presently the singer spoke as if continuing a narrative.

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Then he died, and your father came to dwell among us; and he did not forget that my father was a prince in the land where the gold and the ivory grow, and he would say when his children sat in my lap, that they were happier than princesses, for a queen gave them milk. But there caine a dark night, and a stranger sat in a lonely place. No one knew from whence she sprung, and the people of this land said she was the Banshee that comes to tell when men or women shall go home to their fathers. And in my own dear country I had often seen such spirits that came to call away my uncles and my brothers to the Island where hunters are happy. Therefore I had no fear, and I went to the lonely place among the rocks, and saw the Banshee sitting. It was a dismal place, where they say the land was once green and rich, but those who lived on it would not feed a stranger; and the waters gushed over it, and the men were turned to rocks.* There was no star, and the moon was sick, but I asked the Banshee-woman why she came, and she made answer-"Where my hand touches, the corn shall grow grass shall be green under my foot; where my head leans, there shall be tobacco; and rice shall spring up where I sit." Then I knew it was no evil spirit, but the good one, that once sat on the Alleghany mountains, and promised riches to America. And she held out her hand to me, and said, "Give me bread;" but I answered-"I have eaten Obi, and I can give thee nothing good; but there is a young innocent within the doors, and what she gives will be fit for a White Spirit." But when I came back to seek for my master's daughter, she was hidden; and the green robbers had left nothing under our roof but a few grains of wheat in my bowl of cocoanut shell. Them I carried to the Spirit of the dark valley, and she ate them all; and she took from under her feet three blades of

This spot is still known among the people of Munster, and the Mountain Spirit's promise is not yet forgotten in New York.

grass, and from behind her head these three oak-leaves. And she said, "let the bands that sent the grains of wheat twist one lock of hair with this trefoil and these leaves. The head from whence that hair is plucked shall be blessed, and the hand shall receive gold for the grain it gave."

"And are those the leaves, Momacula," said the lovely comber, "that I am to twist with one lock of my hair?" "These leaves must be holy now," replied the black nurse, "for I have dropped them one by one into this earth, which the Master of Life taught his preachers to bless. Twist them tight, my heart's child, and sing with me, or the charm will not be pure." Juliet bent her head, and sang in a stifled voice the six African words which formed the spell; while Momacula combed back her long bright bair, and gathered it in a silken net wreathed with flowers. It was impossible to imagine a lovelier picture than these two figures formed, while the aged negro covered her foster-child's cherub head with a white veil, and received on her own dark forehead the kiss which repaid her. Then sitting on her nurse's lap, the beautiful brown Juliet began to sing a wild West-India ditty, putting between every pause a few of the gold beads she had loosened from her neck among the folds of Momacula's turban. Both suddenly raised their eyes, and beheld the Banshee standing before them. This mysterious spirit, so well known to every ancient Irish mansion, had now condescended to assume her best shape. She was tall, of noble and gentle aspect, with buskins, and a loose mantle of grass green. Momacula uttered a dismal shriek, and fell on the floor in a swoon. Juliet, more strong in the spirits of youth, and full of the volatile energy peculiar to natives of the Indies, looked steadily and even sternly on King Condy, who hastily dropped his mantle, and falling on his knees, implored mercy and protection in the language best suited to a young girl's ear. He talked of his misfortunes, of his persecutors, and the justice of his cause, entreating an asylum only for one night. His auditress, mingling the superstition

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of her native island with the simplicity attire, and departed with a clear conof her Irish education, knew not wheth- science. er to believe the fatal Banshee had assumed this form to beguile her; or to believe the young hero of a generous cause was almost a divinity himself, King Condy would have had little dif. ficulty in fixing the most pleasant idea of the two, if steps at the door, and a masculine voice heard at no great distance, had not broken the conference. The young Irishman pleaded for his life, and Juliet, having no better means of saving it, put him in a large old trunk, in which all the mortgages and remnants of the Balmawbistle-pedigree were preserved.

