greatest inconvenience was also felt for the
want of water.
Great Heats.

We have had daily the most remarkable
heats. On the 7th of June the thermome-
ter at Paris rose to 26° centigr. where it re-
mained the whole day. On the 18th it was
at 28°, and on the 20th at 30°. In some
parts of Great Britain it rose still higher. At
London on the 28th, between three and five
o'clock in the afternoon it was 39° centigr.
being 10° above the greatest heats of ordina-
In the north of Asia, on the
ry summers.
the contrary, there was scarcely any sum-
mer at all this year, the cold continuing un-
til the 21st of June, the time at which the
fine season in the northern parts of Siberia
usually terminates. In the hyperborean re-
gions of Europe, again, the heat was so in-
tense that the coasts of Greenland, which
had been covered for ages with enormous
masses of ice, were completely liberated,
and the sea was laid open as far as the moun-
tains of Spitsbergen, and even as high as the
84° of latitude. Enormous masses of ice
descended into the Atlantic sea as far as the
40° of latitude without melting.

The months of June, July, August and September were of a stifling heat, especially at Rome, at Naples, and at Trieste, where it was impossible to go abroad till evening. The warmest day at Perpignan was the 4th of July; at Marseilles, the 17th of August, when the thermometer, exposed to the sun, remained stationary at 44°. At Cayenne, winter, which is the rainy season in that country, was unknown; it ordinarily lasts six months complete, but last year there were only sixty-two days of rain, and that slight and intermittent.

Untimely Colds.

After long intervals of heat, of abundant rains, and wasting storms, we were visited on the 23d of August with squalls of cold rain, and weather truly autumnal. The atmosphere was wholly changed. The equinoctial winds raged with violence; at Paris they tore up the stoutest trees by the roots. On the 23d of September, the weather was mild, and of a temperature rather more elevated than suited the period of the year; but next day a strong wind arose from the north east, which dried up the earth, and gave all the chill of winter to the atmosphere. On the 10th of October, the Parisians felt as if in the middle of January. The like unseasonable cold was felt in the south. From the climate of Africa to that of Lapland was a common transition. After more than ten months without rain, and a heat the most ardent, they were obliged, on the 15th of October, to have recourse to fires, the temperature having become on a sudden icy cold.

The damage occasioned by this unseasonable cold, in the two nights of the 22d and 24th of August, to the standing crops of all descriptions, was very great in the northern provinces of Sweden, particularly Helsing

land and the environs of Gefle, and in Franconia and Wirtemberg. At the beginning of October there fell a great quantity of snow in Scotland, principally in the counties of Ross and Aberdeen, where it lay two feet deep. On the 4th of the same month there was snow on the fertile plains of Bayreuth to the depth of three inches; on the 9th it covered the mountains of Urach, Vosges, and Brisgau; on the 12th the elevated plain of Woivre, in the department of the Meuse; and on the 16th the mountains of Lozere and the environs of Mende. It was concluded from these premature appearances, that we should have a rigorous winter; and in support of the predictions to this purpose, as infallible as those of Mathieu-Laensberg, we had the old theory of nineteen years, and even that of an hundred-and-one years brought forward. In the first category the winter of 1817 corresponded to that so long and severe of 1793; in the second to those of 1716, of 1615, and of 1514. But the temperature changed anew in the first days of November, and continued so till December. On the 2d, 3d, and 4th of November we had at Paris thick mists, which gave place to a succession of very fine days, so much so that on the 22d the country of Niort and the borders of the two Sevres presented all the verdure of spring time.

Terrestrial Phenomena.

On the 27th of June, at two o'clock, P. M. some women of the commune of Vauvert (Gard) having washed a number of pieces of cotton muslin, and others of linen, spread them on a meadow newly cut to dry. Shortly after there was a great deal of very vivid lightning, which played particularly about the meadow where the clothes were lying; and on examining them it was found that all the pieces of cotton had become tinged with a yellow colour similar to that of nankeen, while those of linen had lost none of their whiteness. The yellow tinged stuffs were washed repeatedly with soap, but to no purpose; it was found impossible to take the colour out of them, or even to free them from the sulphurous odour which they had acquired.

a

About the same period numerous swarms of those beautiful insects which are vulgarly named Demoiselles or Libellules tiques (but of a sort apparently new and very large) were observed in several parts of East Holland, particularly in the envi rons of the town of Sneeck, subsequently at Hamburg, and lastly at Stockholm, and several other parts of the north of Sweden, where they disappeared. They came from the south-west. They formed so dense a body that they resembled the thick clouds which precede a fall of snow. When they wanted nourishment, they descended all at once upon some field, sojourned there for some hours, and afterwards resumed their course. At night the air was quite crowded with these insects.

