



Produced by Chris Curnow, Christian Boissonnas and the
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  TEN THOUSAND
  WONDERFUL THINGS

  COMPRISING

  WHATEVER IS MARVELLOUS AND RARE, CURIOUS
  ECCENTRIC AND EXTRAORDINARY

  IN ALL AGES AND NATIONS

  ENRICHED WITH

  _HUNDREDS OF AUTHENTIC ILLUSTRATIONS_

  EDITED BY

  EDMUND FILLINGHAM KING, M.A.

  LONDON
  GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS, LIMITED

  BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL
  MANCHESTER AND NEW YORK

  1894




STANDARD WORKS OF REFERENCE.

_UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME._


LEMPRIERE'S CLASSICAL DICTIONARY.

WALKER'S RHYMING DICTIONARY.

MACKAY'S THOUSAND AND ONE GEMS OF ENGLISH POETRY.

D'ISRAELI'S CURIOSITIES OF LITERATURE.

BARTLETT'S FAMILIAR QUOTATIONS.

CRUDEN'S CONCORDANCE TO THE BIBLE.

THE FAMILY DOCTOR.




PREFACE.


A BOOK OF WONDERS requires but a brief introduction. Our title-page
tells its own tale and forms the best exposition of the contents of the
volume.

Everything that is marvellous carries with it much that is instructive,
and, in this sense, "Ten Thousand Wonderful Things," may be made useful
for the highest educational purposes. Events which happen in the
regular course have no claim to a place in any work that professes to
be a register of what is uncommon; and were we to select such Wonders
only as are capable of familiar demonstration, we should destroy their
right to be deemed wondrous, and, at the same time, defeat the very
object which we profess to have in view. A marvel once explained away
ceases to be a marvel. For this reason, while rejecting everything that
is obviously fictitious and untrue, we have not hesitated to insert
many incidents which appear at first sight to be wholly incredible.

In the present work, interesting Scenes from Nature, Curiosities
of Art, Costume and Customs of a bygone period rather predominate;
but we have devoted many of its pages to descriptions of remarkable
Occurrences, beautiful Landscapes, stupendous Water-falls, and sublime
Sea-pieces. It is true that some of our illustrations may not be
beautiful according to the sense in which the word is generally used;
but they are all the more curious and characteristic, as well as
truthful, on that account; for whatever is lost of beauty, is gained by
accuracy. What is odd or quaint, strange or startling, rarely possesses
much claim to the picturesque and refined. Scrape the rust off an
antique coin, and, while you make it look more shining, you invariably
render it worthless in the eyes of a collector. To polish up a fact
which derives its value either from the strangeness of its nature, or
from the quaintness of its narration, is like the obliterating process
of scrubbing up a painting by one of the old masters. It looks all the
cleaner for the operation, but, the chances are, it is spoilt as a work
of art.

We trust it is needless to say that we have closed our pages against
everything that can be considered objectionable in its tendency; and,
while every statement in this volume has been culled with conscientious
care from authentic, although not generally accessible, sources, we
have scrupulously rejected every line that could give offence, and
endeavoured, in accordance with what we profess in our title-page, to
amuse by the eccentric, to startle by the unexpected, and to astonish
by the marvellous.




