GAGE-ACOSTA - VOLNEY - MACKENZIE. [Chocolatte.] "THIS name chocolatte is an Indian name, and is compounded from atte, as some say, or as other atle, which in the Mexican language signifieth water; and from the sound which the water, wherein is put the chocolatte, maketh as choco, choco, choco, when it is stirred in a cup by an instrument called a molinet, or molinillo, until it bubble and rise unto a froth."-GAGE. [Cacao Nuts used as Money.] "THE Spaniards immediately used the cacao nuts for money, and gave them in alms as they would do small coin."-Acosta, vol. 4, p. 22. [Heavy Dews in the Forests of the Ohio and Wabash.] "THE first nights of my sleeping in the desert forests of the Ohio and Wabash, I thought when I awoke it was raining heavily; yet on looking at the sky it was clear and serene, and I presently perceived that the large drops, falling with such a noise from leaf to leaf, were nothing but the morning dew."-VOLNEY, p. 244. www [Effects of the October Frosts in America on the Autumnal Leaf.] "THE frosts which come on in October wither the leaves of the forests, and from this moment their verdure assumes tints of violet, dull red, pale yellow, and mordoré brown, that, in the decline of autumn, impart to American landscapes a charm and splendour unknown to those of Europe."VOLNEY, p. 261. [Supposed Suction in the Rose-Lake.] "IN part of the Rose Lake the bottom is mud and slime, with about three or four 593 feet of water over it, and here I frequently struck a canoe pole of twelve feet long, without meeting any other obstruction than if the whole were water. It has, however, a peculiar suction or attractive power, so that it is difficult to paddle a canoe over it. There is a small space along the south shore where the water is deep, and this effect is not felt. In proportion to the distance from this part, the suction becomes more powerful. I have, indeed, been told that loaded canoes have been in danger of being swallowed up, and have only owed their preservation to other canoes which were lighter. I have myself found it very difficult to get away from this attractive power, with six men and great exertion, though they did not appear to be in any danger of sinking." -SIR ALEXANDER MACKENZIE, Voyages from Montreal, &c. [Description of the Zulaul, or Ice Worm.] "THIS is a worm which is found in the middle of ice and snow, as old as the creation. It is difficult to be found. It has forty feet, and forty black spots on its back, with two red eyes like rubies, all ice, without tongue, its interior filled with an icy fluid. Its size like cucumbers which are sold at Laungabestaun for the seed, sometimes larger, sometimes smaller. The ice worm which I brought to Sultan Ibraham was smaller than a cucumber. It shines like a diamond, but melts quickly away, because it is all ice. It is prolific, and gives strength in the plea Q Q 594 EVLIA EFFENDI - LANGSDORFF-JOHN GALT. water, smeared over with the roe, they have very much the appearance of coral: the roe is scraped off, and is considered as a great dainty, having acquired a pleasing flavour from the pine-wood."- Langsdorff, vol. 2, p. 108. wwwwwww [Baskets of New California.] "AMONG their household utensils, I observed baskets made of the bark of trees, very ingeniously woven together, and so firm and water-tight, that they would hold any kind of liquid, without its oozing out in the smallest degree. They even besides make use of them as roasters, putting into them corn or pulse, and drawing them quick backwards and forwards over a slow charcoal fire, so that every grain, like our coffee, gets thoroughly browned, without the basket being the least injured."—New California, LANGSDORFF, vol. 2, p. 165. [The Mouse and the Scorpion.] "THE officers of the garrison told us, that they had often matched the scorpions against mice, and uniformly observed, in the onset of the combat, that the reptile had the advantage of the animal; but afterwards, the mouse, by tearing out a part of the scorpion's back, and eating it, recovered new vigour, and ultimately became the victor. Expecting to have had the gratification of seeing one of these contests, I omitted to enquire more particularly into the circumstances. If the fact be really as I understood and have described it, the sagacity of the mouse entitles it to the consideration of philosophers, as well as of cats."