the trimming, consisting of a bow placed at the right side, and which retains a bird-ofParadise (the bird dyed black, the long plumage the colour of the hat), is of the richest and the widest satin ribbon: a second bow finishes the hat at back. The Cravatte écharpe round the neck is of green gauze, to match the hat; the ends are fringed, and it is fastened in front by a brooch. Black shoes.

White silk stockings. The reticule is a round basket cut in four pieces, the cover like the top of a parasol.-(See plate.) The frame is made in gilt wire, and the satin stretched upon it; it is finished underneath

by a silk tassel, and suspended on the arm by a ribbon. Shoes of satin royal. The hair is in plain bands. The second figure shows the back of the dress.

The Parisian ladies are adopting the use of calèches of an evening; a fashion we should like to see more general here: the size and lightness with which they are made, prevent the possibility of disarranging the head-dresses, and they are a great preservative against cold: they are now made with capes arranged with whalebones, to prevent any weight or pressure on the dress.

ANIMAL FLOWER IN THE ISLAND OF GRENADA.-There is a very singular animal flower (or zoophyte) found inhabiting the side of the rocky wall that lines the carneage next to the town, about two feet below the surface of the water, and consisting of a worm emersed in a cylindric tube fastened at the end of the rock, and throwing out its oz tentacula at the other or outward end, the rays when extended standing in a sort of funnel shape, the flower bearing an exact resemblance to the purple passefloras or grannadillo (or passion-flower). When fully expanded, this flower is peculiarly sensitive of the approach of any thing towards it; and it is next to impossible to obtain one in that state, as it is immediately retracted (something in the manner of a snail when its horns are touched), even on the undulation of the water within its tubular shell. Whether this shell is separable from the rock at the will of the inmate, has not yet been thoroughly ascertained, conflicting accounts being given.-History of the British Colonies.

NATURAL SUSPENSION BRIDGES.-Spiders, when they want to cross walks, or indeed any other space, spin threads till they are blown by the wind to the opposite side, where they soon attach, and then they work their passage. The French Institute had lately a learned discussion on the subject.

THE BLIND MAN'S BIBLE. We cannot but think a great deal more has been said on this subject than necessary, from the Philadelphia Gazette, both upwards and downwards in this country. Nature, it is well known, augments one sense or one power in proportion to any physical defect, either original or adventitious; witness, for instance, Captain Derenzy's "Hand for the One-handed," lately reviewed in our pagesin fact, all history. The plan of a Mr. Snider so lauded, is simply printed letters so raised that they can be felt! Is this spelling, which it is at most, equal to reading? Let any who doubt look back to Milton's daughters.

SENSIBLE PETITION.-The Herald has
VOL. VI.-No. 2.

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furnished under this head a document from Joseph Vincent Novack, assistant nurse, barber, and night watchman of the hospitalship Dreadnought, and interpreter of the German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Dalmatian languages! The document is certainly a curiosity in its way, full of quaintness, mis-spelt, &c., but certainly a sensible" appeal to the honourable gentlemen who govern the hospital-ship; for it states that many shavings (of the sick, we suppose) are very disagreeable; and he calculates that his wages amount to about a farthing a shave; leaving nursing, watching for eight hours a night, and the interpretation of six languages, to be done for nothing. It is pleasant to find that his petition has not been without avail, and that the attention to it is considered by him a honour to human nature!

AMERICAN POLITENESS.-A young American, with whom I had been in company a few days before in one of the first houses in New York, was seated at the long table between two females, one the wife of a driver, the other that of a lamplighter, both past the age when young men are flattered by being at the elbow of a belle. I saw him with perfect attention serve both his fair neighbours before he thought of himself, and during the whole repast continue his civilities with so much grace, that the example might serve as a salutary lesson to many a European coxcomb, who certainly will not put himself to inconvenience for the sake of being attentive to females of so medium a station in life, and to whom nature has refused the advantage of beauty. A young Frenchman could not help remarking to the American, that he was surprised at seeing a man of birth, of blood, condescend so far as to enter into conversation with a couple of vulgar women. The American answered, that it appeared to him equally extraordinary, how a man of birth could ever forget the respect due to every female by a person of education, let her rank be what it may in society. "Civility

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The author of the work, indeed, flourishes about this being his best monument; and we could also talk of a certain Rufus, recorded by Pliny, of Frontinus, &c. But can it be that American taste and talent, such as we know it to be, has furnished no memorial, not for him, but for themselves, of the benefactor of his country-of the world! We cannot believe it, and invite our transatlantic brethren to explain. We are glad to give the following extract under this head, because of the nonsense that has on all sides been uttered on the United Americans; but at the same time, we, who recollect Ledyard's description, and have traced it through some foreign climes, can hardly join in it, but rather wonder if woman could be unhandsomely treated by any thing in the shape of man any where! However let us honour our brethren across the Atlantic.

