In the Press-A Description of the Coronation; by Sir G. Naylor;-A History of Brazil; by J. Henderson ;Temper, a Tale in Verse; by Mrs. Taylor of Ongar.

The Rev. T. H. Horne's Introduction to the Critical Study and Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, will be ready in the course of October next, in four large volumes, 8vo. each contain-' ing not less than 650 pages, closely but handsomely printed; with fifteen plates of maps and fac similes, besides numer-> ous other engravings inserted in the body of the work. The delay in the publication has been occasioned, partly by the accession of new matter (amounting to considerably more than one third), and partly by the author's desire, that the supplementary volume (of which a limited number of copies only is printed) may appear at the same time, for the accommodation of purchasers of the first edition. This supplementary volume will comprise the whole third volume of the new edition, besides all such other historical and critical matter as can be detached to be useful, together with all the new plates and fac similes. Vol. I. contains a full inquiry into the genuineness, authenticity, and inspiration of the Holy Scriptures; with refutations of the infidel objections lately urged against them.-Vol. II. treats on Scripture Criticism, and on the interpretation of the Scriptures, with select lists of the best books on every subject therein discussed.-Vol. III. contains a summary of Biblical Antiquities, including so much of Greek and Roman Antiquities as is necessary to elucidate the Sacred Writings, together with a Geographical Index of the principal places mentioned in them.-Vol. IV. comprises historical and critical Prefaces to each Book of the Old and New Testaments, and three Indexes: I. Bibliographical; II. of Matters; and III. of the Principal Texts cited and illustrated.

The Committee appointed by the House of Commons, to consider the Reports which have been laid before the House relating to weights and measures, and the proceedings which have taken place for determining the length of the pendulum vibrating seconds, concur in opinion with the Commissioners on Weights and Measures (see Christ. Ob. serv. for June, p. 390), as to the inexpe. diency of changing any standard, either of length, superficies, capacity, or of

weight, which already exists in a state of acknowledged accuracy; and in recommending, that the sub-divisions of weights and measures, employed in this country, be retained, as far better adapted to common practical purposes than the decimal scale. The Committee subjoin some useful computations and proportions, the result of accurate experiments, from which it appears that a pen. dulum vibrating seconds of mean solar time at London in a vacuum, and reduced to the level of the sea, is 39.1393 inches; consequently the descent of a heavy body from rest, in one second of time, in a vacuum, will be 193.145 inches; that a platina metre at the temperature of 32 deg., supposed to be the ten-mil-' lionth part of the quadrant of the meridian, is 39.3708 inches; that the weight of a cubic inch of distilled water in a vacuum, at the temp. 62 deg. is 252.722 gr., in air at 62 deg, with a mean height of the barometer, 252.4561 gr.; that an ounce of water is 1.73298 cubit inch; and that the differences of temperatures between 62 deg. and 39: deg. at which water attains its greatest density, will vary the bulk of a gallon of water, rather less than the third of a cubic inch.

Fossil Remains. In one of the quarries of marble, whence the blocks for the Breakwater at Plymouth are hewn, were lately found imbedded in a cavern, in the solid rock, fifteen feet wide, forty-five feet long, and twelve feet deep, nearly filled with compact clay, the fossil bones of a rhinoceros, and portions of the skeletons of three different animals, all of them in a perfect state of preseiva tion. The part of the cavity in which these bones were found was seventy feet below the surface of the solid rock, sixty feet horizontally from the edge of the cliff, and one hundred and sixty feet from the original edge by the side of the Catwater. Every side of the cave was solid rock the inside had no incrustation of stalactite, nor was there any external communication through the rock in which the remains were imbedded, nor any appearance of an opening from above having been closed up by infiltration.

Northern Seas.-The following circumstance, which occurred in the late voyage of discovery in the Northern Seas, strikingly illustrates the effects of extreme cold. A servant of Captain Sabine remained in the open air, with naked hands, for a considerable time, when the thermometer was from 43 to

in

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CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. MR. Morgan, who in part supplied Mr. Johnson's absence from Regent's Town during his visit to this country, was requested, on his return home on account of his health, to furnish the Society with a statement of such facts and circumstances respecting Regent's Town, as might serve to make them better acquainted with the state of the people. Of the piety of the Christian Negroes, he says; Scarcely an event occurs but what they notice as springing from the overruling providence of God. Tanght of God, they mark the painful events of His providence, as children would mark the dealings of a father. After the death of Mr. Cates, I have frequently heard their expressions of sorrow for sin, and acknowledgments of God's justice in punishing them. They have used such language as this: We have done something very bad-God is very angry: He is removing all our teachers-by and bye nobody will be left to tell us good. We must pray, my

dear brothers and sisters: we must look into our own hearts some bad live there.'

