The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-13 00:00:00

THE SUN, 144 )NDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, AtlausT 13) Is6e.

was not till the afternoon that the fact became known that
the eruption bad commenced; a rush was then made for
Santa Lucia, the aide of Naples from which the mountain
can best be seen, and here the truth became apparent, as
the mountain was blazing from several places. on ac
complibhing the ascent, and after passing the Hermitage,
the intense heat betrayed. the approach of th burning
element; and, after leaving various cascades or fire, down
which half-melting blocks of lava were dash., g at a pace
to overcome all resistance, the current of the ruption was
reached, and resembled a liquid fiery river rushing from the
side of the cone, and apparently fed from an orifice about
half-way up it, which, amid flames of fire, was throwing out
stones to an immense height, accompanied by volumes of
dense smoke, while all below was clear, and the lava at
times even assumed a bright phosphoric blue. This was the
most magnificent part of the scene, as the ascent of the
cone did not repay the risk and trouble. During the scene
daylight dawned, and so earnest had been the attention given
to it by the thousands assembled on the mountain that al-
though a perfectly visible eclipse of the moon occurred dur-
ing the time it passed with few exceptions unobserved.
The eruption continued till near the end of the month, and
before its close 11 cones were in active operation, the dis-
charge from which was so great that at one time a total
falling in of the mountain was dreaded. This discharge
almost unaccompanied by the ejection of stones or ashes
was the peculiarity of this eruption.
A paper has also been read in this section by Mr.
VIVIAN, of Torquay, on " the earliest traces of human
remains in Kent's Cavern, especially flint knives and
arrow-heads, beneath the stalagmitic floor." The peculiar
interest of this subject consisted in its being the link be-
tween geology and antiquities, and the certainty afforded
by the condition in which the remains are found of their
relative age, the successive deposits being sealed up in situ
by the droppings of carbonate of lime, which assume the
form of stalagmite. The sources from which the statements
in the paper were obtained were principally the original
manuscript memoir of the late Rev. J. M'Enery, F.G.S.,
which is deplored by Professor Owen, in his Fossil Mam-
malice, and by other writers, as lost to science, bat which
has been recovered by Mr. Vivian and was produced before
the section ; also the report of the sub-committee of the
Torquay Natural Society and his own researches.
We have not space for the interesting statements con-
tained in the paper, or the extracts from the manuscript
which were read, beyond the following brief summary of
Mr. Vivian's conclusions which were mainly in accordance
with those of Mr. M'Enery. The cavern is situated beneath
a hill about a mile fromTorquay and Babbecombe, extend-
ing to a circuit of about 700 yards. It was first occupied
by the bear (ursus spelms) and extinct hyena, the remains
of which, with the bones of elephants, rhinoceros, deer, &c.,
upon which they preyed, were strewn upon the rocky floor.
By some violent and transitory convulsion a vast amount of
the soil of the surrounding country was injected into the
cavern, carrying with it the bones and burying them in its
inmost recesses. Immediately upon its subsidence the
cavern appears to have been occupied by human inhabi-
tants, whose rude flint instruments are found upon the
mud beneath the stalagmite. A period then succeeded
during which the cavern was not inhabited until about
half of the floor was deposited, when a streak containing
burnt wood and the bones of the wild boar and badger
was deposited, and again the cave was unoccupied, either
by men or animals, the remaining portion of the stalag-
mite being, both above and below, pare and unstained by
soil or any foreign matter. Above the floor have been
found remains of Celtic, early British, and Roman remains,
together with those of more modern date. Among the in-
scriptions is one of interest as connected with the landing
of William 111. on the opposite side of the bay, " W.
Hodges, of Ireland, 1688."
In the discussion which followed, and in which Sir Henry
Rawlinson, the secretary of the Ethnological Society, and
others took part, the position of the flints beneath the
stalagmite seemed to be admitted, although contrary to the
generally received opinion of the most eminent geologists,
thus carrying back the first occupation of Devon to very
kigh antiquity, but not such as to be at variance with
Scriptural chronology the deposit of stalagmite being
shown to have been much more rapid at those periods when
the tavern was not inhabited by the greater discharge of
carbonic acid gas. Without attempting to affix with any
certainty more than a relative date to these several points,
or formilig a scriptural interpretation upon natural pheno-
mena, wiiich, as Bacon remarked, too often produces
merely a f& lse religion and a fantastic philosophy, Mr.
Vivian suggested that there was reason for believing that
the introduction of the mud was occasioned, not by the
comparatively tranquil Mosaic Deluge, which spared the
olive and allowed the ark to float without miraculous in-
tervention, but by the greater convulsion alluded to in the.
first chapter of Genesis which destroyed the pre-existing
races of animals—most of those in this cavern being of ex-
tinct species, and prepared the earth for man and his con
temporaries.
The subject was also continued before the geological sec-
tion to-day.

