The Progress of Discovery. At a late meeting of the N. Y. Historical Society, Mr. Bartlett read the concluding part of his paper on this subject, in which he gave a comprehensive sketch of the results of recent investigations in Europe, Asia and Africa, by travellers and learned men. In the former part he had treated of American and Egyptian antiquities.

M. Jomard's recent publication on the interior of Africa was mentioned, and the Abbé Boilé's journey up the river Senegal, as well as Mr. Thompson's account. of the expedition to Teemboo, the capital of Footah Jalloo.

The account given in the Journal of the Royal Society, of the expedition of Mr. Dunot, is surprising.

Penetrating

from Cape Coast Castle northward, he passed through the Ashantee country, in the face of many dangers, and visited a very remarkable people living beyond them. He found articles from the Mediteranean exposed in their markets, and witnessed a review of 6,000 female warriors!

The Pongwe language, spoken along the western coast of Africa under the equator, is remarkable for its beauty, curious construction and comprehensive character. The Rev. Jas. Leighton Wilson, a Missionary of the Am. Board, has reduced it to writing and printed it, and expresses his wonder at finding a tongue so refined and elegant in the mouths of a people, of fine appearance and many good traits, but in a low state of society.

Mr. Richardson has returned from a journey across the Arabian Desert, and brings some interesting accounts.

Mr. Rafinelle has been up the Senegal to Sansanding; and the results of his jour ney are valuable.

A journey is about to be made by four Jesuits through Upper Egypt to Bornou, to meet some of their brethren by a different route, and there to concert future operations.

In London an expedition of discovery is proposed, from the eastern part of Africa, into the interior. The population is greater, the languages more uniform, and there is no foreign influence to impede them.

The French investigations in Algeria, and beyond, have produced important novelties. Gen. Maré has published a valuable work, in which he corrects the

false ideas of the desert so universal. It is a vast archipelago of oases, containing villages, surrounded by palm trees.

Ad. Dumas has collected much information concerning the following people.

A race of white men has been found in the Atlas mountains, of white skin, blue eyes and flaxen hair, intermixed with several tribes. They are numerous in Constantine, and have words of Teutonic origin in their language. Portraits have been procured, which are pronounced to bear unquestionable evidence of the relation.

The ancient Lybian alphabet is said to have been discovered recently, by studying the trilingual inscription on the Phenician monument at Dugga, near old Carthage. (See the Proceedings of the Am. Ethnological Society's Transactions, Vol. 1. 1845, for the inscription, a drawing and description of the ruin.)

A Tuarik has recently communicated some interesting information respecting the peculiar people to whom he belongs. It was long known that the Moors had a cipher, which they carefully kept to themselves. M. Boissonné, having found a few characters at the head of a letter, discovered that they were the transcript of a short prayer in general use with Mohamedans in their writings, and is now in possession of the secret alphabet.

M. Jomard believes that the characters on the Grave Creek Mound of Virginia are identical with the Lybian alphabet.

On the Berber language, grammars and dictionaries have been published, and much important information obtained, since Mr. Hodgson of Virginia published his investigations about fifteen

years ago.

Hazer Meratoa, or Hadramaut, is believed to be the country of the Queen of Sheba. The ancient inscriptions found on the rocks have been recently deciphered. Pococke, Niebuhr, Sietzen and Burchart, by their publications, had excited much interest in neighboring parts of Arabia, but the first traveller who gave important information on the southwestern portion, was Lieut. Welstead, who, in 1830, made a journey into that part of the country. He says that the whole social condition of Arabia is essentially the same as when their ancestors purchased Joseph from his brethren. They have through past ages seen one people after another gaining possession

of the western coast of the Red Sea: but they have remained unconquered and un changed.

The coast is thickly studded with fish ing villages, which still carry on the trade with India and the Persian Gulf. A range of sand hills lines the coast, which gives the traveller gloomy ideas of the interior. Buta rich country soon succeeds, with verdant plains and green mountains. The natives had long spoken to foreigners of ancient inscriptions on their rocks, which they called Himyaratic and they were first visited by Mr. Arnau, who brought away sixty-six inscriptions, one of which contains a long list of kings. Mr. Fresnel, having laboriously deciphered and explained many of them, has identified many ancient sites, historical names, dates, &c., and feels confident in his views of the alphabet and language, and in the translations he gives of many inscriptions.

