the neighbouring hamlets, having been overtaken by a ftorm, fought refuge under one of those rocks, which in an inftant, by a fudden guft of wind, was totally covered with fnow, and the good woman buried twelve feet deep. In this fituation fhe lay fix-and-thirty hours, till discovered by the beforementioned dog, when the was taken to the convent, and absolutely reço vered.

"Near this inftitution is a wall of amazing thickness, which shelters fome fmall buildings thereunto belonging from the avalanches, or falls of fnow, from the neighbouring mountains. To this fucceeds an efplanade, or plain, that commands a fmall lake, of confiderable depth, on the edge of which ftands the convent, the dreary and arid appearance of which, as well as every furrounding object, added to the diforder and general confufion which exifts, give a most forcible idea of chaos, or nature in a state of abfolute fterility, for all is barrenness and ftagnation, nothing like vegetation: it is, however, a fpot confecrated to humanity, religion, and hofpitality, where their votaries have fought an afylum, and practife the Chriftian virtues with the greatest energy, enthusiasm, and difinterestedness." P. 150.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CONVENT OF

THE GREAT ST. BERNARD.

"THE convent, more commonly called hofpice, from indifcriminately giving refuge and fhelter to every individual who travels that way, when overtaken by want, fatigue, or ftrefs of weather, is of freestone, containing a number of apartments and beds, to which is annexed a handfome chapel, where the service is regularly performed by the friars. This building appears, from Simlar, the hiftorian, to have been founded in the tenth century, by one St. Bernard de Manthon, at that time a regular canon, and archdeacon of Aöfta. Animated by fentiments of humanity, that worthy character, who was a defcendant of one of the most ancient families of Savoy, caufed this convent to be erected, at his own expenfe, on the fummit of the mountain, till then called Joux, or Jovis, for the affiftance and reception of travellers, who might be forced to cross that frozen region of the Alps;

and at the fame time annexed to it funds fufficient for the completion of the establishment. He at first began by fixing only a certain number of Auguf tine friars; but foon after retired there himself, in order to fuperintend, watch, and encourage by his example, the execution of the rules he had planned for the relief of the poor, as well as to afford a comfortable afylum to those who might need affiftance. For this pious act, the pontiff Alexander II. conferred on him the dignity of prevôt, with the privilege of being crofiered and mitred as a bishop. This acknowledgment of the virtue of the founder, and of the merit of the undertaking, foon inspired several of the European princes and grandees, who, fenfible of the great use of the institution, vied with each other in donations, in order to maintain it according to the original plan; fo that, in fact, it so infenfibly and rapidly increased in wealth, that in 1460 it had not less than fourscore livings in its poffeffion, befides landed property in Piedmont, Savoy, Switzerland, Sicily, Germany, and even England.

"Unfortunately, however, we see in this inftitution, far removed, as might be supposed, from the vices of the world, that neither foil nor region is proof against the corrupting influence of riches, that bane of virtue, and confequently of happiness,-properly termed by the poet irritamenta malo rum; for, from the arid fummits of the frozen Alps to the fruitful smiling plains of Europe, all are alike! and how many are to be found whom even profufion cannot fatisfy! Such was the cafe here; for in confequence of the abundance of wealth and high degree of power which this inftitution had acquired, ambition, with its dif quieting train, jealousy and contentions for pre-eminence, foon began to diftract the community, and had nearly proved fatal to the establishment itself. To this may be added, as an accumu lation of misfortunes, and by which their existence feemed threatened, that the pope, having once granted to the prevôt the title or dignity of comman datory, he, forfooth, thought himself authorized to defert the convent, and take up his refidence in a large city,where, from diflipation, negligence, and donations to his family, which were of courfe imitated by his fol

lowers,

lowers, the immenfe property belonging to the inftitution was foon found to be almost expended. Nor was it till the year 1589 that the friars were roufed from their ftupor, who, in confequence of long and warm debates, compelled the prevôts in future, on pain of forfeiting their appointment, to refide continually at the convent.

