Rollo's Philosophy. [Air]

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. PREFACE. The main design in view, in the discussions which are offered to the juvenile world, under the title of The Rollo Philosophy , relates rather to their effect upon the little reader's habits of thinking, reasoning, and observation, than to the additions they may make to his stock of knowledge. The benefit which the author intends that the reader shall derive from them, is an influence on the cast of his intellectual character, which is receiving its permanent form during the years to which these writings are adapted. The acquisition of knowledge, however, though in this case a secondary, is by no means an unimportant object; and the discussion of the several topics proceeds accordingly, with regularity, upon a certain system of classification. This classification is based upon the more obvious external properties and relations of matter, and less upon those which, though they are more extensive and general in their nature, and, therefore, more suitable, in a strictly-scientific point of view, for the foundations of a system, are less apparent, and require higher powers of generalization and abstraction; and are, therefore, less in accordance with the genius and spirit of the Rollo philosophy. As teachers have, in some cases, done the author the honor to introduce some of the preceding works of this class into their schools, as reading books, &c., considerable reference has been had to this, in the form and manner of the discussion, and questions have been added to facilitate the use of the books in cases where parents or teachers may make the reading of them a regular exercise of instruction. CONTENTS. Page. Lost in the Snow, 9 Flying, 19 Valve Making, 40 Experiments, 51 Pressure, 64 Ballooning, 79 Philosophical Discussion, 94 Tasks, 108 Burning, 121 Gravitation, 143 Air in Motion, 158 Air at Rest, 178 the ROLLO PHILOSOPHY AIR. LOST IN THE SNOW. One pleasant morning, very early in the spring, Rollo's cousin Lucy came to call for Rollo to go on an expedition, which they had planned the day before. It was near the end of March, and the snow had become so consolidated by the warm sun in the days, and the hard frosts at night, that it would bear the children to walk upon it. The children called it the crust; but it was not, strictly speaking,…