figured by additions of great mediocrity. how to appreciate their value, if they had But, even if the restoration were made allowed them to reach us just as the earth with science and talent, it is almost impos- had restored them to us after so many censible that the work should be in perfect turies, and without pretending to efface the harmony with the ancient work, and the traces of the injuries of time. At the bewhole production thus loses the capital ginning of this century, the remains of merit of unity of style and execution. the sculptures of the Parthenon having been Let us say, finally, that, the extreme diffi- brought to England, unfortunately in a culty of restorations in harmony with the very mutilated state, but, nevertheless, antique being understood, the antique has bearing the impress of a sublime beauty, almost always been put in harmony with the none dared to touch them, and they were restoration. This has been done by giving preserved with respect and without the to the surface of the Greek or Roman work, slightest restoration being attempted. sometimes with the chisel, but more often The Venus of Milo being placed in the with the rasp, the new look which the re- Louvre shortly afterwards, the opinion of stored parts have. The beauty of a great Quatremère de Quincy, that it should not number of excellent works has thus been be restored, though founded on special irremediably altered. Our hunting Diana, reasons, was supported by this recent exhaving been repaired in this manner by a ample. A part, at least, of the public, clever sculptor, Barthélemy Prieur, who must have begun to comprehend that the did not scruple, after having restored the best they could do in regard to mutilated parts that were lacking, to retouch nearly masterpieces, was, not to touch them. the whole surface, it no longer seems as They abandoned, therefore, all idea of a if the execution had reached the height general restoration of the Venus of Milo. of the conception. It is the same with However, besides the resettling of the the Pallas of Velletri; it is the same with plinth, and retouching the bottom of the many of the most beautiful statues con- drapery, which was connected, as I have tained in the other museums of Europe shown in the first part of this paper, with and particularly in the Vatican, with the an alteration in the attitude of the figure, Apollo Belvedere, the Laocoon, the Venus they made certain restorations in plaster. de Medici. Hence, on comparing these After several experiments for restoring the statues with the sculptures since discov- arms, they despaired of that attempt, but ered, which have not been treated in the they restored, beside the tip of the nose same way and which still bear the clear and an injured part of the lower lip, the impression of the Greek chisel, many have left foot, which was entirely wanting, as thought to explain the difference that well as the lower part of the drapery, struck them, between the workmanship of needed to partly cover it, and sundry folds these last found statues and that of the of the same drapery; and, finally, they long celebrated works which we have just hid, with plaster, a square hole seen in the mentioned, by attributing the latter to a right side, and probably made for a bolt more modern time, when the execution had intended to support the right arm. It was become considerably enfeebled, to the pe- after these restorations that the cast of riod called the Roman. However, if we the statue was taken; it was with these examine a fragment of a repetition of the restorations that the copies, in which they Venus de Medici, belonging to the Ber- are naturally more difficult to distinguish lin Museum, and of which the École des than in the marble, are scattered over the Beaux Arts possesses a cast, we shall find whole world. Since then they have farther a proof that this type belongs to a time added to the original, though always in when the work, both broad and delicate, plaster, some masses of folds in a part was of the greatest beauty. If we exam- of the drapery; repaired the fractures of ine with care, in our Hunting Diana and certain others, and filled the deep scratches our Pallas of Velletre, the parts which on the right shoulder and the right side have not suffered any retouching, (in the of the back, leaving those on the left first the hair, a large part of the tunic, shoulder. and the right foot, in the second certain hardly noticeable bits of the drapery), we shall there see exhibited, though at two widely different periods, the persistent characteristics of a genuine Greek workmanship.

How admirable these works would have been then, if clear-sighted judges had known

It may not have been wrong to restore, - at least with plaster, and without at all altering the marble, the end of the nose, and the lips, whose absence renders the human face hardly recognizable. This exception admitted, if necessary, we believe that, hereafter, the propriety of renouncing every sort of restoration of ancient

sculptures, and particularly of the most sun's Corona appeared to consist of two beautiful among them, will be acknowl- distinct portions. Close to the black disc edged. Those of which the Venus of of the moon there was seen a bright ring Milo has been the subject, are fortunately inconsiderable, and might, it seems to us, be suppressed with much advantage. It would be preferable, with a work of this rank, not to disturb, - by additions which, of necessity agree imperfectly with the work itself, the harmony of such beautiful and well designed forms, possessing as a whole so powerful and predominant a unity, even though we may perceive in them some faint dissonances.

