in America. The design is bold and comprehensive, and the execution in alto relievo. The group of figures and accessories are of half-life size.

A statue of Sir Francis Drake has been presented to the town of Offenburg, by Herr Andreas Friederich, an eminent sculptor of Strasburg. It is executed in fine-grained red sand-stone, nine feet high, and is erected on a handsome pedestal of sand-stone, fourteen feet high, in one of the best situations of the town. Drake is represented standing on his ship at Deptford, on the 4th of April, 1587, having just received knighthood at the hands of Queen Elizabeth. He holds in his right hand a map of America, and in his left a bundle of potato stalks, with the roots, leaves, flowers, and berries attached. His arm leans on an anchor, over which a mantle falls in ample folds. On each side of the pedestal, are inscriptions, the first being, "Sir Francis Drake, the introducer of potatoes into Europe, in the year of our Lord, 1586;" the second, "The thanks of the town of Offenburg to Andreas Friederich of Strasburg, the executor and founder of the statue;" the third, "The blessings of millions of men who cultivate the globe of the earth is thy most imperishable glory;" and the fourth, "The precious gift of God, as the help of the poor against need, prevents bitter want." The citizens of Offenburg have presented the artist with a silver goblet, on the lid of which stands a model, in the same metal, of the statue of Drake.

Dr. Brugsch, a young savant sent out to Egypt by the Prussian government, reports that M. Maunier, a French photographic artist, has made a curious discovery at Thebes. Having been employed by Abbas Pasha to execute an album of Egyptian antiquities, he caused several temples to be cleared of rubbish for the purpose. When that of Amenophis was laid bare it appeared that the capitals of the columns had originally been covered with copper-leaf, hammered over the stone so as to take its shape, and afterward painted. Another interesting discovery was, that the great irregular pavingstones were formerly covered with a wooden flooring, which seems to illustrate, says Dr. Brugsch, the description of the Temple of Solomon. Although no general conclusion can be drawn from these interesting facts, they are valuable additions to our knowledge. It is interesting also to learn that some curious Byzantine frescoes have been found under the colonnades of the Temple at Luxor.

The series of thirty-two drawings by which Raffaelle illustrated the story of Psyche, as told by Apuleius, has been engraved by M. Adolph

Gnauth, and is in course of publication at Stuttgart. As a sample of his ware, the publisher, M. Köhler, has issued a neat little volume, containing the tale, with four of the drawings as the "pictures." The series is not to be confounded with another work by Raffaelle, entitled, "Psyche after the Frescoes in the Farnesina at Rome."

The most extraordinary invention of the day is a machine for bending ship timber, and at present in operation in Greenpoint, L. I. With the aid of this machine, all the immense labor

hitherto spent in rounding timber to suit ships and furniture, and whatever other things requiring timber so curved, will be dispensed with. The first experiment has just been made on timbers sixteen feet in length, eight inches by ten, bent to as short a curve as can be used in

ship-building. This machine is a large one, designed for ship timber, but there is another also ready for furniture, and both have just commenced operations. Henceforward all the delicate curves of steamers, frigates, or yachts, will be of solid timber, fashioned by this extraordinary invention.

One of the most convenient new inventions is the speaking tube of gutta percha. In London an experiment was tried with a tube seven miles in length, and it was entirely successful. A tune was played at the same time, which gave great amusement to the bystanders. This tube is now introduced into many of the first class English dwellings, and as alarm whistles are fixed to the apparatus, no doubt their introduction will become general.

It

A patent for the manufacture of paper from wood fibre has been taken out in England. is said to be equal to any writing paper, now selling at thirteen cents a pound. The cost of production is said to be somewhat under $100 a ton-more than $60 less than the price of rag paper now in use. What with straw paper, and wood paper, there seems to be an end to the fear of rags not being capable of coping with the growing literary wants of the age.

In the weaving of brocatelles at Humphreysville, Ct., the machinery is so nicely balanced that the breaking of a single thread, scarcely larger than a twisted spider's web, throws the whole machinery out of gear, and all the wheels, shuttles, and pulleys are brought to a dead stand that the thread may be mended.

A New Motive Power. An ingenious mechanic of Worcester, Mass., has invented a machine for supplying motive power, which, it is believed by practical men, will supersede the steam-engine. The machine is called a "vaporengine," and the propelling power is produced by the expansion of air in cylinders by the application of steam. The invention comprises two features, one entirely mechanical, the other chemical. The first consists of the peculiar arrangement of the valves, by which the atmospheric resistance of the "exhaust" is not felt, consequently a saving of fifteen pounds to the square inch is effected, which in common practice is equivalent to a saving of thirty-three per cent. The peculiar mechanical structure prominent features in the invention on the score

of the valves and their connections are also

of wear and tear. The chemical feature is that of rendering atmospheric air more sensitive to

the action of caloric than is laid down in the

books, viz.: doubling its volume under a temperature of 212 deg., whereas a temperature of 400 deg. has been considered requisite to dilate air to twice its normal volume. It is claimed by the inventor that the combination of these two inventions gives a result as six to one in favor of his invention over the ordinary steamengine, and an explosion cannot occur from carelessness in the use of the engine.

