seeds, and were enabled thereby to raise large crops from a few pounds of seed." The Indians were highly pleased, and every one who could raise a beaver skin, purchased at an enormous price as far as his peltry would go, and in a little time the Frenchman found himself freed of all his powder, and in possession of great booty, and made the best of his way as soon as he could. The delighted Indians directly set to work in preparing a choice spot of ground for the reception of their new crop. Having cleared the land by the removal of timber, rubbish, and brushwood; and having loosened the soil, they followed the Frenchman's directions in sowing the powder. They enclosed it, to prevent their horned and wild animals from injuring it. They went from time to time to see if it had come up. After some weeks had elapsed, and finding all their hopes at an end, an old chief, wiser than the rest, observed, "he was a Frenchman," of whom they had purchased the powder. This hint was enough; they understood him; they now all believed it was a fraud: they determined to revenge it the first opportunity. It should be kept in mind, that when any individual injures an Indian, he entertains the most bitter enmity, not only against him and his relations, but against his nation. Not long after, another Frenchman went among the same tribe with a cargo of dry goods. The Frenchman obtained permission from the chief to sell his goods among his people: he gave up his own wigwams; the industrious pedlar opened his bales, and when the goods were all spread out for

inspection as it were, the young warriors and all who had been fooled by the former Frenchman, rushed on him, and took all the poor man's goods. He laid his bitter complaint before the chief, and demanded satisfaction. The chief very gravely replied. "He certainly should be paid, but that he must wait until the next gunpowder harvest."

14.

Travels through Sweden, Norway, and Finmark, to the North Cape, in the Summer of 1820. By A. de Capell Brooke, A.M. "Nothing can be more surprising and beautiful than the singular clearness of the water of the northern seas. As we passed slowly over the surface, the bottom, which here was in general a white sand, was clearly visible, with its minutest objects, where the depth was from twenty to twenty-five fathom. During the whole course of the tour I made, nothing appeared to me so extraordinary as the inmost recesses of the deep thus unveiled to the eye. The surface of the ocean was unruffled by the slightest breeze, and the gentle splashing of the oars scarcely disturbed it. Hanging over the gunwale of the boat with wonder and delight I gazed on the slowly moving scene below. Where the bottom was sandy, the different kinds of asteriæ, echini, and even the smallest shells, appeared at that great depth conspicuous to the eye; and the water seemed in some measure to have the effect of a magnifier, by enlarging the objects like a telescope, and bringing them seemingly nearer. Now creeping along, we saw, far beneath, the rugged sides of a mountain

mountain rising towards our boat, the base of which, perhaps, was hidden some miles in the great deep below. Though moving on a level surface, it seemed almost as if we were ascending the height under us; and when we passed over its summit, which rose in appearance to within a few feet of our boat, and came again to the descent, which on this side was suddenly perpendicular, and overlooking a watery gulf, as we pushed gently over the last point of it, it seemed almost as if we had thrown ourselves down this precipice; the illusion, from the crystal clearness of the deep, actually producing a sudden start. Now we came again to a plain; and passed slowly over the submarine forests and meadows, which appeared in the expanse below; inhabited, doubtless, by thousands of animals, to which they afford both food and shelter, animals unknown to man : and I could sometimes observe large fishes of singular shape, gliding softly through the watery thickets, unconscious of what was moving above them. As we proceeded, the bottom became no longer visible; its fairy scenes gradually faded to the view, and were lost in the dark green depths of the ocean."

In these profound depths is found the remarkable gorgonia lepadifera of Linnæus, "considered rare by the inhabitants of these parts, who, when they accidentally meet with it, hang it up as a curiosity. This extraordinary zoophyte grows in the form of a tree, or branch; and its similarity is such, that few indeed, after even a minute investigation, would suppose it possessed life, or imagine it was any thing but what it has

hitherto been considered, a vegetable. This idea, which long prevailed with respect to the class of zoophytes in general, has been gradually exploded, as the attention of naturalists has been directed to marine productions.

