AUSTRALASIAN MODE OF PROCURING
FOOD.

LIKE all savages, whose subsistence is precarious, they can go long without food, frequently fasting for several days together; but, when they have abundance, gorging enormously. They rarely think of the future, so as to provide for its necessities; yet, in one instance, they shew singular sagacity even of this kind. They get the limb of a large tree, the thickness of a man's thigh, and plant it in the water. Presently a certain kind of grub bores holes in this stake, where it thrives and multiplies so rapidly, that, in no long time, the wood becomes like a honey-comb, full of cells, containing these delicacies. The natives then take it out of the water, cleave it in pieces, and riot on its animal contents. They throw the spear with amazing precision and force, often killing wild ducks, herons, and other birds on the wing.

AN EXTRAORDINARY PICTURE.

AMONG the public buildings of Madrid well deserving the attention of strangers, is a "Cabinet of natural history;" which, notwithstanding its name, contains a great number of exquisite works of art. Among others, in one of the salas or halls, is a singular painting by Antonio de Pereda; it is called the "Desengano de la vida," which cannot be literally translated into English, but which means "the discovery that life is an imposture." A caballero, about thirty years of age, handsome and graceful, is represented asleep, and around him are seen all those things in which he has found enjoyment. Upon one table lie heaps of gold, books, globes, and implements of study; upon another are the wrecks of a feast; musical instruments are scattered here and there; magnificent mirrors and paintings adorn the walls; and on the floor lies a jewel-box, which has dropped from the hand that hangs over the couch where he reclines; and a miniature of a beautiful woman has fallen out of it. But in the air, opposite to the sleeper, is seen the vision of an angel, who holds a scroll, with certain words inscribed upon it, which the painter has left for the imagination to decipher, and which may be naturally interpreted, "Let all pass, eternity lies beyond;' " and the countenance of the sleeping figure shews not only that he sees a vision-but there is something in it so placid, so resigned, that it seems to express an acquiescence

in the advice of the angel-"Yes, it is all a cheat."

DUTCH GARDEN AT BROCK.

A bourgeois of Amsterdam has erected two columns of Carrara marble in front of a brick building on a quay, at an expense of 20,000 florins. His garden exhibits three ponds, greener than his lawn, with every possible specimen of bridge. In a wooded painted pavilion is a priest in costume, with legs crossed and spectacles on nose, reading his breviary, while a fishing rod and line, suspended in the pond at his side, wait for a gudgeon. On a bare and peaked rock, a shepherd of the Alps blows his horn, without prevailing on a cow in the act of crossing a bridge to advance one step. At the bottom of a massive grove, a villager endeavours to obtain the favours of a coy nymph, who does not appear at all moved by his addresses. A chasseur has been planted for twenty years waiting orders to shoot a wild duck, stationed a few yards from the muzzle of his gun, while a group of swans regard the enemy with the utmost sang froid. Another

amateur has varied the manner of shewing his taste; imitating nature, he has planted a number of yews, and as they grow up, they are converted into chairs, ladders, wild boars, &c. It is difficult to retain your gravity in passing through this chaos of absurdity; especially when you are informed by the pompous proprietor, that his garden is quite in the English style.

Gordon's Belgium and Holland.

THE GOLDEN AGE IN FRANCE.

A French periodical gives the following curious tariff of the value put upon injuries to the person, by the tribunal of correctional police, in the time of Louis the Tenth.

The ordonnance was granted at Vincennes, in 1314. For a blow with the hand, twelve deniers. For a blow with a stone, five sous. For taking a person by the throat with one hand, five sous-with two hands, fourteen sous. For spitting in a person's face, five sous. For a blow on the nose without blood, five sous- if there be blood, ten sous. For a kick, ten sous. For a sword-thrust without blood, ten sous and if there be blood, twenty sous. For a wound with blood above the teeth, thirty sous-below the teeth, fifty-two sous. And for each broken tooth, seven francs and four sous.

