The literary collection of the Imperial Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg has been enriched with a treasure which deserves particular mention in the anuals of the Academy, not only on account of its novelty and value, but also of its importance, and the great influence which it may have in future, on the cultivation of a department of science which has long been neglected in Russia. A collection of near 500 Persian, Arabic, and Turkish MSS. has been added at once to the treasures already possessed by the Asiatic Museum of the Academy. They were collected in Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia, by a person versed in those languages; namely, M. Rousseau, formerly the Consul General of France at Aleppo, and since at Bagdad, and taken to France, where they were immediately purchased for Russia before any competition arose from other countries. His Majesty the Emperor has now made a present of them to the Academy of Sciences. It is deserved to be acquired for Russia, and the first learned Institution of the Empire may be proud of having this treasure confided to its care. Its Asiatic Museum, which was already distinguished by its fine collection of Chinese, Japanese, Mantchou, Mongol, Kalmuck, and Tungusian writings, as well as of Oriental coins and antiquities, has by this sudden and great addition of Musselman MSS. gained in utility as much as it has acquired in higher rank among similar collections in foreign countries. For this new collection contains, in each of the three languages, and in almost every science, a number of the most distinguished and classical works of Islamism, which it would be in vain to look for in the whole continent of the Russian empire, in the libraries of the most learned Mollahi, among its Mahometan inhabitants. Professor Froehn has published, in an extraordinary Supplement to the St. Petersburg Gazette, a valuable report upon this measure, of which the above is the introduction. GREECE.

The reigning prince of Wallachia, Alexander Soutzos, who is a Greek by birth, desirous of distinguishing his patriotism by actions, and especially by promoting of letters and civilization, has determined to send to the most eminent schools of Eu rope several young Greeks, who may there finish their studies at his expense, and then return home to give their native country the advantage of the knowledge they have

acquired. A plan is also in forwardness for the establishment of a grand college at Adrianople. It has been patronized with zeal by Baron George Sakellarios, one of the richest Greek merchants settled in the dominions of the Emperor of Austria. The Baron is a native of Adrianople, and having opened the list by a liberal subscription, he has excited the emulation of his compatriots, to whom he has written in strong terms on the subject. The Archbishop of Adrianople, M. Proïos, native of Chios, a man of great learning, and who long resided at Paris, has employed all his patriotic eloquence in behalf of this College; and a person unknown has bequeathed a landed estate valued at 1000%. By such meaus, in the first instance, the Greeks are endeavouring to deliver themselves from that state of degradation in which they have been so long enthralled. EGYPT.

Les Annales des Lagides, lately published at Paris, announces a fact that the Learned in general are not acquainted with. The number of reigns of the Greek Egyptian kings, successors to Alexander the Great, has been generally fixed at ten; but proof is here adduced, that they amounted to twenty-one. This work was crowned last year with the particular sanction of the Royal Academy of Inscriptions and Belles Lettres, at the competition for prizes; and it has been justly recommended in various French periodical publications, as one of the most important that have appeared on ancient history for many years.

It contains, in fact, the history of Egypt under the Ptolemies, from Alexander to Augustus; and, as those kings had a share in almost all the great events that occurred either in Europe or Asia for ahout three centuries, a chronological synopsis of their history serves also to illustrate that of the princes or states that were their contemporaries. A number of chronological tables are annexed, with two cuts, or plates, of medals. The author is M. Fi geac.

THE TURKISH BIBLE.

Through the indefatigable attention of Professor Kieffer, the editor, aided by the advice of Baron Sylvester de Cacy, the New Testament having been completed at Paris, preparations are making to accomplish the printing of the whole Bible under the same superintendence, with all prac ticable dispatch.

EDUCATION.

It appears from the Eighth Report of the National Society, that there are 1467 schools on Dr. Bell's system; and from the Fourteenth Report of the British and Foreign School Society, that there are 297 schools upon the Lancasterian plan; making a total, upon the new system, of 1764 schools.

PETRIFIED CITY.

The following statement was given by Cassern Aga, the Tripolean Ambassador at the Court of Great Britain, about the year 1747, relative to a petrified city in the interior of Africa. It strongly brings to mind the awful circumstance recorded in the 19th chapter of Genesis, ver-e 26, and may be interesting to some of our Readers. Its reality may be confirmed through the researches of the enterprising traveller, Mr. Ritchie, who proceeded, some time since, with an expedition from Tripoli, for the purpose of exploring the interior of one of that vast continent :

"As one of my friends desired me to give him, in writing, an account of what I knew touching the petrified city, situated seventeen days journey from Tripoli, by Caravan, to the south-east, and two days journey south from Ouguela, I told him what I had heard from different persons, and particularly from the mouth of one man of credit, who had been on the spot; that is to say that it was a spacious city, of a round form, having great and small streets therein, furnished with shops, with a large castle, magnificently built; that he had seen there several sorts of trees, the most part olives and palms, all of stone, and of a blue, or rather lead colour.

