A JOURNAL OF UNIVERSITY

LIFE AND THOUGHT.

VOL. IV. No. 78.]

SUMMARY OF NEWS.

The public meeting that was held in the Anatomical Lecture Room at the New Museums on Saturday last, to discuss the proposed memorial to Professor Balfour, was most satisfactorily attended by both graduates and undergraduates, as well as by many visitors whose names are well known in connection with science. It was resolved to found a studentship for original research in biology, especially animal morphology, and a strong committee was formed. Several eminent men of science spoke.

The Union Society will hold a meeting open to all Members of the University on Friday next, to propose that junior members should co-operate in the foundation of the memorial.

At a meeting in the Arts School on Wednesday last. held to discuss the proposed recognition of Cavendish College by the University, the Vice-Chancellor said that although he had been somewhat doubtful as to the condition of the Cavendish finances, he was pleased to learn that the accounts of the college to June last showed a balance of £412. The Master of Emmanuel and the Master of Clare both spoke in favour of the recognition of Cavendish, and the questions raised as to the governing body and organisation of the college were satisfactorily answered by Professor Liveing. Mr. Pearson (Emmanuel) and Mr. Browning (King's) agreed that the condition of the Cavendish finances was hardly so good as to promise well for the permanence and stability of the college; and Mr. Cunningham (Trinity) said that the number of entries at Cavendish were decreasing. The Warden of Cavendish (Mr. Cox) defended the condition of the college against the remarks of the last speakers. He said that although the affairs of the college had been carried on for some time at a loss, yet at the present time the finances were in a satisfactory condition, and were likely to improve.

Dr. Atkinson, Master of Clare, the Hon. Mr. Neville, Master of Magdalene, Dr. Westcott, Professor Clark, Dr. Ferrers, of Caius, Dr. Hort, of Emmanuel, Mr. Whitting, of King's, and Mr. Trotter, of Trinity, will vacate their seats in the Council of the Senate on Nov. 7, when the election of two Heads of Colleges, two Professors and four other Members of the Senate to supply the vacancies will take place.

[PRICE SIXPENCE.

The entry of freshmen on being completed shows that there is not such a great decrease in numbers as had been feared, being 824 as against 828 last year, the latter being the largest entry ever recorded. The statistics of the different colleges will be found in our University Intelli

gence.

Palmer. He started more than two months ago in the Serious doubts are prevalent as to the fate of Professor company of two officers on a mission from the British Government to some Bedouin chiefs to the east of Suez, and has not been heard of since. A vigorous search has been set on foot, but it is much feared that the unfortunate gentleman and his party have been murdered.

Canon Farrar of Westminster and the Rev. J. Haslock

Potter will address the public University meeting of the C.U.C.E.T.S. in the Guildhall (large room) to-morrow (Thursday) Oct. 26th, at 8 p.m.

A grand concert is announced by Messrs. Ling to take place on Tuesday next, at which the Misses Robertson will perform, as well as Messrs. Jones, Oswald, and Albert. Signor A. Randegger will conduct.

The ninth of the Sturton Town Penny Popular Concerts took place on Saturday last, Mr. Browning, of King's, acting as chairman. There was a good audience and the performance was a success. We understand that Mr. H. Shield, M.P., will take the chair at the concert next Saturday.

The C.U. Association Football Club commenced their season last Saturday with a match against the Old Westminsters, which resulted in a victory for the former by 4 goals to 0. On Saturday next they play the Old Harrovians, and Trinity College on the Monday after. The Rugby Union Club play their first match against the London Scottish next Saturday.

Common and a bridge over the river, to afford better The scheme for providing a road across Midsummer means of inter-communication between Cambridge and Chesterton, is at this moment, now that many of the Town Councillors are again seeking the suffrages of their Public opinion, constituents, being widely discussed. there is a strong feeling prevailing in favour of the movehowever, varies considerably in different districts, but

ment.

The opening celebration of Ridley Hall took place on Wednesday last on the occasion of the completion. Service was performed at Holy Trinity Church, and a meeting was held after luncheon in the dining hall, Bishop Perry presiding. A full report will be found elsewhere.

At a meeting to be held on Monday, October 30. at three o'clock in the afternoon, it is expected that the following communications will be made to the Society: I. By Professors Liveing and Dewar: On the reversal of the spectral lines of metallic vapours. II. By Dr. Pearson: Note on the construction of the negative astronomical eye-piece.

PROFESSOR STUART'S WORKSHOPS.

