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LANGSDORFF

feet long by four broad, and five and six feet deep, which is paved with large stones, and the pieces of fruit thrown into it. A strong fermentation ensues, and forms a leaven, which will then keep for months. When it is mixed This food is called popoi. with water, it makes a drink which has very much the appearance and taste of buttermilk, and is extremely cooling and refreshing."-LANGSDORFF, vol. 1, p. 125. New Marquesas or Washington Islands.

The leaner the Monkey the greater the
Value of his Fur.

"LEAN foxes have better skins, and therefore the Ostiaks, who when they find cubs feed them with such care, that the women actually suckle them, break one of their legs some time before they are to be killed, that they may eat less and grow lean! Either of these customs is sufficiently shocking, but their co-existence renders them monstrous."-TOOKE's View of the Russian Empire, vol. 3, p. 44.

[Olive Trees of the Morea.]

"THE olive trees of the Morea are some of the finest to be found in any part of the world. The respect of the people for these trees is such, that they pay them a sort of veneration when they are loaded with fruit; to cut off a branch would be a crime against which the whole country would rise in arms. Every part of the province seems to suit this tree. Immense forests of wild olive trees had covered various districts before any attention was paid to them by the inhabitants. It was not till the country was occupied by the Venetians that the people became sensible of the treasure they possessed: these new guests instructed them in the art of grafting the trees, and since that time olives have become an article of the highest importance them." among POUQUEVILLE, p. 201.

SAINT PIERRE.

[The Cayman.]

DOBRIZHOFFER says that though the cayman would be good meat were it not for the odour of musk, none but the Payaguas eat them (vol. 1, p. 322). The Abate Jolis, on the contrary, says (p. 324) that many tribes eat them, first cutting out two glands in the mouth of the females, and the testicles of the males, which are the parts from whence this musky odour proceeds. These are sold to the Spaniards and Portugueze for medical uses, for keeping off reptiles and insects, and for preserving food. It is remarkable that parts which are cut from the cayman, because their scent would affect it as meat, should be used for this purpose.

[Liannes.]

"A GREAT variety of shrubs, all comprized under the general name of liannes, some of which are as thick as a man's leg, and grow round the trees, making the trunks look like a mast furnished with rigging. They, however, support the trees against the hurricanes, of whose violence I have seen frequent proofs. When they fell timber in the woods, they cut about two hundred trees near the root, which remain upright till the liannes, which hold them, are cut down also. When this is done, one whole part of the forest seems to fall at once, making a most horrid crash. Cords are made of their bark, stronger than of hemp." - SAINT PIERRE, Voyage to the Isle of France.

STEDMAN

money his remaining effects and fled from Surinam; next setting up in the Spanish contraband trade, his all was taken. Deprived of every thing, he now applied for protection to a friend at Demerary, who humanely gave him shelter. At this time an abscess gathering in his shoulder, every assistance was offered, but in vain; M. Destrades refusing to let it be ever examined. His shoulder therefore grew worse, and even dangerous, but he persisted in not permitting it to be uncovered; till one day, having drest himself in his best apparel, the family were alarmed by the report of fire arms, when they found him weltering in his blood, with a pistol by his side; and then, to their surprize, having stript him, the mark of V, for voleur, or thief, was discovered on the very shoulder he had attempted to conceal. Thus ended the life of this poor wretch, who had for years at Paramaribo supported the character of a polite and well-bred gentleman, where he had indeed been universally respected."-Vol. 2, p. 316.

[Snakes at Sea a Sign of Land.]

"NEXT morning we saw two snakes upon the water, which occasioned great joy in the ship, for when they begin to see snakes it is an infallible mark that they are not above forty leagues off the land of the Indies. In the evening we saw upon the water a great many little yellow snakes, a foot long, and as big as one's little finger, which made us know that we were near the coast of Diu, along which the snakes are small, for from thenceforward along the coast of the Indies they are big."-THEVENOT.

[The Trollhätta Falls.]

"Or the rocky islands situated in the river near Trollhätta, two or three are quite inaccessible. One of them is overgrown with trees which have never been touched by human hands. A dog which attempted

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to swim across the river at some distance above, being carried away by the rapidity of the current, was cast upon this island. He there lived several days, but not having courage to plunge again into the impetuous torrent, he perished of hunger."— KUTT

NER.

[The Rein-Deer Moss.]

