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against his prince, and violently seize his place, for that too, say the Musulmen, had been predestinated, and consequently, could not fail to hap

pen.

"It may be easily conceived, that in an assembly of soldiers, from whom an absolute unanimity is required, cabals and factions must rage in all their fury. While a great majority has proclaimed a chief, the malcontent janissaries assemble in other apartments of the palace, they seize the hall of election, massacre the intended chief, and substitute another, who, yet covered with the blood which he has shed, puts on the royal robe, and compels the terrified assembly to silence and approbation. Frequently the soldiers, in their quarters, raise an insurrection, and send a herald to the Dey with orders to quit the palace. As soon as he obeys, his head is struck off. Sometimes the prince is poison ed, sometimes he is assassinated on his way to the mosque; frequently a fanatic cuts off his head amidst the assembly of the divan, and the same scimitar which has given him autho

he must scatter gold among his soldiers. Hali Dey, raised to the throne after the tragic death of Ibrahim, surnamed the Madman, put to death on that occasion no less than 1700 persons. The people murmured at his barbarity, but far from moderating his fury, he pretended to have discovered a conspiracy, and caused Algiers to stream with blood.

"The Dey has the right of making war or peace, he assembles the divan when he pleases, he imposes tributes, he regulates all affairs except those of religion. He is supreme judge in all civil or criminal causes, and is obliged to give account of his behaviour, or to communicate his views to no one ;— to resist his decrees would be to resist those of destiny. Heaven having given him all power, is believed also to have given him all knowledge; and those who were his equals are the first to fall at his feet."

S. S. I. (To be concluded in our next.)

rity serves to maintain it. These fe- ANECDOTES, HISTORICAL, LITERARY

rocious chiefs, elected amid blood and tumult, repeat then the maxim of a Tartar Emperor, 'If you wish to preserve the state tranquil, keep the sword of vengeance always waving.'

"As soon as a soldier is named Dey, he is invested with the caftan, a species of royal robe; he mounts the estrade, and all present exclaim, We consent, be it so, and God give him prosperity.' The Mufti proclaims him Dey; a discourse is read to him on the duties attached to his dignity; he is reminded, that God having called him to govern the state, he ought to employ his authority in punishing the wicked, in doing justice, in securing the public safety, and in paying the soldiers regularly. Those who are nearest kiss the hand of the new prince, the militia salute him, a cannon is fired to warn the people, and the ceremony is over.

"The election is followed by an universal change of men in office; the new Dey is not content with ridding himself of all his rivals, he often puts to death all the ministers of his predecessor, he seizes their wealth, he receives the presents of those whom he chuses to supply their place, he fills his treasure, but at the same time

AND MISCELLANEOUS.

(Continued from Page 310.)

II.-Margaret of York.

THIS princess, sister of Edward IV. of England, Duchess of Burgundy and Countess of Flanders, is repeatedly mentioned in the Belgium Dominicanum, by De Jonghe, Brussels, 1719, 4to, a book containing neat plates of all the monasteries, well illustrating the nature and comforts of those retirements, as they are bird's-eye views. An inscription at Ghent, p. 29, celebrates her foundation of the cloisters and library of the Dominican Convent, besides embellishments of the church, and the gift of ornaments and dresses. "The foresaid most illustrious, noble, and devout lady, died in the year 1503, on the 23d day of November, and is buried at Mechlin, in the church of the Friars Minors."

And page 113, "The church of St. Agnes was founded in 1472 by Margaret Duchess of Burgundy, who, with great devotion, and with her own hands, laid the first stone of the foundation, in the presence of the suffragan, who the same day performed mass in her presence, which being finished, the Convent of Nuns went

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correspondents very naturally inquires what is intended to be done with the fund left by Mr John Watson, writer to the signet? We are informed by the same correspondent, that the money left by the above mentioned gentleman was for pious and charitable purposes within the city of Edin burgh; that his trustees had fixed on the establishinent of a Foundling Hospital, and that their decision had been confirmed by the Supreme Court. I have made some inquiries into this subject, but do not find that any measures have as yet been taken, either for the establishment of a Foundling Hos

Caille, in his History of Printing and Bookselling, Paris, 1689, 4to, mentions, p. 232, the painter of Hen-pital, or for any other purpose. In ry III. of France, Quesnel, as a native of Scotland.

IV.-Music of Auvergne.

