"I have a very compact observatory built where the needle is performing its diurnal functions with more or less regularity, according to the appearance of the aurora, or other atmospheric phenomena. The dip, magnetic force, &c. have also been ascertained; nor am I conscious of having omitted any thing that the friends and projectors of the scientific part of this expedition may have expected from me." what the Great Chief may do] but we who are born | considered, as to size, the second lake in North Amehere cannot ascend. Upon further inquiry I found he was right, and that some time would be saved by taking a more direct course, which could only be effected by following the uncertain trending of the stream that he called Hoar Frost River. On our rounding a point, this presented itself in a cataract of 70 feet descent, and discouraging as this was, and still more so the range of mountains through which it forced its passage, we commenced the operation of transporting the canoe and baggage over hill and valley, full 1700 feet, the greatest difficulty consisting in conveying the canoe through the fallen and entangled wood. The numerous rapids in the river annoyed and delayed us; but the next day we passed the last woods, and entered a large lake in the barren grounds. The lat. of its southern extremity is 63 deg. 24 min. 23 sec. N., long. 108 deg. 11 min. W., or a little to the northward of the Chesadawd Lake of Hearne, which, however, is not known by the natives. In making a succession of portages from lake to lake, I crossed the same traveller's line of route, and fell on a lake of such magnitude as to be bounded on the East by the horizon. In a north-east direction it led us to a river, which we went up, and again launched the canoe on another extensive sheet of water. We were bewildered several times among islands and deep bays; still I kept going to the N. E. in which direction I was the more assured the river must be, from the general flatness of the surrounding land, and particularly from the north-west dip of a few sand hills that were occasionally seen to the northward. After being three days on the same lake, I encamped on some sand hills at the bottom of the bay and despatched the men in two parties to look for the Thlewee-cho-dezeth, the source of which I accidentally discovered while occupied in taking some angles from the summit of the hill. On the 3d day the people returned, having fallen on the river at some distance from us. The canoe was immediately carried to its streams, which is narrow in some parts, and connected with a chain of small lakes by detroits and rapids. I could not forget giving my poor voyageurs a glass of grog on this occasion, after which grateful ceremony we pursued the meanderings of the current, sometimes with ice on each bank, till the 1st September, when my little canoe was so shattered, the nights so cold, the country totally destitute of wood, and the men fairly exhausted, that I could not with any degree of prudence incur further risk this season. The place whence I returned is in lat. 62 deg. 41 min. N. and long. 103 deg. 13 min. W., about 115 E. of Fort Enterprise, and only 109 miles from the nearest part of Bathurst inlet. We had been 14 days without wood, and on the 5th of September got to the first dwarf pines, about two feet high, and on the 7th concluded the journey, by arriving at the east end of the Great Slave Lake, where I had previously directed Mr. M'Leod to commence the building of our establishment. The two boats under Mr. King got to us exactly a week after, and it is satisfactory to state, that most of the stores &c. were undamaged. Our winter-house I have called "Fort Reliance," from a feeling of dependence on that Providence which which will support us in every trial to which we may be exposed. It is situated on a sandy point in the deep bay, which receives two small rapid streams from the northward, and is surrounded by mountains and red miceous granite and gneiss. "Fort Reliance is in lat. 62 deg. 48 min. 15 sec. N. and long. 109 deg. 10 min. W. the variation of the needle being 25 deg. 41 min. E.; and considering this and the entrance of the Mackenzie River, as the two extremes of the Great Slave Lake, it will be found to equal Lake Michigan in length, and may therefore be "This animal, the name of which is pronounced nylgaw, is a native of India. It is of a middle nature, between the cow and the deer, and carries the appearance of both in its form. In its size, it is as much smaller than the one as it is larger than the other; its body, horns, and tail, are like those of a bull; and the head, neck, and legs, are very like those of a deer. The colour, in general, is ash or gray, from a mixture of black hairs and white; all along the ridge or edge of the neck, the hair is blacker, larger, and more erect, making a short, thin, and upright mane. Its horns are seven inches long; they are six inches round at the root; growing smaller by degrees, they