The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-08 00:00:00

THE DE/sEITY.

The law of the decrease of temperature, or, rather, of
density in ascending, is so little known that its inves-
tigation has been expressly recommended by the
British Association. It is thought to he nearly
this :—vtlitn the heights increase in eri,hmetical pro
gression, the densities decrease in geometrical pro-
gression, so that, if air at seven miles high cceupy
tour tithes the spree it does on the surface, then, at
foul teen miles high, it wou!tl c ccupy sixteen time s
the :p..ce, tad at twenty one miles nigh sixty ,four
times, cad s, on. At this rate, at the height of
forty two miles, it would occupy four thotraand
times the pace ; but nun the cold counteracts this,
and leaves the .quettion to be settled only by experi-
n-..ent.. There are reasons to believe that the uir
extends at least live hundred milts high in u state ea•
puble of maintaining combustion.

OTHER GASES AND COMPOUNDS IN THE ATMObPIIERE.

There is evidence of other constituents of the
atmosphere beyond the. boundaries of the air,
properly so culled. Hydrogen gas—ammoniacal
gas, produced by twenty-five of hydrogen and
seventy five of nitrogen, lighter than air ;
phosphorus also may be in the atmosphere, by the
light given out by snow in the night time, and by the
fact of snow falling in Argyleshire in March, 1813,
when the light was so great as to make the bUdies on
which the snow fell seem to be on fire. Hence the
possibility of phosphorated hydrogen gas, which
it.flames spontaneously when in contact with air, and
produces water and phosphoric acid, which latter
forms white cloudy rings, which enlarge as they
ascend, &c.
Izard, in his work on " Atmospheric Litho-
logy," published in Paris in 1803, says on this sub-
ject (after remarking on the vast quantities of
hydrogen gas which rise continually into the atmo-
sphere, since it is continually disengaged by the
decomposition of water, and all dead vegetable and
animal substances)—" It appears, then, that if there are
formed in the atmosphere combinations of oxygen and
hydrogen, which produce us water, they are affected
in quite another manner than is generally thought.
Ist. They may be made molecularly, as it were, by
the presence and contact of small globules of hydrogen
spread abroad in the atmosphere while they traverse
it in their way to unite in the superior regions. In
this case the combination takes place without detona-

tion or light, but solely with a change, more or less
sensible, of the temperature of the air, and the water
which results, falls like that which is only aqueous gas
condensed." This accounts for rain without clouds,
&c, mentioned by M. Arago, and is, therefore,
extremely probable.
"2ndly," says M. Izard, " this combination may
take place instantaneously, by the combining ut a
great quantity of hydrogen, amassed spherically and
isolated by other neighbouring gases. This is made
with detonation, more or less violent, and proiuces
hail and heavy rain, which fall rapidly."
" 3rdly. Without the globulous mass of hydrog en
coining immediately into contact with the sphere of
common air, the combination of the two ewes,
oxygen and hydrogen, may be determined by a mass
of intermediate fluid, sshich should have a great
sflinity for both those gases. It is this combination
which is ordinarily the effect of the electric fluid ; it
is made with detonation and light, and has nothing in
common with the phenomena produced by the shock
or electricity of clouds, since it often takes place in
stormy climates, when the weather is calm and the
sky serene."
In my opinion the phenomenon of " falling stars'•
is more satistac,orily accounted for by this latter ex
planation than by any of the hypotheses at present

known.
The above "Notes on Meteorology" are offered to
the vociety with a view to remind the student in this
science of the many salient and very beautiful points
it offers to his attention, and as an inducement to it,
etter study and apprEciation.

BANK OF ENGLAND.
(From last night's Gazette.)
in Account, pursuant to the Act 7th and Bth of Victoria, cap. 32, for
the Week ending on Saturday, the Ist day of ficcouaber, 1545.
1831.7 E DEPARTMENT.

Notes 155uad........ 29,7e.,195

Government debt • . 11,015,101
Other securities .... 2,984,900
Gold coin and bullion 15,443,118
Silver bullion .. •• • • 277,077

£29,720,195

X 29,720,195
if. MARSHALL, Met Cashier.
, 1549.
ILPAITKIN T.

Dated the ith day of December,

ILANSING D]
Z-
Proprietors' capital • • 14,553,000
Rest • ••• • • • • • 3,106,623
Public deposits (in-
t:hiding Exchequer,
Commissioners of
National Debt,Sav-

Government securt-

ties (including Dead
Weight Annuity) .. 14.33A,973
Other securities .• •• 9,770,ti5t,
Notes • • • • . • ...... 11,593,330
Gold and silver coin.. 792,219

ings-banks, and DI-
Tidend accounts).. 8,462,655
Other deposits ...• .. 9,390,006
Seven day and other
bills.. •• ..•• •- .... 1,082,427

£3G.594,711

.C:36,591,711
I. 11112SIIALL, Chief Cashier.
1849.

