ployment is by general report attended with ample profit. The gold dust supplied by the rivers of Africa, has long made an opinion current in Europe, that some lofty central land exists, which may rival south America in its mines of precious metals; and the same speculation seems no less applicable to the monuments of central Asia Imaus Mountains.

Captain Webb has included in his survey the elevation of upwards of thirty peaks in the Himalaya range, most of which are visible from the plains. The highest peak he has ascertained to be 25,669 feet above the level of the sea, Lat. 30. 21. 51. 7. Long. 79. 48. 39. 6. The general direction of the snowy chain is from W. N. W. to E. | S. E. Captain Webb's memoir comprises the Latitude, Longitude, and Elevation of about 130 places. The industry and talent displayed by this distinguished officer are likely to contribute largely to the stock of scientific research.

Ancient Sarcophagus; baked Clay. Lieutenant R. Taylor, of the Bombay Es tablishment, has forwarded to the Society a stone sarcophagus, dug out of the foundation of some ancient ruins within eight miles of Bushire. It contained, when discovered, the disjointed bones of a human skeleton, which had perfectly retained their shape, till a short time after their exposure to the atmosphere, by the removal of the lid, which was fastened by metallic pegs. The lid is an entire slab of a micaceous mineral, and the vessel is of calcareous saud stone. It is the second of the kind that has been discovered, and differs both in form and material from the coffius generally found, which are of an oblong figure with obtuse extremities and composed of baked clay. They are found at the depth of one fathom from the surface of the earth. That, however, which is now presented to the Society, was discovered encompassed by solid masonry, in which just sufficient space had been left, at the depth of three fathoms, to contain the sarcophagus; and as greater care and more durable materials had been used in this mode of burial, it would lead to the conclusion of its having contained the remains of some individual, more than commonly distinguished among his cotemporaries. Lieutenant Taylor observes that the ruins from which the coffin was taken, have afforded the materials of which the modern town of Bushire has been constructed, consisting chiefly of stones of twenty-four inches in length by eight in thickness, composed of lime and sand, in hard blocks, and partly of a mineral, formed of minute shells and particles of filica, imbeded in a tough base of carbonate of lime.

The Gatherer.

No. XVI.

"I am but a gatherer and dealer in other men's stuff."

Paradise, an Eastern Tale.

When Alexander had conquered the world, and penetrated into the remotest regions of India, he heard of Paradise, and determined to subdue that also. He was told that the river Nithebel led to it; and immediately ordered a fleet to be equipped to carry his troops thither, but previously dispatched a few vessels to procure information. When they had reached the garden of Paradise, his people found the gate shut, and before it an aged keøper of singular appearance, and with an extraordinary beard, whom they commanded to open the gate immediately for their master, as he was not far behind them. The hoary keeper smiled, and said he durst not admit him unless he could find means to weigh down a feather, which he herewith sent, when placed in the balance. The messenger was astonished, for he could not conceive how a small feather (since it was only a light downy feather) could have such weight, and concluded that the old man was jeering him. He nevertheless went and delivered the message.

Alexander directed a balance to be brought, and it soon appeared that all the wood and stone, and silver and gold, that could be laid on the scale, was not sufficient to counterpoise this little feather, which made every thing that was brought fly quickly up. Alexander, astonished at this magical effect, sent once more to enquire what was the meaning of it. The man gravely answered, that the feather signified Alexander's cupidity and ambition, which were light as down, and yet so heavy that nothing could counterbalance them; but he would tell him how that feather might be outweighed. “Let,” said he, "a handful of earth be laid upon it, and it will at once lose its extraordinary power." Alexander perceived the meaning, and was deeply dejected. Soon afterwards he died in Babylon, without having seen Paradise.

A Sturdy Author.

A poor but sturdy author once presented a book to James the Second, in the great chamber at Whitehall, as he passed from the chapel, but omitted the usual ceremony

of kneeling to the King. The Duke of
Richmond, who was in attendance, said,
"Sir, where did you learn the manners not
to kneel?" The author replied,
"If it
please your Grace, I do give now; but
when I come to beg any thing, then will 1
kneel."

