OTHER WORLDS THAN OURS,

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1684, 21 April 1883, Page 4

OTHER WORLDS THAN OURS,

The recent observations made on th 6 platiet'Venua during her transit across the sun appear to confirm the impression doYiVetf from the last transit iti 1 8*74— that She" has an atmosphere not less dense than onr own, and aqueous vapour and cloud within that cmosphcrc. This conclusion would have gVeived the late Professor ■\Vheweil, who, in his ingenious e^say to disprove the plurality of inhabited worlds, took for granted that we discern no traces of a gaseous or watery atmosphere surrounding her (Venus)," and built on this negative evidence one of his arguments to prove that in the whole universe the earth is probably the only habitable globe Professor Whewell did his best to show that the earth holds a very singular place in what might be a very unique solar system ; that it occupied ■what he called the temperate zone ot its own Bun's system j and that there is no particular reason to suppose that any other sun has planetary attendants at all. In order to make out the singular position of the earth in its own sun's system, Professor Whewell was compelled to make the most of the intensity of the light and heat in Mercury and Venus, and the most, again of the comparative cold of Mars. In point of fact, however, it is probable that a very slight modification of our human organisation— even if any structural modification at all -of that organisation •were necessary — would enable crcatuies of the same general structure and habits as man to live with ease in either of the planets nearest to the earth, in either Mars, which should, catena pa> ibus, be colder and dai ker, or in Venus, which should, caHei is j> a) <s > be lighter and hotter than the earth. We know, to some extent, the configuration of the continents in Mars, and our astronomers have at times watched the area of the polar snows of that planet increasing with the approach of winter, and dwindling with the approach of summer. Of Venus we know much less, the intense brightness of her reflected light being a very unfa\ouiablc condition for minute obseivation. lint the apparently clear evidence for an atmosphere of a good deal of density and for the presence of cloud and aqueous vapour in that atmosphere, disposes completely of the late Professor "Whew ell's assumption that no creature resembling man now ha.s or could ever have had his abode; there. There now seems no reason to doubt that in Venus the conditions of physical existence are such that cither theio now may be there, or may have been, or may be in the future, a being whose physical existence might, like that of man and animal natures nearest to man, exist under something closely approaching to those of terrestrial life. The length of the day in Venus is nearly the same, the weight of any given mass is nearly the same, the atmospheric conditions arc probably not very different fiom our own, the only inatciial differences being piobably the length of the year, which is not very much above the half of out s— or, .say, about seven months instead ot twche— and the amount of light and heat, which, unless mitigated by special atmospheric conditions, as they easily might be, would probably be t\\ ioe as intense as terrestrial lijrht and heat. We insist on this analogy, however, only for the sake of those who, like the late Dr. Whewell, made the aigument from analogy so all-important, though in relation to a question, on w Inch, as it appeals to us, the argument from analogy has really a very slight bearing indeed. Theieisno reason in the woild why spiritual beings, much more like to us in their thoughts than it is at all probable thai biids and tortoises are alike to us in their thoughts, should not exist e\erywheic — in the puie ether, in the hottest names of the sun, in the dimness of the darkest leeesbes cf space, in the heat of the volcano, or in the depth of the ocean. Iguote the reasoning fiom analogy, and we can hardly ha\ c less s-ecure basis for reasoning, wheie observation is limited, as it is in this case, to one minute corner of the universe, and we shall find no moio reason why we should confine the Creatoi's power to woiking within conditions closely lesembhng our omu than thcic is why we should assume that he will work at all in regions where we have no evidence of that work. — London Spictalor.

Wivitk in Canada is well known to be the most interesting of season-, and it seems, from the lepoits just published regarding tlio opening of what is called the Ice Carnival' at iMontieal, that the present winter is meant to Miipass in point of fe-sti\ ity, most of it~> pi edecessoi .s. At jSJoutieal just at picsent tlieic have been assembled lepieseutatheo fioin all parts of the Dominion, and aKo the United States, so that the hotels aie o\ui flow ing with vi^itoifa. The well-known ice-Bpoit Known as tobogganmng is being indulged in, as well as the dignified sleighing ; but beyond doubt the feature of the cai nival is the ice palace w hich has been built in the centie of the town. This renifiikablo stuictuic is said to be jieaily 100 ieet fe<]uaie in the inteiioi, with towers 1.") feutspuaic, and 30 feet in height. At caeli an^le tlie walls aie ;>.■> feet higli. Fiom the centie lises a massive tower, 82 feet Mjuaie, and 100 feet high. The A\alls and towei ? aie constructed of blocks of ice taken from the St. LaA\ rence. They aie 40 inches m length, irom M to 20 inches in btcadth, ami as transpaient as eiystal. They weie put jn their places with dci ricks, and wore deluged with water, which fio/e them into a solid mass. The loofs of the building and the towei s aie made of beams, upon which wcic &picad cedar bi.mulicb. Over these a spiay of watei was thiown, which fro/c them into solid masses of ice with pendant icicles. When the .sun falls upon this glittering palace, with its frosted loof, the ellect (the Umlij X> n <•' coriespondcnt says) is indesciibably beautiful. At night it was illuminated with thousands of eleetnc lights within mid witliout, making the spectacle one of surpassing biilliancc. London iogsaienotalone disagieuiblr, but aho health destioying Dining flic week ending Dec. 10 no less than 037 pei\son.i died in London fiom disiasi\s of the lespuatoiy 015.Mi1 1 -, caused by the almost continuous fog. This statement AVas made ollicially b) the Health Department, and on Dec. 20 the J'ull Mull GnzelU sau\ :—": — " It \s tjvwtvj pus-»\U\«, ] judging fiom pa^t expciiences, tlvvfc to- 1 day's log nny cost us as many lives as I Tel-el-Kobir, and that the fog.sof December may be fatal to us as many subjects of the Queen as the whole of the Kgyptian campaign." An analysis nude of the London fog at the lequest of the lloyal Society slioavs that it holds in suspension two and a half times the quantity of carbonic acid gas usually, found in a normal atmosphere. Tins fact accounts in a large measure for the ineiea-jed death rate during the pie valence of the foggy weather. RussrA is beginning to find out \\qv mistake. The Jews within her borders have been oppressed and persecuted, and the •remonstrances of their brethreu in other lands have availed them little or nothing. Now Russia wants to raise a couple ot loans for fourteen millions or thereabouts, and applies to the Kothschilcis 'for it. Isiael's turn has come, and the great finahcierk decline to find the money. They intend to devote themselves entirely to Indian — that is to say, to the Eastern portion of the Emphe that has steadfastly befriended their race. The 'probability is that wherever Russia turns for aid she will find a Hebievv coalition against her, and richly ahe deserres such reprisals. &uy the best leuing-machincs, packed" in boxes, carriage paid. Home Schtittle, £.'J, ;I IV'liitp, £3 VXV. ,\\ erllieim. £4, lOi; Fnjtfu .mil 1 ' Ros«m:in's, £4 10s ,in \valnut t'nrr, £5. Knif „ iiinfr-ipacliirit'S £7; Singer's, Howes, Davis, Jones 'v Staddard, and all the hettftr (-lassies <)( ipjicbjnm^.s^Qck, Cas.li, or . deferred. JD. S. Cbjimbprs' Wholesalo . and lieja.il Mafiiine Depot, 70', Que'on-sti'eot opposite,' j;Uo Bank of Npw2wlaqdT. -■•■ " ' ■- "i.*,.!.,, |