A LUDICROUS INDIAN SCENE. as described by many poets-it was easy enough THE Pawnees seem to be as prone to turn to to get into it, sed revocare grodum was a difficult their own good account the necessities of a stran-matter indeed. The old man exerted himself till ger, as the shrewdest and most unconscionable of the drops of perspiration fell from his forehead; their white brethren. When Mr. Murray was but had I not been there he must either have about to leave the Pawnee country, he was in made some person cut it up, or have sat in it unwant of two or three horses for himself and ser- til this minute. For some time I enjoyed this vants, but the cunning Indians, knowing that he scene with malicious and demure gravity, and must have them demanded twice or three times as then I showed him that he must try and pull it off much as their ponies were worth. Mr. Murray over his head. A lad who stood by them drew was finally advised, by the chief in whose wigwam it till it enveloped his nose, eyes, mouth and ears; he had dwelt, to expose his goods for sale, and his arms were raised above his head, and for some then notify the jockies of the village that he was minutes he remained in that melancholy plight, ready to trade-although he could not offer a blinded, choked and smothered, with his hands “kingdom—for a horse." This plan worked ad-rendered useless for the time. He rolled about, mirably, and among those who came to dicker, was an old fat chief, with whom our Highlander had sport enough to compensate him, one would suppose, most amply for his previous vexations. The following is his waggish description of the scene: "Soon after this, while I was still sitting near my packs of goods, like an Isarelite in Monmouth street, an elderly chief approached, and signified his wish to trade. Our squaws placed some meat before him after which I gave him the pipe; and in the mean time had desired my servant to search my saddle-bags, and to add to the heap of saleable articles, every thing of every kind beyond what was absolutely necessary for my covering on my return. A spare shirt, handkerchief and a waistcoat, were thus drafted; and, among other things, was a kind of elastic flannel waistcoat, made for wearing next to the skin, and to be drawn over the head, as it was without buttons or any opening in front. It was too small for me, and altogether so tight and uncomfortable, although elastic, that I had determined to part with it. To this last article my. new customer took a great fancy; and he made me describe to him the method of putting it on, and the warmth and comfort of it when on. Be it remembered that he was a very large corpulent man, probably weighing sixteen stone; I knew him to be very good natured, as I had hunted once with his son; and, on returning to his lodge, the father had feasted me chatted with me by signs, and taught me some of that most extraordinary Indian methods of communication. He said he should like to try on the jacket; and as he threw the buffalo robe off his huge soldiers, I could scarcely keep my gravity when I compared them with the garment into which we were about to attempt their introduction. However, by dint of great industry and care, we contrived to get him into it. In the body it was a foot to short, and fitted him so close that every thread was stretched to the uttermost; the sleeves reached a very little way below his elbow. However, he looked upon his arms and person with great complacency, and elicited many smiles from the squaws at the drollery of his attire; but, as the weather was very hot, he soon began to find himself too warm and confined, and he wished to take it off again. He moved his arms-he pulled the sleeves-he twisted and turned himself in every direction, but in vain. The woolen jacket was an admirable illustration of the Inferno of Dante and Virgil, and of matrimony, sneezing, sputtering and struggling, until all IRON. COAL was first used in England for smelting iron, in 1740. At that time England smelted only 17,000 tons of pig iron in fifty-nine furnaces. In 1830, she made 1,000,000 of tons; she employed 20,000 men in making pig iron, and 360,000 in manufacturing it into hardware and cutlery, at a cost of $109,332,223. In the United States we made in 1831, 191,536 tons of pig iron in 239 furnaces, and this year we shall probably make 250,000 tons, of which 100,000 tons will be made in Pennsylvania. But there are two furnaces in Wales which make as much as all this state, and there are a thousand tons made there every day in the year, by means of coal. In a former letter I stated what is the result of the experiment at Farrandsville, in using bituminous coal. It succeeds to admiration. But it is found by George Crane, in England, that he can use anthracite coal to still greater advantage in smelting iron. They are now trying it at Pottsville, and it is said that it will succeed. I trust and believe it will. It is almost universally used by the smiths of Pennsylvania. I am told it is a fact, and an astounding one it is, that at this hour, we have orders in England, which they cannot answer this season, for railroad iron to the amount of $20,000,000! This ought not to be so. There is no reason why we should not make this twenty millions of dollars circulate among our own people. We have every facility, but we have not yet begun to use our coal in making iron, and till we do, we cannot pretend to compete with England. Nothing is beautiful but truth. LITERARY NOTICES. has been evinced in the selection of these volumes. They embrace a great variety of the most important subjects, comprising history, biography, the physical sciences, agriculture, mechanics, natural history, &c. &c., treated of in a manner that cannot fail to be highly interesting and instructive to every class of readers. We are happy to notice, that the admirable work of Paley on Natural Theology, edited by Professor Potter, has a place in this series; and we hope to see in the successive series promised by the same publishers, other volumes of a similar character, which, without interfering SCHOOL DISTRICT LIBRARIES.