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whip, which he applied with all his force across the shoulders, but which did not appear to make any impression, although a dozen lashes were applied. Immediately after this, the operation of bleeding was had recourse to, and the conversation occurred as related before, during the time the blood was flowing. After the arm was tied up, Mr. Hewson, jun. told him to take some lights to a customer; he answered he had taken them in the morning. He was then told by Mr. Hewson, sen. to take some more; that is of no use, he answered, I shall have to bring them back again in three or four minutes from this he awoke, and getting up, wondered at the scene around him, but could not tell any thing of what had occurred, or be made sensible of having done any thing: but

recollected having fetched in water, and of having moved from one chair to the other, in the kitchen, being the last two acts previous to sinking into the trance. His eyes were several times opened by force, and the pupils regularly contracted and dilated, but he was not sensible to vision. It was ascertained from his mother, on the Tuesday following, that twelve months previous he had been attacked with fever, which had affected his brain, and for which he had been sent to the Fever House at Battle Bridge, where bis head was shaved and blistered.

Query? whether this latter circumstance could have, in any way, affected the particular nerves oppressed in this trance. BENJAMIN RIDGE, Surgeon, &c.

(Sel. Mag.)

No. 1, Bridge Road, Lambeth.

SCRIPTURE ILLUSTRATIONS.

Eastern Bottles.

CHARDIN informs us, that the Arabs, and all those who lead a wandering life, preserve their water, milk, and other liquors, in leathern bottles. "They keep in them more fresh than otherwise they would do. These leathern bottles are made of goat-skins. When the animal is killed, they cut off its feet and its head, and they draw it in this manner out of the skin without opening its belly. They afterwards sew up the places where the legs were cut off and the tail, and when it is filled they tie it about the neck, These nations, and the country people of Persia, never go a journey without a small leathern bottle of water hanging by their side like a scrip. The great leathern bottles are made of the skin of a he-goat, and the small ones that serve instead of a bottle of water on the road, are made of a kid's skin." These bottles are frequently rent when old and much used, and are capable of being repaired by being bound up. "This they do," CHARDIN says, "sometimes by setting in a piece: sometimes by gathering up the wounded place in the manner of a purse: sometimes they put in a round flat piece of wood, and by that means stop the hole." MAUNDRELL gives a similar account.

Speaking of the Greek convent at Bellmount, near Tripoli in Syria, he says, "The same person whom we saw officiating at the altar in his embroidered sacerdotal robe, brought us the next day, on his own back, a kid and a goatskin of wine as a present from the convent." MR. BRUCE gives a description of the girba, which seems to be a vessel of the same kind as those now mentioned, only of dimensions considerably larger. "A girba is an ox's skin, squared, and the edges sewed together very artificially, by a double seam which does not let out water, much resembling that upon the best English cricket-balls. An opening is left at the top of the girba, in the same manner as the bunghole of a cask; around this the skin is gathered to the size of a large handful, which, when the girba is full of water, is tied round with whipcord. These girbas generally contain about sixty gallons each, and two of them are the load of a camel. They are besmeared on the outside with grease, as well to hinder the water from oozing through, as to prevent its being evaporated by the heat of the sun upon the girba; which, in fact, happened to us twice, so as to put us in imminent danger of perishing with thirst."

Tegetable Corrective of Bitter or Brackish Water. Exodus xv. 23, 25. "And they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter.-And Moses cried unto the Lord; and the

Lord showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet.

The Hebrew word marah signifies

Waters of Marah-Gates of Ancient Cities—Asiatic Ox-Goad. 57

bitter. The water of the deserts of the East in general, and in particular in a part of the great Arabian desert, is bitter and brackish. It has likewise been discovered, that there are several kinds of plants by which this water is rendered drinkable. Thus, a certain tree growing on the coast of Coromandel, which is called in the Tamul language nellimaram, possesses this power. A missionary of the name of Kirnander states, that in the year 1744 they had the misfortune to have a fine spring, in the garden of the missionaries turn bitter from a want of rain, which is frequently the case. He was advised to cut down a nellimaram, and to throw it into the spring: he did so, and the water became and remained drinkable. The Tamulians, when dig

ging a well, employ this wood as the underlayer, which is let down into the water, and stones built over it.

