are the important treasures of the high priest, whose name this mountain bears, and those of certain kings of Egypt, consisting of gold, silver, precious stones, figured pottery, curious images and representations of idols, symbolical of the stars. These kings learnt by their art that a king of the Franks had formed the design of attacking them, from what he had heard of their riches, and of their power of making gold. At this they were very much affrighted. In fact, this Frank king had equipped a thousand vessels, conquered Egypt, whose principal inhabitants fled and took refuge in this mountain, and the rest in the oasis, carrying their riches with them. The motive of the Frank king's expedition was, that a high priest having been obliged to take refuge in Europe to escape from the persecutions of an Egyptian prince, he determined the king to undertake this conquest by the bait of the riches which he would find there. The conquest in fact took place; the high priest accompanied him to the mountain in question, but not having been able to climb it, and deceived in his hope, he induced the Frank king to appropriate to himself the riches of the other inhabitants of Egypt, and, loaded with these spoils, to return into his own country."-vol. i. pp. 131, 132.

The description of Europe offers little that is capable of being extracted, being often nothing more than a list of names; some of them, it is true, curious enough, as showing the extent of geographical knowledge in our author's time. As a specimen we give the towns of England as they stand in the printed text of Rome, 1592.

"In this second division of the seventh climate we find a portion of the sea of darkness, wherein is the island of Alankaltarab, & blë a great island shaped like the head of an ostrich.

*

The shore

النقلطره

افراندof the land of Afrandes وادي nearest it is Wadishant

(Flanders), and between this island and the great coast is a passage twelve miles broad. And of the cities which are in the extremest west of this island, and in a place where the land is very narrow, is Sahisnar, limgu -between which and the sea are 12 miles. And from this city to that on the coast 60 miles; and so from the city of Sahisnar to the western extremity of the island, 380 miles, and from it to the port of Derbermouzah, 3 (Dartmouth), 80 miles; then to

غرهم,of Garham

the portion of the island named Kernoualia, x 100 miles. From the city of Sahansar to Salábus, (Salisbury?) on the coast to the north, 60 miles, and from the city of Garham to the site of the city of Hayuunah (or Hambunah) which is a promontory running into the sea, 25 miles, and near it on the east runs the river Bounsiter, (Winchester?). To Sababúras 40 miles towards the west, and

from Hambunah to the city of Sarham

60 miles, and it is near

50 miles, and

thence along the coast to Dubras 70 miles; and this stands upon the strait whereby they pass to the nearest portion of the continent. And from Dubras to the city of Lundras, within the land 40 miles, and this city is on a great river which falls into the sea between Dubras and the city of Jarnamouh, (Yarmouth?). From this last city to the city of Tar'in 90 miles, and this city is distant from the sea as much as 10 miles."

And in the same strain the account is pursued northward, giving names for which we confess we are unable to find modern English equivalents.

Some scientific fragments and accounts of natural phenomena, of a very interesting description, are to be found in Edrisi's work; from these we extract an account of a waterspout, and a dissertation on the tides-the former remarkable for its accuracy of description, and the absence of any impotent attempt at theorizing; the latter, less entitled to this praise, yet curious as showing how near an approximation to the true theory of the tides lay for centuries in the hands of the Mahommedan men of science, without their improving the conjecture into certainty. It contains also a remarkable and almost incredible error, for an eye-witness-a supposition that the tide rises every day at the same hour.

"From the island of Mouja to that of Clouds there are four days of sailing and more. This island is so nanted because sometimes there arise from it white clouds, which are very dangerous for vessels. There arises from them sometimes a point (literally a tongue), fine and long, accompanied by an impetuous wind. When this point reaches the surface of the sea there results from it a sort of ebullition; the waters are agitated as by a frightful whirlwind, and if this point reaches the ships it sinks them. Then the cloud rises and resolves itself into rain, without its being known if this rain comes from the waters of the sea, or how the thing happens."-vol. i. p. 91.

