From The Spectator.
OF SOLAR ERUPTIONS.

than half an hour, what was his surprise to find that "the whole thing had been A SINGULAR interest is given to the literally blown to shreds." "In place of observations to be made on the December the quiet cloud I had left," he says, "the Eclipse by the results which have rewarded air, if I may use the expression, was filled the recent study of the sun's coloured with flying debris - a mass of detached fragprominences by Fr. Secchi in Italy and ments." These fragments were, in fact, so Professor Young in America. A very insignificant as to measure only from 4,500 strange theory of the corona- the theory, to 13,500 miles in length, with a breadth namely, that it is in part due to solar (scarcely worth mentioning) of from 900 eruptions seems to receive countenance to 1,350 miles - mere shreds, in fine, from these observations, and more particu- the least having a surface scarcely exceedlarly from one very remarkable phenome- ing that of Africa. They were rapidly asnon (presently to be described) which was cending. Already nearly 100,000 miles witnessed a short time ago by Professor above the sun's surface when Professor Young. The labours of Secchi show the Young first saw them, they moved higher solar spot-zones to be the chief scene of and higher under his very eyes, "with a the eruptions; and, as our readers are motion almost perceptible to the eye," probably aware, it is opposite the solar until in ten minutes some of them were spot-zones that the corona has been ob- upwards of 200,000 miles above the surserved to have its greatest extension. face of the sun. This motion, "almost But unless it could be shown that the so- perceptible to the eye," must in reality lar eruptive forces are mighty enough to have amounted to the utterly inconceivaffect the distant regions to which the able velocity of 167 miles per second, coronal rays extend, it would be impossible this, too, only as an average velocity. At to admit that this coincidence can be ex- this enormous rate these fragments, these plained in the suggested way. Professor strips of glowing hydrogen (a score of Young has observed a solar outburst which perhaps would have sufficed to which seems to supply precisely the re- cover the whole surface of our earth), quired evidence, an outburst so wonder were flung upwards by some trememdous ful in its effects that apart from any refer- outburst, having its origin far down beence to the solar corona, it must be re-low the visible surface of the sun. They garded as absolutely the most striking seemed to dissolve away when they had phenomenon yet witnessed by observers reached the vast height of 200,000 miles. of the sun. We propose briefly to de- At a quarter past one — - less than half an scribe here what Professor Young actually hour from the commencement of the outwitnessed and watched, believing that the burst "only a few filmy wisps, with interest of the results which may be ob- some brighter streamers low down, retained by the eclipse-observers cannot but mained to mark the place." be enhanced by the record of a solar phe-| nomenon so imposing.

Here, then, was one of those solar eruptions of which much has been imProfessor Young was studying on Sep-agined during the last few months, but tember 7 last a large coloured prominence, hitherto very little certainly determined. or rather a bed of solar clouds. It was Astronomers had begun to believe that an object of the kind compared by Mr. those long radiant beams which give to Lockyer to a banyan grove, -a long layer the solar corona so striking an aspect, are of cloud-like masses, seemingly supported due to an outrush of matter from the by a few stems of the red prominence- depths which lie concealed beneath the rematter. It was formed, in the main, of splendent light-surface of the sun. No glowing hydrogen. The height of the other explanation seemed available instems was estimated by Young at about deed, when all the facts observed during 15,000 miles. The cloud-bed was about recent eclipses were taken into account. 100,000 miles long (some 13 times the earth's And yet the explanation was so startling, diameter), and 40,000 miles deep, "a long, that even those who advocated it were low, quiet-looking cloud, not very dense fain to apologize, so to speak, for urging or brilliant, nor in any way remarkable views which seemed at a first view alexcept for its size." At half-past twelve together fanciful. For the solar orb this rather remarkably large cloud was to vomit forth matter to distances seemingly as quiescent as at first, though corresponding to the vast extension one of the stems had become much of the coronal rays, required a degree brighter and was singularly bent. But of eruptive energy falling little short when Professor Young returned, in less of that which would be needed to project

