Similar reasons may be alleged to prove that their origin is not volcanic, since the parts which enter into their composition have no relation with the productions ejected by volcanoes in any part of the earth.

As it is evident, from the extreme resemblance of these stones, that they must have had a common origin, and impossible that they can have been produced in any part of our earth, M. M. de la Place and Biot (two of our most distinguished naturalists, I assure you) have devised a very convenient plan of removing all difficulties; they suppose that they come from the moon, and that they have been thrown upon the earth from some of the burning volcanoes upon the surface of our satellite.

These gentlemen do not want reasons, or at least arguments, to support their opinions. They calculate, that, as the volume of the moon is only the thirty-second part of that of the earth, the power of attraction exercised upon the bodies at its surface must be thirty-two times less than that exercised by the earth. Besides, having considered the slight degree of resistance opposed to the passage of bodies by the atmosphere of the moon, which must be exceedingly rare, they have, if I am not mistaken, arrived at this conclusion; that a stone, thrown from the surface of the moon with only double the force with which a bul let is discharged from the mouth of a cannon of great calibre, would leave its sphere of attraction, enter that of our planet, and infallibly fall to its surface.

the first layer of the mineral crust took place. This is
proved by the fossil remains of animals and vegetables
found in the lowest layers of that crust. Besides, the or-
ganization of these animals and vegetables was nearly si-
milar to that of the animals and vegetables now living on
the surface of the earth; consequently, the nature of the
atmosphere cannot have changed since the consolidation
of the primordial soil.

FINIS.

ON RETALIATION.

Thou almost mak'st me waver in my faith,
To hold opinion with Pythagoras,
That souls of animals infuse themselves
Into the trunks of men.
Gratiano to Shylock.

TO THE EDITOR.

and that every creature, from the noble lion to the
squash, or stinking polecat, should have either fare, ta
tagem, or noxious parts in its favour, to be cal
action, and exerted, just as instinct dictates, danger mea,
or passion prompts: thus Horace-

Ut, quo quisque valet, suspectos terreat, utque
Imperet hoc natura potens, sic collige mecum.
Dente lupus, cornu taurus petit. unde, nisi intus
Monstratum ?

