New-York daily tribune., 1851-08-27

ascertain ed hy s,or,g Of Cambridge.
The coral vs. reduced TO powder, washed With
hot water unit. TIE chloride OF socium MAS al re
moved. Each specimen was ti.ided mo ;ATec Por-
tens aid the ; .oiac gravity OF each determined.
No No2 No.9
Tie Cer,cr Thr Middle The penohen
serora %SS a.. .-.5tas s7i5 27s5
Thrd ....s6Cs 2;sO e'S5
The dferenc,s we'eloSs than between The several
determinations O! each sort There Vas. Therefore,
nc Indication Of superior density n one part
There were examined Millepora ahcornis .
Meandrna lahyTuthca. specimens Nanicma
palmata Nycida arcoiaia AStrea 'nicfocosmo>
specimens Rock subund Rock submarine, ;
Spet mems.
The conclus .OnS to which the above research has
conducted, are
That the submerged or volitlc rock has been solld
fed by the iunlirauon Of finely powdered not DIS
solved carbonate Of lme-increaSing the points oi
contract. and the introduction OF a small quantity %
animal muCilagmouS matter, serving The same pun
POSE as tie carbonate o. lme-that o increaS g ne
cohesive attraction and
Thatthe surface rock haS been s0udifei bv having.
addition TO The above agencies The AID OF series
of chemical cCcomQCS.t!ons and rccompoSli,OnS re-
Sutirs IN The formation Of cement.
II : enc Of the grateful reflections ariSnt from
this inquiry. thar nature has provided, ID the very
conditions OF tne growth OF the coral, the means OF
securing. and. IN The progress oi ages. ieadorng
habitable the domain cut of from the sea by the
emergenco o. coral reefs.
ore of the most important papers presented to
The Convention was one by Lieut VI. - NArRy on
the Geological Agency OF the Winds" / send It
entire
ON THE GEOLOGICAL AGENCY or Tl,E WINDS
BY p. NAURY. l. : NAVY
Nature : whole, and ali the departments thereof
are Intimately connected. II we attempt 10 study
IN one OF them We hGd ourselves tracing clues Aich
lead of ms,n>oly INTO others, AMI before We
aware We find ourselves exploring the chambers Of
some other CCparfWClt.
The siudy OF drifi takes the geolos,,t ont 10 sea-
and reminds HIM that know ledge ot waves. winds
and currents, Of Navigation and Hyirograply, are
closely and Intimately connected with ni> tavore
pursuit.
The astronomer directs his telescope 10 the most
remote star or 20 The neareS, planet IN the SAy and
makes an observation upon II. lie cannot reduce
tins observation, nor make any use OF It. until he has
availcd himself OF certain principles o Optics. until
hc has consulted the thermometer, gaugct the al
moSuhcrc and considered the effect o. heat IN chang
inC lts power of refIacuon In order 20 aliu>, the
pendulum of ms COrh to the night length he has 10
1casurc the waters OF the sea ant weigh the
earth he toe, mustsCrCiOre 90 INTO the study Of the
tides he must examine the carth'S crust. an con
Slder the matter of which 10 Is composed from pole
10 no ~ cIrcum fcrcnCC 20 center An lu dong this,
he finds himself IN his researches. night along side
the nay gator. the geologst and the meteooogist-
with host of other good ielioW>-'aCh one holding
by the same thread, and following it mp O. the same
lahyun,hS. where stores oi knowledge Tor all and
instruction for each one nm particular.
\
ms circuits" over the ocean, have found myself
ding Slce by side with the CcologSi on Land. and
with hIm tar away nom the sea-shore. engaged IN
considering some olihe phenomena winch The inland
b,>Ius OF the carih-taos, immense nIcniauonS on
the surface that have no sea drainage present for
contemplation and study.
Among the most interesting Of these Is that Of the
Dead sea.
