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building had in several places huge cracks, as if it had been shaken by an earthquake. It stands nearly in the centre of the ruins, and the top commands a view all round, of singular but wrecked magnificence.

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Beyond this, a little to the right, approached by passing over mounds of ruins, was another building which, at a great distance, attracted our attention by its conspicuous ornaments. We reached it by ascending two high terraces. The main building was similar to the others, and along the top ran a high ornamental wall, which, from the peculiar style of decoration, was called Casa de Palormos or House of Pigeons, and at a distance it looked more like a

row of pigeon-houses than anything

else.

"In front was a broad avenue, with a line of ruins on each side, leading beyond the wall of the convent to a great mound of ruins, which probably had once been a building with which it was connected; and beyond this is a lofty building in the rear, to which this seemed but a vestibule or porter's lodge. Between the two was a large patio or courtyard, with corridors on each side, and the ground of the court-yard sounded hollow. In one place the surface was broken, and I descended into a large excavation cemented, which had probably been intended as a granary. At the back of the courtyard, on a high broken terrace, which it was difficult to climb, was another edifice more ruined than the others, but which, from the style of its remains, and its commanding position, overlooking every other building except the House of the Dwarf, and apparently having been connected with the distant mass of ruins in front, must have been one of the most important in the city, perhaps the principal temple. The Indians call it the quartel or guard-house. It commanded a view of other ruins

turtles in the highest veneration, attaching supernatural powers to them; the Burmese and the Avans, in the farther peninsula of India, have a tradition that the world is supported by a large tortoise or turtle.

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not contained in the enumeration of those seen from the House of the Dwarf; and the whole presented a scene of barbaric magnificence utterly confounding all previous notions in regard to the aboriginal inhabitants of this country, and calling up emotions which had not been wakened to the same extent by anything we had yet seen."*

(To be concluded next month.)

MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP.

BY S. W. FULLOM.

THE Ocean is the symbol of eternity. Boundless and unfathomable, it suggests to our limited understanding, at a loss for some example, the extreme of immensity. From pole to pole, from east to west, it is in perpetual and unremitted circulation-ever moving on, yet never passing for an instant its feeble and unguarded barriers. As we traverse this awful expanse, day upon day, and week after week, without seeing any bound to the rolling waters, but only the same everlasting flood blending on every side with the firmament, the mind receives such an impression of the majesty and sublimity of nature as nothing else could inspire. In such a situation, amidst the silence and repose of night, while the canopy of Heaven is gleaming with myriads of stars, and no sound is heard but the whispering voice of the breeze, the most sluggish soul acquires a perception of the mysteries around. In higher natures this manifests itself in a grave spirituality, which at once elevates and refines: in those of a takes the odious form of superstition. more grovelling or timid stamp, it At one moment, smooth as a lake of glass, but showing below a depth beyond calculation; at another, in fearful commotion, agitated by mountainous waves, and rent by tremendous chasms, the ocean is indeed ever suggestive of vicissitude, of adventure, and of danger. In this light it has always been a favourite simile of the poets, when, in the sweet

*Mr. Stephens remarks the singular fact, that there are no visible means of supplying the town with water existing within a mile and a half.

measures of song, they have dwelt on the mutations of human fortune, and the instability and frequent changes of life. In fact, it is a familiar custom, common to every age, and perhaps every nation, to associate the sea with all that is precarious, fickle, perilous, and unknown.

A subject so susceptible of metaphorical application could not be overlooked by the sacred writers; but we find in the Scriptures, on the whole, fewer allusions of this character than we might expect. When the fruitful theme is touched upon, the aim is chiefly to show that the mechanism and complete economy of the ocean, which seem so amazing and so inscrutable, are the immediate work of the Almighty, and hence to create a proper idea of His wisdom and power. Solomon refers to it

frequently in this light, and always with the same devout purpose. "When He established the clouds above," he exclaims-"when He strengthened the fountains of the deep; when He gave to the sea His decree that the waters should not

pass His commandment.” David expresses a kindred sentiment with equal éloquence and force.-"They that go down to the sea in ships, and have their business on the great waters, they see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep." The royal lyrist's description of a storm at sea, so well known to the Scripture student, is one of the grandest passages in the Psalms.—

For he commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to heaven, they go down again to the depths; their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distress. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet so He bringeth them unto their desired haven."

