348

OXFORD, April 20.

Sir Sydney Smith has presented to the Bodleian Library, through the Chancellor of the University, a fac-simile of an ancient Greek Inscription, on a gold plate, found in the ruins of the ancient City of Canopus; and also a Book printed on board a ship of the line in the Mediterranean.

Ready for Publication.

Two Prize Essays by the Rev. R. POLWHELE; viz. "An Essay on the Scripture Doctrine of Adultery and Divorce," and "An Essay on the state of the Soul between Death and the Resurrection."-To the one was adjudged a premium of 201.; the other, a premium of 50l. by the Welsh Church Union Society.

Institutions of Theology; or, A Concise System of Divinity. With reference under each article to some of the principal Authors who have treated of the subjects, particularly and fully. By ALEXANDER RANKEN, D. D. one of the Ministers of Glasgow.

A Letter to the Right Hon. Robert Peel, M. P. principal Secretary of State for the Home department, upon the subject of Bank-note forgery; clearly demonstrating that a Bank-note may be produced, which shall be more difficult to be imitated than even the metallic currency of the Country. By JOHN ROBERTSON.

A Journey from Merut in India, to London, through Arabia, Persia, Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Austria, Switzerland, and France, during the Years 1819, and 1820. With a Map and Itinerary of the Route. By Lieutenant THOMAS LUMSDEN, of the Bengal Horse Artillery.

The first volume of the Rev. SAMUEL SAYER'S Memoirs, Historical and Topographical, of Bristol and its Neighbourhood, from the earliest Period to the present Time.

The concluding part of a Series of Views in Savoy, Switzerland, and on the Rhine, from Drawings made on the spot. By JOHN DENNIS. Engraved in Mezzotinto, and accompanied with descriptive Letter-press.

Evenings in Autumn, a Series of Essays, Narrative and Miscellaneous. By NATHAN DRAKE, M.D.

An inaugural Lecture delivered in the Common Hall of the University of Glasgow. By D.K. SANDFORD, Esq. A. B. Oxon, Professor of Greek in the University of Glasgow.

[April

An Epitome of Roman Antiquities; to which is prefixed an Abridgment of Roman History. By C. IRVING, LL.D. F.S.A.

Tracts on Vaults and Bridges; containing Observations on the various forms of Vaults, on the taking down and re-building London Bridge, and on the principles of Arches; illustrated by extensive tables of Bridges.

A Statistical, Political, Mineralogical, and Modern Map of Italy, with the New Boundaries according to the latest Treaties. By J. A. ORGIAZZI.

Letters from Mecklenburgh and Holstein, including an Account of the Cities of Hamburgh and Lubeck, written in the Summer of 1820. By GEORGE DOWNES, of Trinity College, Dublin.

A Second Volume of Biblical Fragments. By Mrs. SCHIMMELPENNICK.

Uriel; a Poetical Address to the Right Hon. Lord Byron, witten on the Continent:* with Notes, containing Strietures on the Spirit of Infidelity maintained in his works; and the assertion, that "if Cain is blasphemous, Paradise Lost is blasphemous," considered, with several other Poems.

Preparing for Publication.

The Essay on "The Influence of a Moral Life, in our judgment, in matters of Faith," to which the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge and Church Union in the Diocese of St. David's, adjudged its premium for 1821. By the Rev. SAMUEL CHARLES WILKS, A. M. author of "Christian Essays," "Signs of Conversion and Unconversion in Ministers;" "Claims and Duties of the Church," &c.

SOAME JENYNS's Disquisitions on several Subjects, embellished with a portrait of the Author, engraved in line by Wainwright, from an original picture by Sir Joshua Reynolds.

An Historical and Topographical View of the Wapentake of Strafford and Tickhill, in the County of York. By JOHN WAINWRIGHT, of Sheffield.

A Tour through Sweden, Norway, and the Coast of Norwegian Lapland, to the Northern Cape, in 1820. Part II. which will follow, will comprise a Residence at Hammerfest, in the lat. of 70 deg., and a Winter's Journey through Norwegian, Russian, and Swedish Lapland, to Tornea; with numerous portraits and plates. By Capt. DE C. BROOKE.

The History and Antiquities of Hengrave, in Suffolk, in a royal quarto volume, with portraits and other engravings. By JOHN GAGE, Esq.

