I was delighted with Rotterdam; the novelty of the scene, so different to any thing I had before seen, amused me greatly, and the weather, during our stay, though cold, was tolerably fine. The streets are so much alike, that it is difficult for a stranger to know where he is. The canals run through each, and it is possible to walk off the pavement into the vessels which are alongside. There are two draw-bridges in almost every street; but as foot-passengers are frequently obliged to wait while these are let down, the quietest way of proceeding is to cross the canal in a treckschuyt, which is continually worked backward and forward by two men: the price of a passage over is the fifth part of an English penny. The houses are brick, from four to six stories high. The cleanliness of the Dutch, with respect to their dwellings, has always been proverbial. There is not any railing on the sides of the canals; thus, on a dark night even carriages run great risks, and if the Dutch were as renowned for incbriety as the English, I think numerous accidents would occur. We unfortunately lost ourselves one evening, and you can have no idea of our distress, for neither French nor English were, at first, of any service to us, and we walked in vain up and down the streets. At last we knocked at a merchant's house, as the last resource, in the hope of meeting with some civilized being. To our great joy, a clerk appeared, who, with all his stupidity, could just understand enough French to make out our tale of sorrow, and to take pity on our distress. He accompanied us as far as the inn, at the sight of which, we offered up the humble but sincere ejaculation of, thank God! I have before observed that the Dutch women are generally pretty; and their dress is perfectly neat, though rather outre. They wear immense hats, which might occasionally answer the purpose of umbrellas. They are set up in the air, and lined with printed linen. I, at that time had a small French hat, which greatly amused the Dutch ladies. Their caps fit their heads closely; but I shall not enter into a detail of the ladies, and shall content myself with observing that the gentlemen, in opposition to the ladies, (a thing not uncommon,) wear remarkable small hats. There are a number of churches at VOL. 1.-No. vi. 58 Rotterdam; and I think I was informed forty-two streets exactly abke. The Dutch are accustomed from their childhood to make and drink spirits, but they have not any pernicious effect upon their constitution; nay, they affirm that the climate is such as to render the use of them absolutely necessary. I must, however, once more introduce the French officer to your notice, who, during our journey, having heard my mother and self express our dislike to the custom of smoking; politely requested a man who was puffing smoke in our faces, to refrain from such indecorum, as it was particularly unpleasant to the ladies. The Dutchman made no reply, but turned round in order to annoy us the more. The officer again intreated him to put away his pipe. The Dutchman persevered. This was too much for French politeness to submit to, and he quietly broke the man's pipe, which put him into a complete rage. The Frenchman put his hand to his sword. I began to be alarmed, and begged him to say no more. The Dutchman descended, and was forced to walk many miles. At parting he wished all the French and ladies at a far distant region, you may guess where. The captain came on the Sunday morning to inform us he should sail that evening, and wished us to go on board. The vessel was not larger than a Gravesend boat, say fifty tons, with a cabin of miserable dimensions; but were I to describe all we suffered in the passage, independent of our narrow escape from shipwreck, I might fill a quire of paper. I shall, therefore, pass over our sea voyage, and arrive at Gravesend as quickly as possible, where, after all our fatigues, dangers and perils were made known, the English had the cruelty to forbid our landing till the following day, while in despair we began to dress potatoes, the only provision on board. We were absolutely famished. But fortunately the lieutenant's conscience accused him, I judged so at least, for by the time our frugal repast was prepared, a boat came alongside to take us to the alien office, where we met a few more barbarous John Bulls, and were obliged to answer all their questions ere we were allowed to go to an inn. So much for English customs! So much for English politeness!! L. M. B. IN ART. 6. LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. DOMESTIC. N New-York, Philadelphia, &c. the following works have been republished, by the principal booksellers: Considerations of the Principal Events of the French Revolution, by the Baroness DE STAEL. Lectures on the History of Literature, Ancient and Modern, from the German of FREDERICK SCHLEGEL. SASS' Journey to Rome and Naples, in 1817. Felix Alvarez, or Manners in Spain, by A. DALLAS, Esq. Account of a Voyage of Discovery, to the West Coast of Corea, and the Great Loo-Choo Islands, &c. by Capt. B. HALL. New Tales, by Mrs. Orie. Letters, during a Tour through some parts of France, Savoy, Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands, in the Summer of 1817. By THOMAS