VOL. 2.] Letters to a Mother on the Management of Children. 461 from them with disgust, until their taste beunless they are given as a medicine, cannot be comes reconciled to their use, which indeed, justified.' ON MOTHERS SUCKLING THEIR OWN CHILDREN. “Besides what has been already advanced, [to prove that a shattered constitution and early old age are the natural consequences to the mother not nursing her own off-pring] it may be noticed that milk fevers and broken breasts are not unfrequently the least formi- from cold, and happy would it be for the ris"The object of clothing is to defend us dable bad consequences of not suckling. IMPORTANT OBJECT OF CLOTHING. "It is more particularly in the higher cir- ing generation if mothers and nurses could be cles that mothers neglect this obvious duty, coinced that this may be accomplished by and deprive themselves of so high a gratifica-ight warm clothing, without confining the botion; but it is not confined to that class of wo- dy by bandages, or loading it with covering men. Too many who bear the name of Wighty enough for half a dozen children. mothers are so wedded to gaiety and dissipa- but a slavish adherence to custom can sanction "It may be well to remark that nothing tion, that rather than forego other pleasures, they will neglect their infants, and permit them to pine for want. Surely, if such parents are to be found, they must possess hearts divested of maternal feeling, and destitute of every natural sensation. a practice as absurd as hurtful---the ridiculous length of an infant's clothing, which in many cases by its weight produces deformity of the feet, and must always be a source of considerable pain to a feeble child. "How cruel is the conduct of the woman "A very great change has in these respects whose vigour of body and freedom from dis- taken place within the last fifty years, but still ease, admit of nursing, and yet either brings domestic management; and until pins (for a revolution is required in this department of up her child by hand, or commits it to the care which, by the way, it may be noticed, strings of a nurse, who has, or should have, the super- can almost always be substituted) and garters, intendence of her own, which ought to engross and stays, and a long catalogue of other equalthe whole of her attention, and indisputably ly objectionable articles of dress are laid aside, medical men, as the official conservators of the public health, must not cease to remonstrate, or labour to enlighten the minds of those who alone can remedy the evil. has a prior claim on her solicitude. "In many parts of the world hired nurses are unknown. In China, whatever be the rank of the parties, it is deemed disgraceful for a mother to fail in the discharge of so natural a duty as that of rearing her own child. In the purest ages of Greece and Rome the same feelings prevailed, and in the most barbarous natious of the earth the practice of committing infants to the care of foster parents is unheard of. In Greenland, among the Esquimaux, and in some other northern countries, so much importance has always been attached to an infant living on its mother's milk, that formerly when a suckling mother died, her babe was either entombed in the same grave, or cast into the sea." "Ease and moderate warmth are the two grand objects to be habitually kept in view in they are disregarded, it is that we wander so clothing infants and children, and because far from the simplicity of nature and the obvious dictates of common sense. "The ease and comfort of a child may be consulted and promoted by avoiding all unneessary bandaging. Every species of swathing prevents the free performance of the various functions. Flexion and extension of the joints should be quite unrestrained, and clothing which in any degee impedes free motion EXCELLENT SYSTEM OF MAKING A CHILD AL- and thus counteracts, by its confinement, the WAYS LOOK STRAIGHT FORWARD. "The foot of the bed or cot in which a child is laid, should be towards a window, because a child naturally turns its eyes to the light, and if that be on either side, it may be the cause of squinting, or productive of weakness in one eye. This observation also applies to the position of an infant in the lap, for, as much as possible,light,fire, and every other object likely to attract its attention should be seen directly before it; and nurses cannot be too careful not to allow the child to be amused by a person behind or above its head, when laying in the lap, or the eyes become forcibly and painfully turned backwards." MISTAKEN SYSTEM OF OVER-FEEDING CHIL DREN. natural efforts of a child, must be extremely REMARKS ON HURRYING THE INTELLEC- "Prematurely attempting to elicit an evolution of the intellectual faculties, favors almost every species of constitutional disease, and produces new forms of human misery. So intimate is the connexion between the mind and body, that if one is over exerted, the other invariably suffers. When the mind' is put on the stretch, a determination of blood takes place to the bead: consequently too early and too long continued exertion of the mental energies are very common causes of the worst forms of dropsy of the brain; and it is commonly observed, that the victims of this prevalent and fatal disorder are children endowed with "It must have been noticed and deplored great acuteness of intellect, and such as early by every observant mother, that the practice and immoderately call into exercise the powof pacifying children, when crying, by cram- ers of the mind. It becomes an imperious duty ming them with food, is very common. In- on parents who witness this premature evolustead of investigating the cause of their crying, tion of the intellectual powers, to moderate rahow customary is it at once to put them to the ther than encourage their display, lest the breast, or force down their throats a boat full brain, which is as much an organ of thought, of food, when the pain, of which their cries as the muscles are of motion, should be permaare an expression, perhaps originates in over nently enfeebled, and the foundation be laid, distention of the stomach ! if not for dropsy of the brain, for that long and Children should drink plain water or affecting train of nervous complaints which so milk, or a mixture of both. No child is natu- frequently embitter the existence of those raily fond of wine or beer, and when these whose mental energies and acquisitions are fluids are offered them they will generally turn greatest." 