31st at 3h. morning; he has now receded far enough from the sun to render the eclipses of his nearest moon visible; the first immersion will take place on the 3rd at 6 h. 39 m. 4 s. morning; the next on the 19th at 4 h. 54 m. 42 s. morning, and the last on the 26th at 6 h. 48 m. 14 s. morning, those being the only ones that happen during the month.
Saturn who commenced retrograding on the 2nd, last month, in 20 deg. 18m. of Cancer, will on the 31st have reached 17 deg. 26 m. of the same sign, and will be found a few degrees below the star Pollux in the constellation Gemini, rising on the 1st at 6h. 49m., and on the 31st at 4 h. 27 m. evening.
Herschel culminates on the 1st at 3 h. 23m., and on the 31st at 1 h. 17 m.
Fomalhaut in Pisces, a star of the first magnitude, and very much resembling the planet Saturn, (except that its light is not so steady,) will be observed only a few degrees above the horizon in the south west, coming to the meridian at 6 h. 19 m. evening; Markal in the wing of Pegasus, the flying horse at 6 h. 26 m. Alpheratz and Mirach, the former in the head, and the latter in the girdle, of Andromeda at 7 h. 31 m. and 8 h. 31 m. Menkar in the jaw of Cetus the whale at 10 h. 24 m.; the four preceding are of the second magnitude. The Pleiades south at 11 h. 8m., and Aldebaran in Taurus, generally called the Bull's Eye, a brilliant star of the first magnitude at 11 h. 56 m.; the upper or northern portion of the constellation Orion at 12-1/2 h., and the lower or southern part at 1 h. morning.
These remarks cannot be better concluded, than by calling the attention of the readers of the MIRROR to the unerring regularity of the motion of the heavenly bodies. Though their magnitude is so immense, the certainty and correctness of their movements during thousands of years, is far more exact than that of the best chronometer ever made, even during a single year: how great, then, must be the ignorance of him who does not behold in them the Almighty ruler of all things; and how great the folly of him, who says in his heart, and evinces by his conduct that he believes there is no God. And let him who denies what he cannot comprehend, be addressed in the impressive language of holy writ, "Canst thou bind the sweet influences of the Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his Sons?" 14th November, 1827. PASCHE.
COLD WINTER IS COMING
Cold Winter is coming—take care of your toes—
Gay Zephyr has folded his fan;
His lances are couch'd in the ice-wind that blows,
So mail up as warm as you can.
Cold Winter is coming—he's ready to start
From his home on the mountains afar;
He is shrunken and pale—he looks froze to the heart,
And snow-wreaths embellish his car.
Cold Winter is coming—Hark! did ye not hear
The blast which his herald has blown?
The children of Nature all trembled in fear,
For to them is his power made known.
Cold Winter is coming—there breathes not a flower,
Though sometimes the day may pass fair!
The soft lute is removed from the lady's lorn bower,
Lest it coldly be touched by the air.
Cold Winter is coming—all stript are the groves,
The passage-bird hastens away;
To the lovely blue South, like the tourist, he roves,
And returns like the sunshine in May.
Cold Winter is coming—he'll breathe on the stream—
And the bane of his petrific breath
Will seal up the waters; till, in the moon-beam.
They lie stirless, as slumber or death!
Cold Winter is coming, and soon shall we see
On the panes, by that genius Jack Frost,
Fine drawings of mountain, stream, tower, an tree—
Framed and glazed too, without any cost.
Cold Winter is coming–ye delicate fair,
Take care when your hyson you sip;—
Drink it quick, and don't talk, lest he come unaware,
And turn it to ice on your lip.
Cold Winter is coming—I charge you again—
Muffle warm—of the tyrant beware—
He's so brave, that to strike the young hero he's fain—
He's so told he'll not favour the fair.
Cold Winter is coming—I've said so before—
It seems I've not much else to say;
Yes, Winter is coming, and God help the poor!
I wish it was going away,
Nov 5th 1827. C. COLE.
NAUTICAL PHRASES
Sir,—The annexed Definition of Nautical, Names, &c. will not, I dare say, to most of your readers, be uninteresting. G.W.N.
The Starboard is the right side of the ship, as the lar-board is the left.
The Parrel is a movable band-rope, used to fasten the yard to its respective mast.
Backstays are long ropes, reaching from the right and left sides of the vessel to the mast heads.
Travellers are slight iron rings, encircling the backstays, and are used for hoisting the top-gallant yards, and confining them to the backstays.
Rolling-tackle is a number of pulleys, engaged to confine the yard to the weather side of the mast; this tackle is much used in a rough sea.
Booms are masts or yards, lying on board in reserve.
The Courses are the mainsail, foresail, and the mizen.
The Staysail is of a triangular form, running upon the fore-topmast-stay, just above the bowsprit.
Reef-tackles are ropes employed in the operation of reefing. &c.
Clue-lines are used to truss up the clues, or to lower the corners of the largest sails.
The Brake is the handle of the pump, by which it is worked.
Bowlines are ropes for keeping the windward edge of the sail steady.
The Wells are places in the ship's hold for the pumps, &c.
Earings are small lines, by which the uppermost corners of the largest sails are secured to the yard-arms.
Reefs are spaces by which the principal sails are reduced when the wind is too high, and enlarged again when its force abates.
Topsails are long and square, of the second degree in magnitude in all great ships.
Haliards are single ropes, by which the sails are hoisted up and lowered at pleasure.
Tally is the operation of hauling aft the sheets, or drawing them in the direction of the ship's stern.
Towing
