1826-4 Affairs in General. 513 
-ping up in more’ and more mystery. We appeal to any unscientific 
reader, accustomed to cast an eye on these matters now and then, whe- 
ther, in language and construction, they are not considerably more unintel- 
ligible than they were twenty years ago. Dr. Maculloch has an able article 
(but of unreadable length) in the recent number, a second on the same 
topic—the old malaria on board ship—in which region of stinks nobody 
could eyer for a moment doubtits existence, or of any thing else abominable. 
Turning over the leaves a little further, we find two articles, one on the 
steam navigation of the Hudson, and the other on the internal navigation 
of the United States, the “science” of which is not very manifest, and 
the articles themselves well enough calculated for some topographical 
school-book. Then follows a paper of one Mr. Wood—a very funny 
man—who has heretofore written on fatness, and now presents the “ linea- 
ments of leanness,” drawn last year, it may be presumed, from the Ana- 
tomie Vivante. Laugh and grow fat, is the remedy warmly recom- 
mended by Mr. Wood, and though he himself, volunteering a ready- 
made prescription, very obligingly cuts a number of jokes, the effect we 
regret to add was entirely lost upon us, swallowing even the whole dose 
to the dregs. Turning on in despair, we pitched upon a paper of a Mr. 
Ranking, who by the way, we have since discovered is a prodigious 
book-maker, though we never heard of him before—entitled an attempt 
to prove the Ophir of the Scriptures to be no other than Ava—not a very 
inviting subject to be sure, but for want of something better to do just 
then, we chose to see what he had to say on this pen-beaten subject. 
And what thinks the reader Mr. Ranking has to say—why, wrapt up in 
a deal of idle verbiage, simply this—first Ava sounds, or may be made 
to sound like Ophir, which of itself is good prima facie evidence—and 
next every other place by one or other has been fixed upon, and every one 
nevertheless rejected as untenable, except this Ava, which is therefore 
good negative evidence. -Now a primd facie evidence, backed by a ne- 
gative one, makes up at last, every logician will allow, some degree of 
probability ; and Mr. R. accordingly congratulates himself in very warm 
terms upon the discovery, and the settling of this questio verata. . A 
paper of a Dr. Harwood on the structure and economy of the whale, 
though absurdly pompous and pious, is by far the best of the book, but 
only part of the lecture is given, and the editor plainly does right to 
make the most of it. _Another Dr. Harwood—probably the same—has 
a book reviewed, eulogistically, on the Curative Influence of Hastings, 
of which—the book we mean—we need say no more, than, doing every 
thing as the writer evidently has done for Hastings—he is a resident 
fishing for patients—it will be very ungrateful if Hastings does nothing 
for him. 
But how could we be scribbling all this time, and forget the London 
University, which commenced its proceedings this month with the medi- 
eal lectures, and threw open its doors gratuitously to all comers and 
goers, to fill the rooms and look respectable for a beginning. The lec- 
tures themselves were, no doubt, of a certain average quality, and, as all 
lectures have been, which we ever heard, highly applauded—excellent— 
_clever—able—very superior man, Dr. So-and-so,—high talent, &e. 
One or two of the lectures have already, we believe, been printed, though 
none have yet fallen, and we trust, none will fall into our hands. This 
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