antiquities of the country. The pettiest skirmish with the natives was nearer his heart than all the edifices of lime and stone which he saw; and it is precisely on that account that his testimony is the more valuable.'-vol. ii. p. 452.

There is great weight in this argument: the case being one of those in which the value of what are termed 'indirect evidences' becomes so apparent.

Mr. Stephens devotes only a few pages to his homeward journey. He and Mr. Catherwood embarked on board a Spanish brig at Sisal, with the intention of proceeding, in the first instance, to the Havannah; but they were soon becalmed, The sun was unendurably hot-the sea of a glassy stillnessprovisions and water ran short and the sharks which surrounded the vessel, and which at first they had looked at, and angled for, and eaten with complacency, became by degrees very disagreeable companions, so much did they appear as if waiting for their prey. For sixteen days this fearful stillness continued. The captain said that the vessel was enchanted; and the sailors, half in earnest, exclaimed that it was owing to the heretics. At length a breeze sprang up; but the captain, who had no chronometer on board, being too noble-minded a Spaniard ever to use one, had lost his reckoning, and believed that he was in the middle of the Gulf stream, and two or three hundred miles past his port. In this state of things it was to the unspeakable delight of the two travellers that an American brig hove in sight. took them on board, and landed them safely at New York on the 31st July, 1840, after an absence of ten months.

We close this book with regret. From the first page to the last, the animation, the characteristic energy, and the buoyant spirit of the author remain undiminished. Our extracts might have been thrice trebled, and yet left the volumes rich in important and original matter. The political details, for instance, from which we have systematically abstained, would in themselves be sufficient to render the work one of high interest and permanent value.

We well know the extreme cuticular tenuity which characterises our Transatlantic brethren; and that the occasional

freedom of our remarks upon their literature, among other subjects, has placed us somewhat low in their good graces. We are not aware of having ever under-rated their merits : but certainly we have not been disposed, nor are we now, to mistake the promise of excellence which many branches of their literature display, for the achieved perfection to which they lay claim; nor, as we conceive, will their indignant complaints of ill-treatment tend to establish that claim. It will be much better sustained by their giving to the public a few more such volumes as these. Let our good friends of the New World send out half-a-dozen such travellers as Mr. Stephens, and we predict that the records of their wanderings, discoveries, and adventures will do more to elevate the literary character of America than the angry philippics of all the reviews and newspapers throughout the Union, backed though they be by an entire phalanx of servile echoers in England. (QUARTERLY REVIEW.)

MISCELLANEA.

A NOTE. Mr. Brown's compliments to Mr. Smith, thinks it unnecessary his piggs should go through his grounds. — Reply Mr. Smith's compliments to Mr. Brown, thinks it equally unnecessary to spell pigs with two g's.

:

GONON'S IMPROVED TELEGRAPH.-M. Gonon's telegraph is an improvement upon that now employed in France, and which, through all the mutations and revolutions of the French people, has been in constant use in that country for 48 years. M. Gonon, after reaching the height of Mr. Chappe's system, was led to believe that further means could be employed, and that he could correspond, word for word, without using more signals than words, which ample experiments, since had, have proved beyond the possibility of doubt. In view of these experiments, he is led to assert that, with 30 observations between Washington and New York, he could transmit from the latter to the former city the words- The British fleet, three ships of the line and five frigates, appeared off the Hook at 32 minutes past 10,» in five or six minutes.

WATER SHOES.-A Lieutenant Hookenberg, of Denmark, has invented an apparatus, by means of which persons may traverse the water. It is described, (not very clearly,) as "resembling two very narrow boats, pointed at both ends, and united by a square piece of wood, about 30 inches long. » The following account of a recent exhibition of it, before the Royal Family of Denmark, is given in the United Service Journal. The arm of the sea which runs into the Thier Garten was the spot selected for the evolutions. The waterrunners went through a variety of movements, among which were their loading and discharging their muskets while upon the water, rnnning along on its surface at full speed, &c. The shoes, it is added, are so easy, that any person of moderate dexterity and quickness may be taught to manage them. MAGNANIMITY. A person, on being reproached with not having revenged himself for a caning which he had received, exclaimed, «Sir, I never meddle with what passes behind my back!"

VOL. II.

26

LIST OF NEW PATENTS.

