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Wellington Independent, Volume I, Issue 54, 11 March 1846, Page 3

To the Editor of the " Wellington INDEPENDENT."

Sib, —I was bom it is said a. m. 1534. My parents Chinese, were very fond of me, and being anxious to put me forward in (he world gave me a dwelling of the best earthen.ware then knowa. As they improved in the arts I profited, for wherever commerce had induced the natives to trade with my parents, thither I have been sent, and thus as you will readily believe, 1 hare E.een more of the world than most people. My parents you know made rapid progress in the sciences, and according to the records of histories, Tiiurn Huo, were acquainted with all the arts long before the creatiun of that part of the world inhabited by other people whom they call barbarians. So that all those bosted disc iveries of modern time?, as gunpowder, steam-guns, aud bridges are clearly traceable to my parents, « ho very properly regard each asserted modern discovery, as a plaffiarisra from the above historian; in short a Hum, justly anticipating how extensively I should travel, and how popular I shou d become all over the world, my parents were led by the purest benevolence to tattoe or mask on my face sundry designs which have been too frequently considered merely in the light of fancy sketches, but which I need not now assure you are all real and practical. Knowing that your Country men are not f jo proud to borrov or too humble to attempt the improvement of any good design, I was not surprised that the engineer who designed the bridge over the Hutt, should have taken a hint from me. You will perceive that he has made an alteration in my design by making tbe centre of the bridge rise to a point instead of being flat, a decided iinproyement, in as much as the force required to draw a loaded cart over the top of the bridge gives such a monieaturo when it has passed the point, as leaves liule trouble to the horse to draw it down the other aide. I am now compelled to cry robbery.. As long as the borrowing was undisguised 1 took it as a com. pliment than otherwise. But I am told that a de. sign has been prepared for a new bridge, which the engineer has made upon the same principle as you will see in my design for a zig ?ag bridge, with this difference, made only to cover the appro prja'ion, that the intended bridge is to be on a level across the stream instead of a zigzag, and is to be Weather-boarded instead of being left open. Allow me to (state why my parents preferred ths latter form. The district where 1 was born was subject to fljods and high winds, and the commerce of tbe inhabitants required them to use sailing boats on the rivers. It was easily seen that unless the bridge was fixed firmly in the banks and carried well out of tbe water the floods would carry it away, and if it was weather-boarded and roofed, the wind would as ceria uly upset it. Hence they wisely retained the open work at the sides, and by means of the zigzag raised the bridge so high that boats &c., might pass under. Your known love of fair play will surely lead you to protest against this partial appropvuti ju aud call out for the design, the whole

design, and nothing but the design, of your oV4 f> iendt

The Wn.i.ow Pattern,