A RIDE IN A RUSSIAN TARANTASSE.--For some minutes I held on by the side of the tarantasse, perfectly bewildered, and unable to utter a word; for our "vehiculum" having no springs, and the streets of the capital being full of inequalities, the violent movement of our conveyance was so excessive, that I expected every instant my neck would be dislocated. While the mattress and cushions kept their places, matters, though bad, were still supportable; but as we progressed, our pace appeared to quicken, so that the violent jerking soon displaced not only these but ourselves, and every object, big and little, around. Fortunate it was that the leather had been so securely fixed; otherwise, to a certainty, we should have been jerked out, "bag and baggage," into the streets. As it was, stout carpet-bags and burly portmanteaus struggled for place, and a violent contest ensued as to whether they or we should be uppermost; while parcels of biscuits and other edibles started from their hiding-places, and flying about in all directions, covered us with crumbs; and to give a finishing coup d'éclat to the whole, down came rattling upon our devoted heads the contents of a netting, which, slung from one side of the tarentasse to the other, had been filled with books, baskets, and innumerable sundries. It was high time for action; so, stopping the further gambols of a restive carpet-bag with one foot, and of an aspiring portmanteau with the other (which active measure kept several others in subjection), propping up several articles with one hand, and holding as many as possible together with the other-still we proceeded-thump, bump; now a twist on one side, and then one on the other; and again-thump, bump-bump, thump.-" Six Years in Russia," by an English Lady.

JOHN THOMSON AND HIS HAT.-In the year 1776, when the American Congress appointed a committee to draw up the celebrated declaration of independence, and Jefferson, as their chairman, had drafted the document, his colleagues struck out about one-third of his draft, and very materially altered the remainder. Jefferson was greatly disgusted, when Franklin, to soothe the irritated vanity of the outraged author, told him the following anecdote. When he was a young man, he said, a friend of his, who was about to set up in business for himself as a latter, consulted his acquaintances on the important subject of his sign. The one he had proposed to himself was this: "John Thomson, hatter, makes and sells hats for ready money," with the sign of a hat. The first friend whose advice he asked suggested that the word "hatter" was entirely superfluous; to which he readily agreeing, it was struck out. The next remarked, that it was unnecessary to mention that he required "ready money" for his hats-few persons wishing credit for an article of no more cost than a hat, or if they did, he would sometimes find it advisable to give it. These words were accordingly struck out, and the sign then stood, that "John Thomson makes and sells hats." A third friend who was consulted said, that when a man looked to buy a hat, he did not care who made it; on which two more words were struck out. On showing to another the sign thus abridged to "John Thomson sells hats," he exclaimed, "Why, who will expect you to give them away?" On which cogent criticism two more words were expunged, and nothing of the original sign was left but "John Thomson," with the sign of the hat.

A VISIT TO THE GREAT GEYSIR IN ICELAND.-" Strokr (or 'the churn') you must know is an unfortunate Geysir, with so little command over his temper and his stomach that you can get a rise of him whenever you like. All that is necessary is to collect a quantity of sods, and throw them down his funnel. As he has no basin to protect him from these liberties, you can approach to the very edge of the pipe, about five feet in diameter, and look down at the boiling water, which is perpetually seething at the bottom. In a few minutes the dose of turf you have just administered begins to disagree with

him; he works himself up into an awful passion; tor mented by the qualms of incipient sickness, he groans and hisses, and boils up, and spits at you with malicious vehemence, until at last, with a roar of mingled pain and rage, he throws up into the air a column of water 40 feet high, which carries with it all the sods that have been chucked in, and scatters them scalded and half-digested at your feet. So irritated has the poor thing's stomach become by the discipline it has undergone, that even long after all foreign matter has been thrown off, it goes on retching and sputtering until at last nature is exhausted, when, sobbing and sighing to itself, it sinks back into the bottom of its den."-Lord Dufferin's "Voyage to Iceland." "SESAME" A FOOD FOR BEES.-A letter from our Parisian correspondent has led us to the true explanation of the alleged new food for bees. In the Indian bazaarɛ the seed of the sesamum orientale is sold commonly as til; and in an essay on the "Agriculture of Hindostan," published by one of our editors some years ago, is the following passage :-"This grain, rendered so familiar by the tale of The Forty Thieves,' is cultivated throughout India. The plant is not unlike hemp, but the stalk is clearer and semi-transparent. The flower, also, is so gaudy that a field in bloom looks like a bed of some florist's flower, and its aromatic fragrance strengthens the delusion. It is cultivated for its oil (the gingeli), which is that chiefly employed by the natives in their culinary preparations. The oil is fitted for the purpose by its aromatic savour. The flour is used, after the oil is expressed, in making cakes." It is suited for this purpose by its sweetness, and was used, also, in the same way in very distant times. Parkinson, writing in 1640, says, "The seed was in ancient times much used in bread for to relish and make it sweeter."-Cottage Gardener.