So great a change has been wrought in the past year in the mechanical department of the University, of which Professor Stuart is the founder, that we need no other excuse for giving a description of the workshops and what is done in them. During last October term there was so large an influx of pupils eager to be taught what there was to learn in all the branches that an application was made to the University for more workshops in which better and larger machinery might be used. These new shops are now in full working order, and are devoted entirely to machinery for metal working and for pattern and cabinetmaking, the two latter branches being carried on in the shop above the machine-room. Some six months ago, Messrs. Greenwood and Batley, the well-known engineers' tool makers, presented the workshops with a slotting machine worth upwards of a hundred pounds, as a token of their appreciation of the work that is being done here. All the past summer has been spent in fixing a three horse-power silent gas engine, with the necessary shafting, countershafts, riggers, and starting gear, to transmit the power to all the machinery in the place; a fine planing machine for metal has been put down, made by Messrs. Greenwood and Batley, and a large lathe for turning anything up to three feet six inches in diameter and ten feet long has also been added to the previous large stock of lathes. For some time past all the brass and gun-metal castings used in the workshops have been made there, some of them exceedingly difficult and intricate, and the success in this line may be judged by the fact that a gentleman who was formerly one of the managers at the Crewe Works, on looking at them lately, said that he had never seen better castings made at Crewe, and seldom so good. This result was an incentive to the production of iron castings, for it is a truth that goes without saying that the greater the variety of work the pupils can see done and engage in, the greater will be their grasp of that endless subject "mechanical engineering." Some few iron castings were, therefore, made in the brass furnace; but this method is both expensive and very limited in the quantity of molten iron obtainable; it was, therefore, determined to put up a cupola to be blown by one of Günther's silent fans; this is now in full operation, and has produced the most satisfactory results. A smithy was built about a year ago, and all the forgings used in the workshops are now made on the place. The department can thus boast that all the trades in mechanical engineering (excepting only boilermaking) are efficiently taught on the ground, with many manifest advantages to the pupil which he does not obtain when articled to some engineering firm to learn their craft.

It may be of service to some of our readers to give a word of warning here on the question of how to become an engineer. As a general thing there are two ways in which to accomplish this; one is to be articled to an engineering firm on the social footing of a gentleman, and the other is to be apprenticed as an ordinary working mechanic; we will first say a few words about the articled pupil. The youth usually goes to work at sixteen, and is articled for five years to a large and well-known firm; his father pays, perhaps, five hundred pounds premium, more or less as the case may be, and has the privilege in addition of maintaining his son for the five years, since he gets nothing in the shape of salary. The young man is turned into the works for the first four years, and is supposed to work under a leading hand; but in nine cases out of ten he does not work under anybody, but loafs about the shops looking at the men, and daily gathering the impression that he can do the work which he sees others do every day in the week.

If at some future date anybody who knows what work is takes the trouble to give this unhappy embryo engineer a job to do in any of the branches he will find a woful ignorance and inability to do anything properly or in a workmanlike manner. The causes of this sad state of things lie very near the surface.

First, to become a good mechanic requires strict application and hard work on the part of the pupil, and these are only too rarely to be found in our young gentlemen of the present day; secondly, even if he have a fair capability for application, it does not pay the leading hand to trouble himself much with the youth, for even if he turns out fairly well, just as he is beginning to be of service to him he moves off to another shop. The result is that nothing is learned thoroughly. Then, again, the British workman is notoriously unscientific, and all his work is done by rule of thumb; the young man put to work under him comes straight from school, where he has carefully avoided mathematics and scientific reasoning of all kinds; he is, therefore, quite as unable to suck advantage out of the many practical results around him and deduce from them the corresponding mechanical or mathematical law as the mechanic himself, and in consequence he is a worse man than the latter on every occasion, because whereas the mechanic may cover a large amount of mechanical ground safely from sheer experience, our hero has neither experience nor principle to guide him through the shoals in which he is soon to find himself when at the end of his five years he thinks himself an engineer. If these remarks are true while the pupil is in the shops, they are doubly so when he gets into the drawing office. It is really too shameful that he should not receive some assistance when he has arrived at this vital stage, yet such is the case. In our large drawing offices the head draughtsman is always too hard-worked and has too much responsibility resting on his shoulders to spare time for teaching pupils, and too frequently his own knowledge is that of facts rather than of principles. Molesworth's pocketbook is his sheet anchor, and should he by any mischance arrive at a state of things which that farseeing author has not provided for, he is himself plunged in despair. The writer of this article once knew a draughtsman who was so ignorant of mathematics that he could not use the formulæ in the above-mentioned work, although he was head draughtsman in a locomotive works where a thousand hands were employed. The fact is that he has a drawing given him to alter in some respects, so that he slightly builds upon a ready-made structure, without in the least knowing on what constructive principles that structure was put together.

