from their craters with a greater velocity than that, to reach the distance at which they fell. This opinion, however, is combatted by many learned men; though M. Arago says, "It is the most probable of all, and hitherto the only one that satisfies all the phenomena observed."

The moon has no clouds, nor any other indications of an atmosphere. Hence its climate must be very extraordinary, changing at once from scorching sunshine, uninterrupted for a whole fortnight, to the keenest cold of a biting frost, far exceeding in intensity our Arctic winters for the same space of time. Sir John Herschel says, "That owing to the small density of the materials of the moon, and the comparatively feeble gravitation of bodies on her surface, muscular force would there go six times as far in overcoming the weight of materials as on the earth." That is, that a man would be six times stronger if he were in the moon than he is now that he stands on our globe. our old school lessons we have had to unlearn.

Some of

One was,

that the appearance of water could be perceived in the

moon.

Astronomers of the first order tell us, that the dusky spots which are commonly called seas, when closely examined, present appearances not to be reconciled with the supposition of deep water. Nothing having the character of seas can be traced.

It must be evident, that from the want of air there can be no form of life in the moon like those we have existing around us. Telescopes must be improved before we shall be able to settle the question if there be inhabitants there.

Meanwhile, from the study of such a subject, let our minds catch something of the sentiment of one of old, who says, "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him ?”

BRIDGES OF ROPE-INDIA.

THE engineers of this country are supposed to have derived their ideas of suspension-bridges from the rope bridges of India, where in the mountainous districts they were in use long before we became masters of the country. Turner, in his account of the Alpine region to the north-east of Hindustan, thus describes their structure over chasms: "Two ropes, commonly of rattan, or some stout and flexible osier, are stretched from one mountain to another, and encircled by a hoop of the same material. The passenger places himself between them, sitting in the hoop, and seizing a rope in each hand, slides himself along with facility and speed over the tremendous abyss below."