tend to or from the central part by its | tom of the corner, where he stopped of own motion. his own accord, and began to neigh before a very deep crevice, or rather a cut through the granite rock, quite A variety of illustrations and explications follow, exactly agreeing with the preceding part, as it respects in- | perpendicularly from the top to the congruity; the whole forming one mass bottom of the mountain. He wished of inconsistencies, requiring no fur- to rush in ; but I could not get on with ther notice; and which we can recom- him, on account of the passage being mend to the attention of those persons full of large blocks of granite. only who are at a loss for employment. "At last my guide reached me, and appeared very angry, thinking that I had gallopped his horse on purpose. SINGULAR INSTANCE OF INSTINCTIVE However I left the horse with him, and SAGACITY IN A HORSE. [From Salame's Travels in the Deserts.] "AFTER We had rested a little, I wished to gratify my curiosity, by taking a walk round this valley. But being somewhat fatigued, I gave a piaster (about tenpence) to one of our Arabs, to lend me his horse, and to walk with me. The distance was about six miles. This valley was nearly square: the ground was sandy, except the edges by the foot of the mountains, which were muddy, or rather lined by beds of torrents, which apparently had run there; and in consequence of which, the senna shrubs have grown almost all around the valley. The surrounding mountains are from 3 to 400 feet in height, or perhaps more. In some parts there were several square caves, hewn in the granite rock at the foot of the mountain, all nearly of the same size. I went into a few of them, where I found nothing but some broken pieces of red earthenware, and some birds' bones. I discovered no inscription whatever in any of those which I visited. On my coming out of these caves, I observed to my guide, that 'this valley, in former times, had probably been inhabited, as I supposed all these excavations to have been made for habitations; and, therefore, the people who lived there could not live without water.' His answer to me was, (according to the common superstition of the present ignorant people of Egypt,) that as all the ancient people were magicians, they probably might have had their water brought from the Nile, by the power of magic.' On hearing this, I had nothing to reply, but laughed at him, and proceeded towards our caravan. On my approaching the south-east corner of the valley, my horse began to gallop; and I could not restrain him, until he brought me to the bot wished to go into the cut to satisfy my curiosity, and to see what was the reason of his bringing me thither. The man refused to wait with the horse, and told me, that if I went in, he would leave me alone, and return to our halting-place. After I had given him another piaster, and persuaded him, with many stories, that perhaps, through this casual inspiration of the horse, we might find a treasure, (as they in general believe, that all the European travellers' object is, to search for treasures,) I began to enter this most amazing crevice, by ascending one block and descending the other, which were throughout the passage. They were of different shapes and sizes, from about five to ten feet in diameter; and they are of the same kind as the green-coloured granite mountain, from which they were cut. The crevice is very regularly of the same width, which was about three yards; and its depth or distance into the mountain, perhaps more than one hundred yards: it was so neatly cut through the rock, quite perpendicularly from the top to the bottom, that it looks as if there were two smooth walls, standing close one by the other. This is certainly not an accidental cleft, but a work of human labour. "On reaching the bottom of this cut, I found, to my surprising joy, a basin or reservoir of fine limpid water, of about six yards in circumference, and two feet deep: its bottom was of fine white sand, and the water was most excellent. On account of the masses of granite, I could not see my guide to make him a sign to come in; and, when I began to call out loudly to him, I heard the report of my voice, sounding through the crevice like a bell. He did hear me; but would not believe that I had found any water there. At last I came out, and told him to go in; and, at the same time, I gave him the zamzamiè, (i. e. a small | leather bag, carried always by the side of the saddle,) to fill it with water for the horse. I took the dear horse from him, and began to kiss him; and I am sure that he must have been there before, or he must have smelled the water. The man came out of the crevice quite rejoiced, and returned me the last piaster which I gave