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were quite naked and of the dark colour of vitrified scoria, |
or lava.
"At the port of Guayaquil," says Humboldt,
"which is fifty-two leagues distant, in a straight line, we
heard, day and night, the roaring and explosions of this
volcano, like continued discharges of a battery of powerful
artillery; and we distinguished these tremendous sounds
even while sailing on the Pacific Ocean!"

flowed a town called Tomboro, and remained permanently at a depth of eighteen feet, on a spot where there had before been dry land. The area over which noises and other indirect effects of this convulsion were perceived, was 1000 English miles in circumference.

THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.

THE whole island of Hawaii, or OwHYHEE, covering 4000
tains down to the beach, 15,000 or 16,000 feet above
miles, and from the summit of its lofty moun-
square
the level of the sea, may be considered one complete mass
of volcanic matter, in various stages of decomposition;
but the principal volcano now in activity is that of KIRAUEA,
about twenty miles from the sea shore, the crater of which
is surrounded by steep rocks, forming an immense wall
many miles in extent.

The plain of MALPAIS, in Mexico, is part of an elevated table land, raised from 2000 to 3000 feet above the level of the sea, surrounded by hills, indicating, by their structure, that the region had been formerly the seat of volcanic agency; but since the discovery of America, no convulsion of this kind had been known; and, at the middle of the last century, the place now occupied by the volcano of Jorullo, presented to the view fertile fields, watered by the brooks Cuitemba and S. Pedro. In June, 1759, began a succession of earthquakes, which terminated, after a continuance of more than two months, in an eruption of flames from the surface of the ground, while fragments of heated rocks were projected to great heights in the air. Baron Humboldt, who visited this spot twenty years afterwards, found a mass of matter, covering four miles square, surrounding the cones as a centre, and 550 feet in height,parently about 800 feet deep. The bottom was covered with and still, at this interval of time, so hot that he could light a cigar when inserted into the fissures at a depth of a few inches! The two streams above mentioned disappeared on the eastern side of this mass, and reappeared as hot springs on the western limits.

ERUPTION OF SUMBAWA.

SIR STAMFORD RAFFLES, in his History of Java, describes one of the most awful eruptions recorded in history, which occurred in the mountain of Tomborow, in the island of SUMBAWA. It commenced on the 5th of April, 1815, reached its acmé on the 12th, and did not entirely cease till July. The sound of the terrific explosions was heard in Sumatra, at the distance of upwards of 900 miles; and at Ternate, in another direction, more than 700 miles off. Of 12,000 persons who were on the island, only six-andtwenty survived the catastrophe. This fearful visitation was accompanied by hurricanes, which carried up into the air men, horses, and other animals, and, uprooting the largest trees, scattered them on the surrounding sea; such a fall of ashes occurred during the eruption that they rendered houses uninhabitable which were situated forty miles from the volcano, and were carried in sufficient quantities towards Java and Celebes as to darken the air for 300 miles; while those which fell into the sea to the west of Sumatra, formed a bed of two feet thick, and several miles in extent, which impeded ships in their progress. In Java, in the day time, these ashes produced a darkness more perfect than that of any night. The sea rose suddenly on the coast of Sumbawa, and the adjoining islands from two to twelve feet, causing a wave, which rushed up the rivers, and then as suddenly subsided; and, in one place, over

and awe for some moments rendered us mute, and like On visiting this crater, says, Mr. Ellis, " astonishment statues we stood fixed to the spot, with our eyes riveted on the abyss below. Immediately before us yawned an im mense gulf, in the form of a crescent, about two miles in length from N.E. to S.W., nearly a mile in width, and aplava and the S.W. and Northern parts of it were one vast flood of burning matter, in a state of terrific ebullition, rolling to and fro its " fiery surge" and flaming billows. Fiftyone conical islands, of varied form and size, containing so many craters, rose either round the edge, or from the surface of the burning lake. Twenty-two constantly threw out columns of grey smoke, or pyramids of brilliant flame; and several of these at the same time vomited from their burning mouths, streams of lava, which rolled in blazing torrents down their black and rugged sides into the boiling

mass below."

