than other oils, and emits very little smoke. It has been used on the continent for frying fish, &c. The cake remaining after the extraction of the oil, may be given to cattle, who eat it with avidity.

To brown Gun-barrels.-After the barrel is finished, rab it over with aquafortis, or spirit of salt, diluted with water; then lay it by for a week, till a complete coat of rust is formed; a little oil is then to be applied, and after rubbing the surface dry, polish it with a hard brush and a little bees'-wax.

Useful Hint.-Is it not possible to raise the tea-tree in these countries? It is a fact that Linnæus had in his garden a tea shrub in a flourishing condition, which stood the climate of Europe as well as any native plant. Why not try the experiment?

Blankets took their name from Thomas Blanket, who established the first manufactory for this comfortable article, at Bristol, about the year 1340.

Essence of Ginger.-The fragrant aroma of ginger is so extremely volatile, that it evaporates as soon as it is pounded-the fine lemon peel goût flies off presently.

If ginger is taken to produce an immediate effectto warm the stomach-dispel flatulenee, &c,, or as an addition to aperient medicine-the following is the best preparation of it :

Steep three ounces of fresh grated ginger, and onc ounce of fresh lemon peel (cut thin) in a quart of brandy, or proof spirit, for ten days, shaking it up each day.

Paste for Razor Strops.-A good paste may be made of suet and emery, beat up together to a proper consistency in a mortar. The emery powder must be very fine. For a small sum, can be made a quantity sufficient to last a person blessed with a good beard for seven years.

Remedy for the Tooth-Ache.-The following is said to be an infalliable remedy for the tooth-ache:-Take some lint, which put in a quill, and place it over the tube of a tobacco-pipe prior to its being smoked, after which apply that part of the lint nearest the tube to the cavity of the tooth, where let it remain some considerable time: it will immediately assuage the most violent pain, and the full efficacy of it will be best known by the test of experience.

Abernethy's medicine for indigestion.-Five grains of blue pill at night, and a dose of salts next morning.

An occasional draught to Promote Appetite.-Take of sulphuric acid five drops, in a glass of cold water. An excellent stomachic cordial, good in the middle of the day. One drachm of tincture of bark, and two of the tincture of senna, mixed.

Cornwall Correspondent.

MYAL.*

"Rigwoodie hags wad spean a foal."

MR. FIDDLEWOOD.-Passing by a house in this town a few nights since, I was arrested by an unusually wild, and confused din, which, upon closer inspection, I perceived arose from a group of negroes, males and females, whose strange gesticulations, intended for dancing, and whose discordant and unearthly howls, with clapping of hands, as an accompanying music, would have afforded a subject worthy the pen of a Burns or the pencil of David Wilkie. One woman, more fantastic and ludicrous than the rest, it seems, was possessed with the demoniac spirit of Myal, which she pretended impelled her involuntarily into situations and attitudes at once dangerous and ridiculous. Ten or twelve negroes had formed themselves in Indian file, and moving round and round, by way of exorcising, or casting out the infernal spirit

They danced, they sang, they yelled, they cleekit.

Till ilka carlin swat and reekit;"

While the principal actress, the Hecate of these orgies,
looked wildly from side to side, threw her arms about,
now jumping one way, then another, and acting, as if
she really had been bewitched, or possessed of the
devil. This lasted nearly a quarter of an hour, when a
person entered the premises and put a final stop to the
farce.
M. S.

* Myal meu, or those who, by means of a narcotick potion, made with the juice of an herb (said to be the branched Colulue or species of Solanum) which occasions a trance or profound sleep of a certain duration, endeavour to convince the deluded spectators of their power to re-animate dead bodies.-- Bryan Edward's.

CURIOUS EPITAPH,

On a handsome Slab in the Churchyard of Falmouth, Jamaica.
In this vain world, short was your stay:

In the "

But innocent your laughter:

You've gone before, and led the way,
And we come jogging after.

ANOTHER, ON A GOOD WIFE.

(Written by her Husband.)

Here lies my poor wife, mach lamented,
She is happy, and I'm contented.

ERRATUM.

New Mode of Refining Sugar." in our last, page 33, last line of first paragraph, for the words " to work a day, read a week to dry."

"A fellow that was clever at a joke,

Expert in all the arts to tease and smoke."

Monsieur Tonson.

