The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-09-26 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD AND GENERAL COMMERCIAL

,ce to the expedition, and the colonial
command to Surveyor Gregory, re-

office had offered t

I questing him (Captain Sturt) to undertake the iirganiza-

Mr. R. Cull next gave a description of three Esquimaux,
lately exhibited in London. In the course of his observa-
tions, Mr. Cull stated that the average duration of human
life among the Esquimaux is comparatively short, occa-
sioned, no doubt, by the generally poor food, deficient
clothing, and want of cleanliness. He added that the
Esquimaux, notwithstanding the privations they endure
in their own country, have no desire to transfer themselves
to an

)ther, and those exhibited in London expressed
a wish to return to their homes, which was granted.
ssion followed, in which the Rev. W. Arthur

I Some

a few remarks on the language, character, and
capabilities of the Esquimaux. A paper was then read by
H. Danby Seymour, Esq., M.P., comprising extracts from
the M.S. notes of travels of General Fevrier in Central
Asia. The paper, which was of great length, contained a
variety of information relating to the character of the

people, soil, climate, government, resources"- &c., of the
countries above-named ; also some suggestions as to the
feasibility of an invasion of India by the Russians, who, it
was said, had for many years endeavoured, by degrees, to
push their interests in that quarter of the globe. e
_ _ .
readii

g of this paper was followed by an interesting dis-
cussion. A paper, entitled "Notes on the Etruscan Ques-
tion," by William Freund, LL.D., was read by Mr. Cull.
The question was stated to be one which had been much
discussed by men devoted to literary and scientific pur-
suits, and resolved itself into this—What is the old
Etruscan language, and what are the old Etruscan people ?
The paper entered at considerable length into the subject,
and the opinions of previous writers were submitted to
criticism. After the reading of the paper, Dr. Ihne made
a few observations, and the meeting adjourned at three
o'clock to Friday morning..

the hall was magnificent, the moving masses, the happy
voices, and gay and varied costumes of the ladies, strongly
contrasting with the air of luxurious repose which cha-
racterised the assemblages of the previous musical even-
ings. The scientific displays, though limited in number,
were yet sufficiently attractive to induce groups of sight-
seers, who canvassed their merits with earnest inquiry.
M. Gassiot exhibited experiments with Rumkorf's " In-
duction Coils," and with Professor Magnus's " Polytrope."
At nine o'clock, the solemn tones of the organ, presided
at by Dr. Wesley, recalled the gay throng to the great
hall, where a musical performance, excellent in selection
and admirable in execution. wound up the evening's pro-
ceedings. Amongst those present in the course of the
evening, we noticed the Earl of Harrowby, Sir R. H.
Inglis, Professor Owen, the Mayor of Liverpool, Mr. Wm.
Brown, M.P., Mr. Thomas Thornely, M.P., Mr. Hadfield,
M.P., Mr. Scholefield, M.P., Mr. Milnes, M.P., and seve-
ral of the professors and the leading savans of the asso-
ciation.

FRIDAY.
SECTION A.-MATHEMATICS AND PHYSICAL
SCIENCE.

This section re-assembled at eleven o'clock, G. G. Stokes,
M.A., F.R.S., presiding. The business of the section was
opened by Professor Powell, who resumed his " Report on
Radiant Heat," an abstruse though brief paper. This was
succeeded by a paper " On the Dia-Magnetic Force," pre-
pared and read by Dr. Tyndall. Professor Stevelly read
a short paper " On a Method of Manufacturing Cylindrical
Lenses. The paper was contributed by M. Sturm, of
Vienna. Professor Phillips submitted to the section a
discourse, entitled "Notes on the Mountain Gassendi,
and further trials of Photographs of the Moon." Nothing,
he said, which the committee had to show, in the shape
of photographs of the moon, was at all to be compared
with the results that had been obtained by the voluntary
exertions of the photographists of Liverpool. He illus-
trated his observations by frequently referring to a very
beautifully executed drawing of this portion of the moon's
surface, by Nasmyth, and proceeded to observe that daily
experience proved that the more their telescopic power
was increased, the less circular became the lunar craters,
and the less smooth the surface of the moon itself. Pass-
ing from this portion of the subject, the learned professor
addressed himself to the much-mooted question as to
whether there existed traces of the action of water on the
surface of the moon, as now presented to our view. At
one time he said, he did not believe in the existence of
any such; but he confessed that, from observations lately
made with Lord Rosse's telescope, his previous opinions
were much shaken. Mr. John W. Brett read a portion
of a paper on the " Submarine Electric Telegraph, and
its extension to India." Owing to the lateness of the
hotsr (half-past three o'clock.) when the paper was brought
forward, the subject was adjourned at four o'clock, with
the understanding that it should be resumed on Saturday.

