ANCIENT AEROLITE.

A DANISH journal mentions a fact (taken from the Speculum Regale, a book written in the thirteenth century under the reign of the Danish King SNORRO, and by some supposed to be written by the King himself,) of which it would be interesting to ascertain whether any trace remains yet in Iceland. In this book it is told, that in the church of Kloena, in Iceland, an anchor is kept, which had fallen from the air; and, adds the Danish Journalist, it is probable that it was an aerolite, in form resembling an anchor, or that an anchor had been made of this meteoric iron.

THE SPIKENARD OF THE ANCIENTS. Much difference in opinion has arisen among the learned, as to what this celebrated ointment was composed of. The late SIR WILLIAM JONES and MR. LAMBERT were of opinion that it was procured from the root of the Valeriana Jatamansi, which is found growing only in India; while MR. PHILLIPS, in his late work on Vegetables, positively asserts that it was made from Lavender, which, he says, was called Nardus in Greek, from Naarda, a city of Syria, near the Euphrates,-and that it was called Spica, spike, because, among all the verticillated plants, this alone bears a spike. MR. PHILLIPS says, that "it is a native of Languedoc, some parts of Spain, Hungary, and Austria; but the most odoriferous lavender grew anciently about the city Eporrhedia, and was so much esteemed at the time when our Saviour was upon earth, that it was sought after with the greatest avidity, and brought a revenue to that city equal to a mine of the most precious metal. PLINY, who flourished a little after this period, has described the lavender plant under the name of nardus: he notices the blossoms as forming a spike, and mentions that the most costly and precious ointment was made from the aromatic leaves of the nardus, and that the spikes (blossoms) sold for one hundred Roman denarii (£3. 2s. 6d.) per pound. What especially confirms the opinion that lavender was the nardus of the ancients is, that PLINY, after having described the same ointment mentioned by the Evangelists, which he directs to be kept in vessels of alabaster, observes, that the flowers or spikes of the plant, being laid in wardrobes, give a most agreeable perfume to the garments." In speaking of the Valeriana of Nepaul, MR. P. says, "it seems highly improbable that this should be the spikenard of the ancients, as the scent of this root differs very widely from our ideas of

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agreeable perfumes; and we may presume, that the opinions of the Romans at the commencement of the Christian era, with respect to odours, were similar to our own; as we find, besides the spikenard, they extracted their favourite odours from roses, myrtles, violets, marjorams, lilies, orris-root, and jonquils, &c., to which they often added sweet spices and aromatic gums."

NUMBER OF PLANTS CULTIVATED IN BRITAIN.

SINCE the discovery of the New World, our English gardens have produced 2345 varieties of trees and plants from America, and upwards of 1700 from the Cape of Good Hope, in addition to many thousands which have been brought from China, the East-Indies, New Holland, various parts of Africa, Asia, and Europe; until the list of plants now cultivated in this country exceeds 120,000 varieties.

NEW REMEDY FOR SEA-SICKNESS.

zine states, that he cured himself, in A Correspondent in a monthly magasea-sickness :-'I seated myself in a the following manner, of a violent chair upon the deck, and commenced a sharp libration of the body, such as it receives in trotting; and, in a few minutes, the previous nausea abated. In a quarter of an hour I recovered my spirits; and in half an hour felt a desire to eat, which I indulged, to the surprise of those who were around me; in fine, I kept up the action more or less during the three hours in which we were in

rough water, in which time I emptied my pocket of eatables; and afterwards I was as well as though I had merely taken my customary morning's ride.’

SAFETY-ALARUM.

A VERY curious Alarum, for the prevention of Burglaries, &c., has been invented. Its outward appearance is that of a narrow slip of canvas, about four inches in length, with a small ring affixed at each end, the centre part being inclosed within a piece of coloured paper. These rings are intended to be fastened upon hooks or nails, the one upon the frame or stationary part, the other on the moveable part, of a door or window. When so placed, should any person attempt to enter, a tension of the canvas, of course, takes place; and this causes an instantaneous explosion of detonating balls or powder as loud as the report of a fowling-piece ;-the combustible matter being confined within the paper already described.

toms.

I am happy to say that our Pettah congregations are on the increase, and we have generally cause to say they are particularly attentive. I feel more and more convinced that, generally speaking, our adult congregations must consist chiefly of those who from their early years have been the objects of our solicitude. It is impossible for any one in Europe to couceive of the state of those who are called Native Christians with respect to the Sabbath. In their youth they were never taught that it is the duty of Christians to keep holy the Sabbath-day, and devote it to religious services; and indeed, had they been so taught, they had no churches except such as were almost buried in weeds and jungle, where perhaps they scarcely saw a Padre once in three years. I have been greatly pleased to witness the firmness of some of our little charge, who have borne the reproach of the Cross; they have found the grace of CHRIST Sufficient. We have, nevertheless, often to lament the proverbial sluggishness and indolence that pervade all classes of people in this country. They are "not afraid of the snow," but they are sadly afraid of a few drops of rain, and a slight shower will generally keep away a great part of the congregation. I have, however, thought, that perhaps they may have reasons not without weight, they are more liable to suffer injury by being wet than ourselves: they have a small wardrobe, perhaps consisting of one suit; and, from the poverty of a great number of them, no very flattering prospects of soon getting another. Whatever griefs we may have, or however painful our labours may be; however different in mode our work may be from what we anticipated when we left the land of our birth, we may rejoice in the firm tone of character which appears in a great number of those who have been made wiser and better by our labours. If we are permitted, after our labours are ended,

VOL. II. Third Series. JANUARY,

to visit these regions, we shall doubtless rejoice in the brighter prospects and more extended success of our successors.

