The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-18 00:00:00

PHYSICAL CONDITION OF 7HE SUN.

By what agency is the light and heat of the sun
maintained ? What is it that feeds that vast fur-
nace to which we owe vegetation, and in a great
measur3 our very existence? An agency affording
it the necessary aliment there must be, otherwise it
would soon be exhausted. This question has long
engaged the attention both of astronomers and
natural philosophers, and various theories have been
proposed with a view to solve it. The most plausi-
ble explanation appears to be that there is aninces-
sant flow of cosmical matter and aeroliths towards
the sun, which absorbs them, and is thereby enabled
to continue its emission of light and heat. This 'view,
first propounded by Mr. Waterston, has since been
modified by Mr. Thompson, who supposes that the
cosmical matter destined to feed the sun has to make

its way through a resisting medium, the density of
which constantly increases as its strata approach the
sun. Thus the friction arising from the rapid mo-
tion of each particle through this medium will ren-
der the particle itself incandescent, and the heat
thus generated will contribute its quota to the tem-
perature of the solar sphere. In a recent paper
addressed to the Academy of Sciences, M. Faye
strongly opposes these theories, first, because sup-
posing a resisting medium to exist, this medium
must move with the sun, in which case it may be
be proved that a body circulating within this me-
dium will not fall into the sun ; and then, because
nothing has been done to try the possibility of such
an hypothesis by tangible experiment or observa-

tion ; while, on the other hand, what has been ob-
served proves rather the contrary—for how, our
euthor asks, could motionless clouds be seen during
total eclipses in any atmosphere supposed to be tra-
versed in every direction by cosmical particles with
such velocity as to go round the sun in less than
three hours ? This latter argument, it must be ad
mined, is a telling one; bat M. Faye stops here,
and does not venture to hazard an opinion of his
own upon the matter.—Galignanz's essenger.

DINNERS

FREE PASSAGES AND NOBBLERS AND
TO BOOT I I—There's certainly nothing like competition,
and the following, which we take from the Geelong Adver-
tiser, is an instance of carrying the principle out to its
utmost extent :—" Yesterday morning the steamer Wm.
Miskin, which offers to take passengers to Melbourne for
one shilling, was about starting, when the Citizen shifte
her berth over to the Moorabool wharf, and exhibited
placard, intimating that ehe would take passengers, lug•
gage also, for one shilling. This was met by the /*Eakin
altering her announcement, and reducing the fare to six•
pence—the Citizen immediately followed suit by offering a
passage free. The Miskin, not to be beaten,
announced
that she would give a free passage and a nobbler to boot.
The captain of the Citizen then left the wharf shouting
that he would give a dinner and passage to all who would
go with him."
The Paris Tribunal of Commerce has pronounced
a judgment of some importance against the Bank of France.
d
M. Jeannin, a bill clerk of the Comptoir te'
re
ceived in the course of hi- rounds a number: oE bankfscl nP
notes,
neither
among which, as it turned out, was one bearing
of taking the
number nor signature. The English usage of hands does
number of notes passing through
cioammaesrctherefore unable
not Frevail in France, and M. Teann__tw
to say where he took the imperfect note. His employers re-
fused to receive it, and left himf a
of France I,ooof.
rßesapaeok.nsible for the loss.
The note was a genuine
issue, but had never beenPreeffoected by a number and sig-
Pebreen put in circulation by a
nature, and could only
fraud. Under these eirlicUtvinhe:tances M. Jeannin brought an
govern.or of the bank, not
action for I,ooof. against
for damages occasioned by carelessness
upon the note, but
be issued. The tribunal de_
tided the bill' to Lee
in allowing the note to be
as the Ban
cided that,its plates, Which had
one of own
a proof from
been fraudulently appropriated and put in circulation, the
case fell under Art. 1, 384 of the Code Napoleon, which
enacts that masters are responsible for any damage caused
by the negligence of the persons in their employ, and ac-
cordingly condemned the governor of the Bank to pay the
plaintiff I,ooof. damages, with costs.
There are many other false short cuts in life.
The most deceptive of all is an inherited good fortune or
position in society. Don't suppose lam going to jest at
these things ; they carry general influence, and are sup-
posed by many to introduce the possessor at once to legis-
lative and political power. They facilitate intercourse with
the wit and wisdom of the country. Much of what others,
little people, learn bybooks, these, fortunately born, acquire
in the daily society of their lives. They mix with philoso-
phers, statesmen, and lions. But do the noblest beasts
themselves thus grow to be famous ? Can you learn to
roar merely from living in the zoological Gardens ? Do you
suppose a man gets to the head.of affairs from being familiar
with the celebrities of his day ? Have our greatest statesmen
risen thus ? Did the men who have the greatest influence
in Parliament and literature learn it all of philosophers in
their boyhood ? Pooh! Great men have been their own
masters. They have generally learnt much more from the
toes than the heads of the soziety. Skill in interpreting
the complaints of the small, ears to hear, and sense to
understand them, give political power more than the wise
sentences and maxims of the great. There is no shcrt cut
to be made to a statemanship by living in the society of the
rulers alone,---Qncf a Week.