of settlement, we should imagine that it would have been more advisable to make the experiment on the continent itself-perhaps at Melville Bay, a harbour also at the west entrance of the gulf of Carpentaria, and described by Captain Flinders as the best on the coast. The entrance from the northwest is four miles wide, and free from danger, and the bay affords everywhere good holding ground. It is to be hoped that the settlers of Melville Island will have to encounter fewer hardships than fell to the lot of those unhappy men who were sent from similar motives to Norfolk Island, when the colony at Sidney was in its infancy, and required to be purged of the more profligate part of its inhabitants. At the same time, considering the advantage Norfolk Island possesses in point of fertility, we can scarcely augur a happier result.

RUSSIAN EXPEDITION ALONG THE NORTHERN SHORES OF SIBERIA.

The Russian Government had long formed the project of exploring the north coast of Siberia. M. de S. was sent out for this purpose; but his researches were extremely limited, and he only described a part of the coast, to a distance of about a hundred versts beyond the eastern part of the Kolyma. Toward the year 1822, it was resolved to send out a new expedition for exploring these countries. Three young officers, MM. Wrangel, Anjou, and Matuchkin, were charged with it; they were occupied four years in it, and justified the confidence of the government, by the courage, prudence, and zeal which they evinced in the discharge of this duty. They succeeded in making a description of the whole north coast of Siberia, in despite of numerous obstacles, the extreme rigour of

the climate, and the dangers to which they were exposed; for the Tchouktchis had already destroyed two detachments sent out for the same purpose. M. Anjou has described the coast from the Uralian Chain, or from the river Ob to the Kolyma, the other two gentlemen from the Kolyma to the promontory of the Tchouktchis. Not content with exploring the coast, these travellers made an excursion also toward the north, over an extent of continuous ice, to the place where the sea is open, which forms nearly five hundred versts, of the coast of Behring's Straits. It was in this place, which faces the eastern part of the north coast, and is inhabited by the rein-deer Tchouktchis, that they perceived mountains at a distance of about a hundred versts. M. Wrangel conceived the project of getting to them. He was already pretty near, when the piece of ice on which he was placed became detached from the mass, and he was tossed about by the waves for five days in succession, with seven other persons, his dogs and equipage, until at length, after they had been several times upon the point of being swallowed up, the piece of ice was again united to the mass. There is a tradition among the Tchouktchis, that the strait which separates them from the opposite shore, towards the north, was not covered with ice, and that the inhabitants formerly traversed it in baydars, a sort of boat. They relate that a period, not very remote, (for all the inhabitants remember it still,) some Tchouktchis, to the number of seven or eight, accompanied with a woman, crossed the ice to go towards these mountains to fish for morses, and that a long time after, the woman returned to the country by the way of the Kurile Isles, and brought the news that her companions had been all massacred. This woman was sold into another part of the country, and

after having passed from hand to hand, was carried to Prince of Wales' Land, from whence she found means of returning to her own country. From this account, it is to be supposed, that the country which Wrangel had in view to visit, is nothing else than an island. The people who inhabit the islands nearest Siberia, make use of rein-deer, which renders it probable that they are only a colony of Tchouktchis, more especially as their languages are much allied. The Tchouktchis are in general large and well made; they have regular features, their nose is not flat, but their cheeks are very prominent. Our travellers also saw other islands, which they named New Siberia. The route which they took to get to them may be seen upon the chart of the famous pedestrian traveller Cochrane, where it is traced with great fidelity. They made very extensive excursions in all directions, but saw no land. In their land journeys, they rode upon horses or rein-deer, but they preferred the former. With regard to sledge-travelling with rein-deer, it is very convenient upon ice. They made use of a sort of large sledge called narta, drawn by twelve or thirteen dogs; these animals were always of great use to them, in defending them from the white and black bears, and wolves, as well as by their astonishing sagacity. Their instinct always led them to find the best road, and when the travellers thought themselves strayed, the dogs brought them back to the way. The sagacity of these animals was such, that after having made a number of turns, they took the shortest way to return. travellers passed several weeks upon the ice, sometimes upon enormous pieces covered with grey snow, sometimes upon thinner layers, which frequently separate from the mass, so as to be carried along by the current, and tossed about by the waves. In these critical moments, the dogs rendered

