which was performed by young women with still fewer adornments than now worn by our figurantes.-This was also a Spartan dance, and though so simple, was the cause of the double indignity offered to Helen, of the Trojan war, and all the subsequent calamities, &c.

From Greece, these dances with different modifications found their way across the Adriatic. Rome adopted her manners, her arts, and her vices thence they were dispersed over the rest of Europe.

THE COMET.

Dr. Olbers has calculated, that once only in a period of 88,000 years, a Comet will come as near to the Earth as the Moon is.

Once only in four millions of years, a Comet will approach the Earth within 7,700 geographical miles; and if it be equal in size to the Earth, will raise the water to the height of 13,000 feet (a second deluge); and only in 220 millions of years will such a body come in contact with the Earth.

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CONTINUED my stroll along the breezy banks of the river for a considerable space but at length found myself a litthe fatigued, and sat down on one of the benches, which occur every now and then by the side of the walks. I had not sat long till I perceived a brother lounger advancing towards me from the opposite direction, in a meditative attitude; and, surveying the man, I thought I could distinguish him to be one of that class of philosophical weavers, with which the west of Scotland is known to be so plentifully stocked. Nor was I mistaken. The man edged towards the bench, and soon took his place within a yard of me, with an air of infinite composure. Being seated, he cast one or two sidelong glances upon me, and then fixed his eyes in a very speculative stare upon the water, which rippled within a little distance of his feet-while I, on my part, continued less politely to study him with the eye of a traveller and a craniologist. He was tall and slender in his person, with a bend forward, acquired, no doubt, through the stooping demanded by his vocation considerably in-kneed and splay-footed -but apparently strong enough and nervous in every part of his muscular frame. He was clad in a very respectable short coat of blue-a waistcoat of deep yellow ground, with thin purple and green stripes crossing each other upon it a pair of corduroy breeches, un

buttoned at the knees-a thick pair of worsted stockings, hanging loosely about his legs-and a dark red coloured cravat. He seemed to be a man of about fifty years of age, and when he took off his hat to cool himself, the few lank hairs which escaped from below a small striped night-cap on the top of his cranium, were evidently of the same class with those of the Ghost in Hamlet-the "sable silvered." As to his face, its language was the perfection of self-important non-chalance. A bitter grin of settled scepticism seemed to be planted from his nostril on either side, down almost to the peak of his long unshorn chin-his eye-brows were scanty and scraggy, but drawn together in a cynical sort of knot-and altogether the personage gave one the idea of a great deal of glum shrewdness in a small way. should have mentioned that he had a green apron (the symbol of his trade,) wrapped about his middle beneath his upper garment-and that he held a number of the Edinburgh Review, twisted hard in his left hand. "This is a hot day, friend," said I, willing to enter a little into conversation. The fellow's features involuntarily relaxed themselves a little on the greeting, and he answered very civilly, "Middling warm, sir Ye'll have been taking a walk?"-"] have," said I," and I am glad I came this way, for I think the town looks better from where we are than any

I

from being clear that it would do to want some religious establishment for some time to come yet. If poor Thomas Paine had been spared-but perhaps -(taking himself up)—perhaps ye may be of another way of thinking; I wish to say nothing unceevil," added he, with a most condescending grin,-"I hope I shall always respect the prejudices of my fellow-citizens-they are not to be trifled with, however erroneous. "My good friend," said I, "do not put yourself into any alarm; I assure you my feelings are in no danger. I am to suppose that you don't make a practice of going to church. Does not that appear singular in this part of the country, and give offence to the majority?" "Troth," said he, "to tell you the plain fact, I would not be so very heeding about the majority oot of doors-but a person of a liberal turn in my line of life, cannot always be quite sure of peace

THIS

in his own house and home. The women, says Hume, were always the chief friends of every superstition, and so I find it, sir, and that in my own family. I've an auld mither,sir, a guid body too, in her way, that keeps me in perfect hett water. I cannot bring in Sandy Spreull, and Jamie Jamieson, and one or two more friends, to talk over a few philosophical topics on a Sabbath at e'en,but we're worried-clean worriedwith the auld wife's bergin about infidelity and scoffing-and sic like-why, it's only Martinmas was a year, that when I was reading a passage from the Review, she gruppit the book fairly out of my hand, and had it at the back o' the coal, and in a low, before ye could say Jack Robinson-but I bear with a' that-as for the bairns, I find it abso. lutely necessary to allow her to tak her ain way wi' them. Pair things, they'll get light in time.'

HIS title indicates a curious book, nor is the promise disappointed; it is both singular and entertaining. The best account of the battle of Waterloo was written by a Spaniard; and this, the most interesting account of the battle of Algiers, is written by an Egyptian. Thus is the glory of England spoken by tongues unused to her language, but enthusiastically attached to her cause, because it was the cause of suffering humanity, unconfined to country or people.

