CORALLINE FORMATIONS NEAR THE PEARL ISLANDS.

To the southward of the Marquesas, innumerable clusters and single islands, of a totally different structure and appearance from the larger islands, cover the bosom of the ocean, and render navigation exceedingly dangerous. They are low narrow islands, of coralline formation, and though among them some few, as Gambier's Islands, are hilly, the greater number do not rise more than three feet above the level of highwater. The names of Crescent, Harp, Chain, Bow, &c., which some of them have received from their appearance, have been supposed to indicate their shape. Those already known seem to be increasing in size, while others are constantly approaching the surface of the water.. Sometimes they rise like a a perpendicular wall, from the depths of the ocean to the level of its surface; at other times reefs or groves of coral, of varied and beautiful form and colour, extend, in the form of successive terraces below the water, to a considerable distance around.

Here islands may be seen in every stage of their progress; some presenting little more than a point or summit of a branching coralline pyramid, at a depth scarcely discernible through the transparent waters; others spreading like submarine gardens or shrubberies, beneath the surface; or presenting here and there a little bank of broken coral and sand, over which the rolling wave occasionally breaks: while a number rise, like long curved or circular banks of sand, broken coral, and shells, two or three feet above the water, clothed with grass, or adorned with cocoa-nut and palm-trees. They generally form a curved line, sometimes bent like a horseshoe; the bank of soil or rock is seldom more than half a mile or a mile across, yet it is often clothed with the richest verdure. Within this enclosure is a space, sometimes of great extent.

In the island of Hao, the Bow Island of Captain Cook, it is said, ships may sail many miles after entering the lagoon. The narrow strip of coral and sand enclosing the basin is sixty or seventy miles in length, although exceedingly narrow. Their lagoons are either studded with smaller reefs, or form a bay of great depth. The stillness of the surface of the bright blue water, within the lagoon, the border of white coral and sand by which it is surrounded, the dark foliage of the lofty trees by which it is sheltered, often reflected from the surface of the water, impart to the interior of the low islands an aspect of singular beauty and solitude, such as is but seldom pre

sented by the more bold and romantic scenery of the higher lands. These islands have received different names: by some they have been called the Labyrinth, by others the Pearl Islands, on account of the pearls obtained among them. The natives of Tahiti designate the islands and their inhabitants Paumotus, but by navigators they are usually denominated the Dan. gerous Archipelago.-Ellis's Polynesian Researches, vol. III. p. 304.

PITCAIRN'S ISLAND.

NEAR the south-eastern extremity of the Dangerous Archipelago, mentioned in the preceding article, is situated an island, about seven miles in circumference, having a bold rocky shore, with high land in the interior, hilly and verdant. It is supposed to be La Incarnation of Quiros, but appears to have been discovered by Carteret in 1767, and by him called after the name of the gentleman by whom it was first seen. At that time it was uninhabited, and, being destitute of any harbour, and dangerous to approach even by boats, attracted but little attention, though it has since excited very general interest in England. It is situated, according to Sir. T. Staines, in 25o S. Lat. and 130° 25′ W. Long. When the murderous quarrels between the mutineers of the Bounty and the natives of Tubuai obliged the former, in 1789 and 1790, to leave that island, they proceeded to Tahiti. Those who wished to remain there left the ship, and the others stood out to sea in search of some unfrequented and uninhabited spot of the ocean, that might afford them subsistence and concealment. ceeding in an easterly direction, they reached Pitcairn's Island, and could scarcely have desired a place more suited to their purpose. Here they run the Bounty on shore, removed the pigs, goats, and fowls to the land, and, having taken every thing on shore that they supposed would be useful, set fire to the vessel. The party consisted of twenty-seven persons, viz. ten Englishmen, six Tahitians, and eleven women,* or, according to another account, of nine Englishmen and twelve women. In a sheltered and sequestered part of the island they erected their dwellings, deposited in the earth the seeds and young plants which they had brought from Tahiti, and commenced the cultivation of the yam, and other roots, for their subsistence. New troubles awaited them. The wife of Christian, the leader of the mutineers, died; and

Narrative of the Briton's Voyage.

