leading circumstances; with regard to the rest, you had them as I had them. In every mountainous district in Scotland, to this day, a belief in supernatu ral agency prevails, in a greater or less degree. Such an awful dispensation as the above, was likely to rekindle every lingering spark in it.

A PROTESTANT GALLEY SLAVE.

The galleys, formerly at Marseilles, were in 1789 removed to the arsenal at Toulon. Five were moored near each other, and had their names on the stern, as the Firm, the Intrepid, the Brave, &c. In them there were about sixteen hundred prisoners, who were obliged always to wear a bonnet or cap, on which is fixed a tin plate with a number. Their caps were grey, green, and red, to distinguish deserters, smugglers, and thieves: these last are always branded before they leave the prison of the place where they were condemned; some with the letter V (for voleur) others with GAL on the left shoulder.

These galleys had only one deck. Many of their windows on the roof were open; and, being swept twice a day, they were clean and not offensive. The slaves also were kept clean, and their clothing was neat, even in the galley which is appropriated to the aged or infirm. Some of them had been confined forty, fifty, and even sixty years. All have a coat, waistcoat, trowsers, two shirts, and a pair of shoes, given them every year; and a great coat every two years. They had good brown bread, well baked, in loaves weighing a pound and three quarters. All had some little allowance in money, and to those that worked was granted an additional allowance of three sous every day for wine. In each galley there were two cantons (little rooms) one for wine for those that worked for government, the other for the sale of white bread, greens, &c.

Many worked at their own trades, but none were allowed to keep shops on shore as formerly at Marseilles; nor have they the same convenience they had then for the sale of their work. Forty were at work in La Place (the square) in the city, digging and removing the soil for the foundation of a house for the intendant. These were changed two and two, and when one wheeled, the other carried the chain; but in digging, sawing, and other stationary employments, both worked. Many were at work in the arsenal; and employed, some in moving, hewing, and sawing timber; and others in the cotton and thread manufactory. The number of those engaged in the last of these employments was about two hundred. They were lodged in an adjoining hall; and I observed, that when they left off work, they were searched to = prevent their secreting any of the materials. All were loaded with heavy =chains of some kind or other. Those employed in the manufactory (and some others in the arsenal) had only a ring on one leg; but this, and likewise the choice of irons, I found to be a distinction which might be purchased. The slaves who worked out of the arsenal were loaded with heavy chains; but few were able to escape; if any do escape, they are punished, when retaken, in various ways.-Some by a confinement under heavier irons.Some by a re-commencement of the term of their confinement-Some by whipping-And such as had been condemned for life, by hanging.

Protestants are compelled to attend at mass. The last person who was confined for his religion, was released about eight years ago. There is but one slave here who professes himself a protestant, and his name was François Condé. He had been confined in the galleys forty-two years, for being con

cerned with some boys in a quarrel, with a gentleman (who lost his goldheaded cane) in a private house in Paris. The boys were apprehended and this Condé, though only fourteen years of age, and lame of one arm, was condemned to the galleys for life. After four or five years he procured a Bible, and learned by himself to read; and becoming, through close attention to the scriptures, convinced that his religion was anti-christian, he publicly renounced it; and declared and defended his sentiments. Ever after he continued a steady protestant, humble and modest, with a character irreproachable and exemplary, respected and esteemed by his officers and fellow-prisoners. I brought away with me some musical pipes of his turning and tuning. He was in the galley appropriated to the infirm and aged; and these, beside the usual allowance of bread, have an additional allowance from the king of nine sous (four-pence half-penny) a-day.

I was informed by a very respectable person at Marseilles. that the brother of an ancient lady in his family was, several years ago, apprehended by some dragoons, as he was coming from a conventicle or protestant meeting; that his son saw him taken, and immediately went to the governor, and offered himself instead of his father; and that he was accepted, and sent to the galleys for life; but at the end of ten years, he obtained his liberty by the intercession of a lady, the father having just lived to see his son released.

NARROW ESCAPE OF HOWARD, THE PHILANTHROPIST. Toward the end of the year 1785, Mr. Howard, whose singular humanity has been the admiration of all Europe, made a voyage to Smyrna and Constantinople, in order to inspect the principal lazarettos of Europe. From the account, which he published of those lazarettos, we learn, that a few days after leaving the port of Modon, in the Morea, the vessel in which he was a passenger, had a smart'skirmish with a Tunisian privateer. • In this skirmish,' says Mr. Howard, one of our cannon, charged with spike-nails, &c. having accidentally done great execution, the privateer immediately, to our great joy, hoisted its sails, and made off. The interposition of Providence saved us from a dreadful fate; for I understood afterwards, that our captain, expecting that either our immediate death, or perpetual slavery at Tunis, would be the consequence of our being taken, had determined to blow up the ship

rather than surrender.'