It is a singular circumstance, that the Melodies of Auvergne, a mountainous region, in the heart of France, constitute a fourth class of national music with the Scottish, Irish, and Welch. Such as I have heard approach more to the Welch. Only one or two have been published in the Voyage de Mont Dor; and it is difficult to find any of the others, as the French despise ancient music. I am told, that they are imitated in a piece, of which the scene lies in Auvergne, called Jeannot et Coline, but I should doubt the accuracy of the imitation. It would be well worth while for a musical gentleman to visit Auvergne, and note the airs from the lips of the singers. He might also take a painter with him, for the country is not only celebrated as volcanic, but is the most picturesque of

France.

John Duke of Albany married the heiress of Auvergne, and many of his letters are dated from the castle of Vic in that country. Besson, the mineralogist, had a view of that castle wildly placed on a rock of columnar basalt; but he is dead, and his collection of views in Auvergne is dispersed.

Paris, Oct. 1817.

J. P.

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March last, according to the statement of your correspondent, Watson's fund amounted to the sum of L. 62,000. Now, as the managers of the Royal Bank have granted a bonus of 50 per cent. to their proprietors, and as Watson's money, I find, is vested in the capital stock of that company, it must, with the late dividends amount to more than ONE HUN

DRED THOUSAND POUNDS. Is this enormous sum of money, I would ask, still to be unemployed? or do the Keeper and Commissioners of his Majesty's Signet intend to fulfil the intention of Mr Watson or his trustees? These are questions, Sir, in which I have no hesitation in saying the community have a deep interest, and to which, in these times of distress, they have a right to receive answer. the Commissioners of the Signet have no intention of applying for an act of Parliament to alter the destination of this money, they certainly are not warranted in delaying to fulfil the final settlement of Mr Watson's trus tees.

If

I have further to observe, Mr Editor, that while engaged in searching for information on the subject of Mr Watson's fund, I accidentally met with a deed of mortification by a Mr Joseph Thomson, designed sometime saddletree-maker in Edinburgh, and thereafter of Nortonhail of Eilden. By dispasition and settlement and deed of mor tification, executed 11th July 1774, the said Joseph Thomson conveyed to and favour of certain trustees therein mentioned, his whole lands and heritages, with some trifling exceptions, as also his whole moveable goods and gear of every kind, and all debts, whether heritable or moveable, in the first

place, for payment of all his lawful debts and funeral charges; 2dly, For the payment of certain legacies; and the whole residue of his estate, after payment of his debts, funeral charges, and legacies, he mortified as a perpetual fund, the interest whereof was to be applied for purchasing oat-meal or oats, to be made into meal to be distributed among the poor householders of Edinburgh, when the price of oatmeal exceeds tenpence the peck, and which meal is to be sold to these householders at tenpence the peck; but he directed that one family shall not get above two pecks of it in one week. By a subsequent deed, executed 3d February 1786, proceeding on the narrative of the deed before mentioned, and that he had resolved to make some additions to and alterations of his former settlement, he grants new legacies, and revokes many of those in his first settlement; and a considerable additional property after the death of certain liferenters, is, directed to go to the fund mortified by his former settlement; and he declared it to be his will that the lands of Eilden should not be sold by his trustees, but made over to the Lords of Session, and failing of them by non-acceptance, to the other persons mentioned in his former settlement, who were the Lord Advocate; whom failing, the SolicitorGeneral; whom failing, the Keeper of the Signet; whom failing, the Deputy-Keeper of the Signet, and their successors in office; and he so far altered the provisions as to the purchasing of meal or oats, as to declare that none of these purchases were to be made, unless the price of oatmeal exceeded one shilling per peck, and in that case, the same was to be sold out at tenpence a peck, whatever the current price might be. It is understood that the Lords of Session and other official persons named declined to accept as trustees for this mortification, except the Deputy Keeper of the Signet, who now holds the management thereof. Now, it is provided by the deed of 1776," that a regular account is to be kept of the purchasing and disposing of the whole quantities of meal from time to time, to be shewn to any of the ministers of Edinburgh, either Presbyterian or Episcopal, who shall think fit to take notice of this charitable intention." I would, therefore wish to know if any of the Reve

rend Gentlemen have taken the trouble of examining that account, and if they can inform us how many poor householders have benefited by Mr Thomson's mortification? I think, Sir, for the satisfaction of the public, a statement of every fund of this nature ought to be published annually. The Magistrates of Edinburgh deserve some credit for their exertions to get Watson's fund brought into use; and, as guardians of the community, I hold that it is their duty to look after the management of Thomson's mortification also. I am, Sir, &c.

