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fcioufnefs of doing good to mankind. But Ferdinand, cold, ungrateful, and timid, dared not to comply with a fingle propofal of this kind, left he fhould increafe his own obligations to a man whofe fervices he thought it dangerous to reward.

70. He therefore delayed and avoided any decifion on these fubjects, in hopes that the declining health of Columbus would foon rid the court of the remonftrances of a man, whofe extraordinary merit was in their opinion, a fufficient occafion of deftroying him.

71. In this they were not difappointed. Columbus languished a fhort time, and gladly refigned a life, which had been worn out in the most effential fervices that perhaps were ever rendered, by any human character, to an ungrateful world. DESCRIPTION OF A MARRIAGE-FEAST AT GEORGIA, IN ASIA, FROM CHARDIN'S TRAVELS.

1. THE

HE nuptial feaft was celebrated upon a terrace of the palace, furrounded with eftrades, which are beds of fate, about fix feet in depth, and elevated about two feet above the floor. The terrace was covered with a large pavilion, fixed upon five pillars, twenty feet high. The lining was of cloth of gold and filver, velvet and painted cloth, fo neatly and artificially intermixed, that by the light of the tapers, it appeared like a wainscot of flowers and morefco work.

2. In the midst of this room of state, stood a jet, or fountain of water. The floor was covered with handfome carpets, and forty branches of lights illuminated the room. The four branches which hung nearest the prince, were of gold; the reft were of filver. Each branch fupported a bowl of pure tallow, which fupplied two matches which gave a great light.

3. The guests were feated on the eftrades. The prince in the center had an eftrade fomewhat higher than the others, and covered with a canopy. His fons and brothers were on his right hand; the bishops on his left, and the bridegroom was feated between them. The mufic ftood at the lower end.

4. Soon after the guests were feated, the bridegroom was introduced by the patriarch, and was faluted first by the princes' relations, and afterwards by other guests, who fucceffively paid him their compliments. Then fome prefents were made, confifting of gold, filver and fmall cups.

5. After this ceremony, the guests took their feats and were ferved with fupper. Before each one were spread table

cloths, as large as the eftrades; then bread was ferved of three kinds; one as thin as a wafer; another of the thickness of the finger; and the third was fweetened with fugar.

6. The meat was ferved in large covered filver dishes, each weighing, with the cover, four or five hundred ounces. Thefe difhes were fet upon a table at the entrance of the room; then certain attendants placed them before the carvers, who fent pieces of the meat to each gueft in plates, beginning first with the princes.

7. The feaft confifted of three courfes, each containing fixty of the large difhes. The first courfe confifted of boiled rice, and meat of three different colors. The yellow was boiled with fugar, cinnamon and faffron-the red, with the juice of pomegranates-but the white or natural color was the

best.

S. The fecond courfe confifted of meats baked, flewed and fricafeed; with a variety of ragooes. The third courfe confifted of roafted meats. To all which were added fish, eggs and fallads, for the ecclefiaftics. The feast was conducted without the leaft noife, and with perfect order; every attendant performing his duty without uttering a word.

9. The cupboard contained a hundred and twenty drinking veffels, confifting of bowls, cups, horns, flaggons and jugs. Some were of polished gold, others of enamelled gold, others of filver, or fet with precious ftones. The horns were thofe of the rhinofceros or of deer, elegantly formed and embellifhed. After the third courfe, eight bowls were filled and prefented to the four perfons nearest to the prince, four on each fide. They rofe when they drank-thofe on the right hand first drank a health, being pledged by those on the left-then the others on the left-Then the fame eight bowls were filled for the next eight guests, and in their order the whole company was ferved.

An Account of a famous GROTTO in the Ifland of Antiparos, in the Egean Sea, by an Italian Traveller.

1. HAVING been informed that in the island of Antipa

ros, about two miles from Paros, a gigantic ftatue is to be feen at the mouth of a cavern, it was refolved that we fhould pay it a vifit. In pursuance of this refolve, we landed on the island, and after walking about four miles over beautiful plains and floping woodlands, we came to a little hill,

on the fide of which yawned a moft horrid cavern, which with its gloom at firft ftruck us with terror, and almost repreffed curiofity.

2. Recovering from the first furprife however, we entered boldly, and had not proceeded above twenty paces, when the fuppofed ftatue of the giant prefented itself to our view. We quickly perceived that what the ignorant natives had been terrified at as a giant, was nothing more than a sparry concretion, formed by the water dropping from the roof of the cave, and by degrees hardening into a figure, that their fears had formed into a monster.

s. Incited by this extraordinary appearance, we were induced to proceed still further, in quest of new adventures in this fubterraneous cavity. As we proceeded, new wonders offered themselves; the fpars formed into trees and fhrubs, prefented a kind of grove of petrifactions; fome white, fome green, and all receding in due perfpective. Thefe ftruck us with the more amazement, as we knew them to be mere pro-" ductions of nature, who had, in her playful moments, dreffed the folitary fcene, as if for her own amufement.

