Willis is now writing vapid 
Letters from Europe, 
Dekay promises a Toy age 
to Turkey, but he spoke nei- 
ther Greek nor Turkish, as 
usual. 
The dates are those of pub- 
lication. C. S. R. 
120. Reward of Merit 
The beautiful gold Medal 
awarded to Prof. Rafinesque, 
by the Geographical Society of 
Paris, has been received with 
a Diploma of Merit. It bears 
on one side the head of Miner- 
va and on the other a suitable 
inscription. 
This Society is composed of 
the most eminent and learned 
men of France. They have de- 
cided that the question of the 
origin of mankind, and the 
black nations is as yet insolu- 
ble, owing to our imperfect 
knowledge of many languages; 
but they have approved and 
rewarded the memoirs and la- 
bors of the writer, as one step 
towards such a solution, by 
connecting the languages and 
traditions of all the nations of 
the world with the primitive 
cradle of mankind, Asia and 
the Imalaya. 
It is believed that this is the 
first instance of such an honor 
being awarded to any Ameri- 
can citizen, by one of the most 
eminent learned Societies; for 
a labor at least of erudition in 
the highest branches of histo- 
rical knowledge, philology and 
ethnography. 
But this kind of merit and 
lofty knowledge is so little un- 
derstood and valued here, that 
some periodicals have refused 
even to notice this literary 
fact! 
121. Ax.x.eghahxes Mouh- 
TAIHS. " 
Physical geography is much 
neglected in the U. States* 
lakes and streams must be sur- 
veyed and laid out in maps, 
but table lands mountains and 
hills are often altogether omit- 
ted or incorrectly delineated. 
Our first Surveyors began their 
surveys in the level atlaniic 
region, when they came to the 
hills and mountains they com- 
menly scrveyed them by run- 
ning lines near them, reducing 
all elevations to flat acres of 
aerial surface instead of terres- 
trial surface, thus three acres 
in mountains are often 4 or 5 in 
reality. From these errone- 
ous surveys our maps are made. 
In some maps lofty mountains 
are not even laid out; thus the 
Gatskill mountains 4000 feet 
high, are not found in many 
maps of N. York. Tablelands 
and hills were altogether ne- 
glected. Thus we bad ho cor- 
rect delineation of our soil, 
slopes and elevations of land. 
When mountains were in- 
trodnced in maps, they were 
put down at random, at first 
in heaps, laterly itt ridges. 
Thus was formed the opinion 
that all our mountains were 
in parallel ridges. Yet noth- 
ing is more erroneous: Since 
nearly all our mountains are 
in fact Tabx.e-x.ahds or Pla- 
teaux, rising by successive 
steps or in some instances ab- 
ruptly, with some ridges and 
