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Formation of Coral Rocks and Islands.

To eastward far along the wave,
The wild-fig green upon her grave,
Perchance old Carthage, at the sound,
Started, from sleep of years profound-
-Rest, dust of greatness! Ages gone,
Beneath thy narrow, nameless stone!
From brand of foemen rest thou free,-
Fallen, fallen, is Scipio's Rome like thee.
Who now might choose thy desert wild
To visit, save some man exiled,
Soothed, by thy lone, sepulchral, heap,
As Marius once, to sit and weep?
Or sage who o'er thy burial span,

Might mock the pride and power of man?
Not for thy crimes that bursting ill,
Though Punic faith provokes it still.

Rest, dust of shame and glory past!
Secure from hate and strife, at last-
Lo! redder fires expand their wings,
And thicker yet the thunder rings,
Sulphureous clouds, in masses driven,
Blast all the coast, and blacken heaven-
Recoil the waves-the rocks are riven—
Can aught of mortal art or might
Scatter such ravage and affright?
Might of my Country! is it thou!
True to thy high chivalrous vow,
Commissioned still the wronged to save,
Bucker, and refuge, of the slave,
Thou Britain! 'tis, thus nobly known,
Loud thundering from thy ocean throne!-

[VOL. 3

CORAL REEFS AND ISLANDS.

From the Monthly Magazine.

46

ON N reading the accounts of different or a coral island; the former springing navigators of the wonderful and up to the surface of the water from the astonishing structures raised by those fathomless bottom; and the latter, in valittle vermes Zoophyta, or Coralline insects, I have often been surprised, and wondered how it was possible for those little insects to collect such an amazing quantity of matter as to form islands and reefs from unfathomable seas. We know very little as yet of the nature of the marine polype, that construct these wonderful fabrics; but we cannot be blind to the effects of their operations.

rious stages, from the low and naked rock, with the water rippling over it, to an uninterrupted forest of tall trees. "I have seen," says Mr. Dalrymple, (in his Inquiry into the Formation of Islands,) the coral banks, in all their stages, some in deep water, others with a few rocks just appearing above the surface, some just formed into islands, without the least appearance of vegetation; others, with M. de Perssonel, of Marseilles, made a few weeds on the highest part; and, some experiments on coral and other lastly, such as are covered with large marine bodies. Those bodies which the timber, with a bottomless sea at a pistolCount de Marsigly imagined to be shot distance." In fact, as soon as the flowers, this ingenious naturalist discov- edge of the reef is high enough to lay ered to be insects, inhabiting the coral. hold of the floating sea-wreck, or for a M. Donati of Turin, says, that coral is a bird to perch upon, the island may be mass of animals of the polype kind; and, said to commence. The dung of birds, instead of representing the polype beds feathers, wreck of all kinds, cocoa-nuts, and cells, which they contain, as the work floating with the young plant out of the of polypes, he thinks it more just to say, shell, are the first rudiments of the new that coral, and other coralline bodies, island. With islands thus formed, and have the same relation to the polypes others in the several stages of their prounited to them, as there is between the gressive creation, Torres Strait is nearly shell of a snail and the snail itself; or choked up; and Captain Flinders menthe bones of an animal, and the animal tions one island in it covered with itself. The same system has also been the casuarina, and a variety of other illustrated and established by Mr. Ellis. trees and shrubs, which give food to parThe Red Sea, the Indian and Pacific oquets, pigeons, and other birds, to whose Oceans abound with coral. Throughout ancestors, it is probable, the island was the whole range of the Polynesian and originally indebted for this vegetation. Australasian islands, there is scarcely a The time will come, when New Holleague of sea unoccupied by a coral reef land, New Guinea, and all the little groupes of islets and reefs to the north.

* Polynesia, a multitude of islands in the Pacific Ocean, which, by modern geographers, is, with Notasia, or New Holland,reckoned the fifth great division of the globe, and is called Australasia.

See Ath. Vol. 3, page 338.

+ Torres, a strait between New Holland and New Guinea.

VOL. 3.]

Authenticity of Ossian's Poems proved.

423

and northwest of them, will be united formed by the coral insect; but many into one great continent, or be separated observations of mine combine to induce only with deep channels, in which the me to that belief. The chalk is incumstrength and velocity of the tide may ob- bent on a stratum of sand-stone, full of struct the silent and unobserved agency shells,-which was once the bottom of of these insignificant labourers.

