PHYSICAL SCIENCE IN ENGLISH SCHOOLS. 23 



proved by the discovery, in the lakes of Switzerland (at Meilen, Moos- 

 seedorf, Wangeu, and Robenhausen), of bits of tinder prepared from 

 the Boletus igniarius. And, if we accept the views of Messrs. Ed. 

 Lartet and Christy with regard to certain blocks of granite, hol- 

 lowed out in the centre, which have been found in the caves of Peri- 

 gord, these blocks would appear to have been intended for the pur- 

 pose of procuring fire by rapidly rotating a wooden rod in the central 

 cavity, as is done by the priests of Brahma. 



And, indeed, how could it happen that fire should have been un- 

 known even in the earliest periods of Quaternary time, considering 

 the chances of fire being struck from these flints, whether in the 

 workshop or in battle, and of the sparks falling upon combustible 

 materials for instance, dry leaves ? This explanation we hold to be 

 simpler and more natural than the other, which refers the discovery of 

 fire to the spontaneous conflagrations of forests, or to the friction of 

 dry branches of trees. 



Fire, we repeat with profound conviction, must have been very 

 early known to man, for we cannot conceive of his living without it. 

 And hence, " who can picture the joy, the gladness, the radiant ec- 

 stasy of that one of our unknown forefathers who first triumphantly 

 exhibited to his astonished tribesmen the smoking brand from which 

 he had succeeded in causing flame to burst forth ? " ' 



Thus we have seen that fire gave rise to nearly all the arts, or at 

 least promoted their development. Metallurgy, architecture, ceramic 

 arts, agriculture, navigation, commerce, industry, all are quickened 

 by its vivifying flame. It has played, and still does play, an impor- 

 tant part in the religious ceremonies and the funereal rites of nations, 

 both savage and civilized. But then, in turn, as though by a law of 

 Fate, evil accompanies the good : fire destroys with greater rapidity 

 than it produces by forging those formidable engines, those imple- 

 ments of death, by which in the twinkling of an eye the flower of 

 nations is cut down on the battle-field. Revue Scientifiqtie. 







PHYSICAL SCIENCE IN ENGLISH SCHOOLS. 



AT a meeting of the British Association five years ago, the subject 

 of science-teaching in our higher schools excited unusual inter- 

 est. Not only were papers read and followed by enthusiastic discus- 

 sion, but a committee was privately formed, including more than 

 twenty leaders of the Association, all of whom undertook to combine 

 in pressing the claims of science on our head-masters, and in offer- 

 ing counsel as to systems and methods, apparatus, and expenditure. 

 1 Albert Reville, Revue des Deux Mondes, tome xl. 



