Captain Ross and the Bear.-It was usual when Capt. James Ross went upon a reconnoitering or exploring expedition into the interior of the country, to leave his uncle, the senior Captain, at head-quarters, with a small party of five or six men, generally the least capable to bear fatigue. Upon one of those occasions, whilst the Captain was in bed, his hut, or cabin, well lined with tarpaulins and canvass, and his roof again covered with deep snow, having a small entrance with the view of excluding as much as possible the cold, and two or three loop-holes for the occasional admission of air, that the Captain discovered an unusual pressure and noise of footsteps immediately above the spot where he lay. Thinking it might be one of the men who had thus unwarrantably disturbed his slumber, he called out to know who was there; but receiving no answer, and the annoyance rather increasing, he got up, and, peeping through a loophole to discover who it was, he beheld an enormous bear, snuthing about to find out the entrance to the hut, which he was then approaching, and no doubt in a few minutes more would have reached his prey. The Captain, however, had presence of mind to seize a loaded musket which was at hand, and levelled it at the monster as he was tearing open the door. The ball took effect; and, although he did not kill it, so severely wounded the animal that he immediately made off. He, however, shortly returned, deliberately walked across a plank into the vessel, seized a young tame bear which lay on the deck, devoured one-half of it, and was again making off, licking his chops, when he was pursued and shot. Being one of the largest of many they met with in those inhospitable regions, the skin has been brought home as a curiosity. Extent of the Russian Empire.-In no age, nor in any record of hy-gone nations, is a parallel to be found for the almost boundless extent of the Russian dominions, as they exist in the present day. This colossus of power forms a connected whole, which is dislocated by no seas, and intersected by the possession of no intervening sovereignty. There is not any part of it which lies at all disjointed from this congruous mass, save that which lies in America, and is severed from it by a narrow strait. This portion, after all, does not amount to a fifteenth part of the Muscovite territory, which of itself is larger than Europe and Australia put together. It stretches over three quarters of the world; occupying the larger portion of the north of Europe, the whole of the north of Asia, and part of the north-west of America. The connexion of the latter with Russia in Asia is maintained by a chain of islands, which run from the Peninsula of Kamtschatka in Asia to the Peninsula of Alashka in America. The Russian empire comprehends nearly two hundred and fifty degrees of longitude-consequently nearly two thirds of the circumference of the whole globe; and about forty degrees of latitude-for it extends from Pyzdry, the last station on its Polish froutier, to Queen Charlotte's Sound in America. When it is 12 o'clock at midnight at its westernmost point, it is 16 minutes past 12 o'clock at noon at its easternmost. It comprises a seventh part of the habitable earth, and a five-and-twentieth part of its superficial extent, land and water. It is 75 times larger than Prussia, 70 times larger than Great Britain and Ireland; 68 times larger than Italy; 64 times larger than Sweden; 37 times larger than France; and 31 times larger than Austria. The climate of this immense sovereignty is as varied as its component parts: here we have the heats which ripen the grape, the almond, the fig, and olive, the pomegranate and orange in the open air; and there, the excessive frigidity which reduces mercury to the state of hardness in which it may be hammered; at one extremity the bear housed amid eternal ice, and at the other the camel passing over a hot bed of arid sand; spring blooming along the Caucasus, whilst life and vegetation are entombed along the frozen strand of the Vistula and Neva. Yet in all his greatness, the autocrat scarcely counts twice as many lieges as the king of England; and is lord of scarcely as many cities and market-towns as the single Emperor of Austria. Literary Notices. Just Published. The First Number of a New Periodical, entitled the Oxford University Magazine. The Unity of the Church a Sermon delivered before the Monthly Association of Congregational Ministers and Churches. By Rev. J. Robinson. Part XXXVII. of Baines's History of Lancashire. LONDON: Hannah More's Works, Vol. IV. containing › Hui towards forming the Character of a Princess. Part 59 of the National Portrait Gallery, wi Memoirs of the late Sir Robert Peel, Bari; first Lord Heathfield; and Miss Jane Porter. Part X. of a new edition of the National Perne Gallery, with Memoirs of General Lord Lyng the Earl of Albemarle; and Sir Walter Scott, Lan Part II. of Fisher's Views in India, China, and Shores of the Red Sea, from Original Sketches Commander Robert Elliot, R. N. A Memoir of Hannah More; embellished wi Portrait, and a View of her favourite Residen Barley Wood. 18mo. Silk, 3s. 6d. --Cloth, 2s. 6d, The Easter Gift; a Religious Offering. By LLL containing 14 highly finished Engravings, price. elegantly bound in Silk. Journal of two Voyages along the Coast of Cb-4 in 1831 and 1832: with Notices of Siam, Coc China, and Loo Choo. By C. Gutzlaff. 