line of the letter ; just as upon the medal the of the word

is thrown in a singular manner into the middle of A in the preceding word

are written in a manner which prevents the يت and انت ,lastly ; عبد

last letter being distinguished from that immediately preceding it.

Besides several errors in the wording of the inscription, Dr. F. states that Tychsen inserted, in 1788, a small treatise on the Arabian rings employed as seals, in the Supplémens Littéraires aux Nouvelles de Mecklembourg-Schwerin, p. vi.; and whilst he speaks of many seals which he had explained, he says not a word of this, which, if it had been authentic, deserved particular mention; but it is, in fact, only a miserable counterfeit, executed by some European, of the seal spoken of by Elmacin.

After pointing out another piece, as a clumsy attempt to palm upon the curious amateur a false coin of the celebrated Bajazet I., he proceeds to notice a still more barefaced attempt at fórgery.

There is, says he, just above the seal, in the same plate, another very singular coin; on one side appears:

شاه جهان بادشاه غازي ١٦٠١

There is nothing particularly remarkable here but the date; and it might happen that 1601 was written for 1061. But on the reverse appears:

لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله علي ولي الله

We are naturally induced to inquire how it happens that we find here the symbol of the Shyites? The descendant of Babour, Shah Jehan, wasra Sunnite, as well as his predecessors and successors. Tavernier, who was in India during the reign of this prince and Aurengzebe, expressly says: "the great Mogul, and all his court, are followers of the sect of the Sunnis;" and the very coins of Shah Jehan support the truth of this assertion. I have, says Dr. F., now before me two of these coins, of the years 1037 and 1044, both of which bear the symbol of the Sunnites; and in the Introduction of M. Tychsen appears a similar coin of 1064, with the same symbol.

The reverse which the engraved plate gives of this coin of Shah Jehan, cannot belong to him; it must be that of a coin belonging to a Persian monarch. It is impossible to conceive how it came upon a piece of Indian money.

After what has been advanced, observes Dr. F., we must be constrained to admit, that but little confidence can be placed in almost the whole contents of the plate; particularly the medal of Abdul-Malik, the seal of Walid, and the coin of Bajazet. It is very difficult to regard them in any other light than as counterfeits.

Here occurs the question whether M. Tychsen was the dupe of some artificer, or whether he performed the part of forger. Let us consider how far either supposition can be justified.

M. Tychsen says, in his Loisirs Butzowiens, that he received these oriental rarities from a minister of state of high rank; and remarks, with respect to the seal, that Tavernier had brought it from India, which gives room for conjecture that the others came from the same source; in point of fact, the two pieces of Indian money are of the age of the sovereigns during whose reigns Tavernier was in India. This traveller, as is well known, was a jewel merchant, and made, in that capacity, during a succession of years, very extensive journies

journies in India, Turkey, and Persia. In this sort of traffic, he must have had many opportunities of procuring coins and seals with oriental inscriptions; and consequently he would be aware how they were made, and what form was given to them. The advantageous sale of some medals, which he may have brought with him to Europe, might subsequently have induced him to make these articles an object of commercial speculation. What he met with not answering his purposes, he might endeavour to supply them by his own means. It must also be admitted, that during his stay of several years in the East, he must have acquired some knowledge of the languages, different modes of writing, and history of Asia. He could not be ignorant, therefore, of what would be of a nature most to interest European orientalists, and amateurs of the antiquities of that country, in Europe; and he must have considered himself better qualified than any other person to gratify their curiosity. A coin of that period when the Arabs first began to issue their currency, or the seal of one of the most celebrated caliphs of the house of the Ommiades, under whose reign the Arabs extended their vast conquests towards the East and the West, in Transoxania and in Spain, or a coin of an Ottoman sultan, who had been once the terror of Christian countries, and who, according to fabulous accounts, had been enclosed by Tamerlane in an iron cage; such articles must naturally have appeared to him to possess interest in the eyes of the learned and of collectors of antiquities, and to be certain of a profitable sale in Europe. He had not the smallest reason to apprehend that his deception would be discovered, if he fabricated these pieces himself, or procured oriental artists (Armenians or Jews) to make them according to his directions. At this period the study of palæography and oriental literature was yet in its infancy. Probably, however, he might have had no interested object in his proceeding: his trade might have yielded him profit enough to leave no temptation to increase it by these expedients. Perhaps he might have had no other design in manufacturing these curiosities, than to indulge himself in an innocent mystification of some European orientalist, whose weakness he was acquainted with.

With respect to the second supposition, namely, that M. Tychsen himself manufactured the coins of Abdul-Malik and of Bajazet, as well as the seal of Walid, the following considerations may perhaps give room for believing it.