"That he saw also, figures of men, in postures of exercising their different employments; some holding in their hands stuffs, others bread; every one doing something- -even women suckling their children, all of stone.

"That he went into the castle by three different gates, though there were many more; that there were guards at these gates, with pikes and javelins in their hands.

"In short, that he saw in this wonderful city, many sorts of animals, as camels, oxen, horses, asses, and sheep and various birds, all of stone, and of the colour above mentioned."

EGYPTIAN NUMERALS EXPLAINED.

M. Jomard, of the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles Lettres, has published a "Notice on the Numerical Signs of the Ancient Egyptians," which is preceded by the plan of a work, intitled, "Observations and New Researches on Hieroglyphics, accompanied by a Methodical Arrangement of the Numerical Signs." In this performance the author explains the figures employed by the Egyptians, to express all the numbers from one to ten thousand. Should this prove to be correct, we may yet indulge the hope of further discoveries in this abstruse science.

These papers have already been read in the sittings of that learned body of which the author is a member.

ROYAL SOCIETY.

On the last meeting of this Society, Mr. Brande commenced his Bakerian lecture, "On the Composition and Analysis of the Inflammable Gaseous Compounds resulting from the destructive Distillation of Coal and Oil, with some Remarks on their relative heating and illuminating Powers."

In the first part of this lecture, the author attempted to show that no other compound of carbon and hydrogen can be demonstrated to exist than what is usually demonstrated olefiant gas, consisting of one proportion of carbon and one of hydrogen; and that what has been usually termed carburetted bydrogen is in reality nothing but a mixture of hydrogen and olefiant gases. In proof of this opinion a series of experiments were detailed, made upon gaseous products obtained from coal, oil, and other substances, and in various ways, the results of all which tended to establish the truth of the above opinion.

The author advanced the supposition that many of the products usually obtained by the destructive distillation of coals, &c. are of secondary formation; viz. that they result from the mutual action of the first formed gases at high temperatures. Thus a peculiar compound of hydrogen and carbon was stated to be formed by passing pure olefiant gas througe a tube containing red-hot charcoal. This substance was similar to tar in appearance, but possessed the properties of a resin. So also by the mutual action of sulphuretted and carburetted hydrogen, sulphuret of carbon was stated to be formed. In this part of the lecture some new modes of analyzing gaseous mixtures were pointed out.

In the second section, comparative experiments were detailed on the illuminating and heating power of gases from coal and oil. The general results were, that the illuminating powers of olefiant gas, oil, and coal gases, are to one another nearly as 3, 2, and 1, and that the ratio of their heating powers is nearly similar; vis. that more heat is produced by the gas from coals than by that from oil, and by the gas from oil than by olefiant gas. In this part of the lecture was also strikingly illustrated by experiments the great advantage obtained in point of illuminating power, by forming the burners of many jets, in preference to a single one, especially when the jets are made so near to oue another that the different flames can unite.

The

The lecture was concluded by some comparative experiments on the properties of terrestrial and solar lights. The light produced by gases, even when concentrated so as to produce a sensible degree of heat, was found to occasion no change in the colour of muriate of silver, nor upon a mixture of chlorine and hydrogen gases, while, on the other hand, the concentrated brilliant light emitted from char. coal when submitted to galvanic action, not only speedily affected the muriate of silver, but readily caused the above gaseous mixture to unite, sometimes silently, and often with explosion. The concentrated light of the moon, like that from the gases, did not affect either of these tests. The author, in conclusion, remarked, that having found the photometer of Mr. Leslie ineffectual in these experiments, he employed one filled with the vapour of æther (renewable from a column of that fluid), and which he found more deli

cate.

PERPETUAL LIGHT OF ADALIA.

On the eastern coast of Lycia and the western shore of the Gulf of Adalia, a flame called yanar is seen to issue from an opening, about three feet in diameter, in the side of a mountain, and in shape resembling the mouth of an oven. Captain Beaufort of the royal navy, when surveying this part of the coast of Karamania, visited the spot. This mountain, like that of Cuchivano, is calcareous, being composed of crumbling serpentine rock, with loose blocks of limestone; there was not the least appearance of volcanic production; no tremor of the earth, no noise neither stones, nor smoke, nor noxious vapours were emitted from the cavity, but a brilliant and perpetual flame issued forth, of an intense heat, and said to be inextinguishable by water; the remains of the walls, which had formerly been built near the spot, were scarcely discoloured; and trees, brush-wood, and weeds, grew close to this little crater.

