New-York tribune., 1870-04-23

|
Barnard Of Columbia College, not far distant Prof
Coffin sat with bent head and struggling iron gray
other Coffin editor OF the Astronomical Almanac held the
r0bo0k Of the days proceedings small Scotchooking
man, with curling hair and beard suffered to grow long
after British inland fashion, and eyes, bright twinkling
and restless those of terrier rowing perpetuay over
the audience Hgard OF the Coast Survey asout SMOOTH
goodlookng Of German extraction, more polished
in style than OF his brother members Is known as
the SecessiOnst Professor He strongly In sympathy
with the Rebellion and his wife said to be spy OF
JEFF Davis Repeated efforts were made to dislodge him
from his post under Government but he kept 1t through
ALL for the trangest ever heard for keeping an
obnoxious man in pace-his usefulness. The foreign
Prof Poey founder and director of the Havana Obser-
vatory, exed for his political opinions took part in
the Academys proceedings apparently the youngest
member present his slight figure, polished bear
ing and pale, delicate face, with its
rings OF glossy black hair and brilliant dark eyes, made
his presence bit Of mosaic among the broad By
zsntine tlework of the Assembly. few ladies' wives
of the professors and others who liked to hear the more
interesting papers, cOored the border OF the audience
but Procession and Mentaton and the Deviatons Of the
Compass in roncad ships severe test OF their en-
durance invaluable as those papers must be to the Acad-
emy. Capt Hall Of Arctic fame str0ed In the first day,
followed by his "inteigent Esqumaux," in very loose
suit Of well made chevot, looking like Chinaman with
gray face instead Of yellow There was general
turning TO survey him. and lady affirmed that the E
qumaux winked at her. Perhaps his observations In
this country taught him that 1t the proper thing to
do Anyhow the stares ceased and SO did the in
telgent" from the face Of Lincoln Hall.
President Henry alone occupied seat at one side OF
the stage which was further furnished with octagon
blackboard like an exaggerated signal reading desk
tripod, and line with cothespins by which maps
could be displayed. The President is tall, commanding
parsonage with face where srctness and generosity
strangely blended, and which reminds one OF Saxon
ala fto Ia inf tnry Uag n
model, and was in these words: "The meeting of the
Academy will open by paper from Prof. Walcott gibbs
the Spectrum" Upon which hint Prof. Gibbs rose,
dressed side face to the audience and reced his essay
to himself for small good any hearers had from It, 1t
might be represented by series Of peasant-toned
m-mm-s, with audible coda mnus-x, or the coehicent
Of some doubly unknown quantity-and so fast! "How
does the water come down at Lodorei" SO did the
words frem the learned professor l know that
he went through with enough science in ten
minutes to last an hour II clearly spoken. He
should be dubbed member Of the Society for the Exred
ton of knowledge. Probably Prof Gbbss theories were
so abstruse that nobody could understand them but him
SELF and 1t was no matter II the audience heard not
Prof Simon Newcomb, a young savant from the Naval
Observatory pinned his sheet OF illustrations to the
board, mastered his controlling and not unbeeoming
modesty and told about the phenomenon which would
make its centennial appearance during the next four
Arrangements have been made by European Govern
e ad Soe i1r nv s Which he eond
measure the time of the planet Mercurys with
the a second but this particular observation of
Venus had never been taken. 1t remarked by some
one that the diameter OF the astronomers eyepupu
should be considered in making these measurements
the difference in result from an enlarged pupil would
be the that of large telescope compared to
small one. Gen. Meigs perceived making expert
ents with finger and thumb his eyebas TO test the
truth of this remafk Somebody rose to add further
suggestion, and like all of the acadenicians hitherto
turned his face from the audience which led to the
mark, what an interesting back that man has!o II
taught when schooboys as To attitude and voice for
public speaking it would add 70 the Iresentmcnt of the
Academy. Why should speakers evidently gentlemen
born and bred through their papers with the apioo
ana hqT 81 from TN one n
they have forgotten TO go on reading by starts each
aehss TSoss It II do one mt 'S1G sSnfyi y WIN 'H'
The second day DR.: George OTIS read paper Of OBJ
eliced: During the past two years over 900 human
Tana have been at the Army rS@ MsdG Sa
Smithsonian Institution from auction sales in Europe and
been measured The weight has been ascertained by
Antwerp balance, the lower jaw being detached % the
measure. The general conclusions deduced that
"the position of the toraDen magnum is more import
"the variations OF skulls Of the and were
so great that any congratulations of value could be found
only in averages obtained by the examination Of large
iheGry h@TsF Of mine SS that there isn't such vast
difference in the human race after all,
but we are put up in assorted dozens, with no excu
sive pecnaFes to sig1fyIhat Judging i from the
assigned lower position in the human scale than here
iforna and Illinois suggest views favorable to the pro-
opment that There is a marked difference between
the skulls found in Northern, and those from Southern
tumuli "-the former resemble the crania OF the Es-
quilnaux the latter of the ancient Peruyans, or the In
dans now exsting-that reconstructed skeletons from
Esqumaux" The President remarked that this subject
at present exciting great deal of interest among
minutes to examine the skulls presented by Dr. Otis
The next paper was from Dr Hayes on The Northmen
- 1aUlp He erl,.1
last Summer with the arts; Bradford to explore the re-
gon occupied by the NorthmeD. beautiful photo
graphs Of this region handed among the audience.
These seem 10 Inc more pessiye OF the singular purity
and stiffness OF those Polar scenes than any paintings
produced by pigment and the exquisite Shading Is shown
best in black and White The pictures were SOFT ana
church Of KrakoOk. Dr. Hayes made 10 his first object
IL II stands on the bank Of lonely ford 20 miles in
length by wide, extending to the base OF l0fy
OF the inland region, are the cause of a greatly
modified climate, as no icebergs come Into the
slope gently half mile to the base OF high cliffs of meta
morphic rock These slopes are clothed with yerdnae
and the is Summer-lke and picturesque. the
church stands such slope. surrounded by small
scrub willows birches, and juniper bushes m Inc grass
thick The doors aud OF the windows are still
Norman arch This was in the east, and orientation
perfect Phe walls are still perfect to from 10 70 -
bSx2s feet. 1t was surrounded completely by a wall
forming churchyard in one corner Of which was the
almonry. From this, extendingto to the west the wall
inclosed the priests bishops house, which Ia still
what perfect On the north side the buildings were
sheltered by "a cliff about high as the church-top
Near the church there were the remains OF a
round structure feet in diameter which may have
been tower; five other buildings lay In the immediate
vicinity all equidstant from the beach, the church
itself standing I65 feet above hghwater mark. The
ruins ancient buildings were found dotted along both
banks OF the ord but they are here much less numerous
than they the southern branch OF the hord which
extends further into the INTERIOR and reaches 70 the
early OF Gadas and Bratad. At this latter
place there IL n church ruin In the form OF cross which