RAFFLES, A. M. COLLINS & Co. have published Capt. RILEY'S NARRATIVE, third edition. To which is now added, a New and Interesting Narrative of the Shipwreck of the ship Oswego, on the Coast of South Barbary, by JUDAR PADDOCK, her late Master. EDWARD EARLE, Philadelphia, has published a new and original Poem, entitled, The Mariner, by ARCHIBALD JOHN STON. At Elizabethtown, N. J. a new paper, called the Elizabethtown Gazette, is published by J. & E. SANDERSON. Since the restoration of Eastport to the United States, a weekly paper has been established there, called the Eastport Sentinel, and Passamaquoddy Observer. PAUL ALLEN, Esq. has issued proposals for establishing a new daily paper in Baltimore, to be called the Morning Chronicle. Proposals are in circulation for publishing a German Monthly Journal, octavo form, in this city, to be entitled, DER DEUTSCHE FREUND,-The German Friend. This journal will be calculated to entertain and instruct. "In the pursuit of truth, the history of the times, religious intelligence, and news in literature and the arts, shall be noticed." The editor will be assisted by able coadjutors in the United States and abroad, and efforts will be made to render this publication interesting and useful. Should the plan meet with sufficient encouragement, the first number will appear on the 1st January, 1819, edited by the Rev. F. C. SCHAEFFER, Pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in this city, Teacher of the German Language, and Member of several learned Societies. As soon as adviseable, the German Friend will be issued weekly. KIRK & MERCEIN, have in press, The Identity of Junius, with a Distinguished Character, &c. To be printed from the second London edition, corrected and enlarged. THOMAS G. FESSENDEN, Esq. has published a poem, entitled "The Ladies' Monitor." R. & W. A. BARTOW, New-York, have commenced the republication of the Youth's Magazine, or Evangelical Miscellany," New Series," from the London edition. The first number of the Journal of the Times, edited at Baltimore, by PAUL ALLEN, Esq. has appeared, and is an excellent and a very promising specimen of the talents and taste of its conductor. J. G. BOGERT, Esq. of this city, has in preparation for publication, a Treatise on Extraneous Fossils, and an Examination of the Mineralized Remains of Animals and Vegetables in the United States, which will be accompanied by an account of the several mountain ranges through the same, with their relative elevations and stratifications, so far as relates to excuvia and their localities. The engravings are to be executed by ANDERSON. New-York Historical Society, 8th Sept. 1818. The following communication was presented by Professor Mitchill, M. D. "Since my last communication (August sitting) the department of ZOOLOGY has been enriched by about fourscore specimens, chiefly of FISH, in fine preservation. They are safely deposited on the shelves of the Cabinet of Natural Histo ry, and make so valuable an addition to the collection, that I heartily congratulate our association on the acquisition. The donation was made by Mr. John G. Mott, of Liberty-street, brother to my late excellent friend Dr. Samuel G. Moti. During the more active season of a life lamentably too short, Dr. Mott rendered me important aid in my ichthyological inquiries; and in my memoir published in the New-York Philosophical Transac Systema Solaris, carmine Latino descriptum; adjectæ sunt notæ, quibus cum res tum verba Paullo obscuriora breviter explicantur, et tabulæ aliquot astronomicæ. G. L. SCHULTZE. 8 maj. Lips. Goeschen. 54 pag. et 9 tab. tions, I made a respectful acknowledg- TER. Second edition. Large 8vo. Leip ment of his services. He afterwards zig. Vogel. began to form a museum for his own use, but his progress has been arrested by death. He left this world without any specific direction about these articles. The generosity of his brother, in the administration of his effects, has made every thing right; for on a delicate suggestion that the articles ought to become the property of the Corporation, he instantly agreed with me in opinion, and delivered them in person. Resolved, That the thanks of this Society be presented to Mr. John G. Mott, for his liberal donation of the elegant specimens of ichthyology prepared by his late brother Dr. Samuel G. Mott, deceased; that his name be registered among the benefactors of this Institution, and that the communication of Professor Mitchill on the subject, together with this resolution, be published. By order of the Society, JOHN PINTÁRD, Recording Sec'ry. Mr. SAUNDERS, in Wall-street, has brought the Kaleidoscope to great perfection. It now has a brilliancy of colours, with a revolving wheel, producing a most surprising and beautiful effect. The Directors of the United States Bank, have chosen the plan drawn by Mr. STRICKLAND, of Philadelphia, to whom they have awarded the first premium. Mr. LATROBE's plan has been approved as the next best, to whom they have awarded the second premium. Mr. HENRY WILLIAMS, whose Anatomical Wax Preparations have been so greatly admired by medical men and the public at large, has just completed a superb piece of work. It is an elegant full length female figure in a recumbent position, susceptible