WCP6972

[1] [p. 56]

THE NON-CONVEXITY OF WATER.

A REPLY TO MR. WALLACE. BY B. CHAS. BROUGH.

I. — Introductory.

During the month of December, 1871, the appearance of a pamphlet by Mr. A. R. Wallace, "in reply to Mr. Hampden", was announced in several of the journals. Failing to obtain the production elsewhere, I inquired from the author "whence it could be obtained?" In a few days I was favoured with a copy, and, shortly afterwards, with the following letter:—

"Holly House, Barking, E., January 6th, 1872.

"Dear Sir,— May I beg you to state precisely what there is in the experiment exhibited by me on the Bedford Canal [2] [p. 57] that is consistent with a plane earth and inconsistent with a globular one.

"Of course you must allow that this is purely a matter of geometrical measurement, and can therefore only be decided by figures or diagrams accurately drawn. Also you must admit that the properties of the circle (as radically different from those of the straight line) are exhibited on any scale or proportion, — that is, that a circle of an inch radius differs from a straight line in exactly the same way as a circle of a mile or of four thousand miles radius, only in a different degree. If you bear this in mind and show me by accurately drawn diagrams how you think my experiments are inconsistent with a spherical surface of the water or consistent with a plane surface,— I think I can convince you of your error and show you how to make experiments in a room that will demonstrate the error to any one really anxious to arrive at truth.

"You make take the diagrams in Carpenter's "Water not Convex" as substantially correct.

"Yours very truly, | ALFRED R. WALLACE."