43! 
NOTE B. (§ 22.) 
The Direction of “ Solar Motion in Space.” 
Mayer, it will be observed, could not find that the proper motions of the 
stars afforded evidence of the motion of the solar system towards any par- 
ticular region of the heavens ; and he therefore rationally disbelieved in such 
solar motion. The advancement of science in our day has enabled some 
people to get over such a difficulty with ease. A clever correspondent of the 
Times, who frequently writes on scientific matters, with the initial “ Y.,” thus 
wrote in that journal on 15th September, 1863 : — 
“ The whole of the solar system seems to be travelling — some report at the 
slow rate [sfc] of 47,000 miles an hour — towards an unknown region of infinite 
space.” 
But the most curious thing that has ever appeared on the subject, has 
been put out by Lieutenant Morrison, R.N., in his Astronomy in a Nutshell , 
in which he claims to have demonstrated the sun’s velocity to be “ 1,665 
miles in a minute, or very nearly 100,000 miles an hour.” But he has made 
even a stranger discovery than “ Y.” in the Times ; namely, that this motion 
is neither towards the left arm of Hercules (as the “orthodox” believe), nor 
to the “ unknown region ” of “ Y.,” but precisely to the west ! not con- 
sidering that the west, as a point in space, is even more mythical than an 
unknown region, inasmuch as it is a direction that is known to be ever varying ! 
The direction that is west to us at mid-day is — if the earth goes round, 
towards precisely the opposite point in space at midnight ! And, whether 
the earth rotates or not, when we and our antipodes look towards the con- 
ventional west at the same time — at this present moment, for instance — wo 
are looking in as directly opposite directions in space, as if we stood back to 
back ! If Lieutenant Morrison’s discovery were a real one, it would only be 
the discovery of the true rate of velocity with which the sun moves westwards 
round the earth ! 
NOTE 0. (§ 23.) 
Correspondence with Professor Airy. 
Bridge House, Hammersmith, W. 
June Gth, 1864. 
Sir, — I beg leave, with the greatest respect, to call your attention to 
§§ 6, 57-63, and pp. 41-45, of the accompanying book (Victoria Toto Ccelo ; 
or, Modern Astronomy Recast), relating to the motion of the moon. I venture 
to do so on three grounds : (1) In the interest of scientific truth, because of 
your eminent position as Astronomer Royal of England ; (2) Because in the 
book referred to, — the text of which is a paper submitted by me to section A 
of the British Association last August, — I especially assailed as untenable 
the notion of the solar system in space ; and having been the first and I 
believe only person who has done so, since the speculation was originally 
put forth by Sir William Herschel eighty years ago, I hailed with extreme 
satisfaction, and as a triumphant comment upon the dumb contempt with 
which my paper was treated by Professor Rankine and the committee of 
Section A, at Newcastle, the subsequent announcement contained in the last 
VOL. iv. 2 G 
