lowed it, dropped back upon his pillow, vellers never reached, and have explored and was dead.' 6 My letter was interrupted," writes the Rev. R. Watson, "by being called to visit an old follower of Jesus Christ: I have been much profited by the interview. I have not been to instruct, but to be instructed. One of his expressions was, Days, weeks, and months have rolled round during my affliction, and I have scarcely known the night from the day, nor the day from the night, so rapidly and joyfully have the hours escaped me; I have felt nothing but joy and love; not for a moment have I been impatient or weary, or wished it otherwise with me, so marvellously has God wrought in me. This is the hand of God. This never grew in nature's soil."" May I die the death of the righteous, and may my latter end be like his ! ON THE MISSIONARY INSTITUTIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA. [From W. H. B. Webster's interesting Narrative of a Voyage to the Southern Atlantic Ocean, in his Majesty's sloop Chanticleer, during the years 1828, 1829, 1830.] THE Sons of Africa are regarded by some as the descendants of Ham, whose progeny were to be in perpetual bondage, and the "servant of servants," to the end of time. This really seems to have some analogy with the prophecy respecting the jewish nation, and presents a remarkable fulfilment of what is foretold in holy writ. Turning from the natural to the moral consideration of man, we must regard the hottentots as affiliated brethren, to whom we are bound in christian duties. And here it is with satisfaction that I record my admiration of the labours of the missionaries, men who, in a truly evangelical spirit, brave all kinds of perils and hardships, and even death itself, not through a prospect of temporal gain or glory, but through a desire to ameliorate the condition, and save the souls of barbarous and suffering nations. The dauntless enterprises, the fearful perigrinations of many of these virtuous men, if properly appreciated, would be found to vie in romantic daring with the heroic achievements of chivalry, excited by a motive of a firmer and far more exalted nature. By the exertions of the despised missionaries, new fields of discovery have been pened to the philosopher. They have penetrated into regions which other tra parts before unknown. They have presented man under circumstances the most peculiar and interesting in which he can be contemplated; they have added new facts to his natural history, and new features to his physical character; they have added fresh languages to the list of those already known; they have opened new places of refuge for our fleets, and new channels for our commerce; and they have multiplied the friends of their country. Apart from christianity, the labours of these men must be interesting to the philosopher, the politician, and the philologist; and to hold such men up to scorn is no less a violation of good taste than of proper feeling and principle. Through them the kraal of the hottentot has been supplanted by the well built village; and the missionaries at Theophilis (an inland establishment) have instructed the natives in the christian faith, and have pretty well succeeded in making a useful class of labourers and citizens. They have collected the dispersed wanderers, have procured land for them, and have taught them to cultivate it. Surely there is a conquest over the human mind that conciliates all it subdues, and improves all that it conciliates. A French ship was wrecked while we were at the Cape, on the coast of Caffraria. Five only of her crew reached the shore, and they were moreover plundered and illtreated by the savages; in fact, they were made slaves. A missionary in the interior hearing of the event, hastened immediately to their succour; he succeeded in liberating them from the natives, and took them under his protection; he gave them every assistance in his power, and passed them across the desert, from one missionaryhouse to another, in safety, till at length they reached Cape Town. And this was a journey of a thousand miles across a barren, desert country, in the midst of rude and lawless tribes; but these tribes paid more respect to the voice of the missionary, than they probably would to the sword. Here was a triumph. To succour the distressed, to relieve the afflicted, and to turn the unruly wills and affections of sinful men, to "the wisdom of the just," is the missionary's grateful task. Their houses in this colony are as beacons in the desert, and watch-towers for the shipwrecked mariner, the asylums of the distressed, and the abodes of peace. These holy men are the first to extend, and the last to withdraw the boon of charity and the right-hand of fellowship. INDUSTRY. It has been customary, from time immemorial, to regard the bee and the ant as the emblems of industry and foresight. The repugnance which mankind generally feel to spiders, on account of their venomous character, has been the reason, perhaps, why many of their peculiarities are seldom treat on Natural History. Yet we know referred to except in books that professedly not where a fitter emblem of resource and perseverance can be found. If the web is broken by design or accident, the spider EARLY RISING-EARLY REST. THE studious are noted for their disregard of "the regular hours of rest." t." The solemn stillness of night inviting to those pursuits which require a fixed attention, and a connected seri s of thought and reasoning, leads them first into the habit; which is subsequently strengthened by the circumstance of intense application of the mind uninterrupted by sufficient and appropriate exercise, producing a state of nervous irritability inimical to sleep. Hence the student fears to leave his midnight lamp for a couch, which he can only occupy in a state of restlessness. Let him, how-instantly sets about repairing the damage; ever, relinquish his nocturnal studies, and and when put into the box of an entomoseek, during the natural period, that repose ing her condition, she presently begins to logist, or insect-hunter, instead of bemoanwhich his mind and body alike demandappropriating "the hours of early morn" intersect her dark dwelling with sundry to study, and the residue of the forenoon threads, to be in readiness