of long dark brown hair; full dark eyes, hands and arms formed like the human species, with a slight web connecting the upper part of the fingers, which were frequently employed in throwing back her flowing locks, and running them thro' her hair; her movements in the water seemed principally directed by the finny extremity. For nearly an hour she remained in apparent tranquil lity, in view of upwards of three hundred persons, until a musket was levelled at her, which having flashed in the pan, she immediately dived, and was not afterwards seen. Mr. Evans declares that she did not appear to him to possess the power of speech, her looks appeared vacant, and there was an evident want of intelligence. As this is the season of the fishery, we are in hopes some of our fishermen may draw her in their nets; as it is probable at the time she was discovered she was in search of some place to deposit ber young.

There is an Englishman now resident at the village of Radam, on the Nile, a considerable distance from Cairo, who has engaged in a concern with the Pacha for the purpose of refining Egyptian sugar, and distilling rum from the molasses obtained. A recent traveller asserts that he has completely succeeded; that the sugar is equal to any loaf sugar we see in Europe; and the rum is so excellent, that all the great Turks are forgetting the sober and salutary precepts of the Koran.

In consequence of the mildness of the last winter a fine luxuriant self-sown crop of barley was stacked a few days since; and the following day, a field of fine oats (self-sown) was safely housed: both of which grew on the estate belonging to R. Marriott, gent. of Newnham, near Daventry.

on

In the gardens of the York city gaol there is a tree from which Mr. Rylan, the gaoler, has this year taken 1200 apricots; and it is calculated that about the same number remain on it. What renders it more remarka

ble, is, that the tree never bore fruit (except in a very scanty manner) till this season.

At a late dinner of the subscribers to the projected Dartmoor Railway, Sir T. Tyrwhitt entered ir to many interesting explanations on the subject of the railway, and the probable use to which the prisons on Dartmoor may be applied. A glow of benevolent feeling was imparted to every one present, by hearing, that at least 8,000 pauper children, now wandering, unemployed, and uneducated, in the purlieus of vice and crime in the London bills of mortality, will, in all probability, be soon rescued from impending destruction, and consigned to Dartmoor, for the purpose of learning the arts of industry, and receiving that religious and moral instruction of which they are now so woefully ignorant.

Died, at the Manse of Pittenweem, in the Presbytery of St. Andrew's, Rev. Dr. James Nairne, of Claremont,minister of that parish, in the 69th year of his age, and the 44th of his ministry. Dr. Nairne died the father of his Presbytery, as his grandfather and father had done. The family have been favoured in Providence by a long tract of public use

fulness in the sacred function, the Doctor's grandfather and father having been parochial ministers in the same Presbytery with himself, the one for 68 and the other for 53 years. Their united incumbencies amount to 164 years, while for 116 successive years their names have stood in the Presbytery roll. Although in a state of great debility of body, insomuch that, latterly, he had to sit in the pulpit, Dr. Nairne's mind continued to be in full vigour to the last.

Mr. R. Warner, of Southleigh, near Wit ney, has in his yard a well, which contains salt water and fresh. The former (not quite so unpleasant to the taste as sea-water) is puriped from the bottom, and is used for cleaning domestic articles. The fresh water, which is very good, is drawn from the surface. Mr. Burrell (late of Witney) extracted a considerable quantity of salt from a gallos which was pumped from the bottom.

YUCCA GLORIOSA, THE BROAD

LEAVED ADAM'S NEEDle.

In a handsomely concerted, and well caitivated flower-garden, at Oundle, this rarely and elegantly blooming plant, of ten years' growth, is now shewing its first flowers in the fullest perfection; of which, including the flower buds of fairest promise, nearly five hundred are apparent on a strong single stem, about six feet in height. It is said, that with the leaves of this plant, which are strong and sharply pointed, the aprons of fig leaves were formed in the happy garden of Eden.

CRYSTAL MINE IN FRANCE. Some time ago, it was announced that a crystal mine had been discovered in France, near Vic, in Lorraine. The examination in consequence of some unexpected indications which led to the discovery of this mine, (the only one of the kind ever known in France), has been made by a company, with a licence for the purpose, obtained from the Director General of Mines. Never was experiment attended with more fortunate circumstances. The soil of this mine is as white as alabaster; its crystals are purer and more brilliant than the specimens which have been procured from the mines of Poland and Austria. Its quality is perfect, and every thing indicates that its mass is enormous. The Director General of Mines having been informed, by the authors of this search, that the borer had already penetrated ten feet into the pure crystal, has given orders to the Engineer of the Department of the Meurthe, to repair to the spot to draw up an authentic account of this important discovery, and of such facts as may relate to it.