'SECTION F.—BcoNomio SCIENCE AND STATISTICS.
W. M. Tartt, M.S.A.—On some statistics bearing upon
relations existing between poverty and. crime.
Richard Beamish, F.R.S.—Oa the statistics of Chel-
tenham. _ _ _

Edward Clibborn.—On the tendency of Earopean races
to become extinct in the United States.

R. Thomson Jopling.—On the mortality among officers
of the British army iu the East.
The Rev. C. H. Bromby, M.A.—Suggestions on the
People's Education.
Professor Richard Hussey Walsh.—A. deduction from
the statistics of crime for the last ten years.

ticultural Society, an "honour" tble mention" having been
awarded to it at a recent meetit ig of the council.
SECTION B—CHEINE (CAL SCIENCE.

T. Dearsly—On several newt aethods of detecting strych-
nia and brucia. A new metho,' I of extracting the alkaloids
from nux vomica for toxologi cal and manufacturing pur-
poses. Experiments on anima kis with strychnia, and pro-
bable reasons for the non-fine ling of strychnia in certain
cases. A new method of ins tituting post-mortem re-
searches for strychnia.
P. J. Worsley, B.A.—On a f iew process for making and
melting steel.

Dr. Lloyd, Professor Ball, Mr. Perry, Professor Jukes,
and Mr. Hancock.

Mr. HEYWOOD, M.P., on behalf of the eityof Manches
ter, did not wish to oppose any obstacle in the way of the
association visiting Dublin next year. He had hoped that
they would have been able to visit Manchester during the
time of the exhibition of art treasures in that city, but he
thought Dublin had a prior claim on the association, inas-
much as it was 22 years since they visited that place,
while it was only it years since Manchester was honoured
by their presence.

After a few remarks from Mr. M. Xmas, M.P. with
respect to the invitation to Leeds,

Sir R. J. MURCHISON, mo'red that the next meeting of
the British Association be held in Dublin, and the motion
having been seconded by Mr. HEYWOOD, M.P., was car-
ried unanimously.

On the motion of Dr. WHEWELL, seconded by Sir W.
HAMILTON, Dr. Lloyd was elected president for next year.
The vice-presidents elected for next year were —the
Lord Mayor elect of Dublin, the Provost of Trinity Col-
lege, the Marquis of Kildare, Lord Talbot, the Lord Chief
Baron, Sir W. Hamilton, Mr. E. J. Cooper, and Mr.
Griffiths.
The meeting adjourned at 4 o'clock.

extra. The second to Pave his stake. Once round.
(D subs,)
Mr. Rickaby's Nettle, by Sweetmeat, 4 yrs, §4

(Rickaby) 1
M. E. GiTs Plausible, 4 yrs, Bst 121 b (Aldcroft) 2
Mr. Ridley's Preston, a yrs, Ist 21b (Bates) 3
NIA% Plintoff's Tiniothens, aged, ?st dib ...(G. White) 4
Mr. Crump's Hera, 3 yrs) Est 4lb
Mr. Cliff's Bucksfoot) yrs, 7st 10Ib (T. Cliff) 6
Won by a neck.
The Borough Members' Plate of 60 sous, for three-
yr•olds and upwards (optional selling weights, &c.), one
mile and a half, was won by Miss Hatch, beating Indian
Queen, Ostrogoth's dam filly, and Betsey B.

