412 MY LIFE [Chap. 



question, namely short days and long nights, it being one continuous 

 winter from one years end to the other, summer being only for a few 

 weeks at a time, and then the days are comparatively short compared 

 with ours. 



(9) The long days and nights are caused by the quantity of snow that 

 falls at the poles. 



(10) The cause of the long days in the Polar regions is this : when 

 the sun is observed there (which it seldom is) the rays are reflected as it 

 were, and it forms day. The cause of the long nights in the Polar regions 

 is this : the sun only makes his appearance for a very short time, during 

 this time it is day, but after the sun disappears it is night, which by that 

 means is very long. It is to be understood that it is a certain part of the 

 year during which the days are long, and the other part during which the 

 nights are long. 



It seems to me a very sad thing that under a vast Govern- 

 ment organization at a very great cost, it should be possible 

 for such results as these to be produced. Many of these 

 candidates have evidently good capacity, but are sent up 

 to be examined on subjects of which they are disgracefully 

 ignorant, either from want of any teaching whatever, or 

 through their teachers being themselves disgracefully ignorant 

 — and there are clear indications that the latter is very often 

 the case. 



Six years later (1888), we find equal ignorance on 

 another subject of great interest, and as to which knowledge 

 was easy to obtain even without special training. The 

 question was, " How is the depth of the ocean determined ? " 



(1) The depth of the ocean is determined by the water carrying the 

 sediment to the mouth of the ocean and depositing it again. 



(2) The depth of the ocean is determined by discharging a wire or 

 rope from a cannon, the wire being long with a point fixed, which when 

 it touches something hard an electric current passes immediately to the 

 ship ; they thus go on till they find the lowest sounding. 



(3) The depth of the ocean is determined by means of the barometer, 

 an instrument invented for measuring the heights of sea-levels, etc. The 

 barometer is placed by the side of some mountain, and in this manner 

 they calculate taking the readings from the barometer. 



(4) The ocean contains poles, insects live at the bottom of the ocean 

 and bore holes in the poles, when the poles are reached they reach the 

 bottom of the ocean. 



(5) The depth of the ocean is determined because it i always movin 

 and wearing away the bottom. 