In Peru there is a plant, called by the Spaniards Yerva Caniani, which has the power of purifying and rendering drinkable any water, however brackish and corrupt. The Peruvians, when they travel to Buenos Ayres or Chili, always carry the herb with them, and do not hesitate to drink any water which they meet with on the way, when they have purified it with this herb; which is done by pouring the water upon it, and letting it stand a few minutes before it is wanted for use. The water thus purified, nearly resembles warm water poured upon the best green tea : its colour is light green with a light yellowish tinge.

The Gates of Ancient Cities.

Deuteronomy xxi. 19. "And they shall bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place." The gates of cities were in former times the places of judicature and of common resort. Here the governors and elders of the city went to hear complaints, administer justice, make conveyances of titles and estates, and, in short, to transact all the public affairs of the place. And hence the Psalmist remarks, " They shall not be ashamed when they speak with their

The Asiatic

Judges iii. 31. "And after him was Shamgar, the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox-goad.”—Mr. Maundrell has an observation, which at once explains this transaction, and removes every difficulty from the passage. He says, "The country people were now every where at plough in the fields, in order to sow cotton. It was observable that in ploughing they used goads of an extraordinary size. Upon measuring of several, I found them about eight feet long, and, at the bigger end, six inches in circumference. They were armed at the lesser end with a

8 ATHENEUM VOL. 1. new series.

enemies in the gate." It is probable, that the room or hall where the magistrates sat, was over the gate, because Boaz is said to go up to the gate: and the reason of having it built there seems to have been for the convenience of the inhabitants, who, being all husbandmen, are forced to pass and repass every morning and evening as they went to and came from their labour, might be more easily called as they went by, whenever they were wanted to appear on any business.

Ox-Goad.

sharp prickle, for driving the oxen; and at the other end with a small spade or paddle of iron, strong and massy, for cleansing the plough from the clay that encumbers it in working. May we not from hence conjecture that it was with such a goad as one of these, that Shamgar made that prodigious slaughter related of him, Judges iii. 31? I am confident that whoever should see one of these instruments, would judge it to be a weapon not less fit, perhaps fitter, than a sword, for such an execution. Goads of this sort I saw always used hereabouts, and also in Syria, and the reason is, because the same person

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both drives the oxen, and also holds and manages the plough; which makes it necessary to use such a goad as is above described, to avoid the incumbrance of two instruments."

Maundrell's Journey. "At Tyre," Mr. Buckingham observes, "they were ploughing the ground for corn. Oxen were yoked in pairs for this purpose, and the plough was small and of simple construction; so that it appeared necessary for two to follow each other in the same furrow, as they invariably did. The

husbandman, holding the plough with one hand, by a handle like that of a walking-crutch, bore in the other a goad of seven or eight feet in length, armed with a sharp point of iron at one end, and at the other with a plate of the same metal, shaped like a calking-chiset. One attendant only was necessary for each plough, as he who guided it with one hand, spurred the oxen with the point of the goad, and cleared the earth from the plough-share, by its spaded heel, with the other." Buckingham's Travels in Palestine.

Copiousness of Eastern Dews. Judges vi. 38. "And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl-full of water.-It may seem a little improbable to us who inhabit these northern climates, where the dews are inconsiderable, how Gideon's fleece, in one night, should contract such a quantity, that when he came to wring it, a bowl-full of water was produced. Irwin, however, in his voyage

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up the Red Sea, when on the Arabian shores, observes, "Difficult as find it to keep ourselves cool in the day-time, it is no easy matter to defend our bodies from the damps of the night, when the wind is loaded with the heaviest dews that ever fell. We lie exposed to the whole weight of the dews; and the cloaks in which we wrap ourselves are as wet in the morning as if they had been immersed in the sea."

