Some idea of its extent may be
conceived by the fact that there are twelve miles of pipes used in this
warming process.[14]
After this hard day's work we dined at Mr. Russell's, to meet Dr. Rae,
the Arctic traveller, and in the evening we went to the Geographical
Society to hear a lecture on his last northern expedition, when he
gained all the information known respecting poor Sir John Franklin, in
search of whom he had been sent by the British Government. He showed us
many relics of that unfortunate party, consisting of spoons,
watch-cases, &c.; the lecture was very interesting, especially with
regard to the origin and transportation of boulders. He produced an
enormous head of a deer, which had a curious horn in front between the
two side ones; this is a common appendage to the antlers of the deer of
that region. He told us an amusing anecdote of his having been present
when Professor Owen was lecturing on this strange appearance, and
described the wisdom of this provision, to enable the animal to clear
its way in the snow in search of its food below it; but Dr. Rae was able
entirely to overset this theory, by stating that the whole horny
appendages of this deer are always shed before any snow makes its
appearance on the ground.
At dinner we met Mr. Rutherford, who begged us to go after the lecture
to see his observatory, in which, he said, he had the best and largest
telescope in America, not excepting the one at Washington; we went
therefore to see it, though the lecture was not over till half-past ten,
and were repaid by a sight of Jupiter, and his belts and satellites: but
though the telescope was larger than the one at Washington, being of the
same focal length, and having an object glass nearly two inches wider,
it did not strike us as being so clear and good an instrument.
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