when they are to exercise, and we are well persuaded, real knowledge or practical skill, may rethat while his progress in the pursuit of knowledge would be in no degree retarded, of her history, but can neither befriend semble the spider in the unattractive part he will be the gainer, not merely in the enjoyment of more perfect health, but in the himself nor others, when the means which increased clearness and vigour of the intel-dence has cast him where wealth and birth others have acquired are wasted, or Provi lectual faculties. Early rising is equally important to the health of the system as early rest. On no account should any one permit himself again to slumber, after the moment of his first awaking in the morning, whether this happen at the early dawn or before the sun has risen; even though from accident or unavoidable causes he may not have enjoyed his six or eight hours of repose. It is much better to make up the deficiency, if necessary, at some other time, than to attempt taking another nap. Whoever shall accustom himself thus to rise, will enjoy more undisturbed sleep during the night, and awake far more refreshed, than those who indolently slumber all the morning. Even this second nap is, however, by no means so injurious to health as the practice of continuing in bed of a morning, long after waking; nothing tends, especially in children, and young persons generally, more effectually to unbrace the solids, exhaust the spirits, and thus to undermine the vigour, activity, and health of the system. Journal of Health. wanted. The individual who is without can no longer assist him. "Lay up for a rainy day, not money, but knowledge, for that will help thee when money cannot." What mean and wretched expedients do many invent to kill time, as if there were nothing good or manly in the pursuits of learning, religion, or charity. L. WEATHER. The term weather, which now denotes the state of the atmosphere, seems at first to have had the same meanFor the Teutonic ing as the word air. cable to a thing, than a state or condition Wetter, whence weather, is more appliearth, was called the Wetter, because it of things. The air which surrounds the was the medium of wet or moisture, just contains the vapoury exhalations from as it is called the atmosphere, because it the earth, and is the fountain of rain and dew, as well as of mists and fogs. LOVE AND FAITH. LOVE attempts much for God, looking to the command; and Faith expects much from God, looking to the promise. JOHN DAVIS, 56, Paternoster-Row, London. W. TYLER, Printer, 4, Ivy Lane, St, Paul's. THIS singular tree, of which we have given a sketch from memory, is very abundant on all the coral islands, or that uneven line of dangerous reefs, which stretch, with here and there a cluster, between the latitudes 15° and 25° in the South Pacific Ocean. The pandanus resembles the palms, in having the stem terminated by a tuft of long narrow leaves. These leaves in shape resemble a blade of grass, or the foliage of the pine-apple, but measure between three and four feet in length, and have their edges defended by sharp, crooked prickles. The stem is a continuation of scars, which are occasioned by the falling off of the outer or lower leaves of the tuft as new ones rise from the centre to supply their places. In this manner every leaf, in its turn, be VOL. III. queathes the base on which it rested to the tree that bore it; and thus every falling leaf lengthens the woody and bare part of the branch. It is apparent to the eye here, that a tree is an accumulation of those several deposits which each successive leaf has furnished. In trees, such as the oak, ash, &c., each leaf, as it expands, sends down to the root vessels along the bark, to provide for its wants; in the pandanus each leaf does, in like manner, detach vessels in quest of nutriment, but with this difference, that in it they pass down in the centre, and not in the bark. If this account should seem more curious than intelligible, to those who happen not to have investigated with any anxiety the modes of growth in trees, there is a difference springing out of this BB fact we have described, which cannot fail | (receptacle) exactly fitting each other, like to strike the most indifferent observer. All a piece of mosaic at first; but as they adwho have seen a tree sawn asunder, know vance in size, they present a number of pythat the bark and the next layer of wood ramidal points, as represented in the fol(alburnum) are soft, and that the tree har- lowing figure. At the base of each of these dens as we approach its centre. Now, in the pandanus the outer ring is hardest, and the wood grows softer as we get nearer to the middle. The same character belongs to all the palms, In the cabbage-palm, for instance, the outer rind is so hard that at first an axe makes scarcely any impression upon it; and one unacquainted with the nature of these trees would be ready to throw down his instrument, give up the hope of obtaining that delicious vegetable that grows upon its top, and say, "Well, if it be thus hard at the bark, what must it be at the core?" But in these cases want stimulates, and courage likes not to be overcome; the man, instead of despairing, redoubles his efforts, and in a few moments a gap is made in a hard rind, the axe sinks deeper at every stroke, and long befcre he expected, the wished-for prize lies stretched before him. In cutting off a branch from the pandanus, which averages about two inches in diameter, the knife at first seems to have lost its edge, but with a little patience a notch is made, and the branch falls long before it was looked for. There is another singularity about this tree, wherein it resembles the fig-tree, which is, the occasional descent of an auxiliary stem from an arm to the ground, where it takes root, and in this way affords, at once, both nourishment and support to the trunk and branches. This is of rare occurrence, which the writer did not observe in one tree of a thousand. In the sketch, this auxiliary trunk is seen propping up the branch on the right, which we have drawn of an unusual length, to render the prop necessary. All things, however curious they may be in themselves, lose their interest by becoming familiar, and thus it fared with the writer