he dealt. Having landed on the island, the boatmen asked permission to visit a spot at some distance, that they might pick some oysters for him; which he readily granted, very naturally concluding that they would speedily return.

with similar scenery; the isle of Skye | picking up shells and other natural cusoon became visible, and the three riosities, these being articles in which spiry pinnacles which we had before observed, with others to the northward, were seen at intervals as the mists dispersed. As we approached the extremity of the isle of Trodda, we observed a rock nearly similar in form; it was quite perpendicular, and bore the resemblance of a lighthouse, having been separated from the neighbouring cliffs by the perpetual action of the stormy seas, which beat upon it; it now formed an insulated bulwark to withstand their violence.

The northern coast of this island, of others in view, and of the Isle of Skye, were all of the same form; bold, abrupt, and rugged, the latter particularly so, and of an amazing height. On the right lay the island Fladahuna, with four islands, or rather rocks, on its southern end; two of these were of remarkable forms, the one flat-topped, perpendicular, and apparently inaccessible, yet sheep were observed upon it, though, from the view we had, their masters must have hazarded their necks in placing them there, while the scanty portion of grass seemed a poor compensation for the labour of procuring it. The other island was still higher, precipitous on one side, and somewhat shelving on the other, probably, like its neighbour, converted into a sheep-walk, though each seemed formed only for the habitation of the gulls which swarmed upon them.

We were now in the Little Minch, for so is the sound or channel between the Long Island and Skye termed, and the headlands appeared on every side; but owing to the cloudiness of the evening, our view of them was very imperfect. The night turned out wet and unpleasant, and we bore away for Loch Namaddy, in North Uist, (a portion of the Long Island,) but it was six in the morning ere we arrived and came to an anchor.

[To be continued.]

SINGULAR DELIVERANCE.

ON Wednesday the 25th of May, 1814, a gentleman of Belfast, being on a visit to a friend in the north of Ireland, was induced, as the weather was remarkably fine, to hire a boat and two men, for the purpose of going to a small island in the neighbourhood. This was undertaken with a design of

The gentleman, on being left alone, immediately proceeded in his researches, and sitting down, picked and culled such curiosities as presented themselves, without regarding the progress of time, or the peril of his situation. Growing weary, however, of his employment, he was quite alarmed, on rising up, to find that the tide was making rapid advances; that it had already covered the extremity of the island nearly two feet; that very shortly it would overwhelm the highest part; and that the boat could no where be seen. On making these discoveries, and observing the waves encroaching on him every moment, he became most seriously alarmed, as he was unable to swim, and the distance from the shore rather exceeded half a mile.

At this critical juncture, his eye was turned towards some large stones, which lay scattered round him; and, as the only means that appeared practicable for the preservation of his life, he conceived the idea of piling them one on another, and thus erecting a kind of tower on the summit of which he finally intended taking his stand. As some of these stones were from two to three hundred-weight, it was not in his power to lift them from the ground; these were, therefore, by uncommon exertion rolled towards each other, and six of the largest formed the foundation of his building. On this foundation, others as large as he could manage, were instantly raised, and thus the edifice continued advancing until the tottering fabric became about six feet high, the summit of which he covered with a large flat stone. The building being thus completed, he endeavoured to ascend its rugged side, which, with much difficulty and trembling, he at length effected; and having taken his station, and standing erect, he tied a white pocket handkerchief to his cane, waving it as a signal of distress, while he waited with dreadful anxiety the crisis which was fast approaching. Providentially, the cane and the handkerchief were the means,

in all probability, of preserving his life; | various opinions are held as to its as the men who were at the back of origin; the most probable is, that it is another island, on perceiving some- a vegetable production. Saussure thing floating in the air, and imagin- found snow of a bright red colour on ing it to be a vessel coming into the the Alps, and Ramond a similar matloch, immediately put to sea, when, ter on the Pyrenees; further investito their utter astonishment, they gations will doubtless determine its discovered what they had so strangely nature fully, in this age of chemical forgotten. research.

