animal contained; and, in this opinion I am borne out by Pliny the naturalist, who says, that when the Tyrians light upon any great purples, they take the fish out of the shells to get the blood, but the lesser they press and grind in certain mills, and so gather that rich humour which issueth from them.'"

Mr. Wilde brought home some of the shell conglomerate thus hardened into stone, as dense and durable as marble, by the action of the Mediterranean waters. Our traveller

mentions with surprise this cementing quality of the Levant sea, and has noticed it at Telmessus and elsewhere; but he need not have gone so far to find this peculiar effect of sea-water. The shores of Ireland will present many such instances of cemented gravel; let him but inspect the gravel bank extending from Salthill to Kingstown, and he will find such specimens of gravel turned into a breccia.

There

is another interesting subject which Mr. Wilde has touched on, while describing Tyre, namely, the rise of the Mediterranean :

"The smallness of the peninsula compared with the probable extent of the ancient city-the submerged reef, or ancient pier, running north and south on both sides of it-the ruins which I have pointed out at the southern extremity, and the ancient town wall now standing in the water at the landing-place, all afford conclusive proof of the sea having risen at this point many feet above its ancient level. But has the Mediterranean generally risen? To decide this point geologists have principally confined their observations and reasonings to the celebrated temple of Serapis, in the bay of Baiæ, on which much has been already written; but the prevalence of earthquakes, and the continued volcanic action going forward there, prevents a fair analogy being established with it and other parts of the Mediter

ranean.

"Commencing at the gulf of Glaucus, I have pointed out tombs, and the walls of the city of Telmessus, now surrounded by water, of which no doubt can exist, that they originally stood on dry land. Following the coast eastward, we come to the island of Kakara, of which Captain Beaufort states; that it is remarkable that in some places three or four of the lower steps, (of houses,) and even the foundations of walls are now beneath the surface of the water. At Joppa I have every

reason to believe that the ancient cothon has been partly submerged; and in this state are also part of the ruins of Cesarea. At Caipha I found the remains of a very antique building, which had been probably a temple, partly covered with water at its base. At Beyrout we see a tower standing in the water; and at Tyre there can be no doubt upon the subject, for there the ruins are seen below the surface. Here I must refer to one of the most remarkable prophecies not only with regard to Tyre, but mentioned in the whole of Scripture, showing not merely the literal fulfilment of every sentence spoken against it, but accounting for why Tyre is now submerged. Among the many awful predictions of the doom of this city, it is thus stated by Ezekiel in the 26th chap. 19th and 20th verses, For thus saith the Lord God, when I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited when I shall bring up the deep npon thee, and great waters shall cover thee."

Now, this rise of the sea, or sinking of the land-and we are disposed to conclude that it is the latter is not confined to the Mediterranean. All around the coast of Ireland, especially on the western shores, there are manifest evidences of the same phænomena. Bogs are found below high water mark, and sometimes in places always now under water. In Blacksod bay the roots of trees are seen at the bottom, when the unruffled surface permits look down you to though the translucent waters. Archdeacon Verschoyle, in his valuable treatise on the geology of the Western coast, acknowledges this fact and near a century ago, Borlace, in a paper in the Philosophical Transactions, mentions the same thing as occurring on the coast of Cornwall. We confess that we have our theory on this subject, with which we may enlighten the world on some other occasion.

Mr. W. treats largely of the holy city. During his stay at Jerusalem he spent almost his whole time, and gave the full activity of mind and body to the investigation of its topography; and in this respect we deem he has done more than any traveller since Clarke; and while differing with that distinguished man, there is every reason to suppose that he does so upon good grounds; for it would appear that the learned Cambridge Fellow, though he wrote largely, did not give himself

We

time, nor take the right method for accurate investigation; for there is good reason to believe his stay was not altogether forty-eight hours, and that the notes he took of this cursory inspection were worked out into amplitude eleven years afterwards. cannot venture, without a map, to show fully where and how Clarke and our traveller differ. Clarke asserts that Mount Zion was outside the present walls, and is that now called the Mount of Offence, standing due south of the present city. In fact, if Clarke be right, Wilde is quite wrong, and vice versa; and this discrepancy places in dispute the whole ancient topography. There is something interesting in the following :