1 vol. po Memoirs of James Brainerd Taylor. By J. H. R D. D. and B. H. Rice, D. D. 1 vol. 12mo. Reminiscences of the Late Rev. Robert Hall, A with a Portrait. By G. Greene, in 1 vol. 12mo. Melchizedec. By the Author of Elijah,'' Balan," &c. 2d edit. 1 vol. 12mo. In the Press. A Life of Cowper. By Dr. J. S. Memes, of Ed burgh. Au Improvement on the Eton Latin Grammar. By Joseph Guy, Jun. The First Vol. of a Voyage Round the World. By Mr. Holman, the Blind Traveller. The Royal Mariner; giving an Historical Sten of the Naval Scenes in which his present Majee bore a conspicuous part. By Mr. Sillery, author at "Vallery; or, the Citadel of the Lake." The Third Volume of "The Parent's Cabinet of Amusement and Instruction." The Third Fasciculus of the New Journal of Me dico-Chirurgical Knowledge. Physiognomy Founded on Physiology. By Mr. Walker. Catherine de Medicis; or, the Rival Faiths." The Second Volume of the Misccellany of Natural History. By Sir Thomas Dick Lardner. A Memoir of William Wilberforce, Esq. By the Rev. Thomas Price. The Protestant: a Tale of the Reign of Queen Mary. The Rival Sisters; a Tale of Love and Sorrow. Life of Mrs. Siddons. By Thomas Campbell, Lati Author of the Pleasures of Hope. A New Edition of the Poetical Works of 5. T. Coleridge, Esq. 3 Vols. 8vo.; containing many sew poems; uniformly printed with the Aldine tion of the British Poets. Cleone; a Tale of Married Life. By Mrs. Gam stone author of Woman's Love, &c." "Religion Essential to the National Welfare:"1 Sermon preached at Silver-street Chapel, Feb. 6. 1834 before the Monthly Association of Congregatical Ministers and Churches. By J. Pye Smith, D.D. Education Reform; or, the Necessity and Pract cability of a Comprehensive System of Natio Education. By Thomas Wyse, Jun. Esq. late M.P. for the County of Tipperary. An Attempt to discriminate the Styles of Archive ture in England; with Notices of above Three Tho sand Edifices. By Thomas Rickman, Archret, F. S. A. Fourth Edition. A Memoir of the Life, Character, and Writings of Sir Matthew Hale, Knt. Lord-Chief Justice of Eng land. By J. B. Williams, Esq., LL D. F.S. A. A Volume, consisting of Original Pieces. By some of the most eminent writers of the day, on subjec connected with the Evils of Slavery, or the Prospects of the Emancipated Negroes. A Reply to the Rev. Wm. Hull's Pamphlet "Ecclesistical Establishments." By the Rev. J.B. Innes of Norwich. A New Edition, (with additions,) of Italy. By Josiah Conder 3 Vols. The Short Hand Standard Attempted by an An lysis of the Circle. By Thomas Mout, 8vo. The First Monthly Part of a new and important work on Natural History. By Henry Woods, E. Z.. A. L. S. Clark's Introduction to Heraldry; the Twelfth Edition, Revised and Improved. royal Bro. The Cabinet Annual Register, and Histories. Political, Biographical, and Miscellaneous Chronicle of 1833. Modern Infidelity; considered with respect to influence on Society. By R. Hall, M.A. 32mo. Clarke's Scripture Promises; arranged under pro per heads. royal 32mo. PRINTED AT THE CAXTON PRESS, BY H. FISHER, SON, AND CO. THE IMPERIAL MAGAZINE. APRIL, 1834. TOPOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF ABBEVILLE, IN FRANCE. (With an Engraving.) THE two French provinces of Normandy and Brittany, but more especially Normandy, have long received every kind of illustration from the learning and industry of the antiquary, aided by the skill of the engraver. Almost every village and hamlet has been visited in turn by the Cotmans, Turners, and Dibdins, who have made the English reader acquainted with almost every remaining relic of the olden time. It is matter of regret that little in this way has yet been done for the ancient province of Picardy. Yet to Englishmen it possesses much interest: there is scarcely a town, or spot of ground, which has not been the scene of some interesting historical event. Yet, notwithstanding the number of our travellers who daily pass through. the province, on their route from Calais to Paris, few are found