In fact, there is a striking satisfaction to be reaped the mind fond of research, from the consideration of characters and habits of different animals. It week useless to recount the almost numberless instances crven record, of noble feelings and extreme gratitude in the dis phant, magnanimity in the lion, or tractability in the horse. On the other hand, tigers an teachers and blood-thirsty, cunning and cruel, dark und unele; SIR,-The various means of defence, or of offence, with now green in youth, now withering on the go,” a and, indeed, the poet, whilst comparing which nature has furnished different branches of animated far as respects their mental duration, might very justly han beings, affords a very curious and interesting ground of added, that a striking comparison may be made ben inquiry. Some creatures are possessed of offensive wea- them and quadrupeds, as well in a limited poi pons, so dangerous and destructive in their effects, as to in an extended one. Indeed, in almost every are air render them objects of justly grounded dread in the regions chronological knowledge extends, poets haveindaya a where they abound and flourish; others act wholly upon selves in certain assimilations of men to differen the defensive, and are gifted with those qualities which Thus, Homer compares the warriors, Hector and effectually set at defiance any open attack or direct violence, two boars, when they are rushing into single ne and require stratagem to effect a conquest or compass sur- and those persons acquainted with the charact However strange this method of accounting for the render. The feline kind by claws and fangs, the boar by animals in a state of nature must admit the greate formation of atmospheric stones may appear to you, you his tasks and toughness of hide, the gigantic elephant and of the comparison. How feeble would have lez, to must, nevertheless, adopt it, as I cannot furnish you with the ferocious rhinoceros by their weight of body, and im-simile had those heroes been resembled to cats, a any better explanation of their origin; unless, indeed, petus of onset to overthrow all their various enemies and you prefer the following. The hydrogen gas, lately used opponents; the ram and the goat, in a state of unre- Paris, issuing into the field of arms, to a generous, or squashes! Again, in some exquisite lines, be cus to light a part of Paris, is as transparent as the air, quite strained freedom, are endued with powers so superior in the army on a march, to embodied cranes, &c. Fiq inodorous when it is pure, and fourteen or fifteen times point of strength and absolute utility, to those they retain in a most beautiful simile, resembles the tuneful Or lighter than the air we breathe. Imagine, Madam, that when reduced under the power of man, as almost to entitle after the loss of Eurydice, to a nightingale mo this gas, either by the action of volcanoes, or by any other them to the denominations and the distinctions of different its lost brood beneath the shade of a poplar. But means, dissolves the metals which enter into the composi- races. Wild asses are known to collect in numerous be tedious to recount the many well-timed tion of atmospheric stones (iron and nickel ;) and that, troops, and by acting in concert they generally contrive to the kind which every where occur in ancient wi loaded with these metallic particles, it rushes into the compel strange animals to preserve a respectful distance; may here in truth be observed, that “one ma upper regions of the atmosphere, where, we may suppose, dogs as well as oxen congregate together in a similar man- time, plays many parts." Thus, Dr. Johnson, & that there always exists a prodigious quantity of it, be-ner, so that beasts of prey, far from attacking these collec- time and place, was called a dog, at another the let cause, as it is much lighter than common air, it rises there tive associations, sometimes fall victims to the united of literature, and at another a bear. But it is as soon as it is disengaged from the bodies containing it onsets of weaker animals; but although the predatory who can support their changed or transmuted chanzo upon the earth. When a storm takes place, the hydrogen beasts seldom storm these openly and en masse, yet, by ad libitum: for, as Longinus observes, concerning H is inflamed, and occasions those luminous meteors which lying in wait for the purpose, they occasionally carry off that, although he sometimes nods, he is Homer s are said invariably to precede the formation of atmospheric stragglers from the main body; thus both providing a sub-it may be observed of caustic writers in borrowed p stones. The gas, while it is burning, is separated from the sistence for themselves, and keeping up a due diminution for, when briskly challenged forth, they generally metal, which it has dissolved, and reduces that which was in of those creatures which otherwise might become too nu- themselves by some unguarded sally, as the ass, d the state of an oxid; the intense heat produced at that mo. A single horse has, nevertheless, been known to lion's skin, does, in the fable, by his braying. Th ment melts the metal, which is, by the mutual attraction overcome, or rather to defeat a powerful lion. A certain when pursued too closely, sometimes attempts to of the particles, collected into masses of different magni- Nobleman being possessed of an extremely vicious horse, or end the chase by charging his brush with his ev tude. These masses fall to the earth, still retaining part determined, in conjunction with some brother sportsmen, and whisking it at his pursuers. Mr. Bradbury, of the heat developed in their formation. to submit him to the talons of a monstrous lion, which was interesting travels, relates that he accidentally kept in a private menagerie; accordingly, they conveyed an animal, whose means of defence he was t the high-mettled animal to an adjoining apartment, and quainted with, at some distance from the boat, left him at liberty to defend himself against the king of proceeding up the Missouri: happening to wo beasts, in his own way. At the appointed time, the den slightly, he was reduced to the necessity of was opened; when the spirited horse, after casting an rifle as he ran away from it; for, had the animal p My reasons for mentioning these stones is not, as you inquiring glance at his enemy, instantly retreated into a may readily suppose, that I consider them to form an im- corner; then cautiously turning his head upon his shoulder, and whisk its tail at him, his life, or at least his sigh upon him, so far as to have been enabled to tam 10000 portant part of the productions which compose the mineral continued to present his stern to the menacious claws of his would have fallen a sacrifice. One of these animal 86crust; but, as they constitute the most singular phenome-noble foe, on which side soever he seemed inclined to com- ing crept into a dwelling-house, was killed lounging at non presented to our observation in the study of the atmorate spring, was received by so dreadful a shock from the that some persons then in the dwelling were taken d mence the attack; at length the lion, in making a despe- in the cellar: the dying creature emitted so horrid a steach, horse's heels, that he fled roaring to his den. In the East gerously ill, and confined for many weeks to their bes Indies, the barbarous nabobs frequently cause public en-Moreover, Professor Kalm relates, from his own experice. gagements to take place between buffaloes and tigers, ele- that the very cattle themselves bellow, through pain, phants, &c.; and in these inhuman conflicts, sometimes such occasions. Although Pope does not resemb We have no proof that the air has, in the course of the tiger's bowels are pierced by his adversary's horn, and of his puny foes, the votaries of Bathos, to the said c time, experienced any perceptible modification, notwith-sometimes the buffalo's ribs are bared by the tiger's claws. standing the continual respiration of animals and vegeta- Weaker species, not being gifted with these tremendous bles; but, during the periods anterior to historical times, weapons, betake themselves to various means for defenddid the air exist, such as it now is? This question is not ing their rights, or for retaliating an injury; and dame was saying," He difficult to answer, although its solution appears at first nature has wisely enacted, that not the most despicable to you, for a sight of your bear." Dr. Monroe, having surveyed the Doctor one day, as be involved in perplexity. It is, in fact, certain that the branch of the animal creation should want some quality atmosphere existed at the time that the consolidation of for protection from insult, or means of self-preservation; the worst.

