an autobiography-第65章
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entral portions of the disc） is that of the oblong leaves of a willow tree。 These cover the whole disc of the Sun （except in the space occupied by spots） in countless millions； and lie crossing each other in every imaginable direction。。。。 This most astonishing revelation has been confirmed to a certain considerable extent； and with some modifications as to the form of the objects； their exact uniformity of size and resemblance of figure； by Messrs。 De la Rue； Pritchard and Stone in England； and M。 Secchi in Rome。〃
On the 25th of February 1864； I received a communication from Mr。 E。 J。 Stone； first assistant at the Royal Observatory； Greenwich。
The Astronomer…Royal； he said； 〃has placed in my hands your letter of February 20。 Your discovery of the 'willow leaves' on the Solar photosphere having been brought forward at one of the late meetings of the Royal Astronomical Society； my attention was attracted to the subject。 At my request； the Astronomer…Royal ordered of Mr。 J。 Simms a reflecting eye…piece for our great equatorial。 The eye…piece was completed about the end of January last； and at the first good opportunity I turned the telescope on the Sun。
〃I may state that my impression was； and it appears to have been the impression of several of the assistants here； that the willow leaves stand out dark against the luminous photosphere。 On looking at the Sun； I was at once struck with the apparent resolvability of its mottled appearance。 The whole disc of the Sun； so far as I examined it； appeared to be covered over with relatively bright rice…like particles； and the mottled appearance seemed to be produced by the interlacing of these particles。
〃I could not observe any particular arrangement of the particles； but they appeared to be more numerous in some parts than in others。 I have used the word 'rice…like' merely to convey a rough impression of their form。 I have seen them on two occasions since； but not so well as on the first day； when the definition was exceedingly good。
〃on the first day that I saw them I called Mr Dunkin's attention to them。 He appears to have seen them。 He says； however； that he should not have noticed them if his attention had not been called to them。〃
The Astronomer Royal； in his report to the Admiralty on my discovery； said：
〃an examination of the Sun's surface with the South…East Equatorial； under favourable circumstances； has convinced me of the accuracy of the description； which compares it with interlacing willow leaves or rice grains。〃
In March 1864 I received a letter from my friend De la Rue； dated from his observatory at Cranford； Middlesex； in which he said： 〃I like good honest doubting。 Before I had seen with my own eyes your willow leaves； I doubted their real existence； but I did not doubt your having seen what you had drawn。 But when I actually saw them for the first time； I could not restrain the exclamation； ' Why； here are Nasmyth's willow leaves！ ' It requires a very fine state of the atmosphere to permit of their being seen； as I have seen them on three or four occasions； when their substantial reality can no longer be doubted。〃* ＇footnote。。。 Let me give another letter from my friend； dated the Observatory； Cranford； Middlesex； October 26； 1864。 He said：… 〃I am quite pleased to learn that you like the large photograph。 The first given to my friend was destined for and sent to you。 No one has so great a claim on the fruit of my labours； for you inoculated me with the love of star…gazing； and gave me invaluable aid and advice in figuring specula。 I daresay you may remember the first occasion on which I saw a reflecting telescope； which was then being tried on the sun in a pattern loft at Patricroft。 You may also recall the volumes you wrote in answer to my troublesome questions。 Yours very sincerely WARREN DE LA RUE。〃 。。。＇
Sir John Herschel confirmed this information in a letter which I received from him in the following May。 He said 〃that Mr。 De la Rue and a foreign gentleman； Hugo Muller； had been very successful in seeing and delineating the 'willow leaves' They are represented by Mr。 M。 as packed together on the edge of a spot； and appear rather like a bunch of bristles or thorns。 In other respects the individual forms agree very well with your delineations。〃 Another observer had discovered a marvellous resemblance between the solar spots and the hollows left by the breaking and subsidence of bubbles； which rise when oil varnish； which has moisture in it； is boiled； and the streaky channels are left by the retiring liquid。 〃I cannot help；〃 adds Sir John； 〃fancying a bare possibility of some upward outbreak； followed by a retreat of some gaseous matter； or some dilated portion of the general atmosphere struggling upwards； and at the same time expanding outwards。 I can conceive of an up…surge of some highly compressed matter； which relieved of pressure； will dilate laterally and upwards to an enormous extent （as Poullett Scrope supposes of his lavas full of compressed gases and steam）； producing the spots； and； in that case； the furrows might equally well arise in the origination as in the closing in of a spot。〃
