Diurnal Variation of the Needle. 369 



One general effect of some experiments, with a hollow copper 

 shell filled with bismuth, afforded a striking correspondence with 

 nature. The whole equator being heated, and one part more 

 than the rest, he uniformly found that the elevated pole being 

 towards the north, the north end of the needle deviated when 

 the place of heat was on the meridian above the horizon, and 

 south when below, which is precisely the character of the diur- 

 nal variation in north latitudes. 



Accotmt of Mr CraivforcTs Mission to Ava. 



v^tJR friend, and former pupil, the distinguished author of 

 the History of the Indian Archipelago, Mr Crawford, was some 

 time ago sent by the Governor-General of India, as envoy to the 

 court of Ava. The following account of the mission, from the 

 Calcutta Government Gazette of 1st March last, we are confi- 

 dent, will be read with interest by the general reader^ and also 

 by the natural historian. 



'• The mission left Rangoon on the 1st September, and reached Henzada 

 on the 8th. Here we were received with much polite attention by the future 

 Viceroy of Pegu, who has the rank of a wiingyi, or counsellor, the highest 

 enjoyed by a subject. He was very solicitous, however, to prevent our going 

 further, intimating that he was himself vested with full powers to treat with 

 us upon every possible subject. 



'' He had no opportunity, however, of exercising his plenipotentiary powers 

 upon the present occasion, for the mission, disregarding his pretensions,^ on 

 the afternoon of the 10th quitted Henzada, and on the afternoon of the 14th, 

 a few miles beyond Myanaong, or Loonzay, entered the hilly region, which is 

 the proper geographical boundary of the Burman race — all to the south being 

 the Delta, or deboucliement of the Irawadi, and the true country of the Pe- 

 guans or Talains. 



" Pursuing our journey with hills now pressing down to the river on both 

 sides, and which struck us at the time as peculiarly picturesque and beautiful, 

 after passing through the long tiresome champain of the Delta of the Irawadi, 

 we reached Prome on the evening of the 15th. This is one of the largest 

 towns in the Burman empire, and appeared to be not less populous than Ran« 

 goon. The inhabitants, since the war, had returned to their homes — the place 

 was in a good measure restored, and although it had been long the head-quar- 

 ters of the British army, there was now no re-action or persecution. All this 

 bore favourable testimony to the moderation of the Myowun, or governor, 

 Avhom we found an extremely respectable man. 



" We left Prome on the 17 th, and on the 20th reached Patnagoh and Mel- 

 loon, the scene of the conferences in December 1825, which led to the first 