DREADFUL PUNISHMENT OF A NEGRO.

"I was not long since invited," says a resident in Jamaica," to dine with a planter who lived about three miles from Kingston, where he then resided. In order to avoid the heat of the sun, I resolved to go on foot, sheltered in a small patch, leading through a pleasant wood. I was leisurely travelling along, attentively examining some peculiar plants which I had collected, when all at once I felt the air strongly agitated, though the day was perfectly calm and sultry. I immediately cast my eyes towards the cleared ground, from which I was but a small distance, in order to see whether it was not occasioned by a sudden shower; when at that instant a sound, resembling a deep rough voice, uttered, as I thought, a few inarticulate monosyllables. Alarmed and surprised, I precipitately looked all around, when I perceived, at about six roods distance, something resembling a cage, suspended to the limbs of a tree, all

the branches of which appeared covered with large birds of prey, fluttering about, and anxiously endeavouring to perch on the cage.

Actuated by an involuntary motion of my hands, more than any design of my mind, I fired at them: they all flew to a short distance, with a most hideous noise; when horrid to think, and painful to repeat, I perceived a negro suspended in the cage, and left to expire! I shudder when I recollect that the birds had picked out his eyes! his cheekbones were bare; his arms had been attacked in several places; and his body seemed covered with a multitude of wounds. From the edges of the hollow sockets, and from the lacerations with which he was disfigured, the blood slowly dropped, and tinged the ground beneath.

No sooner were the birds flown, than swarms of insects covered the whole body of this unfortunate wretch, eager to feed on his mangled flesh, and to drink his blood. I found myself suddenly arrested by the power of affright and terror: my nerves were convulsed; I trembled, I stood motionless, involuntarily contemplating the fate of this negro in all its dismal latitude. The living spectre, though deprived of his eyes, could distinctly hear, and in his uncouth dialect begged me to give him some water to allay his thirst. Humanity itself would have recoiled back with horror; she would have balanced whether to lessen such reliefless distress, or mercifully, with one blow, to end this dreadful scene of agonizing torture.

Had I had a ball in my gun, I certainly should have dispatched him; but finding myself unable to perform so kind an office, I sought, though trembling, to relieve him as well as I could. A shell, ready fixed to a pole, which had been used by some negroes, presented itself to me; I filled it with water, and with trembling hands guided it to the quivering lips of the wretched sufferer. Urged by the irresistible power of thirst, he endeavoured to meet it, as he instinctively guessed its approach, by the noise it made in passing through the bars of his cage. "Tankee, you white man, tankee you; puttee some poison, and give me." How long have you been hanged there?" I asked him."Two days, and me no die. The birds-the birds-ah me!" Oppressed with the reflections which this shocking spectacle afforded me, I mustered strength enough to walk away, and soon reached the house at which I intended to dine. There I heard, that the reason of this slave being thus punished, was on account of his having killed the overseer of the plantation. They told me, that the laws of self-preservation rendered such executions necessary, and supported the doctrine of slavery with the arguments generally made use of to justify the practice; and which to the intellects of a slave-holder, are sure to appear unanswerable and triumphant.

DRUNKEN TEMERITY.

A Hull whaler was moored to a field of ice, on which, at a considerable distance, a large bear was observed prowling about for prey. One of the ship's company, enboldened by an artificial courage, derived from the free use of his rum, which, in his economy, he had stored for special occasions, undertook to pursue and attack the bear that was within view.-Armed only with a whale-lance, he resolutely, and against all persuasions, set out on his adventurous exploit. A fatiguing journey of about half a league, over the surface of yielding snow and rugged hummocks, brought him within a few yards of the enemy, which, to his surprise, undauntedly faced him, and