462 British Traveller in the United States.-The Grand Saline. [VOL 2 and experienced mothers know that ex The above extracts are given to convince our readers of the merit of this ceptions must be resorted to: there is work; but we think the author has not too much partiality also given to drugs, made sufficient allowance for the differ- leeches, and blisters, which, as this work ence of constitution in the mother or the was written by a medical practitioner, child; his systems are rather too confin- would have been better left out. ed to one general rule, where good nurses BRADBURY'S TRAVELS IN THE INTERIOR OF AMERICA. From the Literary Gazette, Nov. 1817. THIS volume, though it follows very dorado of buffalo-shooting, associating closely upon the track of Messrs. with savages and traversing deserts. Lewis, Clarke, Pike, and others, yet The most important facts in a political contains a variety of information, parti- point of view, which Mr. Bradbury comcularly as connected with botany, min- inunicates, are those respecting the eralogy, and geology. There is an ab- abundance of coal and iron in the Misruptness in its commencement which we sissippi territory. These great sources of do not understand, and allusions to some human comfort, and materials for national disputes and wrongs of which the author industry and strength, are found, accordcomplains, into which, if we did under- ing to our author, in prodigious quanti. stand them, we would not enter. As we ties in this quarter; but as the descripproceed we learn that his object was to in- tion of their site and form can afford vestigate objects of natural history pre- no gratification to our readers, we shall sented by the interior of the new world. pass from them to the account given of In treating this subject we have a good another immense natural production, many specimens of American style, a "the Grand Saline." This Saline good deal of American feeling, not a few "is situated about 280 miles south-west instances of indifferent grammar, some of Fort Osage, between two forks of a confusion of moods and tenses, a slight small branch of the Arkansas, one of coinage of new words, and an occasion- which washes its southern extremity; al indefiniteness of description which and the other, the principal one, runs leaves us in the dark as to the precise na- nearly parallel, within a mile of its oppoture of the matters described. The lat- site side. It is a hard, level plain, of ter, in a scientific work, is the greatest reddish coloured sand, and of an irregular defect; our language is in no danger of or mixed figure. Its greatest length is corruption from such a source, and the from north-west to south-east, and its author is generally comprehensible; and circumference full thirty miles. From the inclination towards American senti- the appearance of driftwood that is ments is a more commendable quality in scattered over, it would seem that the a traveller who has been hospitably re- whole plain is at times inundated by the ceived in that country, than the ingrati- overflowing of the streams that pass tude which seeks only to spy the naked- near it. This plain is entirely covered ness of a land, and abuse the kindness of in hot, dry weather, from two to six its confiding population. inches deep, with a crust of beautiful Mr. Bradbury accompanied an expe- clean white salt: it bears a striking redition of from fifty to eighty persons up semblance to a field of brilliant snow after the Mississippi, (i. e. " the mother of wa- a rain, with a light crust upon its top. ters") and Missouri rivers. He gives an On a bright sunny morning, the appear account of Upper Louisiana, and of ance of this natural curiosity, is highly Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennes- picturesque it possesses the quality of see; the Illinois and western territories. looming, or magnifying objects, and this His propensities seem to be such as in a very striking degree, making the would constitute a good Back-woods- small billets of wood appear as formidaman; fatigues, dangers and privations ble as trees. Numbers of buffaloes were go for nothing, and he thinks civilized on the plain." pleasures happily exchanged for the el The level of the bed of the Mississippi VOL. 2.] Indian Theory of Earthquakes. 463 is from 150 to 200 feet below that of the In descending the river from St. Louis surrounding country, which pours many to New Orleans in the month of Decemgreat rivers, as well as minor streams, ber, our traveller experienced a succesinto the immense trough of this mighty sion of dreadful shocks from earthquake. flood. Lead ore is found in parts; but The river was agitated as with a storm, it appears that the frequency of pyrites is the noise loud and terrific. On land and the foundation for the belief of the ex- water during seven days, the party sought istence of silver, which still maintains alternate preservation from these tremenitself in some opinions, notwithstanding dous convulsions; our voyagers were the fruitlessness of every effort to pro- fortunately preserved, and floated down cure that ore, since the celebrated Mis- in safety to the lower Chickasaw Indians, sissippi scheme, which shook the credit of whom they found distracted with terror mercantile