The Third Volume of the Preacher; or, Sketches of Original Sermons, chiefly selected from the Manuscripts of two Eminent Divines of the last Century, for the Use of Lay Preachers and Young Ministers; to which is prefixed a familiar Essay on the Composition of a Sermon.

Summer

Summer Mornings; or, Meditations and Recollections of a Saunterer: by the author of " Affection's Gift," "Life," "The Duellist," &c.

The Sixth part of the Encyclopædia Metropolitana, to be published in June.

A Magazine in the French Language, to be published in London on the 1st of June, under the title of Le Musée des Variétés Littéraires.

An edition of Brotier's Tacitus in 4 vols. octavo, reprinting by Mr. VALPY, combining the advantages of the Paris and Edinburgh Editions, with a selection of Notes from all the Commentators on TACITUS, subsequent to the Edinburgh Edition: the Literaria Notitia and Politica, with all the Supplements, are also added; the French passages are also translated, and the Roman Money turned into English.

A Selection of the Poems of the Rev. THOS. CHERRY, B.D. late Head Master of Merchant Tailors' School. By the Rev. J. W. BELLAMY.

Sketches of the Life and Character of Patrick Henry. By WILLIAM WIRT, of Richmond, Virginia.

The Wonders of the Vegetable Kingdom Displayed.

WELSH LITERATURE.

349

The Cymmrodorion Society in Powys, as well as the Cambrian Society in Dyfed, (see vol. XC. ii. pp. 270, 400) is still adopting measures for the preservation of the remains of Ancient British Literature. -The Committee of the Cymmrodorion Society in Powys has sent a circular to the different members of that Society, and to the proprietors of different collections of Welsh MSS. in the Province, requesting them to allow the Society to appoint a proper person to prepare a catalogue of them, or to furnish the Society with such a catalogue; these catalogues are to contain a description and contents of the several MSS., accompanied with such remarks on their subjects and supposed authors, as may be deemed useful with a view to publication. It would be highly desirable that the several Societies having similar objects in view, should cooperate in collecting and collating all the Welsh MSS. extant, and in publishing from time to time the most valuable of them. The two Societies, which were first established with this view, are now taking effectual measures for accomplishing so desirable an object. The most valuable of these ancient remains of British literature, which are now contained in old MSS. that in their present state are inaccessible to the public, or mouldering through neglect, will, it is to be hoped, issue from the Cymmrodorion press at convenient opportunities.-The following are the queries which have been issued:-1. What inedited manuscripts of British literature, either in Latin or Welsh,

ENGLISH LITERATURE IN POLAND.

The English literature is more and more gaining ground in Poland. During the preceding year there appeared in print Lord Byron's Bride of Abydos, translated by the Count Ostrowski; and lately Sir Walter Scott's Lay of the last Minstrel, translated by Mr. Brodzinski, who is at present the most distinguished young poet in Poland. Of works that are yet preparing for publication are, Sir Walter Scott's Lady of the Lake, and Lord Byron's Corsair, both by Mr. Sienkiewicz, who last year lived for some time in Edinburgh. Besides, in the Polish periodical writings there appear very often inserted many extracts made from the works of these two authors, as well as from those of other celebrated English poets. Translated into Polish are Campbell's Lochiel, and O'Connor's Child; Lord Byron's Fare thee well, and also different fugitive pieces of poetry.-Ossian's Poems has received a great many translations; and since the time of Krasicki and Tymieniecki, who first made them known to their countrymen, they almost daily multiply by the particular predilection of some promising young poets for that species of poetry. Such is the progress of English literature in Poland. The ancient stock of our literature in that country, consisting of specimens from Dryden, Milton, Pope, Thomson, and many others, gets there continually a new

increase.

1822.]

