Here are specimens of the better class of South American country-men: the large farmers who own and manage the estates, (sometimes of vast extent,) which have not fallen into the possess. ion of the clergy. There are such men of half Spanish blood, who are found in all the climates, and perhaps amidst all the various circumstances, presented by the differences of soil, elevation, &c., over the immense and splendid regions. long subject to Spain.

The vast majority, especially in Mexico, Venezuela and some other of the new states, are of mixed Indian or Negro descent. Their habits are various, but their intellectual and social condition unhappily too much alike. Ignorant and prejudiced, they need the kind offices of their fellow men of more favored countries, to enlighten their minds and to lead them, by a conviction of their understandings, as well as by the feelings of brotherhood, to a better system of belief, and a more enlightened state of society, than any of which they have as yet acquired any idea.

Having formed personal friendships with numbers of the men of those interesting regions, and believing that the people of the United States have peculiar duties to perform towards them, we cannot but deplore the war in which we are now engaged with a portion of them, and long for its termination.

We shall from time to time present biographical sketches of some of the truly intelligent, patriotic and virtuous men of South America, whom we have known, admired and loved, hoping in this way to cultivate in our readers a becoming regard for the unfortunate nations to which they belong.

Our print presents the two figures in one of the simple costumes in use in these regions, and perhaps most resembling that common along the River Plata and its branches. The broad hat, or sombrero, varies but little in form, though made of the finest palm-leaf braid at Panama, and of one or more large leaves, ingeniously bound, at Para, in Brazil. The jacket and trowsers also differ in various region.

THE ETHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK.

This Society, which has been but seldom even mentioned in public, and which has been in existence only three or four years, has acco plished something worthy of notice, and affords a favorable prospect of doing much more. The number of its resident and attending members is small, but its meetings have been held almost without interruption, excepting the summer recess, and usually at the house of the venerable President, the Hon. Albert Gallatin.

The study of Ethnology is new, as a distinct and definite one; yet the term, which is of recent adoption, expresses nothing really new, except in the scope and the object of enquiry. It is history under an extensive form, and with an ultimate end not heretofore deliberately proposed: that is, the study of mankind, for the purpose of tracing the origin of nations, tribes and families, and their relations in different ages. It is true that historians have often instituted such enquiries, and displayed learning and ingenuity, as well as sound discrimination in their arguments: but their attention has usually been limited to some particular point, of local or temporary interest, and has not been deliberately fixed on the broad question, embracing the whole. race, with the assistance of all branches of science which may in term be rendered auxiliary. This is the plan of Ethnological Societies, properly so called, which as yet exist but in a small number, and are established, so far as we know, only in Paris, London and New York.

It may be easily presumed that such enquiries as they propose might naturally enlist the feelings of philanthropists, as well as men of a philosophical turn of mind. A friend of his fellow creatures, one who looks upon man in his native dignity, and who is disposed,

can hardly fail to see with pleasure a plan of investigation commenced, which recognizes the first claims of humanity to its proper rank in the state of creation. Indeed the European Societies owe their origin to one of an exclusively philanthropic character: the "Society for the protection of Aborigines," whose publications, four or five years ago, our readers may remember. The attempt to establish an association of the same nature and title in the capital of France, led to the foundation of the Paris Ethnological Society, which has already published two volumes of Transactions. It will be interesting to the American read. er to hear, that, although these bear evidences of labored researches into the languages of many nations and tribes, they present a large proportion of theory. To a great extent known facts, with vocabulies before published, are employed to give countenance to supposed relations between distant families of mankind, whose origin and history have never been traced.

In contrast with those volumes, the first and only one yet published by the American Society, is almost wholly devoted to the exhibition of facts, while theories, if presented, are brought forward with diffidence. Mr. Gallatin's long and very labored and valuable paper on the semi-civilized nations of America, presents a highly instructive view of the principal Mexican races or tribes, collected from various old and rare books, with digests of their langua ges, hieroglyphics, astronomical ideas, &c., and will prove of the highest importance to future enquirers. The other papers are chiefly devoted to facts origi n or laboriously compiled, relating to American antiquities, the Himyarites of Arabia, and the ancient inhabitants of the country near Carthage. The authors are Mr. Schoolcraft, Professors Turner and Troost, and Mr. Catherwood.

