take a review of what was done by the ancients in regard to this communication, of which they felt the great importance. That they have, at different epochs, attempted its execution, cannot be denied, for the testimonies of their historians would suffice to establish the fact, even when all vestiges of what they did accomplish have been destroyed. With regard, however, to the result of their endeavours, opinions are at variance. Some doubt that a regular communication, by means of a navigable canal, existed before the Arabs; whilst others formally deny that the canal, which was cut at different periods, was any other than a conduit for the purpose of irrigation.

The Isthmus which separates the two seas is not more than 120,000 metres * between Suez and to the north of Faramah, near the ancient Pelusia; and, as the waters of the gulf rise about 5000 metres on the average, the minimum of distance between the two extreme points is from 117,000 to 118,000 metres, or about twenty-six leagues, of twentyfive to a degree.

The soil of the Isthmus is a little elevated above the seas which border it; and it is distinguished from the rest of Egypt by the absence of all verdure, habitations, or spring water.

This space of twenty-six leagues may be divided into three different parts; the first is a sandy bank, which separates the bottom of the gulf from the basin, which was called by the ancients the "Bitter Lake;' the second is formed by this basin, the depth of which is not less than from twenty-five to thirty metres (about ninety feet English), and the bottom of which is consequently much below the level of the two seas on either side of the Isthmus; the third part is a sandy plain which extends from the upper extremity of this basin, which is now dry, and which plain abuts on the Mediterranean.

It is towards the extremity of the "Bitter Lake" that terminates a large valley bearing the name of Tonmilat Sabah-Byar, which comes at a right angle from the Delta, commencing near the ancient Pelusiac branch. This valley, which has been cultivated from time immemorial, and which is believed to be the "Land of Goshen," inhabited by the Hebrews in their sojourn in Egypt, receives the water of the Nile by a branch which opens near Bubastus.

The junction between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea may, therefore, be effected in two ways,-either directly from Suez to Peluses by a canal cut in the mountainous ridge between Suez and the "Bitter Lake,” then by the basin of these lakes, and then by a second canal from their extremity to the Mediterranean,- -or indirectly by the assistance of the Nile, profiting by the valley of Sabah-Byar, and joining the extremity of the "Bitter Lake" by a canal abutting on a point of the Pelusiac branch, or a little below the point of the Delta.

It is the latter of these two plans that was adopted by the ancients. They never thought of forming a direct communication, which, however, would have been the easiest, and which, at least, would have given them *A metre is rather more than thirty-nine inches.

E 2

a continuous navigation, whilst the course they pursued gave them only a temporary navigation, dependent on the inundation of the river. They had, however, in their opinions, excellent reasons for adopting the plan they did, and which were as follows:

In the first place, there was a necessity for their causing the Delta to profit by this grand communication, for one of the principal objects of the undertaking was the exportation of its products to Arabia; and it was therefore necessary to form a communication with a branch of the river.

A second reason was the impossibility of establishing a durable port on the coast of Pelusia, not only on account of the disposition of the coast, but because of the existence of a continual current from west to east along the whole coast of Africa—a current which brought with it the mud of the Nile, which would soon choke up any harbour formed to the eastward of the mouths of that river. The existence of this current, is one of the causes of the extreme slowness of the advancement of the Delta in the Mediterranean.

The third reason which influenced the choice of the ancients, was the opinion that the level of the Red Sea was higher than that of the Mediterranean. This difference is now established, by accurate observation, to be about 30 feet. This difference is one of the most singular facts, which the physical geography of the globe offers to our notice. The cause of it is not yet known, but it has given rise to various speculations. Whatever may be the cause, the fact is undoubted, and the communication between the two seas is attended with inconveniences which doubtless were not lost upon the ancients. The effect of such a difference in the level would cause a current which would soon enlarge the canal, and, rushing with force towards the Mediterranean, would raise its level, the first effect of which would be, the flooding of the lower parts of the Delta.

