129 The planet earth, so steadfast though she seem, Insensibly three different motions move? The earth, like other planets, has a spherical form. Its diameter is seven thousand nine hundred and sixty miles, and its circumference twenty-five thousand. It revolves on its axis in rather less than twenty-four hours; and moves round the sun in three hundred and sixty-five days and a quarter, at the distance of ninety-five millions of miles. It moves in its orbit at the rate of sixty-eight thousand miles an hour. By its diurnal motion, the inhabitants at the equator are carried one thousand and forty-two miles every hour; while those who live under the parallel of London are carried at the rate of only six hundred and forty-four miles in the same time. exact time which the earth takes in making one revolution round the sun, is three hundred and sixty-five days, five hours, and forty-eight minutes; which period of time is called a tropical year. The civil year contains three hundred and sixty-five days, for three years together; but every fourth year contains three hundred and sixty-six days, and is called the leap year. 167 Solicit not thy thoughts with matters hid, Leave them to God above, The Secret thoughts belong unto Jehovah our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto Deut. xxix. 29. us. To interrupt the sweet of life, Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me. John xiv. 1. Let not Y your heart, therefore, be troubled: though I am going to leave you in a world, where you will seem likely to become a helpless prey, to the rage and power of your enemies: believe in God, the Almighty Guardian of his faithful servants, who has made such glorious promises, to prosper and succeed the cause in which you are engaged; and believe also in me as the promised Messiah, who, whether present or absent in the body, shall always be mindful of your concerns, as well as ever able to help you. Hail, heavenly peace of mind! Thy dwelling place serene No mortal e'er can find, In all this earthly scene; I sought, in vain, the gift divine, Till faith in Jesus made thee mine. Rev. T. RAFfles. 212 Than fruits of palm-tree pleasantest to thirst And hunger both, Palma, the palm-tree. Boerhaave's characters of this tree are, that its fruit, under an edible pulp, hath a hard strong nucleus, like the stone of a plum. But to this may be added, that the palm-tree rises up with one single and individual trunk. The species are numerous: Boerhaave mentions nine, Dale adds six, and Ray increases the number to twenty more. Some of the most noted are, the Palma Ady; a palm-tree in the island of St. Thomas, which affords plenty of juice, that ferments into wine. The entire fruit is called, by the Portuguese, caryoces and cariosse: the natives call it abanga. The fruit ex ternally, is like a lemon, and contains a stone, the kernel of which, if heated in hot water, gives out an oil of a saffron colour; it concretes in the cold, and is used as butter: of these kernels, the inhabitants give three or four, as a restorative, two or three times a day. The Palma Coccifera, also called the Coco, or Cocker Nut tree: from this tree the Indians extract a liquor called suri, and distil the liquor called arrac from it; also a species of sugar called jagra. The milk in the shell of the nut is grateful and cooling. The exterior covering of the nuts are at first edible, and are gratefully acid, and gently restringent. By boiling, an oil, like that from almonds, is obtained from the kernel of the nut. The Palma Japonica, also called sagon; the pith of the tree, being well beat in a mortar with water, forms an emulsion, the fæcula of which, when dried, is sago, which is very nourishing, and is used by the Indians when rice is scarce: when boiled in water, it is resolved into an insipid, almost transparent, jelly. It is readily soluble, and properly given, in this country, as an aliment to weakly persons. Palma Nobilis, the cabbage tree; the cabbages of which are called chou de palmiste. It is a tall strait tree, between two hundred and fifty and three hundred feet high. On the top is a white tender savoury, medullary substance, which, if eaten raw, is to the taste like a walnut; but boiled, and pickled with the white leaves which surround it, it is one of the greatest delicacies in the Leeward Islands. This fruit is called the cabbage of the palm-tree. On the the top of the trunk grows the involucrum of the flower and fruits called spatha: the fruits are round, and the size of an egg. The Dactylus Palmula, the great palm-tree, or date-tree, is cultivated in the southern parts of Europe; its fruit is oblong, larger than an acorn, and includes a stone. The best dates come from Tunis: they are eaten as food in Africa. Abundantly his gifts hath also pour'd Thou hast given me the shield of thy salvation; and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. Psalms, xviii. 35. Sweet mercy drops, As gentle dew from heaven, on earth beneath: Adorns the monarch far beyond his crown; When mercy seasons justice. So sang SHAKSpeare. 224 Nor less think we in heaven of thee on earlh Than of our fellow servant, For I am thy fellow servant: I am subject to the same Lord, and share in the duty and service of thy brethren the prophets: worship God alone, and divide not thy religious homage between him and any creature, how exalted and excellent soever. Ye servants of th' Almighty Lord, 253 His sacred name for ever bless. He reigns where'er the sun displays He bows his glorious head to view As new awak'd from soundest sleep, And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. At last, to shew my Maker's name, There the young seeds of thought began, Great God, our infant nature pays Immortal tribute to thy praise! WATTS. for none I know Second to me or like, equal much less. That thou mayest know, there is none like unto Jehovah. Exod. viii. 10. 1, ere thou spak'st, Knew it not good for man to be alone, Even this spot was not completely happy, 406 444 |
