which forms the bases of most of the islands. Its prevailing color is white, but it varies from that to every shade of red. When covered with water it is very soft, but hardens on exposure to the air. Owing to the action of the waves, the banks are wasting away, so that for a considerable distance around, the white earth appears beneath the water. The clays of Argentiera or Cimolo in the Archipelago, have a striking resemblance to those of the Princes' Islands. Resting upon the cimolite, as appears both from the higher shores and from wells sunk to a great depth, is an argillaceous iron ore. Much of the soil of the Island of Prinkipos, derives from this a dark red color. A quartz rock forms the summits of most of the islands. It exhibits in many instances, a considerable degree of stratification. Opposite Chalke, the different rocks are colored by carbonate of copper. In Chalke, a vein of copper was formerly explored, but the richer mines in the interior of Asia, have caused it to be neglected.

The specimen of talcose slate from Camara-su, the ancient Parium on the southern shore of the Marmora, was taken from the hill above the town. From the low shores of the Dardanelles, near Abydos and Sestos, you have specimens of the three principal strata. First, breccia occurs, and next, that species of carbonate of lime called oolite? Dr. Sibthorpe denominates it" calcareous sandstone." In this are found lime, and oyster

The

veins of chrystallized carbonate of and other shells imbedded in great quantities. oyster is of the same appearance with those which we purchased of fishermen in the adjacent waters. soft species of compact carbonate of lime, usually forms

A

the highest rock. At Gallipoli on the north shore of the Marmora, twenty five miles from the castle of the Dardanelles, this abounds with shells.

At Tenedos, I found the order of the rocks at the hill above the town to be, breccia at the base, next, the oolite and compact limestone, while the summit was crowned with volcanic trachyte, of which you have a specimen. The southern extremity of the harbor which embosoms the castle was of breccia, and the other of limestone. Oyster and other shells are also found in the rocks, but in a less degree than at the Dardanelles, or in the Troad.

On the shore where I landed at Alexandria Troas, I observed the rock which I first called sandstone, but now suppose to be the oolite. I also passed over breccia and compact limestone of the hard and soft varieties. The latter constitutes what some travellers have called chalk cliffs. Among the ruins of Troas are blocks of breccia with pebbles from the size of a walnut to that of a man's head. The city walls are constructed from a singular shell-conglomerate of which you have a specimen. Its shells are small, and compacted with much apparent regularity. The rock, if such it may be called, becomes very hard on exposure to the weather. On the north side of the city, it makes its appearance at the surface,

mens.

From Smyrna you have a complete suite of speciDr. Seetzen has correctly described the hills in the vicinity of Smyrna, as being mostly of brown porphyry. The summits of all these hills are composed of this volcanic trachyte. That which is labelled "the tomb of Tantalus" is from a remarkable pile of ruins on the north side of the harbor. The castle hill of Smyr

na is of hard compact limestone. A softer variety constitutes a lesser hill between the castle and city. In former ages as well as the present, it has been most extensively quarried for the purposes of building. It is very easily wrought, but is not durable. Breccia is seen at the base of the castle and several other hills. In the collection are also specimens of the free stone of Malta,―oolite, I believe; also the compact limestone of Gibraltar.

The sepulchral stones sent you by the friends of Mr. Gridley, were obtained near the ancient Philadelphia in Asia Minor. From some Roman words, as well as from the bad style of their inscriptions, it is probable they are not older than the christian era. They are interesting to the philologist, in connection with other inscriptions of the same age, as showing the interchange of the dipthong & for the vowel, in the imperfect tense. It is from such evidence that Coray attempts to prove their uniformity of sound among the ancient Greeks. The moderns you are aware, pronounce these and several other vowels and dipthongs alike. At Delos, and in different parts of Greece, tomb stones of a much more remote antiquity, can be obtained for a few dollars. These and the modern sepulchral monuments of the Turks, might easily be brought from Smyrna. Though of little estimation in the cabinets of Europe, they would be a curiosity in our own.

These geological notices through your assistance, are, I trust, substantially accurate, though they may not be scientifically expressed. As yet we have but very imperfect, and in many instances, contradictory accounts of the mineralogy and geology of the Levant. Few travellers so well qualified as Seetzen and Holland,

have passed over its shores, and not many, I believe, have brought away specimens so widely, if so judiciously collected as mine. Might it not be a subject matter of sufficient interest for some of your correspondents to collect and arrange the materials scattered through the journals of travellers, in a dissertation on the Meneralogy and Geology of the East? To this I could wish to see added, a list of desiderata in the different departments of science, for the guidance of naval officers, missionaries and others, while voyaging and travelling about the Mediterranean and its adjacent seas. tlemen of the navy and travellers generally, in making collections of minerals seem rather to have had in view the beauty of their specimens, than scientific objects. Favored as the former are with facilities for transportation, it is desirable that like our missionaries in Palestine and elsewhere, they should endeavor to furnish our different cabinets with complete geological suites.

Gen

CHAPTER XXIII.

JEWS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN.

Boston Female Jews' Society-Its first Missionary-Feast of Tabernacles--Jewish Synagogue--Jews of Gibraltar--Northern Africa-Morocco-Algiers-Tunis-Tripoli-EgyptAbyssinia-A Jewish wedding-Eminent Jewish Physician --Jews of Southern Europe-Rome-Proposed Jewish College-Greece.

1829. THE interruption of missionary labors which I have experienced in common with my brethren in the

Mediterranean, is no unusual event in the history of those who preach the gospel. We are not without precedents also, after having met with peculiar opposition from the unbelieving Jews, for saying to them "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you; but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles." I do indeed still cherish the hope of "testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ." But as my more immediate connexion with the Boston Female Jews' Society has ceased, (the original engagement of "two or three years" absence being fulfilled, and Providence having given a new direction to my labors,) I present, in a detached form my researches on Jewish subjects while in their service. It will, I trust, not be regarded as indelicate also to quote the expressions of their approbation and confidence.

The history of the Boston Female Jews' Society and of its first missionary operations, I will give in the words of their eleventh annual report. "It is well known that the grand object of our association has ever been to promote christianity among the Jews; and that for several years, we sent our money to the Jews' Society in London, as the best channel then known, through which to effect our object. But since the reception of a letter in 1822, from the beloved and lamented missionary, Rev. Pliny Fisk, in which he so powerfully pleads, that a missionary may be sent by us to the Jews, our object has been to furnish the means of support to such a missionary in Western Asia. It is also known, that several years elapsed before one