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ADMIRAL LATOUCHE TREVILLE,

LOUIS RENE MAGDALEINE LEVASSOR LATOUCHE TREVILLE, grand officer of the empire, one of the inspectors general of the coast, grand officer of the legion of honour, and vice-admiral commanding the squadron of his imperial majesty in the Mediterranean, died lately on board the Bucentaur, in the road of Toulon.

This general officer, the issue of a family highly distinguished in the records of the navy, was born at Rochefort, on the 3d of June, 1745.

He had not attained his thirteenth year, when he was appointed garde de la marine, and in this capacity he bore a share in many actions which took place during the year 1756.

His preference of the sea service, and the progress he made in it, did not, however, prevent his family from making him accept a company of cavalry, in the year 1768; but, unable to resist his first inclinations, he was not long in returning to his first career.

He was exercised in it in different commands, when the American war broke out; he was appointed to several ships of war during its continuance; and was likewise employed on many private and difficult

missions.

In 1780, he commanded l'Hermione, of 32 guns, in the seas of the United States, on board of which he attacked the Iris English frigate, of the same force. The action was very obstinate, and the Iris was only indebted for her safety to her superior sailing, by means of which she sought shelter in New York.

In 1781, in company with l'Astrea frigate, commanded by the cclebrated La Perouse, he maintained a very warm action against two frigates and four sloops of war, and induced them at length to sheer off. In 1782, having the command of P'Aigle and la Gloire frigates, he fell in, during the night, off Delaware, with the Hector English man of war, of 74 guns, which he so

much disabled, that he could have forced her to surrender, had not the importance of his mission been such as to impose on him the duty of continuing his course for the river Delaware, up which he was to sail, with a sum of four millions, and dispatches of the highest importance. The Hector was so ill used, that she foundered a few days afterwards.

The frigates were not yet repaired, when he was attacked by a squadron under the command of admiral Elphinstone. Obliged to enter the Delaware very precipitately, he took such measures as insured the safety of la Gloire; and even he himself would have escaped the enemy, had not the aukwardness of a pilot run his vessel on a sand bank. In this critical position, he maintained himself against the fire of the whole squadron, until he had landed his dispatches, together with the treasure, with the general officers he had on board, and the major part of his crew.

Peace being concluded shortly afterward, his experience and knowledge induced the government to call him first into the superior administration of ports, and afterwards to the councils of the ministry: here it was that his meditations produced the ordinance of 1786, a military code the most complete that has appeared to the present day.

In 1787, he was appointed chancellor to the first prince of the blood.

In 1789, he was deputed by the bailiage of Montargis to the states general, where he took his seat among the friends of well regulated liberty: as deputy to this illustrious body, no one could charge him with exaggerations of opinion.

In 1792, the appearances of an approaching war recalled him to active service, with the rank of rear-admiral. He commanded a division of ships employed in the Cagliari and Oneille expeditions, and which reduced Nice: being dispatched with a squadron to Na.

ples, under such delicate circumstances, he nobly supported the dignity of the French name and flag. His services, the amenity of his character, and the purity of his patriotism, did not, however, screen him from those persecutions which but too strongly marked that unfortunate period of our history: he was deprived of his rank, and imprisoned until the beginning of the year 3.

Scarcely had he recovered his liberty, when he again solicited employment at sea; but circumstances proving unfavourable, he devoted himself to useful labours, until the 18th Brumaire, when he was restored to a service in which he was still to distinguish himself.

He first commanded a squadron at Brest; shortly afterwards, on being sent to Boulogne, he prepared the first elements of that flotilla, which has since been so consider ably augmented; and the glorious actions he fought with admiral Nelson, on the 17th and 27th Thermidor, year 9, are in the recollection of every one.

Peace did not set bounds to his indefatigable activity. Scarcely were the preliminaries signed, when he was appointed to the command of a squadron destined for St. Domingo. Having special orders to attack Port au Prince, he entered the road fighting, subjugated the forts, caused the troops to be landed, and contributed, in a most effectual manner, towards preserving the town from being burnt.

Remaining as commander in chief to the naval forces at St. Domingo, it is to the activity and wise combination of the measures he took to execute the orders of government that we are indebted for having saved almost the whole of the squadron that he commanded, and which the war surprised whilst cruising off that island.

