Internal Temperature Of The Earth.

Restricting the interpretation , then , of Mr . Hopkins ' s results to the question whether the earth ' s solid shell be as thin as some geologists have supposed , or at least several hundred miles in thickness—and this is the only question of geological importance—Mr . Hopkins denied the validity of either of the objections above stated . Thus , both the modes of

investigation which hacl been described , lead to like conclusions respecting the least thickness which can be assigned to the solid envelope of our globe . It must be much greater than geologists have frequentl y imagined it to be .

Archæology.

ARCH ? OLOGY .

BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION . Tms society brought its very interesting meeting to a close , at Newbury , last Saturday . On Friday , after a hurried visit to the ruins of Heading Abbey and the Prioiy , _ T . fr . Pettigrew and the other members of the Archaeological Association returned to Newbury , and attended a . wee , which was given at the Mansion House hi the evening . Mr . Petti ied tho chairMrBlnndell

grew occup . . , F . S . A ., read a paper on the Battles of Newbury , the first of wliich took place on the 18 th of September , 1 G-13 , Charles I . commanding the Royalists in person , and the second in KILL The Baroness Weld and other ladies contributed to the musical portion of the entertainments , and some of the local gentlemen exercised their vocal abilities for the gratification ofthe company , which was one of the largest and most fashionable during the It was

congress . approaching midni ght when the soiree terminated . By Saturday morning the archaeologists had diminished in number , and all the clerical members left the town for their parochial duties on Sunday . This led to an alteration in the programme of the clay ' s proceedings . The Vale of the AA'hite Horse was intended to be visited , but the journey was found too far and it was abandoned . The expedition was first to AVelford Church . The manor

formerl y belonged to the abbot and convent of Abingdon , but is now the property of Sir . Charles Eyre , of AVelford-park . The cnurch is of the Saxon style , and the stone stalls in the chancel arc somc ^ of the most remarkable in the country . On the north waii is a handsome monument , with a sculptured woman in a dress of her time , kneeling at a desk , and this was au object of much interest to the archaeologists .

'The church of Little Shefibrd ivas also visited , and Mr . Blanche read a paper on an alabaster monument , having- on it the figures ot a- man m armour and a lad y , ivithout any inscription or arms . At an earl y period the manor ivas in the family of ' Fclti place , one 01 wiiom , Thomas , married Beatrice , an illegitimate daughter of John the lung of Portugal , who had been successively the widow oi the Earl of Arundel Lord Talbotand the Earl of Huntingdon

, , , - in tim canned is an elegant grey marble tomb , against wliich are the emgies ot John Fclti place , his wives and children . From his month issues the inscription , "Dens miscreatiir nostri et bencdicat noois ; and Irom that of the woman . "Illnminet vultum siuini super nos . This proved to be one of the most interesting places that lias heen visited . The excursionists returned to the town curly m the evemmr .

^ j . ncrc was a fair sprinkle of gentlemen at the dinner , at ( lie J- elicau hotel , opccnhamland . Some speeches were delivered of a complimentary character , relating to arehicologiciil researches am . the proceedings ofthe congress were brought to a close by a meeting m the Mansion House .

TilE BOMAN VILLA AT CABISBBOOKE . ooMi ; _ partiadars of these very remarkable remains of antiquity , appear in a long letter from an observant correspondent of the Jlanipxlare Adrerlisvr , and we doubt not that from the great interest excitcu by this discovery , our renders ivill not be offended oy our transferring a considerable portion of his letter to our coinmns . lie says : — " I first met with indications of the villa cm

, T 0 l , l ml Illst ' whcn ' observing workmen excavating for i : uilnes on the vicarage grounds , I walked down to see if anything mignt ue turning up , induced to do no by having before found iu ^ u-ism-ooke portion s of a British urn and other " re ! ies of ancient iiiuial : aim I was indeed agreeably surprised by finding portions of uoinau tiling , which had been thrown up by the workmen , its uiaracier being unknown to them

