The Sun.
London, England, 1821-10-10 00:00:00

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in the most perfect state co,preservation. The
part of the cavity in which these bones wc.re
found was seventy feet below the surface of the
solid rock, sixty feet horizontally from the edge
_of the cliff, and one hundred and sixty feet
from the original edge by the side of the Cat-
water. Every side of the cave was solid rock:
the inside had no incrustation of stalactite, nor
was there any external communication through
the rock in which it. was imbedded, nor any ap-
pearance of an opening from above being closed-.
by infiltration.
MADRAS LITERARY SOC,IET Y.—The following
communications were•laid before the Madras Li-
terary Society on the lqth of. April last :-1. A
very interesting deiCription of a new and distinct
genus of quadruped, thestag-sheep, or K.aleaatop2,
of the Tamoleans, with drawings by the late Dr.
Matthew Christie, and communicated by A.
Macdonald, Esq. These animals, it is stated,
inhabit that branch of the great range of moun-
tains which divides the valley of Dindigul from
the country of Malabar. They do not appear to
be gregarious, but to live in separate families in
the most elevated, and especially rocky, situa-
tions.. They are described by the hunters to be
very scarce shy animals, seldom seen, and not
easily caught or killed..-2. A paper, by C. W.
Whish, Esq. Calicut, on the origin, and antiqui-
ties of the Hindu Zodiac, and the age and au-
thor of the Suoya Sidhanta. The writer of
this valuable communication is of opinion, that
in the investigation of the subject, too strict
a reliance has been placed on the informa-
tion of the Brahmans; and he endeavours
to shew, that the Indian Zodiac was bor-
rowed either indirectly or immediately from
the Greeks. An appendix to a former account
of two inscriptions, by Mr. Whish, from two
stones found in the Tiruvanoor. Kohestram, the
seat of the Sumutri-Rajah, near Calicut, was also
laid before the meeting.-3. A curious inscrip-
tion in Sancrit, taken from an ancient stone
tablet, found at Sohagepoor, on the south bank
of the Nerbudda,forty miles east of Husingabad,
with a translation and observations by the late
George Southeby, Esq., communicated through
the ,Zion. Sir • George Cooper. The inscription
tends to throw some light on Hindu chronology,
and to shew the age of Rajah Bhoja, the last
famous one of this name. His uncle Munjoh in
1050 (A. D. 994). This monument bears the
date of 11,61, one, hundred and eleven years
later; and it is inferred that Bhoja was reigning
in 1080 (A. D. 1024), or about eighthun-
dred years ago. The Society were also pre-
sented, through the Board of Revenue, with
two of the valuable papers of the late H. Ellis,
Esq. of the Madras Civil Service, on Mecrassy
right, in conformity with the directions of the
lion. this Governor in Council at Madras.—
Two specimens, exhibiting a very curious devia-
tion, from nature in. the goat and the buffalo,
were presented by W. Oliver, Esq. in the name
of nous Peter, Esq. Collector of Madura. The
former consists of a kid with two distinct well
formed heads upon one neck and body. The
latter of two buffalo calves, about the full size at
birth, adhering to each other and intimately con-
nected along the whole course of the breast. The
head and limbs of both appear to he pretty per-
fect ; one is a little smaller than the other, but
it does not appear that the monster could have
ever had- any locomotive power, excepting in a
very limited degree.
EARLY TALENT.—At Copenhagen, is the
youngest female writer, probably, now living.
Her name is Virgilia Christiana Lund, and she is
not above ten years of age. Last year she pub-
lished a family-picture, " Clotilda, or Two for.
One ;" and lately she has published a small dra-
matic piece, called' Infidelity detected."
BOTANY.—Spikenard of the Ancients.—Arnong
other interesting articles in the Flora Nepalensis,
a full and correct botanical description of the
plant which yielded the spikenard of the ancients
may be expected. This' plant is the Valeriana
Jalamansi. It is remarkable that although Sir
W. Jones was the first who determined this
point, he has by mistake described and figured
another species of Valerian in place of the Jata-
mansi, viz. V. flarthzickii, or at least he has con-
founded this species with the true one ; for he
describes the radical leaves as being cordate,
while the leaves of V. Jatainansi are lanceolate.
In Mr. Larnbert's rich collection are specimens
of the Jatarnansi with fibrous roots ; these agree
exactly with what was formerly sold in the
shops, and answer well the description given by
ancient authors, as to the rout resembling the
tail of an ermine.
AQUATIC TRAVELLING. —Mr. Bader, coun-
sellor of mines at Munich, some years ago in-
vented what he termed an aquatic sledge, con-
structed on such a principle, that it might be
impelled and guided on the water by the rider
himself, without any other aid. The first public
experiment was made with this machine on the
29th of-August, 1810, before the Royal family
at Nymphenburgh, with complete success. It is
described as consisting of two hollow canoes, or
pontoons, eight feet long, made of sheet copper,
closed on all sides, joined to each other in a pa-
rallel direction, at the distance of six feet, by a
light wooden frame. Thus joined, they support
a seat resembling an arm-chair, in which the
rider is seated, and impels and steers the sledge
by treading two large pedals before him. Each
of these pedals is connected with a paddle, fixed
perpendicularly in the after part of the machine
behind the seat, and in the interval between the
two pontoons. In the front of the seat stands a
small table, on which he may read, write, draw,
or eat and drink. His hands being at perfect
liberty, he may *even play an instrument, load

