DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70301#0132
114 kirby’s wonderful museum.
that the result ‘ (viz. 48,999,902,000,049) was equgl to the1
square of 6,999,993. He afterwards multiplied this product
by 49; and observed that the result (viz. 2,400,995,198,002,
401) was equal to the square of 48,999,951. He was again
asked to multiply this product by 25 ; and in naming the re-
sult (viz. 60,024,879,950,060,025) he said that it was equal
to the square of 244,999,755. He was once more asked to
multiply this product by 25 : and in naming the result (viz.
1,500,621,998,751,500,625) he said that it was equal to the
square of 1,224,998,775.
At a meeting of his friends, which was held for the purpose
of concerting the best method of promoting the views of the
father, this child undertook, and completely succeeded in
raising the number $ progressively up to the sixteenth power!!!
and in naming the last result, viz. 281,474,976,710,656, he
was right in every figure. He was then tried as to other
numbers, consisting of one figure; all of which he raised (by
actual multiplication and not by memory) as high as the tenth
power, with so much facility and dispatch that the person,
appointed to take down the results, was obliged to enjoin him
not to be so rapid! With respect to other numbers consist-
ing of two figures, he would raise some of them to the sixth,
seventh, and eighth power, but not always with equal facility;
for the larger the products became, the more difficult he
found it to proceed.
He was asked the square root of 41,744,521, and before
the number could be written down, he immediately answered
6461. He was then required to name the cube root of
413,993,348,677, and in the space of jive seconds he re-
plied 7453. Various other questions of a similar nature,
respecting the roots and powers of very high numbers, were
proposed by several of the gentlemen present, to all of which
he answered in a similar manner.
One of the party then requested him to name the j'actors
which produced the number 247483, which he immediately
that the result ‘ (viz. 48,999,902,000,049) was equgl to the1
square of 6,999,993. He afterwards multiplied this product
by 49; and observed that the result (viz. 2,400,995,198,002,
401) was equal to the square of 48,999,951. He was again
asked to multiply this product by 25 ; and in naming the re-
sult (viz. 60,024,879,950,060,025) he said that it was equal
to the square of 244,999,755. He was once more asked to
multiply this product by 25 : and in naming the result (viz.
1,500,621,998,751,500,625) he said that it was equal to the
square of 1,224,998,775.
At a meeting of his friends, which was held for the purpose
of concerting the best method of promoting the views of the
father, this child undertook, and completely succeeded in
raising the number $ progressively up to the sixteenth power!!!
and in naming the last result, viz. 281,474,976,710,656, he
was right in every figure. He was then tried as to other
numbers, consisting of one figure; all of which he raised (by
actual multiplication and not by memory) as high as the tenth
power, with so much facility and dispatch that the person,
appointed to take down the results, was obliged to enjoin him
not to be so rapid! With respect to other numbers consist-
ing of two figures, he would raise some of them to the sixth,
seventh, and eighth power, but not always with equal facility;
for the larger the products became, the more difficult he
found it to proceed.
He was asked the square root of 41,744,521, and before
the number could be written down, he immediately answered
6461. He was then required to name the cube root of
413,993,348,677, and in the space of jive seconds he re-
plied 7453. Various other questions of a similar nature,
respecting the roots and powers of very high numbers, were
proposed by several of the gentlemen present, to all of which
he answered in a similar manner.
One of the party then requested him to name the j'actors
which produced the number 247483, which he immediately