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he is said to have seized by force, the wife of one of the Tahitians. Revenge or jealousy prompted the Tahitian to take the life of Christian, who was shot while at work in his garden, about two years after 1 his arrival. The English and the Tahitians seemed bent on each other's destruction. Six Englishmen were killed, and Adams, now the only survivor of the crew, wounded: every Tahitian man was put to death. The history of the mutineers is truly tragical. The children of these unhappy men have been trained up with the most indefatigable 1 care and attention to morals and religion ! by John Adams, who, with his interesting family around him, remained undiscovered and unvisited for nearly twenty years; when Captain Mayhew Folger, in the American ship Topaz, of Boston, touched at their island; and, after maintaining a friendly intercourse with them for two days, prosecuted his voyage.

No further information respecting them transpired until 1814, when Captain Sir T. Staines, in his majesty's ship Briton, on his passage from the Marquesas to Valparaizo, unexpectedly came in sight of the island. Canoes were soon perceived coming off from the shore; and it is not easy to conceive the astonishment of the commander and his officers, when those on board hailed them in the English language. The surprise of the young men in the canoe, who were the sons of the mutineers, when they came on board an English man-of-war, was scarcely less than that of their visitors. The frankness with which they replied to the interrogatories of the captain, evinced the unsophisticated manner in which they had been brought up; and their account of their belief in the most important doctrines, and practice of the great duties of religion, reflected the highest honour on their vener. able instructor. When they sat down to breakfast, without any hypocritical or formal show of devotion, but with a simplicity and earnestness that alone astonished and reproved those around them, they knelt down, and implored "permission to partake in peace of what was set before them;" and at the close of their repast, "resuming the same attitude, offered a fervent prayer of thanksgiving for the indulgence they had received."

The captains of the Briton and Tagus went on shore, and were met on the brow of the hill by Adams's daughter, who, after the first emotions of surprise had subsided, led them to the "beautiful little village, formed on an oblong square, with trees of various kinds irregularly interspersed. The houses," Sir T. Staines adds, "were small, 2D. SERIES.-no. 8.

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but regular, convenient, and of unequalled cleanliness." After a very affecting interview with John Adams, (who appeared about sixty years of age,) and with his rising community, who with tears and entreaties begged them not to take their father from them, the captains returned to their ships, and sent to these interesting people such useful articles as they could spare. There were forty-eight persons on the island at this time. This small island is fertile, though water is not abundant. As soon as their circumstances became known, a liberal supply of agricultural implements, and tools, were sent from Calcutta. Bibles and prayerbooks were also forwarded by the Directors of the London Missionary Society. They were gladly received by Adams, and gratefully acknowledged.

Since that time the number of inhabitants has considerably increased, and, at the present time, amounts to about eighty, including the seamen who have left their vessels, married females of the island, and have taken up their residence on shore. Apprehensive of the inadequacy of the productions of the island to supply their wants, especially in fuel and water, they intimated, four or five years ago, their wish to be taken to another country; and it appeared probable that they might remove to the Society Islands, or some extensive and fertile, but uninhabited, island in the Pacific: this desire has, however, ceased, and, since the death of Adams, they have expressed their wishes to remain. I have been near their island more than once, and regret that I had not an opportunity of visiting them. The captain of the ship in which I returned to England had been on shore twice; and his accounts, with those of others whom I have met with in the Pacific, were such as could not fail to excite a deep concern for their welfare.-Ellis's Polynesian Researches, vol. III. p. 322.

FALL OF THE BROUGHTON SUSPENSION

BRIDGE, NEAR MANCHESTER.

(From the Philosophical Magazine, for May, 1831.) We have been favoured by an esteemed correspondent at Manchester, with some extracts from the Manchester Chronicle and Manchester Guardian newspapers, of April 16th, respecting the giving way of a suspension bridge over the river Irwell, at Broughton, about two miles from Manchester. Our correspondent informs us, that the editors of both papers have been at great pains to investigate the circumstances. Both give the same account, substantially, of the accident 3 A 152.-VOL. XIII.

and of its causes. The following particulars are chiefly extracted from the Manchester Guardian, with some additions from the Manchester Chronicle.

