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AMERICA.

Encroachment of the Sea.-In 1814, a house was built at the mouth of the Delawar, near Cape May, 334 feet from the sea. In 1820, this house was not farther than 180 feet from the shore. The progress of the sea, regularly observed during five years, varies a little from one year to auother, but is never interrupted. On the coast of Brasil, the same observation has been made. It appears, that the encroachments of the sea are here still more rapid than in the United States.

Public Instruction.-The education of youth is considered an affair of national importance throughout the United States, and considerable sacrifices are there made to increase it. The State of Connecticut has appropriated a fund of a million and a half dollars, for the support of public schools. In Vermont, land has been appropriated, and its produce dedicated to the same object of public utility. The instruction imparted at these schools prepares the pupils for the colleges, the number of which is increased to forty-eight; they are, generally speaking, richly endowed.

The University at Cambridge, near Boston, founded in 1798, is, perhaps, the most distinguished of these establishments. The child of every citizen, without distinction of sex or colour, has an equal right to participate in elementary instruction.

ASIA.

The Koran, in folio, published in 1787 at St. Petersburg, with marginal notes, and reprinted several times afterwards at Casan, has lately again been published at Casan, at the expense of the merchant Apanai. No press in the world, with the exception of that of Constantinople, contributes more to the progress of Mahometanism than that of the Asiatic University of Casan; and the tolerance of the Russian Government is to be admired, which, at the time that numerous Bible Societies propagate the Christian doctrines, by the infinite multiplication of Bibles, permits the believers of Mahomet to spread doctrine of their legislator and prophet.

The American Missionaries of Rangoun doubtful of the success of their labours, and even uncertain as to

Psafety of their persons, went to

Ava, the residence of the Emperor, to solicit a positive permission to propagate Christianity throughout the empire of Birman, and to beg, that those who

The Protestant Church in Finland is in a deplorable state. The clergy are ignorant and poor. Their revenue is very little, and they are often obliged to employ force to get it. It is not uncommon for a pastor to seize, or cause to be seized, the horse or cow of a proprietor of a house, as payment for his fees. The Fins are still strongly attached to the Pagan customs of their ancestors. They believe, that Monday and Friday are unlucky days; that cattle ought not to go from the stable till Christmas; and that it is dangerous to light a fire or a candle till Lent. On the eve of the great feast-days, they carry food for evil spirits into the stables of the cows and sheep; and on All-Saints Day (called Kikri, the name of their ancient idol) they kill a lamb, which they bake and eat without cutting it in pieces. A thousand other superstitions are practised by these people.

The Mnemosyne, a journal published in this country, mentions a curious stone, found in the north of Finland, and which serves as a kind of barometer. When rain is near, it becomes of a blackish or greyish colour, and when the weather is fine, it is covered with white spots.-It is, probably, a clayish substance, containing rock salt, or ammoniac, or saltpetre, absorbing more or less humidity, according to the changes of the atmosphere.

POLAND.

Mr. Nathan Rosenfeld, a Jewish merchant, of Warsaw, a man of deep research and learning, has lately published a history of Poland, written in the Hebrew language. The historian has evidently had recourse to none but the best authorities, and the dates and authenticity of the facts he relates, are undoubted.

An immense hill or tumulus in the manner of the ancients, will be raised upon a mountain in Poland, to the memory of Kosciusko, whose name will be inscribed on a block of granite, which will be placed at the top of the tumulus. The mountain, with the land that surrounds it to the banks of the Vistula, will be purchased

for the purpose of ornamental plantation king useful

houses for the veterans who served

under this celebrated and 11 form a copatriotic ge

neral: These veterans lony that will take the name of Kosciusko. 561-5 olitvod >8 et viting9 211 Dramatic Literature.-M. Kowalski has translated Moliere's comedies into the Polish language; the poetry is rendered in verse.

Archiology. A collection entitled, "Monumenta regum Poloniæ Cracoriensia," is publishing in numbers. Three have appeared since the commencement of the present year; the price of the collection, when entire, will be 2000 Polish florins. The superintendance of this work is confided to the bishop of Plotzk, Adam Prasmowski, and to the librarian Linde. The drawings are by a Polish artist, Michael Stackowitz; they are engraved in aquatinta, by the celebrated Dietrich: the plates, twenty-four in number, will represent different monuments of Cracow, and an explanation will not only be given in Polish, but in French and Latin. The authors of this work of art observe, "It is from misrepresentation we refuse to concede the degree of merit due to Poland with regard to the fine arts. She certainly does not pos sess the chefs d'œuvres of the South, but her monuments are well worthy the attention of the artist and the amateur."

