The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-31 00:00:00

we have many miscellaneous sketches, one of the
most pleasing being a description of Claremont as it
was in the days of the Princess Charlotte. At the
conclusion of the volume there is also a paper trans-
lated from the Italian of Torquato Tess°, containing
a charming portrait of domestic peace and comfort,
and some sound advice on the education and moral
government of a young family. Though not per-
haps possessing all the attractions of Miss Man-
ning's original works, there is much to interest and
gratify the reader in these reminiscences of bygone
days.

Astro-1l1eteot•ology.
No. I. of the Society's Journal.

The initial number of a new periodical publica-
tion, under the title of Record of the Astro-
Meteorological Society, has just made its appear-
ance. It is issued in a pamphlet form—a form
admitting readily of its preservation. At the close
of No. I. there is an intimation that the second
instalment will be forthcoming on the Ist of April,
containing a prediction of the weather for April,
May, and June. So that the projectors of the new
periodical would appear to intend a quarterly issue
of it eventually. We mention this, because other-
wise the readers of this new scientific journal might
fall into the notion that the Record purposes to
appear every alternate month, No. I. being dated
Ist of February, and No. 11. being announced, as
already remarked, as forthcoming on the Ist of
April. At the commencement of the initial number
now before us, there is an " Address to the Public"
from the projectors at once of the society and of
the society's periodical. It opens with the following
observations :

The founders of the Astro-Meteorological Society have
only one object in view, which is the furtherance of such
knowledge of the causes of changes in the condition of the
atmosphere as will lead to a foreknowledge of the periods of
storms, or excess of heat or cold, drought or rain. They
feel confident that these effects are the results of causes at
present perfectly unknown to the scientific men of Europe
and America. While they willingly acknowledge the
talents and industry of the scientific world, they submit
that, whether arising from prejudice or accident, the fact,
unhappily for the interests of society, exists, that those
talents and that industry have been hitherto misdirected,
in the search for a solution of the great problem of the
causes of changes in the weather. It is only after more
than a quarter of a century's close observation of those
changes, by meyeral gentlemen, having no interest in any-
thing but the truth being known upon this subject, that
those observers have come to a decided conviction that
there exists in nature a principle which—though little
known to society, and not known at all to the savant,
whose eyes have been strangely blinded to its perception—
really and truly leads to a foreknowledge of the state of the
atmosphere. The value of this foreknowledge to farmers,
gardeners, builders, shipowners, merchants, navigators,
corn dealers, fishermen, travellers, military and naval com-
manders, and others, is so vast and important, that no
apology can be required for the attempt now making to
establish, on the sound basis of induction, a theory which,
if true, can alone offer to society all the advantages of
a previous knowledge of the atmospheric changes, on
which the interests of all those important classes depend.
And the writer having explained more in detail the
design kept in view by the association, concludes
his introductory remarks in the words subjoined :
It is the present intention of the society to issue frequent
papers, monthly if possible, of a similar character with the
present. These will contain abundant evidence of the con-
nection between the several positions of the earth among
the other bodies of the solar system, and those great and
important changes in the weather on which the interests of
society depend. Their most important features, however,
will be our attempts to foreshow for some weeks in advance
the leading characteristics of the coming season. These
prognostications will be the result of the joint labours of
several observers, who have made the subject their study
for very many years. It must not be expected, however,
that any effort will be made, as yet, to frame a minute, er
even a daily, prediction of the weather. But so far as long
and careful observation, and an unbiassed desire to benefit
society, by setting forth the results, may be depended on,
the weather predictions found in these columns will be ac-
ceptable. Their continuance will of course depend en the
degree of public support the society may meet with, To
persons disposed to oppose our speculations, we can only
say, with the ancient philosopher, Strike, but hear I "

The exclamation, by the way, being that—rinrr
axx aico,',e—not of the " philosopher, biit of the
great warrior Themistocles. A classical slip of the
pen, however, like this, has nothing whatever to
do, we are quite aware, with the merits or demerits
of the "Record," as the organ of Astro-Meteorology.
As to those merits or demerits the public may now
satisfy themselves by examining the papers con-
tained in the inaugurative number of the society's
monthly or quarterly periodical. Among these
contributions will be found a little treatise giving
" The Theory of Astro-Meteorology ;" a chapter on
" The Rainfall in England ;" an- essay, by W. H.
W., on " Astro-Philosophy ;" and another on the
" Causes of the Curve of Mean Temperature." The
last mentioned paper is illustrated by a very curious
diagram of the curve, as noted at Greenwich in
1858, during the months of January and February.

