Tuesday, December 23, 2008

25Jul1863, Willow Leaves on the Sun

FALCONHURST, S. James, Saturday, July 25th, 1863.
—We went for luncheon to the Nasmyths', a delightful old couple, he the gt sledge-hammer man. Their house lovely and full of interesting and beautiful things. Mem. especially, his observatory—where he showed us a model of the face of the sun, which he has just discovered to be covered promiscuously by willow-leafshaped things, from whence comes the light, and which Sir J. Herschel, from observing that they move independently of each other, is inclined to suspect may be living creatures. They are 2,000 miles long and 90 broad ; if they are beings they must be mighty dazzling Archangels indeed.

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