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Chapter 6th is on fences; chapter 7th on road-masonry, including bridges, retaining-walls, breast walls, fence-walls, crossdrains, inlets, outlets, depôts, toll-houses, toll gates, lamps, and mile-stones. Chapter 8th is on the management of road work, giving directions in regard to the drawings, specification in detail of executing the work, estimate of the expense, making a contract for the work, preparing a deed of contract, and appointing an inspector to lay out the work. Chapter 9th is on improving old roads; chapter 10th on repairing roads; chapter 11th on road instruments and tools; chapter 12th on road legislation. An appendix. of about 120 pages, containing various documents, concludes this interesting and highly useful volume.

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10. Narrative of a Journey to the Falls of the Cavery; with an Historical and Descriptive account of the Neilgherry Hills. By Lieutenant H. Jervis, H. M. 62d regiment. Illustrated with plates. London: Smith, Elder, & Co. 1834. pp. 144.

THE embellishments in this volume are lithographed, and of the first order. They are on the following subjects. Fort of Soosily on the Cavery; Fall of Gungan Chuckee; Fall of Bir Chuckee; a Toda Village; View at Oatacamund; Lake at Oatacamund; Officers' Quarters at Poonamallee ; Situation and Hills of Vellore; Mausoleum of Laulpett; Olsoortank, Bangalore; Officers' Burial-ground at Bangalore, and Town of Closepett. These objects are seen in visiting the noble river Cavery, and the Neilgherry hills. The advantages of these hills as a place of resort for invalids, were not apprehended till 1819. After Mr. Lushington's accession to the Madras government, the local authorities gave a uniform and zealous encouragement to the enterprise of effecting a settlement.

A mistaken notion has prevailed with some persons," says Mr. Jervis, "that the climate of the hills does not contribute to the permanent re-establishment of health. This is a delusion, contradicted by the evidence of facts in the case of every patient who has been properly sent there. Where there is inflammation of the liver, or serious organic affections, perfect quict in the low country, or a voyage to sea, are previously necessary. But for the recovery of lost strength, or the effectual and lasting removal of debility, from whatever cause arising, and for the continued preservation of health, there is no place in India, say all those who have any experience of the Neilgherries, that can be compared with them, and, perhaps, no part of the world, for the whole period of the year." Very good accommodations for travellers are now furnished. A church was consecrated by bishop Turner on the 5th of December, 1830. The atmosphere at the foot of the hills is at 820 or 85°; it is down at 48° or 45°

at the church. The water is found to be very salubrious as well as the air. Eighty-six invalid soldiers here recovered their health during the two years preceding July, 1832. A full report on this subject is preparing by Dr. Bailey and other physicians, assisted by the papers of the late M. Jacquemont.

11.-Analytical Statics. A Supplement to the Fourth Edition of an Elementary Treatise on Mechanics. By W. Whewell, M. A., F. R. S., Flow and Tutor of Trinity College. Cambridge, Eng.: Pitt Press. 1833. pp. 152.

STATICS is that part of the science of mechanics which treats of forces employed in producing equilibrium. The forces treated of in this part of mechanics are pressures. They are measured by the number of units of pressure to which they are equivalent; cach unit of pressure being supposed capable of producing an equal effect in maintaining equilibrium. For the information of a portion of our readers, we give the contents of the chapters. Resolution of a force into rectangular co-ordinates; the conditions of equilibrium of a point; the conditions of equilibrium of a rigid body; the application of the integral calculus to finding the centre of gravity; the equilibrium of a flexible body; the equilibrium of an elastic body; the strength of materials. The number of propositions stated and illustrated in the volume is one hundred and one. Mr. Whewell is the well known author of one of the Bridgewater treatises.

12. The American Annual Register of Public Events, for the year 1831-32, containing a View of the History, Politics, and Literature of the year, with Biographical Notices of Eminent Persons. Brattleboro', Vt.: Fessenden & Co. 1833. pp. 688.

MR. BLUNT of New York, author of several nautical works, is the editor and writer of the successive volumes of the Annual Register. The work bears the marks of candor, research, and an independent mind. As the repository of important documents it is of great value. About half the volume is devoted to this latter object. The main topics in the historical part are the Cherokee case; Falkland islands; northeastern boundary; cholera; nullification; public lands; United States' bank; various political events in France, Germany, Poland, Russia, Italy, Portugal, and Syria; reform in England; and local history and domestic occurrences of each of the twenty-four States of the Union. Biographical notices are given of John Trumbull, Oliver Peabody, Richard Varick, William Barton, Stephen Girard, Robert Troup, Robert Campbell, George Crabbe, Champollion, Perier, Nathaniel Rochester, James Mackintosh, Thomas Sump

ter, and Samuel Ward. Mr. Blunt's political views are generally anti-administration, yet in exhibiting them he manifests a commendable degree of impartiality. Though a decided friend to the national bank, he states several instances in which it has been guilty of bad management. The principal defect in the volume, in our opinion, is the disproportionate attention which is given to politics and commerce. Why not devote a few pages in a large volume like this, to the history of literary enterprises and of religious institutions? We cannot find one word in regard to the progress of the temperance reform-a reform, which is destined to exert a deeper and more permanent influence upon the commerce, banking, public land system, and general prosperity of this country, than any one of the questions to which Mr. Blunt has devoted his pages. What is the cause of this manifest deficiency? The time is fast coming, we believe, when an historian will be compelled to be more of a political economist than will be consistent with a neglect of this subject.

