Importation into France of the Cachemirewool Goat.-M. Amadeus Joubert quitted Paris in April 1818, and proceeded first by Odessa, Tangarock, and Astracan, to the camp of General Jermoloff in Caucasus, gaining information on the way, relative to the object of his journey, from the Bucha rians, the Kirghiz, and the Armenians, who frequent Astracan. He was there told, that there existed amongst the numerous hordes of Kirghiz (a nomade tribe residing in Bucharia, on the banks of the Oural lake) a species of goat of a dazzling white, bear ing every year a remarkable fleece about the month of June. The specimens of it which he there collected, convinced him of the identity of this wool with that which is imported into France, through Russia. This discovery was the more important to him, as it promised to save him the long and difficult journey which he would otherwise have had to encounter, in penetrating to Thibet, through Persia and Cachemire. In this he was not deceived; for he actually collected scattered samples of this fine wool, at some hundreds of wersts from the Wolga, amongst the steppes that separate Astracan from Oremburg, which satisfied him that he needed not to penetrate further. He had, besides, observed, that in the language of the country, they gave the name of Thi bet-goat to the animal which furnished this fine fleece. He therefore bought of the Kirghiz in this district, from the hordes called Cara-Agadgi and Kaisacks, twelve hundred and eighty-nine of these animals, and directed his course homewards with them, by Tsaritzin, where he brought them across the Wolga. After making all the deductions from this number, occasioned by losses on the road, by the shipment of them at Kaffa, and the passage home, there now exist in France four hundred of this stock of Cachemire-wool goats.

During a short stay which M. Joubert made at Constantinople, in his passage homewards with his goats, he held a conversation, through the second interpreter to the French embassy, with an Armenian named KhodjaYoussuf, who was sent eighteen years ago by a house in Constantinople into Cachemire, to procure shawls made after patterns which he carried with him. This Armenian had resided a long time in Cachemire, Lahore, and Pichawer, and in learning the language of these countries, he obtained much positive information as to the manufacture of these valued articles. He stated to M. Joubert, that the animal which yields this beautiful material is neither a camel nor a sheep, as some have reported, but is a goat, resembling the common goat in appearance, having straight horns, and a white or clear brown coat. A coarse hair covers the fine downy wool, which last is the only material from which the shawls are wove.

Khodja-Youssuf had seen at Cachemire, twenty or thirty of these goats, which were kept there for curiosity. The women and children pick out the fine wool from the coarse hair, and other heterogeneous matter; which is afterwards carded by young girls with their fingers on India muslin, to lengthen the fibre, and clean it from dirt and foulness; and in this state it is delivered to the dyers and spinners. The loom that is used is horizontal, and very simple; the weaver sits on the bench, a child is placed below him with his eyes on the pattern, and gives him notice, after every throw of the shuttle, of the colours wanted, and the bobbins to be next employed. The finest shawls cost from 5 to 600 rupees (12 to 1500 francs.) The most beautiful wool comes from the provinces of Lassa and Ladack in Thibet; and also a good deal of it is imported into Thibet and Cachemire, from Casgar and Bucharia, all of which go to form the fine shawls, of which there is such a great demand throughout Asia. The fine wool is brought into Cachemire, in bales, mixed with coarse hair.

Meteoric Stone presented to the India Company's Museum.—The following is an authentic account of a meteoric stone which was lately brought from India by Lieut. Colonel Pennington, and presented to the Hon. East India Company, who have deposited it in their museum.

Extract of a letter from Capt. G. Bird, 1st Assistant in the Political Dept. to Ma jor Gen. Sir D. Ochterlony, Bart. K.G.C.B. to Major Pennington.

Lodiana, 5th April 1815.-My dear Major, I lost no time, after my receipt of your letter to take the measures for obtaining the information you desire relative to the meteorolite, which lately fell near the vil lage of Dooralla. Accounts of this extraordinary phenomenon had spread over the whole of the Seik country; and for more than a month before your letter reached me, the account of its fall, connected with a great number of wonders, had been reported to me, and that the people from all the neighbouring villages had assembled at Dooralla to pay their devotions to it, but, now, after a very full inquiry, I feel quite satisfied that you may rest confident in the accuracy of the following statement. On the 18th Feb. last about noon, some people who were at work in a field about half a mile distant from the village of Dooralla, were suddenly alarmed by the explosion of what they conceived to be a large cannon," the report being louder than that of any other gun they had ever heard," which report was succeeded by a rushing noise, like that of a cannon ball in its greatest force. When looking towards the quarter whence the noise proceeded, they perceived a large black body in the

