Miscellanies. 201 



in this instance formed an alliance so friendly, that to our consternation 

 as well as amusement, we were pursued to the very banks. We however 

 escaped with but a slight scorching. We soon found means, however, to 

 repeat the experiment with perfect impunity. This was done by selecting 

 a position where the water was three or four feet deep, lying on our backs 

 with our legs extended, and allowing no part of our persons to touch the 

 bottom except the feet, over which the gas might be inflamed, and would 

 continue to burn as long as the leaves were stirred beneath. In this way 

 we could cause the flame to follow us several rods. By raising the feet 

 at pleasure it would expire. 



With this experience, we determined to repeat the experiment in the 

 presence of the scholars. Their next visit to the pond was deferred till 

 evening, that darkness might render the phenomenon more imposing. 

 The boys were simply informed that "Master Moses was a going to set 

 the river afire" and that their assistance would be necessary to the sat- 

 isfactory performance of the experiment. The usual preparation for 

 bathing being made, some fifty of the less timid entered the water, with 

 the injunction to step as lightly as possible till the pond was discovered to 

 be on fire, when all would be at liberty to proceed as would best suit their 

 inclinations. We soon came to a favorable spot, and the gas beginning 

 to come up pretty freely, a lighted taper was brought near the surface, 

 when in an instant a lambent flame played upon our unprotected bodies, 

 and cast a gloomy light upon the surrounding forest, disclosing here and 

 there amid the thick underbrush the pale faces of their shouting com- 

 panions who remained upon the bank. In the hurry the injunction to 

 step lightly was forgotten, and the general stir of the leaves which took 

 place extricated the gas in such abundance that the flame rose several feet 

 above our heads. As they separated from me I raised my feet from the 

 bottom, and found it much more difficult to suppress my laughter than to 

 extinguish the flames. 



29. French Exploring Expedition to the Antarctic Regions. — We 

 are indebted to the polite attentions of J. Balestier, Esq., U. S. Con- 

 sul at Singapore, for a copy of the ^'•Singapore Free Press,'''' of July 

 11, 1839, containing a translation of a sketch of the movements of 

 the French Antarctic Expedition, under D' Urville. The sketch was 

 prepared by Commodore D'Urville for the Society of Arts and Sci- 

 ences of Batavia, and was read June 19, 1839. 



The corvettes U Astrolabe and La Zelee sailed from Toulon, Sept. 

 7, 1837, on the expedition above mentioned. They arrived at the 

 Straits of Magellan, Dec. 12, where they remained twenty-eight 

 days employed in surveying, and in ethnographical investigations, 

 and in making collections in natural history, and observations in nat- 

 ural philosophy. Afterwards they explored the entire eastern coast 



Vol. xxsix, No. 1.— April-June, 1840. 26 . 