The

them innumerable services; in the places where the ice was thick, they ran with rapidity upon the snow, barked, bit one another, and appeared intractable; but as soon as the route became dangerous, they became gentle, circumspect, and docile; they often walked upon pieces of ice, which were not more than half an inch thick, with the greatest precaution, and seemed to advance only according to the order of the person carried on the sledge. MM. Wrangel and Matuchkin remained once for seventy days upon the ice, at a distance of several hundred versts from the shore. They were attended by several nartas laden with provisions; they buried these provisions under the snow and ice, and continued their journey, carrying with them what was absolutely necessary; and when their provisions were exhausted, they returned for what they had left. They did not fail to make astronomical observations wherever they could, but the fogs often prevented them. These fogs were so thick, that our travellers, drawn in their sledges, sometimes could not see the dogs which drew hem. Frequently snowstorms overwhelmed the tents which served for their abode, and it was with much difficulty, when the storm abated, that they got themselves extricated. During the months of November, December, and January, when the intensity of the cold became insupportable, our travellers took refuge in felt cabins or tents, where the water froze upon the floor, and the ice rose to the height of upwards of two feet. A mass of ice, about five inches thick, served them for a window. In this icy region, the earth produced only heath and a sort of plant peculiar to the country; in summer, the sun did not leave the horizon for two months, and in winter, it did not appear for the same period of time. The maximum heat, in the middle of summer, is above fifteen degrees of Reaumur's thermometer; it freezes

1

at night, or when the sun is upon the decline. The dazzling whiteness of the snow produced diseases of the eyes; the natives wear a sort of mask formed of the bark of trees, in which very narrow slits are made for the eyes. The Russian officers wore a piece of crape folded four times; at the beginning they neglected to avail them selves of this contrivance, and were rendered nearly blind: they learned, however, to cure this malady, by introducing tobacco oil into the eyes, a remedy which, although effectual, has the disadvantage of exciting acute pain. Their ordinary food consist ed of fish, and rein-deer, and bear's flesh; this last had the property of strengthening them, but it also produced violent agitation in the blood, and prevented them from sleeping. The natives are poor, do not practise any trade, and have no other occupation than that of fishing and hunting; yet there are Russian merchants who go to these countries for trade.

SUBSIDENCE OF THE BALTIC.

A very singular and interesting fact has been ascertained respecting the level of the Baltic. It had been long suspected that the waters of this sea were gradually sinking; but a memoir, published in the Swedish Transactions for 1823, has put the change beyond a doubt. Mr Buncrona, assisted by officers of the Swedish piloting establishment, has examined the Swedish coast with great care from lat. 56 to 62, and Mr Halstrom has examined those of the Gulf of Bothnia. The results of both inquiries are given in the form of a table; and though, as might have been expected, they are not completely uniform, they correspond sufficiently to place the subsidence of the waters beyond dispute. The Baltic, it is to be observed, has no tides, and is therefore favour

pe

ably situated for making observations on its level; but with regard to the riods within which the changes observed have taken place, it was of course necessary to rely on records or on oral testimony. At the latitude of 55, where the Baltic unites with the German Ocean through the Categat, no change seems to be perceptible. But from latitude 56 to 63, the observations show a mean fall of 14 foot in 40 years, or 4-10ths of an inch annually, or 3 feet 10 inches in a century. In the Gulf of Bothnia, the results are more uniform, and indicate a mean fall of 4 feet 4 inches in a century, or rather more than half an inch annually. These facts are very remarkable; and as we like to be honest, and give authorities, we think it right to mention, that they are taken from the last number of the Annals of Philosophy. But whence arises this singular change? Is there a similar depression of the level of the sea everywhere, in consequence of the gradual waste of the waters, occasioned by the rocks, sands, and other solid materials of the globe, imbibing a portion which they never return? This is very improbable; and though the alternations of the tide might render the detection of a small change difficult, one of several feet must assuredly have made itself known. If the phenomenon is entirely local, shall we conclude with Playfair, that an expansive force placed in the interior of the earth, is gradually heaving up the land, while the true level of the waters remains unaltered; and that this local change is part of the grand process by which the present continents rose above the sea? This is the simplest, but not perhaps the most probable solution. Is it not possible that there may be causes, analogous to magnetism-that there may be a positive shifting, for instance, of masses of fluid matter in the interior of the globe, which may change the equilibrium of

