a volley of four barrels upon the tiger; who attempting again to charge, fell from weakness. Several shots more were expended upon him before he dropped dead;

upon which we gave a hearty" whoo! whoop!" and stowed him upon a pad elephant." In our next, we shall introduce the rhinoceros.

It would be almost as difficult to assign limits to human ingenuity and invention, as to human ambition. That there are limits which the one cannot pass, while the other is boundless as the imagination itself, will not be denied: but the scientific discoveries of the last half century must make us hesitate before we say such or such a thing is impossible. In mechanics, in chemistry, and in the ingenious branches of the fine arts, improvements and discoveries have succeeded each other with a rapidity which outstretched all anticipation, and have set all calculations at defiance. No man will now dare say to any of these branches of science, "hitherto shalt thou go and no farther."

To be enabled to make the wind, which "bloweth where it listeth," subservient to the purpose of propelling huge vessels on the ocean, and thus to form an intercourse with the most distant parts of the world, was a great triumph of science; but to be able to steer a vessel with a rapidity that the wind does not generally afford in a dead calm, or independent, or even against the wind by steam, is a discovery which would not have been credited a century ago; and other discoveries which were once thought equally improbable have since been made.

The wind, which has been of such good service on the ocean, has for ages been used in machinery on shore, such as the working of mills, &c. Some individuals have, however, thought it might be used to propel vehicles on land. In the last century, Stephinus of Scheveling, in Holland, constructed a chariot on wheels, to be impelled by the wind, the velocity of which was so great, that it would carry eight or ten persons from Scheveling to Putten, a distance of fortytwo English miles, in two hours.

Carriages of this kind are said to be frequent in China; and in any wide level country, must be sometimes both pleasant and profitable. The great inconvenience attending the machine is, that it can only go in the direction the wind blows, and even not then unless it blows strong; so that after you have got some way on your journey, if the wind should fail or change, you must either proceed on foot or stand still.

The Hollanders have small vessels, somewhat of this description, which carry one or two persons on the ice, having a sledge at bottom instead of wheels; and

being made in the form of a boat, if the ice break, the passengers are secured from drowning.

Our engraving presents a perspective view of Stephinus's Sailing Chariot: the body of it is in the form of a boat; the axle-trees are longer and the wheels further asunder than in ordinary carriages, in order to prevent its being overturned. The body is driven before the wind by the sails, guided by a rudder. London Mirror. [

THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE. CAPTAIN FRANKLIN'S FIRST JOURNEY. On the 1st of October, the wind was still unfavourable for crossing on the raft; and St. Germain, one of the interpreters, now proposed to make a canoe of the fragments of painted canvass in which they wrapped up their bedding. During their detention in the mean On the afternoon of the first, a while, their sufferings for want of provisions were acute in the extreme. small quantity of tripe de roche was gathered; and one of the hunters brought in the antlers and backbone of a deer, which had been killed in the summer. "The wolves and birds of prey," says Captain Franklin, "had picked them clean, but there still remained a quantity of spinal marrow which they had not been able to extract. This, although putrid, was esteemed a valuable prize, and the spine being divided into portions, was distributed equally. After eating the mar row, which was so acrid as to excoriate the lips, we rendered the bones friable by burning, and ate them also."

The weather became very stormy, and the despair of the Canadians was such, that they refused to gather tripe de roche, choosing rather to go entirely without food, than make the slightest exertion to procure it. It is pleasing to observe the contrast which the behaviour of the English seaman, John Hepburn, presented to this despondency. He, "animated by a firm reliance on the beneficence of a Supreme Being, tempered with resignation to his will, was indefatigable in his exertions to serve us, and daily collected all the tripe de roche that was used in the officers' mess." He attempted Captain Franklin himself was so exhausted, as to be incapable of the most ordinary labour.

