Its course is first N.E. then due south. It discharges itself into Matagorda Bay. West and north-west of the Colorado are many Indian tribes, of which the Comanches are the most warlike. They are the most powerful tribe that has entered Texas from the west. The account which Mr. Maillard gives of this tribe is very interesting, but our space will not allow us to go into details. The chief town of the Comanche nation is situated at the foot of the San Saba Hills in Western Texas; it contains 200 houses, all built on a uniform scale, 100 feet long, 30 wide, and six feet high; the walls are of earth, the roofs flat, and covered with a whitish clay, which, on exposure to the atmosphere, becomes as hard as marble. The Comanches, both in their hunting and war excursions, move on horseback. Their horses are ill formed, but the mounted and armed Comanche is a very formidable personage. In battle, each war party is beaded by one or more squaws, who, with their shrill voices, serve as trumpeters, and give the signals for the various evolutions. Their civil and military discipline is extremely strict. The chief holds his council under an oak tree, in some remote spot in the woods or mountains; and all cases of adultery, theft, sedition, and murder are punished with death. They have ceremonies in commemoration of the love of their forefathers for Montezuma. Their civil year, as among the ancient Mexicans, is divided into eighteen months, of twenty days each, and five intercalary days, which brings their system to correspond with the Gregorian. The period of fiftytwo years to them is what a century is to us, but they never reckoned them by odd numbers. After the termination of each cycle, they add thirteen days before beginning anew the first month of the ensuing cycle, which shows that they are aware that the solar revolution exceeds their civil year by six hours. The language spoken by the Comanches is of great antiquity, and differs but little from that of the Incas of Peru. It is difficult to be acquired by a European, for some of our words of one or two syllables are of sixteen or seventeen with them. Thus, their term for justice is Hamelabuacuchicuhualitzli. Hunting, exquisite horsemanship, the use of arms, and invincible courage, (which is described by their enemies as “brutal fierceness,") are the only accomplishments of the Comanche. The Comanches still retain the art of recording events by pictures and Quipos; the latter are however used only to record the history of their wars and excursions: they consist of strings of scalps; one contains the scalps taken in the field of battle, another the scalps of spies and traitors, and the third the scalps of those who have been executed for theft, adultery, murder, &c. These people deem hieroglyphical painting an essential part of their education. They have an acute sense of justice, in proof of which Mr. Maillard quotes a passage from Mrs. Holley's Texas.' Next to the Comanches the Cavancahuas were the most powerful of the western tribes of Texas, but, owing to their wars with the former, their numbers were greatly reduced, so that the first American settlers in Texas found them to consist of only 450 families. These " barmless people" soon experienced the tender mercies of their Christian visitors, who with the bowie knife and rifle reduced them to about fifty; and this miserable remnant was driven across the La Roca River, where they sought and found protection under the roof of an Irish priest, at the mission of San Patricio. They formerly inhabited the whole sea-coast of Texas, from Brazos River to the Rio del Norte. There are other tribes who follow the Comanches, and may be considered as one nation, though each forms a separate community, having its own ruler, and holding its own council; their united numbers may be estimated at from 10,000 to 12,000. The Neuces River rises among the rocky mountains of Ganahuaca. It is narrow and deep, its course is uninterruptedly north and south, and it empties itself into Neuces Bay. This river was formerly the western boundary of Texas; but at the period of the Declaration of the Independence of Texas, the Texans extended their western boundary to Rio Grande, or Rio del Norte. This latter is the largest river in Mexico; its course is 1,600 miles; its waters are light and wholesome, but its navigation is seriously obstructed by sand-bars at its mouth.-The paper then goes on to describe the bays on the coast.

INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS, July 5.-A paper was read by the Rev. Professor Willis," On the system followed by the Architects of the middle ages in the construction of their Vaults." The principles of vaulting and the mode of setting out the arch-stones were first laid down in the well-known treatise of Philibert de l'Orme; but it is evident that bis predecessors, the architects who practised the