Southampton Row Savings Bank---By the report presented to the general meeting of its managers on the 28th July, it appears that

this institution has received to that date, since its establishment in February, 1817.

70,5441. Os. 11d. in 15,576 deposits,* from 3219 individuals, consisting of--

1286 Domestic Servants.

207

manufactures,

131 Labourers and Porters,

333 Minors,

10 Friendly and other Societies,

383 Persons not particularly described,

It affords us pleasure to observe, that nearly two-thirds of the above number were in sums varying from one shilling to one guinea!

GREEK COLLEGE.

An university has been established at Corfu, by Lord Guildford, who was charged by government with its organization; his lordship has appointed to the several chairs Greeks of the first merit; and his intentions have been seconded with much effect by Count Capo-d'Istria, who is a native of Corfu. Being apprized that Mr. Politi, a young Leucadian, possessed of knowledge and talents, desired to profess chemistry in the Tonian islands, he remitted to him the funds sufficient to purchase all the instruments and furniture proper for a chemical laboratory.

ORIGINAL ANECDOTES. Tompion the most celebrated watch-maker of his day, was accosted, in Moorfields, by a brother of the trade, who, after the usual salatations, and inquiries about business, said, "I believe, Mr. Tompion, you and I are the two most distinguished men of our profession in existence." 'Indeed!' exclaimed Tompion, who knew nothing of the individual's abilities. "Yes," was the reply; "you are of all watch-makers the best, and I am the worst."

SONG.

their appearance. In the early part of the evening, one of the friends expressed himself enthusiastically respecting the beauty of a lady who sat with her full face towards them; but, shortly afterwards, turning her profile, he could not conceal his disappointment: when his brother punster consoled him with,

From the German of Frederic Wm. Gleim.

WE met, a hundred of us met,

At curfew, in the field;

We talk'd of Heaven and Jesus Christ,

And all devoutly kneel'd: When lo! we saw, all of us saw

The star-light sky unclose,

And heard the far-high thunders roll
Like seas where storm-wind blows.
We listen'd, in amazement lost,
As still as stones for dread,

And heard the war proclaim'd above,
And sms of nations read.

The sound was like a solemn psalm
That holy Christians sing;

And by-and-by, the noise was ceas'd
Of all the angelic ring:

Yet still, beyond the eloven sky,
We saw the sheet of fire;

Then came a voice, as from a throne,

To all the heavenly quire,

Which spake: "Tho' many men must fail,
"I will that these prevail ;
"To me the poor man's cause is dear,"
Then slowly sank a seale.

And then on the vast spreading azure above,

I feel, I acknowledge with grateful delight, That each object gives pleasure with those whom we love.

When we wander with one, to all others preferr'd, Oh! is it not sweet to attend to each call,

To watch every look, every thought, every word, And try to return, and anticipate ail?

For well I remember the desolate day,

When I wander'd alone, and I thought myself free, The hills and the vales were as brilliant as gay, But those hills and those vales had no sweetness for me!

Fair, fair was the prospect, and cloudless the sky, And clear and unruffled the face of the main, But one whom I cherish'd and valued were by, And I gaz'd undelighted again, and again.

But now my heart glows at th' inspiring sight,
My gaze and my thoughts are directed above:
And I feel and acknowledge with grateful delight,
That each object gives pleasure with those whom
we love!

While you shall tread the path of down,
I'll leave the gay deceitful town,

And all the world, for life;
Nor hope-for all my toil and pain,
That ever I shall live to gain,-

As you,-a valued wife.

INSCRIPTION

ON THE GREAT OAK ÎN AMPTHILL PARK. In Ampthill Park, the residence of the late Lord Ossory, now that of Lord Holland, stands one of those magnificent monarchs of the wood,---a particularly large oak. The circumference of its base is upwards of forty feet; and its middle girt is about thirty: it is quite hollow, forming a concavity sufficient to contain four or five middle-sized persons standing together within side.

The chief of its branches, which is much greater in dimension than many parentoaks, is supported by a couple of large wooden props, on account of its weight being too great to be kept up by the main body of the tree.

