those occasioned by our sounding lead removing the air which obstructed the passage of the water, the Geyer continued tranquil during the whole night the water rose gradually and the bason was not full till four o'clock in the morning. We continued in the neighbourhood that we might have an opportunity of witnessing the force of the spout, to ascertain which we had thrown several flags and other stones into the bason. At length the spoutings were announced by a hollow noise under our feet like the reports of a cannon heard at a distance. Five reports succeeded each | other, the second louder than the first, the third than the second and so on, as if the cannon was gradually approaching. We at the same time felt the earth shake, as if about to swell and burst. Immediately upon the sixth report, the first spout was thrown, which rose to a great height, and after that, every report was the signal for a new spout, in each of which the water was thrown to a greater height || than in the preceding. The flags and stones which we had thrown into the bason, were darted up in a thousand pieces, even to a greater height than the pillars of water which terminated always in a point. We had taken the precaution to station ourselves on the side from whence the wind blew, that we might not be incommoded by the thick smoke which would have obstructed our view on the other side. From the commencement we had observed that at every spout, the water which was in the bason was raised, and by this motion overflowed on all sides of the crater, but in a greater degree on the North side, where the water fell into a little valley and formed a rivulet which at a considerable distance from the fountain-head, preserves such a degree of heat, that the feet of those animals who may inadvertently pass through it are often severely burnt. These spoutings of the Geyser which we witnessed, were of the strongest and most violent nature. Judging by the eye, the highest spouts did not altogether equal the height of the mountain of Langufell, which stands close to the Geyser. The elevation of this mountain is about seventy fathoms, so that the height || of the highest spouts may be estimated at about sixty fathoms. The surrounding inhabitants who are in the habit of observing the Geyser, affirm however, that they have often seen the water thrown up to the full height of the summit of the mountain, and that when this happens, they always apprehend that rainy and stormy weather will follow. The spoutings continued in all about ten minutes, and there was an interval of three seconds between every subterraneous report by which the spoutings were announced: consequently the total number at this time was about two hundred. Its Nature and Quality. With respect to the source of the Geyser, whether the water which it spouts up, comes from the neighbouring mountains or immediately from the sea, nothing is known with certainty. The former opinion is the most ancient, and perhaps the most rational, as the variations of the spoutings have no fixed period. There is a tradition, that before the present spring existed, there were other waterspouts in the neighbourhood, called Geyser on account of their singular violence, but that an earthquake destroyed these, and at the same time produced the water-spout now known by that name. Without undertaking to answer for the authenticity of this tradition, it may at least be observed that it infers nothing incompatible with the nature of hot-springs in Iceland, which frequently change the situation of their vents. If the tradition could be relied upon, one might conclude from this circumstance, that there is a subterraneous sea under the cantons, about the mountain of Langafell from which all the springs are derived, and the excessive heat which it manifests, would seem to prove that this territory incloses a subterraneous fire which is generated in its bowels. This last opinion is corroborated by the testimony of several persons who affirm that they have often observed the Geyser spout up flames and water at the same time. The hot water of Geyser has also the property of petrifying, which may be ascertained from the circumstance that the stones found a little below the crater are filled with stalks of plants and little pieces of wood entirely transformed into a hard and pale coloured stone. Even in the rock itself from which the spring issues, there are found petrified stalks of plants, and close by it, different sorts of wood, bones of sheep and the dung of horses, transformed into a hard and whitish stone. In a petrifaction of some small leaves of the birch tree, found in this place, the fibres were distinctly visible. There are several water-spouts of inferior note near the spring of Geyser, some of which have many remarkable properties. One of these called Seyder, has been denominated a dry spring, because its crater or tunnel contains no water, but emits a thick smoke of which the heat is so intense, that the neighbours employ it to dress their food, either milk or fish. Victuals according to the assertion of the inhabitants, are dressed here with as much facility as in the hot waters of the other springs, and they contract no strange or smoky taste during the