Gothic style, must have been in possession of a geometrical system, though it was probably very simple, as compared with the complicated problems of P. de l'Orme. To investigate the system of the Gothic architects by a close observation of their works, was the subject of Professor Willis's paper. The mode of construction adopted by the Gothic architects in their vaulting, differs widely from that of classical architecture, both ancient and modern, inasmuch as, in the latter, the vaults are formed of regular courses of cut stone; whereas Gothic vaultings consist of a series of ribs, each rib constituting a separate and independent arch, the interstices filled in with lighter materials to complete the vault. In the early Norman work of our English edifices, these vaultings are often very rude and irregular, and the several arches so far from coinciding, that it is requisite to fill up the backs of the ribs to a considerable extent, in order to level the intermediate spandrils. Yet, even in vaults like these, some geometrical system must have been necessary. The change of style in the architecture of the thirteenth century, necessitated a more careful construction, since the rib mouldings became more numerous and complicated, as the capitals from which they sprung were diminished in their capacity to receive them. This difficulty was met by the construction of a stool of solid masonry in level courses from the springing up to the point where the ribs spread sufficiently to disengage the mouldings from each other, and then they are carried over separately, and filled in as before. The mode in which the difficulties arising from the various levels at which it was sometimes necessary to spring the ribs in Gothic vaultings of this period-as, for example, in raising the lateral arches of the vaults of a church to make room for the clerestory windows, producing a great variety of curvatures in the same vaulting, all to be reconciled in the filling in, were illustrated by diagrams, without the aid of which it is useless to pursue the details. With regard to the curvature of the diagonal ribs, they were never projected according to the modern practice, to which may be attributed the want of character which marks most of the imitations of Gothic vaulting. Actual measurement has proved the diagonals of early Gothic vaulting to be arcs of circles, the centres being below the springing of the cross ribs; and the problem called by Philibert de l'Orme the "troisp oints perdus.” was probably that upon which they were laid down: and it may be observed, that both the classical and the Gothic systems of vaulting were in operation in different parts of Europe at the same time, and that P. de l'Orme must have had the opportunity of being acquainted with both. The introduction of the four-centered arch simplified the vaulting in one respect, by bringing the centres of all the curves to a uniform level; but the effect of vaulting in this form is consequently extremely flat and poor, compared with the lightness and freedom of that in the earlier period. New complexity, however, had arisen with the introduction of cross lines from one main rib to another. These short ribs meet upon bosses, worked together with a portion of the divergent ribs, in solid stone; but the principle of setting up the ribs and filling in is still followed, notwithstanding the complicated form of the framework. These intricate patterns, which form a link between the simple early groins and the last phase of Gothic vaulting in fan-tracery, exhibit various degrees of success in the design, dependent upon the skill of the architect. In most of the vaults of this description, the centre compartments fall into the shape of a star. In some examples, this form has been clearly laid down on the plan, but is lost in the execution, through the distortion occasioned by the dip of the ribs or other causes; while in other instances it is unexpectedly brought out by combinations evincing consummate ingenuity and knowledge of the resources of geometry and perspective. In fanvaulting we return to real masonry, the ribs and panels being carved out of stones fitted together. Complicated as this mode of construction may be, it is less so in reality than in appearance, being greatly simplified by uniform curvatures, and uniform levels in the springings; and the system of setting out the stones seems to have been so well understood, that it is found to be invariably the same throughout all our great fan-vaults. This system Professor Willis explained to be dependent upon certain horizontal beds on the uppermost surfaces of the intersecting stones, which it would be impossible to render intelligible without the models to which his observations referred.

ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS.-The closing ordinary meeting of the session was held on Monday last, the 19th, Mr. Wallis in the chair.-Amongst the donations received, was a copy of the work on Windsor Castle, by Sir J. Wyatville's executors. Mr. H. Gally Knight, M.P., was elected an honorary member.-Mr. George

Godwin drew the attention of the meeting to a report of the committee of the House of Commons "On National Monuments and Works of Art," and urged the importance of some interference for the protection of our ancient buildings; on which same subject Mr. Donaldson also addressed the Society.-A paper was then read, "On Iron-Roofs," showing their comparative durability and extent, as contrasted with timber-roofs, by Mr. E. Hall, being the essay to which the medal of the Institute has been awarded. With respect to the use of iron for girders, as a protection against fire, it was mentioned in conversation, that insomuch as if water be thrown upon iron when heated, it is almost certain to crack; it is not so safe to employ it in this position as is generally supposed.

ELECTRICAL SOCIETY.-Tuesday, July 20.-Read the following papers. 1. "On the Perforation of Non-conducting Substances by the Mechanical Action of the Electric Fluid," by Mr. Crosse. The experiments cited in illustration were such as to induce the author to conclude that not only glass and the softer crystals, but even the diamond, might be perforated by a continuous stream of sparks passed over its surface; the hole would be pierced at right angles to the direction of the stream.2. "The Effects of Vegetable Points on Free Electricity," by Mr. Pine; a sequel to a former communication, and containing arguments in support of his opinions on the subject of vegetable points as conductors.-3. "An Account of Experiments undertaken to investigate the Nature of the change of Colour of Bodies by Heat and their conducting Power," by Mr. Pollock. Further evidence in support of Mr. Pollock's views, which we have on several occasions submitted to our readers.— 4. On the Method of Restoring to Weakened Magnets their Primitive Strength," by Professor Muncke (a translation.) The method is to apply to a weakened magnet as many keepers as it will sustain; and to add others as the power is returned, until it be restored to its primitive force.-5. "A Translation of an Account of Experiments made with a Grove's Battery," by M. De la River. This paper relates to the subject of the striking distance, and the rotation of the flame. The author conceives that it is not the flame which is acted on by the magnet, but a series of molecules of carbon passing between the charcoal terminals.-The Secretary submitted to the Society Mr. Week's register of the electrical state, &c. of the atmosphere during the month of June-Adjourned.

MISCELLANEOUS, PHILOSOPHICAL, &c.

Animal Magnetism.-We learn from the newspapers that an extraordinary exhibition of the powers of animal magnetism took place in the Hanover Square Rooms on Monday, under the manipulations of a Monsieur Delafontaine from Paris. The lad upon whom the experiments were performed seemed as insensible to pain as if he were dead, and even passively withstood stunning strokes of electricity and galva

nism.