13. The Constitutional Class Book; being a brief Exposition of the Constitution of the United States. Designed for the use of the Higher Classes in Common Schools. By Joseph Story, LL. D., Dane Professor of Law in Harvard University. Boston: Hilliard, Gray, & Co. 1834. pp. 166.

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"THE plan of this book," remarks judge Story, which I have adopted in my larger commentaries. became indispensable to write nearly all the work anew, so much was required to give simplicity, and clearness, and brevity to the explanations, that they might meet the minds of those who cannot be presumed to possess much, if any, political knowledge." The design of this volume is excellent, and the exccution such as would be expected from the learned and eminent author. All the principal topics of constitutional law are taken up and explained with clearness and sound argument. Of the great importance of the diffusion of such knowledge as is contained in this volume, there can be no question.

14.-England and the English. By Edward Lytton Bulwer,

M. P., Author of Pelham, Devereux, Eugene Aram, &c. In two volumes. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1833. pp. 243, 220.

ONE of the most interesting questions connected with our periodical literature, is the expediency of giving or withholding the names of contributors. The general opinion seems to be adverse to the measure both in this country and in England. If we except the journals which are exclusively scientific, we do not

know of a single respectable periodical in Great Britain, which publishes the names of correspondents. In this country, the same remark holds good, with two or three recent exceptions.* The reasons, which we have heard alleged in favor of the usual or anonymous method, are in substance the following.

1. It preserves the unity of a periodical. The work speaks as one being and utters a consentaneous voice. It is not this or that individual, who gives his opinion, but the whole embodied review. In this way the ably written articles assist their weaker associates. An article is not of course judged by its intrinsic merits alone, but by the general character of the publication. Besides, it furnishes scope for the imagination of the reader. It is no common man, he may say, who wrote this or that article, but a Coryphaeus, a distinguished master of the subject. 2. It furnishes opportunities for young writers to acquire confidence. A failure, with the name published before the community, might depress, if not forever impede the intellectual progress of the young writer. 3. Public men or books can be reviewed with more freedom and truth. It is sometimes necessary to speak of a book or of a man in public life, with great severity. An anonymous review furnishes a good shield under which to make the assault. It might fail of a part of its beneficial effect, if the authorship should be associated with the rivalries, prejudices, or unpleasant associations of any sort which may attach to a particular name.

These arguments, though entitled to considerable weight, are in our opinion, greatly counterbalanced by what may be advanced on the other hand.

1. It is impossible to preserve an entire unity of opinion on any subject of politics, or literature, or morals. Hence, in order to preserve this ideal unity, a particular set of writers must be employed, who are leagued to some system or party. And even in such a case, the editor must make a liberal use of his shears, and cut off every straggling sentence or heterodox paragraph—a palpable injustice to a writer. This sacrifice to unity is followed with a real loss of patronage on the part of the publication. The writer, whose pride is mortified, retires in disgust. 2. Anonymous reviews are a defence to calumny, falsehood, misstatement, and all other hateful things. With all which is deep in research, and splendid in diction, and caustic in the assault upon vice or bad taste in the Edinburgh or London Quarterly, how much has there been in both which every liberal minded man must deplore? What distortions of facts, what violent political partisanship, what rancorous hate, what national antipathies, what unfeeling criticism, what under currents of infidel sentiment, have those reviews been obnoxious to? Not

* Biblical Repository, Unitarian, Lit. and Theol. Review.

a little of the interest which has been concentrated in them has resulted from the vigor with which the combatants have handled their two-edged swords in the dark. We are pleased with strong excitement, and do not always wait to ascertain whether it comes from legitimate causes. Many of these writers hate the light, and do not come to it lest their deeds should be reproved. If a man wishes to utter a prejudice, or untruth, or a shallow opinion, let his own head have the credit of it, and not another man, or the impersonal unembodied being of a review. If a writer has regard to his reputation, he will be careful as to his facts, sparing as to his prejudices, and rigid as to his logic. In all ordinary circumstances, we believe, that the giving of the name will afford the most powerful stimulus to write well and worthily. In the one case, reputation and property, may be in some measure at issue; in the anonymous review, a failure will work no harm, as the name of a writer of a feeble article, not being published, will not be likely to excite sufficient curiosity to be worthy of an inquiry. 3. The real capabilities of a review will be better known in this way. In the anonymous review, a half dozen men may do the great amount of the writing. In the other case, it will be impracticable. A wide co-operation will be indispensable. A single set of writers, confined to one denomination, or party, or corner of the country, will not suffice. A necessity will be laid upon the conductors to show not only the extent of their field, but the number and nerve of their laborers.

Some interesting remarks will be found on this subject, so far as Britain is concerned in the second volume of Bulwer's England and the English. They are written in a severe and caustic strain, but they are richly merited.

15.-Principles of General Grammar, adapted to the Capacity

of Youth, and proper to serve as an Introduction to the
Study of Languages. By A. J. Sylvestre De Sacy,
Member of the Royal Council of Public Instruction, &c.
Translated by D. Fosdick, Jr., Theol. Sem., Andover.
Andover: Flagg, Gould, & Newman. 1834. pp. 156.

ONE of the greatest difficulties with many pupils in learning languages is a misapprehension of the intention of a grammar. They as soberly believe in its syntax as they would in a moral law. The whole process is merely mechanical. Their minds quietly acquiesce in the wisdom of the grammarian, as far as his canons, or exceptions, or observations go, and then they are out on a shoreless ocean. Their error lies in supposing that the grammar was made before the language, instead of being a statement of the general usage of the best writers in the language. They need to be compelled to examine into the principles of universal grammar, to gain a clear idea of the object of gram

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