CROWNING AN ARCHITECT.-It will be seen that this is in reference to our article on crowns, in which the neglect of this art by the ancients is mentioned. The inauguration took place recently in France; and we are indebted to that excellent and cheap literary companion, the "Athenæum," for it, and for a painful accompanying fact. The subject was LOURS, who, amongst other things, built the principal theatre at Bourdeaux, so much admired. The mayor of that city pronounced his eulogium-the air was rent with cheers and bravos when he placed the laurel crown on the bust of the artist, for, alas! he lived not to receive the crown of talent. Thus continues the amiable and sensible writer quoted: "Honours paid to the memory of a man of genius are [NOW] the usual reward for a life of neglect and suffering. Lours long struggled against poverty and misery, and died in a state of utter destitution at the Hôtel Dieu in Puris!" Yet this was the man deemed ultimately worthy of the crown of talent on the scene of its exercise!

SUGAR.-The publication from which we obtained the foregoing fact, has, immediately after it, some wise observations on what we have long considered a mania, though we had no idea it had increased so much in

* A sort of English hospital and poor-house. See Mercier Tableau de Paris.

France--the extract of sugar from beet-root, extending to numerous manufactories! We know that saccharine matter can be obtained not only from this, but many other things; but who prefers even Mrs. Dr. Primrose's gooseberry wine to the juice of the grape? Who would take potato whiskey, rather than the brandy brought down the Cogniac, or rather the Charente river? 'Tis indeed a beau ideal of chemistry; but one might as well try to burn clay instead of coal, as to aim at superseding the sugar

cane.

SUPERNATURAL VISITATION AT JERUSALEM. It seems that accounts have arrived from the fathers of the monastical establishments for the care of the holy sepulchre, of earthquakes, that have again rent temples in twain, and destroyed no inconsiderable part of the city: that, in fact, all the horrors of the ever-lamentable crucifixion had, for the first time since that period, overspread that already gloomy portion of the earth. We must wait for further information, as we did of the late fatal eruption of Vesuvius.-Vesuvius is now covered with

snow!

The number of children burnt to death by being left to play with fire, is shocking. Four in one week-eight in two months. Surely something must be done to remedy the evil, though not by Act of Parliament.

FEMALE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.-The old principle of the French ladies in 1789, seems to be in action in 1834; since the excellent "Gossip" of the "Athenæum" states in a recent number, that "Mrs. Grimstone pleads with indignant words for the introduction of women into the senate. How we are to defend ourselves we know not (says the writer), for the sex are daily acquiring more and more power among us!" So be it, we say; and so we are sure would the editor of that work say, for the bettering of our natures. The same writer mentions that the Hon. Mrs. Norton is to be the future editor of the " Keepsake." For ourselves, we must add that a male subject does actually at present send what is to be done in the management of this Magazine, and yet he is never so happy as when he receives the instructions of his female contributors, to whom the world is infinitely more obliged than himself; and really, what is more, he finds that the more that he permits them to direct, he finds them less troublesome. he must say from some experience, that he really thinks the same principle would be generally serviceable to married life.

And

JACK OF HYLTON.-The following service is done and has been observed since the year 930, from the lord of Essington to the lord of Hylton; namely, that he of the former manor shall bring a goose every New Year's-day and drive it round the fire in the hall of Hylton Castle, at least three times, while Jack of Hylton (a small hollow brass

image or idol-an ædipile of Saxon origin) is blowing the fire: after this, the lord of Essington carries it into the cook, and when killed and dressed, carries it himself to the table of the lord paramount of Hylton and Essington, as suit and service, and receives a dish of meal for his own mess.-Morning Advertiser.-We should think this service is now commuted. Its origin was doubtless simple; a grant of lesser manorial right, perhaps, for having supplied geese for a festival. It must, however, belong to the Norman rather than Saxon period.