M. Mole of Paris has published a work, with drawings of sculpture and inscriptions, found by Messrs. Botta and Flandin among the ruins of Niniveh. A large work is in preparation on the same subject, for which the French government have appropriated 300,000 francs. Descriptions were here read to the Society of the subjects represented on the sculptured remains of the great temples found in excavating the mound at Khorsabad.

Mr. Layard, and other English travellers, have prosecuted similar researches. Mr. L. has opened a much larger mound than that at Khorsabad, disclosing an immense building in ruins, apparently destroyed by fire, and abounding in highly finished sculptures and inscriptions. One hall was 250 feet by 50, lined with large sculptured stones, covered with military scenes and displaying all kinds of ancient arms; beautifully executed: catapultas, ballistas, battering rams, &c., as well as swords, spears, shields, and other weapons. The figures of winged bulls are common, which correspond with one of the animals described in the Book of Daniel.

A German Professor has brought from Persepolis many valuable arrow-head inscriptions to Germany, having been thoroughly prepared for the task of exploration, by long and accurate study. The inscriptions are well known to be trilinqual, and one of the three languages was lately ascertained to be old Persian,

which is closely related to the Zend. The process by which the translation of the Persepolitan characters was arrived at, was thus explained by Mr. Bartlett, who exhibited copies of the arrow-head cha

racter.

The Professor first examined the characters, to ascertain whether the language were syllabic or alphabetic; and, finding only about forty different forms, concluded that it must be of the latter kind. Knowing that the title, "king of kings," was common among the Eastern nations, and having observed a certain group of characters often occurring, he applied himself, with ingenuity, learning and patience, to find some clue to its interpretation, and at length ascertained that the system of writing was alphabetic, and determined the powers of the characters, so that many inscriptions have since been deciphered, one of which extended to about a thousand lines. There are several species, very different from each other but all are now ascertained; and the almost innumerable inscriptions lately disinterred at Niniveh, &c., as well as those of Persepolis, Babylon, &c., will probably be interpreted in due time.

A Popular Newspaper in Sicily.-We have just received a file of the “Gazzetta de' Salone,' or Parlor Gazette, a small semi-weekly paper published in Palermo, in Sicily, by Mr. Migliore, a young man of that city, who spent a few months in this country in 1845-6. He has shown much patriotism in forming the plan, and a very creditable taste and ability in the execution of it. His object is to give to Sicilians, of all classes, a cheap vehicle of interesting and useful intelligence; and he has adopted the practice of late years so common with many Newspapers in this country, as well as in Europe, of furnishing matter, under different heads, adapted to different ages, classes and professions. And it is with pleasure that we express our high opinion of the topics he has generally selected, the appropiate styles in which they are treated, and most of the principles which he inculcates. We are compelled to make exceptions when he commends the theatres, and approves of the idolatrous ceremonies practised at some of the Sicilian festivals. We design hereafter to give occasional extracts from some of the other passages in his paper.

Figs.

This fruit is universally known and a great favorite among us; yet, although it grows abundantly in our southern states, and may be cultivated in our middle and northern regions, there are several facts in its history which are probably not known to all our readers. Those of them who have perused Mr. Browne's Trees of America,' before noticed by us, need not be told that he gives a very interesting account of the history and uses of the fig-tree and its various species.

Fig trees vary in size from a shrub to the plant celebrated for its greatest lateral extent, viz. the Banyan tree. There are two genera, but many species. The fruit is fleshy, and contains the flowers, which are never seen unless it is opened before it ripens, as they are then absorbed. In some species the fruit containing stamen-flowers grow on separate plan's The tree called sycamore in the Bible is a fig (Ficus Sycomorus.)

The common fig tree, (Ficus carica,) is said to have derived its generic name from Caria, in Asia. It sometimes attains the height of 25 or 30 feet and the diameter of a foot or more; but, it is usually found of about half that size. It abounds about the Mediterranean. The leaves of the fig are perennial in the tropics, and in the wild state are not lobed, as when cultivated, nor so large. The fruit is very agreeable, nutricious and wholesome, both fresh and dried; and in South Carolina, Florida, &c is in general esteem, as well as in other countries where it is found. The ancient Spartans, as appears from Lycurgus, made it an important article of food. We learn from the Scriptures that it occupied the same place among the Hebrews; and many interesting scenes are associated with this useful and delicious fruit.