"On a first inspection of this gorgon, we behold nothing but a mere branch, singular indeed in appearance, and covered over with whitish scales, which seem like seeds hanging on every part of it: how extraordinary then does it appear, when we are told, that it is an animal, with not only bone and flesh, but even possessed of minute muscles and tendons! The stem of the branch, which is the inward support or bone of the animal, appears to be formed of different distinct layers or circles of a hard calcareous matter; and in the living state is surrounded by a fleshy substance. This is thickly covered with small whitish tubercles, which appear like barnacles hanging on it, and are the cells, that contain the numberless animals of which the gorgonia consists, protecting their delicate parts from injury. have the power of contracting and opening; and from them the tentacula of the polypus extend themselves, to procure nourishment; which is afterwards conducted to the main stem or body.

These they

what operation it owes its subsequent increase, which appears to resemble the growth of a vegetable. As to these points, and many other curious particulars relating to zoophytes, we shall probably remain long in the dark; and the more we attempt to draw a distinct line between the two kingdoms, the more we find ourselves perplexed by difficulties, which rise to overthrow the favourite theory each naturalist is eager to form.

"The manner in which the gorgon is accidentally removed from the great depths of the ocean is singular. The uer, or red fish (perca marina), is seldom met with but in the fiords, and where the depth is from 150 to 300 fathoms. The fishermen generally remark, that this fish is found in the greater plenty in these parts, and more particularly where the sea trees most abound; delighting, as they informed me, in sporting about the branches of the gorgon, or animal tree; but possibly they feed on the heads of the polypi, when they stretch out their tentacula for nourishment. It sometimes happens that the lines, when set at these depths, are let down between the arms of the gorgon itself, and the red fish, when it takes the bait, on finding itself hooked, runs away with the line, and entangles itself among the branches of the animal. When this is the case, the fishermen endeavour to release the line by pulling it; and if the gorgon be of a very large size, the branch round which it is fast resists all their

endeavours, and the line is lost.

If, however, it happen to have caught hold only of the upper and slighter parts, these give way, and are drawn to the surface along with the line. They are hung up by the fishermen in their huts, who suppose them to be a kind of charm or protection against storms. - - - They arrive at a very extraordinary size, if we may believe the accounts of the fishermen, who have most frequent opportunities of seeing them, attaining dimentions even equal to those of our largest forest trees. This they conclude to be the case from their nets being sometimes entangled on the trunk or stem of the gorgon, when the united strength of several men is unable to free the nets. At other times a large portion of the animal has been pulled up with the net by main force, which they have represented as being of very considerable size; and from their description without doubt a gorgon. They have even assured me, that they grow to the height of fifty and sixty feet."

Specimens of this animal, or animal congregate, have been brought home by Captain B. who, with the liberality and politeness of a man of real science and a gentleman, invites the curious to visit his collection, and satisfy their minds as to its characteristic features. This perhaps some will be the more apt to do when they learn that Captain B. offers very strong proofs of the existence of the marvellous Sea-serpent, and is only sceptical on the subject of the monstrous Kraken.

15. Memoir of Central India, including Malwa and the adjoining Provinces, &c. By Major-General Sir John Malcolm, G.C.B. K.L.S.

"In January 1818 the author was placed by the Marquis of Hastings in the military and political charge of Central India; and during the four years he filled that station, his own attention, and that of the able public officers under his authority, was directed to the object of collecting materials for the illustration of its past and present condition." -

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The work commences with a general view of the region which comprises territory from twentyone to twenty-five degrees North lat., and from seventy-three to eighty East long.; or from Chittore in Mewar North to the Taptee river South, and from Bundelcund East to Guzerat West."

Among its principal cities is one whose name affords a curious illustration of native superstitions: "Nolye was built by Raja Nol, or Nowul. Its modern appellation of Burnuggur has its origin in a strange vulgar superstition of names of bad omen, which must not be pronounced before the morning meal. The city is called either Nolye or Burnuggur, according to the hour in which its mention becomes necessary."

The early history of Malwa brings before us some striking characteristics of the Rajpoot princes.