While these things happened at the castle, great consternation prevailed in Hannah Howragohn's but. Whether she or King Condy had killed her husband, was a point she could no way settle to her own satisfaction, except the certainty that he was absolutely dead. To call the neighbours in the usual way, by shrieking the Keenah,* could be of little use, as there was great reason to believe none would venture to bring either cakes or ale after the many impositions the deceased had practised. Besides, this kind of neighbourly inquest, established by venerable custom, might have dangerous consequences, if she set forth the body without covering. The true Father Carrol, whose name and garment had been so artfully assumed to deceive her, lived in a little cabin or hermitage near the ruined chapel of St. Kevan, in which he usually collected his thin flock, and celebrated his own religion. Thither went honest Hannah for advice and absolution, and marvellous was her surprise to find the grey long coat and priestly vestments which usually distinguished her confessor, rolled in a bundle near her altar-stone. But they supplied her with a thought worthy a woman's wit; and concluding with true Irish reason, that a dead man found in another man's clothes, is no longer the same man, she armed herself with courage, conveyed the remains of poor Croudy in a wheel barrow to the chapel, equipped him in the priest's

The death-ery of the Irish.

half

But as

Carrol O'Shane, titular priest of this parish, and teacher of eleven whiteheaded gossoons, whose Latin was much better than their English, had about this time made a vow to St. Kevan, that he would neither drink in nor out of his house for one month. But having much consolation to administer, and many fears for the safety of his flock, he had on this night compromised his vow, by taking half a pint of raspberry whiskey with one foot in and the other foot outside of his door. This half must be understood, according to Hibernian measure, as the upper of the pint; and the good ecclesiastic's spirits were so rarefied, that he came from the feast of the patron-saint to his midnight orisons in the chapel, chanting all the way. When he entered, and beheld his place at the shrine occupied by a man in a kneeling posture, with his head reposed on the altar-stone, he stood awhile to consider what this apparition of himself might bode. the moon shone brightly and discovered the profile of the reposing stranger's features, he thought he recognized the face of Father Anthony Peter Macgowi, rival schoolmaster in the next parish, and of extreme ill-odour in his opinion, because he had been heard to say, that his favourite orator's name ought to be pronounced Kickero. Now, for this unlicensed and ignorant novice in the holy church, to come to his very seat and house of prayer, was an affront beyond toleration. Thrice he summoned him from his place, reproaching him for his illiterate pretences; and finding the intruder gave no sign of attention or removal, he exclaimed, in a climax of rage, "If thy Greek orator's name is Kickero, I appeal to his name as the fittest part of eloquence," and a forcible application of his foot followed this apostrophe. The stranger fell at his feet, with his forebead towards the rugged pavement, and remained motionless. No man, that is, no angry scholar, could have a heart more milky than Father Carrol; and lifting up his enemy's face, when he beheld it lifeless

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which he had left grazing, and sent both abroad together. By this expedient, he hoped to mislead suspicion, if that horse, which he had ridden on a dangerous occasion, should be recognised by the wandering soldiers. He next entered the cabin to seek a few potatoes, and to provide himself with a new disguise: but had hardly fastened one of the absent wife's caps on his head, before the schoolmaster and priest of the next parish entered to offer aid. Not an instant remained for choice of stratagems, and the best seemed to extend himself on the prepared board, and put on the habit and attitude of death. Honest Friar Peter was deceived without difficulty, for of the four squares which formed the cabin-window, three were filled with slate, and the open space left for the door was sufficiently clouded with departing volumes of smoke. His brother priest's delight when he beheld him living, and felt assured that no man's death rested on his head, was expressed by shouts, antics, and tears in abundance. The two rivals embraced each other, vowing to dispute no more; and the good wife, being well convinced that her husband would be permitted to repose in peace without too much inquiry, made a vow of eternal gratitude to ber patron-saint. The Lord of Balmawhistle's eloquence, or his daughter's beauty, converted young Sir Condy from the fever of the green republicans, and a marriage ended his long list of transformations. The Irish imitator of the Ephesian matron received from him a dowry, consisting of a cabbage garden, and a better grey mare, which won the heart of Thady Cowpsticks, the shrewd exciseman; and her third husband will probably be the Lord of Balmawhistle himself, president of this merry company, and historian of the Patron's day."

*

"And now," said the Provost's clerk, bowing humbly at the conclusion of his patron's tale, "What remains for us after listening to the vagaries of superstition in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Yorkshire, Saxony, and Bombay, but

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to conclude, that such chimeras are still bound together by some link connected with human-nature's most vital part, as the grass and the yellow leaves which the disguised lover sent to his mistress, were twined with a lock of her hair?--Or let us agree that these follies are like the strongest parts of the human skeleton-variously constructed, perhaps, but in their use and texture always the same."

