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

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SQUARE OF THE LITTLE PILLAR, IN
LISBON.

the streets; and sometimes a monk in a state of intoxication, with a rabble of boys at his heels: these are the passing objects that render a residence in this street so highly diverting."

THE ground on which Lisbon stands, is naturally very uneven; and, as little care has been taken to obviate this inequality by artificial means, it gives The Gallego, here spoken of, is the common porter rise to many curious scenes in the internal disposition and water-carrier of Lisbon; he is not a native of of the city. This is peculiarly the case with that the city, but comes usually from the Spanish province portion of it which suffered most severely from the of Galicia. His occupation is extremely laborious; Earthquake of 1755; and there the streets are but he is generally a contented being. His hard toil literally jumbled together, one resting, as it were, enables him to earn, though with difficulty, about upon another, and having its pavement on the same sixpence a day; one half of this serves to procure level with the housetops of its more lowly neigh-him his bread, his fried Sardinha, (a kind of fish,) bours. Our engraving in the preceding page fur- from a neighbouring cook's stall, and a little light nishes a striking picture of this sort of arrangement; wine perhaps on holidays, water being his general the view which it contains is taken at a short distance beverage. A mat in a large upper room, shared with from the Tagus, in a district which was wholly de- several of his brethren, serves him in winter as a molished by the calamity alluded to. place of repose for the night; but during the summer he frequently sleeps out in the open air, making his filled water-barrel his pillow, ready to start, in case of fire, at the call of the captain of his gang, to perform the only public duty exacted from him; for every Gallego is obliged, by the police of the city, to have his water-barrel constantly filled at night, and to hasten with it at the first sound of the fire-bell, to assist in extinguishing the flames. His savings are sufficient to enable him, in the course of about fifteen years, to return to the mountains of his native Gallicia, and to purchase a little plot of ground, upon which he erects a small cottage. He then marries, and at the proper age sends forth his children to follow in the Portuguese towns the same path of industry and frugality of which he has set them an example, and which have procured him the independence and the comforts of a home.

The Largo do Pelourinho, or Square of the Little Pillar, is so called from the column which decorates its centre; it stands very near the river, being separated from it by only the Marine Arsenal. The front of that building forms the southern end of the square; our view exhibits the northern and eastern sides, over the intersection of which may be seen the church of St. Francisco da Cidade. To the right of this edifice are the backs of the houses in the street of San Francisco, immediately overlooking the open space beneath. The little column, from which the square derives its name, is ornamental in its appearance; its twisted shaft rises from a richly-sculptured pedestal, and supports a capital surmounted by a globe of open iron-work. The material of which it is composed is a fine stone, which bears considerable resemblance to marble. In former days this little pillar performed a very important function, being used in the execution of traitorous fidalgos, (nobles,) and other criminals of high degree; it has ceased, how-pearance is rather grotesque; but, nevertheless, it ever, to enjoy that enviable distinction, and is now no longer employed in the infliction of punishment. Its capital is still disfigured by the projecting iron hooks to which the criminals were attached; and these are the only memorials of its ancient occupation.

This square is situated in the chief line of communication between the eastern and western parts of Lisbon; and thus it always presents an appearance of great bustle and activity. Mr. Kinsey gives a picture of the daily scene beheld in the Rua San Francisco, the characteristic features of which are not confined to that street in particular. "The chapel of the convent," he says, "has never been finished, and offers another instance-beyond skeleton houses seen every where, and public buildings left incomplete,-of the grand designs suggested, after the Earthquake, by Portuguese, or as some would say, English architects, and of the total inadequateness of the means possessed to do them justice. A party of friars were seen lounging all day long upon the steps of the portal, looking out for funerals, or for people coming to confession and mass, and for the performance of other penitential offices; beggars reclining beneath; a large heap of ruins accumulated from the period of the Earthquake, to the north of the steps, where a few half-starved goats, who supply the neighbourhood with milk, pick up a scanty subsistence upon refuse vegetables; the occasional procession of the host, honoured by the kneeling multitude; séges filled with fat friars; Gallegos with their many-coloured water-barrels ; fruit-women, and dealers in vegetables and fish; strings of saucylooking muleteers, and a demure duenna now and then seen carefully guarding her fair charge through *See Saturday Magazine, Vol. II., p. 123.

The common carriage of Lisbon is the séget, a species of cabriolet drawn by two mules. Its ap

affords a luxurious accommodation when compared with the toil of walking up and down the steep streets of the city, under the influence of a burning sun. Its construction is admirably adapted to meet the inequalities of ground which we have before noticed. The seat is suspended off the axletree, so that the jolting of the wheels on the rough pavement is nearly imperceptible within the vehicle, the body of which preserves nearly an upright position, whether upon the ascent or the descent. Two curtains close in front of the sége, to keep out the rain or heat; and considering that no other sort of carriage could be used up and down the streets of Lisbon, the traveller has good reason to congratulate himself upon the happy invention.

