; AF=a; AC b; u weight of the body; then cw force of the body in the direction g H; also let F denote the force sustaining the body at F in the direction of the prop DE; then by proposition of the lever AG; cu=F,x,AE; or bcw=aFx;

which will evidently be so, when x is a maximum or sine of 90°; therefore the prop DE must be placed at right angles to AB. Q. E. D.

III-Remarks on the method of estimating the distance at Sea, from objects of known height.—By C.

To the Editor of the Madras Journal of

SIR,

Literature and Science.

Allow me to trouble you with a few remarks on the method of estimating the distance at sea, from objects of known height.

It appears to be of some consequence that a sailor when approaching land, should be able to estimate his distance from objects with the height of which he may be acquainted, such as a Light House, buildings on high ground, or mountains.

This problem appears for some reason to have been neglected, for I am not aware of any remarks on the subject being published except by Lt. Raper, R. N. in the United Service Journal for 1829, vol. 2d; the formula he gives is this.

Distance in nautical miles = 90o

where