TRIESTE. This city, which, at the close of the last war, had a population of about 10,000 inhabitants, now contains nearly 150,000. It owes its extraordinary rise and commercial prosperity to its being created a free port in the fullest sense of the term. The city is greatly indebted for many of its privileges to the Baron Von Bruck, the originator of the Austrian Lloyd's and now Minister for Commercial Affairs at Vienna.

METALLURGICAL DISCOVERY.-Tungsten is a metal which has hitherto been little studied in a practical point of view. It appears, however, destined to operate a complete revolution in the manufacture of steel. It has been lately discovered that an alloy formed of 80 per cent. of steel and 20 per cent. of tungsten possesses a degree of hardness which has never been obtained in the manufacture of steel. This alloy works on the latter with incredible facility, and can even cut it. Experiments have been made with this new composition at Vienna, at Dresden, and at Neustadt, Eurtswalde; and considerable quantities of the alloy in question are, it is affirmed, being manufactured in that part of the world. Many old tin mines have been bought up with a view of extracting tungsten ore, and considerable prices have been paid for some that have not been worked for a long time.

REASONING OF A NEWFOUNDLAND DOG.-Extraordinary as the following anecdote may appear to some persons, it is strictly true, and shows the sense, and I am strongly inclined to add reason, of the Newfoundland dog :-A friend of mine, while shooting wild fowl with his brother, was attended by a sagacious dog of this breed. In getting near some reeds by the side of a river, they threw down their hats and crept to the edge of the water, where they fired at some birds. They soon after wards sent the dog to bring their hats, one of which was smaller than the other. After several attempts to bring them both together in his mouth, the dog at last placed the smaller hat in the larger one, pressed it down with his foot, and thus was able to bring them both at the same time.-Jesse's "Anecdotes of Dogs,"

we possible can, but it won't be like the Hall, sir, you know; but still, if you'd a mind not to go home"

"No, Sutton, I won't go home to-night; the family are not down yet, and I should expect to meet a ghost behind every picture in the gallery, as I went to my room; and if you'll put me up

here

"That I will with pleasure, sir, as in dooty bound."

"Thank you, Sutton; good night then;" and I shook the old man heartily by the hand.

“Good night, Mr. Harry; the same kind, frank young gentleman as ever!" he muttered, as he left the room.

'Young gentleman!" I smiled, and looked at the reflection of my sallow sunburnt checks and grisly hair; they had not received such a compliment for many a day. Poor old Sutton! a warmerhearted, honester, more attached servant never existed; he was one of a race now nearly extinct. I put a fresh log on the fire, lit a fresh cigar, and eagerly turned to my roll of papers. They were headed, "The Confession of Thomas Bird," and were written in a bold, round, clear hand, and, considering the position of life of the man, in remarkably good language. He had been a schoolmaster once, I afterwards discovered.

THE CONFESSION OF THOMAS BIRD.

