as may naturally be expected, somewhat heavily arranged, from the complex subjects of such investigation above-mentioned; the extracts we have taken from the more descriptive part of the work will, we doubt not, be found interesting. DESCRIPTION OF THE MANGOL TRIBES. "No people of Asia are so strikingly distinguished by their physiognomy and the figure of the skull as the Mongols. They exhibit almost as wide a deviation from the ordinary conformation of man, as the negroes in Africa; and it is truly remarkable, that this cast of countenance is almost indelible, even, by long intermixture with the other nations; and that where this singularity once prevails, it can scarcely ever be eradicated. A Mongol might marry an European woman, in the midst of Europe, and his latest descendants would nevertheless retain the features of Mongols, as abundance of examples in Russia attest. The characteristics of this physiognomy are, the corners of the eyes, next to the nose, running back rather obliquely, and com. pletely filled up; small eye-brows, black, and but little arched; a remarkable broad, but at the same time small, and flat nose; prominent cheek-bones; round face and head. The ears are large, and stand out from the head; the lips broad and thick; and the chin short. A beard composed of detached, strong hairs, which soon grow grey, and entirely fall off in advanced age, is likewise a peculiarity of this nation. spects, as well as in the features themselves, bear a strong resemblance to the figures in ' Chinese paintings. "The Mongols lead a roving life, and dwell in moveable felt-tents, commonly called gurts, or kibitkas. They are circular, and of different dimensions, and rest upon lattice-work, about four feet high, which is held together by borders above and below, but may easily be taken to pieces. The skeleton of the habita|| tion, which stands upon this frame, is composed of poles, which meet at top. They are covered with thick grey or white felt; which among the more opulent people, are worked at the borders with cords of plaited hair. They are tied round with hair-ropes, which keep them fast, and only one opening is left for an entrance, which is closed externally with a felt curtain." THE UNIVERSITY OF CHARKOW, ON THE "Charkow has become better known abroad in consequence of the university founded there by the present Emperor; but this measure does not seem to have rendered the place more flourishing. "Among the professors of Charkow, I found some Germans, well known by their works, but who seemed to me not to be exactly in their element here. This observation applies to most of the Germans, who, when no longer young, emigrate to Russia, and enter into the service of the crown, if they are not appointed to situations in Petersburgh and Moscow. It is, however, in some measure, their own fault. Many of them, for instance, neglect to learn the Russian language, under the idea that they have no occasion for it, and expect the natives to converse with them in a foreign idiom. This is unreasonable; for when a man resides in a country, and receives a salary from the government of that country, he ought certainly to take the trouble to learn language. "The women may be pronounced small, but yet they are delicately shaped. There are scarcely any cripples among them; but crooked legs and thighs are a very common personal defect, which arises from the circumstance, that infants already in the cradle, are constantly placed astride, on a kind of spoon, and, as soon as they can go alone, are obliged to travel on horseback, upon every removal to a fresh pasturage. The skin and complex-its ion of the Mongols is, by nature, tolerably fair, at least this is the case with all young "The building appropriated to the university is spacious, and, according to report, is about to be still farther enlarged; but the number of students would be very small had it not been augmented by a recent ordinance of the Emperor: according to which no per. son shall be appointed to any civil employ. ment unless he has studied at some Russian children: but the custom of the common people, whose children, of the male sex, run about naked in the sun, and in the smoke of their tents, and among whom likewise the men generally sleep in summer, with no other covering than their under garment, occasions their ordinary colour to be a sallow brown.university; nor any individual, without a preThe women, on the contrary, are very white under their clothes; and among people of quality, you meet with faces of a delicately fair complexion, still further heightened by the blackness of the hair; and which, in these reNo. 66.