It is the whole aim of the teaching in Professor Stuart's workshops to avoid these vital mistakes, and to give the pupil a scientific reason for every step that he takes. A large variety of work is provided, so that each man may choose some piece of machinery in the construction of which to learn the various handicrafts which will be of use to him when it is finished. Some make steam engines of two horse-power, single or double-geared lathes with slide-rests, drilling machines, circular saw benches, speculum grinding machines, photographic cameras, and other things. Those who intend to become engineers go through all the departments, and are taught drawing and designing, and usually design the piece of work they are going to embark upon in the shops. A large quantity of electrical apparatus is made in the works, and a very fine heliostat of special construction is now on hand, which Professor Liveing is to use for examining the spectra of the sun's spots.

Anyone who observes such matters must be struck with the immense strides that have been made during the last few years in mechanical and physical science by the colleges

We find a graphic description of the great fire in the pages of the diary, relating how he counselled the Lord Mayor to pull down houses to check its advance, and how he buried his wine and Parmezan cheese in the grounds of his office. This seems to have been a common method adopted for the preservation of any treasure. On March 5th, 1667-68, he made his great speech with such successful results, before the Commons, in defence of the principal officers of the army, the praises with which he was met on all sides being, as might be expected, duly related. His eyesight, which was much affected by the strains to which it had been subjected, now gradually failed him, and on May 31,1669, he was at length reluctantly obliged to give up his diary. With the close of the diary, the interest in our hero actually considerably declines, we will therefore but give briefly the chief remaining incidents of his life. In November of the same year, his wife died, while barely three years later he was also deprived of his great friend and patron, Lord Sandwich. In 1669 he obtained the post of Secretary to the Admiralty, and, in 1673, the year in which the Test Act was passed, after unsuccessfully standing for Aldborough in Suffolk, he was returned as member for Castle Rising. Then followed the resignation of the Duke of York, and Pepys was accordingly brought into direct association with Charles II. We next find him lodged in the Tower, through the machinations of his enemies; chief among whom was one Colonel Scott, who afterwards to escape a charge of murder had to fly the country. Pepys, however, was almost immediately released on bail, and was very soon relieved even of that inconvenience. Andrew Marvell in his "List of the principal labourers in the great design of Popery and Arbitrary Power," has the following highly coloured description of our hero as member for his borough. "Castle Rising,-Samuel Pepys, Esq. Once a taylor, then a serving man to Lord Sandwich, now Secretary to the Admiralty, got by passes, and by illegal wages £40,000."

Pepys accompanied the expedition sent out to demolish Tangier in 1683, and it was during this period that he kept the diary now in the Bodleian Library. In 1684, a year before the death of Charles II., the Secretary of the Admiralty became President of the Royal Society. The next event of note was the forced resignation and committal to the gate-house, Westminster, of Pepys in 1689-90, on the charge of his being affected to the exiled James. In 1701, Pepys presented "his dear aunt, the University of Oxford" with a portrait of Dr. John Wallis, Savilian Professor of Geometry and one of the most distinguished fellows of the Royal Society; the portrait, was like that of "Aunt Deborah, done by Kneller, in his best manner, and esteemed a very formidable likeness."

On May 26, 1703, after a " long and sharp tryall" born with much "fortitude and patience," Pepys died at his "Paradisian Clapham," the expression is Evelyn's, having just passed the age of "threescore years and ten." We cannot conclude more appropriately than with a short quotation from what Dr. George Hickes, who was present at his death-bed, writes with reference to that occasion:"I believe no man ever went out of this world with greater contempt of it, or a more lively faith in everything that was revealed of the world to come.... and I never attended any sick or dying person that dyed with so much christian greatnesse of mind, or a more lively sense of immortality.... and I doubt not, but he is now a very blessed spirit, according to his motto, "Mens cujusque is est quisque."

H. A. N.

THE RIVER.

All the crews in practice for the "Fours" have now been in their racing ships for some days, and so afford a better insight into their respective merits. Downing, however, have definitely abandoned any idea of entering, owing, we believe, to the difficulty they experienced in finding a duly qualified successor to Brinton at stroke; and though Caius showed once or twice in the gig, they ultimately thought better of it, and have wisely devoted themselves to looking after their new hands.