PRICE SErE:iiPENCE

or lire a gun, Or do whateVer he Please A..—
Behind the seat is a leathern, bag, .to . hold
any thing he may want in his excursion. It is
evedent that this machine 'mist be admirably
calculated for taking sketches of aquatic scenery,
as also for the diversion of shooting water fowl,.
in which case the sportsman conceals himself be,:
hind a slight skreen of branches, or rushes, so as
to approach the birds unperceived. This vehicle
is far safer than a common boat, the centre-or
gravity being constantly in the
_middle of a very
broad case, a circumstance which rtinders up_
setting, even in the heaviest gale, absolutely im-
possible. It is moreover so contrived.that it may'
be, taken, to pieces in a few minutes, packed in a
box, and put together in a very short time.
STEAM COACH.—An• ingenious individual of
'Valid-41as succeeded in 'completing 1-m6del of
a Steam Coach, which will travel at the rate of
six 'or eight miles an hour ; and, by a self-acting
apparatus, it can be conducted through the most
intricate roads.

GEOLOGY.—In sinking some wells, near Circle-
ville, in .the State of Ohio, at a place called
Redgville, on the shores of the Scioto, human.
bones and skulls have been found, at different
.depths, where they could not have been depo-
sited by the hands of men. At the
,depth of 22
feet, many mammoth teeth have also been met
with, weighing from nine 'to twelve pounds each.,
near the Scioto, evidently proving that the spa
where they lay was once inundated. Beds of
rounded.by,the action of water, were dis-
covered 17 feet under the surface. Mr. At-
water, of Circleville, has preserved these ret-
mains, all which tend to prove that the American
soil is a vast deposit of alluvious matter, like
that now rising and forming on the plains on eact
side of the Mississippi, towards the lower part of
that river particularly;, and this deposit seems to
he a vast cemetery of animals that existed in un-
known ages,

ANALYSIS or THE VERTEBILE OF THE OitKNEY
ANI.MiL.-Dr..Leach communicated some time
ago to the Wernerian Society the following ana-
lysis of one of the vertebree of this large
cast on the. island of Stronsa, and which has been
ably described by Dr. Barclay, in. the first vo-
lume of the Memoirs of that Society. The atm:-
Iysis was made by Dr. John Davy. :
Longitudinal Lamella. Cellular Part. Fibrous Part.
Animal matter 45.5 52 1 - CO
Earth 33.5 47.1 40

