effect on the disease: of calomel, he observes, that it was much more used formerly than now, and he ends with a list of the cholera mixtures published officially in the Batavia Courant. We select one or two of those least used with us.

II. The length of our observations on this first article renders a detailed account of the succeeding on the same subject unnecessary, by H. SCHILLET, Surgeon Major of the Royal Netherland Marine. He inquires into the name of the disease, its cause, (in which he is an opponent of contagion) its effects, its species, its diagnosis, its treatment, (and here he quotes largely from the works of our Indian Surgeons, JOHNSON, CORBYN, BOYLE, TYTLER, &c.) and then the post-mortem appearances. In these he chiefly notices the state of the brain, and gives a plate of that organ, its vessels loaded with blood, and the dura mater deeply stained with inflammation. He also gives a figure of a portion of the stomach and the jejunum. In an account of the prophylactics, he takes notice of the dispute respecting the effects of bad rice in exciting the disease. "It is well known, that Dr. TYTLER connected the food of the Hindoos with this disease, and on account of the bad qualities of the last rice crop, which is their daily food, he ascribed this epidemic sickness to that; thereupon his well-known work saw the light, endeavouring to ascribe the epidemic which has prevailed in different parts of the world, for many years, to the bad qualities of the rice, on which account he gives to the Indian cholera the name of morbus oryzeus; bad food is doubtless one of the chief predisposing causes of this disease, but certainly not the proximate cause." P. 178.

III. The next article is a dissertation on the origin of the Japanese, by Dr. VONSIEBOLD. Like all other eastern nations, these people pretend to a divine origin and unfathomable antiquity. The race of gods, called TEWSEN SETSIDAI, had employed themselves, somewhat unsatisfactorily we should think, for millions of years in hovering over the land of NIPPON : at length the seventh in succession to the celestial throne, by name TSANAGE NAMIK, with his wife, came to the resolution of descending from the clouds on Japan, and there multiplying like men, they produced a race of demigods of limited but very long life, and dignified with polysyllabic names.

European antiquarians have given various interpretations of this fable, with which we need not trouble our readers. Four different opinions are entertained respecting the origin of the Japanese :

C. Or of a mixture of various Asiatic tribes.

D. Or they are aborigines.

Which last supposition cuts the knot at once.

The resemblance between the Chinese and Japanese is so strong, in physiognomy, religion, and manners, as as to have impressed all travellers with the idea of the latter people being a colony of the former.

The author omits other considerations, and enters into an inquiry respecting the oblique position of the eyes, supposed to be peculiar to the Chinese, and the nations consanguineous with them; but as he observes, nothing can be built on this till it be ascertained what are the Asiatic tribes to whom this conformation belongs, and whether any of those of North and South America partake in it. The skin of the Japanese is of all colours; in town many approach to the fairness of Europeans, in the country they are copper red or earthy cloured.

His next inquiry is into the resemblance of the Japanese and Chinese language and writing. The Chinese say, the first appearance of the Japanese among them was A. D. 57, at which time, they were barbarians, without writing, government or morals, but they at the same time assert, that Japan was peopled by a colony of Chinese in the year 1195 before Christ; if so, why did not this colony carry their writing and manners along with them? The author allows that Japanese writing is borrowed from the Chinese, but still contends, that Japan must have been peopled by a nation using a different language from theirs.

The Japanese alphabet consists of 47 letters, which are originally Chinese characters, having the same sound; but the Japanese language, unlike that of the Chinese, is polysyllabic: hence, says the author, Japan must have been peopled by some Asiatic tribe before the art of writing was spread through the northern parts of Asia.

The author next proceeds to the religion, and, "Though," says he, "I cannot prove that the religion of the old inhabitants of Japan might not have been the same with that of their Chinese contemporaries, yet I can maintain, that the religion prevailing among the Chinese and Japanese in the present day has not the least resemblance to that of the ancient Japanese." P. 220. To prove this, the author enters into a long investigation of the ancient and modern Chinese and Japanese godderies, which we have found it difficult to understand, and would find it more so to make intelligible to our readers; we shall therefore take it for granted that he has proved his point, and go on to the rest of the argument.

The author then considers the relationship between the Japanese and the Tartar races, but we have not leisure to follow him through this research, particularly, as after examining the language and manners of the Japanese and the neighbouring kingdom of Corea, at great length he does not appear to come to a positive conclusion. He then asks if the Japanese are a mixed race, composed from various Asiatic clans; and though the author is not very clear, we consider this the opinion to which, upon the whole, he is most inclined. He even considers that there is a strong relation between these tribes and the Peruvians, and gives some instances of verbal resemblances in their respective language, thus supporting the theory of Mr. RANKEN on the origin of the Peruvians. He concludes, "I commit these fragments to the hands of the literati, earnestly entreating them to receive

with favour the nosegay I have gathered with so much care from the islands of this archipelago and the neighbouring continents, and to take them under their high and mighty protection." P. 275.