The

"THE country around offered a scene very uncommon, and to us quite new. The moss on which the rein-deer feeds covers the whole ground, which is flat, and only skirted by hills at some distance; but these hills also are clothed with this moss. colour of the moss is a pale yellow, which, when dry, changes to white: the regularity of its shape, and the uniform manner in which the surface of the ground is decked with it, appears very singular and striking : it has the semblance of a beautiful carpet. These plants grow in a shape nearly octagonal, and approaching to a circle; and as they closely join each other, they form a kind of mosaic work, or embroidery. The white appearance of the country, which thence arises, may for a moment make you imagine that the ground is covered with snow; but the idea of a winter scene is done away by the view of little thickets in full green, which you perceive scattered here and there, and still more by the presence of the sun and the warmth of his rays. As this moss is very dry, nothing can possibly be more pleasant to walk upon, nor can there be anything softer to serve as a bed. Its cleanness and whiteness is tempting to the sight; and when we had put up our tent, we found ourselves in every respect very comfortably lodged. I had many times before met with this moss, but in no place had I found it so rich. It was the only produce here which nature seemed to favour and support: no other herb was growing near it, nor any other vegetable on the spot, except a few birch trees, with their underwood, and some firs, dispersed on the hill by the river side. All these

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seemed to vegetate with difficulty, as if deprived of their nourishment by the moss, and appeared withering and stunted. Some trees, indeed, which grow very near the water, had the appearance of being in a flourishing state, perhaps owing to the moisture they derived from the river: but, in short, this moss appeared to be the royal plant, which ruled absolute over the vegetable kingdom of the country, and distributed its bounty and influence amongst a particular race of men and animals.". ACERBI'S Travels.

sleep in places where snakes and vipers abounded, and other poisonous animals, surrounding himself with boughs of the beech, from the shade of which tree we saw by experience, that those animals strangely fly. He did another thing in our presence, that we might see the enmity they have to this tree, for he made a circle, half of fire and half of beech boughs, and threw a viper into the middle, which being only able to get out through the boughs or through the fire, to avoid them, chose the fire."- ALONSO PEREZ, in his Continuation of George of Montemor's Diana.

[Aurora Borealis.]

"ON the 30th of March, towards midnight, we were still upon the road, suffering from a cold of thirteen degrees of Celsius, when an Aurora Borealis presented us with a magnificent spectacle, which served to relieve the irksome monotony of our journey. The heavens began to appear illuminated in the north; presently it assumed a bright ruby colour, such as we have on a fine evening in Italy with the setting sun, when, as Virgil says, and as experience has often proved, a lively red as the sun goes down prognosticates fine weather for to-morrow. This phenomenon had just fixed our attention, when behold a luminous arch rose over the pole. This was accompanied by various other light and fleeting arches, which shifted from place to place every instant: they were bounded here and there by vivid flames and torches, which issued in rapid succession from the skies, communicating fire to the clouds in their vicinity, tinging their gilded edges, and exhibiting a picture highly interesting to us, unaccustomed as we were to such appearances."-Ibid.

[Finches' Nests.]

"NESTS of finches (loxia) made of the stalks of grass, curiously interwoven, hung on the branches of trees over ponds, with a long and narrow neck, by which the bird used to enter. This neck prevented the birds of prey from getting at the young ones, and the water, over which the nest hung on low shrubs and bushes, kept off foxes and other beasts of prey."-THUN

BERG,

[The Mimosa Tree-the Guide to Water.]

"THOUGH the surrounding country was mimosas covered the banks of the Dwyka, destitute of vegetation, a thick forest of and followed it through all its windings. This plant grows indeed on every part of the desert, on which it is the inseparable companion of all the rivers and all the riodical streamlets. Should a traveller happen to be in want of water, the appearance of the mimosa is a sure guide to the place where it occasionally, at least, is to be found."-BARROW,

pe

[Antipathy of Snakes and Vipers to the Beech Tree.]

"THEN it was a marvellous thing to see with what unconcern he would lie down to

[The Loss, or Goupe.

Lossen, som paa Norsk kaldes Goupe, &c.]

"THE LOSS, which in Norway dialect is called Goupe, is something smaller than a

wolf, but as fierce and dangerous: it bites and tears all to pieces that it can master. This creature's skin is of a light grey, or white, with dark spots. They are very cunning in undermining a sheep-fold, where they help themselves very nobly. It happened lately in some of these, that a Goupe was found out by a sly he-goat, who perceived his subterraneous work, watched him narrowly, and as soon as his head came forth, before the body could be got out, butted him, and gave such home pushes, that he laid him dead in the grave of his own making."-PONTOPPIDAN, Nores Naturlige Historie, pt. 2, p. 33.

[Water-pools for the Elephant and
Rhinoceros.]

"GREAT rivers falling from the high countreys with prodigious violence, during the tropical rains, have in the plains washed away the soil down to the solid rock, and formed large basons of great capacity, where, though the water becomes stagnant in pools when the currents fail above, yet, from their great depth and quantity, they resist being consumed by evaporation, being also thick covered with large shady trees, whose leaves never fall. These large trees, which in their growth, and vegetation of their branches, exceed any thing that our imagination can figure, are as necessary for food as the pools of water are for cisterns to contain drink for those monstrous beasts, such as the elephant and rhinoceros, who there make their constant residence, and who would die with hunger and thirst, unless they were thus copiously supplied with both food and water."-BRUCE.

[The Trade Winds.]