SINGULAR INSTRUMENT.

The discovery of the Eustachian Tube or Passage, from the Ear to the Throat, took place at a very early period of Anatomy, yet no advantage was attempted to be taken of it in a pathological point of view, till nearly a century ago, when the Sieur Guiot, being deaf, and finding no relief by applications through the external ear, threw an injection into the passage, The success of this instrument, by effecting his cure, occasioned it to be presented to the Royal Academy of Paris; and it is now brought forward, greatly improved, by Mr. CURTIS, the Lecturer on the Diseases of the Ear, at the Royal Dispensary: who, from his success with it there, and in his private practice, considers it a valuable acquisition in cases of obstinate deafness, as it entirely supersedes the operation of penetrating the Tympanum,

It

NEWLY-INVENTED GUN.-A gun, of an entire novel construction, was lately exhibited in the gardens of York House, before the Duke of York, the Adjutant-General to the Forces, the Quarter-Master-General, Marquis Camden, and Geu. Sir H. Taylor. weighs less than the ordinary musket, though composed of seven barrels ; one of the common length; and in the same position, around it, at the breach, are the six others, of about three inches in length only. The whole being charged, and the priming for the whole being placed in the magazine hammer, which preserves it quite dry, and yields just sufficient and no more to each charge; the simple act of cocking places each of the short barrels successively in

complete connexion with the long one, and that of shutting the pan, primes it; so that seven discharges may be effected in 30 seconds; and if the long barrel be rifled, produces the effect of a rifle gun, without the labour or deformity of the ball, produced by the ordinary mode of loading. It is perfectly safe, and accurate, every part being so guarded as to prevent the possibility of danger. This invention is equally applicable to great guns, pistols, or the arms used for the horse or coachguards; in the hands of game-keepers, it must be a most formidable weapon.

GEHLENITE, NEEDLE-STONE, AND DATOLITE. Dr. E. D. Clarke has lately detected potass in this stone. The property of forming a jelly in acids belongs to but few minerals, and the Doctor had long suspected that it was owing to the presence either of an alkali or an alkaline earth in stones containing silica. There seems to be no exception, but where zinc or lime is present with the silica. In the instances of Needle-stone and Datolite, which both yield a transparent jelly when acted on by acids, and both contain lime, he has also detected Soda.

TITANIUM FOUND IN OXIDULATED IRON ORE.-M. Robiquet has lately detected titanium in the oxidulated octoedral iron from the steatite of Corsica. This ore, dissolved completely in muriatic acid, then evaporated to dryness in a moderate heat, and re-dissolved in water, leaves a white pulverulent substance, which, when fused with potash, and afterwards dissolved in muriatic acid, gives all the characters of a

solution

gaze;

And guide thy steps by virtue's sacred clue Till Faith reveal'd to sight what Reason never knew.

Truth spread her awful page :--what then to thee [grace? Was Roman sweetness, or Athenian A shadow to a sun!-eternally

To view th' Almighty Being face to face; To rove a spirit through the peopled space;

To dedicate thy energies to HIM

Who spoke creation into birth; to trace His steps, and worship with the Cherubim; Oh! 'twas a thought might make all earthly glories dim.

From the translucent fount of bliss which wells [thirst From out the throne of God, the glorious Of knowledge didst thou slake: the song which swells [burst, Around the holy shrines, in harpings Whisp'ring enchantment in thine ear, and nurs'd

pers'd

Thy glowing spirit to the high emprize Of self-correction;-gradual truth dis[the skies, Each man'cling film that barr'd thee from And op'd with Mercy's key the gates of paradise!

Then each severer trial, each pure thought, Became a lifting pinion; each warm sigh Of penitential sorrow nearer brought

Thy soul's beatitude; and hovering nigh, What if some guardian seraph of the sky Compass'd thee round, as in the wilderness

Shone the bright pillar, heralding on high The pilgrim's host, through peril and dis[bless! tress,

A visitant from Heav'n, omnipotent to

And harmoniz'd, as thou, sweet spirit, bas', With those whose life was truth,—their name a ray

A guiding star-a beacon of the past,Souls in the glorious mould of mental grandeur cast!"

Such be thy epitaph, engraven deep

In hearts who mourn thee sever'd from the stem,

In hearts whose ouly solace is to weep,— Not that thou wert and art,-but that to them

Thou art not;-chide not Reason, nor condemn

That vainly flow our tears,—our bosoms swell.

Alas! Affection knows no holier gem Than her own tear,—no purer type to tell How much we love and mourn. - Sweet

spirit, Fare thee well!

The