TEDDY O'DONOHU.

It was about a year after our revolution, that Sergeant Teddy O'Donohu arrived in the town of Bergen.

Now the sergeant was as brave a bandylegged little man as ever cheered a soldier on to battle. He was the son of old Michael O'Donohu, the great prize-fighter from Limerick; but after a while old Michael was gathered to his fathers, and his son Teddy reigned in his stead. The patrimony was small, and caused no litigation, consisting merely of an old pair of cast-off galligaskins, most carefully patched; a bountiful stock of impudence, and a strong natural hankering after a canteen of whiskey; which last inclination was a sort of heirloom in the family, and descending to Teddy in a direct line from both father and mother, was strong in proportion; so that by the time he had reached the age of fifteen, sorrow a boy was there in the whole country round, could judge of the merits of a small jug of whiskey, equal to Teddy O'Donohu.

Shortly after the death of his father, he had crossed over to America, and

of the people, with the determination of seeking his fortune; but after having spent several years in the search, and, during the whole war, having only arrived at a sergeant's halberd, he came to the conclusion, that the fortune which belonged to him was scarcely worth having, and sagely determined to give up the pursuit.

Setting out with this wise resolution, from that time the sergeant had never been known to trouble his head about the fortune; and if he could only contrive to assemble with three or four of his booncompanions over a canteen of whiskey, and relate the exploits performed by himself during the war, the sergeant was in his glory. He was excellent, also, in running up scores in the different barrooms in the neighbourhood; and there was not a tavern within ten miles of his residence (that is, of the place where he was most frequently seen), but could point out a score chalked up as long as your arm, while the initials, T. O'D., very conspicuously brought up the rear.

But although the sergeant was thus villanously out of credit with the landlords, yet the scores contrived to wax

larger and larger; for, to tell the truth, he had a mighty winning way with him, and many were the sly glasses handed to him with a smile while the husbands were absent, attending to their out-door concerns. And the women, heaven bless them! all thought it mighty hard that the evil of an empty stomach should be added to that of empty pockets, which it was already well known pressed heavily upon the sergeant; so that never a day passed without his having received his full complement of whiskey, and retiring to bed in what he termed "glorious case," but what another would call pretty considerably well fuddled.

But to proceed to my narrative. It was upon a stormy evening, not very long after the revolution, that the inhabitants of the only inn in the little town of Bergen had gathered around a cheerful fire, which was blazing in the huge chimneyplace; the rain poured in torrents, the landlord edged his chair nearer to the fire, while gradually his head and shoulders settled down into the cushion formed by his ponderous abdomen. The landlady was busily engaged in plying her knitting-needle. A large gray cat was lolling in the ashes at their feet, with all that air of self-satisfaction which denotes a pampered favourite, occasionally breaking the silence by a lazy good-natured pur. Still the wind roared on, as if the spirits of the storm had been let loose, and were bursting over the earth in fierce and joyous revelry; for a few moments it would hush up, and then again it howled forth like the yell of some tortured demon, and with a violence that shook the whole building to the foundation.

It was during one of these intervals that a tremendous knocking was heard at the door.

"Mynheer, dere ish somebody vot knocksh," screamed the landlady.

slow; and the landlord was not an exception to the general rule, for ere he had reached more than half way across the room, rap, rap, rap, was again heard, and the door flew open before the energetic blows of the traveller: and, dripping with rain, he burst into the room.

A leather military cap was cocked sideways upon a mop of carroty hair, and was intended to screen a face, which deep and incessant potations had covered with a continual blush; an old military undress coat was buttoned tightly over his broad brawny shoulders; and two short, thick, bandy legs were almost lost in a most capacious pair of blue kersey pantaloons, considerably the worse for wear. In fine, it was our friend, Sergeant Teddy O'Donohu, who had been thus scurvily treated, and who now stalked up to the landlord with all the fury of a mad bull.

