ing only stalls with places to kneel on. In a short time the stalls were removed, and pews were introduced; then the seats became too hard to sit on, and nice stuffed covers were made for them; and the churches, in cold weather, warmed by means of stoves-hence they are rendered so comfortable, that many who go to pray, remain to sleep! This is not the way to worship as taught by Jesus, for he and his disciples prayed and worshipped God in the fields and in the highways, and prostrated themselves on the earth, as symbolic of their insignificance, their penitence, and their gratitude. Man, if he be really filled with the true spirit of worship, if he wraps, as it were, his soul in the contemplation of futurity, with his mind filled with love, with veneration, and awe for the Divine Creator-he must, while in that glorions state, be insensible to every other feeling, and in such a state ought every person to be who enters the Temple of God!

We must ask pardon for this digression; and hasten to give the description of Stonehenge; which is by Inigo Jones, Sir Cristopher Wren, Dr. Stukely, and others, described as a regular circular structure. The body of the work consists of two circles and two ovals, which are thus composed: the upright stones are placed at three feet and a half distance from each other, and joined at the top by the overthwart stones, with tenons fitted to the mortises in the uprights for keeping them in their due position. Some of these stones are vastly large, measuring two yards in breadth and one in thickness, and above seven in height. Others are less in proportion. The uprights are wrought a little with a chissel, and sometimes tapered, but the transoms or overthwart stones are quite plain. The outside circle is nearly 180 feet in diameter, between which and the next circle there is a walk of 300 feet in circumference, which has a surprising and awful effect on the beholders.

Monuments of the same kind with that of Stonehenge are to be met with in Cumber- land, Oxfordshire, Cornwall, Devonshire, and many other parts of England, as well as in Scotland and the isles.

SEATS OF HONOUR.

The following curious particulars of the etiquette observed in the ancient British monarch's court, is extracted from "The Ancient Laws of Cambria," just published.

"There are fourteen men in the palace; four of them have their seats below the partition, and ten above it. The first is the king who must sit next the fire. Next to him the torchbearer; then the guest; then the heir apparent; then the master of the hawks; then the footholder, to be about the dish with him; and then the physician, to be about the fire with him. Next to the fire on the other side, sits the domestic chaplain to bless the food and chaunt the Lord's Prayer and the crier must strike the p'lar above his head. Next to him sits the judge of the court; then the bard of presidency; and the smith of the court sits on the end of the form before the priest. The master of the household must sit at the lower end of the hall, with his left hand opposite the front door. Those of the family whom he desires must sit with him, and the others on the opposite side towards the door. The domestic bard sits on either side of the master of the household. The master of the horse must be near the fire with the king, whilst the chief huntsman is to be on the other side of it, with the priest."

The duties of these officers are curi-. ously defined; for instance

The Master of the Household-" The fine for insulting him is nine cows and one hundred and eighty silver pennies. His price is one hundred and eighty-nine cows. He claims the clothes of the master of the household in the three great festivals. He claims a share of the lodgings; his own is next the court, and all the officers with him.

"He must wait upon six men at meat, and upon the seventh with liquor. These are the king, his elders, his guest, his heir apparent, his master of the hawks, his footholder, and his master of the horse, being the seventh whom he must serve with liquor; for though he is not to eat with him, yet they may drink together. He ought to regulate the protection and taste the liquors; and whoever violates the protection that he shall arrange, is not entitled to any protection. He is entitled to two shares of provender for his horse, and four shoes, with their complement of

nails, once a-year, from the smith of the court."-Finally, "he must swear for the king."

The Master of the Hawks-“ ought to have his horse in readiness, and his land free. His seat in the palace is that of the fourth man from the king, at mess with him. His lodging is the king's barn, lest his birds should be injured by the smoke. He must bring his vessel to the palace to get a drink in it, for he ought only to quench his thirst, lest his birds be injured by neglect. He is entitled to receive a hand-breadth of wax candle, from the steward of the household, to feed his birds and to make his bed. He is entitled to the hearts and lungs of the animals killed in the kitchen, to feed his hawks. He is entitled to receive a dried sheep."

The Judge of the Palace" among his perquisites, to have the cushion which the king sat on by day, for his mattress by night, and two chess-boards, made of fish bones," But these must suffice to show how great men and ministers were rewarded of old.

The Footholder, the second in the rank of royal attendants," he ought to have his land with his linen and woollen clothes free, and his horse in readiness. His office comes from the privilege of his land. He must hold the king's foot in his lap from the time he begins to sit at the banquet until he goes to sleep; and he must rub the king, and during that space of time he must guard him lest he should suffer any misfortune. His protection is from the time he takes the king's foot in his lap until he goes to his chamber, taking the criminal away. He has the privi lege of eating upon the same dish with the king, with his back towards the fire."

