29 



overlook the other manifold blessings which accrue to mankind from 

 successful undertakings of this description, could not be for a moment 

 believed, if we had not evidence that persons do really exist, who look 

 with indifference at such triumphs of human enterprise ; men who 

 might have joined in the outcry against Columbus, and have depre- 

 cated the expeditions of Dampier, Flinders, Cook, Parry and others. 

 Had a majority of the so-called educated portion of mankind consisted 

 of such men, we should perhaps now be without America and Au- 

 stralia, the human mind would have been miserably stunted in its 

 growth, and civilization impeded in its progress. Such views are not 

 likely to obtain much support at the present time ; we may rest 

 assured, for example, that Government will entertain with favour the 

 proposal for exploring the river Zambesi, which has been suggested 

 by the travels of that most persevering benefactor of mankind, the 

 enterprising and distinguished Livingstone. 



Though, as I have already said, it would be impossible to specify 

 all the facts of interest which have been lately observed in the arena 

 of physical research, there are some recent discoveries in magnetism 

 which I should be unwilling to pass over in silence. 



All who have attended to magnetical phenomena, are aware, that 

 among the results of magnetic observations, and especially that exten- 

 sive system of research, which was organized a few years ago at the 

 earnest request of the illustrious traveller Humboldt, is to be reckoned 

 the correct knowledge which we now possess of the regular periodical 

 changes of the magnetic elements, depending on the hour of the day, 

 the season of the year, and also on a period, somewhat exceeding ten 

 of our years, which, when first discovered, appeared to have no ana- 

 logue in any other known periodical phenomenon. 



Besides these regular periodical effects, there are changes which 

 occur suddenly at irregular intervals, and simultaneously in the most 

 distant parts of the earth 



" though the main 



Roll its broad surge betwixt, and different stars 

 Behold their wakeful motions," 



to use the words of a poet and a Fellow of the Royal Society, who, 

 writing at a very early age, and above a hundred years ago, seems by 

 an extraordinary accident to have described by anticipation one of 