Description of a Desert.

Psalm cvii. 4, 5. "They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way.— Thirsty, their soul fainted in them." "It is difficult to form a correct idea of a desert, without having been in one. It is an endless plain of sand and stones, sometimes intermixed with mountains of all sizes and heights, without roads or shelter, and without any sort of produce for food.

"Generally speaking, in a desert there are a few springs of water, some of them at the distance of four, six, and eight days journey from one another, and not all of sweet water; on the contrary, it is generally salt or bitter; so that if the thirsty traveller drinks of it his thirst is increased, and he suffers more than before. But when the calamity happens, that the next well which is so anxiously sought for, is found dry, the misery of such a situation cannot be well described. The camels, which afford the only means of escape, are so thirsty that they cannot proceed to another well, and if the

travellers kill them to extract the little liquid which remains in their stomachs, they themselves cannot advance any further. The situation is dreadful, and admits of no resource. Many perish, victims of the most horrible thirst. It is then that the value of a cup of water is really felt.

"In such a case there is no distinction. If the master has none, the servant will not give it to him; for very few are the instances where a man will voluntarily lose his life to save that of another. What a situation for a man, though a rich one, perhaps the owner of all the caravan. He is dying for a cup of water-no one gives it to him; he offers all he possesses-no one hears him; they are all dying, though by walking a few hours further they might be saved.

"In short, to be thirsty in a desert, without water, exposed to the burning sun, without shelter, and with no hopes of finding either, is the most terrible situation that a man can be placed in,

and one of the greatest sufferings that a human being can sustain: the tongue and lips swell; a hollow sound is heard in the ears which brings on deafness, and the brain appears to grow thick and inflamed.

“If, unfortunately, any one falls sick on the road, he must either endure the fatigue of travelling on a camel, which

is troublesome even to healthy people, or he must be left behind on the sand, without any assistance, and remain so till a slow death come to relieve him. No one remains with him, not even his old and faithful servant; no one will stay and die with him; all pity his fate, but no one will be his companion." Belzoni.

Eastern Hospitality.

Genesis xix. 2. "Turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways."-The Eastern nations have always distinguished themselves by their great hospitality. The following instance, from Tavernier's Travels, is truly characteristic.

"We were not above a musket shot from Auna, when we met with a come ly old man, who came up to me, and

Egyptian

Numbers xi. 5. "We remember the onions which we did eat in Egypt freely."-"Whoever has tasted onions in Egypt," observes Hasselquist, "must allow that none can be found better in any part of the universe. Here they are sweet, in other countries they are nauseous and strong; here they are soft, whereas in the north and other parts they are hard of digestion. Hence they cannot, in any place, be eaten with less prejudice and more satisfaction than in Egypt. They eat them roasted, cut into four pieces, with some bits of roasted meat, which the Turks in Egypt call kobah; and with this dish they are so delighted that I have heard them wish they might enjoy it in Paradise. They likewise make soup of them in Egypt, cutting the onions in small pieces: this I think one of the best dishes I ever eat.”

THE SOULS SOULS of the just! whose truth and love, Like light and warmth, once lived below, Where have ye ta'en your flight above, Leaving life's vale in wintry woe? God hath withdrawn you near his throne, Centre and source of brightness all, As o'er yon hills the evening sun Recalls his beams when shadows fall.

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taking my horse by the bridle, 'Friend,' said he, come and wash thy feet, and eat bread at my house. Thou art a stranger, and, since I have met thee upon the road, never refuse me the favour which I desire of thee. We could not choose but go along with him to his house, where he feasted us in the best manner he could, giving us over and above barley for our horses; and for ourselves he killed a lamb and some hens."

Onions.