Europe a century ago. With from having seen the solid earth riven a few exceptions of isolated sandstone, open in many places, accompanied by the Missouri territory is formed of calca- dreadful phenomena. One of these perreous rock; a whitish limestone, con- sons accounted for the earthquake in a taining abundance of organic remains, such as entrochii, anomiæ, &c. curious manner; he "attributed it to the comet that had appeared a few "Fossil bones have been dug up in months before, which he described as various parts in Upper Louisiana. At a having two horns, over one of which the salt lick, three miles from the Merrimac earth had rolled, and was now lodged River, and twelve from St. Louis, several betwixt them; that the shocks were bones have been discovered, evidently occasioned by the attempts made by the belonging to the same species of Mam- earth to surmount the other horn. If moth as those found on the Ohio and in this could be accomplished, all would be Orange County, State of New York. well, if otherwise, inevitable destruction I have (adds our author), frequently to the world would follow." been informed of a place on Osage We will not say that theories equally River, where there are abundance of absurd have not been maintained by bones of great magnitude. General Clarke philosophers nearer home than this Inshewed me a tooth brought from the dian sage. interior: it was a grinder, and belonged to the animal mentioned by Cuvier, called by him Mastodonte avec dents carrées." Among the tribes of Indians with whom Mr. Bradbury came in contact, a multitude of curious ceremonies and customs were observed. It is common to them As it would exceed our limits to enter all to devote their clothes to the Medecine, minutely into the natural history of this or Great Spirit, when any cause renders region, we shall merely notice that its them furious, and to rash forth with their subterranean geography is interesting tomahawks in their hand, destroying all and extraordinary. Vast caves in the they meet. This bears a striking resemincumbent rock swallow up streams blance to running a muck, in the eastern which never revisit the upper earth: in world. many parts there are chasms called "SinkA peculiar custom of the Aricaras is holes," from 30 to more than 200 yards to have "A sacred lodge in the centre in diameter, and diminishing towards the of the largest village. This is called the bottom like an inverted cone; and in Medecine Lodge, and in one particular these trees grow, and the rushing of waters corresponds with the Sanctuary of the is heard. In the caves abundance of Jews, as no blood is on any account nitre is generated; three men by simply whatever to be spilled within it, not even lixivating the soil, have made 100lbs. of that of an enemy; nor is any one, havsalt petre in a day. A bed of coal in the ing taken refuge there, to be forced from Illinois territory was so completely on it. This lodge is also the general place the surface, that having accidentally of deposit for such things as they devote caught fire it burnt for several months to the Father of Life. in 1810: the lead mines of St. Genevieve Their ideas of property among themhave been successfully wrought since selves is perfectly accurate. Their chief 1725. riches consist in horses, which are ob 464 Indian Manners, &c.-Aboriginal Fairies-The Black Mermaids. [vOL 2 taine from the nations south of them, will serve for food. That all may have the Chayennes, Poncars, Panies, &c. who an equal chance, the instant that any often steal them from the Spaniards in rank becomes the last, they rise, and Mexico. They believe in a Supreme flying over the whole flock, alight exactly Being, a future state, and supernatural a-head of the foremost. They succeed agency. The great Spirit is the giver of each other with so much rapidity that all good, and the bad Spirits are little there is a continual stream of them in the wicked beings, scarcely more malicious air, and a side view of them exhibits the than our Fairies. appearance of the segment of a large circle moving through the woods. They cease to look for food long before they become the last rank, but strictly adhere to their regulations, and never rise till there are none behind them." "When an Indian has shot down his enemy, and is preparing to scalp him, with the tomahawk uplifted to give the fatal stroke, he will address him in words to this effect: My name is Cashegra, I am a famous warrior, and am now going to kill you. When you arrive at the land of spirits, you will see the ghost of my father; tell him it was Cashegra that sent you there.' He then gives the blow." Mr. Bradbury states that the honeybees introduced to America from Europe are increasing prodigiously; they have now penetrated all this part in myriads, and have spread so much in common with the white people as to be held either as their precursors or brother colonists. Murder is punished with death, the nearest of kin to the murdered acting as We shall close our observations and this executioner. Cowardice is visited by volume (entertaining, as we trust appears degradation to menial labour and the from our review, in spite of all its defects) work of women. In some tribes, a with an aquatic adventure more sportive husband has a right to bite off the nose than the earthquake. On returning from of his Squaw, if she commits adultery! a visit to the Mandan's, our author says Suicide among the Sioux women, and "We crossed Knife river at the upper female infanticide, are not uncommon, village of the Minetarees. The old Squaw though it is generally held that these who brought the canoe to the opposite crimes are displeasing to the Father of side of the river, was accompanied by Life, and will subject the perpetrators in three young Squaws, apparently about the land of spirits to drag about the tree fourteen or fifteen years of age, who came to which