tion of the alluvion or soil, made along the shores of the large rivers of the Indian continent. The island is nothing at present but a sand-bank; but it is continually receiving such additions as will gradually render it a spacious tract. It was not visible four or five years ago, and it was only discovered, together with the canal, by vessels trading to Saugur," about the latter end of 1816.

The situation is 21° 35' of latitude, and 88° 20′ of longitude east of Greenwich. This position is precisely that which has been indicated in the maps as the bank of Sangur, at the eastern extremity of the upper part of the island of that name. Its formation between the mouths of the Flougly and the canal of the bay, may well enough account for its origin. There being two considerable mouths of rivers, with rapid currents rushing into the sea, both east and west, these must have long been a submarine agglomeration, which has now risen above the surface of the ocean, and must increase under the protection of the continental lands that lie between those two arms of the Ganges.

This island (which has been named Edmonstone,) is about two miles in length from east to west, and half a mile wide from north to south. At the western extremity are little elevations that command a view of the sea. The centre of the island rises high enough to afford shelter, except during the violence of a tempest. The southern shore consists of a fine but solid sand, with a gentle declivity; one of its bays lies very convenient for sea bathing.

The north coast is much intersected with bays and long slips of land, which, with other accretions that appear at low water, form a line of soil in the middle of the canal, that separates the island from Saugur. This canal is about four or five miles wide but very shallow; there is every reason to conclude, that in a few years, it will be completely stopped up and that the Isle of Edmonstone will compose the southern extremity of the continental peninsula.

Situations like this form a proper subject of speculation for the philosophic mind, to trace the progress of such a soil, in raising a substratum that

will hereafter furnish subsistence for animals and vegetables.

Here the operations of nature are in their infancy, a growing assemblage, consisting of alluvions, trunks, branches, and leaves of trees, with seeds, and other materials, brought by the winds and waves from the opposite coast, and finally deposited by the reflux. They may be seen floating in immense masses in the canal, and may be considered as tributary offerings to the new creation. The quantity of wood conveyed hither in this manner is so considerable, that some of the barges that bring fuel from the Sunderbunds prefer touching at the Isle of Edmonstone, to load with the fragments that lie scattered there. The wood and the leaves become decomposed by time, and furnish a supply of soil proper for vegetation. As to the seeds, they appear to retain their vital quality, and will grow spontaneously in the sands, wherein even branches will occasionally take root.

In some parts the island is covered with the dung of birds, which becomes manure for the soil. Myriads of small crabs cover the northern coast, and their visits are productive of some utility.

The central part of the island looks at a distance like a green lawn, dazzling to the view: herbage has taken root here, and there are a number of tufts of long cass (saccharum spontaneum) that thrive very well. Several little trees and shrubs are also visible, among which are the date manhy, and profuse scatterings of the ual or morinda, the large grains of which are of a triangular form. There is a pretty large quantity of purslain, (portulacca oleracea ;) also a kind of bean.

But the principal plants, and indeed the principal contributors to the whole formation, are the ipomea or pes capra, and the salsola; both are found in great abundance. The former appears to be in a soil exactly suited to it, and throws a prodigious lustre on the centre of the island.

A number of creeping plants strike deep roots into the sand, and, spreading several yards over the surface of the soil, help to keep the sand cemented; a new layer of sand coming over this, the shoots pierce through and cover it again, so that it is no longer at the mercy of the winds. There is a progressive accumulation of these roots, which ramble in all directions; new branches are constantly crossing each other, so as to form a compact sort of lattice-work: thus the sand becomes a solid aggregate, and capable of retaining the fresh layers that spread over it.

In short, the soil has every appearance of becoming well adapted for all the purposes of vegetation; and there can be little doubt that what is now the sandy base of the Isle of Edmonstone, will hereafter contain produce like the neighbouring islands and continent.

At present the island is only visited by wood-cutters and fishermen, who have raised two huts on it in honour of Siva, an Indian divinity and the third person of their Trinity. There is no vestige of any other habitation. The canal that separates the island from Saugur is well stocked with fish of different descriptions; and the southern shore is frequented by tortoises.

Sinking of a Hill in the State of New York.