-Supplement. vious examination in the sciences, be promoted to a staff officer, or from a collegiate counsellor to a counsellor of state. "The idea of founding an university at Charkow, was not of itself a bad one, because PP a complete dress to the bride, who must put it on, when she is conducted to him, which many opulent gentry, whose sons might have benefited by it, resided in that vicinity. But in Russia, there is yet too little taste for learn-is always done in the night. On the wedding ing; and the old French mode of education is still too fashionable: on which account people of rank and fortune very seldom avail themselves of the advantages offered by uni. versities and other seminaries. day the bridegroom assembles at his house all his friends of the male sex, and gives them an entertainment, at which they eat and drink heartily. A similar treat is given in the house of the bride, but only her female ac|| quaintances are invited to it. Towards evening the young men repair to the bride's, to conduct her with her whole train to the habitation of her future husband. The festivities last three days: the company dance, feast, and make merry; the youths have an opportunity of forming an acquaintance with the girls of the village, and thus commences many a passion which terminates in a new marriage." “Another almost insurmountable obstacle, which will long prevent Russia from making || any progress in the sciences, lies in the political constitution. As there is no middle class in this country, the whole nation is divided into two parts, masters and slaves; and at present, in another way, into persons who are in the service of the state, and such as are not. To the latter belong the vassals and tradesmen, who have neither inclination nor opportunity to cultivate their minds. The others are much too anxious to obtain honours and titles, which the service alone confers, to devote much time to the sciences. Every one strives, at as early an age as possible, to procure an appointment under the crown; for which he needs nothing but a good recommendation, and an acquaintance with || the Russian style of business, and the laws of the country. He has no encouragement to study the sciences, of which he knows no. thing, and for which he thinks he has uo occasion." DESCRIPTION OF THE TARTAR TRIBES THE CAUCASUS. "The Ckaratachai, in their persous, are some of the handsomest of the inhabitants of the Caucasus, and bear a much stronger resemblance to the Georgians than to the roving Tartars in the Steppe. They are well shaped, and have remarkably delicate features, which are embellished by large black eyes, and a fair complexion. "In general they take only one wife; but some have two or three, with whom they live very happily, and, contrary to the practice of the other mountaineers, treat them with humanity and affection; so that here, as among the Europeans, the wife is the companion, and not the menial servant of the husband. The wives of the princes have separate babitations, and dare not shew themselves to any stranger, and still less converse with him. "The daughters likewise go but little abroad: they are occupied in the manufacture of gold and silver thread; and in making clothes for their fathers and brothers." THEIR WEDDINGS. TIFLIS, THE CAPITAL OF GEORGIA. "The city itself makes but a very mean appearance; for since the last destruction by Agha Mahommed Chan, in September, 1795, great part of it resembles a heap of rubbish, not more than two thirds of the houses hav ing been rebuilt. The streets are so barrow, that the most spacious of them are barely wide enough to admit an arba, without inconvenience; whereas in the cross streets there is scarcely room for a horseman, and in dirty weather,two pedestrians often find it difficult to pass one another. The houses are carelessly built, in the Georgian fashion, of bricks and rough stones, intermixed and cemented with dung or clay; so that they scarcely ever stand more than fifteen years. There is not one large or prominent building in the whole city: some Georgian princes, accustomed to the Russian manners, have, indeed, erected for themselves habitations, which commonly have two stories, and a gallery running round them; but, with these exceptions, no other objects meet the eye,than wretched stone huts, most of which are extremely filthy. Windows are to be found in very few of them; instead of these they have but holes, which are not always so much as stuffed up with oilpaper. "The markets comprehend, according to the Asiatic fashion, the workshops of all the artisans. You here find a whole street inhabited exclusively by shoemakers, another eccupied by the shops of cap-makers, and a third by those of smiths, Silk spinners, silver-smiths, gun-makers, and sword-cutlers, all pursue their respective occupations; and by their public industry afford a pleasing "The bridegroom, if he is wealthy, sends spectacle to the traveller." LETTERS ON THE NICOBAR ISLANDS. Letters on the Nicobar Islands. THIS volume, the work of a Moravian Missionary, or rather the joint work of those Missionaries combined, forms an interesting account of those islands, from the time that the Danes, from Tranquebar, in 1756, attempted to establish there a commercial settlement: the ordinary of the Moravians then, at the command of the court of Copenhagen, sent out some of the brethren to endeavour to bring the inhabitants acquainted with revealed religion; and the colony arrived at Tranquebar in 1760. The accounts most to be relied on, of the inhabitants of these islands, are those given by Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Fontana, and Lieut. Colebroke, in that learned work, entitled Asiatic Researches. For the above work of Letters, we are indebted to the recollections of Haensel, the last surviving Missionary. Haensel complains much of the want of articulation in the Nicobars; and their pronunciation being reduced to a kind of sputtering, by their immoderate use of betel, rendered it difficult for him to find out when they understood him or when they did not whilst their gross superstitions rendered them almost incapable of receiving any improvement. Devoid