The New York Herald Newspaper, March 2, 1853, Page 8

ICELANDIC HISTORY, Enteresting Lecture before the Historical So- ctoty, on the Literature, History, Geography and Manners of the Icelanders, by Pliny Milles, Esq. Last evening the Historical Society held their monthly meeting at the University, when several gentlemen of this city and from all perts of the Union, including the Gov- ernor of California, were admitted. The President, Cor- responding Secretary, Recording Secretary, and Librarian, wore absent. In the absence of the President, Mr. F. De | Poyster presided, and Mr. Moore was appointed Secretary. Ex-Governor Hunt was present, and occupied a seat be. | aide the Chairman. Notwithstanding the severity of the eather, the attendance was good, and great interest was exoited about the paper to be read by Mr. Miles. The reading of the minutes was dispensed with. Pliny Miles, Fsq., was then introduced to the audience. He is a tall, well proportioned man, of very fine appearance, wearing | slong, dark beard. He is, perhaps, as fine a specimen of | an American as caneasily be found. Having claimed the Bduigence of the audience for his voice, which was af. fected by a slight cold—a thing very unusual with him—be | proceeded to read his lecture, amidst profound silence, as | fellows — Mr. President and Gentlemen—The small island that | lies off the coast of Greenland, and some three thousaud miles from our own shores, is us y, I bell looked upon as too frigid and too remote to afford us any par- | ticular interest. Though stecile tho soil and scanty the | productions, our knowledge of the country must be lim | ited if we consider it barren of historical facts and literary | reminiscences. This country, near the confines of the frigid zone, with a territory ‘of 40,000. squay about the f the State of New York—this country | must possess few agricultural and commercial resource: to bave at this time, nearly one thousand years after i first settlement, a population of only sixty thousand | souls. ¥et the Icelanders, though laboring under great | disadvantages, are more contented, moral, and religious, | possess greater attachment to country, are less given to | u¢ and altercation, and show greater hospitality and indness to strangers the any other people that tlie sun | shines upon. ‘Their contentment and immunity from crime and offence, do not arise from sluggishness and adolence of character, nor are they noted alone for their negative virtues, They possess a greater spirit of his- torical research and literary inquiry, have more scholars, | poets, and learned men, than can’ be found among an equal population on the face of the globe. Some of | their linguists speak and write a greater num- | ber of ‘languages than any that I have ever | met in any other country. Iceland has given | birth to a Thorwaldsen, a” sculptor whose name | will deacend to the latest posterity. His parents were Icelanders, but he was a child of the sea; born on the ocean, between Iceland and Denmark. Among their poets | and historians will be found the names of Snorro Sturle- sop, Swmund surnamed Frode, or the learned, Jon Thor- | lakson, Stephensen, Hallgrimson, Thorarensen, Grondal, Sigurder Peterssen, and many others that will adorn the | vagos of Icelandic titerature as long as the snow covers | ‘heir mountains and the heather blooms in their valleys. Vheir navigators and merchants discovered and settled | America long before G noa gave birth to a Columbas, and | while Europe was yet immured in the darkness of the middle ages. The works of their poets and literary men bave been translated into nearly every language in Eu- rope, and. they in their turn have traaslated into their vwa beautiful language, more or less of the writings of Milton Dryden, Pope, Young, Byron. Burns, Klopstoek, Martin Luther, Lamartine, Benjamin Franklin, and Wash- ington Irving.’ In this small yolume—an Iceland annual— the Nerthurfari for 1848-9, will be found with many ori- ginal articles, the ~-Story of the Whistle,’ la, a from Irving's “Life of Columbus tions from Dryden, Byron's ~Brues’s Address,"” Kossuth’s prayer on the defeat of his army in Hungary. part of one of Presid: nt Taylor's Mes- wages to Congress, and extracts from the “New York Bray,” the London Times,’ and other publications. Wig searcely a hope of fame, the literary labors ofthe Icelanders, baye been prosecuted from an ar- aent thirst of literary pursuits. Personal emolument or the applause of the world, could scarcely have had a place among their incentives to exertion. As an example, we need only notice the labors of Jou Thoriskson. This literary neophyte, immured in a | mud hut in the north of Iceland, subsisting on his scanty | ralary aa a clergyman—which amounted to less than | thirty dollars a year, together with his own laborsas a | farmer—yet found time during the long evenings of an | iceland winter, to translate into Icelandic verse the whale | of Milton's *: Paradise Lost,”’ Pope’s ‘‘Essay on Man,”’ and | Klopstock's * Messiah,” besides writing some volumes of original Throughout their literary and political | writings, you will see that spirit of republicanism and ardent love of political liberty which always characterise | a thinking and in‘ellectual people. Interspersed with their own sentiments, expressed in their own tongue, ill be quotations fom other writers and in other lan es. Im Dryden they find “ The love of liberty with life is given, And life itself the inferior gift of heaven.” | Byron they say “Hetter to sink beneath the shock, Tban moulder piecemeal on the rock.” | Aad with the noble poet, again they express their ‘Plain, sworn downright detestation | Of every despotism in every nation.’ This small and isolated community have a history as well as a literature, and a most interesting one it is. To one of their own hirtorians—the late Mr. Finn —— | —we are greatly indebted for a most interesting chapter | shown in in the history of our own country, as the “ Antiquitates American," a° work of great value, published st Copenhagen in 1857, by the Society of orthsrn Antiquaries. This work is in our Historical Li- brary. One of the editors is Mr. Magnusen, though the eredit of the work is, I think, too exclusively given to | different from thet of the | under Thorflon, | lustrated by drawings, in the first volume of that invalua- | the inscription in three parts, and show it to be three | galling this the golden age of lesland. During this period the oldest of these is the Saga of Eric the Red. these papers are under date of the thirteenth, some of the fourteenth, and some of the fifteenth centuries. Then, too, the statements in these Sages are corroborated in old Ieeland geographies, and by some European writers, particularly by Adam of Bremen, a theological writer, w of Cenute, King of England. He says that Sweyn Ethrithson, King of Denmark, gave him an account of these discoveries while he was in the north progagating Chris- tianity. This was not far from the year 1070. J. A. Blackwell. Esq., the learned editor of Bohn’s Lovdon edi- tion of Bishop Percy’s translation of Mallett’s Northern Antiquities, admits that Mr Magnusen has fully estab- lished the fact of Columbus having visited Iceland in 1477, fifteen years before he discovered America. Mr. Blackwell’s opinion is the more valuuble. as he is exceed- ingly cautious in his admissions, and does not coincide with all the opinions and conclusions acvauced by the antiquaries of the north. In the visit of Columbus to Iceland, he could and probably did converse in Latin with the Bishop of Skalholt. have obtained undoubtedly strengther ed his belief in the existence of land in the west, but it could not have uenced him much respecting the direction of his voyages, for he sailed southeost, by way of the Canary isles, and then west, with the intention of visit- ing China or the East In This was a direction quite mud of the Northinen, lehors, oe other part of Mi Antiquitates Am learned and pe: to whom An obligations fer his records of the aboriginal tribes of America, has noticed a part of Mr. Magousen’s an iqua- rian investigations. The noted ‘Dighton Rock,” with inseriptions on it, on the east coast of Massachusetts, has long puzzled American antiquarians. Copies of the in- Magnusen’? 