ADVERTISER

minutely into the question of strength and other particulars
relative to the construction and durability of the great ves-
sel. Mr. Fairbairn expressed his entire concurrence in the
opinions stated by Mr. Russell relative to the strength of the
vessel. Mr. James Nasmyth, of Patricroft, then exhibited
diagrams of the invention which he called his "steam mor-
tar," being a plan for destroying the largest ship-of-war
by means of an immense mortar fixed in the bow of a
screw-boat, built in such a manner as only to require
three men to manage her, and at the same time to be im-
pervious to, the shot of the enemy or the explosive force of
the shell, which would be discharged into the ship's side
by a percussion cap, immediately on the vessels coming
into contact. Mr. Nasmyth said he thought the adoption
of such a plan would put a stop to invasion at sea; and
his terrible engine of war, which he described as a " hellish
contrivance," was only intended as a means of defence,
and not of aggression.—Mr. John Grantham, C.E., then
exhibited and described the character of " Mr. Fisher's Ve-
netian screw-propeller," which he said had been tried on
her Majesty's tender, the Fairy, with great success. Mr.
Grantham also exhibited a full-sized working-model of
Mr. John Cunningham's plan for reefing topsails, and de-
scribed its advantages. The practical utility of the plan,
Mr. Grantham said, was proved by the fact that upwards
of 600 ships had been fitted with it in London, and also
vessels in Scotland and America.—Mr. John Cunningham,
architect, of this town, then read a paper "On the ventila-
tion of emigrant ships," the leading features of which have
been published in the Liverpool papers.—Dr. Reid re-
marked that it would be necessary to produce a vacuum
in order to procure effective ventilation, as no current of
air obtained by motive power could be forced into every
part of the ship. He added that the plan, or at any rate,
the same principle, had been applied by him in several
ships-of-war, particularly the Minden, of 72 guns, and
also in vessels built for the Niger expedition by Mr. Laird.
—Mr. Cunningham remarked that he was not aware that
the plan had ever been tried before.
The section adjourned at three o'clock till next day.
LECTURE BY PROFESSOR OWEN.
SUBJECT—ANTHROPOMORPHOUS APES.