"This measure, though excellent in itself, and at that time extremely neceffary, could not however retrieve the landed property, and vast sums of money, heretofore alienated by the prevôts; and the community foon found it impracticable to follow the original rules, as dictated by St. Bernard, for want of fufficient funds. In addition to this calamity, fresh diftrefs arofe, by the Duke of Savoy's lofing the Pays-de-Vaud, the Pays-de-Gex, and the Vallais, in which they had ftill confiderable poffeffions. This unforeseen misfortune foon forced them to determine on fending some of their community, yearly, to Italy, France, Switzerland, and Germany, in queft of donations,--a circumftance they have had no reason to repent of; for they were, and are ftill, fo fuccefsful (this cuftom being continued), that, from their own acknowledgment, they are at present enabled to follow, without the leaft deviation, the original intention of fuccouring, indifcriminately, every traveller that croffes this tremendous pafs, without regard to religion, rank, or fex. Thefe acts of beneficence become the more meritorious, and how the excellent regulations and great economy of their prefent fyftem, that though every article of provifion, &c. muft be unavoidably brought from the foot of the mountain on mules, owing to the arid and desolate ftate of their fituation, not having even a blade of grass, or the leaft appearance of vegetation, for the space of five or fix miles round, both north and fouth, so that nature seems totally dead, yet are these venerable men indefatigable in their pursuits, and have their bread, wine, butter, milk, hay, ftraw, and even wood for firing, thus conveyed, although it occafions infinite labour and great expenfe. They have likewife one hundred and twenty cows belonging to the convent, which, during the fummer months, graze in one of their meadows, about fix miles diftant; and though their produce in

butter muft of course be confiderable, yet it is not found adequate to the confumption of the house. But the object which they moftly complain of, and which becomes heavily expenfive, is the wood: thirty mules are regularly employed, four months in the year, in fetching it from the bafis of the mountain; and, confidering the fmall quan tities each time conveyed by thofe animals, and the number of fires invariably kept up the whole year round, this article is a heavy charge to the community, and accounts for their not baking in the convent. They have their bread made five miles off, in the hamlet of Auxières. The provisions likely to be met with in the house, and indeed the only ones that can be preferved good for any time, confift in falt meats, dried fruits, and vegetables, with different forts of Italian paste, fuch as maccaroni, vermicelli, &c. all excellent of their kind; but as for frefl meats, they never can remain long in that state, owing to the extreme rarity of the air.

"Before concluding this defcription, I fhall give my reader fome idea of the different functions or dignities exercifed by the friars, who may affuredly, by their religion and virtues, be deemed ornaments to humanity. The firft of thefe, as before noticed, is ftyled the prevôt, chofen by a majority of votes from among the community: he muft, however, have employed his youth in every act of hospitality towards the relief of the unfortunate traveller of the Alps; and of course, at the time of being chofen, is in general old and infirm; for which reason, fince the late regulations have been established, he is allowed to refide at Martig nie, which, the reader may recollect, is feated at the bafis of the mountain, where the chapter has still a house and fome church-lands belonging to it.This house, or rather château, likewife ferves for an afylum to the reft of the friars, whom age and infirmity prevent from living on the top of the mountain. The fecond in rank may be deemed the Prieur Claustral, who is expected to be a refident in the convent, and is charged with the administration of the community. Thirdly, the Sacriftain, who fuperintends the care of the chapel, which is well decorated, though on fo barren a fpot; for the altar, in particular, exhibits marble columns of exquilite

exquifite workmanship, which must have coft immense labour and expenfe, merely for their conveyance hither. Fourthly, the Celerier, or Procurateur, who has the care of providing, giving out the provifions, and alfo of tranfacting the external bufinefs of the house. Fifthly, the Father Clavandier, who diftributes the neceffary wine and liquors to travellers, as well as the community at large. And, fixthly, the Father Infirmier, to whom the care of the fick is confided, and who must confequently understand furgery and medicine.

"The number of friars who now form the community is five-and-twenty, twelve of whom are to be conftant ly refident in the convent, and the reft either at the different curacies belonging to the chapter, which are generally filled by the eldeft, or elfe on their travels in queft of donations. The above charges or functions do not, however, in the leaft prevent them from rendering every affiftance in time of danger, or during the grand paffages, which are thofe times in the year when bufinefs renders the mountain more frequented; for, with the greateft philanthropy, do they all, indifcriminately, lend a helping hand to the unfortunate, and pay a generous tribute to fuffering humanity, by adminifter ing every comfort to the unhappy being who appears overcome with fatigue, cold, or laffitude; and every individual, let his fituation be what it may, meets with kind and generous treatment; and all are, with equal attention, lodged, fed, and attended to, gratis, as long as neceffity obliges them to ftay. A large comfortable apartment is allotted for the poor; while those who make a more decent appearance remain with the community, and eat at their table during their refidence. Surely, then, too much praife cannot he given to the founder of fuch an inftitution, as well as to the zeal, indefatigable care, and extreme humanity, of thofe refpectable men, from whom I have not only experienced the kindeft attention, but have witneffed the dangers they run in refcuing from the fnow the unfortunate traveller. I cannot but exprefs a hope, that, whatever changes the religious and political fyftéms of Europe may undergo, this inftitution, as to its great object, will