2i4 2own in the ane, deserves a brief notice. Our vering associate, Dr. Henry Sehooleraft, scriptions on this rock were made by a Committee of the | Rhode Island Historical Society in 1830, and forwarded to | the editors of the Antiquitates American, at Copenhagen, at their request, and by them engraved and published in that work. Mr. Magnusen expressed it as his opinion that the inceription is in the old Norse language, and that itrecords the landing at that place of 151 Icelanders, Without expressing any doubt of Mr Magnusen’s honesty of purpose, the editor of Mailet’s | Northern Antiquities, and Dr. Schoolcraft, both think his position respecting the Dighton rock untenable. Dr Schoolcraft gives us his information on the subject, il- ble work he is now writing by order of government, the History of the Aboriginal ‘Tribes, He states that after the Antiquitates Americane was published, he took the vo- Inme, and laid the engraving of the Dighton Rock inscrip tion before an old Indian chief, who knew various Indian languages and their modes of picture writing, and had of- ten given him great information. He asked the Indian if it was a language that he could read, and if so what it said. The Indian asked time to look at it, and took it home to his tent. The next day he returned it and gave this account: inseription, thus, in two places, you will see they separate separate inscriptions. Now, this one at the right, shows in its symbols, images, and warlike instruments, the pro- | gress of a victorious army in battle, and this inscription to the left of it shows the defeated forces. These two in- iptions record a battle between two tribes, and show which was victorious. He said he understood this kind of picture writing; had seen it before. As for the third inscription, he another inscription, put on by a different tribe, and un- doubtedly at a different period of time. The Indian not pretending to know more than he seemed to pretty good evidence of his honesty, for had he wished to appedr learned, he could as easily have claimed to know all as a part. If this story of the Indian, which Dr. School- craft considers perfectly reasonable, ‘seems to disprove Mr. Magnusen’s theory of the inscription, or if other an- tiquaries do not agree in opinion with him, it should be borne in mind that these opinions do not in the slightest | degree affect the validity of the facts advanced in the va- rious historical documents given to the world by Sr. Magnusen. I was sorry to learn, while in Iceland, that Mr. Magnusen died in 1848; one of the most learned men of his age. The world will always be indebted | to him for the fruits of his persevering and valuable investigations. I will mention that the first and only copies of both the “Antiquitates American” and Dr. Schooleraft’s valuable quarto that Ihave ever seen were in public and private libraries in Iceland I am indebted to the liberality of a learned Icelander for a copy of the ‘“Antiquitstes,”” which was presented to me. I saw copies of these books in the libraries of the poor clergy, far in the interior of Iccland, showing the interest felt there in the history of America. If we trace the his- tory of Iceland, from its first settlement to the present time, we shaM find that the intelligence, activity, pros- perity and happiness of the people, and the rise and pro- gross of the arts and sciences among them, have been ex- actly proportioned to the liberal and republican state of their government, For fifty-four years, from the settle- ment of Iceland in 874, to the year 928, it was a Norwe- gian colony, governed by chiefs. As the population in- creased, difficulties arose between the rulers and the | ruled, the people threw off their allegiance, framed anew constitution, and set upa republican form of government, which continued for 333 years. All writers agree in Greenland was discovered and settled, the continent of America was discovered, and an enterprising, daring, and successful series of voyages was carried on, that e the efforts of all navigators throughout the world. Cl tianity was established, and bishops appointed, both in Iceland and Greenland; poetry and history were cultivat- | ed, and a degree of intellectual activity was shown beyond that of any country in the north of Europe. ‘Throwa on their own resources, in a cold and éreary climate, the same causes operated in raising up a vigorous, moral, and intellectual people, that were shown in the his: tory of our own Pilgrim fathers. It was during this period that the most valuable and important sages | Professor Rafa, of Copenhagen. It would be supereroga- tory in me to follow out the chain of evidence so clearly laid down in this volume, and which 89 conclusively estab- ' sines the fact of the ante-Columbian discovery of Ameri- ca. That discovery is now as clearly proved as any his- torical events thai transpired before the art of printing was discovered. I shall take but a brief notice of these voyages of the early Northmen, and confine the most of istory of the modern Icelanders. Ice- and was first discovered by Naddod, a Norwegian pirate, a the vear 860. He was thrown on the coast in the win: er from the appearance of the country, called it Sasiand, or Snowland, Four years after, Gardar Swar‘ar- Swede. circumnavigating it, found it anisland, and t “Gardar’s Holm,” or Gardar’s Isle. His ac count of the country was sotavorable, that Floki, another sea rover, went there to settle, but neglecting to cut hay | in summer his cattle perished in the winter. From the vast accumulations of ice on the west coast, ice that floated over from Greenland, he called the country Ice- land, a name it ha: ever since borne. In 874, the first | Permanent settlement was made in Iceland, by Ingolt, & Norwegian chieftain. Greenland was discovered in the year 960, one hundred and twenty years after the discovery ot Iceland. In 982, Eric the Red, sailed to Greenland, andin 936 ostabliahed a se :tiement there which flourished for more than four hundred years To induce settlers to go and reside in the new country, the most fabulons accounts were given of the climate and productions, the face of the country represented as clothed in green, and they even stated that ‘every plant dropped butter.’ The name of Green. land thus given it was as greata misnomer as Iceland applied ‘to the neighboring isle, and in reality the two countiies should change names, for Iceland is # country of green fields and fair flowers, and Greenland is covered with simost perpetual ioe and snow. Eric the Red had @ companion in his Greenland settlement, whose name | was Heriulf. Biarni the son of Heriulf, sailed from Ice land to join his father in Greenland, was driven south, snd landed on the American coast, probably Labrador Thus the first discovery of America by Europeans, was in the year 986, by Biarni Heriulfson, a native of Norway, but @ resident of Iceland. He returned north, landed in Greenland, and gave an account of his discovery. Sub sequent voyages to the Amevican const were by Leif and his two brothers. sons of Eric the Red, who after the style of names in Iceland were called Ericsson. I believe | [am speaking on the best authonty, and with scarce a chance of a mistake, in saying that a gifted Swed». now an American citizen, and most prominent before the is a direct descendant of Erie and his son. I allude to Captain Ericsson, the inventor of the caloric ship, a pioneer in American discovery and naval archi tecture, a worthy descendant of the Eriessons, the pio neers in the discovery of America. Another most interest ing genealogical fact may be noted. Among the early set tlers in America—for a settlement was formed that continu od for severai years—several men*had their wives with them One of these, the wife of Thorfin, gave birth to a son, who was named Snorre. This Snorre Thorfinson, was the first native born American, of whom we have any account ‘and may be set down as the first Yankee on record. From this Thorfin was descended Thorwaldsen, and also Finn Moagnusen the historian and antiquary, so that we can almost claim the great sculptor of the North and the great historian, as Americans. These facts I gathered from Icelandic logical tables, and all who have in vestigated the history of the northern nations, know with what accuracy these tables are kept. To return a little in my narrative—Leif Ericsson having purchased the ship of Biarni Herialfron, sailed from Greenland in the year 1,000, The first land he made he called Helluland, | or land of broad, flat stones. This was doubtless the coast. of Newfoundland. The next coast he saw was covered with timber, and consequently he named it Markland, or Woodland. This was probably Nova Scotia The next land he discovered, still farther south, produced vines and grapes, and this he named Violand-—a name it ever after retained. There cannot bea doubt but this was some part of our New England coast. probably Massa- chusetts or Rhode Island. [n subsequent voyages it is aul that these navigators sailed a+ far south as Vir ginia and the Carolinas. Timber, furs, and grapes, being valuable articles, several voyages were made to and | from Greenland, and houses were built, and settlers re- | eided in Vinland, for at least three years, from 1,011 to 1,014. In their intercourse with the Indians, the Ice land and Greenland adventurers carried on their busine about after the same political code that Raleigh, John Smith, and others, did afterwards. They first traded with the Indians, then fought them. They sold them red cloth, in strips the widih of a finger’s length, and in r turn received their furs. As their cloth grew scare they cut the strips narrower; and, finding that they could buy just as many furs fora strip an inch wide as if it was four inches, they cut it narrower and narrower till bw it down