process. A singular fact has been also observed with respect to two other hot-wells in the neighbourhood of Geyser, called Akrahver. In throwing the sounding lead into one of them to measure its depth, the water instantly sunk a foot and a quarter, while in the other upon the same thing being repeated, the water overflowed on all sides. These wells, together with several others have been rendered famous by the assertions of several people, who affirmed that they saw birds swimming in them, of the form and size of a mallard, the body of a brown colour, except that there was a white ring very visible round the eye. Those who are still alive and pretend to have seen these birds, say that they not only swim, but also dive in the boiling water, and that if any person approaches, they continue a long time under the water, and sometimes cannot be seen to emerge at all. It is difficult to give credit to this circumstance though so confidently affirmed by numbers of people now alive, whose assertions are deserving of attention. Their plumage, their legs and bills protected by a callous skin, might endure the boiling water in swimming, but in diving, what is to become of their eyes, unless we should suppose that they possess some callous substance upon their eyelids which they must always keep shut while under the water? But further, what can be the quality of the blood of these birds? It is well known, that owing to the properties of their blood, sea birds cannot dive, and if the birds here spoken of do really exist, they must be of an amphibious character and the discovery of them will be a grand and interesting novelty in Natural History. But without dwelling any longer on this point, it may be dismissed with the observation that the existence of these birds will be considered as fabulous till discovered and examined by those whose scientific knowledge may preclude the possibility of mistake. "The degree of heat in all these hot springs is almost always the same. In the water, Fahrenheit's thermometer rose to 182 degrees, and out of the water in the smoke or vapour near the surface, to 90 degrees. Several springs however, are so much agitated, that it is impossible to introduce the thermometer into the water. But upon the whole, it appears that the water in the springs of which we have spoken is somewhat hotter than that of the hot springs in the other quarters of Iceland." il. Trigonometrical Survey of Great Britain. Our scientific readers will readily recollect, that a Trigonometrical survey of Great Britain was begun in 1784, under the direction of the Royal Society, and has since been continued by order of the Board of Ordnance. This undertaking, which from its magnitude and utility reflects honour on the British government, is at present conducted by Major Mudge. Much important information respecting its progress has already appeared in the volumes of the Philosophical Transactions, and the various memoirs relating to it, have been republished from the Transactions as a distinct work, by Major Mudge and Mr. Isaac Dalby, of the Royal Military College. || by Major Mudge; for instead of finding the absolute length of the degrees of the terrestrial meridian passing through England to form an increasing series from south to north, his measurements, which have been made with great care, seem to indicate a contrary law, or that they form a decreasing series. We have denominated this curious observation of Major Mudge only an apparent deviation from the general law, for we understand that a very ingenious mathematician, who has fully considered the subject, has formed that opinion, and he proposes to shew that, considering the circumstances which must unavoidably affect the measurements, the result is in conformity with the general laws of gravitation. Besides the advantages which may evidently be derived from an accurate geographical knowledge of this island, it is well known that men of science regard this survey as affording the most accurate information that has hitherto been obtained respecting the magnitude and figure of the earth. It has been long known that the polar diameter of the earth is less than the equatoreal, and hence, that as the curvature of the terrestrial meridian must increase from the equator to the poles, the absolute lengths of the degrees of latitude, must also increase from the equator to the poles. This conclusion has been found to be true in a general way, for from actual measurements which have been made of arches of the meridian in these seven different places, viz. Peru, the Cape of Good Hope, Pennsylvania, Italy, France, Austria and Lapland, it has been found that a degree measured more or less, according as the country, where the measurement was taken, was situated towards the poles or the equator. A very remarkable apparent deviation from this law, however, has been found to take place in the arch of the meridian in this country which has been measured There is one remarkable consequence which seems to follow from this curious observation of Mr. Mudge, namely that the latitude of no place in Britain has hitherto been accurately determined. W. Regular Polygons which may be inscribed in a Circle. It is well known to those that have