It was the favourite of the late proprietor, Lord Ossory; and 1802, he caused a white board to be fixed on it, which still continues, and on which the following Lines are inscribed:

MAJESTIC tree, whose wrinkled form hath stood,

Age after age, the patriarch of the wood; Thou, who hast seen a thousand springs unfold Their ravel'd buds, and dip their flowers in gold: Ten thousand times yon moon relight her horn, And that bright star of evening gild the morn! Gigantic oak! thy hoary head sublime, Erewhile must perish in the wrecks of time: Should round thy head innocuous lightnings shoot, And no fierce whirlwind shake thy steadfast root, Yet shalt thou fall; thy leafy tresses fade, And those bare scatter'd antlers strew the glade; Arm after arm shall leave the mould'ring bust, And thy firm fibres crumble into dust. The muse alone shall consecrate thy name, And by her powerful art prolong thy fame; Green shall thy leaves expand, thy branches play, And bloom for ever in th' immortal lay. July, 1819.

T. GRIMES.

THE COMPARISON.

AH! happy man, thou'st gain'd a prize,

The thought my folly doth chastise,-
As oft the case,-too late;

But why should Envy ever reign
Within my breast? and why complain,

Or ever contemplate,

That I enjoy'd the cheering smile

Of her who'd all dull thoughts beguile :
No! let me recreate.

Long may you live, and live to taste
Her charms profuse, that never waste;

Nor while she's breath, will fade:
Assail'd, each morning by her voice,
E'en every nerve must sure rejoice;

Ah, friend, your fortune's made,-
If't doth consist in being bless'd,
By woman's pride to be caress'd-
But mine is yet delayed.

THE GLOW-WORM TO THE MOON.

MER

By the author of Legends of Lampidosa, &c.
ERRILY shine, sweet moon, with me,
To cheer the traveller's lonely way!
Merrily shine, for I like thee

But for a passing season stay.
Shall we not lend, while thus we rove,
My diamond dart and thy silver bow;
Thou in the sapphire vaults above,
I in the emerald fields below?
They who linger and waken yet

To ga ze on me or thy wand'ring beam,
Are frail themselves as the lights that flit

From me and thee on the glassy stream.
Thou art, like them, of earthly frame,
Tinged with a light from purer spheres,
That on thy desolate darkness came
And coldly shines through a clime of tears.
And they are like me, unfix'd and brief,

Guests of the cold and shadowy hour,
That dwell in the mists of doubt and grief,
Or stray from perishing flow'r to flow'r.
And we, the glow-worm and wand'ring moon,
Have shadows such as the joys they chase;
Such vapours mock me in midnight's noon,
Such films steal over thy pale bright face.

O!-let them learn, like us, to deck

The darkest hour of their little reign!

Let them glide, like thee, thro' the wild clouds'

KETTLE!-'tis a piteous thing to see
Thy silver cheeks disfigur'd by the coals,
While thro' thy lips the murm'ring vapour rolls,
And all sit at their ease, save thou and me:
Yet breathing bland and dulcet melody,

Thou sittest still-but 0 !-Alas! the more
Thy voice is heard, the sooner is thy store
Of water wasted ere we drink our tea.
Sweet singing Kettle! while I gaze on thee,
I think how, like the liquid element,
Love, when it boils too fast, is quickly spent,
And ends in smoke and drear vacuity;
Too oft like thee, bright tea-kettle of tin,
All gloss without, all emptiness within!

HAD now been thirty-three years in the hands of the Koubals, exposed to all the horrors of servitude, and convinced that there was no longer any chance of regaining my freedom, when a very extraordinary event gave rise to my removal from Mount Felix. A Frenchman named Manet, formerly one of my companions in the prison, had become a renegade under the name of Ali: as he understood the manufacture of gunpowder, this talent placed him so much in the graces of Osman, that he stood next to the prime minister. Though so long absent, Manet lost none of that curiosity so peculiar to his countrymen, and he had the imprudence of gratifying it by peeping through the lattice of the seraglio, where some of the handsomest women of the sheik happened to be immured. He was unfortunately discoved by Osman. The offence was capital, and nothing but the sheik's affection could have saved him; besides, the latter was unwilling to lose so valuable a subject; he, therefore, condescended to commute the punishment of death for fifteen hundred blows of the bamboo, a thousand of these were inflicted on his back; he received the others on the soles of his feet. Ali was, moreover, stripped of his wealth, and only suffered to retain his horse and 2C ATHENEUM VOL. 6.

arms. This mildness in his treatment, which was chiefly due to the great affection of his master, did not, however, prevent Ali from retaining a considerable degree of resentment against the sheik.

