245] Origin of Amber-Death of Mr. Welner, the Chymist. [246 FRENCH ROBBERS. Dec. 22, 1816.-The Court of inclined to believe that it is as much the product of those masses of honey and wax which accumulated in grand quan- Assizes this day, after four hours' delibtity in the trunks of old trees of the im- eration, pronounced judgment on the mense forests of Western Europe, as of affair relative to a great number of robthose found on the shores of the seas of hers, viz. eleven men and five women. the old Continent, where there is ordina- One of the prisoners, named Gonthier, rily a vast number of bees. The inju- was aged only fifteen years six months; ries of the air and tempests overturn the the rest had hardly passed thirty years. trees, or they fall from age, when they Almost all of them manifested at the trial are imbedded in the turf and remain a surprising effrontery. One of them, there, continuing to be saturated with named Jardinaud, the elder, who was the gases and the mineral acids which it called, as a nom de guerre, Piedde-Cecontains, and thus changes the nature of leri, said, "How! Mr. President, do the honey, until the rain, storms, the you desire me to avow myself guilty, to melting of the snows, sweep them in tor- destroy my mistress? Promise me that rents to the rivers, and thus to the sea, she shall be safe, and I will acknowledge the honey being still in a liquid state; every thing." Another, named Gurgy. there the conflicting waves detach the pleaded his own cause; he dissembled masses, impregnate them with the chemi- nothing, and sought only to affect the cal principles of the sea-water, throw Judges by stating the misfortunes, true them on the surface in pieces sufficiently or false, which according to him, left him small for their tenacity to overcome the no alternative, since the age of thirteen power of the waves. Thus exposed to years, but to become a robber. One of the air, they perhaps imbibe new prin- the complaints against Jardinaud the ciples, acquire a greater consistency, and elder, the Chief of this band, was, that are thrown by the action of the waves he had introduced himself, in the month on the coast; the insects we find in of January last, into the apartments of them are caught either in the flowing of the Countess of Caraman, Rue Saint the honey on the fall of a tree, or per- Dominique, and of having carried off a haps in their passage to the sea, which gold watch, suspended at the head of the envelopes them in the mass; this, be- bed, without disturbing her Ladyship's coming concrete, preserves them in their repose. natural forms and colours. CAUTION TO EXPERIMENTALISTS. Mr. These pieces of yellow amber are cut at Koningsberg into all kinds of orna- Mr. J. Welner, a German chymist, ments. The Egyptian physicians strong- retired last summer to his house in the ly recommend their use for women and country, there to devote himself, without children; according to them, a necklace being disturbed, to the study and examand bracelet of yellow amber, which is ination of poisonous substances. a very pretty ornament, prevents vapours Welner tried his poisons upon himself, and nervous affections: they pretend and appeared insensible to the great also, that yellow amber for children re- alterations which such dangerous trials moves disorders of worms, &c.; and, produced upon his health. At the latter when they wear much, protects them end of the month of October he invented from the electrical current, which, in some unknown poisonous mixture, and great storms, might strike them. This wished to assure himself of its effect. reasoning sufficiently agrees with the The following is the account which he observations afforded by experience; for gives of it in the last page of his manumy own part, I am of opinion that script :-" A potion composed of (here ladies cannot make choice of ornaments the substances are named, and the doses so useful, under many respects, as those indicated) is mortal: and the proof of it of amber, which are beautiful without is that I am dying !"--Punoṛama, being too expensive. D. J. LARREY. Feb. 1817. Paris; Nov. 2, 1816. 