discovered in a mineral, called the magnet, or loadstone, which removed the difficulty. This was its polarity, or quality of always pointing to the poles of the earth, that is, due north and south. This it can communicate to any piece of iron, so that a needle, well rubbed, in a particular manner, by a loadstone, and then balanced upon its centre, so as to turn round freely, will always point to the north. With an instrument, called a mariner's compass, made of one of these needles, and a card, marked with all the points, north, south, east, and west, and the divisions between these, a ship may be steered to any part of the globe. C. It is a very easy matter, then.

F. Not quite so easy, neither. In a long voyage, cross or contrary winds blow a ship out of her direct course, so that, without nice calculations, both of the straight track she has gone, and all the deviations from it, the sailors would not know where they were, nor to what point to steer. It is also frequently necessary, to take observations, as they call it; that is, to observe, with an instrument, where the sun's place in the sky is, at noon, by which they can determine the latitude, they are in. Other observations are necessary, to determine their longitude. What these mean, I can show you upon the globe. It is enough now to say, that, by means of both, together, they can tell the exact spot they are on, at any time; and then, by consulting their map, and setting their compass, they can steer right to the place they want. But all this requires a very

exact knowledge of astronomy, the use of the globes, mathematics, and arithmetic, which you may suppose is not to be acquired, without much study. A great number of curious instruments have been invented, to assist in these operations; so that there is scarcely any matter, in which so much art and science have been employed, as in navigation; and none, but a very learned and civilized nation, can excel in it.

C. But how is Tom Hardy to do? for I am pretty sure, he does not understand any of these things.

F. He must learn them, if he means to come to any thing in his profession. He may, indeed, head a pressgang, or command a boat's crew, without them; but he will never be qualified to take charge of a man-of-war, or even a merchant ship.

C. However, he need not learn Latin and Greek.

F. I cannot say, indeed, that a sailor has occasion for those languages; but a knowledge of Latin makes it much easier to acquire all modern languages; and I hope you do not think them unnecessary to him.

C. I did not know they were of much impor

tance.

you

F. No! Do think that one, who may probably visit more countries in Europe, and their foreign settlements, should be able to converse in no other language than his own? If the knowledge of languages is not useful to him, I know not

to whom it is. He can hardly do at all, without knowing some; and the more he understands, the better will it be for him.

C. Poor Tom! then I fear he has not made so good a choice, as he thinks he has.

F. I fear such is the case.

Here ended the conversation. They, soon afterwards, reached home, and Charles did not forget, to desire his father to show him, on the globe, what longitude and latitude meant.

THE TRANSMIGRATIONS* OF INDUR.

Ar the time when those fabulous beings, called

*Transmigration. The passing of the soul of a person, after death, into the body of some animal. Many of the ancients fully believed in this notion, and it is still credited by the idolatrous nations of India and China, who forbear eating any thing that has life; will not burn wood, for fear some small insect should be in it, and thus be unintentionally destroyed; and will redeem from strangers, any animals that they are about to kill. Many of them will, indeed, refuse to defend themselves against the attacks of wild beasts. The opinion of the believers in this doctrine is, that the description of animal into which the soul passes, depends upon the kind of life which the individual led. If it had been a wicked and cruel one, the soul was supposed to enter, or, more properly, to be imprisoned in, a miserable, grovelling beast, from which, after suitable punishment, for wrong conduct, it was released, and permitted to enter the body of another human being. If a virtuous life had been led, the soul entered some harinless, happy brute. No Christian nation countenances this strange doctrine.

*

fairies and genii, were imagined to possess great powers, there lived, in the country of the Brachmans, a man named Indur, who was distinguished, not only for that gentleness of disposition and humanity towards all living creatures, which are so much cultivated among those people, but for an insatiable curiosity respecting the nature and way of life of all animals. In pursuit of knowledge of this kind, he would frequently spend the night among lonely rocks, or in the midst of thick forests; and there, under shelter of a hanging cliff, or mounted upon a high tree, he would watch the motions and actions of all the animals that seek their prey in the night; and remaining in the same spot, till the break of day, he would observe this tribe of creatures retiring to their dens, and all others coming forth, to enjoy the beams of the rising sun. On these occasions, if he saw any opportunity of exercising his benevolence towards animals in distress, he never failed to make use of it; and many times rescued the small birds from the pitiless hawk, and the lamb or kid from the gripe of the wolf. One day, as he was sitting on a tree, in the forest, a little frolicsome monkey, in taking a leap from one bough to another, chanced to miss his hold, and fell, from a great height, to the ground. As he lay there, unable to move, Indur espied a large, venomous serpent advancing, to make the poor, defenceless creature his prey. He immediately de

* Brachman, a philosopher, or priest of India, sometimes written Bramin, or Brahmin.

scended from his post, and, taking the little monkey in his arms, ran with it to the tree, and gently placed it upon a bough. In the mean time, the enraged serpent, pursuing him, overtook him, before he could mount the tree, and bit him in the leg. Presently, the limb began to swell, and the effects of the venom became visible over Indur's whole frame. He grew faint, sick, and pale; and, sinking on the ground, was sensible that his last moments were fast approaching. As thus he lay, he was surprised to hear a human voice from the tree; and, looking up, he beheld, on the bough where he had placed the monkey, a beautiful woman, who thus addressed him: "Indur, I am truly grieved that thy kindness to me should have been the cause of thy destruction. Know, that, in the form of the poor monkey, it was the potent fairy, Perezinda, to whom thou gavest succor. Obliged to pass a certain number of days, every year, under the shape of an animal, I had chosen this form; and, though not mortal, I should have suffered extreme agonies from the bite of the serpent, hadst thou not so humanely assisted me. It is not in my power to prevent the fatal effect of the poison; but I am able to grant thee any wish thou shalt form, respecting the future state of existence, to which thou art now hastening. Speak, then, before it be too late, and let me show my gratitude." "Great Perezinda!" replied Indur," since you design so bounteously to return my service, this is the request that I make. In all my transmigra