missiles clean away from the sun, to visit travelling with a rapidity far exceeding other suns perchance, but never to return that of our imagined missile, and was to the neighbourhood of the solar system. brought to rest at the height of 200,000 But here we have evidence of precisely miles, not by the sun's attraction solely as such eruptions. Compared with the in the case of the missile, but partly heavier erupted matter, the filmy wisps of (almost wholly indeed) by the resistance hydrogen were but as the smoke from a of the solar atmosphere. We cannot woncannon's mouth compared with the can- der that this atmosphere, rare though it non-ball. We may be sure that the probably is in those high regions, should heavier matter really belched forth was exert so great a retarding influence, when propelled with far greater velocity and we remember that the flight of a cannonwas carried very much farther from the ball through our own air is reduced by atsun than the light hydrogen wisps. Yet mospheric resistance to a mere fraction of even to reach a height of 200,000 miles the range which would be attained in a vacmatter must pass the sun's visible surface uum. If a globe of solid metal, propelled at the rate of about 210 miles per second. from the cannon's mouth at a rate of perIf the steam and smoke, so to express our- haps half a mile per second, is thus reselves, of the great solar geyser rushed to tarded, it will be conceived how enorso vast a height, how much greater must mously a mass of glowing hydrogen prohave been the height reached by the pelled with a velocity many hundred times heavier matter propelled along with them! greater must be checked by atmospheric Another question seems to be answered resistance. Secchi tells us that in the by the phenomena of this strange out- eruption-prominences several other eleburst. It was pertinently asked by Sir John Herschel, why-if the red prominences are eruptions - the eruptive force does not scatter upwards and outwards those bright objects resembling flakes or scales which can be seen over the whole surface of the sun, and have been called the solar willow-leaves. But the wisps watched by Professor Young corresponded in appearance very closely to what we should expect to see if a number of the solar flakes were flung upwards by some Truly the study of the solar prominences mighty eruption. And we observe, too, and corona will have led to a strange rethat as the flakes were only visible for a sult, if it teaches us to regard our sun and few minutes, we need not wonder that the his fellow-suns as centres whence metallic phenomenon has not oftener been wit-matter-such as we see in the meteor nessed. It is interesting to notice that on is scattered throughout space.

the evening of the day on which Professor Young saw this strange sight, there was a fine aurora borealis, "the earth's response, perhaps," he says, "to the magnificent solar outburst."

But we have something more than this inference sound as it unquestionably is to guide us. The rate at which the matter watched by Young passed from a height of 100,000 miles to a height of 200,000 miles, was far greater than that with which a solid missile propelled to the last-named height would traverse this space. From a careful calculation made by the present writer, it results that such a missile would occupy no less than 25 minutes 56 seconds in passing from a height of 100,000 miles to the extreme limit of its upward motion. Only one explanation of the rapidity with which the hydrogen wisps traversed this space is available. The hydrogen must have been

ments than hydrogen are present, most of them being metallic. It is almost certain that the flight of these metallic vapours (much denser, no doubt, than the glowing hydrogen) is much less retarded by atmospheric resistance, and it is highly probable that no inconsiderable proportion of the matter thus erupted passes even further from the sun than the outermost limits of the corona, if it does not in some cases pass finally away from his domain.

From The Spectator.

THE SOUTH-SEA ISLANDS COOLIE.
FROM A CORRESPONDENT.