247] French Anecdotes, 1816-17. BARON LARREY. people. [248 ion, that it would be idle to employ It is principally to Baron Larrey that force in subduing whatever of estimation military surgery owes its present state may remain for him with the French of perfection: before his time, the wounded were never thought of until A Series of Medals in bronze, nearly the battle was over, the surgeons wisely 130 in number, struck at different epochs keeping their stations, at least a league of his career, have been seen, each in in the rear of the army: the humanity celebration of some great and daring of Napoleon, aided by the Baron, sug- act of his government; a victory, a sucgested the mode of dressing their wounds cessful aggression, the conquest of a on the field of battle, when the cases nation, the establishment of a new state, required it; he also invented cars for the elevation of some of his family, or transporting the wounded the moment his own personal aggrandisement. These they fell, by which he has saved many medals are not more illustrative of his thousand valuable lives, which may deeds than of his impatience to record easily be conceived, when it is known them, and the peculiar temper of mind that he was Napoleon's principal military in which he caused his injuries upon the surgeon in all his campaigns, from the world to be "written in brass." Those commencement of his career to the battle about to be particularised are chiefly reof Waterloo, where the Baron's usual markable for this indication of feeling. intrepidity and zeal was nearly fatal to The medal commemorative of the him; for he received a severe wound in Battle of Marengo bears, on one side, a the head, fell, and remained two days large bunch of keys, environed by two on the field of battle, and, when dis- laurel branches; and, on the reverse, covered, was taken for Napoleon, being Buonaparte, as a winged genius standvery like him, when he again ran the risk ing on dismounted cannon, to which of his life from ignoble vengeance. On four horses are attached, upon the sumhis return to Paris, the King stripped mit of Mount St. Bernard, urges their him of all in his power; but it would rapid speed, with a laurel branch in one have had the appearance of injustice to hand, whilst he directs the reins with the entirely lay aside the first military surgeon other. in the world; therefore his most Chris- That on the Peace of Luneville is two tian Majesty has most graciously pleased inches and a quarter in diameter, with to suffer him to continue his functions the head of the First Consul in uncomas surgeon-in-chief of the military hos- monly bold relief; the device is the Sun pital of the Royal Guard. His loss, arising in splendor upon that part of the besides his practice, from the paternal globe which represents France, and regulations of his most Christian Majesty, which is overshadowed by laurels, whilst is 12001. per annum.-Month. Mag. a cloud descends and obscures Great Mar. 1817. THE NAPOLEON MEDALS Britain--not the only mistaken anticipations of Buonaparte. The commencement of hostilities by Of the numerous means employed to England, after the peace of Amiens, is commemorate the achievements of Buo- designated by the English leopard tearnaparte, the public buildings and monu- ing a scroll, with the inscription, Le ments of France bear ample witness. Traite d'Amiens rompu par l'Angleterre Some of the latter are exclusively devo- en Mai de l' An 1803; on the reverse, a ted to this object; and the new govern- winged female figure in breathless haste ment seem, very wisely, to think the forcing on a horse at full speed, and erasure of the memorials from the former, holding a laurel crown, inscribed, would be a mutilation ill compensated L'Hanovre occupé par l'Armeé Franby an occasional suspension of the recol- coise en Juin de l'An. 1803; and beneath lection of his previous power. Indeed, Fruppeé avec l'Argent des Mines d'HaBuonaparte's name and fame are so novre l'An 4, de Bonaparte.-His medal, engrafted with the arts and literature of on assuming the purple, has his portrait, France, during the period of his domin- Napoleon Empereur, by Andrieu, who 249] French Anecdotes.-The Napoleon Medals. [250 has executed nearly all the portraits on who, unable to resist the attack, is his medals; on the reverse, he is in his sternly looking back, whilst compelled imperial robes, elevated by two figures, to fly before it a dead horse, cannon one armed,inscribed, Le Senat et le Peuple. dismounted, and a waggon full of troops The Battle of Austerlitz has, on the standing still, perishing in fields of snow; reverse, simply a thunderbolt, with a the inscription is, Retraite de l' Armée, small figure of Buonaparte, enrobed and Novembre, 1812. enthroned on the upper end of the shaft of the thunder. The next national medals struck were in honour of the Emperor Alexander, In 1804, he struck a medal with a who entered Paris with the other Allied Herculean figure on the reverse, confi- Sovereigns, and the name of Andrieu, ning the head of the English leopard be- whose portraits of Buonaparte are extween his knees, whilst