-We consider this as being a subject of very great importance, and one which cannot fail of attracting more and more of public attention. In the state of New York alone, there are more than ten thousand school districts, and in each one of these, it is proposed to establish a library that shall be free to all the inhabitants. These libraries are to be permanently maintained, and an addition of new books is every year to be made to them. The Legislature at its last session, directed that the sum of fifty-five thou-with the peculiar tenets of religious sects, shall impart sand dollars should be annually distributed to the school a high moral and christian tone to the district library. districts out of the public funds, for this object; at the We trust that every encouragement will be held out same time requiring that at least an equal amount, as to this enterprise, inasmuch as we consider it to be inin the case of the school-moneys, shall be contributed dispensable in carrying into successful effect, the plan by the towns. By another act, passed in 1835, the dis- of school district libraries, by securing to the districts, tricts are authorized to raise the sum of twenty dollars in all cases, the best books at at the lowest possible the first year, and ten dollars in any subsequent year, for the same purpose. With this effective legislation, aided by many considerations which cannot fail of strongly commending these libraries to public favor, it is scarcely to be doubted that they will shortly be introduced into all our school districts; and when this shall be the case, and the system is at length so established, that district libraries shall be esteemed as no less essential than district schools, in the work of public instruction, who does not perceive the mighty influence which will be thus brought to bear on the intellectual and moral condition of the community; and of what incalculable good such a system may be made productive, by affording to all, those means of acquiring useful knowledge, which are now possessed only by comparatively few. cost. The Courtier of the Days of Charles II. By the Author of "Mrs. Armytage," "Mary Raymond," &c. 2 volumes, 12 mo. Harper & Brothers. These two volumes are from the prolific pen of Mrs. C. F. GORE, and contain a great deal of highly entertaining matter. They are made up of a series of tales, chiefly of an historical character, and are thirteen in number. The first, which gives the title to the work, occupies the larger portion of the first volume, and in a pleasing manner, lets us into the secret history of the court of the merry monarch. "The Royalists of Peru," is a tale of thrilling interest, and conveys to the mind of the reader an excellent moral lesson, teaching him that virtue of character, in any station, is one of the human character. We cheerfully commend these volumes to the attention of the reading public. Morton's Hope, or the Memoirs of a Provincial. 2 volumes, 12 mo. Harper & Brothers. This very readable book has been lying upon our table for some time. The scenes though laid in many lands, are well connected by the interesting thread of the narrative. The author is understood to be Professor Longfellow, one of the best writers of our country. There is one thing, however, which must be consid-most exalted and useful of all the graces which adorn ered as of the utmost importance in relation to these libraries; and that is, the character of the books of which they are to be composed. Everything, indeed, depends upon this; for while injudiciously selected books would be but little read, or read with comparatively little profit, the effect of books of a frivolous character, or of an immoral tendency, would be positively injurious. We rejoice, therefore, to see that efforts are making to meet this new demand. The Messrs. HARPERS are now publishing, with the approval, and under the direction of the superintendent of common schools, their second series of books for district libraries. This series, consisting of forty-five volumes, averaging about three hundred and fifty pages, handsomely printed and bound, and the subjects illustrated by numerous engravings, is enclosed in a neat case with lock and key, and furnished to the districts throughout the State, at the very low price of twenty dollars. We embraced an opportunity, several months since, to notice with approbation, the first series of the school district library, in fifty volumes, published by the same gentlemen--and we are pleased to learn that the public have fully sustained the views we then expressed, by extending to that collection an extensive patronage. Without speaking in detail of the different works composing the present series, we cannot but declare our great satisfaction with it as a whole. Much judgement Blanche of Navarre.-This is the title of a Play from the prolific pen of Mr. James, and recently published by Like everything else from the the Messrs. Harper. pen of this popular author, it is good. But we do not fancy this style of literature for the closet; the stage is its legitimate sphere. Those who do, will find this an excellent historical drama, full of stirring incident and interesting features of the times of Philip of Navarre, about the middle of the sixteenth century. The Boston Notion.