DELIVERED IN THE CHIEF CITIES AND TOWNS IN THE UNITED STATES, BY DIONYSIUS LARDNER, Doctor of Civil Law, Fellow of the Royal Societies of London and Edinburgh, Member of the Universities of Cambridge and Dublin, and Professor of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy in the University of London, &c. &c. After Dr. Lardner had brought to a close his Public Lectures in the United States, he was prevailed upon by the Publishers to prepare a complete and authentic edition for publication. The general in terest which, for a period of several years, these beautiful expositions and commentaries on the Natu ral Sciences had excited. and which was so universally felt and acknowledged, induced the Publisher to believe that their publication would be most acceptable, as well as permanently beneficial, to the American public. In these published Lectures it will be found that the Author has preserved the same simplicity of language, perspicuity of reasoning, and felicity of illustration, which rendered the oral discourses so universally popular. The above work was originally published in Fourteen Numbers or Parts, and sold at 25 cents pe number. Any of the numbers can still be purchased. The entire work is now completed in two larg octavo volumes of about 600 pages each, well bound in full cloth, illustrated by 330 Engravings, an sold at $4 50. District School Libraries can order these Lectures through any of the Booksellers or Country Mer chants. Parents, Teachers, Superintendents and Trustees of Common Schools, Farmers, Mechanics and all, indeed, who have any desire to increase their store of useful information on the subjects em braced in these volumes, are earnestly entreated to examine this work before they throw away thei money on the trash, or even worse than trash, that is now so rapidly inundating the country. From among the numerous recommendatory notices which the publishers received during the pro gress of publication, we have only room to give the following: From D. MEREDITH REESE, A. M., M. D., Superin- The volumes of "The Farmers' Library" an tendent of Common Schools in the City and Coun-"Journal of Agriculture" I shall also take muc ty of New-York. NEW-YORK, Oct. 20, 1846. GREELEY & MCELRATH: pleasure in recommending. In their publicatio you have rendered a grateful service to a larg GENTLEMEN: I have examined the Popular Lec- class of your fellow-citizens, who will read ther tures of Dr. Lardner on Science and Art, with much with profit and be thankful. satisfaction, and take pleasure in expressing the Very truly yours, (RA MAYHEW, opinion that you are doing a valuable service to the Superintendent'ublic Instruction. people of our common country by their publication, ROCHESTER, Nov. 2, 1846. and especially by issuing them at so cheap a rate. DEAR SIR: I perused Dr. Lardner's Lectures of To popularize Science and cheapen Knowledge, Science and Art, as they appeared in numbers put must be regarded by the philanthropist as worthy lished by Greeley & McElrath, with much prof of the mightiest minds of the age, and to be suc- and satisfaction. cessful in such efforts, constitutes their authors It has been a source both of complaint and regre public benefactors. These Lectures of Dr. Lardner are addressed to the common mind, and though that information upon scientific subjects was on! treading upon the loftiest of the Natural Sciences, to be obtained through abstruse treatises little adapi are so plain and practical, so simple and attractive, ed to common apprehension. This, to a great ex that all who can read may readily profit by their tent, had closed the popular mind to the attainmen instructions. The clear and familiar illustrations of such information, and prevented the knowledg and diagram, waich: and in every department, of scientific truths from becoming common an are skillfully adapted the apprehension of youth, who should be encouraged everywhere to read and study