A very serious and alarming accident occurred on Tuesday, April 12th, 1831, in the fall of the Broughton suspension bridge, erected a few years ago, by John Fitzgerald, Esq. whilst a company of the 60th Rifles were passing over it; and, although fortunately no lives were lost, several of the soldiers received serious personal injuries, and damage was done to the structure, which will require a long time and a very considerable expense to repair.

It appears that on the day when this accident happened, the 60th regiment had had a field-day on Kersall Moor, and about 12 o'clock were on their way back to their quarters. The greater part of the regiment is stationed in the temporary barracks in Dyche-street, St. George's Road, and took the route through Strangeways; but one company, commanded, as it happened singularly enough, by Lieut. P. S. Fitzgerald, the son of the proprietor of the bridge, being stationed at the Salford barracks, took the road over the suspension bridge, intending to go through Pendleton to the barracks. Shortly after they got upon the bridge, the men, who were marching four abreast, found that the structure vibrated in unison with the measured step with which they marched; and as this vibration was by no means unpleasant, they were inclined to humour it by the manner in which they stepped. As they proceeded, and as a greater number of them got upon the bridge, the vibration went on increasing until the head of the column had nearly reached the Pendleton side of the river. They were then alarmed by a loud sound something resembling an irregular discharge of fire-arms; and immediately one of the iron pillars supporting the suspension chains, viz. that which was to the right of the soldiers, and on the Broughton side of the river, fell towards the bridge, carrying with it a large stone from the pier to which it had been bolted. Of course, that corner of the bridge, having lost the support of the pillar, immediately fell to the bottom of the river, a descent of about sixteen or eighteen feet; and from the great inclination thereby given to the road-way, nearly the whole of the soldiers who were upon it were precipitated into the river, where a scene of great confusion was exhibited. Such of them as were unhurt got out as well as they could, some by scrambling up the inclined plane which the bridge presented, and others by wading out on the Broughton side; but a number were too much hurt to extricate

themselves without assistance, which was immediately rendered by their comrades.

The company consisted of seventy-four officers and privates; and of these about sixty, including one officer (Lieutenant Fitzgerald,) were upon the bridge at the time; the remainder had not reached the bridge, and were left standing on the Broughton side, when the bridge gave way. Lieut. Fitzgerald being on a line with the leading file, had nearly reached the Pendleton side, where of course the inclination of the roadway was not so great as it was nearer the Broughton side. He, and a few of the men near him, did not fall from the bridge, being merely thrown down on the road-way, but upwards of forty men were either precipitated into the water, or thrown with great violence against the side-chains of the bridge. Of these, more than twenty received injuries of different kinds, six were so much hurt that it was found necessary to procure two carts (some of the men being taken out on one side and some on the other), for the purpose of sending them to the barracks. Four of them, whose injuries are of a very serious nature, still (April 16th) remain in the hospital.

As the bridge, in the inclined position into which it was thrown by the accident, blocked up a considerable portion of the water-way of the river, and it would inevitably have been carried away in case of a flood,—a number of men were promptly set to work, to dismantle the flooring at the end which had fallen down, which has been completely effected; and preparations are now making to repair the injury which the structure has received from this alarming accident, and at the same time to remedy some defects in its construction, by which the risk of future accident will be avoided.

Causes of the Accident.—As we conceive the public have a right to be fully informed with respect to the causes of an accident of this alarming nature, we have made some particular inquiries on the subject, the results of which we shall lay before our readers; not only that they may form an opinion upon this particular case, but also that they may be enabled to judge how far it is calculated to render doubtful the security of structures of this kind,- -a considerable number of which have now been erected in different parts of the kingdom.

