MR. URBAN, M. Capefigue in a recent work, entitled" Les Diplomates et Hommes d'Etat Européens," has made some observations on what he considers the humble origin of the noble family of Phipps, represented by the Marquess of Normanby. It appears to me, however, that the facts which he assumes are not at all certain. The old peerage books tell us that Sir Constantine Phipps, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, was son of Sir William Phipps the inventor of the diving-bell, who, it appears, was the son of a gunsmith. Sir Egerton Brydges, however, in his edition of Collins' Peerage, quotes an old published Life of Sir William, which states that he died without issue, and that he adopted a nephew of his wife. This publication being contemporary with the persons in question, must be received as entitled to credit, and we may at present infer that Sir Constantine originally bore a name different from "Phipps."

On consulting the recent peerages, however, we find a new version of the matter. We are told that Sir Constantine was cousin of Sir William and grandson of a Colonel Phipps; but we find no mention of who his father was, which seems to shew that the author of the statement knew nothing about it.

It appears extraordinary that the parentage of a barrister should continue a matter of doubt-every student of law is obliged to put on record the name and addition of his father, and the custom is

an ancient one. I know it is so at the Middle Temple, and I am pretty sure the same may be said of the other three Inns of Court. If then any search has already been made without success in these departments for the immediate ancestor of Sir Constantine, the failure may have arisen from the circumstance of that personage at the time of his entrance and call to the bar having borne some other surname. This would be a bar to further inquiry in most cases, but in the case of a person bearing so unusual a baptismal name as "Constantine," would not add much to the difficulty. I fancy no other barrister may have borne this name, and if only one should be found at that period, that one would then certainly appear to be the gentleman in question. If, however, a few others appeared, their connections could probably be easily ascertained from wills, parish registers, or other sources obvious enough to genealogists, and in this way this curious and mysterious question might be resolved, respecting the origin of a family now become of considerable note.

I find that Sir Constantine was of the Middle Temple, for he resided there at the close of his career. I may remark that the first peer of this family obtained a grant of arms in 1767, which shews that his grandfather, though knighted, never obtained any. I believe the same may be said of many persons who obtained Irish baronetages and peerages, but at present no patent is passed without the registration of arms. Yours, &c. X. Z.

Penrose, Helston, Oct. 1853. MR. URBAN,-I am unwilling to trespass upon your valuable pages with reference to a subject of a personal nature; but I feel that the credit of your Magazine is in some way compromised, when erroneous statements of facts are admitted.

Your August number, p. 139, in mentioning the calamity which befel St. Hilary Church, near this place, in its destruction by fire on Good Friday last, goes somewhat out of the way to throw ridicule upon an individual whose private worth endeared him to all his friends, and whose memory still lives in the hearts of many : I mean Mr. Knill. Statements are there made, which, if true, would certainly be considered to shew more than an eccentricity of character in him of whom they are related: some of these are without foundation, and others are erroneously represented. This will appear from a comparison of your article with the following

account:

GENT. MAG. VOL. XL.

Mr. John Knill was educated for the law, but did not adopt it as a profession; having preferred to accept the office of Collector of Customs at St. Ive's, which he held for many years.

Whilst there he was sent out as Inspector General of Customs in the West India islands, whence he returned to his duties at St. Ive's, after discharging those of his inspectorship.

In 1777 the Earl of Buckinghamshire, who was Recorder of St. Ive's, invited Mr. Knill to accompany him to Ireland as his private secretary, when he was made Lord Lieutenant. This offer Mr. Knill accepted.

