(the animal that Linneus calls the "Nocturnal Man," and which is a large species of the Orang-outang) is an inhabitant of the very parts where these giants have been seen. Now between the skeleton of a common ape, there is a great affinity to that of the human species, and as nearer approaching to mankind in size, the bones of the Pongo might be mistaken for those of a man. Battel describes the Pongo as being of gigantic stature and extraordinary strength; and here he differs from Linneus, who says he is smaller than man. Battel further says, the Pongo scarcely differs from man, excepting being larger, and having no calves to his legs, and that he lives entirely on fruits. This animal is seldom seen, and many doubt its existence, and I confess, I think it requires greater credulity to believe in the existence of a race of such animals than in those of giants; for knowing what a vast portion of the world yet remains undiscovered by Europeans, it does not seem incredible that countries may exist where the foot of the traveller has never trod, where the eager eye of discovery has never extended, and that those countries may be inhabited by a race of beings differing in stature from ourselves. Supposing our discoveries never to have extended beyond Europe, it would have required some strength of imagination to believe that there existed myriads of beings differing in complexion with ourselves; time and discoveries has taught us this, and time may yet unfold many more wonderful deviations in the human race. The incursion of the seas on some coasts and desertion from others, may have caused these beings to imigrate from, or retire to, a distant part of a country that they formerly inhabited.

(Resumed at p. 99.)

joined company were attacked by Arabs; but these banditti did not press their hostilities to any real injury. Not so fortunate were the travellers when assailed by the pestilential winds which prevail in this quarter. Many of the party were seized with illness, and the author thus relates its cause :

.

"In order to while away anxiety in this unforward detention, I sent for the master of the khaun, to make enquiries respecting the country and its inhabitants. He told me, that they consider October the first mouth of their autumn, and feel it delightfully cool in comparison with July, August, and September; for that during forty days of the two firstnamed summer months, the hot wind blew from the desert, and its effects are often destructive. Its title is very appropriate, being called the Samiell or Baude Semoon, the pestilential wind. It does not come in continued long currents, but in gusts at different intervals, each blast lasting seve ral minutes, and passing along with the rapidity of lightning. No one dares stir from their houses while this invisible flame is sweeping over the face of the country. Previous to its approach, the atmosphere becomes thick and suffocating, and appearing particularly dense near the horizon, gives sufficient warning of the thratened mischief. Though hostile to human life, it is so far from being prejudicial to the vegetable creation, that a continuance of the Samiell' tends to ripen the fruits.-I inquired what became of the cattle during such a plague, and was told they were seldom touched by it. It seems strange that their lungs should be so perfectly insensible to what seems instant destruction to the breath of man; but so it is, and they are regularly driven down to water at the customary time of day, even when the blasts are at the severest. The people who attend them, are obliged to plaster their own faces, and other parts of the body usually exposed to the air, with a muddy clay, which in general protects them from its most malignant effects.

The periods of the wind's blowing are generally from noon to sun set; they cease almost entirely during the night; and the direction of the gust is always from the north-east. When it has passed over, a sulphuric and indeed loathsome smell, like putridity, remains for a long time. The poison which occasions this smell, must be deadly; for if any unfortunate traveller, too far from shelter, meet the blast, he falls immediately; and, in a few minutes his flesh becomes almost black, while both it and his bones at once arrive at so extreme a stage of corruption, that the smallest movement of the body would separate the one from the other.-When we listen to these accounts, we can easily understand how the Almighty, in whose hands are all the instruments of nature, to work even the most miraculous effects, might, by this natural agent of the Samiell brought from afar, make it the brand of death by which the destroying angel wrought the destruction of the army of Sennacherib. Mine host also told me, that at the commencement of November the nights begin to be keen, and then the people remove to their beds from their airy and starlit canopies at the tops of their houses, and the chambers within; a dull, but comfortable exchange when the winter advances, the cold being frequently at an excess to freeze the surface of the water in their chamberjars but almost as soon as the sun rises, it turns to its liquid state again."

:

WITCHCRAFT.

The following curious letter is copied from a manuscript in the British Museum:

"From Mr. Manning, Dissenting Teacher at Halstead, in Essex. to John Morley, Esq. Halstead.

“Halsted. Aug. 2, 1732. "Sir,-The narrative which I give you in relation to witchcraft, and which you are pleased to lay your

commands upon me to repeat, is as follows:-There was one master Collett, a smith by trade, of Haveningham, in the county of Suffolk, who, as 'twas customary with him, assisting the maide to churne, and not being able (as the phrase is) to make the butter come, threw a hot iron into the churn, under the notion of witchcraft in the case, upon which a poore labourer, then employed in carrying of dung in the yard, cried out in a terrible manner, they have killed me, they have killed me;" still keeping his hand upon his back intimating where the pain was, and died upon the spot.

