lieutenants Hood and Back, Dr. Richardson, and an English sea man, supported themselves by their buoyant spirits, and did all they could to cheer up the desponding Canadian hunters, but in vain; they became insubordinate, refused even to go out in search of game or firewood, straggled away from the rest of the party, and fre quently laid themselves down on the snow, indifferent as to what might befall them. With the most anxious desire to preserve their lives, Dr. Richardson and lieutenant Hood consented to remain behind to attend to three of these infatuated people, who were unable, from weakness, to proceed. Two of them died, and the remaining one, a good marksman, and more vigorous than any of the party, became so savage and so ungovernable, that he refused to endeavour to shoot any thing towards their subsistence, or even to fetch a little firewood, which Dr. Richardson and the English sailor were obliged to do; and while this savage was left alone in the tent with lieutenant Hood, the latter being indisposed and sitting over a little fire, he shot him with his musket through the head, and killed him on the spot. After this he became more violent than ever, his looks were wild, and he muttered threats that could not be mistaken, so that Dr. Richardson, for his own safety, and that of the sailor, who had been a most faithful companion, found it necessary to get rid of the monster, by shooting him through the head. Thus, of twenty persons which composed the expedition, ten have perished: eight through cold, fatigue, and famine, and two by violent deaths; but the rest of the

least twenty leagues S.W. of Cape Pine, and becomes more rapid as you approach the land, its velocity increasing as the wind favours it, but at all times of sufficient magnitude to endanger the safety of any ship approaching, from the south and west in foggy weather, and being ignorant of its existence. In order to avoid the danger arising from this current, the fishermen, in foggy weather, and when returning from the western coast to their homes on the eastern coast, invariably use the lead, depending more on their depth of water than their compass, and never approaching nearer the land than 35 fathoms of water. The ground being more of an inclined plane on the west coast than on the east, you will find that depth of water a considerable distance from the land; in fact, sufficient to ensure the safety of any ship passing the coast. On passing to the eastward of Cape Race, the ground becomes more broken, and the depth of water increases so very fast, that in your course from Cape St. Mary's to avoid Cape Race, you will, when to the eastward of it, find yourself in 50 fathoms, and when advanced a very short distance further, in 60 and 70 fathoms of water; consequently, you are then clear of any land, and at liberty to pursue your course to the eastward, or run along the eastern coast, as circumstances may require. I do not perceive that any advantage would arise by government establishing a post at St. Shott's to fire fog-guns, as we have at times known vessels lost in the neighbourhood of St. John's, where that practice is invariably followed. A due attention to the lead and line should be enforced; for if men will not

take care of themselves, it is hard to expect others to do so for them." Volcano.-The Russian American company have received intelligence of a terrific volcanic explosion which took place on the 21st of March 1820, in one of the Aleutian islands. The night was very dark and gloomy, and a violent gale blew from the south-east. This was succeeded by an earthquake, accompanied by subterraneous thunder. The whole atmosphere appeared ignited, and it became so light, that every object was perfectly visible. Shortly after, showers of sand and ashes descended in such immense quantities as to obscure all vision. This phenomenon continued throughout the remainder of the night. At day-break the wind changed, and the showers of sand and ashes ceased. The sea-water became thick, and the river water assumed the colour and thickness of beer, and was so extremely bitter as to be unfit for use. At the island of Umnak, about a hundred wersts distant from Unalaschka, a volcanic eruption also took place. The crater is now about fifteen wersts from the sea shore, though it was before but five wersts from the coast. Hence it is evident that the island has been extended by the volcanic eruption, and that the sea, from the same cause, has receded to a considerable distance.

Currents of the Ocean.-[From the Trinidad Gazette of Aug. 7.] On the 27th of July, 1822, a bottle was picked up on the bay of Mayaro, in this island, containing a paper to the following effect:"No. 267. The bottle which contains this card was thrown into the sea in lat. 6 deg. 13 min. S., longitude 15 deg. 35 min. W., at noon, on the 17th day of January,

1822, from the ship Ospray, of Glasgow, which sailed from Greenock on the 20th day of Feb. 1820, on a trading voyage round the world. Eighty-seven days from Calcutta towards Greenock." Note. The lat. of Mayaro Bay, Trinidad, 10 deg. 15 min. N.; longitude of ditto, 61 deg. 16 min. W.

On

Amsterdam, Sept. 12. September 7, a bottle came on shore in the Commune of Zandvoort. It contained the following notice: "The ship Elizabeth Cornelia, commanded by captain Boss, off Beachy Head, August 23, 1822."

At Egmond-aan-Zee a bottle was also thrown ashore, containing a paper with the following words: "Please to take notice that this empty bottle, with the enclosure in it, was put in the sea off the old Head of Kinsale, on the 22nd of June, 1822. "J. O'CONNOR."

Milford. A bottle inclosing a paper to the following effect was on the 6th of April, picked up on the south side of Milford-haven.

"No. 310.-The bottle which contains this card was thrown into the sea in lat. 49. 54. north, lon. 12. 20. west, at noon, on the 1st of March, 1822, from the ship Ospray, of Glasgow, which sailed from Greenock on the 20th day of February, 1820, on a trading voyage round the world.

"ALEXANDER M'GILL,

66

"Master." Bristol.-Annexed is the copy of a paper found in a bottle washed on shore on the 29th July, about 4 miles to the westward of Ilfracombe, in the Bristol Channel.

