and be assured that I have offered them not eigner. Laboring under old and absurd in the composition of that part of Silas prejudices, he perhaps at present believes Spavinhitch which is not yet completed; that we are a sober, unmercurial people, given to domestic habits, to the accumulation of wealth, and to our own internal improvements. It is reserved for you, Smith, to couch his visionary eye. You will convince him that a great part of our existence is spent about the doors of theatres, in taprooms, pot-houses, and other haunts, which I need not stay to particularize. You will prove to him that the British constitution rests upon no sure foundation, and that it is based upon injustice and tyranny. Above all, he will learn from you the true tone which pervades society, and the altered style of conversation and morals which is universally current among us. In minor things, he will discover, what few authors have taken pains to show, the excessive fondness of our nation for a pure Saxon nomenclature. He will learn that such names as Seymour, and Howard, and Percy-nay, even our old familiars, Jones and Robin-traordinary large bricks, was first discovered in the son-are altogether proscribed among us, and that a new race has sprung up in their yards, a strong wall, of large pieces of granite, resting on a solid floor made of clay; the wall formed stead, rejoicing in the euphonious appella- the corner of a large grotto of from four to nine tions of Tox and Wox, Whibble, Toozle, feet in height. There were ashes and other traces Whopper, Sniggleshaw, Guzlerit, Ginger- of fire. Unfortunately the advanced period of the year has for the present interrupted the works, thorpe, Mugswitch, Smuggle, Yelkins, but they will be resumed in the summer.-StockFizgig, Parksnap, Grubsby, Shoutowker.holm paper. Hogswash, and Quiltirogus. He will also learn that our magistrates, unlike the starched official dignitaries of France, are not ashamed to partake, in the public streets, of tripe with a common workman and a hundred other little particulars, which throw a vast light into the chinks and crevices of our social system. OPENING OF RUNIC BARROWS IN SWEDEN.— The Crown Prince has lately directed several of the Runic Barrows, or "giants' graves," in the neighborhood of Old Upsala, to be opened at his cost. Oden's Hill was the first opened, when clear proofs were found that the hill was not formed by nature but by human hands, although the urn with the bones of the individual inhumed therein, and which, in all probability, is in the centre of the hill, had not been found. A hearth, formed of exinterior, and, at a distance of about twenty-three PREACHING TO THE DEAF AND DUMB.-It may not be generally known to the metropolitan public, that there has been for some time past a chapel performed twice every Sunday, for the sole benefit in Red Lion Square, in which public worship is of the deaf and dumb. The service is that of the Church of England-singing, and the music of the organ being, as a matter of course, omitted. The experiment of communicating to those unfortunate persons deprived of hearing and the power of speech, I therefore, Smith, have the highest sat- a knowledge of the great truths of revelation, by isfaction in greeting you, not only as an means of those "signs" which constitute a lanaccomplished author, but as a great national guage in themselves, have been eminently successbenefactor. Go on, my dear fellow, steadful. In the morning, the chapel in Red Lion Square is attended by from twenty to thirty deaf and dumb fastly and cheerfully, as you have begun. persons. Last Sunday evening the audience conThe glories of our country were all very sisted of seventeen. After the usual prayers had well in their way, but the subject is a hack-been gone through, the teacher commented at conneyed one, and it is scarcely worth while to eleventh chapter of 1st Samuel; his audience siderable length, by means of gestures, on the revive it. Be it yours to chronicle the weak- seeming to,comprehend every idea which he sought nesses and peculiarities of that society to convey. The services lasted for upwards of an which you frequent-no man can do it bet- hour and a quarter.-London paper-[Nearly as Draw on for ever with the same feli- large a congregation of the educated deaf and dumb has assembled in Glasgow every Sabbath for years.] citous pencil. Do not fear to repeat yourself over and over again; to indulge in the same style of one-sided caricature; and to harp upon the same string of pathos so long as it will vibrate pleasantly to the public What we want, after all, is sale, and I am sure that you will not be disappointed. Use these hints as freely as you please, ter. ear. LIBERALITY OF LOUIS PHILIPPE.-The Canterbury Journal states that a French brig, lying at Erith, is taking in a cargo of 4000 bbls. of gunpowder, of English manufacture. It is, however, the intention of Louis Philippe-a certain event occurring-only to borrow the same; as he hopes to be able to return the gunpowder to the English, with the additional compliment of shot.—Punch. From the North British Review. THE FACTS AND REVELATIONS OF MODERN ASTRONOMY. 1. A Cycle of Celestial objects, for the use of Naval, Military, and Private Astronomers. Observed, Reduced, and Discussed by Captain William Henry Smith, R.N., R. S.F., D.C.L. &c. 2 Vol. 8vo. 2. Thoughts on some Important Points relating to the History of the World. J. P. Nichol, L.L.D., Professor of Astronomy of Glasgow. 