1 DENMARK.

The last winter, which was so mild for the rest of Europe, was very violent and destructive in Iceland. Notwithstanding this circumstance, the volcano, the mountain Elsfield-Jokel, a volcano that has not made an eruption since 1612, has again thrown up a quantity of lava, ashes, and stones, some of which weighed eighty, and several fifty pounds each; they were occasionally thrown to the distance of about six English miles. In spite of the violence of the eruption there was ice on the very borders of the Crater.

belonging either to public libraries or those of private gentlemen.

RUSSIA.

Amelioration of prison discipline.— The Emperor has issued an ukase; its object is to ameliorate the condition of criminals in irons: for the future, women will be exempted from having their feet chained, and men en alone' will undergo that punishment; the former will only wear light manacles during transportation. Minor criminals of

either sex, while under age, are not to be ironed. The total weight of a man's fetters is not to exceed five pounds, and the rings fastened to the feet will be covered with leather. All the malefactors of the empire, whatever their crimes, will, for the future, be fettered in the manner prescribed by this ukase. The minister of finance will appropri ate a certain sum for the manufacture of these irons, for both sexes, in the forges of the capital. A society, of which the Prince Galitzin, the head of the clergy, is president, is employing all its influence to ameliorate the condition of criminals. In all considerable towns large and commodions towers are building for prisons. Some of these towers are already completed.

A new commercial town has been built in the district of Melitapholsky, near the river Obotyczna, which runs into the s sea of Asoph. It is called Nogaisk. All persons willing to establish themselves here are exempted, during eighteen years, from every kind of contribution.

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Odessa. In this town in the year 1792 a hut was not visible, but there are now 40,000 inhabitants. Russians, Germans, French, Greeks, Jews, Americans, and Polanders. A French and an Italian theatre are built, and a lyceum, founded by the Duke of Riche lieu, furnishes ample resources to the learned. There are, besides, several schools for law, navigation, and commerce; eight churches, 2000 houses, and numerous public buildings. The harbour is two verstes in length. In summer a number of Russian and P lish families visit Odessa for the purpose of sea-bathing, which is there remarkably convenient and healthy: the population of the environs is rapidly increasing.

Po

Public Instruction.-It is said, that the Russian government no longer intends to admit foreigners as professors in the universities and other establishments for public instruction, but to bestow all professorships on the native

inhabitants; though education is not in a very advanced state throughout the Kussian empire.

The Greek seminary, founded in 1775 by Catherine II. at St. Petersburg, becomes daily of higher importance; two hundred young Greek and Albanian officers are thus educated; they have twenty-five professors. Besides the military sciences, they are instructed in French, Italian, and German, and when they have completed their education, they may have the choice of a commission in the army, of becoming interpreters at the colleges of St. Petersburgh or Moscow, or of returning to their native country. Among the pupils now educating, there are several youths from Chio, Lesbos, and Naxos.,

GERMANY.

Fine Arts. The Duke Albert, of Saxe-Teschen, has left, by a codicil in his own hand-writing, his rich collection of works of art to be possessed entire by a prince of the imperial family. It contains above 300,000 engravings from the very commencement of the art to its present high state of perfection, 82,000 portraits, and above 40,000 original drawings. This is the finest and most extensive collection in Europe.

Missionary Societies are established at Bremen, Berlin, Dresden, Frankfort, Halle, Leipsic, Lubeck, Stuttgard, Elberfeld, and several other German towns. About six months ago one was established in Hamburgh.

Mr. George Frederic Spang is daily exhibiting at his own residence for the small sum of twelve ktreutzers, a gallery containing 550 different pieces, executed entirely with pen and ink by the late Abbé Werner. All the friends of art are anxious to visit this interesting collection, which is really astonishing, when considered as the production of one man only it contains specimens of every kind of writing, in sentences taken from the best French, German, Italian, English, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew writers; also the representation of several works of art, and portraits of philosophers, sovereigns, and celebrated men.

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HUNGARY.

