514 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Iu conclusion, we give the results of experience with these pave- 

 ments in London, and these are : 1. The first cost of the asphalt road 

 is the same as that of a granite pavement. 2. The annual cost of 

 maiutenance is a trifle less. 3. Where a granite pavement is worn 

 out in from seven to ten years, an asphalt pavement is still in perfect 

 condition. 4. Asphalt, when taken up, may be used again and again. 



REGARDING MATTERS IN INDIA. 



Bt CAPTAIN LYON. 



A LECTUEE BEFOEE THE IOXDOS SOCIETY OF AETS. 



IN describing the various views, the lecturer said : I beg to ask 

 your assistance this evening in what I am going to do. I want 

 you to use your imagination, and fancy yourselves on board ship, and 

 so that it may be pleasant and agreeable in one of these new 

 Bessemer ships, where you have no sea-sickness to endure. We will 

 go down the Mediterranean, through the Suez Canal, down the Red 

 Sea where the heat is frightful, and the thermometer 120 on deck 

 and any number below, in fact perfectly suffocating to Aden. We 

 will not stay there, but press on to Ceylon, where we shall arrive in 

 ten days, and where the beauty of tropical vegetation is seen for the 

 first time lovely beyond description. Thence we go on to Madras ; 

 but before we arrive I will show you the god Ganesa. There he is, in 

 all his glory. He is the god most worshipped of all the Hindoo gods 

 a beauty, you see. His history is as follows : For certain reasons it 

 was considered necessary that Siva should marry, and as he was an 

 old bachelor he did not like it. However, the marriage took place 

 between him and Parvatee, who unfortunately gave birth to a son. 

 Parvatee had a brother, called Vishnu, who was always upbraiding 

 her, and Ganesa, who was a most lovely child, always took his mother's 

 part. At last, Vishnu one day began upbraiding her again, and Ganesa 

 threatened to thrash him, and the result was that they had a fight, 

 and Ganesa got a tremendous thrashing instead, and Vishnu, with one 

 blow of his cimeter, cut off his head. Parvatee took a fit of the sulks 

 at this ; but in the end Siva was asked to restore Ganesa to life. 

 Siva at last consented to do so ; but on looking for him they could 

 only find his body, but no head. Here was a difficulty. The gods 

 were consulted as to what was to be done, and the result was that a 

 god was sent to bring the head of the first animal he saw and put it on 

 Ganesa's body ; and this animal, unfortunately, was an old elephant, 

 with one tooth. They took his head and stuck it on to Ganesa's body, 

 and you see the result. Parvatee did not like this, and in return, to 