preparing a cord quisitely beautiful, next appears on a to strangle him, inscribed, En l'An XII. medal, with a reverse, representing 2000 barques sont construites :-this France crowned, eagerly welcoming the was in contemplation of the invasion and arrival of a ship, inscribed above, Il conquest of England. porte la paix du Monde, 1814; bearing on the exergue a portrait of Louis XVIII. The reverse of the medal on the Battle of Jena, presents Buonaparte on an eagle in the clouds, as warring with The workmanship of the preceding giants on the earth, whom he blasts with medals is admirable, but most of them thunderbolts. are surpassed in that respect by some. The medal on the Confederation of to which we can do little more than the Rhine has, for its reverse, numerous allude. warriors in ancient armour, swearing, with their right hands on an altar, formed of an immense fasces, with the Imperial eagle projecting from it. A finely-executed medal, two inches and five-eighths in diameter, represents Napoleon enthroned in his full imperial costume, holding a laurel wreath'; on Not the least characteristic is a medal, the reverse is a head of Minerva, surwith the usual head, Napoleon Emp. et rounded by laurel and various trophies Roi, on the exergue, with this remarka- of the fine arts, with this inscriptionble reverse, a throne, with the Imperial Ecole Française des Beaux Arts a robes over the back and across the scep- Rome, retablie et augmentée par Napotre which is in the chair; before the leon en 1803. The reverses of the throne is a table, with several crowns, Cathedral of Paris-a warrior sheathdiffering in shape and dignity, and some ing his sword (on the battle of Jena)-sceptres with them lying upon it; three and Buonaparte holding up the King of crowns are on the ground, one broken Rome, and presenting him to the peoand two upside down; an eagle with ple-are amongst the most highly finfasces hovers in the air; the inscription ished and most inestimable specimens is, Souverainétes donnés M.DCCCVI. a of art. The reverses of the last four in suc- Unquestionably, the worst in the colcession, struck during the reign of Napo- lection is the Consular medal, which, leon, are, 1. The Wolga, rising with on that account, deserves description: astonishment from his bed at the sight of it is, in size, about a half-crown-piece; the French eagle; 2. A representation on the exergue, over a small head of of le Bataille de la Moskowa, 7 Septem- Buonaparte, is inscribed, Bonaparte bre, 1812; 3. A view of Moscow, with premier consul; beneath it, Cambacethe French flag flying on the Kremlin, res, second consul, le Brun troisme consul and an ensign of the French eagle, bear- de la republique Française; on the reing the letter N, loftily elevated above verse, Le peuple Française a ses defenits towers and minarets, dated 14th Sep- seurs premiere pierre de la colonne nutember, 1812; 4. A figure in the air, tioni. posèe par Lucien Bonaparte, mindirecting a furious storm against an istre de l'interieur, 25 Messidore, An 8, armed warrior resembling Napoleon, 14 Juillet, 1800.-One other nedal ช Eng. Mag. Vol. I. 251] Richter's Travels. [252 However much we may be disposed only appears with the name of Lucien tain to vast dominion, it cannot be preBuonaparte; it is that struck in honour served at the expense of the rights and of Marshal Turenne, upon the Transla- feelings of the vanquished; and that tion du corps de Turenne au Temple de though the oppressor, in the day of his Mars par les ordres du premiere Consul prosperity, and in the confidence of his Bonaparte; and is of a large size, bear- might, scorn the voice of the oppressed, ing the head of Turenne, with, beneath yet power never can be maintained, by it, Sa glorie apport ent au peuple Fran- violence alone, against public opinion, çaise. Several are in honour of General publicly expressed, Desaix, whose memory Buonaparte appears to have held in great esteem. to admire Buonaparte for having left Those on his marriage with the lovely such fine monuments of art and taste to and ill-fated Maria Louisa, bear her the admiration of posterity, we must not head beside his own; and a small one forget, that, with such means, and better on that occasion has, for its reverse, a propensities, he might have left more. Cupid, carrying with difficulty a thun- With greater opportunity to confer hapderbolt. Those on the birth of their piness than ever before fell to the lot of child bear the same heads on the exergue, one man, he prosecuted a selfish career with the head of an infant on the reverse, of wild ambition, and preferred the imiinscribed, Napoleon François Joseph tation of Alexander and Cæsar at all Charles, Roi de Rome, xx. Mars times, to that of Trajan or Antoninus at any time. Hence only a very few of M.DCCCXI. These grand medals offer a memento this fine series of medals commemorate appalling to rulers, and truly beneficial the exercise of those charities that emato mankind. They will shew posterity, nate from true greatness.