tone of regular comedy, which he attempted by presenting her with a chair, and gently forcing her to be seated. She did not, how ever, discontinue the most pathetic expressions. "Prussia," she exclaimed, "had been blindfolded with respect to her power- she had dared to contend with a hero, to oppose herself to the destinies of France, to neglect his auspicious friendship; she was deservedly punished for it. The glory of the great Frederic, his memory, and his inheritance had puffed up the pride of Prussia, and had caused her ruin! &c. &c." She solicited, supplicated, implored. Magdeburgh, in particular, was the object of her efforts and wishes. The emperor kept his ground as well as he could. Fortunately, the husband made his appearance. The queen reproved, with an expressive look, the unseasonable interruption, and shewed some pettishness. In fact, the king attempted to take part in the conversation, spoiled the whole affair, and "I was," said the emperor, "set at liberty."

The emperor entertained the queen at dinner. "She played off," said he, "all her wit against me; she had a great deal: all her manners, which were very fascinating; all her coquetry; she was not without charms. But I was determined not to yield. I found it : necessary, however, to keep a great command over myself, that I might continue exempt from all kind of engagement, and every expression, which might be taken in a doubtful sense; and the more so, because I was carefully watched, and peculiarly by Alexander."

An instant before dinner, Napoleon took a very beautiful rose from a flower-stand, which he presented to the queen. She at first

expressed by the motion of her hand a kind of prepared refusal ; but suddenly recollecting herself, she said; Yes, but at least with Magdeburgh. The emperor replied, "But...... I shall observe to your majesty, that it is I who present, and you, who are about to receive it." The dinner and the remainder of the time passed over in that manner.

The queen was scated at table between the two emperors, who rivalled each other in gallantry. She was placed near Alexander's best ear; with one he can scarcely hear. The evening came, and the queen having retired, the emperor, who had shown the most engaging attentions to his guests, but, who had, at the same time, been often driven to an extremity, resolved to come to a point. He sent for M. de Talleyrand, and prince Kourakin, talked big to them, and letting fly, continued he, some hard words, observed, that, after all, a woman and a piece of gallantry ought not to alter a system conceived for the destiny of a great people, and that he insisted upon the immediate conclusion of the negociations and the signing of the treaty; which took place according to his orders. "Thus," said he, "the queen of Prussia's conversation advanced the treaty by a week or a fortnight." The queen was preparing to renew her attacks the next day, and was indignant, when she heard that the treaty was signed. She wept a great deal, and determined to see the emperor Napoleon no more. She would not accept a second invitation to dinner. Alexander was himself obliged to prevail upon her. She complained most bitterly, and maintained, that Napoleon had broken his word. But Alexander

had been always present. He had even been a dangerous witness, ready to give evidence of the slightest action or word on the part of Napoleon in her favour. "He has made you no promise," was his observation to her; "if you can prove the contrary, I here pledge myself as between man and man to make him keep his promise, and he will do so, I am convinced."" But he has given me to understand," said she, "No," replied Alexander, " and you have nothing to reproach him with." She came at length. Napoleon, who had no longer any occasion to be on his guard against her, redoubled his attentions. She played off, for a few moments, the airs of an offended coquette, and when the dinner was over, and she was about to retire, Napoleon presented his hand, and conducted her to the middle of the staircase, where he stopped. She squeezed his hand, and said with a kind of tenderness; "Is it possible, that after having had the honour of being so near to the hero of the century and of history, he will not leave me the power and satisfaction of being enabled to assure him, that he has attached me to him for life?"-" Madam," replied the emperor, in a serious tone, "I am to be pitied; it is the result of my unhappy stars.” He then took leave of her. When she reached her carriage, she threw herself into it in tears; sent for Duroc, whom she highly esteemed, renewed all her complaints to him, and said, pointing to the palace; "There is a place in which I have been cruelly deceived!"

"The queen of Prussia," said the emperor," was unquestionably gifted with many happy resources; she possessed a great deal of in

formation, and had many excellent capabilities. It was she, who really reigned for more than fifteen years. She also, in spite of my dexterity, and all my exertions, took the lead in conversation, and constantly maintained the ascendancy. She touched, perhaps, too often upon her favourite topic, but she did so, however, with great plausibility, and without giving the slightest cause of uneasiness. It must be confessed that she had an important object in view, and that the time was short and precious."

"One of the high contracting parties," said the emperor," had frequently assured her, that she ought to have come in the beginning or not at all; and observed, that, for his part, he had done every thing in his power to induce her to come at once. It was suspected," continued the emperor, "that he had a personal motive to gratify by her coming; but on the other hand, the husband had a motive equally personal in opposing it." Napoleon believed him to have been very kind and a sincere friend in the business.