air, apparently moving directly towards them, but passing with inconceivable ve. locity, buried itself in the earth, at the distance of about sixty paces from the spot where they stood. As soon as they could recover from the terror with which this terrific vision had appalled them, they ran to wards the village, where they found the people no less terrified than themselves, though not having seen the stone, imagined that a marauding party was approaching, and as but too frequently happens, would sack their village. When the Brahmins of the village were told what had really happened, they determined to proceed, and were followed by all the people to the spot where the stone fell, having with them instruments for digging it out. On their arrival at the place, they found the surface broken and the fresh earth and sand thrown about to a considerable distance, and at the depth of rather more than five feet, in a soil of mingled sand and loam, they found the stone which they cannot doubt was what actually fell, being altogether unlike any thing known in that part of the country. The Brahmins taking immediate charge of the stone, conveyed it to the village, where they commenced a Poosa, and covering it with wreaths of flowers, set on foot a subscription for the purpose of erecting a small temple over it, not doubting from the respect paid to it by the Hindoos, to turn it to a profitable account. As I said before, it fell on the 18th of Feb. about midday, in a field near the village of Dooralla, which lies about lat. 308.23'. 76°. 4. long. within the territory belonging to the Pattialah Rajah, sixteen or seventeen miles from Umballah and eighty from Lodiana. The day was very clear and serene, and as usual at that season of the year, not a cloud was to be seen; nor was there in the temperature of the air, any thing to engage their attention; the thermometer, of course, may be stated at about 68° in the shade. The report was heard in all the circumjacent towns and villages, to the distance of 20 coss, or 25 miles, from Dooralla. The

Pattaliah Rajah's Vakeel, being in at tendance here, when your letter reached me, I desired him to express my wish to the Rajah, to have this stone; and as it appears that he had been led to consider it rather as a messenger of ill omen, he gave immediate orders for its conveyance to Lodiana, but with positive injunctions, that it should not approach Pattialah, his place of residence. It arrived here yesterday, escorted by a party of Brahmins and some Seik Horse. It weighs rather more than 25 pounds, and is covered with a pellicle, thinner than a wafer, of a black sulphureous crust, though it emits no smell of sulphur, that I can discover; but, having been wreathed with flowers while in possession of the Brahmins, the odour originally emitted, may by these be concealed.

It is an ill shapen triangle, and from one of the corners a piece has been broken off, either in its fall, or by the instruments when taking it out of the ground. This fracture discloses a view of the interior, in which iron pyrites and nickel are distinctly visible. Since its arrival all the Brahmins in the neighbourhood have assembled at my tents, to pay their adoration to it; and no Hindoo ventures to approach, but with closed hands in apparent devotion, so awful a matter is it in their eyes. I shall avail myself of the first escort that leaves Lodiana, to forward it to you.-Original Communication.

Barlow's Magnetical Discoveries.-Certain Magnetical discoveries are now in course of trial, for which we are indebted to Mr Barlow, one of the Mathematical Professors in the Royal Military Academy, viz. that in every ball or mass of iron, if a plane be conceived to pass from north to south inclining, in these latitudes, at an angle of 19 (or the compliment of the dip), and a compass be pointed any where in this plane, it will not be affected by the iron, but point due north and south the same as if no iron were in its vicinity. This plane, Mr B. has every reason to suppose, will change its position with the dip, or la titude, so as to become parallel to the horizon at the pole, and perpendicular to it at the equator; and it is this fact which Captain Bartholomew is charged to determine, as far as it can be done, in the parts he is about to visit, while Lieut. Parry is suppos ed to be making corresponding observations in Baffin's Bay. Mr Barlow has also discovered that the magnetic quality of iron resides wholly in the surface, so that an iron shell, weighing only 3lb. 4 oz. will act as powerfully on the needle as a solid ball of the same dimension weighing upwards of 300 lbs.—and by a judicious application and combination of these two facts, he has projected an extremely easy method of counteracting the local attraction of vessels.

Germany. . Comets, pellucid Bodics. M. Encke, Assistant Director of the Observatory at Gotha, has lately accomplished an exact representation of the track of the comet which appeared in the years 1786, 1795, 1805, and 1819. It is by means of an ellipsis of an uncommon form, if not absolutely unique, that the orbit of this body (rather to be reckoned among planets than comets) has been traced. That this body was not self-luminous, is now pretty well ascertained: that the tail, or radiance emanating from this comet, and from all comets, was a lucid vapour, through which rays of light passed without interception, admits of no question; and if confidence may be placed in an accidental observation of the face of the sun, at the time when, by calculation, this comet should have been passing over it, the body also of this meteor was diaphanous;-otherwise it was so very small as to escape the notice of

the observer, who was, indeed, most intent on examining the spots then visible on the surface of the sun.