SIR,In the former letter which you have done me the honour to insert in your paper I gave you a short account of the origin of the introduction of Coolie labour into Queensland, with a narrative of my cruise as far as the island of Vaté. Since I last wrote, the Australian mail has brought us news of several cases of murder and cannibalism in the New Hebrides, and I resume the subject with the deepest feeling of regret for the untimely death of Bishop Patteson, a man who, as far as I can hear, was universally loved and respected on the Islands. I hope however, to be able to show you that the Queens

land ve sels are not always to be held my notice during the latter part of my answerable for having provoked such an cruise. We had made the island of Api, outrage, as the fickle and treacherous and had taken the two boats in to get character of the uncivilized Kanaka is at specimens of the coral that grows so all times only too prone to deeds of vio- beautifully on the reef there, when we lence. suddenly came on a wreck. The vessel, a New Zealand schooner in search of labour for Fiji, lay upon the reef with her back broken. The crew, five or six whites, with some twenty islanders, had only succeeded in saving one of the sails, together with their trade-box and their arms. They had formed a sort of camp on the beach, which was guarded by sentries with muskets. Round this swarmed innumerable fierce-looking Api men, each with his bow and bundle of poisoned arrows, evidently only restrained by the sight of the muskets from making a rush at the trade-box, which they knew was so full of what was to them untold wealth. They cleared out, however, on seeing us, and allowed us to approach the tent where the poor whites had been shut up three or four days, and I found myself the object of attraction to three little black boys, who, appreciating, I suppose, something in my face, never left my side till I had promised to take them with me. Poor fellows, two of them never lived to get on board; decoyed away by the Api men the same night, the third with difficulty escaped, to tell us how his two brothers had been knocked on the head and iminediately roasted. I fancy the whole of the cast-aways would have shared the same fate, if we had not had the good fortune to pass so near them and take them off the island. On Tanna, too, I was shown a man who was a celebrated cook, and he described to me in a sort of bland and professional mauner the process, which, however, I will not enter into here.

A full description of these islands would be tedious, and would besides scarcely answer the purpose of this letter, so I shall pass over the incidents of our cruise, how we picked up more men at each different place, how their eyes brightened at the sight of the loved tobacco and their mouths watered at the beef and biscuits, how they could with difficulty be persuaded not to cut all the buttons off their shirts and trousers and hang them as ornaments round their necks, how they quarrelled and fought among themselves, and were only quieted when one touch of nature in the form of sea-sickness made them all kin. All these are mere details, and may be passed over, leaving us at the end of six weeks at the Island of Ureparpara, the most northern of the group, with a full complement of men, and prepared for a long beat to windward, homeward bound. Of course, at many of the islands we passed it was impossible to land, even to buy yams, on account of the hostility of the natives, and more than one gentle hint in the shape of a musket-ball or a shower of poisoned arrows has turned our boat's head out of some dark green cove overhung with creepers, and sent us helterskelter back through the passage in the reef. Often on these occasions have I aduired the courage and coolness of the boat's crew, at a time when my own heart was in my mouth, and when standing up to steer a whale-boat through those sunken rocks was by no means pleasant. The "darkie" will go anywhere, if he has a May I now offer an idea suggested to white man with him, and he gradually me by my own experience in dealing with gets so fond of any master who treats him natives to those who are risking their lives well that I believe he would not hesitate as missionaries in the South Seas? Could to die for him. On the whole, the South-not all mission stations be organized on Sea islander is of a far higher type than the principle of that most excellent plan the Australian aborigine, - his faithful- which has for some time been found to ness, shrewdness, and docility have always work so well in Edinburgh, and which we made him a favourite with anyone who are but just introducing into London, I has taken the trouble to understand him mean a "medical" mission? For my own and study his character, and indeed, on part, I have found that a slight knowledge my leaving the colony the stroke of my of medicine and a well-filled medicineboat, by name Pipe, cried so bitterly and chest have given me more influence over wanted so much to come to England with the minds of all natives than any amount me, that I had as much as I could do, by of trade or the display of any quantity of ghastly stories of English frost and snow, arms, and I believe that a missionary givto persuade him to leave the ship. At the ing out that he came among them as a same time, no one can deny that the South- doctor, would soon establish such an influSea islander is a thorough-going cannibal, ence over his patients that they would and this fact was particularly forced on patiently listen to his words, and give him.

