has been wonderfully improved, it is our intention occasionally to introduce graphic illustrations of any curious subjects or picturesque views that are likely to attract notice. With respect to the general interests of the Magazine, we experience considerable pleasure in stating, that, notwithstanding the powerful and extensive Rivalry that has recently existed, we still continue to receive the warmest encouragement from our Friends in particular, and the most liberal support from the Publick in general. We find our literary resources daily augmenting, not only from every department of the United Empire, but from the remotest portions of the Civilized World; and we conceive it a duty to express our grateful acknowledgements for the kind support thus extensively given. From the progressive increase of Contributors, we sanguinely flatter ourselves that we shall still be enabled, not only to preserve the decided superiority in points which this Miscellany has so long sustained, but still further to extend its reputation as a Standard Repository of more useful and general information than any Periodical Publication extant. On reverting to the political affairs of Great Britain, and observing the amelioration of the times, we cannot but experience the highest gratification. The Revenue, which had alarmingly decreased two or three years ago, has this year exceeded the most sanguine expectations. Government has also been enabled to issue Cash Payments, owing to the abundance of moneyed capital; and the Funds, those infallible barometers of national prosperity, have been daily rising, and now maintain a price almost unparalleled. None can respect fair and rational discussion on public affairs more than ourselves. We admire the motives of many worthy Oppositionists, sincerely believing they have the good of their Country at heart; but we detest and abhor those unprincipled Railers, who exult over the misfortunes of their Country, and repine at her prosperity. Such men can have no other object than that of effecting a Revolution under the specious name of Patriotism, and aggrandizing themselves on the ruins of the State. Were even their own mad theories adopted, and they themselves excluded from power, they would only be exasperated that no clamour could be raised. For our parts, we shall always, in unison with every virtuous individual, condole over the miseries of our native land, from whatever cause they may arise; and sincerely rejoice at her happiness. We close our Preface, by hailing the bright harbingers of Peace and Plenty; fondly hoping that Britain's Isle may ever continue to be the land of Prosperity and of Freedom, clothed with the gorgeous mantle of Agriculture, and studded with the gems of Arts and Manufactures. June 30, 1821. // MINOR CORRESPONDENCE. W. R.'s interesting account of Girgenti and Agrigentum will appear in our next, accompanied by a Lithographic Chart, representing the present state of that city and its environs, according to a survey taken in 1817. THE Runic Inscription in Yorkshire will be engraved for our next. S. R. is informed, that Lydiate Abbey is in the hands of the engraver. J. P.'s Medal is not uncommon, and has been frequently engraved. HONORIA LIBERTAS (we are sorry to say) is not to our purpose. THE Bishop of Salisbury, inquired after by PHILO-SILVANUS, was Martin Fotherby. IN answer to "A Constant Subscriber," the Fourth Volume of "Illustrations of Literature is in considerable progress; but "heavy bodies move slow." The Lives of Sir John Pratt and his illustrious Son, are still in abeyance; but it is hoped that the Noble Marquis, by giving them to the Publick, will add one more laurel to those he has so deservedly gained. The long-promised contributions of the Colossus of Literature, are still in their hieroglyphic state, and must so continue, till some adequate amanuensis can be obtained. Eu. Hoop doubts his having "fallen into error" (see p. 487) in respect to the epitaph upon JOE MILLER. It was given from a transcript made many years since, and E. H. inquires whether the stone was not transferred from the East side of St. Clement's Danes church-yard, to the upper yard in Portugal-street, at the time of pulling down the antient almshouses, and making the late improvements round the church. The circumstance of the inscription being "preserved and transferred", by order of Mr. Jarvis Buck, Churchwarden, is highly ereditable to that gentleman. It is but few of the neglected but honourable memorials of departed worth, when not wanted to patch or amend the path of kindred clay, that escape the shivering blow of the mattock. H. C. B. observes, a musical reviewer of celebrity always spells the name of Händel with the German diphthong ä; if this be the correct method, all those who respect his memory must wish, that in future, his name may appear with a diæresis ä, as almost every fount can furnish the type. G.H. W. states, that "Lord Henley (vol. XC. i. 396) does not derive his barony from Henley in Oxfordshire. His Lordship married the Lady Elizabeth Henley, sister and co-heiress of the last Earl of Northington, and was raised to the peerage of Ireland by the title of Baron Henley of Chardstock, adopting' for his baronial dignity the surname of the noble family whose heiress he had espoused. Mr. Edgeworth, in his Memoirs, derives his pedigree from Roger Edgeworth, a Monk, a younger son of the Edgeworths of Edgeworth (now Edgeware), in Middlesex; which property was carried to the family of Brydges (query Lord Chandos ?) by a female. This Roger Edgeworth wrote a sermon against the Reformers, whose doctrine he afterwards embraced, married, and had two sons, who went to Ireland; viz. Edward Edgeworth, Bishop of Down and Connor in 1593; and Francis Edgeworth, Clerk of the Hanaper, in 1619. In turning over Wood's Athen. Oxon. vol. I. p. 133, I find an account of Roger Edgeworth, who I presume must be the person to whom Mr. Edgeworth alludes, as his supposed ancestor. Wood makes no mention of this Roger's having conformed, or married. He gives & list of his writings, and states that he died in 1560. According to the same author (Wood) Roger Edgeworth was a native of Holt Castle, in Wales. He had many church preferments: viz. Chancellor of Wells, Canon of Salisbury, &c. Wood says, "When Henry VIII. had extirpated the Pope's power, he (R. E.) seemed to be very moderate, and also in the reign of Edw. VI.; but when Queen Mary succeeded, he shewed himself a most zealous person for the Roman Catholic religion, and a great enemy to Luther and the Reformers." C. T. would be obliged by " a correct List of the Authors of our daily prayers in use, and of the Collects; in order to inform general readers of those instructors in piety and true devotion, to be more attracted, if possible, by the praise due to the