Atmospheric Phenomena.The most striking difference in the results of the atmospheric phenomena, for the last two years, is in the number of meteors (some of them of a large size): of 121, no less than 95 appeared in the evenings of July, August, and September, the three hottest months in the last year. It may there fore be inferred, that they are generated by heat in an atmosphere highly charged with electric matter.

New Projection of the Sphere.In this projection, which has been drawn by Capt. J. Vetch, the globe is supposed to be inscribed in a cylinder, the axes of the globe and cylinder being at right angles to each other, and their surfaces, therefore, coinciding at a meridian. The eye is supposed to remain at rest in the centre of the globe, and each point in the earth's surface is transferred to that of the cylinder by a right line passing from the earth's centre through that point. The cylinder being then unrolled, a view of the earth is obtained on a plane surface.

Earthquakes. Intelligence from the Ionian Islands announces, that on the 21st February last, a terrible shock of an earthquake had devastated the island of Saint Maura. The church, several public buildings, and almost all the houses, were demolished, and the roads destroyed. At Corfu, also, we understand, considerable volcanic phenomena have been observed, and a small island has since emerged from the sea off Santa Maura, which is attributed to the late subterraneous commotion. His Majesty's sloop Aid has been despatched to survey it, and to christen it Lauderdale's Rock.

Greece.-M. Koumas, first professor in the Great College at Smyrna, and distinguished by his learning among the Greeks, has just published, at Vienna, the two last volumes of his Course of Philosophy." The whole work is a methodical abstract of all the best compositions of the German phi. losophers. Its object is to instruct the Greeks in modern philosophy, and its circulation is likely to be very considerable.

Brazil. The corvette Le Bayardere, and the brig Le Favori, sailed from a port of France, on the 14th of Feb. 1819, under the orders of M. Roussin, captain, on a voyage of discovery or survey, along the coasts of Brazil. They arrived at the is land of St Catherine, the first mark of their operations, on the 9th of May, and from that point they began to coast along all the shores, islands, rocks, sand-banks, and every dangerous passage as far as to St Salvador, where they anchored on the 16th of August. They have hereby collected all the materials requisite for the construction of a new set of charts. On their entrance, June 6, into Rio Janeiro, M. Roussin was received with much distinction and cordiality by the

Court. His Portuguese Majesty expressed to him, in public, that he should, with pleasure, encourage an expedition, the object of which was interesting to every nation; and added, that he should give orders that the vessels of M. Roussin should be entertained in all the ports of his dominions, with suitable marks of benevolence to a mission se useful in its tendency. Every where he has found these orders executed. M. Roussin was expected to spend about six weeks at St Salvador, to refit his ships, to refresh and recruit the crews, &c. till the sun had pass ed the zenith, when the observations would assume a greater degree of precision, and he should be enabled to draw up charts of 400 leagues of lands and coasts that he had visited. By the end of October, he calcu lated on pursuing his route to the North, to complete his survey of the coasts of Brazil.

Discoveries in Africa. By accounts received from the interior of this hitherto inaccessible country, it appears that the expedition under the command of Major Gray, on whom the direction devolved after the death of Major Peddie, has returned to a colony on the river Senegal, after a most harassing journey through the country of the Foolado. Mr Docherd, the surgeon attached to the expedition, had, with a few individuals, however, proceeded on. wards to Bammakoo, in Bambarra, where, our readers may recollect, the unfortunate Park finally embarked on the Niger. this place, as well as at Sansanding and. Yamina, provisions were in abundance, and every sort of European merchandize in great demand: the native merchants pass. ing from Morocco across the Great Desert being the only channel for a supply of these

articles.

At

Steam Navigation-A new ship intended to ply as a regular packet between New York and New Orleans, has recently been built, called the Robert Fulton. She is said to be, in every respect, one of the finest steam-vessels ever constructed. She is upwards of 750 tons, of a very great length, rigged with lug sails; has three kelsons, (the centre one large enough for a ship of the line), together with bilgeways, and the whole secured and bolted in a very superior manner; her frame timber and plank are of live oak, locust cedar, and Southern pine, copper bolted and coppered.

Her

She will afford accommodation for more than 200 persons, and is fitted up with high and airy state rooms, thoroughly ventilated by means of sky-lights the whole length of the cabin, which is very extensive. after-cabin is neatly arranged for the ac commodation of ladies, and separated by means of folding-doors, in the modern style. She has also a range of births fore and aft, together with a commodious fore-cabin. And, what adds to the greatest comfort and security of all, her engine and other machinery are completely insulated, and uncon

nected as it were with the other part of the ship. In the centre, lengthwise, is a kind of well-hole or square trunk, made both fire and water-proof; no possible accident, therefore, by the bursting of the boiler, can reach either of the cabins. This trunk or well-hole being enclosed by very thick plank, caulked and leaded, may be inundated with water at pleasure, without any inconvenience to the passengers.