of pearly light, not uniformly wide, but nowhere extending to a distance much exceeding a fourth or fifth part (for accounts differed) of the moon's apparent diameter. Outside this ring-formed corona appeared a much more extensive, but much fainter halo, radiated in its general structure, or rather cloven in places by certain wellmarked dark rifts or gaps. There was so sudden a degradation of luminosity near the borders of the bright inner corona, I have just mentioned that the remains as to suggest very strongly the idea that of the sculptures of the Parthenon, per- the two coronas are totally distinct solar haps the most precious we possess from envelopes. Indeed, it was proposed to antiquity, are preserved in the British give the inner corona a name specially inMuseum, free from all restoration what-vented for the occasion - the name Leucoever. The same has been true for centu-sphere which fortunately was not reries, of that torso, so much admired by ceived with favour. Indeed, it presently Michael Angelo, and of that Pasquin, of appeared that the supposed discovery was which another eminent artist, a very good no discovery at all, - the twofold nature judge, said that it was "the most beauti- of the corona having been recognized 165 ful antique in Rome." Why should it not years ago, and having since been repeatbe the same, at the Louvre, with the Venusedly confirmed during total eclipses. So of Milo? Why should we not at least far back as 1852 our own Astronomer see there such a masterpiece, exactly as it Royal had suggested for the two envelopes came down to us through so many centu- the names of the " Ringformed" and the ries, not only reinstated, as much as pos-"Radiated' coronas. It must be added, sible, in its original proportions and atti- furthermore, that when favourably seen, tude, but also freed from all the additions the inner or ring-formed corona is not which can only modify its character, alter pearly white in hue, but marked by a disits harmony and obscure its beauty? tinct tinge of rose-colour.

FELIX RAVAISSON.

PROFESSOR RESPIGHI, the eminent Italian spectroscopist, succeeded in making a noteworthy advance in our knowledge of Solar physics during the progress of the Eclipse of last December; and, what is of even greater importance, he employed a totally novel method of observing the eclipsed sun, his actual discovery being probably but the first-fruits of this method. We propose to give a brief account of the results obtained by Professor Respighi, and a description of those features of the method which constitute its importance. But for obvious reasons, this is not the place for a description of the instrument employed by Respighi.

It will be in the remembrance of many of our readers that during the eclipse of December, 1870, considerable attention was directed to the circumstance that the

Now, astronomers have been endeavouring since the great eclipse of 1868 to determine the real nature of the light emitted by the various parts of the corona. They have sought, in fact, to apply the modern method of observation called spectrum analysis to the corona, as they had already applied it to the prominences; and thus to learn whether the light of the corona comes from glowing vapour or from incandescent particles, or is merely sunlight reflected from opaque matter spread in a sort of cosmical dust around the solar orb.

A

But important difficulties stood in their way. They did obtain on turning their spectroscopes towards the corona a spectrum which, in itself, indicated that the source of light was glowing vapour. certain green line appeared, which, if it really were the spectrum of the corona, could bear no other interpretation. But it was not clear that this green-line spectrum belonged to the corona at all, the doubt arising from the fact that the green line still made its appearance when the spectroscope was turned to parts of the sky to which the corona could not be sup

be

posed to extend. This is easily explained. by the former, though occasionally called In these days every one knows that the the Janssen-Lockyer method (being consun's light, when dealt with by a spectro-founded, apparently, with a perfectly disscope, presents a rainbow-tinted streak tinct method of observation). The other crossed by dark lines, and that these dark was proposed by Fraunhofer, in the very lines indicate the presence, in the sun, infancy of the science of spectroscopic of the vapours of many familiar ele- analysis, and has lately been revised ments, as iron, copper, zinc, and so by the Italian astronomers Secchi and forth. But if we turn a spectroscope to- Respighi. Neither method. need wards the sky or even towards a sheet of described, but each has this effect, white paper illuminated by the sun, we see that when the source of light is a glowing the same dark lines; yet we know that gas, then, instead of a spectrum of such there is no glowing iron-vapour in the sky and such coloured lines, there is formed a or in the paper. The fact really is, that series of correspondingly coloured images we receive from the sky, and from the of the source of light. Thus when one of paper, reflected sunlight, and so naturally the solar prominences is observed in this find in such light the qualities of sunlight. way, instead of a red, an orange, a green, How, if in like manner, when the observers and an indigo line (and other faint lines), of recent eclipses have seen a bright-line the methods referred to show a red image spectrum while examining the corona, they of the prominence, an orange image, a have been in reality examining only re-green image and an indigo image (the flected light, and so had still to determine images, corresponding to the fainter lines the true source of the light? Nay, rather, being too faint to be discernible under orit was clear that from some parts of the dinary circumstances). sky they did get this green line from reflected light; how, then, were they to distinguish where the inherent luminosity ceased and the reflected luminosity began ?