"Having endeavoured to answer the objections as to the site of the sepulchre, I find it still further necessary to remove some popular or 'vulgar errors' upon this subject. It is generally supposed that Calvary or Golgotha (which are synonymous) was a mount or a considerable hill. This mistake is common to most authors, and is one into which Gibbon himself has fallen; but there is no scriptural warrant for such a supposition. It may, however, have been a small elevation or mound of some fifteen feet high, placed in the natural valley that surrounded the outer wall. Again, others suppose it to have been a place of public execution and a common grave-yard, and this opinion they rest on the word yoλyota Golgotha, and translate it the place of skulls,' or 'of a skull.' Now if this supposition be correct, is it not as likely that the evangelists would have mentioned it as a place of execution (or as some writers have been pleased to call it, a 'gallows') as a place of 'skulls?'

略

"A learned coreespondent of the Edinburgh Review has thrown considerable light upon the meaning of the word Golgotha; but he, too, falls into the mistake of making it a place of public burial, 'the place of the skulls of men,' giving to the word D Adam, the general appellation of men or mankind, and not the proper name of our first parent. The monks and guardians of the Holy Sepulchre point out a place in the cleft of the rock, beside the cross, where they say the skull of Adam was discovered at the time of the crucifixion; and they gravely assert that the father of mankind had himself interred there, in order that his bones might be sprinkled with the blood of our Saviour! Such is the absurd tale related by Epiph anius, and retailed by the friars to all devout pilgrims.

"But this place appears to have had an earlier date than the tradition of monks and fathers, and its existence is believed by both Jews and Mooslims, and is mentioned in the works of the latter. Now it is probable that this spot in the trench outside the walls (and if the tradition concerning it existed from an early date, it would be a reason for its not being included in the city,) was called the place of the skull, or as St. Luke writes; “ καὶ ὅτι ἀπελθον ἐπὶ τον τόπον τον καλούμενον κρανίον—and when they were come to a place called SKULL;' a proper name denoting, not a burial ground or a place of execution, but a spot to which a certain tradition was attached; and so the word Golgotha and the skull of Adam appear to be the same. • But near the former,' says the Reviewer, was the tomb of Christ, according to Scripture; therefore it was near the latter; that is, where it has always been placed.' And this is the more likely to be correct, as the Greek and Latin priests themselves are totally unacquainted with the origin of this tradition, and know nothing whatever of the true meaning of the name, given to the place shown as the repository of Adam's skull."

Our author, with the assistance of an excellent map, assigns the respective bounds of the ancient city; the modern town; and the prophetical metropolis of the restored people of God, as laid down by Jeremiah, Ezekiel, &c. &c. We certainly have now, since reading Mr. Wilde's work, a clearer knowledge of Jerusalem and its environs than we ever had before. And should like, were space allowed, to extract what he says about the ancient city wall, that crowns the western verge of the city, and hangs over the Valley of Jehosaphat; so massive, that even Titus would not or could not overturn it; and whose blocks of hewn marble are from 20 to 24 feet long by six feet square. Some similarity, says Mr. Wilde, to this enormous work is found in the Pelasgic walls of Italy, at Volterra, Lodi, and Cortona. But in no part of Greece has he met stones of such dimensions. This remnant of ancient Zion is held by the Jews in great veneration.

"I never visited this spot that I did not find it occupied by some of the Israelites. At all hours, late and early, there were they to be found; some sitting and rocking backwards and forwards, praying in a low, wailing tone, their faces turned towards

the east; others standing motionless, and gazing intently upon the solid wall, their arms devoutly crossed upon their breast and tear chasing tear down the cheek of many a silver-bearded patriarch; others whispering into its crevices, or kissing its sacred stones. For Judah mourneth; all her gates are desolate; her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.' (Lam. i. 4.) The question of Sanballat rose to my lips, these feeble Jews? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish which are burnt.' (Neh. iv. 2.) But the voice of the Psalmist answered me, 'Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion; for the time to favour her, yea, the set time is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.' (Ps. cii. 13, 14.)

what do

The Holy Sepulchre has been so frequently and largely described, that we shall not notice what our traveller says on the subject; indeed, he acknowledges himself, that he was (as he deems) more usefully employed, than in describing the processions and ceremonies connected with a place, which superstition has robbed from true piety, and made what should be holy, worse than profane. As a proof of what it is now made, take the following:

