brass measure. Snake-charmers, jugglers, and blind musicians, gather their little crowds. Processions are almost always abroad in honor of some idol, or in fulfilment of some promise, making all possible clamor with voices, drums, cymbals, and trumpets. Women carry their children astride on their hips. Wretched carriages, drawn by more wretched ponies, jingle along, bearing those who have long walks and moderate means. Women crowd about the wells, carrying water on their hips in brass jars. Children run about stark naked, or with a thin plate of silver or brass, not larger than a tea-cup, hung in front by a cord about the hips. Mud holes, neglected tanks, decaying carcasses, and stagnant ditches, unite with fumes of garlic, rancid oil, and human filth, to load the air with villanous smells. The tout ensemble of sights, sounds, and smells, is so utterly unlike any thing in any other part of the world, that weeks elapse, before the sensation of strangeness wears away." - Vol. II. pp. 13-15.

And here a sketch of the famous pagoda of Seringham, (of which a drawing is given,)-the most renowned of the renowned

seven:

"This proud monument of Hindoo art, wealth, and superstition, stands on an island, made by the Cavery river dividing itself into two branches, and forming a junction again a few miles below. The sanctum sanctorum of the numerous structures round, is scarcely larger than a native's hut; but is highly adorned, and in some parts gilded. It is enclosed within seven successive walls, a hundred and twenty yards apart, the outer wall being four miles in circumference. These walls are of great strength, twenty-five feet high, and besides common gateways, have twenty stupendous towers or pagodas over as many entrances. A multitude of sacred edifices are scattered about, among which are some vast halls. The flat roof of one of these is supported by a thousand slender pillars of carved granite. The pavements, stairs, and lower parts of the buildings, generally, are of red and gray granite, and sienite.

"The intervals between the walls are occupied by streets of well built houses, and present the common aspect of a busy town. The population is about eight thousand. Persons of all grades and occupations reside here and carry on their business. A very large proportion are Brahmins. The other inhabitants seemed chiefly to subsist by little shops, in which are sold the various articles connected with the idolatry of the place. They made no objection to selling me unconsecrated idols, and whatever else I chose.

"A singular aspect is given to the place, by scores if not hundreds of huge monkeys, which are seen at every glance. They are held sacred to Hunimaun, the divine ape, who conquered Ceylon for Rama. Of course, they are not only unmolested, but well fed, and multiply without restriction. They looked on us from

every wall, and frolicked on the trees, the images, and the carved sides of the towers, often coming within a yard of us, without the semblance of fear. They are by no means peculiar to this place, but abound in most Hindu sacred places, and for the same

reason.

"Pilgrims from all parts of India resort to this place for absolution from their sins; and as none come without an offering, the Brahmins live in voluptuous ease. The establishment receives, also, from the company, an annual stipend, stated by Hamilton to be 15,600 pagodas."- Vol. II. pp. 69–71.

In leaving British India, the author has a summary account. of the mode of living there among English society. We have never met with one so definite:

"The houses are large and airy, with white-washed walls; the floors are matted; as little furniture as possible is kept in any room, and punk as descend from every ceiling. Every bed has its mosquito curtain of gauze, which is tied up during the day, and let down about sunset, before the insects get abroad. A taper, in a tumbler of oil, burns all night in each room, by which, before daydawn, you dress negligently for the morning drive. At dawn, a servant brings a cup of coffee, with a slice of dry toast, and announces that the horses are ready. An hour's ride brings you home again, and you shave, bathe, dress, read, etc. till breakfast, which is at ten o'clock. Here the family meet and enjoy social intercourse, during a leisurely repast, when they separate again, the gentlemen to their places of business, and the ladies to their domestic employment. Calls of ceremony are made about noon always, of course, in some close carriage, to avoid the sun. About one or two o'clock comes tiffin, or lunch, as we say, consisting of plantains and other fruits, with rice, bread and butter, and water, bottles of which have been cooled in tubs of moist saltpetre.

Merchants, and gentlemen whose business is at a distance from their dwelling, do not come home to this meal, but have it brought to them. As to dinner, there is a diversity-the plainer sort taking it at five o'clock, and then riding out-the more fashionable riding first, and dining about half past seven, or eight. But the sunset drive all regard as indispensable. Indeed, European life in India seems a constant struggle to keep off death. The standing and favorite dish, both at breakfast and dinner, is rice and curry-the former boiled plain and dry- the latter consisting of prawns, fish, or fowl, stewed with abundant gravy, seasoned almost to burning heat with ground chillies, ginger, and onions. Instead of water, the curry is mixed with the expressed juice of rasped cocoa-nuts. The dinner is generally sumptuous, and the etiquette quite ceremonious, but far removed from stiffness and reserve. The waving punka overhead entirely prevents discomfort on account of the

heat. So far as my experience goes, English society in India is far more agreeable than among the same grade in England; perhaps because they are all travellers, and travelling not only instructs and polishes, but tends strongly to promote liberal and enlarged feelings. After dinner, music and rational conversation fill up the evening, and all retire in good season. A cup of tea is generally handed round in the course of the evening; but spirituous liquors are sinking into disuse."-Vol. II. pp. 111, 112.