The late Duke of Northumberland.

Topographical Items.

Bulstrode House, the late country residence of his Grace the Duke of Portland, had the first sone of it laid by Praise God Barebones, who was a Member of Cromwell's Parliament. It was many years afterwards inhabited by the notorious Judge Jefferies.-The old ornamental tapestry, which hangs over the judicial seat The Abbé De Percie, some time after of the Court of Exchequer, was originally the commencement of the revolution in a covering to the tester of one of Queen France, was obliged to fly from his living Elizabeth's state beds, and was sold by one in Normandy to this country. Soon after of the Royal Domestics of the Palace at his arrival in London, he was hustled in that time to the upholsterer then fitting up New-street, Covent Garden, and robbed that Court.-One of the houses in St. of twenty guineas, which he had received James's Park, a little to the northward of but a few minutes before, at Sir Robert Storey's Gate, was built for Judge Jefferies. Herries's. With the remainder of his little The entrance at first was only from Dukeproperty, he went to Bath, where it was street, but either Charles II, or James II. soon expended. In this dilemma, his counallowed him to make another from the trymen there reminded him that he was Park by the large flight of stone steps, related to the English Percys, and, as the which still remain. The building on the Duke of Northumberland was at that time left, which forms one of the three sides of there, they advised him to apply to his his house, and is now Duke street Chapel, Grace for relief. The Abbé immediately was the Hall, in which Jefferies heard wrote to the Duke, who returned a polite causes, when it was inconvenient for him answer, and requested a few days for in- to go to Westminster Hall, or Lincoln's vestigation. In the mean time his Grace Inu. Before the reign of King William, wrote to Lord Harcourt, at whose house the Admiralty Office was kept in this the Duc D'Harcourt resided; and inquired house; in that reign it was removed to its whether the Abbé was one of the De Per-present situation, Wallingford House, which cies of Normandy; soon after which he stood on the site of tire present Admiralty, transmitted to his new cousin a gold box having been pulled down. with a bank note inclosed in it for one thousand pounds, and a general invitation to his table which was from that day open to him.

Athanasian Creed.

When the late Reverend Mr. Wright had a small living in the West of England, he refused to read the Athanasian Creed, though repeatedly desired to do so by his parishioners. The parishioners complained to the Bishop, who ordered it to be read. Now this Creed is appointed to be said or sung, and Mr. Wright, accordingly on the following Sunday, thus addressed his congregation "Next follows Athanasius's Creed, either to be said or SUNG, and with Heaven's leave, I'll sing it.-Now Clerk, mind what you are about." When they both struck up, and sung it with great glee to a foxhunting tone, which, having previously practised, was well performed. The parishioners again met, and informed their Pastor of what they called the indecorum -but the Bishop said that their Pastor was right, for it was so ordered, upon which they declared that they would dispense with the creed in future; nor did Mr. Wright ever after either read or sing it.

Indian Speech.

The writer of this was present at a dinner given by General Knox, to a number of Indians, in the year 1799, at New York; they had come to the President on a mission from their natious. The house was in Broadway. A little before dinner, two or three of the Sachems, with their chief or principal man, went into the balcony at the front of the house, the drawing room being up stairs. From this they had a view of the city, the harbour, and Long Island; returned into a room, apparently dejected; after remaining there a short time, they but the Chief more than the rest. General brother! what has happened to you? You Knox took notice of it, and said to him, look sorry, is there any thing to distress you? He answered-"I'll tell you, broful city-the great water-your fiue counther. I have been looking at your beautitry-and see how you all are. But then I could not help thinking, that this fine country, and this great water were once ours. Our ancestors lived here, they enjoyed it Great Spirit to them and their children. as their own place, it was the gift of the At last the white people came here in a great canoe. They asked them only to let

9771

persons to serve as jurymen who were not
of sufficient respectability: the Sheriff at
the next assizes presented the following
singular list:
Maxmilian King, of