Fall of Fish, &c.-Not in the market, but according to the "Sheffield Patriot," on Thursday fortnight, during a heavy thunder-storm at Derby. The rain, mixed with pieces of half-melted ice, fell in floods, and, stranger still, multitudes of small fish and frogs descended with the torrent. The fish are stated to have been from half an inch to two inches long, and a few considerably larger, one weighing three ounces. Some are of the species called suttle-backs, with spikes on the back fin. These were from the size of a horse-bean to that of a garden-bean; and many, both of fish and frogs, were picked up alive. Similar phenomena have frequently occurred, and been accounted for by the action of whirlwinds on waters inhabited by the animals so transported.

Aden." The observations of the mission which left Tajurah on the 24th of May will be so much the more interesting as it is composed of men of science. I think you will agree with me in saying that the prospect of benefits to England and to science is great, when exploration is confided to the following gentlemen:-Captain Harris, the African traveller, Envoy or principal; Captain Graham (Bheel man); Captain Horton, her Majesty's 47th regiment; Lieutenant Barker, India

navy; Dr. Kirk; Dr. Scott; Dr. Impey; a geologist, and botanist, and a draughtsman, with a guard of honour (Europeans). With such men of zeal, ability, perseverance, and every requisite quality, success is pretty sure. The mission is sent upon a proper scale: their baggage and presents require 300 camels and 30 mules, and from Aden the gentlemen were well mounted on horses; the arrangements for them were all attended with success, and they experienced neither difficulty nor detention. Knowing you feel an anxiety regarding Aden, I will as briefly as possible state its improvements. Aden, when we took it, had rather under 600 inhabitants. By a census taken last month, it was found to contain 8268, independent of troops and followers, which amount to near 4000 more, and it is daily increasing. It has a large bazar, which is well supplied, indeed, everything in plenty; we have just commenced the construction of a regular cantonment and town, so that in three years it will be quite a large and civilised place. A permanent and strong entrance is half finished at the pass, which is to mount twelve pieces of cannon, and would trouble any force to take it. Along the heights, from the pass to the sea in Front Bay, there is a ten-feet permanent wall, with about ten guns mounted on it. These north defences are in addition to the field-works which extend across the peninsula, mounting twenty-three pieces of cannon. A good road is far advanced from the point of the harbour to the town, and seven villas are already erected at the entrance; indeed, every part of that point is taken upon ground-rent. My cottage is a very comfortable one, a Bombay bungalo, with two additional rooms, outhouses, stabling, &c. In the town we are to have a citadel, martello towers, &c.; and Seera is to mount eighty pieces of orduance. The greatest labour is to level Aden, for it is covered with ruins. The inhabitants must be removed from their present irregular lines into the streets. Only fancy my counting the number of horses belonging to gentlemen here, and finding seventy, besides mules; and as the centre broad road is completed, we may soon expect to see some smart vehicles rolling along it. These trifles have a good effect, and the character of the place will advance from an uncivilised village to a civilised town. The Arabs, after their defeat in three attempts to retake Aden, have remained quiet. The only troubles now remaining arise from the treachery of the Sultan and the insolence of the upstart Sheriff of Mocha, who had the impudence to cut down the British flag-would that his head were broken with it!"-Extract of a Letter.-Lit. Gaz.

EFFECTS OF WIND UPON THE ATMOSPHERE.-The following laws have been deduced from extended experiments by Kamtz and Dove. 1. The barometer falls under the influence of the east, south-east and south winds; the descent changes to ascent by the south-west wind; rises by the west, north-west, and north winds; the ascent chances to descent by the north-east wind. The law is deduced from observations, made at Paris four times a day, at first for five years, then for ten years, 1816-25. 2. The thermometer rises by the east, south-east, and south winds; the ascent changes to descent by the south-west wind; falls by the west, north-west, and north; the descent changes to ascent by the north-east wind. This and the following are believed to be based upon observations made at Paris and London, and have been confirmed by observations of Kamtz himself during four years. 3. The elasticity of aqueous vapour is increased by the east, south-east, and south winds; its increase changes to decrease by the south-west wind; it decreases by the west, north-east, and north winds, and its decrease changes to increase by the north-east wind. 4. The humidity of the atmosphere decreases relatively from the west wind, passing by the north to the east, and increases, on the contrary, from the east by the south to the west.

Forty-one Tons of Indigo; or, the Careful Dealer, 269.

Harry Vere, 303.

Het Kruys, 385.

Hope the Undying, 26.

Hope on, hope ever, 262.
Hunting Song, 112, 428.

Idiot Sailor Boy, 140.

Impromptu, 217

Jacob Faithful, Song, 86.

Lover's Reproof to Time, 384.

Marrables, Mr., Management, 226, 371.

Memoirs of an Italian Exile, 58, 189, 305, 358.

Memories of Gibraltar, 97, 205, 438.

Note-Book of an Irish Barrister, 44, 247.

Parazade, Princess, The, 347.

Prize Master, 29.