terminate in a blunt point. The bluntness of these, together with the form of its head and neck, might incline us to suppose it was of the deer kind; but as it never sheds its horns, it has a greater affinity to the cow. "Their manners are harmless and gentle. Although in its native wildness it is said to be vicious, this seemed pleased with every kind of familiarity, and always licked the hand that stroked or gave it bread, and never once attempted to use its horns offensively; it seemed to have much dependence on its organs of smell, and snuffed keenly, and with noise, whenever any person came within sight; it did so likewise when any food or drink was brought to it; and was so easily offended with smells, or so cautious, that it would not taste the bread which was offered, when the hand hap pened to smell strong of turpentine. Its manner of fighting is very particular. It was observed, on putting two males in a little enclosure, that, while they were at a considerable distance from each other, they prepared for the attack, by falling upon their fore knees, then they shuffled towards each other, with a quick pace, keeping still upon their fore knees; and | as rarities, and are brought from the distant interior when they were come within some yards, they made a spring, and darted against each other. The intrepidity and force with which they dart against any object, appeared by the strength with which one of them attempted to overturn a poor labourer, who unthinkingly stood on the outside of the pales of its enclosures. The Nyl-ghau, with the quickness of lightning, darted against the wood-work with such violence, that he broke it to pieces, and broke off one of his horns close to the root, which occasioned the animal's death. In the English settlements of India they are considered parts of the country. The Emperor sometimes kills them in such numbers, as to distribute quarters of the to all his omrahs; which shows that they are internally wild and in plenty, and esteemed good and delicious food. The Nyl-ghaus are quite common in Bengal ; which gives room for a conjecture that they may be indigenous perhaps in the province of Guzarat, one of the most western and most considerable of the Hindostan empire, lying to the northward of Surat, and stretching away to the Indian ocean." "This singular creature is described by travellers as resembling in form the horse, the ox, and the stag. It is about the size of a small horse, that is about four or five feet in height, and between five and six in length. The colour of the body, which is said to be finely proportioned is a dark brown. Its limbs are slender. Its neck is longer than that of the ox, but neither so long nor so slender as that of the horse. Like the horse it is adorned with a mane, which is stiff and erect. Its horns are singularly curved, being somewhat of the shape of the Greek letter upsilon. Its head, however, resembles most that of the ox species. Besides the mane, it has also on the breast a shaggy stiff hair, which is black, while the colour of the mane and tail is gray. It is a native of the southern parts of Africa, where it exists in a gregarious state, and in very large herds. It is a lively, capricious animal. "The Gnu is thus described by Mr. Pringle, who had abundant opportunities of studying its habits at the Cape of Good Hope, and whose talents and observant spirit particularly qualify him to investigate and to communicate the result of his investigation. The curious animal called Gnu by the Hottentots, and Wilde Beest (i. e. Wild Ox) by the Dutch colonists, was an inhabitant of the mountains adjoining the Scottish settlement at Bavian's river, and I had therefore opportunities of very frequently seeing it both singly and in small herds. Though usually, and perhaps correctly, by naturalists ranked among the antelope race, it appears to form evidently one of those intermediate links which connect, as it were, the various tribes of animals in a harmonious system in the beautiful arrangement of nature. As the hyena dog, or 'wilde hond' of South Africa, connects the dog and wolf tribe with that of the hyæna, in like manner does the Gnu form a graceful link between the buffalo and the antelope. Possessing the distinct features which, according to naturalists, are peculiar to the latter tribe, the Gnu exhibits at the same time in his general aspect, figure, motions, and even the texture of his flesh, qualities which partake very strongly of the bovine character. Among other peculiarities, I observed, that, like the buffalo or the ox, he is strangely affected by the sight of scarlet; and it was one of our amusements when approaching these animals to hoist a red handkerchief on a pole, and to observe them caper about, lashing their flanks with their long tails, and tearing up the ground with their hoofs, as if they were violently excited, and ready to rush down upon us; and then all at once, when we were about to fire upon them, to see them bound away, and