Immediately after the accident, it was discovered to have arisen from the breaking of one of the chains, by which the iron pillars supporting the bridge are stayed and supported; and which chains, as our readers are no doubt aware, are carried to some distance on each side of the river, and secured to a great mass of masonry sunk into the

ground. By the breaking of this chain, the pillar was of course deprived of its support, and the weight of the bridge immediately drew it from its situation, as we have already described. It remains, then, to ascertain the cause of the failure of the chain. There is no doubt that the immediate cause was the powerful vibration communicated to the bridge by the measured and uniform step of the soldiers. If the same, or a much larger number of persons had passed over in a crowd, and without observing any regular step, in all probability the accident would not have happened, because the tread of one person would have counteracted the vibration arising from that of another. But the soldiers all stepping at the same time, and at regular intervals, communicated, as we mentioned in describing the accident, a powerful vibration to the bridge, which went on increasing with every successive step; and which, causing the weight of the bridge to act with successive jerks on the stay-chains, had a more powerful effect upon them than a dead weight of much larger amount would have had, and at length broke one of the cross bolts by which the links of the chain are joined together. Perhaps this accident, alarming and injurious as it has been, may have the effect of preventing some more dreadful catastrophe in other quarters. From what has happened on this occasion, we should greatly doubt the stability of the great Menai bridge (admirable as its construction is), if a thousand men were to be marched across it in close column, and keeping regular step. From its great length, the vibrations would be tremendous before the head of the column had reached the further side, and some terrific calamity would be very likely to happen. If any considerable number of troops should be marched across that bridge (which, from its being one of the principal routes to Ireland, is not improbable), we hope the commanding officer will take the precaution of dismissing his men from their ranks before they attempt to cross: indeed, that precaution should be observed by troops crossing all chain bridges, however small they may be. *

The following remarks on this part of the subject are given in the Manchester Chronicle:-" It has been stated by some scientific men, and we fully concur in the opinion, that the peculiar manner in which the soldiers marched whilst on the bridge had no slight share in causing the accident. Before they reached the bridge, we are told that they were walking at ease,' but when they heard the sound of their own footsteps upon it, one or two of them involuntarily began to whistle a martial tune, and they all at once, as if under a command from their officer, commenced a simultaneous military step. This uniform motion naturally gave great agitation to the bridge, the violent effects of which would be most severely felt at each end, As a familiar illustration of our meaning, we may remark, that if a

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But although the immediate cause of this accident was, the vibration arising from the measured step of the soldiers, it is not at all probable that so small a number as were present on the occasion would have brought down the bridge, unless there had been errors of the most glaring description committed in its construction, as well as something very faulty in a part at least of the materials of which it was composed.

The main links of which the chains are composed consist of two round bars of iron, two inches in diameter, and about five feet long; these are joined together by means of three short links and two bolts. This is obviously a very good and strong joint; for the bolts, being held both in the middle and at each end by the short links, would resist an enormous tension on the main links, and could not easily give way, unless they were in a manner shorn asunder. This excellent mode of joining the links, however, appears to have been strangely departed from, and one of a very inferior description adopted, precisely where the strain was the greatest, and where the greatest strength ought to have been employed, namely, in each of the staychains or land-chains by which the whole weight of the bridge is supported. Those chains, as we have already mentioned, are fastened to large masses of masonry beneath the surface of the ground, and this fastening is made, in each case, by means of a large disk of cast-iron, to which the first link of the chain is bolted. That link, instead of being composed, like the others, of two round bars of iron, and joined to the next link in the manner above described, is composed of a strap of iron, about 3 inches broad, and is joined to the second link by a bolt unsupported at the extremities.

Now, it must be very obvious to any person who has the slightest acquaintance with matters of this kind, that the bolt in this link, not being supported at the ends as in the one above mentioned, could not offer a resistance nearly equal to the former, unless its dimensions were increased. But the bolt used in each case was of the same dimensions, namely, two inches in diameter. The weakness of the latter joint was also greatly increased by a circumstance which we can

rope, the ends of which being fastened to opposite walls, should be much agitated in the centre, its motion would be far more violent at the ends than in any other part.