studied mathematics, that the ancient geometricians took a great deal of pains in determining the regular polygons that could be inscribed in a given circle, by the help of straight lines and circles alone, these being the only lines admitted into the elements of that Science. The result of their investigations has been handed down to us in the writings of Euclid; and the fourth book of his Elements in particular, is entirely occupied by this subject. He there shews how to inscribe a regular polygon in a circle, in five cases, viz. when the number of sides is 3, 4, 5, 6, and 15, but from these, by the simple operation of bisecting an arch, it is easy to resolve the problem in innumerable other cases. Thus from the Equilateral Triangle there may be inscribed, besides the hexagon, figures of 12, 24, 48, &c. sides; from the Square, figures of 8, 16, 32, &c. sides; from the Pentagon, figures of 10, 20, 40, &c. sides; and from the Quindecagon, figures of 30, 60, 120, &c. sides; and mathematicians have supposed that besides these no other polygons could be inscribed in a circle by the simple operations of elementary geometry. Such being the general opinion, it may be considered as a circumstance not a little curious, that a foreign mathematician, M. Gauss, of Brunswick, has announced, in a work called Disquisitiones Arithmeticæ, that besides the cases which we have above enumerated, and which are commonly known, there are an infinity of others, which may be determined by this rule. Add unity to any number in the geometrical progression 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, &c. continued indefinitely, then, if the sum be a prime number, a polygon of that number of sides may be inscribed in a circle, by the operations employed for resolving problems in the elements of geometry. The four smallest numbers indicated by this formula are 3, 5, 17, 257.. It is well known that the rule holds good when the number of sides of the polygon is 3 or 5, and the celebrated French mathematician Legendre, has lately demonstrated that it must also be true when the number is 17, which is a case entirely new. His investigation depends upon principles which are indeed not considered as belonging to elementary geometry, I but the construction which he derives from his investigation is as simple and elementary in its nature as those employed for the cases commonly known. W. Letter written by Dr. Tilesius, Naturulist to the Russian Expedition of Discovery, to Dr. Stoever, in Hamburgh. presented by an American Captain, who ascended the mountain in the month of August last. "We sailed from Falmouth on the 5th October, and arrived here on the 20th. In four days at latest, we intend to set sail for Rio Janeiro in Brazil, whence I will write you another letter." MANNERS. -Mores hominum multorum spectavit & urbes. Horace. The return of the New-year, which by the way duly brings along with it the anniversary of my birthday, last week reminded me that my days move on Santa Cruz, in Teneriffe, 25th October, 1803. "I am just returned from an excursion into the country along the foot of the Peak: at this time of the year it is impossible to reach the summit, nearly half the mountain being covered with ice and snow. My tour has been rather fatiguing, yet I am richly rewarded for my trouble. I have made the most im-apace. This is indeed a circumstance which I seldom portant discoveries and met with animals, which we hitherto mistook for plants, having seen them only in A dried state. I have seen mummies, which are found in caverns near St. Andre, Sensal, and on mount Alabasso, and most probably originate from the ancient inhabitants of this Island. For three days I have been constantly pacing up-hill and down-hill. The banks of the port of Orotrava have furnished me with a greater number of interesting articles, than those of Sensal and Santa Cruz. Most of the new species I have met with, belong to the families of seaurchins, sea-stars, and polypusses. lose sight of for want of hints to assist my recollection. "He's a worthy fellow; I have known him since we were boys;" is a compliment to my virtue which my vanity has frequently been mortified to hear from the fathers of hopeful families. What I can still less bear, is the complaisance of the grown misses, who take me by the hand, and introduce me with the utmost civility to their female friends, as ap old acquaintance. When the young women begin to grow civil to an unmarried man, 'tis a shrewd sign they no longer find any pleasure in teazing him. Christmas holidays; and by the help of the sevenyears' war, am convinced, however unwillingly, that I am now turned of fifty. The certainty of this fact struck me with full force, as my servant drew the window curtains, and let in upon me the first dawn of this new-year. A thousand suitable reflections crowded along with it upon my mind; and I more than once repeated to myself in silence, that the degenerate race of men in our days have not their lives secured even to threescore and ten. These hints, however, have from their frequency "The soil of this island is throughout of volcanic lost much of their effect: I am often content to origin, and abounds with an uncommon variety of imagine that