1 Vol. 8vo. [THE following highly interesting sketch of the facts and wonders of Modern Astronomy betrays the learned and eloquent pen of Sir David Brewster, one of the highest living authorities on this subject. Though it embraces scientific details of some minuteness, it presents the leading discoveries and principles of the science, in a form more concise, lucid and Quadruple stars, Stars and comites, 13 21 161 98 72 By instructive than any other treatise we are familiar with. Ed. These various objects are described with In the two interesting works which we such minuteness, that they may be readily have placed at the head of this article, the found in the heavens, and the observations general reader will find a body of physi- upon them by different astronomers, both cal truth, the value of which it is impos- ancient and modern, domestic and foreign, sible to over-estimate. In the Cycle of have been collected with singular care, Celestial Objects" by Captain Smith, he while the account of Captain's Smith own will find all the great truths of astronomy, observations and researches relative to many embracing the most recent discoveries, of the objects of the Cycle, give a characclearly and accurately described, and re-ter of originality to his descriptions. The quiring little or no mathematical knowledge fourth chapter of his first volume, entitled, for their comprehension. In the first vol-" Details of the Observatory," and containume, bearing the forbidding title of Pro- ing an account of his own observatory at legomena, he gives us in three chapters, an Bedford, and of the instruments with which introductory sketch of the progress of it is furnished, cannot fail to be useful to astronomy," "a glimpse of the solar sys- young astronomers, and instructive to all. tem," and "a glance at the sidereal hea- Throughout the whole of his work, Capvens," and it concludes with a chapter" on tain Smith displays a thorough knowledge the details of the observatory," and a fifth, of his subject, and never omits to associate entitled "Notanda on the Bedford Cata- with the grand phenomena of the heavens, logue." These Notanda form an introduc- that great Being whose handiwork they tory to the Bedford Catalogue itself, which show forth, and whose glory they declare. occupies the whole of the second volume and embraces the "Cycle of Celestial Objects which forms the general title of the work. This Cycle or Catalogue contains a description of eight hundred and fifty celestial objects, including double and multiple stars, of which the primaries are in Piazzi's catalogue, a selection of clusters of stars and nebulæ from the works of Sir William and Sir John Herschel, together with the most interesting of the celestial objects inserted by Messier in the Connaissance des Temps, for 1781. The following list of contents will show the reader the number of phenomena to which his attention is called. In Dr. Nichol's work" On some important points relating to the System of the World," he treats of the material universe under two different aspects,- -as represented in space and time by the grander phenomena of the heavens and as represented in time by the evolutions of individual globes, such as the earth which we inhabit. Under the first of these heads, he describes the structure and extent of the sidereal arrangements, and explains the grounds upon which he has modified his former views relating to the constitution of nebulæ; and he has illustrated this part of his work with beautiful and highly interesting engravings of the more important nebulæ, as given by Sir John and Sir William Herschel, and as more recently exhibited in the great telescope of Lord Rosse. In the second part of his work, he treats of the analogy of the planets with the earth, and of the epochs of evolution through which the earth has passed, of the subsidence and elevation of seas and continents, and the instructive phenomena of coral reefs, and islands;—and the interesting speculations of M. de Beaumont, respecting the age of mountains, and the different epochs at which the mountain chains of our globe were raised into their present position, are discussed with much ingenuity and eloquence, and illustrated by plates and diagrams, which cannot fail to add to the popularity of the work. artificial white flames contain many specific rays of a determinate refrangibility, which do not exist in the sun's light, from which they have probably been absorbed either in the process of combustion, or during the subsequent passage of the light through the solar atmosphere. The sun revolves round his axis in 25 siderial days, and occupies a fixed position in reference to the other bodies of the system. Around the sun, and at the distance of 36 millions of miles, the planet MERCURY revolves in nearly 88 days. Its diameter is only 3140 miles, and it revolves about its axis in 24 hours The limits necessarily assigned to this and 5 minutes. The best time for seeing article, will not permit us to follow either, this planet, which exhibits several of the and still less both, of our authors, through phases of the moon, from a little more than the whole range of their discussions, and a half moon to a thin crescent, is about one we must therefore perform the more diffi- hour and three quarters before sunrise in cult task of giving a general view of the autumn, and after sunset in spring. Mersystem of the universe, and some of the more cury is occasionally seen in the form of a remarkable phenomena which are displayed round black spot, passing across the sun's in nearly every one of the planetary bodies disc, a phenomena which will occur on the which it is in our power to explore. In 9th November, 1848, the 11th November, following this plan we shall carefully ab- 1861, and on the 4th November, 1863. Acstain from all extravagance of speculation, cording to Sir William Herschel's observaand call the attention of the reader to those tions, the