-JOHN GALT, Voyages and Travels, &c. p. 144. [Suggestion why the Danes have few Coughs, Catarrhs, and Consumptions, &c.] LORD MOLESWORTH says, "Few or none of the Danes are troubled with coughs, ca LORD MOLESWORTH tarrhs, consumptions, or such like diseases of the lungs I am persuaded," (he adds,) "their warm stoves, with the plenty and pureness of their firing, (which is beechwood,) contributes as much to their freedom from these kinds of maladies, as the grossness and unwholesomeness of our coals in London doth to our being so universally troubled with them."-An Account of Denmark, as it was in the Year 1692, p. 91. [Scalping, &c.] are poor, they content themselves to cover the skull with leather; but the rich, besides this covering of leather, gild the inside with gold, and these serve instead of cups for their drink."- HERODOTUS, Melpomene, cc. 64, 65. [Facilities of Breeding Fish in Brecon shire.] "In the county of Brecon," says THEOPHILUS JONES, "may be found at least one thousand acres of land, which either are or may be covered with water at a trifling expense, and which are unfit for the general purposes of agriculture: the number of the quantity of water they convey, is amply brooks intersecting it in all directions, and sufficient for forming a reservoir or pond in almost every farm within this district, that, if stocked with fish, would furnish a lies, or for sale in the public markets, and yet none of our farmers, and few of our gentry, seem to be fully sensible of these advantages. It is surely unnecessary to point them out, or to observe at how cheap a rate they may be obtained and secured: they lack neither labour nor manure, and the husbandman derives from them a never failing or the expense of seed. Surely, then, ing annual crop, without the trouble of sowI may be permitted to recommend to my selves of those capabilities (not everywhere countrymen that they would avail themattainable,) of adding to their stores, and multiplying their resources, when this end can with so much facility be promoted, and with so little difficulty be preserved.” JONES, Hist. of Breconshire, vol. 1, p. 18. [Επεὰν τὸν πρῶτον ἄνδρα καταβάλῃ ἀνὴρ Σκύθης, τοῦ αἵματος ἐμπίνει, κ.τ.λ.] "EVERY Scythian drinks the blood of the first prisoner he takes, and presents the king with the heads of the enemies he has killed in fight. For if he brings a head, he is entitled to a share of the booty, other-ready supply for the tables of private famiwise not. They flay these heads, by cutting a circle round the neck, close under the ears, and stripping off the skin, as they would do that of an ox; then they soften the skin with their hands, and these skins, thus prepared, serve instead of napkins, hanging on the bridles of their horses when they ride. He who has the greater number of these thinks best of himself, and is accounted the most valiant man. Many Scythians clothe themselves with the skins of men, sewed together, as others with the skins of beasts; and frequently stripping the right hands of the enemies they have killed, extend those skins with their nails, and use them for coverings to their quivers. For the skin of a man is thick, and of a brighter white than that of any other animal. Many take off the skins of men entire, and carry them about on horseback, stretched out upon a board. These usages are received among the Scythians: yet they are not accustomed to use all heads alike, for those of their greatest enemies are treated in the following manner. They cut off the whole face, from the eye-brows downwards, and having cleansed the rest, if they [Phænomenon on the Sea of Azof.] "A REMARKABLE phænomenon occurs in the Sea of Azof during violent east winds: the sea retires in so singular a manner, that the people of Taganrog are able to effect a passage upon dry land to the opposite coast, 596 CLARKE-T. MACGILL LERY. [Horse Bread.] "COLONEL KOWATCH, who in the American service commanded the infantry of Pulaski's legion, had been an old partisan officer in the north of Europe, and had com a distance of twenty versts; but when the wind changes, and this it sometimes does very suddenly, the waters return with such rapidity to their wonted bed, that many lives are lost. In this manner, also, small vessels are stranded. We saw the wrecks of two;manded a large corps of irregular horse, these had cast anchor in good soundings near the coast, but were unexpectedly swamped upon the sands."-CLARKE'S Travels, vol. 1, p. 325. [Evergreen Oak of Devonshire.] MENTION is made in a Magazine, of the year 1773, that a species of oak had been discovered in Devonshire, which was evergreen, as straight in its growth as a fir, and growing so quick, that in twenty or thirty years it exceeded in height and growth the common oak of a century. [The Russian Drink Quash.] "THE common drink of the Russians at Taganrock, is made by pouring hot water upon rye bread, and leaving it to ferment. This liquor, which they call Quash, is at first disagreeable, but afterwards very grateful."