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boys to make them laugh. This put Willie in so great a passion that he struck John Adams a blow upon the arm with his fist. Then John Adams put up his hand to tell the teacher; and when the teacher saw him he said, If you please, teacher, the fresh boy has been hitting me." Then poor Willie began to cry bitterly, as he was quite certain he would have the cane. But the teacher inquired into the matter, for he did not think that Willie would have hit John Adams if he had not given him some cause. Besides, he knew what a bad boy John Adams was. When he heard all about the affair he called Willie up, and told him it was very wrong for him to hit John Adams, though he had tried to make fun of his writing, and snatched his slate from him. He ought to have held up his hand, to tell him about it, when he would have sent out John Adams to be punished, or made him stand on the form. Poor Willie went back to his place sorrowful and downcast; and that was his first difficulty at school.

When Willie went home from school at dinner-time, he was not altogether well pleased with himself. He had formed such a great notion of what it would be to go to school, that when he had been there one morning, and found it different, he came away rather disappointed. At home he played with his little sister, and sometimes had a game of marbles or skittles with Tom Evans, a boy a year or two older than himself, who lived near him. His mother carefully kept him from playing with any bad or rough boys; and so, up to this time, his trials had been few. There were, however, bad and rough boys at school; and though the master and teachers were kind and willing to protect him, yet these boys were very likely to bring him into trouble. It was his first entry into the rough world and its trials; and though he was somewhat frightened, yet he was a brave boy at heart, and he determined to meet them with courage and cheerfulness.

In the afternoon the teacher examined him to see what he could do in arithmetic. Willie had done nothing but read at home, so he was very backward in this subject. He, however, soon saw how to add and subtract simple numbers, and that was all the scholars in his class could do. He thought much upon his first day at school, when he went to bed at night, and found that though he was disappointed in some things, yet many things were in his favour. He could read better than half the boys in his

class; and though he was backward in writing and arithmetic, he had no doubt that by doing his best he should rapidly improve. The master of the school was kind to him, and so was the teacher of his class; and so he determined to view matters in a cheerful light, and not be disheartened at the first cloud that appeared in his so-far sunshiny life.

Park a Prisoner Among the Moors.

URING the travels of the celebrated Mungo Park into the interior of Africa, he was made a prisoner and conveyed to the Moorish camp, on the borders of the Great Desert, and the residence of Ali, the Moorish chief, or sovereign. The first night he was compelled to sleep on a mat that was spread on the

sand before the tent, where he was summoned before the envious multitude, and subjected to continued insults and ill-treatment.

The Moors, though very indolent themselves, are rigid taskmasters, and keep every person under them in full employ. To Mungo Park was assigned the respectable office of barber, but happening in his first attempt to make a slight incision in the head of the young prince, the king concluded that his son's head was in very improper hands; he was ordered to resign his razor and walk out of the tent.

When Ali quitted the camp of Benown, Mungo Park was compelled to form part of his suite. During the journey he suffered much from hunger and thirst. The barbarous Moors would not suffer his boy to fill the skin at the well, but often beat him for his presumption; everyone being astonished that the slave of a Christian should attempt to draw water from the wells which had been dug by the followers of the prophet.

"This treatment," writes the traveller, "so frightened the boy that I believe he would sooner have perished with thirst than attempted again to fill the skin; he therefore contented himself with begging water from the negro slaves that attended the camp. I followed his example, but with very indifferent success,

for though I let no opportunity slip, and was very urgent in my appeals, I was but ill supplied, and frequently passed the night in the situation of Tantalus.

"No sooner had I shut my eyes than fancy would convey me to the streams and rivers of my native land. There, as I wandered along the verdant brink, I surveyed the clear stream with transport, and hastened to swallow the delightful draught; but, alas! disappointment awakened me, and I found myself a lonely captive, perishing of thirst amid the wilds of Africa.

"One night, having solicited in vain for water at the camp, and being quite feverish, I resolved to try my fortune at the wells, which were about half a mile distant from the camp. Accordingly I set out about midnight, and being guided by the lowing of the cattle, soon arrived at the place, where I found the Moors were busy drawing water. I requested permission to drink, but was driven away with outrageous abuse. Passing, however, from one well to another, I came at last to one where there was only an old man and two boys. I made the same request to this man, and he immediately drew me a bucket of water. As I was about to lay hold of it, however, he recollected that I was a Christian, and fearing lest his bucket might be polluted by my lips, he dashed the water into the trough and told me to drink from that. Though this trough was none of the largest, and three cows were already drinking in it, I resolved to come in for my share; and, kneeling down, thrust my head between two of the cows, and drank with great pleasure, until the water was nearly exhausted, and the cows.began to contend with each other for the last mouthful."

