Public Amusements.

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS .

BROTHER ADAMS' FAREWELL MASONIC BALL .

We understand tha tBro . T . A . Adams , P . G . Purst-, the well-known and much-esteemed teacher of Masonry ( and who by his teachings has perfected some thousands of the Craft at various lodges of instruction ) , will give his farewell " Private Subscription Masonic Ball , " at the magnificent new hall of the Freemasons' Tavern , Great Queen-street , iu January next . Bro . Adams , being P . M .

of the Globe , Domatic , Hampstead , Westbourne , and Royal Union ( of Uxbridge ) Lodges , as also Preceptor of the Royal Union , Fidelity , Camden , and Athelstan Lodges of Instruction , all the brethren of those lodges will give their best support , and we trust it will likewise be' extended to him as widely as possible by the Craft in generaland especiallby all who have

, y profited by his teaching . In order to render the ball as attractive as possible , 100 Stewards are being appointed whose sole responsibility will be the payment of one guinea each ( which will admit the Steward and one lady ) and will include refreshments during the evening . Tickets will be obtained through the Steivards onl . Every Steward will

y be responsible for the brethren and ladies who obtain tickets through him ; and their names and addresses will all appear on their tickets , as presented , together with the name of the Steward . In order to render this farewell ball still more brilliant , all the brethren will attend in full Masonic costume . As it is desired to . close the list of Stewards as soon

as possible , in order to complete the preliminary arrangements , the Stewards who have agreed to act would feel greatly obliged to any brethren ( desirous of increasing the eclat of the ball ) who may send their names and addresses to Bro . Adams as willing to accept the office of Steward on the above conditions and as early as possible . Bro . Adams' double quadrille band will " discourse eloquent music " throughout the evening . The ball , under such auspices , promises to be one of great brilliancy and attraction , and we heartily wish it every success .

Bro. Glaisher On Meteors.

BRO . GLAISHER ON METEORS .

Bro . Glaisher , F . H-S . A ., recently delivered at the Exhibition Hall , Falmouth , a most interesting lecture on " Meteors , " to a large and attentive audience , Mr . J . St . Aubyn , M . P .. occupied tho chair . Bro . Glaisher prefaced his lecture by observing that , although this was his first visit to that institution , he could not say that he felt himself as a stranger amongst

them , because for many years he had looked at this institution with the greatest respect , and he knew it was favourably known in the scientific world . And when they considered that Davies , Gilbert , and Sir Charles Lemon were parents of this institution , and when at the present time it included his friends Robert Hunt and Robert Were Fox , it was impossible that they should

not look'with respect to an institution of this kind . And there was yet one other name—a name of well-known fame , a name of which they , as residents of Cornwall , should be proud , as he had added greatly to astronomical knowledge , and fixed tho exact position of Neptune before any other eye had seen it—he referred to his friend Professor Adams , who was still applying him"

self to the solution of problems as difficnlt as themind of man could be directed to , and he should have to refer to the Professor as being engaged as helping them out of the difficulties of the subject of his lecture . It was a pleasure to him to hear the president that day make some reference to his wish that the society should be a county society . It ought to be a county society , and the county might well be proud of it . They had sown the

seeds for good , hut societies of this kind did not always reap the fruit , but certain it was that it was this society that had produced several clever men who had left them ] to work elsewhere , and generally by the awards they had given that day they had encouraged native talent and industry . After paying a high tribute to the earnestness and ability of the judges , Bro . Glaisher proceeded

with his lecture , pointing out that meteors , or falling , or shooting stars , had attracted tho greatest attention of all ages , and iu all countries , and had created a great deal of curiosity as to their origin and intrinsic value . Until nearly the close of the last century there had been no recorded remarkable shower of meteors , but on the 12 th of'November , 1799 , Humboldt and Bonphland , at Cumana ,,

iu South America , witnessed a very remarkable display of meteors . Humboldt thus spoke of it : — " From half after two in the morning tho most luminous meteors were seen towards the east . Thousands of falling stars succeeded each other during four hours . " Humboldt believed this to bo a local phenomena , but the publication of this report brought otherswhk . b . showed that ife

, was not local ; that it was seen at the equator , 700 miles below Cumana , and in Greenland and Labi'adoiv It was also observed in England , but it was evident that , more shooting stars were to be seen iu America than in Europe . Humboldt added to this description that hewas told that a similar phenomena preceded the great earthemake of 1766 . bub no siisnininn nf nerindinifcv nf

the meteors . Until the 13 th of November , 1832 , no other star shower was observed , and on that day observers were taken with as much surpi-ise as was Humboldt in 1799 . Full records of it were collected . In some places the meteors were so many that it was impossible to count them ; in others they were compared to a rain of fire . The shower was less remarkable than ,

that of 1799 , and it was most confined to Europe . Thefact of its occurring on the 13 th of November , whilst that seen by Humboldt occurred on the 12 th , indicated for the first time the probable periodicity of the phenomenon , and anxiously was the 13 th of November in thefollowing year looked for . On the 13 th of November en very remarkable shower fell , extending from Cuba

to-Greenland , and from W . long . 61 degs . to W . lat . 36 degs . In America it lasted for five hours . The number of meteors seen in seven hours was estimated at 200 , 000 . It was certain that from 10 , 000 to 30 , 000 were seen in a single hour , and sometimes as many as 1 , 000 iu a minute . The display surpassed in brilliancy any ever since observed . After , there was no doubt of the periodical

character of the showers , and this was the first grand step in the knowledge of meteoric astronomy . One great difficulty existed in the display of 1799 occurring ou the = 12 th November , and that of 1832 and 1833 on the 13 th . It appeared that in America it was observed that the meteor tracks in 1833 took their direction from a point which retained its place unchanged among the stars during the continuance of the shower . This fact was the

second great step . Attention was then called to the fact that between 17 ( 56 , 1799 , and 1 S 33 , there was a lapse of 33 years between grand displays of meteors . Research , among ancient records of the mentions of the November meteors was made , and evidence was produced from the Chinese , Arabic , & c , dating back from the year 902 down to 1698 , showing that there was a lapse " of 33 and a .

quarter years between each display , the phenomena on each occasion causing much dismay in different parts . Iu 902 the display occurred on the 13 th October , and each successive display was a day or two later . From this almost unbroken chain of evidence the periodical character of the November meteors was established , and . its astronomical character indicated . They also knew

that the display occurred two years in succession , each , time 24 years later . The procession of the equinox wouid account for one half of the day , and Professor Adams set himself to discover whether the amount of disturbance which the planets would ever exercise in