If you can admit all these suppositions, Madam, you will be satisfied with this explanation of the stones that have fallen from the sky. As for me, I would rather suppose that they come from the moon; that process is less tedious, and, I think, prettier.

sphere, I thought that it might be agreeable to you to have some account of them in this letter, which I shall conclude by the examination of a question more particularly connected with the subject to which I have hitherto called your attention.

merous.

• Homer makes use of one of exactly the same nature.

There are many species of this animal, of which the a

et one couplet will, at least, warrant this supposi-
amely, that he observed no very distant similarity
n one of them and an insect known to be in posses-
flike offensive qualities. He exclaims to some
contemporary whose compositions were devoid of
le, though not of odious personality,,
et let me flap this bug with gilded wings,
his painted child of dirt that stinks and stings.

ould be rather a curious investigation to ascertain
ly the different points in which men resemble, and
it degrees they approach the nature of different races
adrupeds, to wit:-which are the tigers, which the
which the leeches, which the drones, which the
and which the squashes, of society; and also, which
f literati resemble the fulmar, a bird of the gull kind,
irts a sort of glutinous liquor into the faces of those
acautiously happen to look into its nest, or approach

ar its haunts.

. Bruce, whilst on his travels, happened to perceive
tent, one night, a pair of glowing eyes, which, upon
er examination, he found to belong to a hyena, who
arrying off a large bundle of candles; he soon decided
natter, by receiving the enemy upon his spear point,
hrusting him through the body.
has been remarked of this, as well as some other
als of the lower orders of beasts of prey, that they are
geous only when victory is certain, that they con-
ly appear at night fall, stealing about, and attempting
sperse cattle by their dreadful howlings; a straggler
stantly disabled by a deadly bite, and very shortly
ired; but being of that base, cowardly disposition
a must ever attack covertly, they lounge about only
e dark, like midnight assassins prone to blood.
e ancients supposed that an evil spirit occupied the
a; and that it decoyed passengers to their destruc.
by imitating the human voice; also, that the human
ow was changed in the sepulchre into a snake.
Sunt qui cum clauso putrefacta est spina sepulchro,
Mutari credant humanas angue medullas.

wards, and allowed the blood to flow from his mouth. On

NOBLE ACT OF A PIRATE CHIEF.