M. Salamé has pleased us so much that we fear we shall but ill discharge the duty of critics upon his work. There is a simplicity of heart about it which wins us entirely over, and our most hostile emotion is absorbed in a good laugh at some of his little whimsical peculiarities. The introduction contains almost the only, and certainly far the best account of the destruction of the Mamluks, by the present Pashaw of

A Narrative of the Expedition to Algiers in 1816, &c. By M. A. Salame, a native of Alexandria, in Egypt, interpreter in H. B. Majesty's service, &e.

Egypt, which has yet been made public. Of this dreadful catastrophe Mr. S. was an eye-witness, being in the service of Shaheen Bey, (the successor to Elfy Bey) and we only regret that he has not completed the details of the bloody business which gave Egypt a Monarch, though still nominally a province of the Porte. As this introduction comprises much original and strange matter, we shall direct our attention to it before we approach the Algerine Expedition.

It commences with what the Author oddly enough calls a "premature abstract" of his life.

The family of Sálámé,t of the Christian persuasion, is well known in Palestine, and holds a respectable rank in society. The grandfather of the author fled from the atrocities of Jazzar Pashaw or the butcher, at St. John D'Acra, to Mount Lebanon, whence

+ It signifies in Arabic "Salvation, peace, tranquillity, safety," which our Author is very earnest in noting, lest it should be mistaken for the Italian Salame, which is the name of a sausage!

VOL. 6.]

his father came to Alexandria, where he was appointed Treasurer of the Customs, and married one of the Collector's nieces. Of this marriage Mr. A. Salamé was born in November 1788, and was consequently about ten years old when the French invaded Egypt. From them he got his first impulse towards acquiring the European languages. At the native school he only learnt the Psalms, the Acts of the Apostles, a few chapters of the Gospel, and some part of the Bible in Arabic; and the Cat-. echism, with several other ecclesiastical tracts. These schools are miserable little rooms, where no more than fifteen or twenty boys can be accommodated, there being no schools for females at all. They sit on the floor with crossed legs, upon a mat only; and a few boys, whose fathers send them cushions, are somewhat better off. At one corner of the room the school-master sits, with a wooden box instead of a desk before him, and a ruler in his hand, calling up his pupils singly to their lessons. Their hours are from 7 or 8 in the morning till noon, and after dinner again till evening. Idleness or improper conduct is punished by bastinado on the feet; and Mr. S. represents the teachers as low and ignorant.

Sálámé having left school, was put apprentice at Cairo, to a Christian merchant, from Syria, and at the age of fourteen could speak Italian tolerably, knew a little French, and a few words of English. He could not reconcile himself to the rude customs of his Syrian master, of whose manners he relates some very characteristic traits, which may serve to illustrate the brutal system of the Eastern people in general.

"The first thing (says he) that I was obliged to do in the morning, between 7 and 8 o'clock, was to go and bid good morning to my master and mistress, by kissing their hands across my breast, waiting to receive their orders. - - If my master was about to smoke, I was obliged to run to the kitchen and bring a piece of fire to light his pipe. After helping them to breakfast and to wash, the counting-house was attended to. At noon my master's dinner was

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to come from home, and I was to attend him in the same manner as at his breakfast, after which he was accustomed to sleep for a couple of hours; and at six in the evening we were to go home. Before my master's coming home, my mistress was (after having spent her day in sewing or embroidering, and smoking) to fill a bottle with about a pint of a kind of very strong spirit, called "Araki, or aqua vita, distilled from dates or from raisins, and to envelope it with a wetted piece of linen, in order to keep it cool till he came; likewise, she was to get ready for him, in a small plate, a few almonds, or radishes, or some cheese, to eat while drinking, in order to keep up, as they say, his appetite for supper. On his arrival at home, she was to receive him at the top of the stairs, to kiss his hand, to take off his great coat, to change his turban, and to stand before him with her hands across her breast, till he should order her to sit down, or ask her to bring him some water to wash his face and feet. After this, she was to bring him his pipe, and the bottle of spirit with the plate beforementioned, and to fill a very small cup, and to present it to him, with something from the plate; and every time that he returned the cup empty to her, she was to receive it and kiss his band. In short, by the time he had finished that bottle of spirit, he became quite tipsy, when he asked for his supper, which was to be brought to the same place where he was seated. He could eat but very little, and then we (I and my mistress) were obliged to carry him to his bed, when, very often, he was angry with us, and got up and beat me and my mistress."

Three months of this pleasant mode of living tired our author. He went to Rosetta, where he remained a year, making great improvement in his studies of European languages, in the countinghouse of the Russian and Austrian Consul-General, from whose employment he passed into that of Mr. T. Petrucci, the English Vice-Consul. In 1805, business called him to Cosseir, and he travelled with the Caravan from Cairo to Suez, where he embarked. Anchor