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her to the asylum where she had been placed, and succeeded in obtaining her hand, with a considerable fortune, which her father was able to give her. The incidents follow each other in interesting succession; the characters are excellently well maintained, and the reader will be alternately excited with different emotions, by the vary

ing character of the s e scenes. The series is altogether unique in the department of romantic literature, and is well deserving of perusal.

Two shorter tales complete this volume; each possesses a great degree of interest, and will be found an exceedingly pleasant change, as compared with the principal nar

rative.

MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE.

Captain Ross' Expedition. The friends of humanity, courage, and enterprise, will be delighted to hear of the safe return to his native country of Captain Ross, the intrepid navigator, bringing intelligence of the most important nature as the result of his expedition. In May, 1829, the expedition set out for the purpose of solving, if possible, the question of a north-west passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, particularly by Regent's Isle. On the 13th of August the vessel reached the beach on which the Fury's stores were laid. She sailed on the 14th, and on the following morning rounded Cape Garry, where her new discoveries commenced; but their progress was arrested by ice on the 1st of October. Early in January, 1830," continues Captain Ross, " we had the good fortune to establish a friendly intercourse with a most interesting consociation of natives, who being insulated by nature, had never before communicated with strangers; from them we gradually obtained the important information that we had already seen the continent of America, that about 40 miles to the S. W. there were two great seas, one to the west, which was divided from that to the east by a narrow strait or

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neck of land. This extraordinary isthmus was subsequently visited by myself, when Commander Ross proceeded minutely to survey the sea coast to the southward of the isthmus leading to the westward, which he succeeded in tracing to the 99th degree, or to 150 miles of Cape Turnagain of Franklin, to which point the land, after leading him into the 70th degres of north latitude, tended directly: during the same journey he also surveyed 30 miles of the adjacent coast, or that to the north of the isthmus, which, by also taking a westerly direction, formed the termination of the western sea into a gulf. The rest of this season was employed in tracing the sea-coast south of the isthmus leading to the eastward, which was done so as to leave no doubt that it joined, as the natives had previously informed us, to Ockullee, and the land forming Repulse Bay. It was also determined that there was no passage to the westward for 30 miles to the northward of our position. On the 29th of May, 1882, they were obliged to leave the ship at Victory Harbour, and reached Fury Beach on the 1st of July, 1832, completely exhausted by hunger and fatigue. They built a hut on the 7th of October, in order to pass the winter

there. "Our habitation," says Cap tain Ross," which consisted of a frame of spars, 32 feet by 16 feet, covered with canvas, was during the month of November inclosed, and the roof covered with snow, from 4 feet to 7 feet thick, which being saturated with water when the temperature was 15 degrees below zero, immediately took the consistency of ice, and thus we actually became the inhabitants of an iceberg during one of the most severe winters hitherto recorded; our sufferings, aggravated by want of bedding, clothing, and animal food, need not be dwelt upon. Mr. C. Tho mas, the carpenter, was the only man who perished at this beach; but three others, besides one who had lost his foot, were reduced to the last stage of debility, and only 13 of our number were able to carry provisions in seven journeys of 62 miles each to Batty Bay. On the 8th of July the party left Fury Beach; on the 17th crossed Prince Regent's Inlet; on the 18th crossed Admiralty Inlet; on the 25th crossed Navy Board Inlet, and on the following morning, continues Capt. Ross, to our inexpressible joy, we descried a ship in the offing, be calmed, which proved to be the Isabella, of Hull, the same ship which I commanded in 1818. At noon we reached her, when her enterpris ing commander, who had in vain searched for us in the Prince Regent's Inlet, after giving us three cheers, received us with every demonstration of kindness and hospitality which humanity could dictate."

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Algerine Museum. A curious museum is now exhibiting in Paris; it consists of a complete collection of the instruments of punishment in use at Algiers. There are ropes used by the police to punish female slaves guilty of slight transgressions.