INDEX TO ENGRAVINGS


                                                              PAGE

  ABYSSINIAN ARMS,                                             509

  ---- LADIES,                                                 492

  ---- ORNAMENTS OF,                                           493

  ---- LADY TATTOOED,                                          496

  ALTAR-PIECE OF SAN MINIATO,                                  601

  AMULET WORN BY EGYPTIAN FEMALES,                             452

  AMULET BROTCHE,                                              332

  ANCIENT METHOD OF KEEPING A WASHING ACCOUNT,                   3

  ---- NUT-CRACKERS,                                           236

  ---- SNUFF-BOXES,                                            210

  ANGLO-SAXONS, SEPULCHRAL BARROW OF THE,                       27

  APTERYX, THE, OR WINGLESS BIRD,                              308

  ARCH, A BEAUTIFUL, IN CANNISTOWN CHURCH,                     433

  ---- OF TRAJAN AT BENEVENTUM,                                445

  ARCHITECTURE FOR EARTHQUAKES,                                324

  ARMLET, AN ANCIENT,                                          425

  ARMOUR, ANCIENT, CURIOUS PIECE OF,                           341

  ASH, THE SHREW,                                              397

  AZTEC CHILDREN, THE,                                          37


  BAGPIPES,                                                    505

  BANDOLIERS,                                                  560

  BANNERS AND STANDARDS, ANCIENT,                         584, 585

  BASTILLE, STORMING OF THE,                                   195

  BEAU BRUMMELL (A), OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY,                61

  BECTIVE ABBEY,                                               392

  BEDESMEN IN THE TIME OF HENRY VII,                           593

  BELLOWS, A PRIMITIVE PAIR OF,                                637

  BELL SHRINE, AN ANCIENT,                                     348

  ---- OF SAINT MURA,                                          412

  BIBLE USED BY CHARLES I. ON THE SCAFFOLD,                    271

  BILLY IN THE SALT BOX,                                       181

  BLACKFRIARS, PARIS GARDEN AT,                                465

  BLIND GRANNY,                                                 70

  ---- JACK,                                                    23

  BOAT, A BURMESE,                                             668

  BOOK-SHAPED WATCH,                                           328

  BRACELET, A MAGICIAN'S,                                      345

  BRAMA, THE HINDOO DEITY,                                     556

  BRANK, THE,                                                    2

  BRASS MEDAL OF OUR SAVIOUR,                                  241

  BRITANNIA TUBULAR BRIDGE,                                    173

  BROOCH, ANCIENT SCANDINAVIAN,                                401

  BRICKS OF BABYLON,                                           613

  BRIDGE OVER THE THAMES, THE FIRST,                           428

  ---- A CHINESE,                                              440

  ---- CROMWELL'S, AT GLENGARIFF,                              648

  BUCKINGER, MATTHEW,                                           53

  BUCKLER OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY, WITH PISTOL INSERTED,       30

  BUNYAN'S (JOHN) TOMB,                                        157

  BURMESE PRIEST PREACHING,                                    266

  BUST, AN ANCIENT ETRURIAN,                                   677


  CAMDEN CUP, THE,                                             250

  CANDLESTICK, A REMARKABLE, IN FAYENCE,                       592

  ---- OF MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS,                                436

