An

who first constituted the genera, and the reasons why such names were imposed. This would, in some instances, form what may be called a sort of genealogical deduction of the genera; many plants having, at different times, and by different authors, been arranged under different names. useful and entertaining addition might be made to this, by giving a short biographical sketch of those Authors who have been attempted to be immortalized by having genera called after their names. One great advantage of such a work would be, to settle the proper pronunciation of the generic names; and thereby form a guide to persons, not scientifically informed, who are interested in the formation of Collections. This project, indeed, is not new; a work of this kind having been published in France, a few years ago, by M. Theis, under the title of Glossaire de Botanique: this, however, is capable of much improvement, and, instead of a dry enumeration of names, might, by a little attention, be made both useful and entertaining. Besides, the work of Theis comprises also some specific names, which, in order to keep the volume within reasonable bounds, it would, I think, be most advisable to omit in such a work as is above proposed. Quotations from the different Authors who have instituted the ge. nera, would add an interest to the work; and a little care and pains would not fail of producing the effect, which all authors should keep in view, that of mixing the utile with the dulce. You will perhaps think that I have taken up too much of your time and room, with these “Castles (From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine.) in the air"; so I hasten to conclude. D. A. Y.

one whose establishment costs only 100%.; therefore he does not pay as an individual, but according to his property.

Great pains are every where taken to persuade the lower ranks of the people into a belief that they bear the burthen of the taxes. But let us suppose, Sir, that in order to make up the forty-eight millions which are raised every year, we were taxed even to the amount of fifteen shillings in every pound spent in the kingdom; the following very material circumstance must, in my opinion, be taken into account: namely, that the fortyeight millions of pounds so raised every year, are paid out again in quarterly dividends of about twelve millions, the receivers of which money have to pay their share of the taxes equally with the rest of the community. These receivers must therefore themselves pay thirty-six millions of the said taxes, leaving only twelve millions to be raised upon all the landproprietors, placemen, pensioners, mercantile persons, and, in short, upon all the rest of the kingdom. This is a point of view in which I have never before seen the taxes placed; and, adopting the concluding words of your correspondent, I say that it may be fallacy, but it appears to me to be truth.'

Yours, &c.

Mr. URBAN, London, Feb. 11. Imalt and tea; if the 2533 persons mentioned by your correspondent, page 28 of your last Magazine, were all single men, and compelled to use the same quantity of beer and tea, then it might be said that "those that have the least property, pay the same (taxes) as those that have the most:" but, Sir, you and all your readers know by expensive experience, that this is not the case. An individual, whose establishment costs 10007. per annum, must pay more taxes upon these (as upon other) articles, than

F there were no taxes but upon

In some future Number, I will endeavour to shew the comparative advantages and disadvantages of a Colony, with and without taxation. Yours, &c. A LOMBARD.

LETTER FROM THE ARCTIC LAND
EXPEDITION.

"Aug. 27, 1819.-At Sea.

"AFTER passing the Southame

part of Greenland, named Cape Farewell, we met with much ice; but as it did not lie thick, little difficulty was experienced in forcing a way through it, nor did it prove so great an impediment as the contrary winds which still continued to thwart us. Near the Greenland coast the streams or fields of ice consisted of a collection of loose and comparatively flat pieces, more or less densely compacted together, according to the state of the weather; but on approaching the shores of Labrador, we fell in with many icebergs, or large floating fields of ice. The variety of forms assumed by these masses afforded us amuse

ment,

that it could not be traced from the deck. We had scarcely time to make any useful exertions; for in a few minutes the ship fell broadside against the cliff, along the face of which she was violently hurried by the current, towards a ridge of broken rocks, which in a short time would have torn the stoutest vessel to pieces. The heavy swell which prevailed caused the ship in her passage to beat against various rocky ledges which projected under water. One of the blows she thus sustained, drove the rudder out of its place; but it fortanately hung suspended by tackling which had been employed to secure it on coming amongst the ice. At this instant, when all human exertions seemed perfectly fruitless, the current eddied off shore, the land-breeze sprang up, a boat that we had put overboard succeeded in taking us in tow, and-what appeared almost miraculous-one of the last thumps the ship received caused the rudder to fall back into its place. By this combina

ment, but occasionally we saw some of such an enomous size, that every other feeling gave place to astonishment. One of these larger bergs we estimated to be 200 feet high above the water, and above half a mile in length. Its surface was broken by mountains of no mean size, with deep valleys between. Enormous as the se dimensions must appear, you will be more surprised when I inform you, that the part of an iceberg which projects above water, amounts only to a ninth part of the whole mass, that being the proportion of ice which floats above salt water. Arthur's seat clothed in snow would have formed only one pinnacle to this berg. When these bodies became familiar to us from their frequency, we derived much pleasure from the various shades and gradations of colour they exhibited. The more compact parts were generally of a bright verdigris blue; towards the base a fine sea green prevailed; here and there a tint of red was seen, and the summits alone were snow-white. As the part of the icetion of favourable circumstances, we which is covered by the sea decays more rapidly than that which is in the air, it often happens that one of these islands becomes top-heavy and tumbles over. We never saw one in the act of making this revolution, but most of them bore evident marks of having been overturned twice or thrice; the old water lines, intersecting each other in various directions, being still deeply engraved on their surfaces.

