that, as the progress of cultivation has broken the domesticated ruminantia of Europe into many varieties, the progress toward desolation has done the same with the wild ruminantia of the districts under notice. The genus Boher, is, in all probability, the oryx of the ancients, and may (indeed must) in their days have been much more widely distributed than it is now. It is said still to exist not only in that part of Africa which lies opposite the south of Arabia, but This species is rather stout in the body. Its genin the latter country, and in Persia, as far as the eral colour is white, variously marked with black Indies, being, in all its localities, the southern neigh-on the forehead and brush in which the tail termibour of the gazelle and its varieties. The data are nates, with brown on the legs, and with rust-colour not complete enough for certainty; but this is prob- between the brown and white. The horns are long, able, as the isothermal line does tend in that direc- slender, and very slightly bent from the curve of the tion; and it is all, partially at least, within the forehead throughout their length. This is the aniaction of the rains. In former times it must, from mal, the profile of which with the horns seen as the extent of plain which has been converted into one, is supposed to have suggested the notion of the desert, have extended much farther, and it is not fabled unicorn; and the robust make, the long tail possible to suppose that any one acquainted with with a brush, the mane, though that is much exagEgypt could have been ignorant of it. It is a gre-gerated, and all the characters of the animal, give garious animal, and an inhabitant of the plains; but some probability to a conjecture which can neither it browses on the leaves of trees, principally those be established nor refuted. of the acacias, and not the saline plants, like the gazelle; and therefore when, in its progress toward the desert, the country came to produce only gazelle's food, the abu-harb (the oryx) must have departed or perished. As its general habits resemble those of the gazelle, it is highly probable that there are, as in that animal, many climatal varieties; and that what have been sometimes described as different species are the same. It must not be forgotten THE STING-RAY. It would be almost an endless task to enumerate all the animals to whom dangerous and fatal properties have been attributed by the ignorant; and even now, though experiment after experiment has been made, proving the falsehood of the greater part of these assertions, many exist, who, fond of the marvellous, and unwilling to relinquish old prejudices, still believe in all these wonderful tales. We quote from an old author, a prose description of this fish, in which its dangerous qualities are exaggerated. "The inhabitants of the sea that are large enough to devour men are very many, but those which have a power of hurting otherwise, more than by the absolute wound of their bite, are very few. In the first place among these, however, is to stand the fierceflair, or fireflair, as it is commonly called. The tail is the creature's weapon of defence, but it is a mischievous fish, and will use it offensively. The method in which it does this, is by drawing the tail swiftly round the person's leg or body, as a man of judgement would draw the long lash of a hunting-whip to make it cut; and it thus strikes the end of the bone deep into the flesh." The large notched bone beneath the tail of this creature is capable, no doubt, of inflicting a severe wound; but in this consists all the danger, and the poisonous qualities supposed to belong to it are merely imaginary. The sting-ray is found in almost every part of the world; in the European seas it seldom attains a large size, but in some parts of the world, particularly New Holland, it is found weighing as much as four hundred pounds. In some parts of America, the notched bone of this fish is used instead of a saw. In Japan, although the venomous properties of this bone are still considered real, yet with strange inconsistency it is employed as a remedy against the bite of serpents. Tongue of the Duck. When we consider the particular use which the duck makes of his tongue, we shall immediately perceive that it is endowed with great and unusual sensibility. The duck, unlike all other birds, discriminates its food, not by sight or by smell, but by the touch of its tongue. It thrusts its bill into the mud, just as a fisherman throws his net into the sea, and brings up whatever it contains; from the mouthful of stuff it selects by the tongue alone, what is good, and every thing else is rejected. LINES ON THE ADMISSION OF MICHIGAN INTO THE UNION. BY MRS. SIGOURNEY. COME in, little sister, so healthful and fair, A present, I see, for our sire you have brought, You've a dowry, beside, very cunningly stored, But where are your Indians, so feeble and few- Those ladies who sit on the sofa so high, They indeed bore the burden and heat of the day, So, hold up your