Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-05-19
Venus.

Msuy " 10 admire tho beautiful star Whioh
| now alorns the western sky until more tbsu
three hours after the commencement OF twilight
NAV not bs aware that its splsndor is derived
from tho sui; that 10 it, like on the earth. night
| ourtaios the landscape. mornlog daWns, and
seasons 10 quick succession come and 70. L'tty
mountains show thst forcss similar to thoss
which upheaved the Alps and hfted the sum
mits of tho Aud,H above the regions OF eternal
snow havs ridsed its surface and covered It
with hills and wales. Variable sp1tl provo
that clouds fiat 10 its atmosphere. and CLEANS
of light, which dart across its sky. afford eVl
dence that 10 il lightniog SEAMS the sky and
the thunder's rclI r;v.r5eratcs through tue
valleys.
But three haadred miles less 10 diamster
than the earth aod revolving 90 It's axis 10
nearly tho same time. Venus makes thirteen
revolutions around the sua while the former
makes eizbt. AZ the ioolhaion OF the planet
TO the p.an. of lis orbit is at least fifty four
degrees. it's torid z,no is double that extent.
or one hundred and eight degrees, aud Its polar
circles 81 degrees from tho poles 1t therefore
has two i'rigld and a torrld, but 20 temperate
zone. Since the SUI mus. srriv5 at the equator
and depart from it TO the dlsta.c, or st degrees
twice 10 each OF its years, there must Do two
Summers apd two Wioers Annually In the totrld
z,ue and Water and summer 10 eaoh OF tho
frigid.
Venus becomes the moraiog ssr st.er its
supsrior oor junction, wheo it appears through
the telescope, cresosnt shspsd like tbs pew
moon, The orbits Of this planet aud or Mer.
curry are within the orbit of the earth and con-
seuuentIy they are never seen in opposition to
| the sun, that is 10 the east when tho sun Is ln
the West, or 10 the west aud the suo.i in the
east. At lis Inferior corjuoction Venus is
nearer to the Garth than coy other planet K
cept the moon. ard sometimes when approach.
Jog the greatest distance, which 1t seems to re-
| oede frou the sun, casts shadow and Is visible
| 10 tie full light OF day.
If at the period when it is nearest to the
| earth the enlightened part we're fully turned
towards the latter, this p|anst would appear
| twenty times as tr!liiaot ss it nov does aDd
ALMOST vie with tac moon il dissipstiug the
| derkoess of light. Being situated at about
one third less drs:aaos from tho sua than the
Garth, Veuus receives more light from that
| Iuuua,y than Is received by the former planet.
and seems not to require the aid Of q mood
Nevertheless, several astronomers have athrmed
that they have noticed such body, aud have
even gouo so lar "a 10 o,culate the orbit OF the
| supposed aatcliite, bu: their observations have
not been v,r;fsd.
The transi.s Of VcDus, or its passage between
| the earth and tho SUI, when /. appears as
| rolod dark spot movlog slowly across the solar
| disc, have been made 10 assis. IN determiog the
jistacc. OF the carth fro n the oj0ttal i1mpsry.
| The last tIaIsi: ccmrcd 10 Do,suocf, 1874,
| snd he Gix. vii, take prs in Dec,Ibsr, 1892.
| As this c,u be viewed il the U0i:ei S:s!es it
! Ri.l ava 70 greater Interest than the trsnst
hich Ritteuhcuie and others observed more
thaS CENTURY ago. Bd! fJut trsusits o! Feoua
hsy, oeen observed. aud after 1892 ono hun.
dred erd twenty one aod hat years will
,l.pse b.furo tbs alternately morning and even.
lng star will pursue its s,cuiog pathway across
;hs su;fao, OF the great orb OF day.
LADY LAYARD's TAcr.-L1dy Layard, the
wife of tho British Ambassador Ct Constantine
pic, is handsome woman. gifted with large
heart AID great energy. Her kindness to tho
sutferiog Turkish refugees has wcn from then
the most enthusiastic gratitude And il is not
| 10 Turkey only that her scll-deVotlOD and ccur.
age are appreciated. While her Lu'bani was
/ stationed 10 Madrii as British Minister. Mar
! 1al Sarr,no. tho ex Rsseat, tufsusd 6y tha
| re- publicaes ca 30 sc,uiati3n CT oolspfscY'
sought refuge a: the British Legation.
AZ this residence WIS considered unaais Tor
him. the Lsyards cirried him 10 Disguise to
SAINT audcr. Ol arriviog at the railway station
this ldsrshal gave his arm TO Mrs. L1yard, while
MIR. I.aysrd wa!ked behind @ith the b,gs snd
10 this N auner they got safo into tho train
through crowd Of excited republicans; ,n =; At At
the p!ircipa stations 90 the rotd the Reds
searched tho csrrisaes. hut DIT. A3y1ra $1,000 ~
one door Of thei com mpartmen; and Mrs. Layard
A. the otber md ,reveuted the men from en-
teriog, claiming the Ugh: of ffe' passage as
At Santander tug v. % easagsd to take Ser
rsno to Biarrilz. and at tb isss nomous w..
civil guards came 10 aad i, uA9aeo psi".SS,un
TO s,srch it. Mr. L,yard sto ~ u 'u' soe !.
way and refused TO dnit them. saylns 'na. ae .ue
strange pas niger vas messenger beirg :, ''
by the British Min;s;er. They desisted. the
tug arted, aod Ssrraoo was say ed. tor tho
part she had taken 10 tue matter IDS L,ysrd
received the tbabks Of the Blush Goternment.