of any notion of the Godhead, they worshipped the author of evil through fear: yet, as Mr. Haensel remarks, they believe in a being most high; but in what his goodness consists they know not, neither do they take any pains to enquire; though they imagine the world to have been formed by him alone. They are good-natured, inoffensive, and devoid of all ferocity, except in those cases where a juggler has pretended to cure a patient (for all diseases are cured by exorcism) and he chance to fail ; for the juggler, to save his own skill, declares that some person, by witchcraft, has sucked from his body all the art of healing: he then pretends to discover the culprit, and woe to him whom the juggler considers as his enemy; the death inflicted on the unhappy wretch, diverts the thoughts of the deluded 1 Vol. 8vo. London. relatives of the patient from farther investigation of the exorcist's skill. Mr. Haensel describes their inordinate love of tobacco, in the following passage, while he yet proves how much fonder they were of rendering the rites of hospitality. "When they had nothing to sell, they would come and fetch their portion of tobacco, which we never refused them as long as we had any, till by the non-arrival of the ship, we were left entirely without it. We therefore told the captain of the village, that as we had no more tobacco, the people need not bring us any more provisions, for we had nothing to give in exchange. The captain did as we desired, yet on the very next day we were supplied more plentifully than ever with the things we wanted. They would not even wait for pay, but hung up their fruit and meat about the house, and went away. We called after them, and told them how we were situated. Their answer was, when you had plenty of tobacco, you gave us as much as you could spare; now, though you have got no more of it, we have provisions enough, and you shall have as much as you want, as long as we have any, till you get more to bacco." Mr. Haensel collected above eighty different species of serpents in these islands, and mentions, in particular, a red scorpion, the bite of which is extremely venomous, and he speaks also of the Nicobar bats, which are as large as a common cat; some of which have heads like dogs, and others like cats; but the insects, unlike those of other warm climates, are neither noxious nor troublesome. A malignant fever and a liver complaint are, however, prevalent and generally fatal; and proved particularly so to the Missionaries. On the failure of the mission, Mr. Haensel speaks with a humility and sincerity which highly interests the admiration and feelings of the reader. "I cannot help observing, that when we speak of the total failure of cur endeavours, we have cause, in a great degree, to blame ourselves. For my part, I must confess, with humble shame, that I soon lost my faith and courage, brotherly love having ceased to prevail between us. It is true, our trials were great, and the prospect most gloomy; but we have seen, in other instances, what the Lord can do, by removing obstacles, and giving strength to his servants if they are one in spirit, pray, and live together in unity, and prefer each other in love. This was too much wanting during the latter part of our abode." In another part of the work, he treats thus feelingly on the same subject : "Oh! how many thousand tears have I shed during that period of distress and trouble! I will not affirm that they were all of that kind, which I might with David pray unto the Lord," to put into his bottle," and ask, "are they not in thy book?" For I was not yet fully acquainted with the ways of this people, and had not yet a heart wholly resigned to all his dealing. Oftentimes self. will, unbelief, and repining at our hard lot, When Mr. Haensel was sent to break up the establishment, and bring the last surviving Missionary from Tranquebar, he affectingly describes the sensations with which he executed the task : "Words cannot express the painful sensations which crowded into my mind while I was executing this task, and making a final conclusion of the labours of the bretheren in the Nicobar Islands! "When I beheld our burying-ground, where eleven of my brethren had their resting place, as seed sown in a barren laud, I burst into tears, and exclaimed," surely all this cannot have been done in vain !" Often had I visit. this place, and sat down and wept at their graves." BRAND'S POPULAR ANTIQUITIES. Brand's Popular Antiquities, arranged and revised, with Additions, by Henry Ellis, F.R. S.-London. WE are here presented with the revival of a work which was published, we believe, about the middle of the last century, and which threw much light on many of the ancient customs observed by our forefathers, and still continued, by long habit, amongst their numerous progeny. The author begins in the first volume with New Year's Eve, when the wassail bowl was drank at twelve o'clock, to drink the old year out and the new one in: and this custom is yet regularly observed by all lovers of conviviality, and who are fond of drinking the grace-cup on every occasion. Twelfth-day is the next wassailing which the present compiler of this instructive work describes, and which he relates in the following manner, as observed in Gloucestershire : "At the approach of the evening, on the vigil of the Twelfth-day, the farmers, with their servants, meet together; and about six