PIAZZI SMITH.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4230, 22 July 1882, Page 3

PIAZZI SMITH.

(To the Editor of the Ivbnin& Stab.) Sib, —As Piazzi Smith may not be generally known to some of your readers, I propose to show the class of intellect Mr Denton, Don Quixote like, attempts to tilt his little spear at. In the first place Piazzi Smith is a firm believer in revealed religion in the Bible. Secondly, he is.the Astronomer Royal of Scotland, a man of profound learning and research, and being a member of the Astronomical Society, he informed the members they were wrong in the distance of the earth from the sun some millions of miles. Being pressed from what source he received his knowledge he replied from the Great Pyramid, some portion of which he had measured. His scientific conferees received his announcement with such mooking laughter, and being chaffed so unmercifully, in self defence he left the Society. Now mark the sequel: Time rolls on—the Transit of Venus takes place, and lo ! the whole scientific world is w,rong, including the eminent Proctor, and Piazzi Smith is right. Further, so much confidence have the learned author ities in him that, in conduction with Mr Proctor, he is commissioned to execute some more scientific observations. Such is the accomplished scholar whom Mr Denton sneers at. I should suppose Mr Smith never heard of Denton, and if he did would take no notice of him.—l am, Ac., " G. A. Reddish.