"I was struck, during a fire which broke out in our house, with the sudden disappearance of the women, who, at the commencement, almost filled the house. On inquiry, I found that they had retired to the church, to offer up their prayers unto God."

"The Christian Negroes shew a strong attachment to the simplest views of religion. I began some explanation, as plain as possible, in successive evenings, of the Lord's Prayer. It pleased God to bless these words to the people. They made the most practical use of them. A display of an unholy temper would receive a reproof-'If God your Father, that no be like his child.' Some said that they needed, indeed, such a Father-others, such daily bread. Some thought God could not be their Father, because they did not feel sufficient desires that his kingdom should come among their country people; and others felt that they were rebellious children,

for not doing his will on earth more, as it was done in heaven. Some wept, to think how he delivered them from tempt. ation and evil: and all, I believe, earnestly desired to ascribe to Him the kingdom, the power, and the glory. I was obliged, by the pressing requests of the people, to repeat these explanations four or five times; and resolved in future to know nothing and to speak of nothing among the Negroes, but the plainest words of the Redeemer; for how much better calculated his language is than any other to reach the heart, may be judged of by this instance, out of many."

Some remarkable evidences of integrity occurred on occasion of the fire above mentioned. "In the anxiety to save as much as possible, almost every article was removed. In the confusion, many things were scattered about the yard not one article, however, even the most trifling, was lost; but all were brought again to the house, and fixed in their proper places."

The industry of these Christian Negroes is thus attested by Mr. Morgan :"Many of the gardens are kept in very neat order, though most of the owners have but little leisure to devote to this employment. I have frequently known the whole of the time allowed for dinner, spent by both husband and wife, in fencing, digging, or planting the little spot of ground attached to each dwell ing.

"Decency and cleanliness manifest the diligence of those who live under the power of religion. Their time is, indeed, so well occupied, that, in cases where they can read, they may be frequently seen, at leisure moments, with some friends around them, searching the Word of Life: and these little respites from labour are often made a blessing to the whole town; as the sick, the careless, the backsliding, and the profane,

are

not seldom visited, instructed, warned, comforted, and relieved, at these seasons, by their zealous brethren."

Of the docility of the pious Negroes, Mr. Morgan gives the following striking instance :

"On the disbanding of the WestIndia regiments sent to the colony for that purpose, a natural degree of affectionate feeling was excited in the breasts of the Negroes to see them. These regiments had been, several years before, formed of liberated Negroes; and many of the people were expecting to find

parents, brothers, and friends among them.

The feelings of glowing hope were strongly delineated in almost every countenance. When, in the evening, intelligence arrived that on the following morning the troops would be permitted to land, after evening prayer it became a matter of general conversation. Some were looking forward with hope; while their joy cast a cloud over the faces of others, whose friends had been murdered in different skirmishes when they themselves were enslaved. In the morning, at prayers, the church was particularly full; and a few words were spoken on the danger to which a Christian was exposed when running into temptation, and some desire intimated that none would visit Freetown that day. I gave this intimation against my own feelings, for I thought their wishes laudable, though I feared the consequences which might arise from gratifying them. In the course of an hour after, an old and faithful Christian came to tell me that his brother was come among the soldiers. 'Well,' said I, and you wish to see him?'" 'Yes, Massa! I want to look him, but I no want to go to-day.' 'Well,' I replied, I want to send to Freetown: if you can find another communicant, who wishes to go and see the soldiers, I will send you down.' After a search of near two hours, he returned with,' Well, Massa, me no see that one what want to go: all them people what belong to church think 'tis no good for them to run where God say temptation live." Two days elapsed before this poor fellow, whose heart was full of affection to his brother, went to Freetown to see him. I singled him out as a fit object of reward; and having mentioned the subject to the Governor, that father of the liberated Negroes, anticipating my request, promised, and kept his promise, that the brothers should have the privi lege of living together.