The tide, when this discovery was Pursuing the primary object of the made, had just reached the base of the expedition, the ships proceeded to pillar; and although they tugged ex- coast round all the land, and to visit ceedingly hard at their oars before all the inlets in this extensive bay, they arrived, it had made a consider- where any prospect of an opening able progress up its sides. Had they into the Arctic sea appeared. Though remained absent about half an hour we are very willing to render all the longer, it is highly probable that the praise that is due to the commander, gentleman would have perished. The for his naval skill displayed in the matide at this place rises about six or nagement of the ships;-for the exseven feet, so that although his head cellent discipline maintained on board; might have remained above the sea if and for the propriety and accuracy he could have secured his position, of his nautical observations ;-yet we yet the action of the water would in must withhold part of our tribute, all probability either have destroyed while there is so manifest an appearhis fabric, which shook with the en- ance of deficiency and indecision in croaching waves, or have precipitated the professed investigations into the him into the restless surge. The boat-possibly-existing channels conducting men made many apologies for their negligence, which the gentleman, on finding himself relieved, was ready to forgive.

to the Polar sea. This conclusion is sanctioned by the conflicting accounts that have appeared on this subject.

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With respect to Whale Sound, in About two years afterwards, on rid- the N. E. extremity of the Bay, Capt. ing near the place, he observed the Ross observes, we could not appillar still standing; and the building proach it in a direct line on account of had acquired a degree of firmness, from ice. The wind then shifted to the the sea weed and sand which filled up northward, and obliged us to stand the crevices, that he could not have towards the west:" this is certainly anticipated. This singular preserva- unsatisfactory. Sabine says, “Of tion he attributes to the special inter- Whale-Sound, we could just discern position of Divine Providence, and the opening in the coast, it being 30 concludes his account with the follow-or 40 miles distant from us.” ing observation. "May this pillar long stand as a momento, to me, and to all who may become acquainted with my deliverance, of the mercy of a wise and all-gracious God."

POLAR EXPEDITION.

[Concluded from col. 607.]

We must now return to the residue of the voyage round the northern extremity, and down the western side of Baffin's Bay.

In lat. 75° 54′ long. 67° 15′ the snow on the cliffs presented a strange appearance, being covered with a coloured matter of deep crimson, which was found to penetrate to the depth of 10 or 12 feet. Some of this novel article was brought to England, and it has undergone decomposition, but still

Of Smith's Sound it is observed by Capt. Ross, "It was distinctly seen, and the capes forming each side of it, were named after the two ships Isabella and Alexander. I considered the bottom of this Sound to be about 18 leagues distant, but its entrance was completely blocked up with ice." Sabine's account states, that "of the greatest and longest sound in all this bay, and which runneth to the north of 78°, we can say nothing, as our extreme north was 76° 53'." Another account by an officer says, "It appeared to many very desirable, that we should have approached somewhat nearer to Sir Thomas Smith's Sound, which presented a very wide opening; but we passed it at the distance of 50 or 60 miles." Of Jones' Sound on the N.W. side of the bay's extremity, lat. 76° 30′,

Capt. Sabine says, "We were near the entrance of Jones' Sound, but not so near as Baffin, who sent his boat on shore : we had thick weather, the sound was full of ice, and not then accessible."

on the water; neither was there any appearance of land ahead. Every breast beat high, and every one was desirous to mount the crow's-nest, to look out for the opening which should conduct us into the Polar sea, near the coast of the main-land of America. We had not run, however, above ten leagues within the inlet, when the Isabella bore up, and of course the Alexander did the same, and we stood out of the inlet; why, we could not conOur com

modore, as it afterwards appeared, had seen the land at the bottom of the inlet. It is impossible to describe to you the gloom that was immediately spread over every countenance, all their sanguine hopes being thus unexpectedly dashed to the ground. At the very spot where the Isabella bore up, the depth of water was 650 fathoms, and the temperature continued the same as at the entrance: the Alexander was about four or five miles a-stern of her consort at that time; but not the least appearance of land was visible in the direction of the inlet."

