The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-03-06 00:00:00

rliE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

LIVERPOOL MECHANICS' INSTITUTION.

LECTURES ON PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.

On Saturday evening Mr. John Smith delivered his second
lecture upon this interesting subject, which was attended by en
overflowing audience.

The existence of a north-western passage has fur the last three
centuries been a problem which has excited the utmost interest,
not only in tills but in many other commercial countries, and
accordingly numerous expeditions have been fitted out for the
purpose of exploring it, all of which have terminated in unsuc-
cessful results. 'Phis much, however, has been ascertained,
that if such. passage do exist, it can never be made availirale
in the present physical condition of our globe, fur any
useful purposes of commerce. As a voyage to the northern seas
is one which is productive of much gratification, so far as the pie-
turesque is concerned, as well as one which is profitable M a utter-
' cantite point of view, it willbe intereresting to follow the voyager
in his progress to describe the scenery, which lies in his route,
the dangers be has to undergo, and the sources of his remune-
ration for these dangers. Passing through the narrow channel
which divides Scotland from Ireland, we arrive at the Giant's
Causeway, a stupendous range of basaltic-columns, which ex-
tends over a great portion of the north-eastern coast of Ireland
and its adjacent islands. These columns, to the number of
many hundreds of thousands, are mostly pentangular, and vary
front one to five feet in thickness, and from. 20 to 250 feet in
height. They are composed of several short lengths, curiously
joined like a ball and socket, the depth of the hollow being 3 or 4
inches. The neighbouring pour fill these little basins in the
tops-of the columns with sea water, which evaporating in-a few
days, leaves there a kind of bay salt. Mr. Smith then exhibited
a view of the causeway as well as a cave in its immediate vicinity,
called Dunkerry Cavern. This cave is accessible by water
alone, and is well worthy of a visit. Fingal's Cave, situated in
the romantic Isle of Statra, lies in the direct route of the nor-
thern traveller. It is composed of basalt of a similar descrip-
tion to that of the Giant's Causeway, and forms a grand speci-
men of the architecture of nature. The castle of Rochemaure.
in Languedoc, (which, as well as Fingal's Cave, were illustrated
by the lecturer,) is built upon an abrupt and lofty mass of a
similar description of basaltic rock. Proceeding further on our
voyage, we come to an abrupt rock in the sea on the coast of
Brassa, one of the Shetland isles, called Noss Holm, (of which
an excellent representation was given by Mr. Smith.) This
rock, which is about 16 fathoms from the lofty rock of the main
laud, is famous for eggs and fowl, to obtain which men are
lowered from its frightful precipices by ropes. The inhabitants
get on this rock by means of endless ropes resembling the Ta-
rabitas, described in the last lecture. The people of this district
are temperate and abstinent. Hence, length of life is a remark-
able feature among them, tradition giving an account of one
individual who arrived at the age of 180.
Proceeding seaward from thse Scottish isles, a current is per-
ceived setting from the pole. It is found that two currents regu-
larly set from each of the poles towards the equator. Indeed it
was the opposition of the polar current which principally occa-
sioned the failure of .Capt. Parry's attempt to reach the North
Pole in 1827. These currents are caused by the high tempera-
ture of the tropical Craters, and the continual waste which is
thus caused by evaporation. Being disturbed, by the rotation
of the earth, the direction of the currents are changed and they
set upon the eastern shores, where they frequently become strong
and even dangerous, according to the nature of the Opposition
v. Ilia they encounter. By meeting with continual opposition
the northern current performs a circuit of 11,400 miles in two
years and ten months, leaving in its route on the shores of
various countries the seeds of plants, &c. which it has abstracted
from the lands, with which it has come into contact. The con-
tinual agitation of the sea is necessary to prevent its corruption,
for not..vithstanding its saltness, sea water will soon become
putrid in casks, indeed, the Indian ocean has been known by
a long calm to swell so offensively as to threaten the safety o,f
life. When two or more currents meet each other or cross at
angles, a circular motion or whirlpool is the result. A remark-
able whirlpool occurs among the Orkneys, which is not con-
fined to any particular place. To avert its danger the natives
carry in their boats a log of wood, by throwing which into the
whirlpool, its fury ceases, and in about an hour its locality is
found to be shifted the distance of a mile. The largest whirl-
pool known is the Maelstrom of Norway, which is of such an
extent or depth that if a ship comes within its attraction, it is
inevitably absorbed, there beaten against the rocks, and its frag-
ments thrown up to
,the surface when the water becomes less
rapid in its gyrations. Whales are frequently overpowered by
its violence. The trade winds, those constant currents of air,
are explained on similar principles to the currents of the sea,
that is from the rarefaction occasioned by the powerful heat of
a tropical sun. These currents of the air and sea exercise a
beneficial influence in commercial intercourse and when the
canal is cut through the isthmus of Darien they will much fa-
cilitate our communication with the East, by enabling the
voyager to go by that route and return by way of the Arabian
Gulf and Mediterranean_ Sea.

