gun-barrel form, twenty-seven feet wide in the clear; a brick gun-barrel drain three feet wide and nine inches thick, inside the tunnel, is to be carried in the same direction as the tunnel from the centre to the rise, where it must go through, and from thence be made eighteen inches thick to the driftway, which must be sunk lower towards the shaft, to give it a proper current. The interior of the tunnel is a matter of fancy; a foot-path on the one side of double the width, or one in the centre, and the carriages to pass on each side, raised about ten inches above the carriage-way, may answer every purpose, and save considerable expense. The tunnel to be lighted with gas. The top of the tunnel, on this plan, will be on the average about five feet under the bed of the river, in some places more, in others not so much; and the whole will occupy a space of about forty feet in the river, which will be little or no obstruction to the navigation. Estimating the length of the carriage-way at 1183 feet in the tunnel, from the end of the tunnel to the surface on the south side 122 feet, on the north side 93 feet, making the whole line of carriage-way 1,398 feet; the expense of completing the works will be about £122,000.

While attempts are making in England to naturalize the rein-deer, buffalo, chamois and wapeti, the attention of the French has been turned to more useful objects, the improvement of their breed of horses by the importation of English ones-a traffic which occasions horse-stealing to be carried to its present unexampled extent; and to the advancement of their manufactures, by introducing goats from Cashmere and sheep from this country: the consequences of this last may be remote, but it is worthy of remark, that when, in the latter part of the fourteenth century, the Spanish wool began to be held in estimation for its superior qualities, it was in consequence of being improved, by crossing the breed of native sheep with English ones from Gloucestershire. These sheep are said to have been sent from England, as part of the marriage portion of the Princess Catherine, daughter of John of Gaunt, who was betrothed to Henry III. of Castile in 1389, and married to him some years afterwards. This operation of crossing the Spanish with English sheep succeeded so well, that it was repeated during the reign of Edward IV. of England: but it was not for more than a century afterwards that Spanish wool acquired that decided superiority over the wool of other nations which it still maintains.

A composition, to which the incongruous name of Mosaic gold has been affixed, has recently been manufactured in this country; its ingredients are as yet unknown, but the effects produced by the mixture have never been equalled, except by gold itself. In weight alone it is inferior to this metal; it admits of a higher polish, and reM. M. New Series.-VOL. I. No. 1.

sists, in an equal degree, the action of the atmosphere and moisture; its price, however, is extremely low, not exceeding, we believe, twopence per ounce in the ingot. A public company has been instituted for the manufacturing of articles of this composition, of which his Majesty has ordered a large quantity for the embellishment of Windsor Castle. In this age of extravagant piety, it may be interesting to learn, that a passage in the book of Ezra, viii. 27, wherein "copper as precious as gold" is mentioned, induced an enthusiastic individual of the name of Hamilton to commence, about twenty years ago, a course of experiments which were terminated by this singular discovery, almost realizing the alchymist's reverie of the transmutation of metals.

Traces of a Primitive Tongue.-The names of the sun and the moon, in nearly 400 different languages, are reduced, by M. Adolphe Pictet, by analogies, to forty-nine roots, nearly all common to the two luminaries; that is to say, with some exceptions, the same root which designates the sun in a certain number of languages, serves to indicate the moon in a certain number of other dialects. The exceptions are reducible to four or five; but it is remarkable that the roots s-1 and 1-n, with a vowel between the consonants, are of this number. Among all the names of the moon, not one has been found which could be traced to the root s-1, and not one of the names of the sun which belonged to the root 1-n. This community of roots in the point of view relating to general affinity, is amply explained by supposing that the names common to the two luminaries are derived from more general roots, which express certain qualities or characters equally common to both. Hence it would appear that the general affinity of tongues is not a chimera, and that analogies so striking cannot be the work of chance.

FOREIGN. FRANCE.