not be abolished. Yet, with all thefe precautions, fcarcely a year paffes without fome, and indeed I may add many, individuals perifhing while croffing this paffage, which may certainly be re garded as one of the highest of the Alps; and many, though they may not be totally given up to death's cold embrace, are frequently found with their limbs fo frozen, as to require amputation, a circumftance which, to those who are unacquainted with the country, and the number of perfons who annually pafs, muft naturally ap pear dreadful, and create melancholy reflections; but when it is confidered, that, one year with the other, no lefs than five-and-twenty thousand travel. lers, moftly Italian and German, actu ally crofs this mountain, the aftonish ment ceafes, and it in fact becomes wonderful that the lives of so many are preserved, as appears by the account of the friars." P. 154.

THE BATHS OF LOICHE.

"THE baths of Loiche, or Loncher-bed, as they are fometimes called, are fituate in a valley, rich in pafture, at the bafis of Mont Gemmi, though furrounded by lofty rocks, covered with permanent fnow. This fpot is furnished with a tolerably good inn, and feveral wooden houses, moft of which are for the accommodation of ftrangers. Nearly in the centre of this little village is an extenfive bafin, which ferves as a refervoir to the drain belonging to the fuperior fprings, of which there are twelve, at about a mile and a half from the inn. But, what is fingular, though thefe fprings are placed at the foot of an immenfe rock, which ferves as a fupport to the great glacier of Gemmi, yet, contiguous to their fource, the state of their temperature raises the mercury in Fahrenheit's thermometer to one hundred and twenty degrees,-a circumftance which, had I not, in the course of my travels, feen molten lava running down the fides of Vefuvius when its fummit was covered with fnow, would doubtlefs have furprised me.

"Thefe fprings, which all together yield about five or fix cubic inches of water, ferve to fill four large baths, divided into four regular fquares,

ca

pable

pable of containing five-and-twenty or thirty perfons each. The water has a Atrong fulphureous fmell, which eva porates or lofes itself if taken any diftance. It is deemed efficacious for many complaints, as the spleen, hyfte pics, fcurvy, &c. and is accounted a great strengthener of the stomach. But a moft fingular virtue which attends it, and which must not pass unnoticed, is that of reftoring life and colour to flowers and vegetables, let them be ever fo withered or dead, when thrown into it; although, from the heat of the water, it might naturally be fuppofed to have a contrary effect; but fo it is; and no otherwife can I account for it, than from the particles of neutral and alkaline falts with which the water is impregnated. Close to the baths begins the afcent to Mont Gemmi, which is neither lefs curious nor wonderful than the former, being likewife cut in the main rock for the space of seven or eight miles, in a continual zig-zag, and nearly every where covered by the rock itself. This aftonifhing undertaking was completed by -order of the ftates of Berne and the republic of Vallais, at the beginning of the prefent century; for, as this pafs, which is as ftupendous as the Great St. Bernard, is much frequented by the mercantile people of the country, and those who vifit the baths of Loiche, thefe ftates found themfelves equally interefeed in opening this paffage, though still paffable only on mules or on foot, owing to the frequent falling of fome parts of the mountains that ftand contiguous to the road; which circumftance has prevented it being entirely finished on the Swifs fide.

"This tremendous mountain is as curious in its construction as in the heterogeneity of its strata. Its nucleus appears to be partly granite, and partly quartzofe, micaceous rock; but, what feemed most remarkable, near its fummit I obferved calcareous ftrata, of five feet thickness, in which were imbedded a vast quantity of foffils, moftly cochliti and anomiæ,-a very convincing proof of the extreme height of the fea at the time it fubmerged our continents, fince those fame ftrata are now seven thousand feet above the prefent level of the fea. At no great diftance from the top of the mountain are alfo

found fulphur, vitriol, and vitriolic pyrites, befides a mine of filver ore, which is not worked, though apparently very rich: there likewise stands an hofpital, but fmall; and a deep lake, the drain of which is unknown. From the highest part of the mountain, called Point Daubin, the profpe&t is both fublime and magnificent, for the eye wanders weftward, on an extenfive glacier, that ftretches in an easy afcent for the fpace of five miles; while, on the opposite fide, the whole length of the valley of the Rhône is diftinguishable, with the Great St. Bernard at its head, Mont Velán, and the reft of the frozen chain which fepa rates the Vallais from Italy, forming a noble afpect; whereas, eaft and north, the view totally changes, and all is defolate and melancholy; for nothing but immenfe fragments of rock, piled mountains high, one on the other, fpread abroad, and strongly evince the dreadful convulfions of nature which this mountain has doubtless experienced at fome very diftant period.