"It will not be irrelevant here to state, that the rifle party, when they passed over the bridge in the morning, walked across it in an easy manner, without using the military march; that several waggons traversed it the same morning; and that the Royal Artillery, under the command of Major Chester, whilst stationed in this town, regularly crossed it with horses, guns, &c. when on their way to and from Kersall Moor."

probably explain to our readers. The bars forming the link being round, only a very small portion of their surface touched the bolt; and as they were two inches in diameter, the point of contact was an inch distant from the side of the iron strap to which they were joined by the bolt. The tension of the chain therefore might be considered as acting on the bolt with a leverage of an inch; and, under those circumstances it was not at all surprising that the bolt should give way. Indeed it is probable that, even had it been iron of a fair average quality, the joint would not have borne more than one-fourth, or per. haps one-fifth of the tension which the other joints would bear.

But the bolt, instead of being good metal, was composed of iron which was either originally bad, or had been rendered brittle by mismanagement in the process of forging the bolt. It broke with a granular and crystalline fracture, exactly like that of castiron, and did not exhibit anything of the fibrous appearance of good iron. Under these circumstances, the wonder is, not that the bridge should have given way now, but that it should have stood a single week, after its erection.

We understand it is intended to remedy the defect to which we have alluded, not only in the chain which has given way, but in all the other stay chains, in which it equally exists; and there can be then no doubt that the bridge will be of abundant strength to bear any load which is likely to pass over it.

A defect occurred a long time ago in the disk or plate with which the bolt was connected, and the necessary repairs were lately made, under the superintendence of Mr. Stephenson, a gentleman possessing extensive knowledge in mechanics, and who resides on Mr. Fitzgerald's estate. It is due to him to state, that the plate and bolt have been minutely examined, and the fact has been clearly established, that the accident was caused solely by the fracture in the bolt, the plate being as sound and firm as on the day on which it was attached to the masonry.

Before closing this article, we may observe, that some very excellent papers on chain bridges (one of them on this particular structure), have been read at the Literary and Philosophical Society in this town, by Mr. Eaton Hodgkinson, and, we understand, are likely to appear in the forthcoming volume of the Transactions of that Society. In the paper on the Broughton bridge, some defects in its construction were pointed out, and particularly the insufficient strength of the stay-chains, as compared with that of the suspension-chains; but the particular defect which principally led to the failure of

the bridge, having been concealed under ground, was not seen by the author of the paper, and of course was not mentioned in it. In an appendix to his paper, Mr. Hodg. kinson strongly enforces the necessity of proving by a very high test, the chains used in the construction of bridges of this kind; and he details a variety of experiments for the purpose of showing that a test of this kind does not, as is generally supposed, diminish the strength of the metal in any sensible degree. The accident which has just occurred will go far to bear out this suggestion. If the different parts of the Broughton bridge had been carefully and adequately proved before its erection, no such joint as that which gave way could ever have existed in it.

It has been suggested to us by a friend, that great advantage would probably result if a system of periodical inspection of suspension bridges by eminent engineers were adopted by the proprietors of the bridges. In order to render the plan effectual, it would be requisite that the results of the periodical examination of every part of each bridge on which its stability depends, should be published, on the authority of the engineer employed, and for the correctness of which he should be considered responsible. By this means the attention of all parties concerned, to the most important points of construction in chain bridges, would be kept alive; accidents arising from defective materials, or accumulated strains upon them, would be anticipated, and great security attained by the constant responsibility of the inspectors.

ON THE EVIDENCE FROM SCRIPTURE, THAT

THE SOUL, IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE
DEATH OF THE BODY, IS NOT IN A STATE
OF SLEEP, ETC.-NO. VI.

(Continued from p. 325.) III. "THERE are also particular doctrines contained in the Sacred Writings, which lead to the establishment of this truth, that the soul of man, immediately after death, enters on a separate state." These are, the doctrines of regeneration-sanctificationunion to Christ-and the resurrection.

1. Regeneration is expressed in scripture by different metaphors. It is called a being "born again," John iii. 3, "a new creation," 1 Cor. v. 17, "the new man," Eph. iv. 24. These allusions evidently imply a change of principle and practice in the subjects of regeneration. As every practical doctrine has some reason assigned why it is enforced, so we find a convincing reason why this doctrine is so impressively inculcated in the word of God. 66 Except a man be born again, he cannot see the