them and thus promote their own happiness and use lness. general. I think Dr. Lardner has in these Lectures, to th extent of the subjects embraced in them, obviste this evil. He has been peculiarly happy in com I cor a wish that they were found in every School municating information in clear and perspicuou Library to which their scientific accuracy and nu- language, and by the aid of familiar illustration merous moral reflections upon the wonderful works presented his subjects in a manner both attractiv of God should be esteemed no small commendation. and each comprehended. In short he has been But they should be found in every workshop in the emineccessful in these Lectures in popular land; for Science and Art are here exhibited in izing. knowledge. These volumes contai their true relations; and the working men of our a vast aastat of information, presented in a country would find here both entertainment and agreeable man and they are peculiarly prope instruction, calculated to improve alike their in-for District Sch Libraries, and indeed for every tellects and their morals. D. M. REESE. place where they will reach that popular mind which they are so well calculated to enlighten and improve. Years respectfully, F. WHITTLESEY, STATE OF MICHIGAN. Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, MONROE, May 23, 1847. GREELEY & MCELRATH-Gentlemen: Your Ve kn of no publication in this department efforts, in connection with those of Dr. Lardner, in of Literature which hucceeded so well in strip preparing so complete an edition of his pop .T and attractive Lectures on Science and Art, which ping an unwise and erudite philology from a vas! may be comprehended by ordinary minds, and mine of metal wealth, and exhibiting its attrac which are, nevertheless, replete with instruction, tions to the delighted gaze of the 'unlettered hind. are beyond praise. I shall take great pleasure in as well as to the student of Nature's manifold mys communicating my official recommendation of teries. these invaluable Lectures to every Board of Officers "We would be glad to see these interesting die charged with the purchase of Township and School sertations in every family, (and we think their District Libraries through the State. I hope they cheapness renders them easily accessible to meet may reach not only every Town and School District because there is a solidity of inatter and a vigoro of this State, but that they may be extensively cir-style about them, which will render them as inculated and read throughout our wide-spread coun-structive and impressive to succeeding generations try. as to the present." [The Virginian Abbreviations used.. ..8| Fillmore, Millard..........12, 22 | New Jersey......8, 22, 23, 25, 54 Alabama..........8, 22, 23, 24. 57 Finances.... ..29, 30, 52 New Mexico... .....8, 44 Arkansas... .8, 22, 23, 24 Florida... .8, 22, 23, 24 New York.....8, 11, 22, 23, 25, 54 Army, the U. S. ..33 Free Soil....... .13 New York Custom-house. 29 Army Expenditures. 34, 36, 37, 52 French Revolution.. ...16 North Carolina...8, 22, 23, 25, 56 Army (U. S.) Promotions. ..36 Germany, Revolutions in......17 Offices [See Salaries.] Army (U. S.) Pay of.......33, 36 Georgia .....8, 22, 23, 24, 57 Ohio Artillery Regiments.. ..35 Governors of States.. ..8 Oregon.. Astronomical Calculations.....1 Government, U. S... .23 Patent Office.. Barnburners. .11 Birnei, J. G., votes for.....53 &c 23 .2-7 .8, 42, 44 ...8 ...28 California, Route to. . See Cover Congress, Money votes 22 .23 8, 22, 23, 25, 60 .8, 42, .34, 36, 11 Pennsylvania.....8, 22, 23, 25, 54 .8, 22, 23, 24, 62 Plaquemines, La.. 58 .33 Polk. Jas. K, votes for... 53,&c ..52 Population Estimates. .8, 22, 23, 24, 61 Postage, Cheap.. .41, 43 ..42 House of Reps., U. S......22, 24 Paymasters..... ..8 P M's and Clerks' Incomes..42 turns, 1844, 1848, &c Property, Real and Personal, Value of.. ..30 .23-25 of.. ..30, 33 36, 37, 39 Congress, Wages and Mileage of.. Connecticut.......8, 22, 23, 24, 53 Consuls Abroad.. 