The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-08 00:00:00

LONDON INSTITUTION.

On Thursday last, Mr. P. W. Bragley, jun., F.L.S.,
F.G.S., delivered his second lecture on "Physical
Geography." Resuming part of the subject relating to
the ocean and its currents as treated in the first lecture,
he began by reminding the audience of various facts re-
garding the comparative extent of land and sea, and
their respective distribution upon the globe. Some par-
ticulars were also given of the whaling grounds of the
Atlantic and Pacific, occasioned by the production of
extensive tracts of quiet water inclosed by the circulat-
ing torrents, to which the whales and other marine
animals resort. To these succeeded a view of the gene-
ral nature and configuration of the bed of the ocean,
with a recital and discussion of the series of facts and
principles affecting and regulating the maintenance of
the actual level of the sea. It was stated that indepen-
dently of the secular elevation of great portions of the
sea bed, and of other causes of the variation of
its level, tending to maintain the balance of land
and sea, such is • the immense disproportion
between the magnitude of the planet and the
power of the agencies at work upon its surface that,
as had been shown by Mr. Alfred Tylor, F.G.S. (a mem-
ber of the committee of visitors of the London Institu-
tion), in a paper recently communicated to the Geologi-
cal Society, the constant action of the ocean in the de-
gradation of the sea cliffs and coast, together with tliat
of the rivers on the land over and through which they
flow—if the matter they wear from the, land, and trans-
port into the depths of the [ocean, were uniformly dis-
tributed over its entire bed, the level of the sea would
not be raised more than about three inches in ten thou-
sand years. The results of various recent measurements
of the depth of the ocean in various parts of the globe
were then related, from which it appeared that we do not
actually know of a greater depth than about five miles
and a quarter, but that indications are on record of a
depth probably extending to six miles ; and as these are
amounts equalling, or slightly exceeding, the altitudes of
the highest mountains, it might be said that tie only por-
tion of our planet which is open to the direct observation
of man is a spheroidal shell of about 10 or 12 miles in thick-

ness, consisting partly of land and air, and partly of sea.
The vast structures of coral abounding in the Pacific and In-
dian Oceans, and in the China Sea, termed lagoon islands, E,
barrier-reefs, &c., were described, their forms and ap-
pearances illustrated by reference to views and plans of
some of the more remarkable, and the mode of their _`t
growth related, together with the inductions of Mr.
Darwin, founded on the united consideration of volcanic _
and coral actions, relative to the present existence in Si
the Pacific of immense tracts of the sea-bed gradually
rising, in alternation with others which are subsiding,
thus adding a further cause of the permanent mainten-
ance of the level of the sea. The inquiry respecting the
sources whence the coral-polypes could obtain the lime,
of which, in union with carbonic acid, their structures
essentially consist, led to the consideration of the
amount and nature of the saline matter dissolved in the
sea-water ; and on this subject it was remarked that Mr.
A. Tylor, in the paper already referred to, had been the
first to point out how immense a quantity of solid mat-
ter in a state of chemical solution must be conveyed
from the land to the ocean by river action, in addition
to that mechanically suspended in their waters, and
eventually deposited at their mouths in the form of sand
and mud.

