B famous Hfrtcan gourneg 157 



ance. I sent the slaves in charge of Lieutenant 

 (afterwards Admiral) Adeane and a prize crew to 

 Mauritius, where she was condemned before a prize 

 court, and the slaves were landed. 



Another brochure, in the form of a Letter to Geologists, 

 has since been published by Major Marriott, who sums 

 up the position in a line or two : " Drayson says the 

 last glacial period came to an end in 5624 B.C., and 

 that the cause of its occurrence was a much greater 

 obliquity of the ecliptic. To the statement that a 

 pronounced change of obliquity has ever occurred, 

 astronomers will not assent." 



Admiral de Horsey is himself the author of a book 

 entitled Draysonia, in which there is a chart of the 

 obliquity curve during a cycle of 31,756 years, show- 

 ing the beginning, duration, and termination of the 

 last glacial period. According to it the mid-temperate 

 period was 29,000 B.C., when the obliquity was 23 

 degrees 25 mins. 47 sees.; the last glacial period began 

 21,000 B.C., with the obliquity 29 degrees 25 mins. 47 

 sees. ; the mid-glacial period was 13,000 B.C., with the 

 obliquity 35 degrees 25 mins. 47 sees. ; the glacial 

 period ended 5000 B.C., when the obliquity was 29 

 degrees 25 mins. 47 sees. ; and we are now fast ap- 

 proaching the mid-temperate period again, when the 

 obliquity will be once more 23 degrees 25 mins. 47 

 sees. As Major Marriott points out, the maximum 

 obliquity would bring the Arctic Circle down to 

 Durham, and would entirely deprive Scotland for 

 several days in winter of direct sunlight. 



