CRITICAL NOTICES.

Journal of a Third Voyage for the Discovery of a North West Passage from the At lantic to the Pacific; Performed in the years 1824-25, in his Majesty's Ships Hecla and Fury, under the Orders of Captain WILLIAM E. PARRY, R. N., F. R. S., and Commander of the Expedition. Illustrated by a Map. Published by Authority of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty Philadelphia. H.C. Carey and I. Lea. 1826. 8vo. pp. 232.

THIS work has been some time before the public, but does not seem to have attracted the attention which might have been expected. It is true that the voyage terminated, as we anticipated, unsuccessfully; but Captain Parry can harldy do any thing or publish any work, which shall not be deserving of great consideration. His accounts of his three voyages are as delightful to our recollection, as those of Robinson Crusoe and Sinbad the Sailor; they have the same charms of novelty, and of exhibiting the resources by which human reason enables its possessor to triumph over adverse circumstances; and above all, they have the charm which can never fail-the charm of truth. The world, indeed, is disappointed, because the great expectations raised by his first expedition have not been realized, but, on the contrary, hope seems by the result of the last voyage to be exhausted; still no single fact can be added to the sum of human knowledge which may not produce eventual good. Truth-even the abstractest truth is, in itself and of its own nature, good, and, like producing its kind, the consequence of its discovery must be good. At some future day, we know not how many ages hence, the future generations of mankind may be benefited by some new art or some improvement in one already known, arising out of facts which Parry has discovered. Already good has resulted. The variation of the compass, so much beyond all known before, noticed in his first voyage, has led to the invention of an instrument by which local attraction is completely destroyed. Captain Parry in his last voyage has proved the efficacy of this invention, and he says, "Never had an invention a more complete and satisfactory triumph; for to the last moment of our operations at sea, did the compass indicate the true magnetic direction." Nor is this all; it is ascertained that the human body can, with proper precautions, endure without injury the greatest degree of cold which can perhaps

*See "The United States Literary Gazette," vol. I, p. 97, where this result is anticipated, and the reasons given at large.

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exist on earth; and says Captain Parry, "Exposure to a cold atmosphere, when the body is well clothed, produces no bad effect whatever beyond a frostbitten cheek, nose, or finger. As for any injury to healthy lungs from the breathing of cold air, or from sudden changes from this into a warm atmosphere, or vice versâ, it may with much confidence be asserted, that, with due attention to external clothing, there is nothing in this respect to be apprehended. This inference, at least, would appear legitimate from the fact that our crews, consisting of one hundred and seventy-four persons, have for four winters been constantly undergoing, for months together, a change of from 80 to 100 degrees of temperature, in the space of time required for opening two doors (perhaps less than half a minute), without incurring any pulmonary complaints at all." The crew all returned in safety save one, who perished by an accidental fall. Captain Parry on this voyage, pursued very nearly the course which he had gone over in his first voyage, and penetrated a very short distance further into Prince Regent's Inlet than he did at that time. He was stopped, as we feared he would be, by the ice, which, for aught that appears, is there both summer and winter; and if not permanent, at least in such quantities, even in the most favorable seasons, as to render the navigation exceedingly perilous. We say he was stopped by the ice; true he was not absolutely blocked up by it, but it occasioned the loss of the Fury, and with one ship he could not persevere. He was kept close in his winter quarters until the 20th of July, and the ice again and again closed up their passage, filling the whole strait, until the loss of the Fury compelled him to abandon of the enterprise. "The deep sea friezeth not ;"McKenzie and Hearne have seen a clear sea from the North Coast of America, and Captain Franklin has sailed upon it. The difficulty is to reach it, through the Archipelago lying between it and the Atlantic. Captain Parry still feels confident of eventual success, and success through this Inlet. From so competent a judge it would not become any one publicly to dissent.

It cannot be expected that we should give an abridgment of this voyage; it was almost exactly similar to those preceding it, and Captain Parry very properly has avoided a repetition of details so much alike. One or two striking facts which he has recorded, we shall quote in his own clear language.

"The extreme facility with which sounds are heard at a considerable distance, in severely cold weather, has often been a subject of remark; but a circumstance occurred at Port Bowen, which deserves to be noticed as affording a sort of measure of this facili

ty, or at least conveying to others some definite idea of the fact. Lieutenant Foster having occasion to send a man from the observatory to the opposite shore of the harbor, a measured distance of 6696 feet, or about one statute mile and two-tenths, in order to fix a meridian mark, had placed a second person half-way between, to repeat his directions; but he found on trial that this precaution was unnecessary, as he could without difficulty keep up a conversation with the man at the distant station. The thermometer was at this time -18°, the barometer 30.14 inches, and the weather nearly calm, and quite clear and serene.

