CONTENTS OF VOLUME I. 



mon Looking-Glasses analyzed.— A flattering Glass explained.— Metallic Specula.— Reflection in 

 Liquids.— Image of the Banks of a Lake or River. 



PROSPECTS OF STEAM-NAVIGATION page 267 



Retrospect of Atlantic Steamers.— Origin of the Great Western.— Cunard Steamers. — Can Steam 

 Packet Ships he successful? — Difficulties attending their Operation. — In a commercial Sense. — 

 In a mechanical and nautical Sense. — Great Expedition must be given up. — Defects of common 

 Paddle-Wheels. — Defects of the present Steam- Vessels as applicable to War. — Difficulty of long 

 Ocean- Voyages. — Ericsson's Propeller. — Loper's Propeller. — Advantages of Submerged Propel- 

 ler. — Method of raising the Propeller out of the Water. — Fuel. — Form and Arrangement of the 

 proposed Steam Packet-Ships.— War-Steamers.— The Princeton. — Effects to ensue from the new 

 Steamships. — Conclusion. 



THE BAROMETER 283 



Maxim of the Ancients. — Abhorrence of a Vacuum. — Suction. — Galileo's Investigations. — Torricelli 

 discovers the Atmospheric Pressure. — The Barometer. — Pascal's Experiment. — Requisites for a 

 good Barometer. — Means of securing them. — Diagonal Barometer. — Wheel Barometer. — Ver- 

 nier. — Uses of the Barometer. — Variation of Atmospheric Pressure. — Weather- Glasses.— Rules in 

 common Use absurd. — Correct Rules. — Measurement of Heights. — Pressure on Bodies. — Why 

 not apparent. — Effect of a Leather Sucker. — How Flies adhere to Ceilings and Fishes to Rocks. — 

 Breathing. — Common Bellows. — Forge Bellows.— Vent Peg. — Teapot.— Kettle.— Ink-Bottles. — 

 Pneumatic Trough. — Gurgling Noise in decanting Wine. 



THE MOON : 305 



Popular Interest attached to the Moon. — Its Distance. — Its Rotation. — Same Face always toward 

 the Earth. — Its Phases. — Its changes of Position with regard to the San. — Has it an Atmosphere ? 

 — Optical Test to determine it. — Physical Qualities of Moonlight. — Is Moonlight warm or 

 cold? — Does Water exist on the Moon? — Does the Moon influence the Weather? — Mode of 

 determining this. — Physical Condition of the lunar Surface. — Absence of Air and Gases. — Ab- 

 sence of Liquids. — Appearance of the Earth as seen from the Moon. — Prevalence of Mountains 

 upon it. — Their general volcanic Character. — Appearance of the Mountain Tycho.— Heights of 

 lunar Mountains and Depths of Ravines. — Telescopic Views of the Moon by Beer and Madler. — 

 Detached Views of the lunar Surface. — Condition of a lunar Crater deduced from Analogy. 



HEAT 323 



Heat as a Branch of elementary Physics neglected. — Has as strong Claims as Light, Electricity, or 

 Magnetism. — Is a universal Agent in Nature. — In Art. — In Science. — Astronomy. — Chemistry. — 

 In every Situation of Life. — Applications of it in Clothing and artificial Warming and Cooling. — 

 Lighting. — Admits of easy explanation. — Dilatation. — Examples. — Thermometer. — Melting and 

 boiling Points. — Evaporation. — Specific Heat. — Heat produced by Compression. — Radiation. — 

 Conduction. — Incandescence. 



THE ATLANTIC STEAM QUESTION 335 



The Project proposed in 1835. — Previous Condition of Steam Navigation in Europe— Practicability 

 of the Atlantic Voyage not denied or doubted. — Report of the Meeting of the British Association 

 at Bristol. — Extract from the London Times. — Ocean Voyages for Steamers and sailing Vessels 

 compared.— Effect of the westerly Winds in the Atlantic. — The British Postoffice Contract 

 necessary for the commercial Success of the Project. — Review of the Proceedings since 1837. — 

 Cunard Line of Steamers. — The Support received by them from the British Postoffice.— Total 

 Failure of the Project to establish New York and Liverpool Steam-Liners. — Essay on the Ques- 

 tion, " Has Atlantic Steam Navigation been successful?" published in the London Civil Engineer 

 and Architect's Journal. 



GALVANISM 359 



Origin of the Discovery. — Galvani Professor at Bologna. — Accidental Effect on Frogs. — Ignorance 

 of Galvani. — His Experiments on the Frog. — Accidental Discovery of the Effect of metallic 

 Contact.— Animal Electricity.— Galvani opposed by Volta. — Volta's Theory of Contact prevails. — 

 Fabroni's Experiments. — Invention of the Voltaic Pile. — La Couronne des Tasses. — Napoleon's 

 Invitation to Volta. — Physiological Effects of the Pile. — Anecdote of Napoleon. — Decomposition 

 of Water. — Cruickshank's Experiments. — Davy commences his Researches. — Effect of Chemical 

 Action discovered. — Ritter's Secondary Pile. — Calorific Effects of the Pile. — Hypothesis of 

 Grotthus. — Davy's celebrated Bakerian Lecture. — Prize awarded him by the French Academy. — 

 His Discovery of the Transferring Power of the Pile in chemical Action. — His Electro-Chemical 

 Theory. — Decomposition of Potash and Soda. — New Metals, Potassium and Sodium. — Discovery 

 of Barium. — Strontium, Calcium, and Magnesium. — Rapid Discovery of the other new Metals. — 

 Dry Piles. 



THE MOON AND THE WEATHER 403 



Ancient Prognostics of Aristotle. Theophrastus, Aratus, Theon, Pliny, Virgil. — Recent Predictions. — 

 Theory of Lunar Attraction not in accordance with popular Opinion. — Changes of Weather com- 

 pared with Changes of the Moon. — Prevalence of Rain compared with lunar Phases. — Direction 

 of the Wind. — Height of Barometer compared with lunar Phases. — Erroneous Notions of Cycles 

 of nineteen and nine Years. — Cycle of four and eight Years mentioned by Pliny. 



PERIODIC COMETS 421 



Encke's Comet.— Its Period and Orbit.— How its Motion shows the Existence of a resisting 

 Medium.— This Result corroborated by the Theory of Light.— Newton's Conjectures respecting 