him before I went into the crevice; and he immediately ran towards the caravan, to apprize them of the water-place. "I gave some water from the zamzamie to the horse, and waited at the spot till the caravan came, and made their provision of that excellent water. They expressed great thanks; and wished to know who I was? On giving an account of our shipwreck, and of the state of distress in which I was, they shewed much sorrow; and the chief of the caravan took out of his pocket the ten piasters which I had paid him for my passage, and pre- | sented them to me, saying, 'This is a very little reward for the treasure you have discovered; which is not only a great relief to us on this occasion, but it will be for the benefit of thousands in following time.' "At first, I thought this spot of water was a reservoir of rain; but when I went into the crevice again, I found it was a spring, for the more water we took, the more it sprang out; and I observed the ground, underneath the blocks of granite, was covered with grass. I have no doubt that this spring spreads itself, by unperceived passages through the sand, at the foot of the mountain, round the valley, where the senna shrubs grow." From the appearance of the old church, (previous to any alteration but that of the north aisle, and the spire, which was set upon the old church tower, and which so suddenly fell,) this building might be dated coeval with the tower so called. Whoever looks at the plan of Liverpool, and examines the site of the p e present church-yard, and tower, and garden wall, which extended to the west, to the front of the shore, will find it bounded by a wall, to prevent the water from washing the very foundations of the tower. The more ancient state of this spot may be gathered from viewing a picture, (see Fragments of Lancashire, folio, 168,) taken so late as 1740; also a more early view, from a painting in the possession of Ralph Peters, Esq.; which painting has been copied by the late Mr. Eyes and others, and said to be taken in 1680. But this statement must be incorrect, for the castle and castle-walls were taken down before 1663, as appears by an authentic MS. in my possession, written from 1662 to 1667; being the minutes of Charles Earl of Derby, lordlieutenant, and his deputies, Sir Roger Bradshaigh, Robert Holt of Castleton, Roger Nowel of Read, Gilb. Ireland, and others. Whoever attentively observes the ground-plan of St. Nicholas' church and church-yard, lineable, as it were, by the old water-line, from the bottom of Water-street, (formerly Mylnelane) including what is called the New Ground, taken from the river, and tracing up the same from the N. W. corner, in Chapel-street, to what was called the Church-Style House, (a post and petrel building, which is still standing at the N. E. corner) ranging on the East side with Alderman Pole's house, (the Stamp Office,) southward to Mylne-lane, then down that street to the west, including the tower, tower-garden, and ancient church-passage, about five yards wide on the west front of the tower, along the ancient garden-wall to the church gates, on the south side, and where the garden was continued, eastwardly, towards Alderman Pole's house; will have a tolerably correct view of its extended outline. That wall on the west, betwixt those houses and the church-yard, was built about 120 years ago, as may be seen in the Vestry Book, vol. i. It must evidently strike any one, who contemplates the plan, that this piece of ground must have belonged to one and the same person; and that he granted one half to build a chapel on, and chapel-yard, reserving the other half to erect his mansion upon, and his garden, which occupied about the same quantity of land. It is most likely, too, that the tower and the chapel were built nearly about the same time. Of that fact there seems little doubt. This, we may presume, was previous to the time of King John; perhaps in the days of Henry I.; as, at the time of Doomsday, Liverpool did not go by that name: and our account of the sheriffs and governors under that king are very imperfect; and they continued so until Henry the II.'s time, 1154. Though there was no sheriff named in Stephen's reign, we find William de Blois made many grants in Lancashire to the Waltons, the Banastres, &c. After him succeeded Randle and Hugh, Earls of Chester. After these, John Lackland was Lord of Lancashire, in 1189; and Theobald de Walter had all Amounderness, and, little doubt, many parts of West Derby. It then went to the Earls of Chester again; and thence to the Earl Ferrars, Earl of Derby, where it continued until it went to Edward Crouchback, born 1245, and appointed about 1265; one of whose descendants, John of Gaunt, founded a chantry on the said