its parts; and that the waters, which obey the law of gravitation, may thus get a determination from one point of its surface to another? Perhaps it may be found that these changes, instead of being constantly progressive, are parts of a great cycle, that they oscillate about a given point, and after a long series of years, regain the position in which they began. Philosophical observers who come 500 years after us, will have data for determining these and many other questions which baffle the powers of science at the present day. In the mean time, it must be confessed, that the Hyperborean sages, who trouble themselves about the future, have strange prospects before them. The Baltic is very shallow at present, and if its waters continue to sink as they have done, Revel, Abo, Narva, and a hundred other ports will by and by become inland towns; the Gulfs of Bothnia and Finland, and ultimately the Baltic itself, will be changed into dry land; and shepherds will tend their flocks, and ploughmen drive their steers, and cities and palaces rise up, where now the fishes glide, and the billows roar. The change will be exactly the reverse of that described by Ovid

One climbs a cliff; one in his boat is borne
And ploughs above, where late he sow'd his

corn.

Others o'er chimney tops and turrets row, And drop their anchor on the meads below. And where of late the kids had cropt the grass,

The monsters of the deep now take their place.

Insulting Nereids o'er the cities ride, And wondering dolphins through the palace glide.

CHINA.

St Petersburgh, Dec. 1.-Mr Timkousky, who recently returned from China, has obtained information respecting the military force of that large

empire, which may be considered as very interesting. The army, in a numerical view, is very powerful ; but, in reality, its strength is not by any means formidable. It is generally stated, that the number of troops amount to 1,000,000 infantry, and 300,000 cavalry. This statement he considers as exaggerated. The regular troops are divided into four divisions, according to the different nations. The first division of 67,800 men, is composed of Mandjours; it is the elite of the army, and those who serve in it enjoy great privileges. The second division of 21,000, is composed of Mongols. The third division consists of 27,000 Chinese; the ancestors of these men co-operated with the Mandjours, in the conquest of China. The fourth division, and that which is held in the least estimation, is formed from the aborigines; the number is 500,000 men; they are disseminated in the garrisons in the interior of the empire. To these must be added 125,000 militia, forming a total of 740,000, of which 175,000 are cavalry. There is, besides, an Angolo cavalry, which may be assimilated to our irregular troops of the Don and Oural. The number cannot be exactly ascertained; it is said to amount to 500,000. All the Chinese soldiers are married,.and their children are inscribed, at their birth, on the army list, and serve to recruit the corps to which they belong. Every soldier of the 1st, 2d, and 3d divisions, is provided with arms, a horse, a house, and rice, and receives as monthly pay, three or four lanes (six or eight rubles); his clothes are supplied at his own expense. The consequence of this regulation is, that the men wear all the colours of the rainbow, and great confusion frequently arises. Government allows the 4th division to cultivate certain lands appropriated to that purpose, and no other provision is made for the soldiers; they live on the

produce. The army is never in want of recruits; the poor are always glad to enlist, in order to avoid hunger and misery. The expenses incurred by government in keeping up their force are said to amount to 87,400,000 lanes (600,000,000 of roubles) and yet it is impossible to conceive an army to be more in want of discipline than that of the Chinese. The late Emperor Dzi

azzin issued a proclamation, in 1800, in which he recalls to the memory of the Mandjours their ancient exploits, and reproaches them with their want of discipline and military talents, tells them that the Chinese are absolutely better troops-and yet, adds the Emperor, a few of your ancestors conquered the whole of this mighty empire.