Description of a Mermaid. 195 



around the Island, and is commonly washed up on the 

 shores, where it is found of almost every shape, and texture 

 and^color, though not of the finest orders. It often, resem- 

 bles in its texture, horn, bone, honey-comb, &c. ; but gen- 

 erally appears in its vegetable form. When growing on 

 the shallow bottoms, the beds, as you pass over them in a 

 boat, appear very beautiful. You might think them beds of 

 various mosses and flowers, so various are the shapes and 

 colors which they present. If you break off a sprig, you 

 will often find it tipped with something like a small flower, 

 with very brilliant colors: red, green and purple; which, 

 however, generally lose their color and become white, on 

 exposure to the air. 



I perceive, on recurring to your very kind letter, receiv- 

 ed just as I left America, you enumerate some minerals, as 

 natives of Ceylon, which I have not mentioned — the Corun- 

 dum, Chrysoheryl, spinelle^ also silver and gold. I can add 

 nothing concerning them,except that the two latter metals are 

 scarce. I do not know, indeed, of any gold mines that are 

 wrought at present, but the precious metal is found in small 

 quantities in the mountains of the interior." 



3. Mermaid. 



I 



The following letter is from so respectable a source, that 

 we hesitate not to publish it in this Journal, The Mer- 

 maid spoken of in this letter, is, as we are informed, the 

 same that was purchased by Captain Edes, of Boston, and 

 carried to England. As it will probably be soon exhibited 

 in this country, both the credulous and the incredulous, 

 will have an opportunity to judge whether the Japanese 

 have fabricated a Mermaid, or whether it is a genuine pro- 

 duction of nature. Editor. 



Extract of a letter to Mr. James S. Wallace, of New-York, 

 dated Batavia, March, 10th, 1S22. 



" What I have seen with mine own eyes and felt with 

 mine own hands, that I believe.'' I send you a description 

 of a Mermaid taken on the shores of Japan sometime last 

 year, and brought to this place a few months since, by one 

 of the regular Dutch ships. The measurement I made my- 