A barrier of coral reef runs along the whole of the eastern coast of New Holland; among which (says Captain Flinders,) we sought fourteen days, and sailed more than five hundred miles, before a passage could be found through them

out to sea,

the sea, before the chalk was formed; the sand-stone rests on a bed of sand,. with a few shells: a little above the sandstone, in the chalk, we find cornua ammonis; and it was easy for them to find their way there, when the reef had just begun forming. Higher up in the chalk, shells are found, and generally single Supposing the sea were to change its specimens. A stratum of flints is genebed, and to cover again the present cou- raily found in chalk; but that may be tinents, (as it most assuredly will,) what accounted for by atoms of silica being at great ranges of hills and mountains will first mixed with the calcareous matter, then appear the work alone of dimine- and, in course of time, joined by the tive insects! And if the present islands force of attraction,-as atoms with kindand continents were once, for a series of red atoms join. In the alluvial formaages covered by the sea, (and the gener- tion, on the banks of the Ohio, near Cinality of the present geologists believe they cinnati, different species of coralline are were,) did these little polypes work in found, generally calcareous,—now and that sea? If they did, where are their then siliceous; the siliceous matter, must, works? Is it now limestone and chalk? therefore have entered, and displaced the The bills of chalk, in that part of Dor- calcareous, while in a dissolved state. set in which I live, have nearly the same We frequently find shells inclosed in appearance as would the coast of New flints: the flinty matter must have been Holland, were the sea to forsake its bed, once in a soft state,-as the flint exhibits and leave the foundation of the coral the exact form of the shell which it surreefs dry,—after the atmosphere and the rounds. The lime-stone formation, on rains had decomposed and pulverized the banks of the Ohio, is thought to be their upper parts, and the debris had the largest formation in the world tumbled down their sides; and were the that likely to be also the work of the masea again to fill our vallies, ships would rine polype? If any of your geological find no anchorage at a pistol-shot dis- correspondents would give their opinion on this subject, I should feel particularly obliged. C. HALL Ansty.

tance from the sides of our chalk hills,
as is the case near the reefs of coral.
I cannot positively say, that chalk was

OSSIAN.

From the Literary Gazette, June, 1818.

AUTHENTICITY OF OSSIAN'S POEMS

PROVED.

HE following has been transmitted

most respectable authority.

is

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the proximity to the highlands of ScotA curious and interesting paper (by land, and the analogy of names, &c. used Hugh Campbell, Esq. author of the in the poems of Ossian, that he was in Wanderer in Ayreshire, Birth of Bruce, the desired neighbourhood. The caves, &c.) on the Battle-fields of Fingal in stones, ruins, &c. ef ancient warfare Ulster, has been read before the Society and magnificence, in and around the anof Scottish Antiquarians, and generally cient city of Connor, induced him to beapproved of by that respectable body of lieve that he had discovered the Semora

424

Family History.

[VOL 3 of the ancients, where was the palace of coveries made, and the convincing tenor the Irish kings of the race of Connor, of of the elaborate paper on the subject, are Morven, to whose assistance Fingal so sufficient to convince the most incredufrequently went when his kinsman was lous,even Dr. Johnson himself, were he in threatened by the princes of the Belgæ. life, that Fingal fought and Ossian sung! In this opinion Mr. C. was soon confirmed by the discovery of the places mentioned in the poems, as being in its immediate neighbourhood; and ultimately by the remains of the palace itself, which has been in ruins since the city was stormed by Edward Bruce in 1316. The dis

Mr. Campbell, we understand, is about to give this long wanted desideratum to the public, in the form of a letter, to be addressed to Lord Dundas, Pres:. dent of the Hon. Society of Scottish Antiquaries. F. C.

From the European Magazine, May 1818.

EXTRACTS FROM A LAWYER'S PORT-FOLIO.
[BY THE AUTHOR OF LEGENDS OF LAMPIDOSA.]

little for three.'--And much more wise-
ly he also saith, From them whom I
trust may God defend me, but from
those I do not trust I will defend myself."