AMICUS PAUPERIS JUNIOR.
Edinburgh, Dec. 1817.

CAPTAIN SCORESBY.

It was with feelings of sincere satisfaction that we read, in a contemporary periodical work, an extract from a highly complimentary letter from the celebrated Baron Von Buch to Gay Lussac, concerning our distinguished countryman, Captain William Scoresby. Such a tribute from a man so eminently gifted by Nature as Von Buch, must have been no less gratifying to its object than it was creditable to its author. It affords an earnest of that value which the public will attach to the labours of an intelligent and original mind, when exerted upon a subject the most unique within the boundaries of human research; and may be regarded as a liberal and judicious anticipation of the opinion of scientific men upon one of the most novel productions of the present times. Captain Scoresby has long been regarded, by those who have the pleasure of his acquaintance, as a person from whom much may be expected in the course of his professional avocations; and, should he ever be called to the command of an expedition fitted out with a view to the furtherance of maritime discovery, no doubt need be entertained of his acquitting himself to his own lasting honour, and to the farthest possible advancement of the particular purpose which such expedition may have in view. His long continued experience as a captain in the Greenland Seas, where he has been for many years in the practice of navigating from the southern limits of the whale-fishery to the very highest attainable northern latitudes, points him out as a person pe

culiarly well fitted for taking the lead in any enterprise connected with the question of a north-west passage, while the knowledge which he has acquired on general subjects of science, -his natural inclination, which induces him to attend with an observant eye to every thing around him,-and the clear and philosophical manner in which he conveys his information— render doubly valuable his great practical skill, and acknowledged prudence and courage as a seaman.

The paper alluded to by Baron Von Buch contains a very interesting account of the nature and appearance of the Polar ice, and is, in fact, the only correct and philosophical communication of which we are possessed, concerning the formation of those extensive fields and magnificent icebergs which constitute the most prominent and singular features of the Greenland Seas. The sudden and ruinous increase of the enormous icy barrier which unexpectedly surrounded the eastern coast of West Greenland is also detailed. That awful catastrophe is known to have cut off all intercourse between a thriving and populous colony and its mother country, and, in all probability, to have left its wretched settlers to perish by the most excruciating and lingering death of cold and hunger. Such a circumstance makes a powerful appeal to every kind and humane feeling of the human heart; and any description of the means by which it was effected must necessarily be considered with the deepest interest. In the course of his paper, Captain Scoresby conveys much useful and curious information concerning the haunts of the whales, -the dangers and difficulties to be encountered in their pursuit,-the laborious efforts which it is necessary to use when ships are in a state of besetment in the ice,-and a narrative of the fatal effects which occasionally result from such a misfortune. Mention is also made of one of the most wonderful approximations to the north pole of which we have distinct and undeniable testimony. In the year 1806, the ship Resolution, of Whitby, commanded by Captain Scoresby's father, (he himself at that time acting as chief mate,) attained to the latitude of 814 north.

There are some interesting particulars stated in regard to the very gene

ral drifting of unconnected ice to the south-westward, and an account of a very beautiful and useful phenomenon, well known in the Greenland Seas under the name of ice-blink. It is occasioned by the reflection of the rays of light from the snowy surface of the ice upon the superincumbent atmosphere.

the ice-blink occurs under the most fa"Hence," says Captain Scoresby, "when vourable circumstances, it affords to the eye a beautiful and perfect map of the ice twenty or thirty miles beyond the limit of direct vision, but less distinct in proportion as the air is hazy. The ice-blink not only shews the figure of the ice, but enables the experienced observer to judge whether the ice thus pictured be field or packed ice; if the latter, whether it be compact or open, bay or heavy ice. Field ice affords the the most lucid blink, accompanied with a tinge of yellow; that of packs is more purely white; and of bay ice, greyish. ing, likewise occasions a blink, which is The land, on account of its snowy coveryellowish, and not much unlike that produced by the ice of fields."