  CARFAX CONDUIT,                                              333

  CARRIAGE, A TURKISH,                                         656

  CASCADE DES PELERINES,                                       135

  CATACOMBS AT ROME,                                            87

  CAVE, PORT <DW53>,                                             516

  ---- THE TIGER, AT CUTTACK,                                  361

  CHAIR BROUGHT OVER TO AMERICA BY THE PILGRIM FATHERS,        186

  ---- DAGOBERT'S, ANCIENT,                                    421

  ---- HENRY VIII.'S,                                          488

  ---- THE DUCHESS OF LAUDERDALE'S,                            401

  CHAPTER-HOUSE, A, IN THE TIME OF HENRY VII.,                 600

  CHARLEMAGNE, CROWN OF,                                       377

  CHIEFTAIN, ANCIENT SCOTTISH,                                 500

  CHINESE METHOD OF FISHING,                                   316

  ---- PUNISHMENT OF THE KANG, OR WOODEN COLLAR,               134

  CHRISTMAS, PROCLAIMING THE NON-OBSERVANCE OF,                 19

  CISTERN OF MAJOLICA WARE,                                    597

  COFFEE POT, IN STONEWARE, A CURIOUS,                         649

  COIN, THE FIRST, WITH BRITANNIA ON IT,                       468

  COLLARS, ANCIENT STONE,                                      665

  COLUMN AT CUSSI,                                             533

  COMB, A CURIOUS INDIAN,                                      657

  CORAL REEFS,                                                  74

  CORPSE BEARER DURING THE PLAGUE,                             284

  COSTUMES, ANCIENT,       18, 71, 78, 86, 212, 213, 220, 296, 297

  ---- GERMAN, OF THE 16TH CENTURY,                            548

  COSTUME, FOREIGN, IN 1492,                                   543

  ---- OF A GERMAN NOBLE,                                      536

  COUTEAU-DE-CHASSE,                                           633

  CRADLE OF MOSS,                                              325

  ---- HENRY V.,                                               416

  CROSBY, SIR JOHN, HELMET OF,                                 520

  CROSS OF CONG,                                               457

  ---- MUIREDACH,                                              369

  CUCKING STOOL,                                                 1

  CUPID OF THE HINDOOS, THE,                                   552

  CURFEW BELL, THE,                                             33

  CURIOUS FIGURES ON A SMALL SHRINE,                           203


  DAGGER OF RAOUL DE COURCY,                                   263

  ---- AN ANCIENT,                                             673

  DAGOBERT, ANCIENT CHAIR OF,                                  421

  DANCING NATIVES OF NEW SOUTH WALES,                          225

  DARNEY (JENNY), A HARMLESS ECCENTRIC OF THE YEAR 1790,       187

  DERVISHES DANCING,                                           669

  DIAL AND FOUNTAIN IN LEADENHALL STREET,                      553

  DINNER PARTY IN THE 17TH CENTURY,                            609

  ---- TABLE, AN EGYPTIAN,                                     537

  DIOGENES IN A PITHOS--NOT TUB,                               524

  DOG-WHEEL, THE OLD,                                          101

  DRINKING CUP, A CURIOUSLY SHAPED,                            413

  ---- EARLY GERMAN,                                           460

  ---- VESSEL, A DECORATIVE,                                   336

  ---- GLASS, ANCIENT,                                         153

  DROPPING WELL OF KNARESBOROUGH,                              143

  DRUID'S SEAT, THE,                                           464

  DUCK-BILLED PLATYPUS, OR ORNITHORYNCHUS PARADOXUS,           273

  DYAK WITH HEADS, SKULL HOUSE, AND HOUSE OF SEA DYAKS,   276, 277

  ---- WAR BOAT IN BORNEO,                                     540

  DYAKS OF BORNEO, WAR DANCE OF THE,                           541


  EAST INDIA HOUSE, THE FIRST,                                 206

  EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE,                                        109

  EGYPTIAN TOYS IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM,                         130

  EMBROIDERED GLOVE, PRESENTED BY MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTLAND,
    TO AN ATTENDANT ON THE MORNING OF HER EXECUTION,           263

  EXTRAORDINARY CATARACT,                                      224

  ---- SITUATION FOR A TREE,                                   313

  ---- TREE,                                                   183


  FASHIONABLE DISFIGUREMENT OF THE TIME OF CHARLES I.,         213

  FAWKES HALL, OLD MANOR HOUSE OF,                             380

  FETE OF THE FEDERATION OF THE NATIONAL GUARDS OF
    FRANCE, 1790,                                              289

  FIGG (JAMES), THE CHAMPION PRIZE-FIGHTER OF 1733,            113

  FISH, SHOOTING,                                              432

  FISHERMAN, BULGARIAN,                                        497

  FLOATING CITY OF BANKOK,                                     309

  FONT AT KILCARN, THE,                                        417

  FRENCH ASSIGNATS, FAC-SIMILE OF THE FORMS IN WHICH THEY
        WERE ISSUED TO THE PUBLIC,                             254