In

The canal which the ancients formed, remained choked up with sand until the conquest of Egypt, in the year 640 of our era. The testimony of various Arab authors give circumstantial details of the establishment of this communication by order of Caliph Omar. The canal was executed anew from Fostbath (the ancient Cairo), that is to say, the canal of Trajan was resumed, which, according to Plotemy, commenced at Babylon. less than a year (say these authors), boats laden with grain arrived at Quolzoum, and carried abundance into the markets of Mecca and Medina. The canal was thus restored to the original purpose to which it was devoted by Ptolemy Philadelphus. The navigation was carried on without interruption, until the reign of Caliph Al-Manzor, who ordered it to be filled up, in order to prevent a supply of provisions being carried by it to Mohammed-Ben-Abdoulah, who was in revolt against him from 762 to 767. It had thus only endured from 122 to 127 years, and was never afterwards restored.

The question now is, whether it be possible to resume the works of the ancients and the Arabs, and to re-establish the navigation, by the same means which they had followed. There can be no doubt of it, since the conditions are at present more favourable than they formerly were, the

waters of the Nile having risen considerably since those days. It has been calculated by very able engineers, that the outlay of from £1,000,000 to £1,250,000, would effect the junction of the Red Sea with the Nile, and at the same time with the Mediterranean; and this expense cannot be worthy a moment's consideration, when the magnitude of the end to be attained is taken into account.

ORIGINAL ANECDOTE OF LORD CHANCELLOR ERSKINE.

(COMMUNICATED.)

In the year 1774, when General Johnston was governor and commander-in-chief of Minorca, and Mr. Erskine, then a lieutenant in the army, and only nineteen years of age, stationed with his regiment at Mahon, a circumstance, trifling in character, but which laid the foundation of that gentleman's future fame and fortune, occurred to him: and it is one of the most remarkable instances we have ever known of results so great flowing from causes so trivial. In the family of General Johnston there was a pet monkey kept, which Aid-de-camp Erskine, a constant and welcome visitor, had educated in a variety of mischievous tricks— amongst others, to sit on the judgment seat occasionally, beside the governor-general. It happened, just at this period, that a serious quarrel occurred between the towns-people and the military, so serious, that the former requested leave to present a statement of their grievances publicly, in open court, to the chief magistrate. On the appointed day, and when the general, in whose person the offices of civil judge and military governor were united, was seated on the tribunal, reading the petition with all becoming gravity, Lieutenant Erskine and the monkey entered the court, and the latter, making a sudden spring from his friend's care, in a second of time was in possession of the solemn document, which he tore into a hundred fragments and threw amongst the petitioners. The general's situation was almost painful, and his first impulse, that of anger, led him to order the immediate destruction of the intruder. This, however, Mr. Erskine took care to prevent, at all events, until the general's cooler moments; and, having secreted Mr. Peter until evening, when a grand soirée was to be held at the Government-house, he composed the following humble petition, to be presented by the offender himself on the occasion, praying a partial commutation of his sentence:

THE BANISHED MONKEY.

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE LADY CECILIA JOHNSTON, FROM HER MONKEY, ON HIS BANISHMENT, REQUESTING THAT ENGLAND MIGHT BE HIS PLACE OF EXILE. 1774.

THE humble petition of sorrowful Peter,

With submission set forth, as follows, in metre ;

I think if I'm rightly informed of my crime,
For which I am banished, it runs thus in rhyme :-
For tearing of books, for mischief, and stealing,
And tricks of all kinds from the ground to the ceiling.

As mankind pretend to be govern'd by laws,
I claim the just right to be heard in my cause;
Which I found upon reason, and wrap up in rhyme,
Altho' not the practice of courts in our time.
For in law I must say, tho' perhaps not in season,
Proceedings are mostly without rhyme or reason.
All culprits are punish'd (if Lord Coke says true)
Not from love of revenge, but for th' harm that they do.
On this common maxim my pleadings I found;
And the crime of the book will soon fall to the ground.
There was never book yet, I'll be bound to engage,
Above all, in our days, but may well spare a page;
And the public, as well as most authors, might look
With smiles on a Monkey devouring their book.
'Tis as well for a volume, I'll venture an oath,
To be eat by an ape as by critic or moth.
And then, as to reading, all wits have confess'd it,
You never can profit unless you digest it:
And monkeys and men, from the North to the South,
Can only digest what they put in their mouth.
Much more might be said, if I chose to enlarge;
But I shall now proceed to the rest of the charge.
To blame me for mischief, and tax me with stealing,
Is surely a want of all sense and all feeling;
For nature, who ripens the figs and the grapes,
Is no nearer kin to man than to apes:
'Tis because you are stronger, you seize upon all,
And the weakest, alas! must e'er go to the wall.
But the fair teeming earth, our bountiful mother,
Loves Peter as dearly as Adam his brother.
As to tricks of all kinds, for which I'm accus'd,
I deny they are tricks, and protest I'm abus'd;
Equipt as I am, in my shabby old gray,