1. In the first place, the mysterious conduct of M. Tychsen upon the subject of the source whence he received these articles, which would have been superfluous if the person had believed in their authenticity, or if Tychsen, at least, imagined that what he had in his hands had been genuine.

2. The variation in his statements; declaring first that he had seen the coin itself of Adul-Malik, and then that he had seen only an impression.

3. That the only genuine coin in the plate (which contains five) is placed first (to discourage further scrutiny).

4. That in the Loisirs Butzowiens, he does not, upon the subject of the medal of Abdul-Malik, say a single word about Elmacin, whom, however, he has elsewhere cited; and does not apparently call to mind that, according to his author, it was Heddjadj who began in 76 to strike derhams, which bore, like the piece in question, this legend, all, and which were bad, both as to weight and alloy. It is difficult to believe that this ignorance of the passage in Elmacin was not pretended; and that he did not wish to leave to others the office of pointing out the perfect resemblance between this piece and those mentioned by Elmacin.

5. That

5. That he wished, thirty-five years afterwards, to read at the top of the reverse of this coin the word, which is actually found on the coins of Abdul-Malik, though not known to him until Adler and others had remarked it in Soyouty; and then he wished to give it the date of 72 or 75, because he discovered that all the other later coins of Abdul-Malik bore the ordinary inscription.

6. The gross solecism in, and which is precisely in the manner of Tychsen: for when he attempted to write Arabic, he often fell into errors of this kind, in regard to the use or omission of the article,

Dr. Fræhn, nevertheless, with great candour, concludes this summary of the evidence by declaring, that he would rather adopt the first of the two suppositions; leaving to others the office of deciding the degree of probability attached to the other. The Baron de Sacy, however, in a note on this part of the article, is of opinion, that the world will think differently; and will not fix upon the memory of Tavernier the stain of an imposture, from whichquhe thinks, that of Tychsen can scarcely be defended.

Dr. Fræhn proceeds further to remark, what appears to furnish additional proof of the criminal knowledge possessed by M. Tychsen, namely, that at a later period, he either discovered himself the trick which had been played him, or the grossness of his own attempt at imposition. This conclusion is suggested by the silence which he afterwards preserved with respect to this plate. He would doubtless have maintained the same reserve as to the medal of AbdulMalik and of Heddjadj, to which he referred neither in the Schediasma de Init. Monet. Arab., nor in his notes on Makrizy's History of Coins, published by him; had he not been, as it were, provoked by Adler, and forced to give some explanation. Yet how does he speak of it in his Introduction? As a man who dreads that another will detect his artifice; it is therefore, he talks all on a sudden, of an impression in isinglass which he had had, and of the inaccuracy of the engraving; and although, according to him, the authenticity of this piece is justified by Makrizy and others, and although he fancies he can account for the difference between this medal and the ordinary type; he nevertheless suffers the expressions suspectus and spurius to escape him. If the case had not been as we suppose, why should he make this confession? According to all appearance, he had not yet perceived either the alterations in the Cufic character, or the violations of orthography and grammar. Why then should he believe this medal liable to doubt, and even false?

M. Tychsen is unhappily (perhaps fortunately for him) no more: M. Hartmann, of Rostock, who wrote his life (and is satisfied that the articles are forgeries), possesses the means, it is imagined, of removing all doubts upon this subject. Dr. Fræhn calls upon him to dispel them, by publishing the information to be obtained from the impressions of medals, the numismatie catalogues, and the correspondence of the late M. Tychsen. The literary world will, we apprehend, think that this call should be promptly obeyed; in order that if any mitigating circumstances exist they should be immediately known; and because a hesitation on the part of any individual to give all the aid he can contribute to the discovery of the truth is a species of treachery to the cause of science.

1AN official notification has been issued by the Governor in Council of Bombay, dated 21 January 1825, announcing that a communication had been received from Capt. G. Bremer, C.B., of H.M.'s ship Tamar, stating that, in obedience to the commands of his Majesty's Government, he had taken formal possession of the north coast of New Holland, or Australia, comprehended between the meridians of 129° and 135° east longitude, and had esta blished a settlement under a captain-commandant at Port Cockburn, in Apsley Strait, between Bathurst and Melville Islands. It contains the following directions for vessels proceeding to the new settlement:

"Port Cockburn is situated in Apsley Strait, which divides Melville and Bathurst Islands, the Cape Van Diemen of the charts, being the northern point of the first named island.

"On approaching the Strait, it is necessary to give a good birth to the shoal, which extends to the westward of the Cape about five leagues.