"It's no matter how Dick and I persuaded James West to take to poaching. It is enough to say that we did so, and hard work we had to get the better of his scruples, for James was an honest lad, I will say that for him; and it's my belief, that if the battoo system had not been brought into this parish, James West would never have become a poacher. But a poacher he did become, though never a very hearty one; he was always half ashamed of what he was doing, it seemed to me. He had been out about half-a-dozen times with Dick and me, but only in the outlying coverts; we had never been able to get him into any of the home preserves, until one day, the fifteenth of December-a day, never, never to be forgotten by me, or any that were with me. The gentlemen had been shooting Purrwood, 'beaters' of course, and James West was one of them. After it was over, I joined West, as he was going home, for Dick and I had determined to have a shy at Purrwood that very night, to see if we could pick up some of the wounded game, which was sure to be lying about in the wood, and we wanted to persuade James West to come with us, if we could manage it, for he knew the wood better than we did, by a good deal; and besides, having been beating them all day, was sure to know whereabouts the wounded

birds were likeliest to be.

As soon as I came up to him, I saw that something was the matter; he looked red and angry, and answered my question, as to what sport they had had, with an oath, and 'he didn't know, nor didn't care.' I soon found out the cause of his anger. It seems that he had knocked a rabbit on the head, whilst he was beating, and had put it in his pocket, instead of carrying it in his hand, ‘to be out of his way,' as he said, and not with any

intention of stealing it, and I am quite sure he spoke the truth. But it seems Dodd, the underkeeper, who saw the legs of the rabbit sticking out of his pocket, didn't believe him, but taxed James with meaning to steal it, and threatened to tell the Squire: upon which West's blood got up, and high words passed between them. The Squire hearing the dispute, inquired the cause, and he told West that he hoped what he said was true, but that he must say it was a very suspicious circumstance, putting the rabbit in his pocket. Why didn't he carry it in his hand, as was usual? I made him no answer,' said James to me, 'but I might have said, 'Do you think I should have been such a fool as to leave the rabbit's legs dangling out of my pocket, if I had been going to steal it?' I didn't want his rabbit. I can get a dozen of 'em any night I choose, or hares either, or pheasants, if I have a mind to it.'

"I have no doubt in my own mind that West spoke the truth about the rabbit; I am certain be had not the least idea of stealing it: as he said, i wasn't worth his while. No, the Squire was wrong there, and I am very sorry for it now, though at the time I was very glad. We poor people have feelings as well as our betters; perhaps it would b as well if our superiors paid more attention to thera than they do. In the present state of West's mind, I found little difficulty in persuading him to join Dick and me that night in beating up Pur wood for the wounded game. We knew that the keepers would be out at daybreak on the same er rand, and so we thought we would just take their work off their hands for this time.

"At one o'clock we agreed to meet in an old chalkpit just outside the wood; and, true to his appoint ment, James West made his appearance. There was a good moon overhead, but the sky was very cloudy, and a high wind blowing, so that the light of the moon was often obscured. After a short consultation in the chalk-pit as to our plan of opera tions, we entered the wood, West leading the way up a broad green path that cut the wood in two He took upon himself the task of bringing us to that part of the wood where most of the wounded birds were. Presently a white rabbit ran across the path; West aimed at it, but didn't fire; we each had a gun.

"There's a chap we can see to shoot, if we can't see nothing else,' he said; we'll have a white rabbit for supper, let come what will on it.'

Well, we

"Poor fellow! little did he think what sort of a white rabbit he was destined to shoot. had been in the wood about an hour and a half, and had picked up a good lot of wounded game of all sorts, besides knocking over a few hares and rabbits with our sticks, and smoking a brace or two of pheasants off their perch. We had not fired off a gun yet, indeed we never did if we could help it: we took them more to defend ourselves from the keepers than for anything else. We were all three inte standing under a big beech packing our game sacks, one for each, when I thought I heard the crackling of a branch.

"Whist!' I said; and we all three dropped work instantly, and listened. The snapping of the dead

branches and the rustling of leaves was now plainly heard, and almost immediately a large black dog made its appearance amongst us. We knew him in a moment: he was the under-keeper's dog; the scent of our dead game had no doubt brought him. It was plain enough that the keepers were out, and we were in a pretty fix. We tried to coax the dog to come to us, meaning to destroy him if we could catch hold of him, but he was too knowing for that, and only answered our coaxing with a low growl. Presently a whistle was heard some way up the wood; the dog pricked his ears, and upon its being repeated, he ran swiftly off. This was a great relief to us, and, snatching up our sacks, we made for the opposite side of the wood to where the whistle seemed to come from, with every chance of effecting our escape; but the Almighty had willed it otherwise. We had nearly reached the edge of the wood, and had come to a halt, in order that one of us should go forward to see that the coast was clear, before we ventured into the open ground, when again the snapping of dried wood and the rustling of dead leaves was heard.

