ar. The statement, however, does not appear to be credited by some of
the best informed London journals.

The Queen of Madagascar is bent on exterminating Christianity in her
dominions, and has long mercilessly persecuted those who prefer the "new
religion." In the last outburst of this protracted persecution, four
persons were burnt alive; fourteen precipitated from a high rock and
crushed to death; a hundred and seventeen persons condemned to work in
chains as long as they live; twenty persons cruelly flogged with rods,
besides 1,748 other persons mulcted in heavy penalties, reduced into
slavery, and compelled to buy themselves back, or deprived of their wives
and families. Persons of rank have been degraded, and sent as forced
laborers to carry stone for twelve months together to build houses; and,
in an endless variety of other ways have the maddened passions of one
wicked woman been permitted now for years past to plunge a great country
in ruin.

There has been a serious Mussulman riot at Bombay, occasioned by the
Parsee editor of an illustrated newspaper, in each number of which is
given a life and portrait of some remarkable historical character, having
published--in the series (next to one of Benjamin Franklin)--a life and
portrait of Mahomet. Both are said to have been unexceptionable according
to European ideas, but the whole Mussulman population (145,000 in number)
considered their faith insulted and outraged by the publication, holding
it sacrilege and idolatry to imagine and print any likeness whatever of so
sacred a personage.

The Wahabees, who inhabit the interior and highland portion of Arabia,
have pillaged the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, destroying the mosques,
sacking the cities, and carrying off numbers of women and children into
the desert. It is supposed to be in revenge for the punishment inflicted
on them thirty years ago, when they had conquered the same cities.

The Turkish government has introduced the culture of cotton in the
vicinity of Damascus, with seed procured from the United States. It is
successful.

SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES AND PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES.

In London, among the scientific questions of a practical kind much
discussed, is that of a patent process for contracting the fibres of
calico, and of obtaining on calico thus prepared colors of much
brilliancy. It is regarded by chemists as likely to lead to valuable
results. In the British Association, i