26 Courts Martial-Flogging. ...40 Crittenden, Gov. votes for,1848.60 Customs Revenue, Officers, Incomes, &c..... Debt of the U. S.. .28, 29, 30 ..... .44 ,23 .15 12, 22, 33, 34 .53, &c .51 Salaries...23, 26-34, 38, 39, 41, 42 Santa Anna's Passport.. Senate of U. S., Members, Mileage, Native States, Mexican Boundary... Wages, &c... Mexican Claims.... .50 Sicily, Revolution in.. Mexico, Cassius M. Clay on...44 South Carolina....8, 22, 23, 25, 58 Mexico, War with.. ..44 State Department. Mexico, future War Rules....49 Supreme Court, U. S.. .52 Mexico, Treaty with.. 45 Taylor, General.. ..8 Michigan ..8, 22, 23, 24, 63 Do. votes for,. .29 Mileage of Congressmen, &c. .23 Telegraph, Electric.. .33-37 Tennessee.. .8, 22, 24, 25, 59 .33 Territory of the U. S. .8 .26 Texas.. .8, 22, 24, 25, 44 ..30 Treasury Department.. Van Buren, Martin, votes .9 Mississippi ..8, 22, 24, 58 for, 1840 & '48. Missouri ......8, 22, 23, 24, 62 Vermont... Naval Bureaus and Officers...38 Vessels of War.. Naval Expenditures. .38, 39 Virginia...... ....8 22, 24, 25, 56 Naval Pensions. .39 War Department. Naval Rank and Service... Naval Rewards and Punishments.. Delaware........8, 22, 23, 24, 55 Military Expenditures. Debts, State.... Defaulters..... District Attornies, U. S. District Judges, U. S.. .30, 32 Mints ..32 Military Pensions.. Economy and Retrenchment..31 Missions, Foreign, Cost of.....27 .27 .53,&c ..8, 22, 24, 25, 58 .40 West Point Academy.. Whig Convention, 1848. ..52 New Hampshire...8, 22, 23, 25, 53 Wright, Silas.. .36 .12 .13 .8, 22, 24, 25 ...11 THE ROAD TO CALIFORNIA. Those who have the means, and can secure at If the writer wese starting before March, and New-York a passage in the steamship from Pana- not sure of a passage from Panamá, he would má to San Francisco, will find that mode of probably take ship to Vera Cruz, and thence travtravel the quickest and best; they will be in el over land, by way of Mexico (City) to Mazat the gold region in 30 or 40 days. The dis- lan or some point on the Pacific, whence passage tances are, New-York to Chagres, 2,860 miles; could be got; and if such could not be found, thence to Panamá, 60; Panamá to San Francisco, would keep on by land to California. With two 3,600 miles; thence to the gold country 80 to 150 or three hundred Mexican dollars, (gold will anExpense, for best accommodations, $400; second swer,) we believe the trip to San Francisco class passengers, $200 Sailing vessels, in the could be made over this route in 60 or 70 days, Atlantic ports, charge $75 down to $30, for a pas- and not unpleasantly. Not less than 20 nor more sage, made in 18 or 20 days, to Chagres, 60 miles than 80 should travel together. They must purfrom Panamá, in 90 N. latitude. The length of chase hardy horses or mules, at Vera Cruz or farthe passage round South America is 18,000 miles, ther West, as speed or economy shall dictate. lasts about six months, and is very tedious, even On Dec 18, 1848, Mr. Greeley moved in Congress, to cabin passengers, who pay about $300 in first" That the Secretary of the Navy be requested to class ships, board included. The two land routes consider and report upon the expediency of temthrough our own territory-one by Missouri and porarily employing the whole or some portion of the South Pass of the Rocky Mountains, and the the national vessels now on the Pacific station, in other by Sante Fé and the river Gila-are long, the transportation, at moderate rates, of American tedious, not without perils, and exposed to priva- citizens and their effects, from Panamá and the tions; yet those who start early, well mounted Mexican ports on the Pacific to San Francisco." and provided, will go through this way; and for It is as lawful to convey citizens in a national ship persons who start from points West of the Alleg- from an unhealthy to a healthy climate, as to transhanies, these are probably as good routes