Lieutenant Lynch. |. :. Navy. has run level
from that sta To the Mediterranean and finds the
former To be about 500 ieet below the general sea
Level oi tire earth
in seeking 10 account Tor thls great diAcrence of
water level. the ceOloglS' examines the ueghborsg
region and calls "a his ald the forces OF elevation
and depression which are supposed 10 have resided
IN tno nelghborhood lie then points To 2iom as the
agents which did the work.
The, are mighty agents ani they have diversified
the surface OF the earth with thc most towering
monuments OF their power.
But lslt Necessary 20 suppose that they resided m
the vicinity ol tins region May they not have been,
If not m tins case, " least IN the case of other inland
baSius as farremoved as the other hemisphere
This IS "a question which do not pretend 10 an
swer dehnltlvcly Eut the inquiry as 20 the geoOgI-
cal agency of the winds IN such cases, Is question
which my Investigations have suggested and l
therefore present It as one which, IN accounting iof
The formation of this or that inland BASIN worthy
al least, OF consideration.
Is there any evidence that the annual amount OF
precipitation upon The watershed oi the Dead sea,
at some former pcnod, was greater than the annual
amount OF evaporation II yea, where did the tdpDt
that supplied that precipitation come from, and what
has cut of that supply The mere depression Of the
lake. bed would not dol
II there were ever rlyer from the Dead Seato the
arms Of the Ocean about n. We may Imagine that
uyer 10 have abouuded With falls as the rivers do
which dram the Lakes into the Atlantic
Andf We establish the fact that the Dead Sea did
ever send TyCI 10 the oce dI, carry along with Il
the admission, that when that sea overnowcd INTO
that Tlyer. then the water that fell from the clouds
over the Dead Sea basin was more than The winds
could convert into yapor and carry away again The
.gt-r .l.tfffl fl... IN fltA I.aat
In the basin OF the Dead Sea. IN the basin OF the
Caspian, of the sea OF hras and IN the other inland
basins Of A4a. We are entitled 10 infer that the pre-.
cIItatlOu ana evaporation are al this time exactly
eQual-Were II not so, the level OF these seas would
be- rising or sinking. II the precipitation were Ia
excess these would be gradually becoming full-
er and # the evaporation were ia excess, they
would be gradually drying up. But Obscrf atom does
not show nor history tell us that either Is the
As far know, the level OF these seas 9, As per
mdnent a. that OF the ocean, and IL !, dlncult 10
realize the existence OF suDteuaUedn channels be
tween II and the great ocean. Were there such
channel. the Dead Sea beng lower, II would De the
recipient Of ocean waters and ecannot conceive
how II should be such recipient without ultimately
rsIHg 10 the level of lts feeder.
II may perhaps be evident. that the question sug-
eested by my researches has no bearing upon The
Dead sea that local elevations and snbsiences
alone were concerned IN placing the level OF its va
tiers where II Is. But is II probable that throughout
all the geological pcnCcs-ourlng all The changes
which have taken place IN the distribution OF land
and WateT surface over the tdrth the "Hids winch
IN the general channels Of circulation pass the
Dead Sea, have alone been unchanged. Tha'through
out all ages, periods and formations j. it probable
that the winds have Just brought as much moisture
rs they now brng. and have Just taken up a. much
water from IT, a. they nov carry of
II i possible, but because the agency oi ne winds
NAV have had nothing 10 DO IN placing The level OF
the Dead sea where II -, does u therefore ioho"
that the consideration OF tins question would De IT.
relevant IN the attempt 10 account Tor the level of the
water reservoirs OF other inland basins
Where does the water which fails from the clouds
upon the valley OF the great North American Lakes
come from II goes into the sea and out Of ne sea
II must come again else the sea Would Oe nun
From What part II the sea therefore, DO tie clouds
pei vapor 10 make rain OF for the Lake country
The researches conducted At the National OoseryA-
tory with regard to the winds, have suggested ne
probability that the vapor which Il condeased INTO
rams for the Lake valley and the excess OF which,
the - Lawrence carries of 10 the Atlantic Ocean, s
eyaporated by the ; f. trade winds Oi t,e PacIhc
Ocean. suppose tins 10 be- The case, and mat the
winds which NYIUg TINS Is IN u m the