A SEAMAN belonging to the wood party of a ship upon the African coast, by some means found himself alone. He, however, continued to use the axe, in felling a large tree, when a large lioness approached him. The man, at the moment, gave himself up as lost; but very soon after, he began to perceive that the manner and expression of the animal were mild, and even mournful, and that he had no danger to apprehend from her. She first looked at him, and then behind her, and upwards into the trees, then went a few paces from him upon the path by which she had come ; and then returned, and went again; and acted much as a dog would, that wished you to follow him. The seaman yielded to her obvious desire, and she led him some little distance, till, near the foot of a tall tree, she stopped, and looked up, with plaintive cries, into its branches. The sailor, thus directed, looked into the tree, and soon discovered at a considerable height, an immense ape, dandling and playing with a cub lion, which he

had carried thither for his amusement! The wants and wishes of the lioness were now easily understood.

The lion species, though usually reckoned among the species of cat, differs absolutely from it in this as in many other particulars, that it cannot ascend a tree, a distinction, which ought to satisfy us at once of the error of those who talk to us of lions in America, where, in reality, there is no lion, and where the puma and jaguar, which they call lions, so readily ascend trees. But equally in vain would it have been for the sailor to climb after the cub, for the ape would have enjoyed the frolic, by leaping with its prey from branch to branch; so the only chance was, to apply the axe at the bottom of the tree. To work, therefore, he went, the lioness, which had seen other trees felled by the axe of the stranger, standing by, and impatiently awaiting the event. The ape kept his seat till the tree fell, and then fell with it; and the lioness, the moment the robber reached the ground, sprang upon him with the swiftness and sureness of a cat springing upon a mouse, killed him, and then taking her cub in her mouth, walked contentedly away from the benefactor, to whose skill and friendly assistance she had made her appeal!

THIS stupendous wall, which extends across the northern boundary of the Chinese empire, is the greatest masterpiece of industry, genius, and perseverance. It is conducted over the summits of high mountains, several of which have an elevation of not less than 5,225 feet, (nearly a mile), across deep valleys, and over wide rivers, by means of arches. In many parts it is doubled or trebled, to command important passes; and, at the distance of nearly every hundred yards, is a tower or massive bastion. Its extent is computed at 1500 miles; but in some parts, where less danger is apprehended, it is not equally strong or complete, and, towards the north-west, consists merely of a strong rampart of earth. Near Koopekoo, it is twenty-five feet in height, and at the top, about fifteen feet thick: some of the towers, which are square, are forty-eight feet high, and about forty feet wide. The stone employed in the foundations, angles, &c., is a strong grey granite; but the materials, for the greater part, consist of bluish bricks, and the mortar is remarkably pure

and white. It was built, according to Du Halde, by the emperor Chien-Chu-Toang, about 221 years before Christ. Although it has been built upwards of 2000 years, it yet remains quite firm and compact.

CORK is the bark of a kind of oak, growing chiefly in Spain. When it is to be removed from the tree, a longitudinal slit is cut, at the extremities of which, incisions are made round the trunk, it can then be stripped off with great ease, by means of a curved knife, with a handle at both ends. When the bark is taken from the tree, it is piled up in a ditch or pond, and heavy stones are placed upon it, in order to flatten it. After being dried, it is slightly burnt or charred, and then packed for exportation. One principal use of cork is to stop bottles, for which purpose it is fitted by its elasticity. A piece rather larger than the neck

of the bottle being inserted, the tendency it has to resume its former shape causes it completely to fill up the aperture, and exclude the air. Its buoyant effect in water, arising from its lightness, renders it useful to those who are learning to swim; for the same reason it is employed in the construction of life-boats, and for the floats of fishing nets. The Spaniards make lamp-black of it. The men employed in cutting and preparing it for sale, are called cork-cutters.

WHANG, the miller, was naturally avaricious; nobody loved money better than he, or more respected those who had it. When people would talk of a rich man in company, Whang would say, "I know him very well; he and I have been long acquainted; he and I are intimate." But if ever a poor man was mentioned, he had not the least knowledge of the man: he might be very well for