before the careful investigations of Mr. Dilke, Mr. Thoms, and Sir Cornewall Lewis.
Mrs OliphantThose who seek for information as to the founding and progress of Blackwood's will find full details given in Mrs. Oliphant's 'William Blackwood and his Sons'; in the notices of William and John Blackwood, 'Dictionary of National Biography' (vol. v.); the memoir of Christopher North, by his daughter Mrs. Gordon; the obituary notice of William Blackwood, by Lockhart, in the Magazine for October, 1834; or in Curwen's 'History of Booksellers.' Christopher North in the 'Noctes' (vol. iii. p. 70) said that "my chief if not sole object in writing for 'Maga' is the diffusion of knowledge, virtue, and happiness all over the world." If a like spirit be maintained we may expect "Maga" to live to add another "M." to its title-page; and in such a hope we may join heartily in the toast "To 'Maga' : her history is a glorious one. Long may she flourish, and may she ever be true to her old traditions!"
"Maga" : Ebsworth's reminiscences This tribute to Ebony "Maga" brought a "Note" from my old friend the Rev. J. Woodfall Ebsworth, to whom "Maga" had been dear from his earliest years, "when it was only five years old, and my father's favourite, so that I heard familiarly discussed among his friends laudation of its rollicking sprightliness which found a crisis in the 'Caldee' (alias 'Chaldee') MS. Those were bright times, when Auld Reekie was a power in literature, thanks to Blackwood (with whose family my father was closely intimate). I used," continues Mr. Ebsworth, " to meet Prof. Aytoun, Sheriff Gordon, and Ferrier of St. Andrews, as well as the great and genial 'Kit North,' Prof. Wilson himself. 'He looked like a lion with a hat on.' It was indeed a delight to hear Aytoun sing inimitably his own 'Massacre of Ta Mac Phairson' (with some bagpipe accompaniment), rollicking, but always gentlemanly and courteous."
LONDON WATER SUPPLY.
1899, Mar. 11. London water supply.The Daily News, in its report of the sitting of the Water Commission on the 27th of February, rightly calls the following "ancient history" :—
"Mr. Clayton stated that in 1722 the Chelsea Water Company took water from the Thames near Chelsea Hospital. They had one reservoir in the Green Park, opposite the house since occupied by Lord Palmerston, and another in Hyde Park, opposite the house since occupied by Lord Beaconsfield. In 1739-40 their plant and works were broken up by frost. They were the first company to introduce filtering, and in 1829 they had filtering beds at Thames Bank. During the early part of the century they were under no obligation to supply water, and had no restriction as to charge."