disc of Mercury was always facts and phenomena alone which must com- equally luminous, without any dark spot or mand universal belief, and to cautious de- ragged edge; but M. Schroeter saw not ductions which reason and analogy will not only spots but mountains, the height of fail to confirm. two of which he measured, and found one to be about a mile and a quarter in height, and the other ahout ten miles and three quarters, or near thrice as high as Chimborazo. We are not aware that these observations have been confirmed. Captain Smith looked for the spots on Mercury through his achromatic telescopes, but though he did not find them, he should not have omitted, as he has done, all notice of the observations of Schroeter. The telescope of Lord Rosse will soon decide these and other disputed points in astronomy. The first and grandest object which arrests the heavenward eye is the glorious SUN, the centre and soul of our system, the lamp that lights it, the fire that heats it, the sceptre that guides and controls it, the fountain of color, which gives its azure to the sky, its verdure to the fields, its rainbow hues to the gay world of flowers, and the "purple light of love" to the marble cheek of youth and beauty. This globe of fire is 883,000 miles in diameter, or 1114 times the diameter of our earth, and is 500 times larger than all the planets put together. It seems to consist of a dark nucleus, which is seen through openings in the luminous crust, called the spots in the sun. It is therefore not an incandescent globe, and there is reason to think with M. Arago, that its light is that of burning gas. The light of the sun moves with the velocity of 192,000 miles in a minute. It is composed of three different colors, red, yellow, and blue, by the combination of which all the different colors in nature are produced. The solar light has more blue and less red in it than the artificial white flames with which we are familiar, and what is very remarkable, these Next to Mercury the planet VENUS revolves round the sun at the distance of sixty-eight millions of miles, in 224 days, 16 hours, performing her daily revolution about her axis in 23 hours, 21 minutes. The diameter of Venus is 7700 miles, or a little less than that of the Earth. This planet is known even to the most illiterate observer, as the splendid morning and evening star, which occasionally precedes the rising, and follows the setting of the Sun. She shines with a peculiar brilliancy, giving a distinct shadow to opaque objects, and she exhibits all the phases of the Moon. Venus was mentioned by the prophet Isaiah as a morning star 2600 years ago, and is also noticed by Homer | Mercury, occasionally passes, in the form and Hesiod. Her splendor could not fail of a dark round spot, over the Sun, but no to attract popular attention, and being the satellite has ever been seen to attend her nearest planet to our Earth, and almost of on this occasion. Venus will pass over the the same size, astronomers expected to dis- Sun's disc on the 9th December, 1874, and cover analogous resemblances between the on the 6th December, 1882. two. Sir W. Herschel and Schroeter have The next body of the Solar System is examined the surface of Venus with pecu- our own EARTH, our planetary home, our liar care. Both of them observed that the birth-place, and soon to be our grave. light is strongest at the outer limb, from Viewing it, as we are now doing, as the which it decreases gradually to the interior third planet in order from the Sun, can we edge. Sir. W. Herschel saw spots upon doubt that it is a globe like the restthe inner margin of the luminous crescent, poised in ether, and moving round the cennot very unlike those seen long before by tral luminary? Knowing that it is the Bianchini. According to Schroeter, the seat of life, and the abode of intelligence, light at the inner margin terminates in a can we doubt that the other planets have ragged edge, and the cusps or horns of the their inhabitants as well as ours? The planet are alternately blunt and sharp, a diameter or axis of the Earth, round which phenomenon which Schroeter supposes to it revolves in 24 hours, is 7898 miles, and arise from the shadow of a high mountain. its equatorial diameter 7924. It moves This astronomer, who noticed that one of round the Sun in 365 days, 6 hours, and the cusps was bent like a hook, with a pale it is accompanied by a Moon or Satellite, blue light at its apex, ascribed the appear- which revolves about her axis in 27 days, ance to the twilight produced by the at- 8 hours, the time also of her revolution mosphere of the planet. Schroeter mea-round the Earth, at the distance of 237,sured the altitude of four mountains in 000 miles from our planet. Her diameter Venus, the highest of which were, as in is 2160 miles. Her surface is composed of Mercury, in the southern hemisphere. The highest was 22 miles, the next 19, another 111, and the lowest nearly 11 miles. Judging from analogy, astronomers expected to find a moon or satellite revolving round this planet. Cassini, and Short, and Montaigne, declare positively that they saw it; but, notwithstanding the charge of dogmatism which Captain Smith has made against those who ascribe this observation to an optical illusion, we have no hesitation in repeating that opinion. It is surely more reasonable to believe that a false image of so bright a planet usurped the place of a satellite, than that the star seen by Short and others, and never seen since, had been blotted out of existence. We have ourselves been summoned to see the satellite of Venus, and soon detected the origin of the false speck of light.