head, with the "old thirteen." Knickerbocker. LIVING COSTUMES. [Albanian Soldiers.] THE above cut represents a party of Albanians, natives of Albania, called in the Turkish language Arnaut; in the Albanian, Skiperi; (Epirus and Illyria ;) a province in Arnaut-Wilajeti, extending from the Drino to the Acroceraunian mountains along the coast of the Adriatick and Ionean seas. It has a delicious climate, and produces in abundance, wine, grain, oil, tobacco, cotton, wood, mineral salt, and horned cattle. The principal mountains are the Montenegro and the Chimera; the principal rivers, are the Drino, Bojana, Somini, &c. The three hundred thousand inhabitants are composed of Turks, Greeks, Jews, and Arnauts; the last of which constitute the boldest soldiers in the Turkish armies. The country is divided into the pachalicks of Janina, Ilbessan, and Scutari, and the sangiacats of Aulona and Delvino. The principal cities are Janina, Delvino, Scutari, Durazzo, Argyro-Castro, Valona, &c. The authority of the Porte in this region is very uncertain, being more or less relaxed in proportion as the independent communities and beys enlarge or contract their possessions, in opposition to the pachas whom it appoints. The vast mountainous coast of Albania is very little known. The Venetian government, while the republick of Venice existed, defended it against any permanent conquest by the Turkish pachas. Here Greek and Catholick Christians, and Mohammedans likewise, live in a half savage state, and under the most varied forms of government. At the time of the revolt of the Greeks the most southern part of Albania took the ancient VOL. V.-7 name of Epirus. From the lake of Janina, arise the rivers Acheron and Cocytus, not far from the mouth of which lies Parga. Epirus, especially in the neighbourhood of the sea, is a fertile country; it produces wine, corn, and fruit. In ancient times, its horses were famed for swiftness, its cows for size, and its dogs for strength and courage. These races seem now to be extinct. The Albanian countenance is peculiarly characteristick, as is shown in the accompanying portrait, drawn by a late traveller. Before the Greek revolution, Ali Pacha ruled in Janina. In Scutari, there are yet independent com- means of obtaining it, by incursions into the neiga munities, the inhabitants of Mount Montenegro, the bouring territory, or military service in foreign counSuliots, and others in the neighbourhood of the for- tries. The sons of influential families, or distinmer Venetian, now Austrian territory. These small guished soldiers, collect a troop, and, like the forfree tribes enjoyed, as long as the republick of Ven- mer condottieri of Italy, sell their aid to any one who ice existed, the secret protection of that government; will pay them well. This migration of armed to which is to be attributed their success in main- hordes, caused by the want of landed property suffitaining themselves against the Turkish force, and cient to support them, is a national instinct, common the violence of private feuds. The same policy was to the Greek, Catholick, and Mohammedan Arnauts. pursued likewise by the French Illyrian government. For this reason, the communities in the most fertile In the country itself, the Arnauts are called Skype- valleys rarely increase, and there is a great disprotars. They are bold and indefatigable, but merce- portion of unmarried females. But in case of attack, nary and perfidious warriours. They once consti- the women defend their homes and property with tuted the flower of the Turkish army. Every one masculine courage. The political influence of the who has no landed property, seeks to acquire the clergy is great among the Christian Arnauts In the course of last summer, I met with several persons as well as families, whom I could not compare to any thing else than what in America we understand by the appellation of squatters. The meth TEMPLE OF SCHOE-MADOU, AT PEGU. Pegu, the former capital of the kingdom of that name, was formerly a large and magificent city: in 1757, however, it was attacked by the Burmese conqueror, Alompra, who destroyed it, dispersed a por-ods they employed to accumulate property form the tion of its inhabitants and led the others away cap- subject of the observations which I now lay before tive. The numerous temples of Pegu, were the only you. buildings which were left; although the city was Our schooner lay at anchor in a beautiful basin rebuilt in 1790, all these edifices were neglected, on the coast of Labrador, surrounded by uncouth except the great temple of Schoe-Madou or the god rocks of granite, partially covered with stunted vegof gold, undoubtedly one of the loftiest and most reWhile searching for birds and other ob markable buildings in Asia, curious from the charac- jects I chanced one morning to direct my eye toter of its architecture, the antiquity of its construc-ward the pinnacle of a small Island, separated from tion, and the profound veneration in which it is held by the natives of Pegu. etation. the