The following graphic sketch is furnished as we approach Bankok, ascending the Meinam:

"The Chinese junks, which make annual voyages to Bankok, had not all gone, when 1 arrived, (early in June,) and a large number lay moored in the mid river some of great size probably eight or nine hundred tons. A few handsome pagodas, and other sacred edifices, rise from what seems to be a forest, but is, in reality, a great city. Innumerable boats, of every size, move about the river. The larger ones are at once boat, dwelling-house, and shop. The smallest are scarcely as large as a coffin. Hucksters and retailers of all sorts ply about with their wares exhibited on the deck of their batteau; one person paddling at each end, generally a woman. Cargo boats, yawls, sampans, pleasure-boats, etc. make up a scene of extraordinary variety, animation, and novelty. Canals and ditches, navigable a part of every tide, are ramified in all directions, and reach almost every house. The river is at once the highway, the canal, the exchange, the market, and the pleasureground.

"It was always interesting to see how a little good-nature prevented all confusion and danger. No one resents occasional concussions. Smaller boats always give place to larger. The paddles, held perpendicularly, occupy much less space than oars, and all ply with consummate dexterity. If a man or woman be knocked into the water, there is a laugh on both sides, and no one is alarmed. If a skiff is upset, the boatmen soon hold it edgewise, and with a sudden toss, throw it up in the air. It comes down quite dry, and they get in, and proceed as if nothing had happened. Even children of five or six years push about wholly alone, in boats not much larger than themselves, with the edge hardly two inches above the water. I sometimes saw these overset, but no one offered assistance, and the child showed no apprehension."— Vol. II. pp.115, 116.

But we must conclude. These extracts are brief and detached, and scarcely do the author justice. We should like to have given a digest of the most interesting and valuable information contained in these volumes; but an adequate analysis of such a work, within a moderate compass, is extremely difficult,

and we have been obliged to content ourselves with indicating some of its leading characteristics and its topics. We hope we have done enough, however, to send our readers to the work itself, which is much the best way for them to get possession of the information it contains.

ART. V.-1. Transactions of the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio. Part Second, Vol. I. Cincinnati: 1839. G. W. Bradbury & Co. 8vo. pp. 334.

2. Twelve Lectures on the Natural History of Man, and the Rise and Progress of Philosophy. By ALEXANDER KINMONT. With a Biographical Sketch of the Author. Cincinnati: 1839. U. P. James. 8vo. pp. 355.

THE thinking men, both of Europe and America, have been long looking to the great central valley of the United States, as the region where those principles which have always marked the Anglo-Saxon race, should be most perfectly developed in action. The physical characteristics of that valley, its fertility, its commercial advantages, its manufacturing capabilities, and its climate, all these promise a dense, wealthy, and working population: and when we consider the parentage of the people that will fill it, the circumstances under which they are going thither, their government, religion, literature, and other forming influences, we cannot but feel, that the prospects of what we call "the West," are wonderful beyond all precedent, and too interesting, even now, to fail in riveting the attention of every true man, and faithful christian, whose mind is once directed to the point. To that point, we shall often try to direct the minds of our readers; with our views of man, of liberty, and of religious faith-the future of that Western valley is full of terror, no less than of hope; and whether we may look for the progress of political equality into christian brotherhood, or its regress into mere human jacobinism, must depend very much upon our views of the present state of morals and of faith, among the people there. We would give our readers, in so far as we can, the materials for forming an opinion of their own upon these points; but shall also speak with perfect frankness our view, having no regard to political parties or religious sects.

We have referred to the physical riches of the country lying between the Alleghanies and the Rocky Mountains, and every body knows that they are boundless; but do we realize them, and realize their inevitable results? Let us take the map and view this immense realm once more, and try, without the seer's gift, to bring livingly before us, the certain physical future of this realm. Look at it; in that valley are one million four hundred thousand square miles, or eight hundred and ninetysix millions of acres, while Great Britian, with all its islands, contains but about eighty-eight thousand square miles, or fiftysix and a half millions of acres. And what is the character of this vast region? One third of it, at least, is capable of cultivation, and thick settlement, and one third is four hundred and sixty-six thousand square miles in extent, about seven times as great an area as all the available land in England, Wales, Scotland, and the islands. Look at it more minutely, and you find it, from the cleared fields of Ohio and Indiana, to the edge of the barren prairies of the Missouri, and from the wild rice swamps of the north, to the cypress swamps of the south, fertile beyond example, almost level or slightly undulating, and accessible in every direction. Never was there a finer country for the agriculturist; standing at his farm-house door, in the interior of Ohio, Indiana, or Illinois, a thousand miles from the salt water, he may see his produce afloat on its way to New York, or Europe; in a very few years, five complete lines of water and railway communication will exist between the interior of Ohio and the ocean; four are now in operation. Nor is that valley destined to be less eminently manufacturing than agricultural. The state of Ohio, if we may rely upon her geologist, Mr. Mather, contains as much bituminous coal of good quality and easy access, as all England and Wales; and Ohio in this respect is, he thinks, no richer than Western Pennsylvania, Western Virginia, and Kentucky ;judging from the little that is known, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, are probably underlain to a considerable extent by this same great mineral treasure. Nor is it coal alone that abounds in the west; from the head waters of the Cumberland river across Kentucky and Ohio, extends a bed of iron ore twenty miles in width. Tennessee is filled with iron; immense beds were lately opened in Indiana-and who has not heard of the Missouri mountain of that most precious metal. Already do Pittsburg and Cincinnati, yearly, manufacture some seven or eight millions of dollars worth of iron articles for export to other points; and lead abounds also; salt is met with