fusion, and were now visible to his eye and open to his hand. Vegetables, fruits and grains, birds and quadrupeds, adapted to his omnivorous habits, had already been created for him; and salt had been laid up in caverns, and by upheavals had been elevated into mountains, to serve as a condiment, for his food.

"We have next a history of the creation of a single pair of the human species-of the paradise in which they dwelt being situated in so warm a climate that clothing was superfluous-then of their fall and degradation.

"Whatever changes have taken place in man's physical and psychical character. his present organization gives the strongest proofs of his descent from predecessors similarly organized; and the errors and sins of his life afford evidences of his inherent corruptions.

"We have next a remarkable and astounding prediction, connected with a promise, in unison with the benevolent character of the Deity, and suited to the wants of frail, but intelligent, progressive, and immortal man. A Deliverer was promised -the seed of the woman was to bruise the serpent's head.

"In the lapse of ages one prophet succeeded another, revealing more and more distinctly the character and the message of the promised Messiah. He came at the appointed time, clothed with the purity of an angel, and displaying the attributes of a God. The warfare which He and his followers from that day to this have waged against ignorance and error, infidelity and sin, are matters of history.

"Man has been rescued from barbarism and degrading sensuality; his head has become the throne of intellect, his heart the seat of benevolence and virtue, and his mind, enlarging and becoming more and more spiritualized, gives evidence of his Divine origin, and his exalted destination. These teachings of a promised deliverer of the human family have, according to the predictions, been conveyed to all the races of men in every quarter of the globe, as well as to the islands of the sea. And now the introduction of the Gospel into portions of Africa, and the immense number of coloured Christian communicants in our Southern States, afford us the evidence that another prophecy is fulfilling,—that Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands unto God!

"We are further informed in Scripture, that after ages and generations had gone by, and the earth had been peopled by multitudes of inhabitants, a wide deluge had swept the whole human race from the earth, save only the single family of Noah and his sons, who were preserved in an ark that rested upon Ararat, a high mountain in the East.

"Even should we be unable to discover in any portion of our globe the traces of this last convulsion, yet the various strata in the earth beneath our feet, the extinction of race after race in the inferior animals, reveal to us the evidences that this was the mode adopted by the Author of Nature in blotting from the map of creation one series of animals after another. The traditions too of all nations, both civilized and savage, point to a flood as having been the instrument in the destruction of the original inhabitants, and to a high mountain in which were preserved the germs of the future races of men.

"This is succeeded by an account of the destiny of Noah's sons-their dispersion into tribes, and the confounding of their language, 'that they might not understand each other's speech.' And the sons of Noah that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth; and Ham is the father of Canaan. These are the three sous of Noah; and of them was the whole earth overspread.' To Shem was allotted a dwelling from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar, a mount of the East.' Japheth was promised to be enlarged-his race was to be widely diffused, and he was to dwell in the tents of Shem. To the descendants of Ham, the father of Canaan, a severer destiny was pronounced, for it is declared that he shall be the servant of both Shem and Japheth.

"If we follow the teachings of history, we discover in Shem the parent of the Caucasian race-the progenitor of the Israelites and our Saviour. In Japheth that of the wide-spread Mongolian, many of whom to this day are dwelling in tents-as the various tribes in the East and on our Western Continent fully testify-and Canaan, the son of Ham, although we cannot regard his descendants as accursed, is still everywhere 'the servant of servants.'

"Reader! can all these coincidences, by any possibility, have been accidental occurrences? The leaves in the book of nature, in the various strata of the earth's surface, have been unfolded to us by the geologist. The map of ancient history, the

teachings on the papyrus rolls, and the monuments of extinct races, have been laid open before us by geographers, philologists, and men of science; and modern travellers have told us of the characteristics of the present races of men. Have we not discovered that in every advance we have made in a clear interpretation of the book of nature, we have step by step approached nearer and nearer to the teachings of that volume which the wisest and the best of men have regarded as the truths of heaven, revealed to an erring world by infinite wisdom and unbounded goodness."— Pp. 287-292.

The late expression of Prof. Agassiz' opinion against the unity of the race will give new interest and value to Dr. Bachman's book.

