LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE. Bombay Literary Society.-On Monday, the 30th of November, a meeting of the Society was held, when an interesting paper from Captain Boog, of the Sir Evan Nepean, was read, descriptive of a journey up the Nile to Thebes, Dendera, &c. This account corroborates the testimony of other travellers, that the statue of Memnon is still in its ancient resting place, and that the one shipped by Belzoni for the British Museum was not the real one. The Captain has presented to the museum of the Society an Egyptian mummy, inclosed in a wooden case, richly adorned, and in a high state of preservation. He also brought with him two other mummies of equal richness, which may be seen at the theatre. These extraordinary remains of the science and skill of the ancient Egyptians are probably more than 2000 years old. The art of embalming was well known and practised in Egypt in the time of Joseph, 1689 before the Christian era, as appears from the last chapter of the book of Genesis, wherein mention is made of the embalming both of Jacob and Joseph. The being put into a coffin was considered as a particular mark of distinction, and hence it is expressly observed of Joseph, that he was not only embalmed, but was put into a coffin also. These antique coffins are still to be seen in Egypt, and consist of stone or sycamore wood; some are said to be made of a kind of pasteboard, formed by folding and glewing cloth together a great number of times, which are curiously plastered, and then painted with hieroglyphics. This is mentioned by Thevenot, Maillet, and most other travellers in Egypt. The coffins in which Captain Boog's mummies are inclosed are of wood, most probably of sycamore wood, and the paintings and hieroglyphics, both on the outside and inside, are richly and beautifully done, and have a very fresh appearance. Cashmir Goats. The following information respecting the celebrated wool goats from Cashmir has been received from Marseilles, dated May 26:-"These animals, which were at one time supposed to be sheep, at another time goat-sheep, a third time goats, and a fourth time antelopes, are nothing else than real goats, nearly resembling those of our country in their general conformation, in their movements, and in their habits. Their horns are more or less large, the greater part being straight; there are some, however, turned backward. Their fleece is composed of long hair mingled with short hair, resembling down, growing near the skin. On examination it VOL. V. was discovered to be fine, and fit for making a beautiful stuff, when manufactured by expert artists. It cannot yet be determined whether it grows in equal quantity on each animal, at least until the animals are refreshed and accustomed to the climate. The fleece is chiefly white; there is some long black hair growing about the head and neck of some, on others it grows in different spots on the body. Their fleeces are thick, growing very long, and covering even the legs. In consequence of the long journies, the animals had suffered much; a good number have, however, been preserved by the care taken of them during their quarantine in the lazaretto of Marseilles. They are now scattered on the hills around Allanch, where they thrive much from the use of excellent pastures and good air. M. Anredée Jaubert has arrived at Toulon with the remainder of the flock, which is to be brought into France." Northern Expedition.-The British Government have fitted out two new expeditions for the Arctic regions; the one has sailed for Baffin's Bay, and the other, by land, for Hudson's Bay, and the coasts of the Arctic Ocean. The party to be employed in the land expedition consists of Lieutenant Franklin, the commanding officer; Dr Richardson of Leith, medical officer and naturalist; two midshipmen, and two seryants;-in all, six Europeans. They sailed about the 20th of May, and expected to reach York Factory about the middle of July. The primary object is to co-operate, if necessary, with the nautical expedition, to ascertain the north-eastern boundary of the American continent, and to endeavour to trace the Copper-mine River to its termination in the ocean. There is a probability, then, by tracing this river to its termination, the expedition may reach nearly to the north-eastern point of the Continent. The expedition expect to embark in canoes eight or ten days after their arrival at York Factory, and proceed by Cumberland House, Isle à la Crosse, &c. to Fort Chepewya, or, if possible, by Slave Lake. The New Comet.-The new comet, which was observed on Thursday night, the 1st July, in the northern hemisphere, is thus described by Mr H. S. Christic of the Military Academy at Woolwich :-"I first observed the comet a few minutes before eleven o'clock last night, (Saturday,) and judge that it came to the meridian about twelve. Its elevation above the horizon appeared about 10 degrees, and the sun being at the time nearly 15 degrees below, I its distance from the sun cannot much exceed 25 degrees. The night was remarkably light, and the moon covered by clouds, circumstances extremely favourable to the brilliancy of its appearance; and, considering this, I should judge, that, under more favourable circumstances, its splendour would be equal to that of any comet upon record- the head vied with Capella (to the east of it) in brilliancy. The length of the