Wilson-Discovery of an Unpublished Treatise by

Leibnitz-George Sand-Periodicals in Athens Printers' Library-Arago's Works-Encyclopædia Britannica-Sir Henry Sutton's New Work-Colonel Benton's "Thirty Years in the United States Senate" -John A. Dix-Bryant's Poems-Walter Scott's Publisher-Fern Leaves-Crystal Palace, London.

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WE notice that a new society has been recently organized in London under the title of The Pulestine Archaeological Association, having for its object the exploring of the ancient and modern cities and towns, or other places of historical importance, in Palestine and the adjacent countries, with a view to the discovery of monuments and objects of antiquity, by means of researches on the spot. The prospecfollows: as Archæological research in the East having now attained such important results, in the discovery and acquisition of splendid monuments, both Egyptian and Assyrian; and a great archæological chain of inquiry having been thus established, from Egyptian Thebes to the site of Nineveh, it has been suggested that Palestine presents itself the middle link in this chain, as being full of rich promise to researches and inquiries of a similar character. If Egypt and Assyria have afforded so many valuable monuments to the truth of history and tradition, it may reasonably be expected that Palestine would yield as rich a harvest. Why should not the sights of the ancient cities and towns of the Hebrews, and of the aboriginal inhabitants of Canaan, be explored? And why might not the localities of important monuments-especially of the Hebrews-be sought for, under the guidance of Scriptural authority and of tradition;-as, for instance, the Egyptian coffins of the Patriarchs at Hebron and Sichem-the twelve stones set up by Joshua at Gilgal and in the Jordan-the monumental record of the Law in the Stone of Sichem-the Sacred Ark, supposed to have been concealed by the prophet Jeremiah in some recess with many others, which will suggest themselves to the Biblical reader?"

The late discoveries of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the researches of our own countrymen, Robinson, Smith, Lynch, &c., show what resources there are yet in the Holy Land for such investigations.

The old question of a Universal Alphabet is again "up in England, we hope with better prospects of success than it has yet had since the days of Wilkins. A conference has been held at the residence of the Chevalier Bunsen, London, on the subject; among those present were Sir John Herschel, Sir Charles Trevelyan, Professor Owen, Dr. Max Müller, Dr. Pertz of Berlin, and other distinguished men of science and literature, with the Revs. Henry Venn, Trestrail, and other representatives of missionary societies. The Chevalier Bunsen stated the object of the conference, which was to consult as to the practicability of adopting a uniform system of expressing foreign alphabets by Roman characters. The advantages of such a

system, both scientific and practical, were urged, the former in connection with the study of ethnology and philology, and the latter chiefly in connection with the great Protestant missionary enterprises of the present time. Professor Lepsius and Dr. Max Müller have devoted much time to the subject, founding their phonology on the physiological principles ably expounded by Dr. Johannes Müller, and published in the Transactions of the Royal Academy

of Sciences at Berlin. To the soundness of Dr. J. Müller's researches Professor Owen bore

testimony, and expressed his agreement with the results. Any differences in the organs of speech in various races of men were too trivial to present any difficulty for practical arrangement of alphabets. Sir John Herschel, in the course of his observations, said that too much exactness must not be attempted in defining the phonetic symbols, for the vowel sounds were practically infinite, from the flexibility of the organs of voice. In English he thought we had at least thirteen vowels. Mr. Norris thought there were more, and Mr. Cull seventeen. John Herschel thought that a certain definite number of typical signs must be selected, leaving each nation or province to attach to them their own shades and variety of sound. A distinct graphic sign for every sound would be impossible. Dr. Max Müller's proposal is to use the Roman alphabet, with the addition of italics, for certain modifications of vowel sounds,

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and also some consonants. The use of italics has the advantage over points, or other diacritical signs, of being universally understood The first practical point and in general use. to be settled is that referred to by Sir John Herschel the adoption of the primary alphabet, the letters or sounds of which must be selected for the widest possible range of use.

The public library at Vienne, in France, has been totally destroyed by fire; eight thousand volumes and some very valuable old MSS. were burnt to cinders, and a painting by Claude Lorraine, was a good deal damaged.

The Rev. Peter Brown of Wishaw, England, has collected a quantity of unpublished materials with reference to Oliver Cromwell's visit to Scotland, which he proposes to publish.