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It is conceived that when the earth

was a fluid mass, its figure was an ellipsoid of revolution; and the ocean, undisturbed by the influences of the sun and moon, retains this form, marked by a compression at the poles. The mutation of the earth's axis would indicate that this world of waters is of almost infinite depth, but philosophers have come to a conclusion widely different. It is conjectured, though on purely hypothetical grounds, that the depth is uniform, so that no part of the main ocean is materially deeper than another; and this depth, called the mean, is supposed to range between four and six miles. On October 30, 1852, Captain Denham, R.N., of H.M.S. Herald, obtained soundings in the deep sea at 7,706 fathoms, or 7.7 geographical miles.

The surface of the ocean, as an inevitable consequence of its extent, is exposed to the action of the sun and moon, and the changeful influences of the atmosphere; but the combined effect of these agents is merely superficial. Even amidst the commotion and fury of a storm, when they are in full operation, the agitation of the waters is confined almost to the surface, and at a depth of some half dozen fathoms, it is perfectly calm. Still these influences are abundantly sufficient to fulfil the functions assigned to them in the ministry of nature; and to the action of the sun and moon on the ocean

we

owe the phenomenon of the tides. The moon attracts the waters of the hemisphere beneath her, which is immediately subject to her sway, more powerfully than the solid bulk of the earth, drawing them away from the earth in such a manner that, in a short period, the great deep would be altogether emptied, if the overruling law of gravitation, throned in the centre of the globe, did not lessen the attraction. the same time, the queenly satellite attracts the mass of the earth nearest to her in greater proportion than the waters of the opposite hemisphere, which, as a consequence, would be left behind if the gravitating principle, by drawing them to the centre of the world, did not correct this

At

tendency. The action of the sun is precisely similar, though, owing to a diminution of force, it is not so signal. Each agent, as in every function and ministration of nature, corrects and modifies the other, and the final result is, the alternate rise and fall of the waters, in both hemispheres, twice in the lunar day.

The fluctuations in the level of the waters, though in most regions of regular occurrence, are by no means uniform in quantity: the different changes and phases of the moon causing great variations in this respect. The spring tides which reach the greatest altitude, and show the most marked decline, occur at new and full moon, but they attain their highest elevation when the moon is in perigee. The neap tides, which are much lower, attend on her quadrature.

The variations in the level and time of high water are caused by the declinations of the moon, which altogether occupy 293 days; but, though producing periodic derangements, these declinations are, in the aggregate, balanced by those of the sun, which, with a more limited range, require for their completion 365 days.

Though the tides are most decided in narrow channels, where the water is confined, the sun and moon act with the greatest force on the main ocean, where, in fact, the tidal waves originate. Even in a large expanse of water, the ebb and flow are slight, if the inlet from the ocean, as in the case of the Gut of Gibraltar, is so narrow as to check and repress the tidal rush. During a stay of nearly twelve months in the Mediterranean, I noticed but little variation in the general level of the water.

Whether the tides were at any period more powerful in the Mediterranean, is a matter that cannot now be ascertained; but it seems probable, from modern explorations, that this noble inland sea formerly held less restricted communication with the Atlantic. The marine deposits near the Pillars of Hercules, left by vanished waters, seem to point at such a conclusion, but philosophers are not absolutely agreed as to the fact.

It is certain, from what passes year by year under our own observation, that the configuration of land and sea is continually varying, and I have endeavoured in a former chapter to explain how and by what means those changes are effected. I shall only remark here, that the sea, though in appearance stationary, gains on the land in some places, and recedes from it in others. This is apparent even on our own coasts, where, within memory, the sea has, at different places, both advanced and retired, in some cases quite altering the shape of the land. At Sandwich, on the coast of Kent, the inroad had been very decided, and at Reculvers the sea is only kept back by strong barriers, which break the shock of the invading waves.

The sea, swayed both by the sun and moon, necessarily exercises considerable influence on climate. Since the elevation of land in the north of Europe, the climate, which originally was tropical, as the deposits most amply attest, has been seized by eternal frost. On the other hand, in the southern hemisphere, where the ocean greatly predominates, the climate, in a latitude corresponding with the south of Europe, is at once salubrious, bracing, and tempe

rate.

The rise and fall of the sea is exhibited in another phenomenon, familiarly called waves. Waves give the sea the appearance of a progressive motion, which never comes to a stand. But this progress, though seemingly most distinct, is an illusion, having no material or real existence. The motion is not in the water, but in the wave, which, while it appears to advance, merely alters the position of its parts. Thus, the base of the wave, seized by the rising water, becomes its slope, and the slope is converted into its pinnacle, while the sea itself rises and falls, but remains for ever stationary. -Marvels of Science.