and his companions: after we had, when plying among the coral islands, seen pandanus after pandanus, occupying the place of some expected rarity, and now and then exercising our patience by tearing our frail flesh with their hooked thorns, we were very glad to meet with a novelty in one that had this auxiliary stem. The fruit of the pandanus resembles a large pine-apple, when divested of the leafy tuft that surmounts the top, though its size surpasses the largest pine we ever saw. Its colour, when ripe, is yellow, and it is composed of numerous angular drupes, which are placed round the end of a flower-stalk drupes the substance or fleshy part is soft, and of a mealy sweetish taste. In the middle are several long slender nuts, full of meat, which are, with the fleshy substance just mentioned, eaten by natives of these unsheltered islands. In Bow Island we saw an old man feeding upon the fruit of the pandanus. He was sitting in the usual posture of rest, and from time to time bit a morsel off the woody drupe; after which he handed it to a female, who was kneeling by him. This attendant was provided with a large stone, which she employed in crushing the fruits as they were severally given to her; and after, by this means exposing the meat of the nuts, she returned them to her host. The barren flowers are without calyx or corolla: in this they differ from the flowers of the palms. But there is a very large branched flowerstalk, which bears a countless number of stamens (fig. a,) which, when fresh, diffuse a most powerful odour. You may find a thousand trees, without meeting with the barren flowers, as they grow on different trees. The presence of the pollen is supposed to be necessary for the purpose of rendering the fertile flower capable of bringing its fruit to perfection. This pollen, contained in anthers, is a dust of inconceivable fineness. It is not difficult to imagine that this fine subtile powder may not only be diffused over one island, but even scattered over many leagues; and among the various objects on which it lights, may settle upon those very flowers which it was its business and destination to render fertile. By this wise provision, the quantity yielded by one tree compensates for the rarity of its occurrence. Thus, whether it be upon those barren reefs, unbosomed amidst the roaring surf of the vast ocean, or in the most delicious retreats of Asia, the same gracious care watches with impartial eye over the safety and well-being of created things. It may not be amiss, since we have spoken of one of the principal tenants of the Low Islands, that we should say a word about these islands especially as having had the advantage of being eyewitnesses. It has long been a matter of observation, that the bottom of the sea is diversified with an interchange of hill and dale, like the surface of the dry land. Let us suppose that one of these submarine mountains is volcanic, that it has, like other volcanic risings upon the earth, periodical eruptions, and that after several of these eruptions, the edges of the crater, which are raised by each several discharge, are brought near the surface of the water. The submarine volcano, which we have now supposed, is the basis of all those islands which are indifferently called Low Islands, Coral Islands, or the dangerous Archipelago. Having established a basis, let us look for a superstructure: the crater was near the surface, but what will bring it higher than that level? The well-informed reader anticipates the answer, The madrepores, or various kinds of coral, that fix their dwellings upon the sides and edges of the crater. The gradual increase car. ried on by the successive propagation of these curious animals, forms a kind of collar about the crater, which presents itself, as a long glacis or sloping ascent, quite round the island. In time, by the accretion of limestone, the edges of the crater are seen above the water, the atmosphere acts upon them, and in a few years a pabulum is prepared for the lesser vegetables; which, by their decay, make | provision for those of larger stature, and thus those wide extended rings of habitable land are formed, which we call the Low Islands, and whereon the pandanus is found in great abundance. As among animals, the weaker become the prey of, or labour for the stronger, so in the vegetable colonization, the more inconsiderable, requiring less earth, are first planted; these die, are decomposed, and their elements go towards the formation of a soil, sufficiently deep to encourage and support the germination of larger plants. Thus the work of labouring for others goes on in an ascending series, till in time the stateliest trees are seen upon what, some years before, was a rugged ridge, which more than once, perhaps, tripped up an unwary ship, and shook it to pieces. To get acquainted with the pandanus in its habitats, upon the Low Islands, a botanist always lands at the risk of his life; as a tremendous surf encompasses and beats with unmitigated violence on every side. The writer so narrowly escaped a watery grave, in two instances, that he cannot conclude this short account of a curious tree, without acknowledging that gracious Providence which through ten thousand dangers an troubles preserved him unhurt. METALS. CHEMISTRY. No. XI. NO. 1.-GOLd, silver, irON COPPER, TIN. WHEN we consider the many important purposes to which the metals have been applied, and their instrumentality in the improvement of the arts, it will not appear singular that the study of their properties should form an important branch of chemistry. At a former period, chemistry was entirely confined to a description of metallic substances and their combinations, and they still retain an important place in the science. Chemists have differed in opinion as to the best mode of classifying the metals; but our limits will not permit us to enter into a detail of their opinions, and we must confine ourselves to an enumeration of some of the most important properties of the more useful metallic substances, with a brief mention of those which are less frequently employed in the arts. There are forty-one metals, and they are distinguished by their peculiar lustre or brightness, opacity, fusibility, malleability, ductility, and tenacity. They are |