"Let us also take a hint from nature," said the good Scotch priest, "and as nature never exhibits a living skeleton, let us throw over our follies and foibles a veil as soft and elegant as she has provided for the veins and tendons that support our frame. These superstitions, the business of fond hearts, are not less needful to nourish and circulate love, than the veins whose use remained so long undiscovered. We will respect those whose use is past, and keep them as the anatomist keeps his ancient relics, to assist modern wisdom."

"That is well said!" added the joyous Provost; "and why should not tales of to-day follow those of Auld Lang Syne? They would be found as rich in absurdity, romance, and superstition of another kind. We are only five in number; but the Eve of our party gave us two legends: let us balance this feminine usurpation by five modern appendixes to the ancient memoirs we male narrators have made public.

The lady of our groupe resisted this proposal, except on one condition. We acceded to it, and opening a volume of old English portraits, each selected one, promising to furnish a counterpart from modern life. Sir Christopher Hatton fell to the lady's lot; and laughing as she viewed this celebrated beau of Queen Elizabeth's day, she said, "I once heard an auctioneer prove to the satisfaction of a Yorkshire audience, that Noah was born at Kettlewell, in Craven.-Wait till after supper, and I will convince you that Sir. Christopher Hatton, the very macaroni of our old queen's court, was in London in 1816."

WE

GIANTS OF PATAGONIA.

From Blackwood's (Ed.) Magazine.

E understand that a ship from tures they resort to the coast with Liverpool has been employed cattle, coarse cloths, dried meats, &c. in trade on the coast of Patagonia; to barter, chiefly for spirits and tobacco. that some of the crew, and particularly They are represented as being a nua lieutenant of the royal navy, are re- merous but inoffensive people. turned, who give an account of that' country confirmatory of those which we have before received.

The aboriginal inhabitants consist mainly of two distinct tribes. One of them is stated to be a wandering tribe, of the gigantic size, so often mentioned by voyagers, extending all along the coast from the Plata to the Straits of Magellan. The lieutenant alluded to saw two chiefs or caciques who measured certainly eight feet in height, and he had a youth, fifteen years old, some time with him, who was not less than six feet two inches. The women are said to be in the same proportion; and they are a remarkably well featured, and handsomely proportioned race. They subsist entirely by hunting; and it is supposed that if a central mart were formed, they would supply valuable furs in abundance, especially the guanaco or camel-sheep skin, the wool of which might be of importance to our manufacturers for shawls and very fine cloth. The lieutenant brought a specimen to England, which he shewed to a manufacturer, and the latter gave an opinion that it would be worth from 15s. to 16s. a pound. In exchange for these, the natives would gladly accept in barter, spirits, Brazil tobacco, coarse red or blue cloths, large iron spurs, long knives, spears, beads, and other similar articles: they do not use money, and neither this nor the other tribe use fire arms. They were very peaceable with the crew of the English ship; on entering the settlement at Rio Negro they always deposite their arms, and only take them again on quitting it.

The other tribe consists of what are called the Pampas Indians, a small race, of settled habits, who live considerably to the westward of Rio Negro. They are an agricultural and pastoral people, and have also some manufac

The whole of the tracts from the Rio de la Plata to Cape Horn, has been abandoned by the Spaniards, with the exception of Rio Negro, where there are remains of a settlement, from whence the inhabitants are retiring every year. The government of Buenos Ayres have only taken nominal possession of any part of it, and merely stationed a commandant at Rio Negro, without any soldiers. Some black troops had at first been sent, who greatly distressed the inhabitants by exactions, and by the destruction of nearly all their cattle, which, before the revolution, were very abundant, and afforded means of loading many vessels every year with hides and tallow. Those oppressive exactions caused the emigration before mentioned.

The land about Rio Negro is said be excellent for corn of a very superior quality; and there are large and well watered tracts, admirably adapted for the rearing of cattle. The bull and cow of Patagonia are about the size of the English; but the ox, at three years old, is half as large again, and grows to an immense size. From these, and from the wild cattle, with which the interior swarms, cured provisions, especially jerked beef, might very easily be exported to the West Indies in any quantity: At the Havannah, jerked beef is in such request, as to bring 14 dollars per quintal of 100 pounds; and the passage would take two or three months. The country abounds also with wild horses, the skins of which might be available.

On the banks of the Rio Negro, there are an abundance of willow-trees, fit for beams and rafters of houses: there is no other timber; but for fuel there are ample supplies of faggot wood; and for the erection of buildings, bricks dried in the sun are used, although there is plenty of store. The climate