and prove their intimate knowledge of many of those machines of war whose invention is attributed to the Greeks and Romans; such as the battering ram, the tower moving on wheels, and the catapult." Only a small part of this vast mound has yet been explored. These discoveries have remarkably confirmed the accounts both of the ancient Grecian and sacred historians.

Arabia, called in Scripture, Hazarmaveth, notwithstanding the glowing descriptions of Greek and Roman authors, had been for a long time much neglected; but an interest was awakened by the celebrated Pococke, in 1650, and perpetuated by such men as Lieut. Wellsted, Capt. Haines, Adolphe Baron Wrede, M. Arnaud, M. Fresnel, and Rev. T. Brockman. These men have made us acquainted with many interesting facts, especially in regard to places in the valley called Wadi Doun, and in reference to the Himyaritic inscriptions, an alphabet of which has been nearly if not quite constructed by comparing the inscriptions with the Himyaritic alphabets, in some Arabic manuscripts, and with the present Ethiopic alphabet. The Cane Emporium of Ptolemy, and the Caripeta of Pliny seem to be satisfactorily ascertained.

It appears also that "M. Grigorowitsch, professor of the Sclavonic tongues in the Imperial University of Kasan, has returned, after two years' journey in the interior of Turkey, bringing with him facsimiles of many hundred inscriptions, and 2138 Sclavonian manuscripts, 450 of which are said to be very ancient and of great importance." Also an exploration has lately been made of the steppes of the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus, and of Southern Russia. We are indebted also to Mr. Brooke and Capt. Keppel, for important facts concerning the Dyaks of Borneo, who are the aboriginal inhabitants of that island, and to Count de Strzelecki, Capt. Stokes, Dr. Leichardt, and others, for valuable information respecting Australia.

In Siberia, the labors of Prof. Von Middendorff stand conspicuous, from which it appears that the inhabitants are partly of Finnish and Mongol descent. In India, the labors of Missionaries are too well known to need an enumeration here, and the decline of Boodhism and the extension of Christianity, are cheering facts in relation to Siam. "The vast regions of Manchuria, lying north of Corea, are inhabited by various tribes, speaking different dialects, and subsisting principally by hunting and fishing. Their written characters are derived from the Mongols, but have undergone many changes." The journey of the Rev. Mr. Hue into Mongolia, shows that "this 10*

VOL. I.-NO. II.

vast country, covering a million of square miles, consists of barren deserts and boundless steppes. The people live in tents without any permanent residence." The inhabitants of the Loo Choo Islands, are intimately connected with the Japanese. Their language is the same, (with unimportant variations of dialect,) and Chinese letters and literature are in like manner cultivated by both. In personal appearance, however, the two people are very unlike. The Japanese, Coreans, Chinese, and Cochin Chinese, owing to the common language used, have been called the Chinese language nations. "The Chinese ascribe the invention of their characters to Tsang Kieh, one of the principal ministers or scholars in the reign of Hwangti, about 2650 years before Christ. The characters first depicted, were the common objects in nature, such as the sun, animals, a house, &c., and were probably drawn with sufficient accuracy to be detected without much, if any explanation. They were all described in outline, and generally with far less completeness than the Egyptian symbols, and none of them contained any clue to the sound, and were all monosyllabic. The necessity of incorporating some clue to the sound of the thing or idea denoted, became more and more evident. But not only was the increase of inhabitants, as we suppose, a reason for making the symbols phonetic; the need of reducing the ever growing list, and the difficulty of distinguishing between species of the same genus, and things of the same sort, was a still stronger motive. This was done by the combination of a leading type with some other well understood character, chosen quite arbitrarily, but possessing the same sound as the new object to be represented. These remarks will perhaps explain the general composition of Chinese characters. But by far the greater part of them are now formed either of the original pictorial symbols greatly modified, or of those joined to each other in a compound character, partly symbolical and partly phonetic. The former part is called the radical, the latter the primitive. Out of 24,235 characters, (nearly all the different ones there are in the language,) 21,810 of them are phonetic," and are to be learned by committing the sound as received from an instructor.

A remarkable Syrian monument was found A. D. 1625, in China, covered with rubbish, commemorative of the progress of Christianity in China, and is believed to be the work of a Christian missionary. It was erected in the year 718 of the Christian era.

In conclusion, we would remark, that the method adopted in the

review of our author, was the only one which seemed adapted to give the reader an idea of the contents of this highly interesting book. We have sometimes quoted the precise language of the author, sometimes have given the substance of his remarks, (as far as could be done in so brief a space,) and have sometimes interspersed remarks of our own. We know of no book containing so much on this subject within the same compass as the volume before us; and where no direct information is given in the text, we are referred to a list of the best authors on the topics treated. The arrangement of the subject is systematic, and the style of the author chaste and perspicuous.

PRINCETON, N. J.

G. W. S.

ART. IX.-ANGLING FOR TROUT.