The toilsand dangersof the whale fishery are of an extreme na-
ture. A Greenland ship general's: carries a crew of 40 or 50 Men,
and is provided with 6 or 7 boats, contrived so as to be ready with
the least possible delay. Each boat is provided with six iron
harpdons, of about three feet in length, attached to lines urea-
suriug 120 fathoms. The harpoon is used to strike and hook
the fish, its destruction being accomplished by a thin spear six
feet in length, which is not flung from the hand like the har-
poon Gut held fast as it is thrust into the body of the animal.
fhis description was accompanied by vivid and characteristic
sketches of the process of striking the whale, as well of the dan-
gers frequently attending the whale fishery in consequence of
the sudden rising of the whale under the boat, whereby the boat
turd crew are thrown a considerable distance into the air. Ice-
bergs are met with in the Arctic regions of a very great length,
Captain Parry gives an account of one 140 feet in height and
72U feet deep. Whenever these ice-bergs ground, as was the
case in this instance, the contact of a floating field of ire is at-
tended with a fearful and tremendous crash, and consequently
with considerable danger to any vessels which may be in the
vicinity. In order to avoid as much as possible such accidents,
Captain Parry, Upon the approach of winter, cut a canal for his
vessels through a field of ice, of nearly two miles, and one-
third so that they might be safely situated during the winter
season. After describing and illustrating this process, Mr.
Smith exhibited the appearance of the vessels in their winter
quarters, and gave an admirable account of the manner in
which the voyage-s passed theif time during the dreary winter.
The Esquimaux and their snow huts next occupied the lecturer's
attention, the appearances they presented being accurately ex-
hibited by means of the magic lantern.
It may naturally be supposed that in a country, the sources
of whose vegetable productions are so long and so deeply frozen
up, the means of human subsistence must be very scarce.
Captain Franklin and his companions were for months com-
pelled to subsist upon a course species of lichen called 'l'ripe de
Roche, (which was illustrated by a view) a substance so acid as
to produce painful illness. When the travellers reached Mar-
tin's Lake they shot several reindeer, which supplied them with
better food. 'l'he scene presented at Martin's Lake was then
exhibited try the lecturer; a very beautiful one it, was for such
a northern lattitude, and must have been an exciting one to
the travellers. Nature, however, occasionally gives in these
northern regions, very bold specimens of her powers, of which
The Fulls tf Wilberforce, a beautiful view of which was pre-
sented to the audience, is a noble instance. The mode in which
Captain Franklin and his fellow travellers prepared their en-
campment for the night was very simple. 'I hey cleared away
the snow from the ground, strewed the space vvah pine branches
and over these the party spread their blankets and cloaks. A
fire was kindled, the sledges unstowed, the dogs unharnessed,
and the provisions hung fur safety on the trees. Supper having
been cooked and despatched, the weary travellers ranging them-
selves round the fire with their feet towards it, slept in warmth
and comparative comfort, without any other canopy than the
trees and the heavens, when the thermometer might be far be-
low zero. A very correct notion of tins manner of forming a
resting place seas conveyed by a pictorial view. Humbly ac-
commodated as were our countrymen in this their resting pace,
the Laplauder is much worse conditioned. The rein-deer are
their only riches, for by them their sledges are drawn, upon
their milk and flesh they subsist, and their skins form their only
-furniture. Mr. Smith then exhibited views which admirably
illustrated the feeble resources and helplessness of the Laplan-
der, as compared with the beaver, a being so much interior to
him in the scale of creation. It is remarkable that the dwelling
of the beaver is in the form of a dome, from which, probably,
the Esquimaux have derived their domed snow huts, and that
this mode of covering which the Greeks were unable to discover
thought their splendid architectural career should have been
known to this industrious animal.