In a garden at Valogne Manche, in France, an ancient sarcophagus was recently discovered. It contained a skeleton which, on exposure to the air, crumbled into dust, but not before a piece of silver was observed in its mouth, which induces a belief that the person must have been a companion of Cæsar in his conquest of Gaul. It is about the size of a sou, and bears on one side the inscription MES, IMP, and on the other UIC, GAL; there was a silver case at the feet of the skeleton a foot long, and eight inches deep, containing a hundred and fifty coins or medals, in bronze, silver and gold. They have the effigies of Cæsar, Pompey, Mithridates, Cleopatra, Philip of Macedon, Hannibal, Scipio, Sylla Africanus, Cressus, &c. For a great number of year

N

past Roman antiquities have been found about Valogne, in the parish of Meaume, which seems to strengthen the opinion that that site succeeded Cricoatonum, the capital of the Unelli, where Cæsar had a camp, of which he speaks in his Commentaries.

NETHERLANDS.

According to a report presented to the Government in 1814, there were then 700,000 paupers living scattered about, which in a population of 5,000,000 is more than 12-100ths, or one in eight. At the end of 1823 there were, besides 31,000 paupers, between seven and 800 poor-houses at the charge of the government, and 42 workhouses, in which more than 7,000 were employed; but the system of colonization has succeeded so well, that very soon there will be no more occasion for those workhouses. There are already ten colonies, of which eight are in the northern provinces, and two in the southern; they contain 6,000 houses, and between 4 and 5,000 persons, who have already brought a great deal of land under cultivation. In general the colonies have succeeded beyond expectation they have both schools and churches, and present an appearance of contentment.

DENMARK,

The royal library at Copenhagen contains a considerable collection of manuscripts in the oriental languages, brought from the East by the celebrated Niebuhr, and by other travellers and Danish consuls, who have resided for a longer or shorter time in Africa and Asia. These treasures were much augmented by the decease of the illustrious chamberlain, De Suhm, who had purchased at a great expesne all the Arabic manuscripts in the pos

session of the learned orientalist Reiske, of Gottingen, and whose superb and vast library has lately been added to that of the King. From ten of the principal of these precious manuscripts, and from others of minor value, Dr. Rasmusser, the professor of oriental languages, has derived the materials for a work which he has just published.

RUSSIA.

The number of children who die annually in Russia, amounts to about one-fourth of the whole number of deaths in the empire, and the ceremonies which take place at their baptism are considered as the cause. The naked infant is dipped three times successively into a basin of cold water, from which it emerges shivering, and with the body entirely blue, from the effect of the cold; cholics, frequently fatal, ensue from this deplorable baptism. Among the noble and more enlighter.ed classes, warm water is now introduced; but neither physicians nor philosophers will easily persuade the lower classes thus to depart from the usage of their ancestors. A person who was present at the immersion of a newly born infant venturing to remonstrate, it was replied, "would God permit his creatures to receive any ill from such an act? you see that the baby does not even cry;" and the poor innocent, who doubtless was unable to do so, died a few days afterwards from a violent cholic.

The object of the Armenian school, which was founded at Moscow by Messrs. Lazarett, is the improvement of young persons, and especially of young Armenians, in the higher sciences, and in the oriental languages. Since the year 1816, the school has sent forth sixty-two pupils. There are now seventy-three.

J. J. de H. Larpent, Esq., to be His Majesty's Consul at Antwerp and dependencies; dated 18th November.

A. H. Aikin, Esq.. to be His Majesty's Consul at Archangel and its dependencies; dated 18 Nov.

J. Annesley, Esq,. to be His Majesty's Consul for the Province of Catalonia, to reside at Barcelona; dated 26 Nov.

Right Hon. John Lord Ponsonby, to be His Ma

jesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipo tentiary to the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata; dated 24 Dec.

Alex. Cockburn. Esq.. to be His Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Colombia; dated 24 Dec.

Charles Mackenzie, Esq.. to be His Majesty's Consul-General in Hayti, to reside at Port-au-Prince, dated 27 Dec.

4 Dr. Gu.-Lt. G. W. Story, from 96 F., Lt. by purch., v. Shore prom., 20 Oct. Corn. C. W. Webster, from 12 L. Dr., Lt. by purch., v. Wemyss prom., 17 Nov. Corn. W. M. Owen, from 1 Drs., Lt. by purch., v. Stamer prom.. 1 Dec.

