464 Foreign 
situations, and forms a prominent object in 
the New Zealand forest, towering above 
the surrounding trees: it is worthy of re- 
mark, that the only specimen of this um- 
brageous monster, in Europe, flourishes in | 
a green-house, at Chiswick, belonging to the 
Horticultural Society of London: the other 
is the Kakaterre, not very properly classed 
by Solander as thé Dacrydium taxifolium : 
it is, in size, equal to the former, but not 
in quality: it delights inlow marshy ground ; 
in foliage resembling the yew. 
INDIA. 
Devadara.—This is a kind of cedar, 
nearly aliied to that of Lebanon; and the 
word Deva, in the Sanscrita, signifies God, 
bearing very striking affinity to the Greek 
* @scc,” the Latin “ Deus,” and the 
Gaelic “ Dia.”’—Most of the females in 
the Deccan have good figures, which are 
much improved and set off by their style of 
costume; and even the lowest castes dis- 
play a gracefulness of action that is seldom, 
if eyer, to be found among women of infe- 
rior rank, in Europe. 
GERMANY, 
wy German publication rg Le Mercure de 
la Souabe) makes known the following 
curious circumstance. ‘I covered a cor- 
ner of my cellar with a bed of earth, about 
an inch thick, of which two-thirds were 
fine sand from the Danube, and the rest 
made up of ordinary mould. In the month 
of April, I carelessly scattered upon this 
surface thirty-two yellow, thin-skinned po- 
tatoes : they sprouted out abundantly on 
eyery side, and in fine, without in the in- 
terim having employed any of the arts or 
cares of culture, at the end of November I 
gathered more than a quarter of a bushel of 
most excellent potatoes ; half of which had 
attained the size of ordinary pippins, and 
the others were as large as nuts, or the 
finest cherries. The skins were very thin, 
the pulp white and farinaceous, and the 
taste agreeable. They had thus arrived at 
maturity without sun or light.’’ This at- 
tempt may be advantageously made in 
places of confinement, and, generally, in 
the subterranean passages, &c. of great 
cities, which maybe found to be neither too 
cold nor too damp, and where it is essen- 
tial, in a very confined space, to produce a 
sufficient and cheap nutriment for a large 
number of individuals. 
Plough—aA farmer in Moravia has in- 
vented a new plough, which although drawn 
by only one horse, produce:+ four furrows. 
The Agricultural Society of that country 
have presented him with a gold medal. 
Hydraulics. —M. Schweebel, a mechanic 
of Strasburg, has invented a singular ma- 
chine, with a lever, to replace the hydraulic 
lever, which possesses the double action ap- 
plicable to all machines moved by water or 
horses, either for spinning, flour-mills, saw- 
ing, forge-bellows, &e. It increases the 
[Dec. 1 
power of the machine to which it is applied, 
Varieties. 
and while giving it a more regular move- 
ment, fills the place of two horses where 
four were required : .it is also very useful in 
times of drought, as it will work a machine 
with half the quantity of water usually re- 
quired. ‘ , 
RUSSIA, mise 
An earthquake was experienced on thie 
evening of July 21st, at Pavloysk, in Rus- 
sia: a rare phenomenon in that part of the 
globe. 
NETHERLANDS. 
Canals.—It may truly be said, that tin? 
works of this description, as well as others 
in which utility and grandeur of conception 
are combined, our island has far outstripped 
all the countries of Europe, may, almost 
of the world. The Caledonian Canal, by 
which a large frigate can pass from the 
North Sea to the west coast of Scotland, 
has, hitherto, been regarded as unique in 
extent and other dimensions; but: late 
schemes and projects have been formed, 
and, in part, realized, which maké this Hide 
“its diminished head.” We will only 
mention, in England, the projected Ports- 
mouth Canal, whereby ships of the line are 
(riding ‘‘ secure amid the storm exulting”’), 
to be conveyed from that harbour to the 
Mersey’s mouth—also, the grand Western 
(or Somersetshire) Canal; and then, cross 
the water to no greater distance than Am- 
sterdam, where a communication is opened 
to the ocean, which surpasses, in depth and 
breadth, every thing of the same nature 
existing in Great Britain. Along the 
whole extent of this, it appears, a forty-six 
gun-frigate has passed, while it is stated to 
be capable of receiving eighty-gun vessels. 
The Portsmouth Canal will rival this as to 
depth and breadth, and surpass it in Jength, 
in the proportion of from ten to five miles; in 
addition to these, we must, at present, only 
just name the designed connexion of the 
Arabian Gulph and the Mediterranean, 
and the immense undertaking that forms 
the subject of an article in our preceding 
number (p. 313, &c.), the “ Union of the 
Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.” 
Historical Anecdoie.—In. the month. of 
April, 1825, the hereditary prinee laid the 
foundation stone ofa barrack at the Hague. 
The municipal body had requested that he 
would permit the eldest of his sons to per- 
form that ceremony. ‘‘ No, gentlemen,’ 
said his royal highness, “let us not.spoil 
him by premature honours. He will know 
quite soon enough that he is a prince. TI 
am desircus that he should learn the duties 
of his station before he becomes acquainted. 
with its grandeur and eclat.’ 
A Chinese Ship, navigated by Chinese 
seamen, has recently arrived at Antwerp, 
and crowds of curious persons daily flock 
on board, to admire the dexterity with 
which these eaters of rice manage Picir 
chop-stieks, : 
Works 
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