to walk three quarters of a mile, to hasten the operations of St. Germain ; but after a vain struggle of three hours, during which he was much shaken by the numerous falls he received, he was compelled to return. Mr. Hood had become a perfect shadow, from the severe bowel complaint which the tripe de roche invariably gave him. Mr. Back could only walk with the support of a stick, and Dr. Richardson to his weakness added lameness. The sensation of hunger was no longer felt by any of them, yet strange to say, they were scarcely able to converse upon any other subject than the pleasures of eating.

been unsuccessful. Captain Franklin now made a last effort, and collecting some old shoes, scraps of leather, and skins with the hair singed off, set out himself in quest of the Indians; but his strength was unequal to the task, and he returned again to the house of misery and desolation on the following day. Nearly three long and gloomy weeks were passed in this pitiable condition; during which, they perceived their strength gradually declining every day. When once seated, it was only with the greatest difficulty they could rise; and they had frequently to lift each other. Their only food was the bones and skins of deer, that had been killed during their residence the preceeding winter. These sorry substitutes for wholesome nourishment had been neglected and cast away in the season of plenty, but were now sought for with the utmost eagerness of which their debilitated frames were capable. The bones were pounded and boiled down into an acrid mess, which they persuaded themselves to call soup, until the insides of their mouths became so sore from eating it, that they were compelled to relinquish its use. The skins they at first fried, but afterwards boiled, finding this to be the more palatable mode of dressing them.

At length, on the 4th of October, the canoe was finished, but it was capable of holding only one person. St. Germain embarked the first, amidst the anxious prayers of the whole party assembled on the beach, for his success. He fortunately reached the opposite shore, and the canoe being then drawn back, another person was transported. In this manner they all were conveyed over without any serious accident; and they were now only 40 miles distant from Fort Enterprise, -the spot where, according to the arrangement with Mr. Wentzel, it had been agreed that a depot of provisions should be laid up, and in the neighbourhood of which a band of Indians should be stationed. But At length, on the evening of the 29th, whilst they the severity of the weather, the wretched weakness of were seated round the fire, conversing on the subject the whole party, and the total absence of all means of of the anticipated relief, one of the hunters, with a recruiting their exhausted strength, rendered a journey sudden interruption, joyfully exclaimed, "Ah! le monof even this short extent a task almost utterly beyond de !" thinking that he heard the Indians in the other their powers. Mr. Back was therefore sent forward room. Immediately afterwards, Dr. Richardson and with three of them, to search for the Indians, and send Hepburn entered, each carrying his bundle; but they relief to his starving companions, who were to follow were alone-none of their companions were with more leisurely. On the day succeeding his departure, them. Captain Franklin was instantly seized with they again resumed their journey; but as they advan- fearful apprehensions respecting his friend Hood, which ced, those who were weaker than the rest, and on were immediately confirmed by the Doctor's melanwhom their sole and scanty source of sustenance, choly communication, that both that gentleman and (debility, it should be,) the tripe de roche, produced Michel were dead: the details were, however, spared the most distressing effects, began to fail altogether. for the present. "We were all shocked," says CapOn the second day,previous to setting out, the whole tain Franklin, "at beholding the emaciated countenanparty ate the remains of their old shoes, and whatever ces of the Doctor and Hepburn, as they strongly eviscraps of leather they had, to strengthen their so-denced their extremely debilitated state. The altermachs for the day's journey." In the middle of the ation in our appearance was equally distressing to march, however, two men dropped behind, utterly un- them, for since the swellings had subsided, we were able to proceed, and perished. Dr. Richardson and little more than skin and bone. The Doctor particuMr. Hood now proposed, that they themselves should larly remarked the sepulchral tone of our voices, which halt at the first place that offered a supply of tripe de he requested us to make more cheerful, if possible, unroche and firewood, and there remain, while the rest of conscious that his own partook of the same key." the party proceeded, and sent back assistance. The plan was adopted, and those two gentlemen remained with Hepburn, who volunteered to stop behind also. The separation took place on the 7th of October, while they were yet 24 miles from Fort Enterprise. Captain Franklin continued his journey with the remainder of the party, consisting of eight persons; but before three days had elapsed, four of them, including one named Michel, an Iroquois, failed in their strength, and returned to join Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood.

