The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-21 00:00:00

IVIR. YLD'S GREAT GLOBE.
(From the Atheneum.)
As the importance of a knowledge of natural phe-
nomena becomes more and more strongly impressed
on the public mind, new facilities for acquiring that
knowledge are opening up around us. Education 20
years since was a much heavier matter than it is
now-a-days. Boy 3 were taught by laborious pro-
eeases the signs by which ideas are expressed—but
they were allowed to pick up ideas as they could.
Under this system a few—favoured by circumstances
or by peculiar mental organization—pushed them-
selves onward and learned to read the volume of na-
Vire; but to by far the largest number it was indeed
AC a book sealed-a fountain shut up." A gradual
change has taken place, and it has become to be felt
that the progress of the human race depends on a bet-
ter knowledge of the natural facts which are around
us. It is now understood that there is ao
perfect ministration to the requirements of
advancing civilization without the aids of natural phi-
losophy—using the term in its true, world-embracing
sense. Science, long neglected, is taking its impor-
tant place in the scheme of general education ; and
all the appliances of popular institutions are
brought to bear in diffusing a knowledge of those
phenomena by which the beautiful results of creation
are obtained, as far as these have been developed by
inductive experiment and careful observation.
Geography and the use of the globes, however, is a
branch of knowledge which has long been admitted
as an ornamental addition to a respectable education ;
and it was not thought a good sign to be ignorant of
the place on the map on which China should be
looked for or Kamachatka found. Small, however,
was the real knowledge imparted even in this
branch of science. It is not easy to instruct a
child to read a map or comprehend the flat sur-
face of a globe ; and a very cursory examination, even
among people of liberal education, will convincingly
prove that ordinary geography is very imperfectly
understood, and that a wide ignorance of physical
geography prevails. Regarding Mr. Wyld's model
of the earth as a great step towards a general remedy,
we think it worth while, after an inspection of its
materials and of the processes in operation, to put our
readers in possession of its characters and its objects.
In looking on an ordinary globe a limited portion
of the earth's surface only comes under survey at
once. It has therefore occurred to Mr. Wyld to
figure the earth's surface on the inside, instead of the
ouside, of a sphere—to give, in fact, an inverted
globe enabling the observer to embrace at
one view the physical features of the world
which he inhabits. That surface which will be
looked on as the inside coating of the sphere, is
an:ually that which exists on the exterior crust of
the great globe itself. This very allowable depar-
ture from the truth, without misleading any one, ad-
mits of our obtaining a knowledge of the distribution
of land and water over the whole planet, which could
not be in any other way secured. The great feature,
in fact, of this globe as a medium and summary teach-
ing is, that it presents (what nothing on a less scale
could do) the means of presenting the various great
physical phenomena at once and in their relations—
which in all other educational documents have to be
studied separately and in detail.
The sphere on which the earth is modelled—and
which is now in process of erection, as our readers
know, in the centre of Leicester-square—is 65 feet
in diameter. Visitors will pass into the interior of
this huge ball ; and by means of a winding staircase
or gallery will proceed round it, viewing every part
of the model at a distance of four feet from the
eye ;—and these arrangements are so contrived
that they will not interfere with the general view of
the entire surface. The scale is ten miles to one inch
horizontal, and one mile to an inch vertical. This
enables the constructor to exhibit all the details of
hill and valley, lake and river, with facility, and to
produce an effective representation of the earth—
which could not be done if the scales for height and
for distance were alike.
In looking at this vast model, the observer is at
once struck with the distribution of land and water.
He sees the great oceans occupying nearly 150,000,000
square miles, while the old and new continents and
all the islands are estimated at but 60,000,000 square
miles. The immense expanse of waters in the
southern hemisphere is brought out in strong contrast
with the wide-spread lands of the northern ; and the
great chains of mountains which are remarkable fea-
tures of the earth's surface are shown to be ranged
in a circle around the ocean and the Indian sea.
Tae water-shed, or river courses of every country
h :aid down, and the great areas drained are exhibited.
This is, of course, connected with the elevations and
depreesions of the land—all which are displayed in re-
lative truthfulness, and with remarkable exactitude.
By no other means than this, we repeat, could we at
one view obtain a correct and lively knowledge on
these points. A model in relief speaks to the eye in
a way which it is impossible for any map or globe
with a flat surface to du.