(From "Foreign Scenes," &c. by John Howison, Esg.)

of cultivated fields, and among these alone he jumped about to avoid being taken. He was first shot on a tree, laxed, owing, no doubt, to loss of blood; and the amnuand after having received five balls, his exertions were renition being about this time expended, they were obliged to have recourse to other measures for his destruction. made violent and unexpected resistance; but it proved A pirate vessel once attacked a sloop, the crew of which One of the first balls probably penetrated his lungs, for unavailing, and she was soon boarded by her assailants, immediately after the infliction of the wound he slung who showed themselves inclined to proceed to extremities himself by his feet from a branch, with his head down- of every kind. The master of the sloop unfortunately had receiving a wound he always put his hand over the in- his wife with him. She remained below decks, while her husband stood by the gangway, and endeavoured to prejured part, and the human-like agony of his expression vent the negroes from descending to the cabin; however, he his pursuers. With the assistance of the peasantry, who The female saw this, and aware that she now had no one had the natural effect of exciting painful feelings among was almost immediately knocked down and murdered. seemed as amazed at the sight of the animal as the crew of the Mary Anne Sophia, never having seen one before, hold, which communicated with the cabin by a small door to protect her, rushed, in a state of desperation, into the although living within two days' journey from the vast in the bulk-heads. Her first impulse was to open a large and impenetrable forests on the island, they cut down the empty chest, that had once held wine, to take refuge in tree on which he was reclining exhausted, but the moment it, and to close the lid, in which there happened to be a he found it falling, he exerted his remaining strength, chink large enough to admit air. Here she lay in total and gained another tree, and then a third, until he was darkness, scarcely daring to breathe, and listening with finally brought to the ground, and forced to combat his intense anxiety to the noises made by the people above. assailants, who now gathered very thickly round, and dis- She heard enough to convince her that the work of death charged spears and other missiles against him. The first was going on, and that the pirates had murdered many would have resisted the strength of the strongest man, and the hatch being removed, the negroes came down into spear, made of a very strong supple sort of wood, which of the ship's crew. Comparative quietness soon succeeded, was broken by him like a carrot, and had he not been at this time in almost a dying state, it was feared that he the hold, and lifted up a variety of bales and boxes upon would have severed the heads of some of the party with deck, and sent them on board their own vessel. Among equal ease. He fell, at length, under innumerable stabs other things, they seized the chest in which she lay conhave travelled some distance from the place where he was herself had not the suffocating closeness of her prison deinflicted by the peasantry. The animal is supposed to cealed, thinking, doubtless, that it contained bottled w Her terror was so great that she would have discovered killed, as his legs were covered with mud up to the knees.prived her of the power of utterance. However, she felt The hands and feet of the animal had great analogy to herself lowered into a boat, and then swung on board the human hands and feet, only that the thumbs were smaller pirate schooner, and eventually consigned to the hold in proportion, and situated nearer the wrist-joint than the along with other articles of plunder. The pirates soon got thumbs of human beings generally are.. well proportioned; he had a fine broad expanded chest tion of their vessel, that night came on without their exaHis body was under weigh, and were so busy in attending to the navigaand a narrow waist. His legs, however, were rather short, mining any of their new booty. The lady was in the and his arms very long, though both possessed such sinew mean time contemplating the horrors of her situation, and and muscle as left no doubt of their power and strength. deliberating what she ought to do. If she remained in His head was well proportioned with his body; the nose concealment she would soon perish of hunger, and if she was prominent; the eyes large, and the mouth larger than discovered herself she would be a victim to the insults and the mouth of man. His chin was fringed from the extre- brutality of the negroes. She at length determined to mity of one ear to the other with a shaggy beard, curling pursue a middle course, and to seek an opportunity of disluxuriantly on each side, and forming altogether an ornamental, rather than a frightful, appendage to his visage. closing herself to the pirate captain when none of the seamen were present. She had some hopes of accomplishing The hair of his coat was smooth and glossy when he was this; for she naturally enough supposed that the hold of first killed, and his teeth and whole appearance indicated y bird, the cormorant, while perched upon the tree of powers. He was nearly eight feet high. Dr. Abel has, and also in afterwards making him assume the rep-with great care and ability, examined all the fragments of orm of a toad, while yet untouched by Ithuriel's spear tioned is a mere estimate by those who saw it alive, but the animal presented to the Society. The height menhispered, under that disguise, at the ear of Eve, insi- the measurement of the skin goes far to determine this question. The skin, dried and shrivelled as it is, in a straight line from the top of the shoulder to the point ten inches; the perpendicular length of the neck, as it is whence the ankle has been removed, measures five feet in the preparation, three inches and a half; length of the face, from the forehead to the chin, nine inches; and of the skin now attached to the foot, from the line of its separation from the body to the heel, eight inches,-measurements made by Dr. Abel himself: thus we have one foot eight inches and a half to be added to the five feet ten inches, in order to approximate his real stature, which would make seven feet six inches and a half; but allowing from his first alarm, listened attentively to what she ing the six inches and a half for the shortening that would said, and then, after a little hesitation, told her that he had not sufficient control over his men to prevent them from n the 5th of January last, Dr. Abel read in the Asiatic result from the folding of the skin over the shoulders, and insulting her, and that her only security lay in her contiety of Calcutta, some observations on the skin and the height will then be full seven feet. This is the great-nuing in her former concealment, till she found an oppore fragments (which had been presented to the Society) as may be gathered from the several notices which Dr. her with food during her imprisonment, and to put her on est ascertained height of any tail-less monkey on record, tunity of leaving the schooner. He promised to supply n Ourang Outang, which had been killed on the coast umatra, and which seems to have been the largest and Abel has collected from different writers on man-like apes. shore, or on some vessel, as soon as he found it possible

