_The Niger_.
Sir Rufane Donkin's new hypothesis respecting the Nile, briefly stands
thus: The Niger (Ni-Geir) passes through Wangara, and emptying itself
into the Wad-El Ghazeh, or Nile of Bornou, which is formed by the
continuation of the Misselad (Geir) through Lake Fittre, flows under the
sands of Bilmah into the Mediterranean Sea. Sir Rufane is likewise of
opinion--that "reasoning from analogy, and still more from what we know
of the nature of the country, I have no doubt but that in very remote
ages, the united Niger and Geir did roll into the sea in all the
magnificence of a mighty stream, forming a grand estuary or harbour
where now the quicksand is."--"The question to be solved under such a
supposition is, what revolution in nature can have produced so great a
change in the face of the country, as to cause a great river which once
flowed into the sea, to stop short in a desart of sand." "We know from
all recent, as well as from some of the older modern travellers, that
the sands of the desarts west of Egypt, are encroaching on, and
narrowing the valley of the Nile of Egypt. We see the pyramids gradually
diminishing in height, particularly on their western sides, and we read
of towns and villages which have been buried in the desart, but which
once stood in fertile soils, some of whose minarets were still visible a
few years ago, attesting the powers of the invading sand. The sphynx,
buried almost up to the head, till the French cleared her down to the
back, attested equally the desolating progress of this mighty
sand-flood."--"And if we turn to the valley of the Nile of Egypt, we
shall see at this moment the very process going on by which the lower
part of the Niger, or Nile of Bornou has been choked up and obliterated
by the invasion of the Great Sahara, under the names of the desarts of
Bilmah and Lybia. Thus has been rubbed out from the face of the earth a
river which had once its cities, its sages, its warriors, its works of
art, and its inundations like the classic Nile; but which so existed in
days of which we have scarcely a record."
_La Perouse._
Before quitting Vanikoro, off which island La Perouse was wrecked, M. de
Urville, captain of the Astrolabe, constructed a monument there, bearing
the inscription, "To the memory of La Perouse and his companions. The
Astrolabe, 14 March, 1828." Among the relics which have been withdrawn
with great difficulty from beneath the waves, are a very strong anchor,
and two stout troughs.
_Siberia._
Professor Hansteen and his companions were at Tobolsk, on the 12th of
September, whence they travelled on sledges, the cold being at 40
degrees Reamur, so that frozen quicksilver could be cut with a knife.
_The Desart._
The opinion generally formed of Desarts is completely erroneous,
according to Mrs. Charles Lushington, who, in her recent Travels, says,
"Though much variety of country or occurrence cannot be expected in the
Desart, I may with truth assert, that the passage through it was, to me,
very interesting and agreeable. For the three first stages, the road was
diversified by some irregularities of ground, and remarkable passes
through the rocky mountains; but the course of our journey in general,
lay through an arid plain of sand and stones, about two miles in
breadth, bounded by rocks of sandstone of an almost uniform appearance.
On the second day's march, I saw one or two trees, and the road was so
varied, that I could then scarcely believe myself in a desart, which I
had always pictured to my imagination as a dreary and interminable
plain, with heavy loose sand, curled into clouds by every breath of
wind."
* * * * *
_Stilts._
In south-western France, the shepherds make stilts of long poles with
the thigh-bone of an ox fastened at a moderate height from the ground,
as a support for the foot, and to enable them to distinguish the
approach of wolves at a greater distance.
_Embalming._
There are three modes of embalming among the Egyptians: one of these
consists in the injection of some antiseptic drugs previous to drying
the body; but the most perfect and sumptuous is thus effected: The
viscera are removed, and the body sprinkled with aromatics and natron.
After drying, it is enveloped in folds of gummed linen, and placed in
coffins. The great principle of embalming is the exclusion of the
external air, but much is attributable to antiseptics. One of the
principal ingredients in the mummy balsam is colocynth, or bitter apple,
powdered. The same drug is employed in Upper Egypt for destroying vermin
in clothes' presses, and store-rooms; and ostrich feathers sent to Lower
Egypt are sprinkled with it. A recent traveller found in the head of a
mummy, of a superior kind, a balsam, in colour and transparency like a
pink topaz. It burned with a beautiful clear flame, and emitted a very
fragrant odour, in which cinnamon predominated. In the heart of one of
the mummies he found about three drams of pure nitre; the heart being
entire, this must have been injected through the blood-vessels. Mummy
powder was formerly in use all over Europe as a medicine, and is still
employed as such among the Arabs, who mix it with butter, and esteem it
a sovereign remedy for internal and external ulcers.
_Sulphur._
It is well known that sulphur which has been recently fused, does not
immediately recover its former properties; but no one suspected that it
required whole months, and even a longer period, fully to restore
them.--_From the French_.
_Sympathetic Ink._
Write on paper with a weak solution of nitrate of mercury, and the
characters will become black, when held to the fire.
* * * * *