Powerful Telescope. The great refracting telescope made by Professor Frauenhofer for the Observatory of the Prussian university at Dorpat, is now placed in St. Saviour's church at Munich. This immense instrument exceeds, both in length and diameter, the great reflecting telescope of Herschel. Its length is 160 Paris inches, and its diameter 10.

Newly invented Printing Machinery.-The printing apparatus invented by Mr. Church, of the Britannia Works, Birmingham, forms perhaps the most extraordinary combination of machinery that has for a long time been submitted to the public. It consists of three pieces of mechanism. The first of these has for its object the casting of metallic types with extraordinary expedition, and the arrangement of them for the compositor.-The second machine selents and combines the types into words and sentences.-The third machine, for taking off impressions from the types, evinces much ingenuity; but cannot be understood without suitable drawings.-After the types have been used, and the requisite number of impressions obtained, they are remelted and recast as before, so that every sheet is printed with new types.-Edinburgh Journal of Science. Northern Expedition.-The William Harris, transport, which accompanied the expedition under Captain Parry, to the edge of the ice, has returned. She left the Discovery Ships on the 2d of July, near Whalefish Islands, Davis' Straits, all well.

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WE are happy, at length, through the kindness of a friend, in being able to present to our readers a brief sketch of the public life of this distinguished individual.

The General is descended from a very ancient family in Cumberland; but the property having fallen into the female line, nothing is left of the name, in that part of the country, but the village of Brownrigg. His greatgrandfather settled in the county of Wicklow, in Ireland, where Sir Robert was born.

At fourteen years of age he entered Woolwich Academy; and in the year 1776 joined the 14th regiment in America, returning with it to England in the year following. In 1782 his regiment was ordered to the West Indies, from whence he returned in 1785, and was then appointed deputy-quartermaster-general, to serve on the continent; after which he received an appointment to a staff situation at Chatham barracks. From that period he continued on the staff, either acting as military secretary to his Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief, or as quarter-master-general.

Though it was never his fortune to have any opportunity of distinguishing himself by any brilliant action in the field of battle; yet when called there with his regiment, he was always known to display great coolness and personal courage. By his brother officers he was universally respected for the strictest honour, and the most uniform integrity; and when he became a field officer, and was entitled to give an opinion, his military judgment was well appreciated by those with whom he had the honour to serve.

However interesting it might be to follow the steps of advancement of an No. 70,-VOL. VI.

[1824.

officer who, under divine Providence, owes every thing to the merit of his own character, never having dishonourably courted favour, nor sought promotion; yet as it is not now our intention to enter into the minute particulars of the military career of General Brownrigg, we pass on to that part of his life when he was known as the vigilant, enterprising, successful, respected, and beloved Governor of Ceylon,

It was in the autumn of the year 1811 that he was appointed governor, and commander of the forces of that important and improving island. His arrival took place on the 11th of March in the year ensuing; and the reins of government continued in his hands until February, 1820, when the state of his health compelled him to return to his native land.

Upon consulting a map of Ceylon made previously to the year 1815, it will be seen, that the old British possessions were confined to a narrow maritime border of the kingdom of Kandy; in some parts not more than eight miles in width, This territory had been ceded by the successive native sovereigns to our Portuguese and Dutch predecessors: but no friendly intercourse continued to be cherished between us and the Kandyans.

As soon as Sir Robert Brownrigg entered upon the government, his whole attention was directed to obtain an acquaintance with the country and its resources; and for this purpose he made a tour of observation throughout the whole of the British possessions; being accompanied by his respected lady, and the Rev. George Bisset, his private secretary and chaplain. It has often been regretted that Mr. Bisset did not oblige the public by the perusal of a journal of this interesting journey. It would not have failed to embrace much valuable and original information.

Where a governor travels, of course many difficulties are smoothed, with which an ordinary individual has to 3 K

contend; and but for that favourable circumstance, this journey would, from the total want of roads, in many places have been impracticable. The undertaking was, on that account, contemplated with some considerable degree of uneasiness by those friends who remained at the seat of government; but to no person was it so great a source of anxiety as to the native tyrant of the Kandyan throne, whose kingdom Sir Robert in his progress was thus encircling. It was natural for him to conclude, however distant from the real fact, that such a measure on the part of a British governor must have in view some ulterior object hostile to himself. Consequently his people were sent to all the barriers; and videttes, posted at the various watches, carried to their trembling despot daily and hourly intelligence of the progress of this peaceful procession.

During this journey, General Brownrigg had advantageous opportunities of making himself acquainted with the habits, manners, and dispositions of the several native tribes which had been placed under his government, as well as of their Kandyan neighbours; and by the aid of the observations he thus made, his subsequent administration derived much of that noble peculiarity which procured for it the gratitude and admiration of the Ceylonese, as well as the approval and confidence of the sovereign he represented.

On the governor's return from his tour, after an absence of some months, he found he had many unpleasant acts of reduction to perform, in compliance with the orders on that subject received from the government at home. Unfortunately, the mother country was suffering exhaustion from the effects of a long and expensive war. Ministers were exceedingly desirous of the most rigid attention to economy in every one of the public departments, and the orders for reduction sent out to the colonies were peremptory. However painful it must have been to his own private feelings, Sir Robert faithfully observed the directions he had received. Indeed, it was a subject to which his attention had been previously applied; and by the activity of his own personal inspection into the state of two of the departments especially, he had caused

an annual saving of some thousands.

In his general orders, it was his painful duty to notice the laxity and inattention with which some branches of the public business had been conducted. In a few places the works were falling into decay; and judging from the strength of expression contained in the orders, dilapidation must have been very considerable, to draw forth such a species of censure from one whose language and habits were so gentle and affable.

He found on the establishment of the island a body of native pioneers and artificers, nominally 1500 strong, who, when mustered by his orders, were principally employed in menial capacities; and to his great surprise, about fifty of them were engaged as labourers in and about the government house, and others allotted to the services of the other officers of the garrison. This system was immediately changed. The pioneers connected with the governor's house were replaced by servants paid out of his own, and not the public, purse; and a general order required that the corps should be properly disciplined and attired, and regularly mustered and employed. Their distinguishing dress was a white calico jacket and trowsers, with red muslin turban and sash. In this they paraded at guardmounting on Sunday morning; and in the week they were engaged in their proper occupation as artificers.

The treatment which the native servants frequently met with from their European masters, also called for some interference of authority; and Sir Robert Brownrigg was too accessible to the meanest individual under his government, long to remain uninformed as to the nature and extent of the evil which needed his correction. From the idea that corporeal punishment was the only effectual mode of managing the natives, arose a maxim which was seldom disputed,