Dated the Gth day of December,

THE ROYAL MAUSOLEUM AT ST. GEORGE'S CHAPEL,
WINDSOR.—The royal tomb-house, situated at the east
end of St. George's Chapel, in which will be deposited
the re mains of her late Majesty the Queen Dowager, on
Tuesday next, contains the remains of the follow it.g royal
and illustrious personages :—George 111. and Queen
Charlotte; George IV., William IV., the Duke of Keet,
the Duke of York, the Princess Amelia, the Princess
Charlotte, the Princess Augusta, and the Princess So-
phia of Gloucester. The bodies of the infant Princes
Octavius and Alfred, the children of George 111., which
were interred in Westminster Abbey, were removed to the
Royal Mausoleum, at Windsor, immediately after its com-
pletion, upwards of half a century ago. The royal tomb-
house, or Cardinal Wolsey'a Chapel, by which name it is
so well known, was erected by Henry VIII., as a burial-
place for himself and his successote. Upon his subse
quent preference of Westminster Abbey for that purpose,
the building remained neglected until Cardinal Wolsey
obtained a grant from Henry VIII. With the same pro-
fusion of expense which marked all the public acts of
his life, he began to prepare it as a reek ptacle for his
own remains, but at the confiscation of his property it
reverted to the Crown. Charles I. intended to fit up the
structure as a royal mausoleum, but the civil wars inter-
' posed, and in 1646 it was plundered by the Republican
army. On the accession of James 11., that monarch had
it converted into a chapel, and Antonio Verrio was
employed to execute a richly ornamental ceiling; but in
a popular commotion that soon after ensued, caused by
the King publicly entertaining the Pope's Nuncio, the
windows and internal decorations were destroyed. I'
thus remained till the reign of George 111., when it
was determiued to construct a royal cemetery beneath it.
For this purpose an excavation was made in the stratum
of chalk formirg the foundation to the depth of 15 feet,
and correspondine in length and width with the dimen-
sions of the building. On each side are the receptacles
for the bodies, formed by Gothic octagonal pillars,
supporting a range of four shelves. The recess next to
that in which the body of the late King is deposited has
be en left vacant, expressly by command of his late
Mejesty, for the remains of his Queen. The entrance
to the mausoleum is in the choir of St. George's Chapel,
a short distance from the steps of the altar, from which
a subterranean passage leads to this last resting-plaee
for the illustrious deceased.
A HINT TO TIME FREEMASONS OF THE WEST OF
ENGLAND.—At the dinner of the Colston Society, in
Bristol, the week before last, Mr. W. Proctor, with
reference to the restoration of St. Mary Rcdchlie
Church, urged by Mr. W. D. Bushell, then present, who
had headed the Freemasons on the day the first stone of
the new works was laid—said be had heard there was a
disposition on the part of the craft to connect themselves
with the restoration, and he suggested that they should
set a- foot a subscription and undertake some special
portion of the fabric. This would indeed be a return on
the part of the craft to the good ways of their mediaeval
predecessors.—Builder.

FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE
OF FRIDAY.
GENERAL ORDER.
HORSE-GUARDS, Dec. 6, 1849.

ORDERS FOR THE MOURNING FOR THE ARMY FOR HER
LATE MAJESTY THE QUEEN DOWAGER.

Her Majesty does not require that the officers of the
army should wear any other mourning, with their uni-
forms, on the present melancholy occasion, than black
crape over the ornamental part of the cap or hat, the
sword-knot, and on the left arm, with the following ex-
ceptions; viz,
Offietrs on duty are to wear black gloves, black
crape over the crnatnental part of the cop or hat, the
swot d knot, and ou the left arm; the sash to be covert
with black crape, and a black crape Lcarf over tha right
shoulder. _ _ _

The drums to bo covered with black ; and black
crape is to be hung from the pike of the colour staff a
infantry, and from the standard staff of cavalry.
When officers appear at Court, in their unForn s,
they are to wear black crape over the ornamental part
of the cap or hat, the sword knot, and on the left aim,
with a black crape scarf over the right shoulder.
By Command of Field-Marshal the Duke of Welling-
ton,..Cominander-in-Chief,
Jour; MACDONALD, Adjutant-General.

AD AURAL]. Y,
Her Majesty dues not require that the officers of the
Fleet should wear any other mournirg, on the present
melancholy occasion of the death of her Majesty the
Queen Dowager, with their undress unitorms, than
Lila& crepe on the left arm, hat, and sword knot ; nor
jai ir dress uniforms, than black gloves, and black
crape uinn the left arm, hat, and sword knot : nor
that tllO tfficeis of Royal Marines should wear any
othtr mourning with their uniforms than b'a..k crape
on the left arm, hat, and sword knot; except on duty,
when they are to wear also bla.l gluv, a, and the sash
covered with black, afd a black crape scarf over the
the light should. r; and except at Court, when they are
to wear black crape oo the left arm, ha', and sword
kno:, and a black (Nape scarf over the right should, r.
The drums of the Royal Marines are to be covered
with black, and a black crape is to be hung from the
like of the divisional colour-staff. JoIJN PARKER.

FOREIGN-OFFICE, DEC. 7.
The Qucen ias bteu pleas,o to appoint G.sorge
Charles 11.1)11e r, Esq., to b, Consul in the
Gcor,Oaa or Wit:dward I.lr,nd, in the Pacilw.

Cruick4):.A.k and J. 2AL.rville, Auitinfriara,
merchants, 6. sf,er six months--F. iilsteven, Cam-
den-town, buiin,r, Dee. 7-I'. Law Manchester and
S .!turd, Lance.hire, elm and fl.)ur dealer.