five miles N. E. of Lisbon. About half past three o'clock in the afternoon, dreadful claps of thunder were heard, and were followed by the most violent floods of rain, which produced an alarming inundation. About half past four the thunder became still more awful and terrible, though the rain continued to fall in the most copious torrents, and the frightful noise was increased by a tremendous hurricane, which, taking the direction from west to east, and forming immense whirlwinds in its course, swept every thing before it for no less than 300 paces. A great number of the best built houses were unroofed, from the convent of the dominicans to the college of the benedictines: part of the pyramidal column called the cross of the Trinity was thrown down, as also the cross close to the convent of the franciscans, and the stone-cross in front of the church of the Trinity was completely demolished. Many hundreds of old olive trees were torn up by the roots; and trees of other kinds, which, from their strength, made a greater resistance, were rent in pieces. Some assert there was an earthquake, and the fall of a thunderbolt; the belief of which last circumstance seems to have arisen from the horrible crash which was heard during the storm: but there are no vestiges of either of these phenomena. The whirlwind, however, was the most rapid and terrible of any in the memory of man.

26. This morning at ten o'clock the deputies of the Cortes being assembled in the majestic church of St. Mary, Lisbon, solemn mass began, accompanied by the most select vocal and instrumental

music; at the same moment a flight of sky-rockets gave the signal, and immediately the castle of St. George, and the fortresses, the ships of war, and all the vessels in the river, which were adorned with flags, fired a royal salute, which was repeated, when the deputies proceeded to take the oath on the holy gospels in the following words :

"I swear faithfully to fulfil, in the exercise of the powers which have been given me, the duties of deputy to the extraordinary cortes, which are about to make the political constitution of the Portuguese monarchy, and the reforms and ameliorations which they shall judge necessary for the good and prosperity of the nation, the catholic apostolic Roman religion, maintaining the throne of Senhor Don John VI. king of the united kingdoms of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarve, and preserving the dynasty of the serene house of Braganza."

After the oath was taken, the very reverend father Vincente de Santa Rota Lisboa ascended the pulpit, and delivered an eloquent discourse adapted to the sublime object of the solemnity; after which the members of the government and the deputies proceeded to the hall of the sessions, amidst the lively acclamations of the immense multitude which thronged to witness this august man's oration.

A battalion had been posted at the entrance of the palace, and all necessary precautions taken, when, at two o'clock, the members of the government and the deputies began to enter, the galleries being already crowded with spectators. The members of the government

rest of the students who joined in the endeavour to rescue him. The guards who had arrested him were obliged to shut themselves up with him in the theatre, but the carrabineers arriving sword in hand, dispersed the students and escorted the prisoner to the guardhouse. The affair would have ended there, and the studies of the university would have been resumed the next day, had not the government, wishing to make a vain parade of this affair, dispatched the prisoner at three o'clock in the afternoon for Fenestrelle, accompanied by the carrabineers. As soon as the students saw that, they assembled in a great body at the university, and loudly demanded that their colleague Rossi should be given up to them; because, according to the rules of the university, he ought to be tried by its superior. The tumult still increasing, count Balbo, president of the university, went among them, and told them their companion should be given up the next day. The students, however, still persisting in claiming his delivery that night, M. Balbo proposed to them to make a regular demand to the secretary of state. Immediately twelve of them were chosen for that purpose. They actually went, and on their return a little bell was rung, in order that every one might re-assemble, and be informed of the answer obtained; but, at the same moment, they saw two battalions of soldiers arrange in order of battle in the square of the university. The governor of Turin then presented himself at the gate of the university, and summoned the students to surrender, threatening with a

charge by the military if they did not obey. The students, whose feelings had been excited, refused: the captain then put himself at the head of the soldiers, when he harangued, ordered the drum to be beat for the charge, telling them to break open the gates and attack the students. The soldiers of the two battalions, which are principally composed of the most aristocratical familes in Piedmont, rushed on like madmen, crying "live the king;" the young men, having no arms to defend themselves, were forced to yield to sabres and bayonets. There were three killed, and about sixty wounded. The governor of Turin, who is an old emigrant, long resident in Russia, acquitted himself in this commission to the satisfaction of the Piedmontese ministers. To give a colour of justice to this violence, they have invented a story that several students had the "bonnet rouge," and uttered seditious crics. This is utterly false: politics had nothing to do with the disturbance made at the theatre by the young man, who is a student in medicine.

Earthquakes in Zante.-Extract of a letter dated Corfu, Jan. 16.-"Having been absent from Zante, I have escaped the terrible earthquakes that have visited, and perhaps continue to agitate, that island. The first shock took place on the 29th ult., soon after four o'clock A. M. it was of about one minute's duration, and so tremendously violent as to overthrow a great many houses, and more or less injure every one in the city. Some lives were lost by the falling ruins, and a great many persons wounded. It happened to be the day for celebrating the festival of

St.