project. The province of El Aïze, on the
White River, terminates at the height of
Senaar; it is inhabited by poor Musulmen
fishermen. More beyond to the South is a
pagan race of people, that they say are an-
thropophagi, and use poisoned arrows, &c.
We have determined the latitude and longi-
tude of the White River; I have reason to
be satisfied with our observations, to take
which we spared no pains. In three days
the Pacha passed with his army over the
White River, to follow his route on the pe-
ninsula of Senaar. To lose nothing of the
two banks of the Nile of Bruce, M. Letor-
zec continued his route with the army, and
I ascended in a bark that I might observe
the right bank. At one day's journey to
the South of the mouth of the White Ri-
ver I found, under the name of Sola, an im-
mense space covered with ruins and hillocks
of baked brick, the position no doubt of a
great city. The name of Soba given to these
ruins bears an analogy with the antient
Saba. Among them I found nothing, save
a sphinx-lion in hard freestone, tinged with
oxide of iron, in the Egyptian style. I have
visited the mouth of the Ratte (Rahhad)
and of the Dender rivers, which swell the
stream of the Nile. Bruce is erroneous in
placing the mouth of the Dender in the
Ratte; both run into the Nile. The en-
tire peninsula formed on the East by the
Dender, and on the West by the Nile of
Bruce, bears the name of Gaba. I think I
have found the real Ibis of the ancients.
is very common in the Isle of Meroë: I have
preserved several, for the feathers and skele-
tons. Be not astonished if the name of Me-
roë has been given to the mountain Barkal :
a colony might have descended there after
the fall of Meroë. Two Englishmen and
M. Frediani, who saw those antiquities a
little time before me, no doubt flattered
themselves that they had found the Isle of
Meroe, but they were mistaken: the real
discovery belongs to me, and I arrived alone
at it fourteen days before the army. I have
not spoken yet of the ruins of Christian
churches abandoned by the Copts; that in
the best preservation is at Dongola el
Agouz, the old Dongola. On the fine and
rich isle of Argo are the remains of three
other churches, with granite Ionic columns,
having the Greek cross as an ornament of
the chapiters. On more than thirty rocks
which form the Isles of the cataract of Wo-
lad el Atfe (Wadi Holfa) are other Chris-
tian ruins. In the province of Chaguy there
are yet some with columns of granite, and
others in Barber and Chendi."

EGYPTIAN ANTIQUITIES IN THE BRITISH
MUSEUM.

It

Several valuable remains of Egyptian statuary, sarcophagi, altars, columns, friezes, &c. have been recently brought to the British Museum, from Thebes, Memphis, and

351

other parts of the Egyptian empire. They are at present dispersed in the Museum, till a receptacle is formed, for their classification and better disposition, worthy of their merit, and adequate to the taste displayed in their selection. There are in a room beneath the building, a Typhonic statue, imperfect, in as much as the right elbow and both the feet are wanting, holds the lotus stem in full blossom: remains of an elliptical globe crown the head.-A piece of rough Egyptian or Ethiopian marble, apparently part of a frieze, covered over on one surface with hieroglyphics in the running-hand of that character. A portion of a frieze of a temple (red granite), its interior or projecting underside with figures in high relief, among which a vessel brim full of water, dropping its contents, being super-charged with abundance; exterior surface covered with linear symbols.-Remains of a colossal female statue, in white lime-stone or marble, including the bust, to middle of waist. A leaf of lotus ornaments her forehead, beautiful workmanship, and finely expressive of Ethiopian beauty.-A figure in Egyptian lime-stone, or white coarse marble, representing a body swathed for rest or for a funeral.-A lower portion, containing the legs, of a red granite statue-A piece of yellow marble, apparently from age, which seems to have constituted one of the sides of a votive altar, with a portion of three diminutive naked figures, in basso relievo, carved in a square on its surface, imperfect, from being broken. Some Coptic characters inscribed. -Remains of a male colossal statue from the head down to the bottom of thorax. The root of lotus ornaments the forehead. A remnant of pedestal of a statue, with remains of left foot, finely executed in red marble, or a very fine silicious stone: border inscribed with hieroglyphics.-A head of a finely carved female statue of large proportion.—The trunk of a female figure, delicately proportioned, apparently the pro duce of a Greek chisel.

In a small court behind the chief building, and by the side of the Athenian Gallery, there are fifteen remnants of female Typhonic statues, all charged with stems of the blowing lotus, in the one hand, and having in the other hand the Tau or nilo meter, of nearly as many different proportions, and quite dissimilar as to remaining portions of the figure.-Two Egyptian or Ethiopic graces (charities), with either of them, alternately having thrown their hands and arms behind the shoulders its fellows (in red granite.)-A red granite head of an Egyptian youth.-Remnant of a very large colossal head, perhaps a portion of a statue ; the face is about four feet long by three broad, and its members proportionate, and delicately beautiful.-Another colossal head of same material.-Four remnants of clustered columns, each formed of eight smaller

ditto, like the pipes of an organ, ensculptured with hieroglyphics. And various other remnants too numerous to describe.

