Effects of the Orbicular and Rotary Motions of the Earth. 4^9 

 bodies, mav therefore be considered as a result of the composi- 

 tion of forces produced by the annual and diurnal motions ot 

 the earth and its adjuncts. Of course, all the motions and laws 

 of projectiles are subordinate to these, and are included withm 



them. , , 



On a small scale, the principle may be illustrated by experi- 

 ments of analosjous phaenomena, in which it will appear that any 

 lateral motion'of bodies produces the same results as the earth 

 itself; and that, as a consequence of every sucli lateral motion, 

 the projectiles from such bodies respect, in falhng, the bodies 

 whence they are projected, though no suspicion or allegation ot 

 attraction can, in such cases, be adduced. 



Thus, as it is well known, a ball projected from a ship m mo- 

 tion falls at the place whence it rose, though, during its ascent 

 and descent, the ship proceeded many yards. The ball, though 

 detached from the ship, respected the ship, during its flight and 

 fall, exactly as though it had been attracted by the ship. It can- 

 not, however, be contended that such phaenomena are results ot 

 the ship's attraction! The effect arises merely trom the ships 

 lateral moiion having been acquired by the ball previously to its 

 projection ; the case being exactly the same as that of a ball 

 projected above the earth, to which it falls again, on the very 

 principle on which it fell on the ship, not by the attraction either 

 of the ship or the earth, but because the earth's lateral motion, 

 like the lateral motion of the ship, had been acquired by the 



ball. ^. , 



So, also, when a man, during feats of horsemanship, throws 

 up oranges in his course, he readily catches them again, though 

 during their flight he advanced many yards, because his lateral 

 motioli had previously been given to the oranges ; and in con- 

 sequence, in falling again, they respected him just as though, 

 according to pre-existing notions about the earth, he had at- 

 tracted them. 



In like manner, if a ball be dropped from the top of the mast 

 of a ship, which at the time was moving at any given rate, the 

 ball will fall pcrpendicularlv at the foot of the mast, exactly as 

 though the ship had been standing still ; and will thus appear 

 to he influenced by the ship, and not bv the earth, exactly as a 

 ball let to fall from a tovTer falls to the earth, and appears to 

 resj.ect the earth. In both cases, the phenomena are regular and 

 necessary consequences of the composition of motion; and there 

 is no unseen or occult power, called attraction, concerned in one 

 case more than in the other. 



jr e 4 ILLUSTRATION. 