they hang themselves: for this over in the canoe, and were followed by reason they always chuse the smallest an Indian, who swam over to take care tree that can sustain their weight. of our horses. When our saddles were taken off and put into the canoe, Mr. Breckenridge and myself stepped in, and were followed by the old Squaw, when the three young Squaws instantly stripped, threw their clothes into the canoe, and jumped into the river. We had scarcely embarked before they began to practice on us every mischievous trick they could think of. The slow progress which the canoe made enabled them to swim round us frequently, sometimes splashing us; then seizing hold of the old Squaw's paddle, who tried in vain to strike them with it; at other times they would pull the canoe in such a manner as to change the directiod of its course; at length they all seized hold of the hind part and clung to it. The old Squaw called out to the Indian who was following our horses: he immediately swam down to our assistance, We shall not pause to select a description of a Squaw dance, in honour of a successful expedition. Many of the Squaws equipped themselves in their husband's clothes, danced in a circle, and alternately harangued in praise of the warlike deeds of their lords; nor will our space allow us to extract any of the entertaining passages relative to the hunting of the Indians, and their mode of life; the wonderful habits of the beaver and of other remarkable animals, such as the foetid skunk, the Columbo migratorius, &c. &c. We can only mention respecting the latter, that they associate in prodigious flocks, covering sometimes several acres of land so closely as to hide the ground. "This phalanx moves through the woods with considerable celerity, picking up as it passes along, every thing that VOL. 2.] Biographical Portraits.-Rt. Hon. Henry Erskine. 465 and soon relieved us from our frolick- tween the Squaw and the Indian. We some tormentors, by plunging them suc- had many invitations to have staid to cessively over head, and holding them smoke, but as it was near sunset, and we for a considerable time under water. had seven miles to ride, they excuAfter some time they all made their sed us.' escape from him by dividing and swimming in different directions. On landing, by way of retaliation, we seized their clothes, and caused much laughing be This adventure of the black mermaids would make a whimsical picture. A woman and child of this tribe were remarked for having brown hair. BIOGRAPHICAL PORTRAITS. From the Literary Gazette, November 1817. THE RIGHT HONOURABLE HENRY ERSKINE. NATURE JATURE is ever various in her to the abyss of misery and disgrace; the works. The Heavens and the appearance of a fatality ruining the bestEarth, the world of Astronomy and the concerted plans, or of a chance prospering Moral world, things inanimate and things those most hopeless of success; the exaltanimate, present diversities the most re- ation of some, the decline of others, the markable, and coincidences the most cu- changes of all, have been ascribed to inrious. Contrast and comparison meet fluences beyond understanding, when, in us at every glance; and though these truth, obvious causes might have been may sometimes be fanciful, they are rarely detected in the production of ordinary destitute of the quality of pleasing, either and certain effects. from their aptness, utility, or imagination. The subject becomes mixed, however, We have been led to this preface by sup- when we see nations, classes, or particuposing somewhat of a resemblance may lar persons advancing by a sure process be traced between the face of the firma- to greatness. There is a heaven in the ment and the disposition of human genius origin, but the means are of this earth. on our sphere. Now we observe one Talent or genius, the gift of God, is the sun of paramount brilliancy, and now foundation; and the right application of one mortal whose wonderful powers the blessing forms the superstructure. eclipse the race to which he belongs; now a cluster of glorious lights attracts the eye above, and now a constellation of superior beings illuminates the globe below: the richest congeries which we admire of stars, is but an Augustan age of immortal men. Thus Athens grew sublime, thus Wellington achiev'd his fame, and thus, we may add, the family of which HENRY ERSKINE was a member, has risen to distinguished eminence, in a land where the competition is so high, that he must be greatly endowed indeed, who gains a foremost rank. Such was the station the subject of this Memoir attained. But we will not pursue our simile further; it is enough to have generalized that idea which has prevailed from the HENRY ERSKINE was born at Edinearliest ages to such an extent, that the burgh, on the 1st of November, 1746, terms of the science, whence it is borrow- O. S. He was the third son of Henry ed, have been from time immemorial met- David Erskine, the tenth Earl of Buchan, aphorically applied to mundane affairs, who died at Bath, December 1st, 1767 and mankind have thought the likeness leaving issue David Stewart his surviving so supernatural as to infer, that the heav- and second son the present Earl, Henry enly bodies not only corresponded with, and Thomas. Hereditary talent seems but controlled human actions. This to have been the lot of the three sons of wild, but beautiful theory, has been sup- a father of sound and cultivated underported by the destinies of peculiar coun- standing, and a mother eminent not only tries, families, and individuals. The vi- for piety, but for learning.* cissitudes of fortune raising to the pinnacle of happiness and bonour, or sinking 2M ATHENEUM. Vol. 2. This lady was the second daughter of Sir James scientific author of the Political Economy, and various other works displaying the deepest erudition). Stewart, Bat. Her ladyship had one brothe. (the |