"About midnight on the 27th of January, this phenomenon [the Aurora Borealis] broke out in a single compact mass of brilliant yellow light, situated about a S. E. bearing, and appearing only a short distance above the land. This mass of light, notwithstanding its general continuity, sometimes appeared to be evidently composed of numerous pencils of rays, compressed, as it were, laterally into one, its limits both to the right and left being well defined and nearly vertical. The light, though very bright at all times, varied almost constantly in intensity, and this had the appearance (not an uncommon one in the Aurora) of being produced by one volume of light overlaying another, just as we see the darkness and density of smoke increased by cloud rolling over cloud. While Lieutenants Sherer and Ross, and myself, were admiring the extreme beauty of this phenomenon from the observatory, we all simultaneously uttered an exclamation of surprise at seeing a bright ray of the Aurora shoot suddenly downward from the general mass of light, and between us and the land, which was there distant only three thousand yards. Had I witnessed this phenomenon by myself, I should have been disposed to receive with caution the evidence even of my own senses, as to this last fact; but the appearance conveying precisely the same idea to three individuals at once, all intently engaged in looking towards the spot, I have no doubt that the ray of light actually passed within that distance of us."

The modesty and piety of this distinguished voyager must have struck all who have read his several volumes; and perhaps no author ever made his readers feel more familiarly acquainted with him or more anxious for his success ;- -a new volume from his pen, is like a letter from an old friend. We hope he will speedily and happily return from his new expedition, and delight us with a recital of his adventures.

A Treatise on Diet: with a View to Establish, on Practical Grounds, a System of Rules for the Prevention and Cure of the Diseases incident to a Disordered State of the Digestive Functions. By J. A. PARIS, M. D. F. R. S. Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, etc. etc. Philadelphia. Robert H. Small. 1826. 8vo. pp. 210.

THIS work is introduced by the usual apology, the want of certainty and agreement, to wit, of all former treatises on dietetics. The apology is certainly not much the worse for the wear. It is about as good now as it was a century ago, and we are afraid it will be little worse a century hence. In other words, we are of opinion, that the subject of dietetics is one of great difficulty; that improvements in it, as a science, must be of slow growth; and that individual judgment and tact will often be very far in advance of any general system. Still

"Drops make the ocean,

"Sands compose its shores."

The observations of a sensible writer like Dr. Paris, must always be valuable, and, in making up the faggot of opinion, to borrow a metaphor from Dr. Johnson, the more heaps we have to choose from, the better.

The plan of the work is judicious. The first part is occupied with an account of the Anatomy and Physiology of the Organs concerned in Digestion. The second contains observations on the various articles of the Materia Alimentaria; and the last relates to the History and Cure of Indigestion.

As it contains, within a small compass, all that is valuable of many ponderous tomes and scattered essays, and presents a good view of the present state of knowledge on this important subject, it will be useful to the medical profession. To this class of readers, indeed, it is more especially adapted, a large proportion of it being scarcely intelligible to any other.

A more particular account, therefore, of this work, would hardly accord with the design of this publication; but we may extract from it the following account of the origin of certain common appellations, for the entertainment of our readers.

"Porter. This is made from high-dried malt, and differs from other malt liquors in the proportions of its ingredients, and from the peculiar manner in which it is manufactured. Much has been said upon the fraudulent adulteration of this article; but I am inclined to believe that these statements have been exaggerated. It is, at all events, certain, that such adulterations are not carried on in the caldrons of the brewer, but in the barrels of the publican (see our work on Medical Jurisprudence, vol. i. p. 375). The origin of the beer called entire is to be thus explained. Before the

year 1730, the malt liquors in general use in London were ale, beer, and two-penny; and it was customary to call for a pint, or tankard, of half-and-half, i. e. half of ale and half of beer, half of ale and half of two-penny. In course of time, it also became the practice to call for a pint or tankard of three-threads, meaning a third of ale, beer, and two-penny; and thus the publican had the trouble to go to three casks, and turn three cocks, for a pint of liquor. To avoid this inconvenience and waste, a brewer, of the name of Harwood, conceived the idea of making a liquor which should partake of the same united flavors of ale, beer, and twopenny. He did so, and succeeded, calling it entire, or entire butt, meaning that it was drawn entirely from one cask or butt; and, as it was a very hearty and nourishing liquor, and supposed to be very suitable for porters and other working people, it obtained the name of 'Porter.'

We make another extract, for obvious reasons.

"Ardent Spirits. The art of extracting alcoholic liquors by distillation from vinous liquors, must be regarded as the greatest curse ever inflicted upon human nature. The fatal effects of dramdrinking have been vividly depicted by numerous writers; and the awful truth has been too frequently illustrated to render any remarks in this place necessary. In a medical point of view, however, spirit may be considered as occasionally useful. Where it is taken in a diluted state, the mixture should always be made twelve hours before it is used. Spirit and water do not easily combine; and much of the force of the former is blunted by intimate incorporation with the latter, as we have already observed, under the history of wine. I throw out this hint to those who are in the habit of drinking weak brandy and water at their meals; although the propriety of such a practice is very questionable. There are cases of dyspepsia, in which wine and beer equally disagree with the stomach, producing acidity, and other distressing symptoms; very weak spirit in such a case may, perhaps, be taken with advantage; but its strength should be uniform, and no circumstances should induce the patient to increase the proportion of the spirit. The habit of drinking liqueurs cannot be too loudly reprobated; many of these cordials are impregnated with narcotic substances, which add to the noxious qualities of the spirit."

An Essay on the Art of Boring the Earth for the Obtainment of a Spontaneons Flow of Water. With Hints towards forming a New Theory of the Rise of Water. New Brunswick. Terhune & Letson. 1826. 8vo. pp. 46.

THE subject treated of in this little pamphlet is one of great importance to many parts of our country, in particular to the city