Black and Caspian Seas.

"For those portions of the Russian, Turkish, and Persian Empires which surround these inland seas, the Scriptures are now under preparation, or have been prepared and are in the course of circulation, by various Bible and Missionary Societies-particnlarly in Russ, Turkish, Tartar, Tartar-Turkish, Greek, Persian, Arabic, and Armenian.

The

"The Scottish Missionary Society occupies the greatest number of Stations in this sphere of labour. A dark cloud rests at present on exertions among the Mahommedans of these parts. Tartars and Persians, in particular, to whom the Missionaries have had access, present many discouragements. The Mollahs and Effendis seem to have taken alarm for the stability of their faith. It is remarked, in the last Report of the Society, in reference to the Mahommedans of the Crimea

"The present important movements in Turkey lead many of them to conclude, that the Day of Judgement is at hand; and they believe, that, before that day, Mahommedanism will be almost completely abolished. The chief Effendi wept, when be heard of the defeat of the Turks at the Straits of Thermopyla; and seemed to think that the Ottoman Empire was hastening to destruction, and carrying along with it the interests of the Mahommedan faith.

"The discouragements, however, arising from the present state of the Tartars and Persians are not without relief. It will be seen, under the heads of Karass and Astrachan, that the first-fruits of both people, in the Scottish Mission, have, this year, been offered to God.

"Missionaries have not an unrestrained course under the only Christian Government which has authority in these regions. It appears, that, by an old law of the Russian Empire, no Heathen can be baptized, throughout the whole territory, but by the Russian Greek Clergy. The Scottish and German Missionaries have had this privilege granted them; but the old law seems to have been revived against such Societies, as have not obtained express exemption from its operation. See on this subject pp. 297, 298, 488, & 489 of our last Volume. The Scotish Missionaries have met with no serious interruption in their labours, except in the case of Mr. Blyth, mentioned at p. 26 of the last Survey, who was prevented from labouring among the Inguish some priests of the

Russian Church have been since sent among that people; and Mr. Blyth has been authorized by the Society to leave Russia, with the view of proceeding to another quarter of the world.

"The Missionaries Betzner and Saltet, sent by the Edinburgh Jews' Society, to labour among the Jews near the Black Sea, whose proceedings were noticed in the last Survey, passed from Kiew to Riga, through Minks, Wilno, and Mittau-conferring with the Jews, and distributing New Testaments and Tracts. They found much attention in various places; and, in some, very hopeful converts."

This Division is occupied by twenty-two Missionaries, besides Native Assistants, who are under the patronage of the Scottish Missionary Society, the Moravian Brethren, the London Missionary Society, the German Missionary Society, and the Baptist Missionary Society. Respecting the Missionary of the last mentioned Society we shall give all the information in our possession at an early opportunity. (To be continued.)

DESIGNATION OF THE REV. A. LESLIE.

"Mr. Andrew Leslie was designated at Coventry, on Tuesday, October 14. The service was introduced with reading the scriptures and prayer by Mr. Hardcastle of Dudley. Mr. Dyer, junior Secretary to the Society, explained to the numerous congregation the nature of the business on which they were assem◄ bled, and received from Mr. Leslie a most interesting narrative of his early life, together with the confession of his faith. The ordination prayer was offered by Mr. Franklin, minister of the place, (one of whose daughters is married to Mr. Leslie,) after which an affectionate charge was delivered by the venerable Dr. Ryland, founded on Acts xxvi. 16-18. Mr. Jerard, pastor of the Independent church in the city formerly under the care of the Rev. George Burder, closed the service in prayer. In the evening, a sermon was delivered by Mr. Morgan, of Birmingham, from Isa. xlix. 24, 25. The various engagements of the day appeared to make a deep impression on the very large and respectable assembly, and it is hoped, may hereafter be found to have been accompanied with permanent spiritual benefit. The collection at the doors amounted to £24,"-Bap. Miss.Herald.

W

Scientific ́Department.

Combustion by Blow-pipe under Water.

Mr. Skidmore, of New York, has remarked that the flame of the oxy-hydrogen blow-pipe may be made to burn under water. All that is required is to introduce it slowly, so that the flame shall not recede into the vessel. In this situation the flame is globular; wood put into it burns, and wires are ignited, and Mr. Skidmore thinks it may be very importantly applied as a submarine instrument of naval warfare, no difficulties being presented which may not easily be overcome.-Brande's Jour.

Extraordinary formation of Hornstone.

