pen. 
i Dec. 15, 1881 | 
NATURE 
scope, and Voltaic Electricity. No fewer than seventy- 
five articles in the Worth British Review are from his 
From the year 1819 he was, along with Jameson, 
editor of the Edinburgh Philosophical Fournal, in which 
so many of his researches saw the light. His “ Letters 
on Natural Magic,” his “More Worlds than One,” his 
treatise on “ Optics,” his “ Martyrs of Science,’ and his 
“Life of Sir Isaac Newton,” all testify to an unremitting 
activity rarely equalled. He was made Principal of the 
University of St. Andrews in 1838, a post which he relin- 
quished only in 1859 to succeed to the Principalship of 
the University of Edinburgh. As one of the founders 
of the British Association in 1831, no less than as a dis- 
tinguished representative of science, he received the 
honour of knighthood. 
Aman who could unite so many varied qualifications 
in himself, who, besides adding so richly to the total of 
exact knowledge, could do so much to diffuse that know- 
ledge to succeeding generations, who could write not only 
with the calm decision of a philosopher, but with the 
vivid imagination of a poet and even with the fervour of 
a preacher, must indeed be acknowledged to be a re- 
markable figure in the age in which he lived. His posi- 
tion in the physical sciences, standing as he did between 
the old generation of workers and the new, is not very easy 
to define. But his memory will doubtless descend to pos- 
terity in connection with numerous departments of the 
science of optics, in which his work remains to testify to 
his place amongst the men of science of whom Great 
Britain has just reason to be proud. 
“i NOTES 
Tue Lord President of the Privy Council has appointed Prof, 
Archibald Geikie, F.R.S., to be Director-General of the Geolo- 
gical Surveys of the United Kingdom, and Director of the 
Museum of Economic Geology, Jermyn Street, in succession to 
Sir Andrew C, Ramsay, F.R.S., who retires from the public 
service towards the end of the present year. 
Monpay night was an enthusiastic Arctic night at the Geo- 
graphical Society, The first paper was by Mr. C. R. Markham, 
on the important discoveries made by the Rodgers in and around 
Wrangel Land, and on the proposal that England should lend 
ahand to search for the missing Fearnette, and that a Govern- 
ment expedition should be sent out to look for Leigh Smith, 
Lieut. Hovgaard of the Vega also read an Arctic paper, detailing 
his plan for a Yeanmertte search from about Cape Chelyuskin as a 
basis ; while an instructive paper was sent by the Dutch Com- 
modore Janssens, on the ice-conditions in Barents Sea, and the 
probable position of Mr. Leigh Smith in the Zzra, Of course 
Mr. Markham’s energetic enthusiasm was infectious, and every- 
body seemed to agree that it would be disgraceful to England 
not to send out search expeditions. Sir George Nares and Sir 
Allan Young spoke, but it cannot be said that they threw much 
light on the problem; the good-natured Sir Allan took much 
trouble to say he knew nothing about these seas, and therefore 
he thought an expedition should be sent out for the Zzva. Mr. 
Grant, the well-known Arctic photographer, told his experiences 
on the ice of the Barents with the Dutch and with Mr. Leigh 
Smith during the last four years, and he seems to think, what 
every one else thinks, and what is evident, that Mr. Leigh 
Smith is locked up in the ice somewhere. But all the 
speakers on Monday night evaded the main point, which was 
clearly stated in Mr, Eaton’s letter in last week’s NATURE 
(p. 123). Mr, Eaton declares that Mr, Smith went out with 
the deliberate intention of wintering, and that he has now 
provisions to last two years, Of course, in cases of doubt, 
it is well to take the worst possible view. But there 
seems to be a conflict of evidence. Mr. Eaton, than whom 
no one ought to know better, positively states that the Ziva is 
provided as we have indicated ; while on the other side there 
159 
are vague and inconsistent statements, Were we convinced of 
the real danger of the Z7ra’s situation, we should heartily sup- 
port a relief expedition ; but in this case there seems to be no 
doubt. The matter may be safely left in the hands of the 
Admiralty, who will doubtless look at the situation all round, 
and take care that they do not commit themselves, at the most, 
to more than a mere search, in conjunction, we should suggest, 
with relatives and friends, But on consideration of all the 
evidence, it may not be thought sufficient to warrant Govern- 
ment intervention. We were pleased to learn that the object 
of the Dutch in sending out expeditions year after year to 
these seas is to obtain a thorough knowledge of the movements 
of the ice before they venture to send out a fully-equipped expe- 
dition to force its way northwards ; this is thoroughly scientific 
in its method. 
A BALLOON accident, which we fear may turn out unfortunate, 
occurred in the South of England last Saturday. Capt. James 
Templer, Mr. Walter Powell, M.P., and Mr. Agg Gardner, 
ascended at Bath on Saturday at 1.55 p.m, for the purpose of 
taking the temperature of the air, and the amount of snow in the 
air, for the Meteorological Office. Capt. Templer, in a letter 
to Mr. R. H. Scott, describes what followed: ‘‘I cleared the 
snow clouds at 4000 feet altitude; the temperature of these 
clouds was 28°, and the wet-bulb thermometer read 26°, At 
4200 feet we passed over Wells, the time being 2h. 50m. At 
this height I worked over Glastonbury ; the temperature now 
rose to 41°, and the sky was perfectly clear. I passed then 
between Somerton and Langport, and I here found that I 
was in a N: 3 W. current. I asked Mr. Powell to send the 
balloon up to 6000 feet to ascertain the temperature of a small 
bank of cirrus. I found this temperature to be 31°, and then I 
asked him to place me at 2000 feet altitude, to regain the 
N. 4 W. current, and we then came in view of Crewkerne. I 
now kept at a low altitude until I reached Beaminster. Mr, 
Powell here observed that we were going at thirty miles an hour, 
and here we first heard the roar of the sea. The balloon sud- 
denly rose to 4000 feet ; at this time I said to Mr. Powell, ‘‘Go 
down to within too feet of the earth, and ascertain our exact 
position.’ We coasted along close to the ground until we reached 
Symondsbury. I here called toa man and asked him how far 
the distance was to Bridport, and he said about a mile. I asked 
Mr. Powell to prepare to ‘take in,’ our pace now increasing to 
thirty-five miles an hour, To avoid the little village of Neape 
Mr, Powell threw out some ballast. This took us to 1500 feet 
elevation, and we had still two miles to get in. JI opened the 
valve and descended, about 150 yards short of the cliff. The 
balloon on touching the ground dragged a few feet, and I rolled 
out of the car with the valve line in my hand. This caused the 
balloon to ascend about 8 feet, when Mr. Gardner dropped off, 
and unfortunately broke his leg. I found that the rope was 
being pulled through my hands, and I called to Mr, Powell, who 
was standing in the car, to come down the line, He took hold of 
the line, and in a few more seconds the line was torn through 
my hands. The balloon rose rapidly. Mr. Powell waved his 
hands to me, and I took his compass bearings, and found that 
he was going in a S. 4 E. direction.” Capt. Templer lost 
no time in getting into a steamer at Weymouth and searching 
the Channel in the most likely direction, but without result. Up 
to the present nothing has been heard of Mr. Powell, and the 
worst is to be feared. This accident is certainly to be regretted, 
more especially as the expedition was in the interests of science. 
Still in spite of the accident the Meteorological Council are to 
be congratulated upon-the endeavour to get at the correct facts 
of the air. 
In the Comptes Rendus for December 5, 1881, p. 936, there 
appears a paper animadyerting on the meteorological stations it 
has been proposed to establish in the neighbourhood of the 