There is no doubt, then, I think, that until the English Government organizes emigration on a proper scale, and really peoples this vast continent by sending out thousands where they now send hundreds, the South-Sea Coolies will form a considerable portion of the population of Queensland, and will participate in the advantages of a colony which only wants "opening up" to be one of the greatest countries in the world.

can take a Kanaka from his island against his will, or who, having done so, can escape the inevitable exposure and punishment that would follow the examination of the Immigration Agents, must be a far cleverer man than I am. - I am, Sir, &c., JAMES L. A. HOPE.

From The Pall Mall Gazette. HINDOO CASTE.

an opportunity of ministering also to their souls, and that a Kanaka who should venture to propose to kill the doctor would run a very bad chance at the hands of his own countrymen. They are constantly demanding medicines, and I was much struck by a naked savage nearly up to his neck in water refusing all other trade, and insisting on "salts," though I am almost sure he had never seen a white man before. In fact, at this moment a chief in Tanna ranks me amongst his greatest I hope, Sir, that I have shown you that friends since I had the honour to adminis- a trip to the Islands for labour need not ter a blue-pill and a dose of castor-oil to necessarily be a piratical or slaving expehim. Their faith in medicine is quite dition; and I may add that anyone who touching, worthy of any homoeopathist. I believe that as far as any previous ideas of religion, or rather superstition, go, the missionary has a nearly clear field before him. I have never observed anything bordering on the subject in my experience of these tribes, except, indeed, on the island of Vanua Lava, where I found three hideous masks in a sort of deserted temple, but even the sight of these seemed to have lost its hold on the minds of the native men, though spoken of by the women with awe; and I believe the nearest approach to a belief in a future is the idea that they have a chance of being white men in the next world, or, as the Australian aborigine pithily puts it, "Tumble down black fellow, jump up white fellow!" In about three months, then, from the time of starting, we sighted Moreton Island, and the wondering crowd on board made their first acquaintance with the steam-tug, which latter caused considerable excitement and even terror amongst them, all agreeing that it was alive. Who shall describe the astonishment of these a powerful and experienced ally in Mr. children of nature at our houses, streets, horses, and women? For hours they would sit motionless gazing at the stream of life hurrying past them on the wharves, and were much too afraid of losing themselves to venture from the ship till taken away by their masters. All these men turned out well, and made docile and useful labourers on their various plantations. The planters say that the Coolies will, on the whole, if you work a sufficient number of them together, do as much and more work than the same number of white men; that they are always cheerful, and soon become attached to the place they are in. Often since that trip, while riding through the country, I have heard myself hailed by name, and a Kanaka has rushed forward to shake hands, and asked me to go and get his brother, and "bring him along too."

It is commonly said that the chief obstacle to the propagation of Christianity in India is caste. Whence there prevails a general belief that caste is a religious distinction. But what if it be no more than a social distinction? And what if missionaries fail chiefly because they begin at the wrong end? It is important to obtain as much trustworthy testimony as possible upon this subject; and those who maintain that the caste of the Hindoos is a social distinction pure and simple will find

Robert Shaw, British Commissioner in Ladak. He does not "venture to speak about the rest of India, but certainly in the hill-country of the Punjaub caste is as purely a social ararngement as morning calls or dinner parties are in England; and he attributes the failure of our missionaries, in some considerable measure, to the fact that converts are required not only to renounce their idols, but "to do violence to every feeling in their nature, by eating and consorting with the filthiest of the human race." The consequence, he says, of the missionaries' usual proceeding is that, "if you were to ask an ordinary native what becoming a Christian meant, he would probably reply, eating with sweepers.' Mr. Shaw suggests that a man's Christianity should gradually win him to that perfection which consists in considering nothing common or unclean

S. S. But do not the duties connected with

caste necessitate some kind of acknowledgment

of the national idols?

in mankind, whereas the missionaries ex- caste. If I were to say the Mussulman “na” pect the Hindoo convert to commence with mâz" daily I should in no way forfeit my that amount of perfection. Those Chris-caste, so long as I did not take into my mouth tians who so love one another are not al- anything considered impure. together free from the prejudice of a caste which has, perhaps, a more flimsy moral foundation than that of the Hindoo. But to show what, if any, is the connection between the caste and the religion of the Hindoos, it may be interesting to read a conversation founded upon what really took place between Sarda (a Brahman), Choomaroo (a high-caste Hindoo), and

Shaw Sahib.

