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(N. lat. 59° 20', and E. lon. 140°), is so rare an event, that it will be an epoch in the annals of navigation. The cargo consisted of Meal, Rice, Salt, Brandy, Rum, Linen, colonnades bois d'Acajou, and wrought Iron. The captain has made an excellent speculation of it. The crew consisted of natives of Bengal, whose colour and strength made a striking contrast with the inhabitants of Siberia, who saw among them, for the first time, the natives of Southern Asia. "Our present winter," (at Tobolsk) continues these accounts, "is as severe as the last was mild. The 2d and 3d of this month (14th and 15th N. S.) the mercury was frozen. The town of Jeniseive is buried in snow."

The preceding account is indeed a small beginning; but we confidently predict that it is the beginning of a most important, extensive, and lucrative branch of commerce to Great Britain. It is a trade which, in all her native productions, and in the valuable productions of her tropical colonies, must remain exclusively hers. It is the policy and interest of Russia to encourage and extend it, as the surest means of increasing the population, and developing the internal resources of these distant parts of her empire. Few are aware of the great advances Russia is making, not only on the eastern shores of Asia, but on the western shores of America. Her empire is there spread over wide countries, all capable of immense improvements. The easy communication which these places afford with all the tropical islands in the Great Pacific Ocean, with all the isles of Japan, all the eastern shores of China, and the whole East Indian Archipelago, point out these northern places of Siberia, as the cradle of a brave and hardy race of men, who, under the fostering care and powerful arm of Russia, will spread knowledge, industry, and civilization, over a vast space of this globe, now almost unknown and of little use to mankind. The immense distance of these possessions, and the stupendous events which were lately occurring in our quarter of the globe, completely hid from our view, or took away from our consideration, the silent but sure progress of the arts of social life in that distant part of our hemisphere. Nevertheless, their march has been considerable, and must advance with an increased ratio.

Cut off as these possessions are from the western and well-cultivated provinces of the Russian empire, by the immense extent of bleak uncultivated deserts, it is the communication with other parts of the world by sea which must raise them to importance. Trade alone can do this; and till a free passage is found round the north-east shores of Asia, through Behring's Straits, that trade must chiefly belong to, or be carried on between, Great Britain and her colonies; nay, even were that communication found, still the articles which the population of these countries would require, either for utility or luxury, are the productions of the British soil, British skill, and the growth of British colonies. New acquisitions will produce new wants. Wants will create industry among the hardy population of these northern latitudes. The climate will yield to culture, and the ores, gems, skins, and fisheries of Eastern Siberia, will command the introduction of the productions of tropical regions, and the superior manufactures of Great Britain.

The extension and consolidation of the power of Russia in that quarter, is an event that must take place. It is an event to be wished, not dreaded, by every friend of the human race. It must require the strong arm of a powerful empire, to protect and raise into importance possessions such as these at present are. Their rise to importance must benefit, but can never injure any European power. They are too far removed from the grand source of Russian power, and from all our possessions, ever to make themselves either formidable or dangerous to us. When these countries also shall become the seat of a large population and a powerful state, there can be little doubt but the authority which emanates from St Petersburgh will no longer hold them in subjection. Directing their march east from Europe, industry and civilization are planting their banners on the shores of Kamtschatka, and going westward from Quebec and Washington, they will soon appear on the hills of Nootka Sound, and bleak shores of Oonalashka.

The Russian power on the eastern coasts of Asia at present extend to the mouth of the Amur, in about 54° north latitude, while the southern point of the peninsula of Kamtschatka reaches as low as 51° north latitude. From thence the distance along a chain of islands to the northern islands of the empire of Japan is not 300 miles, and from the island of Jesso not above 700 miles. Should the present expedition to the north pole prove successful, and a free communication be found from the Atlantic Ocean, through the Northern Sea, into the North Pacific Ocean, through Behring's Straits, then the route from Ireland is almost due north to, and due south from, the pole to these Straits. The distance from the Orkneys to Behring's Straits is 3240 geographical, or 3753 British miles, and from Behring's Straits to Japan, the course is souths 49° west, and the distance 2110 geographical, or 2444 British miles, making the whole distance, by this rout, from the most northern British isles to Japan only 5350 geographical, or 6197 British miles―a distance rather less than from Greenock to Rio de Janeiro. To Nootka Sound the distance is nearly the same, and to Kamtschatka on the Asiatic, and Alaska on the American shore, the voyage would not be much greater than from Clyde to Jamaica.

The present age has witnessed many extraordinary events. It is by no means improbable but that we may soon hear of an event equal in importance to any which has gone before it, namely, that the British flag floats on the breeze which ruffles the ocean at the