On the evening of the 11th, the Captain, with the others, reached the Fort, in an utterly exhausted state, having tasted no food for five days, with the single exception of one meal of tripe de roche. Their feelings may more easily be conceived than described, when, on entering, instead of finding food and succour, and every means of calm repose and rest for their wearied bodies, they beheld "a perfectly desolate habitation!" "There was no deposit of provisions, no trace of the Indians, no letter from Mr. Wentzel, to point out where they might be found." When they had somewhat recovered from the first shock of so dreadful a disappointment, they observed a note in the handwriting of Mr. Back, stating that he had reached the house two days before, and that he had gone in search of the Indians in a direction where one of the guides thought it likely they would be, and that he would send relief the instant he met them.

At this moment, Hepburn had succeeded in shooting a partridge, which was brought to the house. "The Doctor tore out the feathers, and having held it to the fire a few minutes, divided it into seven portions. Each piece was ravenously devoured by my companions, as it was the first morsel of flesh any of us had tasted for thirty-one days, unless, indeed, the small grisly particles which we found occasionally adhering to the pounded bones may be termed flesh."

Dr. Richardson now proceeded to give an account of what had befallen him and his party since the separation; and melancholy indeed was the tale which he had to relate. On the first two days, they had nothing whatever to eat; on the evening of the third, Michel arrived, and brought with him a hare and a partridge, which enabled them to break their long fast. This individual, it will be recollected, was one of the four who had turned back, and left Captain Franklin, for the purpose of rejoining Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood. But he alone reached them; the other three were never heard of more. On the 11th, Michel was absent; when he returned, he stated that he had been engaged in an unsuccessful hunt after deer, yet that he had found a wolf which had been killed by the stroke of a deer's horn; and had brought a part of it. "We implicitly believed this story then," says Dr. Richardson, "but afterwards became convinced, from circumstances, the detail of which may be spared, that it Four days afterwards, a message arrived from Mr. must have been a portion of the body of Belanger or Back, with the unwelcome tidings, that he had as yet! Perrault," two of the unfortunate men who had batq

turned back, and one or both of whom, it was strongly suspected, had been murdered by this Iroquois. The conduct of this man now became daily more gloomy and alarming; he absented himself from the party, refused either to hunt or to fetch wood, and frequently threatened to leave them. Poor Hood was rapidly fading; his strength was nearly gone; and the acute pain which the tripe de roche invariably caused whenever he ate it, deprived him of even this their last resource against starvation. They avoided speaking upon the sorrowful subject of their hopeless condition; their minds had decayed with the strength of their bodies, and they could no longer bear to contemplate the horrors that surrounded them. "Still," says Dr. Richardson, we were calm, and resigned to our fate; not a murmur escaped us, and we were punctual and fervent in our addresses to the Supreme Being." But an event soon occurred which effectually roused them, and caused a sudden exertion of their maining powers. Michel was daily becoming more sulky, and his unwillingness to assist the others at last amounted to positive refusal. tempted to remonstrate with him, but only excited his anger. "It is no use hunting; there are no animals; you had better kill and eat me," was one of the answers which he returned. Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood had already promised that if he would hunt for four days diligently, they would then allow him to proceed to Fort Enterprise with Hepburn, who should be fur-death, and he offered to be the instrument of it. I denished with a letter from Captain Franklin, a compass, and instructions for performing the journey. The 21st was the day appointed for the departure. On the 20th, they again urged him to go a hunting, that he might, if possible, leave them some provisions before quitting them; but he showed great unwillingness to go out, and lingered about the fire, under the pretence of cleaning his gun. After the morning service had been read, Dr. Richardson went out to gather tripe de roche; Hepburn was employed in endeavouring to provide them a store of fuel previous to his departure; and Mr. Hood was left sitting by the fire-side before the tent, arguing with Michel.

