old ones were soon collected round us by the cries of their young, and three males of monstrous size, and frightful appearance, charged our line with the utmost impetuosity-two of our elephants gave way, receiving the charge on their hinder parts, and were instantly upset. Those that stood firm were not knocked down, but staggered several paces by the shock; my elephant was one that gave way, and my situation was far from laughable. The elephant often attempted to rise, but was as often laid flat by his antagonist, and at length with such force that I was thrown several yards into the lake, in a state of utter stupefaction-luckily falling on some willows I was saved from drowning. I was not sorry, on recovery, to find myself out of reach of the horn of my furious enemy, and of the shots of my friends, who, despairing of my escape, fired without ceremony. Their balls struck the monster's body in several places without producing any effect though from four ounce rifles-at last a lucky one broke a large flake from his horn, and caused him to make off, turning through the thickets with astonishing strength and swiftness. We traced his footsteps for some miles, when being convinced that he had taken to the forest, we returned to look after the others, determiued to search for him on a future day. On our way back, we found the young one we had wounded in the morning lay ing dead; both must have been very

young, for their horns were scarcely perceptible, and no scales appeared in their breasts or shoulders. It was now past noon, and we had little hopes of finding the others when, on rounding a point of the lake, we roused them again, and after a chace of more than three hours, killed two, a male and female-they were not so bold now as we had reason to expect. They seemed to have lost their courage with their leader to whom they were very inferior in size, but still their dimensions astonished us not a little; the largest of them was above six feet high, and stronger in proportion than any ele phant I ever saw; the day was too far spent to admit of our taking a sketch of them, at which we were much vexed, for hitherto I believe, they have been very unfaithfully represented. No elephants but males of superior courage should be employed in this desperate sport. We have another wild animal in this neighbourhood as little known as the rhinoceros. The natives consider it of the elk kind, but it has no characteristic of this or any of the species of deer I have seen or read of-the horns of the male are remarkably thick and short-in every other respect they resemble more an English, brindled bull. They are exceedingly shy and solitary-seldom seen but on a bare inaccessible rock.

Camp, N.E. Frontier,
May, 1815.

Name.

The Bengal name is Baram Chandali. Genus.

It is similar in generic character to the Hedysarum of Linnæus, and may be rankod under that genus.

Species.

18

root into several (3 to 7) smooth stems, 3 to 4 feet high, and not thicker than a finger, sending off alternate, slender, virgate branches, covered with green smooth bark.

Root.

Stem

branch. The

flected, touching the stem or wings of the leaves are in continual motion all day, either up and down, or in an oval or circular direction, which they perform by twisting their petioles. The circuit of their motion is regularly performed in the space of two minutes: the motion downwards is quicker, and often by interrupted jirks, but the motion upwards is uniform: the two wings are generally moving in opposite directions: the motion is continued for some time after sun set, even when the branch is cut off, and if the branch is placed in water, a languid motion will continue for a day or more: if the motion of a lobe is stopped for some time, it still resumes its former motion whether up or down, whenever the obstacle is removed. When the leaves are agitated by a strong wind, the motion of the lobes ceases, which shows that one motion may be substituted for the other, and that free motion of the leaves of plants is necessary and salutary.

Conjecture.

Although this plant shews no irritability to the touch, yet it has a singular and striking analogy to animals, in labouring all day, and resting or sleeping all night. That determinate motion after the branch is cut off, is similar to the motion of the hearts of animals after they are cut out, and probably, the design of nature is the same in both, to promote the circulation or propulsion of the fluids; when plants lose their leaves, they seem to exist only in the same dormant state as the sleeping animals, without receiving increase in this plant the diurnal motion ceases as soon as the process of fructification is finished, and the plant gradually dies to the stems or roots.

We have the painful duty to record the failure of the expedition to explore the river Congo, the death of Capt. Tuckey the commander; of all the scientific meu and others. The journals of Captain Tuckey and the gentlemen in the scientific departments are, we understand, highly interesting and satisfactory, as far as they go; and we believe they extend considerably beyond the first rapids or cataract. An anxious zeal and overeagerness to accomplish the objects of the expedition, and to acquire all the information that could possibly be obtained, seem to have actuated every one, from the lamented commander to the common seaman and private marine, and led them to attempt more than the human constitution was able to bear.