again go prancing round us at a safer distance. When wounded, they are reported to be sometimes rather dangerous to the huntsman; but though we shot several at different times, I never witnessed any instance of this. On one occasion, a young one, apparently only a week or two old, whose mother had been shot, followed the huntsman home, and I attempted to rear it on cow's milk. In a few days it appeared quite as tame as a common calf, and seemed to be thriving; but afterwards, from some unknown cause, it sickened and died. I heard, however, of more than one instance in that part of the colony, where the Gnu, thus caught young, had been reared with the domestic cattle, and had become so tame as to go regularly out to pasture with the herds. without exhibiting any inclination to resume its natu ral freedom; but in consequence of a tendency which | among the tribes of larger antelopes, who suffer exthe farmers say they evinced to catch, and to commu- ceedingly. nicate to the cattle, a dangerous infection, the practice of raising them as curiosities has been abandoned. I know not if this imputation be correct, but it is true that infectious disorders do occasionally prevail to a most destructive extent among the wild as well as the domesticated animals in South Africa, and especially "There is another species of Gnu found farther to the northward, of which I saw a single specimen in the colony, which, in the shape of the horns, and some This other particulars, still more resembles the ox. species has been described by Burchell, under the name of antilope taurina."" with nothing but cats, carefully folded in red and white linen, the head covered by a mask, representing EGYPTIAN MUMMIES, MANUFACTURES, &c Belzoni saw some mummies with sandals of coloured leather on the feet, and bracelets on the arms and wrists. He tells us that the coffins were always placed horizontally, in rows, within the sepulchres. He en-reposing, the priests approached the animal, opened his mouth, tered some tombs, which contained the mummies of inferior creatures, (mingled with those of human beings,) such as bulls, cows, monkeys, dogs, cats, crocodiles, fish, and birds; and one tomb was filled The Crocodile was held sacred at Thebes, Ombos, in the environs of Lake Moeris, and in other parts of Egypt. At Arsinoe, the priests nourished one, to which the name of Suchus was given; it was fed upon bread, flesh, and wine, offered to it by strangers; it was preserved in a particular lake, and, whilst * scended into the water, and swam away, but would sutter itself and put the food within its jaws; after his repast, it usually de to be handled; and pendants of gold and precious stones were placed about it. Strabo relates that his host, a man of consideration, conducted him and his companions to the lake, and there he saw the Crocodile at the border; that one of the priests to whom was intrusted the care of the animal, opened his mouth and placed within it a cake, another a portion of flesh, and a third poured in some wine. The repast thus made, the animal passed over to the other side, to receive from other hands similar marks of attention.-PETTIGREW. WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT. Great London city, thrice beneath his sway Confirm'd the presage of the happy day, When echoing bells their greeting thus begun, 'Return, thrice Mayor! Return, oh Whittington.--BISHOP. We here present to our readers "the true portraiture" of the renowned Sir Richard Whittington, knight; the • Innumerable heaps of cats, in an embalmed state, have been greatest Lord Mayor that ever lived; clad in the ancient costume, and attended by his distinguished favourite, the idea of which is always connected in our minds with this famous Lord Mayor, "all of the olden time." It is taken from an old print by Elstrack; and it is a curious fact, that the knight's hand formerly leaned upon a human skull, for which a cat was afterwards substituted. In illustration of the subject, we extract from an ingenious and spirited little volume, lately written by Mr. Keightly. He followed the business of a mercer in the city of Richard Whittington was born in the year 1360. London, and acquired great wealth. Having served the office of sheriff with great credit, in the year 1393, he was chosen Lord Mayor, and filled that office not less than three times, namely, in the years 1397, 1406, and 1419. He was knighted, it is said, by King Henry the Fifth, to whom he lent large sums of money for his wars in France; and he died full of years and honours in 1425. of London, named Richard Whittington, mercer and "This year," (1406,) says Grafton, " a worthy citizen alderman, was elected Mayor of the said city, and bore that office three times. This worshipful man so bestowed his goods and substance to the honour of God, to the relief of the poor, and to the benefit of the commonweal, that he hath right-well deserved to be registered in the book of fame. First he erected one house, a