tail, which, when the comet was on the meridian, pointed somewhat to the west of the zenith, extended about 15 degrees, and, unlike the comet of 1811, it appeared to proceed immediately from the nucleus. viewed it for some time through an excellent small reflector, and observed that the nucleus was much denser than that of the former comet, and that there was no separation between it and the coma, but that the body became gradually rarer, and in the upper part expanded into the tail, which appearance may arise from a very dense atmosphere surrounding the nucleus, and reaching to the rarer fluid forming the tail, if there be any distinction between the two fluids, as appears to have been the case with the comet of 1811. I may observe, that in this, as in all other comets, the appearance to the naked eye is much more striking and brilliant than through a tele scope. Education.-From a statement made by Mr Brougham in the House of Commons, it appears that the number of schools for the whole of England is 4800, and the number of children educated at the endowed and unendowed schools, comprehending day schools, is about 700,000. The num ber of day schools is 3500, and the number of children educated there is 50,000, leaving 650,000 for the number educated at the endowed and unendowed schools throughout England. Coloured Snow.-It appears, by the Giornale di Fisica, &c. that a shower of red snow fell in Carniola, in the nights of the 5th and 6th of March 1868. On the same night, a shower of snow, of a rose colour, fell over the surface of Carnia, Cadore, Belluno, and Feltri, to the height of twenty centimetres. The earth was previously covered with snow of a pure white, and the coloured snow was succeeded by other of a pure white; neither were the two kinds mingled together, but remained perfectly distinct even during liquefaction. When a portion of this snow was melted, and the water evaporated, a little finely-divided earth, of a rosy colour, remained, not attractable by the magnet, and consisting of silex, alumine, and oxide of iron. The same phenomenon happened at the same time in the mountains of Valtelline, Brescia, and the Tyrol. This snow was of a red or blood-rose colour, and was underlaid and covered with white snow. Its co lour faded gradually until it was dissolved. On the same evenings of the 5th and 6th of March 1803, a shower of red snow fell at Pezzo, at the extremity of the Valle Camonica. It was preceded by a very violent wind on the 5th. On the evenings of the 14th and 15th of March 1813, coloured rain and snow fell over a very large extent of country. Red rain fell in the two Calabrias, and on the opposite part of Abruzzo, the wind being at east and south-east. Snow and hail of a yellow red colour fell over all Tuscany, with a north wind. Red snow fell at Tolmezzo, the wind being at north-east, and in the Carnia Alps. And, finally, snow of a brownish yellow colour fell at Bologna, the wind being south-west. On the 15th of April 1816, coloured snow again fell in Italy, on Tonal and other mountains. It was of a brick colour, and left an earthy powder, very light and impalpable, unctuous to the touch, of an argillaceous odour, and tasting a little acid, saline, and astringent. These characters agreed with those of the powder left by the coloured snow of March 183. This powder analyzed gave the following results : Silex Iron Alumine Lime Carbonic acid Sulphur Empyreumatic oil Carbon Water (by re-agents) Loss 8 gr. 5 3 1 .5 .25 2012 2.25 26 The extent of country covered by these showers, as in 1803 and 1813, extending to eight degrees in length and breadth, proves that the cause is not local, but very general. FRANCE. The population of France, according to the last census, is 29,327,388 souls. The superficial extent, exclusive of Corsica, is fifty-two millions of hectares; 45,445,000 produce more or less; 6,555,000 produce little or nothing. From the detailed statement given by M. Chaptal, it appears that one-half of the productive soil is arable, one-eighth forests, one-fifteenth pastures, a fifteenth meadows. a twentysecond part vineyards, a thirteenth uninclosed land, heaths, and the like. Chaptal states the mean revenue of a hectare at about 28 francs, and the general produce according to this basis would be 1,456,000,000 francs. The agricultural capital amounts to 37,522,620,476 francs, the estimate of the gross produce to 4,678,708,885 francs,-and that of the net produce, deducting expences of every kind, to 1,344,703,370 francs, which he considers as subject to impost. From these re M. sults he infers, that, if the territorial imposts (meaning, we presume, the land tax) were duly apportioned, it would not form a fifth part of the revenue of France, whereas, at present, it absorbs the third in some departments, and scarcely the eighth in others. Institute of France.La Place has given the following results, as deduced from analysis, and from the experiments made with the pendulum in both hemispheres. 1. That the density of the strata of the terrestrial spheroid increases from the surface to the centre. 2. That the strata are very nearly regularly disposed around the centre of gravity of the earth. 3. That the surface of this spheroid, of which the sea covers a part, has a figure a little different from what it would assume in virtue of the laws of equilibrium, if it became fluid. 