From the London Gazette of Last Night.

WFITTEiLILL, Aua. 9.
The Queen nag t'etti pleased to appoint Colonel William
Cartwright and LieutenatitzColonal John Woodford to be
Inspectors under the " Act to render more effectual the
police in counties and boroughs in England and Wales."
WHITEHALL, AUG. 11.
The Queen hag been pleased to give and grant unto the
under-mentioned officers her Majesty's royal licence and
permission that they may accept and wear the Military
Order of Savoy, conferred upon them by his Majesty the
King of Sardinia, as a mark of his Majesty's approbation
of their distinguished services before the enemy during
the late war, viz.:—
Lieutenant-Generali Sir William John Codrington,
K.O 8., the Grand Cross of the said Order; and unto
Major-General Sir Harry David Jones, K.O B.
Major-General Sir Richard James Dacres,
Major-General Sir Henry William Barnard, K.C.8.,
Major-General Sir R. Airey, K.C.8., and
Major-General Charles Ash Windham, C 8., the Cross
of Commander of the First Class of the said Order.
The Queen has also been pleased to give and grant unto
the under-mentioned officers her Majesty's royal licence and
permission that they may accept and wear the Order of
St. Maurice and St. Lazarus, conferred upon them by his
Majesty the King of Sardinia, as a mark of his Majesty's
approbation of their distinguished services before the
enemy during the late war, viz. :
Lieutenant-General Sir Cohn Campbell, G.C.8., the
Grand Cross of the said Order; and unto
Major-Gen. lir John Lysaght Penn efa,ther. K C. 8.. and
Colonel Lord William Paulet, C. 8., the Cross of Com-
mander of the First Class of the said Order ; and to
Colonel the Hon. George Cadogan.
Colonel Thomas Montague Steele, C. 8.,
Colonel the Hon. Percy Egerton Herbert, C. 8.,
Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Blane, and
Commissary-General Sir George Maclean, K.C.13. the
Cross of Commander of the Second Class of the said Order;
and to
Deputy Commissary-General William Henry Drake,
C. 8., the Cross of Officer of the said Order.
- -

[This Article is substituted for that which appeared in
the Gazette of Friday last, the Bth inst.]
WAR DEPARTMENT, WHITEHALL-GARDENS,

AVG. 8.
Notice is hereby given that the officers and men in her
Majesty's army, named in the supplement to the London
Gazette of Friday, the lit inst., as having received her Ma-
jesty's permission to accept and wear the insignia of the
several classes of the Legion of Honour, conferred upon
them by his Majesty the Emperor of the French, and who
have not already received such insignia, are requested to
apply for the same to Henry Elliot, Esq., War Depart-
ment, Pall-mall, between the hours of 12 and 4 o'clock
daily, commencing on Monday next, the 11th inst.
The insignia for such non-commissioned officers and men
as h•tve been nominated to the sth Class of the Order, and
who are now serving with their respective corps, will be
delivered to the officers commanding those corps, or to such
officers as they may depute to receive them, with a view to
their distribution.

BOARD OF TRADE, WHITEHALL, AUG. 8.
The Right Hon. the Lords of the Committee of Privy
Council for Trade and Plantations have received, through
the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a copy of a de-
spatch from her Majesty's Ambassador at Paris, contain-
ing a copy of an Imperial Decree opening the Custom-
house of Wissembourg (Bas Rhin), for the importation of
hides, at sf. per 100 kil.; thread, of linen and hemp; ma-
chinery (machines mecaniques), complete or in detached
pieces.
WAR DEPARTMENT, PALL-MALL, AUG. 12.
- -

Royal Regiment of Artillery—Brevet-Colonel John Hill
to be Colonel, vice Clarke, retired upon full-pay; Brevet-
Colonel Collingwood Dickson, C. 8., from the Supernume-
rary List, to be Lieutenant-Colonel, vice Hill;. Second
Captain Edward Taswell to be Captain, vice Rogers, re-
tired on half-pay ; Lieutenant Ferderick Thomas Whin-
yates to be Second Captain, vice Taswell ; Lieutenant
John Henry Blackburn° to be' Second Captain, vice Far-
mer, placed on the Supernumerary List ; Brevet-Major
John Singleton to be Captain, vice Mowbray, retired on
half-pay ; Lieutenant William Noel Waller to be Second
Captain, vice Singleton.
BREVET.—Colonel Robert Clarke, retired full pay of the
Royal Artillery, to be Major-General, the rank to be ho-
norary only.