He did not quit St. Domingo until Brumaire, year 12, when illness and fatigue had brought him to the brink of the grave.

He was no sooner recovered than he solicited the honour of rendering new services. Accordingly, in last Germinal, his imperial majesty conferred on him the rank of vice-admiral, and commander of the Mediterranean squadron.

From that period he has been continually in presence of superior forces, which have in vain attempted to blockade Toulon. The activity to which he had accustomed all the ships of his squadron, and the strict discipline he had kept up, were the means of preventing the enemy from appearing in the road, without being pursued, harassed, and at length forced to sheer off.

His majesty appointed him, in last Messidor, grand officer of the empire, and inspector general of the Mediterranean coast.

Seized, on the 22d Thermidor, with a grievous sickness, of which he did not conceal the danger, he was in vain solicited to suffer himself to be carried on shore, in order to receive that assistance of which his situation stood in need; he constantly refused, and expired on board Le Bucentaur, in the night of the 2d Fructidor.

His last words were, " A sea officer ought to die under his ship's flag."

Vice-admiral Latouche carries with him the regret of the navy: his life recalls to mind long and honourable services, and his death leaves the great example of an unbounded attachment to discipline.

THE NAJA.

THE naja, or serpent with spectacles, which makes a beautiful appearance, on account of the richness of its colours, is one of the most venomous in the East Indies, yet in that country there are jugglers bold enough to exhibit it as an amusing spectacle to the curiosity of the public. By means of processes, related by travellers, they tame

this formidable animal, diminish the quantity of its poison, and make it perform a kind of dance.

low the head. The latter afterwards turn back as far as the corner of the mouth, and the head of The juggler takes in his hand a the serpent may be then seen coverroot, the virtue of which, as he pre-ed from the muzzle to the eyes with tends, is a preventative against the bite of the serpent, and drawing the animal from a vase, in which he generally keeps it shut up, he irritates it by holding out his stick to it, or only with his fist; the naja immediately raising itself upright against the hand that attacks it, resting on its tail, elevating its body, swelling up its neck, opening its mouth, stretching out its forked tongue, agitating itself with vivacity, darting fire from its eyes, and making a hissing noise, begins a sort of combat with its master, who then singing in a loud strain, holds his fist to it, sometimes on the right side, and sometimes the left, while the animal, which keeps its eyes always fixed on the hand that threatens it, follows all its motions, balances its head and body on its tail, and thus exhibits the appearance of a kind of dance. The naja can continue this exercise for nearly ten minutes, but as soon as the Indian perceives that, fatigued by its motions and vertical situation, the serpent is ready to make its escape, he puts an end to his singing, the naja ceases to dance, stretches itself out on the ground, and its master puts it back into its vessel.

SLOUGH.

a new skin, while the animal makes continual efforts to disengage itself from the kind of case in which it is enclosed. This case continues to turn back like a glove, in such a manner, that while the real head of the serpent advances in one direction to get rid of it, the muzzle of the old skin, which is always very entire, advances, as one may say, towards the tail, that the old skin may be entirely stripped off. The eyes cast their coats, like the rest of the body; the cornea divests itself entirely, as well as the eyelids, of that scaly substance which surrounds it, and which preserves its form in the dry skin, where it appears with the concave side uttermost. The scales rise entirely with part of the epidermis, to which they were attached. This epidermis forms a kind of frame around each scale, whether great or small: it does not exactly follow the circumference of each, but it surrounds that part which adheres to the skin, and which, by the different motions of the animal, could not be separated from it. These frames, which touch each other, form a kind of net, less transparent than the scales, which appear to fill up the intervals of it like so many facets and diaphonous plates.

By rubbing themselves against the earth, and every thing they meet with, serpents get rid of their old skin, which always rolls itself back to the last scale of the tail: this detaches itself without folding back.

NUMBER OF BANKS IN THE
UNITED STATES.