willing to loiter even for the shortest period on the road. It is true, that Picardy possesses but few such splendid ecclesiastical edifices as are to be found in Normandy; and would probably require even more than the bibliographical sagacity of a Dr. Dibdin, to discover, amongst the best of its libraries, any thing in the shape of an editio princeps; and from the general want of bold landscape, there is not much to attract the picturesque traveller but surely, with something akin to the feelings with which most of our continental tourists visit the plains of Waterloo, they might turn aside to view the village of Crecy, celebrated for the victory of Edward III. and his renowned son the Black Prince, in 1346; or, to the small town of Ardres, where the meeting between Henry VIII. and Francis I. took place, and, from the magnificence there displayed, derived its name of the Champ du Drap d'Or; or the little town of St. Valery, situated at the mouth of the Somme, from whence William of Normandy sailed to the conquest of England. Agincourt is also but a short distance out of the province. Various Roman antiquities have at different times been discovered here-there are also circles, and other monuments of the kind which we call Druidical. In the modern division of France into departments, Picardy forms part of the two departments of the Pas de Calais, and the Somme. It is a most fruitful province, producing corn and hemp, with much pasturage, but totally destitute of the vine, and with but little woodland. Its chief city is Amiens, an episcopal see, whose cathedral is a fine specimen of Gothic architecture; and the other principal towns are Abbeville,-Boulogne-Calais, Ham (in whose castle are immured the ministers of Charles X.) Montreuil-Peronne-Montdidier, &c. 2D. SERIES, NO. 40.-VOL. IV. U 184.-VOL. XVI. The general aspect of the country, from Calais to Paris, is its opennes and the scarcity of towns, villages, and inhabitants: single cottages rarely seen. Abbeville is situated on the river Somme, which divides itself here, about four leagues from its mouth, into various branches, passing throug and around the town. It derives its name from Abbavilla, or Abbati villa, being the country residence of the Abbots of Centula, or St. Riquier at about two leagues distance; a castle was afterwards built upon the site, and a priory dependent on the abbey; but Hugues Capet being desire of fortifying it, took it from the community of St. Riquier, of whom had been the secular abbot, and gave it to his son-in-law, Hugues; whoe son, Enguerrand, after killing in battle the Count of Boulogne, married is widow, and assumed the title of Count of Ponthieu, which remained to his descendants. From this period the town continued to increase importance. Its principal churches are St. Wulfran, St. George, and St. Paul, only two of which were spared by the frenzy of the revolution. In 1205, the relics of St. Wulfran, Bishop of Sens, were removed hither, the abbey of St. Vandrille in Normandy. Abbeville is in the diocese of Amiens. Its houses are generally built of brick, many of them of wood; but there are several fine old building especially the fine gothic church of St. Wulfran, its western front decorated with colossal statues, and its gothic towers are striking features in any view of the city. The tide rises here six feet: vessels at 150 tons burden can reach the town: from which commercial advantage, it derives much of its importance. It population, according to Sanson, amounted, in 1636, to as many as from 35 to 40,000 inhabitants: it now, however, contains not more than 20,000. But a few years before the bursting forth of the revolution, this city wa the scene of one of those deeds of bigotry and fanaticism, which were s fearfully visited upon the clergy in after years, and which brought dow the odium of the French nation on the whole body of the priesthood. with The Chevalier La Barre, whose age was under twenty, in company other young men, as imprudent as himself, returning to their homes late a night, offered some indignity to an old wooden image of the Virgin, which stood on the bridge. He was said to have wounded it on the shoulder, when in a state of intoxication. Although the wound in the image was slight, the Virgin was supposed to be mortally offended; many prayers and processions were made to expiate the offence, but nothing, it was supposed. could avert the vengeance of Heaven, but the death of the Chevalier La Barre. A criminal process was carried on, and a sentence obtained against him. He was condemned to have his right hand amputated, his tongue torn from its roots, and then to be beheaded the more barbarous parts of his sentence were remitted, in