Mn. KIRWAN'S CASE.—We understand that a public
meeting is to take place on Monday next, the 10th Jan*
inst., at one o'clock p.m., at Anderton's Hotel, Fleet-
street, of such gentlemen as disapprove of the verdict in
this case. We are informed that the medical profession
in London generally is of opinion that, according to the
medical testimony given on the trial, no murder was
committed ; and, that some go so far as to say that, un-
der the circumstances, it was impossible that murder
could have been committed, and that the members of the
bar generally are of opinion that, according to the gene-
ral evidence given on the trial, there was no satisfactory
or legal proof of the prisoner's guilt.
• COLLEGE OF PRECEPTORS.—The half-yearly meeting
of the College of Preceptors was held yesterday at the
offices of the institution, 28, Bloomsbury-square. Dr.
Jacob, of the Collegiate School, Sheffield, the president
of the college, took the chair, and read a lengthy and
most instructive opening address, wherein he adverted
to the hold which the college was gradually taking in
society, and the value of a certificate of a competency
from the board of examiners, which no longer brought
the properly qualified teacher down to the level of the
ignoramus who adopted the scholastic profession because
he was unfit for other employment. The learned
doctor concluded by calling on the whole of the profes-
sion to look to their own interests in time before they
were supplanted by Government schemes. A vote of
thanks was unanimously passed to the doctor for his
address. Mr. Parker, the secretary, then read his re-
port, from which it appeared that a society in unison
with the college had been formed in Adelaide, South
Australia, which was making great progress. A dis-
cussion ensu ed upon a recommendation from the Not-
tingham local board respecting the propriety of com-
pelling every teacher to pass a proper examination by
order of Government. A list of prizes at the last ex-
amination was then read, when the usual votes were
passed, and the proceedings terminated.
,
ANTIPODA L PEDESTRIANISM.—Mr. Sands, the well-
known
equestrian proprietor, has arrived in London
from New York. It is Mr. Sands' object to give a
public demonstration of his newly discovered principle
by means of which he resists the laws of gravitation in
walking acrovs the ceiling of a theatre with his feet up
and his head down.
ATTEMPT AT SUlClDE.—Yesterday morning, a man,
named James Irving, residing at No. 25, Holliday-yard,
Ludgate-hill, made a determined attempt to destroy his
life. It appears that the unfortunate man, who was a
widower, had a large family, and had been in the employ-
ment of Mr. Debaufer, the gas-fitter, of Creed-lane, but
he bad left that employmert on Saturday last, and since
stat
thate period he had been in a very low and desponding
. Yesterday morning he got up earlier than usual,
and having bound the handle of a razor round with wax
thread and two pieces of firewood, to prevent the blade
from slipping, he deliberately cut his throat in a frightful
manner. Fl7Olll the excessive hemorrhage little hopes
can_ be entertained of the unfortunate man's recovery.
STEAMER AUSTRALIAN.—The rates of insurance
for he stean i-ship Australian have not increased, and the
general confiidence in her safety is undiminished. When
it was announced that 10 per cent, had been demanded
y rrr e
paf te
orr
h
at Lloyd's, many private parties came forward to take
dnts,i
iadtte
wraobul
evenif
considerably
elower terms, and the pro-
d
o
haria
ictUhyp Oli
osnnt
. eestillh e
hshould
ikh el
eept
oo uetffefoetr
poTlicHiEes wEiLtlsLiarcicAthßat liCOLLIERY. EXPLOSION. ELSECAR,
came to a verdict of "Accidental death "
as re ,
THURSDAY.- —After a protracted deliberation, the jury
regarded
the whole of the ten persons. They also desired to re-
discipline and general
commend that the suggestions of the Government
forthwith carried out.
inspemanagement:ctor in.
orfeftehreenpciet
should
h the
be
The coroner,, in discharging the jury, thanked them for
the patient :iattention which they had devoted to this case,
which he ho ped would be the last it would be his painful
duty to inve mtigate.
FEARFUL COLLIERY EXPLOSION. —• Loss OF FOUR
LIVES.—Ea rly on Monday morning a fearful explosion
took place a t the Leasing Thorn Colliery, in the neigh-
bourhood of Bishop Auckland, the property of Nicholas
Wood, Esq.,. and partners, by which three men and a
boy have lost their lives. From the particulars that
would
night, or early on Monday
have been gathered it appear that the men were
sent into the p it on Sunday
it is said they took a
morning, to make it ready for work, and were ordered
to take a lamp, instead of which
candle, w
morning, when the
taken place at. a later hour in the
which was the cause of the explosion. Had it
ing another
have been fearful. On Wednesday morn
men had all got into the workings, the loss of life would
man lost his life at the Black Boy, the adjoining colliery,
by the fall of ' a stone. On Wednesday an inquiry was
opened by th a coroner for South Durham into the cause
of the deaths into Leasing Thorn Colliery. Ample time
will be give] a to the Government Inspector, Matthias
Dunn, Esq., to survey the pit.

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