ct, Milton transforms all the rebel host into snakes,

shows great judgment in converting Satan into that that he was young, and in full possession of his physical/ the schooner communicated with the cabin in the same

tions

"Blown up with high conceits, engend'ring pride;"

ring to which, a later bard, speaking of a certain ger paddling through the cloace of Grub-street, very y and aptly says,

"Familiar toad, "Half froth, half venom, spits himself abroad." Averpool. U. O. R.

MARKABLE SPECIMEN OF THE OURANG OUTANG.

t remarkable animal of this kind that has ever been
The skin itself was of a dark leaden colour; the hair a
by Europeans. It appears that an officer of the ship brownish red, shaggy, and long over the shoulders and
y Anne Sophia was on shore at a place called Ram-flanks.
, near Touromon, on the west coast of Sumatra, It is observed by Dr. Abel, that of the small animals
re he discovered the animal in a tree. He assembled
people and followed him to a tree in a cultivated spot,
which he took refuge. His walk was erect and wad-
g, but not quick, and he was obliged occasionally to
ferate his motion with his hands; but with the bough of
ee he impelled himself forward with greater rapidity.
en he reached the trees his strength was shown in a
h degree, for with one spring he gained a very lofty
gh, and bounded from it with the ease of the smaller
mals of his kind. Had the circumjacent land been
ered with wood, he would certainly have escaped from
pursuers, his mode of travelling by bough or tree be-
described as rapid as the progress of a very fleet horse.
tat Ramboon there are but few trees left in the midst

more particularly known in Europe, under the designa-
tion of the Ourang Outang, one is an inhabitant of Africa,
the other of the East. Of both, several living specimens
have been seen in Europe, but all were of small stature,
and very young, never exceeding three feet in height, or
as many years of age. These animals were long consi-
dered as varieties of the same species, although in point
of fact they are very distinctly separated by external cha-
racter and anatomical distinctions. The African animal
being always black with large ears, the Eastern specimens
as invariably having reddish brown hair, and very small
ears; the former also being unprovided with sacs commu-
nicating with the windpipe, whilst they are always found
in the latter.-Calcutta Government Gazette, Jan. 13.

way as in her husband's vessel. When she supposed,
from the surrounding stillness, that midnight was ap-
proaching, she liberated herself from her wooden prison.
which a faint light appeared.
Total darkness prevailed, except near a chink, through
spot, and found that her guiding beacon was the keyhole
She groped her way to the
of the door of which she was in search. It yielded to her
hand, and afforded access to the cabin, as she expected.
couch, with a lamp on a table beside him. Having se-
On passing forwards she found the pirate-chief asleep on a
cured the gangway door, she awaked him as gently as pos-
sible; but the moment he cast his eyes upon her he started
up, uttered a cry of fear, and endeavoured to rush out of
the cabin. She fell at his feet, and explained quickly who
she was, and how she had been brought on board his ves-
The negro, on recover-
sel, and implored his protection.

