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 which, he 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.

NEW SETTLEMENT ON THE NORTH COAST OF

NEW HOLLAND.

b. a quid of ro

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:

1o “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.

T

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 a 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

who either fell from being struck, or threw himself down. After this none of them had made their appearance near the settlement.

These people are generally above the middle stature, their limbs straight and well-formed, possessing wonderful elasticity, and rather actively than strongly built. Their colour is nearly black, their hair coarse, but not woolly, and almost all of them are marked with a kind of tattoo. The men were entirely naked; but two females who were seen wore a small mat of grass or rushes fastened round the body. Their arms are the spear, which is a slight shaft, well hardened by fire, about ten feet long; and the waddy, a short stick, which they throw with wonderful precision, striking with great certainty a bird on the top of the tallest tree.

The natives of this part of New Holland resemble those of New South Wales, but appear to stand a degree higher in the gradatory scale of the human species. In person they are certainly superior, and the covering of the women is no doubt a step towards a higher degree of civilization. Their notions of a Supreme Being, and of a future state, are evidently less confused and barbarous; for on Bathurst Island there was found a tomb of a native, which, from its simplicity and the order in which it was kept, would not have disgraced people much farther advanced in intellectual endowment. It was of an oblong shape, open at one end, the remaining sides being railed round with small trees, about eight feet in height, many of which were curiously carved with a stone or shell, and surmounted by the waddys of the deceased. The earth was raised above the level; as is usual with Europeans; but this part was not more than three feet long, and at the head stood a piece of canoe and a spear. The sand and bushes were kept clear from around the tomb, and nothing could exceed the neatness of the interior of the area. It is quite unusual to find this respect for the dead among the natives of Australia.

The soil of these islands, as far as a judgment could be formed, appeared to be excellent, and probably capable of producing all the fruits and valuablē shrubs of the eastern islands. The plants brought from Sidney flourish luxuriantly; and in pursuîng the stream of water which has been mentioned, several large ponds were found in the neighbourhood, near which, there is nỏ doubt, valuable rice plantations may be made.

Amongst the timber, some of which is of majestic height, and well calculated for many purposes of human industry, were found a species of lignum vitæ, the cabbage palm, and the sago palm, with several others, the names of which were not known. There was also a tree which produced a species of cotton, samples of which have been sent to England.

The fish found were chiefly skate and a small species of bass, and the supply of them was by no means certain.

The animals seen on the island were the kangaroo, the native dog, bandicoot, opossum, kangaroo-rat, and flying squirrel. The birds are the pheasant, quail, parrot, parroquet, pigeon, curlew, and a sort of snipe. A few snakes were seen, which, from having fangs, were evidently venomous. Centipedes and scorpions were also found; but, on the whole, the poisonous reptiles are by no means numerous.

The chimate appears to be, in every respect, as good as any to be found between the tropics, the thermometer rarely reaching 88° in the hättest period of the day. Necessity obliged both officers and men employed in forming the settlement to be constantly exposed to a vertical sun, yet, fortunately, few of them suffered, and none of them very severely; the fever which made its attack quickly yielding to medicine.

ON THE NECESSITY OF INVENTING NEW WANTSib anti

2

WHEN We consider the progress already made and still making in this improving age, by means of steam-engines and joint-stock companies, rail-roads and air-balloons, in providing for the wants of the human race, it must be acknowledged there is some reason to apprehend that, at no very distant period, every want of mankind will be provided for; or, at least that your wants will be reduced to one; namely, that of money.

A state of exemption from want; a condition wherein every wish can be gratified, and every object of enjoyment can be purchased; wherein the mind is robbed of the chief charm of existence, the power of forming desires which cannot be accomplished;-presents an image too horrible to be contemplated. If the Assyrian grandee in Zadig found his life insupportable, as soon as provision was made for the fruition of every desire; we may conclude that our happiness will be as little consistent with the extinction of wants which are necessary to our very pleasures.

"Man never is, but always to be, blest."

Under these circumstances, it is the duty of prudent men to look the danger in the face, and devise a remedy for the evil, if possible, before it arrives. Not precautionary measure appears more rational than that of endeavouring to discover additional wants. It is absurd to expect that we can stop the career: of invention: our object, therefore, should be to divert it into a different channel, whereby the restless genius of projection may counteract itself.arvbs

Some old author has written a book de Artibus deperditis, or, concerning the arts which have been lost. Perhaps many of these, could they be res covered, would furnish us with a knowledge of wants, of which, unfortunately, we are at present ignorant. The Greeks and Romans, according to historical records, were acquainted with many arts of which we have no knowledge. That of making glass malleable was one: the art of dyeing purple, by means of a fish, was another. Archimedes' application of burning lenses to military purposes was long treated as fabulous, till Buffon demonstrated the practicability of the expedient. Apollodorus refers to a herb which far excels in virtue our patent medicines: the latter merely prevent a man from dying; but the former, by being rubbed on the body of a dead man, restored him to life.

In the East, there have existed, and there still subsist, arts utterly unknown to Europeans. Chinese historians inform us that Woo-chǎ was able, by means of geomancy, to predict, with unerring accuracy, the rise and fall of kings and empires; and that another sage, called Tsze-kwan, could always tell, by sounding a flute, whenever the wind was in the south. The arts by which men and women, in ancient China, were enabled to get translated to planets, or procured exceeding good places in the moon,* are scarcely. worthy of investigation, as few people of the present age would probably avail themselves of the discovery,

It is evident that these and numberless other arts and mysteries, which it would be a display of pedantry to enumerate, must, if recovered, necessarily lead to the discovery of wants which many of those inventions were designed to supply.

This

According to the Pěh-mei-she-yung, a person named How-seah obtained of the goddess Wang-mo, a drug which conferred immortality. His wife (what will not wives do!) privately ate it; she ascended to the moon, and afterwards became the planet Chang-go.

སྐྱུག་། སྐ་

2