4. That the depth of the sea is a small fraction of the difference of the two axes of the earth. 5. That the irregularities of the earth, and the causes which disturb its surface, have very little depth. 6. That the whole earth has been originally fluid. These results (he says) ought to be placed among the small number of truths which geology presents. RUSSIA-Professor Kunizyn has just published several interesting observations on the petrified trees found in Russia, the object of which is to show that the were not, as is generally supposed, deposited in the places where they are found by an inundation. The situation of these trees, which, separated from their stumps, are found sometimes as much as fourteen feet under ground, chiefly in marshes, proves that they were overturned by violence, and prostrated in the spots where they formerly stood erect; besides, many of them are discovered in eminences which no inundation could have possibly affected. The bed of earth which covers them consists of sand and clay. Under dry sand, the wood is reduced to dust; but the form of the tree remains visible, if the dust be removed carefully. Under wet sand, the wood is found perfectly sound, with, however, a blackish colour. Only large oaks appear to have been torn up by their roots. The trees which are partly petrified are found chiefly under a bed of potter's clay. The oaks which have not been petrified, on being exposed to the air, harden considerably. It is remarkable that these trees are frequently found in grounds where none of the sort now grow. Mr Kunizyn imagines that these trees were thus prostrated and covered with earth by the same violent motion of Nature which, in the north of Russia, separated enormous masses of granite from their foundations, and carried them to a considerable distance. Perhaps also the remains of mammoths, which are sometimes discovered, may be attributed to the same action. As the trees all lie in the same direction, north to south, that must have been the course of the shock. SWEDEN. The universities of Sweden are in an excellent state. In the begin ning of the year, the whole number of pupils was 3485. The expence to government is about L 70,000 per annum, a great part of which is for the support of poor students. There are 45 printingpresses in Sweden, 16 of which are in Stockholm. The number of journals amounts to 46, of which eight appear in the capital. WORKS PREPARING FOR PUBLICATION. LONDON. LETTERS on the Events which have passed in France since the Revolution in 1815, are printing, by Helen Maria Williams, a name of distinction in the splendid epochs of the French Revolution. The Life of Sir Christopher Wren, Knt. is preparing for publication, with a portrait from an original picture. This work, in addition to other matter, will contain the whole substance of the Parentalia, now become very scarce; and it is intended to add outlines from some of the original designs by Sir C. Wren, now in the library of All Souls' College, Oxford. A Sketch of a Tour in the Highlands of Scotland, through Perthshire, Argyleshire, and Inverness-shire, in the autumn of 1818, with an account of the Caledonian Canal, in one volume 8vo, is nearly ready for publication. Dr Cooke's Treatise on Nervous Diseases is in the press, and will speedily be published. Early in July will be published, some Account of the Life of Lady Russell, by the editor of Mad. du Deffand's Letters; with letters from Lady Russell to her husband, Lord Russell, and some miscellane ous letters to and from Lady Russell. It is proposed to publish, by subscrip. tion, the Plans, Elevations, Sections, and Description, of the Pauper Lunatic Asylum lately erected at Wakefield, for the West Riding of Yorkshire; by Watson and Pritchett, architects, York. They are to consist of nine whole sheet or folio plates, in the first style of line engraving, by Lowry and Landseer, and printed on the best medium paper, in extra boards. Mr J. N. Brewer is preparing an Historical and Descriptive Account of the most interesting objects of Topography in Ireland, to accompany "The Beauties of England and Wales. This work will be published in monthly numbers, illustrated with engravings from original drawings. Rosamond, Memory's Musings, and other poems, by William Proctor, will shortly be published. Elements of Greek Prosody and Metre, compiled from the treatises of Hephæstion, Herman, and Porson, by Thomas Webb, Esq. are printing in 8vo. The Rev. R. Warner will shortly pub lish a Chronological History of Christ, fron the compounded texts of the Evangelists, or the English Diatessaron; with a map of the Holy Land, explanatory notes, illustrations from late oriental travellers and rabbinical writers, and preliminary articles of useful information. EDINBURGH. Tales, by "the author of Bertram," &c. 4 vols. 12mo. Lays from Fairy Land, by John Wilson, author of the Isle of Palms, &c. The Literary and Ecclesiastical History of Galloway, from the earliest records to the present time; with an Appendix, containing copious notices relative to the ancient political state of that district. By Thomas Murray, Preacher of the Gospel. MONTHLY LIST OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. LONDON. AGRICULTURE. FINE ARTS. Hakewell's Views in Italy, illustrative The Agriculture of Flanders; by the of Addison, Eustace, &c. No. VI. 12s. 6d. Rev. Mr Radcliffe. 13s. ANTIQUITIES. 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