"This bottle was thrown overboard from the brig Albert, of Richmond, Richard L. Robertson, master, in the latitude of 47. 20. N., and long. 22. W., from Greenwich, on the 24th of January, 1822, she being on her passage from Virginia to Cowes (England), and 27 days out (all well.)

"This was set adrift when the wind was about W.N.W., and had prevailed from that quarter for two or three days.

"RICH. L. ROBERTSON.”

Colouring principle of Shell Fish.-IT appears, from a series of experiments made by M. J. L. Lassaigne, that crabs, lobsters, &c., contain a red colouring principle, which may be extracted by means of alcohol; that this colour is not formed by the action of heat, but developed in the shell by the impulsion of that fluid; that there exists in that class of animals a highly-coloured membrane, which appears to be the source of the

colouring matter, which is insoluble in cold or boiling water, but soluble in sulphuric æther and pure cold water.

William

Meteoric Iron.-Dr. Zimmerman, professor of Chemistry, in the University of Giessen, has discovered that all the aqueous atmospherical precipitates or deposits (dew, snow, rain, and hail,) contain meteoric iron, which is usually combined, in the same manner as

in meteoric stones, with nickel. Almost all the rains contain common salt, and a new organic substance composed of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon, which the discoverer has called Pyrine. In the same manner the rain water was found, on several occasions, indubitably to contain various kinds of earths. The rains in February and March particularly abounded in these ingredients, which are found also in the meteoric stones. From contemporary observations made on various eminences, Diensberg, the castle of Gleiberg, a tower of the barracks at Giessen, &c. various other results were obtained, several of which are in favour of the opinion, that the stony meteoric masses are of telluric and not of cosmic origin.

Electrical Phenomenon. M. Bourdet, ex-captain in the French service, has addressed a letter to one of the scientific Journals of Paris, containing an account of an electrical phenomenon which he himself witnessed in Poland, on the 24th of December, 1806, the day before the battles of Pulstuck and Golymin. The weather, according to the Poles, had never been milder at that season of the year. No snow had been seen, nor had the usual cold weather of the north, which generally sets in early in that country, then commenced. Rains and storms, however, were frequent daily. was," says M. Bourdet, "chief of a half battery, which formed part of the advanced guard of light cavalry; the commander gave me an order to halt in the rear and see that my guns were disembarrassed, and then to rejoin as quickly as possible the light brigade. In spite of the efforts of my men, the guns were not cleared

"I

Our quarter

from the marshy ground in which they were entangled without great labour. We were advancing across the field about nine o'clock in the evening, when a strong gust of wind suddenly arose (the sun had shone brightly during the ́day), and in a few minutes after the night became so dark, that we could not see the heads of our horses. The wind blew so violently, that the horses stopped. At that moment the extremity of the hair on their ears became luminous, as well as all the longer hairs on their bodies, except the locks of their manes and tails. All the metallic extremities of their harness, and all the metallic sharp parts of the carriages of our guns were studded with luminous points, so that one might have supposed, had it been spring, that a swarm of glow-worms had covered our horses and guns. master observed, that the points of my mustachios, which were then only young in growth, as I was but 20 years of age, were luminous; his own, though much thicker, were not illuminated; but they had been waxed. The same phenomenon was seen on some of the cannoneers, but none of us had our eyelashes or hair frendered luminous. These lights remained as long as the gust of wind lasted, namely, for three or four minutes. Their colour was a soft violet, and they terminated in a bright white. The horses held their heads high; their ears were erect and moving; their nostrils open and respiring; their manes and tails erected; their fore-legs thrown forward, and their hind ones bent. Their attitude, in general, was that of animals seized with terror. During the time the wind blew, they remained at full stop; and

when feeling the spur, some stood stock still, and others kicked as if they had been reluctant to advance. When the wind ceased, the lights disappeared, and a deluge of rain, mingled with hail, fell. But though the obscurity continued, our horses moved on, shaking themselves at times, panting forcibly, and neighing, but they continued their march. On arriving at the advanced post, I mentioned to my comrades the phenomenon we had witnessed; and though they had been only three leagues from us, they had felt no wind, but experienced much rain. The wind we encountered had an opposite direction to the rain." M. Bourdet gives it as his opinion, that the phenomenon was electric, and not phosphorescent.

On the Fabrication of Artificial Magnets. Professor Steinhäuser has ascertained, that, if, by the process of Canton, we unite, in the form of a square, two steel bars, and two contacts of iron, it is better to operate by the double touch in a circle, than by a motion backwards and forwards. Again, when we combine these bars in a square, the force of that which we wish to magnetize, ought to increase in proportion as the other magnet has become more energetic; that in magnetizing horse-shoe magnets, it is much more advantageous to place two of these bent bars, with their friendly poles so situated as that the magnetic circle be completed; and that we should then touch circularly, with the magnet destined to communicate the power. When the two horse

shoe bars are separated, they lose usually a considerable part of their force, if we do not previously decompose the great circuit into two smaller ones, by applying each contact to its curved magnet before the separation. In this way, the two separated magnets lose little or nothing of their power; and two may be touched in the same time that one is, on the usual plan, By conforming to these rules, Professor Steinhäuser has succeeded in making magnets of extraordinary power, in the least possible time. He also lays the bar to be magnetized on others previously made, and arranged in a horse-shoe form.

Retrograde Movement of the Magnetic Needle.-M. Arago, in commenting on colonel Beaufoy's observations, inserted in the Annals of Philosophy for May, remarks, that the numbers given for its mean declinations in March 1822, compared with those of March 1819, give for the retrograde movement of the north point of the compass in three years:→→→