The last and only inlet of any consequence, and which indeed offered the most plausible claims to a commu- | nicating channel, is Lancaster's Sound, extending across from 734° to 74 N. lat. After having sailed into this spacious entrance about 30 miles, Capt.jecture, but under all sail. Ross observes, "at three, the officer of the watch, who was relieved to his dinner by Mr. Lewis, reported, on his coming into the cabin, that there was some appearance of its clearing at the bottom of the bay; I immediately therefore went on deck, and soon after it completely cleared for about ten minutes, and I distinctly saw the land round the bottom of the bay, forming a connected chain of mountains with those which extended along the north and south sides; this land appeared to be at the distance of eight leagues." The drawing however, given in the work, does not warrant this conclu- We have been thus liberal in our sion, as the land appears in the south- quotations repecting this unsettled west corner of this extremity. We point, which has attracted so much of add Capt. Sabine's account of this the public attention, presuming that place, as somewhat at variance with the account will be equally interesting the above. "It is needless to enter to our readers, as it has been to ourinto a detail here, of the many encou-selves. raging coincidences which awaited us in this, the only one of Baffin's sounds into which we entered; the great depth of water, (750 fathoms) the sudden increase in its temperature, the absence of ice, the direction of the swell, the width of the shores apart, (exceeding that of Behring's straits,) and the different character of the country on the north and south sides, especially the latter, which appeared to be wooded. This magnificent inlet will no doubt be fully explored by the expedition now fitting, and those who are so employed, will have the privilege of being the first whose curiosity will be gratified in following where it may lead, or in putting its termination, should there prove one, beyond a question." To this testimony we will subjoin an extract of a letter from an officer of one of the ships, published in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine for Dec. last. "We stood directly into this spacious inlet; the width continued pretty nearly the same, as far as we could see, without a particle of ice

Capt. Ross definitively decides on the non-existence of a passage. But he appears to have been somewhat hasty in his decisions, and to have acted rather too independently of the opinions of his officers, since the authority of his statements would not in the least have been diminished by their corroborative testimony; but the contrary of this is now the case. We shall trespass a little further in illustrating this opinion, by another selection from the letter referred to above; which letter, Mr. Sabine has stated to be a "faithful account of the proceedings of the Expedition." "You will probably expect from me some opinion as to the existence and practicability of a north-west passage; but I really feel myself to be utterly unable to give any well-founded opinion on the subject. I may, however, with safety assert, that our observations have not supplied us with any grounds whatever for stating, as I perceive has been positively stated in the newspapers, and apparently on demiofficial authority, that there is no pas

sage from Baffin's Bay into the Pacific. | day; he therefore writes of this strait as follows. "From the circumstance of a current being found at the entrance of this strait, there is no doubt a much better chance of a passage there than in any other place; and it was a subject of regret to us, that we had not been able to reach its entrance sooner." From this situation the ships made the best of their way home. In crossing the Atlantic, they were overtaken by a storm, and separated, but arrived Oct. 29th, at Shetland, the place of rendezous, within a few hours of one another. The following pleasing intelligence is communicated by Capt. Ross: "No instance of punishment occurred; not an individual was on the sick list; and not a man lost, during the voyage." The 14th of November, they anchored in Grimsby roads, after an absence of seven months.

I am perfectly certain, that no officer employed on the expedition ventured to hazard such an assertion, because no one is competent to make up his mind to such a decision. But, were I compelled to deliver my sentiments on this interesting question, I should say, that the whole of this land, from Wolstenhelm's Sound round the head of Baffin's Bay, and down to the northern coast of Labrador, is so intersected by numerous straits or inlets, that, as far as appearances go, the land on the western side of Davis' Strait and Baffin's Bay is formed into a great cluster or archipelago of islands, beyond which is the Polar sea; but whether all or any of these straits are, or are not, navigable, is a question that yet remains to be decided, and which nothing can decide but practical experience; and this I have reason to believe to be the opinion entertained at head-quarters; for I am extremely happy to inform you, that the Admiralty have allowed the crews of the two ships to volunteer their services, as it is understood, for another expedition next year: and it is almost unnecessary to add, every one to a man has volunteered for this service."

After leaving the Sound, the ships proceeded towards the south, making a variety of magnetical and nautical observations, and exploring the west coast of the Bay.

In lat. 73° the tide rises about 4 or 5 feet. The remarkable irregularities of the soundings throughout the bay, but especially on the western coast, are worthy of notice; differing from 220 to 1050 fathoms, and from 1000 to 100, in very short distances. An ingenious invention of Capt. Ross's to obtain soundings in deep water, and which he called the deep-sea clams, was used with complete success in more than 1000 fathoms, bringing up mud, stones, &c. and, by an attached selfregistering thermometer, determining the temperature of the water at any depth.

The continuity of land was perfectly ascertained from Cape Walsingham, to 65° 30′ north latitude.

October 1.-Our adventurers arrived at Cumberland Straits, which is laid down in the maps as one of the entrances to Hudson's bay. Capt. Ross's instructions, however, allowed him to remain no later in these seas than this

We cannot, as some have done, pronounce this undertaking to have been altogether useless, though it has been ineffectual as to the attainment of its principal object. The experiments made on the magnetic influence, and on the vibrations of the pendulum, the meteorological observations, the geograpical determinations, and the discovery of a new Esquimaux tribe, that will undoubtedly be of essential service to future investigators, form a considerable accession to our stock of science and knowledge. The field of inquiry, too, is considerably narrowed for those who come hereafter. the result is certainly not satisfactory, whether we consider either the opposite reports which have been published, or the circumstance of a further experiment being made, in another expedition on the same errand, under the direction of Lieut. Parry, who commanded the Alexander. If the former was decisive, why repeat the trial? and why has not Capt. Ross been appointed as its director?