+ See Saturday Magazine, Vol. III., p. 120.

THE CANARY BIRD. THIS bird, though not a native, is so well naturalized, that some account of it may prove interesting.

In length, this beautiful species is about five inches and a half; the bill pale flesh-colour, passing into reddish white; eyes chestnut brown; the whole plumage of a rich, deep primrose colour, inclining to yellow; edge of the quills sometimes yellowish white; legs and feet, the same colour as the bill. The female is distinguished from the male by the plumage being of a paler colour; the yellow round the bill, eye, and on the breast, and edge of the wing, being also of a paler yellow; she is likewise rather larger, and less slender in form towards the tail.

The original stock is said to have been imported from the Canary Isles ‡, about the fourteenth century; a circumstance not mentioned by Belon, and disSee page 130 of the present volume.

credited by Syme for these reasons.

The wild birds | mirth and revelry, while others are sullen, intractable, and lazy. Some cocks are most assiduous in assisting the hen to build her nest, and even to hatch the eggs, while others will destroy the eggs, or tear the young from the nest, and kill them in their rage: the gray ones will never build, and the person who superintends these must make a nest for them.

found in the Canary Isles, says he, bear less resemblance, in song and plumage, to the domestic Canary, than to the siskin of Germany, the venturon of Italy, or the serin of France. The plumage of these is a mixture of yellow, green, and very little brown or gray.

Buffon says, in his elegant manner, "that if the nightingale is the chantress of the woods, the Canary is the musician of the chamber; the first owes all to nature, the second something to art. With less strength of organ, less compass of voice, and less variety of note, the Canary has a better ear, greater facility of imitation, and a more retentive memory; and as the difference of genius, especially among the lower animals, depends, in a great measure, on the perfection of their senses, the Canary, whose organ of hearing is more susceptible of receiving and retaining foreign impressions, becomes more social, tame, and familiar; is capable of gratitude, and even of attachment; its caresses are endearing, its little humours innocent, and its anger neither hurts nor offends. Its education is easy; we rear it with pleasure, because we are able to instruct it. It leaves the melody of its own natural note, to listen to the melody of our voices and instruments. It applauds, it accompanies us, and repays the pleasure it receives with interest; while the nightingale, more proud of its talent, seems desirous of preserving it in all its purity, at least it appears to attach very little value to ours, and it is with great difficulty it can be taught any of our airs. The Canary can speak and whistle; the nightingale despises our words, as well as our airs, and never fails to return to its own wild wood-notes. Its pipe is a masterpiece of nature, which human art can neither alter nor improve; while that of the Canary is a model of more pliant materials, which we can mould at pleasure; and therefore it contributes in a much greater degree to the comforts of society. It sings at all seasons, cheers us in the dullest weather, and adds to our happiness, by amusing the young, and delighting the recluse; charming the tediousness of the cloister, and gladdening the soul of the innocent and captive."

There are said to be upwards of thirty varieties of the breeds of Canaries, which can be easily distinguished; and the number is increasing every year.

There are two distinct species of Canaries, the plain and variegated; or, as they are technically called, the gay spangles, or meally; and jonks, or jonquils. These two varieties are more esteemed by amateurs, than any of the numerous varieties which have sprung from them; and, although birds of different feathers have their admirers, some preferring beauty of plumage, others excellence of song, certainly that bird is most desirable, where both are combined. The first property of these birds consists in the cap, which ought to be of fine orange colour, pervading every part of the body, except the tail and wings, and possessing the utmost regularity, without any black feathers, as, by the smallest speck, it loses the property of a show-bird, and is considered a broken-capped bird. The second property consists in the feathers of the wing and tail being of a deep black up to the quill, as a single white feather in the wing or tail causes it to be termed a foul bird; the requisite number of these feathers in each wing is eighteen, and in the tail twelve. It is, however, frequently observed, that the best-coloured birds are foul in one or two feathers, which reduce their value.

The dispositions of Canaries are as various as their colours; some are gay, sportive, and delight in

The

Mr. Syme informs us that he possessed a jonquil cock that used to nibble at its cage till he opened it, and then escaping from its prison-house, it would fly to the mantel-piece, where it would place itself on a china ornament, flutter as if in the act of washing, and continue to do so till water was brought. same bird was so docile, as to come, when called, to the hand, and hide trifling articles in the corner of its cage, stopping and looking round as if for encouragement and applause. But one of his favourite an asements was to perch upon one of the branches of a tall myrtle, in a window where the cage frequently hung; and he even became so bold, as to dart upon the ephemeral insects that rose from a stream close by, and which seemed to afford him a delicious banquet. Poor Dickie, was, however, doomed to suffer for this indulgence, and one morning was found dead in his cage, having been killed by a young pointer, a privileged vagrant like himself.