-A mammoth newspaper bearing this title, has recently appeared in Boston, and is the largest one ever printed in this country-perhaps in the world. It is to be issued double size, once every three months. One recently published, contained one hundred and eight square feet of reading matter! THE PIONEER. of millions of their countrymen upon their heads, the fire of patriotism and religious zeal warming their hearts, while upon their foreheads they wore a broad phylacteric on which was inscribed from the sacred scriptures of freedom The forest-the flood-the savage-all dispu DID we wish to impersonate our young and growing republic by some graphic symbol by which its first and onward progress might be indicated, we could not choose one more appropri-«WHEre Liberty dwells, THERE IS MY COUNTRY.” ate than that furnished by the artist in our frontispiece. There stands the young and vigorous pioneer, buoyant with hope and high expectations ted their progress; but stout hands and stouter of the future, stripped for the mighty contest be- hearts-the encouraging voice of contemporaries tween human strength and the giant forest-sons and the beckoning hand of posterity-the rightof nature. With his axe in hand he stands alone eousness of their cause and the bright reward in the midst of the vast wilderness, far from the that glittered upon the distant goal, all combined hallowed associations of youth and the charities to make them look upon danger as unworthy of of home and of neighborhood, prepared to pros-notice, and to inspire them with that courage trate the umbrageous forest and admit the life- which makes mountains dwindle into mole-hills giving sunbeams to the exuberant bosom of mo- when intercepting the progress of a mighty movether earth. When first he left the teeming shores ment. As circle follows circle when a pebble is of the Atlantic, bearing upon his head a parent's cast into the quiet lake, so did civilization extend blessing and within his heart the glow of pure its conquering influence from this little nucleus, patriotism, he saw not the dangers and difficulties until cities, and villages, and fields of grain spread he had to encounter. But when they arose out like a beauteous panorama, to the very base threatening around him-when the flood disputed of the towering Alleganies. But there was one his progress the towering mountain loomed up thing yet to be accomplished. The young piolike a giant before him, and the red-man of the neer felt his strength, and the new world he had forest watched his every movement with a jealous developed presented a far better scope for his eneye-then the moral courage of his nature expand-ergies than the beaten track pursued by his aned and strengthened, and his soul was elevated cestors. He felt that parental authority was a with the thoughts of that mighty conquest he was ruinous restraint, and compliance therewith to be about to achieve. His axe was his trusty clay-incompatible with the necessary efforts for the more, his young wife-his country's honor-uni- accomplishment of his glorious designs; and he versal freedom-these composed his oriflamme to encourage him in the heat of battle; and his cause was the cause of religion, humanity, truth, equity and freedom. With such a weapon, such a rallying standard, such a noble incitement, did the hardy pioneer wrestle with the gnarled oak and towering beach till they were overcome, and luxuriant grainfields like a green oasis in the midst of the desert, gladdened his heart with the smiles of abundant prosperity. Where he had recently fought his victorious battle, a village uprose, a monumental trophy of his prowess; and from eastern lands-lands where his ancestors dwell-the commercial marts upon the borders of the sea-he hears the echo of his song of triumph, and beholds a mighty tide of physical and intellectual strength flowing on in his track, to populate, beautify and enrich the domain he has conquered, and to rear and foster there other pioneers to push farther onward toward the sands of the great Pacific. resolved to break the fetter. For a time he laid aside the axe and the plough and battled manfully for freedom. The contest was long and painful, but the star of his destiny lighted his path, the principles of right were the "cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night," and after seven long years of painful struggle, the eagle of victory perched upon his standard, and the British lion retreated, maimed and affrighted, to his lair. Thus freed, our young republic opened wide its benevolent arms as an asylum for the oppressed of all lands. It had changed the wilderness into a rich and inviting territory, and a vast flood of emigration poured its tributary waters into its bosom till the Alleganies no longer formed an obstructing dyke. Over their rough battlements this flood found its way, and through the vast and fertile valley of the Ohio irrigating streams of physical strength, intelligence and wealth flowed, spreading freshness and beauty wherever they penetrated. Year after year, new pioneers openSuch has been the onward progress of our ed paths farther and farther into the wilderness, country. But little more than two hundred years and formed new channels for the tide of emigrahave elapsed since the first permanent colony tion and population, till now the Mississippifrom Great Britain landed upon the snow-clad the father of floods-flows for hundreds of miles rock of Plymouth, to co-operate with others who amid the fields and dwellings of a busy people. had erected a few altars along the more southern Now, when we speak of our country,—our doregions of the Atlantic shore. Like the young main-the term is vague and inconclusive. From pioneer, they came from home with the blessings the lagoons of Florida to the farthest verge of the |