After much thought on the woman I had raised from the dust, and on her I had served so long with promises of unalterable affection, I wrote to the latter, on the 27th of December, these few words :

FAMILY HISTORY.* THE HE sunshine day came,however; my patroness prevailed over all her enemies, and her levees were thronged with visitors, amongst whom my ⚫ Lord Caernarvon merrily said, I hope, madam, you will remember that I came to wait upon you, when none of this company did?' She consulted me on all occasions, and would have loaded me with favours; but I only begged her • • If ——will be so just as to reto advance one of my aunt's poor daugh- flect and examine her last receptionters from the station of rocker to that of how very different from what it has been! bed-chamber-woman, and her brother you cannot wonder at my reproaches, My temper is plain and sindid like it for many And if has any remains

66

(a ragged tall boy, whom the bottle-men afterwards called honest John Hill) was cere, and made my lord's aid-de-camp, though he years. thought him good-for-nothing. Not of the tenderness she once professed for long after this, I went to pay my respects her faithful friend, I would beg she to my mistress in the Christmas-holidays, might be treated one of these two ways: and plainly perceived she was uneasy. Either with the openness and confidence She stood all the while I was with her; of a friend, as she has been for twenty and when I stooped to kiss her hand, years; or else in the manner necessary raised me with a very cold embrace, and, for the post she is in. And if she pleases without speaking one word, let me go. to choose one of these ways, or any otbNow I remembered, that having gone ers, I promise to follow it if possible, very privately, on a day before, by a and on all occasions to shew that secret passage, from my lodgings to the never had a more faithful servant.” bed-chamber, on a sudden my cousin, "My patroness hardly noticed this not knowing I was there, came in with appeal; and my husband, then in the the boldest and gayest air possible; but height of a glory he might have made seeing me, stopped, and changing her perpetual, was treated as if his successes manner into a most solemn courtesy, in- in her cause were injuries to her self-love. quired if my mistress rung, and went He wrote to me as usual in cypher from qut again. It was plain there existed the camp, professing his zeal for 83 and some secret between them; but, as hon- his distrust of 91, by which he meant est Howell wisely saith, A secret is too our lady and her new advisers. Her much for one, enough for two, but too change was more distinctly complained

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Concluded from p. 389.

YOL. 3.]

Family History.

425

of in another letter, which I sent to her courtiers, and to carry a wallet after bearenclosed in one from myselfing the sword of state."

666

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"I cannot help sending this to shew Here ended this singular memoir; how exactly my lord agrees in my opin- and my honest auditor, sending a long ion, that he has now no interest with column of smoke from his pipe, added, you. Yet I think he will be surprised "Truly, if it had not begun about a to hear, that when I had taken so much prince and princess, I should have pains to put your jewels in a way I thought it had been a tale of Lady Julias thought you would like, my cousin made and Lady Rosas, such as my daughter you refuse to wear them in so unkind a reads at school-but I dozed a little, I manner. I will make no reflections, doubt, at t'other end.” only that you chose a very wrong day to mortify me, when you were just going to return thanks for a victory obtained by my husband!'

66

:

Yet, as I said

No wonder, my good friend," I replied, "for this memoir gives us truth, not wit or good sense. before, it is respectable, because it relates to the most distinguished persons of a past age and touching, as it proves how little the noblest stations are exempt from the petty passions of human nature, and how deeply those passions influence the great events of an empire. These letters, with frivolous and sentimental mystery enough in them to decorate a novel, are written by the invincible Duke of Marlborough's wife, and her heroines are Queen Mary and Queen Anne !"

"On the sixth of April I entreated an audience, and the page who announced me staid longer than usual: long enough, it is to be supposed, to deliberate whether the favour of admission should be granted, and to settle the measures of behaviour. When I entered, and began to speak, she interrupted me, by repeating, Whatever you have to say may be put in writing.' Though her face was turned away, I continued to speak, begging to know the offence laid to my My lowland Ben Johnson took a large charge, but not the names of the authors pinch from his horn mull, and replied, or relators. She replied, 'You desired "There's no great difference in the folno answer, and shall have none.' These ly, mayhap; yet I'd as lief be a Kingwords she repeated constantly, as was fool as a common one. An' ye're a her custom when she had been provided gownsman, sir, ye may chance to have with a phrase to shield her against all a liking to thae kind of cattle, and I can argument. When she came to the door, tell ye as strange a tale of the Clanroy streams of tears flowed against my will, M'Gregors, and this very inn, as a jusand the most disrespectful words I ever tice-clerk need put on paper. It's like uttered escaped me I have despised ye may have heard a jeer in Carlisle interest to serve faithfully and rightly-I about a West-riding man who took too have done enough to move compassion, many good cups with a highland knave, even where all love was absent-but and woke in a sack next morn :-but I'll this inhumanity will not be unpunished.' no believe it, for what says the old song? -She replied, that will be to myself :' -and thus ended our last conversation, after a friendship of twenty-seven years. After such high power and envied distinctions, my lord and myself sunk into retirement, happy enough that, like the great and good Lord Bacon, we were not obliged to beg a cup of wine from full woman," read "fool woman."" 3G ATHENEUM. Vol. 3.

