Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-12-01

As to the lecture It was most able; it not only
gave US Information which curious and valuable
to Us as Americans, commercial mer, Swans, lovers
OF the romantic, and as Christians, but there was
a marvellous simplicity, in the style OF the man
which made it delightful. Even his hesitancy at a
good point or fne passage fand there we're many OF
bolh) gave a charm beyond the tropics and four
ishes of common "lecturers." The currents Of old
ocean were described their courses pointed out on
chart, and sketches Of the manner Of their discov
cry given most feeitously.
The course of Columbus and the early nsviga~
tors was shown. The discovery Of the Gulf Stream
and the fact that DIR. Franklin knew and made use
of It's difference of temperature was elucidated
Then the "calm" regions, the storm" regions OF
the trade winds" discussed, pointed out, the
use made by nayigators of the knowledge shown
and brilliant eulogy of the horse ATTITUDES" as
they are called by sailors, given.
The 'horse ATTITUDES" or region of the trade
winds is according to the Lieutenant, the most de,
lightiul of al attitudes; blown along by mild, buoy
ant, strength giving odorous breezes through inf"
mite Paci6cs, lued by the long, measured roll of
the blue waves, existence itself is a wonder and a
delight. Then the islands by which you foat their
greenness and the loneliness Of their cloudcspped
| mountains the magnhcence of the clouds which
ever canopy the sea over:hese parallels Of latitude,
and the glory and the splendOr of the rising and
the setting sun, were all Swallowed forth by the dis
course most eloquently, and with clear, graphic
power. A sketch of Valparaiso given in which
the beauty OF the physical aspects Of the region Of
the Pacific trade wind was viewed in the brightest
| light Of imagination. The coming and the vio-
| ence of the sea breeze spoken of, and the inf
mite calm which follows its dying away, were almost
| brought before us by the beauty of the words Of
the discourse; then the peeping out of the timid
stars one by one if the elemental strife of earth
had ceased, and as night deepeus, the scim of
planet after planet into the vision of the gazer then
the beauty of the perfect Pacific midnight with its
| ustrous glory of radiant consultations in their
set stations, among which blazes that jewelled
Southern Cross and our own Orion with his flaming
sword, were also dwelt with such felicity that
the hearers took with them into our own starry
night st the close of the lecture, some of the feel
ing which idealised the evening into a night on the
mild wave or odorous coast of the Pacific.
A sketch of the route Of the submarine telegraph
which will connect the four continents was given,
and the absolute fitness of the bed for tele
graph cable-''it was made for submarine tele-
graph"-was elucidated at length The character
of the bottom of the sea-nOt as in that dreadful
dream OF Clarence, filed with
"a thousand fearful wrecks;
thousand men that fishes gnawed upon;
Wedges of gold; great anchors. heaps of gold
Inestimable stones, invaluable jewels
but covered with millions of infinitely minute
shells the remains of myriads Of insects who have
lived and died on the surface, was pronounced on,
and the mode of bringing specimens to the surface
| by Brooks ingenious sounding apparatus, were de
| scribed with the help OF a working model Of the
| apparatus In the course of his remarks on this
point, the lecturer mentioned the following Incl,
dent:
On the return of the Arctic from her late sounds
ing expedition, the substances brought up by
| Brooks sounding rod were submitted to micrOsco-
pic examination by Professor Bailey, at West Point.
Among the debris of crustace, infusoria and other
animalcules, which compose the bed Of the ''tee1
graphic plateau" the Professor discovered what he
supposed to be a species Of volcanic cnder, which
pervaded the SAID substances for distance Ofiully
one thousand miles of the bottom of the ocean,
and which fact be instantly acquainted Lieut. Maui
nv with The chart carefully examined, and
while Mr.. NJ was trying in vain 10 ascertain from
what volcano this matter could be brought, lucky
thought occurred to him, that as this depOste was
| confined to the track OF the steamers running be-
tween this country and Europe, it might be caused
| by the ashes and cinders thrown overpoaFd from
them. sample of genuine coal ashes from the
ash pits of the Europe and Asia was accordingly
sent TO the Professor who, after a rigid examine
ton, pronounced the latter identical with his Uot-
cG1lic cinders.