to wait, he watched for several days in the place where he had received the money. At length, the nobleman happened again to pass that way; the boy accosted him, and put the change he had procured into his hand, counting it with great exactness. His lordship was so pleased with the boy's honesty, that he placed him at school with the assurance of providing for him.

THE SECRETARY FALCON.

M. LE VAILLANT gives an account of a remarkable engagement of which he was a witness, between the secretary falcon and a serpent. The serpent is the chief enemy of the falcon in all the countries which it inhabits, and the mode in which it wages war against it, is very peculiar. When the falcon approaches a serpent, it always carries the point of one of its wings forward, in order to parry off its venomous bites; sometimes it finds an opportunity of spurning and treading upon its antagonist; or else, of taking him upon its pinions, and throwing him into the air. When by this system it has, at length, wearied out its adversary, and rendered him almost senseless, it kills and swallows him at leisure. On the occasion which Vaillant mentions, the battle was obstinate, and conducted with equal address on both sides. The serpent, feeling at last his inferiority, endeavoured to regain his hole; while the bird, apparently guessing his design, stopped him on a sudden, and cut off his retreat by placing herself before him at a single leap. On whatever side the reptile endeavoured to make his

escape, the enemy still appeared before him. Rendered desperate, the serpent resolved on a last effort. He erected himself boldly to intimidate the bird, and hissing dreadfully, displayed his menacing throat, inflamed eyes, and a head swollen with rage and venom. The falcon seemed intimidated for a moment, but soon returned to the charge; and covering her body with one of her wings as a buckler, struck her enemy with the bony protuberance of the other. M. Vaillant saw the serpent at last stagger and fall; the conqueror then fell upon him to despatch him, and with one stroke of her beak laid open his skull.

THE SLAVES' COMPLAINT TO PARLIAMENT.

KIND Members of the House of Commons, pray
With some redress for all our wrongs supply us!
Shall we be purchas'd still from day to day?
'Tis wrong to suffer 'gainst us such a buy us!

We are abus'd! 'tis said we rob and steal,
Wherever we contrive to make an entry!
'Tis false, nature has put on us her seal,
To show we cannot be light-finger'd gentry!

Must every Negro be a wretched wight,

While Liberty 'mongst you pursues it track; Since Freedom you've in England brought to light, Can you not bring some freedom to the black?

Say, is it right our prayers should be refused?
That our petitions should be sent in vain?
Are Nature's bounteous gifts to be abus'd?
Shall master's have the sugar, we the cane?

Oh! Messrs. Fowell Buxton and the rest
Of those who take the name of negro freers,
Tell all in England how our backs are dress'd,
Here over seas, by tyrant overseers.

If you don't aid us, 'mongst our other evils,
We in appearance shall be zebras quite;
For though by nature all as black as devils,
Our bodies get vast stripes of cruel white!

At breakfast, when your coffee's fragrant smelling,
Think of our treatment where its luscious tree grows!
And oh! each English fop, id est, white swelling,
Will you not own a kindred with the knee-grows!

OSTRICH RIDING.

MR. ADAMSON, in his " Voyage to Senegal,” &c. mentions two ostriches, which, though young, were of gigantic size, and afforded him a very remarkable sight. "They were so tame, that two little blacks mounted both together on the back of the largest. No sooner did he feel their weight, than he began to run as fast as possible, and carried them several times round the village, as it was impossible to stop him otherwise than by obstructing the passage. This sight pleased me so much, that to try their strength, 1

directed a full grown negro to mount the smallest, and two others the largest. This burden did not seem at all disproportioned to their strength. At first they went at a tolerably sharp trot, but when they became heated a little, they expanded their wings as though to catch the wind, and moved with such fleetness, that they scarcely seemed to touch the ground. The ostrich moves like the partridge, with the advantage of greater fleetness; and I am satisfied that those I am speaking of, would have distanced the fleetest race horses that were ever bred in England. It is true they would not hold out so long as a horse; but they would undoubtedly go over a given space in less time. I have frequently beheld this sight, which is capable of giving one an idea of the use it might be of, had we but the method of breaking and managing it as we do a horse."

AMERICAN INDIANS.

THE American Indians consider that hospitality is not a virtue, but a strict duty. Hence they are never in search of excuses to avoid giving, but freely supply their neighbour's wants from the stock prepared for their own use. They give and are hospitable to all, without exception, and will always share with each other, and often with the stranger, even to their last morsel. They would rather lie down themselves on an empty stomach, than have it laid to their charge that they had neglected their duty, by not satisfying the wants of the stranger, the sick, or the needy. The stranger has a claim to their hospitality, partly on account of his being at a distance from his family and

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