Enchanted

Four months after his cure, Osman informed Ali that as he shortly intended to surprise the Dey of Algiers, to force a tribute from him, it would be necessary to prepare a large quantity of pow der for the expedition. with the knowledge of such an important secret, Manet instantly conceived the idea of turning it to his own advantage. For this purpose, he left his horse at an adowar of which he was himself the governor, and on telling Osman the animal was dead, he received another to supply its place. conducted to the adowar, where Ali mounted his own charger and rode off at full gallop. On passing by the prison, he cried out adieu, loud enough to be heard by several of the slaves, though no one suspected where he was going at the time.

This was

Not seeing Manet as usual at bis levee the next morning, Osman enquired where he was; but, on being told that he had left his horse at the adowar and could not be very far from the palace, the sheik's suspicions were never awak

Concluded from page 92.

ened; as, from the renegado's not appearing on the second and third day after his flight, it was believed he had fallen a sacrifice to the beasts of prey, no farther pains were taken to ascertain the fact of his escape. During this interval Manet traversed a hundred and twenty leagues of a country full of trackless forests, many lofty mountains, and innumerable beasts of prey; a journey which the Koubals, though so well armed and mounted, never attempted to make without a caravan of twenty or thirty comrades.

Arriving at Gigeri, between Algiers and Tunis, Ali proceeded to the residence of the Bey, and communicated the important secret, recommending him to be on his guard, as the army of Osman, headed by his two sons, would attack him in a few days. On hearing this piece of news, the Bey lost no time in forwarding it to his ally and friend the Dey of Algiers. Manet was however detained, and told, that if his information proved correct, he should have a place worthy of such service, and if otherwise, that his head would be chopped off.

The Algerine despot dispatched messengers to Oran, Constantina, and Gigeri, ordering their respective chiefs to unite their forces and go forward to meet the enemy. Three days had not elapsed after these orders were obeyed, when the army of Osman put those of Constantina and Oran to the rout; but that of Gigeri, more fortunate than the rest, obtained a more complete victory over the invading army, killing vast numbers of it, and making several thousand prisoners, amongst whom were the sheik's two sons.

The conqueror was on the point of beheading his illustrious captives, when one of them having supplicated him to consent to their being exchanged for some Christians, the execution was suspended till the advice of the Dey of Algiers could be obtained. He recom

mended the measure, and fixed the number to be given in exchange at five hundred. When the courier bearing this proposition reached Osman, he accepted the terms without any hesitation, and

proceeding to the prison, three hundred of the captives who were just going to work received orders to halt, and two hundred more were immediately selected to accompany them.

Whenever I knew that we were to be employed on barren ground, where no plunder could be had, I took care to be the last person in the party, but always led, if there was any chance of good foraging.

Such was the case on the above auspicious day, and it is to this fortunate coincidence I owe my liberty. But why should I still have to sigh for the fate of fifteen hundred of my unhappy companions, who, according to all appearances, are destined to breathe their last in the dreadful situation from which I have had the singular good fortune to escape?*

Having put himself at the head of our escort, Osman conducted us to the frontiers of Gigeri, where he was soon joined by his sons, and the exchange being effected, the sheik returned homewards, taking care amply to recompense himself by robbery and pluner for the loss of his slaves, in which there is no doubt of his having fully succeeded.

On appearing before the Bey of Gigeri, our chains were removed, but a ring was left on the right ancle as a badge of slavery, and to indicate that we belonged to the Dey of Algiers. We received new clothes, and continued to be tolerably well fed for three whole months without performing any work. How delightful! I thought myself in another land of Canaan! The period at which the bey's tribute became due having at length arrived, we were marched to Algiers, when I became the property of a new master!

Here the narrator enters into a variety of details relative to the occupations and treatment of the slaves in the Algerine capital, but as they are little more than an abridgement of Signor Pananti's interesting chapter on the same subject,

It is sincerely to be hoped that the narrator's

fears on this head are groundless, and that his Maj

esty's ministers have not left the most meritorious

act of their administration incomplete, by suffering any Christians to remain in slavery.-ED.