IV. The next paper by M. H. HALEWYN is an account of the tribe called the Dayakkers of Borneo. They seem in a very low state of civilization, being totally ignorant of reading and writing, and have a number of very peculiar customs well worth noticing, did our space allow of it. We shall only notice one, which will serve as a complete refutation of those who are disposed to hold Oriental civilization in low estimation. "The Dayakkers are governed by their chiefs, who are entirely dependent on their subjects, and are chosen from the eldest of the people. If the chief acts arbitrarily, the people rebel against him and put another in his place." P. 291. This it must be confesscd is the very acme and beau ideal of government, sufficient surely to satisfy the most liberal reformer. How wonderful it is that so perfect a scheme should, in the midst of the march of European intellect, be reserved for such a remote and unnoticed part of the world as this. "There are," proceeds the author, many debtors in Dayak: the custom is, that if the debt be not discharged in four months, it is doubled." P. 291. This is worse than Calcutta Sircars and Life Insurances yet.

V. The next article by Mr. VANDER JAHT is an account of the groupe of islands called the Kokos or Keeling Islands, of which a full and authentic account, derived from the Reports of Admiral OwEN to the Government, was published in the GLEANINGS OF SCIENCE, for Oct 1830. The article terminates with an account of the interview between the author and Mr. Ross, also given in the GLEANINGS.

VI. The last article is an account of the mountains of Tinger, in Java, by H. T. DORNIS, Resident at Soorabay. The author examines their geographical situation, the dwellings of the inhabitants, their religions, their mode of prayer, their festivals, their ceremonies of birth, marriage, and funerals; all these seem borrowed from the Indian Brahmins, and are quite different from the Muhammedan Javanese. Above the head of BRAHMA, VISHNU, and SIVA, however, they acknowledge a supreme power, whom they call PRABO GORO INGLOHOR. One or two singular customs may be noticed-" widows are highly prized among them, and as soon as a woman has lost her husband she is sought after by almost all the bachelors; a young miss gets a husband with great difficulty." P. 330. One might be tempted to ask how then are widows produced? The case is similar to WINIFRED JENKIN's puzzle as to how sheep's heads could be found in Scotland unless there were sheep too. "When the Tingerians wish to exhilarate themselves, they drink tocak, i. e. fermented palm wine, mixed with water, which renders them immensely frolicksome; the smoking of opium and drinking of strong waters is unknown." Ibid. We know not whether the Temperance Societies would approve this distinction.

On the whole, the author is so delighted with the climate and manners of the Tingerians, that he breaks out into a Virgilian rapture, which not to do him injustice, we shall give both in the original and translation as a conclusion to our analysis. "Gelkkige bewoners van Tinger! hoe weining gevoelt gij mischien zelve het vo oregt hetwelk gij geniet!"'

"Happy inhabitants of Tinger, how little perhaps do they feel the privileges which they enjoy."

XI.-Miscellaneous.

1.-Register of the Temperature of Ghazipur. By the Rev. R. EVEREST.

I am fully aware how imperfect these observations are, but in this country, where so little has been done, I publish them in the hope they may hereafter be of use to individuals engaged in the same pursuit. To obtain the mean of every hour in the 24, as was done at Leith, is beyond the power of any one without assistance.-R.E.

Radiation. I also made a few experiments on Radiation towards the latter end of the year 1832. The Thermometer was covered with black wool, and laid on the grass. The following are the results :

37,5

68

56,85 23,1 47,1

75,5 61,3 28,4

61,85 22,3

84,2 69,8 28,7

77,36 19,0

I subjoin, for the sake of comparison, the height of a Thermometer suspended in the shade, during the above days.

2.-Note on the Salajit of Nipal.

To the Editor of the Journal of the Asiatic Society.

DEAR SIR, I have been much gratified and interested by reading Mr. CAMPBELL'S paper on the native alum, or Salájít of Nipal. I think it is more than probable, that if an average sample of the various qualities were collected, and subjected to analysis, the general result would be what Mr. C. has advanced, viz. about 66 per cent. of sulphate of alumina. As I had only one quality to operate upon when I made my analysis, why it was "HOBSON's choice" with me. From the information I could gather from Nipal merchants, I am led to believe, that Mr. C. is perfectly correct as to the quantity that may be collected.

But what I am now going to state, may set the matter beyond a doubt. I have seen the organic remains of an ammonite (Ammonites sacer of SOWERBY) imbedded in alum shale from the banks of the Gandak river in its early course. This perfectly agrees with specimens (now in my possession) which I formerly collected at the alum works on the Yorkshire Coast to the north of Whitby. This fact I think clearly proves the existence of alum shale strata in the secondary formations at the foot of the Himálya range, and that it may extend through the bills of Nipal. I also concur with Mr. C. relative to the tedious and expensive processes attending the manufacture of alum at home; so much so, that the return has scarcely equalled the outlay. A friend of mine knows this to his cost.