Parhelia,or mock suns, so frequently seen in northern laii-
tudes, are calmed by the angular forms of the crystals of ice
or vapour floating in the atmosphere, determiulug the rays of
light in different directions, and thus giving rise to various ec-
centric halos, which, by their united intensities, particularly
where they cross each other, occasionally form masses of light or
parhelia. The Aurora Borealis is another of those interesting
phenomena frequently visible in-the northern regions. The.ge-
nerat and most rational opinion is, that this beautiful display
of nature .depends upon electrical causes, but Sir John Ross
thinks that it is occasioned by the reflection of the sun upon
the Polar ice. Mr. Smith th.en closed his interesting lecture
by exhibiting views of Parhelia and the Aurora Borealis, as
well as one which, though he said, it might not be ap.propriAte to
his subject, would be so to all good sunjects, viz. a beautiful like-
ness of our lovely virgin Queen, which eliciCed the loudest
tokens of applause.
The lecture of to-morrow will embrace the scenery of Switzer-
land and other temperate climes; where verdant valleys, ro-
mantic glens, sublime mountains, and expittisive lakes present
themselves under the most delightful aspeits.

ELECTORAL CALIiNDAR.
(From the Plestonfilot.)
March 25.—Overseers to be appointed, or within fourteen
days.
April s.—The return for the collection of the assessed taxes
are made up to this day. Persons discontinuing the use of any
taxable article should do so on the 4th, or they will be liable
for the year ensuing.
June 20.—Overseers must give notice to receive claims for
votes. Persons on the register need not make a new claim. un-
less they have changed their qualification.
July 20.—Assessed taxes and poor rates due on the 6th April
last, must be electors or they will lose their votes. Last day of
sending in claims for voting in counties.
3l.—List of county and borough votes made by Overseers.
August 5 and 12.—(First two Sundays.) Borough and coun-
ty list to be exhibited at the door of every church or chapel.
20—Last day for entering objection to county voters.
25.—Last day of claim as borough electors.
31.—A1l taxes and rates due on Ist March must be paid on or
before this day by persons claiming to be enrolled as burgesses
under the Municipal Corporation Reform Act.
September I.—Town-clerk in boroughs to cause burgess list
to be affixed to some public place until 15113.
15 —Claims and objections to the burgess list to be sent to
the Town-clerk in writing.
24.—Copy of the said objections to be exhibited in a conspi-
cuous situation, within the borough, till Ist October.
`22.—Churchwardens. surveyors, and rated householders meet
to prepare a list from which the justices select a Surveyor of
Highways.
On the two Sundays preceding the 15th, the list of objections
to county and borough voters, qualified by the Reform Bill,
must be attached to the door of every place of worship. Also a
list of persons liable to serve on juries, with notice of when and
where objections will be heat d.
October.—Mayor and Assessors to hold an open court for re-
vision of the burgess list n itliin a fortnight.
November I.—Borough councillors to be electep.
9.—Mayor and Alderman to be elected.

CONSERVATIVE MEETING AT ATHERTON.-011 Tuesday
evening last, a number of Conservatives, consisting princi-
pally of youths, assembled at the Queen's Head, Atherton,
where a sumptuous dinner was prepared by the worthy host,
Mr. Edward Rigby, for the purpose of forming a juvenile Con-
servative Association in that loyal township: ou which occa-
sion a handsome silk flag, with blue ground and white border,
on which was inscribed "Victoria Regina;' was displaNed in
the room, preparatory to its being presented to the Atherton
Operative Conservative Association.—Mancliester Courier.

THE AGE NEWSPAPER.—Mr. C. M. Westioacott having
disposed of his interest in " The Aye" newspaper, has ceased
to he-in any tray connected Stith that journal.