"I know of many similar instances."

MISSIONARY EXERTIONS IN
SOUTH AFRICA.

We copy from the Missionary Register the following description of the colony and vicinity of the Cape of Good Hope, and the exertions which are being employed for extending the blessings of the Gospel among the various classes of Natives.

"This division of the missionary field is increasing in interest every year; as

the colony of the Cape becomes more populons, and missionaries push their discoveries and their labours further beyond its northern boundary:

"The colony of the Cape occupies nearly the whole of the southern extremity of the continent, and forms a point of support to the exertions of Missionary Societies among the heathen. It was first settled by the Dutch, in the middle of the seventeenth century, and remained in their possession till September, 1795, when it surrendered to the British. It was restored at the peace of Amiens; but, on the renewal of hostilities, it fell again into the hands of the British in January 1806, and was annexed to this country at the congress of Vienna.

"The colony varies in length, from east to west, from about 520 to 590 miles; and in breadth, from north to south, from 200 to $15 miles. It contains 120,000 square miles, at a moderate calculation; and, before the recent accession of inhabitants, was occupied by about 60,000 persons, of whom 22,000 were Whites, and the rest natives of Africa. About 5000 families, it is said, have latterly been added to this population, by emigrations from the United Kingdom. The colony is capable of supporting, especially toward the sea, a much larger number of inhabitants; though the character of the soil is such, that Mr. Barrow estimates, that seven tenths of the whole land, for a great part of the year, are destitute of the least appearance of verdure, and that this is the case with a large proportion of it at all times.

"The land of the colony is so formed as to present the appearance of three immense terraces, running from east to west, and rising, one above the other, northward from the sea. These terraces are divided one from the other by three rauges of mountains: these ranges, as they approach the western side of the colony, turn northward, and form broken ridges, running parallel to the Atlantic. The three belts or terraces of land become colder and more barren, as they rise one above the other from the sea. The plain which lies between the sea and the first ridge varies from twenty to sixty miles in breadth, and is very genial and fertile. In the second, there are considerable portions of arid desert, called Karroo. The soil of the third, except at its north-eastern extremity, is almost wholly of this nature, and destitute of nearly every trace of vegetation.

The Karroo seems to be devoted to hopeless sterility, and is unoccupied by man or brute.-Still the colony may be brought to sustain a far greater popu lation than it now does; and we rejoice to witness the rapid progress that it is making, as every addition to its strength will render it a fitter instrument of good to all the southern part of this vast and unknown continent.

"The natives among whom Christians are, at present, labouring to make known the Gospel, are chiefly of the Hottentot or the Caffre race. Of the Hottentots, there are three descriptions ;—the Colonial Hottentots, who are held in servitude in the colony; the Namaqua Hottentots, who inhabit the north-western corner of the colony, and spread beyond it, north of the Orange River, on the coast of the Atlantic; and the Bosjesmans, or Wild Hottentots, who occupy the western and central parts of the northern boundary of the colony, and extend far beyond it. Of the Caffre race, there are the proper Caffres, who lie east of the colony, beyond the Great Fish River; and the Bootsuannas, who extend far into the interior, north of the Hottentots.

"Of each of these five classes of Natives we shall here give a brief description.

"The Colonial Hottentots have been little benefited, till of late years, by their subjection to Europeans. Great cruelty has been exercised toward them by the Dutch farmers. Yet they are a mild and faithful people. Indolence is their bane, and sensuality and filth its natural companions; and these evils have been strengthened, if not in a considerable measure produced, by the dejection of mind arising from contempt and oppression. Their features are far from prepossessing, though their per sons are not, when in youth and vigour, destitute of symmetry.

"The Namaqua Hottentots differ but little, in their persons, from the other tribes, but speak á langnage in most respects very dissimilar: They are, in general, taller and less robust than the more eastern tribes. Their huts are much superior. They pay great attention to their cattle.

"The Bosjesman Hottentots lie east of the Namaquas, and north of the colony; and, besides the wide range of country which they occupy between the colony and the Bootsurannas, they inhabit the more inaccessible parts of the