  FULLERTON'S (COLONEL) DEVICE FOR PASSING A MOUNTAIN TORRENT, 194

  FUNEREAL JAR,                                                481


  GARDEN, EGYPTIAN,                                            349

  GARRICK'S CUP,                                               232

  GATE, THE, ON OLD LONDON BRIDGE,                             561

  GAUNTLET OF HENRY, PRINCE OF WALES,                          661

  GIANT TREE,                                                  229

  GLAIVE, A,                                                   504

  GRACE KNIVES,                                                641

  GRAVES OF THE STONE PERIOD,                                  364

  GREAT WALL OF CHINA,                                         233

  GREY MAN'S PATH, THE,                                        528

  GUN, A CELEBRATED,                                           568

  GUY, THOMAS, PORTRAIT OF,                                    605


  HACKNEY COACHMAN OF THE TIME OF CHARLES II.,                 258

  HACKNEY COACH, THE EARLIEST,                                 211

  HEAD-BREAKER, A,                                             665

  ---- ORNAMENT, ANTIQUE,                                      393

  HEART OF LORD EDWARD BRUCE AND CASE,                    246, 247

  HELMET, AN EARLY ENGLISH,                                    632

  HELMET OF SIR JOHN CROSBY,                                   520

  HENRY V., CRADLE OF,                                         516

  ---- VII., BEDESMEN IN THE TIME OF,                          393

  ---- VIII., CHAIR OF,                                        488

  ---- I. (KING) DREAM OF,                                      26

  ---- VIII.'S WALKING STICK,                                   30

  HINDOO ADORATION OF THE SALAGRAM,                            588

  HOLY-WATER SPRINKLER,                                        532

  HOOPS, LADIES', IN 1740,                                       6

  HUDSON, JEFFERY, THE DWARF OF THE COURT OF CHARLES I.,       472


  IMPLEMENTS USED IN BUDDHIST TEMPLES,                         621

  INCENSE CHARIOT, AN ANCIENT,                                 513

  INSTRUMENTS OF TORTURE:--THE EXECUTIONER'S AXE; THE BLOCK
        ON WHICH LORDS BALMERINO AND LOVAT WERE BEHEADED; THE
        SCAVENGER'S DAUGHTER; SPANISH BILBOES; MASSIVE IRON
        COLLAR FOR THE NECK; THUMB SCREW. BRAND FOR MARKING
        FELONS: IMPRESSION OF BRAND; PUNISHMENT FOR DRUNKARDS,
        FORMERLY IN USE AT NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE; THE WHIRLIGIG,
        A MILITARY METHOD OF PUNISHMENT; PILLORY, STOCKS, AND
        WHIPPING-POST FORMERLY ON LONDON BRIDGE,            60, 90

  IRRIGATION, TURKISH MACHINE FOR,                             681


  JAMES I., CURIOUS JEWEL WHICH BELONGED TO,                   456

  ---- II., AND THE CHURCH OF DONORE,                          557

  JEWEL PRESENTED BY MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS, TO EARL HUNTLEY,    243

  JOHNSON'S (DR. SAMUEL), RESIDENCE IN INNER TEMPLE LANE,       48

  ---- OLD STAIRCASE IN,                                        49

  JOY (WILLIAM), THE ENGLISH SAMPSON,                          177


  KING'S STONE, THE,                                           461

  KNIGHT'S COSTUME OF THE 13TH CENTURY,                        480


  LAMPS, ANCIENT ROMAN,                                        437

  LOCOMOTIVE, THE FIRST,                                        96

  ---- THE PRESENT, AND TRAIN,                                  97

  LORD OF MISRULE,                                              15

  LOUIS XII., IVORY SCEPTRE OF,                                476

  LOUIS XVI., EXECUTION OF,                                    255

  LUTHER'S (MARTIN) TANKARD,                                   150

  LYNCH'S CASTLE, GALWAY,                                      581


  MAGICIAN'S MIRROR,                                           344

  ---- BRACELET,                                               345

  MAY-POLES,                                                   101

  MAIL, ANCIENT SUIT OF,                                       484

  MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS', CANDLESTICK,                          436

  MEDMENHAM ABBEY,                                             429

  MILITARY HATS IN THE OLDEN TIME,                              75

  MILL AT LISSOY,                                              469

  MIRROR, A MAGICIAN'S,                                        344

  MONSOONS,                                                    180

  MONSTROUS HEAD-DRESS OF 1782,                                242

  MONUMENTS, WAYSIDE,                                          588

  ---- ROCK CUT, OF ASIA MINOR,                                444

  MORAYSHIRE FLOODS,                                           126

  MOSQUE OF OMAR,                                              317

  ---- ST. SOPHIA,                                             104

  MUMMERS, OR ANCIENT WAITS,                                    14

  MUMMY CASES,                                                 409