The natives suppose Kirauea to be the residence of some of their deities, who came from the neighbouring island of Tahiti, and who, whenever they were disappointed of receiving the tribute due to them from the inhabitants of the island, vented their displeasure by filling Kirauea with lava, and spouting it out upon the surrounding district.

SULPHUR ISLAND IN THE JAPANESE SEA. "THE sulphuric volcano, from which this island takes its name," says Captain Basil Hall, "is on the north-west side; it emits white smoke, and the smell of sulphur is very strong on the lee side of the crater. The cliffs near the volcano are of a pale-yellow colour, interspersed with brown streaks; the ground in this place is very rugged, as the strata lie in all directions, and are much broken; on the top is a thin coat of brown grass. The south end of the island is of considerable height, of a deep blood-red colour, with here and there a spot of bright green; the strata which are here nearly horizontal, are cut by a whin dyke, running from the top to the bottom of the cliff, projecting from its face like a wall.

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LONDON -Published by JOHN WILLIAM PARKER, WEST STRAND, and sold by all Booksellers.

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PRICE ONE PENNY

UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE COMMITTEE OF GENERAL LITERATURE AND EDUCATION APPOINTED BY THE SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE.

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VIEW OF THE YORK COLUMN, AS SEEN FROM ST. JAMES S PARK, LONDON.

imagine. Captain Skinner, an English officer, has taken this journey, and the following passages give an account of some of the horrors of the Hindoo

shrine.

THE YORK COLUMN, CARLTON TERRACE. the traveller best may, are more than we can easily THIS beautiful Column, which, when surmounted with the statue intended to be placed upon its summit, will form a most striking ornament to the neighbourhood in which it stands, was built by public subscription, as a monument to the memory of his late Royal Highness, the Duke of York. The design and general direction were committed to Mr Benjamin Wyatt, the architect.

The excavation for the artificial foundation*, upon which the structure is built, was commenced in the month of May 1830; and the column is now completed, with the exception of the figure which is to be placed on the top, and the decorative eagles and fes

toons which are to surround the base.

The column is in form about two thirds of a pyramid; the base of this pyramidal portion being a square of fifty-six feet, and its top a square of thirty feet. The lower pedestal is built of the famous grey Aberdeenshire granite; and the shaft of the column, and the upper pedestal, upon which the figure will be placed, are of red Peterhead granite.

There is an ascent through the interior of the column, to a gallery which runs round the top of it, on the outside; from which there will be a beautiful and extensive view of the surrounding country. This ascent is by a winding flight of one hundred and sixtynine steps: each course of stone in the shaft of the column having five steps placed alternately at right angles to those of the preceding course. It is necessary to know, that the five steps, together with the newel, or central pillar, or cove, in addition to the stone which forms the outer casing, are cut out of the solid

block.

The height of this magnificent column is the same at that of the celebrated Trajan's column at Rome, namely one hundred and twenty-four feet; and the height of the figure by which it is to be surmounted is fourteen feet, making the whole height, from the ground line at the top of the steps leading out of St James Park, to the top of the figure, one hundred and thirty-eight feet: but if viewed from the bottom of the steps, at the level of the Park, as in the accompanying view, the altitude is one hundred and fifty

six feet.

The masonry, which has received the praise of competent judges, is by Mr. Nowell, of Pimlico.

The statue of the Duke of York, which is of bronze, is nearly eight tons in weight, and is the work of Mr. Westmacott. It is said to be an excellent likeness, and to contain great expression in the countenance. Although very far advanced towards completion, it yet requires much personal care and attention on the part of the artist, and will not be ready to be fixed upon its pedestal in less than eight or nine months from this time.

The foundation is laid in a composition, forming a hard mass, called concrete.

HINDOO SUPERSTITIONS. GUNGOUTRI is the source of the river Ganges, accounted sacred by the Hindoos, or rather the place nearest to its source, which is in the midst of impassable mountains covered with snow. The Hindoos, who worship this river, consider Gungoutri a very sacred place, and a pilgrimage to it highly meritorious. And indeed, if difficulty alone could render an action virtuous, the journey would be so in a high degree; for the difficulty, and even dangers of the passage through a mountainous country, destitute of all regular roads, and where the rude bridges set up by the natives are frequently washed away by sudden torrents, leaving frightful chasins to be crossed as

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A river as wide as the Thames at Windsor, flowing Etna (for Gungoutri is nearly 13,000 feet above the level of over an uninterrupted bed, higher than the crater of Mount the sea), would be an interesting object, if it had no other claim upon the mind: but the traveller must feel almost disposed to overlook that, in the extraordinary scenes of superstition that he is destined to witness acted on it.

