The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-09 00:00:00

COMETS.

A correspondent writing to Galignani from St.
Omer, says :--" In a late number of the Messenger
there are some remarks, signed J. F.,' on the sub-
ject of comets, and- as he requests the opinion of
others on his theory, I take the liberty of offering
a few words on the subject. The writer justly ob-
serves that universal space is studded with innu-
merable globes like our own, all made and directed
by Divine Power and Wisdom,' remarking that in
a series of ages it is necessary that they should
undergo a certain process of purification by fire,'
and I apprehend his hypothesis to be, that the pre-
sent comet is one of those unlucky globes, but I
hope there will not be much difficulty in rescuing
the splendid stranger from such a dreadful state of
suffering. Ist. I conceive there is one fatal objec-
tion to his theory, namely, that comets, the nuclei
of which being opaque bodies, are not of fire, but
derive all their splendour from the sun, and have
only reflected light. But if this were not so, it may
be remarked that they revolve, not in regular orbits
but in elongated ellipses round the sun, and accord-
ing to regular laws, similar to those of the planets.
For this discovery we are indebted to the immortal
Newton. It is evident, therefore, that comets re-
turn to us again, and are not consumed by fire, but
in fact, like the planets, move round the sun,
and are as free from destruction as those others
are. Their utility or object sciencb, has not
hitherto discovered, but they are under the
direction and the control of an Omniscient
Being, who creates nothing in vain. If, however,
J. F.' be in error as to the destruction of comets
by fire, it is presumed that suns have perished.
The star in the constellation Cassiopeia,' says a
great authority, ' never moved from its place during
its change from extreme brilliancy, which surpassed
even that of Jupiter, to apparent extinction, the
colour of the light altering as it passed through the
various hues of an expiring conflagration.' Another
eminent man of science, Dr. Hales, says : We may
safely conclude that the amazing process of reno-
vating and annihilating worlds has been going on
and will continue to all eternity.' The star in Cas-
siopeia was noticed in 1572, by Tycho Brahe, the
Danish astronomer, and was visible for nearly two
years, decreasing in splendour until it became
utterly destroyed, as related by Sir J. Herschel,
and its place in the heavens remains still unoccu-
pied. Still, if the speculations of '.J.F.' concerning
comets be erroneous, it must be said that men of the
very highest science have gone much further, as for
instance the celebrated Whiston, who affirmed that
comets were the habitation and place of punishment
of the wicked, who when at a remote distance from
the sun endured all the agonies of cold, and when
near that luminary all the excruciating torments of
fire!'"

An Admiralty order has been issued restricting
the entry of seamen for service in the Royal Navy
to men standing 5 feet 7 inches in height.
At Aix two French priests have recently caused
a sensation by celebrating Divine service, attired in Chinese
costume. One of these, the Abbe Perny, after a residence
of several years in the province of Kong Tcheou, in China,
has returned to France on business connected with the
mission.

LARGE ARRIVALS AT HULL FROM THE BLACK
SEA.—In the course of the past week, eleven vessels have
arrived in Hull from the Black Sea, chiefly from Taganrog.
Their united cargoes amount to 20,088 quarters of linseed,
2,780 quarters of barley, 2,440 quarters of rapeseed, and
1,120 quarters of Indian corn.
THE DEFALCATIONS AT WEEDON.—The Royal
Commissiohers did not sit this morning. They will meet
at Weedon on Wednesday week, in London on Thursday
week, and at Woolwich' on the Monday following.
GOLD IN GUIANA.—A correspondent of the New
York Tribune, who dates his letter from Ciudad Bolivar,
August the 20th, says :—" Since my last I have visited the
gold mines of Guiana, the writable El Dorado, so fruit-
lessly sought for by Sir Walter Raleigh. The mines were
discovered about two years since by an Indian while hunt-
ing in the woods for stray donkeys. Ho pulled up a bush
and found a large piece of pure gold at the roots. Ile
carried it to a German merchant at Tapequeen (six min
distant) for sale, and the trader endeavoured to obtain
the secret of its discovery from the-Indian. He refused to
give the required information, and he was made drunk, and
then cruelly beaten until the secret was finally wrung from
him. The discovery of these mines corresponds with the
description given by Sir Walter Raleigh of the manner in
which the Indians obtained their gold—viz., And being
asked how they got the same gold, they told us they went
to a certain down or plain, and pulled or diggod up the
grass by the root, which donn, they took elf the earth,
putting it in groat buckets, which they carried to wash at the
river.' That these mines were known to the early Spaniards
is proved by the recent discovery of certain letters found
in a trunk in the abandoned cathedral at Onasipate, 15 miles
distant from Curate]. The mines are undoubtedly exceed-
ingly rich, and large quantities of gold have already been
discovered. In cousequencet however, of the labour re-
quired to obtain it, and the deadly natureof the climate,
they will not repay individual enterprise. Companies well
organised, and with the requisite machinery to work the
gold quartz, and drain the pools at the base of the various
cascades, will undoubtedly realise vast fortunes. During
my stay of four weeks at the mines there were only about
60 miners engaged in working, and over 2,500 dols, in gold
was found. One place weighed four pounds and a-half.
The quarti is exceedingly rich, and a charter has been given
to a company, composed mostly of citizens from New York,
conferring upon them the exclusive privilege for six ye
of working the quartz in Caratel and Tapaqueen."
It is stated that out of the fund of 20,0001. which
thd London Missionary Society proposes to raise for- send-
ing out 20 additional missionaries to ludia, .£13,00 has
has already been collected,