"Piper's Head, a steep and remarkable red and white clift, situated a little to the southward of Cape V. Diemen, being brought to bear due east, and kept on that point, will carry a vessel into the narrow part of the entrance (which is about two miles wide), when care should be taken to have a good look-out, and lead going: from thence an E.S.E. course will carry into St. Asaph Bay, which is spacious, and has a good anchorage every where; and ships may come to until they have communication with the settlement, which is about four leagues farther down the Strait.

The master of the colonial brig Lady Nelson, which is stationed there, has been directed to afford his assistance as a pilot (as far as he is acquainted) to any vessel requiring it.

“The tides are strong, especially in the springs: the flood setting to the southward. "The flag-staff of Fort Dundas, Port Cockburn, is situated in lat. 11° 25′ S., long. 130° 28' east, from Greenwich."

The Tamar, which was despatched from England in February last, touched at Port Jackson, from whence she sailed with a detachment of the 3d regt., a large body of convicts, and stores of provisions and necessaries, on the 24th August.

After hoisting the British flag, and taking possession of this part of the new continent in the name of the King of Great Britain, Capt. Bremer proceeded to Bombay. The following account of the proceedings of the expedition after leaving Port Jackson, is given in a Bombay paper, from a communication by a person belonging to the Tamar.

This little expedition sailed through the passage (Torres Strait) between the great Barrier reefs and the main land. This passage is described as extremely intricate and dangerous: but possessing the highest interest, from the rapid succession of objects which arrest the attention, as well as from the peculiarity of its nature; in some places the coral reefs scarcely affording room for the ships to pass; occasionally the furious breakers, caused by the swell of the southern ocean on the outer edge of the reefs, were close to the vessels; at others the eye from the mast-head was unable to discover the termination of this tremendous mass of rock. This passage is about 500 miles in length, and the water was constantly as smooth as in a lake. Having passed through Torres Strait, the ships reached Point Essington, on a peninsula called Cobourg.

On

On the 21st September, boats were despatched in different directions. The soil was found parched, sandy, and thickly strewn with sand-stone rocks, highly coloured by particles of iron, and no traces of water were discovered. The trees had only in a very few instances attained any considerable height. The next morning boats were sent to the west side of the harbour. Here the country was found higher and the soil better; but no water was to be dis covered, except in a hole fenced round with bamboos, and which was evidently the work of the Malays. Traces of the natives were discovered, but none of them showed themselves. The value of Port Essington is of course much reduced from no water having as yet been discovered there. It is, however, one of the noblest and most beautiful harbours in the world, perfectly secure, and capable of containing a thousand sail of vessels.

On the 23d the expedition proceeded to sea, and on the 26th arrived in Apsley Strait, when possession was taken of Melville and Bathurst Islands. On the 27th parties were despatched in search of water, and at last a small stream was discovered in a cove, about five miles S. of the ship, the N.E. point of which being elevated and tolerably clear of timber, presented sa favourable position for a settlement. The ships were brought to anchor in the cove, which was named King's Cove; the point fixed on for the settlement was called Point Barlow, and the whole anchorage Port Cockburn.

A commencement was immediately made to clear the ground and build a fort; and so cheerfully did every person in the expedition go to work, that on the 21st October, the sea face and one bastion being completed, the British colours were hoisted on Fort Dundas, under a royal salute from guns already mounted on its works.

The fort, which is completed, is built of timber of great hardness and solidity, with a ditch ten feet deep and fifteen wide. It is rectangular, its sides being seventy-five feet by sixty; a pier has also been constructed, and a commissariat storehouse. The troops and convicts have built themselves comfortable cottages near the fort.

Until the 25th October none of the natives of the country made their appearance; when a party of ten was discovered up a small river in Bathurst Island. They were armed with spears: which they threw down, to shew that they intended nothing hostile, accompanying the action with loud and incessant talking and vehement gestures. Endeavours were immediately made to establish an intercourse with them; but they would only come so near as to take a handkerchief and some trifles, which were put towards them on the end of an oar; they, however, afterwards went away apparently well satisfied. On the same afternoon a party of them came down to the settlement, surprised some of the men, who were cutting wood, and took their axes from them, of the use of which they appeared to have a very correct idea. After their retreat a party went inland, and by friendly signs drew them near the fort; but nothing could induce them to come within the line of huts. Nothing was said about the three axes that they had stolen, and other three were given them, when they retired again into the wood. Two days after this they again surprised two men, and took an axe and a reaping hook, and when they were made to understand that this system of plunder would not be permitted, they went away apparently displeased, and meditating some mischief.

Nothing was seen of them after this till the 30th, when eighteen or twenty of them surprised the boat at the watering place. A corporal of marines fired over their heads; but at last many spears were thrown, one of which grazed a midshipman's back, when he singled out the leader, and fired direct at him,

who