On the 2d of Judy, the mountain of Hans

234

Cabinet of Varielies.

ANECDOTE OF THE PRESENT KING OF THE
NETHERLANDS.

Lubeck, March 10, 1818.

It is about 20 years ago that Mr. Neele, a respectable citizen of this place, worked in a baking-house at Chepstow in the principality of Wales. He had lived there three years, without seeing one of his German countrymen, when one afternoon the landlord of the King George sent to tell him that a German, just arrived, wished to speak to him. He hurried to the public-house, and found a man plainly dressed, who accosted him in the German language. Mr. Neele asked him, as is the general custom, to drink a pot of beer with him, which he accepted, and this was followed by a second; he then invited him to take a walk about the beautiful place. On their return, our countrymen went into another public-house and drank some glasses of rum, after which the stranger recollected that it was time to think of his departure. They had nearly reached the house, when he suddenly stopped, and asked Mr. Neele what he supposed him really to be? at the same time opening his gray great coat, and showing a large and brilliant star upon his breast. Mr. Neele, who had till then taken him to be a merchant, answered with surprise, that he must be some great person, and hoped that he had not offended him; but he could not tell his rank. Upon this the stranger declared himself to be the prince of Orange, who had fled to England from the invasion of the French. He then wrote Mr. Neele's name in his pocket-book, thanked him for his kind reception, and after they had bid each other farewell, he left him, to prepare for his departure. Shortly afterwards, as Mr. Neele had some business out of doors, a coach passed him: the gentleman in it stops it, and beckons him to come, when he again heartily takes his hand; it was again the friendly prince, whom Mr. Neele never saw after.

Last winter, as Mr. Neele, who has long since returned to his native country, and is settled at Lubeck, was sitting in conversation with an acquaintance, who had travelled a great deal, the latter boasted of having seen the present king of the Netherlands: "You do not know him so well as I do," replied Mr. Neele, "for I once drank a pot of beer with him." As the other would not believe it, Mr. N. resolved to write to the monarch. He wished him joy on the happy change of his fortunes, and on his accession to the throne; asking whether he still remembered him, and mentioned to him his present circumstances. Soon after this, he received the following answer:

"Brussels, May 17, 1817.
"On reading your letter, his majesty still
remembers with pleasure the acquaintance
you formed with him at Chepstow, 20 years
ago. His majesty hopes that you may always
be happy in your present circumstances, and
has given me the cominission, as a token of

remembrance, and as a proof that he appre-
ciates your frankness, to send you two cop-
per-plates, representing her majesty the
queen, and H. R. H. the prince of Orange.
We have no good likeness of the king at
present. These two copper-plates are de-
posited in the hands of baron Von Lynden,
civil governor of Arnheim, who will deliver
them according to your orders.

"I am glad of this opportunity to offer
my friendship to a man, whom the king, my
master, so highly esteems.

"The Secretary of State, MAKLY.'"*
Lon. Lit. Gax.

A REMARKALE DISCOVERY OF A MURDER.

The murderer of Mr. Martin, receiver of taxes at Bilgny, says a letter from Bar-surAube, was discovered a few days ago in the most singular manner, and arrested. The crime was committed, on the 9th February, on the high road, at one o'clock in the afternoon. The shot entered Mr. Martin's heart, and he fell down dead. He was returning from collecting, and had only 130 francs about him, of which he was robbed, as well as of his watch, and a ring. The charge of the gun was rammed down with a written paper. This had been carefully taken up, and carried away with the body. The writing was still legible. On this piece of paper there were expressions which are used in glass manufactories, and a date of near 15 years back. Upon this single indication, the judge went to the owner of the glass manufactory at Bilgny, examined his books, and succeeded in finding an article relative to the delivery of some glass, of which the paper in question was the bill of parcels. The suspicion immediately fell on the son-in-law of this individual: the latter had been out of the country for ten years. Order was given to arrest the person suspected. When the officers came to him, he was on his knees, praying. In his fright he confessed the deed on the spot, and even showed where the watch and ring were, which were indeed found under the thatch of his house.

THE ARCTIC EXPEDITIONS.

At this stage of the inquiry in which we have indulged ourselves respecting the Expeditions to the Pole, and the view we have taken of the most recent information relative to the circumpolar seas, it may be instructive, and we are sure will be amusing, to throw a glance back upon the old navigators who adventured into these regions of eternal frost. For this purpose we shall chiefly avail ourselves of the curious system of geography by Herman Moll, published about a hundred and twenty years ago, with "maps of every country, fairly engraven on copper, according to the latest discoveries and corrections."