But

After all, however, we cherish no very sanguine expectations of any passage in this direction being discovered; and even if one exists, it is obviously so difficult of access, and liable to so many obstructions, that it would be of little or no value to our commercial transactions with the East. For if a channel could be penetrated during one or two months of a favourable year, saying nothing of the chance of being imprisoned a year or two in the ice, is it probable that the vessel

were once admitted, it would lead to errors the most flagrant, and to endless vagaries and inconsistences. Indeed, to such a length might those absurdities be then carried, as even to render it apparently probable to the minds of the unlearned, that all historical facts were mere fables; that real characters were astronomical emblems; and thus to render every thing which mankind have been accustomed to regard as fixed and permanent, ideal and non-existent. Mr. Town

can arrive at her destined port, there discharge, perhaps require time to negociate for a cargo back, take in her loading, and then return through these precarious and dangerous channels, in a shorter period than at present, occupied in doubling the Cape of Good Hope? The Isabella and Alexander, were seven months in sailing to the end of Baffin's bay and back again; and our merchant vessels can now complete a voyage to the East Indies, and return, in about 12 months. This undertaking was manifestly de-send has thus ingeniously stated those ficient in men of scientific knowledge, wholly devoted to researches into natural phenomena. Mr. Sabine was the only gentleman of this description, who did not occupy some official situation in the command of the vessels. Captain Ross is certainly a man of considerable ability; but it is not to be expected that either he or any of the other officers could command that leisure and uninterrupted composure, which are necessary to enable the mind to enter into profound examinations, even supposing them to possess that intimacy with the different branches of science, which would be put into requisition in these almost unknown regions.

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rules, which Sir W. Drummond has, in point of fact, permitted to regulate him, though unacknowledged, unstated, and of course denied. Etymology,' says Mr. Townsend, according to Sir W. D.'s method of reasoning, is the art of discovering words, by stripping off their sinecure appendages of mood, tense, number, per'son, gender, digamma, affix, prefix, intensitive, and accent. Etymology can change, derive, add, or subtract syllables. Like a suit of chain armour, it bends at pleasure over every part of an hypothesis; and defends a new system, by guarding against the 'intrusion of all the darts and arrows ' of facts and history, while the whole body moves easily beneath its impenetrable strength. Its only disReview." The Edipus Romanus; or advantage is, that if the links are an attempt to prove, from the prinonce broken through, the most illusciples of reasoning adopted by the 'trious theory, which depends on its Right Hon. Sir William Drummond protection, becomes at once utterly in his Edipus Judaicus, that the powerless and defenceless, and is twelve Casars are the twelve Signs of suffocated in its own discoveries. Like the Zodiac. By the Rev. George 'all useful auxiliaries, it must be subTownsend, A. M. of Trinity College,jected to discipline, and the few folCambridge. Hatchard, pp. 147, 8vo. |lowing rules have been considered

7s. 6d."

[Concluded from col. 645.]

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of importance.

All words of more than one syllable, may be reduced to a monosyllable; because all language, as we daily see in infants, was at first mo

All beginnings and endings of words, may consequently be rejected at pleasure, till three letters, or, if necessary, only two letters remain.

In our last number, we promised to present our readers in this month's Magazine, with the rules of etymology adopted by Sir William Drum-nosyllabic. mond, in the Edipus Judaicus, and by means of which, he contrived to prove to his own satisfaction, though not to the satisfaction of Mr. Townsend, or ourselves, that the twelve sons of Jacob are the twelve signs of the Zodiac. This promise we now redeem. Our readers will doubtless recollect, that the object proposed by Mr. Townsend to himself, is to prove, that if the loose, and unphilosophical, and absurd method of etymological derivation, adopted by Sir William Drummond,

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Vowels may be added or rejected. Consonants only form the roots of ' words.

'When the radicals are discovered, 'the word of which they are composed may be read either backwards or 'forwards, as may be found conve'nient. Thus, Cuscha is the same as 'Cacus; Ain-ait, as Ait-ain; Eesain, as