Professor Jameson in some speculations in regard to the formation of opal, woodstone, and diamond, gives the following statement:-" Like opal, hornstone seems sometimes to be a product of vegetable origin, for the specimen which I now exhibit to the Society is a variety of woodstone. This remarkable speeimen, which is eighteen inches long, five inches thick, and eight broad, was torn from the interior of a log of teak wood, (tectona grandis,) in one of the dock-yards at Calcutta. The carpenters on sawing the log of teakwood, were arrested in their progress by a hard body, which they found to be interlaced with the fibres of the wood; and, on cutting round, extracted the specimen now on the table. This fact naturally led me to conjecture, that the mass of woodstone had been secreted by the tree, and that, in this particular case, a greater quantity of silica than usual had been deposited; in short, that this portion of the trunk of the tree had become silicified, thus offering to our observation in vegetables, a case analogous to the ossifications that take place in the animal system. I was further led to suppose that the wood might contain silica in considerable quantity as one of its constituent parts, a conjecture which was confirmed by some experiments made by Dr. Wollaston. Other woods appear also to contain silica, and these, in all probabili will occasionally have portions of their

structure highly impregnated with silica, forming masses which will present the principal characters of petrified wood. Indeed, I think it probable that some of the petrified woods in cabinets are portions of trees that have been silicified by the living powers of the vegetable, and not trunks, or branches, which have been petrified or silicified by a mere mineral process.”—Edin. Jour. ix. 165.

Matrix of the Brazilian Diamond.

In Mr. Hewland's splendid collection there is a Brazilian dia mond, imbedded in brown iron ore; another also in brown iron ore, is in the possession of M. Schuch, librarian to the Crown Princess of Portugal; and Eschwege has in his own cabinet a mass of brown iron ore, in which there is a diamond in a drasy cavity, of a green mineral, conjectured to be arseniate of iron. From these facts it is inferred that the matrix, or original repository of the diamond of Brazil, is brown iron ore, which occurs in beds of slaty quartzoze micaceous iron ore, or in beds composed of iron glance and magnetic iron ore named Itubirite, both of which are subordinate to what is considered as primitive clay slate.-Edin. Jour. ix. 202.

Volcanic Eruption in Teeland.

On the 22d of June last, a great noise began in Myrdals Jokel, on the south side of Iceland, and on the 26th there was a dreadful volcanic eruption from the Crater Kotlugian, which had been quiet since 1775. Pumice and ashes were thrown to a great distance, and even covered ships that were ninety miles from the coast. The ice on the summit of the mountain was torn asunder, prodigious masses rolled into the sea, while torrents of water thrown from the crater covered the adjacent country with mud and slime. There were three distinct eruptions, since which the mountain has been tranquil. This new volcano lies from six to eight leagues to the east of Eyafalle Jokel, which broke out in December last, and about twelve leagues south-east of Hecla.

BOTANY.

Plants in flower, in the Mission Garden, in the month of Juneï

1824.

Monandria Monogynia.-Canna indica,--polymorpha—-pe dunculata -pallida-coccinea-coccinea maculata-glaucanepalensis-limbata. Kempferia Galanga-marginata-angustifolia-pandurata. Phrynium dichotomum-spicatum-capitatum. Curcuma Zedoaria-Amada-longa--cordifolia. Alpinia nutans-calcarata. Globba Careyana.

Diandria Monogynia.--Jasminum Zambac--elongatum

lanceœfolium-bracteatum-arborescens-angustifolium-co

arctatum-laurifolium-attenuatum -auriculatum--lanceolarium-chrysanthemum-grandiflorum. Justicia echioides-picta -paniculata. Veronica elatior-mollis-prealta --dentata. Gratiola grandiflora-integrifolia-lucida-veronicifolia-serrata. Lycopus exaltatus. Stachytarpheta jamaicensis-mutabilis-prismatica. Salvia coccinea-parviflora-cana. Triandria Monogynia.-Pardanthus chinensis. Iris cuprea moreoides. Sisyrynchitim anceps. The grasses are omitted.

Tetrandria Monogynia. Spermacoce teres-lævis-hispida -tenuior. Ixora coccinea-undulata-Pavetta-rosea. Callicarpa incana-villosa. Cissus vitiginea-pedata. thus inconspicuus. Rivina lævis.

Chloran

Pentandria Monogynia.--Heliotropium indicum--tenuifolium. Cynoglossum canescens-racemosum. Lettsomia splendens-nervosa-bona nox. Convolvulus purpureus-tridentatus-bicolor-Turpethum-Nil-paniculatus. Ipomoea sepiarea. Campanula Bononiensis. Nauclea Cadamba. Randia racemosa stricta. Psychotria undulata. Musaenda corymbosa-frondosa. Morinda tinctoria-citrifolia. Scævola Taccada. Lobelia radicans. Mirabilis Jalapa. Ardisia glandulosa umbellata-solanacea-colorata. Hyoscyamus albus. Verbascum Thapsus. Datura stramonium-metel-fastuosa