21. On the 1st of June, 1796, a remarkable phenomenon occurred in the vicinity of the town of Katskill, in the State of New York. The country in the neighbourhood is a succession of little hills, or rather small elevations, detached from each other, and only connected a little at their bases. One of these hills, the nearest to Katskill Creek, and elevated about 100 feet above the level of the creek, suddenly suffered a sinking of more than half its declivity. It might have measured about 150 feet, from its summit to the extremity of its base, following the line of inclination. A breadth of about eighty fathoms fell in, beginning at about two or three fathoms from the top. The sunken part gave way all of a sudden, and fell so perpendicularly that a flock of sheep feeding on the spot, went down with it without being overturned. The trunks of trees that remained on it in a half rotten state, were neither unrooted nor even inclined from their former direction, and now stand at the bottom of this chasm, of above four acres in extent, in the same perpendicular position, and on the same soil. However, as there was not sufficient space for all this body of earth, which before had lain in a slope, to place itself horizontally between the two parts of the hill that have not quitted their station, some parts are cracked, and as it were furrowed.

But a more striking circumstance is, that the lower part of the hill, which has preserved its former shape, has been pushed and thrown forward by the sinking part making itself room; that its base has advanced five or six fathoms beyond a small rivulet, which before flowed at the distance of above ten fathoms from it; and that it has even entirely stopped the course of its stream. The greatest elevation of the chasm is about fifty or sixty feet; in its sides it has discovered a blue earth, exhibiting all the characteristics of marl. In some of the strata of the marl is found sulphate of lime in minute crystals. The sinking of the hill made so little noise, as not to be heard at the proprietor's house at the distance of 300 fathoms, nor at the town, which is separated from the hill only by the narrow stream of the creek.

Subterranean Lakes.

22. In the canton of Bresse, in Burgundy, there are two subterranean lakes, which often overflow in times of the greatest drought, and lay a large tract of ground under water; one of them has no apparent spring or opening, and yet in a dry season it throws out water enough to overflow the meadowland near it. The grottoes or caves of Arcy are seated about eighteen miles from Auxerre, and over them is soil about ten feet deep. The entrance into these caves is 200 paces long, but narrow.

There are arches which form several vaults, from whence drops clear water, which turns into a brilliant hard stone. Twenty paces from the entrance is a lake, which seems to be formed by that part of the water that will not petrify. The highest of the vaults is not above eight feet. About eighty paces from the entrance there is a kind of hall, with a coffee coloured ceiling, wherein there are a thousand odd figures, which have a very agreeable effect.

SECTION VI.

NATURAL BRIdges, &c.

Natural Bridge in Virginia, North America.

23. This bridge is described by Mr. Jefferson in his State of Virginia. It commences at the ascent

of a hill, which seems to have been cloven asunder by some convulsion of nature, the fissure at the bridge is by some measurements said to be 270 feet, by others only 205; width at bottom fortyfive feet, at top ninety, which gives the length of the bridge; the thickness at the summit of the arch is forty feet; a considerable part is of earth, upon which grow many large trees, the residue is of the same materials with the hill on both sides, which is a solid lime-stone rock, and forms the arch, which is of a semi-elliptical form, very flat.

The height of this arch above the water (the whole being 205, and forty the thickness) is 165 feet, the breadth at the middle is about sixty feet. It has no ledges, but what is formed on some parts by the rock, but even at these few can stand upon their feet to look down, but go on hands and feet to peep over. On the contrary, the view from below is most delightful, and enchanting. The fissure continuing narrow and straight, both above and below, and of such height that it exhibits a prospect for about five miles; gives a short but very pleasing view of Blue Ridge on the one side, and North Mountain on the other; the stream that passes below it, is called Cedar Creek, and falls into James's river. The bridge is in the county of Rockbridge, to which it has given the name. We have no account of the time when it was produced. It has, however, formed a passage between two mountains otherwise impassable.

Natural Bridge of Angaraez, South America.

24. This bridge is described by Don Ulloa. It is from sixteen to twenty-two feet wide, 111 feet deep, of breadth 1 of a mile, and is not sensibly greater at top than at bottom. Don Ulloa thinks it has been effected by the wearing of the water which runs below it; if so, it would have worn down plain and smooth, or most on that side on its descent, where the rock was of softer materials; but he informs us that the cavities on the one side, were equally hard, and tally with protuberances of the other, that if they met they would fit in all their