I had the honour and happiness of receiving a visit from Sir John Herschel at my house at Hammerfield in the summer of 1864。 He was accompanied by his daughter。 They spent several days with us。 The weather was most enjoyable。 I had much conversation with Sir John as to the Sun spots and willow…leaf…shaped objects on the Sun's surface； as well as about my drawings of the Moon。 I exhibited to him my apparatus for obtaining sound castings of specula for reflecting telescopes。 I compounded the alloy； melted it； and cast a 10…inch speculum on my peculiar common…sense system。 I introduced the molten alloy； chilled it in a metal mould； by which every chance of flaws and imperfections is obviated。 I also showed him the action and results of my machine； by which I obtained the most exquisite polish and figure for the speculum。 Sir John was in the highest degree cognisant of the importance of these details； as contributing to the final excellent result。 It was therefore with great pleasure that I could exhibit these practical details before so competent a judge。
We had a great set…to one day in blowing iridescent soap bubbles from a mixture of soap and glycerine。 Some of the bubbles were of about fifteen inches diameter。 By carefully covering them with a bell glass； we kept them for about thirty…six hours； while they went through their changes of brilliant colour； ending in deep blue。 I contrived this method of preserving them by placing a dish of water below； within the covering bell glass； by means of which the dampness of the air prevented evaporation of the bubble。 This dodge of mine vastly delighted Sir John； as it allowed him to watch the exquisite series of iridescent tints at his tranquil leisure。
＇Image＇ From a photograph of the Moon； exhibiting the bright radial lines。
＇Image＇ Glass globe cracked by internal pressure； in illustration of the cause of the bright radial lines seen on the moon。
I had also the pleasure of showing him my experiment of cracking a glass globe filled with water and hermetically sealed。 The water was then slightly expanded； on which the glass cracked。 This was my method of explaining the nature of the action which； at some previous period of the cosmical history of the Moon； had produced those bright radiating lines that diverge from the lunar volcanic craters。 Sir John expressed his delight at witnessing my practical illustration of this hitherto unexplained subject； and he considered it quite conclusive。 I also produced my enlarged drawings of the Moon's surface； which I had made at the side of my telescope。 These greatly pleased him and he earnestly urged me to publish them； accompanied with a descriptive account of the conclusions I had arrived at。 I then determined to proceed with the preparations which I had already made for my long contemplated work。
Among the many things that I showed Sir John while at Hammerfield； was a piece of white calico on which I had got printed one million spots。 ＇footnote。。。 At a recent meeting of the Metropolitan Railway Company I exhibited one million of letters； in order to show the number of passengers （thirty…seven millions） that had been conveyed during the previous twelve months。 This number was so vast that my method only helped the meeting to understand what had been done in the way of conveyance。 Mr。 Macdonald of the Times； supplied me with one million type impressions； contained in sixty average columns of the Times newspaper。 。。。＇
This was for the purpose of exhibiting one million in visible form。 In astronomical subjects a million is a sort of unit； and it occurred to me to show what a million really is。 Sir John was delighted and astonished at the sight。 He went carefully over the outstretched piece with his rule； measured its length and breath； and verified its correctness。
I also exhibited to him a diagram； which I had distributed amongst the geologists at the meeting of the British Association at Ipswich in 1851； showing a portion of the earth's curve； to the scale of one…tenth of an inch to a mile。 I set out the height of Mont Blanc； Etna； and also the depth of the deepest mine； as showing the almost incredible minimum of knowledge we possess about even the merest surface of the globe。 This diagram was hailed by many as of much value； as conveying a correct idea of the relative magnitude of geological phenomena in comparison with that of the earth itself：
On this subject Sir Thomas Mitchell； Surveyor…General of Australia； wrote to me at the time： 〃I will not obtrude upon you my crude notions of my own； but merely say that you could not have sent the 'Geological Standard Scale' to one who better deserved it； if the claim in such favour is； as I suppose； to be estimated by the amount of the time of one whole life； applied to the survey of great mountain ranges； and coasts； rivers； etc。 By this long practice of mine； you may know how appreciable this satisfactory standard scale is to your humble servant。
In the winter of 1865 I visited Italy。 While at Rome； in April； I had the pleasure of meeting Otto W。 von Struve； the celebrated Russian astronomer。 He invited me to accompany him on a visit to Father Secchi at his fine observatory of the Collegio Romano。 I accepted the invitation with pleasure。 We duly reached the Observatory when Struve introduced me to the Father。 Secchi gave me a most cordial and unlooked…for welcome。 〃This；〃 he said； 〃is a most extraordinary interview； as I am at this moment making a representation of your willow…leaf…shaped constituents of the Solar surface！〃 He then pointed to a large black board； which he had daubed over with glue and was sprinkling over （ when we came in） with rice grains 〃That；〃 said he； 〃is what I feel to be a most excellent representation of your discovery as I see it； verified by the aid of my telescope。〃 It appeared to Father Secchi so singular a circumstance that I should come upon him in this sudden manner； while he was for the first time engaged in representing what I had （on the spur of the moment when first seeing them） described as will