Many of the tribes in that province boast their descent from the celestial Ramchunder, and are consequently termed the children of the Sun; while others trace to Pooravisee, and deem

themselves descendants of the Moon. Some writers, however; deny their title even to the rank of Khetri, that race being, according to them, extinct in this yug or age; but the power the Rajpoots have long enjoyed, has obtained them the highest estimation. They were, to use a metaphorical and flattering phrase of their countrymen, the sword of the Hindu faith. It was not easy to subdue such men; for, though broken by their own dissensions, before and after the Mahomedan invasion, into a thousand petty states, almost every one of which was an object of contest between brothers, yet still every individual was a soldier, who preferred death to disgrace; and though ready to be the servant, scorned to be the slave of any monarch upon earth. They were taught their duties from their most sacred works. In one, the demigod Krishna, speaking to Arjoon, observes, 'A soldier of the Khetri tribe hath no superior duty to fighting. Soldier, who art the favourite of God, engage in such a battle as this; if thou art slain, thou wilt obtain heaven; if victorious, thou wilt enjoy a world!'"

The Mahomedans did prove victorious, however; but the Moghul empire in turn fell before the predatory power of the Mahrattas.

"Almost all English readers are familiar with the name of Sevajee, the founder of the Mahratta empire, who, in A. D. 1646, was encouraged by the weakness of the Mahomedan sect to rebel. In 1674 he declared himself independent; and when he died, in 1682, he had established his authority over the greatest part of the Concan, a country which lies

between

between the great range of hills which bounds the Deckan on the West and the sea-coast, and is now under the Bombay government."

In our day, Sindia and Holkar have made the greatest efforts to extend and consolidate this Hindu power; the Paishwa being reduced to a puppet. Of these characters and their families, Sir J. M. gives us ample particulars. Holkar latterly became insane, and a new actor, Ameer Khan, played a prominent part. We extract a notice touching him: "The dissolution of the Holkar state, the distractions that prevailed in the government of Sindia, the seditious spirit evinced by many of the Nizam's subjects, combined with the large army under Ameer Khan (whose reputation was now at its zenith), led to a very general conclusion, that he cherished plans of restoring the Mahomedan power; and there can be no doubt that had he been a man of great talent, either as a statesman or military commander, the period was most favourable; but there is every ground to believe that he at no time seriously entertained any such designs. His Patans were continually exclaiming, that the prediction of a holy mendicant, that he would be sovereign of Delhi, was nearly accomplished; but he does not appear to have encouraged such expressions or sentiments; and not only professed to act in the name of Holkar, but never took one step towards establishing any power beyond that of the leader of a predatory army, which it was his object to keep together, and subsist, by every means that the prevailing anarchy placed within his power."

"After Ameer Khan returned from Nagpoor, and relieved Jeswunt Row and his family from Dherma Kowur, he became the chief actor in a tragedy, in which a good end was obtained by a deed which revolts every feeling of humanity. A reconciliation between the Rajas of Jeypoor and Joudpoor was an object of just and wise policy; and it suited the views of the Patan chief to promote its accomplishment. It was proposed, that this should be effected by a double marriage. Jugguth Singh was to espouse the daughter of Maun Singh, and the latter the sister of his rival and enemy. To propitiate these nuptials, it was conceived that the honour of all parties required the death of Kishen Kowur, the princess of Odeypoor. The question of this sacrifice was agitated when Ameer Khan was at Odeypoor, and that chief urged it strongly on the counsellors of the Prince, representing the difficulty of establishing peace while the cause of the war existed, and then pointing out the impossibility, without offending the two most powerful Rajpoot rulers in India, of giving his daughter to any other chief. To these he added arguments well suited to the high, though mistaken pride of a Rajpoot, regarding the disgrace of having in his family an unmarried daughter. It is stated, and for the honour of human nature let us believe it, that neither arguments nor threats could induce the father to become the executioner of his child, or even to urge her to suicide; but his sister, Chand Bhye, was gained to the cruel cause of policy, and she presented the chalice to Kishen Kowur, intreating her to save

her