Almost every day at Tilsit, the two emperors and the king rode out on horseback together, but said Napoleon, "the latter was always awkward and unlucky." The Prussians felt it very visibly. Napoleon was constantly between the two sovereigns; but either the king fell behind, or jostled and incommoded Napoleon. He shewed the same awkwardness on their return: the two emperors dismounted in an instant, and took each other by the hand to go up stairs together. But as the honours were done by Napoleon, he could not enter without first seeing the king pass. It was sometimes ne

cessary to wait for him a long time, and as the weather was often rainy, it happened that the two emperors got wet on the king's account, to the great dissatisfaction of all the spectators.

"This awkwardness," said the emperor, "was the more glaring, as Alexander is in possession of all the graces, and equal, in elegance of manners, to the most polished and amiable ornaments of our Parisian drawing-rooms. The latter was at times so tired of his companion, who seemed lost in his own sorrows, or in some other cause, that we mutually agreed on breaking up our common meeting to get rid of him. We separated immediately after dinner, under the pretence of some particular business; but Alexander and I met shortly afterwards to take tea with one another, and we then continued in conversation until midnight, and even beyond it."

Alexander and Napoleon met again some time after at Erfurt, and exchanged the most striking testimonies of affection. Alexander expressed with earnestness the sentiments of tender friendship and real admiration which he entertained for Napoleon. They passed some days together in the enjoy ment of the charms of perfect intimacy and of the most familiar communications of private life. "We were," said the emperor, "two young men of quality, who, in their common pleasures, had no secret from each other."

Napoleon had sent for the most distinguished performers of the French theatre. A celebrated actress, Mademoiselle B, attracted the attention of his guest, who had a momentary fancy to get acquainted with her. He asked his companion whether any

inconvenience was likely to be the result. "None," answered the latter; "only," added he, intentionally, "it is a certain and rapid mode of making yourself known to all Paris. After to-morrow, post-day, the most minute details will be dispatched, and in a short time, not a statuary at Paris but will be qualified to give a model of your person from head to foot." The danger of such a kind of publicity appeased the monarch's rising passion; "for," observed Napoleon, "he was very circumspect with regard to that point, and he recollected no doubt the old adage, when the mask falls, the hero disappears."

The emperor assured us, that, had it been his wish, Alexander would certainly have given him his sister in marriage, his politics would have dictated the match, even had his inclination been against it. He was petrified when he heard of the marriage with Austria, and exclaimed" This consigns me to my native forests." If he seemed at first to shift about, it was because some time was necessary to enable him to come to a decision. His sister was very young, and the consent of his mother was requisite. This was settled by Paul's will, and the empress mother was one of Napoleon's greatest enemies. She was also the dupe of all the absurdities, all the ridiculous stories which had been circulated on his personal account. "How," she exclaimed, can I marry my daughter to a man who is unfit to be any one's husband? Shall another man take possession of my daughter's bed, if it be necessary, that she should have children? She is not formed for such a fate." Mother," said Alexander,

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can you be so credulous as to believe the calumnies of London and the insinuations of the saloons of Paris? If that be the only difficulty, if it be that alone which gives you pain, I answer for him, and many others have it in their power to answer for him with me."

"If Alexander's affection for me was sincere," said the emperor, "it was alienated from me by the force of intrigue. Certain persons, M-, or others at the instigation of T-, lost no seasonable

opportunity of mentioning instances of my turning him into ridicule, and they assured him, that at Tilsit and Erfurt, he no sooner turned his back than I took my opportunity of laughing at his expense. Alexander is very susceptible, and they must have easily soured his mind. It is certain, that he made bitter complaints of it at Vienna during the congress, and yet nothing was more false; he pleased me, and I loved him."

HAT part of Ethiopia or

the Cataracts, has been long explored and described by various travellers: but little or nothing has been known of the space that separates Sennaar from the second cataract. Immediately above this cataract a district commences, called Batn el Hadjar, which extends to about 21° of north latitude: Sukkót is the name given to the next 50 miles; and after that comes Dar Mahass, which stretches about 60 miles from north to south. Dongola adjoins to Dar Mahass. It extends in a southerly direction up to a point a little below 18° north latitude, then bends to the east, always following the course of the Nile, and terminates where the great bend of that river forces the traveller, who traces its course upwards, to journey towards the north. Dar Sheygy'a is the name given to the district through which the Nile flows from north to south: and Berber and Shendy fill up the

space between Dar Sheygýa and space be

A Frenchman of the name of Poncet, in proceeding from the greater Oasis to Sennaar, traversed part of Dongola in 1698. A few years ago, the lamented Burckhardt penetrated as far as Tinareh, which is situated in Dar Mahass, in about 20° north latitude. The observations of the former are extremely meagre; and it was only a small part of the country that came under the eye of the latter accomplished traveller. Mr. Waddington and Mr. Hanbury, towards the end of 1821, visited these regions; and to them we are indebted for a minute account of an extensive tract altogether new to European tourists and readers.

The districts which we have mentioned, exhibit, amidst a few minor

diversities, considerable sameness of aspect. The Nile, as it flows through them, is divided from time to time into branches which afterwards re-unite, so as to