* Venus, like * Captain Smith repeats his opinion in a note, as follows:-"Sir David Brewster says that Mr. Wargentin had in his possession a good achromatic telescope, which always showed Venus with such a satellite, and the deception was discovered by turning the telescope about its axis.' This, however, must be a mere pleasantry, for it is impossible that the accurate observers cited could have been deceived through so gross a neglect."-Note, vol. i., p. 109. To this we reply, that the statement thus challenged is a historical fact, and that it must have been very pleasant to Mr. Wargentin to have discovered the illusion, before he announced the discovery of a satellite to Venus. If the VOL. X. No. 1. 6 hill and dale, rocks and mountains, but no as telescope had a stand, the detection of the illusion would have been more difficult. No person who has studied the optical illusions produced in telescopes, can doubt the possibility of the fact. millions of miles, and his diameter 4100 miles, not much more than half that of the earth. His aspect resembles that of our earth, showing an appearance of seas and continents, and of perpetual snow near its poles. Sir J. Herschel pronounces the seas in Mars to be green, and the land red. The face of Mars changes its aspect every 12 hours owing to its rotatation. The polar diameter of the planet is one-sixteenth less than the equatorial one. those in our own globe. Her mountainous | nutes, and round the sun in nearly 687 scenery, however, bears a stronger resem- days. His distance from the sun is 142 blance to the towering sublimity and the terrific ruggedness of Alpine regions, than to the lower inequalities of less elevated countries. These masses of rock rise at once from the plains, and raise their peaked summits to an immense height in the air, while projecting crags spring from their rugged flanks, and threatening the valleys below, seem to bid defiance to the laws of gravitation. Around the base of these frightful eminences, are strewed numerous loose and unconnected fragments which Hitherto we have been surveying worlds time seems to have detached from their at a respectful distance from each other, parent mass, and when we examine the and having days and nights, and seasons rents and ravines which accompany the and aspects, of the same character, but we overhanging cliffs, we expect every moment now arrive at a region in space where some that they are to be torn from their base, great catastrophe has, doubtless, taken and that the process of destructive separa-place. Beyond the orbit of Mars, and at tion which we had contemplated in its the distance of 263 million of miles from effects is about to be exhibited in tremen- the sun, the celebrated M. Piazzi of Palerdous reality. The strata of Lunar moun- mo discovered, on the 1st of January, 1801, tains called the Apennines, which traverse a small planet, CERES, which revolved a portion of the Moon's disc from north- round the sun in 1681 days, and its diameeast to south-west, rise with a precipitous ter, according to W. Herschel, is only 163 and craggy front from the level of the miles, while Schroeter makes it 1624. Dr. Mare Imbrium. In some places, their per- Olbers discovered another small planet, pendicular elevation is about 4 miles, and PALLAS, on the 21st March, 1802, with a though they often descend to a much lower diameter of only 80 miles according to level, they present an inaccessible barrier Herschel, or 2100 according to Schroeter, to the north-east, while in the south-west a period of 1703 days, and a distance from they sink in gentle declivity to the plains." the sun of 265 millions of miles. On the That phenomena like these are the results second September, 1804, M. Harding of of volcanic action and of earthquakes, an- Lilienthal, discovered a third new planet, alogy would lead us to believe-even if namely, Juxo, with a diameter, according astronomers had not seen very distinct in- to him, of 1425 miles, a period of 1592 dications of active volcanoes in the dark days, and 252 millions of miles from the part of the moon. Captain Smith saw sun. These strange and unexpected disnear the centre of Aristarchus, on the 22d coveries led Dr. Olbers to believe that the December, 1835, "a light resembling that three planets were fragments of a larger of a star of the 9th or 10th magnitude, one which had burst, and pursuing this appearing by glimpses, but at times bril-idea, he discovered, on the 29th March, liant, and visible for several seconds to-1807, a fourth, namely, VESTA, 250 miles gether." He saw the same phenomenon to great advantage on Christmas-day, 1832, (1842) when it resembled a star of considerable size. The light of the moon is defective in all the specific rays which are wanting in the sun's light, and it is polarized in planes conformable to the laws of polarization from rough surfaces. Immediately beyond the orbit in which we perform our annual round lies that of of MARS, a red-colored planet indicating an atmosphere of great density and extent, though Sir James South has recently shown that it cannot be very extensive. Mars revolves about his axis in 24 hours, 39 mi in diameter, 225 millions of miles from the sun, and revolving round him in 1155 days. From this time, it was always considered probable that other fragments would be found, and that meteoric stones were some of the lesser pieces that had been projected from the shivered planet. Many meteoric stones have fallen since that time, but, with the exception of a remark by M. Cacciatore in a letter to Captain Smith in September, 1835, that he had followed a small planet (which he suspected to be beyond Uranus), for three nights, and afterwards lost it, no hint of another planetary fragment had been given by astronomers. On |