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    ' 822 The Publishers' Circular Sept ^^1

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    188 Fleet Street : September 1, 1885.

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    is somewhat unfortunate that the journal...

• Transcript

  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

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    ' 822 The Publishers' Circular Sept ^^1

    ' 822 The Publishers' Circular Sept ^^ 1

    188 Fleet Street : September 1, 1885.

    188 Fleet Street : September 1 , 1885 .

    Is Somewhat Unfortunate That The Journal...

    is somewhat unfortunate that the journal-IT ism of publishing has no substitute for the

    great sea-serpent , the big gooseberry , or the abnormal potatothe regular appearance of

    , which would tend to lighten the dense dreariness — of the dead season . In the autumnal g ^ loom

    * » which surrounds us , we would hail with unmixed satisfaction the advent of some book

    monster capable of startling into liveliness the dormant functions of the languishing trade .

    But everything seems to be at a standstill . Oblivious to the circulation of books , readers

    by the thousand are tramping after the now wild-winged grouse over the heath-clad moors

    of the north , or on this present First of Septembar dragging their mud-laden feet through

    heavy turnip-fields , bent upon astonishing the yet inexperienced partridges . We need not

    speak of the crowds who are off to lands far distant , because we know of old how profusely

    and eloquently they are able to speak for them-- selves when they quietly sit down to cheer

    themselves with book-writing after their return to the humdrum surroundings of their

    ordinary domestic life . We are inclined to wonder just now

    howmany books are in course of being written , and how many are in a chrysalis state awaiting the

    warmth of public interest to release their wings and let them fly , buoyant and free upon the

    . air of prosperity . One great event of the autumn

    seasonhow-, ever , always arouses interest among makers , if not sellers , of books . We refer to the annual

    meeting of the British Association . Like the Highlander who at dinner declared that

    wherever a Macpherson sat his place was the head of the table , so in the same way it may , be

    remarked that wherever the British Association meets , that place for the time is the head

    centre of learning . This year the grey granite city of Aberdeen

    has been selected as the place of meeting , and , although somewhat out of the way , almost at

    the back of the north wind , it is far from being an inappropriate choice , especially as the city

    boasts of an ancient and prosperous University —the alma mater of many famous

    men—be-V sides being long renowned for educational eminence in other respects . The meeting

    opens on the 9 tli of September , and during the visit of the Association , a number of

    excursions will take place , enabling the members to visit the historic and beautiful scenes in the

    vicinity . It appears to be probable , too , that Her Majesty will receive a few representative

    members at Balmoral . Twenty-six years ago

    a when wnen similar the tne re lamented lamented ception was Prince JrTmce given Uonsort Consort at ] the sam , was x ™* e palace ~ i . '

    dent of the Association . preg For the actual work of the meeting a

    , verv practical I ' 1 programme is m shown 1 . In -w section A J an important discussion ( to be opened bp

    fessor Crum Brown ) will be that on Kin y etic ro . Theories of Gases , and on Standards of White f

    Light . Among other papers which have — * been -Aixtt ; mentioned are Dr . Draper ' s on ' Solar ¦ S « .

    pectroj ^ — . ^ , ^ yj UA yj scopy ; ' Mr . Heath on the ' Supposed Changes of Climate in the British Islands ; ' Professor

    Piazzi Smyth on ' Malvern , Queen of Inland Watering Places , ' & c . But the branch that

    will be of more general interest than any other is the Geographical Section ( E ) which is

    *—• ' JL . \ / , — ¦** m ^ AW under the presidency of General Walker . Here we may look for many valuable papers .

    Exploration will be represented by contributions from Mr . Grenfell , Mr . Bentley , Mr . H

    H . Johnstone , Mr . A . Hosie , Dr . Rae , & c . Mr . Grenfell ' s paper , which is expected to

    A . ak * A arrive in time , will deal with his recent ascent of the Mbango , a tributary of the Congoi

    , The Congo will also be the subject of Mr . Bentley's paper . Mr . Hosie will speak of his

    recent journeys in Western China , and Mr . Johnstone will read a paper upon the

    'Portu-. * . . A . ^ - guese Colonies in Africa . ' The subject of Geograp ^• aSl ^* \~* taK ¦*• V ^ W Kr hical ^^^ ^^«^ V ^ b Education T IT ^ mr * -- ^ ^^«^ W ^^ A _^ ^^ will W V ^ « A , ^ in L . * . <¦• ^ all SV « . ^ ^ likelihood M . AM . VAAAi V VU ,

    be thoroughly handled by Mr . J . S . Keltie ; Mr . Ravenstein will read a paper on the /

    . 1 . a . ' Combination of Ordnance and Admiralty Surveys ; ' ' Antarctic Exploration' -will be the

    subject opened by Sir Erasmus Ommanney ; an interesting paper on ' Tunis ' is expected

    from Colonel Playfair ; and Mr . H . A . Webster ( whose contributions in the * Encyclopaedia

    Britannica' are so well known ) will deal with the question l What has been done for the

    Geography of Scotland , and what remains to be done ?'

    Altogether , the Aberdeen meeting promises to f . n be hfi a a . fruitful fruitful one one . and and much much interest interest wiu will

    , naturally surround the address of Sir Lyon Playfair , the learned President of the Associationwho is expected to deal largely with

    , the question of the national encouragement of science .

    » o » - ¦ - PERSONAii Memoirs of General U . &• Grant * lives ' of General

    . —Over twenty week Grant of were his death published . His great in America autobiogra within p hical a in

    Engwhich work land w and it ill be has America published created . simultaneously The be powerful judged by tere tne si imwo may rri

    hav fact fo ^ f e that + been . T , o . f . alread ol subscribed ^ arl ^ y upwards for in America of nf Wi 200 ) . 7 vw , bnorwy Copies ™ L »*» before oeiore his nis death the ine General handed to m »

    aeaun urenerc * x x «** av * w ~ --publishers the MSS . of the comp lete worn .

    which , it appears , will be ifisuea " \ J ^ , , , , , ' g

• Citation
  • Publishers’ Circular (1880-1890), Sept. 1, 1885, page 822, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/pc/issues/tec_01091885/page/2/