I dare not just venture what finer fools may;
Each pitiful, ignorant, gingerbread varlet,
Each ape of eighteen in gold lace and scarlet,
Has a right, to be sure, on all subjects to chatter,
Tho' Peter, perhaps, may know more of the matter.
Could Peter-I speak with respect and submission,
By some lucky chance get an ensign's commission-
I see you all laughing; well-titter away;
I'm not the sole Monkey, I'll venture to say.
"Tis no such great matter to play well at cards,

And I think I should soon be the "ton" in the Guards.

I'm fit for all duties, except a court martial,

There my likeness to men might make me too partial.
As to height, to be sure, I confess I'm not tall,
But A-c-m and I might parade through the Mall.
And a band from Miss Brace, with a good handsome wig,
Would, I think, pretty soon, set on foot an intrigue.
What might not be done with my air and my shape,
When the fashion at court is to look like an ape?
What challenges, duels, what quarrels and slaughters,
What tears would be shed over spouses and daughters;
What groups in the anguish of cutting a horn,
Would wish in despair I had never been born!
Tho' faith, I'm afraid, to my shame, I should see

Some hundreds much more like to Monkeys than me ;

And when, for some fair, I should steal forth to meet her,
Should find her eloped with some other Peter.
Yet in spite of these rubs, I should have the renown,
To be one of the finest young fellows in town.
Then, if exile 's my fate, I implore, with a tear,
To be shipp'd off for England, for there is my sphere.
If, to this last request, you start no objection,

My cousin Tom Erskine has pledged his protection,
(I suppose, like the Scotch-on account of connection)
Strict orders are left with his servants at home,
To receive me with honour whenever I come.
As soon as for England he spreads forth his sail,
Cuz Peter, he swears, shall partake of the gale.

On the following morning the governor sent for Mr. Erskine, and deliberately advised him to abandon a military life and adopt the legal profession; adding, that no opportunity appeared in his present position for the exercise of those powers of reasoning and language, that clear and lively wit, which he evidently possessed. "As to want of means," said the general," that want would not be felt, if your family once saw you devote yourself earnestly to the study of the law." The advice was accepted in the spirit with which it was given, and Mr. Erskine returned to England, of which country he subsequently became Lord High Chancellor.

Reviews of Books.

The Friend of Youth, a Series of Papers addressed to the Young on the Duties of Life. By WILLIAM MACKENZIE. London: Simpkin and Marshall. Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd. 12mo. pp. 332.

THE author, having "passed the active period of his life in the tuition of youth," has devoted some of his experienced leisure to the improvement of those who cannot have the advantage of his able personal instructions. Professional position gave him an opportunity of studying the human character in its least disguised moments, and few have more successfully availed themselves of an occasion which either accident or premeditation may have offered. His volume presents a matured arrangement of the passions, feelings, sentiments, of the human mind, pretty nearly in the order in which they may be supposed to develope themselves as years accumulate; and if we have any objection to make to the author's treatment of his subject, it is, that he has chosen to express himself rather too sententiously, and too logically. His readers, however, will readily forget the one, and forgive the other, when they find that every page teems with excellent moral maxims for self-government and mental cultivation, or with clearly pointed antitheses, including useful rules in the philosophy of life. The opening chapters, on selfishness, truth, and dissimulation, are well and clearly written, evidently the product of care, knowledge, and reflection. Some passages there are in these few essays, the tendency