In 1782, thirty years before his death, he erected the mausoleum on a hill over. looking St. Ive's, being actuated partly by a philanthropic motive in affording a more safe landmark for ships approaching the port, and partly by a wish to give employment at a time of general distress; having also the intention of being buried there, if the ground could be consecrated. This

3 Q

The past month has brought us most interesting intelligence from the Arctic regions. After three years, tidings have been received of the safety of the Investigator, under the command of Captain M'Clure. This officer was First Lieutenant of Sir James Ross's ship Enterprise, and, having been promoted, volunteered for the second expedition, by way of Behring's Strait. He was appointed to the command of the Investigator, under Capt. Collinson of the Enterprise; with whom he proceeded to Behring's Strait in the early part of 1850. Capt. Collinson having failed to penetrate the pack ice, parted from Capt. M'Clure, and sailed to Hong Kong, where he wintered; but the latter, notwithstanding a signal of recall from Capt. Kellett of the Herald, who was the chief officer on that station, dashed onwards with a bold determination to force a passage to the north-east,-taking on himself the responsibility of disobeying orders. Fortunately his daring has been crowned with success; and it is not a little singular that Capt. Kellett, who was the last person seen by Capt. M'Clure when he entered the ice on the west,should have been the person to rescue him at the expiration of three years on the side of Melville Island on the east. Capt. M'Clure rounded Point Barrow, the north-eastern extremity of Behring's Strait, on the 5th August, 1850, and then bore to the east, keeping near the shore. On the 6th Sept. he reached Cape Parry, and high-land was observed to the east-northeast. This was taken possession of and named Baring Island. Two days later land was observed to the north-north-east, and named Prince Albert's Land. This is continuous with Wollaston and Victoria lands, and extends north to 73° 21′ long. and 112° 48′ west. lat. The ship was then navigated through a narrow channel, running to the north-east, and dividing Baring Island from Prince Albert's Land, which was called Prince of Wales's Strait, and in its centre were found several islands, to which the name of the Princess Royal was given. Sailing up the strait, the ship progressed favourably until the 11th Sept. when she was beset and drifted with the ice, narrowly escaping destruction several times, until the 8th Oct. when she became firmly fixed. A few days longer would have carried her into Barrow Strait, and thus she would have effected the North

West Passage! This was ascertained on the 26th Oct. 1850, during an expedition of ten days, in which Capt. M'Clure and a small party traversed the intervening distance in a sledge.

On the 14th July, 1851, the Investigator was again afloat by the opening of the ice. Great exertions were then made to pass through the strait; but strong north-east winds and large drifts of ice defeated this object. Capt. M'Clure then resolved to attempt to round Baring's Island by its western side. He succeeded in reaching its north side on the 24th Sept. but on the night following the Investigator was again frozen in, and up to the date of Capt. M'Clure's last despatch (April 10, 1853) she had not again been liberated. Her position is in 74° 6' north latitude, and 117° 54' west longitude.

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In April 1852 a party crossed the ice to Melville Island, and deposited there a document giving an account of the proceedings and position of the Investigator. This was, happily, discovered by the officers of the Resolute, Capt. Kellett, only a few days before Capt. M'Clure had arranged to desert his frozen-up ship. Its position was reached by Lieut. Pim, of the Resolute, on the 6th April, 1853. He approached alone, on foot, and in Capt. M'Clure's words, came upon them like an apparition, unnoticed, being taken for one of themselves." The revulsion of feeling at such a meeting can only be fully understood by those who can realise the horrors of such a prison, and the long, dreary, and dreadful paths by which the prisoners were about to attempt their escape from it. They had seen no human faces but those of their own party since leaving Cape Bathurst in August 1850, with the exception of an hour's intercourse, in the summer of 1851, with a few natives upon Prince Albert's Land. Notwithstanding this extraordinary isolation, the crew had enjoyed good health, for the greater part of that time having been well supplied with fresh meat from deer, hares, ptarmigan, and wild fowl. No death occurred until the spring of the present year, when three men fell victims to scurvy. It is probable that the Investigator still continues in the same spot, judging by the excessive quantity of ice observed this summer in Barrow Strait and the neighbouring seas. In the winter of 1852-3 the thermometer fell to the un

precedented temperature of 65 degrees below zero.