seemed to invite him to the combat. His courage being by this time greatly subdued, partly by the evaporation of the stimulus he had employed, and partly by the threatening aspect of the bear, he levelled his lance in attitude suitable either for offensive or defensive action, and stopped; the bear also stood still. In vain the adventurer tried to rally courage to make the attack: his enemy was too formidable, and his appearance too imposing. In vain also he shouted, advanced his lance, and made feints of attack; the enemy, either not understanding them, or despising such unmanliness, obstinately stood his ground. Already the limbs of the sailor began to shake, the lance trembled in the rest, and the gaze which had hitherto been stedfast, began to quiver; but the fear of ridicule from his messmates still had its influence and yet he scarcely dared to retreat. Bruin, however, possessing less reflection, or being more regardless of consequences, began with the most audacious boldness to advance. His nigh approach, and unshaken step, subdued the spark of bravery and that dread of ridicule that had hitherto upheld our adventurer; he turned and fled. But now was the time of danger. The sailor's flight encouraged the bear in his turn to pursue; and being better practised in snow travelling, and better provided for it, he rapidly gained upon the fugitive. The whale-lance, his only defence, encumbering him in his retreat, he threw it down and kept on. This fortunately excited the bear's attention; he stopped, pawed it, bit it, and then resumed the chace. Again he was at the heels of the panting seaman; who conscious of the favourable effect of the lance, dropped a mitten; the stratagem succeeded; and while Bruin again stopped to examine it, the fugitive, improving the interval, made considerable progress a-head. Still the bear resumed the pursuit, with the most provoking perseverance, excepting when arrested by another mitten, and finally by a hat, which he tore to shreds between his teeth and his paws, and would, no doubt, have soon made the incautious adventurer his victim, who was rapidly losing strength and heart, but for the prompt and well-timed assistance of his shipmate, who observing that the affair assumed a dangerous aspect sallied out to his rescue. The little phalanx opened him a passage, and then closed to receive the bold assailant. Though now beyond the reach of his adversary the dismayed fugitive continued onward, impelled by his fears, and he never relaxed his exertion until he fairly reached the shelter of the Ship. Bruin once more prudently come to a stand, and for a moment seemed to survey his enemies with all the consideration of an experienced general; when, finding them too numerous for a reasonable hope of success, he very wisely wheeled about, and succeeded in making a safe and honourable retreat.

INHUMAN PRIDE.

In the year 1801, a Gascon nobleman, went to reside in one of the French West India islands. When he learned the events of the year 1814, he returned to the banks of the Garonne. In the new world he had lived with a negress, by whom he had two sons. Before he left the island, he sold his house and furniture; and as a true white man, not liking any mixture in his family he included the poor negress and her two children in the sale. On his return home, he related to a friend this trait of paternal inhumanity : and the latter asking him at what price he had sold them he replied, “ Ah ! almost for nothing-for about a thousand crowns."-" A thousand crowns ? indeed! That was a good sale!" "Not at all," said the kind father. "Why the chevalier (so he called the eldest son) was worth all the money."

IF a careful search be made into the kingly annals of the most barbarous nations on the face of the globe,-we shall not find such a tissue of crimes and cruelties so continually or so universally practised, and that with so little compunction, as by the Turkish monarchs of the Ottoman or Othman family. The founder of that race began his career with rapine and murder, and his successors appear to have constantly acted upon the same principle. By this fatal policy the bowstring, scymitar, poisoned cup, and other dreadful implements of torture and destruction were indiscriminately used by every monarch on his assumption of the turban, towards the younger branches of his family, whether nearly or distantly related, so that his title to the throne might never be disputed or disturbed; and a perusal of the Ottoman annals presents such a disgusting array of the crimes of parricide, fratricide, and incest, that it is enough to cause the blood to stagnate in the veins of every reader. It was only when the party were possessed of intellect too weak ever to be feared or become dangerous, that their lives were spared, and even then they were deprived of sight, hamstrung, or otherwise inhumanly mutilated. The following narnative will give our readers an idea of the cruelties thus unnaturally practised. HAPPY indeed may he be termed who could, by any means, escape the tortures prepared for him, and by living in a peaceful retirement, forget the world, and be forgotten by it.

SULTAN IBRAHIM had a son by a Georgian slave of the Grand Sultana. This Georgian requested permission to make her pilgrimage to Mecca, and take her child with her to be circumcised; her health also required that she should use the baths at Rhodes upon the way, for slow poison had been administered her by her mistress, and one motive for taking this pilgrimage was to escape the farther effects of her jealousy. On the voyage she was captured by some Maltese gallies, after a desperate action, and carried into Malta, where she soon died. The Grand Master gave the child to the care

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