It appears that they arrived at the mouth of the Congo about the 3d of July, and leaving the transport (which only accompanied them an inconsiderable distance), they proceeded in the sloop (which was built purposely to draw little water) up the river, to the extent of one hundred and twenty miles, when her progress, and even that of her boats, was stopped by insuperable difficulties, principally, we believe, by the rapids, which they describe as impassable. Determining still on the further prosecution of the undertaking, the men were landed, and it was not until they had marched one hundred and fifty miles (being one hundred and twenty more than any white person had been before) over a barren and exceedingly mountainous country, after experiencing the greatest privations from the want of water, and being entirely exhausted by fatigue, that they gave up the attempt. Hope enabled many of them to retrace their route, and regain the vessel, but alas! nature had been completely worn out in most of them, for 1 understand twentyfive out of fifty-five died twenty-four hours after their return, comprehending all the scientific part of the expedition; and I believe only eight on board are now in a state to work the vessel; but as their chief want seems to be nourishment, it is to be hoped the others will soon be brought round. Suspicions are entertained that many died by poison administered by the blacks, but this perhaps may be regarded as an idle notion,

We subjoin a list of the gentlemen deceased

1

Captain Tuckey, commander of the expedition, 3d of October.

Lieut. Hawkey, lieutenant of the Congo. Mr. Professor Smith, botanist, from Christiana, Norway.

Mr. Tudor, Comparative Anatomist. Mr. Cranch, collector of objects of Natural History.

Mr. Galway, a friend of Capt. Tuckey, who volunteered from pure love of science. Mr. Eyre, the Purser.

Mr. Fitzmaurice, formerly master, having succeeded in consequence of the deaths of the captain and lieutenant, has sailed with the Congo and Dorothy to Bahia.

We feel a mournful pleasure in communicating the following letter, from Captain Tuckey to a friend in London, written whilst he was preparing to proceed by land.

"Banga Cooloo Yollella, Aug. 20, 1816, (ten miles above Maxwell's Chart.)

"My dear Sir,

"I have at least reached the obstruction that prevents the farther progress of the boats, the river being filled with rocks, for upwards of fifteen miles, and the cur rent running over them with a (great) velocity, precludes all idea of getting a course up it. The country is besides so mountainous, that it is equally impracticable to convey a boat by land.

"I am therefore about to proceed with thirty men, as far as I can by land. I can gain no information from the natives, of the course or nature of the river higher up, so thus I go on feeling my way in the dark. Provisions are so scarce among the natives that I carry every thing with me, which is the greatest bar to my progress. Our passage out was terribly long, owing both to the lightness of the winds, the current, and the bad sailing of the vessels. The diary of our route might be useful to you, and I have no doubt of Captain Hurd's willinghess to let you see it.

"I beg my best compliments to your lady and Mrs. Jolliffe, they would faugh to see me like a captain of a banditti, in a cavern lighted by a candle, stuck in a bayonet, and surrounded by musquets, and dirty soldiers and sailors, writing this scrawl on my hat, placed on my knee. The climate is however so good, and the

Oh! thou whose love inspiring air Delights! yet gives a thousand woes ; My days decline in dark despair,

My nights have lost their soft repose. Ah lovely let pity move

Thy heart to soothe the pangs I feel, Still must I breathe my ardent love,

While others to thy beauties kneel. Though their's be now each pleasing art, With fortune's smiles unknown to me,

I once might boast a simple heart
In love with innocence and thee.

FROM BROUGHTON'S HINDOO POETRY.. Her forehead some fair moon, her brows a bow.

Love's pointed darts her piercing eyebeams glow;

Her breath adds fragrance to the morning air,

Her well turned neck as polished ivory fair;

Her teeth pomegranate seeds, her smiles soft lightnings are.

Her feet light leaves of lotus on the lake, When with the passing breeze they gently shake;

Her movements graceful as the swan's that laves

His snowy plumage in the rippling waves; Such, godlike youth! I've seen, a maid so fair,

Than gold more bright, more sweet than flower-fed air.