Jesus have hardly to our mind made as much progress as might have been expected from their advanced state a week ago. The defects of their stroke have developed since they have been in their light ship, and this has told on the other three oarsmen. Brandon, though evidently painstaking, is hardly steady enough in his swing, and fails to keep his blade covered throughout the stroke. First Trinity have disappointed us; they are not a bit together either with their bodies or their blades, and consequently, though all working hard (and Beauchamp rowing especially well), they get very little pace on; their steering, too, is very erratic.

Trinity Hall, as might, perhaps, have been expected from their rough state a week ago, have shown the most marked improvement lately; at times their boat travels really well, and if they can induce No. 2 to cover his blade, and regulate his swing by stroke's, should turn out a good crew. Their No. 3 is improving daily, and should develop into a sterling oarsman.

Third Trinity are going better, if possible, in their racing ships than they did in their tub: at times, however, they seem to lack pace, and Churchill has hardly yet mastered the use of his slide. They are at present favourites for the race, and bid fair to retain this position.

Lady Margaret have improved on their form of last week; but this is not saying much; they want a good stroke, and their steering is very poor. So is that of Pembroke, who, though lively, are very unsteady, and hardly give the impression of being able to last the course.

There is little else to record this week. The President has had a few pairs out tubbing with a view to the Trials, but as yet no eight has been seen.

By-the-bye, we notice with regret ominous signs of another irresponsible grind, near the new boathouses. Our experience of these monsters is that they are worked on land by a small boy who can hardly reach the handle he wields, and who, by way of making quite sure of damaging some passing boat, carefully turns his back on the river. The river itself, we may remark, is more like an open sewer this term than we ever remember it, and that is say ing a good deal. Will the town authorities ever realise the odium that this state of things daily brings upon them?

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE ACCIDENT TO PROFESSOR BALFOUR. To the Editors of the Cambridge Review. SIRS, The note in your number of Oct. 11, referring to the accident in the Aig. Blanche de Peuteret, whereby Prof. Balfour lost his life, seems to us to require certain corrections. These we are able to supply from personal knowledge acquired on the spot within two or three days after the disaster became known.

In the first place, the accident could not have occurred so early as the 18th of July, because on that day Mr. Balfour went up to the sleeping place, and there is no moral doubt that he died on Wednesday, the 19th.

Secondly, it was the opinion of the medical men who examined Petrus' body that his death must also have been instantaneous. At any rate, it is quite impossible that he should have "taken off

his coat and crawled to his employer's side," seeing that the bodies were found one in advance of the other. Petrus had been working without his coat, which he had slung at his back through the rope. It was only owing to an accumulation of snow behind his back that his body assumed a position which gave rise to the idea that he might have lived; this was at once admitted by the guides when they saw the wounds he had received.

Thirdly, no knapsack was found with the bodies. This may have dropped with other missing articles in a bergschrund, which lay across the line of fall, or been left behind at some point not reached in the descent. At any rate, no conclusion can be drawn from this as to whether they had reached the summit or not. The "untouched food in the knapsacks was the reserve left behind at the sleeping-place.

From the result of a personal examination of the spot made in company with two guides intimately acquainted with the locality, one of whom had led the search party, we can affirm that there is no certainty that the summit was not attained. The traces, as seen from the Aiguille Innominata, disappeared behind a jutting wall of rock. Even if the writer of the note referred to had seen, say from the summit of Mt. Blanc de Courmayeur, and within two days of the discovery of the accident, the footprints cease at any point this would not be conclusive evidence, as the alternation of hot and wet weather at the time would soon have obliterated any marks in the snow. We saw nothing of any cornice, nor was there a place where a cornice would have formed within about 2,000ft. of where the accident must have occurred.

Finally, there can be no certainty that "Balfour must have slipped and dragged his guide with him;" what little evidence there is may quite well be taken as pointing to an opposite conclu

sion.

It is worth mentioning that they had with them a spare piece of thin rope to attach to the rocks in order to facilitate the descent over any difficult spot. This rope was not found with the bodies, and it is possible that it may have frayed and broken at a critical moment. In this case the scene and cause of the accident may yet be ascertainable.

We may mention that sketches of the locality are in the possession of Mr. J. W. Clark, who will be glad to show them to any one interested in the subject.

We are, Sirs, yours faithfully,

Trinity College, 22nd Oct., 1882.

WALTER LEAF, W. M. CONWAY.

Our Rugby team defeated Queens' on Friday by two goals and four tries. We play Jesus on Wednesday.

On Saturday the Sexcentenary resolved not to abolish Proctors by the large majority of 28 to 2.

Tubbing has been carried on more energetically last week, and the trial eights are to be made up in a few days.

The Musical Society hope to be able soon to fix the date of their PEMBROKE.

concert.