names, as well as to their prayers and thanksgivings.” THE following statement presents the Insurance Companies of London, from Midamount of Duty paid by the different Fire summer to Michaelmas 1820 : THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, WE For JANUARY, 1821. MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE. Overland Northern Expedition. E have been favoured with the perusal of a Letter from a Gentleman connected with the Overland Northern Expedition (noticed in Vol. XC. ii. 548), from which we select some interesting passages, relative to the severity of a North American Winter. It is dated "Fort Chipewyau, Athabasca Lake*, June 6, 1820," "My last informed you of my being on the point of departure for this place: the journey, a distance of eight hundred miles, was performed in two months. I need not describe to you, who are such a general reader, the mode of travelling, with dogs and sledges; nor mention the inconveniences produced by the severity of a North American winter; but I will bear my testimony to the painful initiation into the daily practice of walking on snow shoes, the misery of pained ancles and galled feet, which a Dovice invariably has to contend against, and which patience and perseverance alone will enable him to surmount; they were my companions for seven or eight days; afterwards I felt no inconvenience. "You can easily imagine the pleasure which a traveller feels at arriving at his encampment under such cir cumstances. This you will probably suppose to be a sheltered place, whereas its preparation simply consists in clearing away the snow on the ground, and placing thereon branches their blankets, coats, &c., and sleep of pine, on which the party spread in comfort, with a large fire at their feet, though the thermometer be 40 degrees below Zero, and with nothing but the canopy of Heaven to cover them. Here the Voyageur soon forgets his fatigues and cares, and having supped, lolls, stretched at his ease, listening with pleasure to the various narratives of his experienced companions, who usually expatiate at length on the never-failing subject of past adventures. "The Canadians, who compose the principal body of these Voyageurs, are particularly happy at this kind of amusement, and they possess all the life and vivacity of the French cha racter, with as great a share of thoughtlessness. No men are better adapted for this service; they are active, and quite equal to any fatigue, and though fond of eating to an extreme, yet can they bear hunger with Athabasca Lake is situate in 59° N. lat.; and extends from 110 to 115 W. long. It is surrounded by the dreary wilds of North America, which is solely inhabited by savage tribes of Indians. In these desolate and dreary regions, "universal stillness," as the writer of the annexed letter observes," reigns sovereign mistress for six successive months." Athabasca Lake is bounded by the Ochipeway Indians and the Great Slave Lake on the North; by the Peace River, the Caribeuf Mountains, and the Strongbow Indians on the West; the Great Athabasca River on the South; and by the dismal and solitary wilds of America, on the East. Hudson's Bay is about 1000 miles East of Athabasca Lake, and that great extent of territory is almost uninhabited and unknown. The mouth of Copper River is 12° N. of Athabasca Lake, at the termination of the Stony Mountains. If our traveller should reach there, he might travel over the ice two or three hundred miles, and arrive at Melville Island, where Capt. Parry wintered. Discoveries have also been effected by land in the parallel of long. 135°, W. Letter from the Overland Northern Expedition. much greater patience thau the same class of Europeans, and to this melancholy inconvenience the people here are frequently exposed. Instances have been related of their having gone three or four days without food; and their supply is always uncertain at posts where animals or fish are scarce, when unfavourable weather prevents the hunters and fishermen from obtaining them. "I had a great treat on my route in seeing the huge and shapeless buffalo (or bison of Buffon), and witnessing the different methods of obfaining them. The most dextrous way is, when a well-mounted rider dashes at a herd, singles out an auimal, which he contrives to separate from the rest, and by managing his horse keeps him apart, and whenever he can get sufficiently near for the ball to penetrate the hide, he fires, though going at full speed, and seldom fails in bringing down his mark. The principal dangers on this service are, either that his horse will fall into some of the numerous holes which the badgers make; or that the enraged animal should turn furiously round when wounded, and gall his horse, or succeed in dismounting him. Whenever the hunter perceives this disposition, which the experienced [Jan. man can tell, he instantly pulls up, and pursues some other means of attack. When the herd are particu larly on their guard, horses cannot be used. The rider then dismounts, and crawls towards the herd through the snow, taking care to remain motionless when any of them are looking towards him. By this cautious manner of proceeding, the hunter generally succeeds in getting very near them, and singles out one or two of the best. You will easily imagine this service cannot be very agreeable, when Mercury will freeze, which is often the case. "The Indians bave another method, by constructing a pound. The principal dexterity in this, consists in getting the animals once to enter the roadway; fear then urges them on, and many men are stationed at the head to dispatch them. We visited one of these places near an Indian encampment, and one of my companions took an accurate drawing of the whole scene. In the animals he has been particularly fortunate, which has been much wanted; for I never saw any thing bearing the least resemblance to a buffalo before. "In the countries where these animals chiefly resort (grassy plains) the natives are much more independent as high North as 690, where the sea and fluctuations of the tide have been observed; so that we may reasonably infer, that the Polar Sea, described in our last Volume, extends as far West as 165o, which has already been navigated by the way of Bhering's Straits. We sincerely hope, that the next expedition will remove all doubts on this interesting subject, and we entertain the most sanguine expectations of a successful result. The following rough sketch will perhaps more clearly elucidate our observations. We have made arrangements for receiving the earliest intelligence respecting the discoveries to be effected the ensuing year in these unknown parts of the Arctic regions; when we hope to have the pleasure of presenting another Chart to our Readers, as a sequel to our last, but on a more extended scale. than |