IN the Complete Angler, on no occasion doth Izaak Walton wax more frolicksome and fond of poetry, than when discoursing with his companion and disciple concerning trout. It is immediately after the capture of one of these delectable fishes and inspirers of his fancy, that on his way with his proselyte and scholar towards Bleak-hall, to spend the night, he plyeth and induceth the milkmaid and her mother, whom he hath encountered in the field a-milking, to regale them with two or three of their choicest ballads; and when arrived at the inn, it is after having partaken of that same trout, with his scholar and two other companions there met, that himself and one of them, Coridon the countryman, throw us off some of their best songs. It was not, certainly, the mere relish of the served up trout, in itself considered, which excited, either anticipatingly or from reminiscence, the old gentleman's fancy. Of good eating he was properly fond, I am willing to acknowledge; but he was certainly none of your gourmands nor epicures. Neither was it the mere external beauty of the fish abstractedly beheld, its fresh bloom when first plucked from the waters-though, of course, for

this he had an eye-that inspired him with all his cheerfulness and merriment on the occasion. The gratification from this source he places behind even that of its gusto. "Come, my friend Coridon," he cries aloud at the table, "the trout looks lovely; it was twentytwo inches when it was taken, and the belly of it looked some part of it as yellow as a marigold, and part of it white as a lily; and yet, methinks, it looks better in this good sauce."

Its rich associations then for the old gentleman, some one will suggest, were perhaps derived from the skill displayed in its capture. What dexterity and circumspection are required to draw out one of these sly lurkers from their native element, especially if you essay it with a fly! What care must be employed in the preparation of the accoutrements beforehand! How suitably to the season, the water and the whims of the versatile fish, must be adapted the color and pliancy of the rod and line, and the wings and shape of the artificial insect! What adroitness is required for the continual casting and recovering of your fly, so as to impart to it that rapid, quivering motion which seemeth to tickle the water's surface, and which to effect, methinks, mere art cannot teach, but yourself must be qualified in part by nature! Then, in fine, when your efforts are crowned with success; when at length the desperate fish springing up siezeth the lure and is diving off with it again towards its old haunts, but is suddenly checked by the tension of your line, and drawn along slowly but surely, fluttering and floundering, towards your eager hand, how complete the joy! How exquisite the con

summation!

The fact is, however, Izaak Walton was no fly-fisher. That activity and continual watchfulness to the absorption of the whole man, required in order to succeed in this mode of angling, were not in accordance with his contemplative habits. He was better pleased with your stationary or sedentary fishing. Having cast his line into the water, he delighted rather to stand on the bank, holding his rod horizontally, himself upright and immovable as a statue; or having fixed it on a forked supporter as a fulcrum, with a stone on the grounded butt end, to keep it firm, he chose rather to step back and cast himself carelessly and shepherd-like sub tegmine fagi; or, mayhap, should a spring shower be passing over, to recline beneath a protecting honey-suckle hedge, musing alone, or conversing with some Melibean companion concerning the beauty and grandeur of the works of nature and Providence. On this account, therefore,

it was that he was fond of trout; because that fish frequents always the most pellucid streams, and such, of course, as are overshaded by the most bewitching scenery. Having a poet's eye, therefore, it is no wonder that, like a poet, he had his favorite haunts and dilections of rural places. As on the Doon, Alloway's old haunted kirk, and on the Ouse, Olney with its lofty spire, have been forever consecrated by the poetry of Burns and Cowper, so on the Lea, Amwellbury, with its surrounding scenery, remains forever hallowed by the graphic prose delineations of Izaak Walton. In a poem descriptive of that beautiful village thus singeth John Scott, Esq., 1782:

It little yields

Of interesting art to swell the page

Of history or song; yet much the soul
Its sweet simplicity delights, and oft

From noise of busy towns to fields and groves
The muses' sons have fled to find repose.
Famed Walton, erst th'ingenious fisher swain,
Oft our fair haunts explored; upon Lea's shore,
Beneath some green tree oft his angle laid,
His sport suspending to admire their charms.

To the American editor of the Complete Angler, for the bibliographical information bestowed in his preface, and the additional charm thrown around, not only the book itself, but the art which it teaches, by his superadded lore and instruction, every lover of angling and poetry must feel himself forever obligated. Nevertheless I cannot help expressing my regret that he has shewn us so little of himself in his descriptions; that he has not permitted us to detect some of his own partialities and characteristics, as we certainly would have done had he described more fully some of his favorite American streams and inland fishing places.

I am aware, however, that our largest streams, unlike those of the same class in England, are not frequented by trout. These fish with us are like naiads. They prefer to be near the fountain heads. They are to be met with only in our retired brooks and clear branches of creeks. A bard or angler, therefore, I must admit, who neglecting our magnificent rivers, would bestow on these his descriptions, instead of bringing them thereby into notice, would, more likely, be left himself unnoticed on account of their insignificance.

I know not how my taste will be regarded after the confession, but I must say, that I have always had a liking for the diminutive