The wonderful and sudden change produced on the aspect of the Greenland landscape (if such an expression may be used in relation to a country where land is so little seen) by the breaking up of extensive fields of ice by a heavy swell, is also well described in the following passage:

"The destruction is in many cases so rapid, that, to an inexperienced observer, the occurrence seems incredible, and rather fact. Suppose a ship immoveably fixed in an illusion of the fancy than a matter of bay ice, and not the smallest opening to be seen; after a lapse of time sufficient only for a moderate repose, imagine a person rising from his bed, when, behold, the insurmountable obstacle has vanished! Instead of a sheet of ice, expanding unbroken to the verge of the horizon on every side, an undulating sea relieves the prospect, wherein floats the wreck of the ice, reduced apparently to a small fraction of its origi been more than once witness to." nai bulk! This singular occurrence I have

We shall not at present anticipate, by further extracts, the pleasure to be derived from a perusal of the paper itself, which we know will be laid before the public in a very few weeks, as part of the Memoirs of the Werne rian Natural History Society, (Part 2d, Vol II.)

The concluding part of Captain

Such a work may be anxiously expected as the most complete account of that highly interesting country. We may remark, that Captain Scoresey uses the name Greenland, in its most extended signification, as comprehending not only Greenland, properly so called, but also Spitzbergen, and the adjacent isles. We cannot convey a more accurate notion of the scope and intention of this desirable work, than by mentioning the different general heads, of which it is proposed it should consist.

Scoresby's paper is occupied in detailing some of the most remarkable approximations which have hitherto been made to the Poles. It also contains an account of Captain Scoresby's own particular views concerning the possibility of visiting the North Pole by travelling across the ice, in a sledge drawn by rein-deer, or dogs. This part of the paper is drawn up with so much judgment and ability, that if such an expedition is really within the range of possibility, and which, from the facts and arguments adduced, we now see no great reason to doubt, it is evident that Captain Scoresby is the person to be chosen from all others to conduct it.

The extract from the Baron Von Buch's letter, before referred to, must be so gratifying to Captain Scoresby's friends, and the more so, on account of its acknowledged justice, that we shall take the liberty of laying it before our readers.

"The memoir which I now send you contains a great many facts hitherto very imperfectly known, and makes us acquainted with a part of the globe concerning which we possess very little accurate information. I confess the reading of this memoir interested me extremely. The author, Mr Scoresby, is a most excellent observer. He has visited the polar regions fifteen times, and every year has touched to 80 degrees of north latitude. His private papers contain numerous observations on the temperature of the sea, at its surface, and at different depths. He has devoted much time to the determination of the specific gravity of the water of the different tracts of the ocean which he travelled, and has been careful to bring with him bottles of these waters. Mr Scoresby is also known as one of the most courageous and skilful of the captains who frequent the Greenland seas; he, indeed, is a man worthy of being placed along with a Hudson, a Dampier, and a Cook; and, if he should ever be placed at the head of a voyage of discovery, I am persuaded that his name will descend to future ages with those of the most able navigators."

We trust it will not be deemed uninteresting to our readers to be further informed, that Captain Scoresby is at present preparing to lay before the public the result of his own observations on Greenland, along with an account of its history and colonization from the earliest times to the present day.

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"III. East Greenland, or Spitzbergen; its appearance, natural history, harbours, icebergs, mountains, colonization, products, &c.

"IV. The natural history of the Greenland seas, containing,

1st, An account of the Greenland Sea ; its situation and extent, temperature both at the surface, and at considerable depths, currents, tides, depth, &c.

"2d, The Polar Ice; its varieties and properties, mode of generation, &c. ; its extent, situation, and variation; with remarks on the practicability of performing a journey over the ice to the North Pole.

3d, The atmosphere; its changes of pressure, &c.; its temperature, probable temperature of the North Pole, &c.; winds, their duration, and frequency of storms in the spring of the year, &c.; meteors, clouds, snow and its numerous crystallizations, hail, frost-rime, aurora borealis, &c.

"4th, The Zoology; the whale and its various genera; the walrus, seal, bear, &c.; birds; non-descript mollusca, and other marine animals, &c.

"V. The history of the Northern whale-fishery; shewing its progress, with an account of those principles on which a successful fishery depends, &c.

"VI. The history of the minor fisheries; for seals, wairuses, &c. ; with the method of killing these and other animals, inhabitants of the Greenland seas.

“VII. A journal of a Greenland whalefishing voyage.

"VIII. Appendix; containing a series of meteorological tables; tables of the variation of the compass, latitudes and longitudes, &c. from original observations. Edinburgh, 10th Dec. 1817.

W.

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