about toa finger’s breadth. The Indians bound it about their heads, and were greatly delighted with ita ornamental appearance. Finally, the red cloth grew soarce, and then the Indians gave their furs for soup ‘snd other eatables, and thus, to use the words of an Ice- | land historian, “they carried off their bargains in their | bellies.”” In the first skirmish that ocenrred in the new aettiement, the Northmen ceemed to get the worst of it, and fled towards their boats, when Freydisa, daughter of | kric the Red, and wife of Thorvarn, caught up @ spear aad turned on the Indians, reproaching the men with cowardice. tg? heroic example the Indians were de feated, so we find that the successful ixsne of the first battle between Europeans and North American Indians | was te the courage of ® woman. Voyages con tinued to be made to America, from both Greeuland and | Iceland, to ns late a period as 1347. ‘The latost historical account we have of the old Greenland settlements comes to about the year 1499, but when they perished, or from | what cause, is unknown, Remains of churchesand other | buildings are found there to this day. We now com: to one of the most significant fa: @f this continest Mr Finn Magnusen, iu a very abfe | ‘ | have met in a building. Their sessions were always | merchants. The scene at Thingvalla, in July last, at the | 1800, when it was removed to Reykjavik, though Skal- | timber, j ecorded by every s connected with the discovery | s were prepared and written—papers that show the success- | ful enterprise of the Northern voyagers. During these three | centuries their poets—skalds or minstrels—visited nearl; every court in Hurope, and composed and sung thelr lyr! cal productions, They were attached to the suites of | kings and princes, attended warriors to the battle field, | Whatever information he may | One | cans and the world are under such lasting | he, if you will draw two straight lines across this | id not know what it was. It was certainly | prove, gives | troduced it, toallow foreign vessels to trade there. The bill, however, provided that all except Danish vessels should pay a tonnage duty of about one rix dollar per ton. As the trade of Iceland is not very luerative, this would amount to just about a prohibition, The Iceland members opposed ‘the bill strongly, and it never passed the House. The Governor was incensed to see the will of his royal master thwarted, and like some governors in our colonial times, dissolved the Assembly, and held it dis- solved for two.yeara. In this way their last session broke up ina grand row. Though Iceland would not seem to be a very promising country for bucoaniers, yet it has been plundered at several different times by pirates. Duriog the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and up to as late a period #81616, in the reign of James 1, of England, pirati- cal cruisers were fitted out in both English and French ports, and plunder, rapine, and murder desolated all the southern ane western coasts. One English pirate, named John, was noted for his success and daring. He was | called ‘Gentleman Jobn,”’ being most likely like the Greek | eruiser described by Brron— ——‘The mildest manner’d man ‘That ever scuttled ship or cut a throat, With all true breeding of a gentleman,” He was finally caught, takon to Eugland, and sent into an exile that lasted him for along period. The most terrible event of this kind was in 1727, whema ship of Turkish or Algerine pirates landed on the Westanaina Islands andthe south coast. They murdered between forty and filty of the inbabitants, ‘plundered the churches and private houses of all their valuables, provisions, and clothing. | and took near four hundred prisoners, men, women, and | children, and carried them ineaptivity to Algiers. Nine years after the King of Denmark obtained them by ran | kom; but only thirty-five were found alive, and of these only thirteen ever got back to their native land. In | 1402, the plague which had swept over nearly the whole | of Europo, devastated the country, carrying off, it is | reported, hear two thirds of the population. Socu after a season of uncommen severity destroyed vast numbers | of cattle, and near the close of the century another pes: | tilence swept through the land. These calamities, with | the oppressions of the Danish government, and the re- | strictions on trade, made the greater part of the Ofteenth | and sixteenth centuries a gloomy period in the history | of Iceland. Printing was introduced in 1530, and the | Reformation that had been going on in Europe for some time extende{ to Iceland, im 1551. As an illustration ef | the corruption of the Icelandic church at this time, it | may be mentioned, that the last Roman,Catholic Bishop, | and his two iVegitimate sons, were beheaded for murder and other crimes. To the present time the religion has been Lutheran, and now there is said to be not one per- | son in the island except Protestants: The Icelanders live principally by farming and fishing. They take cod and haddock, with lines and hooks, from five to forty | miles out at sea. Their fishing season is from the first of February to the middle of May. In the summer they catch trout and salmon in the streams and lakes. The | salmon fisheries are held as the property of the crown. Trout, from two to three pounds weight, abound in nearly all the lakes. I have known several hundreds of these caught by two men in a few hours, in the lake of | Thingvalla, In agriculture, they have no crop of any | value, except grass. Grain will not grow, and their gardens | aze very small, and limited to smal) quantities of turnips, | potatoes, lettuce, and some other vegetables. ‘The com- | mon angelica grows there spontaneously, and is used as salad, ‘The climate in winter is not as cold as in our Northern States, the thermometer seldom showing a | greater severity than twelve degrees above zero. In sum- mer the climate is delightfuily mild and pleasant—neither cold nor hrt. Firesare not needed, and during the sum- mer months the climate is far more agreeable than that of Great Britain or the most parts of the United States. ‘Thunder storms occur invariably in the winter, and not in the summer. Their domestic animals are sheep, cat tle, horses and dogs. Hogs are not kept, and but few do- mestic fowls. From the nests of the cider duck they obtain large quantities of eggs, as well as down. These birds, in the breeding season, are nearly as tame in their haunts on tbe islands and the seashore as barnyard fowls. Reindeer run wild in the interior, but are not kept as domestic animals. Blue and white foxes are common, and these, with eagles, hawks and ravens, destroy many of their sheep and lambs. White bears are never seen, except when they float over from Greenland on drift ice, The domestic animals in Iceland are estimated in the following numbers:—500,000 sheep, 60,000 horses, and 40,000 cattle. All their animals are of rather small size, as compared to those in more southern countries. ‘Their horses are a size larger than the ponies of Shetland, averaging about twelve and a-half hands high, Their hay is a short growth, but a very sweet, excellent quality. They feed it to their sheep and cattle—their horses throughout the winter having to look out for themselves. They have what they call forests, mere bunches of shrubbery from three to six feet Bigh. This is principally birch avd willow. The beautiful heather, so common in Scotland, grows all over Iceland. Their game birds are the ptarmigan, the curlew, the plover, and the tern. Nearly every variety of water fowl common to Great Britain or America abound in the bays, islands and shores of Iceland, and in the great- est numbers. The Icelanders export wool—about 1,000,000 pounds annually—woollen stockings, and mittens, from two three hundred thousand pairs annually. Bosides there articles, they sell dried and salted codfish, smoked salmon, fish and seal oil, whale blubber, seal ‘and fox skins, feathers, eider down, beef ané mutton, tallow and sulphur. They import their prin:ipal luxuries—flour, rye and barley meal, beans, potatoes, wine, brandy, rum, alle and beer, tobacoo, coffee, sugar, tea, salt, timber, coal, iron, cutlery, fish hooks and Ines, cotton and silk goods, crockery and furniture. From ‘thirty to forty vessels rail from Denmark to‘Iecland every year. Reyk- Javik, the capital on the west coast, is the t town —a place of about 1,200 people; but there are other places of some trade on the west, on the north, and on the east coast, but none on the south. I have but little time left to speak of the manners and customs the people. In old times we are told that when the celande:s, or Norwegians. were about setting out on ai xpedi ion of importance they used to have a grand feast. At these dinners horse flesh was one of their luxuri ‘They would often have two long tables on oppagite sides and celebrated the exploits of their employers in undying verse. Instances are recorded where, when one king died, his praises were sung so ably. by his minstrel that | he