Dr. Edward Brown, in his description of Larissa, in Thessaly, says, "The inhabitants use garlick in most of their dishes, and their onions are extraordinary, as large as two or three common sized ones with us, and of a far better taste; being sharp, quick, and pleasantly pungent, without any offensive smell. Though I was no lover of onions before, yet I found these exceedingly pleasant. I asked a Chiaus, then with us, who had travelled through most of the Turkish dominions, whether he had any where met with as good onions as those of Thessaly, who answered me that the onions of Egypt were better; which was the first time I sensibly understood the expression in the Scripture; and ceased to wonder why the Israelites lingered after the onions of that country."

OF THE JUST.

But there are wistful eyes that find
A loss in every parting ray;
And there are exiled souls behind
That long with you to fly away.
Oh! happy hour, when ev'ry germ

Of captive spirit shall be free,
And shine with you, all bright and warm,
Around one glorious Deity!

New M.

(Blackwood's Edingb. Mag.)

"Quel dommage que tout cela nourrira ! Oui, Monsieur ! mais cela n'est pas pourri."

BEAUTY.

JOHN OHN BULL and Lord Byron are agreed on one point at least. Both assert "cant" to be the prevailing moral feature of the age we live in. Innumerable scribblers have caught up the same note, and spun it out in endless variation, and I, among the small fry of literature, am fain to join in the chorus. Of all cants, then, one of the most sickening to my taste is that of some parents who pretend (for I give them little credit for sincerity) to deprecate for their female offspring the possession of that precious gift, as it really is, or, as they are pleased to term it, "that dangerous endowment," personal attractiveness. They affect, for sooth, to thank Providence that their daughters are no beauties"—or to sigh and lament over their dangerous comeliness, and then they run out into a long string of trite axioms, and stale common-places, about the snares and vanities of this wicked world, as if none but beauties were exposed to the assaults of the tempter. Now, I am firmly of opinion, (nay, every day experience proves it so,) that ugly women, called plain by courtesy, are just as likely to slip and stumble in those treacherous pitfalls, as others of their sex, more distinguished by personal attractions; and that, on a fair average, pretty women are the happiest, as well as the most agreeable of the species.

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Let us take a fair sample of this genus-not a perfect specimen. The botanist may select such for his herbal, but it would not so well answer our purpose in exemplifying human varie ties. Let us suppose a child endowed with moderate abilities, an amiable disposition, and a decent share of beauty, and other children in the same family, gifted in an equal proportion with the same mental qualifications, but wholly destitute of exterior advantages. Will not the fair attractive child be the most favoured, the best beloved, generally speaking, even of those parents who endeavour to be, and honestly believe

that they are, most conscientiously impartial? The same anxious cares may, it is true, be equally bestowed on all. The same tender and endearing epithets be applied to all-but the eye will linger longest on the sweet countenance of the lovely little one, the parental kiss will dwell more fondly on its cherub lip, and the voice, in speaking to it, will be involuntarily modulated to softer and more tender tones. I am not arguing that this preference, however involuntarily and unconscious it may be, is even then wholly defensible, or that, if knowingly, and weakly yielded to, it is not entirely inexcusable. I only assert that it is in human nature, and waving that side of the question, which if analyzed would involve a long moral discussion, not necessarily connected with my present subject, I shall simply proceed to observe, that if this unconscious, irresistible preference frequently influences even the fondest parents, how far more unrestrainedly does it manifest itself, in the surrounding circle of friends, guests, relations, and casual visitors. How many indulgences and gratifications are obtained for the irresistible pleader! How many petitions granted for the re`muneration of a kiss! How tenderly are the tears of contrition wiped away from eyes that look so beautifully remorseful!--And all this, I firmly believe, if restrained by good feelings and just principle, from reaching a blameable success, is productive only of good results in the young mind, and that children happily constituted by nature in person and disposition, thrive best (even in a moral sense) in that atmosphere of tender indulgence, and become ultimately most amiable and equable, least selfish and exacting, in all the various relations of life. The reason of this I take to be-that they feel the most perfect confidence in their fellowcreatures; and how many of the best affections of our nature spring up and flourish under the kindly influence of that most Christian feeling! The fair engaging child expands into womanhood in the warm sunshine of affection

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