St. Dionysius, the tutelar saint of the island; and the customary procession was commenced with more than usual solemnity, Sir Patrick Ross and the garrison also assisting, as is common, but in this instance with greater ceremony, in order to conciliate the superstitious ideas of the people. The procession had scarcely left the church, when an unexampled deluge of rain commenced with such violence that the company was dispersed to seek refuge, and the priests, being unable to regain the church of St. Dionysius, were compelled to deposit the relics in the nearest shelter they could gain. The rain continued twentyfour hours, attended with hailstones, or lumps of ice, as they are more properly termed, equal in size to an egg, and weighing a quarter of a pound, more or less. The situation of the inhabitants during this torrent, with their houses thrown down, unroofed, or cracked, is represented as indescribably miserable. During the night it broke down the dykes formed for leading the water from the castle (on a lofty hill immediately above the town), swept away six houses on the declivity, and carried them, with furniture and inmates, into the sea: three persons perished in this way, and many were maimed. Minor shocks have since been felt, to the number of ten in a day. The first was attended by the death of ten individuals, and about 100 more were wounded. The second of any violence took place on the evening of the 6th inst. (Greek Christmas day,) and lasted longer than the first, though the undulations were less strong nevertheless, many buildings already in a 1821.

tottering condition fell a sacrifice to it; and, what is the most serious feature attending it, the country, which had pretty well escaped the first, has been the victim of the second, and in three populous villages a great number of houses are thrown down from the foundations. The situation of Zante is terrible;—nothing but vows, offerings, religious processions, lamentations, and total suspension of public business. It is probably the heaviest calamity that ever befel these islands. The damage, after the first shock and torrent, was estimated at 1,000,000 dollars: at present no estimate can be formed. Both the violent shocks were slightly felt here; also in St. Maura, Ithaca, and Cephalonia; we have news, too, of the first being perceived in Malta. The apprehension of further mischief has not yet subsided, as the dense atmosphere and S. E. winds continue.”

RUSSIA.

An order has lately been issued by the emperor of Russia, that all the monasteries, churches, and priests, should be supplied with copies of the holy scriptures. In consequence of which it has been determined to stereotype the new testament in Sclavonian and modern Russ.

New commercial expedition of the Russians to Bucharia: -Bucharia is the most fertile part of Tartary, inhabited by a branch of the Usbeck Tartars, bordering on Persia and Hindostan. From its proximity to these two nations it has attained a higher degree of civilization than other Tartar tribes. The Usbeck Tartars are of a yellow brown complexion, and have black hair; like the Persians, they

(B)

followed

followed the doctrines of Mahomed; and they have adopted from their neighbours, the inhabitants of Thibet, the custom of frequent tea-drinking. They carry on a brisk trade with Persia and Hindostan, particularly with the province of Cashemére, for the purposes of which Arabians and Jews reside there. The Bucharian traders bring, among other goods, Persian carpets, and silk stuffs, from Persia, and valuable shawls from Cashemére to the south of Siberia, where a great fair for this trade is established at Macariew. It is conducted by means of cara vans, and all the goods are carried thither on camels. On this account, and from the nature of the route, the Bucharian trade has a great resemblance to that of Africa: the way lies through deserts, and is rendered as unsafe by the rapacious Kirgise tribes, as in Africa by the wandering Arabs, who live under tents. The object of the present Russian commercial expedition therefore is, to give it a more decisive direction, and to provide better than has hitherto been done for the security of the road. In order to eome to a convention with the Chan of the Usbeck Tartars, the Russian councellor of state, Mr. Negri, accompanies the caravan as imperial envoy. He is very well versed in the Oriental languages, and can thus control the interpreters necessary in that country, which is no small advantage. Dr. Eversmann and Dr. Pander accompany Mr. Negri, as physician and naturalist. It is not known whether the expedition will go to Samarcand, the winter residence of the Chan; but that is very probable. Samarcand is the birth-place of Tamerlane; and

though this city is fallen much below what it was in his time, it is still a considerable place. It is surrounded by strong ramparts of earth; the houses are chiefly of clay, like those of the Russian peasants. The same is the case in the city of Bochara, which lies about thirty German miles from Samarcand, and passes for the second city in the country. In this latter place is a seminary for Mahomedan priests, which is built of stone; as are the numerous mosques and caravanserays.

The expedition set out with the following ceremony: On the 22d of October, a fine autumnal morning, the troops intended to acompany it assembled in the fortress on the parade. General Essen, military governor of Orenburg, with his staff, the generals of the staff, and chief officers of the garrison, after having attended divine service, addressed the troops in a speech, which they answered by acclamations. The general alighted, and the cavalry did the same. Thanksgivings were performed, and the troops sprinkled with holy water. All the officers of the embassy were present. The inhabitants of the town flocked in crowds to witness this solemnity, which excited particular curiosity, and even astonishment, among the Bucharians, Chirvenses, Kirgises, and other Tartars resident there. After this the troops filed off before General Essen, marched in columns out of the fortress, and took upon them the escort of the caravan. They divided themselves into advanced and rear guards and patrols, and commenced their long and arduous journey, amidst the blessings of their relations and companions. The scene was now

changed;