3i8 



NATURE 



[February i, 1900 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 

 [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions ex- 

 pressed by his correspondents. Neither can he under takt 

 to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected 

 manuscripts intended for this or any other part o/Nature. 

 No notice is taken of anonymous communications. '\ 



The University of London Election. 



As a graduate of the University in two of its faculties, and as 

 one who has spent a quarter of a century of the best years of 

 Iiis life in the work of scientific education, I may be allowed to 

 feel that I am voicing the higher intelligence of the University 

 in venturing to thank you for putting the present issue so 

 clearly before the constituency in your article in Nature of 

 January 25. 



I look upon all reference to the internal economy of the 

 University in estimating the claims of the respective candidates 

 as so much mere electioneering "dribbling." That work, 

 which has excited so much controversy the last twenty years or 

 so, has produced its happy result, and we may say well of all 

 those co'ntroversial matters, " let the dead past bury its dead." 



Strange it is that even such a constituency should so far 

 exhibit the inherent stolidness of John Bull as to be unable to 

 face about and view things in their real and ghastly proportion, 

 when all the civilised world is amazed at the spectacle of an 

 invasion of the (Queen's Empire (by a race of more primitive 

 civilisation), and the debility of the Empire, with all its wealth 

 and resources, to stem the tide of invasion for weeks and 

 weeks, simply because science has been called in to utilise and 

 direct the energies of the enemy. 



Looking at the history of the University of London, as con- 

 stituting one chief factor of the intellectual progress of the 

 Victorian Age, showing even to the "ancient universities" the 

 way to bring scientific studies to the forefront in the academical 

 world, there is no constituency in the country that can speak, 

 and ought to speak, with greater emphasis at this critical stage 

 of our Imperial existence. But it must find (and has, I believe, 

 found in Sir Michael Foster) the man with the tongue of the 

 learned, who can efficiently voice the mind of the University, 

 if it is to cause to ring through Parliament to each remote 

 corner of the Empire the question (which every loyal subject of 

 the Queen is trying to ask), whether in the future the interests 

 and the safety of the English race are to be entrusted to a 

 military system with an empirical basis (which snubs scientific 

 studies and drives them into a corner) as in the past, or to a 

 rejuvenised system with a scientific basis, such as Germany 

 presents to the world. A. Irving. 



Floating Stones. 



In reference to Dr. Nordenskiold's communication re 

 "Floating Stones" (No. 1577, vol. Ixi.), it is a common thing 

 to see grains of sand and small shells floating upon the waters 

 of seas and estuaries, &c. , when the surfaces are unagitated. 

 The sand-grains must be dry ; they are, therefore, only lifted and 

 floated off by a rising tide after exposure to dry air. 



In this way material is being constantly conveyed from one 

 place to another during the Jiow of the tide, and does not 

 return with the ebb. 



The grains float as patches composed of fine and coarse 

 material clinging together ; the presence of the very fine grains 

 appears to facilitate the flotation of the larger grains and shells. 

 The phenomenon is more frequently seen where shell-sands 

 occur, and is, I suppose, due tc surface-tens'on. 



If a few grains of dry sand be placed separately on variou.s 

 parts of a water-surface, they will eventually unite to form a 

 patch ; if this experiment be conducted carefully, the surface of 

 ihe water can be completely covered by sand before any sinks 

 to the bottom of the vessel. The tenacity of a large patch is 

 remarkable ; when once formed the vessel may be considerably 

 agitated, and the patch even pressed down by the finger, 

 without the grains becoming disunited. 



London, January 24. Cecii- Carus-Wilson. 



I AM interested in an article headed "Floating Stones" in 

 your number of January 18, for I have observed the same 

 phenomenon nearer home, namely, at Kimmeridge, where the 

 flaky nature of the beach material renders the appearance of 

 floating stones very common. 



The only conditions necessary are a very gently rising tide 

 after a dry day, during which the small flakes of " Kimmeridge 

 clay " have had time to dry thoroughly. 



If some of these dry flakes are on a very gently sloping 

 surface of rock, or on top of a smooth stone, or any position 

 where the water can rise and surround the flake gently (of 

 course, this is below the shingle belt, for at the shingle the 

 water is too broken), then the flake rises with the water, and 

 floats away just as a needle will on the surface of water ; a few 

 bubbles may cling to the under-surface occasionally, and would, 

 when present, assist the floating. 



Since reading the article I have tried pieces of broken roof 

 slate, and I have found that a small piece of dried slate about 

 I '5 X 75 cms. by about i cm. floats easily on tap wat r 

 when gently placed on the surface. R. C. T. Evans. 



9, Heathcote-street, Gray's Inn-road, W.C, January 29. 



NO. 1579, VOL. 



6,] 



7 BE GERMAN ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION} 



THE German Antarctic Expedition will leave Europe, 

 in a single ship, in the autumn of 1901. The 

 simultaneous dispatch of a second ship is not proposed, 

 as this does not appear to be necessary, either for the 

 solution of the scientific problems or for the safety of the 

 Expedition. A second vessel would be expedient only if 

 it were intended to carry out oceanographical researches 

 around thfe Antarctic area at the same time as a south- 

 ward advance is made by the first ship. This is rendered 

 the less necessary, on account of the work which has 

 been done by the (ierman Deep Sea Expedition in 

 Antarctic waters south of the Indian Ocean, the side on 

 which the German Expedition will endeavour to penetrate 

 the ice. 



The designs for the Antarctic ship have been completed 

 with the advice of the Construction Department of the 

 Imperial Navy. The building ot the ship has been 

 undertaken by the Howaldt works in Kiel, which, in 

 response to the circular inviting estimates, worked out 

 an admirable plan. In designing the vessel special atten- 

 tion has been paid to seaworthiness, on account of the 

 severe storms and high seas which prevail in the 

 Southern Ocean; and, of course, she will be made as 

 strong for ice-navigation as it is possible to build her. 

 The necessary strength will be secured by a systern of 

 internal supports and a triple planking of oak, pitch- 

 pine and green-heart. The hull will not be so mijcb 

 rounded as in the case of the Frani, such a cross-section 

 appearing unsuitable for a ship which will have to en- 

 counter heavy seas, and the necessary resistance to ice 

 pressure may be obtained with a somewhat fuller form. 

 It need not be said that the vessel will be built entirely 

 of wood. She will be rigged as a three-masted top- 

 sail schooner, and will be provided with an engine and 

 two boilers of power sufficient to ensure a speed of 

 seven knots and more if necessary. 



The dimensions of the ship have been decided upon 

 after taking account of the number of the scientific staff,, 

 officers and crew who will be carried, as well as the 

 time which the Expedition is expected to be absent. 

 The scientific staff will be five in number, and there will 

 be five officers, including the first engineer, and eighteen 

 to twenty men. The Expedition is expected to be absent 

 for two years, but it will be equipped for three in case it 

 should be found necessary to prolong it. These require- 

 ments demand a length of 151 feet, and a depth of about 

 16 feet below the water-line. The cost of building the 

 ship will be about 30,000/. 



The scientific staff of five, including the doctor, will 

 be so chosen that each important branch of science wiU 

 be represented. Each niember of the staff will be able 

 himself to carry out all the work of his own department \ 

 but every one will be capable of assisting in the special 

 work of any other, or if necessary of taking his place. 



1 Translated from Prof, von Drygal-ki's MS. by Dr. H. R. Mill.J 