Beyond the points of Physical Geography which
we have mentioned as being necessarily involved in
this idea, there are others of no less importance and
interest to be embraced. The limits of perpetual
snow will be shown. Mont Blanc, "the monarch of
mountains," with his diadem of snow—the hoary
peek; of the Andean and the Himalayan range—with
the lower hills, which as they approach the Pole pre-
sent their constantly snow-bearing tops—will alike
be faithfully represented. The great Forest ranges
will be indicated—and the Deserts, with their wastes
of sand, exhibited. Many of the geological aspects
of the globe will be displayed ; not merely in the
form of the surface but in the colours of the rocks.
In fact, as perfect a picture of the surface of our
earth as is possible will be presented at one view
in this gigantic model. This will be no
mere holiday show. Men may take their chil-
dren to it to insruct them on the subject of that world
on which they live; and the women of our day
may here, if they choose, learn something more
than they know of that surface of which Mrs. Somer-
ville, in her " Physical Geography," has written so
well. Had that lady, however, possessed the advan-
tages of a model like this, she would have avoided some
errors which are the natural consequence of not being
able to embrace at one view "the great globe itself."
Numerous additions will occur to the students of
natural philosophy by which Mr. Wyld's globe might
be made still more instructive. The naturalist will
insist on the importance of showing the geographical
distribution of plants and animals; and the geologist
will contend that it would be easy to express in colour
many of the great facts of his science, and to tell the
tale cf those vast mutations with which he deals. We
believe these may eventually be shown without in any
way interfering with the general plan ; and we would
advise Mr. Wyld to bear these and other additions in
wind. It is not improbable thl.t he contemplates the:
or some of them, as future chapters in this great
geographical work. But in any case there are
certain grand physical fecte which we desire to ree
expressed in the first instance. We venture to
suggest them as important, and we believe them
to be compatible with the main features of the
design. We would wish to see the great oce-
anic currents laid down. Most interesting would
it be to show how the waters of the ocean
warmed in the gulph of tropical Mexico, flow in obe-
dience to a physical law towards our own shores—
and even pass to the north of our islands—giving a
temperate climate and fertility to a northern region
of Norway which the southern districts do not pos-
sess. As a few dots on the blue of ocean would in-
dicate all this, we see no reason why this information
should not be afforded. The greatest southern limit
in the northern hemisphere of the icebergs might be
very instructively shown. The glacier system will of
-eurse find a place.
In addition to this, a few crimson silk cords car-
, ,‘.ll round the model would express isothernal lines
sir r lines of equal temperature—round the globe ; and
the few blue ones would tell the story of the earth's
magnetism, without in any way interfering
with the geography of the model. At least,
ere hope Mr. Wyld will mark the two north and
the two south magnetic poles .—which we may now
regard as being fairly determined. The movement of
these magnetic poles might be described in any trea-
tilt' 't or catalogue which may be sold at the doors of
the Ellaibition. There are some other points of inte-
rest which we should desire to see embraced, and
which Prehabl be so hereafter.
We have alry
aw'd intimated that we regard this mo-
del as the
conarneeibei.nent of a new era in geographi-
cal instruction. great globe is made up of some
thousands of castings in
plaster from the original mo-
dels in clay. The first plaster
from it any num-
her of correct models
cast, which is of course
ire
_
reverse, will be retai
e
may be had. Nothing could
be more instructive than such sections of the earth.
e
Those raised maps, telling the
taleby
elevation, would impart an amount of information in
and
sdaools which could not be
given of
method. In a few weeks the desert of, any other
Leicester-
square, will, in fact, be converted into a great geo-
graphical school.

LOVE, MURDER, AND SUICIDE.
A most extraordinary circumstance
ri
occurred l
re-
cently at the theatre at Oran, in g
the performance of the second act of th:r Vie de Cafe
the report of firearms was heard in a box on the
highest tiers, and at the same moment frightful shrieks
ivvre uttered' by a young woman who was seen to fall
to the ground. The audience shouted "Murder,
murder," and frightful confusion arose. Some persons
hastened to the box, but they found the door fas-
tened, and while they warn attempting to break it
open a man, wearing the uniform of an officer of the
Chasseurs d'Afrique, put his leg over the front of the
box as if to throw himself into the pit. He would have
succeeded in the design if a soldier of the llth Regi-
nnent bad not. at the risk of his life, clambered ;
from the gallery and AriZC.l bin,. The officer
struggled violently- and succeeded in getting the
greater part of bin Priwl over the box, in doing