do so. He now conducted her to the hold, and having placed the chest in a spot less likely to be disturbed than any other, left her, and shortly returned with food and wine. The female remained two days in this state, undiscovered by the crew, and regularly visited by the captain, who supplied her abundantly with the necessaries of life. She had the liberty of moving about the hold all night, but was obliged to take refuge in her prison during the day, every place between decks being then exposed to the visits of the negroes. At length the pirate came in sight of a Spanish coasting-boat; and having made her heave to, he at once brought his female passenger on deck, to the indescribable astonishment of his people, and embarked her without opposition in the stranger vessel, to the master of which he gave some money, with directions that their charge should be put on shore the moment they got into port. The Spanish seamen fulfilled these injunc tions, by landing the lady at Havannah next morning.

Edit. Kal.

66

Experiment 6th. A dog was rendered insensible by the means employed in experiment first, and an incision was made through the muscles of the loin, through which a ligature was passed, and made tight; no appearance whatever of suffering occurred upon the return of animation, nor till the following day, when inflammation came on with subsequent suppuration. The ligature came away on the seventh day, and on the twelfth the wound was healed.

ry torture. The theory, which it is intended to
sh, is, that men may be rendered torpid, or be sub-
to a temporary suspension of animation, by artificial
and that, whilst they continue in this state, the
te surgical operations may be performed upon
unattended with the ordinary suffering, or any
rhage. After such operation, he maintains that
may be restored by means similar, as we suppose, to
used to resuscitate persons drowned or suffocated.
ngularity and great importance of the theory entitle
e attention of the profession and of the community;
gh we do not ourselves anticipate any useful result
ae investigation, even if it could be safely resorted
he question then would be, whether the pain of
eration, and especially in the recovery, would not
r perhaps greatly surpass that experienced in the "As the recital of such experiments as those preceding
mode of operation. Dr. Hickman details eight must be as little agreeable to you, as the repetition of
them has been to myself, I shall not give a detail of any
ments in support of his theory, and he appears to others, but shall only state the opinions which the aggre-
thoroughly satisfied, as to the result, that he con- gate results have led me to entertain. I feel perfectly
by observing, that he should not hesitate a moment satisfied that any surgical operation might be performed
ome the subject of the experiment he recommends, with quite as much safety upon a subject in an insensible
were under the necessity of suffering any long or state, as in a sensible state, and that a patient might be
kept with perfect safety long enough in an insensible
operation. The following is the letter to which we
state, for the performance of the most tedious operation.
addressed to T. A. Knight, Esq. of Downton My own experience has also satisfied me, that in very
many cases the best effects would be produced by the
SIR,-The facility of suspending animation, by carbo-patient's mind being relieved from the anticipation of
cid gas, and other means, without permanent injury to suffering, and his body from the actual suffering of a
ubject, having been long known, it appears to me severe operation; and I believe that there are few, if any,
r singular that no experiments have hitherto been surgeons who could not operate more skilfully when they
with the object of ascertaining whether operations were conscious they were not inflicting pain. There are
be successfully performed upon animals whilst in a also many cases in which it would be important to prevent
1 state; and whether wounds inflicted upon them in any considerable hemorrhage, and in which the surgeon
a state would be found to heal with greater or less would feel the advantages of a diminished flow of blood
ty than similar wounds inflicted on the same animals during an operation. I have reason to believe that no
t in possession of all their powers of feeling and suf-injurious consequences would follow, if the necessity of
Several circumstances led me to suspect that the case should call for, more than once, suspension of
ds made on animals whilst in a torpid state would animation; for a young growing dog was several times
und, in many cases, to heal most readily; and the rendered insensible by carbonic acid gas, with intervals
ts of some experiments, which I have made, lead to of about twenty-four or forty-eight hours, without sus-
that these conjectures are well founded, and to hope taining, apparently, the slightest injury. Its appetite
you will think the results sufficiently interesting to in- continued perfectly good, and I ascertained, by weighing
you to do me the honour to lay them before the Royal it, that it gained weight rapidly. I am not, at present,
ty. The experiments were necessarily made upon aware of any source of danger to a patient, from an ope-
animals, but they were confined to animals pre- ration performed during a state of insensibility, which
ly condemned to death; and as their lives were pre- would not operate to the same extent upon a patient in
d, and their suffering very slight (certainly not so full possession of his powers of suffering, particularly if
t as they would have sustained if their lives had been he were rendered insensible by being simply subjected to
n away by any of the ordinary methods of killing such respire confined air. I used inflating instruments in one
als) I venture to hope that they, in the aggregate, experiment only, and therefore am not prepared to say to
er received benefit than injury. Subjects of different what extent such may be used with advantage; but I
ies were employed, chiefly puppies of a few weeks or think it probable that those and the galvanic fluid would
ths old, and the experiments were often repeated; but operate in restoring animation in some cases.
he results were all uniform, and as my chief object is pared to employ the galvanic fluid if any case had occurred
ttract the attention of other medical men to the subject, to render the operation of any stimulant necessary, but
ish to do little more than state the general results. all the subjects recovered by being simply exposed to the
Experiment 1st. Dogs of about a month old were open air; and I feel so confident that animation in the
ed under a glass cover, surrounded by water, so as to human subject could be safely suspended by proper means,
vent the ingress of atmospheric air, where their respira- and fully employed, that, although I could not conscien-
in a short time ceased, and a part of one ear of each tiously recommend a patient to risk his life in the experi-
e healed at the end of the third day, without any im- the subject of it, if I were under the necessity of suffering
taken off; there was no hemorrhage, and the wounds ment, I certainly should not hesitate a moment to become
amation having taken place, or the animals having any long or severe operation."
parently suffered any pain or inconvenience from the