"A word with ye, you ould blackguard. What is it ye mane, by kapein' a gintleman, and that 's meself, a drippin' and a drownin' in sich a rain like this; especially when he 's willin' to pay for all that he calls for? If you had your desarts, you'd nivir been born, you ould thief you!"

For a long time the sergeant continued furious, paying no attention either to the apologies or pacific speeches of the landlord; but after railing and abusing until completely out of breath, he at last consented to listen to reason, and in a short time peace was restored-his clothes were dried, and long ere bed-time the sergeant was perfectly at his ease. He joked with the bar-maid, who had come simpering in with a large jug of home-brewed-he chucked the landlady under the chinand he drank glass for glass with the landlord-although, now and then, the perplexing thought would come over him, "how is this all to be paid for in the mornin'?" But as it was one of his maxims never to puzzle his brains about subjects which it was not easy to elucidate, he determined to let the morning take care of itself, and continued drinking for the rest of the evening, without troubling his head about the matter. It was late in the night when they had finished the jug; and the landlord, taking up the light, led the way, while the sergeant reeled after him to his bed-room.

It was a dull dingy-looking room; on one side was nailed a shelf, upon which were standing two large dirty glass rummers, probably left there by the last tenant; in one corner was placed a broad wooden table, covered with crumbs of

bread and the pieces of a broken pipe ; and in the opposite corner was resting a dirty-looking bed, the intended restingplace of the sergeant. At its foot was a large wooden chest, probably intended as the receptacle for the clothes of the inmates; and in front of a fire-place, filled with ashes and burnt cinders, was standing a small oaken settee, which completed the furniture of the apartment.

But neither the disarray of his room, nor the slovenliness of his bed, troubled the sergeant; he threw off his clothes upon the lid of the chest, tumbled upon the bed, and the music of his nose soon bore ample testimony to the soundness of his slumbers. How long he slept he knew not; but he was at length awakened by a shrill ringing laugh which burst in upon his ear, and seemed to proceed from the opposite side of the room. The sergeant started up in the bed, and rubbed his eyes. The candle, which was standing upon the table, had burnt nearly to the socket, while a tall black cap of snuff was hanging upon the end of the wick, and throwing a dim melancholy light through the chamber. The sergeant looked around the room, but seeing nothing, was again yielding to his soporiferous feelings-when chuckle, chuckle, chuckle, again sounded in his ears.

Again he started up in his bed; and now, in front of him, upon the floor, he saw a little broad-sterned Dutch-looking figure, scarce a foot high, with an immense cocked hat perched upon the top of his head, skipping up and down the room with all the agility of a Parisian rope-dancer. At last he paused opposite the sergeant, his eyes began to twinkle and twinkle, his broad little mouth began to spread-it opened and chuckle, chuckle, chuckle, came pouring out with a vivacity that fairly caused his fat little body to quiver.

"Is it awake that I am!" exclaimed the sergeant, rubbing his eyes with one hand, and raking his head with the five prongs of the other.

Again the eyes of the little man began to twinkle, again his mouth opened, and again chuckle, chuckle, chuckle, burst forth.

Now the sergeant, who was a brave man, and feared nothing earthly or unearthly, began to wax wrath at the repeated chuckle, chuckle, chuckle, of his jolly little room-mate; to be awakened from a sound sleep was bad enough, but to be laughed at into the bargain—it was intolerable, and the sergeant was not the

"Let me tell you, ould gintleman, that I look upon this conduct of yours as mighty improper, not to say ungintlemanly."

Chuckle, chuckle, chuckle, again burst from the lips of the little man, as he threw himself at full length upon the floor, unable to support himself under the convulsive bursts of merriment which threatened to shake to pieces his oily little carcass.

"It's meself that will tache you manners, and will give you a little corriction that will be highly binificial to yourself and improvin' to your iddication," said the sergeant, as he stepped from the bed to seize upon his little friend, but he was gone.