THERE are some men, even in moments of serious reflection, whose minds are wandering over some point of humour, which is resolved into a joke, a pun, or an epigram. Their natural temperament of mind is so mercurial, that their flights of fancy become as it were collateral sources of existence. When Johnson said he did not like punning, it must have been in contradiction to some observation at the time for the Doctor betrays his love of punning; and his frequent elegant antitheses-what are they but a more refined species of puns? For my own part,' says an elegant writer, I think no innocent kinds of wit or pleasantry should be suppressed: and that a good pun may be admitted among the smaller excellencies of lively conversation.' I think so too; and it is envy of the talent, which makes it so often decried. But to our subject.

Paul Peregrine was the son of a farmer, who, nothing uncommon, mistook the bent of his son's mind, and intended to educate him for the church; but if his father was out in thi, particular, his son was not long in exposing his fallacy. Paul, according to his sire's design was sent to college. Here his improvement was as rapid as might be expected from a youth of so much volatility. But were I to enumerate his waggeries, in opposition to his attainments, there would be fearful odds. In fact the gravity of Alma Mater served but to confirm his propensity for humour, and his adroitness in a practical joke. If a frolic party was to be formed, Paul was sure to be foremost in consultation; nor was he ever known, when detected in a scrape, to involve the characters of others by imputations which he could bear himself. This trait is not inconsistent with greatness of mind; and we have on record many instances of this nature to prove our position. It is not, however, our intention to dilate upon his juvenile adventures, but to bring him to a period some twenty years posterior to that time, though the fire and vivacity of his youth has not in the least diminished. To the lover of fun, a few of his familiar and practical jokes may not prove altogether unamusing especially to such as may be unacquainted with the feats which are sometimes practised, besides good eating and drinking at our great English seminaries. Not long since, Mr. Twaddle, recently described in a former essay, had incurred the penalty of becoming the butt of Peregrine's raillery at a party. Tom retaliated by concealing his hat and gloves for the night, and decamped, which caused him to walk home without them. This called forth a fresh retaliation on the part of Paul. Mr. Twaddle had just purchased, and was sporting a beaver of the Petersham cut, when he was espied by Paul, who immediately took his station to intercept him: "Ah! Tom, my heart," said Paul, we have just been trying a feat of skill with this hatchet! suppose you try it. It is to hit three out of six blindfold, in this parallel. ?-come, a rump and dozen you do exclaimed Tom, who did rain achievement for his

What do you say
not hit twice."

66

Done,"

not like to lose even this tender fame. He submits

to be hoodwinked-takes the hatchet-lays aside his new beaver, which Paul picks up, saying," Now, my heart, my heart, Tom, strike fair, and you will be sure to hit. Stop! stand to the place," said the relentless wight, adjusting the Petersham to the aim of the hatchet, which, with the first stroke, produced a compound fracture. "That's it," said the hero of mischief, go it again, my heart!" The second hit finished the beaver, and Paul was out of sight in an instant. No sooner was he of the hatchet uncovered, than he beheld-could his eyes believe it? "the fragment"—not of "his blade," but of his newly-mounted helmet, which had just perished under the reiterated stroke of his tomohawk, and that too by his own hand. -He first looked blank, but could no longer resist the admirable trick and loud laugh that had been played off against him. On another occasion, an old acquaintance, who, like Mr. Twaddle, had elicited the ingenuity of our hero, was passing one day just as he had got a bar of iron heated to ignition, which had lain a few minutes on the ground before his door, and pretending to be engaged in holding something with both hands, he exclaimed, in his usual phraseology: My heart! my heart, Trifle, just hand me that bar, will ye?" Trifle stooped, but no sooner had he raised the bar with both his hands, than he instantly let it fall again with the most feeling expression, to the great mirth of Peregrine and the bystanders, who certainly did not shew that compassion which so seri ous an infliction called forth, "You are a wicked rascal," said Trifle, but I'll roast you for this!"My heart, my heart-me intend such a thing? It was that confounded dog Quashie, who ought to have soused it in cold water.' The apparent gravity of his protestations appeased Trifle's choler, but left a strong suspicion that it was one of the many warm jokes, which Peregrine's ingenuity was seldom at a loss for.

66

..

Hoaxing was another of the arts which Mr. Peregrine used to practice au fait. He would contrive a dinner party with much precision; sending invitations to both parties, so that while Mr. A. came to B.'s house, B. had just gone, or was about to go to A.'s. This was detected on one occasion, from the want of skill in the messenger; and the whole party who had