On Friday evening, a lecture was given in the concert-
room of St. George's Hall by Professor Owen, on the sub-
ject of "Anthropomorphous Apes." Long before the hour
for commencing proceedings the apartment was crowded
to overflowing. In the absence of Lord Harrowby (owing
to indisposition), the chair was taken by Dr. Traill, of
Edinburgh. Several beautifully executed anatomical
drawings of the human frame,• together with representa-
tions, of the anatomy of the chimpanzee and ourang-outang,
were displayed, for purposes of illustration, in the vicinity
of the chair. Professor Owen,. on coming forward to
address the audience, was received with loud and pro-
longed applause, He commenced lay describing the cha-
racters of those human-like apes• which, up to the year
1830, were known to naturalists as the ourang-outang,
and the chimpanzee; and he observed that their high
facial angle, about 60 degrees, their expanded cranium,
small jaws and teeth, human-like physiognomy, and mild
docile habits, were peculiarities of the immature period
of life at which all the living specimens- hitherto brought
to Europe had died. The true zoological• and osteological
characters of the great anthropoid apes were next defined,
as they are exhibited by adult specimens. Since the de-
termination of the true nature and character of the great
orang, or pongo of Baron Wurmb, and of the adult chim-
panzee, evidence had been obtained of a second smaller
species of orang in Borneo, and of a second larger and
more formidable speeies of chimpanzee in Africa, to which
the name of Gorilla (troglodytes Gorilla) had been
given. This most formidable animal is upwards of five
feet in height, measured from heel to the vertex, is three
feet across the chest; the circumference of the wrist is
three times that of an ordinary strong man, and its
strength is prodigious. To this species—the great Gorilla
—those reports and notices relate of the much-dreaded
ape-like animal of the African wilds, that we meet with
in the records of travellers, from old Battell down to Mrs.
Bowdich's reminiscences of Ashantee. The lecturer next
entered upon a comparison of their structure with that of
man. First, in respect to the dentition ; although the
teeth were the same in number and kind in the human
species, and in all the apes and monkeys of the old world,
there were well-marked differences in the form, propor-
tions, structure, and order of development of particular
teeth. After demonstrating this fact at great length, the
learned professor concluded' as follows :—Thus, therefore,
in reference both to the unity of man's species, and to the
fact of his being the latest, as he is the highest, of all
animal forms upon our planet, the interpretations of God's
works coincide with what has been revealed to us as to
our origin in his 'Word. Of the nature of the creative
acts by which the successive races of animals were called
into being, we are ignorant. But this we know, that, as
the evidence of unity of plan testifies to the oneness of
the Creator, so the modifications of the plan for different
modes of existence illustrate' the beneficence of the De-
signer. Those structures, moreover, which are at present
incomprehensible, as adaptations to a special end, are
made comprehensible on a higher principle, and a final
purpose is gained in relation to human intelligence ; for,
in the instances where the analogy of humanly-invented
machines fails to explain the• structure of a divinely-
created organ, such. organ does not exist in vain, if its
truer comprehension in relation to the Divine idea lead"
rational beings to a better conception of their own origin
and Creator. (Loud applause.) Professor Sedgwick moved
a cordial vote of thanks to the-learned lecturer, which was
seconded by Archbishop WhatelY, and carried with accla-
mation ; and the proceedings terminated.

SATURDAY

SECTION A.-MATH F.?IA.TICAL AND PHYSICAL

SCIENCE,

Professor Stokes again presided

THE LOSS OF THE TAYLEIJR. AND THE CHANGE IN
THE ACTION OF THE COMPASSES IN IRON SHIPS.
The Rev. Dr. Scoresby read his promised paper on
this subject, which was illustrated by interesting experi-
ments. After some remarks on the importance of the

