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the very beef stars by would not retu eurounded.

The celebrated lord Herbert relates an incident which occurred to him. 'I was passing over a bridge not far from Colebrook, which had no barrier on one side, and a hole in the middle of the bridge! My horse being timorous, started so much at the hole, that upon a sudden he had put half his body lengthwise over the side of the bridge, and was ready to fall into the river with his fore feet and hinder foot on the right side, when I, foreseeing the danger I was in if I fell down, clapped my left foot, together with the stirrup and spur, flat-length the left side, and so made him leap upon all-fours into the river, where, after some three or four plunges, he brought me to land.'

I have now pretty well exhausted my stories about the hunter, but I must not forget the one about the Irish groom.

Two grooms, drinking at a tavern door, one of them, who was mounted upon his master's hunter, boasted of his superior power of leaping, when the other betted that the horse could not clear a neighboring wall. The height, viewed from the horse's back, was tremendous; nevertheless, full to the brim with Irish mettle and whisky, Patrick offered the leap to his horse standing. After a little hesitation, the horse reluctantly refused the leap; on which the irritated rider, turning about and cantering to a considerable distance, turned him again, and with his riding switch cutting him about the ears, ran him at the wall. The generous horse

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overtopping such an altitude, his forefeet struck against the summit; yet the violence of his exertions carrying him over, he came to the ground on his head and fore-quarters, and broke both his fore-legs in the fall; yet the fellow escaped with only a few contusions. Owing to the absence of his owner the poor animal was kept several days in torture before he was shot.

I will finish off this month's stories of horses with an account given by Francis Hopkinson of Philadelphia, and just published, of a horse with a snake in his eye.

'A report prevailed last summer that a horse was to be seen which had a living serpent in one of his eyes. The horse was kept in Arch street. I examined the eye with all the attention in my power, being no ways disposed to credit the common report, but rather expecting to detect a fraud or vulgar prejudice. I was much surprised however to see a real living worm within the ball of the horse's eye. The worm was of a clear white color, in size and appearance much like a piece of fine bobbin; it seemed to p and a half to three inches in however could not be dulve its whole length never ap time, but only such portion seen through the iris, wh dilated. The creature v lively vermicular motion tiring so deep into the eye: totally invisible, and at

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proaching so near to the iris as to become watch favorable moments for a distinct view of his tormentor. I believe the horse was quite blind in that eye, for it appeared as if all the humors were confounded together, and that the worm had the whole orb to range in, which however was not of a diameter sufficient for the worm to extend its whole length, as far as I could discover. That there was a living, self-moving worm within the ball of the horse's eye, free from all deception or mistake, I am most confident. How it got there I leave others to determine.'

distinctly seen; at least so much as was within the field of the iris. I could not distinguish its head, neither end being perfectly exhibited whilst I viewed it, and indeed its motion was so brisk and constant that so nice a scrutiny was not to be expected. The horse's eye was exceedingly inflamed, swollen, and running; I mean the muscles contiguous to the eyeball, and seemed to give him great pain, so that it was with great difficulty the eye could be kept open for more than a few seconds at a time; and I was obliged to

PAVILION UNDER WATER.

THE king of Siam has in one of his country palaces a most singular pavilion. The tables, the chairs, the closets, &c. are all composed of crystal. The walls, the ceiling, and the floors, are formed of pieces of plate glass, of about an inch thick, and six feet square, so nicely united by a cement, which is as transparent as glass itself, that the most subtile fluid cannot penetrate. There is but one door, which shuts so closely, that it is as impenetrable to the water as the rest of this singular building. A Chinese engineer constructed it thus as a certain remedy against the insupportable heat of the cli

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it is emptied as quickly. When you enter the pavilion the door is immediately closed, and cemented with mastic, to hinder the water from entering; it is then that they open the sluices; and this great basin is soon filled with water, which is even suffered to overflow the land; so that the pavillion is entirely under water, except the top of the dome, which is left untouched for the benefit of respiration. Nothing is more charming than the agreeable coolness of this delicious place, while the extreme heat of the sun boils the surface of the freshest fountains.

ORIGIN OF TAVERNS.

Previous to the reign of Henry viii. inns and taverns were almost unknown. Travellers were entertained at religious houses for three days together,if occasion required. At the reformation, the convents being confiscated, taverns began to be common in England.

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OUR UR readers have learned from the newspapers that a ship called the Sultanee, belonging to the sultan of Muscat, lately sailed from Newyork on her return to her own country. She brought out several costly presents to the president of the United States, but as by the laws he is not allowed to receive presents from foreign powers, they were ordered by Congress to be disposed of otherwise. The ship was taken to the navy-yard at Brooklyn and put into complete repair, at the expense of government, and many handsome presents were sent out by her to the sultan, among them a most beautiful 12-oared barge, her fittings-out being of the richest description. During

the Sultanee's stay in Newyork, her captain and officers were treated with attention, and frequently to be seen in their native costume, a long robe and turban, walking the streets and visiting the shops, and no doubt were sometimes annoyed by the crowd of idlers who would collect to gaze at them.