SaVING TILE CREWS OF STRANDED VESSELS.

A series of exceedingly interesting experiments,
having for their object the providing a certain
weans or conialunicatron between stranded vessels
and the shore as a means of preserving the lives of
their crews at a time when communication by boat
would be impossible, was brought to a close at
Portsmouth in a most satisfactory manner on Satur-
day last. The trials have extended over a period of
some months, and the means proposed to be em-
ployed have been tested in every possible way by
the gentleman who has suggested—in fact, carried it
gut at his own expense, Lieut. G. S. Nares, senior
lieutenant of her Majesty's ship Britannia, Capt.
Robert Harris, the naval cadet training ship in
Portsmouth harbour. Lieutenant Nares employs
the common kite principle as his chief agent; but
while he sends his kite away to leeward, and con-
sequently towards the shore, he retains the means
on board the stranded vessel of bringing down the
kite when flown sufficiently beyond the beach, or
that the line attached to the kite may be hauled
upon by the people on shore, and the end on board
the vessel being attached to a hawser, and the
latter on reaching the shore being hauled up the
cliff, a means of escape to the crew and passengers,
however numerous they may be, so long as the
vessel holds together, or however violent may be
the surf which intervenes between the ship and the
land, is open to all with the most perfect safety by
a boatswain's cradle, basket, or slung cask, being
attached to the hawser, and hauled backwards and
forwards bythe people f thevessel and these on shore.
To bring the kite to the ground when sufficiently ad-
vanced beyond the face of a cliff, or high-water mark,
Lieut. Nares has a second line attached to the
right angle of the kite ; holding on to this line,
and letting go the flying line of the kite, the latter
instantly capsizes and descends to the earth. This
mode is applicable to the rescue of a crew of a
vessel which has been driven well on shore, but is
in a position, either from the surf or the formation
of the coast, in which no vessel can approach her.
Another mode in which this life-kite may be used
is where it may be able to effect a landing on a
beach to leeward, but the boats are washed over-
board or stove, or the position in which the
vessel may lie on a bed of rocks may render boats
useless. In this case the flying-line of the kite
is attached by a toggle to the bunghole of a cask,
to a couple of breakers with a boat's mast
lashed athwart them, or round a man's chest, with
the knot between his shoulders; in either ease
the kite finds the supporting power, and conveys
the object its line is fast to on shore, another line
being attached to the cask, raft, or man from the
vessel, and the communication with the shore is
complete. The particular credit due to Lieutenant
Nares consists in having, by his second line, devised
a means of bringing a kite to the ground at the
moment required, and in also making use of the kite
in attaching its flying line to the people an object in
the water, a carrier of his hawser's hauling line to
on the shore. Kites have been tried before,
but have failed for the want of these two great
requisites. A few years since a vessel drove
on shore on the Devon coast, close under
the land. The captain sent up a kite, which
flew over the people's heads on the shore, but they
had no means. 9f reaching it, and the whole of the
unfortunate crew perished in sight of the people on
shore, who were there ready to aid them could
the line from the kite overhead have reached
their hands. On Friday last the brig
Mercy, of Bristol, was wrecked at Porthlcven, in
Mount's Bay. A tremendous surf was running,
but to save the crew it was necessary to form
some communication otherwise than by boat. A
cask was thrown overboard among, the breakers,
with a small line attached, and was, after great
difficulty and risk of life on the part of the people
on shore, got hold of, and a hawser hauled on
shore, to which a swung basket was attached, and
the crew were saved. In this case the kite would
have conveyed the cask to the people on the
beach without their having to risk their lives by
running into the breakers and surf to lay hold of
it. The concluding experiments by Mr. Nares
were made from her Majesty's steamer Bullfinch,
Lieutenant James. The Bullfinch on this occa-
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It appears that of the funds belonging to the
Mexican bondholders at Mexico a sum of about £45,000
was saved, owing to that amount being represented by bills
of exchange which had not fully matured. These have
since been collected, and the proeeeds are believed to be
secure. Upon their arrival on this side they would, with
the £16,000 already in the Bank of England, make a total
sufficient to meet the 12s. remanet of the last distribution
in the shape of dividend.

A Vienna letter, of the 27th, announces that the
Austrian Government and Prince Michael of Servia have
entered into a convention for the reciprocal extradition of
politiel aid other prisoners.