consideration of his family; but the remaining part, to the eternal disgrace of those professing the christian religion, was enforced, and the unhappy youth was beheaded. Another of the delinquents, who was of noble family, was so fortunate as to escape, and join the army of Frederic of Prussia. He was, however, outlawed, and his estates confiscated. This young man happened to be interested in the friendship of Voltaire, who had considerable influence with Frederic: and his case formed the subject of many of those entertaining letters which passed between the soldier and the philosopher. The result of the interference of the latter was the pardon, and subsequent restoration and promotion, of the delinquent. เฟ UNIVERSAL EMANCIPATION. is certainly not a little to the credit of s country, that all those great measures, ich have already been adopted for the tinction of the Slave-trade, for the ameration of the condition of slaves, and ally for their emancipation, have emated from British justice and humanity. his is the more satisfactory when we conler that the maintenance of slavery, enorous as is the guilt which it involves, does >t shew so monstrous an instance of consistency and insensibility in us as in e Americans. Slavery exists at a distance om the observation of the English goernment. Its atrocities do not strike our otice, or offend our sensibilities, and ven the recital of them does not affect us ▷ powerfully as it might, because we feel necessary, in some instance, to allow for xaggeration, owing to excited feeling and party spirit. The antiquity of the system, nd its having long received the sanction of our legislature, naturally occasions some legree of tardiness in bringing it to the test of a strict and impartial examination. None of these mitigating circumstances can be pleaded, to palliate the guilt and inconsistency of American slavery. Its horrors are exhibited within their borders, and before their eyes. Their legislature cannot surely plead partial information or conflicting evidence. Their institutions have been formed by and for themselves, and none of them have been imposed by the 'wisdom of their ancestors,' or received in a consolidated and inseparable mass of mingled good and evil. Above all, their enthusiasm for political and civil liberty; and their loud professions upon this point, have arrested the notice, and raised the expectations, of all other states. The first and great article of their constitution affirms, in the most compre hensive terms, the doctrine of universal equality. And yet, in the face of all this, slavery obtains in America, not only to a greater extent, but also in a more revolting form, than even in our own colonies. It is but recently that the British public have been brought acquainted with 'the true character of American slavery. In some recent publications, however, the horrible details of the system have been made known, and more particularly in Stuart's Three Years in North America,' a work of acknowledged accuracy and high respect ability. It appears that slavery in the United States is confined to the districts below thirty-six degrees of north latitude; but the number of slaves below this limit, exceeds two millions. In some places, (as South Carolina for example,) education is prohibited by law, and a free person of colour cannot enter the territory. Slaveevidence is wholly inadmissible, except against each other. Trial by jury, even in capital cases, is denied: and, as the necessary consequence of such a system, the most barbarous usage is the rule, and kindness the rare exception. Cruelty, starvation, separation of families, and all the crimes in that black catalogue of oppression, with which we are at length familiar, prevail, with this peculiar and monstrous aggravation, that the slave cannot be made free! Such is the well-founded jealousy entertained of the very first step towards emancipation, that even the reluctant and conscientious slave-possessor, is restrained by law from divesting himself of his iniquitous property. The condition of the free people of colour in America, whose number exceeds 300,000, is only in a slight degree advanced. Their acquired privileges are but scanty and unsubstantial; their degradation is intolerable; their gradual banishment from the States is generally considered a maxim of national policy. It is scarcely necessary to add, that the internal slavetrade is carried on with all its most disgusting and loathsome incidents-husbands and wives, mothers and children, are publicly exposed to auction, and handled and examined like cattle, and then separated for ever with as little compunction as sheep or oxen in our markets. Charleston, says Mr. Stuart, has