Mr. Eve's motion at the Debating Society on Saturday, was lost by a considerable majority; his proposition being "That the House entirely dissapproves of Total Abstinence."

Several football matches have taken place during the week, that against King's Association team, on Wednesday, resulting in a victory by two goals to love; that against Trinity Etonians on Monday, in a defeat by 4 goals to love. On the same day on Jesus Close the Rugby fifteen_suffered defeat by three goals to none, in their match against Jesus College.

There are two trial eights in practice, in which there seems to be good material for the Lent Term. The Four has scarcely improved so much as we should have liked. GONVILLE AND CAIUS. The "Science and Art" held their first meeting on Thursday last, when an exceedingly able and eloquent paper was read by A. Graham on "Shakespeare on the Brain." A good attendance and a bright discussion completed the success of the evening.

The Musical Society held its first meeting for practice on Friday evening at 7.30. We were very glad to see such a goodly muster. and hope the numbers will be well kept up during the term. Unfortunately tenors seem to be scarce, as usual.

An Association eleven on Friday defeated the Old Reptonians by 7 goals to 0. Our Rugby team has also been successful, beating the Old Rugbeians by 2 goals and 2 tries to 1 try, and King's Hospital by 3 tries to 1.

A meeting of the College Athletic Club was held on Saturday, Oct. 21, when a large number of new members were elected. The officers of the previous year then resigned, and the following gentlemen were elected in their place :-President, A. E. Shaw; Secretary, W. L. Eames; Committee, J. L. Templer, E. L. Burd, 8. Hosgood, H. F. Ransome. The annual sports will be held towards the end of the term.

TRINITY HALL.

The four have been doing some good work during the past week fortunate enough to secure the services of Heape to coach them, and are now settling down into their light ship. They have been and we have every reason to believe will turn out a good and representative crew. Tubbing the freshmen has been carried on with vigour since the beginning of term, and of late two or three eights have been out daily. There are some most promising men among them, and we notice particularly Bigwood, Coke, Courage and Squire.

The list of officers of the Boat Club for the ensuing year is as follows:-1st boat captain, F. C. Meyrick; 2nd captain, J. H. A. Whitley; 3rd captain, W. K. Hardacre; 4th captain, G. H. Peake; 5th captain, C. J. Bristowe; Hon. Sec., J. A. P. Wyatt; auditors, S. Swann and P. Propert.

The Association Football team commenced operations last week by defeating King's 3-1, but after a close game were beaten by Trinity Rest 2-3. Our opponents scored the final goal in the last five minutes, one of our backs having previously injured himself severely. We fear that we shall again this season, at all events for a time, be deprived of the services of J. Vintcent, who has unfortunately met with another accident in the football field. The team has however been strengthened by the acquisition of some

valuable freshmen.

At a meeting of the T. H. A. F. C. held the other day J. Vintcent was elected captain and A. T. Polhill-Turner, hon. sec. The Rugby Union Club elected C. J. Willock and M. H. Erskine, captain and hon. sec. respectively.

Two football matches have been played this week. We beat Clare on Wednesday by three tries to one, and Queens' on Monday by seven goals and five tries to nothing. To-day we play the Leys School. A match between the boat and football clubs resulted in favour of the latter by two goals and two tries to one try. The Debating Society discussed "the war on Saturday evening. F. S. Colman proposed that "The armed intervention of the Government in Egyptian affairs was not justified and the war is not viewed with satisfaction." The motion was opposed by R. C. Buist and carried by 25 to 16.

KING'S.

"

The Debating Society renewed its youth on Friday last, when T. W. Graham moved "That the youth of England is suffering from over-education." The house with its usual modesty denied the soft impeachment. The officers for this term are Messrs. Raleigh and Boyle.

The Football eleven have suffered three successive defeats: a disaster unprecedented in the football annals of King's, of which we leave the melancholy story to be told by the correspondents of other colleges. Tubbing goes on regularly under the direction of the captain and secretary of the Boat Club.

The great event of the week has been the election of Professor Westcott, Regius Professor of Divinity, as a Fellow of King's: on which we heartily congratulate ourselves.

Our sports are fixed for the 17th and 18th of November.

Owing to a printer's error in the last number of the Review our correspondence was made to state that H. R. E. Birch had been elected secretary to the Boat Club. It should have been H. R. E. Childers.

QUEENS'.

Our Eights have gone out once or twice, and tubbing is going on vigorously.

Our Football team played Peterhouse on Friday, andCorpus on Monday: against both we were unsuccessful. Our fixtures are :