In the Entrance Hall there are two statues of male Typhons, sitting on thrones, with Tau in left hand, which their knees support; heads crowned with elliptical globes (black granite.)—An immense colossal head of nearly the same proportion with that already described, of singular beauty (red granite.)-A female statue of ordinary proportion, with the head of a Jupiter Ammon upon her knees, her throne has many hieroglyphics (lime-stone apparently is the material of which it is made.)-An Æthiopian head of large proportion, beautiful countenance (white marble.)-An Egyptian sorceress, in a crouching attitude, sitting upon her heels; her mantle covered with symbols, or hieroglyphical figures (Bysalt.)-A considerable circular vessel, about three inches deep, border inscribed with symbolical characters.-A considerable sized Egyptian (red granite) coffin, with its usual lid, having a carved resemblance of the person whom it contained, covered with hieroglyphics, very imperfect from the effect of weather.

ANTEDILUVIAN CAVE.

In p. 161, we noticed the discovery of an antient Cave in Yorkshire. The following is a minute and interesting detail extracted from the "Annals of Philosophy." The paper was communicated by Mr. Buckland. It gives a curious account of an antediluvian den of hyænas discovered last summer at Kirkdale, near Kirby Moorside in Yorkshire, about 25 miles North-east of York.

The den is a natural fissure or cavern in ootlitic limestone extending 300 feet into the body of the solid rock, and varying from two to five feet in height and breadth. Its mouth was closed with rubbish, and overgrown with grass and bushes, and was accidentally intersected by the working of a stone quarry. It is on the slope of a hill about 100 feet above the level of a small river, which, during great part of the year, is engulphed. The bottom of the cavern is nearly horizontal, and is entirely covered to the depth of about a foot, with a sediment of mud deposited by the diluvian waters. The surface of this mud was in some parts entirely covered with a crust of stalagmite; on the greater part of it, there was no stalagmite. At the bottom of this mud, the floor of the cave was covered from one end to the other with teeth and fragments of bone of the following animals: hyaena, elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, horse, ox, two or three species of deer, bear, fox, waterrat and birds.

The bones are for the most part broken, and gnawed to pieces, and the teeth lie loose among the fragments of the bones; a very

[April,

few teeth remain still fixed in broken fragments of the jaws. The hyæna bones are broken to pieces as much as those of the other animals. No boue or tooth has been rolled, or in the least acted on by water, nor are there any pebbles mixed with them. The bones are not at all mineralized, and retain nearly the whole of their animal gelatin, and owe their high state of preservation to the mud in which they have been imbedded. The teeth of hyenas are most abundant; and of these, the greater part are worn down almost to the stumps, as if by the operation of gnawing bones. Some of the bones have marks of the teeth on them; and portions of the focal matter of the hyænas are found also in the den. These have been analyzed by Dr. Wollaston, and found to be composed of the same ingredients as the album græcum, or white faces of dogs that are fed on bones, viz. carbonate of lime, phosphate of lime, and triple phosphate of ammonia and magnesia; and, on being shown to the keeper of the beasts at Exeter Change, were immediately recognized by him as the dung of the hyaena. The new and curious fact of the preservation of this substance is explained by its affinity to bone.

The animals found in the cave agree in species with those that occur in the diluvian gravel of England, and of great part of the Northern hemisphere; four of them, the hyena, elephant, rhinoceros, and hippopotamus, belong to species that are now extinct, and to genera that live exclusively in warm climates, and which are found associated together only in the Southern portions of Africa near the Cape. Is is certain from the evidence afforded by the interior of the den (which is of the same kind with that afforded by the ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii) that all these animals lived and died in Yorkshire, in the period immediately preceding the deluge; and a similar conclusion may be drawn with respect to England generally, and to those other extensive regions of the Northern hemisphere, where the diluvian gravel contains the remains of similar species of animals. The extinct fossil hyæna most nearly resembles that species which now inhabits the Cape, whose teeth are adapted beyond those of any other animal to the purpose of cracking bones, and whose habit it is to carry home parts of its prey to devour them in the caves of rocks which it inhabits. This analogy explains the accumulation of bones in the den at Kirkdale. They were carried in for food by the hyaenas; the smaller animals, perhaps, entire; the larger ones piece meal; for by no other means could the bones of such large animals as the elephant and the rhinoceros have arrived at the inmost recesses of so small a hole, unless rolled thither by water; in which case, the angles would have been worn off by attrition, but they are not.

Judging