516
NOTES AND QUERIES. [9* s. XL JUKE 27, iwa.
meaning attentive to ladies, where a pro
nunciation is desirable that will render the
sense of the word more readily receptive
to the ear. It is conceivable that a word like
decameter, if addressed to a large and mixed
audience, would be confusing to the ear, as
conveying a similar sound to that of decanter,
unless its context showed clearly that the linear
measure was meant. But here, no doubt, the
more weighty reason for such accentuation is
to be found in the words decameter and kilo-
meter being derived, not, like thermometer and
barometer, directly from the Greek, but from
French. The linear measures decametre and
kilometre being legal in England, but not
compulsory, would no doubt account for the
partially French accentuation. I think it
may be safely said that all those words that
have their derivation from the Greek root
metron with the exceptions of the two
instances which are the subject of T. H. W.'s
inquiry have the dominant stress of their
accentuation on the antepenult. Such words
are symmetry, trigonometry, geometry, anemo-
meter, hygrometer, photometer, pyrometer, &c.
J. HOLDEN MACMlCHAEL.
If T. H. W. will consider that thermo- meter, barometer, &c., were introduced into English directly from the Greek, and that decameter, kilometer, were adopted from the French, and only secondarily from the Greek in fact, are really naturalized French words he will at once see the reason of the difference in accent.
W. SYKES, M.D., F.S.A.
Exeter.
NOTTER FAMILY (9 th S. x. 309, 478 : xi. 411). At the first of these references Notter is said without much proof to be ** more of an Irish than a Scotch name." MR. J. LANE NOTTER at the last reference quotes instances of the name in Germany from three and a half centuries back, and says "the name is Ger- man." It may interest DR. FORSHAW and MR. NOTTER to learn that Notter is the name of a small ton or hamlet two and three-quarter miles west-north-west of Saltash, Cornwall. The name and place are old enough to have given its name to Notter Bridge, a quarter of a mile further west over the Lynher river.
F. J. ODELL.
H.M.S. Defiance, Devonport.
"Pou STO " (9 th S. xi. 425). Surely GENERAL MAXWELL is hypercritical. Pou sto is one of the pregnant expressions we have not too many such that contain a whole anecdote. We again see Archimedes declaring his power to move this solid globe, if he have only some standing-place. And this scene, I take it,
Miss Cobbe wishes us to visualize when she
uses the Greek words ; even as Tennyson in
'The Princess,' where (book iii., 'Poetical
Works,' 1893, p. 160, col. 2) he wrote :
Nor would we work for fame ;
Tho' she perhaps might reap the applause of Great,
Who learns the one pou sto whence after-hands
May move the world.
As I understand, this is just what Miss Cobbe and her fellow- workers purpose to do.
O. O. H.
WOOL AS A FOUNDATION FOR BUILDINGS (9 th S. xi. 309). Kingsley in ' Westward Ho ! ' describing Bideford Bridge, remarks, "All do not know, nor do I, that though the foundation of the bridge is laid upon wool, yet it shakes at the slightest step of a horse." Wattle has long been used for a similar purpose. I saw a thick bed of it laid down at Easter as foundations for the large new locks now erected at Zaamdam, in Holland. After Brunei's railway line running close by the seashore at Dawlish (Devon) had been in part several times washed away, bundles of withies were used as a primary foundation, and have proved perfectly successful.
HARRY HEMS.
Fair Park, Exeter.
PHINEAS PETT (9 th S. xi. 403, 451). There were several persons of this name, which has caused confusion in their separate identifica- tion. Phineas (son of Peter) Pett, the great shipbuilder, died in 1647, and was buried at Chatham. His seventh son, also named Phineas Pett, was born 24 January, 1618, and was knighted. He became Resident Commis- sioner of the Navy at Chatham in 1667, and is mentioned in Pepys's 'Diary' under date 13 May, 1682, and 21 September, 1688. When was the Britannia, the 100-gun ship, built, as James I. died in 1625?
Capt. Phineas Pett, killed on board his ship the Tiger on 2 May, 1666, also left a son Phineas (see 7 th S. v. 268).
ARTHUR HUSSEY.
Tankerton-on-Sea, Kent.
There is a pedigree of this naval family in Le Neve's 'Knights' in which there are seven members named Phineas Pett. One of them is Sir Phineas Pett, Knt., of Chatham, Com- missioner of the Navy there, knighted by King Charles II. ; died 1696. The date of knighthood is left blank. L. C.
WESLEY'S PORTRAIT BY ROMNEY (9 th S. xi. 447). A portrait of John Wesley by Romney hangs in the Hall at Christ Church, Oxford. It was bought by, or otherwise came into the possession of, the House not many years ago.