was installed in his place, and filled the vacant throne. | In the Iceland republic the head of the State was called the Langman. or administrator of the laws, and was elected by universal suffrage. Their national assembly or | Congress was called the Althing, and had both legisla tive and judicial powers. The members were elected by | ballot, and when they met, the President or Langman pre- sided over thelr deliberations. They met at a place called ‘Thingvalla, from “thing,” a court, and “valla,”’ a plain, f a room, and after eatirg and drinking to a proper de- ree of elevation, would clore thelr proceedings by'throw. ing the bones at one another across the tables. We are | not informed, however, that the modern Icelanders in- dulge in these luxuries; their trade is gone, and they are now a simple, pastoral people. Crime is nearly unknown. ‘There never was but one prison in the island, and that did duty also as an alms house. Even with this, it was almost always without a tenant, and finally, to put it to some use, i* was made into a Govornor’s house, and is now the ‘White House” in the capita! of Iceland. In complexion, the Icelanders reemble the Anglo-Saxon andhad all their meetings in the open air. I walked over the ground where the Iceland Congress met for | nearly a thousand years. It isa ralsed circle of earth, | covered with grass, and shaped slightly like an amphi- | theatre. On one side was n mound of earth s Iittle higher | then the rest, where the President sat. Though the powers of the Althing were greatly abridged after the fall of the yet they have continued to meet to the present day, always on the ground at ‘Thingyalla, in the open air, until the year 1800, | when they removed to Reykjavik, and since that | held in summer. The Icelanders have always greatly re- gretted, and with good reason, the removal of their con- gressional meetings from the peaceful scene at Thingval- fe to the town of Reykjavik, where they are surrounded by dissipation and the corrupting influence of the Danish time of my visit, was quiet and peaceful—oxen, sheep and herses grazing on every side, and the mower was whet ting his seythe and cutting the grasa where grave judges and legislators had sat and made laws for the people. The scenery is grand and picturesque; directly before the Thingvalla lake, the largest in Iceland, and surrounded on thenorth and cast by lofty mountains, ‘Thingvaila had thns been the legislative capital of Iceland till the year olt, a biehop’s see, is erroncously given as the eapital in the most of cur books of geography. Foes within, not encmies without, overthrew the Iceland republic. A corrupt body of chiefs and rulers sold it to Norway, in the year 1261, and one hundred and nineteen years after warde—in 1380—it was transferred with that power to , under which government it has ever siace re. Respecting their maritime trade, unt'l about ), vessels of all nations were allowed to take cargoes to and from Iceland. After that, for three hundred years, the commerce was either held by the Danish crown. or else farmed out to merchants and traders, and often to foreign companies. The only rule of action in letting out the trade of the country seemed to be to sell to the highest bidder. The most of these companies oppressed and starved the poor Iceland ers into compliance with the most exacting and oppressive measures. As the country produced neither grain, fruit, coal nor wood, they were necessarily | dependent on foreign countries for all the luxuries | and many of the necessaries of life, Trade being taken entirely out of the hands of the Icelanders, the; necessarily grew dispirited and indolent, and though ardently attached to their country, could but mourn | over their unhappy lot. Since 1788 commercial affairs | have been on but little better footing, the trade being | about entirely in the hands of the Danish merchants, but not farmed out to x company. The foreign and carryin, trade is open to all natives and citizens of Denmark and | Iceinnd, but not to foreigners. No foreign vessels aré allowed to trade to Iceland unless they oarry coal or or go with cash to buy the products of the country. As there are none but Danish merchants in all the commercial towns, foreign traders could find no one | to purchare their cargoes of timber or coal, were they to go there. No person but a despot or tyrant at heart can } go to Iceland without feeling the strongest impatby for the Icelanders, and forming a most unfavorable opinion of the Danish merchants there. They have had the sway of all mercantile affairs in Iceland so long by law, that though now the trade ix open equally to Icelanders, the Danes have the capital, the vesvels, the experience and the foreign conneetions, and this, with the combinations they keep 19, keops all or nearly all Icelanders out of the business, Though it may appear uncharitable, it is im- possible to look at the Danes and the Icelanders and not draw a comparison between the two that shall be altogether in favor of the latter. I must unhesitatingly pronounce the Denish merchants in Iceland as the most immoral, il- liberal, selfish. and unfavorable specimens of the mer. chant elas, thot I have ever met inany part of the civil- ized world. All their efforts seem devoted to the busi- nese of getting rich at the exvenso ol the poor Icelanders. Wien a stranger lands in the country, they try to find out if any money can be made out of him, and if not, they have nothing to say to him. Now and then there will be anexception (o this In contrast to the general character of the Danish merchants. rec that of the native Icelanders. From ther most excellent bishop, the Dean at Reykjavik, the copa, and sysselmen, in the inte rior, and from all the farmers and’ peasants throughout the country, the stranger is certain to meet the most liberal and’ disinterested hospitality. My conclusions re specting the character of the Danish merchants, and of the Icelanders, are from by / own observations and ox sience in the country, and it completely agrees with that traveller in Iceland whove journal [ have read. The legislative government of Iceland is vest- ed in the Althing, which consists of twenty-six mem- bers, twenty elected in the country, by ballot—one from each county, or syssel—and the other six appointed Any king in council. “These last must be residents of Iceland, bot may be either Danes or Icelanders. The Governor or Aman, is appointed by the king, and is usually bh uoldeman. He resides im Sceland, holds his race, often having florid and handsome countenances. They are fine figures, frequently tall, several that I have seen being over six feet in height. In a large district in the noi th west of Iceland, all the men wear their beards, a practice that has been in vogue for hundreds of years. ‘They always seem pleased when a stranger appears among them who has adopted a fashion so much in accordance with their own philosophy, with nature, and the laws of health, and, at the same time, that adds so much to the personal appearance of the lords of creation. All goods taken to Iceland are duty free, and letters and papers are carried there ia government vessels, free of postage, and sent through the island by government messengers. There is not a post office, a custom house, a police officer, a fort, a soldier, or a lawyer in the whole country. Dried fish, goods, and valuables are left out of doors unguarded, with impunity, stealing being almost unknown. ‘axes are very light, and do not amount to as much as the expense of carrying on the government, aying the officers, and transporting the mail. The Ice- nders are universally educated to that extent that all can read and write. There is but one school, or insti- tution of learning, in Iceland—the college at Reykjavik; this has about eight professors and tutors, and usually about eighty students. The boys educated here are nearly all intended for the church, or else to fill some of the civil offices in the island; or they expect to go abroad, or live in Denmark. Th stitution is endowed by the Danish government, and was formerly at Bessesstad, a few miles south, from whence it was removed a few years since, Its Prasient is Biarni Johnson, Esq., a native Icelander, a gentleman of rare accomplishments and learning, and one of the first linguists in Europe. The Hebrew, Greek, Latin. Danish, French and English lan- ages are taught here, as well as most of the sciences. ff she during college vacation when I was in the country, and I used to meet in the interior, their fathers’ houses, young men who were students of the college, and who could converse fluently in Latin, French, or English. The Bible or Testamest, and often many other books, are found in nearlyevery house in Iceland. The population being sparse, it is impracticable to have schools, «0 that education is confined to the family circle. During their long winter evenings, while both males and females are engaged in domestic labors, like spinning, weaving, or knitting, by turns one will take a book—some history, biography, or ‘the Bible—and read aloud. The lengtli of their night can be seen, when we consider that the sun, in December, is above the horizon oaly from two to three hours. While travelling in the country, I used frequently to ask the children in poor families to read to me in Icelandic, and I never saw one above the age of nine years that could not read in a masterly style. Their writing, too, is almost invariably of great elegance. This ix partly owing to the practice of multiplying copies im menusem@pt of almost all the historical and poetical works written in the country, copying them in advance of their publication, and often afterwards. A pleasing incident occurred afew years since in Iceland, that shows the best side of human nature, and was most creditable toall parties concerned. Farly in the reign of Louis Philippe, a Freneh fishing veseel was wrecked in the winter season on the south coast of Iceland. The Icelanders on the coast, there, though exceedingly poor, took the unfortu nate ‘sailors to their houses, fed, clothed, and lodged them for several months, till spring arrived and a vessel came and took them away. These hospitable islanders re fused all compensation from the French govern ment. Finally, Louis Philippe rent word t> lesland that two youns men from that country every four years might be’ selected by the Bishop, the Governor, and the Colle Professors, and be taken to Paris, and havea comnts university education, clothed and maintained, and all at the expense of the French nation. In this way some of the first young men in Iceland have been educated in Paris. To advance the cause of science, and at the same time to search for the Lilloise, an unfortunate French war veesel that was lost in the Arctic Sea about the year 1830, two or three French vessels cruised about the coasts of Lapland, Iceland. Greenland, and Spit-ber gen, im the years 1834 and 1835. Accom: vessels waa a corps of scientific men, a Sea mission of twelve persons, headed by Pa nying these jinavian com: Giemar. and the report made ard published by these gentleme: the most voluminous, and by far the most valuable work on Teeland and Greevland that bas ever been published. They travelled through the interior of Iceland, and took draw- inge of all the remarkable objects, monntains, boiling aprings, cataracts, animals, birds and other subje:ts of natural history. ‘The work was issued in French, in the city of Paris, about the year 1842. The text is in six volumes, and the plates in three. It is a complete na- tural history of the whole country. There is a copy of this most valuable work in the Astor lal and perhaps that is the only copy in America. If any evidence is wanting of their perseverence and ac- curacy as geographers, or their skill as artists, this “map of Iceland will speak for itself. As a work of art, I am bold to say that it is not only equal, but superior, to any map of ‘ny country ever publi in Groat — Britain, France, or tle United States, Ay { intend to lonve this for » week or two, it can be has the wish or curiosity to doo, It and senaainds, orery volaon, 8 springs and it also repre- Every fertile the barren. The day time. The pink color represents where the ground is covered with blossoming ther, and the brown shows where the ground is overrun with lava. The yellow ground is sand and desert; the green, in line engraving, bog and the in stipple is meadow and pasture land, or farms. Houses are represented by a square dot aud hot springs by a round one. The hot aprings in Ice- land et ty a by thousands; I have myself seen nearly two thousand. ‘They are scattered over the entire;country, and even found on the summits of moun- Fy i Adv Dec 17, Onel ta, Wellington, Eeverley, and Vancou- | wer, for NYork. tains. The most of these are hot enough, and many of | them eapacious enough, to boil the dinners of the entire yopulation. ‘The blue and white spots and plains, repre- sent the Is, or mowntains tuat are covered with eternal’snow. It will thus be seen that the map is geo- graphical, descriptive, mineralogical, and botanical. It is the result of twelve years constant travel and labor by its indefatigable author, Kiarni Gunolangson, a native resident Icelander. Though ! have spoken moat highly of the native Icelanders—I am sure no higher than they dererve—there is some intemperance in the country, but, I believe few or no drunkards. Their intemperate drinking, where it exists, is owing to their lack of society and amusements, and to the example and influence of the foreign merchants. They seem to lack enterpri-e; but what is there to irduce them to go beyond the seas, explore distant lands, and plough unknown oceans? Their trade, all usurped by the nation that pretends to be their parent and protector, cut off from all intercourse with foreigners, strangers seldom coming to see them, living in poverty, condemned “to force churlish soil for seauty read,” their hands politically tied, so that no laws can be passed that do not please their royal master; how can we expect to cee them'otherwise than quiet, peaceful, aod limited in knowledge to the books they read, or the compositions they write? The mort they ask for is free trade with all the world; “give us that,” they say “and we can learn something uew;’’ improvement ote 3) step in, Icelanders themselves would travel some, foreigners and foreign literature would exert an influence among them, and they could with all their disadvantages keep pace with the rest of the world I believe they write and publish more books, according to their population, than any other nation. As compared to the nations ia the south of Europe, the disproportion is ay great as ten toone. Now the directors of the Smith- sonian Institution have set the example of sending their ublications and some other national works to the Iccland ‘ublic Library, it is to be hoped that some other of our inztitutions or societies, State or national, may go and do a valuable parcel of books, including a copy of their ele- gent map, to the Smithsonian Institution, in return for the similar fayor to them. They publish some valuable books intheir own language, and though they express quite a willingness to exchange with other nations and institu: tions, yet they very modestly express the thought that they can reciprocate literary favors but poorly. Their library consists of several thousand volumes in the Ice- landic, Danish, Norwegian, German, French and English languages. It'is to be hoped that his Majesty, the intel- ligent and rather democratic King of Denmark, may soon see that it is not for the advantage of himse'f, or his Da- nish and Ieelandie subjects, to keep the Iceland trade re- stricted to his own nation.” Iceland is our elder brother, or rather tister—we can almost say our mother—and if on a personal acquaintance we happen to find that in | some humors she has a rather frigid breath, we need not on that account give her the cold shoulder. The more we become acquainted with her literature, her language her most remarkable natural phenomena, her intelligent citizens and learned men, the more we shall like them all. And, sir, if in the remarks that you have been pleased to do me the honor to listen to this evening, you have seen aught that will make you feel a warmer interest in this amiable and intellectual people, I shall consider myself amply repaid, and the little labor I have bestowed on the subject not altogether in vain. Loud applause followed the lecture, and a vote of thanks was then moved, seconded, and carried unani- mously to Mr. Miles, with a request for a copy of the paper forthe society, a request to which Mr. Miles ac- ceded. ‘The lecturer illustrated his paper by a beautiful map published in Iceland, containing the most minute indicating at a glance the entire surface of the country and its various productions. After the lecture several members of the society inspected the map, and regarded it with deep interest. Mr. Miles has kindly permitted it to remain for some days at the rooms, for the inspection of the society at large. HARITINE INTELLIGENCE, Movements of Ocean Steamers. FOR NAMIE. .. Aspinwall, «Mar St. Th. & Berm..Mar ALMANAC FOR NEW YORK—TAIS DAY. 6 34 | MOON RISES.....morn — 59 5 51 | mGH wWaTeR,.,.morn 01 05 Port of New York, March 1, 1853. CLEARED. Ships—Guttenberg (Ham), Viper, Hamburg, Schmidt & Balehen; London, Hubbard, London, Grinnell, Minturn & Co; Alexander, Johnson, New Orleans, J 0 Baker & Co. Barks—Herculeg(Dan), Allman, Havana, E Beck & Kunhardt; Alida, Hoe, St’Thomas, eck & Kunhardt. Brigs—A H Wass, Marshall, Wilmington, NC, Rainer & Gilmore; J Cilley, Tonnesen, Mobile, Sturges, Clearman & Co; Adah, Welden, Halifax, Wheelwright & Co. Schrs—W R Pettis, Burrows, St Marks, Brodie & Pett! Ellen Merryman, Osgeod, New Redford, master; Fair, Snedeker, Baltimore, Mailier & Lora; W H Mitchell, Rob: bing, Jacksonville, Thompson & Hunter; N W Smith, Smith, Charleston, N I, McCready & Co; Compromise, Ste- phens, Wilmington, Jas Hand; Pocohontas, Bulkley, Mo. bile, E D Hurlbut & Co. ARRIVED. Steamship