"The sea of China, the part of the sea of Senf, which is contiguous to it, the sea of Darladeri, as well as those of Herkend and of Oman, are subject to the ebb and flow of the tide. It is said that in the seas of Oman and Fars this phenomenon takes place twice in the year, so that the flow is felt during the six months of summer, whilst the contrary takes place in the western sea. Then the ebb is transferred to the west during the other six months.*

"As a vast number of opinions have been started on the subject of the tides, we feel ourselves bound to relate summarily what has been said to complete the explanation of this phenomenon.

"Aristotle and Archimedes pretend that it is owing to the action of the sun, combined with that of the wind and the waves, (as happens in

• Meaning apparently that the body of water, which, by leaving the east coast, forms the ebb there, is transferred to the western.

the Atlantic Sea, which is the ocean). This produces the tide, whilst when the wind falls and lulls, the ebb takes place.

"But Satoios* thinks that the cause of the tide lies in the successive increase of the moon up to the full, and that the ebb is to be attributed to the diminution of the phases of this celestial body. This opinion needs to be developed and explained in detail. We say then on the subject of the ebb and flow, that we have seen with our own eyes in the sea of darkness, that is to say, in the ocean which bathes the western sides of Andalusia and of Brittany, that the flood begins to take place in this sea from the second hour of the day to the beginning of the ninth. Then happens the ebb, lasting till the end of the day; then the sea rises again during six hours, after which it falls during six hours; so that the flow and ebb are each felt, once during the day and once during the night. The cause of this is the wind, which raises the sea at the commencement of the third hour of the day. As long as the sun is rising on the horizon, the flow augments with the wind. Before the fall of the day the wind falls, because the sun is more on his decline, and the ebb takes place. In the same manner, at the beginning of the night, the wind rises anew, and the calm does not succeed till the end of the night. The high tides happen during the thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth nights of the (lunar) month. Then the waters rise excessively and reach points which they never arrive at until the corresponding days of the following months. This is one of the evident marvels of the Creator in these seas. The inhabitants of the Moghreb (west) are witnesses of it, and cannot doubt it. These tides are called Feidh or inundations."-vol. i. pp. 94, 95.

We shall conclude our extracts with a few of the incredibilia of our author, premising always that he is evidently not disposed to give them any such name. The fondness of the Mahommedan reader for accredited marvels is extreme, if we are to judge by the many works in which they are recorded, and in which the fiction is mixed up with important and valuable truths. The most famous of these is the Ajaib Al Makhlucát, or Wonders of the Creation, by Kazwini; in this may be found one at least of the extracts we are about to give-the one immediately following.

"They relate that at an epoch anterior to that of Alexander, there was a dragon in this island that devoured every thing that came in his way, oxen, asses, and other animals. When Alexander landed there, the inhabitants complained of the mischief which this dragon did them, and implored the help of the hero; the monster had already devoured the greater part of their flocks-every day they placed two slain bulls beside his den; he came out to devour them, and then withdrew till the next day,

Note by M. Jaubert. The name of this philosopher, probably a Greek, is indecipherable. Does the author allude to Ctesias, or rather to Poseidonius, whose system in fact was somewhat like the ideas developed in this passage?-See Strabo, Book iii.

