away a few paces, when one of them stopped and looked back at me; I was too busy in loading my piece to observe their motions as they went away, and was very happy to see the last of them march slowly off amongst the bushes. We had not proceeded far before we heard another bark and growl close to us amongst the bushes. This was doubtless one of the lions before seen, and I was afraid they would follow us till dark, when they would have too many opportunities of springing on us un awares. I therefore got Mr. Au derson's call, and made as loud a noise and whistling with it as possible. We heard no more of them.

We passed two of the principal rapids, and three smaller ones, in the course of the afternoon. We saw on one of the islands in the middle of the river a large elephant: it was of a red clay colour, with black legs. I was very unwell of the dysentery, otherwise I would have had a shot at him, for he was quite near us. We saw three Hippopotami, or river horses, close to another of these islands. The Canoe men were afraid they might overset the canoes. The report of a musket will in all cases frighten them away. They blow up the water exactly like a whale. As we were gliding along shore, one of the Canoe men speared a fine turtle. At sun set we rowed to shore and set about cooking the turtle and rice for our supper; but before this aldermanic repast was half dressed, the rain came on us and continued with great violence all night.

"Our guide Isaaco, was very active in pushing the asses into the river, and shoving along the canoe. When he had reached the middle

of the river, a crocodile rose close to him, and instantly seizing him by the left thigh, pulled him under water. With wonderful presence of mind be felt the head of the animal and thrust his fuger into its eye, on which it quitted its hold, and Isaaco attempted to reach the further shore, calling out for a knife. But the crocodile returned and seized him by the other thigh, and again pulled him into the water; he had recourse to the same expedient, and thrust his fingers into its eyes with such violence that it again quitted him, and when it rose, flounced about on the surface of the water as if stupid, and then swam down the middle of the river; Isaaco proceeded to the other side bleeding very much. He was then conveyed to the village of Boolikoombo, and his wounds drawn close together with slips of adhesive plaster.

years in the country, and the late bishop assured me that he had remembered it above sixty years, nor could be discern any visible marks of change.

The animal has its antipathies and predilectious. It will eat endive, green pease, and even the leek; while it positively rejects asparagus, parsley, and spinage.

In the early part of the season its favourite pabulum are the flowers of the dandelion (Leontodon Taraxacum), of which it will devour twenty at a meal; and lettuce (Lactuca sativa), of the latter a good sized one at a time. It is very partial to lettuce; but, if placed between lettuce and the flowers of the dandelion, it will forsake the former for the latter.

It is also very fond of the pulp of an orange, which it sucks greedily. About the latter end of June (discerning the times and the seasons) it looks for fruit, when its former choice is forsaken. It eats currants, raspberries, pears, apples, peaches, nectarines, &c. the riper the better. It will, however, not taste cherries. Of fruits, how ever, the strawberry and gooseberry are the most esteemed; it makes great ravages amid the strawberry borders, and will take a pint of gooseberries at intervals.

I could not get it to eat the root of the dandelion, nor any root indeed that I offered, say carrot, turnip, &c. All animal food is discarded, nor will it drink any liquid, at least neither water nor milk; and, if a leaf is moist, it will shake it, to drive off the wet that may adbere.

It moved with apparent ease, though pressed by a weight of eighteen stone; itself weighs thirteen pounds and a half. In cloudy weather it scoops out a cavity generally in a southern exposure,

where it reposes, torpid and inactive, until the genial influence of the sun calls, it from its sleep. When in this state, the eyes are closed, and the head and neck & little contracted, not drawn within the shell. So acute is its sense of smelling (as I conceive) that it will arouse from its lethargic state if any person approaches even at a distance of twelve feet.

About the beginning of October, (or latter end of September,) it begins to immerse itself, and has for this purpose for many late years selected a particular angle of the garden: it enters in an inclined plane, and excavates the earth in a manner similar to the mole; the depth to which it penetrates varies, as the rigour of the approaching season may be, from one foot to upwards of two (mild or severe). It may be remarked that, about a month prior to the period of the entry into its dormitory, it refuses all sustenance. The animal emerges about the end of April, nor eats for two weeks or more afterward.