the masters and misses have miscalculated Java. The Spanish governor of the island, Marquis my age, and that the sun and the weather have, before de Cassicadigal, resides in Santa Cruz; he received the time, given me the appearance of an old batchelor. us with great kindness, gave us letters of introduction | But the return of a birth-day and a new-year toge for Orotrava, and shewed us in person his two gardens|ther, is a hint which cannot be got over in this way: near Santa Cruz, where we found numerous scarce I irresistibly feel that I am a year older since the last plants, of which Mr. Resanoff, our ambassador, obtained seeds at his request for the Emperor of Russia. The large botanical garden, laid out in the year 1795, in the vicinity of Orotrava by the Marquis de Nava, who at present resides at Laguna in this island, far exceeded our expectation. The Marquis has in his service a very able gardener, an Englishman of the name of M Manus, who with much good nature entertained us a whole morning, with specimens of his skill and industry. He is a good botanist and intimately acquainted with the works of Linnæus. There is nothing at which a man is so much I have made a descriptive catalogue of a variety of startled, as the idea of himself and his memory being new African species, which he has discovered on his at once swept into the waves of oblivion. I had neifrequent botanical perambulations in the interior of the ther written a book, nor endowed an hospital; and country. In addition to other valuable historical in- many a hero of a close borough, or the Newgate formation, I have made a drawing of an obelisk, and calendar, might enjoy his due share of fame, twenty copied several inscriptions, which illustrate the history years after I was numbered among the things lost on of Teneriffe. On the obelisk are represented the earth. These uneasy thoughts compelled me at length Quanzes, the former inhabitants of the island, in to quit my bed in very bad humour; when the aptheir ancient costume, dressed in hides, their heads pearance of my friend George Hanger, who at that encircled with garlands of flowers, and holding a moment crossed the street before my window, in his bone (crus femoris) in their hand; on the point of the long drab coat, with his crab-stick compressing one obelisk stands the Santa Maria de Candellera. I have nostril, instantly revived my spirits by suggesting an made several drawings of picturesque views, dresses. expedient, which has become very fashionable of late, and productions of the island, and laid down special for prolonging a man's existence beyond its natural maps, which shall be elaborated after my return. term. Every one has heard of George Hanger's Life Most of the curiosities obtained, I have myself col-written by himself; as also those of Tate Wilkinson, lected; but with the productions of the Peak, I was and many other personages of equal importance, both male and female, who have lately written their in a particular manner. The fondness I then acquired memoirs and published them in their own life-time, for small types has continued with me through life. perhaps for the same reason that Hume alledges, to My turkey-cased prayer-book is of such a size that I prevent the impertinent biographers of future times always carry it about with me in my right breeches' from being busy with their memories. The tempta-pocket as a counterbalance to the card-case in my left. tion of thus acquiring immortality no sooner presented I never admit any thing above a duodecimo into my itself than I found it irresistible. All the great events book-case, which, though it contains the most apof my life crowded at once upon my mind; and proved classics of ancient and modern times, does calling in haste for my writing-desk, which I had not not in size exceed a Macklin's bible. looked into for half a year back, on account of the number of unanswered letters it contains, I began as follows. 66 My mother's aversion to water, gunpowder, and horses, made me the most expert youth in the country at swimming, shooting, and hunting; and when, in my eighteenth year, I was sent to the University, there were few things to be learnt at the foot of || Plinlimmon, which I was not pretty well skilled in; except indeed the heraldry of my ancestors, for with this subject my mother used to entertain me two || hours a day, as regularly as dinner was served on the table. "My father, who, by much perseverance, and many dexterous pieces of address, had risen to the considerable preferment of Rector to a Welsh parish, was withal a man of ambition. He had early determined to rise in the world, and with this view carefully avoided a low marriage, a snare into which many of his brother curates had fallen; for he looked upon matrimony as an opportunity of making his fortune, thrown into every man's way by nature, and which no wise man would omit. He had therefore ventured, while yet a curate, to aspire to the hand of an heiress, the representative of a most ancient family, and possessing moreover a freehold property of fifty | pounds a year at the foot of the mountain Plinlimmon in Wales. His boldness and perseverance triumphed at length over all the obstacles placed between