After

"There is, however, one scene connected with the grand climactric of credulity and superstition, and which is now the principal magnet that attracts the Greek and Armenian pilgrims to Jerusalem, that I cannot omit mentioning. On Easter eve all the Christian inhabitants of Jerusalem, aud many of the Mohammadans also, assemble in the church of the Holy Sepulchre, to witness the ceremony of what is termed the Holy Fire. the usual masses and processions have been concluded, the Greek patriarch and the Armenian bishop enter the pavilion of the sepulchre, the outer door of which is immediately closed upon them. The dignitaries remain locked in till night, waiting for the miraculous fire, which they assert is sent down to them from heaven. At length the wished-for light is seen, and a flame appears at the oval aperture in the outer chamber, or cenotaph which I before described. In order to increase the delusion practised upon the devotees, in former timés a dove was let loose from the cupola of the tomb, at the moment the sacred fire appeared, to represent the Holy Ghost! This latter

part of the farce, if so mild a term can be applied to so impious a mockery, has been discontinued for some years past. Each of the pilgrims carries with him a torch, and as soon as the flame is perceived, a rush is made to light the torches at the sacred fire; and as no person is allowed to ignite his flambeau at that of his neighbour, the greatest uproar and confusion prevails. It seems that those that are soonest lighted possess the greatest virtue and on that account large sums are sometimes paid for the privilege of the first ignition. The torches are then extinguished, carried home by the pilgrims, and preserved for burning round their bodies after death.

"On this same night, about four years ago, this mockery was visited with a signal instance of the wrath of the Almighty, and was attended with the most melancholy results. On that occasion the crowd was more than usually great, for upwards of 6,000 persons had assembled in the building, and according to custom, the outer doors were closed. While the people were anxiously waiting for the miraculous fire, the heat from the pressure became intense, the air, from the closeness of the place, and the multitude who were breathing it, became impure. Just at the moment that the fire made its appearance, several persons fainted, others sunk down from weakness and extreme exhaustion, a cry of distress rose from those in the centre of the building, and a general panic was immediately spread throughout the whole multitude. A rush was then made towards the door, but, as it turned inward, it was impossible to get it opened, owing to the extreme pressure of the crowd against it. In the tumult that prevailed, none thought of escaping by the galleries, or the other side entrances, and the scene that followed, as described to me by several eye-witnesses, was fearful, and in its consequences truly appalling."

Not less than 300 persons perished on that occasion. We must refer our readers to the work itself for the curious circumstances which Mr. Wilde has brought to light, that in a tomb recently opened in the Aceldama, or Potter's Field bought with "the 30 pieces of silver, to bury strangers in," and which tomb, Mr. Wilde was the first European that entered; he found all the skulls (of which he has brought home many, and given in the work acurate plates) were not at all similar to Jewish skulls; but those of distinct

and quite different races of mankind; not one single, well marked Caucasian could be found, and they must have belonged to strangers in Jerusalem. Mr. Wilde submitted a number of these skulls to Dr. Prichard, so famous for his researches into the physical history of the human race, and without giving the Professor any information as to where they were found, he gave it as his opinion, that they belonged to those Mongolian tribes, that are mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, as "strangers dwelling in Jerusalem, Parthians, Medes, and Elamites," &c. &c.

We must now close our Review, and in doing so, can with great confidence recommend Dr. Wilde's work to our readers, as containing all the elements of a pleasant and useful book of Travels; written in a free unembarrassed style, and containing a great deal that is amusing and still more, that is useful and instructive. The first product of a young man, it has no doubt its lapses and its faults; but young as he is, he has evidently tasked his mind and body to the search after every thing noticeable; and bringing to bear upon this subject what are material pre-requisites namely, medical skill, to enable him to treat on diseases and climates; physical science, to give him tact and capability to examine subjects connected with Zoology, Botany, and Geology; a taste for antiquarian research; a fund of common sense, and what is better than all, a devoted desire to serve the interests of true religion; he has produced a work that may be read with profit by most, and with perfect safety by all; it is what we can recommend to the young, it may lie as both useful and ornamental on any table; it is brought out in a way