5 Dr. Gu.-Corn. J. L. Hampton, Lt. by purch., v. Ramsay prom., 10 Dec. C. Stewart, Corn. by purch., v. Hampton, 10 Dec.

6 Dr. Gu.-Corn. J. R. Hay, Lt. by purch., v. Harvey prom., 3 Dec. G. A. F. Heathcote, Corn. by purch., v. Hay, 3 Dec.

7 Dr. Gu.-Corn. H. C. Daniell (and adj.), Lt. v. Doyne prom., 19 Nov. Corn. E. R. Butler, Lt., v. Penefather prom., 20 Nov. Surg. A. Blake, from 5 F., surg., v. J. Rose, who ret., 13 Oct.

6 Dr.-Corn. W. C. Sheppard, from Cape Corps Cav., Lt. by purch., v. Down prom., 10 Nov. Tr. Serj. Maj. G. Dickson, Qu. Mast., v. Kerr dec., 24 Nov.

3 L. Dr.-C. W. M. Balders, Corn. by purch., v. Phillips prom., 10 Nov.

11 L. Dr.-Corn. F. R. H. Lawrie, Lt. by purch., v. Bishop prom., 13 Oct. T. H. Pearson, Corn. by purch., v. Astley who ret., 11 Mar. C. A. Lew's, Corn. by purch., v. Lawrie, 13 Oct.

12 L. Dr.-F. A. Hyde, Corn. by purch., v. Webster prom. in 4 Dr. Gu., 17 Nov.

13 L. Dr.-Corn. D. T. Cunyngeham, Lt. v. Mackenzie dec.. 5 June 24. Serj. Maj. B. Macmahon, Rid. Mast. to Cav. Depot, Maidstone, Corn., v. Cunyngeham. 10 Nov. 25.

14 L. Dr.-Corn. A. G. Duff, Lt. by purch., v. Musgrave prom., 10 Dec.

16 L. Dr.-Corn. W. V. Jillard, Lt. by purch., v. Macmahon prom., 16 Nov.-Corn. J. P. Seward, Lt. by purch., v. Cureton prom., 17 Nov. D. Burges, Gorn. by purch., v. Seward, 17 Nov.

Crowe, 19 Nov.

J. H. Smith, Ens., v. Dillon prom. in 77 F.. 17 Nov. Lt. C. W. Hill, from h. p. 23 F., Lt., v. T. Stewart, who exch., 1 Dec. Surg. P. M'Lachlan, from 2 W.I.R., Surg., v. G. Mann, who rets. upon h. p. 1 Dec. F. A. Goulden, Ens. by purch., v. Herbert app. to 66 F., 10 Dec.

94 F.-Lt. R. A. Coates from h. p. 60 F.. Lt., v. F. G. Keogh, who exch.. 10 Nov. Ens. J.W. Randolph L. by purch. v. Gillies app. to 6 Drs.. 17 Nov. H. Bathurst, Ens. by purch., v. Randolph, 17 Nov.

95 F.-Hesp. As. J. A. Ore, As. Surg., 10 Nov. 96 F.-Ens. W. Hope, from 81 F., Lt. by purch., v. Story app. 6. Dr. Gds.. 27 Oct.

93 F.-Li. E. Hunter, from h. p. 60 F., Lt., 17 Nov.

99 F.-Brev. Maj. J. Johnston, Maj. by purch., v. Dodgin who ret.. 17 Nov. Lt. P. Mair, from 64 F., Capt. by purch., v. Johnson, 17 Nov.

2 W.1. Regt.-S. J. Hill. Ens.. v. Watson. dec., 10 Nov. Lt. W. Morgan. from h. p. 37 F.. Lt. v. J. Manby, who exch. 17 Nov. As. Surg. to forces T. Prosser, Surg., v. M'Lachlan app. to 93 F.. 1 Dec. Cape Cor. (Cav.)-Ens. G. S. Brown. from 74 F.. Corn. by purch., v. Sheppard prom. in 6 Drs., 10 Nov.

R.Afr. Col. Cor.-E. Miller, Ens., v. Hartley dec., 24 Nov. As. Surg. W. Fergusson, Surg., v. Stewart prom.. 24 Nov. Hosp. As. J Cahill, As. Surg., v. Fergusson, 24 Nov.