them; and at the mature age of thirty-eight years, Miss ap Morgan allowed my father, who was then becometations on the text of Euripides; and have more than rector of the parish, to lead her to the altar. These two pieces of extraordinary good fortune, happening nearly at the same time, astonished his brethren, some of whom were heard to say that they should not wonder if a prebend's stall were next thrown in his way. As I was the only fruit of this marriage, one may conceive that I was brought up with all the distinction due to my mother's blood, and my father's dignities. My nurse, who was herself an ap Morgan, religiously obeyed the injunctions laid upon her, never to thwart me in any thing; and I had passed the first six years of my life, to the great annoyance of the earthen-ware and window-glass, without one reproot or contradiction. At this period, my nurse's gingerbread letters had given me such an inclination to learn my alphabet, that my father proposed I should pay a daily visit to the curate's school in the village; but this scheme was violently over-ruled by my mother, who accused nurse of having laid a plot to ruin my delicate constitution and her hopes; and gingerbread letters were for the future peremptorily banished from the family. As I had never experienced restraint before, I could not submit to it on the present occasion; and by means of one of the maids, I learnt my alphabet much more quickly than I should have done with the assistance of the curate. "My mother's care of my eyes and health had an equally good effect on the progress of my education; and by means of my father's library being locked against me, I contrived to read almost every book it contained before I was twelve years of age. Those especially printed with a very small type, I studied with uncommon diligence, they being forbidden me "The forms and regular hours at college would have been insupportable, had I not found that my tutor could be prevailed upon to dispense with my attendance, and to put up with my fee, which I thankfully paid him. I know the Fellows still tell many odd stories of a queer fellow, who thirty years ago, locked himself up in his chambers, and set the heads at defiance : yet I question if any of them retained more Greek and Mathematics than I carried with me when I left college. In truth I wrote several disser once been tempted to propose some new emendations to the Doctor at the cyder-cellar, but was afraid the thing might get wind at the west end of the town. "The cares of the Proctor to prevent my excursions at forbidden hours, became so troublesome, that I made my escape from college at midnight, and next day found myself at the Blue Boar in Holborn. With the consent of my father and mother, (who expected one day to see me Lord Chancellor) I entered myself of Lincoln's Inn, because I understood there was no other regular ceremony required in the study of the law, but to eat three dinners in each term. This encroachment on my freedom however, proved too great a price for a barrister's wig; and although I could have often helped my Lord Mansfield to a precedent, both in statute and common law, I found, at the end of four years, that two dinners on the two last days were all the proofs of my progress which I could give in any one term. "To escape from all restraint, and to be as much my own master as I was in the nursery, has ever been the ruling passion of my life; and has contributed more to my pleasure than my fortune. I was once through the interest of some friends appointed secretary to one of our ambassadors at a German court; but having been obliged, much against my will, to take the route of Hamburgh instead of that through France, I gave him the slip at Cuxhaven, and stepping on board a neutral vessel, arrived safely at Dunkirk, from whence I began to pursue the route I bad originally proposed to myself. Unfortunately however, a desire to see the Dutch ladies skait, having drawn me from my route on the one side, and a propensity to ascertain the form of a Swiss goitre by actual in 47 The Nabob. 48 spection, having led me as far astray on the other, I || easinesses, as the very first question every old friend I found on my arrival at court, that the ambassador had fulfilled his mission, and set out three days before on his return to his native country. met asked me was, where I had hid myself for so many years. As this was a subject into which I did not much care to enter at length, I only replied by observing with a shrug that last summer was very sickly at Bengal, and that the Mahrattas, though sad pagans, had abundance of the Christian commodities of gold and jewels. This hint was quite sufficient to make my fortune in a very few weeks: it was shrewdly whispered that if all were known, it would be found I had in my possession a stone not a whit inferior in value to the Pigot diamond; and in the course of six months I was known in every coffee-house from Cornhill to Hyde-park-corner by the title of The Nabob. "I had some time afterwards an opportunity of making my fortune in the East-Indies; but the confinement of the ship in which I was a passenger, had such an effect on my spirits, that on touching at the Cape of Good Hope, I made my