Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 10.djvu/428

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NOTES AND QUERIES. 10 s. x. OCT. 31, im

" PLANE SAILING " on " PLAIN SAILING " (10 S. x. 270, 316). As a technical expres- sion " plane sailing " is correct, since it is the name given to those formulae of naviga- tion which can be established by the use of plane trigonometry alone, as distinct from those requiring spherical trigonometry. Similarly a " plane " chart, or plan, is a representation of so small a portion of the earth's surface that it is considered as plane, and not spherical, without appreciable error.

" Plain sailing " is a descriptive expres- sion, implying a fair wind and no difficulties or dangers in the way of a straight course.

By " a soldier's wind " is usually under- stood a wind so near the beam that it will be a fair wind both going and returning.

FREDERICK BALL. Storehouse, Plymouth.

" DISDAUNTED " (10 S. x. 328). An examination of the Fairborne monument in a strong light shows a fact which before escaped my notice. The sculptor in his first sketch (cut in very shallow letters) carved not " dis," but " un." In cutting the letters to the required depth he changed " un " into " dis." The inference seems to be that Dryden saw the stone and directed the alteration. He was perhaps tempted by the alliterative

Fairborne's disdaunted soul did undergo.

JOHN SARGEAUNT.

" AS THE FARMER SOWS HIS SEED " (10 S. X. 169, 217, 273). It is interesting to learn through Mr. NORCROSS that the English- speaking children in New York play the same games as they do here, using the same words and with similar action. Possibly the first English family in America took the game with them. Children are not particular as to their rimes, and can make almost any- thing fit. As for any of the old games being obsolete, one has only to listen at the school- yards at playtime, or take a turn in the back streets, to prove that this is not the case, though newer games have to some extent pushed aside the old. In the same yard you may hear old and new games going on together. THOS. RATCLIFFE.

Worksop.

NETMAKER'S CIRCULAR : ARTIFICIAL EYES (10 S. x. 207). "The Raven," near Wine Office Court, concerning which P. M. inquires, occurs among Mr. Hilton Price's ' List of Old Fleet Street Signs ' (Archcelog. Journ., Dec., 1895) as the sign of George Feme, seedsman and netmaker. He dwelt at " the original seed and net warehouse "

f rom 1756 to 1764. But before this, in 1734, one Thomas Gamble lived at " The Black Raven,"

"a seed shop, over against Water Lane, the only Operator in Artificial Eyes, and the only survivor of the famous Mr. James Smith, deceased, to whom

he communicated that secret All Gentlemen,

Ladies, and others may be furnished with all Sorts of Artificial Eyes, exactly like the natural; they having the Motion, Bigness, and Colour exact to the truly natural : He hath made them for several Persons so nicely that they have worn them many

years his artificial Eyes have been sent for to

most parts of Europe by Persons of the best Quality

and whereas he hath received Advice out of the

Country that several Persons would use them, but they are told that the Remaining Part of their Ball must be taken out first : This is to satisfy them to the contrary, for if they have any Ball left, they may wear it without any Trouble at all : He like- wise maketh all Sorts of Eyes for Wax- Work, either large or small Figures." $. James's Evening Post, 11 June, 1734.

It may be noted that an interesting account (the first and only illustrated one ever pub- lished) of the manufacture of artificial eyes occurs in Pearson's Magazine for February,

1897. J. HOLDEN MACMlCHAEL.

SIR ALEXANDER BRETT (10 S. x. 289). The late Rev. Frederick Brown of Becken- ham took a great interest in the family of Brett, and I have a pamphlet that he gave me on the branch settled at White Staunton, co. Som., in which the Christian name Alexander appears several times, but not the one SENEX inquires about. Mr. Brown's collections are in the British Museum Add. MS. 33412, and it is quite possible the information desired would be found therein. His collection of Somerset wills was given to the Somerset Archaeological Society at Taunton Castle, but it is unfor- tunately unindexed. E. A. FRY. 124, Chancery Lane.

REGIMENTAL MARCHES (10 S. x. 167, 312). I notice that SURGEON-GENERAL MUIR in his list of regimental tunes omits my regi- ment, the 10th, who always marched past to the tune of ' The Lincolnshire Poachers.' The tune has words, and they could be easily sung on a route march.

Can any one tell me to what tune the 89th march past ? I have quite forgotten it, though, as I was an ensign in that regiment during the Mutiny, I should like to recall it. O. H. STRONG, Hon. Lieut. -Col.

In connexion with SURGEON-GENERAL Mum's brief note that the march of the Essex Regiment is an " air named after the regi- ment," I should like to record that the 2nd Battalion, formerly the 56th Regiment