RiAn Brig.-Lt. C. Ramsden, from 7 F. 1st Lt.. v. Blayney, who exch.. 9 Nov. 2d Lt. T. S. Beckwith, 1st Lt. by purch., v. Byrne prom., 10 Nov. D. H. Mackinnon, 2d Lt. by purch., v. Beckwith, 10 Nov. Lt. W. S. R. Norcott, adj., v. Byrne prom., 10 Nov. Capt. R. Ferguson, from h. p., Capt., paying diff., v. E. Coxon, who exch., 17 Nov.

R. Reg. Artil.-Capt. and Br. Maj. T. Paterson, Maj., v. Unett ret. 2d Capt. C. Cruttenden, Capt., v. Paterson. 2d Capt. E. Sheppard, from h. p., 2d Capt., v. Cruttenden, all 5 Nov. 2d Capt. P. W. Lawlor, from h. p., 2d Capt., v. Steel ret. on h. p., 6 Nov.

Chaplain to forces.-Rev. J. Hudson, 25 Nov.

Brevet.-Capt. Hon. F. C. Stanhope, 78 F.. Maj. in Army, 27 May. Capt. W. K. Rains, 51 F., Maj. in Army, 17 Nov. J. F. Fulton, late Maj. 92 F., Lt. Col. on Continent of Europe only, 24 Nov. Corn. B. M'Mahon, 13 L. Dr., Lt., 1 Dec.

Staff-Br. Maj. G. A. Eliot, 68 F., Maj. of brig. to forces in Lower Canada, v. Shakleton dec., 29 Sept.

Hospital Staff-Staff-Surg. W. Barry, Dep. Inspect. Hosps., v. Inglis dec., 10 Nov. Surg. D. Barry, from h. p., Surg. to forces. v. Baillie who rets. upon h. p., 10 Nov. Surg. A. Stewart, from R. Afr. Col. Co., Surg. to forces, v. Barry prom., 24 Nov.-To be Assist. Surgs. to forces. As. Surg. J. M'Andrew, from h. p. 84 F., v. Hosp. As. Leslie, who res., 10 Nov. Gar.-mate S. Taylor, v. Brisbane app. to 74 E., 10 Nov. Hosp. mate J. C. Barker, v. O'Reilly dec., 24 Nov. Hosp. mate B. de St. Croix, v.Prosser, prom. 1 Dec.-To be Hosp. Assist. to forces. J. Macdonald, v. Duncanson, app. to 49 F. G. Forrest, v. Dartnell app. to 41 F. M. Ryan, v. Wilkins app. to Ceyl. Regt. T. Beavan, v. Dobson app.

to 99 F. G. J. Hyde, v. W. H. Crawford, whose app. has not taken place; all 10 Nov. J. Thomson, v. Morgan app. to 55 F., 24 Nov. M. J. Bramley, v. Smith app. to 99 F., 24 Nov. M. Bardin, v. O'Brien app. to 28 F., 24 Nov. J. Sidey, v. Campbell prom. 1 Dec. W. Stewart, v. Mair prom. in 39 F,, 1 Dec. E. Greatrex, v. Connell app. to 56 F., 1 Dec. P. Robertson, v. Drysdale app. to 16 F.; 1 Dec. D. A. Macleod v. Ore app. to 95 F., 1 Dec. A. Duncan, v. Tower app. to 45 F., 1 Dec.

