that they have one or more islands in their lagoon. They commonly form a ring round mountainous islands, at a distance of two or three miles from the shore, rising on the outside from a very deep ocean, and separated from the land by a lagoon or channel 200 or 300 feet deep. These reefs surround the submarine base of the island, and, rising by a steep ascent to the surface, they encircle the island itself. The Caroline Archipelago already mentioned, exhibits good examples of this structure in the encircled islands of Hogolen and Seniavine: the narrow ring or encircling reef of the former is 135 miles in its very irregular circuit, on which are a vast number of islets; but six or eight islands rise to a considerable height from its lagoon, which is so deep, and the opening into it so large, that a frigate might sail into it. The encircling reef of Seniavine is narrow and irregular, and its lagoon is so nearly filled by a lofty island, that it leaves only a strip of water round it from two to five miles wide and 30 fathoms deep. Otaheite, the largest of the Society group, is another instance of an encircled island of the most beautiful kind; it rises in mountains 7,000 feet high, with only a narrow plain along the shore, and, except where cleared for cultivation, it is covered with forests of cocoa-nut, palms, bananas, bread-fruit, and other productions of a tropical climate. The lagoon, which encompasses it like an enormous moat, is 30 fathoms deep, and is hemmed in from the ocean by a coral band of the usual kind, at a distance varying from half a mile to three miles. Barrier reefs are of precisely the same structure as the two preceding classes, from which they only differ in their own position with regard to the land. A barrier reef off the north-east coast of the continent of Australia is the grandest coral formation existing. Rising at once from an unfathomable ocean, it extends 1,000 miles along the coast, with a breadth varying from 200 yards to a mile, and at an average distance of from 20 to 30 miles from the shore, in some places increasing to 60 and even 70 miles. The great arm of the sea included between it and the land is nowhere less than 10, occasionally 60 fathoms deep, and is safely navigable throughout its whole length, with a few transverse openings, by which ships can enter. The reef is really 1,200 miles long, because it stretches nearly across Torres Straits. There are also extensive barrier reefs on the islands of Louisiade and New Caledonia, which are exactly opposite to the great Australian reef, and as atolls stud that part of the Pacific which lies between them, it is called the Coralline Sea. The rolling of the billows along the great Australian reef has been admirably described. The long ocean-swell, being suddenly impeded by this barrier, lifted itself in one great continuous ridge of deep blue water, which, 6 curling over, fell on the edge of the reef in an unbroken cataract of dazzling white foam. Each line of breaker runs often one or two miles in length with not a perceptible gap in its continuity. There was a simple grandeur and display of power and beauty in this scene that rose even to sublimity. The unbroken roar of the surf, with its regular pulsation of thunder, as each succeeding swell fell first on the outer edge of the reef, was almost deafening, yet so deep-toned as not to interfere with the slightest nearer and sharper sound. ... Both the sound and sight were such as to impress the spectator with the consciousness of standing in the presence of an overwhelming majesty and power.'* Coral reefs are distinct from all the foregoing; they are merely fringes of coral along the margin of a shore, and, as they line the shore itself, they have no lagoons. A vast extent of coast, both on the continents and islands, are fringed by these reefs, and, as they frequently surround shoals, they are very dangerous. Lagoon islands are the work of various species of coral insects; but those particular polypi which build the profound external wall, the foundation and support of the whole ring or reef, are most vigorous when most exposed to the breakers; they cannot exist at a greater depth than 25 or 30 fathoms at most, and die immediately when left dry, yet the coral wall descends precipitously to unfathomable depths; and although the whole of it is not the work of these insects, yet the perpendicular thickness of the coral is known to be very great, extending hundreds of feet below the depth at which these polypi cease to live. From an extensive survey of the coralline seas of the tropics, Mr. Darwin has found an explanation of the singular phenomena in the instability of the crust of the earth, TARE AND TRET. (1) If 1 cwt. of butter cost £3, what will be the price of 125 firkins: gross weight 6 tons 7 cwt. 2 qrs. 21 lbs. ; tare 11 lbs. per firkin? (2) What is the price of 8 cwt. 21 lbs., at 98. 21d. per. cwt., allow ing the usual tret ? cwt. 3 qrs. 11 lbs. of rice at 15s. 6d. (3) What is to be paid for per cwt., allowing the usual tret? (4) What is the price of 800 raw hides at 19s. 10d. per cwt.: gross weight 15 tons 6 cwt. 3 qrs. 15 lbs. ; tret lbs. per hide? (5) What must I pay for 2 hhds. of tallow, No. 1 weighing 10 cwt. 1 qr. 11 lbs., tare 3 qrs. 20 lbs. ; and No. 2, tare, 3 qrs. 14 lbs.; tret for the whole, 1 lb. 30s. per cwt? * Mr. Jukes. 11 cwt. 17 lbs. ; per cwt.; price THE BATTLE OF AGINCOURT. (From 'Agincourt,' by Sir Harris Nicolas.) cote-d'armes, coat-of-arms, now called in-fu'-ri-a-ted, enraged van, the front of an army pal'-li-ate, to excuse, to lessen [Henry V. revived the claim of the English Kings to the throne of France. He invaded that country, and the result of the battle of Agincourt was a treaty by which it was agreed that Henry should succeed the reigning monarch Charles VI., marry the Princess Katherine, and be Regent of the Kingdom during the King's life.] AT daybreak on Friday, October 25, 1415, the French army drew up in order of battle, in three lines, on the plain of Agincourt, through which was the route to Calais. As soon as they were formed they seated themselves in companies, as near as possible to their respective banners, awaiting with full confidence of victory the approach of the English. Henry rose at the earliest dawn, and immediately heard mass; he was habited in his cote d'armes, containing the arms of France and England quarterly, and wore on his bacinet a magnificent crown. Being equipped for action, he mounted a small grey horse, and without commanding the trumpets to sound, ordered his men out of their quarters, and drew them up in order of battle upon a fine plain of young corn. The main body of the English army, consisting of men-atarms, was commanded