-Euro. Mag. that though daring enterprize may at RICHTER'S TRAVELS. From the Panorama. HE untimely death of the learned through it, to get to the island of Eleand inquisitive traveller, Otto Von phantine. By the oare of Ibrahim, Richter, is a most afflicting circumstance Governor of Upper Egypt, he was enafor the scientific world, as well as his bled to continue his journey up the Nile, numerous friends in Germany and Rus- to Idrim, the capital of Nubia, which sia. In company with the accomplished belongs to the Turks. Though he was Swedish Traveller, Lindman, he had much pleased with the mode of living of travelled in 1815 through all Egypt and the inhabitants, a handsome race of peoNubia, and discovered beyond Philoe, ple, which in many of the conveniences on the spot where the ancient state of of life resembles that of the Europeans, Meroe was situated, considerable re- he found it adviseable to set out upon mains of ancient Architecture which had his return to Cairo on the 9th of June, hitherto escaped notice. The Grand 1815. In fact, immediately after his Signori firman procured him protection departure from Turkish Nubia, a deevery where as far as Nubia; and, ac- structive civil war broke out between cording to a letter from him dated Dami- three brothers, who, nominally dependetta, August 14, 1815, he met with a ent on the Pacha of Egypt, govern most friendly reception from Aly Bey, bia to the farther side of the great CataGovernor of Damanhur. The Governor racts, and as far as Dongola. When of Syene accompanied him in person, Richter and Lindman returned to Cairo through the desert as far as Ell Heiff, at the end of July, and were ready at (Philoe). Near Assuan, (Syene), the the beginning of August to traverse the Eastern arm of the Nile being unusually Delta in all directions, a mutiny broke fow, the traveller was able to wade out among the Arnauts, who are now Nu. 253] Varieties: Literary, Critical, and Historical. [254 the only infantry of Mehimed Aly, Pacha Lebanon, examined the principal monof Egypt. The travellers now changed asteries, and the road of Antonine over their plan, and proceeded by sea from the mountains, and visited Aleppo, DaDamietta to Jaffa. At Acre, Lindman mascus, and even Tadmor, (Palmyra) parted from Richter. The latter having in the desert. While exploring the site taking a cursory survey of the deserts of of the Ancient Ephesus, which neither Tyre and Sidon, proceeded to Balbec, Choiseul Gouffier nor the modern Eng(Heliopolis), whither the Pacha of Acre lish travellers have rightly indicated, he had given him letters to one of the prin- caught an infectious fever in the morasses cipal chiefs. The sight of the highly and wildernesses of that desolate counornamented remains of Balbec was much try, which in a few days terminated his more pleasing to our traveller than that life. He has left papers and drawings of the immense masses of ruins at Luxor of the greatest importance to the arts and and Carnac. Afterwards, he travelled sciences, which have been happily prein safety through Syria to the top of served.-Lit. Gaz. VARIETIES, CRITICAL, LITERARY, AND HISTORICAL. From the Monthly Magazine. MEASUREMENT OF THE KUMAON MOUNTAINS. ALLOW me to call the attention of your readers to the importance of the information communicated by Lieut. WEBB, respecting the altitudes of the principal mountains of the province of Kumaon, in Nepaul. In order to place it in a more striking point of view, I shall beg leave to repeat the table which contains the results of that officer's observations on 27 peaks: Number of Peaks. 1 23456 Altitude above Tonguras, South America Feet. 22,345 22,058 Schreckhorn, 22,840 Mont Blanc 21,611 19,106 22,498 Now upon reference to the preceding table, it will be seen that out of the 27 peaks, measured by Lieut. Webb, the very lowest (No. 10) surpasses Mont Blanc, the highest point of the European continent by 71 feet; that 19 out of the 27 exceed the Chimborasso, hitherto considered the most elevated point of the globe; and that the highest of these Asiatic peaks (No. 14) towers to the prodigious elevation of 4,759 feet above that giant of the Andes ! It may be interesting to your readers to know that when the table communi |