Its skin is not perceptibly cold; its respiration, which is entirely effected through the nostrils, is slow. I visited it for the last time on the 9th of June, 1813, during a thunder-storm, when it lay under the shelter of a cauliflower, and apparently torpid.

What an extended latitude the observance of the habits of this creature gives to the wanderings of bypothesis.

1st. It is singular that the lettuce and the dandelion should be so preferred. The lacrescent juice of the former is powerfully nar cotic, and Dr. Duncan, jun. has read a valuable paper on the opium obtained from the inspissated white juice, before the Caledonian Horticultural Society. And I have found

that

3d. Its antipathy to cherries. All are agreed that the cherry is a most dangerous fruit; and the fatal effects occurring from excessive use of them, is a proof of the justice of the opinion. Its fluids seem to be difficultly digestible, and probably contain a principle analogous to albumen, or a peculiar one, as fungin, asparagin, &c. I have not submitted this juice to the test of chemical agents. I lament it did not occur to me to try almonds, which contain so much vegetable albumen.

4th. It is difficult to account for its aversion to fluids; we have, however, an analogy in the Alpaca, &c.

On the whole, that narcotics and sedatives should take precedence of others in the former part of the season, and those that may be deemed condiments in the latter, is certainly astonishing. "In wisdom Thou hast made them all." How well calculated are such to elevate our thoughts to Him

"Who sits above the Heavens,
Tous invisible, or dimly seen
In these his lower works--
Yet these declare his wisdom."

Bishop Stortford, Herts.

J. MURRAY.

HISTORY OF THE CHEVALIER SOZON, THE DRAGON KILLER. Translated from the French.

THE inscription upon the tomb

of this Knight at Provence, in France, being Draconis Extinctor, the exterminator of the dragon, it is related that a dragon in the island of Rhodes, not only infected the air with bis breath, but killed both men and beasts that approached his cavern. His head is described as resembling that of a 'serpent with long ears; bis skin covered with thick scales; and with two wings he had the faculty of raising himself a little way above the earth, and adding to his swiftness. His four legs resembled those of a crocodile, and his tail twisted in many folds round his body; the fire of his eyes, and the snorting of this animal, were truly formidable. The devastations which he committed at length alarmed the Grand Master of the Island so much, that he prohibited any of the knights or the inhabitants from approaching his retreat.The Chevalier Gozon, nevertheless, being determined to destroy this dragon, adjourned for a short time to his own estate in France, and there caused a large paste board figure to be made, the exact representation of the dragon. To give it a suitable motion he placed a man within side sufficiently secured from harm, whilst he accustomed his horse to see and approach this monster; at the same time he trained two large mastiffs in the daily habit of attacking it and seizing it by a part made to represent the testicles. After repeated trials, and when he thought bis horse and his dog well exercised, he returned with them to Rhodes. Having fixed his time for attack

ing the monster, he sent his lance and his arms to have them consecrated in the church of St. Stephen du Maupas; to which afterwards repairing, he received them again with a fervent prayer. Animated with a high degree of confidence, he then approached the cavern, leaving his attendants behind at some distance, with orders not to come near him, unless he should be in imminent need of assistance, and if he was killed, for them to fly with all speed. Then advancing on his horse, with two dogs and one attendant, the monster with his eyes sparkling flame darting towards him, Gozon couching his lance, ran upon him aiming a thrust between the shoulders; but here the scales that covered them shivering his lance in pieces, he would inevitably have been lost had not his two dogs immediately seized the monster by those parts they had been trained to attack. Gozon then alighting from his horse plunged his sword into the throat of the monster, who, weakened with the loss of blood, with his fall overthrew his conqueror: however his attendants seeing what had happened, came up and disengaged their master, whose spirits they found it necessary to refresh at a neighbouring brook. After which Gozon returning to Rhodes was presented to the Grand Master, by whom he was at first reproved for his temerity; but in process of time was himself invested with the same dignity.

BATTLE BETWEEN CROXEY AND

LANCASTER.