by Henry in person; the vanguard, by the Duke of York, was posted as a wing on the right; and the rearguard, commanded by Lord Camois, as a wing on the left. The archers were placed between the wings in the form of a wedge, with their poles (long stakes sharpened at each end) fixed before them to defend them from an attack of cavalry, and the flanks were protected by hedges and coppices. Everything being prepared for the contest, Henry rode along his lines, and addressed them with great spirit and effect. After the armies had remained in the same position for some hours, each waiting the advance of the other, a negociation was commenced with a view of forming a truce; but the terms proposed by the English king not being acceded to, the venerable Sir Thomas Erpingham, a knight of the garter and a soldier of the highest reputation, was ordered to array the archers, and place them in front, and he exhorted all in Henry's name to fight vigorously; then, riding before the archers, he drew them up, and when this was done he threw his baton into the air, exclaiming, 'Now strike,' which was answered by a loud cry; after which he dismounted, and placed himself in the king's battalion, who was also on foot, opposite his men, with his banner borne before him. It was now between ten and eleven in the forenoon, and Henry, finding that the greater part of the day had been wasted, and that the French would not approach, but were probably either waiting for reinforcements or expecting to oblige him to surrender for want of provisions, resolved to commence the attack. Having issued the command, 'Banners advance,' the soldiers immediately prostrated themselves to the ground, beseeching the Almighty; and each of them put a small piece of earth into his mouth, in remembrance, as has been conjectured, that they were mortal, and formed of dust. They then marched towards the enemy in three lines, with great firmness and intrepidity, uttering repeated shouts, and with their trumpets sounding. The constable, on seeing them approach, after earnestly admonishing his men to confess their sins and fight bravely, ordered his advanced guard to march toward the English, which they did, crying, 'Montjoye! Montjoye!' The battle commenced by the English archers shooting their arrows as soon as they were within reach of the enemy, and much execution was done among them before the combatants closed. The French cavalry, posted along the flanks, attacked the archers on each side, but the division commanded by Elignet de Brabant, admiral of France, which consisted of 800 horse, and was intended to break through them, was reduced to about 150, who attempted it in vain, being compelled to retreat from the vollies of arrows. Sir William de Saveuse, with 300 menat-arms, likewise gallantly endeavoured to accomplish this object, but he was immediately killed; his followers were repulsed by the archers placing their pointed stakes before them, and the horses being infuriated by the wounds from the arrows, became unmanageable, great part of them, with their riders rolling on the earth from pain, whilst the others fled at the utmost speed upon the van, threw it into confusion, and forced it back upon some newly-sown ground. Of this fortunate circumstance Henry took instant advantage, by causing his men to advance upon them with the greatest celerity, at which moment the flanks of both armies immerged into the woods on each side. When the French advance guard, who had boldly marched towards them, under the great disadvantage of having the sun in their eyes, came near, whether from the effect of the heavy discharge of arrows, which pierced through the sides and beaver of their bacinets, or with the view of sooner penetrating the English lines, they suddenly formed themselves into three divisions, and charged with so much impetuosity in three places where the banners stood, that for a short period the English gave way, but quickly rallying they recovered their ground, and repulsed their assailants with tremendous loss. The conflict was then very severe; they threw aside their bows and fought with overwhelming impetuosity with the swords, bills, lances, and hatchets, with which the field was covered, slaying all before them. A dreadful slaughter consequently took place in the van of the French army, and the assailants speedily reached the second line, which was posted in the rear of the first. For a time the English met with a spirited opposition, but the confusion which produced the defeat of the van now extended to this division, and those immense numbers on which they placed such reliance became the chief cause of their destruction. Standing upon soft ground, and heavily armed, without sufficient room to move, they necessarily impeded each other; and being thus unable to offer any material resistance, they fell victims as much to the unfortunate situation and circumstances in which they were placed as to the valour of their enemies. When the French lines gave way, the Duke of Alençon mounted his horse, with the hope of rallying the fugitives; but finding it impossible, he returned to the scene of danger, and after performing prodigies of valour, was slain, while in personal combat with the King of England. The rear seeing what had befallen their companions, took to flight, leaving only the chief leaders on the field, and such of them as survived were made prisoners. At that moment great numbers of the French who had been routed, including part of the rearguard, collected as if they intended to renew the conflict, and Henry being informed that they had actually attacked his rear and plundered his baggage, expected that he was to be again engaged-an event which, from the amount of his prisoners, who would of course join their countrymen, he had every cause to fear might prove fatal; imperative necessity consequently dictated what no other circumstances could possibly palliate, and every man was ordered to put his prisoner to death. They refused, however, to obey; and it would be an honourable trait in the character of the conquerors, if the refusal sprang from feelings of honour and humanity, but unfortunately this reluctance is attributed to an unwillingness to lose the benefit of their ransoms, as the greater part were persons of distinction. An esquire and two hundred archers were therefore ordered to perform the horrible office, who obeyed the command in a manner which is described as having been a fearful sight to see.' In this shocking massacre few were spared excepting the Dukes of Orleans and Bourbon, and some other illustrious individuals. The English archers, to whose gallantry and steadiness the victory may be chiefly attributed, wore little armour, but were |