I807.J ( 579 ) 



VARIETIES, Literary and Philosophicai,, 



Including Notices of Works in Han/I, Doincfiic and Fortli!:n. 

 *^* Authentic Coimnunicationsfor titis Arlicle uhH alwat/s be Ihank.fulli/ received. 



THE public will leain witli concern 

 that no pro<ii'cT3 lias yet been made 

 in tlic um-oUiug of the li\ llerculancuni 

 JVISS. vvliich were prelentccl by the Ivina; 

 of Naples to his Ilojal Highnels the 

 Prince of Wales, about two years ago. 

 A corner only of one of the rolls was 

 unfolded, and the whole was aftei wards 

 lubniittcd to the action of lleani, under 

 the direction of an eminent chemill, but 

 without the defired effect. Inltcad of 

 feeding and giving pliability and confif- 

 tcncy to the tinder, it has more Ci-mly 

 united the mafs, and in a great meafure 

 obliterated the writing, 'ilie ill fuce'efs 

 of this experiment has difcouraged fur- 

 ther attempts on the other live rolls.* 



Th" fcarcity of original Voyages and 

 Travels in our language, has often been 

 defcribcd by foreign critics to be an 

 opprobium on Engiilh literature. We, 

 therefore, gladly announce at all times 

 every refpettable deligu of this kiiul. 

 Mr. Heriot, poftmafter of Britilh Ame- 

 rica, a gentleman who unites a fuperior 

 talent for drawing with tlic literary and 

 fcicntiiic attainments neccffury to form 

 an interefting traveller, has availeil him- 

 ielf of the opportunities atforded by liis 

 orlicial fituation, and is preparing for 

 publication a fplendid woik delcripti\e 

 of Upper and Lower Canada. Mr. Ile- 

 riot will firlt give an account of his \oy- 

 age from England to the Azores, of which 

 lie will introduce a better defcription 

 than any now exifiing in our lan- 

 guage ; he will then conduct his read- 

 ers up the liver 8t. Laurence, by land 

 and water ; acrofs the feveral lakes 

 to Lake Superior; defcribing in this 

 immenfe route every prominent feature 

 which can be iuterelting to political 



* It wiU be rccoUefteil, that at the fame 

 time the King of Naples prefented thcfe rolls 

 to the Prince of Wales, an equal number 

 was fent to the National Inilitute of France. 

 As we have heard nothing of the progrels 

 made in unrolling them, we are to fuppofe 

 that the French have had no better fucccfs 

 th in ourlelvcs. The lovers of literature are 

 ©aturally anxious to hear of the Heps which 

 will be taken by the new French government 

 ac Naples, relative to the entire library of 

 thefe curiofitics, which it is to be feared was 

 abandoned by the old government when that 

 Vfllwitunatt (iuuiUry was lately evicuatud, 



economy and commerce. The em- 

 bellifliinents will cunliit of about 20 

 views, 12 iieW' plants, tome animals, antl 

 feveral characicriltic reprefcntations o4" 

 the manners and cuftoms of the inha- 

 bitants. 



The important and interefiing fciciice 

 of Pliyfical Geography i'eems to be every 

 where making rapid ad\anees to the ut- 

 molt perfeciion of which it is capable. 

 In England, the moll extcnfive work ever 

 pubhlhed upon this fubjett may be ex- 

 pe<-led from the prefs in the courfe of 

 the next or following month. It conlilts 

 of a plate engraved by Merigot, of 

 Paris, from a drawing by Mr. Rjudell, 

 ill which all the [uiucipal mountains o» 

 our globe are reprefented in their pro- 

 portions of actual height above the level 

 of the fea, with every jiofiible attention 

 to accuracv of form, with the varyins^ 

 boundary of perpetual congelation which 

 determines the height to which vegeta- 

 tion reaches in every degree of latitude, 

 Li the intervals between the mountains 

 are introduced the heights of all the 

 different cities, inhabited places, ajid 

 fources of rivers, which indicate the ge- 

 neral level of each continent, and ena- 

 ble the obfcrvers to afcertain the eleva- 

 tion of the principal mountains above 

 their own bales, a-> above the level of 

 the fea. The plate contains, upon the 

 \\ hole, upwards of 7.50 objects, fo sirou];- 

 ed as to form a very iuterelting picture. 

 It is explained hv a fcale graduated in 

 feet, which Hides along the furface of 

 the plate, and contains the name of" 

 e\cry mountain o])pollte to it- rolpective 

 height. This is more than twice the !i,;p 

 of any plate ever engraved on one piece 

 of copper, or printed on one lliect of 

 pajicr, being four feet eight iuchcs by 

 three feet, cxclufive of margins, and has 

 coufequeiitly reipiired botii the prefl'es 

 and paper to he made on piirpofe at a 

 very great oxpence. It will be accon;- 

 liHiiied by a Ijeographicul and Phvlicnl 

 Acco int of .Mountains, their mineral 

 eoiupofition, &t:. ^cc, in three quario 

 volumes, by Mr. Willbn, which will con- 

 centrate in one work all tlie bed afccr- 

 tained geological farts, as well with re- 

 gard to thofo uiountains which iinve bcei\ 

 menfiired, as thofe whole height has not 

 been al'ccrtaiuctl. Tiie lirll volume is iu 



the 