4. But we had as yet feen a few only of the wonders of the place; being introduced only into the portico of this amazing temple. In one corner of this half illuminated recefs, there appeared an opening of about three feet wide, which feemed to lead to a place totally dark, and one of the natives affured us it contained nothing more than a refervoir of water. Upon this we made an experiment, by throwing down fome ftones, which rumbling down the fides of the defcent for fome time, the found seemed at last quafhed in a bed of water. In order however to be more certain, we fent in a Levantine mariner, who, by the promise of a good reward, with a flamboe in his hand, ventured into this narrow aperture.

5. In about fifteen minutes, he returned, bringing fome beautiful pieces of white fpar, which art could neither imitate nor equal. Upon being informed by him that the place was full of these beautiful incruftations, I ventured to accompany the mariner into the opening, about fifty paces, anxioufly and cautiously defcending by a fleep and dangerous way.

6. Finding however that we came to a precipice which led into a fpacious amphitheater, if I may fo call it, ftill deeper han any other part, we returned, and being furnished with a

ladder, flamboes and other things to expedite our defcent, our whole company, man by man, ventured into the fame opening, and defcending one after another, we at last faw ourfelves all together in the moft magnificent part of the cav.

ern.

7. Our candles being now all lighted, and the whole place completely illuminated, never could the eye be prefented with a more fplendid fcene. The roof was all hung with glittering icicles, tranfparent as glafs, yet folid as marble. The eye could fcarce reach the lofty and noble ceiling; the fides were regularly formed with fpars; and the whole reprefented a magnificent theater illuminated with an immenfe profufion of lights.

8. The floor confifted of folid marble; and in feveral pla ces magnificent colemns, thrones, altars and other objects appeared, as if nature had intended to mock the curiofities of

art.

Our voices, upon fpeaking or finging, were redoubled to a thundering loudnefs; and upon the firing of a gun, the noife and reverberations were almost deafening.

9. In the midst of this grand and picturesk scenery, rose a concretion of about fifteen feet high, which, in fome meafure resembled an altar, from which taking a hint, we caused mafs to be celebrated. The beautiful columns that fhot up round the altar, appeared like candlesticks; and many other natural objects reprefented the customary ornaments of this facrament.

Yo. Below this fpacions grotto, there feemed another cav ern, down which I ventured with my guide, and defcended by means of a rope, about fifty paces. Here I found a fmall fpot of level earth, confifting of foft clay, yielding to preffure, and in which I thruft a flick to about the depth of fix feet. In this however, as in the apartment above, were formed numbers of the most elegant crystals, one of which resembled a table.

11. Upon our leaving this cavern, we discovered an infcription in Greek upon a rock at the mouth, but fo far obliterated by time as not to be legible. It feemed to import that one Antipater, in the time of Alexander, had visited this place; but whether he had penetrated into the depth of the cavern we could not collect from the infcription.

EXTRAORDINARY BELLS IN RUSSIA.

*. THE Ruffians have a great fondness for bells of an enormous fize, and diftinguish the fanctity of different days, by the different peals, or manner of ringing them. Thefe bells are hung in belfreys detached from the churches; and do not fwing like our bells, but are fixed immoveably to beams, and rung by a rope tied to the clapper, and pulled fideways.

2. One of thefe bells in the tower of St. John's church weighs one hundred and twenty feven thousand pounds, or more than fixty three tons. It is deemed a meritorious act of religion to prefent a church with a bell, and the piety of the donor is estimated by the fize of the prefent.

3. The Emperor Boris gave to the Cathedral of Moscow, a bell weighing two hundred and eighty eight thousand pounds, or a hundred and forty four tons. The emprefs Ann, determining not to be furpaffed in this kind of piety, procured a bell to be caft, which weighed four hundred and thirty two thousand pounds, or two hundred and fixteen tons.

4. This bell was nineteen feet long and its circumference at the large end twenty one yards and eleven inches-Its greatest thick nefs was twenty three inches. The beam fupporting this enormous bell being burnt by accident, it fell and a fragment was broke out, which left an aperture fufficiently. large to admit two men abreaft, without stooping.

THE VILLA OF PRINCE ZARTORISKI, IN POLAND, FROM COXE'S TRAVELS.

1.

* THE

HE villa of prince Zartoriski is about three miles from Warfaw in the midft of a foreft. The fituation is almost a level, with here and there a gentle flope, which affords an agreeable variety. A river runs through the grounds, which are laid out in the English manner, with a beautiful intermixture of lawn and wood. Walks are cut through the wood, and carried along the fide of the water.

2. The houfe, which ftands upon a gentle rife, has the appearance of a cottage, conftructed like those of the peasants, with trunks of trees piled upon each other, and thatched with ftraw. Befide the principal building, occupied by the prince and princefs, there are feparate cottages for the children and attendants, each of which has its inclosures and fmall garden. The whole groop appears like a village of fcattered huts.

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