"It may not be improper," says Mr. Moll,

seas. Our own investigation seem to have languished from Baffin's trip in 1616, till that of captain Luke Fox, in 1630:

"He traced Frobisher, Hudson, Davis, Button, and Baffin, meeting with whales, much ice and fowls," &c.

In 1631, near Port Nelson, he met captain James, whose very interesting narrative was published by the special command of Charles I. in 1633. Wood's Voyage, in 1676, proceeded no further than 76° N. lat., where he lost his ship on the coast of Nova Zembla, and returned home in the Prosperous Pink, which accompanied him.

Such were the chief expeditions at the close of the sixteenth and during the seventeenth centuries; and when we consider the state of the appointments and the frail nature of the ships employed, we shall not only be surprised at the extent of their investigations, but be led to entertain sanguine hopes of much further progress from such vessels as have now sailed on a similar mission, with all the aids of science attached to them.

Of Greenland (Groenland, Groenlandia, or Grainland) we are told that the eastern and western sides are encompassed with two

vast oceans.

"This land is supposed to have been first discovered by a Norwegian gentleman, named Eric Rotcop, or Red-head, who hav, ing committed a murder in Island (Iceland,) to save his life attempted to make his escape into another country, whereof he had only heard some obscure flying reports. This gentleman was so fortunate as to get safe to the harbour of Sandsbasin, lying between two mountainous promontories, one on an isle over against Greenland, which he called Huidserken or White-Shirt, by reason of its being covered with snow; the other on the continent bearing the name of Huarf Eric. He wintered in the island, and afterward passing into the continent, imposed on It the name of Groenland or Greenland, from its flourishing verdeur. His son being sent to Olaus Trugger, king of Norway, to procure a pardon, easily obtained it upon information of the new discovery. Thus, in process of time, a plantation was settled there, and two cities were built, viz. Garde and Albe; the latter was honoured with a bishop's see, and the residence of the Norwegian viceroy, the cathedral church being dedicated to St. Antony. However, these new inhabitants having been long since destroyed, either by the natives, the rage of the epidemical disease called the black plague, or otherwise, very little intelligence concerning Groenland has come to us since the year 1349. Nevertheless, in 1389, (as they say,) the king of Denmark determining to re-establish his dominion in those parts, sent a fleet thither; which having suffered shipwreck, he was discouraged from any farther enterprise, until of late that navigation was somewhat renewed by Christian IV, who was wont to call this country his

Philosopher's Stone; in regard that it was SOMETIMES not to be found when his ships took a voyage thither; and because a certain Dane, in 1626, brought some sand from thence which was of the same colour and weight with gold."

The hardships endured by many of the early adventurers, and the miserable deaths of many others, would fill volumes in the recital. It may well, therefore, be considered fortunate for commerce and the interests of nations, that there is implanted in man's nature a desire of novelty, which no present gratification can satisfy; that, having visited one region of the earth, he is eager to explore another; that having escaped one danger in his progress, he is no less resolute to encounter others, which may chance to obstruct him in the course of his pursuits, If the history of former hardships could have deterred men from engaging in new adventures, the voyage of discovery, which has just left the British shores, would not have been undertaken. The dreary regions that surround the Poles are so little accustomed to feel the kindly influences of the enlivening sun, and are so destitute of the ordinary productions of the earth in happier climates, that little less than one whole quarter of the globe is by its sterility rendered uninhabitable by human beings, and but thinly occupied by a very inconsiderable number of the brute creation.

The many and almost insuperable difficulties that must therefore be expected in traversing these forlorn deserts, where no relief is to be expected, but from the favourable interposition of that Power, whose provi dence extends to the remotest corners of the earth, is, upon reflection, enough to cool the ardour of the most enterprising minds.

In our present statement we have passed over the claims made by the Icelanders in 1001, under Biarn, and of the Germans, in 1484, under Martin Behens,t of Nuremberg, to this discovery, because they are unsup ported by any later writer; and have confined ourselves to such attempts only as are well authenticated, and their results sufficiently known.

From the whole it appears certain that though Spitzbergen was also called Northeast Greenland, there was undoubtedly a colony once, settled on the east side of Old Greenland, which was sometimes approachable and oftentimes blocked up within an icy barrier. Whether this land may be again visited, and what remains of its former condition, are problems which the enterprise of our bold sailors will probably solve within a few months, and in the interim, we trust this brief retrospect at the long past exploits of their predecessors will not be read without adding to that strong feeling of interest which accompanies their adventure.

Lon. Lit. Gaz.

* Journal de la Belgique, Dec. 5, 1816. writers of good repute. Torsæus and Angrim Jouas, two Icelandic