&06 MammoM. 



antiquity, which would probably fumiuH a complete key to 

 the hieroglyphics. We are now able to Hate ibme further 

 particulars refpecting this invaluable acquiiition. The title 

 of the work is, <( The wifiied-for Objecl in regard to the 

 Secret of the Alphabets," collected in the time of the caliph 

 Merwan by a man of learning, who at that period was much 

 employed in trantlating Syriac and Chaldaic books into the 

 Arabic. The name of the author is Ammed Ben Abubeker 

 Ben Wahfchize It contains eighty alphabets ; fome of them 

 known, fome unknown; fome of them now in ufe, and fome 

 of them employed in the call for writing in cyphers: and, 

 at the end, three tables of hieroglyphics with an explana- 

 tion added to them in Arabic, and which is founded on 

 principles more agreeable to truth than could be expected 

 from an Arabic work on the fubjecl. The gentleman who 

 found this inanufcript had it tranflated into English on his 

 arrival from Egypt; and Mr. Nicol, the bookfeller, known 

 by his zeal for the progrefs of every thing that lends to pro- 

 mote the cauie of literature, has, we underrtaud, undertaken 

 to publim the original and translation at his own expenfe. 

 The unknown alphabets are to be cut in wood, and the text 

 will be printed with a new letter which exceeds in elegance 

 any thing of the kind ever before produced in oriental types. 

 This work will be ready, it is fuppofed, in the courfe of the 

 prefent vear; and, with Zoega's new work on obelifks, and 

 the works to be published by the Society of Antiquaries on 

 the ftone with three inferiptions, in the hieroglyphic, vulgar, 

 and Greek language, will, in all probability, throw great light 

 on this, fubjecl, not yet fuffieiently explained. 



MAM MOUTH. 



The following is an extract of a letter on this fubjecl: from 

 C. Roume, private asrent of the French government at Saint 

 Domingo, dated Philadelphia, January 4, 1802: 



" Mr. Reale, that indefatigable naturalist, whom the Ame- 

 ricans have the happinefs to pofTefs without knowing his me- 

 rit, has difcovered feveral Skeletons of the mammouth, one of 

 which is entirely complete except a few of the double parts; 

 hut drawings of the parts which are wanting have been made 

 from thofe that remain. He has taken the greateit care to 

 mount this Skeleton, and vefterdav it was publicly exhibited. 



" The tirit day, however, was dcUined only for the mem- 

 bers of the Academy of Arts and Sciences at Philadelphia; 

 and 1 Should not have been able to pay a vifit to this antient 

 inhabitant of America had it not been for the politenefs of 

 Mr. Peale, who admitted me into the exhibition-room, with 



Several 