-T. MACGILL, Travels in Turkey, Italy, and Russia, &c. vol. 1, p. 230. [Russian Urns heated by Charcoal.] "THE Russians heat their tea-urns by live charcoal in a long tube, which receives its air from small holes at the bottom, and thus keeps the water boiling."— Ibid. vol. 1, p. 231. [Infants about Pittsburg, in Pennsylvania, subject to Rheumatism.] "In this part of Pennsylvania, (about Pittsburgh,) if I am rightly informed, there are instances of small children being afflicted with rheumatism, and even infants inheriting it from their parents like the podagria." - Travels in the Int. of North America. either Cossacks, Croats, or Pandours. He fled to America after the troubles of Poland. 'He told me,' says MR. PETERS, ‘that they often baked the chopped or ground grain for their horses, having previously formed it into portable cakes. It was fersimple way, by a kind of leaven. With this mented, or raised, in an expeditious and they sometimes used oil cakes.' He said, 'baked provender went twice as far as raw meal or grain.' The saccharine quality was, no doubt, produced by this process, and its alimentary properties increased. General Pulaski had a favourite charger, to whom he often gave bread, which the animal seemed to enjoy far beyond any other food. In Holland, it is a common practice to give horses rye-bread, or baked provender. The late Sheriff Penrose, who had a fine team of working horses, was in the habit of buying condemned ship bread, as the most nutritious and cheapest horse-feed. He said, others knew and profited by its advantages."- Memoirs of the Philadelphia Agricultural Society, vol. 1. [Salt Provisions quicker lose their Saltness says an excellent old traveller, "I have of- [Dry rotten Wood—Advantages of to Swine when parked up to feed.] "SOUR food is the most grateful and alimentary for swine; one gallon of sour wash RICHARD PETERS - BRUCE - REES - GRIEVE. goes farther than two of sweet. Dry rotten wood should be constantly in the pen, that the hogs, when confined for fattening, may eat it at pleasure. Nature points out this absorbent, (or whatever it may be,) as a remedy or preventive: they will leave their food to devour rotten wood when they require it. I have not lost a fatting hog for more than thirty years, when I used it, but have suffered by neglecting it. Some of my neighbours met with frequent losses of fattening hogs till I informed them of my practice, of which I was told by a woman from East Jersey, before our revolutionary war: she said it was then known and practised there."-RICHARD PETERS, Memoirs of the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture, vol. 1. Panorama, vol. 7, p. 108. [Sliced Sugar Cane.] "THE sugar-cane, cut in pieces about three inches long, slit, and steeped in water, gives a most agreeable taste and flavour to it; while, by imbibing the water, the canes become more juicy, and lose a part of their heavy clammy sweetness, which would occasion thirst."- BRUCE. [The Anemoscope of Væroe.] 597 "IN Kamtschatka where the snow and sunshine grievously injure the eyes, Steller devised a remedy which generally gave relief in six hours. It was the white of an egg, with some camphire and sugar, which he rubbed upon a pewter plate till it foamed, then tied it in a handkerchief and bound it upon the forehead. This he found to To preserve corn stacks from mice, sprin- succeed in every inflammation of the eyes.” kle from four to six bushels of dry white-I. GRIEVE's Hist. of Kamtschatka. sand upon the roof of the stack before the thatch is put on. Query? [White Sand sprinkled on Stacks a Preventative against Mice.] [Anchovies taken by Flame, not so good as those not so taken.] "ANCHOVIES, like many other fish, are attracted by flame; but it is asserted as a fact proved by experience, that anchovies taken by fire, are neither so good, so firm, nor so proper for keeping, as those which are taken without fire."-REES's Cyclopadia. [Remedy for Dogs supposed to be mad.] "To about six grains of calomel add thirty of powdered jalap and ten of scam The same used to be done with the KingFisher in this country, as I very well recollect in my childhood. SHAKSPEARE alludes to the custom in King Lear, act 2, sc. 2. "Renege, affirm, and turn their halcyon beaks With every gale and vary of their masters." See YARRELL'S British Birds, vol. 2, p. 210, &c.-J. W. W. |