Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 12.djvu/91

 us. xii. JULY si, 1913.), NOTES AND QUERIES.

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him over some boundary or other where tolls and baggage dues had to be paid. Edward Browne writes from Rome that he was afraid to buy much there because he would be searched so often before he came to Venice. a At Florence even a man's clothes were taxed if they had not been worn. b There were several ways of evading the Customs. One was to send a companion on ahead who was a " practicus " to tackle the Customs officers outside the town. He was to say that he was waiting for a company of students who were wearied with travelling, and was presently to place a piece of money into the Customs officer's hand and speak somewhat boldly to him, and the company would then be allowed to pass. c Indeed, " bestow to drink " seems to have been a golden rule in Italy. If this was done sufficiently liberally, and the traveller could persuade the authorities that he was a student, the Customs, and, indeed, any travelling difficulties, were not hard to overcome.

There has been a good deal about Ed. Browne in these notes, and it may be in- teresting to remark that on his way home in 1669, after a lengthy tour on the Continent, he paid a flying visit to Heligoland, then a dependency of the Duchy of Holstein/ 1 He describes it as a small island having some 2,000 inhabitants, with a fleet of six or seven fishing vessels, and subsisting mainly on its lobster trade with England. Germany as a whole impressed him very favourably. He found the people martial, and averse from a trading course of life. The country he describes as a great hive of men, fruitful and full of children, and not exhausted by sea, colonies sent forth, or by peopling American countries. German ideals have changed in 250 years. If Edward Browne could renew his travels and revisit the places he describes, one might apply to him his own quotation from a learned author " long since," that if

"Ariovistus, Civilis, and those old famous men ot Germany should revive in their Country again, -and look up to Heaven, beholding the Constella- tions of the Bears and other Stars, they might probably acknowledge that these were the same ^Stars which they were wont to behold ; but if they should look downward and well view the face of ill things, they would imagine themselves to be in a new World, and never acknowledge this to have oeen their Country."

MALCOLM LETTS.

a Letter, Sir Thomas Browne's ' Works '

b Reresby, 'Travels ' (1904), 81. c 'Harl. Miso.,' v. 13.

'Travels' (1687), 177. e Id., 17i>.

THE TARTANS OF THE SCOTS TBEWSED REGIMENTS. No book I have seen details the tartans used by those Scots regiments which wear trews. Even the official ' Dress Regulations for the Officers of the Army ' simply speaks of " tartan of the authorized pattern." So there was nothing for it but to write round to all the regiments concerned. I think readers may like to have the facts at a glance :

Regiment Faciny* Tartan Headgear

Cameronians Green Douglas Chako

H.L.I. Buff Mackenzie Chako

K.O.S.B. Blue Leslie Kilmarnock

Royal Scots Blue { Hun g^ fc } Kilmarnock

Royal Scots 1 Blue Sutherland Busby

Fusiliers j

The officers of the Scots Fusiliers wear what is known as the Royal Scots Fusiliers tartan. A double-page three-colour plate, showing officers of all the Scots regiments, drawn by- Frank Dadd, R.I., appeared in The Graphic of 18 June, 1910. J. M. BULLOCH.

123, Pall Mall, S.W.

TRAFALGAR BRIDGE. Readers of N. & Q.' may possibly remember that inquiries have bsen made from time to time as to the origin of the belief that London Bridge was at one time named, or proposed to be named, Trafalgar Bridge. At 9 S. i. 188 MR. C. E. CLARK claimed to have knowledge that this renaming actually took place, but he pro- duced no evidence at the time to support his statement, and the query has remained hitherto unanswered. In the absence of any more definite information, the following extract from the catalogue of the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1817 may be of some interest, and may possibly supply an answer to the question :

MODEL GALLERY.

1010. Design for the iron intended East London or Bridge of Trafalgar from St. Paul's, Shadwell, Middlesex, over the River Thames, to St. Mary, Rotherhithe, "Surry," of sufficient altitude tor shipping to sail beneath. Designed on the principles of tenacity or tension ; the three apertures over the river to be 320 feet chord each, the incline of plane on each shore 1,200 feet; the various niches of the bridge meant for the reception of bronze statues ot those naval heroes who have most distinguished themselves in the service of their country, and in the ''pannels" beneath them, metal bas reliefs of our principal naval engagements.

R. DODD.

In 1820 Ralph Dodd was advocating the building of a new London Bridge of iron on his " principles of tenacity." Like the idea of 1817, the scheme fell through, but it is possible that the name " Trafalgar Bridge '" was remembered by the public long after