Adultery is punished with death to both parties; the female is tied in a sack and cast into the water to perish, and the accomplice strangled with these police cords. The Bisgis, or police officers, are armed with batons, with which they inflict frequently summary punishment: they also bore them, like the Roman fasces, in processions before the Dey Thieves have their right hands cut off by a surgeon, and it is customary, whether in order to increase the pain or to stop the bleeding, to plunge the culprit's maimed hand into boiling pease immediately after the mutilation. The yatagan is used to decapitate criminals ordered to be so punished by the Dey or Cadis; the victim is placed on his knees, and a single blow, so well tempered are the blades, suffices, and the number of executions is marked on the instrument. Different modes of punishment were adopted for the same crime. The noble Turk was strangled, the Moor hung, and any guilty of sacrilege impaled. Specimens of all these are in the collection exhibited.

New Steam Vessel. Mr. Hale, of Colchester, has invented a steam vessel upon a very novel plan; not having any paddle wheels, but being propelled with extremely simple, yet effective machinery fixed in the hold of the vessel, perfectly secure from injury, combining every advantage of acceleration by steam power, with the free and effectual use of sails, equally available for sea voyage or for inland navigation, and possessing the facility of adaptation to vessels already built, without any alteration in their form. In the connexion with the propeller, Mr. Hale employs a very ingenious apparatus for reversing the movement, or regulating the speed of the vessel, at the direction of the helmsman, without reference to the engineer, and

affording besides a protection against stranding. Its powers are shortly to be exhibited in St. Katherine's Docks.

Politeness of the Press in America. ofthe -A Kentucky paper thus speaks to and of a contemporary and neigh bour: Is he waiting for an excuse to call us to the field? We can furnish him with none whatever, farther than to pronounce him, as we do most sincerely, and with an especial regard to the meaning of our words, a drunkard, a liar, a puppy, and a most redemptionless scoundrel."

The Volcanic Island. "The Volcanic Island, which has ceased to appear in the canal of Malta, has left in the same place a dangerous shoal of an oval figure, about three fifths of a mile in extent, having its longest diameter in the direction from S.S.E. to N.N.W., and being something less in size than the base of the island itself when visible. The upper surface is composed principally of black stones, and some of a darkish yellow, exactly like those observed round the crater of the volcano, with a sprinkling of sand here and there. In the centre is a black rock of the diameter of about 26 fathoms, over which there are 11 feet of water, with the exception of two points in the line from N.E. to S.W., which have a depth of only nine feet. At the distance of 60 fathoms from the central mass there are 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 fathoms water, the depth of which increases with the distance. At 75 fathoms from the S.W. of the central rock there is a small detached rock with 15 feet water over it. In every direction around this danger the depth is great. Neither the barrel placed there by Captain Swinburne in 1832, and which could scarcely make any resistance, nor the discoloured water observed by him, are any longer to

be seen. By means of a tolerably correct survey, made with an exact azimuth compass, the vessel being in the direction of the shoal (upon which a boat was stationed), and the highest part of the island of Pantalaria, these two points were seen beating N. 54 degrees E., and S. 54 degrees W. The latitude of the point upon which the boat was moored was found to be 37 degrees 10 minutes N.; and with the assistance of a chronometer, whose daily progression was precisely known, the longitude was fixed at 12 degrees 44 minutes 59 seconds E. of Greenwich. The latitude of the volcano, taken by Commander W. Smith, of the English brig of war Philomel, when in a state of eruption, was 37 degrees 11 minutes N., and the longitude 12 degrees 44 minutes E.

Travelling a Hundred Years ago. -The following curious advertisement is extracted from the Caledonian Mercury of July 10, 1721"Whereas it has been reported that the stage coach (from Edinburgh) to London, hath not performed in nine days, as was promised in their bills. Now this may satisfy, that the badness of the weather and roads beat down the horses of a sudden, which could not be prevented by the undertaker; but, for the future, it will be punctually performed in nine days, at least till Michaelmas, one of the owners being now down to put in fresh horses."

Old Bedlam.-Old Bedlam at that time (1808) stood close by London wall. It was built after the model of the Tuileries, which is said to have given the French king great offence. In front of it Moorfields extended, with broad gravel walks crossing each other at right angles. These the writer well recollects, and Rivaz, an underwriter at Lloyd's, has told him that he remembered

when the merchants of London would parade these walks on a summer evening with their wives and daughters. But now, as a punning brother bard sings, "Moorfields are fields no more.