Now let the reader carefully note the importance of this method as applied to the corona. As applied during eclipse to the coloured prominences, it could teach nothing new for it would merely resolve the prominences, already visible as rosecoloured objects, into four several pictures

The problem seemed intractable; but, as a matter of fact, Professor Young, of America, solved it very satisfactorily by alike in figure, but differing in colour. carefully considering the amount of this The effect might be exceedingly beautiful green luminosity received under different - or rather was so, for Re-pighi has seen circumstances. We need not examine his such images — but it taught nothing new. reasoning, but the result may be very As applied to the corona, however, the simply stated. He inferred that in all value of the method was far greater. So probability a region somewhat more ex- soon as totality began, Respighi saw intensive than the ring-formed corona shines stead of the bright green line which Prowith this green line forming light. We fessor Young had proved to belong to the believe that no one who examines and un- corona, a beautiful green image of the inderstands Professor Young's reasoning ner ring-formed corona. Here, indeed, can doubt that he legitimately established was proof patent to the eye that the green this conclusion. It follows that the ring- light is inherent in the inner corona, and formed corona, or a somewhat larger not merely due to reflection in our own atregion around the sun, is due to a true atmosphere. For just as our sky in the daymospheric envelope. The interest of this discovery is enhanced by the circumstance that the green line of the coronal spectrum is a conspicuous feature of the spectrum of our own auroras. Professor Respighi has confirmed Young's discovery. In confirming it, however, he has added another equally important.

Thus far we have been speaking of a green line of the inner corona. But it occurred to Respighi that he would endeavour to see a green image of this solar envelope. There were two ways in which he might try to effect this. The first is a method devised independently by Huggins and Zöllner, and first successfully applied

time, when we examine it with a spectroscope, is found to give the solar dark lines, but cannot possibly give an image of the sun, so the sky in eclipse could give the green line by reflection, but not an image of the source whence the green light comes. Only because the inner corona is itself that source, could its image be rendered visible by applying Respighi's method.

So far, however, Respighi's work only confirms a result already established. But another result, and one altogether new, was at the same time obtained. The green image of the inner corona was not alone; two others—one red, and the other bluegreen-made their appearance, in or near

the places corresponding to the two bright | best of fathers, I had selected for myself a lines of hydrogen called by spectroscop- scientific career, and had prepared myself ists the C-line (red) and the F-line (blue- by learning how to analyze and assay in a green). The three images were not strict- well-known public laboratory. I then ly alike, and we may infer from the brief started a private laboratory of my own, telegraphic account sent in the first in- with all arrangements brand new and comstance that the hydrogen images were not plete, and waited for work, which was not quite so extensive as the green image. long in coming to my hands. At that But into minutiæ of this sort we need not period a gold-mining fever raged over at present enter. The great facts ren- England. Old, forgotten copper mines dered patent by Respighi's late observation suddenly pretended to be gold ones, and are these, that surrounding the sun to a found people foolish enough to start comdepth of nearly 200,000 miles, reaching, panies about them, and take shares and therefore, above the summits of the lofti- work them all over again for the more est prominences, there is an atmosphere precious metal. Rival quartz-crushing consisting of glowing hydrogen, and of machines came over from America, and some other vapour, distinct in condition went about crushing the ore with quickand composition from the chromatosphere, silver, which, as you may or may not know, whose average height is but about 4,000 has the faculty of swallowing up all the miles. This enormous external atmos-gold it meets and disgorging it in the formı pheric shell must be of exceeding rarity, or of a little button if properly treated. Two the pressure on the chromatosphere would of these crushing machines were especially enormously exceed the actual observed popular. They were called, if I recollect pressure. It is outside this atmosphere that the radiated corona projects into the sun-surrounding space to distances often exceeding a million miles. We may confidently expect that the news which we have received respecting the inner ringformed corona will be so supplemented by the photographic records now on their way to Europe, that we shall obtain much clearer ideas than we have hitherto had respecting the outer and radiated corona. Truly, a remark with which the spectroscopist Janssen closes his letter to the Paris Academy respecting his own observations seems abundantly justified: "The question whether the corona is due to the earth's atmosphere is now disposed of [tranchée], and we may look forward to a series of researches into the matter sur-way the quicksilver was drawn off and put rounding the sun which cannot fail to be extremely interesting and fruitful."

From The Pall Mall Gazette.
A MINING ADVENTURE.

To the Editor.

SIR, I observe that mining and its vicissitudes are occupying such portions of the public mind as are not engrossed by drains and alcohol; and I cannot but think that some early experiences of my own may prove instructive. For I have been a miner myself. I record with satisfaction that for a halcyon period of six weeks I, then in my teens, had sole charge of a British gold and copper mine in the west of England. To gratify the hobby of the

rightly, the Perkes and the Berdan. The Perkes consisted of four immense rollers that ran after each other round a pivot in an immense iron pan full of quartz and quicksilver, so that everything got crushed and amalgamated. When the quicksilver had sucked up the gold, water used to come and wash away the pounded quartz. In Berdan's machine the pan itself used to revolve, and two or three enormous iron balls were left to themselves to work their own sweet will with the quartz. As soon as the pan began to go round they would begin to dance and roll and tumble about in a way no quartz could stand; the quicksilver did its work as in the other machine, and water washed away the refuse. Then when tons of ore had been treated in this

into an iron still and distilled away into a condenser. The residuum contained the gold, which was submitted to a process called cupelling. I could cupel in perfection, but have now completely forgotten the art. The result was sometimes a little or big bright button of pure gold.