escape into the inland country. I passed through the land of the Nemakas; and was not a little scandalized with the Houzouanas, who having nothing which can be called a handle to their faces, as M. le Vaillant justly observes, have no idea of that point of honour which is "As the world had thus made me a man of fortune, maintained and avenged by twisting the nose. living at large for some time in the mountains of I could not, but with a very bad grace, apply for the Kongo, where I feasted daily on goat's-flesh, and ele- appointment in India. I therefore preferred a jaunt phant's-foot pye, I made my way to the banks of the to Wales, where my father and mother, who died Joliba. Here I met with many curious and nota- during my absence, had left me a very tolerable proble adventures, none of which, to my great astonish-perty. My mother's family estate had, by improvement, do I find recorded by Mr. Mungo Park, in his ments and additions, several times doubled its value travels to those parts. I could name several well-since my birth; and as I found my steward was a very known travellers who would not have been so fastidious. After "After having lost the great river Niger, which, as travellers hint, is swallowed up in the water-cisterns of the immense city Tombuctoo, I journied eastward, and discovered the source of the Nile, which by some chance has strayed many degrees from the longitude where it was found by Mr. Bruce. There was nothing particular in my adventures in Upper Egypt, except my rescue by Elfi Bey from the counting-house of a Copt, who, finding I could write a legible hand, insisted I should draw out for him the genealogy of the famous horse Keelhallum, which he had on sale by commission from the Arab chief Aly Ibrahim. The Bey was very humorous on this adventure some weeks ago, as we passed in his carriage through Lombard-street, where, he observed my Coptish practice would make me quite at home. honest man, as the world goes, I with much satisfaction consigned the burden of management over to him again, in one week after my arrival in the country. The situation of my farm was very pleasant; but the ceremonious visits of my neighbours beginning to grow troublesome, I one morning by break of day ordered my horses, and posted direct to London. I hired the same lodgings I at present inhabit, in the neighbourhood of Spring-Gardens: indeed, as they are very comfortable, I see no reason why I should quit them, unless my landlord insists on my taking them for a longer term than from day to day; an encroachment on my freedom which I could not possibly submit to." materials Here I stopt short in my narrative, for my I had already exhausted all the began to fail me. great events of my life, with the exception of some marvellous adventures, which the world would cer"Some years afterwards, when, on my way from the tainly call traveller's tales. In other respects I had Caspian sea to Mecca, I was suddenly surprized and done nothing, but had only observed what others were made prisoner by a party of the Waahabis, I found doing. It was at this moment my man Timothy, my knowledge of horse-genealogy extremely useful, (who by the way has lived with me these ten years, and had frequently a cake of millet and a dish of although he is never engaged but from week to week,) coffee presented to me, as tokens of respect for my entered the room with the Literary Journal, which I proficiency in this esteemed science. Having however had ordered, because I was told the day before at the quitted my new connections one night, while on an Chapter, that it was a good thing. Your corner for I could excursion to the borders of Syria, I accidentally fell MANNERS was quite the thing to suit me. in with an old friend who was going with an overland not sit down, according to the most approved mode express to India; and having no particular object to of biography in this age, and make up a huge volume occupy my attention at the moment, I accompanied with a few sprinklings of my own life, interspersed him to Calcutta. On my arrival there, I found that amidst a vast collection of every thing else which the person who had obtained the appointment once had happened during my existence. Besides, what I destined for me, had already grown rich in it, and have seen, and what I daily see in this great city, intended to return next year to Europe with a very form a thousand distinct shreds of every colour in the pretty fortune. I was on this occasion extremely mor- rain-bow; and I must confess his industry exceeds tified, reflecting that I had done nothing towards mine who would undertake to sew them into one diving handsomely in my old age. Resolved to repair piece of regular patch-work. I have therefore remy error, I determined again to solicit the appoint-solved to note down for you, as suits my convenience, ment I had once so imprudently forfeited; and with (for that is an indispensable article in all my engagethis view obtained permission to attend the very nextments) such observations as occur in my daily excur sions; varied at times with such advices from the land overland express to London. "My return to this capital exposed me to new un-of the Hottentots, and other parts I have visited in |