Tortland

Henry Prince, of God-
manchester

G. Duke, Somersham
Wm.Marquis, Stukely
Ed. Earl, Hartford
Robt. Lord, Worsley
R. Baron, Brythorpe
E. Knight, St. Neotts
Peter Squire, Easton
R. Gentleman, Spal-

R. Yeoman, Barham
Philip Pope, Weston
Humphrey Cardinal,
Kilbolton

W. Bishop, Bugden
John Abbott, Stukely
Richard Friar, of El-
lington

Henry Monk, Stukely
Edward Priest, Graf-
ham

them tie it to a tree, lest the waters should carry it away; we consented. They then said some of their people were sick, and asked permission to land them and put them under the shade of the trees. The ice then came, and they could not go away. They then begged for a piece of land to build wigwams for the winter we granted it to them. They then asked for some corn to keep them from starving; we kindly furnished it them; they promised to go away when the ice was gone. When this happened we told them they must go but they away with their big canoe; pointed to their big guns round their wigwams, and said they would stay there, and we could not make them go away. Afterwards more came. They brought A manuscript Journal of a late traveller in spirituous and intoxicating liquors, with them, of which the Indians became very Egypt affords the following beautiful little fond. They persuaded us to sell them poem, to which are prefixed these remarks. "The current was against us, and as we some land. Finally they drove us back, from time to time, into the wilderness, far came near the city (Cairo) the wind lulled from the water, and fish, and oysters-almost into a calm. While we were busy they have destroyed the game--our people at the oar, we heard some unusual sounds on the river's side, and our watermen sudhave wasted away, and now we live miserable and wretched, while you are enjoy-deuly threw themselves on their faces, and ing our fine and beautiful country. This makes me sorry, brother; and I cannot help it."

Superstitions.

dock

Richard Deacon, of
Castworth.

Arabic Death Song.

began a prayer. A procession was seen in a few moments after, advancing from a grove of date trees at a short distance from the bank. It was a band of Bedouins, who, in one of their few ventures into the half civilized world of Lower Egypt for trade, had lost their Chief by sickness. The train were mounted, and the body was borte in the middle of the foremost troop in a kind of palanquin, rude, but orna

The plant called Nightshade, which grows among the mouldering bones and decayed coffins in the ruinous vaults of Sleaford Church, in Lincolnshire, was formerly much celebrated in the mysteries of witchcraft. The superstitious ceremonies or histories, belonging so some vegetables,mented with the strange mixture of savagehave been truly ridiculous. Thus the Druids are said to have cropped the Misietoe with a golden axe, or sickle, and the Bryony or Mandrake was said to atter a scream when its root was drawn from the ground; and the animal which drew it up was supposed to become diseased, on which account when it was wanted for the purpose of medicine, it was usual to loosen, and remove the earth about the root, and then to tie it by means of a cord to the tail of some animal, who was made to pull it up, and was then supposed to suffer for the impiety of the action. PRICE in his history of Cornwall, mentions the Divining Rod, which was of hazle, and held horizontally in the hand, and was said to bow towards the ore, whenever a conjuror walked over a mine.

A respectable Jury.

Judge DoDDRIDGE, an ancestor of the late Dr. Doddridge, being upon the circuit at the Huntingdon assizes, in 1612, reproved the Sheriff for having returned

ness and magnificence, that we find not
unfrequently among the nobler barbarians
of the East and South. The body was
covered with a lion's skin; a green and
gold embroidered flag waved over it; and
some remarkably rich ostrich feathers on
lances made the pillars and capitals of this
Arab hearse. The tribe seemed not to
observe our boat, though they moved close
to the shore: their faces were turned to
the setting sun, which was then touching
the horizon in full grandeur, with an im-
mense canopy of gorgeous cloud closing
shade of deepening
round him in a
was remarkably still,
purple. The air
and their song, in which the whole train
joined at intervals, sounded most swee
Their voices were deep and regular, and as
the long procession moved slowly away into
the desert, with their diminishing forms,
and fading chorus, they gave us the idea
of a train passing into eternity. I send you
a translation of their song or hymn, such
as I could collect it from the unclassic
of a Cairan boatman:-