subject and a statement of the circumstances attending the
loss of the Tayleur, Dr. Scoresby said that at the meeting
of the British Association at Oxford, in 1847, he had
called attention to the instability of the magnetic distri-
bution in ships built of iron. He had shown that the ad-
justment of the compasses of iron ships by fixed; perma-
nent magnets, was not only delusive but dangerous ; and
he now said, referring to the case of the Tayleur, that it
was an incidental, for he did not contend that it was a ne-
cessary consequence of the adjustment, in this case, that
the vessel had been brought into so dangerous a position.
If the compasses had not been corrected by permanent
magnets, the captain would have been in a very different
position for ensuring the safety of the ship. It was a
matter well known not only that iron became magnetic,
by virtue of the inductive influence of the earth, but that
magnetism might be controlled, altered, or destroyed by
mechanical action. An iron bar, entirely neutral as to its
molecular magnetism, as shown by its being devoid of in-
fluence when placed horizontally, in an east and west line,
near a compass, became strongly magnetic, when placed
upright, or proximately so ; had its polarity reversed, by
turning it with the contrary end downwards ; and again
became neutral when laid on the horizontal east and west
line. If the same bar, while held in an upright position,
or inclined in the axial direction of the earth's magne-
tism, were subjected to percussion or other mechanical
violence, not only did its magnetism become much more
powerful than that of simple induction,.but it strongly
exhibited its augmented polarity, when placed in the
east and west neutral, or equatoral position; and, how-
ever it might be moved about and swung. round, its po-
larity remained the same. Having proved these two pro-
positions by experiment, Dr. Scoresby went on to apply
them to the case of iron ships, and to point out that, in
consequence of the percussive action to, which the ma-
terial was exposed, while the ships were in course of con-
struction, it became as intensely magnetic as it was pos-
sible for malleable iron to be. This augmented magnetism,
however, was not permanent or fixed, but, under different
circumstances; as to the relative deviations of the ship's
magnetism and that of the earth, was easily changeable,
and liable necessarily to be changed. The magnetism
developed by mechanical violence could readily be neu-
tralized or changed, under a proper change of conditions
by other processes of mechanical violence. If the bar of
iron magnetized by hammering were held in the reverse
direction from that in which, the magnetism had been
developed, and again hammered, the polarity would not
only be altered but reversed. Again, after well hammering
the bar in a vertical position, let it be quietly reversed,
the lower end, as hammered, now being upwards, and let
one of its extremities he then presented to a delicate com-
pass ; the deviating influence in this ease would be but
small, perhaps a few degrees only, from the influence of
the earth's magnetism, being now augmented to the aug-
mented magnetism of the bar. If,while held in this posi-
tion, a single blow were struck on the bar with a hammer,
the needle would be seen to fly round as if by magic, and
settle at a point of deviation perhaps four or six times as
great as before., The result of another experiment which
he had made with elongated plates of iron, to eluci-
date the phenomena of mechanical vibrations or vio-
lence, had been still more remarkable. Take a couple
of iron plates, laid together; it was found, when their
condition was neutral, that held within two or three
inches of a compass, horizontally east and west, there was
no action whatever on the needle, but holding the plates
upright and bending them, or shaking them with the
hand, or merely giving them a vibratory shake, and then
presenting them as before to the compass, the iron was
found to have become very strongly magnetic, the end of
which was downward repelling the north pole of the
needle. Reversing the position of the plates, while held
upright, let the vibratory action be repeated, and the end
formerly repelling will now be found to attract the north
end of the pole. Repeating the vibratory action, while
the plates were held horiZontally, in an east and west line,
the magnetism would be found, on bringing the plates to
the test, to have disappeared, all action of the compass
having gone. To meet probable:objections, he had made
experiments in rolled iron plates, of the same kind as
those of which ships were generally built ; and had ascer-
tained that the magnetism in these also was changeable
and controllable like that in bar iron, under the requisite
change of position, by vibratory or percussive action. He
bad also made experiments on a portion of a plate cut out
of the side of a ship recently built, and the result of his
observations was to establish the fact that, besides the two
denominations of magnetism ordinarily received, that of
simple terrestrial induction, and that of permanent inde-
pendent magnetism, there was another denomination cor-
responding with neither; not being absolutely control-
lable, likethe former, by terrestrial influences, nor capable,
like the latter, of resisting all kinds and modes of mecha-
nical violence. To this third denomination he gave the
name of Retentive Magnetism. The vibration of a ship
in a heavy sea was sufficient to change the original mag-
netism developed and augmented in the course of her con-
struction. A great deal depended on the position in
which the ship had been built. In the case of the Tayleur,
when he first heard of the catastrophe, and read the evi-
dence, he had stated to some friends, at Torquay, that he
would venture to predict that she had been built with her
head to the north. He had found, on inquiry, she had
, been built with her head nearly northeast. Here, then,
1 were the precise circumstances for expecting a change in
the ship's magnetic distribution. Having been built with
her head to the northeast, she had a certain magnetic
distribution, and when she began to strain, with her head
to the southwest, that distribution was necessarily changed,
and the first effect of it had been to alter the two cora-
passes adjusted by fixed magnets. If the captain had
been aware of the changes which might, and most pro-
bably would, take place, when the ship began to strain in a
different position from that in WiliCh ghe had been built;