Foreis'n Literature and Science. 181 



'b 



send gratuitously one hundred grains to any one who will 

 promise to cultivate it, and make known the result. 



20. Style of the Orientals. — A diploma of the Persian 

 order of the Lion-of-the-Sun„ which has recently been 

 sent to Joseph de Hammer, of Vienna, presents in the 

 following address, literally translated, a curious exam- 

 ple of the oriental style. It thus announces the titles 

 that have been given him on this occasion : — " Very esti- 

 mable, very honourable, eloquent in the art of oratory 

 penetrating, skilful interpreter of the language of the good 

 christian people, who believe in Jesus, Counsellor of the 

 high imperial German Court, whose pen is well made, 

 whose writing is flowery, whose fingers are nimble, whose 

 tongue is well practised, column of the most excellent and 

 the most venerated, lily of ten languages, Joseph Hammer, 

 &c." 



21. The Inauguration of a Colossal Statue of Luther, was 

 to take place in the city of Wittemberg, by order of the 

 Prussian Governments, and with great solemnity, on the 31st 

 of October, the anniversary of the day on which Luther 

 separated from the Catholics, by posting upon the Univer- 

 sity of Wittemberg, in 1517, his famous Theses against the 

 Court of Rome. The king, and all the protestant princes 

 of Germany were to assist at this ceremony, which is a na- 

 tional festival to the whole of evangelical Germany. 



^ Rev. Ency. 



22. Amsterdam Canal. — The Dutch are actively engag- 

 ed in constructing a grand Canal in North-Holland. It will 

 be twelve miles in length, and twenty-five ieet deep, so as 

 to be navigable for East-India ships from the Helder and 

 the large port of Het Nieuw Diep, to the Het Y. before 

 Amsterdam. This undertaking does great honour to the 

 inspector general Blanken : it is no inconsiderable enter- 

 prise to construct a canal of this extent in a marshy soil, 

 consisting in a great measure of a kind of floating turf un- 

 der a bed of clay, and of attaching to it massive sluices, 

 each of which must cost 300,000 florins. A great number 

 of boats must be employed in carrying away the turf and 

 mud taken from the canal, for it will not do to throw upon 