Fortunately for Mungo Park, Ali returned to the camp at Benown, leaving him a prisoner at Javra, which enabled him to make his escape. Being destitute, however, of a single bead, or any article of value by which to purchase provisions, he suffered greatly from hunger and thirst as he proceeded through the wilderness. At one time he was providentially relieved by a fall of rain; on another occasion a poor woman gave him a little food, and he was once hospitably received by a shepherd at a Foulah village. Fortunately he was enabled to sustain all his privations, and prosecute the darling object of his soul-the exploration of the interior of Africa.

Editor's Examinations.

Answers should reach the Editor by the 10th instant. They should be written on only one side of the paper, and each answer should be signed by the writer. One or two of the best answers will be inserted, and lists given of the others in order of merit. 1. Give a short account of the Isle of Man.

2. Write a life of Lady Jane Grey.

3. Why is it necessary that we should breathe fresh air?

Answers to Questions in the January Number?

The Editor has received a number of essays, a list of which is appended below in order of merit. The boys of the Staveley Works school deserve great credit for their essays, which are very well written. The scholars of Sir C. Trevelyan's school at Seaton have also done well. Some papers are marred by defective spelling: William Fenton writes a very interesting account of his native place, but several words are wrongly spelt. Walter Taylor's essay is far too long. He gives an account of the habits of the Welsh people :-" One thing I am glad to say is, that they do not swear-a very common evil in English villages. The houses of the labourers (little better than huts) are built of mud and stone, with only two rooms, one storey high. The floors are all of mud, no pavement being used. The farmers are but a degree better." This is a sad account of the state of the people where Walter Taylor lives; let us hope that the advance of education will make it better.

The Editor is glad to hear that eighty-four young scholars of Staveley Works school have become subscribers to this work. He trusts to hear that numbers of other schools will imitate this example. He will do his utmost to make the Young Scholar a magazine suited to the wants of the vast majority of schoolboys nl school-girls in the United Kingdom.

The following are the four best_Papers sent in response to the statement in the January Number.

STAVELEY.

STAVELEY is a large village, situated in the east of Derbyshire, on the river Rother. The population is about 8,000. Staveley is famous for its coal and ironworks. The ironworks are divided into two parts, known as the Old and New Works. At the New Works are six blast furnaces, where they melt ironstone and make pig-iron. At the Old Works are four cupolas where they melt pig-iron. There are two foundries where they make castings of metal, and pipes of the same stuff. Besides the foundries there are two pattern-shops and two fitting-shops. There are six pits from which they get coal and iron. A piece of coal weighing sixteen tons was got out of Speedwell pit, and sent to the London Exhibition of 1851. In the year 1871, 800,000 tons of coal were got out of the pits. Staveley has a large station, and a very fine dining-hall, where you may get a good dinner for sixpence. A large engine-shed has lately been erected at the cost of £20,000; it belongs to the Midland Company. On the Staveley Works are employed between four and five thousand men and boys; they work but nine hours a day, and are paid weekly instead of fortnightly. Charles Markham, Esq., the manager of the works, gives a tea every year to all the workmen's wives and children, which we enjoy very much.-FRANCIS MARPLES (aged 12), Stand. VI. Staveley Works School, near Chesterfield.

SEATON, DEVON.

IN the south-east of Devon, between the cliffs of Beer and Axmouth, stands the pretty village of Seaton, containing upwards of 1000 inhabitants. To the east of Seaton is the beautiful valley of the Axe. The Axe itself is but a small river: it once had a harbour at its mouth, but now it is so choked up with stones that only very small vessels can be towed in at high water.

There is no trade carried on here; but small portions of Honiton lace are made. Large quantities of fish are also caught. Coal, culm, slate, and timber are imported. A small branch of the London and South-Western Railway terminates here.

In history, Seaton is celebrated as being the landing-place of the Danes, under Anlaf, A.D. 937. The Saxons, commanded by Athelstan, awaited the attack of the Danes. The sanguinary battle of Brunenburgh, which followed, lasted from morning till nightfall, and was very disastrous to the Danes, who were compelled to retreat to their vessels, which were anchored at some distance from the shore. Sir W. C. Trevelyan's Schools, ALBERT SEARLEY.

Seaton, Devon.

MIDDLETON BY WIRKSWORTH, DERBYSHIRE.

THERE is a village in Derbyshire called Middleton by Wirksworth. It stands on an eminence, and commands a surrounding view of Matlock, Buxton, and High Peak railways, Riber Castle, and Black