Literary and Scientific Intelligence.
A correspondent at Ganjam has favoured us with the following notice:—
A smart shock of an earthquake was felt here last night about ten o'clock. The ground was violently agitated, and the houses in the town shook so much that the inhabitants ran out into the streets in fright. I have not heard that any buildings actually fell. I send you this notice merely that you may compare notes with other accounts you will doubtless receive from other parts of the country, as so severe a shaking must have been felt a considerable distance.
With reference to the account of the operations at Pamban (see p. 111), we copy the subjoined extract of a letter from Lieut. Lake, of the Engineers, from the Madras Herald:—
"An English schooner yesterday (18th July) laden with iron and going to Negapatam, passed through the channel with a tolerable fresh breeze, and the main sail and jib set, in lieu of anchoring to the south and warping through as is customary. She did it at our suggestion as I was anxious to prove to them how easily they might do it—the Pilots were much against it. She did not take out a single pound of her cargo, and she drew close upon seven feet of water, and passed through an hour and a half before the tide had ceased flowing. A dhoney, drawing six feet, immediately followed her example, both with perfect safety, and never touched. This is I understand the first instance of an English rigged vessel passing through the channel with her sails set—certainly none have done so since I have been here—the depth is therefore considerably above the seven feet. Up to this date from the 1st, 500 tons of stone have been removed from the main channel."
An obliging correspondent at Malacca has forwarded to us a drawing of the Tapir (sent to the Asiatic Society of Bengal, by Lieut Mackenzie, of the 48th Regt. M. N. I.) which gives a very correct delineation of that rare and singular animal. It is a female, of enormous bulk, upwards of four feet high. Several friends who saw the animal at Malacca say, that this drawing gives its contour and general characteristics most faithfully. This being the case, it follows that all the published engravings which we have seen require correction. The figure in the English edition of Cuvier, represents a comparatively light and agile animal, quite devoid of the heavy look, cumbrous figure and rugous skin, delineated in our drawing, and which all our inform-