The furnace is also completely surround ed by the continuation of the boiler, so that no part of the fire can ever come in contact with wood. There is a space of about nine or ten inches filled in with materials, nonconductors of heat, which answer the double purpose of excluding the heat from the cabin, and at the same time deadening the disagreeable noise of the engine. She is also provided with a leather hose, similar to those used by our fire-engine companies in this city, which will enable the hot or cold water to be conveyed to any part of the ship, and furnishing at the same time the great conveniency to the passengers of a warm or cold bath at pleasure. Her engine was constructed by Mr Allaire, and is supposed to be the most powerful and most exact piece of workmanship ever turned out in America; and her boiler is said to be the largest ever known to have been made in that or any other country.

Arakatscha.-Europe owes infinite gratitude to the memory of Sir Francis Drake, who first introduced from America the potato. It has been lately stated, that there grows in Santa Fe de Bagota, a root even more nourishing and as prolific as this plant. It is called Arakatscha, and resembles the Spanish chesnut in taste and firmness. It is indigenous to the Cordilleros, a climate as temperate as that of Europe, and might be cultivated here with the same facility as the potato.

Switzerland Plantain Root, a Febrifuge. -Dr Perrin has lately read to the Society of Natural Sciences, of which he is a member, observations he has made on the febrifugal virtues of the roots of the plantain (plantago major, minor et latifolia, Linn.) He is of opinion it may be employed with advantage in intermittents. The question may easily be brought to the test of experiment, as the plant is common in all parts; and the leaves are known to every schoolboy as a vulnerary.

Phosphoric Acid.-Mr Barry, who has lately obtained a patent for his mode of evaporating vegetable extracts in a vacuum, has observed, during a comparison of the preparations made in this way, and those commonly prepared, that phosphoric acid, in a soluble state, is to be found in all the extracts. On further extending the investigation, it was ascertained that this acid, besides that portion that exists, as phosphate of lime, is contained in a vast variety of vegetables; and he has also remarked,

that all these vegetables which are cultivated seem to contain phosphoric acid in great abundance.

Antidote for Vegetable Poisons-The invaluable properties of the plant fewillea cordifolia which have been brought to light by a continental chemist, claim particular notice. Mr Drapiez has ascertained, by numerous experiments, that the fruit of the fewillea cordifolia is a powerful antidote against vegetable poisons. This opinion has been long maintained by naturalists, but we are not aware that it was ever before verified by experiments made on purpose in any part of Europe. M. Drapiez poisoned dogs with the rhus toxicodendron, hemlock, and nux vomica. All those that were left to the effects of the poison, died; but those to whom the fruit of the fewillea cordifolia was administered, recoverved completely, after a short illness.

To see whether this antidote would act in the same way, when applied externally to wounds into which vegetable poisons had been introduced, he took two arrows which had been dipped in the juice of manchenille, and slightly wounded with them two young cats. To the one of these he applied a poultice, composed of the fruit of the fewillea cordifolia, while the other was left without any application. The former suffered no other inconvenience, except from the wound, which speedily healed; while the other, in a short time, fell into convulsions and died.

It would appear from these experiments, that the opinion entertained of the virtues of this fruit in the countries where it is produced is well founded. It would deserve, in consequence, to be introduced into our pharmacopoeias as an important medicine; but it is necessary to know, that it loses its virtues if kept longer than two years after it has been gathered.

New Patent for a Portable Gas Lamp.The principle of this invention for making a gas lamp portable, consists in condensing the inflammable gas by forcing it into a strong vessel by means of a pump, which vessel forms the body or reservoir of the lamp, and when it is desired to light the lamp, permitting the gas to issue in a sufficiently moderate manner to supply its burner or burners, by means of a valve or a stop-cock of a particular construction. The reservoir or body of the lamp may be made of any substance that is sufficiently strong and close in its texture to contain the condensed gas. This body or reservoir of the lamp may be made of almost any form that may be wished, provided the strength to resist the expansive force of the gas be increased, to compensate for any loss of strength arising from unequal resistance. The patentees, however, recommend that this body or reservoir should be made in the form of a sphere, or a cylinder with hemispherical ends, as these are the strongest forms.

