166 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. Vn., No. 159 



entered Kennedy Channel at all, and that his supposed 

 Cape Lieber was in reality Cape Good, always pro- 

 vided that our comparison chart is fully to be trusted. 



Opposed to this conclusion of a material contrac- 

 tion of the route, we have, in the first place, the 

 explorer's own assertion on the spot, and he ought to 

 know how far he had gone. The paper placed by 

 him in a bottle buried in the cairn gives his highest 

 latitude as 81 35 (p. 351 of the narrative), — an 

 opinion to which he ever afterwards strenuously 

 adhered ; secondly, we have his chart, with his track 

 extended to the southern cape of Lady Franklin Bay, 

 and which is supported by his astronomically deter- 

 mined latitude on May 17, at Farthest camp, in 81 

 3H (see p. 20 Smithsonian publication). Those who 

 believe that he fell short of his asserted position must 

 discredit this last observation. Indeed, the com- 

 parison of the result of this latitude observation 

 with the next one, which gave the latitude 79 : 58$' 

 (ibid., p. 20), taken May 20, on his return, the day after 

 he left his highest point, has furnished material for 

 criticism (by Dr. Bessels), as it appeared incredible 

 that so long a distance should or could have been 

 traversed in a single day. Yet we should remember 

 that arguments based upon speed alone are rather 

 treacherous : thus it took Hayes forty-six days to 

 reach his highest point on the outward trip, and but 

 fifteen days to return thence to the schooner. It is 

 true he had to carry a heavy load when setting out ; 

 but this is compensated by the retardment due to 

 physical weakness of the party, both men and beasts, 

 during their return. No journal was kept by the 

 leader on the home-trip, his whole energy being 

 required to save himself and party ; and his prostra- 

 tion was such, that he lost the day of the week by 

 one (as he stated to me), and had to recover the date 

 on his arrival on board ship. He also had the mis- 

 fortune of having his chronometer run down during 

 a prolonged sleep when near his Cape Lieber. 



It is not surprising, that, under these circum- 

 stances, his observation at Farthest camp should be 

 defective ; but it is particularly unfortunate that he 

 left no means of knowing how he determined his 

 meridian, his practice being to observe but a single 

 altitude of the sun. It is highly probable that the 

 observation was made with the sun in some other 

 vertical than that of the meridian, hence was at a 

 lower altitude, and consequently gave an abnormally 

 high latitude for his place. May he not have esti- 

 mated the time of the meridian passage, and mis- 

 taken the direction of the north and south line It is 

 noteworthy that he greatly misplaced the direction of 

 the western shore (and axis) of Kennedy Channel, 

 which is about N. 30 J E., while his chart makes it 

 trend nearly due north (N. 5° E.). 



It may be asked. How could Hayes locate on his 

 chart, with approximate correctness, the western 

 shore-line as high as 82 15 (Cape Union), supposing 

 him to have been unable to cross Railings Bay ! To 

 this it might be replied, that this shore had already 

 been traced by Morton up to this northern limit (see 

 chart in vol. i. of Kane's 4 Explorations." Philadelphia, 



i *.->(;>. 



Without pretending to give a conclusive reply to 

 the question at the head of this article, I shall con- 

 tent myself with having pointed out the nature of 

 the difficulties which beset it : and, while the balance 

 of probability seems to point to a decision unfavor- 

 able to the claim, I entertain the hope that some 

 future explorer may discover the rough but sufficient 



monument by which alone a positive and just decision 

 can be arrived at. 



An extract from Lockwood's diary, given on p. 95 

 of Science, No, 156, stating that he, as well as Dr. 

 Pavy and Major Greely. agreed in the opinion that 

 Hayes never reached Cape Lieber, induced me to 

 examine the subject anew, with the result as given 

 above. Charles A. Schott. 



Washington, Feb. 7. 



An open letter. 



Prof. Simon Newcomb. President of the American 

 society for psychical research. 

 Dear Sir, — The writer of the accompanying com- 

 munication has misapprehended the function of the 

 Society of naturalists : but the phenomena he de- 

 scribes fortunately fall within the purview of the 

 association over whose deliberations you preside, 

 and I therefore commit it to your hands. 



Very respectfully, 



G. K. Gilbert. 



Mr. G. K. Gilbert, President of the American society 

 of naturalists, Washington. 



For the good of science, and in the interest of 

 humanity, I address your worship, entering at once 

 upon my subject. 



At the meetings of a spiritualistic society, the 

 members of which bear an unimpeachable character, 

 during the course of about three years of daily ex- 

 periments by means of the spirit-table, the self-called 

 spirits that were evoked have dictated a treatise, 

 and now demand that it be given to the press, and 

 bear the title ' Spiritualistic apocalypse,' asserting 

 that such publication is necessary for humanity. 



In this dictation it is established and explained, 

 with marvellous clearness, learning, and scientific 

 language, what is 'power' and what is 'force.' and 

 how these two perform their functions in harmony 

 through eternity and through space. Next there is 

 established the fact of a living magnetic current, 

 which will give occasion for new discoveries, and a 

 metaphysics of social harmony, with absolutely new 

 arguments, on which it will be well for society to 

 reflect seriously. Moral science is lighted up in its 

 true profile, and not from the utilitarian side. Reli- 

 gions are placed in the position which they deserve, 

 and indirectly the true religion is pointed out. There 

 are weighty political prophecies; one of them, a very 

 beautiful one, having been dictated by a spirit who 

 said he was General George Washington. There are 

 useful counsels for organic social reforms, learned 

 astronomic communications, and surprising explana- 

 tions of fundamental theologic philosophy. Physics, 

 chemistry, and algebra are largely, and with critical 

 judgment, employed in the development of the theo- 

 rems thus established. There are instructive dia- 

 logues and trilogues among spirits of diverse nature 

 and degree, but identical in substance. Finally, the 

 virtual necessity of the why and how of their exist- 

 ence is explained. This, in brief, is what the self- 

 called spirits have dictated, and what they wish 

 humanity to know. 



My companions and friends, before publishing this 

 collection, in order to have some fact that might 

 induce persons to read it and reflect on it, under the 

 influence of a firm assui'ance that it is not the off- 

 spring of our own minds, have asked the dictating 

 spirits' permission to invite other experimenters to 