In the above little poem, an old woman is supposed to describe to Kunya, (Krishna) the charms of a nymph, who like all her companions was a candidate for his notice. The poet has indulged his fancy in particularising her several attractions;

and though it would scarcely be deemed a compliment, by a lover in Europe, to compare his mistress's smiles to lightnings, yet they who have witnesed the pale beautiful lightning of a tropical evening, will feel the truth and delicacy of the comparison. The simile of the lotus is not less just; whose velvet leaf always floats on the surface of the water, seeming scarcely to rest upon it.

AN HINDUSTANni Rechta, or AMATORY
EFFUSION IN ENGLISH VERSE.
Ah! who hath from me torn my love?

Whose words so soft and sweetly flow, Who fondly still my heart to move,

In soothing ever shared my woe. To whom shall I in anguish mourn? Who now will hear my piteous sigh? Ah! would the lovely youth return,

Whose form majestic glads the eye! Oh! absence! why inflict such smart? Pangs such as these I cannot bear ; Oh! though he come to pierce my heart,

His presence still that heartwould cheer. Who hath not seen the dark abyss?

Then let him come and view thine eyes; Or, mark how far, oh far from bliss,

What clouds o'er all my nights arise.
Thus ever, ever drown'd in tears,

Preserving, aye, a pearly store;
The world with all it's wealth appears
To me a scene that charms no more.

Statements respecting the East India College, with an Appeal to Facts, in Refutation of the Charges lately brought against it, in the Court of Proprietors. By the Rev. T. R. Malthus, Professor of History and Political Economy in the East-India College, Hertfordshire, and late Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge. 8vo. Pp. 105. London. 1817...

THIS publication made its appearance in the interval between the discussions which took place at the East-India House on the 18th Dec. and the 8th of January, relative to the Company's Civil College in Hertfordshire. On a subject of such deep importance as the education of those who are to be entrusted with the government of British India, it is most desira ble that clear and impartial views should be entertained. By means of the daily prints, the widest circulation has been given to state: ments unfavourable to the institution. Justice demands that the other side of the question should be patiently and dispassionately heard: and as we have in another part of the present number inserted an account of the debates above alluded to, we feel it likewise to be our duty to put the public in possession of the arguments and facts which have been advanced in vindication of the college in the very able and luminous production now before us. We shall accordingly lay before our readers as full an abstract of it as our limits will allow..

The object of Mr. Malthus in coming before the public is stated in the Preface:

The following statements, with the exception of the last head, were written some time since, on account of a rumour then prevailing of charges being meditated in the Court of Proprietors, which I thought were likely to be founded in an ignorance of the real state of the college;

of what it had done, and what it was doing towards the accomplishment of the specific objects for which it was founded. Asiatic Journal.-No. 14.

The silence of the Court of Proprietors on this subject, the quiet and good order of the college during the last year, and a great reluctance on my own part to appear before the public on such an occasion, without a very strong necessity, withheld me from publishing. But it is impossible to be silent, under the uncontradicted imputations brought forward in the Court of Proprietors, on the 18th of December, when I know them to be unfounded. I no longer hesitate, therefore, to send addition of a more specific refutation of what I had written to the press, with the the charges brought against the college, in the Court of Proprietors and elsewhere, at the present moment.

He then proceeds to observe, that no step should be taken towards the alteration or the destruc tion of the existing establishment, without thoroughly well consider ing every part of the subject, the whole of which he resolves into the following questions; and the ans wers which he suggests to those questions "are intended to furnish some materials for the determination of the important points to which they refer."

1. What are the qualifications at present necessary for the civil service of the East-India Company, in the administration of their Indian territories?

II. Has any deficiency in those qualifications been actually experienced in such a degree as to be injurious to the service in India?

III. In order to secure the qualifications

required for the service of the Company, is an appropriate establishment necessary?and should it be of the nature of a school, or a college?

IV. Should such an establishment be in England or in India? or should there be an establishment in both countries?

V. Does it appear that the college actually established in Hertfordshire is upon a plan calculated to supply that part of the appropriate education of the civil servants of the Company which ought to be completed in Europe?.

VI. Are the disturbances which have taken place in the East-India College to be attributed to any radical and necessary evils inherent in its constitution and discipline; or to adventitious and temporary causes, which are likely to be removed?

VII. Are the more general charges which have lately been brought against VOL. III.

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