The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-07-30
Science and Modern Discovery.

DTluSe University, ITOl. VI. ".
Stokes, F. r. S., who is also secre-
tary of the royal society of England,
delivered a remarkable address at
the annual meeting of the Victoria
Institute, in London, towards
the end of June. Sir H. Barkly.
G. G. NJ. g., F. r. s., occupied the
chair, and the audience, which
included many members of both
housesof parliament, filled every part
Of the large hall Professor Stokes
gave an important account of the
progress of physical science
during the past quarter of a centu-
ry, and reviewing the results, espe-
cially noted that as a scientific
truth developed, so had men TO give
up the idea that there was any OPP
position between the book of nature
and the book of revelation. He
said that for the last twenty years
or so one Of the most striking adj
vances in science had been made in
the application of the spectroscope,
and in the Information obtained
with regard to the constitution of
heavenly bodies. The discovery
that there were in these particular
chemical elements, which were also
present in our earth, exalted our
idea of the universally of the Laws
of nature, and there was nothing
in that contrary TO what he had
learned in revelation, unless we
were to say as the heather did that
the God of the Hebrews was the God
of the hills and not of the valleys.
Entering with some particularly
into the composition of the sun, the
professor said this gave an idea of
an enormous temperature, since
iron existed there in a state of va
por. This was utterly inconsistent
with the possibility of the existence
there of living beings at all APP
preaching in character to those we
have here. Are we then to regard
this as a waste of materialsI Might
we not rather argue that as in ami
mails we ascend by greater special
cations, so we could consider the diff
ferentiatiOnof office Indifferent mem
bers of the solar system as marks
of uperiority, and could regard the
sun as performing most important
AUCTIONS for that system? In fact,
all life on our earth was ultimately
derived from the radiation of solar
heat. Referring to the doctrines of
conversation of energy and of dis
sipation of energy, he pointed out
to some length how the sun, 50 far
as we could see, was not calculated
for an eternal duration in the same
state and performing the same func
tiOns as now. We must regard the
universe on a grand scale, and then
there was progress. If we contem
plated nothing but. periodicity, per
haps we might rest content and think
things would go on forever as at
present; but, looking on the state
of the universe on grand scale as
one of progress, this idea obliged US
to refer to a first cause. Professor
Stokes concluded with recommend
ing that the annual report of the So
ciety read by Captain Frank Petrie,
the honorary secretary, be adopted.
1t showed that the number of home,
American, and colonial members
had increased upwards of eleven
hundred, aud that the Institutes
object, in which scientific men
whether in its ranks or not aided,
was to promote scientific inquiry, |
and especially in cases where ques-
tions of science were held by those |
who advanced them 20 be subser-
sive of religion. All its members
and one. guinea associates received
its transactions free, and twelve of |
it's papers were now published in a
peoples edition, which was to be
had in many Of the colonies and
America. The address was delIv-
cred by DR.. j. Leslie Porter, presi-
dent of the Queens College, Bel
fast, the subject being Egypt:
Historical and Geographical, a
country with which he had been |
thirty years intimately acquainted.
Having referred to the antiquity Of
Egyptian records, which in so many |
instances bore on the history of
other ancient countries, he proceed
ed to describe the various changes |
through which that country had |
passed since its first colonization;
and touching on its physical geog
raphy, concluded by giving the
main results of recent exploration.
One or two special statements may
here be recorded. DR.. Porter said:
Were the mile, by some convul-
sion of nature, or by some gigantic
work of engineering skill-neither
of which is impossible-turned out
of its present channel away up to
Khartoum, or at any other point
above .Wady Halfa, Egypt would
speedily become desert. No trib
utary enters the Nile below Bsrber,
that is to say, for the last thousand
miles of its course. The arabic
land of Egypt is about equal in ex
tent to Yorkshire" The White
Nile, issuing from Lakes Albert and
Victoria Nyanza, is broad and deep
and never rises above a few feet,
and supplies the permanent source
of the river OF Egypt. The other
tributaries produce the inundation."
OF these the Atbara from the noun
tains of Abyssinia is the most fertih
zing, as it brings with. it guam tity |
of soil. The deposit of this soil is
slowly raising the river bed as well |
as extending on each side; for ex
ample, on the plain of Thebes the
soil formed by deposits has in $500
years encroached upon the desert a
third of mile, while the ruins of
Hierapolis in the Delta, which once
stood above the reach of the mum
dation, are buried in mud deposit |
to depth of nearly seven feet" In !
conclusion, he referred to Egypt |
and its present condition, saying : |
"The commerce from the upper
tributaries of the Nile, and from
the wide region of the Soudan,
forms an essential factor in the
prosperity and progress OF Egypt"
The Earl of Belmore and the Right
Hon. A. S. Arton moved and sec