. '' I at once applied to the vicar , the Bev . E . B . James , for leave to make researches , which was readily granted , and every facilit y j ' , m [ : m " ) l (>™ ed me by all those " in his cninlov . Following ue . i , m tne wake oi' the men . still dinging for the " foundations ol

the stables , a good quantity of broken pottery , & c , was collected , and , finding some scattered tessera ) , ivhieh gave indications of a pavement , I set a man to cut exploring trenches in several directions . The first trench soon opened up a coarse tessellated pavement , forming a portion of what may have been a corridor of the building ; another brought to light the bath , with its hypocaust ; ancl following up these and other trenches , the villa , so far as it

has yet been opened , was gradually disclosed . " A detailed account , even of these portions of the building , would require accompanying plans , ancl a practised hand ; but a few general features may be given , promising that some dimensions are g iven from memory , and that the remains have not been sufficiently explored to speak positively on many points , while some must he , necessarily , a matter of conjecture only . The

villa would appear to have covered a space of from one hundred and ten to one hundred and twenty feet in length , and from sixty to seventy feet in width ; but , from the sli ght indications of masonry in the adjoining lane , this size may be increased . The pavements arc from five to six feet below the present level of the soil ; of this depth about three feet is composed of the chalk debris of the walling , & c , over which the three feet surface mould must have been brought and spread . As to the arrangement of the building , a portion of the eastern side would seem to have formed

a corridor of about forty-two feet long by about eight feet wide , leading to the atrium , or central hall , about twenty-two ancl a half feet square , and the best apartment , which is on the northeastern side , and about fourteen and a half feet square . " Around two sides at least of the atrium , north and west , apartments , probably dormitories , about ten feet wide , with cement floors , appear to have been ranged . Other walls have been met

with in the cuttings ; hut , as they have not been followed up , no idea of the apartments of which they formed a part can be gained : though from the plain plastering on them , aud the absence of tessellated pavements , the better portions of the villa ivould appear to have been those opened on the north eastern side . The bath , an interesting object , is near the south western side , and is in goocl preservation . Its shape is semicircular , or nearly so ; its

length at the base seven and a half feet , and its hei ght about sixteen inches . AA'hen the flues under it were first opened , the soot of say sixteen centuries since was adhering in large quantities to tile tiles . These flues were traced to the adjoining stable , whore they appear to have warmed a small apartment , the floor of which was gone , though very many of its tile supports ivere still remaining . Jflic examinations were suspended before these flues could be traced to the furnace month , ivhieh may , however , have been destroyed by the first excavations of the workmen , or may yet be found in the adjoining lane .

lo the south cast ofthe bath a kind of cement floor occupied a large space , probably the site of inferior offices , or it may be of a courtyard . Over this , the least interesting portion ofthe building , stables have been erected , leaving , fortunately , the far greater and better portion of the villa untouched . Bcturniiig to the corridor and atrium , we find their pavements to consist of red brick tessera- , of about an inch square , roughly formed , and arc mostly

laid without any design . They appear to be chiefl y made out of roofing tiles , & c . ; at least , they bear portions of the same markings . " The walls remaining are about the same hei ght , two feet eight inches , and arc from one foot nine inches to two feet three inches thick ; on many parts of them the plastering is still perfect , while in the interior of the rooms a plaster moulding runs round the base of most of them . It ishoweveron the before mentioned

, , apartment , at the north eastern angle of the building , that the chief care has been bestowed . Jit is about fourteen and a half feet square , but , rather singularl y , an angle of the atrium projects into its south western corner to the extent of four feet square . 'The pavement of this room needs a drawing to convey an idea of it . The borders wide , but irregularly so , are of coarse red and white tessera :. The designs of the interior portionconsisting of

paral-, lelograms and other figures , with scrolled borders inclosiii" - the lotus flower and leaves , are worked with finer tessera ., of a red , white , black , and blue colour , and are , I find , of a form often found iu Koman pavements . Similar ones , among others , may be seen figured on the sketch of a pavement at Basildon , Berks in one ofthe numbers of JMr . Beach Smith ' s Collectanea Anlbiua . in the centre is a handsome shaped vase and flowers . From its

hollow sound it has probably flues under it . AA'hite it cannot , I believe , be classed with the superior pavements at Cirencester , & c , it is , unlike some of those , in good preservation , ancl from the testimony of a most competent , } udgc , Sir . Boach Smith , F . S . A ., is a very interesting one . The plastering on one side of tin '; , apartment still remains . It h