It may be gratifying to the reader to

learn, what are the principal subjects which have engaged the attention of the Paris Society. The principal portions of the two volumes are devoted to long papers by M. D'Eichthal, on the Fullahs of Western Africa, who, he labors to prove, have derived their language and certain customs from the Malays: but he has by no means made out a strong case. The traces of resemblance are few and small, while the information he presents, though derived with much labor from various sources, has little of the interest of novelty, and is not treated in Mr. Gallatin's philosophical manner. Among the other papers is one on the Guanches, the original inhabitants of the Cape Verd Islands, who are made quite interesting to the reader, partly because they have been extirpated. In short, the volumes already before the world, which have appeared on both sides of the Atlantic, afford the intelligent mind a favorable prospect, many flattering hopes for the future, and must give an importance to investigations in all departments of the branch of enquiry which the Ethnological Societies are prosecuting.

Numerous letters received from learned men abroad and at home, abundantly testify to the feelings with which the New York Society is regarded in Europe and America; and the interest expressed by some of our own countrymen indicate what prospects there are of its receiving the lasting co-operation of our own countrymen.

AN OLD COAT.-Mr. Littlefield has found, under one of the pews in the old East Church, a coat which evidently belonged to one of the carpenters employ ed in erecting the house, a hundred and twenty-eight years ago. It is a speci men of old fashioned economy, having more patches upon it than could be found among a troop of beggars at the present day. In one of the pockets was a gimlet and a piece of chalk, and in the other, a cotton handkerchief, in perfect preser vation. [Salem Gazette.

Heathen Gods.

In several parts of India, a brahmin, or priest, goes down to the side of a river, and makes a god from the mud that lies on the banks. When he has formed it into a strange shape, he dries it in the sun; and then he prays to what his own hands have made. First he strikes his elbows against his sides, then he snaps with his fingers round about his head, stamps with his left foot on the ground, and beats his cheeks with the fingers of his right hand, whilst his lips mutter strange sounds. When he has finished his devotions, he takes his mud god, carries it to the river, and throws it into the water from whence it first came. This is heathen prayer!

The people called Gallas, in Africa, worship a large tree, that grows on the side of one of their rivers. Crowds come from every part of the country, to ask of it everything they desire. One asks for health; another, for money; another, for good crops; and another, that he may overcome his enemy. Only the men are allowed to present their prayers at this spot; for they suppose females are unworthy of the honor of praying to the great Tree!

The Tartars have a praying machine. It is a round hollow box, fixed upright like a grindstone; a string leads from it to what is called a spindle. By treading on this spindle, the machine turns round, just like a grindstone, when men sharpen their knives. Now, in the inside of the box are rolled up long pieces of parchment, joined together, sometimes to the length of several hundred feet; on the parchment a prayer is written over and over again, perhaps as many as a thousand times. When the machine is set in motion, the parchment prayers are moved about, which they say pleases the gods, and brings down their blessing. The heathen thus makes prayer by wholesale, for they suppose every time the box moves round, as many prayers are offered as are written inside.

Every Chinese, when he goes to worship his idols, takes with him two painted candles, and receives from the priest in return, six slips of scented wood. He then bows his head to the ground, to let his god know that he is about to pray. Next he lays three of the pieces of wood on the altar, bows nine times, gives money to the priest and retires.-Sketches.

ENIGMA. NO. 28.-B7 A YOUNG LADY.

I am a word of thirteen letters.
My 10, 11, 13, is a metal.

My 5, 11, 13, 5, is the name of a class of running plants.

My 8, 7, 6, 3, is an indescribable passion. My 8, 9, 10, 2, 3, 4, was a celebrated man who lived in the time of he reformation.

My 4, 12, 3, is a very graceful and harmless animal.

My 1, is a beverage in common use. My whole is an event long to be remembered by every nation.