of seventeen anatomical divisions. Mr. W. has selected this city as the place where he first intends to exhibit this elegant specimen of his ingenuity, and of native talent. Dr. F. PASCALIS of this city, has received the diploma of Associate of the French Medical Society and Faculty, in Paris. FOREIGN. Among the numerous works lately pub. lished in Germany, we find the following: Chemical Letters for Ladies, by W. A. LAMPADIUS. Large 8vo. Freiberg. Cratn. Electrochemistry, by the same. Manuel of Hebrew, Syriac, Chalde, and Arabic Grammar, by Professor VA Antiquities of the Israelitic People, &c. Large 3yo. Berlin. Rücker. The Origin and Diversified Relation of European Languages, by CHR. G. VON ARNDT; and now published by Dr. J. L. KLUBER. Frankfort on the Maine. The Posthumous Writings and Correspondence of BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, with his Life and Portrait. Translated from the English. 1st vol. Large 8vo. Weimar. Regeneration of Germany, by J. H. B. DRASEKE. Luneburg. Herold. Likenesses of the most Eminent Men of all Nations and Times. Published at Qwickau by Schumann. In this collection we find, as a matter of course, our countryman Washington. Riley's Narrative has been translated into the German language, and published by Schmidt in Jena. The Posthumous Work of the Baroness DE STAEL: Considerations on the Principal Events of the French Revolution, has been published in Germany, in French, English, and German. The Sermons of F. THEREMIN, have been published at Berlin, 1817, by Dunker & Humblot. The Sermons and Orations of the General Superintendent Dr. T. F. C. LOFFLER, have been published at Stralsund. These sermons are highly esteemed in Germany. Upwards of three hundred different publications have appeared in Germany, relative to the Third Centenary of the Reformation. Some of these have been received in this city. One of them is peculiarly interesting: Renewed Remembrance of the Men who laboured for and against the Reformation by Luther. The author is the learned Rev. Dr. H. W. ROTERMUND, of Bremen. GRUBER in Halle, and GOESHEN in Leipzig, propose to publish an elegant edition of WIELAND'S Works, in 46 volumes. A Characteristical Representation_of Minerals, by Professor HABERLE, has been published in Weimar; and also Introduction to the Study of Mineralogy, by the same learned gentleman. These works are valuable to the student of mineralogy, and afford a great mass of the most interesting information in that department of natural history. The first volume of Miscellaneous Treatises, &c. by Baron VON MENU, MajorGeneral, and Governor of his Royal Highness Prince Charles of Prussia, &c. has been published by Maurer, in Berlin, and has been sent by the learned author to his correspondent in this city. The illustrious author is a zealous and most active antiquary. His military knowledge, his scientific acquirements, and the ardour with which he investigates and explores the antiquities of his native land, and other countries, enable him to present us with highly interesting results. He proves, as appears to us incontestibly, that various antiquities which have been hitherto considered as Roman, are the reliquise of Germanic operations. An eminent literary character in Germany, has transmitted to a correspondent in this city, his plan of a new periodical work, to be published at Leipzig, entitled, Amerika durges tellt durch sich selbst,-America represented (or set forth) by itself. The numbers are to appear every Tuesday and Saturday evening. Though this work will be obtainable in all the chief cities and towns of Germany, and though one of the principal editors resides at some distance from Leipzig, yet that is the place where it will be published (by Goeschen), and not Hamburg, as is erroneously stated in the Boston and New-York papers. "The editors will not speak of the importance of this object, considering that as superfluous, and indeed as an offence against the truly intelligent reading world, which knows very well how fayoured America aspires, in its own vigour and youthful strength, at the same time appropriating to its own use whatever in the old world has been produced by genius, and pointed out by experience as salutiferous." "The materials for this journal will not be taken from English or French accounts, but shall be furnished immediately from the country to which this establishment is devoted, partly by written communications, and partly by the numerous American public newspapers and monthly journals." The editors proceed to assure the German public, that they will be assisted by respectable gentlemen in America, and that arrangements are made to procure the earliest and most correct intelligence from the United States. They then give the plan, which is truly extensive, and will embrace, "Ist. Government in all its branches ; conseqently, new Laws, Civil Institutions, Finances, State of Defence, and of the Military Order, &c. "2d. Progress of the Culture of the Land, and of the Minds of the Inhabitants; consequently, Rural Economy, Intellectual, Moral, and Religious Improvement, State of the Church, Education, Sciences, Arts, Inventions, Formation of National Character, Traits and Anecdotes from the Lives of Distinguished