The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-21 00:00:00

A Scientific Meeting.

The following capital jeu &esprit appears in Fun,
as an extract from a letter written by —,
junr,, Esq., medical student, now prosecuting his
studies at Guy's, to —, sen., Esq., of Dod-
dery, in Noodleshire s
" A few days ago I joined a party of gentlemen
much interested in science, with a view to experi-
menting on the law of forces, better known to the
vulgar as dynamics. So ardent was the spirit of
inquiry amongst us that we agreed to start at five iu
the morning ; for I should tell you that, in order to
avoid interruptions which might derange the very
delicate process we wished to carry out, we deter-
mined to hold our scientific meeting at a retired
spot in Essex. Several bishops, half-a-dozen mem-
bers of Parliament, and nearly all the leading aris-
tocracy, kindly consented to patronise our meeting,
and took their places with the rest of us on board a
small steamer specially chartered for our use. Some
of the enthusiasts of our party began at this early
stage to experiment on forces, and iu some instances
incommoded and even damaged those who happened
to be near them.

" In due time we steamed off and reached, by-
and-by, a nice landing place in the Essex marshes.
Here the first example of the working of the law of
forces was exemplified. A large sample of the local
police force was mustered on the spot to uphold the
law, and we had therefore to go on board once more
and steam off lower down the river. The result of
this first experiment did not give general satisfac-
tion, I am afraid.
" Our second selection of a landing-place was
more fortunate. We pitched on a secluded meadow,
where a space was promptly marked out with stakes
and ropes for the exhibition.
" The two professors —men who have long been
honoured for their science—proceeded at once with
the experiments which it had been arranged should
be conducted by them.
" After shaking hands in a friendly manner—an
expression of good feeling which scientific men
rarely, I fear, display (science has its jealousies, you
know)—they began to exhibit the working of the
muscular forces, as exemplified in the biceps more
particularly. As they gradually became more and
more interested in the experiment, the display of
conflicting forces- formed a spectacle of such over-
whelming intensity that the audience could with
difficulty be induced to behave itself. One of the
Bishops I have spoken of became, in particular, so
excited that he could scarcely be restrained from
improvising a few experiments on dynamics with an
M.P., who represents a large hardware consti-
tuency, and who, despite his peaceful garb, is con-
sidered an active and energetic cultivator of science.
" A lecture, recently delivered at the Royal Insti-
tution by Professor Tyndall, has established a con-
nection between combustion and sound, and proved
that certain flames produce certain notes. Our ex-
periments proved that a proper demonstration of
the law of forces produces not only sound but colour.
One of the professors, for instance, brought into
action the force of the biceps by straightening his
arm briskly in a horizon al direction from his shoulder.
Immediately a crepitant sound was produced, and
shortly after an unmistakable tinge of red, changing
subsequently to all the colours of the prismatic
spectrum, was observable in the region of the
second professor's eye.
" I regret to say at this point the police again
interfered, and this truly valuable and interesting
series of experiments was brought to a premature
close. The loss to science is irreparable !
" The expenses of the trip have somewhat drained
my purse, and I shall therefore be deeply indebted
to you, my respected parent, for an early remit-
tance. I feel assured that you will not begrudge
the sum I have expended on this scientific excursion.
It is to be greatly regretted that the mistaken zeal
of the local constabulary—a most uneducated body
—should have been permitted to interfere with our
attempt to popularise science."

PROPERTY IN THE STRAND.—The High Bailiff of
Westminster (Mr. Scott Turner) presided over a
jury at the old Insolvent Debtors' Court yesterday, in a
compensation claim—" Reeves and Turner v. the Royal
Commissioners of the New Law Courts," which was partly
heard on a former occasion. The claim exceeded £6,000,
for leasehold premises, No. 238, Strand, adjoining Temple-
bar, and the loss consequent ou removal. The claimants,
as booksellers, had established a business, and the profits
were yearly increasing. They could not procure other pre-
mises, and anticipated that they should sustain a loss, and
that out of a stock of 30,000, about 20,000 volumes would
have to be sold by auction. The value of property in the
Strand had greatly increased, and the present rental value
of the house in question was estimated at £420 a year.
An instance was given of the rise of property in the fact
that Mr. Ascher, a tobacconist at 'Westminster Broadway,
whose premises had been demolished by the Metropolitan
District Railway, had taken a place in the Strand, at the
corner of Surrey-street, and had to pay as a premium £450,
and to expend £6,000 on new promises, and then to pay a
rental of £350, which would make the house about £720 a
year. Mr. Lloyd (with whom was Mr. Kenealy), for the
claimants, represented the case as one of peculiar hardship.
They had established a business, and were patronised by
the legal profession, and by their removal would suffer a
great loss. The High Bailiff having briefly pointed out to
the jury the nature of the evidence, they retired, and on
their return gave a verdict for £3,000.