There is only one way by which I can account for this--they must all turn round the earth. Is that it, father? Everybody used to think so. But what surprises me is this; as the stars are turning round us, none get before or behind the others. They keep the same distance apart. Do you not know that all the stars are stuck in a huge mass of blue stuff, called the sky, and that when the sky turns all of them must turn with it, and, unless they tumble out, they must keep in their places? O, father, you are joking. Well, then, if they are not joined together, why do they move so uniformly? That I cannot tell. No two of the stars are of equal distance from us. They are all scattered through space, like a lot of marbles in a scramble. Then if they had to move round the world, I am sure they never would keep in such order, especially as some would have to go so much faster than others; for they have a much greater distance to go. They cannot turn round the earth in that way. But yet they seem to do so. Yes. But just look forward. Do you see how the head of the vessel is dipping into the Bay of Biscay? I do, father. But do you notice that as the bow of the ship sinks and rises, all the stars to the southward seem to dance up and down? Now I understand. Like as these stars appear to dance about according to the motion of the ship, so the apparent motion of the stars round the earth in twenty-four hours must be owing to the motion of the earth. The earth must turn over once a day. It is easier to imagine this, than to imagine such extraordinary motions to take place among the stars.” ROTUNDITY OF THE EARTH. It was fine fun for the healthy, hearty English boy to be tossed about in the Great Atlantic. What a noble, towering wave was that which raised up the ship, but only to let it down in the deep trough of the sea, while its crest hung over it, as if to drive it to the bottom! As the day passed off, and the sombre clouds thronged the western horizon, James got toned down, and became thoughtful and still. Then was his face turned from the waves to the stars, being never tired of watching their motions and admiring their beauty. He had long been regarding the heavens one evening, when he turned, as he heard his father’s step, and exclaimed-- “The more I study the stars, father, the more their motions bother me. How is that, my son? When we first left England I saw the Polar star and Great Bear a good height up in the heavens, toward the north, and Sirius low down toward the south. Have they been playing any tricks with you? I do not know that. But as we have been sailing towards the equator, I have observed the Great Bear going gradually down, and Sirius as gradually coming up. I am afraid I shall lose the Polar star altogether soon. And now I have another trouble. I do not know what to make of a number of new stars coming up from the southward. Would it be owing to the shape of the earth, think you?