OF CASPAR HAUSER, of whom every body has heard so much, from Germany, we are favoured by the "Athenæum" with the inscription on an upright stone, erected at his grave:-" Hic jacet, Caspar Hauser, ænigma sui temporis. Ignota nativitas, occulta mors, MDCCCXXXIII." We are not quite sure of the Latinity, but think it may be freely translated, germanically: "Here lies Caspar Hauser, the riddle of his time; unknowing his birth, he secretly died 1833." Thus endeth the chapter of this poor half-idiot, which English patronage strove in vain to make much of.

WALKING ON WATER.-Among the numerous attempts that have occurred in past years to this end is now to be numbered, it seems, the invention of a Swedish fisherman, attended with complete success! He does it by means of slight tin shoes, each of the shape of a small canoe, attached together, but at a length to allow the feet to take the wonted alternate advance of each other. If the thing be done, we should suppose it must be by a floating of the feet, as they are caried over ice by the skate. The South-Sea Indians, and we believe the Chinese, have long had something of the kind for temporary purposes; for we have had in our own possession shoes composed of tin, worked up in the bark of trees, of precisely the same form. It is droll enough also, that, as to shape, our own ancient sumptuary laws proscribe the wearing of shoes, the points of which require that they should be supported by certain chains!

CURE OF MADNESS.-That "there is a pleasure in madness which none but madmen know," is a truism in all our memories : that every man has a portion of mania in his composition is equally evident. To this may be traced all the various prominent features of mankind, whether developed from the passions of love, zeal, eagerness, anger, avarice, or, in short, devotion to any selfishlyadopted pursuit. At length the labours of our worthy ancient Battye, seem to have attracted the attention of no smaller men of the present age than Sir Henry Halford and Sir Astley Cooper; and as far as this notice is concerned, our only end is to mention an anecdote so produced (and which has run the round of the papers), of the effect of music:-A gentleman, it seems, was

reduced by mania to a state of immovable stupor, and so remained fixed a considerable time, neither speaking nor moving. He started on hearing a street-organ play. His judicious friends, on perceiving this, caused him to be so visited repeatedly, and he recovered! Now, we have within our own experience more than one case where the most violent paroxysms had occurred, the usual resort of a private asylum, a keeper at home, &c., which were set right by assimilating the subject with the ordinary external objects of his previous life: in one case conversations, in which he was wont to delight, with an utter abstraction of all terror; in another, with the same abstraction, leading him to the objects of taste in art, &c. with which he was familiar, and telling him to write a book! The two were successful. We have naturally hence been much gratified by the reports of the Middlesex Asylum at Hanwell; but this institution, which we would hope is conducted on a similar principle, is not one to speak of under this head to our readers.

REVOLT OF THE SISTERS OF CHARITY! -How odd it sounds! yet it appears from the French papers that such has been the case, and we are sorry to read it in the Morning Herald of London. It seems that a sœur de charité, attending the Hôtel Dieu (as the hospitals of France are called) at Lyons, had offended against some regulation of this House of God, from which she was consequently to be expelled, and at six in the evening the prefect of the department arrived for that purpose. Lyons, as is well known, has been always a very spirited part of France; and its spirit of resistance to the powers that be, seem strangely to have caught these meek and lowly beguines. They determined that Sister should not

be removed, and therefore in a body they surrounded the prefect and his people, and pummelled them handsomely; ringing the tocsin for aid, from the too ready Lyonnois. When, in fear of being overpowered, they barricadoed themselves, with their offending sister, in a court-yard, lit a fire in it, and bivouacked till day-light. How the affair ended, or whether there be any truth in it, our final Paris letter will probably tell.