chapel. I can but conceive, that Henry de Torbocke was a son or descendant of Theobald de Walter. Henry, the father, had two sons. To Robert Fitzhenry he gave Latham and Knowsley; to Richard he gave Torbocke; Robert, being the eldest son, took the name of Latham, and the arms of the said Theobald de Walter, with this addition, on the chief three plates: and his brother, who settled and resided at Torbocke, took the name of Torbocke, and the arms of the Walters, (now called Butler, being appointed chief butler of Ireland,) or, a chief indented azure, with the addition of three plates, like his brother, (perhaps their father's arms); and a distinguishing bearing further, on the field, "An Eagle's leg erased Gules."-From Theobald are descended the Dukes of Ormond, and many other noble families. We find, then, a descendant of Robert de Latham (tempo. Hen. IV.) owning the Tower in Liverpool, then his occasional residence; which tower he gave the gallant knight, Sir John Stanley, who married his only daughter, Isabella de Latham, and they rebuilt it. From this match sprang the noble house of Stanley, Earl of Derby; Sir John Stanley, of Alderley Edge, Cheshire; the Stanleys of Westmoreland: all which, through Sir John Stanley, knight, are descended from the Stanleys of Hooton, in Cheshire. Sir John Stanley, who was lordlieutenant of Ireland, spent much time here, and was greatly honoured. He had a seat erected for him in St. Nicholas's church, which belongs to the family to this day. He got power to kernell his house, the 7th of Henry IV., (see Calendar Rotulo patenti,) called the Tower, now standing, as well as the garden-gate, and the kitchens, (the old buildings adjoining the gate to the east): but the garden is covered with buildings, and a more modern road made through the garden, entering the church-yard nearly at the south-east angle of this church. So late as 1734, James Earl of Derby was mayor of Liverpool, and entertained in the Tower at the bottom of Water-street. No building was then opposite the west; it was clear to the river, (see Fragments of Lancashire, before-mentioned, folio, 168,) and so continued until about 1741, when the house (the lowest, and warehouse on the north side of Waterstreet) was built by one of the Bromfields: the warehouse has been rebuilt this last year. I count nine mayors of the family of Stanley, from 1625 to 1734, if we allow the Right Hon. Thos. Viscount Colchester to be one; for he married Charlotte, grand-daughter of James Earl of Derby, who suffered at Bolton. He was mayor in 1667, and M. P. for Liverpool, 1688: he was eldest son of Lord Rivers, of Rock Savage. There was, from the north-east corner of the church-yard, a stile and foot-path, which came from the churchhouse, towards the top of Waterstreet, crossing over the Common Garden, then common garden ground; but more latterly called, within these last fifty years, as a street, Covent Garden. There was, in the memory of an old gentleman whom I knew, a stile from the top of King-street, | prey to myriads of animalculæ ; putting down to the bottom of Church-street, every art at defiance to rescue them over the field which then occupied | from total destruction. In this state I the back ground of Pool-lane, Kingstreet, Lord-street, and to Common Shore, (now Paradise-street) which it was then before the Dock was built at the bottom of Pool-lane. Reference for various particulars may be made to the Fragments, folio, 2*. Note 53. Grants to Earl Ferrars, 54, 63, 168, 172, 225, 231, 244, &c. &c. and Appendix, lxiv. I am yours, Q. have seen many of the most splendid and rare specimens, and even in the best collections. From numerous observations, which I have from time to time been enabled to make, together with the interest I have felt, I have been induced to make every possible effort to find a remedy for the evil. After many experiments, having succeeded to the full extent of my wishes, I now desire to communicate my method to the Public, through the mediApril 29, 1819, Liverpool. um of your useful and intelligent [Several interesting facts and cir- the ingenious naturalist, that, if my Magazine: at the same time assuring cumstances, connected with these anti-method be prosecuted with care, the quities of Liverpool, will appear in our next.] Method of Preserving Birds. TO THE EDITOR OF THE IMPERIAL native elegance and symmetry of every species, will be preserved, and their plumage also, from the ravages of destructive animalculæ for ages to come. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, W. S. My method is as follows:- It will necessary to have in readiness a few ounces of good sulphuric æther, and also a few ounces of a saturated solution of arsenic, in water; a small syringe; a piece of thin wire, bent like a hook at one end; and a block of wood, about four inches square, at the bottom, and bevelled off on each side, leaving about an inch and a quarter broad at the top; on which a circular groove must be made, about an inch deep, and the same in width. This groove must be enlarged according to the size of the bird. Having every thing ready, the bird is to be placed in it on its back, underneath which, a little fine cotton wool should be spread, to prevent the plumage being injured during the operation; the rump is to be placed at the end of the groove, so as to allow the tail to be bent down to the block, and secured by a piece of paper or fine cloth, from water, blood, and other impurities; the body is to to be bound with a ribbon, sufficiently tight; then, with the hooked wire, draw the intestines out at the rectum, and, with your syringe, force the cavity of its body full of warm water, which will run out at its mouth or bill. Much care must be taken to prevent either blood or other matter from coming in contact with the plumage, as it will be almost impossible to remove the slightest stain, without material SIR, I have had several opportunities of ex-be amining many of the most splendid and valuable collections of Foreign and British Birds in London and elsewhere; but particularly that in the British Museum, some of which are beautiful beyond the power of description. But, at the same time, I am sorry to remark, that there are too many, not only in this, but in every other collection that I have seen, going rapidly to decay, either from the effects of time, or, what may be more probable, the ignorance of those who have attempted to embalm or otherwise preserve them. Nothing can give more pleasure to the studious naturalist, than to behold those inimitable gems in the feathered creation, the Humming bird, the Colibri, the Brazil lian Creeper, &c. sparkling with all the lustre and fire of the ruby, and the dazzling splendour of the emerald, the sapphire, the amethyst, and the topaz, insensibly changing, mixing, and melting into each other, in every position and accident of light, with inexpressible beauty. Such is the profusion in which the Author of Nature has been pleased to decorate those little brilliants of his creation. But with what regret have I too often beheld them exposed to view, dried and shrivelled up; their native elegance and symmetry entirely lost, and their plumage a injury. The block may now be set up on its end, with the head of the bird hanging down, suffering it to remain till the water has entirely run off, and it is almost free from moisture. The bill must now be stuck into a piece of soft wax, so as to render it watertight. The saturated solution of arsenic is then to be thrown into the cavity, and it should remain for at least two hours; during which time, the whole muscular fibre will be impregnated with the arsenic: the wax may then be removed from the bill, and the arsenious solution allowed to drain off. When dry, the body must be stuffed with fine cotton wool, and removed from the block; its bill must now be secured, by wrapping it close with a fine silk thread, till it is perfectly tight; taking much care at the same time not to injure its texture or form. Æther must now be dropped in at the rectum, till the cotton is saturated; the rectum may then be closed and secured by a small piece of court plaster.-(Wax might be used as before, were not a degree of heat required, at the end of the process, that would melt it.)—The bird must now be put into the most elegant and natural position, and placed in a warm stove, or any other situation which does not exceed 150 degrees. By this means, the æther will rapidly transude through every pore, and carry with it its native moisture, which is the true cause of putrefaction; and at the same time minutely distribute and leave the arsenious acid in the crystallized state, not only in the muscular compound, but in the cutis and epidermis also, which will effectually prevent those devastations occasioned by various animalculæ. When the bird is sufficiently dried, take it from the stove, and remove the thread from the bill, and varnish it slightly, and the legs and claws also. Nothing remains now to be done, but to place the artificial eyes in their sockets. N. B. Artificial eyes, for birds and quadrupeds, may be had from several people in Birmingham, who make a trade of manufacturing them, and other glass toys. A tolerable shift may be made by the blow-pipe. Provide long slips of glass, about one-tenth of an inch broad; hold them between the hands in the flame of an alcohol lamp, urged SIR,-On a grave-stone, in the parish John Okey the servant of God was borne Come Lord Jesus O come quickly |