NAUSCOPY, the art of discovering the approach of ships or the neighbourhood of land at a considerable distance. This pretended art was discovered by M. Bottineau, employed in the king and company's service in the island of France, from the year 1782 to 1784; the account of it is as follows:
"This knowledge is not derived either from the undulation of the waves, or from the subtlety of sight, or from any particular sensation; but merely from observation of the horizon, which discovers signs indicating the proximity of ships or of land.
"On the approximation of a ship toward the land, or towards another ship, there appears in the atmosphere a meteor of a particular nature, visible to every one without any painful attention. It is not by any kind of accident that this meteor appears under these circumstances; on the contrary, it is the necessary result of the approximation of one vessel towards another, or towards the land. The existence of the meteor, and the knowledge of its different modifications, are what constitute the certainty and the precision of my informations.
"If I am asked, how it is possible that the approach of a ship towards land should give birth to any meteor whatsoever in the atmosphere, and what connexion there can be between two objects at such a distance from each other? I reply, that I am not obliged to give an account of the how and the wherefores: that it is sufficient for me to have discovered the fact, without being obliged to account for its principle."
The writer concludes, by desiring to be called on for experimental proofs, and by promising in future a complete treatise of Nauscop, with maps, plates, &c.
Nausea
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Naworth
Castle.
This complete treatise, as far as we know, has not yet been published, nor do we expect ever to see such a treatise on the subject as will satisfy the minds of those who are persuaded that every effect must have an adequate cause. The whole seems to be the work of fancy.