awaiting a fresh tribute. Alexander asked the inhabitants if the monster was in the habit of coming out by one hole or by many; they replied that he always came out by the same. Then Alexander had the place pointed out to him, and went there, followed by several of the inhabitants, taking with him two bulls; immediately the monster advanced like a black cloud, his eyes glittering like lightnings, and his mouth vomiting flames; he devoured the bulls and disappeared. The next day and the day following Alexander made them place two calves near his cavern, but this prey was not enough to appease the monster's hunger. Alexander ordered the islanders to take two bulls, skin them, fill their skins with a mixture of oil, sulphur, lime, and arsenic, and to expose them in the place pointed out. The dragon came out of his cavern and devoured this new sort of prey; a few moments after, feeling himself poisoned by this composition, into which besides they had taken care to put some iron hooks, he made all imaginable efforts to vomit it; but the hooks sticking in his throat, he fell over with his mouth yawning open. Then, in accordance with the plan laid by Alexander, they heated a bar of iron, and placing it on a plate of the same metal, darted it into the monster's throat; the composition took fire in his entrails and be expired. Thus God put a stop to the scourge which afflicted the inhabitants of this island. They thanked Alexander for it, showed him great affection, and offered him considerable presents, consisting of various curiosities of their island. They gave him, among other things, a little animal which resembled a hare, but whose skin was of a yellow, brilliant as gold. This animal, called the A'raj, has a black horn, and by his presence alone puts to flight lions, serpents, wild beasts and birds."-vol. i. pp. 198-200.

"There exist in the sea of China and of the Indies animals a hundred cubits long and twenty-four broad, on whose backs rise like humps, and as if vegetating, rocks of scales, on which ships are sometimes broken. Navigators relate that they attack these animals with bows and arrows, and force them thus to turn from their path. They add that they seize the least of them and boil them in caldrons, and that their flesh melts and changes into a liquid fat. This oily substance is renowned in Yemen, in Aden, on the coasts of Fars, of Oman, and in the seas of India and China. The people of these regions make use of this substance to stop the holes of vessels.”—vol. i. p. 96.**

"There is in the sea of China an animal known under the name of El-Ghaidah. It has two wings, by means of which it rises from the bottom (of the sea) and transports itself, in spite of its weight, upon vessels. It is a hundred cubits long or thereabouts. When the sailors perceive it, they make a noise by means of pieces of wood struck one against the other. The creature retires and leaves them a free path.

*

Many of the eastern fables of natural history appear to have arisen from mingling the accounts of two different creatures. Here, for example, if any thing really existing be alluded to, we should suppose it to be the cuttle fish, much exaggerated, whilst the deliquescent properties of the smaller specimens remind us of what is told of some of the sea snakes.

Besides, thanks be to God, the fate of this great animal is attached to that of a little fish named el Mabidah. When it perceives it, it flies and takes refuge in the abysses of the sea, at such a depth that it is safe from the pursuit of this little fish."—vol. i. p. 97.

Of M. Jaubert's share in this book-the translation, the notes and the various readings-we ought to say a few words, the rather as there is a spirit of very unaffected looking modesty running through the preface and notes whenever he has to speak of himself, and he in many places frankly acknowledges his obligations to his literary confreres for help in translation, or the suggestion of a conjecture. The notes are generally short, but to the purpose, and have the valuable property of coming in when they are wanted. Perhaps a little more paralleling of the Arabic with the European names would have been an improvement. The translator has adopted the judicious course of giving the Arabic as well as the Roman writing of the most important names of places, animals, &c. In spite however of the somewhat formidable appearance thus given to the pages, we can assure the general reader that he will find this a very amusing work to pick his way through--we do not say to read through-while to the student of geography it is certainly a valuable present, of which the worth is little diminished by the circumstance that there already existed the insufficient and not very accurate translation of the Maronites, Ecchelensis and Sionita.

ART. III.-Om Straff och Straff-anstalter, 2dra Upplagan. (On Punishments and on Prisons. Second Edition.) 8vo. Stockholm. 1840.

THE work bearing this title has excited so much interest in the country where it first appeared, and is itself so interesting and important, that we cannot help thinking it our duty to give some account of its origin, and some specimens of the style and arguments to be found in its pages.

In 1832 a board of talented jurists, after many years' labours, published in the Swedish capital their celebrated" Proposition for an amended Code of Law and Punishment in Sweden.' "This work, the adoption of which has hitherto been prevented by the jealousies of the court, notwithstanding that Norway already enjoys the benefits of its improved code, lays down a separate plan

A translation has lately appeared in German, and a French one is said to be in preparation. One in Norwegian will be published shortly.