458 The Niger. — M. Lalande. 



Sui'h a quantity of water as a river or pool must contain a verv 

 considerable portion of oxygen gas, thus absorbed from the air ; 

 and when we consider with what force the atmosphere presses 

 upon the water, it will not be absurd to presume that the oxygen 

 absorbed by the seeds is speedily replaced from the incumbent 

 atmosphere. 



1 will here take the opportunity of remarking, that Saussure 

 has attempted to prove that no oxygen gas is absorbed by the 

 seed, and that the whole of it is thrown out in combination with 

 the carbon, forming (of course) carbonic acid. If all the carbon 

 is thus extricated, whence comes it that the plant increases? 

 and if no absorption of oxygen takes place, on what principle 

 can the palpable truth of seeds acquiring a sweet taste be ex- 

 plained, but by supposing it to be formed by the addition of oxy- 

 gen to the mucilage or fecula which they contain ? In the pro- 

 cess of malting the seeds acquire a sweet taste, soon after the 

 germination commences. 



By allowing the above remarks to be inserted in vour interest- 

 ing and truly valuable Magazine, von will particularlv oblige. 

 Sir, Your verv obedient humble servant, 



~ A. B. 



THE MGER. 



It is at length ascertained that this river empties itself into the 

 Atlantic Ocean a few degrees to the northward of the equator. 

 This inip(irtant fact is confirmed by the arrival of Mr. Dupuis 

 from Afriija. This gentleman was appointed Consul from this 

 country atkshantee (where Mr. Bowdich resided for some time). 

 He is acquainted with the Arabic and Moorish languages, and 

 got his intelligence by conversing with different traders with 

 whom he fell in at Ashantce. He thought it so important as to 

 warrant his voyage home to communicate to Government what 

 he had learnt. We sny that Mr. Dupuis has confirmed this 

 fact ; for it so happens that he has been anticipated in the dis- 

 covery by the geographical acumen of a gentleman of Glasgow, 

 who arrived at the same conclusion by a most persevering and 

 diligent investigation of the works of travellers and geographers, 

 ancient and modern, and examining African captives ; and had 

 actually constructed, and submitted to the inspection of Govern- 

 ment two or three months ago, a map of Africa, in which he lays 

 down the Niger as emptying itself into the Atlantic in about four 

 degrees north latitude, after tracing out its entire course from 

 the interior. - - 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



M. Lalande, commissioned by the French Government to 

 make researches in the interior of Africa, arrived at Bourdcaux 

 oa the 3d instant, after an absence of two years. He has brought 



with 



