"PHYSICAL EDUCATION.”

A most interesting and instructive illus trated lecture on “ Physical Education ” wa* delivered at the Athemeum Monday evening by Dr. Hutchinson, under the auspices of the Young Men’s Christian Association. The attendance was very large, the room being completely packed. The proceedings having been opened with prayer, Dr. Hutchins ;iu commenced his lecture by expressing the plea sure he felt ia coming before them to explain bis views upon such a subject us that of physical education. The subject was by no means an easy one, and be should have to touch the deepest roots of hnmau nature and morals to explain it. The first purposes of athletics were to promote health and Mronglh, and secondly, to promote personal beauty. More than all, to band down to a Bnccodmg generation the benefits of the physical educa tion enjoyed by the present one. Considering the subject historically. Dr. Hutchinson said there must have beeu a time when, as a re sult of over-crowding, the strong assumed pos session by might. Nature had worked, and was always working, nt the evolution of im provement in man by this low of the strongest. Men of strength, combined with* cunning,hadalwayspredominated in the world. The lecturer proceeded tp briefly describe the athletic sports of the Sandwich Islanders— sports which led to the supposition that atone time that part of the world had been numer ously populated. The grandest sport of nil was that of the surf-hoard, which he explained fully. It was to bo regretted that under the process of civilisation this sport had been partly abolished ; for he was of opinion that never were there a finer race of mon, even in old Greece, than the chief’s families of the Sandwich Islands. The chiefs, however, were the first to succumb to the now regime of civilisation introdncod by the European, and were now extinct. Turning to Egvpt, he said the figures sculptured by thousands on Egyptian walls, were not remarkable for robustness of figure, for man bore was small among the predominant deities; but very differ ent were the types to he formed in Assyria. Here was found a wonderfully vigorous race. Passing on to Greece they found the human form carefully studied. 