M. Farkas de Farkasfalva, at Futak, has invented a machine by which a person may plunge to the bottom of the sea, walk at the bottom, work with the hands or feet, ascend easily to the surface, or stop in the middle, without any help; and in this manner remain several days under water without inter

ruption and without effort. The inventors calls this machine the dolphin, and pretends that it has many advantages over the diving bells. This machine, which only costs about 901, and only employs two men, would be useful in shipwrecks, in regaining any thing dropt into the sea, and in facilitating pearl and coral fishing; an experiment the author made last year at Vienna, in the presence of Count Joseph Esterhazy and other persons of distinction, had the greatest success. To procure this machine, and to have directions for using it, the inventor at Futak, through Buda, must be applied to.

SPAIN.

A work is to be published in Spanish, by subscription, which, it is expected, will greatly excite the curiosity of the French. It consists of the Travels of a Spaniard in the South of France. The anonymous author promises the history of the parts of France he has visited, and an accurate account of the actual state of the Arts and Sciences, commerce and industry of that country, as compared with those of Spain.

Camels-Some Spanish merchants have bought a number of camels, of a particular kind, only to be found in the interior of Africa, in order to naturalize them in Spain. These animals are by far the fleetest of their species; one of them, in seven days, travelled from Senegal to Mogador, a space that extends over fourteen degrees of latitude.

ITALY.

The Chevalier Theodore Carezzini, a Piedmontese, has invented two kinds of round tables, which he calls geocentric and heliocentric; by which you may, without understanding mathematics, in a little time, perfectly well know the course of the stars, and explain celestial phenomena; you may also, in a few minutes, in the open air, find the meridian line; and in a journey by land, always discover the North.

In the Palace of Arts at Naples, a room is appropriated to contain the antiques found at Pompeii and Herculaneum.

-This cabinet contains specimens of ancient glass, of various forms and colours. This collection proves, that the Ancients used glass as well as the Moderns, for the purposes of decoration and chemistry-Here is also a great number of cinerary urns, most of them enclosed in leaden vases.

At Turin, a new publication has lately appeared, called Il Spigolatore, or the gleaner. It gives an account of new productions as they appear, and of

scientific discoveries. Its sale is very great. glebardeo) -ing wider

An antique Greek and Roman sepulchre was discovered at Naples in 1810, constructed of the same materials, and of the same form, as those of Herculaneum and Pompeii. Last-March, on penetrating deeper into the earth, other sepulchres were discovered, containing, like the former, several vases of baked earth. The Duke of Calabria, on being informed of these discoveries, ordered the workmen to continue their labours, and on the 26th of April, five other sepulchres were discovered in his pre

sence.

Fine Arts-The King of Naples has issued a decree for the better preservation of pictures, statues, and other works of art and antiquity; and forbids their exportation, or the taking them from churches and other public buildings, without his special permission.-He bas, besides, established a Committee of Antiquities and Fine Arts, whose occupation is to see these orders carried into execution.

Drama Italy has been without any permanent theatre for a length of time. It has been proposed to restore the stage to the respectability it has lost. The present comedians are devoid of merit. Some gentlemen, of large fortune and distinguished knowledge, purpose establishing a society at Florence, for the direction and support of a permanent company. They will use every exertion to accelerate the progress of dramatic art, and will encourage and support dramatic literature. They are to decide on the merit of the pieces, and/whether they are likely to stand the test of a public audience.

A New Computor.-M. Rieussie, the King's watchmaker, at Paris, has presented the Academy with a Computor, which indicates the duration of several successive phenomena, without the necessity of looking at a dial, or listening to the strokes of a repeater. This piece of mechanism is about the size of a large pocket chronometer.The dial moves round an axis, which passes through it and the Computor; and at each revolution a small window, płaced by the side of the suspending ring, shews the number that indicates the minutes. This instrument can retain its motion for three quarters of an hour; when intended to be used, the dial should be

turned by the hand, till it marks the beginning of the observation A button is then pressed, which puts the machinery in motion. At the end of the observation, another button knob is pressed, which moves a metallic pen, that traces, on the dial, a point, that fixes the precise moment the observation has ceased, and, at the same instant, the button is pressed that stops the movement of the whole machinery. This instrument is expected to be of very extensive use, provided it be well executed; and it may be confidently employed in every species of observation.

