ROSLYN AND KAIKORAI LITERARY INSTITUTE.

Evening Star, Issue 2880, 13 May 1872, Page 2

ROSLYN AND KAIKORAI LITERARY INSTITUTE.

At a meeting held on Friday evening last Mr A. H. Boss, the newly-elected President, delivered an inaugural address. After having dwelt at some length upon the successful effort-made by John Anderson, Drßirkbeck, Lord Brougham, and others, to create in the working classes of Britain ii appetite for knowledge, he referred to the scarcely less commendable exertions on the part of Messrs Chambers, Weale, Cassell, Or, Dr Dick, and others, to supply suitable pabulum to satisfy the appetite created. In ailtuling to Dr Dick, Mr Boss said that the small work by that author entitled “The bolar System,” which was published twenty years or more ago by the Religious Tract Society at a low price, had done more to spread a knowledge of astronomy among the humbler classes than any other rudimentary work on the same subject. It, however, like many other astronomical works, would require soma revision, some modification of the language used, to adapt t for the use of those in this hemisphere who may be struggling manfully, doing battle with circumstances which prevent their receiving acadamical instruction in this the noblest of the sciences. In confirm mation of this view he said :—I will quote a short sentence from Arago’s “ Lectures on Astronomy. !> In treating of the earth’s temperature, he says :—“ The micrometer, in accordance with what we know of the position of the earth at different seasons of the year teaches us that the sun is nearer us by one thirtieth iu win er than in summer.” Now this, though perfectly correct in the northern hemisphere, is not so here on the south side of the equator—this can be easily proved by a reference to an ephemeris in which the logarithm of the earth’s radius vector is given, or by actual observation most readily by the simple measurement of the angle subtended by the sun’s diameter in June and December. Now as the angle subtended say on June 21st is the same iu London as Dunedin, viz., about 31£ minutes of arc, an-1 as winter is the season at that date at the latter place, a< d summer is the season at the former, it follows, as a matter of course, that the statement cannot apply to both hemispheres. The fact is that iu summer, on the 31st December, we in this hemisphere arc more than three millions cf miles nearer to the sun than we are in winter on the Ist of July. Not only on this point but on many others the anguage used—though it cannot possibly affect results deduced from actual observations, and cannot mislead any who have mastered the rudiments of the science—is calculated to convey a false impression to the mind of a child or a self-educating student. For instance, the son enters “ Aries” on the 21st March (our autumn). This is said in astronomical works to be the vernal equinox, and “Aries” is named the first spring sign ; so when the sun enters Libra on the 23rd September (our spring), it is said to be the autumnal equinox, and Libra is named the first autumnal sign. And so with the summer and winter solstices—the terms require to be inverted to render them intelligible in this hemisphere. Berhap?, 1 however, the better plan would be to devise a nomenclature which would correctly apply to both hemispheres. Iu *e«po*dme to a vote qf thaphs which was unanimously accorded to Mr Boss at the close of his address, he remarked, iu reply to observations made by the mover, that in his opinion females might be overeducated if not properly educated, and humorously observed that it would not be a work of great difficulty to prove from ancient records that all the misery and evil existing in the world—“all the ills that flesh is heir to’’—are the direct results of the over-educating in an improper direction of a female who, whether weak-minded or strong-minded, was without doubt the moat remarkable woman of her day.