Humboldt, Lines, Havre and Cowes, Feb 16, 4 PM, to i Livingston, Steamship Georgia, Porter, Aspinwall, Feb 19, to MO Roberts. Off Cape St Antonio, passed an Am bark, bound N, showing white signal with letter H; off Double Head Shot Keys, spoke herm brig Kate Heath, from New Or- Jeans for Savannah; same place, passed a full rigged brig, inted black, with name on stern ina circle; 26th inst, W of Cape Hatteras, spoke brig Danl Weld, bound to Savannah; 27th, passed a bark bound N, showing signal, with red, white, and red perpendicular stripes Steamship Merlin (Br), Cronau, Halifax, 314 days, to E Cunard. Yesterday, 10 miles E of Sandy Hook, spoke Br brig Fanny, from Sydney, CB, for New York. Steamship Alabama, Ludlow, Savannah, 00 hours, to S L Mitchill. ship bound 8, showing blue signal with white ball; 7 PM, off Cape Hatteras, excl hanged signals with seamship James Adger, hence for Charleston; 7 15 PM, exchanged signals with steamship Florida, hence for Savannah. ‘Steamship Marion, Berry, Charleston, to Spofford, Tileston & Co. Came’ over the bar Saturday, 9PM, Was detained by fog outside the Hook. Ship Affghan, Kemp, Boston, 3 days, to master, Bark Gen ‘laylor (of Portland), Soule, New Orleans, and the Bar Feb 7, to order. Feb 19, off Cape Hatteras, experienced a heavy gale from 8 to N; lost overboard deck load, consisting of 80 bbls molasses, and 110 empty beer bbls. Brig Niagara (of Bangor), Harding. Cardenas, 14 days, toRP Buck & Co. Experienced heavy weather on the coast. Sehr Silyer Cloud, Newman, Port au Prince, 24 days, to T & H Messenger. Schr Adele, Applegate, Wilmington, NC, 8 days. Schr Star, Loryman, Washington, NC, 5 days. Schr R & H Estell, Baker, Newbern, 4 days Schr Helena, Harding, Newbern, 4 days. » Schr H CMead, Mead, Newbern, 4 days. Schr A Heaton, Perry, Newbern, 4 days. Schr Laura Jane, Sherman, New Bedford, 8 days. Schr Ringgold (wrecker), Lewis, with naval stores, from the sehr John Franklin, ashore on Phenix island. BELOW. Prig Brothers (Br), Bellia, from Malta, with mdse, to Lillie & Rasines. Brig Fanny (Br), from Sydney, CB, with coal, to F Cunard; anchored ib the lower bay. SAILED. seckteamabip Crescent City, Baxter, Havana and New Or- ans. Wind at sunset, NNE, with rain, Memoranda. rk Muskingum, 250 tons, built in Ohio two or three ears since, has been purchased at Wilmington, NC, by Mr Wm L Baker, of Warren, RI. She is about to leave Wilmington for NYork. The clipyer ship launched recently by Messrs Chase & Davis, at Warren, RI, has been purchased by a New York house for the Australian trade, and is to be commanded by Capt A Eowen, of Warren, She is to be called the Gem of the fea. Per Sreamsne Humnowr.) Bristor—Sld Feb 15, Pathfinder, NY ork. Bonveavx—sld Feb 11, Louisa Bliss, Hyler, NOrleans In port lg, Governor, Hemsworth, for NYork, 28th Perseverance, Leighton, for NOrleans, March 10th Delta, Meeban, for Charleston, do. Greexock—Sld Feb 13, Ohio, NYork. Grayexxp—Sld Feb 14, Invincible, Johnson, NYork; 15th, Liverpool, Savannah. Havre—Arr Feb 13, Finland, Johnson, Richmond, Va. In the roads 14th, Junius, Erskine, from Charleston. Sld 12th Isaac Bell, Johnston, NYork; 13th, Frances Palmer, Smith, Rochelle and UStates; 14th, Alice Tarlton, Smith, NYork. Jn port 16th, ships Sen Duck, Porter; St Denis, Follans- bee; Orla indo, White; ,Muscongus, Kelleran, and’ Persian, Drew, all for NYork; ‘Emperor. r, for NOrleans; Jo: seph Holmes, Adams; Inca, Richardson; John Spear, Spear; wina, Braughton; Isnardon, Adams; Radius, Murray; Athens, Robertson; ‘Globe, Baker, and inland, Johnson, all unlég, destinations unknown. Lavmroor—Air Feb 13, Europa, (8), Shannon, Boston. Sldj 15th, Constellation, NYork; Elvira Owen, NOr leans; Sheridan, Eva, and’ Australia, NYork; Tuscarora, Jadelphia. ie rere Fe 9, Montreal, Merville, NYork. Puymovrn—Sid Keb 14th, Vigilant, NYork. Rocueuur—Adv Feb 9. Kuphrosine, Piguet. NYork, Fire Hodskende, Grondrif, do; Gustave, Doucet, do; Zo naver, Voleard, Philadelphia; Jule Larue, Leboncher, Boston; Cent-Vingt Traus, Band, do. ‘Snaxonax-—Arr Nov 00, Wellington, Panama; Dec 6, Moeasenger, fan Francisco; 11th, Beverly, do, 15th, Van eouver, Hong Kong; 16th. 'Helona, Australia. | Std Nov 19, Kremlin, London; 23d, White Squall, Whampoa; 27th, ‘Astoria, NYork; Dec 2, Branda, San Francisco, Sth, Ala, NYork; lath, Messenger, Whampoa. descriptions of the country, and by its admirable coloring | Feb 27, lat 3421. N, lon 7621 W, passeda | likewiee. The directors of their library forwarded by me | | 27th for Liverroot, Feb 12—The Harriet from New Or- leans, sprung a leak in dock ‘erday, and has seven feet of water in her hold, at which point the pumps are rather gaining upon it. Tornay, Feb Afewaiile Caspian, ashore here, is expected to become a total wreck. (We have not received our files of shipping papers by this steamer. } ad Aa legraphic Marine | be Bosrow, March 1. | Arrived—Bark Glenburn, Liverpool (saw Feb 22. lat 42, Ion 61 20, ship Sarah Louisa, from Liverpool for NYork); Houston, Mobile; brigs Bremen, Antwerp; Thos Conor, Matanzas; Florence, Savannah; sera Watchman, Jack- sonville; Mary Bateman, Philadelphia. ‘Also arrived—Bark Southerner, New Orleans. Clearea—Ship Harriet Erving, Valparaiso; brig Gibral- tar; sebrs Julia, and H Freelis, NYork. Herald Marine Correspondence. Epearrows, Feb 24. Arrived—Schrs Justina. Hewitt, New York for Salem; Richmond, Wood, do for Portland. 26th—Arr brig Benguela, Hichbem, Matanzas for Bos- ton; schr Sea Lion, Manning, Mattaponi, Va, for Thomas- ton. Be tae Are schr Harbinger, Robinson, NYork for Ports- mouth. 2ith—Arr schr Augusta, Springer, New Bedford. Salled—26th, brig Benguela, and schr James English, Boston. 27th—Sld schrs Justina, Richmond, Sea Lion, and Har- binger. 28th—In port, schrs Sylph, and Augusta; also vchr Energy, Marchant, for Thomaston. Purapetrata, March 1. Arriyed—Schrs Benjomiv English, Lyon, New Haven; Wm Loper, Lake, and R M Browning. Ri NYork; RL Fay, Cain, Charleston; Thos Ireland, Somers, Great Exg Harbor. Below—Ship Montauk, Brightman, Messina; bark Plato, Cairoli, Matanzas. Cleared—Ship Saranac, Dean, Liverpool; bark Sarah Bryant, San Francisco; brig Leonice, Bradbury, Cienfue- schrs Wm Loper, Lake, Richmond; Thos Ireland, Lyon, New Haven, Disasters, &e. Si Wixcursrer (of Boston), Briggs, from Liverpool, Jan 23. for NYork, is reported by telegraph to have put into Halifax 27th inst, with loss of all her topmasts. Siuy Prren Maney, of and 10 days from NOrleans for Liverpool spoken Feb 13, in lat 29, lon 79 22, leaking very badly, and both pumps going continually. fAnueTTA, Of Kastport, (rom Richmond for Boston, before reported at Tarpaulin Cove, put into NBedford pairs, having lost head of foremast, maintop- mast, &e. Her cargo of flour and wheat will be dis- charged, and the vessel caulked. BRIG Masestic, which put into Bermuda in distress, and condemned on survey, was to be sold atauction, together with her cargo, on the 10th Feb. Scur Granp Turk, before reported ashore near ‘he Tavern House, NJ, was from NOrleans for this port, with corn, pork, and lard. She went on at 5 o'clock on’ Mon- day morning, when 27 days out, and has become a total loss, together with her cargo. After she struck, Messrs. | Edward Wardwell and J D Morris fired three shots over from the government apparatus in order to attach a line, and were successful op each occasion; but the crew were so exhausted tha; they could not haulon the line. It was so rough that a boat could not go from the shore to their assistance for a long time; at length Messrs Ward- well and Morris, and some others, got out a boat, and at 9 o’clock brought on shore all they found alive, excepting one, who fell into the sea in endeavoring to get into the boat, and was drowned. Another was tound dead in the cabin from cold and exhaustion. The rescued numbered three men; one of the two perished wax the master, Capt Ww Dyer. The G T was built at Philadelphia in 1818, 98 tons register, owned by NL McCready & Co, and, ‘to- gether with her cargo and freight money, insured in Wall street for $25,000, Scar Joun Etvt, of and from Rockland, arr at Salem Feb 26, leaky, and ‘with cargo of lime on fire. | Precau; tions were taken to smother the flames, and it was thought Sunday evening that the fire was extinguished. Scux Dax. BeckwrtH, Appleman, from Mystic, Conn, Oct{11, for San Francisco, was burnt in the harbor o! Talcahuano, no date, and became a total loss. Notice to Mariners. The Harbor Master of Norfolk notifies masters of ves- sels that, as many complaints have been made by mer- chants and others, that the harbor regulations for moor- ing vessels are not complied with, if hereafter any vessel aball be found to have neglected said harbor regulations, such vessel willbe proceeded against according to law, which provides that vessels arriving within the port shall not ride at single anchor more than twenty-four hours ; and shall rig in their jibbooms, peak their lower yards, and leave nothing out to obstruct the navigation of the harbor, under penalty of $50, NIGHT AT THE ENTRANCE PF THE NEW HARBOR AT NAPLES. The Neapolitan government has given notice that on the Ist of November last a new small light was esta- blished at the outer extremity of the Southern Pier, which forms the Porto Militaire at Naples. ‘Whalemen. At Valparaiso, Jan29, ships Rainbow, Plaskett, just ar bound to Polar Sea; Niagara, Clough, (arr 23d from Oahu, shipped 1,000 and sold 160 bbls oil from do Jan 11, ships New England, Pendleton, (arr 6th from NZealand),’ to cruise, had 1,560 bbls oil; ‘18th, Betsey Williams, Yendleton, (arr 17th from Sandwich Islands), do, 1,500 bbls oil; 26th, Hillman, Cook, (arr from Talcahuano 25th), do, 2,000 bbls oil, 30,000 Ibs bone. At Talcahuano,’about Dec 17, ship Edward Carey, of Nan, 800 sp, to sail on a cruise soon. 1 OnCallao Ground, Dec 20, Platina, Lee, of Westport, ,000 sp. Arr at San Francisco, Jan 31, schr Jupiter, Gregory, from Santa Barbara Island, with 100 bbls sea elephant oil. SPoKEN—Bark Endeavor, of NB, Nov 25, Staten Land in sight, 18 months out, no oil Chad ‘at last report 150 sp.) Jan 2, lat 68, lon 102 28 W, ship araoue, Harding, of NBedford, 70 bbls oil, on a cruise. Dec 30, lat 31 68 S, lon 94 4 W, ship Harbinger, of West- port, 12 months out, 200 bbls sperm ched at San Juan Fernandez Dec 22, ships China, Howes; 31st, Clifford Wayne, Davis, 15 mos from Fairha: ven, 40 bbis ofl; Jan 1, Chowles’ Manchester. 