sible by means similar to the preceding, and the muscles Clapperton, have all since, by their persevering efforts,
and blood-vessels of one of its legs were divided. There contributed to our previous mass of information respecting
We understand
was no hemorrhage from the smaller vessels; a ligature the most celebrated of African streams.
which secured the main artery came away on the fourth that Major Denham and Mr. Clapperton have ascertained
day, and the animal recovered without having at any with great certainty, that Lake Tyad is a great fresh-water
period shown any material symptoms of uneasiness. In lake, having no outlet, and that it is fed by two large rivers,
this experiment animation was suspended during seventeen
one of which (the Shary) flows from the same chain of
minutes, allowing respiration occasionally to intervene by mountains in which the western branch of the Nile (other-
means of inflating instruments.
wise the White Nile) takes its rise. The Shary runs in a
direction nearly due north from its source to the lake;
whilst it is ascertained that the other river, called the Yao,
enters the lake on its north-west side, flowing from the west-
ward; but it is not a continuation of the Jolibar, or river of
Timbuctoo. These travellers confirm the account of the
Mahommedan priest, that between Cano and Nyffee there
is no river communication. Cano is in latitude 13 N. lon-
gitude 9 E. and Succatoo, which our adventurers subse-
quently visited, is in 12 N. 5 E. This town is the capital of
a great nation, of which we appear to have had no previous
information, though the king of the country (whose name
is Bello) was much pleased with the appearance of our
countrymen, and, to their surprise, they saw his house
was furnished with English crockery, which it appeared
he had obtained in the way of traffic with the inhabitants
of the Bight of Benin. He expressed a hope that a mode
would be found by which his subjects could trade with
the English. His country appeared to be very produc-
tive, and abounded with cattle. It further appears, by the
information collected by Messrs. Denham and Clapper-
ton, that the Timbuctoo river runs S. E. to Nyffe, then
southerly, and empties itself into the Bight of Benin;
which ascertained fact is of much importance, as it opens
a communication with the Atlantic, and will greatly fa-
cilitate the object intended to be pursued by Major Laing,
in the course of the ensuing winter or the next spring.
Whilst crossing the desert our travellers were much dis
tressed for provisions, yet they have happily arrived home
in tolerable health, having suffered less from the climate
than any of their predecessors in this arduous enterprise.
They were every where well received by the natives, who
made them various presents, which are on their way to
England, from Malta. Among them are five live ostriches
and a beautiful horse for our King, presented to him by
one of the native princes.-Hampshire Telegraph.

