The Express.
London, England, 1858-10-19 00:00:00

nu cOIZE

In a communication published last month. Mr.
Hind pointed out the near approach of the comet of Denali
to the planet Venus about the 18th of this month. "Cal.
additions," be now writes, "founded upon later elements of
the cornet's orbit confirm the results there given, end prove
that Venue bee bed • rather narrow escape from immersion
la the denier pert of the tail, if not from actual collision with
the snalans. The nearest approach of the two bodies will
take piece early on the morning of bloodily, the 18th inst.,
whoa their toward distance will be leas than 9-100tha of the
earth's distance from the sun; consequently, on the present
amasion, no very near approximation will occur, yet it is ob-
vious that if the comet bad reached its least &sumo, from
the sun • few (ley, earlier then it has done, the
planet might have paned through it, and I am very far from
thinking that close proximity to • comet of this description
would be unattended with danger, though at • respectable
distance its indsenas might be salutary enough. The in-
habitants of Venue will witness • eomet•ry spectacle far
superior to that which has recently attracted so much atten-
tion here, inasmuch as the tail will doubtless appear twice
.e long from that planet as from the earth, and the nucleus
proportionably more brilliant. It is not unlikely that great
minasinese and alarm has been prevalent on the Virgin
'least' for some weeks past, on •oesaat of the uncertainty
which must necessarily have attached to the comet's exact
muse about the usee of passage across the orbit of Venue ;
the wisest of her astrooonivre. unless they are ahead of
their terrestrial cousins in matters of edema, will have been
sorely puzzled to decide until very lately, whether be was
hurrying on to • transit through the wow or not. Such
narrow sagas may well lead to *geologies on the creative
object whlch belongs to the wonderers of the solar

At the date of diaoovery. the comet of Donati mu distant
from the earth 228,000,000 miles, end was an eminently I
Mint object In the largest teleutopes. This circumstance,
ailed to its very *low motion, rendered the ostentation of
Me path in the heavens a matter of couiderabie difficulty ;
and It woe net until the middle of August, or ham, that a
trustworthy determination of is future track among the
stare could be obtained. It is now fairly within our snap,
.. and astronomer.," says Mr. Hind, .• ere not likely to be
ignorant of lie position to any extent until it is spin within
the nap of the beiroope in &trope MOM than 2,000 years
hum" The tel awing the lest fortnight, when the comet
has Men rest enspiesons, aware to have main-
tained an am,Vrof MWu 40,000,000 mile., sub-
tenthery is *on 30 dee. to 43 deg. T... dark
Iles, et spies mitre, frequently remarked in other
gnat arises, bee hen • striking characteristic In that of
The wise% though email, has been intensely
beilkiaU In lalninients, and for some time bore
to 'nub greater advantage than is usual
with
th objects. In meal respect. this comet has re-
thed tamest In
of 1744, 1680, and 1811, portico-
Icily ea regards the slow et violet agitation going on in the
vicinity of the swims, snob es the appearance of Intninona
jet., spiral offshoot; which have rapidly emulated from
the planetary plat and as quickly bat themselves. in the
general nebulosity of the heed.
Mr. Hind pab/ishes the &nosing deductions from retools-
Mena made by Mr. Loewy, of the Obeennbery et Vienna
" The eamet arrived at its lan Melons hen the "on a
few denies after 11 o'clock ea the saandste et the 30th of
• lea linglonle, se nen ken the ma st this
i=
=llll3 bwiair. 13 Ina end le alma ben Lea
nine. It ineended bee the see& to the meth
;Prllll4 days Inns the perihelion pram sr ea lite
( Mach, 11158, dksent be.. the son ill, or skeet"
anon She whits of the tenor planet', end will seals traverse
the plans of dts earth's path, moving month, on Monday least,
18 1-3rd dins after perihelion, et a distance of 011. The
longer diameter of its orbit la 184 than that of the
girth's, or 35,100,000,000 miles, yet this someone specie is
col:midiWily lees than une•tboosendth of the knows of the
nearest dud mar 1 The smeller diameter of the ellipse 1.
about 2,780,000.000. The orbit is inclined to the ecliptic at
an angle of 63 deg. 2 min , and intersects it in longitude
165 deg. 19 min. and 345 deg. 19 min. From what his been
here stated it will be earn that the °out MOW= on the
earth Ade of the earth's path only 205 days, so that nearly
W whale of its vest trejectoty is situate below or rather to
the seink of that plane. The time of revolution remitting
*yen Mr. letagy's calculation is 2.496 years, which I. about
illOyineenn than that of the 000101of1811,during the period
leweaviellelle from the earth. The burly velocity of the comet
Y lle skit varies between 127.000 nuns at the perihelion
and 480 nun at the aphelkon."

FEL• AT ETON..—" H. B. " writing from the Cari-
tas, protasis sponse the Ism which • parent pays when be re-
moves • sin from Eton to the head mater and tumor
" Bach saholar at • tutor's hones pays 1201. per annum for
board mad tuition; sad, coaidering that oat of the twelve
mouths four are mammal la holtdaye, no cue ma allege
that these pulsates an underpaid, or that they ors
entitled to • Marla( fee of 161. from the generality of thige
catil.,,..a.b.
and 201.
now
if the beyhapprat
E to
t. is be
:he imx7t4hof,ortz.
b
for the inks of easier calculation we will my that, deduct-
ing thou in the Lower School and thaws on the founda-
tion, the Number of tipper School boys amounts to 600.
Pow the average time • boy Mays at Eton may be eati-
=Mid at tour years, cooesqueutly there are 160 froth
scholars waterlog and as many departing usually. The
arrows fee to the bud master to 61 ,so that tram this man
he most &dm at lout 7501 MI those who leave are ex-
posed to give a fee of 101., but as much as 151. la paid by •
ethelar in the sixth torts, so that thus lassies Was Moat
mast bring in to the head muter not lees than 1,6001. To
this most he added the Si. Se. which he monism annually
from each boy (noblemen'. sou, I bailors, pay 121. 12a) ; as
'bet the entire Income be receives must ceratittly mooed
6,0001. Now, it appears to me that It would be a much
better plan if each scholar wars to pay annul) y some
trifling addition to the Si. 6a., tweed of giving a leaving
fee, for it us the principle, and not the amount, to which
I so strongly oejeut ; but still many may urge that it the
amount derived from Mewing teas were deducted the heed
master's revenue would still be ample."
"1118 DUKE" AND PIROPEECT.—A cotemporary
oseently mentioned that the late Duke of Wellington we.
cane sum rending " Ilaberthos on the Prophecies." Mr.
Eltsaisre Eacerelto• writes I beg to state that a oor-
reepeedemte of considenble length with the Duke'
fol-
lowed the study of my tathric's writhe& his grace tuts"
clearly therefrom the swims and alarming state of
Europe; coutquantly be was led to writs • long letter
=d the eandttion of Epe, hie Wad befog con-
by the study ef prophecyuro that • great 'political storm
coa-
ts basfing ewer 'Men eters has coots te act
dyke.
the het 2 yews. a hater, ststiodyug nta
mots apes AM vabjets, Ms axiom fret. nspeettiag the
Mum mid the utalmem deur notional defuses, to., woe
made p.hde by ths rank ef usklant sameyeare since. 1
belays lum own. to edam that the Ditto' saw clearly
how Turkey would be the etermsncemist of • great candid
In Europe, and appthoulad the fact, ea 1144 I. PM'
I pees,, of the politica sagoados el the Talks."