"WE were in latitude 27° 49', the thermometer at 69°. The morning was mild; the sea still smooth as a lake: all nature seemed hushed in silence, and no wind could

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be felt. We rose early, and enjoyed a steady walk on the now quiet deck. The sun, protruding from the bosom of a tranquil ocean, softly stole above the horizon, and, swelling into globular forms, mildly assumed refulgent brightness, and spread his genial rays around. From excess of motion we had now lapsed into perfect rest. We contemplated the change with admiration and delight yet wished enough of wind to carry us on our voyage. The timoneer left the helm; and the ship remained immoveable upon the water. Casting our eyes over the silver surface of the sea, to behold the beauteous rising of the sun, we offered aspirations that fierce Eurus, in the placid humour of milder Zephyr, might follow in his train. Two strange vessels were observed to be in sight-a brig and a schooner. The former was directly in our wake, and viewing this, amidst the universal stillness that prevailed, we observed, with surprise, that she was moving towards us, with sails. At this moment the sky darkened; the thermometer fell to 64°; a gentle rippling spread, lightly, over the still surface of the water, and, almost imperceptibly, brought us-a favourable breeze! It was from the north-east; and so soft and steady that scarcely did we feel the vessel in motion, ere we were advancing at the rate of five knots an hour! What we had so long and anxiously sought, was now arrived, and we most cordially hailed-the trade wind! The sailors announced it in loud greetings: need I say that we partook in their liveliest joy. You will readily conceive, without expecting me to describe, our feelings upon the occasion. Never was a happier moment. All sense of our long sufferings vanished, and we were in perfect raptures on this glad event. Indeed we had much cause to think ourselves fortunate on being saluted by the favouring trades in their very earliest latitude. This was a most grateful period of our passage, and, together with the weather we have since experienced, has, in some degree, compensated former evils. The temperature grew cooler than it had been during

the few days of calm. The breeze freshened, and all hands were busily occupied in preparing and setting all possible sail, to obtain the full benefit of this great and constant trader's friend. Quickly new canvass stretched from every point of the ship, which winged with five additional sails, widely spread her expanded pinions to embrace the breeze. What a change! transported, at once, from the perils of severe tempest to the finest, smoothest sailing! During seven tedious weeks we had not known the wind from the point we wished; and we had been perpetually beset with all the dangers of a raging storm. Now, the breeze was all we could desire! Sickness, and other uneasy feelings were dispersed; we exercised freely upon the deck, and sailed on our passage almost without perceiving the vessel move. So rapid, indeed, was our progress, that the ship seemed to feel no resistance, but to fly, uninterrupted, through the water!

"The crowded sails now remained night and day. No change: no new arrangement -occasional bracing only was required! We stood before the wind, and, in all the delight of fair weather and fine sailing, made from 160 to 200 knots within the sailors' day from noon to noon. In such seas, and with such a wind, the ship's company might have slept; leaving the helmsman only to steer the vessel's course. The delay, the difficulties and dangers we had met with, served but to augment the value of the ever-constant trades, and to render them even more enchanting than we had hoped. The steadiness of this friendly breeze, and its certainty of duration, likewise enhanced its charms. So truly delightful did we find it, and so pleasant were the wide ocean and the weather, that, had not former sickness, with the torment of repeated gales, already confirmed my abhorrence of the sea, I know not but I might have been led into the belief that discomfort and a sailor's life were not strictly synonymous!". PINCKARD'S Notes, vol. 1, p. 184.

BRUCE.

[The Acacia Vera, or, Egyptian Thorn.]

THE Acacia vera, or Egyptian thorn, the tree which in the sultry parts of Africa produces the gum-arabic, is described by BRUCE. "These trees," he says, "grow seldom above fifteen or sixteen feet high, touch each other, while the trunks are får then flatten and spread wide at the top and ' asunder; and under a vertical sun, leave you, many miles together, a free space to walk in a cool delicious shade.”

[Boiling Spring of Barbadoes.]

"AMIDST these shades we descended to a narrow gully, between two mountains, to see one of the great curiosities—one of the reported phænomena of Barbadoes-‘a boiling spring!' On approaching the spot, we came to a small hut in which an old black woman, who employed herself as a guide to exhibit, under a kind of necromantic process, all the details of this boiling and burning fountain. The old dame, bearing in her hand a lighted taper, and taking with her a calabash, and all the other necessary apparatus of her office, led the way from the hut down to the spring.

"In a still, and most secluded situation, we came to a hole, or small pit filled with water, which was bubbling up in motion, and pouring, from its receptacle, down a narrow channel of the gully.

"Here our sable sorceress, in all the silence and solemnity of magic, placing the light at her side, fell down upon her knees, and, with her calabash, emptied all the water out of the hole, then immersing the taper in the deep void, she suddenly set the whole pit in a flame; when she instantly jumped upon her legs, and looked significantly round, as if anxious to catch the surprise expressed upon our countenances, from the workings of her witchcraft. taper being removed, the empty space continued to burn with a soft lambent flame,

The