Men, &c. "3d. State of Society; consequently, Number of Inhabitants, Commerce, Navigation, Industry in general, Manufactures, Luxury, Conveniences, Amusements, &c. 4th. Remarkable Occurrences of Time and Nature; consequently, War and Peace, Extraordinary Appearances in the Material World, &c." The first numbers of this interesting work may be soon expected in this city. The talents of the principal editor, his extensive acquaintance with America and American literature, and the whole plan and arrangement of this journal, leave not a doubt that it will be ably conducted. By this means correct information relative to our own country will be diffused throughout a great portion of Europe; and we know that this journal will circulate in Germany, Poland, Russia, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, &c. &c. A new edition of SCHLEUSSNER'S LEXIcoN NOVI-TESTAMENTI, revised and corrected by several eminent scholars, is printing at the Edinburgh University, in quarte, and will be stereotyped. [It is to be regretted that the edition of SCHLEUSSNER, as lately revised, corrected, and published at Leipzig, is not stereotyped, as the edition now publishing at Edinburgh differs in many points, and, with many eminent biblical critics, is not in such high estimation as the more genuine German editions.] Some curious letters from Madame BERTRAND, at St. Helena, to a female friend in France, are said to be in preparation for publication in London, French and English. A distinguished Chiropœist, London, has in the press, The Art of Preserving the Feet; or Practical Observations on the Prevention and Cure of Corns, Bunnions, Callosites, Chilblains, &c. [Probably as the first step towards prevention and cure the author will recommend wide and easy shoes.] SAMUEL BAGSTER, London, is printing an edition of the Book of Common Prayer, with translations into the Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, German, and French languages: to be comprised in a quarto volume. Professor STROMEYER, Gottingen, has discovered a new metal which has received the name of Caducium. It is white as tin, very ductile, combines easily with other metals, fuses and volatiles in less time than zinc. It is found in abundance in the mines of this last metal. Its specific weight is 8.65. It is expected that this metal will be of great consequence to the arts, on account of its properties, and of those which it communicates to metals with which it is capable of amalgamating. Dr. M'CULLOCH, Scotland, has discovered two new minerals in that country. The first is easily recognised by its resemblance to indurated steatite or nob e serpentine, and by its green colour, on a fresh fracture, shortly turning to black, when it can scarcely be distinguished by the eye from jet or dry coal. It is also infusible before the blowpipe. Dr. M. has given it the name of chlorophacite, from its obvious property. It occupies amygdaloidal cavities in the trap rocks. The second is a white powder, of a harsh feel, but incapable of scratching glass, and nearly as fusible as that substance, producing a transparent, colourless bead; characters sufficient to distinguish it from any mineral hitherto described. It occupies similar cavities in trap; and he has given to it, from its leading character, the name of conite. SCHROTER, the celebrated German astronomer, of Lilienthal, has published an account of the comet which appeared in 1811, and from a comparison of his observations on this comet with those made by him on that of 1807, he has deduced some remarkable conclusions. The apparent diameter of the head of this comet in 1811, was 34′ 12′′, which gives a real diameter of 2,052,000 geographical miles! The greatest apparent length of the tail was 18°, equal to 131,852,000 geographical miles! Mr. Schroter conceives it impossible to explain this prodigious extent without admitting that there exists in the space around the sun a subtile matter, susceptible of becoming luminous by the combined influence of the sun and the comet. Independently of the force possessed by comets as masses of matter, he believes them to be endowed with a repulsive and impulsive force, which has some analogy to the electric fluid, and like it acts in different directions. RICHERAUD, France, exults in having proved to the world, that for very important purposes, the cavity of the thorax may be opened by excision of the ribs and of the pleura; in case of a great lesion of a lobe of the lungs, a part may be cut off, and hydroperi cardium might be operated as a hydrocele. A new method of shoeing horses has been introduced in England. It consists of two pieces joined by a hinge, which is defended by a strong steel-headed rivet, and by adapting itself to the expansion of the foot is intended to prevent contraction. LINES ON LAKE ONTARIO. ART. 7. POETRY. From Lieutenant Hall's Travels in Canada and the United States. ONTARIO's ample breast is still, And silence walks the distant hill; As burst their murdering attack Round leaguer'd fort, and post, and ford, His boiling tide 'twixt mountain shores:- * The Indian name for York, where formerly was an Indian town. One of the Manitoulin islands. For the story, see Henry's Travels in Canada in 1760 and 1776, p. 168. |