A Boxing match took place, on Friday, the 5th of May, at Combe Wood, Surrey, betwixt VOL. XLVI.-No. 272.

Croxey, the sailor, (as was formerly understood, but who, in point of fact, is not one of that hardy race of Britons, but had been palmed upon the ring) and the elder Lancaster, known in some combats, but particularly with Oliver, by whom he was easily vanquished. A twenty-four feet ring was formed, in which the combatants set-to at one o'clock. Seconds, Oliver and Painter for Lancaster, and Joe Ward and Pad. dington Jones for Croxey, who was backed at six and seven to four.

We shall not attempt to give the rounds of a combat which caused much disappointment to the ring, and which is described in a few lines. Croxey rumbled his antago nist in the first five rounds of the combat, and had the best of it. Lancaster possessed most science, which he displayed in planting first hits, but Croxey got in and did some execution. He, however, glaringly exhibited the white feather in the eighth round, and disappointed the whole ring. He soon after began to sing out for quarters, and repeatedly gave in to his seconds, but not a drop of blood was spilt during the combat; Joe Ward, tired of encouraging him on, stopped his mouth with a handkerchief, to prevent the opposing parties from hearing, "I give in." Croxey at length, after rolling about for twenty-two minutes, got up when time was called, and politely informed the opposite seconds, he would be d-d if be would fight any more. The battle was for a subscription purse.

After this disappointment all was gloom in the ring, until two candidates for fighting fame turnedto for a purse of six guineas, and made as gallant a fight as ever was recorded. The names of these

I

promising lads for the prize ring, were Phill. Street and Tho. Roe. They possess a moderate share of science, and were nearly of equal weight. Street, who is very young, stood over his antagonist, but although his length gave him the best at off fighting, Roe was the best in fighter, and he won it after a most courageous battle which lasted forty minutes.

We scarcely recollect having seen more determined courage than was manifested on both sides. Every round was manfully contested, and in the middle of the fight Street was backed at high odds. Roe at length brought the betting even again, and he gave his antagonist a heavy fall in the last round but two, from which he never recovered. Street is nineteen years of age and a good hitter.

ON THE LAST INVENTED, AND NEWEST NEW HORSE-SHOE.

by IGNORAMUS, My first view of the matter was this: we have had such a number of discoveries and inventions, such as long as they could be kept secret, that I had no faith to put in the novelty of this new shoe, until its form and fashion should be disclosed to me, and compared with those which have preceded it. I had not forgotten the new-invented concave nails, the exact figure of which I had in plates two centuries old. Farther, granting the sad necessity of at all working a horse with a deeply seated sand crack, I could® not conceive any form of shoe to be a proper defence for such a foot, excepting the barred shoe, or one to all intents such, with a new name, which might be very convenient.

Your correspondent justly observes, we have had thin and thick heeled, if not thick-headed systems of shoeing; seated shoes and plain ones, convex and concave shoes, some nailed from toe to heel, and

SIR,

gazine.

YOUR pleasant correspondent IGNORAMUS, has introduced to the notice of your readers, an account of the last new shoe, the use of which is to enable a horse to work, which may be afflicted with deeply seated sand cracks or corns, and to supersede the necessity of the barred shoe. He at the same time appears to represent this wonder-working shoe as a secret, being under the necessity of asking publicly to be informed as to its mode of operation, and apparently not qualified even to describe its form.

I must acknowledge myself so uninformed on the matter, that I had never even heard of this discovery, until made so far knowing

sides a number of learned disputants on these intricate points, who have decided gravely, without, perhaps, as IGNORAMUS observes, ever having seen a shoe forged; and most certainly, with a total ignorance of what had been discovered and experimented in times past. As to Osmer, on whose inspiration your correspondent sports a little pleasantry, let him go carefully through the book, that short abstract of common sense and experience, and then determine what useful additions have since been made. Moorcroft was bred in the French Veterinary School, but when settled in Osmer's old premises, he followed Osmer's plan of shoeing, with a little dash of variation, in order to assume the air

of