although far distant. Hardly had I raised my head to listen more attentively, when a confusion of voices arose from the Arabs' camp, with a sound of feet, and in a few minutes they rushed into my camp, shouting to my men in the darkness, 'The river! the river!'

"We were up in an instant, and my interpreter explained that the river was coming down, and that the supposed distant thunder was the roar of approaching water.

Many of the people were asleep on the clean sand of the river's bed; these were quickly awakened by the Arabs, who rushed down the river's bank to save the skulls of the two hippopotami that were exposed to dry. Hardly had they descended when the sound of the river in the darkness beneath told us that the waters had arrived, and the men, dripping with wet, had just sufficient time to drag their heavy burden up the bank.

"The wonder of the desert! Yesterday there was a barren sheet of burning sand, with a fringe of withered bush and trees upon its borders. For days we have journeyed along the dry bed; no bush could boast a leaf, no tree could throw a shade. In one night there was a wonderful change. An army of water was hastening to the mighty river. There was no drop of rain, no thundercloud in the sky to give hope. All had been dry and sultry; dust and desolation yesterday, to-day a

magnificent stream, some five hundred yards wide, and from 15 to 20 feet deep, flowed through the dreary desert."

Hippopotami.-The plural of hippopotamus, which literally means the river-horse, the name given to animals that frequent the African rivers, so called from their resemblance to a horse.

QUESTIONS:-1. Where is the Nile? 2. What happens to the Nile once a-year? 3. What causes the Nile to overflow its banks? 4. How do the waters rise, quickly or slowly? 5. What was the appearance of the country before the waters rose? 6. What caused it to have this appearance? 7. What change did the rising of the waters make? 8. What is the hippopotamus? and why is it so named.

EVERY child in school has seen grains of rice, but few have ever seen the rice-plant growing. The reason of this is that rice will not grow in this country because it is too cold. Rice requires a great deal of heat, and will grow only in warm countries. It grows in many parts of Asia, Africa, and America, but only in small portions of Southern Europe. In China it forms the chief article of food, and is cultivated with great care.

There can be little doubt but rice is a native of

Asia. It was introduced into America about the year 1700. A small vessel from the island of Madagascar happened to arrive in Carolina, one of the United States of America. The captain had a little seed rice on board, which he gave to a gentleman of Carolina. From part of this he had a very good crop, but did not know how to clean it. It was soon spread over the whole province, and, by frequent trials, they found out ways of producing it to so great perfection, that for a long time American rice was considered the best that reached this country.

Rice requires for its growth a good deal of moisture. In Carolina the mode of culture is as follows:-The rice seed is sown in rows, as we plant peas in our gardens. The seed is not scattered as we scatter wheat seed, but is put carefully into the ground by the hand, so as to keep each row perfectly straight. The sowing is for the most part completed by the middle of March. The water is then allowed to overflow the ground to the depth of several inches, and things remain in this state for about a week. The water is then permitted to run off, and the plants sprout, rising in about four weeks to the height of three or four inches. At the end of this time the rice-field is again flooded, and continues covered with water for about sixteen days. One good effect of this second flooding is the destruction of the grass and weeds that may have grown along with the rice.

After this, the land is allowed to remain without water until the middle of July, being often hoed to remove any weeds as soon as they appear, and to loosen the soil at the roots of the plants. At the time last mentioned, water is again let on, and remains on the ground until the harvest commences, which usually happens about the end of August. The mode of cultivating rice in all other countries where it grows is nearly similar to that which we have described.

Rice produces a greater return in proportion to the ground under cultivation than any other grain; but it is less nourishing than any other grain, because it is composed principally of starch and possesses few fatty substances. It is accordingly not well fitted, if used alone, to support human life, although it is very useful when forming a portion of the food of man.

It is an interesting fact that almost all countries have some productions which will furnish the means of supporting human life. But the same food would not suit all nations, because the effect of climate is such as to make different kinds of food necessary. In cold countries, for example, men require much more nourishing food than they do in hot climates, and so the natives of these warm climates rarely use wheat to make their bread, but prefer rice, a much lighter grain, which they cook in a variety of ways. For the same reason they seldom use any flesh-meat, but

mix butter and milk with their rice as a sort of substitute.

It has been noticed that those nations who live chiefly upon rice are soft and effeminate, and not able to hold their own against the more robust nations who live partly upon animal food; this superior vigour is, however, sometimes attributed to the influences of climate and of the habits of the people.

Madagascar.-A large island lying in the Indian Ocean off the eastern coast of Africa.

Carolina.—One of the Southern States of North America, famous for the cultivation of rice.

QUESTIONS:-1. Why does rice not grow in this country? 2. Where does rice grow? 3. Where is it cultivated with great care? 4. Where is China? 5. Of what continent is rice a native? 6. When and how was it introduced into America? 7. Where are Carolina and Madagascar? 8. What does rice require for its growth besides heat? 9. How is rice cultivated in America? 10. Will more wheat or rice grow in an acre of ground? 11. Why is rice less nourishing than any other grain? 12. Is rice better used by itself, or along with other kinds of food? 13. Why?

LESSON IV.

Perseverance.

cliffs, high rocks.
de-mand'-ed, asked.
dis-con-tent'-ed, not satisfied.
o-pin'-ion, belief, conviction.
per-suade', to make one believe.

plot,a secret plan,a conspiracy. pur-pose, object.

re-fus'-ed, would not do it. stead'-i-ly, firmly, constantly. strain'-ing, eagerly turning.

SOME four hundred years ago, an Italian sailor left his home on what was thought by all his