At a public exhibition of birds, we are informed that one of these docile creatures acted the part of a deserter, and ran away, while two others pursued and caught him. A lighted match being given to one of these, he fired a small cannon, and the little deserter fell on his side, as if dead; another bird then appeared with a small wheel-barrow, for the purpose of carrying off the dead, but at its approach the little deserter started to his feet.

Syme seems to think that these birds might be naturalized to our climate, having seen a pair flying about at liberty, probably, an experiment to try if they would breed: and he thinks they had built a nest, from their being repeatedly observed flying in and out at one spot, on the precipitous bank at St. Bernard's Well, near Edinburgh.

A small breeding-cage is all that is required for rearing these birds; but where a room can be allotted to the purpose, it ought to have shrubs for them to roost and build, with plenty of water to drink and bathe in, that being indispensable for all birds. The light should be admitted into the room from the east, for the benefit of the morning sun, and the windows should have wire-cloth, that they may enjoy the fresh air. The floor of the apartment ought to be strewed with sand or white gravel, and on that should be thrown groundsel, chickweed, or scalded rape-seed; but when breeding, they should have nothing except hard chopped eggs, dry bread, cake without salt, and, once in two or three days, a few poppy-seeds.

About the 15th of April, they ought to be furnished with flax, soft hay, wool, hair, moss, and other dry materials, for building the nest, which usually occupies three days; but when the hen has set eight or nine days, it is necessary to examine the eggs, holding them carefully by the ends, against the sun or a lighted candle, and to throw away the clear ones. When the young are to be reared by the stick, they must be taken from the mother on the eighth day, taking nest and all. Prior to this, the food should consist of a paste composed of boiled rape-seed, the yolk of an egg, and crumbs of cake unsalted, mixed with a little water: this must be given every two hours. This paste ought not to be too wet, and must be renewed daily, until the nestlings can feed themselves. The hen has generally three broods in

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the year, but will hatch five times in the season, each time laying six eggs.

The process of moulting, which takes place five or six weeks after they are hatched, is frequently fatal to them. The best remedy yet known, is to put a small piece of iron into the water they drink, keeping them warm during the six weeks or two months which generally elapse before they regain their strength. This malady, to which they are all subject, is often fatal to the hen after the sixth or seventh and even the cock, though from superior year; strength he may recover, and continue occasionally to sing, and survive his mate four or five years, appears dull and melancholy from this period, till he gradually droops, and falls a victim to this evil.

The most common cause of disease in birds, proceeds from a superabundance of food, which brings on repletion. In this case, the intestines descend to the extremities of the body, and appear through the skin, while the feathers on the part affected fall off, and the poor bird, after a few days, pines and dies. If the disease is not too far gone, putting them in separate cages, and confining them to the cooling diet of water and lettuce-seed, may save the lives of many they are also subject to epilepsy, asthma, ulcers in the throat, and to extinction of the voice. The cure for the first is doubtful; it is said, that if a drop of blood fall from the bill, the bird will recover life and sense; but if touched prior to falling of itself, it will occasion death. If they recover from the first attack, they frequently live for many years without any alteration in their note. Another cure is to inflict a slight wound in the foot. Asthma is cured by plantain, and hard biscuit soaked in white wine; while ulcers, like repletion, must be cured by cooling food. For extinction of voice, the cure ought to be hard yolk of eggs, chopped up with crumbs of bread, and for drink a little liquorice-root, or a blade of saffron in water. In addition to these evils, the canary, if kept dirty, is infested by a small insect. To avoid this, they should have plenty of water to bathe in, a new cage, covered with new cloth, and their seeds well sifted and washed. These attentions, if troublesome, are nevertheless necessary to possess a thriving bird. When wild, all birds require water, and to a canary this is so necessary, that if a saucer or cup of snow be put into the cage, they will flutter against it with the utmost delight, even during the most severe winters.

Canaries are bred in immense numbers, both for amusement and commerce, in France, Tyrol, Germany, and in this country: those from Germany are in the least esteem, from their living only one or two years in this country, although the cock of this variety is an approved songster.

[From MONTAGU's Ornithological Dictionary.]

CHRISTIANITY IN CEYLON.

THE province of Jaffna, which is the most northern province on the island of Ceylon, has, for the last three hundred years, been an object of curiosity to all those who felt an interest in the state of Christianity in India.