church, in London, to be a house of prayer, and named the same after his own name, Whittington College, and so it remaineth to this day; and in the said church, beside certain priests and clerks, he placed a number of poor aged men and women, and builded for them houses and lodgings, and allowed unto them wood, coal, cloth, and weekly money, to their great relief and comfort. This man, also, at his own cost, builded the gate of London, called Newgate, in the year of our Lord, 1422, which before was a most ugly and loathsome prison. He also builded more than half of Saint Bartholomew's Hospital, in West-Smithfield, in London. Also he builded, of hard-stone, the beautiful library in the Grey Friars, in London, now called Christ's Hospital, standing in the north part of the cloister thereof, where in the wall, his arms are graven in stone. He also builded, for the ease of the mayor of London, and his brethren, and of the worshipful citizens, at the solemn days of their assembly, a chapel adjoining to the Guildhall; to the intent they should ever, before they entered into any of their affairs, first go into the chapel, and by prayer, call upon God for his assistance. And in the end, joining on the south side of the chapel, he builded for the city a library of stone, for the custody of their records and other books. He also builded a great part of the east end of Guildhall, beside many other good works I know not. But among all others, I will show unto you one very notable, which I received credibly by a writing of his own hand, which also he willed to be fixed as a schedule to his last will and testament. He willed and commanded his execu tors, as they would answer before God at the day of resurrection of all flesh, that if they found any debtor of his that ought to him any money, if he were not, in their consciences, well worth three times as much, and also out of the debt of other men, and well able to pay, that then they should never demand it, for he clearly forgave it, and that they should put no man in suit for any debt due to him. Look upon this, ye aldermen, for it is a glorious glass!" discovered in certain districts. "The carcasses of dead cats," Stow informs us, that Richard Whittington rebuilt | history; and it would be extremely interesting to asthe parish church of St. Michael Royal, and made a certain the exact age of the legend. Neither Grafton college of St. Spirit and St. Mary, with an almshouse, nor Hollingshed, who copies him, says any thing of the called God's House or Hospital, for thirteen poor men, legendary history of Sir Richard; but it must have who were to pray for the good estate of Richard been current in the reign of Elizabeth, for in the ProWhittington, and of Alice his wife, their founders; and logue to a play, written about 1613, the citizen says; for Sir William Whittington, knight, and Dame Joan"Why could you not be contented, as well as others, his wife; and for Hugh Fitzwarren, and Dame Malde with the legend of Whittington? or the life and death his wife, the fathers and Mothers of the said Richard of Sir Thomas Gresham, with the building of the Whittington, and Alice his wife; for King Richard the Royal Exchange? or the story of Queen Eleanor, with Second, Thomas of Woodstock, &c. Hence it clearly the rearing of London Bridge upon woolsacks ?" The follows, that Sir Richard Whittington never could have word legend in this case would seem to indicate the been a poor bare-legged boy; for it is here plainly as story of the cat; and we cannot, therefore, well assign serted that his father was a knight, no mean distinction it a later date than the sixteenth century. in those days. Yet in every popular account of Whittington, he is said to have been born in very humble circumstances. This erroneous idea has evidently been owing to the popular legend of him and his cat, and it shows how fiction will occasionally drive truth out of her domain. Such, then, is the real history of this renowned Lord Mayor; but tradition, we know, tells a very different tale: and it is as follows. Cats, we know, fetched a high price in America, when it was first colonized by the Spaniards. Two cats, we are told, were taken out on speculation to Guyana, where there was a plague of rats, and they were sold for a pound of gold. Their first kittens fetched, each, thirty pieces of eight, the next generation went for about twenty, and the price gradually fell, as the colony became stocked with them. The elder Almagro is also said to have given six hundred pieces of eight, to the person who presented him with the first cat which was brought to South America. On reading this, we might feel disposed to assign a historical foundation to the legend of Whittington and his Cat; but it is more probably an independent British fiction. It is strange what a propensity there is to assign some other cause for the acquisition of riches, than industry, frugality, and skill, (the usual and surest road to wealth.) I hardly ever