Unattached.-Maj. C. Middleton, from 72 F., Lt. Col. of Inf. by purch., v. W. Tane, who rets., 5 Nov. Brev. Lt.. Col. H. Thomas, from 21 F., Lt. Col. of Inf. by purch., 26 Nov.-To be Majs. of Inf. by purch, Capt. J. P. Hopkins. from 43 F.. v. G. W. Unett, who rets., 5 Nov. Capt. J A. Butler, from 80 F.. 19 Nov. Capt. W. F. Tinlingf from 1 F. Gu.. 10 Dec.-To be Capts. of Inf. by purch. Lt. E. M. Wigley, from 73 F. Lt. R. Doyne, from 7 Dr. Gds. Lt. G. Mathias. from 1 F. Lt. J. Laing, from 70 F. Lt. T. Eastwood, from 44 F. Lt. D. M'Nicol, from 93. F. Lt. Hon. H, M. Upton, from 1 Life Gds. Lt. W E. Sweny, from 34 F. Lt. A. Chambre. from 7 F. Lt. D. Darroch, from 24 F. Lt. W. Timson, from 51 F. Lt. G. Brown, from 64 F.; all 19 Nov. Lt. C. B. Berkeley, from 91 F. Lt. C. Harford, from 34 F. Lt. J. S. Doyle, from 11 F. Lt. H. Stuart, from 46 F. Lt. J. W. Harvey, from 6 Dr. Gu. Lt. R. Willington, from 25 F.; all 3 Dec. Lt W. H. L. Brooke, from 4 Dr. Gu. Lt. G. N. Ram say, from 5 Dr. Gu. Lt. C. Musgrave, from 14 L Dr. Lt. F. A. Gould, from 66 F. Lt. E. P. Brooke from 62 F. Lt. H. W. B. Portman, from 7 L. Dr. ; all 10 Dec. Lt. J. Haggarstone, from 83 F., and Lt. A. Dixon, from 8 F., 17 Dec.-To be Lieuts. of Inf by purch.-Ens. E. Newton, from 8 F., 26 Nov. Corn. J. E. Alexander, from 13 L. Drs., 26 Nov. Ens. P. Legh, from 46 F. Ens. R. F. Poore, from 19 F. 2d Lt. G. Mason, from 60 F.; all 3 Dec. Ens. P. La P. Trench, from 86 F., 17 Dec.-To be Ens. by purch.-G. W. Tireman, 26 Nov. J. M. Graham, 10 Dec.

Allowed to dispose of their half-pay.-Maj. J. F. Bland (Lt. Col.), 107 F. Capt. T. W. Poppleton (Maj.), 12 F. Capt. W. Girod, 101 F. Capt. Sir J. Clarke, 15 F. Capt. W. Clarke, 1 F. Capt. W. H. Hamilton. 11 Gar. Bat. Capt. C. French, unattached. Capt. A. Dashwood, ditto. Capt. W. Hopson, Gar. Bat. Capt. A. G. Douglas, Nov. Scotia Fenc. Capt. J. R. Drew, 105 F. Capt. G. Wood, 82 F. Capt. G. Herbert, 25 F., all 19 Nov.-Lt. J. W. Disney, 2 Gar. Bat. Lt. J. G. Green 2 Dr. Gu. Ens. H. Hickman, 63 F. Lt. Col. N. Cockburn, ret. list 4 R. Vet. Bat.; all 26 Nov.-Lt. W. Walker, 16 L. Drs. Capt. F. Maclean, Bourb. Regt. Capt. D. Bowman, 91 F. Capt. T. Shawe (Br. Maj.), 6 Gar. Bat. Capt. J. Macnamara. 9 F. Lt. W. Fraser, 83 F. Lt. E. Heard, 100 F. Capt. R. H. Maunsell (Maj.), 39 F. Capt. R. Carter, Sicil. Regt.; all 3 Dec.-Maj. J. S. Hawkshaw (Lt. Col.), 91 F. Capt. W. Barney (Maj.), 89 F. Capt. T. S. Barrett. 37 F. Capt. T. Jones. 32 F. Capt. J. Allman. 48 F. Capt. J. M'Killigin, Sheff. Regt. Capt. G. Earl of Belfast, 1 Dr. Ens. J. B. Johnson 8 Gar. Bat.; all 10 Dec.-Capt. T. Lloyd, 96 F. Capt. J. Bridge (Br. Maj.). 63 F. Lt. W. Proctor, GO F.; ail 17 Dec.

valuable. The failure of the banking concern of Sir Peter Pole and Co. was followed by a still greater blow to public confidence, in the stoppage of the respectable house of Messrs. Williams, Williams, Burgess and Williams, of Birchin Lane; about seventeen country banks kept their accounts with Messrs. Williams, the stoppage of whose house occasioned a suspension of the payments of the banking-house of Sir Claude Scott, Williams, and Co., of Holles Street; there is a family connexion between these houses. It is impossible to picture the distress and despondency produced by the embarrassment of these firms; every banking-house