OATMEAL A PREVENTIVE OF DROPSY.It would seem that this lamentable disease is infrequent in Scotland; and that this is ascribed to the general use of oatmeal in that country. We would gladly hail any, particularly so simple a preventive, did we not fear that the too prevalent use of this nutrition induced other diseases, from which the Southrons are free. Perhaps an intermediate course might be well; but this we must leave the medicos to determine.

other in the plate armour of Henry VIII.— supporting the chair" in the Old Gate-room of St. John's-square, Clerkenwell, made us think that some remnant of the templars still existed, till we recollected that, if so, we should certainly have been informed by Sylvanus Urban, to the monthly covers of whose, still surviving and improving, Magazine we may refer for an excellent view of the gate itself. We were soon, however, undeceived, by finding this assemblage only the convivial dinner of an association, under the above title. Nevertheless, we must express pleasure at this meeting over the gate of nearly 1900 years, under which a Johnson, a Savage, and perhaps 100 others, have passed in adversity to obtain a dinner, or the ineans of obtaining it, in literary adversity, from Edward Cave. Hence dear to literary man or woman is his name, and "The Gentleman's Magazine," which he projected, "known," as Dr. Johnson said, "wherever the English language is spoken;" in the proprietorship of which he has a worthy successor in John Bowyer Nichols.

GOVERNOR Loo's LAST!-That extraordinary, yet far from injudicious, people, the Chinese, still continue their ancient notions of the British and their trade. On the latter announcing the cessation of the East India Company, the governor of Canton issued an edict, in which, among many other curiosities, are these:-"A petition from the late English barbarian chief has been received, stating that the Company will not come any more to barter its nothings for the necessaries of life, as tea, silks, &c. As to that nation's love of change and sending other barbarian chiefs, it is not worth inquiring into. The celestial empire cherishes tenderness. If the new chiefs, with trembling awe and reverance, obey our old laws, I will embody the desire of heaven (i. e. the emperor) to compassionate distant barbarians; but if the barbarians indulging their extravagant desires make innovations, then I will drive them back to their own country." Among other regulations, natives are not to forget the dignity of the empire by being servants to barbarians. We need not remind our readers, that the Chinese consider that all Britain must inevitably starve, but for tea!

NEW COOKING APPARATUS-WINN'S SOLAR STOVE. We are always happy in announcing to our fair readers any thing under this head; but really there has been, and is, so much mystification about this object, that we will not venture to tell a word more than has been told, so far as we have heard. An experiment was first tried before some official persons at the West India Docks, and then it came westward to Leicester-square; from both reports, it is a most wonderful contrivance, and all we pant for is, to try it in our kitchen, or even parlour. "A brass

vessel twenty-two inches high, by twelve wide and six deep, in appearance a miniature chest of drawers, surmounted by an inverted crescent to hold water, it appears by ELEMENTARY heat, invisibly imparted, prepared in two or three minutes by cooking any thing excellently, and producing water at the highest boiling heat, remaining hot for three hours after, without further aidthe whole process being capable of execution by an infant, and so pure as not even to soil white gloves." We have condensed the accounts, but this is the whole we can get of the matter. We await more.

WORTHY MODERN LABOURS.-More than twelve thousand labourers are employed in damming up the Nile at Damietta and Rosetta, in order to produce regularity in the inundations of the Nile, on which the fertility or sterility of the surrounding country depends. We trust that when this work shall be finished, these thousands will be sent to open the Isthmus of Suez, the project of thousands of years.

NOTLAZOMAHNITZTESPIXCATATZINS.-Pronounce this leetle word, it is the original Mexican for country curates.-Lit. Gazette. We have no doubt the worthy editor will tell us how to pronounce, in his next, and quote some Mexican vocabulary at least; for we are sure there is no Spanish in the word, which language has long been that of Mexico. The number of letters (29) would be no wonder, since we recollect among some rambling quotations in Scott's "British Code of Duel," an English word comprising 22 letters and eleven syllables.

SEA-FISH POND.-At Port Nessock, in Wigtounshire, a large salt-water pond has been formed for cod: it is a basin 30 feet in depth and 160 feet in circumference, hewn out of the solid rock, and communicating with the sea by one of those fissures which are common to bold and precipitous coasts. Attached to it is a neat Gothic cottage for the fishermen, and the rock is surmounted all round by a substantial stone wall, 300 feet in circumference. From the inner or back door of the lodge a winding staircase leads to the usual halting place a large flat stone projecting into the water and commanding a general view. When the tide is out the stone is dry, and the stranger sees with surprise a hundred mouths open to greet his arrival. Many very curious anecdotes are told by the Scottish Journal from which we quote of the manners and customs of the fishes in their newly-domestic state, as eating from the hand, &c. One cod-fish who has grown, it is said, large since its confinement from the ocean, and become blind, comes to the stone and lays down his head to be fed, and even patted by a fisherman, kindly attentive to him.