for the relief of their present necessities; and the remainder supplied them with scanty morsels during the journey which followed. As they advanced, the conduct of Michel became more alarming and outrageous than ever; his ill-nature vented itself in mutterings of obscure hints and threats; and the insolent tone of superiority which he now assumed, when addressing Dr. Richardson, plainly showed that he considered both that gentleman and Hepburn to be within his power. The gloomy conviction now forced itself on their minds, that he would attempt to destroy them on the first opportunity that offered. That he had hitherto abstained from putting his murderous schemes into execution, was to be attributed to a natural regard for his own safety, which taught him that to despatch his intended victims while he yet needed their assistance in guiding him to a place of relief, was but to ensure his own destruction. Prore-ceeding on their journey, they came in the afternoon to a rock on which there was some tripe de roche; here Michel halted, and said that he would gather it Mr. Hood at- whilst the others went on, and that he would soon overtake them. "Hepburn and I," says Dr. Richardson, "were now left alone, for the first time since Mr. Hood's death, and he acquainted me with several material circumstances which he had observed of Michel's behaviour, and which confirmed him in the opinion that there was no safety for us except in his termined, however, as I was thoroughly convinced of the necessity of such a dreadful act, to take the whole responsibility upon myself; and immediately upon Michel's coming up, I put an end to his life, by shooting him through the head with a pistol."

"A short time after I went out," says Dr. Richardson, "I heard the report of a gun, and about ten minutes afterwards, Hepburn called to me, in a voice of great alarm, to come directly. When I arrived, I found poor Hood lying lifeless at the fire-side, a ball having apparently entered his forehead. I was at first horror-struck with the idea that, in a fit of despondency, he had hurried himself into the presence of his Almighty Judge by an act of his own hand; but the conduct of Michel soon gave rise to other thoughts, and excited suspicions, which were confirmed when, upon examining the body, I discovered that the shot had entered the back part of the head, and passed out at the forehead, and that the muzzle of the gun had been applied so close as to set fire to the night-cap behind."—" Bickersteth's Christian Help was lying open beside the body, as if it had fallen from his hand, and it is probable that he was reading it at the instant of his death." Michel was immediately questioned as to the manner of the occurrence, but his answers were unsatisfactory in the extreme. He was still the strongest and the best armed of the three survivers, and Dr. Richardson dared not, therefore, give open vent to his suspicions; but the repeated avowals of the Iroquois that he was innocent, and his frequent protestations that he was incapable of committing such an act, too clearly betrayed a secret consciousness of guilt. The body was removed into a clump of willows behind the tent, and when the party had returned to the fire, the funeral service was read in addition to the evening prayers.

They now determined to remain no longer where they were, but to proceed directly to the fort. A portion of the buffalo robe which had belonged to Mr. Hood afforded them an acceptable meal of boiled skin

After the death of Michel, the two survivors continued their march towards the Fort; and six wretched and weary days did they drag along their famished bodies, before they could traverse the short space that separated them from that spot. At length, on the evening of the 29th, they arrived in sight of it; "and it is impossible," says Dr. Richardson, "to describe our sensations, when, on attaining the eminence that overlooks it, we beheld the smoke issuing from one of the chimneys."

