Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1851-08-30

long and deformed their eyes are small
black, piercing, and twinkle constantly /;
their noses are large and fiat their mouths
wide, and furnished with teeth very sharp,
strong;1 and of dazzling whiteness Their
lips are full and thick their hair curled, but
not woolIy, not thick, and it remains short.
but what particularly distinguishes them is
the prolongation of the vertebral column.
This gives to each individual, male or female,
a tail of 2 or inches long,"
The ROTATION OF THE EARTH RENDERED
vIsIBLE.-The experiment now being exhib-
tied in Paris, by which the diurnal rotation
Of the earth is rendered palpable to the mo-
dern verifcations of theory. Although the
demonstration by which the rotation of
the earth has been established be such as to
carry conviction TO the minds of all who are
capable Of fcomprehendng it, to which nothing
can be imagined to add either force or clear
ness nevertheless even the natural philoso-
Pher himself cannot regard the present expe-
riment without feelings of profound interest
and satisfaction, and to the great mass, to
whom the complicated physical phenomena
by which the rotation Of the earth has been
established are incomprehensible, this expert
ment is invaluable. At the. centre ofthe dome
of the Pantheon fine wire is attached, from
which sphere of metal four or five inches
in diameter, is suspended so as to hang near
the floor Of the building. This apparatus is
put in vibration after the manner Of pen
dulum. Under, and coneentrical with it, is
placed a circular table, some 20 feet in di-
ameter, the circumference Of which is divi-
ded into degrees, minutes &c., and the di-
visions numbered. Now it can be shown, by
the most elementary principles of mechanics
that, supposing the earth to have the diurnal
motion upon its axis which is imputed 10 it,
and which explains the phenomena Of day
and night, &c., the plane in which this pen
dulum vibrates will not be affected by this
diurnal motion, but will maintain strictly the
same direction during 81 hours. In this in
terval, however, the table over which the
pendulum is suspended will continually
change its position in virtue of the diurnal
motion, so as to make complete revolution
round its centre. Since, then the table thus
revolves, and the pendulum which vibrates
over it does not revolve, the consequence is,
that lines traced upon the table by point
projecting from the bottom of the ball will
change its direction relatively to the table
from minute to minute and from hour to
hour, so that if such point were pencil,
and that paper were spread upon the table,
the course thus formed during "a hours
would form system of lines radiating from
The centre of the table, and the two lines
formed after the interval of one hour would
always form an angle with each other OF
l5o, being the Oath part of the circumier-
ence. Now, this is rendered actually visi7
II Al II Ill Q3ol,
Pantheon TO witness this remarkable expe-I
riment. The practiced eye Of a correct OBJ
server, especially if aided by proper op-
tical instrument, may actually see the mo-
tion which the table has in common with the
earth under the pendulum between two suc-
cessive vibrations. 1t is, in fact, apparent
that the ball, or rather, the point attached
to the bottom Of the ball, does not return
precisely to the same point of the circumer-
ence of the table after two successive vIbra-
tions. Thus is rendered visible the motion
which the table has in common with the
EARTH Ii is true that, correctly speaking,
the table does not turn round its own centre,
but turns round the axis Of the earth; never
theless, the effect Of the motion relatively to-
the pendulum suspended over the centre of
the table is precisely the same as it would
be if the table moved once in "a hours round
its own centre; for although the table be
turned in common with the surface of the
earth round the earth's axis, the point of
suspension of the pendulum is turned also
in the same time round the same axis, being
continually maintained vertical above the
centre of the table. The plane in which the
pendulum vibrates does not, however, par
take of this motion, and consequently has
the appearance Of revolving once in 81 hours
over the table, while. in reality it is the ta-
BILE which revoIves once in "a hours under
/ |it-Globe.
RorATIoN OF THE EARTH.-The Bunker
Hill Aurora states that at q meeting Of the
Bunker Hill Monument Association, on
Thursday, It was voted to permit the interior
of, the Monument to be used for the purpose
of repeating the experiment Of Foucauk,
with apendulum, to dempnstrate the rota-
[tion Of the earth The privilege was granted
| on The application of The Massechusets1
Charitable Mechanic Associetioa, and thel
Iexperinsnt is g g ssds g15s fhs eepesin-l
l0bservstory and E S: . shel
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