CULTURE OF OPIUM IN GREAT BRIT:ON.-7-Mr.
YOUNG, 'who has successfully and lucrative
cultivated British Opium, says, inn. cpmmuniea,
tion to the Society of Arts, " Last summer I pro-
duced 192 pounds of opium, 25 gallons of poppy
Oil, and at the rate of 40 bolls of early potatoes,
from 129 falls 18 yards, being 30 fails less than
one acre of ground, by the mode of -cultivating
communicated to the Society of Arts, and after,
wards more particularly detailed in the second and
third NUMbers of the Edinburgh Philosophical
Journal, with this difference; that the gatherers
collected the .milky juice with their . thumbs,
instead of brushes, which I consider to be a
mate-
rial improvement in the mode of gathering ; and
although I had from 12 to 20 boys, 12 to 14-years
, of age, employed during the season, only tw.o,
were effedted with.drowsiness, and I could not
be certain, whether this was the effect of the ab-
sorption of the opium,. or of .the extreme heat of
the weather. By this new mode of gathering the
milky fluid of the poppy one of the boys, more
than once during the Season of gathering, filled hi;
flask in one day, of ten hours work; the, Mt:4Q
contained 14 ounces, which, when evaporated,
gave three ounces and, two drachms of solid
opium. I may observe, that owing to the extreme
heat, and want of rain, during the last opium
harvest, my plants came so rapidly to maturity
that I did not get so much opium as I probably
should have done had there been occasional
showers."

On Tuesday last, a gentleman of Falkirk, in a
may field,a bout a quarter of a mile west of that town,
ccidentally turned over a loose piece of earth,
when, to his astonishment, he discovered a parcel,
containing eighteen new sovereigns, all of which,
however,' he soon perceived to be counterfeits.
They seemed to be very well executed, and their
resemblance to the-genuine coins is so great aS.to
render it difficult, on the closest inspection7 to
detect them. They are, of course, considerably-
lighter than the real coin, and resemble, !n sound;
a base shilling. When found, there were pieces of
silk paper so disposed as to prevent them from,
rubbing against each other. We trust, that this
discovery will prove a caution, as well as ainezins
.
of detection.—(Edinburgh Courant, Oct. 6.)
•
During the late war with England, the Patriot pilit-hoaf
was dispatched to Charlestown for the purpose of bringing to
New York Mrs. Allston, lady of the then Governor or South'
Carolina, and daughter of Colonel Burr, formerly Vice-Pre.
sident of the United. States. Mrs. Allston was in a' delicate
state of health at the time, and unable to travel by land. From,
the time she embarked and sailed from Charlestown, no tid-
ings whatever had been heard of the vessel or -any ond on.
board. Notwithstanding the weather was mild and favour.
able for several days,`and such as to render her loss mysterious,.
no other idea of the melancholy circumstance prevailed, than:
that the vessel must have foundered at sea, or run under daring
a chase.—But the mystery was at length developed. TwO, of.
the Pirates, sentenced to suffer death at New Orleans in the
spring of 1320, confessed that they; composed part of.the crew
of the aboie pilot-boat Patriot. That after being at sea two or
three days, and near the shore, they rose upon the Capp. tarn and -
passengers, and confined them below ; and after plundering
the passengers of a considerable sum of money and .plate, be-
longing mostly to Mrs. Allston, they launched the. boat and
scuttled the vessels, which soon filled and went down with the
unfortunate inmat4s confined below ! The dreadful tragedy'
was performed in the dead of night. These wretches succeeded
in reaching the shore with the boat, and had thus'far escaped.;
deteetion and punishMent for this horrible crime.--(American
Paper.)
Monday evening, a little
.before seven o'clock, an elderly
gentleman accompanied by a lady, passing along Chamber..
street, GoOdinan!s-fields, was attacked. by four ruffians, • who
knocked him down and robbed.hina of his watch and append-
ages, with which they escaped.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

FRENCH PAPERS.

PARIS, OCTOBER 7.

Accounts from Marseilles of the 29th of Sep-
tember represent that town as more healthy and
the sick in the Lazaretto as recovering rapidly.
The fears entertained at filst are fortunately

found groundless.
A letter from Barcelona of the 22d September

states, that the contagion increases, but heavy
rains ?:.ad fallen during the three last days, which
had purified the atmosphere so as to give hopes
that the violence of the fever would be abated.
The faubourg of Ba.rcelonetta has been entirely
evacuated, and the sick have been removed to a
convent, situated on one of the -hills adjoining
the town. It was said that the municipality had
quitted the town, but this letters affirms that they
are still at their post. •

A great number of Spanish smugglers attempt-
ed to force the cordon established at Fort Belle-
garde, and were repulsed with the loss of two or
three men. The dead bodies were burnt, toge-
ther with the merchandise and effects the smug-
glers left behind, when the survivors took to