certain black grains, but of no great bulk or weight, for we could hold about fifty in the palms of our hands.

"This is an exact inventory of what we found about the body of the Man Mountain, who used us with great civility and due respect to your majesty's commission. Signed and sealed on the fourth day of the eighty-ninth moon of your majesty's auspicious reign.

"CLEFRIN FRELOCK.

"MARSI FRELOCK."

When this inventory was read over to the emperor, he directed me, although in very gentle terms, to deliver up the several particulars. He first called for my scimitar, which I took out, 10scabbard and all. In the meantime he ordered three thousand of his choicest troops (who then attended him) to surround me, at a distance, with their bows and arrows just ready to discharge; but I did not observe it, for my eyes were wholly fixed upon his majesty. He then desired me to draw my scimitar, which, although it had got some rust by the sea-water, was in most parts exceeding bright. I did so, and immediately all the troops gave a shout between terror and surprise; for the sun shone clear, and the reflection dazzled their eyes, as I waved the scimitar to and fro in my hand. His majesty, who is a most 11 magnanimous prince, was less daunted than I could expect he ordered me to return it into the scabbard, and cast it on the ground as gently as I could, about six feet from the end of my chain. The next thing he demanded was one of the hollow iron pillars, by which he meant my pocket pistols. I drew it out, and at his desire, as well as I could, explained to him the use of it; and charging it only with powder, which, by the closeness of my pouch, happened to escape wetting in the sea, I first cautioned the emperor not to be afraid, and then I let it VI.-Moffatt's Ex. Reader.

:

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off in the air. The astonishment here was much greater than at the sight of my scimitar. Hundreds fell down as if they had been struck dead; and even the emperor, although he stood his ground, could not recover himself for some time. I delivered up both my pistols in the same manner as I had done my scimitar, and then my pouch of powder and bullets; begging him that the former might be kept from the fire, for it would kindle with the smallest spark, and blow up his imperial palace into the air. likewise delivered up my watch, which the emperor was very curious to see, and commanded two of his tallest yeomen of the guard to bear it on a pole upon their shoulders, as draymen in England do a barrel of ale. He was amazed at the continual noise it made, and the motion of the minute-hand, which he could easily discern; for their sight is much more 13 acute than ours: he asked the opinions of his learned men about it, which were various and remote, as the reader may well imagine without my repeating; although indeed I could not very perfectly understand them. I then gave up my silver and copper money, my purse with nine large pieces of gold, and some smaller ones; my knife and razor, my comb and silver snuffbox, my handkerchief and journal book. My scimitar, pistols, and pouch were conveyed in carriages to his majesty's stores; but the rest of my goods were returned to me.

I had, as I before observed, one private pocket, which escaped their search, wherein there was a pair of spectacles (which I sometimes use for the weakness of mine eyes), a pocket 14 perspective, and some other little conveniences; which, being of no consequence to the emperor, I did not think myself bound in honour to discover, and I apprehended that they might be lost or spoiled if I ventured them out of my possession.

15 SWIFT.

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1fob, a small pocket in the trousers, usually made to contain a watch. 2 inventory, a list containing the names and description of various articles. cable, thick cord; rope. palisadoes, palings. 5 conjecture, guess, suppose. lucid, bright, shining. oracle, in ancient times, the answers made by a god to questions which were addressed to him or to his priests. The word oracle was also used for the temple set apart for the purpose of consulting the gods. 8 ponderous, heavy. auspicious, having a favourable appearance; likely to turn out well; fortunate; prosperous. 10 scabbard, the case of a sword, dagger, or other instrument of the same kind. magnanimous, having a great mind or soul; brave. 12 yeomen of the guard, a body of personal attendants on the sovereign. In England they are often called beef-eaters. 13 acute, sharp; keen. 14 perspective, telescope. 15 Swift, see Appendix.

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THE ORIGIN OF ROAST PIG.

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1

MANKIND, says a Chinese manuscript which my friend M. was obliging enough to read and explain to me, for the first seventy thousand ages ate their meat raw, clawing or biting it from the living animal, just as they do in Abyssinia to this day. The manuscript goes on to say that the art of roasting, or rather broiling (which I take to be the elder brother), was accidentally discovered in the manner following. The swineherd Ho-ti, having gone out into the woods one morning, as his manner was, to collect 2 mast for his hogs, left his cottage in the care of his eldest son, Bo-bo, a great lubberly boy, who, being fond of playing with fire, as younkers of his age commonly are, let some sparks escape into a bundle of straw, which, kindling quickly, spread the conflagration over every part of their poor mansion, till it was reduced to ashes. Together with the cottage (a sorry 3 antediluvian make-shift

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of a building, you may think it), what was of much more importance, a fine litter of new-farrowed pigs, no less than nine in number, perished. Chinese pigs have been esteemed a luxury all over the East, from the remotest periods that we read of. Bo-bo was in the utmost consternation, as you may think, not so much for the sake of

the tenement, which his father and he could easily build up again with a few dry branches and the labour of an hour or two, at any time, as for the loss of the pigs. While he was thinking what he should say to his father, and wringing his hands over the smoking remnants of one of those untimely sufferers, an odour assailed his nostrils,

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unlike any scent which he had before experienced. What could it proceed from? not from the burnt cottage—he had smelt that smell before-indeed, this was by no means the first accident of the kind which had occurred through the negligence of this unlucky young firebrand. Much less did it resemble that of any known herb, weed, or flower. A premonitory moistening at the same time overflowed his nether lip. He knew not what to think. He next stooped down to feel the pig, if there were any signs of life in it. He burnt his fingers, and to cool them he applied them in his booby fashion to his mouth. Some of the crumbs of the scorched skin had come away with his fingers, and for the first time in his life (in the world's life, indeed, for before him no man had known it) he tasted-crackling! Again he felt and fumbled at the pig It did not burn him so much now, still he licked his fingers from a sort of habit. The truth at length broke into his slow understanding, that it was the pig that smelt so, and the pig that tasted so delicious: and surrendering himself to the new-born pleasure, he fell to tearing up whole handfuls of the scorched skin with the flesh next it, and was cramming it down his throat, when his sire entered amid the smoking rafters, armed with retributory cudgel, and finding how affairs stood, began to rain blows upon the young rogue's shoulders, as thick as hail-stones, which Bo-bo heeded not any more than if they had been flies. His father might lay on, but he could not beat him from his pig, till he had fairly made an end of it, when, becoming a little more sensible of his situation, something like the following dialogue ensued :

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"You graceless whelp, what have you got there devouring? Is it not enough that you have burnt me down three houses with your dog's tricks! but you must be