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The Shah of Persia's Plate.The Shah of Persia possesses the most magnificent collection of plate in this world. It consists of upwards of 4,000 utensils of gold, most of which are set with precious stones or pearls. Among them are a set of spoons, vases, cups, jugs, basins, dishes, &c. Some of the cups are so heavy, that when filled they cannot be lifted with one hand. Perhaps the most remarkable portion of the collection is a set of spoons, each a foot long. The bows of these spoons are of wrought gold, and the handles are richly set with rubies, and terminated by large diamonds. The immense size of these spoons is occa¬ sioned by the Oriental custom of eating seated on the ground. Foreigners are permitted to see this splendid and unique collection of plate, and also the crystal bedstead, lately presented by the Emperor of

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pendent upon the conjoined influr ence of climate and temperature.. Birds are equally subject to those rules, as might be expected from their more extended locomotive powers; their ranges are wider, and some groups and species are more generally spread over the world than those beings which require the assistance of a solid medium to trans port themselves from place to place. Instances of this kind may be given in one or two examples. The great families of the falcons, pigeons, and swallows, are universally diffused; parrots are found in every quarter of the world, except Europe; and wood-peckers are wanting only to New Holland. The peregrine falcon, so renowned in a noble but nearly forgotten sport, has its free range over the greater part of Eur rope, America, and Greenland, and has been sent from the distant It cont tinent of New Holland; the short eared owl is common to Europe, Siberia, and the neighbourhood of Canton, in China; the common magpie extends over Europe, has been sent from the Himalayan range in India, and reaches to the cold regions of North America; while specimens of the glassyibis have reached this country from each of the four quarters of the world, besides from many of its far distant insulated lands.

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LITERARY NOTICES.

'Traits and Traditions of Portugal,' containing the result of observations and collections made during a residence in that country. By Miss Pardoe.

A new novel, entitled Cecil Hyde,' from the pen of a gentle

man.

'Lodge's Peerage,' in two editions every year.

A new historical novel, entitled, 'Barnadiston;' a Tale of the seventeenth century.

The little work some time since announced, 'The Language of Flowers.'

"The Lives of British Actresses, who have intermarried with noble Families. In 4 vols. post 8vo. By Walter Stubbs, A.M.

"The Commentaries of John Calvin on the Epistle to the Romans.' To which is prefixed his Life, by Theodore Beza. Translated by F. Sibson, A.B., Trinity College, Dublin.

This day was published, in demy 8vo., printed entirely with new type cast expressly for the work, the first number of Miller's Gardener's Dictionary, Revised.'-The vast popularity in which the celebrated Dictionary of Miller was at all times held, has led to repeated attempts, since his death, to bring forward this great work in a new and improved form. The chief versions which purported to be founded on Miller's production are those of Professor Martyn, and the one now nearly concluded by Dòn. With respect to these productions, it is merely necessary to state, that in neither is the least justice rendered to the original. In the Dictionary of Mr. Don, particularly, there is not a single trace of the most entertaining of botanical writers, either in the plan or the descriptions, but it is rather a translation of the large work on plants, written by the Ge

nevese De Caudolle. From the reception which the public gave to these attempts, it is pretty apparent that they were disappointed in the manner in which the task was executed, and it is now manifest that nothing short of the original itself will satisfy its curiosity. The work will be published in 50 numbers, at One Shilling each; they will appear uninterruptedly on the 1st of every month, or oftener, and every number will be embellished with two beautifully engraved steel plates of plants, agricultural implements, plans of gardens, farms, and every modern improvement in husbandry, that requires illustration by design, &c. The whole work will be completed within twelve months.

Theory of Pneumatology; in reply to the question, What ought to be believed or disbelieved concerning Presentiments, Visions, and Apparitions? By Doctor Johann Heinrick Jung Stilling, late Professor of the Universities of Heidelberg and Wurburg, and Privy Councillor to the grand Duke of Baden. From the German, by S. Jackson, translator of the Life and Writings of Gerhard Terteegen.

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In the press, and will be published immediately, The Hand Book of Gardening;' for the use of Schools, and Self-Instruction. Dedicated to J. S. Monteith, Esq., of Closeburn - Hall. By Professor Rennie.

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In one volume, post 8vo., The Book of the Unveiling: an Exposition. With Notes.

'Grammar of Astrology,' written by Zadkiel the Seer, to enable any person understanding common arithmetic to calculate his own, Nativity, and decide for himself, by the modern and improved rules of Astrology, how far that science is true or false.

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