A curious etymology traces the word 'sycophant,' to the Greek name of fig, 'sykon,' and 'phaino,' to show. A law of Lycurgus forbade the Lacedæmonians to export any of their products except oil; and those who gave information against the violators of the statute, are supposed to have been called 'fig showers,' because figs were one of the chief objects brought into question

By cuttings of the shoots, or roots, and suckers, the fig tree is easily propagated, as well as by layers and seeds; and we would recommend to our readers to make experiments this season with seeds, as they may be obtained from the dried fruit, in almost every part of the country. The plants may be easily protected in northern climates, by bending down the stems to the ground, confining them with weights and covering them with straw, &c., as the wood is very flexible. In sheltered situations, however, they will grow farther north than many imagine. We know many in the vicinity of New York, where the fruit forms, and even ripens, when the circumstances are most favorable.

Wonderful Stories of Crocodiles.

A lady of Madras, says the Magazin Universel, having sent a messenger with a letter into the interior, was alarmed by his long absence, and despatched men in search of him. They found a dead crocodile near a stream, with his huge mouth extended to its utmost width. On examining it, to ascertain the cause of its singular condition, they found the head of the missing courier, which the animal had bitten off and attempted to swallow, but had been choked by its lodgment in his throat. The letter was found, safely placed in his cap, where he had probably placed it when preparing to swim the ri

ver.

Some foreign travellers, in a forest of India, accompanied by a band of natives, met with the carcass of a dead elephant, surrounded by various birds and beasts of prey, which were devouring the flesh. It was at night, the moon shone and everything else was still. One of the Hindoos was sent to fire among the animals. The shot glanced from the scales of a crocodile, and the noise produced the greatest confusion imaginable. The beasts fled growling and yelling, the birds, took to their wings and the crocodile hastened to the shore and plunged into the water. The party of travellers hastened away; and, on their return, soon after, found the enormous skeleton of the elephant stripped of every particle of flesh, as neatly as if prepared for a museum by a skilful naturalist; the black ants having come last to the feast, and never leaving the bones until they were polished like ivory.

This engraving has been lying at hand for several weeks, and we have often wished to present it to our readers: for of all places we have ever visited, none could make such impressions on our feel ings as Pompei. But so small a picture, giving a view of but one part of that city, is so far short of what we desired to have as an illustration, that we laid it by, as a thing unfit for our use. Turning, however, to Gell's work on Pompei, with its numerous, and beautiful copper-plate engravings, we had a similar reflection to make, on its insufficiency. In fact, nothing but the original, the ancient city itself, can ever satisfy one who has seen it; and, without wai ing for any more satisfactory representation of it, we will proceed to state a few interesting facts connected with its history and condition.

If the reader will turn to the Epistles of Pliny the Younger, he may read the description of the destruction of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabice, by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius, one thousand, seven hundred and seventy-four years ago, in the reign of the Emperor Titus. That elegant writer tells us what he himself saw, from the opposite side of the Bay of Naples; and his works contain almost everything known, until within about a century, even by the most learned men of Europe, respecting the cities above mentioned.

It appears, however, that the peasants inhabiting their neighborhood, for unknown years, had occasionally dug up fragments of tessalated pavements and

other pieces of buildings, particularly in sinking wells, on a tract of flat ground, extending a mile or more near the foot of the mountain, and raised about thirty feet above the surrounding country. They were acquainted with several stone towers, and other edifices, whose summits projected above the surface, which, however, were mostly concealed by trees and shrubbery, and did not attract the attention of intelligent men, until about a century and a half ago. Excavations were then commenced, which have been gradually extended ever since, with occasional interruptions; and about one quarter of the hill has been removed, leaving an equal portion of a small city, of which, it appears, the eminence was formed by a mass of ashes and cinders showered upon it by the burning mountain.

A more interesting sight cannot easily be imagined, than that which is presented to the traveller, as he stands upon the brow of the hill, and with festoons of vines hanging from tree to tree over his head, and an extent of pasture-land behind him, while just below he sees streets and numberless houses, interspersed with temples, forums (or market places,) theatres and colonnades, generally in good preservation, except that the roofs, which were crushed in by the mass of ashes, have left the buildings uncovered. As the eye follows the lines of streets and houses, and sees them disappeared in the earth beneath his feet, and realizes that these are the remains of a city as it was left deserted by its inhabi tants, in a moment of sudden alarm, and