S. and C. No: whatever worship we bestow on them is purely voluntary. If we should omit it altogether, superstitious old women would shake their heads and prophesy that evil would befall us; but the omission would not affect our caste standing in any way. To some a confirmation of what they have always heard and maintained; to others

S. S. The Goleiria Rajpoot has been made a merely a proof of what has long been Mussulman: can he recover his caste? suspected as to the quantity of humanity S. and C. No; unless the Cashmere Maha-in human nature. There is not in Chrisraja, whose servant he is, should restore him to caste privileges by going through the ceremony of eating with him, as he sometimes does in

similar cases.

S. S Can no one but a rajah do this? thought some religious ceremony performed by

the Brahmans was necessary.

S. and C. What has it to do with religion? It is merely a question whether his own kindred will eat with him or not, and the difficulty is to get all to agree. When a Rajah has set the example no one can then hold back.

endom a city, town, or village in which the most perfect Christian may not by social imprudence lose caste, or belong to a caste Iso inferior that admission to a neighbour's which a man, if only he be careful of sodinner-table is not to be heard of; and in cial conventionalities, may not habitually break all the Ten Commandments and throw stones at the Christian religion without any fear of losing caste. Some "superstitious old women would shake their heads and exclude him, to his great delight, from their tea-tables; but at the dinner-party and at the club he might eat and drink with lords spiritual as well as here given, is to be found, in a different temporal. The interesting conversation form, in a book called "Visits to High Tartary, Yârkand, and Kâshgar" (John Murray), the appearance of which was looked forward to with much expectancy, though for no reasons connected with caste, by the late Sir R. I. Murchison.

S. S. We English fancy that your caste is a religious obligation.

C. There is no connection between the two. If I were to take up stones and throw them at one of our idols, my people would cry out, "Ah! Maharaj, dost thou not punish this man who is mocking thee?" But the thought would never strike them to put me out of caste. S. If caste depended on our religion, we should have but one caste, for Brahmans and sweepers all worship the same deities.

C. For some years past I have given up believing in all our fables about Sree Râm and Siv, but I am none the less secure in my

INFLUENCE OF GREEN LIGHT ON THE SENSI-| TIVE PLANT. In order to test the effect of green light on the sensitiveness of the Mimosa, M. P. Bert placed several plants under bellglasses of different coloured glass, set in a warm greenhouse. At the end of a few hours a difference was already apparent: those subjected to green, yellow, or red light had the petioles erect and the leaflets expanded; the blue and ths violet, on the other hand, had the petioles almost horizontal, and the leaflets hanging down. In a week those placed beneath blackened glass were already less sensitive, in twelve days they were dead or dying. From that time the green ones were entirely insensitive, and in four days more were dead. At this time the plants under the other glasses were perfectly healthy and

sensitive; but there was a great inequality of development among them. The white had made great progress, the red less, the yellow a little less still; the violet and the blue did not appear to have grown at all. After sixteen days the vigorous plants from the uncoloured bell-glass were moved to the green; in eight days they had become less sensitive, in two more the sensitiveness had almost entirely disappeared, and in another week they were all dead. Green rays of light appear to have no greater influence on vegetation than complete absence of light, and M. Bert believes that the sensitive plant exhibits only the same phenomena as all plants coloured green, but to an excessive degree. (Bull, Soc. bot. de France, xvii. p. 107.)