as any. port food to a foreign land suffering from famine. WHIG ALMANAC; 1849. CALCULATIONS FOR THE YEAR 1849. PREPARED EXPRESSLY FOR THE WHIG ALMANAC, BY DAVID YOUNG, PHILOM CUSTOMARY NOTES. Venus will be Evening Star until May 12, then Morning Star until March 2, 1850. The Moon will run highest this year about the 7th degree of Cancer, and lowest about the 7th degree of Capricorn. Latitude of Herschel about 36' south this year. Longitude of the Moon's Ascending Node in the middle of this year, 5 signs, 6 degrees; or 156°. Mean obliquity of the Ecliptic in the middle of this year, 23° 27' 32.2''. True obliquity at the same time, 23° 27′ 23.2''. CHRONOLOGICAL CYCLES. Dominical Letter.... MOVABLE FEASTS. G Easter Sunday Rogation Sunday.. .6 Ascension Day.. EQUINOXES AND SOLSTICES. Golden Number, or Lunar Cycle..7 ECLIPSES IN THE YEAR 1849. 12 morning. 7 evening. 46 evening. Julian Period..... .....6,562 Advent Sunday.. There will be four Eclipses this year: two of the Sun, and two of the Moon. Names of the Moon 1. The Sun will be eclipsed on the 22d of February, at PRINCIPAL the time of the New Moon, in the evening, invisible. This CITIES. Eclipse will be visible in the eastern part of Asia, in the North Pacific Ocean, and in Russian America. It will be Boston central and annular on the meridian in longitude 153° 9' New-York. east from Greenwich, and latitude 41° 22' north. Philadelphia.. 2. There will be an Eclipse of the Moon on Thursday, Baltimore... March 8, in the evening, visible and chiefly visible in the Washington.. United States, as follows:-(See table.) Magnitude at mid- Richmond.. dle of the Eclipse, 8.86 digits on the Moon's southern limb. Rochester.. 3. The Sun will be eclipsed at the time of New Moon on Raleigh... the 18th of August, in the morning, (17th, in the evening, Charleston... in the Western States,) invisible. This Eclipse will be Cleveland... visible in the greater part of the Indian Ocean, in the south- Detroit.. eastern part of Africa, in Madagascar, and in the southern Milledgeville.. parts of Australia. It will be central and total on the me- Lexington ridian in longitude 91° east from Greenwich, and latitude Cincinnati 36° 8' south. Indianapolis 4. There will be an Eclipse of the Moon on Sunday, Sep-| Nashville. tember 2, at the time of Full Moon, (A. M. in the Valley of Chicago. the Mississippi, but on the Atlantic declivity P. M.) invis- Mobile ible. It will therefore be visible in the opposite hemi- St. Louis sphere. Magnitude, 7.09 digits on the Moon's northern New-Orleans.. Limb. Austin, Texas. TABLE SHOWING THE MOON'S PLACE FOR EVERY DAY IN THE YEAR: ! Middle MagniEclipse of tude at begins. Eclipse. Eclipse. rising. H. M. Digits. End H. M. 5 7 morn. First Quarter... 22 54 morn. 11 36 morn. [11 23 morn. HONNNNNNNECESSARI-DAWN-Day Sa 18 21 7 215 17 49 7 195 17| 9% M. S. 4 4 7 36 ΟΙ 0 12 44 Day of Week. of Month. Sun's declination S. Calendar for Georgia, Alabama, Sun Sun | Moon] H. 10. ris's sets sets Ch'a 4 1 7 2 17 6 27 27 4 44 2 15 2 14 7 h. m. h.m. h.m. h. m. h.m. b.m. h. m. h. m. 5 5 5 1 2 0 59 5 5 6 2 7 2 2 5 5 6 3 13 3 15 6 5 7 4 20 4.30 6 5 8 5 25 5 36 rises 7 6 5 9 For the MooN'S PLACE for January and February, see page 1. 2d Month, 06 8 10 even. ......... 250 13 16| 17 0 14 [Day of Month. H. M. D.H. M. S.) 99 9 5 56 morn. 10 43 even. Sun's declination S. FEBRUARY, 1849. Calendar for BOSTON; New England, Canada West, Wisconsin, Michigan and Iowa. Calendar for NEW-YORK CITY; Connecticut, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Sun Sun Moon H. w.Sun Sun | Moon | H. w. 28 Days. Calendar for Louisiana, and Ark. Sun | Sun | Moon | H.10. ris's sets sets Ch'n. h.m. h.m. h. m. h. m. h.m.h.m. h. m. 2 20 3 Sa 16 24 7 14 5 15 3.29 4 31 5 27 9 24 7 6 17 10 27 7 rises 11 21 7 7 1 ev. 7 7 Sun | Sun | Moon h. m. b.m. h.m. b. m. h. m. 1 2 0 33 5 20 6 54 5 35 7 51 7 8 6 0 50 7 4 5 26 7 3 8 9 31 7 7 10 14 7 9 7 57 6 52 5 37 0 16 46 5 43 46 40 5 49 |