Such was the tragical story that Dr. Richardson had to tell, on rejoining his unhappy companions in misery. But his sufferings were not at an end: he had, indeed, reached the Fort, but only to find how fruitless were all the hopes of relief which he had so securely built upon that event. The party now assembled consisted of six persons; our three countrymen and three Canadians. Scarcely two days had elapsed, when their number was reduced to four, by the death of two of the Canadians: and before the lapse of a week, the remainder were in such a state that they could not have survived eight and forty hours longer: providentially, however, on the 7th of November, the long expected aid arrived, by the hands of three Indians, whom Mr. Back had sent with all possible expedition, as soon as he had reached their encampment. Dr. Richardson and Hepburn had gone out to cut wood, leaving Captain Franklin occupied in endeavouring to dispel the gloomy apprehensions of approaching death which disquieted the only Canadian. who was now left. They had hardly begun their labour, when they were amazed at hearing the report of a musket. They could scarcely believe that there was really any one near, until they heard a shout, and immediately espied three Indians close to the house. " Adam and 1," says Captain Franklin, "heard the latter noise, and I was fearful that a part of the house had fallen upon one of my companions, a disaster which had, in fact, been thought not unlikely. My alarm was only momentary: Dr. Richardson came in to communicate the joyful intelligence that relief had arrived. He and myself immediately addressed thanksgiving to the Throne of Mercy for this deliver.

seance, but poor Adam was in so low a state, that he monik eta god had ha hepoort, Paw POETRY. kad barat could scarcely comprehend the information."mismat

We have now little to add respecting the further pool som yli From the Liverpool Mercury, ulico -proceedings of the expedition. After a sufficient stayed SLAVERY. Spiele bes Hat Fort Enterprise to enable them to recover in some top From western India's fertile soil, of is bees;

degree their strength, the party proceeded to Fortiq Providence, where they remained during the winter. In the following summer, they set out on their return pdto England, which they reached safely in the monthl of October, 1822. ad T 19oid aid of The result of this expedition may be briefly said to b consist in the discovery and examination of a detached -slip of the northern coast of America, extending in of length for nearly six and a half degrees of longitude. mid gol doile plafon 194 od sildw to 99slys o -019

11002

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at DIPPING NEEDLE. hodags gond The magnetical needle so duly poised about an horizontal axis, that, besides its direction towards the pole, it will always point to a determined degree below the horizon. The dipping needle was invented by Robert Norman, a compass maker at Ratcliffe, about the year 1580, and arose, according to his own account of the matter, from the following circumstance:-It was his custom to finish and hang the needles of his compasses before he touched them, and he always found, after the touch, the north point would dip or decline downward, pointing in a direction under the horizon; so that to balance the needle again, he was always forced to put After having observed this effect frequently, he was at a piece of wax on the south end, as a counterpoise. six-length led to mark the quantity of the dip, or to measure the greatest angle which the dip would make with the subsequent experiments the dip is found to decrease horizon; he found at London it was 71° 50', but by about 1' 4" every year.

In excavating the Lancaster Lateral Canal near place called the " Deep Cut," bones of extraordinary sdimensions have been discovered. Among the curiosiseties found is a horn six feet in length, weighing 44 lbs. and measuring in the circumference at the butt end veen inches. Also, a tooth weighing 6 3-4 lbs.

bad The first newspaper in England was published on bethe 27th of May, 1576. This was the Liverpool 19Times, which is published at the present day.dos

SECTION V.

HISTORY.

CHALDEA.

Next to China, Chaldea may be considered as entitled to the precedence in the history of nations. It was here, as we have seen, that, to say the least, the principal portion of the more immediate descendants of Noah fixed their abode before the Dispersion. It was here that the famed Babel was erected, and monarchy began. Here it was that the mighty Nimrod figured, by founding the first Post-diluvian cities, and organizing an empire which ultimately became, and continued for a season, the mistress of the world. Well may this country, then, claim priority, on the historic page, to all others, with the single exception already made.

In the case of Chaldea, we are able to trace its history, in the clearest manner, to its origin. It is not, like that of some countries, enveloped in the mists of fable. We are made acquainted with its first inhabitants, its first monarch, and its earliest events; which furnish us a clue to its entire history, and to that of many other nations. Strike from the annals of the world the infantile period of Chaldean history, and you break a most important link in the great historical chain of nations, and involve the story of our race in the utmost confusion conceivable. The historian may therefore well congratulate himself, that he is so thoroughly furnished with the materials necessary to the clear elucidation of so important a period.