4. mos from NBedford, 1700 bbis; 10th, Hero, McCleve, 14 mos from Nantucket, 250 bbls sp, 450 wh; 1%th, Sappho, How- land, 7 mos from NBedford, 70 bb's: 15th, bark Hesper, Perry, 52 mos from Fairhaven, 800 bbis. Cid Honolulu Dec 15, Minois, Cowell, cruise and home; Metacom, Bonvey, NBedford; Vesper. Loper; Harvest, ner,and Alice, White, cruise; 16th, Ontario, Brown, do; ‘uscany, Halsey, do; Liverpool, Barker, and Alfred Tyler, Luce, do and home; 17th, Shepherdess, —, and Monti: cello, Folger, cruise; Maria Theresa, Taylor,” and Heren- les, Fisher, do and home; 18th, Remulus, Baker, cruise; 23d, Eliza’ Mallory, Williams, ’NLondon; 24th, Philip I, Sissons, cruise; 2hth, Neva, Case, do; 27th, Arctic, Gel- lett do; 28th, Tybee, Barber, do} Morea, Kelley, NBed ord. None of the above vessels had sailed on Sist, owing to the strong head winds preventing their leaving the har- bor. About 20of the vessels in por; which had cleared were detained, and would sail the first fair wind, The total number of whalers in por: was 49. Cid at Lahaina Dec 6, Phenix, Bellows, cruise; Friend, Low, home; 7th, Louisa, Wyatt, cruise and home; Sth, Tiger, Gavett, home; Sea, Soule, cruise. Arr at New Bedford 2ith, brig Ocean (of Sandwich), Chadwick, Atlantic Ocean via Wood's Hole, 250 bbis sp oil. On Japan Ground in Sept, Mohawk, Swain, Nantucket, 1500 sp; took 850 this season. Sld from Calloa Jan 18, Andrews, Hinkley, NB, Pisco. ‘The whaling bark seen’ Deo 5, Int 28 04'S, lon 47 50 E, showing a blue signal with a white ball, was the Paulina, Tateh, NB. Spoken. from Philadelphia, Oapes about Francisco, Oct 25, lat 35 8, lon 31 r, 3 Ship Java, Munroe, August 20, for San 39 W. Ship Living Age, Holmes, from New York, Nov 24, for Callao, Jan 14, lat 40 8, lon —. Ship Zurich, from New York for Havre, Feb 23, lat ND © from I. B Ship 3 Ann, Crosby, from Liverpool for Boston, Feb 19, lat 43, lon 58. Bark Mary Morris from New York for Glasgow, Feb 6, lat 51 10, lon 31 20, Schr Hartford from Savannah for Boston, Feb 28, 8 Shoal NE 6 miles. ign Ports. Cattao—Arr Jan 10, bark Sarah H Snow, Leach, Valpa- raiso (and sld for Pisco); 13th, ship Venice, Brevoor, Sun Francisco. Sid 11th, barks J W Paige n, Pisco; Mary Adeline, Spalding, (from Pisco) UStater. Canpenas—Sld Feb 16, brig Poconocket, Brewer, Balti- more, not NYork. Arr 17th, brigs E Baldwin, Montgomery; Annandale, Sherman, and Tangier, Grifiin, Wilmington, NC; schrs Rebekah Fogg, Beicher, Norfolk; Sarah Frances, Warren, Havana. (The above were incorrectly reported in the Havana Diario to have arrived at Matanzas.) Also arr 19th, schrs Warren, Poland, Matanzas. Sid 19th, brigs Albatross, Cochran, ‘Boston; Caroline A White, White, Portland; Caroline’ E Kelley, Colcord, Boston; schr Ma deira, Harriman, Wilmington, NC. Corvncos—In port Feb 12 (additional), berks M B Stetson, Harding, for Boston 16th; Tom Corwin, Basford, une. Arr at do Feb 9, brig Scotia, Cook, St John (aup- posed FR) in ballast; 15th, Crawford,’ Eaton, Montezo Bay sehr Risk, Thomas, Kingston, J (to lond for Alexan- dria); 18th, bark Charm, Sleeper, do. Sid 16th, barks Reindeer, Franklin, NYork: M B Stetson, Harding, Bos- : 18th, Wyandotte, Bryant, do; Carriola, Hoxie, New brigs Mary Groton, Geyer, do; Thos Walter, Phila- juntress, NYork, \— Arr Feb 20, brig Kite, Radovich, NOrleans. st, brigs Sea Bird, Orr, Sierra Morena; Hanover, Davis, Cardenas. Cld 21st, brig Metamora, Rogers, Bos ten (to sail 22d). Hoxowiv—Arr Dec 18, clipper ship Eureka, Welch, San Franoisco 12 days; 22d, schr EL Frost, Hempstead, Lahaina; 27th, ship Mary Mellum,Kellam, San Francisco. Gd 16th, brigs Emeline, Green, NBedford; 18th, Orleans, Leeteh, Port Philip; 234, ship Eliza Matlory, Williams, Nlondon; 27th, bark Maria, Mattison, Touched 16th, ship Ellen Foster, 'Grozier, from San Francisco for Caleutta. ‘JuaN Fenwaxnvs—Touched Jan 2, ships Abby Pratt, Bearse, from NYork for San Franciseo; 3d, Geo Raynes, Penhallow, from Boston for do. Maxraxiiio—in port Feb 0 brigs Emily, Young, for Boston same day; Nereus, Masury, for do about 14 days. Manrer—Sid Feb 1, bark Odd Fellow, Elliot, Portland. Matanzas—Arr Feb 19, brig Maria Ingraham, Bristol, RI. $id 19th, brigs Abeona, Lieeegang, NYork; Edwin, Mortor, Cardepas. Naris—In port Feb 1, bark Orono, Chase, for Pa lermo. Poxto Canet10—In port Feb 1, dark Delawazian, Hay- pie, from Demerara for NYork {i days; only Am vewel, SaGua-—Arr Feb 15, Yarks Pacific, Sawyer, NYouk Chil: ton, Pennell, Havany tu load for NYork: achr Charles Roberts, Vost, NYork. Sid Oth, schr Matilda, Caton, Boston. SUANGHAX—In poet Nov 27, ship Astoria, Leland, for NYork. St Jaco —In port Veb. 7, bares John Winthrop, Blanchard, for 'frieste 20th; ‘Cu'aa, Howe, expected to Crarina, Bates, for Bos in port. Sld abt Jan 15, brig Tropieus, Popken, NV.ork, nINIDAD—Are Feb 15, brig Geo ¥ Williams, Kinsman, 1S: Jago, Sid ith, bec’ Franklin, Mitchell, Boston, im port Jan 26, big 9, only Am vergol g Somers, and R MBrowning, Risley, NYork; Benj English, | Varansiso—Arr Jan 19, baik Southerner, Boogte, St Francisco; 26th, ship Far West, Briard, Tongay for Bat - timore. At do 28th, ships Far West and Niagara; barks Hercules and Southerner; and others reported Home Ports. ALEXANDKIA—Arr Feb 26, schr Marietta Burr, Nick- erson, Boston; sld 26th, schra Chas Parker, Pearson, © pa Mott Bedell, Fowler, do; Woodwell, Pattingall, ston. 1PALTIMORE Arr Fob 28, shipe eee) aati, Bishop, verpool, 3 8 8 ehnina, rem | fencke, Se a Rg "aud Rio i, Wi irs Henry rling, Kennedy, ‘ork ; Alice, NYork ; Samuel P Lord, Smith, NYork: Maria, Blisset, NYork; , Swain, NYork ; Lydia, Rogers, ‘Boston; H1, Orcutt. Carr, Franklin, La; Mary A Forrest, Forrest, Mobile; J Hinkley, Harvey, Franklin, La; RM Priee, Chambers, NYork;’ Virginia, Heald, Fall River, Mass; H Tallmag, Young, NYork; Victoria, Baker, NYork: Pales- i wich, : ton, NYork; CL. Baylis, Tooker, Wee Cli—Brigs Windward, (new efipper, 177 28-95ths tons) Sim-on, Rio de Janiero and a market; Isabella, Ni lavana and a market; E: Bi 3 Cat 2th ri. Joven, Wien, Pea ee STON—Arr Fel in addition to Tel), shi; Crowell, NOrleans; barks John Parkor, Wikinne dee ac Hill, Curtis, do; Isabella (not a brig). Humphrey’ Charles- ton: Edmund Dwight, Hallet, Baltimore; briga Clark Cayes Feb 5, via Holmes? Winsor, Holmes, Aux ole; Ma. via, Bailey, Zaza. via do, Carryl (not Clark), Pettingill, Alexandria; J Nickerson, Nickerson, Balthoc et schrs, Abby Morton, Hutchinson. Baltimore; Luther Child, Ba- ker, Newcastle, Del; Jas Otis. Brace, Washington, NC; @ W Dyer, Dyer, Tangier; Sarah & Lowis, Baker; I'H Hor- ton, Horton; Benj Baker, Neweomb, and Telegraph, At wood, Tangier; Palestine, Corsen, Ts patoannoet: steamer Ocean, Sandford, NYork. Cld ship Martha (not Mara- thon ampson, Australia; bark William, Bailey, Havana; schr Somerville, chase, Paltimore. BOOTHBAY—Arr Feb 16, schrs H_ M’Leod, Stanley, Boston; 20th, Independence, M'Gume Caraden for Bosten, ld 20:h, schrs Elbro (from Ellsworth), Bo:ton; Inyin-, efble (from Boston), Calais; 24th, Westport, (from James river) —. BRISTOL—Arr Feb 25, schr Gazelle, Allen, Somerset for NYork. CHARL#STON — Arr Feb 26, ship Austria, Borland, Liverpool 37 day#; brig Delaware, Harding. Boston; sehr Isabella, Gage, Havana. Cld Br bark Clutha, Bruea, Liverpool; schr Isabella Thompson, Corson, Vhiladelphia; JW Lindsey, Lewis, Philadelphia; Kensington, Swain, Philadelphia. Sld Fr bark Alexandre. FALL RIVER—Sld Feb 23, sob M Wrightington, Alox- andria. Sld Feb 26, bark Jos Fish, Seavey, (avd\.went to sea same day); schrs Nancy Bishop, Kelly) Phi adelphia or Norfolk, tecording to wind; and from below, M Wrightington, Philadelphia. FRANKFORT—Brig Eliza, Harding, from Cardenas via Holme’s Hole, didnot arr Feb 