"We first beheld the land (Resolution Island) during a fog, which soon became so thick that we could not see the length of the ship. In consequence of this, we got involved in a field of ice: then, to add to our distress, it fell calm; and although we could perceive that we were carried along by a violent current, yet the fog deprived us of ascertaining its direction, and the depth of water was too great to admit of our anchoring. After re maining in this situation for two or three hours, receiving occasionally some heavy blows from the ice, an alarm was given that we were close on the rocks. We all ran upon deck, and beheld a tremendous cliff frowning directly over the mast heads of the ship. It was perfectly perpendicular, covered in many places by sheets of ice; and its summit was so high, and shrouded in so thick a fog,

succeeded in getting round the point we so much dreaded; and, setting all sail, we steered from the land. Upon the first alarm of danger, the women and children, of whom we had a large number on board, going to Lord Selkirk's colony, rushed upon the deck much terrified. The officers, however, succeeded in calming their fears, and prevailed on them to go below out of the way of the sailors: but scarcely had this been effected, when the current carried us against a large iceberg; which had grounded upon a ridge of sunken rocks that lay at some distance from the shore. The crash of the masts and yards, together with the grinding of the ship's side against the ice, terrified them more than ever; but we speedily got clear of the second danger without receiving further damage. Our troubles, however, were not at an end; the ship had received so much damage whilst on the rocks, that, on examination, a great deal of water was found in the hold. All hands were instantly set to the pumps; but, to our mortification, we found that the water rushed in faster than we could, with every exertion, discharge it. Affairs now wore a gloomy aspect; the water in the hold increased to upwards of five feet, and the men were getting tired at the pumps, when fortunately the weather

cleared

cleared up a little, and we saw the Eddystone, one of the vessels that accompanied us, at no great distance: we bore down, and informed them of our situation. Every assistance in their power was promptly supplied; they sent 20 men and two carpenters. The services of the latter were invaluable, as our own carpenter had died in the earlier part of the voyage. With this fresh accession of strength, we kept the leak from gaining upon us; and after some time the carpenters succeeded in discovering and patching up the broken parts so as sensibly to diminish the influx of water. Their operations were, however, slow; and it was not till the evening of the second day that we succeeded in getting all the water out of the ship. During the whole of this time, not only the officers and mea worked hard, but even many of the women, recovering their spirits, proved eminently useful at the pumps. As the water decreased, the carpenters were enabled the more readily to repair the damage that had been sustained and they ultimately succeeded so well, that one pump proved sufficient to discharge the water as fast as it leaked in. In this state we have continued ever since.

:

"In these straits the Hudson's Bay vessels are generally visited by a tribe of Esquimaux, who frequent the shores during summer, and come off' to the ships for the purpose of bartering their whole wealth, which consists in whale and sea-blubber, for iron, which has become an article of the first consequence to them. Accordingly, one day when we were above

20 miles from the shore, these poor creatures ventured off in their skin canoes, pulling with the utmost anxiety to reach the vessels. It sometimes happens, when the ships have a fair wind, that they run past the Esquimaux haupts without stopping: in the present instance, however, we were detained by light contrary winds, which enabled them to overtake us ; and when they did so, they expressed so much joy and exultation, that it was easy to conceive how great their disappointment must have been when they missed us. In a short time we were surrounded by 30 or 40 canoes, each carrying one man, with his small cargo of merchandize, which, to their great satisfaction, they speedily ex

changed for pieces of iron, hoops, knives, saws, hatchets, and harpoons, and tin-pots. The wind continuing contrary during the remainder of the day, we stood in towards the land, and gave the women of the tribe au opportunity to come off, which they did, in five large canoes, framed like the large one, of skins, but open, and each capable of carrying from 20 to 30 people. The oars were pulled by women, but there was an old man in each boat to direct them. As they brought off a great many children, I suppose we saw the whole tribe, amounting to nearly 200 souls.

"The features of the Esquimaux are not the most regular in the world: but it was pleasing to see their flat, fat greasy faces. When they had disposed of their articles of trade, we presented the women and children with a few needles, beads, and other trinkets, and sent them away highly delighted. Since that time we have been contending against contrary winds; but by perseverauce have succeeded in getting within a few days sail of York Factory, at which place I shall conclude and despatch.

"August 31-York Factory.-We have landed here in safety; find the country more pleasant than we expected, and have been told that the difficulties of travelling in this country have been much exaggerated.

J. R."

Ancient Anecdotes, &c. from VALERIUS MAXIMUS, by Dr. CAREY, West Square. (Continued from p. 24.) ABIUS Maximus, commander of

the Roman army in Spain, (U. C. 612) finding it difficult to prevent the defection of the natives, resolved to terrify them into quiet submission by the severity of punishment. Accordingly, whenever he captured any of them who had gone over from the Roman lines, to join their yet unconquered countrymen, he condemued them to suffer the amputation of their hands.-Lib. 2, 7, 11.

The elder Scipio Africanus, at the reduction of Carthage, (U. C. 552) got into his power a number of men who had abandoned the Roman standard, and deserted to the enemy. put them all to death, but made a distinction, in point of severity, between the Romans and the other

He

Italians.

not usually seen in antique Busts. (Visconti, p. 2.) There is a marble Bust of this Emperor at the Capitol, and a head on the gems of the Palais Royal. (Tom. ii. pl. 50.) This head has a singular crest on the helmet, apparently a dog's or wolf's head, terminating in an undulatory train of horse hair. By the way, the appearances on some coins have produced a strange opinion, that there were four Gordians, of which see Histoire des quatre Gordiens, Par. 1695, 12mo. Historia trium Gordianorum, of Cuper, 1697, 12mo. and Spanheim de us. et præst. Num. tom. ii. Diss. xi. p. 243, seq. But the coins of Gordian Pius have mostly AUG.; the others AUGG.; and if AUG. sometimes occurs with the others, they have then the adjunct of AFR.