eration.

Experiment 2d. After the same animals had fully overed their powers of feeling, a similar part of the er ear of each was taken off'; a good deal of blood now ved from the wounds, and some degree of inflammafollowed, and the wounds did not heal till the fifth Experiment 3d. An experiment was made similar to D. 1, in every respect, except that the suspension of anition was much more suddenly brought on by the agency sulphuric acid and carbonate of lime. The results in 8 case were not so satisfactory; some blood escaped m the wounds, and a slight degree of inflammation fol. wed, and the wounds did not heal so rapidly as the first periment.

Experiment 4th. Mice having been confined in a glass be of a foot long, were rendered insensible by carbonic id gas slowly introduced in small quantities, and one ot from each was taken off; no hemorrhage took place pon the return of sensation, and the wounds appeared ite healed on the third day, without the animals having pparently suffered pain, when they were given their li erty.

CENTRAL AFRICA.

I was pre

We have great pleasure in learning the arrival in Eng. land of Major Denham and Lieut. Clapperton, (the latter of the royal marine forces) who left this country in the year 1821, on an exploratory journey into the interior of central Africa, connected with ascertaining the source, course, and termination of the river Niger, which has been an object of geographical research more than 2000 years. Our illustrious modern traveller, Mungo Park, threw a more full and decisive light on this subject than ever had been made to appear during this long period. After penetrating through a variety of the kingdoms of western and interior Africa, he came, at length to Sego, the capital of Bambara, where he beheld the long-sought majestic Niger, glittering to the morning sun, as broad as the Thames at Westminster, and flowing slowly to the eastward." He then traced its course downwards to Silla, and upwards to Bammakoo (about 1000 miles) where it first became navigable, to an extent of 300 miles. This, however, appeared to be only a commencement of the career of this mighty stream, leaving its subsequent progress involved in increasing mystery. Jackson, Hornemann, Tuckey, Bowditch, Ritchie, Lyon, Laing, and now Denham and

MUNGO PARK.

[From a London journal.]

The uncertain fate of the enterprising Park, renders every attempt to explore those regions, where he is supposed to have closed his life, peculiarly interesting, from the reflection, that some information may, by possibility, be obtained respecting him. We do not know that the tale of his death has been either negatived or confirmed by accounts recently procured from Africa, but we have it, on very respectable authority, that some information relative to his last expedition will shortly gratify the literary world. We had lately to announce the return of Lieut. Clapperton, after successfully exploring those wilds, which have been the grave of so many of our heroic countrymen. We now understand, that, besides discovering walled towns, in places heretofore supposed to be solitary deserts, peopled with inhabitants who were in the constant habit of using articles furnished by the manufacturing industry of this country, he had the good fortune to discover what, when he last attempted to discover the source of the Niger. to the reading public, will appear an invaluable prize, the journal, or part of the journal, kept by Mungo Park

How this treasure was obtained we have not heard; but, if we are correctly informed, the manuscript has been preserved with care, probably by those who were ignorant of its true value, and who, it is to be feared, at a former period, by their culpable rapacity, or murderous resentment, prevented the author from bringing it to that conclusion which he contemplated, and which science desired. A relic so interesting will be regarded with no common anxiety; and we trust little time will elapse before every thing which the gallant Lieutenant may have learned, relative to his daring predecessor, will be published.