Now, there was a certain mine called the Barathea Gold and Copper Mine, to the directors of which a very influential friend of mine had given me an introduction. It had been a copper mine for some time, and worked, I believe, with tolerable success - a good kind of steady-going respectable mine, without ambition, but safe and sure. One fine morning it caught the prevailing fever, and began to fancy it had got gold inside it as well as copper, and from that fatal day it knew quiet prosperity and gentle peace no longer. It

lowed his advice, and was duly commissioned to start that very evening. Stupid as I was, I fully understood that if the three hundred tons of gossan that had passed through the machine yielded gold equal to sample, it would be all right. If it yielded none, it would be of no use making further search. I may have discovered this for myself, or my father may have told me; anyhow, it seemed plain sailing enough in spite of the chairman's eloquence, so I started on my journey innocent and happy.

changed its name from the Mary Ann, and called itself Barathea, induced an immense number of people to take shares, set up one quartz-crushing machine after another, invited all the first analytical assayers to come and test it in succession, sent up specimens to London to be tested there (which specimens always contained a good deal of gold), and, in short, behaved with such energy that in an incredibly short period of time it spent six thousand pounds of the money subscribed, if it did nothing else. At the time I was introduced to the board matters stood thus. A Perkes gold Next day I arrived at my destination. quartz-crushing machine had been crush- I had never seen a mine before, and rather ing night and day for the previous three liked the look of this one. It was situate weeks. Tons upon tons had been yielding in a lovely valley, and there were two or up such gold as they contained into 400 lb. three other mines in the immediate neighof the all-absorbing mercury. Moreover, bourhood. These were of the quietly a carefully sampled specimen of the same cheerful and plodding sort, and stuck to "gossan," or ore, was in London, waiting copper. They seemed as if they rather to be tested by a tried and trusty assayer. fought shy of mine, which had a flushed Why or how I should suddenly become and excited appearance. The gigantic that person I cannot understand. Per- Perkes's machine sent its thunder through haps on account of the influential friend the valley. I ordered it to be stopped at who presented me; perhaps because I was cheap; perhaps because I was young and tender, like little Billie in Thackeray's ballad, and therefore likely to prove amenable to wise counsel and authority. all events, the precious sample was entrusted to me, and from it, to my great delight, I, in the presence of witnesses, elicited a sufficient amount of pure gold to justify any mine in considering itself a bona fide concern. I had used a miniature Perkes's machine to obtain this brilliant result. A full grown machine had just been established on the mine, and had been working on the same substance on a large scale. What more natural than that I should be sent down to obtain a proportionate result from the stupendous operations down in D-? I was sent.

At

Before starting for the mine I had a long and solemn interview with the chairman of the board of directors, a wise man and a worldly, and he said unto me many momentous things which I failed to comprehend. I do not say it in a boastful spirit, but I believe I possessed at that time an extremely intelligent cast of countenance; in spite of which it would have been difficult to find any one of my age more childlike in the ways of the world, more utterly unsuited to my then profession, or more peculiarly unfit for the particular business on which I was bound. My good father, aware of these characteristics, instructed me to look as profound as possible during my interview with the chairman, and receive my instructions in silence. I fol

once, had the mercury drawn off, and put into an enormous iron still, which was duly luted and sealed to prevent all tampering; a fire was lighted, and two trusty miners were set to work to watch the distillery. I then made a simple calculation, and found that if the residuum contained gold to the value of £300 the mine was worth working for that metal. If it contained less it would be useless to attempt further operations unless they could be devised on a cheaper scale. I took the captain of the mine into my confidence, and he ingenuously owned that my calculations were correct. The distilling occupied about twenty-four hours. All the men employed in the mine were present next day when I solemnly opened the still and collected the deposit which encrusted its bottom. This was first fused in a large crucible, and then submitted to the process of cupelling, amid the breathless interest of some thirty or forty stalwart Cornishmen. The result was a small button of gold worth 3s. 67.

There was just time to save the post. I wrote a note to the board describing the result of my operations, assuring them that there was no more gold in the Barathea gold and copper mine than was to be found in every substance in the world, including even sea-water, and stating that, as it was quite useless for me to be spending any more of the company's money, (my salary was half-a-guinea per diem), I awaited their orders to return. I felt rather proud of this feat-settling in