533 
have been for some time suspvended. 
Important discoveries might nevertheless 
be expected to be made there, if they 
were continued, as that town, formerly 
so spacious and opulent, was almost en- 
tiely overwhelmed by a sudden inunda- 
tion of the Tyber, and all the valgable 
ebjects which it contained were buried 
am the mud of the river. If it were 
completely explored, rt would exhibit an 
appearance not less interesting than 
Pompeji. People may still walk upon 
the tops of the houses, and trace out 
whole streets, by following the direction 
of the roots. They may descend into 
some of these houses which have been 
cleared, and which are built in the same 
style as those ef Pompeji. The only 
edifice that has been entirely disencum- 
bered, is the temple of Neptune, situated 
on an elevation; that of Mercury; in 
which the deity is represented holding a 
purse, is cleared only in part. It was in 
this antique city, that Fegan found, 
among other ancient motuiments, a very 
fine Venus, which is in bigh preservation, 
and disputes the palm of excellence with . 
the Venus of the Capitol. It has been 
earried to England. At present, herds 
ef buffaloes and wild bulls graze, as in 
former times, over-the routs of Ostia, so 
that the place cannot be approached 
without great caution. 
During last winter, a phenomenon, 
which would appear incredible, were it 
not attested by a great‘number of persons 
of known veracity, occurred in the vici- 
nity of Placentia. On.the 17th of Ja- 
nuary, red snow fell upon the mountains 
in this department, and especially upon 
that known by the name of Cento-croci. 
A coat of white snow had covered the 
tops of these mountains, when several 
peals of thunder, accompanied with light- 
ning, were heard. From this moment, 
the snow that fell was red ; this continued 
for some time, after which white snow 
geain. fell, so that the red was inclosed 
between iwo strata of white. In some 
places, this snow was only of the color 
ef peach-vlossom, butin others of a deep 
red. Some of it was collected, and the 
water, whieh it yielded, when melted, 
retained the same colour. ‘The analysis 
ef it by M. Gurporri, a chemist of Par- 
ma, promises interesting results, This 
phenomenon seems to furnish us with the 
means of explaining the showers of 
blood, which are mentioned by the an- 
e1ents im their histones. 
already ascertained the existence of 
pesinites, or stoues failen from the atmos- 
4 
Literary and Philosophical Intelligence. 
We Have. 
[Nov. 1, 
phere, which the Greeks and Latins have 
spokea of; and now it is impossible to 
deny the reality of showers of a blood-red 
colour, which are described by the same. 
authors,  * | 
RUSSIA. 
Some curious particulars respecting 
one of the uncivilized tribes of this vast 
empire, are given in a letter, dated from 
the fortress of Troiz Rossawast, in’Sibe- 
ria, December 25, 1869. Itisas follows: 
On the 28th of November, the Cho- 
rinzian Buretes held a solemn festival 
here, on occasion of the Sans Hur, or 
mysterious book of their religion, which: 
they have received from Thibet. These 
people, called by the Russians Bratsky, 
came about the middle of the 17th cen= 
tury, with their chiefs, to the number of 
several thousands, from the frontiers of 
China, and settled to the south of the 
great lake Baikal, along the rivers Ona, 
Uda, and Aga. ‘Till the year 1689, they 
lived unknown, and without fixing them= 
selves in-a permanent manner, In the. 
sequel, their intercourse with Russia led 
them to become subjects to that govern- 
ment, to which they paid tribute, and 
performed the service of the’ frontiers, 
But after they had acquired a civil exis= 
tence, still continuing attached to their, 
religion, they began to devise the means 
of recovering its mysterious book, the 
Sans Hur. Their efforts for upwards, of 
a century proved unsuccessful, because 
they had quitted their native country for _ 
a foreign Jand, -At length, Calsan Mar- 
duitsen, the great chief of the eleven 
tribes, has*had the good fortune to ace 
complish the pious wishes of the Bu- 
retes. As soon as he had received in- 
telligence that the sacred book was ap- 
proaching the’ Russian frontiers, he re- 
paired hither, ‘accompanied’ by the. 
priests and chief persons of his nation, 
acquainted the public fanctioharies with 
the motive of his visit, aud begged per- 
reission to receive the Sans Hur with due 
solemnity, aeco:ding to their religious 
rites. Next day, about noon, six carri- 
ages arrived with the Sans Ifur, which 
‘ consists of one hundred and twelve vo= 
lumes. In a seventh, was their Burchan, 
or idol, made of clay, and gilt all over,” 
The Russian authorities were invited to 
the ceremony. The Chorinzians en-— 
camped in the extensive plain surrounds 
ing this fortress, and plated their lamas 
(priests) on carpets, cushions, mats, 
accoiding to their rank and dignity; but: 
others seated themselves on the bare 
ground, on each side of a pulpit, ticle 
wit 
, 
oe aa 