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Here every extravagance that the weakness of the human race can be guilty of, seems to be concentrated: some, who have been wandering for months to fill their phials at the stream, overcome by the presence of the object

of their worship, lie prostrate on the banks; others up to their waists in the water, performing, with the most unfeigned abstraction, all the manœuvres of a Hindoo worship. Under the auspices of Brahmins, groups were sitting on the bank, kneading up balls of sand, with holy grass twisted round their fingers, intended as offerings to the Ganges for the propitiation of their fathers souls, which when ready they drop into the stream with the most profound and religious gravity.

"Such faith is placed in its power of performing miracles, that many haunt it for the most ridiculous purposes, convinced that what they ask will be accorded. At this moment a fanatic is up to his middle in the river, praying it to bestow on him the gift of prophecy: he has travelled from a village above Sirinagur, never doubting that the Ganges will reward him for his journey. He will return, he says, a prophet to his. native hill, where all will flock to him to have their fortunes told, and he will soon grow rich.

"As I approached the holy shrine, a troop of pallid spectres glided through the woods before me, and vanished like supernatural regions indeed, till a few more yards brought the images in Banquo's glass. I thought I had reached

me to a train of naked faquirs, whitened all over with ashes: a rope was coiled round their waists, and their hair hung down to their shoulders twisted like serpents; their hands close to their sides, they glided along with measured steps, repeating constantly in a hollow tone, 'Ram! Ram! Ram!' a Hindoo word for the Deity. If it required any thing to add to the wildness of the scene, these unearthly beings were admirably adapted for it. A person little disposed to believe in ghost stories, would start at beholding one of these inhuman figures rise suddenly before him; and, if one were seen perched upon the brow of a precipice in the glimmering of the moon, with an arm raised above the head incapable of motion, and the nails hanging in long strings from the back of the clenched hand, would doubt if indeed

it could be an earthly vision. If the sight of such an apparition could give rise to fear, the deep sepulchral voice with which the words 'Ram! Ram!' fell upon the stillness of the night, and resounded from the rocks around, would complete the scene of terror.

"At Gungoutri there are many sheds erected for the shelter of pilgrims; and as the evening was far advanced and a storm was brewing, I went into one of them. It was a long narrow building, and the further end was so wrapped in darkness, that I had been some moments in it before I perceived any thing. I was attracted by a low sullen murmur, and went to the spot whence it proceeded. A miserable wretch had just blown a few sticks into a flame; and, as the light burst upon his countenance, I unconsciously receded, and had to summon all my fortitude to return to him again. His eyes started from his head, and his bones were visible through his skin: his teeth chattered, and his whole frame shook with cold: and I never saw hair longer or more twisted than his was. I spoke to him, but in vain, he did not even deign to look at me, and made no motion, but to blow the embers into a fresh blaze; the fitful glare of which, falling on his skeleton form, made me almost think I had descended into the tomb. I found he had come for the purpose of ending his life, by starvation, at Gungoutri. Many faquirs have attempted this death, and have lingered for several days on the banks of the river without food. The Brahmin, however, assures me that no one can die in so holy a place; and, to preserve its charac they shall not; and bear them by force away and feed them, ter, the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages take care or at any rate give them the liberty to die elsewhere."

"A small temple marks the sacred source of the river*; and, immediately opposite, is the orthodox spot for bathing in, and filling the phials, which, when ready, receive the stamp of authenticity from the seal of the Brahmin, who wears it as a ring upon his finger: it bears the following inscription engraved upon it.-- The water of the Bhagirathi, Gangoutri.' Without such mark, the water would not be deemed holy by the purchasers in the plains.

"I was not able to witness the mystery of their worship, for they protested against my passing beyond the porch of the temple. The sanctum seemed close and unpromising, and I had no desire to pollute it by my touch.