21, as reported, and had not arr at noon 23d. GALVESTON—Cld Feb 10, brigs J W Baddecke, Clodius, Bremen; 12th, Lucy Aun, Brvant, Boston. GEORGEIOWN—Arr Feb 17, brig Tyrone, Leland, Bos- ton; schr Dolphin, Lord, NYork; 18th, brig Etewando, Maxwell, Grenada; schr Sarah Bruin, Totten, NYork. Old 16th, brig Attakapas, Portland; 20th, Druid,’Parsons, do. GLOUCESTER ~Art Feb 23, brig Forester, Oliver, Jack- sopville for Bath; schrs Brier, Grindle, Baltimore for Frankfort; Hallowell, Rockland, for NYork; 25th, Atlan- tic, Nickerson, Salem for NYork JACKSONVILLE—Arr Feb 9, schrsD K Arey, Nickerson, NYork; 15th, Grion, Pettengill, Boston; | 10th, brigs Apalachicola Joann,’ Tyler, Martinique; Pres't % ‘Taylor, Holmes, ‘ork. KEY WEST—Arr Feb 14, brigs Sopbia (Dan), Bens Havana; 16th, Chas A Coe, Hubbard, NYork’ (and same day for St Marks): schrs J Vail, ‘Delano, do. (and old 2lst for St Marks); Kate, Skidmore, do; 18th, Dagk A H Kimball, Sleeper, NYork; sehr Petrel, Lt Totten, Reef, Coast Survey; 1th. Brenda, Palmer, Havana (and old 21st for Apalachicola). Cld 12th, brig’Gov Brown, Trim, NYork; schr Pauline, Stiles, Providence. MOBILE—Arr Feb 19a 20, ships Arabella, Pickeriog, Yondon; John Miller, Duvain, Cardi; ist, ship. Aeme (Br), Summerville, Olyde; bark Jeddo, Payne, Boston. Cid Toth, barks Sir Isaac Newton, Schiadctsch, Hamburg; Horace, ‘Tucker, Boston; 21st, brig T F Knox, Smith: Providence. Arr Feb 22, ships Acme (Br), Somervail, Clyde; Spar- tan (Br), Welch, Greenock; barks Glasgow (Br), Hat- field, Liverpool; Laura Snow, Rio de Janeiro’ 47’ days; J Bragdon, Bartlett, Providence; brig Linden, Rowe, NYork; schr S J Moye, Hallock, NYork. ld ship Greenock; (Br) McGregor, Liverpool; bark Chester, Crosby ae ‘DFORD—Arr Feb 26, schr J K Randall, Swift, NEW Cardenas 14th; 27th, brig Marictta, of Eastport, from Richmond via Tarpaulin Cove, for Boston (see Disasters); schr F E French, Remington, Suffolk, Va. ‘Arr Feb 26, eohr Cornelia, Young, NYork. Sid sche Laura Jane, Sherman, NYork. NEWBURYPORT—Arr Feb 27, brig Dr Rogers, Cottretl, Charleston. Sid 26th, schr Garland, Philadelphia. WXEW HAVEN Arr’ Feb 28, schr Golden Gate, Smith, ork, NEW LONDON—Arr Feb 25, steamer Shetucket,’Geer, from Norwich for NYork; schr Sidney Miner, Bolles, Phita- oon ia; 26th, steamer Decatur, Geer, NYork for Nor- wich; schra Daniel Webster, Prentiss, NYork; Jane Hen- derson, len, Philadelphia. Sid |, schrs Mary Apm and Caroline Henderson, Philadelphia; Madawasks, Sears, NYork: 26th, schrs Splendid, Latham, Philadetphia; Penn- rylvania, Roth, Wilmington, NC; sloop Agent, Perry, N ‘ork. NEW ORLEANS—Arr Feb 21, esas Perseverance, Forbes, from Indianola, via Galveston; Br ship Louisa, Scott, Bristol (Eng), Nov 23; Br bark Fuxine, Wal = Liverpool 70 days; barks Gov Briggs, Hallett, NYork; Inlius, Cousins, Cardiff (Wales) 60 days: brig Meteor, Au- derson, Boston, Cid steamships Philadelphia, McKinstry, Aspinwall; Daniel Webster, Graffam, San Juaw de Nicara- gua: ships Golden Engle, Thompson, St Petersburg; Ag- nes Leeds, Chase, Liverpool; Middlesex. Paine, ‘ barks Hersilia, Lathrop, NYork: Ann Elizabeth, Vance, Philadelphia; Pelicano (Kordinian), Raftie, Genoa; Cate: Mina (Spanich), Garrega, Cadiz; John Bird, Bird. NYork; brigs 1. R Palmer, Park, Boston: J Cohen, MeGuire, Balti- ore: Pepita (Spanish), Estape, Pernambuco and a max. ket; Paco (Spanish), Orta, Barcelona anda market; sobrs Thos Potter, Appleby, Apalachicola; Chipola, O'Leary, St Marks and Newport; Conquest, Coggins, Apalachicoln Towed to sea 1th, ‘bark Arco Iris; 16th, ships Dorcas Prince, Sultana, barks Ortona, Vesta, Geo Henry, brig Carl: 17th, barks Lecocq: 18th, John Curtis, Fleetwood. NEWPORT—Arr Feb 26, schrs Naney Bishop, Kelly, Fall River for Norfolk; G J Jones, Lukes, Providence for NYork; 2th, NS Knight, Holbrook, Boston for Tangier; Northern Light, Higgings, do for do; E Stanly, Bar: roughs, do for do; Hallowell, Aver, Rockland for NYork; Velocity, Wilson, Lubec for do; Susan Baker, Brooking, Saco for do; Eliza J Kelley, Kelley, Dennis for do. NORFOLK—Arr Feb 24, uchrs Sceing, Best, Plymouth, NC, for Martinique, in distress, baving.’in a squall, 14th, carried away foremast, with all attached; Bermise, Lane, Gloucester. Put back schr B Browning, Berry, for NYork, on account of head winds, having been driven as far 8 aw Cape Hatteras, Cld 25th, Br brig Lord Lovat, Jost, Halifax. Feb 27, steamer Kennebec, PHILADEL?HIA—Arr lark, NYork; schr Jesse Williamson, Jr, May, do. Arr Feb 28, barks Venezuela, Wilson, Laguayra via Por- to Cabello, Feb 1; Elm, Taylor, Providence PROVIDENCE—Arr Feb 26, scbrs Pauline, Stiles, Mo- bile: Washington, Hitchirs, Suffolk, Va; B7th, steamer Pelican, Rogers, NYork; ship Island City, Saunders, Mo- bile; bark Geo W Horton, Packard, NOrleans; brig Chat- tanooga, Bradford, Savannah; schrs Time, Bartlett, Suf- folk; sloops Rhode Irland, Reynolds, and Pointer, Fowler, NYork. Below 27th, brig Lavacca,’ Greenman, from Mo- bile. Sid 26th, bark’ Fanry, Spicer, NYork; schrs Cicero, Adams, Philadelphia; Hufdah Ann West, Phillips, do ot Norfolk (according to wind); George J’ Jones, Look, N York; sloop Harvest, French, do; 27th, schrs Oxford, Baker, Laltimore; Worcester, Rhodes, Philadelphia; Sam- uel Hall, Clendaniel, Fredericka, Del; sleop America, Sturges. NYork. PLY MOUTH—Arr Feb 20, schrs Mary Anna, Gibbs, Philadelphia; 224, Sarah, M‘Donald, do. RICHMOND—Arr Feb! 26, schrs “Hanover, Chichester, and Charity, Burchell, NYork. SId schrs Galego, Nelson, NYork; Martha, Teal, York river, to load for NYork, West- over, ra, City Point, to finish ldg for Boston. SALEM—Sid #eb 24, echr Jerucha Baker, Baker, NYork. Arr Feb 26, schra John Stull, Witcher, Rockland (see Dia- asters). Sid brig Vintage, Gallop, Africa. SAN | FRANCISCO—Sid'Jan 20, ships Syren, Sillaby, China; R B Forbes, Doane, Calcutta: 2ist, barks , Andrews, China; Carthage, Davis, Hong Kong: 224, ships Buena Vista, Calcutta; bark Isabelita yea Hong Kong; California Packet, Valparaiso; 24th, ships Golden City, Dewing, Manila; John Wade, Little. Hong Kong; P Brown, Puget Sound; Warner, Ripley, Valparaiso; Chas Mallory, Benson, NYork, via Honolulu; Monsoon, Vime- cent, Caleutta; Raduga, Cook, Shanghae. SAVANNAH—Cld Feb 24, brig Kendall (Br), Cathrin, St John, NB; schr Tioga, Kelly. Boston, Cld 26th, brigs Matamoras, Wass, Boston; Excel, Tall- mar, NYork; schr Arctic, Wilson, do. tid 26th, solr ‘Tioga, Boston. Passengers Arrived. Haver asp SovrHamprox—Steamship Humboldt.— Mr and Mrs Armand Lachaise, Miss Victorine inehoise, Mrs Emma Divan, 3 children and servant, Mr and Mra Joseph Magellon, Secretary of Spanish Legation, Mr. South: Brack, Joseph Rodney Croskey, United States Consul i ampton, Miss Isabella B Croskey, Miss Loul: Miss Vauline Ostere, Min Maria ‘Thomas, Mi Rorg, Mr and Mrs Joseph Mainberg, Mrs Josephine Vonard, Miss Clara Venard, af and Mra Henry Dubois, Miss Maria Demmunns, Miss Caroline Danphine, ’ Miss Mary Gentil, Miss Louisa Foster, Miss Johanna Clatenmeyer, Miss Augustus Pahard, Mr Allen Asher, F Dechaux, D Hansman, L Prendes, ¢’ Preawerek, C Grass, ‘T Christ, L'Dodler, GStachelin, F Kruder, F Poizerky, F Gecks, A Lanoaili¢, JS H Holmes, Dr W Harlbeek, D Ram- sey, R Stunve, C Bidderman, H Heidelberger, M Guttman, Tui X Seat, L Sehamiat, W Kaind, A Bonjour, F Dejourney: ‘A Mathey, AGuesnen, A Blanc, C Meyer, G Mansfield, C Droz, @ Durst, J-Finance, C Augustus, F Perigoux,” Hi Grandjean, W Waltsheid, A Kahn—Total, 65. A®vINWAII—Steamship Georgia—Mrs Sherry and child, Mrs H Morris, 8 D King, MC Hall, W Rookeoad lady, & M Depesser, lady and child, G F Tannalt, Purser Schell, J M Freeman, P Parvew, C H Royer, WDaytan, A Raphaey,, IM Goggin, spocial agent, PO Dest: J Heeton, JH Baile y su Geo Fran‘lin, Jno A Lemis, Mr HK French, Vita Jones, Mes Doty and three childsen, Ellum Landers, Ly cin. Landers, Virginia, Landers, L & Hy Larne da Landore, aA ders, Count Gipriano and ‘suite, [j M Brit and Wn Clark, Mr Pioree, W A Godfrey, Mra Bowers, Dr riff aad‘ daughter, Maj Conquereau, Shields, J Brown J Fidridge, J Elder, TEnson, D.Kngon, KL Monagn, nasil agent, Col T Johnson, and 261.othem im cabin and ‘sieer- age~-Toral 217. Savaxvan—Steamship Alnbama-—M Bissell, Geo Saad, W. i Bell, © Clark, GR @aley, $ Dunning, M Westmor- land, M ‘Hind, G Austin, Geo M Staley,’ J B Koy, JW Mann, 1.Pardee, J Sancforth, Tk Harris: N'W Cola, HR Hurd, T McKenna, P Martin. Mrs Silber, Mre I? Dessau, Miak, es A Down, Sarah Bawa, 0B Camp tap tady. De wiel Jowin, Pp 249. ' Calhoun and lady, 4 Mendheim, © H Stud well ou MH Decsan, F fs Kendall, brs Senith—20 iv, tho steer Cuanueston—Steamship, Marion--Col J Bird, Mast Dunbar, © Raphael, FM Swanson, JW Wears, WL Stod- dard, JL Faber, Mr Norris, © Carr, 3 McKeckney, Mrs Hollingsworty, R Gol }, E Guemer der, C.J Cam! Mee Genckeot shy D.C eb Miva Hatch and two ehil: dren, W F Smit Richard, W ™axey. W Lambert, Clark. W, Woodbury, PC MeCow an, J Pa Bett | lark. * aa, li EGuila,8 J McReynolds, TMJ ennings—v6 in ateorage, Taurat-Stoarnehip Merlis Coyle, Sir M . pF it Mr tong, We Shond Wiss Kuowles, Me gut: \ lille,