"About two miles and a half from the baths of Loiche I gained the bafis of rocks on which ftands the village of Albinen, where ladders are placed, from rock to rock, in the fame manner as were originally near the baths. This village, which is fituate in the midft of an extenfive plain or bafin, nine hundred feet at least above the valley of Loiche, is large and populous, the inhabitants being healthy and comfortable; and though there is no other way of access to them than by the ladders above described, it is nevertheless much frequented; and, as a proof of what I advance, I fhall here mention what I was witness to, and which may doubtless be depended on. At the moment I was preparing to ascend, I observed, five hundred feet above me, a woman, perched as it were on one of the ladders, carrying a pail on her head, and two youths following. From the extreme distance they were at, they had a moft fingular appearance, and might have been taken for birds rather than human beings; but from their alacrity and manner of proceeding, had I not known by what means they were reaching the fummit, I might eafily have conjectured that they were afcending a flight of fteps." P. 179.

XXIII. Barrow's Travels into the Interior of Southern Africa. nued from p. 73.)

(Conti

OSTRICHES AND THEIR EGGS.

ON many parts of the great deferts oftriches were feen fcouring the plains, and waving their black and white plumes in the wind, a fignal to 'the Hottentots that their nefts were not far diftant, especially if they wheeled round the place from whence they ftarted up: when they have no neft they make off, immediately on being difturbed, with the wing-feathers clofe to the body. There is fomething in the economy of this animal different in general from that of the reft of the feathered race. It feems to be the link of union, in the great chain of nature, that connects the winged with the four-footed tribe. Its ftrong-jointed legs and cloven hoofs are well adapted for fpeed and for defence. The wings and all its feathers are infufficient to raise it from the ground; its camelfhaped neck is covered with hair; its voice is a kind of hollow mournful lowing, and it grazes on the plain with the qua-cha and the zebra. Among the very few polygamous birds that are found in a state of nature, the oftrich is one. The male, diftinguished by its gloffy black feathers from the dufky grey female, is generally feen with two or three, and frequently as many as five, of the latter. These females lay their eggs in one neft, to the number of ten or twelve each, which they hatch all together, the male taking his turn of fitting on them among the reft. Between fixty and feventy eggs have been found in one neft; and if incubation has begun, a few are most commonly lying round the fides of the hole, having been thrown out by the birds on finding the neft to contain more than they could conveniently cover. The time of incubation is fix weeks. For want of knowing the oftrich to be polygamous, an error respecting this bird has lipt into the Syftema Natura, where it is faid that one female lays fifty eggs.

"The eggs of the oftrich are confidered as a great delicacy. They are prepared in a variety of ways; but that made ufe of by the Hottentots is perhaps the best: it is fimply to bury

them in hot afhes, and through a small hole made in the upper end to ftir the contents continually round till they acquire the confiftence of an omlet: prepared in this manner, we very often, in the course of our long journies over the wilds of Africa, found them an ex

cellent repaft. In thefe eggs are frequently discovered a number of small oval-shaped pebbles, about the fize of a marrowfat pea, of a pale yellow colour and exceeding hard. In one egg were nine, and in another twelve of fuch ftones." P. 94.

THE SPRING-BOK OR LEAPING ANTELOPE, &C.

"THE spring-bok or leaping antelope is a gregarious animal never met with but in large herds, fome of which, according to the accounts of the peafantry, will amount to, the number of ten thoufand. The Dutch have given a name to this beautiful creature indicative of its gait. The ftrength and elafticity of the muscles are so great, that, when closely pursued, he will spring at a single leap from fifteen to five-and-twenty feet. Its ufual pace is that of a conftant jumping or fpringing, with all the four legs ftretched out, and off the ground at the fame time, and at every spring the hair on the rump divides or fheds, and, falling back on each fide, displays a surface of fnowy whitenefs. No dog can attempt to approach the old ones; but the young kids, which were now numerous, were frequently caught after a hard chafe. Both old and young are excellent venifon; and vaft numbers are destroyed by the Dutch farmers, not only for the fake of the flesh, but alfo for the fkins, of which they make facks for holding provifions and other articles, clothing for their flaves, and, at the time of the capture by the English, for themselves alfo and children. The poverty and miserable condition of the colony were then fo great, that all their numerous flocks and herds were infufficient to procure them decent clothing.

"The gems-bok is also a very beautiful animal, and of a fize much larger than the fpring-bok. It has none of that timidity which generally marks the character of the antelope; but, on the contrary, if closely pursued or wounded, will coolly fit down on its haunches,