"The comfort my followers obtained, with the advantage they hoped to reap, by their prayers and ablutions at Gungoutri, put them in such good spirits, that they would have followed me to the shores of Kedar Nath. The mention of that place of suffering, is enough to make the coldest Christian shudder. A melancholy delusion leads the naked, and frequently innocent Hindoo, to brave the severest torture that the frame of man can possibly be subjected to, with a fortitude that would place him in a rank with the most illustrious of martyrs, were it exercised in a good cause. They wander for miles, with almost a light spirit,-overcoming hardships at every step, that might entitle them to be canonized,-to crown their labours, and to close their days in hunger and in cold, that early mortifies their limbs! Crowds have passed from Gungoutri to that mountain (the journey is about four days), and have never more been heard of. Some have been known to repent when yet near enough to return, and to have perished from their tortures beneath a jutting rock, their extremities withered, and their pains increased by the contempt and execration of all who pass them, and the yet keener stings of their consciences, which upbraid them with want of faith, and prospect of damnation! They have an idea that none can find the path to return by, unless rejected by heaven. "A very great crime," said my Brahmin guide, "will induce them to encounter this death."-" What crime do you consider sufficient to need such an atonement ?" I asked. “Killing a Brahmin or a cow," was his immediate answer. -A strange association; but they are both held in equal veneration; and not unfrequently the cow is most deserving of it of the two. She does not, at any rate, seek to have such a doctrine believed.

"It does not follow that a full pardon is accorded to the self devoted victim. They imagine that the elect are permitted to reach a high peak called Brigoo, from which they throw themselves down to a bottomless abyss, across which a sharp stone, projecting from the mountains, passes: should they fall astride upon it, and be equally divided, they are forgiven: other modes of being cut imply a slight punishment. As the frost soon seizes on them, none who have reached any distance in the snow ever return thence the belief that there is no road back for the accepted. Those who tremble on the verge, perish, as I have said, should they escape being stoned to death by the nearest villagers, who believe such sinful beings would bring curses on them.

*

"In our progress towards Benares, we kept close to the east bank of the river; and, when distant from it two or three hours, had an amusing variety of travellers towards the sacred city, to enliven the route. The road on the shore appeared so crowded, that I imagined some fair was to be held; but I learned that this was not the case, and the concourse was by no means unusual. There were even whole families: there was a father carrying two baskets, balanced across his shoulder on a pole; his cooking-pots and meal in one, while, in the other, nestled curious there an infant lay. The little thing sat as comfortably as possible, covered up to its chin in clothes, and turning its black head about in the most independent manner. If I had not seen this sort of travelling-cradle before, I should have taken its inmate for one of a litter of puppies, with its muzzle poked out of its bed. The mother followed, with a bundle upon her head, and a child upon her hip; while two or three other little things trotted away by her side.

"Among other adventurers to the city, was a snakecharmer, who took advantage of a pause in my passage, to sit down on the bank and pipe to his pupils, who reared their crests, and appeared to take real delight in the music. He had two, which he took from a bag, and handled with the most perfect indifference. They seemed to be equally

• Ganges.

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careless about his touch, and occasionally wound round his arms and his neck with great familiarity.

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The approach to a fair or a horse-race, in our own country, cannot afford greater variety or interest than an every-day assemblage in the neighbourhood of Benares, if these be the common objects, as I am assured they are. I saw also several of the pilgrims, with whose errand I became so well acquainted at Gungoutri, carrying vessels of that water into the city; they were slung over their shoulders in little baskets; among the crowd was one man with his arm fixed above his head, and his fist clenched, the nails of his fingers grown through, and hanging in strips down the back of his hand.

"So large a town (for Benares contains nearly 600,000 people) must form a grand object from the river; and where all, or the greater part of the inhabitants, are engaged in the cleanly rite of bathing in the sacred stream, the spectacle is beyond belief beautiful. Soon after daylight, the daily ceremony begins; and, until the sun grows warm, the crowds at the river, with the parties drawing towards it or returning from it, fill the whole place with animation. "While I was floating before the Ghauts (steps leading down to the river), in admiration of the scene, it seemed to me like some fairy dream, so unlike was it to any thing I had ever witnessed. The devout, the indifferent, and the profane, are so mingled together, engaged in their different occupations of praying, washing, and playing, that it is hard to say which predominates.

