The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-09 00:00:00

INEM'S PAPER

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PRINCE ARTHUR IN ,
ri; AV4‘r
Dublin correspondents, writing on t 171,
Arthur to the Punchestown Races, agree 1,14 it Wed S
more to the celebrity of the place than to the pleasure of
his Royal Highness. The eccentricities of Irish weather
are proverbial, and Tuesday afforded an opportunity of
seeing them displayed in efforts which may have been very,
interesting to observers of atmospheric phenomena, but
sadly disappointing to others. It is rather tantalising to
be told , that the landscape is picturesque, that the
country through which the course lies is undulating and
verdant, covered with thick hedges, intersected with high
banks, and girt with a bright little stream in which many
an impetuous rider has come to grief, when its beauties
and its dangers arc alike obscured by mists and mud.
There is little attractive or exciting in such a prospect.,
and it requires a strong effort of the imagination and an
exercise of patient faith of which few are capable to invest
it with agreeable attributes. It is little satisfaction to see
the grand stand filled with the fdrest forths when they
droop without the sunshine, and to know that
everywhere around them are elements of ani-
mation and interest when they lack the cheer-
ing ray to stimulate them. Tents and coloured
streamers floating above them, and sounds denoting-
a desperate attempt at revelry within—a chaos of vehicles
of every kind, from the dashing four-in-hand to the pea-
sant's low-backed car—crowds of people skirting the
lines, crowning the bill tops, or moving about like shift-
ing sands in restless masses, the excitement of the
"ring" and the medley of incidents and accessories are
all familiar features of the racecourse, which possess a
certain interest even when seen under the most disadvan-
tageous circumstances. But Irish life and character are
n)t fairly developed under such depressing influences as
prevailed on Tuesday, when the lustre of Punchestown
was sadly dimmed. The unfavourable appearance of the
weather in the morning discouraged many from attending,
and the number present fell short of last year, when,
however, it was larger than usual; but still there were
several thousands on the course, who came from every
side by road and rail, animated with a desire to see the
young Prince, and ready to endure every possible discom-
fort in order to accomplish their cherished object. Rain
had fallen on the previous night, and the ground was in a
pulpy state ; but it was hoped the weather would relent,
and permit this national festival to pass over with untar-
nished splendour. At the most critical part of the day,
however, after the first race, and when expectation was
strained to the highest point to witness the contest for
the Prince of Wales's plate, the rain came down in
torrents, and there was little to be seen but a forest of
umbrellas. The spectacle was interesting only from its
discomfort. All its chief attractions disappeared, and
the multitude were reduced to a pitiable plight.
The effect of the rain upon the ground altered the
fortunes of the competitors, and made success
depend upon other conditions than swiftness. The Prince
was during the day the chief object of interest to the
course of of spectators. He was warmly greeted on being
recognised, and returned with evident appreciation the
salutations of the multitude. His Royal Highness left
the Viceregal Lodge with their Excellencies the Lord
Lieutenant and Countess Spencer shortly before twelve
o'clock. The viceregal party formed &brilliant cavalcade.
In an open carriage with his Royal Highness were seated
Lady Spencer and the Hon. Miss Vesey, accompanied by
the Hon. Captain Villiers, A.D.C., and Captain
Bridges, A.D.C. A carriage followed, in which was
his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant, accompanied
by Lady de Vesci, Lady Charles Bruce, Captain
Kearney, A.D.C., and Lieutenant Lascelles. In another
carriage were Lord de Vesci, Lady Sarah Spencer, Miss
Vesey, and Mrs. Leslie. The following noblemen and
gentlemen accompanied the viceregal party : Lord
Suffield, Lord George Paget, Mr. Burke, Major White
Melville, Major H. Seymour, Captain Wellesley, Colonel
Elphinstone, Lieutenant Pickard, Mr. Bounden, private
secretary to his Excellency, and Mr. C. Boyle, assistant
private secretary. All along the route to the King's-bridge
terminus groups of people assembled to catch a glimpse of
the royal visitor and bid him welcome, and at the terminus
there was a dense crowd in waiting, who loudly cheered.
Lady Spencer wore an emerald green silk dress,
which was received as a delicate recognition of
the national sentiment. The viceregal party arrived
on the course shortly after 1 o'clock, amid the acclama-
tions of the people, and in spite of the unpropitious
weather the scene presented at the Grand Stand was
extremely gay and brilliant. There was a pleasant
encampment in its vicinity, where the officers of the 9th
Lancers found willing allies in performing the duties of
the field. All the Stands were thronged with gentlemen
of rank, many of whom had come from remote parts of the
country. His Royal Highness and their Excellencies
remained until the close of the-races, and were cheered as
they returned in their equipages to Sallins, where a special
train was in waiting to convey them to town.