mainland by a very narrow channel; and presently I commenced inspecting it with my telescope. Among the Burmese, gold is the symbol of excel- There I saw a man on his knees, with clasped Before him lence: they consecrate it to their gods and attribute hands, and face inclined heavenward. its qualities to their king. All that belongs to him, was a small monument of unhewn stones, supporting In a word, reader, the person and also their temples, have the epithet Schoe, which a wooden cross. signifies golden. The name of the emperour is never whom I thus unexpectedly discovered, was engaged mentioned except in connexion with this precious in prayer. Such an incident in that desolate land metal. When a Burmese states that the emperour was affecting, for there one seldom finds traces of has heard of any thing, he remarks, "that has reached the ears of gold." One who has had an audience with his sovereign, has been "admitted to the feet of gold." A noble Burmese once remarked to an English ambassador, that the perfume of otto of rose, was grateful to the nose of gold. Thus the epithet Schoe, is characteristick of the temple of Pegu, only by the association of the word Madon, which seems to be a corruption of Mahadeva, or God. This temple is built on a double terrace: the first is ten feet high, the second, twenty: both form a parallelogram. The lower one measures thirteen hundred and ninety-one feet on one of its faces, and the upper, six hundred and eighty-four feet. You ascend to these terraces by large and sloping stone steps: at the base of the staircase are two lions which seem to guard the entrance. On cach side are the residences of the rhahaans or priests, which rise four or five feet above the ground and comprise a single spacious room on which are benches to rest on. 66 human beings, and the aid of the Almighty, although necessary every where, seems there peculiarly required to enable them to procure the means of subsistence. My curiosity having been raised, I betook myself to my boat, landed on the rock, and scrambled to the place, where I found the man still on his knees. When his devotions were concluded, he bowed to me, and addressed me in very indifferent French. I asked him why he had chosen so dreary a spot for his prayers. Because," answered he, "the sea lies before me, and from it I receive my spring and summer sustenance. When winter approaches, I pray fronting the mountains on the main, as at that period the karaboos come toward the shore, and I kill them, feed on their flesh, and form my bedding of their skins." I thought the answer reasonable, and as I longed to know more of him, followed him to his hut. It was low and very small, formed of stones plastered with mud to a considerable thickness. The roof was composed of a sort of thatching made of weeds and moss. The temple is a pyramid built of brick and mortar, large Dutch stove filled nearly one-half of the place, in which there is neither hollow nor opening of any a small port-hole, then stuffed with old rags, kind. It forms at its base an octagon, which be- at times instead of a window; the bed was a pile of comes round as it rises. Each face of the octagon, deer-skins; a bowl, a jug, and an iron pot were is one hundred and sixty-two feet broad: but the im- placed on a rude shelf; three old and rusty muskets, mense diameter of the pyramid diminishes rapidly; their locks fastened by thongs, stood in a corner; it rises three hundred and thirty-one feet above the and his buck-shot, powder, and flints, were tied up terrace on which it is situated and is consequently in bags of skin. Eight Esquimaux dogs yelled and three hundred and sixty-one feet high. It is crown-leaped about us. The strong smell that emanated ed by a kind of iron parasol, termed tée, without from them, together with the smoke and filth of the which no temple is complete. This tée is fifty-six apartment, rendered my stay in it extremely disa feet in circumference, and a large number of bells greeable. are attached to it, which when agitated by the wind keep up a constant tinkling. The Peguans believe this temple to have been founded two thousand three hundred years ago. Be this as it may, it is certainly curious and of great antiquity. A. served Being a native of France, the good man shewed much politeness, and invited me to take some refreshment, when, without waiting for my assent, he took up his bowl and went off I knew not whither. than I went out also, to breathe the pure air, and No sooner had he and his strange dogs disappeared, gaze on the wild and majestick scenery around. I was struck with the extraordinary luxuriance of the plants and grasses that had sprung up on the scanty soil on the little valley which the squatter had Go where you will, if a shilling can there be pro-chosen for his home. Their stalks and broad blades cured, you may expect to meet with individuals in reached my waist. June had come, and the flies, search of it. mosquitoes, and other insects filled the air, and SQUATTERS OF LABRADOR. |