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I could observe Brahmins performing their prayers, and others making offerings; while their neighbours were washing their clothes, and splashing away at a rate quite enough to shake the gravity of any but a Brahmin.

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It was amusing to see a fat old priest waddle from the stream like a turtle, and take up his position on the steps of the Ghaut; while, not far from him, the light forms of the women rose from the water, and stood with their thin drapery floating round them, to comb their long locks,— like mermaids, in all but their want of mirrors. When their hair is nearly dry, they hold their clean robes like a screen round their figures, and, shaking off the wet ones, draw the others close, and are dressed in a moment.

"The figures approaching the Ghaut, some of them in blue and rose-coloured scarfs, as well as white, with their pitchers on their heads, and their children by their sides, give a still more picturesque effect to the scene. The number of boats that are passing up and down the river, the splashing of the oars, and the song of the rowers, with the screams of the children, who, without their consent to the ceremony, are getting well ducked, complete the picture. The sun was not so high, but that the domes and minarets of the holy city were reflected in the stream below; and it appeared that the town, as well as all its sons and daughters, had fled to the bosom of the sacred river."SKINNER'S Excursions in India.

SILENT HE SLEEPS.
SILENT he sleeps! that eye,

So lately bright with hope, is closed for ever;
Struck by the blighting plague he sank,-but never
Was one more fit to die.

Oh, what a sudden blow!

But yesterday he lived in health and beauty,
And now they've hurried through their dreadful duty,
And left me to my woe.

Where are my friends all flown,
Those friends who shared in all my hours of gladness;
Comes there not one to dry the tears of sadness?

Not one :-I am alone.

Father! to thee I turn;

And though in sorrow, by the cold world slighted,
And every dream of happiness now blighted,
Not in despair I mourn!

For there are realms above
Far brighter realms, where grief shall have no dwelling;
There will thy chosen rest, their voices swelling
To praise thy endless love!

As is a moment, compared to the life of man, so is the life of man, compared with the continuance of the world; and the world's continuance is but a moment, in respect of eternity.JEREMY TAYLOR,

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is used, principally, as a beast of burden, and it is said, that some of these animals are sufficiently powerful to carry as much as from ten to twelve hundred weight.

THE Camel and the Dromedary are different species | appears to be the warmer portion of Asia, where it of the same genus; the one, the Camel, being furnished with two hunches, and the other possessing but one. The species with two hunches is called the Bactrian Camel, and is much larger, stouter, and shorter on its legs than the other. Its native country

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The Dromedary, as may be seen by the engraving, is more graceful in its form; its legs are longer, and it is much swifter in its movements than the Camel. It is spread also over a larger tract of country, being found throughout the whole of Arabia, and all the northern and central portions of Africa. It is more completely than any other creature a domesticated animal, and has never yet been found in a wild state. The name given to it by the wandering Arab is finely indicative of its qualities; it is called the "Ship of the Desert."

To have some idea of the value of the Camel to the inhabitants of those countries in which it is found, we have but to consider the useful and necessary purposes to which, in our more temperate climate, the horse is applied; the loss of that valuable creature would be severely felt, but it would be trifling when compared to that of the natives of Africa or Arabia, if deprived of the services of the Camel.

The Arab of the Desert is indebted to it for food

and security; its milk is nourishing, and when fermented, a spirituous liquor is produced, which supplies the place of wine; its flesh is also considered excellent food, and its skin is turned to many useful purposes. The foot of the Camel is finely adapted for affording a firm support on the loose sands it has to traverse; being broad and flat, the toes undivided, and spreading considerably, when placed upon the ground. If it were not for the services of this useful creature, the immense deserts of the torrid zone would be utterly impassable, and all intercourse between many distant nations would be at once at an end. In addition to the other means it possesses of crossing these burning sands, where many days may pass without a supply of water, the most peculiar and wonderful construction of its stomach allows it to lay up a store of water in a number of cells in the interior of this organ, so formed as to allow the animal to empty them singly, when necessary for its support, and in this manner, from its own resources,

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