Chuckle, chuckle, chuckle, rattled a voice from the opposite side of the room, and, turning around, the sergeant beheld his fat little acquaintance standing with his arms akimbo, nearly splitting his sides with laughter, while the tears were pouring in small rivulets down his oyster-like cheeks.

The sergeant waxed furious at being thus baffled by a man of such insignificant proportions, and commenced a hot pursuit around the room, but the little fellow was too nimble for him; at one time he was in front of him, at another he was behind him; he skipped from the floor to the bed, from the bed to the table, from the table to the shelf, and as the sergeant reeled after him he only succeeded in scraping the skin from his limbs, and bringing his nose violently in contact with the wall, all which he set down to the account of the little manto be wiped off when he should succeed in capturing him. At last he had completely cornered him, there appeared no way of escape, he was sure of him, he balanced himself steadily upon his legs, and bringing his eyes to bear upon him, he made a plunge at him with all his force; but again the little man eluded his grasp, and darted between his legs, while the head of the sergeant came in contact with the wall with all the force

"Is it laughing you are? by my soul, it's meself that will put a stop to that,' exclaimed the sergeant, seizing hold upon the arms that encompassed his neck.

But the arms were immoveable, and it was in vain that he tugged and tugged: the little man grew peevish, and at last downright angry, and commenced hammering with his heels into the sides of the sergeant until he fairly roared.

"Let loose your grip, ould gintle man," exclaimed he, "and the bating that I'll give you will be nothing to the one that I intinded for you at first."

But the little man liked not the terms, and still continued his hold upon his neck, while thump, thump, still rattled his heels against the ribs of the sergeant. The sergeant waxed furious, and the legs waxed vigorous, as they flew to their full stretch from beneath the little broadtailed coat, and were brought back into the sides of the soldier with a violence that nearly annihilated him, and completely baffled all his attempts to keep count of the score which was thus rapidly running up on his ribs.

The face of the Irishman grew black with passion, and he poured forth volleys of oaths, with a most impartial indifference both as regards quantity and quality; but they sufficed not, for his rider still maintained his position, plying his legs as briskly as ever.

Now the sergeant had a stock of patience, but it was a small one, and soon exhausted, and he determined to get rid of his tormentor at all hazards.

He writhed and he twisted, he bounced about the room, he rolled upon the floor, he dashed his back against the wall; but in vain: his little friend was too quick for him; when he rolled upon the floor, he was standing by his head, waiting for him to get up, and when he dashed himself against the wall, he was by his side, until he had got through, and nearly broken his own bones by the manœuvre; but no sooner had he finished, than he was again upon his back, plying his heels as vigorously as ever,

while chuckle, chuckle, chuckle, again grated in the ear of the discomfited Irishman.

At last the sergeant, finding that the fate of the war was against him, determined to try the effect of expostulation,

"I'd like to ax you a question, you blackguard is it gintlemanly in you to kape hammerin' and hammerin' in my ribs in sich a manner, and having no more regard to my convanience than if meself was an empty rum-puncheon? And now let me till you, that it's perfectly unplisant, and altogether improper, to say the laste of it."

Again the hearty chuckle of the little man announced his enjoyment of the prank, while his heels worked away more vigorously than ever.

Here," shouted the sergeant, as his military habits were, for a moment, revived by this call upon his name.

"I know that very well," returned the little man ; "here you are, and here you are likely to remain, unless we can agree upon the terms of the compromise."

"Is it the terms? oh, iny thing." "Well, then, as regards the beating with which you threatened me?" "Was I sich a fool as to threaten that?"

"You most certainly did."

"Och! it's mistaken that you are, but niver mind, we'll say nothing more about that; and now my little fellow jist have the goodness to get off my shoulders."

Stop, stop," quoth the little man, "not so fast; what pledge am I to have that you will keep to the terms?" "The word of a soldier and a gintle