Our English congregation in the Fort has suffered a little by the removal of some companies into the interior, and by several of our members returning to the most favoured island upon earth; but there is an increase in the Societies in the interior: our friends there are zealous and faithful.

There has been no falling off in our country places. In two there has been improvement. In some of our former letters we mentioned that we had given up the School at Wellawatte; but in consideration of there being in that place four truly serious women, we have continued to meet the class, and to give them an exhortation every LORD's day. They are now increased to nine, and have built for themselves a very neat and commodious room.

The printing of the Singhalese version of the Old Testament extends to the end of the First Book of Kings, and were it possible to proceed more rapidly with the translation, it would not be long ere the whole Scriptures would be in the hands of the Singhalese. The mode adopted in translating is not the most rapid one, but it is well calculated to secure great accuracy. It is as follows: each translator, with a learned native, translates a chapter at home; this is sent round successively to the rest, who each, with a learned native, read it carefully over, and make notes on a separate paper. Once, or oftener, in a week, all the translators meet together to revise the chapters, and four learned natives are usually present. All the notes are exhibited, and the emendations are carefully discussed; in all obscure or doubtful matters, all the different versions we possess of the Scriptures are examined, and the testimony of the majority of the most approved versions is decisive. Where the original is ambiguous, we make the versionso, as far as the language will bear it; but in some cases the Singhalese will not allow of ambiguity, and then we follow the best versions. It would be a desirable thing if it could be printed in a less compass; but 1823.

F

the Singhalese long primer font, belonging to the Bible Society, is too imperfect to attempt such a work.

The whole Scriptures in their present form will, when complete, make four

JAFFNA.-Extract of a Letter from WHEN Our last was written, our new Chapel was in a state of considerable forwardness, the walls were ready for the roof, and the front almost finished. Such, however, was the violence of the monsoon, that all the front, and one of the angles, was brought entirely down. You will better conceive what would be our feelings, than I can express them, when a building erected at so much trouble and expense, and which we had often viewed with peculiar satisfaction, was thus reduced to a state of ruin. We had indeed one consolation. All was done that could have been tlone; and had not the rains been unusually heavy, there is every reason to believe, the accident would not have occurred. About two months ago, the work was commenced afresh. I am happy to say it is going on well, and as the old materials have been used again, the loss will not be near so great as we anticipated. The effects of the rains were not confined to the Chapel. The School was injured so much that it was dangerous to occupy it. The boys therefore at present assemble in another place. Nearly the whole of the buttress also, on the north side of the Mission-premises, was carried away by the flood. We were apprehensive that the buildings on that side would come down, and had to remove every thing out of them. Both the Mission - premises, therefore, and the premises on which the School and our present place of worship stand, must undergo a thorough repair, which, with the building of the Chapel, now takes up very much of Brother OsFORNE'S time, and will continue to do so the whole of the season.

The District-meeting held in this place was attended with benefit. The people were gratified with a change of Preachers for the time, and the faithful sermons delivered were not without effect. In the Society of the Brethren our hands were also strengthened, and our love to each other, and to our work, abundantly increased. Preaching in Tamul in the Jaffna Chapel once in three weeks is continued, and we have hitherto had tolerable congregations.

Though Point Pedro is not supplied with the labours of an English Brother, I am happy to say it is well supplied. MR. ATS, the young man taken out as an

volumes quarto. MR. GOGERLEY Calenlates, that with our new font, which is in a forward state, the Old and New Testament might be printed in one volume quarto.

MR. STEAD, dated April 11, 1822.

Assistant Missionary, exceeds our most sanguine expectations. He does his work with a zeal and prudence highly creditable. His plan is to visit one or more of the schools every day, and he finds in them generally good congregations. His knowledge of the people, and the great freedom with which he converses in their own language, give him advantages in his intercourse with them, which an European Brother could not possess. The Magistrate lately arrived there seems disposed to do all in his power to promote the instruction and benefit of the natives. When MR. HUNTER arrives from Trincomalee to supply his place, MR. KATS will proceed to Negapatam as the colleague of Brother CLOSE, where we doubt not, by the blessing of GOD, he will be made very useful.

Our English congregations continue much as usual, and our English class also. Several have lately joined our Portuguese class, who, we have every reason to believe, are decidedly pious. To these young men we pay all the attention in our power; persuaded that, from amongst such, we may hope for other Assistant Missionaries.

Of our native schools you have lately had no regular report. The fact is, that for some months they were entirely broken up by the Cholera. To such an extent did that awful disease prevail at one time, that there was scarcely a school in the district attended. Now, however, they are beginning to recover, and the number of boys is about as fornerly. Beside the school in Jaffna, we have five in the country, and there is the same number connected with Point Pedro.

On the 31st of December last, a public meeting was held in the Provincial Court-House of Jaffna, for the purpose of forming a Branch Bible Society, to take the place of what was termed the "Sub-Committee of Jaffna." The feelings excited on that occasion will long be remembered. The Funds of the Society are since much increased, and many of the respectable inhabitants of the Pettah feel an interest in the distribution of the Scriptures, which they felt not before. Brother OSBORNE and myself, with two other members of the Committee of this Society, lately undertook to visit all the families in the Pettah, to