The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-02-04

large ou6ence il 64endGnfse upcn the FIRST Of Pro-
|fessor Guyofs lectures onls Tbs Physical Geogra-
ply 81 Che Cd and New wesld delivered Monday
evening in the Atheumum. The lecture was iiustra
ted by means Of maps, suspended on the walls,
which exhibited the position and shape Of the land
and water Of the two hernisphefcs, end also the
grsde and prupnrtioaate height Of the different
chains Of mountains in the world. The physical
geography Of the New Wsrld Mr.. 9. said, was to
be ascertained by comparing tie continents Of
America with those Of the Old World. He pro-
posed however, in his lectures not osdy to examine
the nstura characteristics and pecuartes of these
different countriss but also to present few consdc
| rations which, it seemed to him, flowed from the
study of the physical geography of the world, and
were ;connected with another subject still more
| grand and interesting-ihe great functions that
! each of these continents had to perform, ae-
cording to the DEGREES of Providence, and in
virtue of their physical nature. Was not the
| study of the beautiful mechanism of the world
| great and beautiful one, and especially of the
section of it in which livcd7 By it the harmon
zing of the physical and mental organizations of the
| universe was proven, and the bearings of climate
upon man, and of one section of the world upon the
other, clearly defined 1t was matter of astonisl-
ment that this globe had been so long sealed book
Prior to the discoveries of Columbus, one knew
anything of the extent of the globe. Nations were
confined to small spots twereknowing but little
| of their own domains, and going abroad only TO
seek for precious minerals, to conquer other
| lions. Before the time of Columbus not single
expedition, originating in purely scientific motives,
| was organized. This spirit of discovery had been
existing for three hundred years. and duringthat
time various exploring expeditions had been started,
and sent out from variety of motives: selfish be-
nevolent, scientific, and otherwise.
At this time there was probably, little more of new
country to be discovered, except in the interior Of
Africa for the Arctic region was mainly filed with
ice The object of scientific explorations should be,
nowto study more accurately thecharacter OF those
countries that had been discovered. Discoveries of
| new countries were necessary to complete our
| knowledge of the globe-but they were not the
most useful After the vast discoYe. les Of external
features of the world--the sciences were revived
and expanded To understand the mighty workings
and adaptations of these great regions, scientific
search, deep and protracted, necessary, and
followed.
There were the general rules governing physical
nature and the exceptions to be delineated. How
great the study. He approached the vast subject
with dtfidence and feeling sense ofthe feebeness
and incapacity of mortal power to the fulflmen OF
the task 1t fact well known, that the general
laws of climate depended upon the formation of the
SOIL the solar heat and the distribution of the rays
Of the sun 1t also fact, that althouy Oh places
in the same latitude received the quantity ofthe
rays of the sun-yet they were entirely dis
similar in their physical;nature. There not
one spot On the surface of the globe that was
ienticsily the same in formation, position,
and its physical nature, with any other spot. Pro-
fessor G. then proceeded to contrast different por
tons of the globe, in the same latitude, that
of directly opposite natures. He instanced the ives
tern shores of the Pacific, as compared with the
eastern shores Of the continent In Oregon the WIN
tiers were mild, and characterized by much rain
yet on the same continent, in the same latitude
the borders of Lake Superior, in the Canadas, and
N England States, the entire soil in the winter
covered with snow and ice. This one ofthe prob
lens of physical nature to be solved. There were
certain laws which gave to each country character
of its own, and through them to the entire globe,
and which constituted great geographical element
Those laws the externs FORMS and situatonsof
countries. By the form was explained many Of the
phenomena of land and water. The spheroGical
form of the globe would explain, for inssr &c, the
difference of heat and cold in climates in the
latitude Another cause of difference arose from the
peculiar surface and situation of land and water
and again, the land and water did not receive the
rays of the san with the same degree of intensity
and, consequently, difference was produced. The
situation Of countries, alse, caused difference OF
temperature through the medium of rains and
winds But all of these differences and peculiari-
ties were necessary, and entirely harmoaized with
each other Each member and portion of the globe
had its peculiar vocation To find Cat these peeu-
Earities and differences scientific investigations were
necessary. 1t was not possible to know the condi-
ton of the climate of Richmond by studying only
the climate which prevailed in it. The of
ration might from the tropical regions the
one side-the interior, or the northern regions, on
other. In order, in like manner to the coInprehen
sion of the climate and situation of the countries OF
| the New World, we must examine in connection the
| climate and situation of the Old World they nu
taaly related to- and affected each other To an un
ders;anding of the physical geography of the New
World, the leading features and peculiarities of the
Old World as of the New, must be studied, and
their bearings defined. The situation of the noun
tains, OF the high and low lands, was one OF the
most important features of the physical phenomena
Mr.. e. next proceeded to Illustrate his views by
maps-of course portion of the lecture, which
could not clearly be described by u.s. without the
maps themselves were before the reader Taking
line of Thousand feet above and below the level
the ocean, he proceeded to show the effect of the
high upon the lowland by reason of its intercep
| ton of the winds and rays of the sun-alluding il
connection, to the important effect produced by TIL
groupings of the continent in the Old World four
in the New World two In the Old World they
formed almost square of solid matter, which in tn
New they stretched away from each in pyrimidics
forms He advered to some of the effects Of thes
positions. In the interior part of ASIA and its di
lance from the seas, occasioned deficiency Ut wind
t.us :. -rin-while in America, its elongated fop
sss.,.,,,,.. = winds. and subject to pier
-. r IL. M