The sun., 1881-11-27

II is amusing to note the terms In which he
speaks OF poem which is entirely forgotten:
Il do not writeto express to you the measure OF
my qualification and pleasure tfor should find
that very difficult to be accomplished to my
own satis facton). but simply to say that have
read tho poem, and dwelt upon II with the deep
est interest admiration. and delight; and that
feel proud OF II. as very good instance OF the
genius OF n great writer OF my own time. 1
should feel 1t as a kind OF treason to what has
been awakened in me by the book X l were TO
try to eet off my thanks to you. or II were
tempted into being diffuse In its praise. l am
too earnest on the subject to have any misgiv-
ing but that shall convey something OF my
earnestness to you in tho brefest and
most unaffected now OF expression" Touching
another of Bulwer's performances. which has
perhaps even less claim to be remembered. the
comedy entitled Not so Bad as We Seom."
Dickens writes: II think 1t most admirable.
Full Of character, strong in interest. rich in
capital situations. ana certain to e. noS'y ,t n94
sincerely think these three acts finer. can
not say too much OF tho comedy to express xprrss'1
more extrava9nnt is the adulation with which
Dickens acknowledges the reccption Of the
,n I effect d Ssn Shfn 3;
novel. Great Expectations" had been enthu-
Strange Strange Story" Story" Diskens SAYS; "of the
beauty and power OF the writing, l say
Of its quite extraordinary constructive skill: On
more imaginative readers the tale will fali t?r
aih ho gren s,n a,inaiion soms sIsut
| cism. aud somo knowledge and learning. hope
1t will he regarded rs full ot strange iancy and
thoughts and specuiations at odd times. and the
wonder which q master has right to evoke.
Ia lab sha afArD nrn AnA huf nn
oher sr man ,ns @ co%d Wre AM And again % in another
leter: - Le, the book explain itself; 1t speaks
cellencs Of the whole." wiring from Paris. in
:Isarn from an en- nassy here that the En- peror
| Napoleon has just made an earnest proposal to
our government TO unite with France land Rus
sa Nussia will In IN ppeal to Amertcat to stop
yet received: but !, think I clearly perceive that
ha e T has Is not ye Five 1.nrs
niterward: being on tho eve Of his second
| long letter to James T. Fields. in which he
tries 10 correct tho einpression that no had habit
that he had ever i reisrred r. to American publish.
| ers as these fellows" or described the sums
Rhid fSr aiyhnre .i sheets as conscience m money.
made any other allusion to ths republication Of
his books 10 America than the g9od-humorcd
copyright between England and the States
should have been man OF very large fortune
u
In July. 1868. after his return from America.
do not believe there is the slightest chance Of an
| International copyright law being passed in
chms, hmsrc i0f I2nR on % .o 70 come some massn
they fall; as think. to TAXI, into account the
prompt western opposition"
| In n volume entitled Volcanoes: What
| they Are and What they Teach tAppletonsl.
Prof. JOHN ". JUDD sums up tho results Of
| modern observation and reasouing on the
| phenomena and causes OF volcanic activity
| Tho author selects examples OF volcanoes
which can bs shown to bo really typical. and
from the study OF these deduces the general
| laws which appear to govern eruptiv0 action
| In the course OF his book he dwes at some
length also upon subjects which might not at
| first sight appear to be german to the question
under discussion. such ms the characters OF
| lavas. revealed to US by microscopic examina-
| ton; tho nature and movements Of tho liquids
enclosed Ia the crystals Of igneous rocks: tho
| relations Of minerals occurring in ssme VOL
| canic products to those found in moteorites !:
and the indications which havo been discovered
between the composition and dynamics OF our
earth and those OF other m members OF the system
| OF worlds 10 which 1t belongs.
| We must bear In mind tina. tho branch Of
| physical science which 10 concerned with the
| laws OF volcanic action is yet in It's infancy |;
that competent men have only just commenced
those series o! exact and continuous obscrva-
| tious which are necessary TO determine the con-
! ditions that regulate the appearance OF vol
| canic phenonena. In other words. it is impos-
sble to predict the date OF an eruption as 1t is
possible to fore,ell the reappearance OF comet
| As regards. however. those volcanic centres
tvh hiel Il hna, l. frn,
the time and relative violence Of their outburs,s
have been recorded. and these data point to GER
| tain definite conclusions. For instance a long
period OF QuiesceRce usually ensues after an
eruption which is either OF lenG duration or OF
! great violence. and conversely long continued
or very vehement eruption is generally followed
by long period OF repose Again. feeble
and short eruptions commonly succeed ono
another at brief intervals. and. as q general
rule. the violence OF an eruption is ayerseiy
proportional to its duration. Those inferenccs
from historical facts ore in perfect harmony
with tho theory. based on ocular ins pecton OF
tho craters Of Stromboli and vesuvius. that
volcanic outoursts are duo TO the accumulation
OF steam at volcanic centres. and that tho ten
sion OF this imprisoned gns eventually over
comes the repressng forces which tend to pro-
vent its manifestation. Whether tho popular
idea that eruptions are regulated by atmos-
pherio conditions has any foundation Is still
open 70 grave doubt. 1t is also as yet uncertain
whether volcanic outbursts. like the tides are
to any extent affected by tho relative positions
OF tho sun and moon to our globe These are
problems whose solution is now engaging
close attention. but thus much has already been
established. viz. that the varied appearances
presented alike in the Grandest and fesblest
exhibitions Of volcanic action. namely. the es-
cape from the midst OF masses OF molten ma
terials of imprisoned steam or water gas.
The distribution OF volcanoes upon the sur
face OF the globe has led to some interesting
conclusions touching the part thoy play in the
economy Of nature. II Is computed that the
number OF great habi,ual volcanic vents upon
the surface o. tho earth 10 somewhere between
800 and $50. We're TO include the noun
tains which exhibit the external conical form.
tho crateral hollows. and other features of vol
canoes. but concerning whose activity we have
no record or tradition. the number would fall
little II anything short Of 1000. Still more nu-
tha tof,