Then he would sit down; and all the men who wanted to go with him would rise up and say so.

These men would have to agree that, during the expedition, they would follow these commanders, and find their own arms-with provisions, perhaps. Every one was bound to keep his promise; for I have read in Cæsar's book, that "Those who went back from their engagement were looked upon as deserters; and lost all credit for the time to come." Such a meeting of barbarians was called a "Comitatus."

So, when the Saxons conquered Britain, those men who were not killed in battle divided the land between them. The common men were called "ceorls" or "churls," and each churl had his lot of ground, or "allotment," marked out for him.

In the middle of his allotment, the churl made his cottage with rough branches of trees, clay, and straw. It had no windows, but a hole for the light to come in; and another for the smoke to go out. The churls took their prisonersthe conquered Britons and made them work on their farms as servants. They were called "Thralls," which means slaves, for they had to do very hard work-to plough and dig; to attend to the cows, and pigs, and poultry.

Thus the Saxons found Britain to be a very comfortable place, plenty of mutton, with fine fowls, eggs, butter, milk, and honey. For bread they would make barley cakes, which they baked on the hearth. When they wanted clothes, they would make a coarse cloth, like baize, from the sheep's wool; and if they wanted money, they'd "go to market" and sell some of their good things.

Ion. Then, papa, they were hus bandmen, living in an agricultural state, which must have been very pleasant, if things always went

on so.

P. Yes. You may see by this, that the Saxons had a system in making new kingdoms, different from that of the Romans. For, if you notice, each man was independent-living on his own property. There were noblemen, but only those were made noblemen who were thought to be the best men, or the bravest.

The Kings of these seven kingdoms had to depend very much upon themselves. Each king got most of his money by attending to his own land. He could not make the people pay taxes. If there should be war, nearly every man would go to fight for himself and his neighbour; so they learned not only to take care of their own land, but of their own country.

You will find, as we go on with our history, that there are many different ways, or "systems," of forming a kingdom. On this system, every man, as I said, had his own lot or allotment. Such a plan of dividing the country was called "the Allodial System."

Ion. Was it a good system, papa? P. Perhaps it was the best for people who were living in such a simple state. I have read much of how they used to enjoy themseives of their merry-makings and their feastings; but there was one thing wanting! Their happiness was all on this earth. They did not know anything of the happiness which lasts for ever, for they had not yet heard of Jesus Christ.

I meant to have told you how God first sent them the knowledge of his Son, but we must now wait until next Wednesday.

SALT (Continued).

M. We were saying, last Thursday, how useful salt is, because it is conservative; but there are other conservative substances in this world.

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W. Yes, sugar is conservative. I wish you would preserve some more gooseberries, mamma; make some more red-currant jam! L. And vinegar is conservative, for preserving onions, and making pickles. And is not pepper conservative, and spice?

Ion. Oh, yes, spice is. I have read in the Bible about the Israelites preserving the body of Joseph -embalming it, it was called-and they embalmed the kings of Egypt, made them into mummies for the British Museum.

L. I don't think that the kings had any particular wish for their bodies to be in the Museum. But, mamma, you said last Thursday, that when God put the other qualities in salt-the qualities white, granulous, fusible, and saline-that He thought about it, and meant each quality to have some use. Now, what is the use of its being so beautiful and white? We don't make paint of it.

M. Well, Lucy, I am not sure that I can find you the reason for its whiteness, except that we like to see nice white salt on our plates; we can tell sooner whether it is dirty or not. Let us look for a reason. Do you remember that you once went with me to a large manufactory, and that we looked through one of the windows of the bleaching room?

L. Yes, mamma; and I remember the long rows of stockings which were hanging up to be bleached. You said that bleaching

meant making them white; and that the chloride of lime which was spreading all over the room, would whiten them.

M. That chloride of lime is made partly from a gas called chlorine, and the gas chlorine is procured from the salt. It was this chlorine gas in the lime which took away all the colour from the stockings, and made them appear white. So you see that this white salt is useful for bleaching because it contains chlorine. I don't know whether it is any better for being white.

W. But can you not be sure, mamma?

M. No, Willie, I really do not know everything. I have not learned bleaching yet.

W. Oh, mamma, I am almost sure that that is the reason why the salt was made white. So I shall run the risk, and will say, "Because it is white, it is used for bleaching."

M. I think you had better not say so, because, if you should be wrong you will be laughed at. Remember, it was the chlorine in the lime which produced the whiteness in the stockings.

Ion. I know that the quality "soluble" makes the salt useful, but what is the use of its being fusible?

M. See how hard and smooth and bright this breakfast cup is. The glaze which is outside it is made with melted salt; and so is the glaze on the earthenware down stairs. Salt is also used in making glass.

W. Perhaps it could not be used for that, nor for making glass either, if it were not white.

Ion. I wonder why it should be granulous?