The Porter, another officer, was allowed a truly Welsh douceur; for it is written of him, "He must do errands in the palace gratis; but he claims the leavings of the cheese which he toasts!"

In these days, we learn from one of Howel's triads," there were three indispensables of a gentleman" (curious ones :)" his harp, his cloak, and his cauldron," and there were "three things which the King must not part with: his treasure, his hawk, and his breeches."

PHENOMENA OF THE HEAVENS FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER.

The Civil Day, or that by which the affairs of life are guided, commences at different periods in various parts of the world, according to the customs or calculations of the inhabitants. Thus the ancient Babylonians, Persians, Syrians, and most of the Eastern nations, began their day at sun-rising; while the Athenians, Jews, &c. on the contrary, began theirs at sun-setting, which is continued at the present time in China, Austria, Italy, &c. The ancient Egyptians, Romans, and some others, began their day at midnight, and this custom is followed by the English, French, Dutch, Spanish, and Portuguese, who count the hours from midnight to twelve at noon, and then twelve more from noon to midnight.

The Astronomical Day commences at noon of the Civil Day, and is reckoned from 1 to 24 hours, without division: this is used by the Arabians.If our Earth had but one motion; viz. that round its own axis, the day would be only 23 hours 56 min. and a few seconds in length; but as it also advances nearly one degree eastward in its orbit for every revolution round its axis, the Sun must consequently be that distance to the westward; and the time from his being on the meridian on one day, to his appearance on the same meridian the next, is exactly 24 hours; and this is readily ascertained by obseving the fixed stars, for they come to the meridian 3 min. and about 56 sec. earlier every evening.

PHASES OF THE MOON.

(New Moon

2d 9h 40m » First Quarter. . .10 10 52 Full Moon .17 22 21

...

(Last Quarter. . .24 15 33 On the 4th, the Moon will be in conjunction with Antares, the u of Scorpio, at 13h. 34m.

Nov. 1, Mercury rises EbS. 17h 23m passes Mer. 22 53 25, rises

18 57

passes Mer. During this month, Mercury passes from Virgo through Libra into Scorpio, and will be close to the 6 of the latter Constellation on the 30th.

Nov. 1. Venus rises EbS.. 16h 32m

passes Mer. 25, rises

passes Mer.

Mars through this month, is in the Constellation Leo, and about the 24th will be in conjunction with a small Star in the Lion's hind leg.-Mars may be known by a dusky red colour, sup. posed to be occasioned by his dense atmosphere.

Nov. 1, Jupiter rises NE. E. 8h 17m passes Mer. 25, 2 rises

.16 22 6 30

passes Mer... ... 14 39 Jupiter, throughout this month, will be in the Constellation Gemini. There will be visible, in the latitude of London, 7 eclipses of the 1st Satel.; 4 of the 2d Satel.; 3 of the 3d Satel.; 1 of the 4th Satel. Those which occur before midnight will be for the 1st Satel. on the 12th day, about 20 min. past 10 o'clock, and on the 28th, about 36 min. past 8,-this one will be exceedingly interesting, as in about half an hour afterward the 2d Satel. will be immersed. Of the 2d Satel. on the 3d, about 5 min. before midnight, and on the 28th, about 3 or 4 min. after 9. Of the 3d, on the 30th, about 8h 27m, the emersion alone will be visible. Of the 4th Satel. on the 26th, the immersion taking place at about 13 min. past 8, and the emersion 37 min. afterward.

Nov. 1, Saturn rises NEbE E. 5h 30m passes Mer. 25, h rises

.

12 53

3 47 11 7

passes Mer. Saturn, throughout this month, will be in the Constellation Taurus. At the commencement of November, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, will all be above the horizon at the same time, viz. about 17h 30′, or 5h 30m a.m. of the Civil Day.

Nov. 1, Georgian rises SE. E. Oh 25m passes Mer.. sets SW.4W. -20, H rises

21,

passes Mer. sets

4 13 8 00 23 38 2 55 6 43

The Georgian will be, throughout the month, in the head of the Constellation Sagittarius.

The Constellation of Ursa Major, or the Great Bear, will be a very conspicuous object during the evenings of this

A line drawn through B from the Star markel &, will pass close to Castor, the upper Twin, and near to Jupiter, and from thence through Orion's belt and to Rigel, in the left heel. A line from & through y, directs you to Regulus in Leo, to the left of which is Mars. The line from Dubhe, passing between

andy, points out Arcturus in Bootes. Indeed by these Stars all the others may easily be discovered, which I shall endeavour to describe on a future occasion.