Mr. J. B. Say, so justly celebrated throughout Europe for his writings on Political Economy, has announced his intention to establish, about the beginning of November, at his House in Paris, a Series of Conversations on Po. litical Economy, for the benefit of those gentlemen who may wish to acquire a more extended knowledge of that interesting science.-Unexceptionable recommendation is required. The Subseription for the Course is three hundred francs. At the end of the Course, diplomas will be delivered, if required, as testimonials of proficiency in the Science.

The House of Refuge, established at Paris in April, 1817, has been, up to the present time, entirely supported by charitable contributions. It is under the immediate direction of a Priest, who has generously devoted himself to this work of mercy. Its object is to receive young_criminals, whose good conduct in the Parisian prisons appears, on investigation, to deserve this clemency. They are instructed and perfected in various useful trades. The annual exhibition of their work plainly shews their rapid progress and improve

ment.

The Schools for Mutual Instruction, of the reformed Church at Paris, continue to prosper; order and subordination are every where conspicuous. Severity of any kind is seldom necessary; and ill-inclined or worthless characters rarely met with. The daily progress made by the male pupils in reading, writing, grammar, and arithmetic, in lineal drawing, and in sacred music, is really astonishing. The girls áre equally skilled in needle-work, &c. The happiest results are anticipated, from the religious education instilled into their youthful minds.

from St. Helena.

(Continued from page 154.)

In resuming our remarks upon this important and interesting work, we must repeat the observation with which we concluded our critique in our last Number, that the contents of the volames may be classed under two heads.

The first, relating to the deportment of Napoleon, and to our treatment of him after he was in our power; and the second, comprising those conversations, in which the fallen Emperor descanted upon distinguished characters and memorable events.

We are of opinion, that the ambition of Napoleon rendered it absolutely necessary that we should effect his dethronement. Although, we are aware, that this conclusion is strongly denied by many of the most enlightened and estimable characters in England, we conceive, that few will dispute, that the Emperor, being deposed and in our custody, it was our duty to prevent his again disturbing the peace of Europe. But we lay it down as a first principle, that it was contrary to religion and humanity, and derogatory of our national character, to impose any restraint or mortification upon our fallen adversary, more than was indispensably necessary for his safe detention; and that it was incumbent upon us to impose these restraints with the utmost possible delicacy. It is a lamentable but unquestionable fact, that restraints, iguominies, and mortifications, were heaped upon the Ex-Emperor with a most unsparing hand; and if these were really necessary to his safe detention, it amounts in itself to a proof, that St. Helena was selected for his residence, without either judgment or sagacity; for if the practices of St. Helena were to be resorted to, there can be little doubt, that Napoleon could have been as safely detained in many hundred places in Europe, and at one twentieth

But Napoleon was first entrusted to the care of Admiral Sir George Cockburn, an officer of general ability, and of very distinguished professional talents. Now, Admiral Cockburn established all the regulations, which, in his judgment, appeared necessary for the safe custody of his prisoner; and these arrangements do not seem to have given more offence to Napoleon than what might reasonably have been expected from a man who was now subject to be commanded, after having been long accustomed to command the greater part of mankind with unlimited power. On Admiral Cockburn's resigning his charge to Sir Hudson Lowe, all the restrictions, which he had thought it necessary and consistent with his duty to enforce, were multiplied, ad infinitum, by his successor, and we are therefore, of necessity, reduced to the dilemma of inferring, that Sir George Cockburn must have been incompetent, and have omitted to perform his duty, or that Sir Hudson Lowe has been severe beyond the necessity of the case. We must further. observe, that Sir Hudson's inflictions appear to have continually increased, both in number and degree; and it is, therefore, for him to shew, that the designs of his prisoner, or circumstances equally important, were from time to time made known to him, and which induced him to increase the intensity of Napoleon's sufferings.-The general features of Sir Hudson's management displays considerable vacillation, and a total want of that precision and resolution which distinguished the measures of Sir George Cockburn, and which can alone emanate from discrimination and sound judgment.—Sir Hudson Lowe appears also to have had an unaccountable objection to state clearly and distinctly his intentions, so that Napoleon and his suite could guide themselves in their conduct without the danger of misconstruing the orders they were to obey. In addition to this, there was a very unworthy pettishness in Sir Hud