NOTICES TO MARINERS.
ATLANTIC OCEAN—FRANCE.
Pontaillac Light, River Gironde.
The French Government has given notice that on the
10th July, 1856, a light, alternately red and white (each
colour lasting twenty seconds, without intervening eclipse),
was exhibited from the summit of a wooden tower erected
on the high ground of Pontaillac, situated near the en-
trance and on the north bank of the River Gironde, on
the west coast of France.
The tower is 104 feet high, and the light 177 feet above
the level of water, and should be visible 15 miles in clear
weather. It stands in latitude 45 deg. 38 min. 10 sec.
N., longitude 1 deg. 3 min. 42 sec. W. of Greenwich.
The north channel leading into the Gironde is lighted
already by three lights, exclusive of that of Cordouan ;
one on Point de la Conbre, the second on Point de la Fa-
laise, and the third on the tower of Terre Negre.
Sailing Directions.—ln entering the Gironde by the
north channel at night, bring the white fixed light of
Terre Negre on with the red and white light of Pontaillac,
and keep them so until the Point de la Coubre light bears
N.N.E., then alter course immediately, and steer for the
revolving light of Cordouan, until you have brought the
lights on Point do la Falaise and Terre Negre in one.
Steer for and keep these lights in one until Cordouan
Light bears S.S.W., after which alter course to S.E. by S.
[All courses and bearings are magnetic. Var. 20 deg.
45 min. West.]
By command of their Lordships,
JOHN WASHINGTON, Hydrographer.
Hydrographic Office, Admiralty, London, July 21.
This Notice affects the following Admiralty Charts :
Ushant to Finisterre, No. 61 ; Sables d'Olonne to the Gi-
ronde, No. 71 ; Gironde to Arcachon, No. 72; French
Lighthouse List, No. 160.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA.
Light on Mount Navidad, Cartagena.

The Spanish Government has given notice that, on the
15th July, 1856, a fixed light, of the natural colour, was
established. on Mount Navidad, on the west side, at tho
entrance of the Port of Cartagena, in the province of
Murcia.

The illuminating apparatus is catadioptric, of the fourth
order ; the light is placed at a height of 125 English feet
above the level of the sea, and should be visible 10 miles
in clear weather. It stands in lat 37 deg. 35 min. 30 sec.
N., long. 0 deg. 518 min. 37 sec. west of Greenwich.
Every vessel entering the port of Cartagena by night,
and intending to anchor on its eastern side, near the pow-
der magazine, or near the suburb of Santa Lucia, should
always keep the light in sight slightly open of Navidad
Point, taking care not to lose sight of, so as to pass clear
of the shoal named the Laja, within the harbour.
On the contrary, if the intention is to anchor in the part
of the harbour known by the name of the Espalmador
Grande, the vessel should lose sight of the light, by keep-
ing as close as possible to Navidad Point.
Light on Cape Huertas, Alicante.
Also, that on and after the 15th day of August, 1856, a
fixed light, of the natural colour, will be exhibited on
Cape Huartas, in the province of Alicante, in lat. 38 deg.
20 min. 30 sec. N., long. 0 deg. 22 min. 37 sec. West of
Greenwich.
The lens is catadioptric, of the fourth order. The light
is placed at a height of 121 feet above tho level of the sea,
and should be visible at a distance of 10 miles in clear
weather.

By command of their Lordships,
JOHN WASHINGTON, Hydrographer.
Hydrographic Office. Admiralty, London,
25th July, 1856.
These notices affect the following Admiralty charts :
Mediterranean General, No. 2,158; Gibraltar to Alicante'
No. 1,186; Alicante to Palathes, No. UST ; Cartagena,
Plan, No. 1,194; also Mediterranean Lighthouse List,
Nos. 5 a and 7 a.