(4.) "Memoir of Rev. William Gurley, late of Milan, Ohio, a Local Minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, by Rev. L. B. GURLEY." (Cincinnati: Methodist Book Concern, 1850. 12mo., pp. 268.) We have read this book through almost at a sitting: and it will have the same charm for any of our readers who have personal recollections of Ireland, or who, like ourselves, have been accustomed in youth to hear long stories about the "Irish Rebellion of '98." The chief interest of the book lies in the detail of insurrection and its terrible results, given mainly from the manuscripts of the venerable subject of the narrative himself, and therefore, it is to be presumed, in every way trustworthy. Mr. Gurley's personal perils, trials, and sacrifices, are recorded with entire simplicity, yet the interest of the narrative is intense. Hardly less eventful was his life after his emigration to America. The frontier war of 1812 found him on his farm in the north of Ohio, and drove him from his home. The latter years of his life were passed in quiet and peace; and he continued his faithful labours as a local preacher almost to the end of his ninety years. We repeat, that we have rarely read a more entertaining and instructive biography.

Mr. Griffiths doubt he will

(5.) "A Treatise on Marine and Naval Architecture; or, Theory and Practice blended in Ship-Building, by JOHN W. GRIFFITHS." This is a large quarto serial, beautifully printed and profusely illustrated. Its aim is to furnish a clear analytical work on Ship-building, "embracing all that is known to be of practical utility, both in the old and in the new world." is himself well known as an able architect, and we have no fulfil all that he promises. The work is recommended also by many of the best ship-builders of this city. It is to be completed in twelve numbers, of thirty-two pages each, at seventy-five cents each. Five numbers have already appeared.

(6.) THE third and fourth parts of "Southey's Common-Place Book, edited by his son-in-law, J. W. Warter, B. D.," (New-York: Harper & Brothers, 1850,) are before us. The two parts constitute the second and last volume of the whole work. In this volume the extracts are classified under the heads of Theology and Ecclesiastical subjects; Spanish and Portuguese Literature; The Middle Ages; Notes for the History of the Religious Orders; Orientalia;

American Tribes; Remarkable Facts in Natural History; and Curious Facts. Of Southey's omnivorous capacities as a reader we have before spoken; the present volume gives an additional proof of his indomitable industry. Of the whole collection it is our purpose to speak hereafter.

(7.) THE laborious industry of Dr. CHALMERS was well known during his life; but the successive publication of volume after volume of his posthumous works, makes us marvel at the energy of his mind, and the ceaseless activity with which he must have plied his work. We have now before us the ninth volume of the posthumous works, (New-York: Harpers, 1850; 12mo., pp. 554,) containing his "Prelections on Butler's Analogy," which were nearly all written out by Dr. Chalmers himself, in a state fit for publication; his "Lectures on Paley's Evidences of Christianity," and his "Notes on Hill's Divinity." The Prelections on Butler appear to us to be by far the most valuable portion of the volume; and we commend them to all students of the immortal" Analogy." Prefixed to the volume are introductory lectures on "The Use of Text-Books in Theological Education;" and "Advice to Students on the Conduct and Prosecution of their Studies;" each of which contains many valuable and useful hints for students of theology.

(8.) THOMAS CARLYLE now casts forth his Sibylline utterances in monthly sheets called " Latter-day Pamphlets," which are regularly issued here in neat 12mo. form by Messrs. Harper & Brothers, at a price almost nominal. As to the intrinsic value of the wares, men will differ widely. No. I., entitled “The Present Time," is little more than an inarticulate wail and reproach on the times and the men of this generation. Carlyle has no faith in humanity, as such; nor has he any substitute for it, in the shape of confidence in practical Christianity. Indeed, what he deems to be practical Christianity exists nowhere; if it ever did show itself, it has died out long ago. No. II., “ Model Prisons," is a bitter diatribe against all attempts to soften the rigours of public punishment. Of this pamphlet, however, we have spoken elsewhere in this journal. No. III., “Downing-street," is most remarkable for recommending the adoption, in part at least, on the part of the British government, of the American system of appointing cabinet officers;-for such is the substance of the recommendation, though not its form. No. IV., The "New Downingstreet," we have just received, but have not read.

(9.) ONE of the most attractive books of the season, and indeed one of the most beautiful ever issued from the American press, is "The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution, by B. J. LOSSING," now issuing in numbers by Messrs. Harper & Brothers. The plan of the work is to notice in detail the various localities made famous by the events of the Revolution, in the order in which they were visited by the eminent artist who prepares the book, and from whose drawings, taken on the spot, it is profusely illustrated. "To delineate

with pen and pencil what is left of the physical features of that period, and thus to rescue from oblivion, before it should be too late, the mementoes which another generation will appreciate," was his employment for several months, and the result of these genial labours is now placed in a permanent form before the American public. The remembrances of the Revolution are among the surest bonds of union, and the surest pledges of virtue, for the people of these States: and such a work as this, combining high art with pure patriotism and sound morality, deserves a wide diffusion among the people of every part of the land.