"Mr. Collett, with the rest of the servants then present, took off the poor man's clothes and found, to their great surprise, the mark of the iron that was heated and thrown into the churn, deeply impressed upon his back. This account I had from Mr. Collett's own mouth; who, being a man of an unblemished character, I verily believe to be a matter of fact.

"I am, Sir,

Your obliged humble servant, "SAM. MANNING."

We e can have no stronger testimony of the progress of reason, and the consequent decay of superstition, within the last century, than is contained in the above letter, which bears date as late as 1732. This Dissenting TEACHER must have had a very lively faith VERILY to BELIEVR a tale which, at this time of day, would not impose upon the credulity of any old woman in the United Kingdom.

Enteresting Varieties.

DISSECTION.-While the tombs condeposits, there is a revolting disgust tinue to be plundered of their sacred given to the best feelings, and to the dignity of our nature; it is impiously indecent as it affects our religious sensations, and a brutalizing encouragement is held out for the vilest of

employments. On the other hand, no one can deny that great benefit is derived to society from a general pratical knowledge of anatomy, and that it is not attainable without numerous subjects for the students of that art.

To procure subjects, and to save society from the horror and distress in which it is now kept, is the object of these remarks. The law delivers over for dissection all murderers. It is proposed that it be submitted to the wisdom of the Legislature, whether there shall be added all who are executed for any crime; those killed defensively, while in commission of house-breaking, robbery, or any other unlawful act; those who die in prison under sentance for criminal acts, or while detained for transportation; all found by Coroners' Inquests dead from suicide, and from excessive intoxication. It is, of course, to be understood that the crimes must be committed after the passing of an Act of Parliament. Such an arrage ment, it is to be feared, would supply a number of subjects, and they would be much more than equivalent to a like number torn out of the graves. The advantages to be derived from such a law are—that many, from the dread of being dissected, might be deterred from the commission of crimes, the pursuit of anatomy would be rendered more free and respectable, and much less dangerous than it is at present, to the professors and students; and, lastly, such a law would affect none but the criminals.

J. K.

MACBETH.-A letter in the Scotch papers, two or three years since, stated, that in clearing some rubbish from the site of Macbeth's castle, near Perth, part of the ground gave way, and sunk down about six feet, discovering a regularly built vault, about six feet long and four feet wide. Among the ruins was found a large stone, weighing about 500lbs. which is pronounced to be of the meteoric or semi-metallic kind. This stone must have lain there during the long series of ages since Macbeth's reign.

Beside it were also found two round tablets, of a composition resembling bronze. On one of these, two lines are engraved, which a gentleman has thus deciphered-"The sconce (or shadow) of kingdom come, until slyphs in air carry me again to Bethel." These plates exhibit the figures of targets for the arms. From time immemorial it has been a favourite Scottish legend, that unseen hands brought "Jacob's pillow from Bethel," and dropped it on the site where the palace of Scoon now stands. A strong belief is also ertertained by many, that it was only a representation of Jacob's pillow that Edward sent to Westminster, the sacred stone not having been found by him. The curious on the spot, aware of such traditions, and who have viewed these venerable remains of antiquity, agree that MACBETH may, or rather must have deposited the stone in question at the bottom of his castle, on the hill of Dunsinane, where it has been found by the workmen. This curious stone has been shipped for London, for the inspection of the scientific amateur, in order to discover its real quality.

SINGULAR TENURB.--The manor of Brockenhurst in the county of Southampton was possessed by the ancestors of Sir Henry Spelman, and over one of the south windows of the church is an ancient coat of arms, supposed to belong to the Spelman family. It was held by the following curious tenure; the terms of which mark the simplicity of those times.

"Peter Spileman held of the King, in capite, one caracute of land, in Brockenhurst, in the county of Southampton; by the serjeauty of finding an Esquire, with a hambergell or coat of mail, for forty days in England; and of finding litter for the King's bed, and hay for the King's palfrey, when the King should lie at Brockenhurst, in the county of Southampton."

FEMALE FORTITUDE. The learned Shickard relates the following story.

THE Conjectures of authors as to the origin of the custom of making what are termed "April Fools," on this day, are numerous, but little satisfactory. The appellation of "All Fools' Day," usually given to it, seems to denote it to be a different day from the "Feast of Fools," which was held on the 1st of January, of which a very particular description may be found in Du Cange's learned Glossary, under the word "Kalendæ ;" which has occasioned a conjecture that the word "All" here is a corrup

tion of our northern word "Auld' for old; because mention is made so often in the ancient Roman Calendar of a "Feast of OLD Fools." It must be granted that this feast stands there on the first day of another month, November; but then it informs us, at the same time, that it is by removal,

"There is nothing hardly (says the author of the Essay to relieve the old Celtic) that will bear a clear demonstration that the primitive Christians, by way of conciliating the Pagans to