"There's that dog of Dodd's again,' said West; 'I'll shoot him if I can get a chance; see if I don't.' "Nonsense, let the dog alone,' said I; 'you'll be getting us all taken, if you play the fool in that way.'

"At that moment the moon shone out bright, just upon the spot where the noise came from, and glanced upon something white.

"It ain't no dog; it's a white rabbit,' cried West; we haven't got one white rabbit this evening; but I'll have this one, let who will say nay; so here goes.'

And though both Dick and I jumped forward to stop him, we were too late. Bang went the gun, and then we heard a noise in the bushes, and a gurgling, suffocating cry.

"Why, it's a hare you've shot, not a rabbit,' said Dick; don't you hear it cry like a child, as them hares always do? Come, look sharp and get it, Jim, and let's be off; we shall have them keepers upon us in no time: a great fool you was to fire.'

"Jim West dashed into the bushes, and I caught a glimpse of a figure rushing towards the same spot from the field, for we were just at the edge of the wood. In another instant, shriek upon shriek filled the air. I ran to the spot from whence the sound proceeded, burst through the bushes, and there I beheld a sight enough to freeze my blood. It was dreadful! I reeled back and leant against a tree, for I thought I should have fallen. Jim West was standing opposite, his face convulsed with horror, his eyes fixed and his mouth open, but he neither moved nor spoke. On the ground lay his child, in the agonies of death; and leaning over the child, screaming and frantic with grief, was its

MOTHER.

"I won't attempt to describe that scene; I could not if I would, for I was too terrified and bewildered to know or to mark what passed. All I know is, that the keepers surrounded us; they met with no resistance, and we were all taken; but I thought nothing of the poaching that night, nor for many another; the figure of that poor little

child, and the horror-struck faces of its father and mother, long haunted me, ay, and they do so still. “This is a faithful and true account of that night's work. May Heaven forgive me my share in it."

"I hope so too," I involuntarily added, as I rose from my seat to throw a fresh log on the fire, and to light another cigar. "Poor fellow! poor West! no wonder he is what he is-dreadful, dreadful indeed! but how did Mrs. West and the child come there at all, I wonder ?" I looked again at the manuscript; a small "T. o." was written at the bottom of the page. I turned over, and on the back of the sheet I found these few lines in a woman's hand :

66

:

'Mrs. West having been informed that her husband was out poaching in Purrwood, and that the keepers were on the look-out there also, determined to try and save him from being taken. Not liking to go quite alone, she took her daughter with her. It is supposed that she left the child for a few moments, whilst she went further on to try and find West. The rest is known."

I need only add that poor Mrs. West never held up her head after that fearful night; she pined away slowly but surely, and died some years after of a broken heart, which was called "consumption" by the doctors. James West is still alive-alive in the body, but dead in the mind; his reason has left him.

Ir is to the reign of her enlightened king, Philip Augustus, (1180-1223,) that France traces the first public fountains which are on record. He led the aqueduct of St. Gervais into the interior of Paris, which first fed the ancient fountains of Saint Lazare and that of the "Filles-Dieu," and afterwards those of the "Innocents" and of the "Halles." Rouen in the middle ages owned as many as thirty fountains. As far back as the latter part of the sixteenth century, the celebrated Bernard Palissy, the great improver of the manufacture of china, discovered the means of forming an artificial fountain in almost any locality. He declares that it is only needful to select a soil which freely permits the infiltration of rain-water, the chosen spot having a gentle declination at one extremity. He then cuts a series of transverse trenches, and at a certain depth beneath the surface he carefully lays a firm bed of glazed tiles, which arrests the course of the water, and conducts it into a basin. Thus a pure jet of filtered water is secured, sufficient for the supply of a village. He recommends that a little grove of fruit-trees should be planted around the spot, in order that their branches might arrest