M. I cannot exactly tell. It is very useful as a manure. Men can easily chop it up, and break it into little grains, so that, it sinks into the earth. There it preserves some plants from disease.

W. It is a good thing that it is saline, mamma, because it gives a nice taste to meat and other things. I should not like to live on potatoes without salt.

M. Not only you, Willie, but all mankind and animals are made to like the taste of salt, for they could not live very well without it.

I have read of two captains who went on a journey up the River Missouri (you have seen the great picture of the Missouri painted by Banvard). When these captains were looking for a spot where they might pass the winter, they thought very much about one thing, "Where shall we get our salt?" So they fixed on a place about fifteen miles from the sea, and every now and then, in the course of the winter, they were obliged to travel that long distance to get a fresh supply of salt.

Although it was cold, damp, and rainy weather, they would travel through thick woods, and deep morasses, until they reached the sea, when they boiled the water in their salt pans, and made salt.

L. But why does vegetable rood make people want salt, mamma?

M. I must tell you. Salt is so necessary for man, that it is found not only in the sea and earth, but in some of the food which he eats. There is salt in flesh, in milk, in this egg, and in nearly all animal food ;-but, we do not find it in vegetables. The baker knows this, and because flour is a vegetable substance, he mixes salt with the bread. But, although vegetables do not contain salt, I told you, in one of our former lessons, that they have another conservative substance in them—not salt, but

L. Sugar, mamma. You said that the sugar made them nutritious.

M. Let me tell you something to show you that vegetables have not much salt.-All animals that feed and grass on herbage continually require salt. Tame animals, such as sheep and cows, cannot procure it themselves, and the farmers are obliged to mix it with their "fodder." I told you once, that great numbers of cattle are fed and fattened on the eastern shores of England-in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Norfolk, and Essex.

W. I think I know why that is, now, mamma. It is because the water from the sea overflows those parts, and makes marshes of them.

M. Yes. Some parts are called "Salt-marshes." Salt is provided for cattle, in all parts of the world. In North America-in the woods

THE TRAVELLER THROUGH

ENGLAND.

P. Here are the notes which came with Mr. Young's last letter.

(10.) There is a Castle at ALNWICK, where the Duke of Northumberland lives. It is the finest in England, except WINDSOR CASTLE. As Northumberland is a border county, there are many ruins of old castles, built in the times of the wars with the Scots. There is also the ruin of an old wall built by the Romans.

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(11.) HALIDOWN HILL is famous a great battle which was fought with the Scots, in the reign of Edward III. Another battle was fought at FLODDEN FIELD in the reign of Henry VIII.

(12.) The capital of Northumberland is NEWCASTLE on the TYNE. It has a large trade in coals. The mines in this neighbourhood supply the people of London with coal. Newcastle also has Glass and Iron works. There are two other large towns, called TYNEMOUTH and NORTH SHIELDS.

(13.) The soil of Northumberland is generally barren, on account of the north-east winds;-but, in the valleys between the CHEVIOT HILLS, there are green fertile places, where large flocks of sheep feed. Although there are few vegetables, there are many minerals, such as coal, iron, and lead.

P. We will not, I think, read Mr. Young's letter on Cumberland to-day. I have something else for you to do. As you will have to learn about forty different counties, and many places and names, I am afraid that you will be very likely to forget some of them.

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W. I shall, I am sure, papa. It very easy to forget.

P. Then, I think, that before you learn any more, we had better find out the best way to remember.

W. What part of myself do I use to remember with, papa?

Ion. Why, your memory, to be sure. That is our minds' cupboard, where we put away all our thoughts as fast as we get them.

L. And keep them there, until we want to use them.

P. But when you put them away carelessly, or in a hurrythen, they sometimes fall out again, and you can't find them. That is called "forgetting."

Now, if you are anxious that none of the ideas which you have collected, should be lost, you must learn to store them up in an orderly manner.

W. How shall we do that, papa? P. I will teach you. To-day we will re-collect all Mr. Young's facts about Northumberland; and then we will re-arrange them. Let me hear you count up some of these facts.

Ion. I will collect them, papa. He has told us about Northum

berland: (1) its shape, (2) its position, (3) the River Tweed, (4) Berwick, (5) the Holy Island, (6) the Farne Isles, (7) the rocky coast, (8) the boundaries, (9) its name, (10) the number of castles, (11) the River Tyne, (12) the capital, (13) the coal mines, (14) Flodden Field, (15) Halidown Hill, (16) the Cheviot Hills, (17) the Roman Wall, (18) Bamborough Castle, (19) Alnwick Castle, (20) Norham Castle, (21) Coquet Island. There's a "jumble" of facts for you, papa!

P. Never mind, if you will pay attention, we may easily learn to arrange them. We will put them in good order.