When it is desired to have the lamp of

gold or silver, or any expensive material, it may be best to have a copper cylinder or sphere put into the more expensive case. The body or reservoir of the lamp may either form part of the lamp exhibited to view, or it may be concealed under a table desk, &c. put into a statue, or the pedestal of a statue, or even put into a different room or closet from that where it is wished the light should be exhibited; and then uniting it with the burner or burners. It will also be a most useful appendage to carriages, mail, or stage-coaches, &c. as the reservoir may be placed under the seat, so that the road may be illuminated in the darkest night at a trifling expense. It will also be a most useful lamp on board of ships.

Coffee. Substitutes for this useful berry have grown so much into use on the Continent, that the importation of that article into Europe is reduced from seventy millions of pounds annually to below thirty millions.

Rare Collection of Books on the Early History of America. One of the greatest Bibliographical curiosities which for a long time has claimed public attention, is the Catalogue of Rare Books connected with the Discovery and History of America, lately printed at Paris, by Mr Warden. The Books are on sale at Paris, but the Catalogue is in possession of the Editor, and may be had of the French booksellers in London.

Duplex Typograph.-An ingenious mechanical invention has lately been completed, called a Duplex Typograph, which enables the blind to receive and communicate ideas by means of letters. The inventor is Mr J. Purkis, brother of a well known musical character, who, by the aid of a skilful oculist, obtained the blessings of sight, at the age of thirty, after having been blind from the time of his birth. On the same subject it is just to add, that Dr Edmund Fry has printed a sheet, on which the letters are raised on the paper, and capable of being felt and read by the fingers' ends.

The Assassins. A history of the Assassins, drawn from oriental sources, has appeared lately at Stuttgard. From this work we learn, that the Assassins, a confederate people or society, which, in the time of the Crusades, for two centuries, acted an important part in Asiatic history, were, originally, a branch of the Ismaelites. The author, M. de Hammer, illustrates many of the events of the middle ages, and shews, at the same time, the advantageous use that might be made of oriental literature, if its cultivation were more generally attended to.

The Assassins were a secret society, originally organized at Cairo, wherein the adepts took an oath to obey implicitly, a chief that was even unknown to them. Their horrible dogmas inculcated murder, and one of their fundamental positions was

the principle that all human authority, including kings, magistrates, and priests, was superfluous and pernicious. The author draws a parallel between these assassins and the society of Jesuits, who, though deprived of their former influence, persevere to maintain their order. The princes of the east were frequently so imprudent as to make common cause with Hassan Sabah, chief of the order, a headstrong adventurer, who soon after became a terror to all princes and governments, polluting thrones, tribunals, and altars, with blood.

One

The

To the materials collected from Arabian, Persian, and Turkish manuscripts, M. de H. adds what Sylvestre de Sacy and others have written before him on the same subject. His work is divided into seven books. The first treats of Mahomet, as the founder of Islamism, and only dwells on such principal points as have not been noticed by Voltaire, Gibbon, and Muller. It contains a synopsis of the doctrines of Mahomet. The second book narrates the foundation of the order of Assassins, in the year 1004 of the Christian æra, and under the government of the first grand master, Hassan Sabah. of his deys, Hassan Ben Sabah Homairi, a competitor for the throne, became, towards the end of the eleventh century, the founder of a new sect. He seized on the strong castle of Alamut, between Dilem 'and Irak, and made it the seat of his power. The third book is an account of the reigns of Kia Busurgomid, and of his son Mahomet, and the wars which they had to maintain. fourth book contains the reigns of Hassan II. and of Mahomet II. both of whom upheld the doctrine of the impunity of crimes. Their history is interspersed with curious details relative to the literature of some contemporary oriental and western authors. Also, documents hitherto unnoticed, of the Templars, who, at that period, appear to have been actuated with the spirit of Ismaelites. A charge is laid to Richard, King of England, that he resorted to the assistance of the Assassins, to effect the destruction of the Margrave Conrad de Montferrat. The fifth book contains the reigns of three Assassin princes, the former of whom, Dschelaleddin, had his sovereignty acknowledged by the Caliph of Bagdad. His son committed a parricide, but perpetrated no crime, according to the established principles of the Assassins. This book has also the reign of Rockneddin Charschah, the last grand master of their order, with an account of his wars with the Mogul Hulagu, and the taking of Alamut and the rest of their castles, in 1256. The extermination of this horde of Ismaelites forms the subject of the sixth book. It contains also the description of the taking and plundering of Bagdad, by the Moguls, in 1258, with the punishment of the Caliph. In short, it details the defeat of the Assassins in Syria, by Bibras, the sultan of Egypt, and the gradual extirpation of the doctrine of the Ismaelites. The au