The following account of a visit to the city of Muscat is taken from an interesting book just issued by the publishers of Parley's Magazine, called AROUND THE WORLD'; which is a narrative of the voyage made by two United States ships of war, the Columbia and John Adams, and which have lately returned to Boston after a three years cruise. The Narrative

was written by Mr. J. H. BELCHER, an officer on board the Columbia, and will be found a very interesting book by readers either old and young.

'The city of Muscat seems to occupy a sandy plain, extending back about half a mile to the base of a central granite mountain, which, with the high lateral rocks, completes the ovenlike inclosure of Muscat and its harbor. All however that the observer from the shipping sees is only three large buildings on one side, having stuccoed walls with few windows, the middle house distinguished by a green verandah, projecting oddly from the face of the wall over the water, and an airy cupola on the flat roof. These, we were told, which much resembled a range of cotton factories in a country village, were the palaces and harem of the sultan; and the odd verandah was the grand divan for the reception of state officers and distinguished guests. Next to these dull walls, a little retired, behind piles of coffee and date bags, and a crowd of scales, weighers, porters and lounging officers, stood a many-arched basement, with a story above, called the custom-house. Thence to the base of the eastern ledge of granite, whereon towers a large fort, nothing but the dingy back of a shabby range of sheds margined the beach.

In the cove a short creek sets in, that has been used as a sort of dock, and a stone foot pier runs out. At this place we landed, and close by the head of the pier found the residence of Captain Cal

faun. This noble-hearted and accomplished Arabian, educated at the English naval college at Calcutta, was the chief counsellor of the Sultan until he removed to Zanzibar; and was the governor of Muscat. The Sultan left Muscat to the care of his younger son, who now receives by courtesy the title of Imaum, a rank corresponding to the high-priest of the Levites, and nearly equal in political and religious power to the pope of Rome.

Captain Calfaun has always evinced a special friendship for Americans, He was deservedly praised by Dr. Rushenburger for his attentions and kindness to the officers and crew of the U. S. ship Peacock, when near being lost at Mazeira. And although he had resigned his important office in the government, and all public emoluments, he assumed and proffered the hospitality of the city and his nation to us on his own account, and freely opened his house, in lack of all inns, to our officers of every grade.

'We were received, a companion and myself, with marked cordiality, and were much prepossessed by the dignity, intelligence and urbanity of our worthy host. He was seated, turkish fashion, against an ottoman, at the farther corner of a small room, upon a double mat, with his desk upon the floor before him, and the clouds from his long hookah pipe curling about his head. A persian rug adorned one side of the room for Arabian visiters, and two sofas and as many chairs supplied seats for European guests on the other. We had no loose sandals to leave

at the door with their dust, llke the Arabs; but our host rose to receive us, and presented us to his brother Abdallah bin Calfaun, the present secretary of state to the young Imaum, who was reclining on the rug also to Mr. Marshall, the recently arrived American consul; and to the pretty little son of Captain Calfaun, Seeif bin Calfaun. We were very much delighted with this little fellow. He was only four or five years old, and apparelled like his father, excepting that he lacked the long glossy beard, and wore a red silk skull-cap instead of an ample grey turban. A cluster of little rings pierced the middle of each ear, and jewels were in his nose; and about his neck were suspended a charmed bag of inscriptions from the Koran, and a few medals with the like holy inscriptions on them, as talismans against evil thoughts and spirits. Still he was a child like any other, pleased with a rattle and tickled with a straw,' but more than all charmed with a little donkey no taller than himself, that his indulgent father kept for him. And this little Arab, his father told us, was already beginning to assume the lordly bearing of his sex toward his mother and her companions in the harem, under whose care he is placed according to custom till seven years of age, at which time he has the right to command them all, and quits the harem for the more improving society of men. His little cousin, his betrothed wife from infancy, also made her appearance at times, but coyly and seldom. While we sat conversing with our

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friend, a dark Hindoo in a white wrapper and crimson turban had been swinging over us the grateful punkah, a large muslin fan suspended from the ceiling. When we were sufficiently cool, after a few copious draughts of sherbet, we started for a walk into the city.

'On our return we met a juggler with vipers twined in his hair like the frightful Medusa, and others in his hands. He was wagging his body in a laughable dance before a charmed snake, which obeyed him, while a youth played the tomtom.

And near the open space where Captain Calfaun's house stood, we found ourselves in the midst of the slave mart. Men and women, young and old, were there undergoing the indecent examination of merchants and triflers. But the slave in Arabia fares better and has greater privileges than in any place yet visited. Throughout Mohammedan countries it is truly said, the term gholam, or slave, is not one of opprobium, and the adoption of his master's religion always conciliates great favour. But the noblest birthright of every grade in Arabia, besides the surety of protection against injustice and oppression, is the right of addressing any superior freely. This is the Arab's peculiar pride and privilege, and it is not withheld from the slave.

'When we arrived at Captain Calfaun's the servants informed us that he was at his devotions. When he returned I could not but commend the rigid conformity of the Moslems to what they believe and profess to be their duty. Mohammedans,

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