658 Miscellaneous. [Dec. 



Reply to 1st Question. 



Having attempted, as '.tell as I am able, to satisfy the curiosity of the Burmese 

 philosopher, on the above mentioned points, I trust I may, in return, be allowed to 

 put a query or two to him, relating to the moon, as well as to Comets, [which I 

 should, with reference to his question, suppose to have little connection with one 

 another, because, the former is a planet, secondary to, or dependent on, the earth, 

 around which, she describes her epicycloidal course ; the earth, again, being de- 

 pendent on the sun, and the sun appearing to govern the Comets, as they are all 

 believed, or found, to pass round him ] : if his highness cannot answer these ques- 

 tions, I hope that some other person, equally anxious for such investigations, will 

 favour me by doing so. 



Question 1st. 



Why may not such comets as we know of, especially those, which have extremely 

 elongated elliptical orbits, be considered, to possess two centres or foci within 

 their orbits, one of them being our sun, and the other, any other sun, or star. 

 Would not this disposition, supposing it to have been adopted all over the universe, 

 have the effect of keeping the numerous systems in equilibrio, the comet incessant- 

 ly acting as a link, or chain, connecting any two [or more ?] of these systems, with 

 the neighbouring ones ? 



Question 2nd. 



If the moon have no atmosphere, [as is asserted by astronomers,] how is it 

 possible to account for the distinct view, we sometimes obtain, of the circular dark 

 part, which she presents at night ; I mean, that part which is involved in shadow 

 when the moon is in either her first or her last quarter ? 



Question 3rd. 



Has it ever been ascertained, in what proportion, fluids are attracted, by the sun 

 and moon, [or by any other bodies,] in terms of their specific gravities? 



Are they, or are they not, attracted, inversely as the cube roots of their specific 

 gravities ; the distances of each fluid, from the centre of attraction, being equal ? 

 Camp near Calpie, June, 1833. 



I am, your obedient servant, 



W. BURT, Engs. 

 To the Secretary, Phi. Class, Asiatic Society, Calcutta. 



[EUROPEAN EXTRACTS.] 



9. — Cave of Secanderiah, near Tabriz. 



As the celebrated Cave of Secanderiah, resembling the Grotto del Cane in Italy, 

 was only distant six miles, I proceeded to the village of Secanderiah, situated at 

 the mouth of a very strong defile, formed by the river of Sied-abad ; and having 

 procured a numerous party of villagers with tools, combustibles, &c, set out 

 determined fully to examine the cave, or at least to ascertain to what extent the 