The despatches of Sir Edward Belcher from the same regions announce his discovery of the existence of a Polar sea, and of various new points of land and islands. Captain Inglefield, in the Phoenix, has returned home, having lost her tender the Breadalbane transport, by a nip of the ice on the 21st August. Sir Edward Belcher in H.M.S. Assistance and Capt. Kellett are still left in the Arctic seas, as is Capt. Collinson in the Enterprise, which is supposed to have followed the track of Capt. M'Clure, and whose present situation is unknown. When on the eve of sailing, Capt. M'Clure emphatically declared that he would find Sir John Franklin and Capt. Crozier, or make the North-west passage. "He has (remarks the Atheneum), geographically speaking, redeemed the latter part of this pledge; but the fate of those gallant commanders and their crews is hidden yet amid the dark and labyrinthine ice-paths of the Arctic seas. The scientific secret of centuries has been wrenched at last from the Spirit of the North; but the human secret which in these latter days the heart of more nations than our own has so yearned to solve, he guards yet, in spite of all questioning, in some one of his drear and inaccessible caves."

Under the recommendation of the Royal Geographical Society the Lords of the Treasury have granted 2,5007. for a new exploration of the northern part of Australia, to be conducted by the gallant Hungarian, General Haug. He proposes to start from the mouth of the Victoria, to ascend that fine river to one of its sources, and to continue his journey from that point in an easterly direction, the precise route being determined by the nature of the soil and its overgrowths. This movement across country will bring the party to one or other of the many affluents of the streams running northwards into the Gulf of Carpentaria. Afterwards, General Haug proposes to strike into the interior, and settle the great question whether there is, or is not, a great central desert in that continent. So far as the Victoria River has been traced, it was found to be navigable, or capable of being made so; and the country beyond the range of the explorer was seen to be green and beautiful. It may be hoped that the practical difficulty which now confines the colonist in his movements, and prevents a rapid settlement in many quarters of Australia, will be removed by the lights of an ample knowledge of its internal geographical features.

An offer has been made by Mr. Lawson of Bath to found a Midland Observatory at Nottingham, provided 10,000/. were

subscribed to meet 1,0501. from himself and the gift of his instruments. This proposal has been met by a conditional grant of 2,000. from the Treasury, and by various donations, including one of 100 guineas from H.R.H. Prince Albert; and the Corporation of Nottingham have resolved to allot for the purpose three acres of land in the Forest, or six acres on Mapperley Plain. As yet, however, the sum prescribed by Mr. Lawson is deficient by some 3,0001.

Mr. W. Brown, M.P. for South Lancashire, has placed at the disposal of the town council of Liverpool the munificent gift of 6,0001. for the erection of a Free Library, if the corporation will provide a suitable site, in a central part of the town, near St. George's Hall.

J. Phillips, esq. F.G.S. the Curator of the York Museum, and the able and zealous Assistant - Secretary of the British Association, has been appointed to the office of Deputy-Reader in Geology to the University of Oxford, rendered vacant by the death of Mr. Strickland. The appointment is in the gift of the ViceChancellor, and is worth about 250. a-year.

Besides the Literary Pensions lately granted to the Rev. W. Hickey and the widow of D. M. Moir (as noticed in p. 392), we are much gratified to have to announce a pension of 1007. granted to the widow of that very distinguished historical antiquary, Sir N. Harris Nicolas; and another of the like sum to Sir Francis Head, the popular author of "Bubbles from the Brunnens of Nassau " and other wellknown works.

The Foreign Translation Committee of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge have recently reported the completion of various new versions of the Sacred Scriptures, which are of some literary interest, as well as likely to prove important to the countries for which they are provided. A translation of the Bible into Spanish, directly from the Hebrew and Greek originals, and not, as in previous versions, through the medium of the Vulgate, has been superintended by Professor Juan Calderon, of King's College, London. A Polish translation of the New Testament, at the recommendation of Count Krasinski, has been printed in Roman instead of the usual Gothic characters, for distribution among the Polish peasantry of Silesia, and other Slavonic districts. Mr. Jakowski has edited the work on the basis of the Dantzic-Polish version, which has some historical authority. Among works announced as in progress, the most interesting are, a new translation of the Old Testament in Arabic, an Ogibwa Testament, and the printing of the Greek New