IT is well known that serpents cast their skins every year; but this difficult operation has perhaps never been clearly explained. This skin is turned inside out. The reptile must have begun to get rid of it by the head, having no other opening but the mouth, by which it could get out of this kind of bag. The scales which cover the jaws are the first that turn backwards, Portland by detaching themselves from the Wiscassett palate, and by remaining always Hallowell very even with those above and be

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IF nature seems to have exhausted all her ornaments upon an atom, such as the humming bird, she has - 8 been no less lavish towards a harmless species of serpent in India, named the boiga.

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The lively colours of precious stones, and the brilliant splendour of gold, says the count de la Cepede, shine forth on the scales of the boiga, as well as on the feathers of the humming bird; and as if in the embellishment of these two beings nature wished to give a perfect model to art, of the most beautiful assortment of colours, the brownest tints laid one over the other, amidst the 6 brightest shades, are arranged in such a manner as to produce, by a happy contrast, the splendid colours which they display.

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We should have but an imperfect idea, says he, of the beauty of the boiga, did we only represent to ourselves that azure and white agree 6 ably contrasted, and set off by these three embroideries, ornamented with a gold colour; we must paint 1 all the different reflections from the upper and lower parts of the body, and the different tints of silver colour, yellow, red, and black which 8 they produce. The blue and white through which you imagine that you perceive these tints wonderfully blended, unite also the softness of

their shades to the vivacity of these different reflections in such a manner, that when the boiga moves, you imagine that you see shining below a piece of chrystal, transparent, and sometimes bluish, a long chain of emeralds, topazes, sapphires, and rubies. It is to be remarked that it is in the beautiful and scorched plains of India, that chrystal and the hardest stones exhibit the liveliest shades, and where nature has thought proper, if I may say so, to represent on the skin of the boiga a faithful picture of these rich orna

ments.

The boiga is very slender in proportion to its length. Those from which the preceding description was taken were more than three feet in length, and scarcely a few lines in diameter. Their tail, almost as long as the body, still continues diminishing, and resembles a very fine needle.

The boigas to richness of colour add slenderness of proportion; they are, therefore, extremely nimble, and can, by forming their bodies into several folds, dart forward with rapidity, easily twist themselves round different objects, mount or descend, suspend themselves from them, and, in an instant, display, on the branches of the trees which they inhabit, the gold and azure of their smooth shining scales.

The boiga draws towards it different kinds of birds, by imitating certain sounds, which are familiar to them; and, for this reason, some authors have called its hissing its song; but it simply emits a hissing noise. So many beauties and graces united in this animal are still heightened by its innocence. It seems even to acknowledge the caresses bestowed on it by the young Indians, and to take pleasure in being turned over and over again by their delicate hands.

AGILITY OF AN ENGLISH SAILOR.

IN the great Dutch war, in the reign of Charles II, the English

VOL III. NO. XVI.

fleet and that of Holland fought in the channel for three days successively, engaging in the day, and lying to at night. But just as they were preparing to renew the action, advice came off that an armistice. was concluded upon, and the hostile parties began to exercise mutual civilities. On board a Dutch man of war, which lay along side an English first rate, was a sailor so remarkably active, as to run to the mast-head and stand upright upon the truck, after which he cut several capers, and concluded with standing upon his head, to the great astonishment and terror of the spectators. On coming down from his exploit, all his countrymen expressed their joy by huzzaing, and thereby signifying triumph over the English. One of the English tars, piqued for the honour of his country, ran up to the top like a cat, and essayed, with all his might, to throw up his heels like the Dutchman, and, not having the skill, he missed his poise, and came down rather faster than he went up. The rigging, however, broke his fall, and he lighted on his feet unhurt. As soon as he had recovered his speech, he ran to the side, and exultingly cried out to the Dutchmen, "There, do that if you can."

PRETENDED DAUPHIN OF

FRANCE.

THE following account of a person, who had obtained considerable credit in France, as the son of Louis XVI, is given in Kotzebue's journey from Berlin to Paris :

Jean Marie Hervagault is the son of a tailor at St. Lo, of a prepossessing figure, features bearing resemblance to those of Louis XVI, fair, slender, lively, communicative without suspicion, quickly penetrating, and feigning innocence in a masterly manner; of course a person of great endowments, but no education. He is supposed to be a natural son of the late duke of Valentinois, who

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