The Chepewa crosses a river on a bridge formed by the body of a large snake (see Long's _Expedition to St. Peter's River_, vol. i. p. 154.); and in the same volume it is stated that the Dacota, or Sioux, believe they must pass over a rock with a sharp edge like a knife. Those who fall off go to the region of evil spirits, where they are worked, tormented, and frequently flogged unmercifully. Now, this bridge for gaining Paradise is just the Alsirat of the Mahomedans; I think it will be found in the _Bibliotheque Orientale_ of D'Herbelot; at all events it is mentioned in the preliminary discourse to Sale's _Koran_. Sale thinks Mahomet borrowed the idea from the Magians, who teach, that on the last day all mankind must pass over the "Pul Chinavad" or "Chinavar," _i.e._ "The Straight Bridge." Farther, the Jews speak of the "Bridge of Hell," which is no broader than a thread. According to M. Hommaire de Hell, the Kalmuck Alsirat is a bridge of iron (or causeway) traversing a sea of filth, urine, &c. When the wicked attempt to pass along this, it narrows beneath them to a hair's breadth, snaps asunder, and thus convicted they are plunged into hell. (_Travels in the Steppes of the Caspian, &c._, p. 252.) Having already trespassed most unconscionably, I forbear farther remark on these coincidences, except that such ideas of futurity being found amongst nations so widely separated, cannot but induce the belief of a common origin, or at least of intimate communication at a former period, and that so remote as to have allowed time for diverging dialects to have become, as it were, distinct languages. A. C. M. Exeter. * * * * * JACOB BOBART. (Vol. viii., p. 37.) The completion of a laborious literary work has taken my attention away from the "N. & Q." for some weeks past, otherwise I should sooner have given MR. BOBART the following information. The engraving of old Jacob Bobart by W. Richardson is _not_ of any value, being a copy from an older print. Query if it is not a copy of the very rare engraving by Loggan and Burghers? The original print of the "founder of the physick garden," "D. Loggan del., M. Burghers sculp., 1675," which Mr. Bobart wishes to procure, may be purchased of A. E. Evans, 403. Strand, for 2l. 12s. 6d. I also learn from Mr. Evans' invaluable _Catalogue of Engraved British Portraits_ (an octavo of 431 pages, lately published), that there exists a portrait of Bobart, "the classical alma mater coachman of Oxford," whole length, by Dighton, 1808. The same catalogue also contains other portraits of the Bobarts. Since my last communication on the present subject, I find the following memorandums in one of my note-books, which possibly may be unknown to your correspondent; they relate to MSS. in the British Museum. Add. MS. 5290. contains 227 folio drawings of various rare plants, the names of which are added in the autograph of Jacob Bobart the elder.