The prairie news. [volume] (Okolona, Miss.) 1851-1875, 1858-04-01

ho hooiic l'dlly IflDune mas the fol-
lowing report of DIR. Boynton's second
lecture ON Geology the subject embra
cling the Crust of the Earth, igneous
condition of the interior causes of yolca-
noes, and the elevation of continents and
Islands"
The earth was originally melted mass
OF rock-and melted, because of the
chemical action, and condensation of the
particles of which it is compassionate
being surrounded by a cold atmosphere.
the surface cooled and formed crust
This formed the granite rock. This is
the only crystalized rock, as it is the only
rock formed by the cooling of, the original
melted mass. When the earth Was in this
highly heated condition, the water now
on its surface was driven off, and existed
only in the form of vapor.
Water cannot be made to touch a high
ly heated body. Put a few drops of wa
ter on very hot stove, and it will form
into globules, and dance around on the
surface, not touching the heated IRON
AS the crust of the earth became thicker,
the water gradually condensed upon it,
and for ages boiling ocean covered the
earth. This cooling process went on, and
as all bodies contract by cooling, so it
was with the crust of the earth.
BY the contraction produced by cool
ing, pressure was exerted on the melted
me N hn int nria thn al
depression and wrinkles on the surface of
the earth. A wagon tire is heated and
englared, so as to be placed easily upon
a wheel; water is then poured on and this
produces contraction, so that it shrinks
tightly upon the felloes. All the matter
obeys the same law. The elevations and
depressons produced by the contraction
of the earth's crust would form valleys
for the oceans, and elevate continents and
islands. The crust of the earth being
comparatively thin, and the cooling and
contraction going on, great changes would
take place; sometimes the bed OF the
ocean would be elevated, and form the
dry land, and the dry land would sink
and form the bed of the ocean. There is
indiSputable evidence that this has taken
place, and it can only be accounted for
upon the theory that the earth is mol
ten mass of rock, with thin crust cool
ed on the outside
Another evidence that the interior of
the earth is an igneous condition, is that
if a thermometer is buried fifty feet below
the surface, the mercury will remain at
the same point the year Notwithstanding
that the influence Of the sun, and the
change of the season, does not reach be-
You'd that depth. Go down fifty feet
more, and the mercury will rise one de-
grces and at one hundred feet two degrees,
and rise regularly one degree for every
fifty feet. 1t can easily be calculated at
what depth water would boil, and so at
what depth all known substance will melt.
The crust of the earth IS only about fifty
miles thiek--not 50 thick, in proportion
to the diameter of the earth, as an egg
she'll to the diameter of the egg.
The earthquakes and volcanoes present
still stronger evidences of the melted con-
dition of the interior of the earth. Vol
canoes, in the early ages of the earth,
when the crust was thin, were counted
by thousands. Now, there are only few
hundreds in, active operation. BY the
contraction of the earths crust, pressure
on the interior is produced. The melted
masses must have vent; hence the earth
quakes and volcanic eruptions. Many of
these openings through the crust of the
earth have been very large.
The side of volcanic mountain once
broke away, and the liquid masses flow
ed out and formed river twelve miles
wide. melting down hills six hundred feet
high, and filing up valleys six hundred
feet deep, spreading over an extent of
country equal to eleven hundred square
miles! On the Island of Owyhee, one of
the Sandwich Islands, there is now in ac-
tive operation, volcano, the crater of
which is three miles wide.
In conclusion, and in illustration of his
subject, DR.. Boynton exhibited three large
paintings of volcanoes. The first was a
night scene, representing an eruption
from Graham's Island" in the Mediter-
ranean Sea. The next was the same,
when the fires had gone out. The third
was that of the great Owyhee. These
were exceedingly beautiful and elected
the most hearty applause from the aud
fence.
Florida badians.-Thc confederation
learns from Col. Garrett, agent of the
Greek Indians, who lately passed through
Montgomery, that Billy Bow Legs and
his warriors-fifty or sixty in number