John Watson, of Chorley, Lancaster, Gentleman, for improvements in the construction of filters used in the manufacture of sugar. Dec. 23; six months,

William Baillien, of Gloucester-street, Queen's-square, Bloomsbury. musician, for improvements in apparatus to expand the human chest. Dec. 23; six months.

William Robinson Kettle, of Waterloo-street, Birmingham, Accountant; Benjamin Wakefield, of Ryland-street North, Birminghamn, civil engineer; and William Crosher, of Cumberland-street, Birmingham, screw manufacturer, for an improved bolt for building and other purposes. Dec. 24; six months.

Montagu Macdonough, of St. Albans-place, Middlesex, gentleman, for improvements in spindles, flyers, and bobbins, for spinning, twisting, and reeling all sorts of fibrous or textile substances; and in the application or adaptation of either or all of them to machinery for the same purposes. Jan. 6; six months.

Edward Hall, of Dartford, civil engineer, for an improved steamboiler, Jan. 11; six months.

Samuel Hearne Le Petit, of St. Pancras-place, Middlesex, for improvements in the manufacture and supply of gas. Jan. 11; six

months.

James Chesterman, of Sheffield, mechanist, and John Bottom, of Sheffield, aforesaid, mechanist, for certain improvements in tapes for measuring, and in the boxes for containing the same. Jan. 11; six months.

Charles Wye Williams, of Liverpool, gentleman, for certain improvements in the construction of furnaces, and effecting combustion of the inflammable gases from coal. Jan. 11; six months.

John Tresahar Jeffree, of Blackwall, engineer, for certain improvements in lifting and forcing water, and other fluids, parts of which improvements are applicable to steam engines. Jan. 11; six months. Richard Dover Chatterton, of Derby, gentleman, for certain improvements in propelling. Jan. 11; six months.

James Tons, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, gentleman, for improvements in smelting copper ores. Jan. 13; six months.

Julius Bordier, of Austin Friars, merchant, for certain improvements in preparing skins and hides, and in converting them into leather. Jan. 13; six months.

Caleb Bedells, of Leicester, manufacturer, and Joseph Bedells, of the same place, for improvements in the manufacture of elastic fabrics, and articles of elastic fabrics. Jan. 13; six months.

Joseph Barnes, of Church, near Accrington, Lancashire, manufacturing chemist, for certain improvements in the working of steani engines. Jan. 13; six months.

Henry Waterton, of Winsford Lodge, Chester, Esq., for improye ments in the manufacture of salt. Jan. 13; six months.

John Jeremiah Rubery, of Birmingham, umbrella and parasol furniture manufacturer, for improvements in the manufacture of a certain part of umbrella and parasol furniture. Jan. 13; six months. Moses Poole, of Lincoln's inn, gentleman, for improvements in the construction of locks. Jan. 15; six months.

John Thackeray, of Nottingham, lace thread manufacturer, for improvements in the process of preparing and gassing thread or yarn. Jan. 15; six months.

Thomas Lambert, of Regent's-park, musical instrument maker, for improvements in the action of cabinet pianofortes. Jan. 15; six months. སྐན།:

Edward Palmer, of Newgate-street, philosophical instrument maker, for improvements in producing printing and embossing surfaces. Jan 15; six months.

James Cole, of Youl's-place, Old Kent-road, brush manufacturer, for certain improvements in the construction of brushes. Jan. 15; six months.

Cornelius Ward, of Great Titchfield-street, musical instrument maker, for improvements in fluters. Jan. 18; six months.

William Tindall, of Cornhill, ship-owner, for a new and improved method of extracting or manufacturing from a certain vegetable substance certain materials applicable to the purposes of affording light, and other uses. Jan. 19; six months.

Antoine Mertens, of the London Coffee-house, publisher, for im; provements in covering surfaces with wood. Jan. 22; six months. William Baker, of Grosvenor-street, Grosvenor-square, surgeon, for certain improvements in the manufacture of boots and shoes, Jan. 27; six months.

John James Baggaly, of Sheffield, seal engraver, for certain improvements in making metallic dies and plates for stamping, pressing, or embossing. Jan. 27; six months.

Andrew Kurtz, of Liverpool, manufacturing chemist, for certain improvements in the manufacture of artificial fuel. Jan. 27; six months.

Francis Marston, of Aston, Salop, esquire, for improvements in apparatus for making calculations. Jan. 27; six months.

Samuel Mason, of Northampton, merchant, for improvements in