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occasion to set forth his views in a sermon. At the close of the discourse, he remarked, that if the people desired to hear him again, he would preach on his return. After there had been silence a few moments, a sensible old Quaker rose and said :

"If thou hast told us the truth, we do not need to hear thee; if thou hast told us a lie, we do not want to hear thee."

Another preacher was in the same neighbourhood. An old German blacksmith happened to be present, and was made very uneasy by the discourse. When the congregation was dismissed, he approached the preacher and said:

"If this doctrine is true, be sure you must not preach it here any more."

"Why not?" not?" inquired the preacher.

"Because," said he, "one of my neighbours has already stolen onehalf of my smith-tools; and if he does hear this doctrine, be sure he will have all the rest."

VIRTUE.-Virtue is certainly the most noble and secure possession a man can have. Beauty is worn out or impaired by sickness-riches lead youth rather to destruction than welfare, and, without prudence, are soon lavished away; while virtue alone, the only good that is ever durable, always remains. She is preferable both to wealth and a noble extraction.

PROCRASTINATION. He who delays the time of commencing a virtuous life, on account of present difficulties, and with the expectation that they will become less by delay, is like the traveller, who pauses in his journey to let the river run by before he proceeds.

WHISPERS IN THE EAR OF A PREACHER. Labour hard, pray much, and testify the Gospel of His grace to every man. Preach the love of God through Jesus to every human soul. Show them, prove to them, that He tasted death for every man. Hold forth the witness of the

Spirit as the gift of Christ to every penitent; and full redemption from every sinful temper and disposition, not only before death, but now, as the privilege of every believer. Fearlessly declare these truths. God will ever put His seal to them. Be faithful. Be steady. Play the man. Believe, love, obey, and be happy. The God of heaven be with you for ever! Amen.-Adam Clarke.

But

THE VEILED SAVIOUR.-Suppose that one to whom you was a stranger were wrapped in a thick veil, so that you could not discern his features. Still if the lineaments were pointed out to you through the folds, you could form some idea of the beauty and form of the veiled one. suppose that some one whom you know and love, whose features you have often studied face to face, were to be veiled up in this way, how easily you would discern the features and form of this beloved one! Just so the Jews looked upon the veiled Saviour whom they had never seen unveiled. We, under the New Testament, look upon an unveiled Saviour; and going back to the Old, we can see, far better than the Jews could, the features and form of Jesus the beloved under that veil.M'Cheyne.

PARLOUR PREACHING.-He that has the happy talent of parlour preaching, has sometimes done more for Christ and souls in the space of a few minutes, than by the labour of many hours and days in the usual course of preaching in the pulpit.Dr. Watts.

A GOOD RESOLVE.-Said an aged native convert of one of the Hervey Islands, after receiving his first copy of the entire Bible, "My brethren and sisters, this is my resolve-the dust shall never cover my new Bible; the moth shall never eat it; the mildew shall not rot it; my light, my joy!"

DIVINE INFLUENCE.-If there be a truth in Scripture, explicit and decided, it is this-that the success of the ministry of the Gospel, in the conversion of men, is the consequence of divine influence.-R. Watson.

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LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF A NEW CHAPEL, BRITANNIA FIELDS, ISLINGTON, LONDON.

OUR friends having resolved upon the erection of a handsome and commodious place of worship, with Sunday - schools beneath, in the rapidly-increasing locality of Britannia-fields, the foundation-stone of the already rising structure was laid by Josiah Bates, Esq., on Monday, January 2, 1854.

The chapel, which is in the early Gothic style, and is intended to be a model of its kind, was designed by J. McLandsborough, Esq., of Otley. Notwithstanding the snow-storm, and the bitter coldness of the day, a considerable number of persons assembled to witness the proceedings, among whom were the Revs. W. Cooke, J. Robinson, and J. Maughan, with Messrs. J. Bates, F. Cuthbertson, E. H. Rabbitts, G. Budd, J. Whitehouse, H. Webber, B. John

son, &c. The devotional services, which consisted of singing, reading, and prayer, were conducted by the Rev. J. Maughan, minister of the circuit. The stone, which was to be placed on the level of the chapel floor, immediately beneath the front central window, and which bore a suitable inscription, was then laid by Josiah Bates, Esq.

Having adjusted the stone in its proper place, Mr. Bates struck it three times with the mallet, using the following words. "Thus, and thus, and thus, I lay the foundation stone of this sanctuary, and may the triune Jehovah-Father, Son, and Holy Ghost-abundantly bless and prosper the undertaking."

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Mr. Bates then said: My Christian Friends,-The occasion which has convened us together at this time is

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