(10.) THE tide of writings on the Advent abates a little, both in England and America. The only one which has come under our notice during the quarter is "Letters on the Prophetic Scriptures, by Rev. EDWARD WINTHROP, M. A.” (New-York: Franklin Knight, 18mo., pp. 175.) The work comes with very strong recommendations from Bishops M'Ilvaine and Hopkins-implying their full reception of the doctrines it sets forth. The author is obviously a sincere and earnest man; and, like all writers of his school, he has the most undoubting confidence in the correctness of his theory of Scriptural interpretation. In the preface he states that Bishop M'Ilvaine characterizes his exposition of 2 Thess. ii, 8, as "wholly unanswerable;" and in this opinion he seems fully to coincide with the good bishop. We regret to see him falling into the very error which he deprecates in the following passage :-" Such men will be held in everlasting remembrance, when the sciolists of the day, who sneer at what they lack wisdom to understand or patience to investigate, are forgotten and disregarded." We do not mean to sneer at Mr. Winthrop; but he will very probably class us with the "sciolists" when we assure him that we have read his book and remain unconvinced. Yet we recommend it to those who wish an introduction to the pre-millennial theory, as a well-written and clear exposition thereof.

(11.) No books are more attractive to youth than collections of Anecdotes. We well remember how, in childhood, we read and re-read the "Percy Anecdotes ;" and in this experience there are thousands like us. But the Percy Anecdotes were not a religious collection; the charm and the delight were not associated always with the purest virtue. We have now before us an admirable selection, entitled, " Anecdotes for the Young, or Principles illustrated by Facts," compiled by Rev. DANIEL SMITH. (New-York: Lane & Scott, 18mo., pp. 436.) Not only is the selection good, but the arrangement of the stories is such, that they afford a connected series of illustrations of morality and manners; and the size, form, and price of the volume are all in harmony with its object. The work will be widely diffused, and will deserve it. Every Sunday-school library should be furnished with a copy.

(12.) We have received the second volume of Messrs. Phillips, Sampson & Co.'s neat and cheap edition of Gibbon's Rome. The whole is to be completed in six volumes, with a new and copious index.

(18.) EVERY student of natural science knows the use of such a volume as the "Year-Book of Facts," and similar scientific annuals published in Europe. We have now to announce-and we make the announcement with unfeigned pleasure-an American work of this class, which is perhaps more thorough and complete than any of those published in Europe. It is "The Annual of Scientific Discovery, a Year-book of Facts in Science and Art, edited by DAVID A. WELLS and GEORGE BLISS, Jun." (Boston: Gould, Kendall, & Lincoln, 1850: 12mo., pp. 392.) The scope of the book is very extensive, as it exhibits the most important discoveries and improvements in Mechanics and the Useful Arts, in all the Natural Sciences, and in Antiquities, together with lists of new scientific publications, lists of patents, obituaries of eminent scientific men, and other important matters. Every care has been bestowed upon the work and "nearly all that is new and important" in the recent scientific journals of this country and of Europe is embodied in it. The work is to be an annual, if this first volume is sufficiently sold; and we trust that we shall see many successive issues of it. Certainly it only needs to be known in order to be approved.

(14.) "Cuba and the Cubans, comprising a History of Cuba, its present Social, Political, and Domestic Condition, &c." By the author of "Letters from Cuba." (New-York: S. Hueston, 12mo., pp. 251.) This book is a compilation of various matter. Its aim is to prepare the public mind of America for the annexation of Cuba; but the writer shows his hand far too plainly to gain the ear of the intelligent and religious classes of our people. What inducements to annexation does he afford, by telling us that the free population of Cuba amounts to 571,129, while the whole number of children at school is 9,082! He gives a fearful account of the moral and social condition of the Cubans, and then asks us to take this festering mass into the circulation of our own national life! With great imprudence he tells us the reason why some of the Southern leaders work night and day for the admission of Cuba into the Federal Union,-that Cuba, "with her thirteen or fifteen representatives in Congress, would be a powerful auxiliary to the South."

Much has been said of late with regard to the depreciation of property in the British West Indies since the emancipation of the slaves. If this book is good authority, the same process is going on rapidly in Cuba, notwithstanding the annual importation of slaves from Africa. “An estate which, eight years ago, might be sold for $100,000, would not at this day command $25,000. A negro who could then have been purchased for $500, is at the present time to be had for $300." It seems, then, that the slave-trade is not the sovereign panacea that some of our American political economists would have us believe.

(15) "The Optimist, by HENRY T. TUCKERMAN," (New-York: G. P. Putnam, 12mo., pp. 273,) is a series of graceful and gentlemanly essays-in the form of the old school with the spirit of the new. Good sense and good taste are their chief characteristics-precisely the qualities essential to good essaywriting.