long been celebrated for the severity of its laws against the blacks, and the mildness of its punishments towards the whites for maltreating them. Until lately, there were about seventy-one crimes for which slaves were capitally punished, and for which the highest punishment for whites was imprisonment in the penitentiary. The publication of these facts has at length excited the attention of some portion of the Christian public in this country. They are resting from their protracted labours for the extirpation of slavery in our own colonies. They have achieved a triumph, in many respects most satisfactory and glorious. And now they are giving a still further proof of the genuineness of their benevolence, by extending it to the miseries of other nations. A Society is now about to commence its operations, which contemplates no less glorious an object than UNIVERSAL EMANCIPATION. It is exceedingly desirable that the public should be aware of the nature and extent of that evil against which this Society proposes to 156 direct its energies: we, therefore, think that the following statements, contained in a published Letter from the pen of the Rev. Thomas Roberts, of Bristol, are sufficiently important to deserve a place here: "The following account of the importation of Slaves into Rio Janeiro at these succeeding periods is correct :-In the year 1820, 15,020 slaves 1821, 24,134-1822, 27,963-1823, 27,349-1824, 29,503,1827, 1825, 26,254-1826, 33,999 29,789-1828, 43,555,-and from Jan. 1st, 1829, to March 25th of the same year, a period of only three months, 13,459 slaves were imported, making, in the short period of nine years and a quarter, the tremendous number of 264,025, and consequently in the last year and quarter of the of fifty-seven above periods, upward thousand. "This dreadful traffic is not in the least diminished at the present time. Very recently his Majesty's cruiser, the Nimble, captured three large schooners, each containing upwards of 300 negroes, and afterwards totally destroyed two others of a similar description, whose cargoes had just been previously landed. The slave dealers at Cuba have offered a large reward to any one who will assassinate the commander of the Nimble, and they are fitting out vessels, some of them mounting 20 guns each, to resist the cruisers employed to destroy the slave trade. His Majesty's Ship Isis has just captured a large vessel, with a cargo of 700 slaves, bound to the Mauritius. The failure of the late commercial expedition from Liverpool to Africa has arisen in a considerable degree from the zeal with which the slave trade is carried on by the nations of the interior with European dealers. Its profits are so great as to render the inhabitants of Africa indifferent to the productions of their own soil as articles of commerce. The nations in the interior are constantly at war with each other for the sake of obtaining captives for the slave trade, and so totally does this engross their attention, that the gentlemen, recently forming the commercial expedition to Africa, affirm that it was impossible to draw the attention of the natives to any kind of trade but to that in human beings. newly imported, but merely sent from ar "The inhumanity and horror connected "This barbarous trade has been the means "The existence of the Foreign Slave Trade with its effects inflicts deep injury at this time on our own colonial possessions, but will unquestionably be still more commer cially destructive when slavery in the Bri tish dominions is actually abolished. It will then be impossible for our colonists to compete with either the Brazilian planter, or with him of the Southern States of Ame rica, whose whole cultivation is the result of extensive and still increasing slavery. The effect of this system has been to increase the importation of foreign sugars by 370,548 cwt., the amount of which in the year 1828 was only 136,999 cwt., whilst in 1831, it increased 507,547 cwt. If this inhuman traffic is allowed to proceed, shipping interest must likewise be seri ously injured. The extending resources of the Brazils, and its increasing commerce by the means of slavery, will soon induce the States. The law is evaded by vessels of inhabitants of that fertile territory to become small size skulking up creeks to land their cargoes in the interior, and then, driving their victims to a great distance from the landing-place, and professing that they are not "The slave trade is deemed illegal in North America; it is nevertheless carried on to an immense extent in the Southern the carriers as well as the cultivators of their our own "The importance of protecting colonies when cultivated by free labour, C 土 TEST to th 13 the |