o'clock walk out to a field where wheat is growing. In the highest part of the ground, twelve small fires, and one large oue are lighted up. The attendants, headed by the master of the family, pledge the company in old cider, which circulates freely on these occasions. A circle is formed round the large fire, when a general shout and hallcoing takes place, which you have answered from all the adjacent villages. Sometimes fifty or sixty of these fires may be all seen at once. This being finish. ed, the company return home, where the good housewife and her maids, are preparing a good supper. A large cake is always provided, with a hole in the middle. After supper, the company all attend the bailiff (or head of the oxen) to the wain-house, where the following particulars are observed. The master, at the head of his friends, fills the cup, generally of strong ale, and stands opposite to the first or finest of his oxen. He then pledges him in a curious toast, the company follow his example with all the other oxen, addressing each by his name. This being finished, the large cake is produced, and, with much ceremony, put on the horn of the first ex, through the hole above mentioned. The ox is then tickled, to make him toss his head: if he throws the cake behind, then it is the perquisite of the mistress; if before, the bailiff himself claims the prize. The company then return to the house, the doors of which they find locked, nor will they be opened until some joyous songs are sung. On their gaining admission, a scene of mirth and jolity ensues, and which lasts the greater part of the night." Mr. Brand has often quoted verses from the Hesperides of Herrick, which serve to throw much elucidation on the established customs of our ancestors; as on the drawing for King and Queen on Twelfth-night. "Now, now the time comes, With the cake full of plumbs, When beanes the King and the sport here; Besides we must know, The pea also, Must revel as Queen of the court here." He then mentions an old Norman custom observed on this night. "A superstitious notion prevails in the western parts of Devonshire, that at twelve o'clock at night, on Christmas eve, the oxen, in their stalls, are always found on their knees, as in an attitude of devotion; and that since the alteration of the style, they continue to do this only on the eve of Old Christmas-day. An honest countryman, being on the edge of St. Stephen's Down, near Launceston, Cornwall, informed me, October 28, 1790, that he once, with some others, made a trial of the truth of the above; and watching several oxen in their stalls on Christmas, at twelve o'clock at night, they observed the two oldest oxen only fall upon their knees, and as he "In Normandy, they place a child under the table, which is covered in such a manner with the cloth, that he cannot see what is do-expressed it in the idiom of his country, make a cruel moan like christian creatures." The second volume abounds with a detail of " Popular Antiquities;" amongst which we find the otherwise luxurious Henry VIII. reposing only on straw. For it was the custom, Mr. Brand says, " for certain persons to examine the straw which composed the king's bed, that no daggers might be concealed therein." VOYAGE TO THE ISLE OF ELBA. Voyage to the Isle of Elba. By Arsenne Thiébaut de Bernaud. Translated by William Jerden. 1 Vol. 8vo. UNDER the immediate auspices of the French Institute, the author of the above work undertook his classic travels from the year 1801 to 1807. That M. de Bernaud is a man of judgment and literature cannot be denied; yet like too many possessed of a high degree of classical knowledge, there is a vein of pedantry and affectation runs through his style, which in describing the scite and various properties of different countries, is more easily dispensed with than in those writings which require profundity and depth of erudition to treat them as they deserve. The following account of Elba is, however, interesting, and to the merit of the translator, much praise is due, who while he has preserved the true sense of the original, has divested it, in a great measure, of its pompous style. "The Isle of Elba was known to the Greeks under the name of Aethalia. Among the Etruscans and Romans it was called Illua or Ilva, of which the moderns have made Elba." Longman and Co. POPULATION AND INDUSTRY OF ELBA. "The Isle of Elba was peopled long before the use of that iron, which it furnishes so abundantly, was known; before Rome was built-the Etruscans were its first occupants. Its population must have been very considerable, as we know from Virgil, that it contri buted three hundred chosen soldiers to Eneas, in his wars with Turnus. "In 1778, the Isle of Eiba contained scarcely eight thousand inhabitants. At present (1808) the number amounts to nearly twelve thousand. From a comparative calculation of the births and deaths, it appears, on an average estimate, that the births are equal to one in twelve, and the deaths to one in twenty three. "Remarkably attached to their native soil, the inhabitants of the Isle of Elba love labour, and in the hour of common danger they are all soldiers. Like the early Romans, we observe them with equal pleasure and eagerness, pass from the cultivation of the earth to the toils of a camp. Oftener than once they have been seen repulsing the hordes of barbarians who sought to invade their countrry, or reap their |