Nimrod is supposed to have died A. M. 1905. If, therefore, it be admitted that his kingdom began A.M. 1807, his reign amounted to ninety-eight years. On the other supposition, he must have reigned one hundred and forty-eight years.

Some writers make Belus and Nimrod the same; while others make them different individuals, and say Belus, like Nimthat Belus was Nimrod's successor. rod, seems to have been selected by the people as their sovereign on account of his pre-eminent talents. According to Pliny, he was the inventor of the Chaldean astronomy. He was of a studious turn, and sought the intellectual improvement of his people. He is said to have reigned sixty years, and to have died, A. M.

1966.

The founder of this empire, as we have heretofore seen, was Asshur, a son of Shem, who emigrated from Babylonia for that purpose. He pursued a course very similar to that of Nimrod in establishing his empire. First he built Nineveh, the capital. Then he built three other cities, viz. Rehoboth, Resen, and Calah; governing them no doubt by deputies, after the manBabylon, the capital of Chaldea, was originally de-ner of Nimrod. He is supposed by some to have died nominated Babel. And it is observable, that it was not a tower alone, but a city also, which men built prior to the Confusion. "Go to," said they, "let us build us a city and a tower whose top may reach unto heaven." Gen. xi. 4. This city, we say, which was afterwards denominated Babylon, was at first called Babel.

After the Dispersion, it would seem that Nimrod, extending his views of empire beyond the limits of this city, founded three other cities, viz. Erech, Accad, and Calneh, all in the land of Shinar; which cities, it is supposed, he governed by deputies. Cush, his father, is thought to have been deputy or governor at Erech. Nimrod's empire probably extended no further than the province of Babylonia. According to some, he commenced his reign A. M. 1758, but we are inclined to think it was not so early; for this is fifty years earlier than there is good reason for believing that the building of Babel began. Allowing, therefore, that his empire commenced with the founding of Babel, it was not, according to the calculation just made, till A. M. 1807. The argument for an earlier date derived from the circumstance that Peleg, who received his name from the fact that in his days the earth was divided, was born in 1757, will appear of very little weight when it is considered, that various individuals in olden times received their names in allusion to events future at the time of their birth. Noah is an example of the kind. Indeed, in the very case of Peleg himself, we are led to the conclusion that he was named on the same consideration. In his days, not at his birth, was the earth divided.

Hyde. Rel. vet. Pers. p. 40.
VOL. II.-5

about the same time as Nimrod, though we cannot conceive how this supposition can be reconciled with the date of the events of those times, unless Belus and Nimrod were the same.

The successor of Asshur was Ninus, the conqueror of Babylonia, whom we mentioned a little back. He was possessed of an ambitious spirit, and was the first warrior and conqueror noted on the historic page.† His first conquest was that of Babylonia, his mother couutry, whence emigrated the first settlers of Assyria. This conquest he easily effected, the Babylonians having till then been occupied in cultivating the arts of peace. Diodorus Siculust makes particular mention of this conquest. "Ninus, the king of Assyria," says he, "assisted by a king of the Arabians, invaded the Babylonians with a powerful army. The present Babylon was not then built, but there were in the country of Babylonia other cities of figure. He easily reduced these his neighbours, who had no great skill in war, and laid them under tribute." And thus, about 120 years after the founding of the Assyrian colony by Asshur, they became sufficiently powerful to subdue the land of their ancestors.

The success of Ninus in his first attempt inspired him with increased confidence in his own strength, and prompted him onward to more extensive conquests. In a few years, he overran many of the infant states of Asia. The subjugation of one nation led him on to that of another; and thus went he on from conquest to conquest, till he reached the far distant regions of Bactria, the country where we have supposed those