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"Its a wearifu' task to swim by night

Safe over the Tweed or Tyne,
But a harder to deal wi' a Yorkshire wight,
And gi' him his fill of wine."

Then nodding with a shrewd smile of
confirmation, he began his own story.
(To be continued.)

Erratum in page 283, 19th line from bottom, for

426

MR

Letters of a Prussian Traveller.

PRESENT STATE OF THE HOLY CITY.

From the Literary Gazette, June, 1818.

LETTERS OF A PRUSSIAN TRAVELLER,

66

[VOL. 3

DESCRIPTIVE OF A TOUR THROUGH SWEDEN, &e. BY JOHN BRAMSEN. 2 VOLS. 3vD R. Bramsen accompanied the eld- spoon. One of the slaves brought us a est son of Sir John Maxwell in a brass bason and a pitcher of water, and tour occupying above two years, from presented us with a white towel embroidJuly 1813 to Sept. 1815. ered with coloured flowers, which hung T'he travellers sailed from Leith, and over his shoulders. After we had washarrived at Gottenburgh; whence they ed our hands, another slave brought a proceeded through Sweden and the boiled calf's head, and placed it on a north of Germany. At Potsdam, a few wooden plate before the treasurer, who anecdotes of Frederick the Great are cul- stood at table. We were not a little led. He had forbidden any officer to surprised when the former [qu, the latattend a masked-ball at Berlin, but re- ter] reached his hand to one of the cognized in the room Baron L, Cap- slaves, to put up his gown and shirt tain of his own guard. The King ac- sleeves; we wondered what this precosted him, "Captain, you are here con- paration meant, but were still more astrary to the King's orders." That's tonished to see the treasurer take the very true, Sir; but on the honor of a calf's head, tear it to pieces, and with gentleman, say not one word of it." The his fingers place a piece of it before each rext day at the parade his Majesty cal- of us. He was constantly helping us in ed the officer aside, and thus addressed this delicate manner to those parts be him, “Captain, you are a Major; but thought most to our taste. Nothing but on the honor of a gentleman, say not one extreme hunger could have induced us word of it." On another occasion, pass- to partake of it, and we frequently shut ing some regiments in review, he ob- our eyes not to observe the grand treas served a soldier with the scar of a sabre urer's operations." wound on his face; finding he was a Frenchman, the King said, "In what alehouse were you wounded?" To which the soldier smartly replied, in allusion to one of the battles lost by Frederick. "In that where your Majesty paid the shot!" From Berlin to Alexandria we find nothing for extract.

Six fried pigeons underwent the same mangling mode of division, and the inferior officers who stood behind helped themselves as the slaves were carrying the dishes away. Pillaw, fowls, and a sort of pudding, finished the banquet, and the latter dishes would have been excellent but for the profusion of oil used in cooking them.

The Arabian women wear nothing but a short blue cotton gown; their feet and hands are bare, and their nails, eyebrows, and chins dyed with indigo. Iron ear-rings, bracelets, and in some cases, nose-rings, also painted blue, are proud

From Alexandria our travellers set out for Cairo, with an escort of two Arabs, camels to carry their baggage, &c. At Damanhur they were hospitably received by Ali Bey. After the ceremonies of the introduction, the Bey observed that we must need refreshment, and begged us to retire without ceremo- ly worn. ny. The treasurer and several other of ficers of the Bey's guard, directed the slaves to place a small round iron plate upon a low table, round which we seated ourselves upon the mats. They gave us each a small round loaf, which was very thin and badly baked, but served us as a plate; there was no table-cloth or napkin, and instead of a knife and fork we were furnished with a small wooden

The Bey had twenty-six wives and concubines, beside favorite slaves: he had forty horses for his own use, and about four hundred and fifty for his troops. Being sumptuously entertained, and kindly dismissed, the travellers proceeded up the Nile to Shebrachit, where they embarked for Cairo. Of course, the pyramids, &c. were visited and Damietta and Jaffa were the next stages at which any stop was made.

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