28o 



NATURE 



movement would scarcely be visible, but it would, of 

 course, represent an actual movement of the earth over 

 half a kilometre in the same time. 



A figure of the moon, corresponding to this one of the 

 earth, would have a diameter of 3"5o metres, and would 

 be 384 metres distant. A like figure of the sun would 



{July 18, 1889 



have a diameter of 1400 metres, and be distant about 150 

 kilometres. The diameter of a globe representing Jupiter 

 on the same scale would be one-half, that of a globe 

 representing Saturn on the same scale would be a 

 little more than one-third, of the height of the Eiffel 

 Tower. 



Fjg. 2. 



This is not the first occasion on which an attempt has 

 been made to suggest by means of a great globe the size 

 of the earth, and the extent of its oceans and land-masses. 

 The globe of the Chateau of Marly, which is still to 

 be seen in the National Library of Paris, excited much 

 admiration in the age of Louis XIV., but it has only a 

 diameter of about 5 metres, and is much less effective 



for its purpose than its successor in the Paris Exhibi- 

 tion. 



It is significant of the present stage of our knowledge 

 of the interior of Africa that the makers of the globe, in 

 preparing their maps, had twice to alter their representa- 

 tion of that continent in order to indicate the results of 

 the most recent geographical discoveries. 