President Olin.-Derby, New-York, is about to issue a volume entitled "Greece and the Golden Horn," from the pen of the late President Olin, with an introduction by Rev. Dr. M'Clintock. The travels of Dr. Olin have had an extensive

sale, and are among the very best works of the kind extant; this new volume will be received with avidity by the numerous readers of his other works. We learn that the profits of the volume are to be contributed toward the endowment of the Wesleyan University.

Professor Wilson, the "Christopher North" of Blackwood, the author of "Noctes Ambrosianæ," the "Isle of Palms," "Lights and Shadows of Scottish Life," &c., has been added to the list of the illustrious dead. He died April 3d, aged sixty-six. He graduated at

Oxford in 1807, became a member of Edinburgh Bar in 1814, published his Isle of Palms in 1812, and became editor of Blackwood in 1817. He was the coryphæus of that popular work, until succeeded in its editorial chair by his son-in-law, Professor Aytoun. In 1850 he was attacked by paralysis, and has since lived in retirement. Like several others among the best writers of England, his works have been more highly appreciated here than in his own country. He was robust in frame, brilliant in intellect, genial in heart, and eloquent in speech as well as with the pen.

A curious discovery has recently been brought before the world, in the shape of an unpublished treatise by Leibnitz in refutation of Spinoza. The discoverer, M. Foucher de Careil, during his researches in the Hanoverian Library, alighted upon a Latin manuscript entirely written in the hand of Leibnitz; and from this Latin version he has published one in French, under the title "Réfutation inédite de Spinoza par Leibnitz."

Paris gossips are amused with a letter from Madame Dudevant, George Sand, in which the author of "Consuelo " replies to M. de Miricourt, who has been pleased to write a memoir of her, the materials for which were evidently picked up in the cafés and the salons. Madame Dudevant declares that the assumed memoir does not contain one fact-her name, the date of her birth, and all the antecedents and circumstances of her life being invented for the occasion.

In Athens there are not less than fifteen weekly and semi-weekly papers, besides six or seven monthly and semi-monthly magazines. It is only twenty-five years since it began to be rebuilt; its population is less than thirty thousand. Truly, the Athenians have not lost their ancient character of being eager for news.

Mr. George Bruce, the veteran type-founder, has offered $1,000 to endow and extend the Printers' Free Library of our city, under the direction of the New-York Typographical Society, if others will add $9,000 within the current year. Though nominally for the use of the disciples of Faust, it is practically open to all who choose to avail themselves of the contents

of its well-filled shelves, or its well-supplied reading-room.

subsequent years rendered it difficult to embody the new matter in the work, and a supplement was commenced in 1815, and finished in 1824, in six volumes. The seventh edition, completed in 1842, contained whatever was of permanent value in previous editions and in the supplement, with much new matter, contributed by the most eminent writers in literature and science.

A new work is on the eve of publication in England, with the singular title of "Quinquenergia," by Sir Henry Sutton, author of the Evangel of Love," a gentleman tainted with the "spiritual-knocking" mania.

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The first edition of Colonel Benton's "Thirty Years in the United States Senate," we understand, is to be fifty thousand copies, and most of these will be taken to fill orders which have been already received. It is destined to enjoy a larger sale, in proportion to its price, than any book heretofore published in America.

General John A. Dix has prepared for travelers in Italy a sort of classical itinerary, in which he gives, in a pleasant narrative style, the principal facts and events recorded in ancient literature, which are of special interest to the modern traveler in the ancient empire of the Cæsars.

The Messrs. Appleton are engaged upon a new edition of Bryant's Poems, to be printed under the supervision of the author, and to be illustrated in the finest style of modern art. They also have in preparation a less costly edition in two volumes.

Dr. T. W. Parsons, of Boston, who, a few years since, made a very successful translation of the first ten cantos of Dante's Inferno, is about publishing a new poem of considerable length, which his critical friends speak well of.

Walter Scott's publisher, Mr. Constable, has been on a visit to Boston for some time. He intends starting from thence this month, to continue his explorations in South America. This gentleman is perhaps as successful, if not as widely known, as an author and a traveler, as he has been in his publishing capacity.

The second series of "Fern Leaves," by Fanny Fern, will soon be issued. The first series of "Fern Leaves," although issued only some nine months since, has reached a sale of over sixty thousand copies; "Little Ferns," from the same pen, has reached a sale of thirty thousand copies in three months; and twenty thousand copies of the second series of "Fern Leaves" have already been ordered, in advance of publication. This is certainly a most grati

her pen only a little over two years ago, and permits us to predict for her many future triumphs.

Samuel Phillips, of the London Times, will be editor of the various hand-books to the Crystal Palace. Each "court" (or department) will have its own book. Mr. Layard, Sir Gardner Wilkinson, Mrs. Jameson, Mr. Scharf, Sir Joseph Paxton, Owen Jones, and others, will write the books, which Dr. Phillips is to revise.