knew, in my own country, says Mr. Keightly, an instance of a man who, as the phrase goes, had risen from nothing," that there was not some extraordinary mode of accounting for his attainment of wealth. The simple and most usual explanation of the wonder was, to assert that he had gotten a treasure some way or other. Thus, for example, I once knew a man whose original name had been Halfpenny, (when he rose in the world he refined it to Halpen,) and who had grown rich from the humblest means. I was, one day, when a boy, speaking of him and his success in the world to our gardener. "Sure then you are not such a gommaril, (fool,) Sir," said he, smiling at my simplicity, as to believe it was by honest industry he made all his money? I'll tell you, Sir, how it raley was; you see he sent one time to the Castle for a keg of half-pence, and, by the laws! what did they send him, in mistake, but a keg full of goulden guineas! And Jemmy, you see, was cute, and he kept his own secret, and by degrees he throve in the world, and became the man he is. That's the rale truth of it for you." Here, then, we have an instance of the name giving occasion to the legend. 66 Other persons have a wonderful inclination to discover a ground work of historical truth in popular legends. Whittington's cat has not escaped their shrewdness, for in some popular History of England, the story has been explained, as it is called; and two or three country newspapers have copied the explanation with evident delight. Sir Richard Whittington was, it seems, the owner of a ship named the CAT, by his traffic in which he acquired the greater part of his wealth. It is not, however, quite clear, that our worthy mercer was directly engaged in foreign traffic. Sat. Mag. Dick Whittington, a poor orphan boy, came up to London from the country, and a rich merchant, named Fitzwarren, took compassion on him, and put him into the kitchen under his cook, who treated him harshly: but Miss Alice, his master's daughter, showed him much kindness. The rats and mice that swarmed in the garret where he slept led him a wretched life, till, with a penny he had gotten, he purchased a cat. Dick's master, Mr. Fitzwarren, was shortly afterwards sending a ship to sea, and he gave all his servants permission to send out a venture in her. Poor Dick had no property on earth but his cat, and, by his master's orders, he fetched her down from his garret, and committed her to the captain with tears in his eyes, for he said he should be kept awake all night by the rats and mice. All laughed at Dick's venture, but Miss Alice kindly gave him money to purchase another cat. The ship was driven to the coast of Barbary, and the captain having sent out specimens of his cargo to the king of the country, he and his chief mate were invited to court, where they were royally entertained; but the moment the dishes were set on the table, rats and mice ran from all sides and devoured what was on them. The captain was told, that the king would give half his wealth to be delivered of this torment; and, instantly recollecting poor Dick's cat, he told the king that he could destroy them. He went down to the ship, and fetched up Puss under his arm. The tables were covered once more, and the usual havoc begun, when the cat jumping among the depradators, made a carnage of them, which amazed all present. The king, out of gratitude, purchased the whole ship's cargo, and gave, over and above, a great quantity of gold for the cat, and the captain set sail for England. To whom is the subsequent history of Richard Whittington unknown? Who knows not how, during the absence of the ship, he ran away from the illtreatment of the cook, and had gotten as far as Halloway, when he sat down on the stone, on the site of which is one called at this very day "Whittington's Stone*," and heard Bow-bells ring out, Turn again Whittington, Thrice Lord Mayor of London! and how he married good Miss Alice, and became in reality Lord Mayor of this great city? In the whole of this legendary history there is, we may see, not one single word of truth further than this,that the maiden name of Lady Whittington was Alice Fitzwarren. It is really deserving of attention, as an instance of the manner in which tradition will falsify In the immediate neighbourhood of this, just at the foot of Highgate Hill, is the neat and comfortable college, lately erect: ed called Whittington's College, in the centre of the principal court of which is a figure of the founder, as a bare-legged boy" sitting on the Holloway stone. * ORIGIN OF NEGRO SLAVERY. Mr. Bancroft, in the first volume of his History of the United States, gives an account of the early traffic of the Europeans in Slaves. In the middle ages the Venetians purchased white men and Christians, and others, and sold them to the Saracens in Sicily and Spain. In England, the Anglo-Saxon nobility sold their servants as slaves to foreigners.-The Portuguese first imported negro slaves from Western Africa into |