Page:Notes and Queries - Series 12 - Volume 9.djvu/480

394 NOTES AND QUERIES. [i 2 s.ix.Nov.i2,i92i. AMERICAN HUMORISTS : CAPTAIN G. H. DERBY (12 S. ix. 353). X. T. R's inquiry probably has reference to George Horatio Derby, who was born at Deiham, Mass., in April, 1823, and died at New York in 1861. Possibly an edition of one or more of his books may have been published after his death. He wrote under the pseudonym of " John Phoenix." He may well have been a class- mate of McClellan's, who was born in 1826. He was an American soldier and humorist, and a graduate of West Point. He served in the Mexican War, after which he occupied various positions in the Topographical Bureau at Washington, finally becoming a Captain of Engineers and having charge of lighthouse construction on the southern coasts. He was the author of ' Phoenixiana ' (1855) and 'The Squibob Papers' (1859). He would have been a contemporary of Artemus Ward though eleven years his senior. WlLLOUGHBY MAYCOCK. George Horatio Derby, the American humorist, who wrote under the pseudonym of " John Phoenix," was born at Dedham, Mass, April 3, 1823, and died at New York, May 15, 1861. He graduated at West Point in 1846, and served in the Mexican War. He was on the staff of the General Com- manding the Department of the Pacific from 1854-1856, and did other engineering service, in the course of which he suffered the sun- stroke that caused his death. He has a dis- tinct place amongst American humorists, for " Phoenixiana " (1855) and "The Squibob Papers" (1859), chiefly burlesque sketches of his official experiences, are important as introducing the rough but amusing humour of the Pacific coast into American literature. Among his best squibs may be mentioned his ' Musical Review Extraordinary ' and his ' New System of English Grammar.' ARCHIBALD SPARKE. CARDINAL VAUGHAN AND WALES (12 S. ix. 354). Assuredly. See Burke's ' Landed Gentry,' under Vaughan of Courtfield, near Ross, Co. Hereford, editions 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. A. R. BAYLEY. A pedigree of Vaughan of Courtfield, Go. Hereford, Ruardean, Co. Gloucester, and Welsh Bicknor, Co. Monmouth, is to be found in Burke's ' Landed Gentry.' The first ancestor named is Thomas ap Gwillim of Perthyr, fourth son of William ap Jenkin, alias Herbert, Lord of Gwarin- dee. HARMATOPEGOS. EPIGRAM ON THE WALCHEREN EXPEDI- TION (12 S. ix. 355). Your reply to my query has at last put me on the right track. I found that the most useful hint was that given by your correspondent JAYDEE in 1870, asking " some reader of ' N. & Q.' who has access to a complete set of The- Morning Chronicle to try and find the lines out, and tell us how they actually stand there." I have just taken this hint and; found them in the first volume of The Chro- nicle for 1810, as follows : The Morning Chronicle. London. Monday, Feb. 26, 1810. Page 3. Foot of column 5. The Mirror of Fashion. Abstract and Brief Chronicle of the Documents and Evidence concerning the Expedition to the Scheldt. Lord Chatham with his sword undrawn, Kept waiting for Sir Richard Strachan : Sir Richard, eager to be at 'em, Kept waiting too for whom ? Lord Chatham t So it is evident that Lord Palmerston was quoting from memory and should have- written " yesterday " instead of " the other day," and that all the versions given by Lord Palmerston and your correspondents,, myself included, were incorrect. Have I now given this old controversy its quietus I EVAN W. H. FYERS, Major. MEYER MENSON (12 S. ix. 273). No men- tion is made of this person in the ' Jewish Encyclopedia.' It is doubtful if there ever was a Chief Rabbi in Chicago, as the syna- gogues in American cities are not under such j discipline. It appears from the data in the query that Menson was an apostate. It is possible that his name had been omitted from the ' J.E.' on this account. HENRY LEFFMANN. Philadelphia. THE SEA-SERPENT (12 S. ix. 210, 274 r 319). Your correspondents may be in- terested to hear of a recent hypothesis, according to which the legend concerning this monster should be connected with t}.os& about the world- serpent and the " Midgards- ormen " of the ancient Greeks and Scandi- navians, as well as to Ibsen's celebrated Boyg, Peer Gynt's mysterious ubiquitous- antagonist. It will be found worked out in a paper, " Boigens oprindelse," in the Danish periodical Danske Studier (1916,. pp. 168-188). H. LOGEMAN University of Ghent, Belgium.