quite creditable to the publishers, and its embellishments are the very best we have seen belonging to any book as yet published in Dublin. The Appendices contain much useful and scientific information, and there is ONE especially towards which (as belonging to an University Magazine,) we think ourselves called on to direct the attention of our College rulers-namely, to that where he would stir up our Alma, and by the way she is not poor-to emulate Cambridge and Oxford; and as they have trained up travelling fellows, such as Clarke, Slow, Stuart, &c. &c., and sent them forth at their expense, why should not Dublin Trinity, prepare also young men and commission them to examine and report? For we say it, and with confidence, that there is much in the character of an Irishman that fits him to be acceptable as a traveller, and agreeable as a narrator of what he has seen, felt and understood. And taking it for granted that without any delay, the Board of Senior Fellows of our Trinity, will with their accustomed alacrity, adopt his suggestion, we beg leave therefore to annex this additional hint, that when selecting persons to go forth as their travelling Fellows, they will appoint a quorum of Phrenologists to decide on the bumps of the candidates, and if there be any found with the organs denoting a power of observation large and those expressions of idealism and a taste for pure mathematics not very prominent, let them be selected; but if any one should present himself (and there is much danger that there will) whose protuberances indicate that common vice of collegians, a propensity to punning, at once let such a mauvais sujet be rejected.

OUR readers are aware, that, in our last number, we called their attention to the important fact, that the Synod of Ulster had given in their adhesion to the National Board of Education. In so doing, we adverted to that junction in the terms which we thought it deserved, as an event calculated to do serious injury to the cause of true religion. Nor have we any reason to be dissatisfied with the degree in which our strictures have produced the desired effect. Public attention has been very considerably aroused, and numbers amongst the Presbyterian laity have already evinced a laudable jealousy at the manner in which they have been sought to be compromised by their clerical leaders.

If we advert to the subject in the present number, it is solely with a view to confirm some of the positions for which we contended in the last; by the admissions of those whose conduct we have assailed, and who have since appeared in print as their own defenders.

Our readers will hold in mind, that we professed to discuss the question upon a broader ground than had been assumed by Dr. Cooke, in the letter which describes the conference between him and his colleagues, and the National Board, when the agreement was entered into, in virtue of which the Ulster Presbyterians have been numbered amongst its adherents.

We

stated fully that we would not narrow our consideration to the mere question of fact, whether certain propositions made by the Synod, in 1833, and then rejected by the National Board as the basis of an arrangement, were, or were not, now, fully, or, at least, virtually complied with. We even admitted, for the sake of argument, what the Board have all along strongly denied, that the Presbyterians have obtained even more than they then contended for; and that, if the present arrangement were to be judged of solely with reference to their consistency in the two transactions, they may be considered blameless. But we denied that that was the way in which it should be considered. We maintained, that it should be looked at

with reference to the effects of the system of National Education, to which they have now given their sanction, upon the moral well-being of the nation at large; and that, by these effects, whether good or bad, the conduct of these Presbyterian leaders could alone be justified or condemned. If the effects be extensively good, they stand acquitted, and are entitled to praise ; if they be extensively evil, they must fall under condemnation. For, we hold it, that neither Dr. Cooke, nor any other of his confreres, could have the assurance to contend for the privilege of aiding in the dissemination of a moral or a physical pestilence, by which four-fifths of the country was to be corrupted or desolated, because he himself and the few who thought with him, were indulged with the privilege of using an antidote against its evils.

The question having been thus broadly stated, we proceeded to show, that the terms obtained by the Synod from the Board, imply the admission of principles which render the National System far more injurious and offensive than it was before. We showed, that whatever is conceded to Presbyterians on the one hand, must be taken as conceded to Roman Catholics on the other; that if the Presbyterians be determined to use the standards of their church, the Romanists must be at liberty to use the standards of theirs also; that if the Presbyterian school-house may be converted into a place for Presbyterian worship, the Romish school-house may be converted into a place for worship according to the ritual of the church of Rome; and that, if the convenience and the wishes of the Presbyterian minister are alone to be consulted in the regulations for the government of his school, a similar privilege must be conceded to the Roman Catholic Clergyman, respecting the school of which he is the acknowledged superintendent.

Now, all this being so, we asked, respecting the arrangement that has been effectuated between the Synod of Ulster and the National Board, whether the balance, on the whole, be for good or for evil. Is it, upon the whole, an arrangement, by which truth gains an