230 Phcenomencn, — Cleopatra's Needle. — Expedition. 



factory, were sealed up in an antique urn, and deposited in the 

 centre of the pedestal on which the vase was placed. The vase 

 is 21 feet in diameter, and weighs several tons. The field was 

 oxidated by means of a combination of the sulphates and nitrates 

 urged by a strong heat, which has given it the desired appear- 

 ance of the rouge antique marble : the masks, handles, panther 

 skins and leaves are oxidated by the acetates, and resemble verd 

 anti(juc bronze. 'I he whole is a noble performance, and highly 

 creditable to Mr, Thomason. 



SINGULAR PH.ENOMKNON. 



There is at present to be seen, at Arbroath, a beautiful phse- 

 nomenon of nature, arising from stagnate water i)y the late hot 

 weather. In a bason belonging to a salt-work, stopt some time 

 ago from working, the combination of gases occasioned by the 

 decomposition of the water, has become so powerful that, after 

 dark, its surface appears as if sparkling with fire ; and when a 

 stone, or other weighty substance, is thrown in to disturb the 

 fluid, a brilliant blneish flame immediately takes place, — [Cale- 

 donian Mercury, \Stk Sept.) 



Cleopatra's nkedle. 

 This celebrated monument of antiquity may be shortly ex- 

 pected to arrive from Alexandria — a present from the Pasha of 

 Egypt to His Majesty George IV. It is, we understand, to be 

 set up in Waterloo Place, opposite to Carlton House, where it 

 will, for ages we hope, serve to keep alive the recollection of the 

 exploits of our naval and military heroes in that country. The 

 weight of the column is about 200 tons — the diameter at the 

 pedestal 7 feet. — We understand that we are indebted to the in- 

 fluence of S. Briggs, Esq. British Resident at Grand Cairo, with 

 the Pasha of Egypt, for this magnificent monument. 



ARCTIC LAND EXPEDITION. 



Accounts have been received in Edinburgh from a gentleman 

 attached to the Arctic land expedition, dated in January last, at 

 which period the party were in comfortable winter quarters at 

 Cumberland house. The cold was very severe, the thermometer 

 standing at 30 deg. below zero, but owing to the dryness of the 

 atmosphere it was not so unpleasant as the cold wet weather in 

 England. The rivers and lakes abounded with fish of various 

 kinds, particularly trout of a very large size, and the hunters 

 brought moose deer and buffaloes from the wor»ds, so that there 

 was no scarcity of provisions at their present station. It was 

 intended to proceed to the northward as soon as the season would 

 permit, and, having the whole summer before them, they ex- 

 pected 