TIIE APPROACHING TRANSITS OF VENUS

The Daily Hews discusses the approaching transits of
Venus, and calls attention to the means which have been
taken to observe them. The Royal Geographical Society
has been discussing some important questions with regard
to the subject. Commander Davis, in describing the pre-
parations which were to be made for Antarctic expeditions
to observe the transit of 1882, quoted the statement made

by the Astronomer Royal, that the transit of 1874 will be
wholly unsuited to the particular mode of observation he
was considering. This statement has now been called iu
question. M. Puiseux , a well-known French mathematician,
and Mr. Proctor, the author of a treatise on the planet
Saturn, have, by independent processes, arrived at the con-
clusion that astronomers cannot do better than to apply
to the transit of 1874 the old-fashioned and simpler
mode of obsen ation which Mr. Airy bad, rejected as un-
suitable. As usually applied, the method of determining
the same distance by observing Venus in transit resolves
itself into a comparison of the durations of transit, as seen
from a northern and from a southern station. The greater
the difference of dui ation the more effective is the method.
If one could find one station where the transit began as
early as possible, and ended, as late as possible, and
another where these conditions were reversed, we should
have precisely what is wanted. But astronomers
have to be content with only an approach to
these conditions, and it happens that in 1874 the
approach will not be so close as could
that be winstead ished.
The Astronomer Royal, therefore, suggested
of sending out observers to places where the whole transit
could be seen, we should send one set of observers to a
place where the transit will begin as early
latee-
another set to a place where it will begin as a as po3
Bible ; and two other sets to places where the transit will
end as early and as late as possible. As the four positions
thus marked out are separated by thousands of milesfrom
each other, it would be requisite that the exact longitudes
of each place of observation should be ascertained,
and very accurate chronometers made use of, in
order that it might be possible afterwards to
effectually compare the observations inter se. An
error of a single second in determining the true
local time of any place would vitiate the resulting esti-
mate of the sun's distance in an appreciable manner. M.
Puiseux has shewn that the simpler method can be made
use of effectively. He names places where the differ-
ence of the duration of transit is as much as 30 minutes,
whereas the greatest interval by the Astronomer's Royal's
method is but 22 minutes. But Mr. Proctor goes much
further than this. He chews that by attending only.
to the particular appearances which observers are
required ,to watch, the superiority of the simpler
method is much more strikingly exhibited ; and not only
so, but that the transit of 1874 is shewn to be clearly
superior to the transit of 1882, and also to the famous
transit of 1769. The appearances referred to are what
are called the internal contacts of the planet with
the sun. All calculations of the sun's distance have been
founded on observations of the moments when the planet
is just fully seen within the disc of the sun, after
ingress, and before egress. Neither Mr. Airy
nor M. Puiseux seems to have paid sufficient
attention to this circumstance. It now appears
that whereas the greatest observed difference of dura-
tion was less than 24 minutes in 1769 and will
be but 28 minutes at the outside in 1882, it Will be possible
to find places in 1874 giving a difference of fully 36 minutes.
The full mathematical details of the correction are pre-
sented in the monthly notices of the Astronomical Society,
and the next number of the Quarterly Journal of Science
will contain a more popular statement of the facts which
are in question. Fortunately there is still time to make
preparations for applying the simpler mode of observation
suggested, should astronomers decide that Mr. Proctor
to
8
statements are valid. Antarctic journeys will h
be made to the very stations discussed by Commander
')avis six weeks

FAITH AND RELIGIOUS FEELING.—Faith is by no
means identical with the religious faculty and feeling. If
it were, then the Scotch would be the most religious people
especially the dogma of predestine,
that ever existed, because their whole being is inwoven
however, enters into their religion,
little imagination, and no sentiment or presentiment of
the mysterious in its most awful aspects. They are
certainLttle dogmas,otion
God-fearing rather than devout. A Scotch Sermon
withti n
is a long argument, often a very able argument, seldom a
passionate appeal. I am not aware that, though they
have written controversial and theological works in
abundance, the Scotch have ever produced a single pro•
perly devotional book. They go on singing, Sunday after
Sunday, the Psalms of David in metre, and fiercely resist
the introduction of hymns and of instrumental music,
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Wu 'excluding themselves from the awaited and anblinitPt
t.votipo4 isva,--"Boo.ttish Ofiaraotorlitico
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