When the Portuguese possessed that part of the island, the Jesuits, who were established there, divided the province into thirty-four parishes; building on each a very fine church and a schoolhouse, and taking active measures by preaching, and by the representation of dramas founded upon Scripture, to propagate the principles of the Catholic religion amongst the natives of the country. When the Dutch conquered this province from the Portuguese, they took equally active measures for preserving the churches and schools which had been erected by the Portuguese, in each of the parishes, and for propagating the principles of the Reformed Religion amongst the natives.

One of the most active of the Dutch clergymen in Ceylon, who had charge of the province immediately after the Dutch had established themselves in it, was Dr. Baldæus. He published a very detailed account of the whole province, and of the state in which he found the churches and schools in all the different parishes.

In the year 1796 the British took possession of the maritime provinces of Ceylon, and, in 1798, the whole island was formally transferred to the British Crown. In 1810, Sir Alexander Johnston, then Chief Justice of His Majesty's Council in Ceylon, among many other measures for improving the condition of the natives, proposed the establishment of a college for the education of the halfcasts, in European literature and science; and he also exerted himself in inducing missionaries to establish schools throughout the country. The Wesleyan missionaries, soon after, on the advice of Sir

Alexander, and in the hope that it would forward his plans for the moral and spiritual improvement of the people, reprinted, at their press, that part of the old English translation of Baldæus's history, which treated more particularly on the state of the churches and schools in the different parishes.

The annexed Prints of the churches of Tellipally and Point Pedro, are taken from the plates in one of the old editions of Baldæus; the accounts of the parishes in which they stand, are from that part of his history which was republished at the Wesleyan press.

"The Church of Tellipally is a large and noble structure; the house thereunto belonging, is the work of the Jesuits, beautified with a pleasant garden, handsome court, and most delicious vineyards, affording most sorts of Indian fruits, and watered with several springs. In August, 1658, the Reformed Religion was the first time (as in all other churches of Jaffnapatam and Manaar,) introduced and taught here by me. The 12th of January, 1661, the Holy Sacrament was the first time administered to twelve communicants of the natives. The 19th of April the same year, their number increased to fifteen, and before my departure to thirty. In the year 1665 we had above 1000 school boys, among whom 480 who could answer all the questions relating to the chief points of our religion. I have sometimes had no less

than 2000 auditors in this church.

"Most of the churches here have certain scaffolds or theatres near them, where the Jesuits used to represent certain histories of the Bible to the people on holidays*. The Church of Paretiture is the finest

It is from the sacred dramas having been acted upon the stages in front of the churches, as described by Baldæus, that Sir Alexander Johnston took the idea of having translations of Miss Hannah More's dramas acted amongst the people, and of getting

and largest of this province, called by the Portuguese Punto das Pedras, or the Rocky Point; Paretiture signifies in the Malabar tongue, as much as Cotton's Harbour, from the great quantity of cotton that grows thereabouts on small trees.

"Not long ago, whilst we were engaged in war with the English, a fort was ordered to be erected here. During the war with Portugal, the Dutch carried off from hence one of their priests, and plundered Manaar at the same time. Hereabouts, also, happened a smart engagement, betwixt the Portuguese and us, wherein we were hard put to it, and lost, among others, Captain John Hoogstraten. During the siege of Jaffnapatam, the Portuguese expected the landing of their succours in this place.

"The road is so good here, that ships may ride safe at anchor for seven or eight months; but they must take care to depart before the northern monsoon, which renders this shore very dangerous. So soon as any ships are discovered at sea, a flag is put out on a long pole for their direction. The church was much decayed, but has been repaired of late. Just before the church stands a tall tamarind tree, which affording a very agreeable shadow in the heat of the day, the people are often instructed under it by the minister, to the number of 3000. The school has about 1000 children †."

Miss Johanna Baillie to write her drama called The Bride for the

same purpose.

+ It is at Point Pedro that Sir Alexander Johnston intended to place the celebrated Missionary Schwartz, in 1769, paid the visit have had the college for the education of the half-casts, and to this described in Pearson's life of that celebrated man. "On the 5th of September, prior to his departure, Mr. Schwartz went to Point Pedro for the purpose of seeing the large tree under which the celebrated Baldæus, who accompanied the Dutch expedition which took possession of Ceylon in the seventeenth century, addressed his first discourse to the natives. Schwartz conversed with some Malabar people whom he met on the spot, and preached the Gospel to them."

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lawyer's province further, than by making, in this our concluding paper, a few remarks upon such peculiar bequests as most frequently occur, and upon the errors into which testators commonly fall concerning them.

I. If a person to whom a legacy is bequeathed, dies in the lifetime of the testator, the legacy lapses, as it is called; that is, becomes void. Sometimes a testator, foreseeing the possibility of such an event attempts to provide for it, but does not do so in terms sufficiently precise. He will bequeath property

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