Capella, a very bright star, in the shoulders of Auriga, at the same time will be about 5 points to the eastward of Ursa Major. A little further eastward, and higher in the heavens, is Perseus and Medusa's Head; immediately above this is Cassiopeia, forming nearly the shape of a chair. Below Perseus, and about East, are the Pleiades, or Seven Stars. Lower down, and a little to the left, is Aldebaran, or the Bull's Eye. Orion will be rising East and EbN. The Twins NE. N. just above the horizon.

JOURNAL OF AN EXCURSION ACROSS THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF NEW SOUTH WALES,

Here we met a few Indian natives of Bathurst. They resembled the natives of the coast in appearance, but did not speak the same language. They seem, however, to have advanced towards civilization one degree further than the poor forked animals of the warmer climate, inasmuch as they possess the art of very neatly sewing

together, with the sinews of the kangaroo and emu, cloaks of skins, the hide of which they also carve in the inside with a world of figures. They use these cloaks for the sole purpose of keeping themselves warm, and have as little sense of decency as the natives around Sydney; for in the middle of the day, when the weather is warm, they throw back their cloaks across their shoulders. They appear to be a harmless race, with nothing ferocious in their manners or countenance. They are perfectly cheerful, laughing at every thing they see, and repeating every thing they hear. For the rest, little can be added to Colonel Collins's account of the natives of New South Wales. Their numbers are diminishing. Not that they retreat before the settlements of Europeans; this they cannot do the different tribes (few as their numbers are) would resist the invasion of each other's territory. Thirty or forty miles will reach the circumference of each family's peregrinations. The tribes about our first settlements are as ignorant of the country beyond the mountains as the colonists were; and such is the sterility of the greater part of Mr. Oxley's first interior route, that he met with only twenty-two Indians in a journey of five months. Of the persons or the natives of New South Wales, I think Colonel Collins has given too unfavourable a picture. Their faces have generally (in my opinion) too much good-nature to be absolutely hideous, and (to my taste) they do not imitate humanity so abominably as the African negro. Their hair is not woolly; their heads are not dog-like; nor are their legs baboonish. The figure of many of them is very good; and as for their leanness, how can they wax fat in so poor a country? From the neighbourhood of our settle ments, we have scared the kangaroo and the emu, and left these poor lords of the creation no created food, but a few opossums, and a tenancy in common with us of fish. Together with their numbers, their customs and manners are in a state of decay. The ceremony of extracting the right upper front tooth from the jaw of adults (so fully described and pictured by Colonel Collins) is nearly obsolete in the neighbourhood of our settlements; and the custom is by no means universal in the island. But the corrobory, or nightdance, still obtains. This festivity is performed, in very good time and not

unpleasing tune. The song is sung by a few males and females, who take no part in the dance. One of the band beats time by knocking one stick against another. The music begins with a high note, and gradually sinks to the octave, whence it rises again immediately to the top. I took down an Australian National Melody from Harry, who married Caran-arang, the sister of the celebrated Bennilong; and I believe it to be the first that was ever reduced to writing. The dancers breathe in chorus like paviours, and the general step consists in opening the knees with a convulsive shake to the music; but occasionally they thrid the mazes of one another without any confusion. They stripe themselves down the waist, and paint their faces with white clay and red ochre; and in compliment to European delicacy, wear boughs round their loins. The glare of large fires give a picturesque effect to the savage scene, and the dance works up the performers to a sublime enthusiasm. I have been thus minute, because in a few years perhaps even the corrobory will be no more, so sophisticated do they become from their pernicious association with the convicts, who sow the seeds of drunkenness in the prolific soil. of savage indolence. A rum or even sugar cask, filled with water, furnishes these poor creatures with an intoxicating liquor; and the invasions of civilization are reproached, with the introduction of a new vice, which operates as an inflamer of all their old ones. It is a melancholy sight to witness the drunken quarrels and fightings of the simple natives of Australia in the streets of Sydney,-a people to whom civilization can never bring the comforts of food, raiment, and shelter, and the blessings of religion, as an atonement for the vice and disease which it necessarily carries along with it. That these unfortunate beings were comparatively ignorant of the crime of evil speaking, before we came among them, is proved by the broken English words of scurrility and execration, with which they pollute their native tongue. The effect of this would be ludicrous, were not the cause pitiable. Truly, Botany Bay is a bad school for them; but they have not learnt of the convicts to lie or steal. Perhaps it is better that their name should pass away from the earth. They will not serve; and they are too