THE SUN AND PLANETS.

The planet Venus had been shining brilliantly evening after evening. “Why, father,” said the boy, “does Venus shift her place so rapidly among the stars?

Because she has to travel round the sun, as the world and other planets do.

And is the world really a planet, looking like a star to the people of Venus?

Yes; and not visible at all to those of the distant planets, which are all so much nearer to us than the nearest of the fixed stars. Some of the planets you could not see without the telescope, and you see none of the asteroids.

What are they?

Little planets, over eighty in number, perhaps the shattered parts of an exploded planet, travelling along the old road, and keeping a circle between Mars and Jupiter.

Then they are not like the comets, which run everywhere, getting in everybody’s way?

You are slandering the comets. These shadowy bodies, with tails of light, travel in longer ovals or ellipses than the planets. We see them when they turn round the sun, which is near one end of their orbit, but they disappear afterwards in the great distance of their curve.

Well, I can see some use in the sun to us, but very little in the planets and other stars, and none in the comets.

You must not selfishly judge of the good of things by the use you can make of them. The extensive granite ranges were not made merely for man’s building materials, nor the stars for a gaze through a telescope. As the world existed many millions of years without man, so have the stars. In another world we may know more of the why and because of God’s creation.

May not the planets and other stars be inhabited by folks like ourselves?

Not quite, my son, replied Mr. Marple, though God can make intelligent beings to praise Him, who would be adapted to any atmosphere or condition of the stars.”

In the evening the captain lent James a book, from which he copied the following table of the Eight Planets—their distance from the sun, their times of revolution round the sun, and their size:—

Distance.Time.Diameter.
Miles. Miles.
Mercury37,000,0002months3100
Venus69,000,0007½”7900
Earth93,000,0001year7920
Mars146,000,0002years4000
Jupiter494,000,00012”92,000
Saturn906,000,00030”75,000
Herschel 1820,000,00080”36,000
Neptune2850,000,000 164”33,600

REVIEWS OF MR. BONWICK’S COLONIAL WORKS.
ROBERTSON, PUBLISHER.

Geography of Australia and New Zealand.
3rd Edition.

“Mr. Bonwick is entitled to great credit for this attempt to create an Australian school literature, and as his book is used by the educational boards of Melbourne, a better testimonial to its value is afforded than any general expression of approbation by the press could yield.”—Sydney Morning Herald.

“Mr. Bonwick has been for many years resident in these colonies; he has access to the best sources of information; he has been indefatigable in his efforts to produce a book which might be a standard one on the subject he treats; and he has succeeded.”—Melbourne Argus.

“It is the work of a man thoroughly familiar with his subject, a colonist of fourteen years’ standing, a traveller, and a practical teacher. The book does not contain a superfluous word; it is what a book for schools should be,—compact and simple.”—London Athenæum, October, 1856.

“From what we know of Mr. Bonwick’s antecedents, he is the person best adapted to prepare such a work. A man of education, liberal and enlightened views, a resident of many years’ standing in these southern lands, and a person possessed of much experience in tuition, must have been well adapted for the task he has executed.”—Sydney Freeman’s Journal.

Discovery and Settlement of Port Phillip.

“Future historians will turn to it as a repertory of valuable facts, lucidly, systematically, and chronologically stated; for the most part well authenticated, and all of them of the deepest interest, because bearing upon the infancy and rapidly maturing youth of a country whose splendid destinies have yet to be revealed, and whose future greatness may transcend both our hopes and our belief.”—Melbourne Argus, 1856.

“My chief object being to depict Victoria, not as she was, but, as she is now, I shall not trouble the reader with long narrations of early history. These have been earnestly and copiously given by the industry of Mr. Bonwick in his recent publications.”—Mr. Westgarth’s “Victoria.”

The Wild White Man and the Blacks of Victoria.
Two Shillings.

“Mr. James Bonwick, late Inspector of Schools in Victoria, and whose name will be familiar to very many of our readers, has just published a second edition of his very interesting book, ‘The Wild White Man and the Blacks of Victoria.’ Mr. Bonwick is too highly respected in this colony to need further aid from us now than the statement that he has issued this new edition, and that the publishers are Messrs. Fergusson and Moore, Flinders lane east.”—Melbourne Argus, 6th November, 1863.

“The style is always terse and pointed, and it has uniformly the most resistless charm of playful ease and the utmost simplicity. Australian scenery is painted with the pencil of an enthusiast, and the imaginative portions of the work are treated with rare descriptive power.”—Age.

“Mr. Bonwick is thoroughly in earnest, and tells his story with an air of generous enthusiasm, which alone invests what he has to say with an uncommon amount of interest.”—Ballaarat Star, Oct. 30.

Astronomy for Young Australians.

“This is Written in a thoroughly popular style, and has received the benefit of Mr. Ellery’s revision. This little work will doubtless enjoy, as its merits deserve, a large sale.”—Argus.

“We have met with no work which is so suitable for teaching Astronomy to our Australian youth as the one before us.”—Chronicle.

“The book is written in a most captivating style. It makes the story of our brilliant southern skies almost as interesting as a fairy tale. We hope this very meritorious book will be at once introduced into all our common schools, as it well deserves to be, since it supplies a want—a felt want.”—Weekly Review.

Grammar for Australian Youth.

“The Grammar is a superior book.”—Adelaide Examiner.

The Bushrangers; illustrating Early Days of Van Diemen’s Land.

“It exhibits a correct position of the state of society in earlier days.”—Hobart Town Colonial Times.

Western Victoria: its Geography, Geology, and Social Conditions.

“He has something to tell us; does it in easy, graceful, purpose-like style that is charming to us: A man who knows his work and does it.”—Christian Times.

“A most charming, readable book.”—Portland Guardian.

ALSO PUBLISHED,

Geography for Young Australians. 4th edition.
Sixpence. Ninepence Cloth.
TWENTIETH THOUSAND!

Botany for Young Australians.

Early Days of Melbourne.

Western Victoria; an Educational Tour.

Early Days of England.

Bible Stories for Young Australians.

&c.&c.&c.

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:

Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.

The cover image for this eBook was created by the transcriber from the title page of the original and is entered into the public domain.