wear cottons, but oyster-women, criminals, hucksters, and common hangmen.'

The pernicious practice of wearing cottons has, happily for England, continued to extend itself in spite of Michael Carmody's bitter denunciations. Nearly thirty years afterwards, on the accession of George III., the value of all the cottons manufactured annually in England was estimated at £200,000. In 1860, the value of the cotton fabrics issuing from English looms was upwards of fifty-two millions sterling. It was the introduction of steam as the motive power of the spindles that gave the rapid extension of production and commerce which has distinguished the last half century. In 1823, Great Britain employed ten thousand steam-looms; the number at present in operation is nearly four hundred thousand, driven by a power of 294,000 horses, and directly employing nearly half a million of workpeople.

THE PHILOSOPHER TAUGHT BY THE CHILD.

THE first scientific discovery made by Sir Humphrey Davy was due entirely to the observation of a little child. When a youth and eagerly curious on all phenomena connected with his favourite study, he was appealed to by this child to know why it was that when two pieces of bonnet-cane were rubbed together a little faint light came from them? If the fact had

ever been observed before it was at least new to the chemist's apprentice. Patting his little questioner on the head, he replied, "I do not know. Let us see if it is so; and then we will try and find out why." Experiment showed that the child had correctly observed the fact. The young philosopher pondered upon it, and perceived that the principle which it indicated must be of much wider application; and the train of inquiry which this set in motion gradually brought him to the discovery of the siliceous earth in the epidermis, or skin of canes, reeds, and grasses.

With respect to this beautiful discovery, Davy observes in his "Agricultural Lectures," that this epidermis serves as a support, protects the bark from the action of insects, and seems to fulfil a part in the economy of these feeble vegetable tubes similar to that performed in the animal kingdom by the shells of the crustaceous insects.

HERSCHEL'S FIRST AND LAST TELESCOPES.

Ir is well known that William Herschel was in early life an organist at a chapel at Bath. He had to play incessantly either at the oratorios, or in the rooms at the baths, at the theatre, and in the public concerts, and he could not refuse the numerous pupils who wished to be instructed in his school. Nevertheless, he

found time to study mathematics, which, in their turn, led him to optics. At length, a simple telescope, only two feet in length, fell into his hands. This instrument (says M. Arago, in his brilliant sketch of this great astronomer, which we abridge for the benefit of our readers) showed him, however imperfect, a multitude of stars that the naked eye cannot discern; showed also some of the familiar constellations, but now under different aspects, and revealed to him forms that even the richest imaginations of antiquity had never suspected. He was filled with enthusiasm, and determined to have one of larger dimensions. But when the answer from London arrived, the price which the optician demanded proved to be far beyond the pecuniary resources of a mere organist. This unexpected difficulty, however, only inspired him with fresh energy. He could not buy a telescope, but he was determined to construct one with his own hands; and, after a multitude of experiments, perseverance at last received its reward.

It was in the year 1774 that Herschel had the happiness of being able to examine the heavens with a Newtonian telescope of five feet focus, entirely of his own construction. This success tempted him to undertake still more difficult tasks. Other telescopes of seven, of eight, of ten, and even twenty feet focal distance, crowned his efforts. Nature granted to the astronomical musician the unheard-of honour of commencing his career of observation with the discovery of a new planet, situated on the confines of our solar system, and now known by the name of Uranus. Dating from that moment, Herschel's reputation, no

longer in his character of musician, but as a constructor of telescopes, and as an astronomer, spread throughout the world.

Herschel was a native of Hanover, and George III., much inclined to protect and patronize both men and things of Hanoverian origin, had Herschel presented to him. He was charmed with the simple yet lucid and modest account that he gave of his repeated endeavours; ensured to him a pension of three hundred guineas a year, and, moreover, a residence near Windsor, first at Clay Hall, and then at the subsequently famous observatory at Slough. The hopes of the king were completely realized. The little house and garden of Slough became the spot of all the world where the greatest number of discoveries have been made. "The name of that village," says Herschel's enthusiastic biographer, "will never perish; science will transmit it religiously to our latest posterity."

Miss Caroline Lucretia Herschel went to England as soon as her brother became special astronomer to the king. She received the appellation there of assistant astronomer, with a moderate salary. From that moment she unreservedly devoted herself to the service of her brother, happy in contributing night and day to his rapidly increasing scientific reputation. Caroline Herschel shared in all the night-watches of her brother, with her eye constantly on the clock, and the pencil in her hand. She made all his calculations, made three or four copies of all the observations in separate registers, co-ordinated, classed, and analysed them. If the scientific world saw with astonishment how Herschel's works succeeded each other with unexampled rapidity during so many years, they

were specially indebted for it to the ardour of this lady. Astronomy, moreover, has been directly enriched by the knowledge of several comets through her labours. After the death of her illustrious brother, Miss Herschel retired to Hanover, to the house of John D. Herschel, a musician of high reputation, and the only surviving brother of the astronomer. For some years Herschel

enjoyed with delight the distinguished success of his only son, Sir John Herschel. At his last hour he sunk to rest with the pleasing conviction that this beloved son, heir of a great name, would not allow it to fall into oblivion, but adorn it with fresh lustre, and that great discoveries would honour his career also. No expectation of the illustrious astronomer has been more completely verified.

Our scientific journals gave some years since an account of the means adopted by the family of Herschel for preserving the remains of the great telescope constructed by the celebrated astronomer. The metal tube of the instrument, carrying at one end the recently-cleaned mirror of four feet ten inches in diameter, was placed horizontally in the meridian line, on solid piers of masonry, in the midst of the circle, where formerly stood the mechanism requisite for manoeuvring the telescope. On the 1st of January, 1840, Sir John Herschel, his wife, their children, seven in number, and some old family servants, assembled at Slough. Exactly at noon the party walked several times in procession round the instrument; they then entered the tube of the telescope, seated themselves on benches that had been prepared for the purpose, and sang a requiem, with English words, composed by Sir