berally contributed of their substance to furnish the manumitted negroes with the Word of God, or to re-build the demolished sanctuaries in which they once worshipped. Our accounts from every part of the country show the deep interest felt in the services held, the books, prints, and music, which have been published, and the medals which have been circulated. The remembrance of that delightful day will, we hope, be long and carefully cherished. More than 12,000l. has been subscribed for the re-erection of the Baptist chapels in Jamaica since the 18th of last June.

THE AIR-PLANT OF CHINA. - The air-plant of China, long known to Europeans, by the drawings of the Chinese, and celebrated for the splendour of its flowers and the fragrance of its perfume, has for some time been cultivated in the stoves of this country, but no means could be discovered for making it flower, till a new method was pursued by the gardener of his Majesty, which has ultimately proved successful. Under this mode of treatment a branch of blossoms has recently been produced, between two and three feet long, and composed of some hundreds of large flowers, resplendent with scarlet and yellow. The plant has the remarkable property of living wholly upon air. It is suspended by the Chinese from the ceilings of their rooms, which are thus adorned by its beauty and perfumed by its fragrance.

PARLIAMENT.-There have been no less than 11,200 acts of Parliament passed within the last thirty-three years. An universal practical attention to one single law of Christ,-" Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye unto them," would render every one of these acts unnecessary.

LONDON YOUNG MEN'S SOCIETY. —The first anniversary of this institution, which has for its object the union of well-disposed young men, for the purposes of obtaining religious information, exercising their influence in extending religion among their own class of society, and doing good generally,

was held July 18th, in Finsbury-chapel. T. Challis, Esq. occupied the chair; the report was read by Mr. Remfry, the secretary, and a number of gentlemen addressed the meeting in interesting speeches.

SUDDEN DEATH. On Lord's-day morning, August 3rd, the congregation assembled at the Rev. J. Arundel's chapel, Union-street, Southwark, was thrown into some confusion by the sudden death of Mrs. Allardyce, of Homerton. The Rev. F. Boaz, Missionary to India, had taken his text, and had proceeded for about a quarter of an hour in the discussion of Luke xxii. 19, "Do this in remembrance of me," when Mrs. A. was seen to fall aside. She was raised up, and conveyed into the vestry, but almost instantly expired. The minister left the pulpit, and went to the vestry, but finding that life was extinct, he returned, and changed his subject, taking that appropriate passage James iv. 14, "For what is our life? it is even a vapour." The effect produced on the audience was very solemn and affecting.

RELIGION IN IRELAND.-A proposition has been made in the Patriot newspaper for the formation of an Itinerant Society to promote the preaching of the Gospel in Ireland, by the most popular Dissenting ministers of England and Scotland, visiting that island, to preach in all its principal parts during the successive months of every summer.

CURE FOR POLYPUS.-A writer in a foreign periodical states, that an obstinate case of polipi of the nose, of long standing, has been cured by the application of laudanum, with a hair pencil.

THE SABBATH BILL.-A correspondent of our own has suggested in the Patriot paper, in reply to Mr. Warburton's remarks in the House of Com. mons, on the lawfulness of playing at cricket on the Lord's-day, that if that gentleman can find out that by so doing he is keeping "holy" that sacred day, his ingenuity and his impiety are on a

par. Whether the legislature can or cannot compel the observance of the Sabbath, we are scarcely able to decide; but we do most earnestly call on Christian families to have a due regard to their example on this important subject.

THE POPULAR NEWSPAPER.-Most of our readers know that we have a religious and family newspaper, published in London, called The Patriot. We could not forbear smiling at the leading article of the number published on July 30th, in which the editor, in his official capacity, asks, as a personal favour, that holiday should be given to the boys in the public schools, on the first of August, in commemoration of negro emancipation. We hope this was every where done; at all events, we are sure the proposition was very popular among the boys, who are quite certain that The Patriot must be conducted by "a very good man."

WESLEYAN METHODISTS. The ninety-first annual Conference of this body was held during the past month in the City-road chapel, London. The reported increase of members in England, during the past year, is 12,002; in Ireland, 1,211; and on the missionary stations, 2,518. Twenty-nine preachers were received into full connexion.

CUMBERLAND.

It is said that Sir Wilfred Lawson, Bart., of Brayton Hall, has been recently so deeply impressed with the importance of temperance principles, that he has destroyed the whole of the ardent spirits he had in his possession. We hope the example will be universally imitated.

DEVONSHIRE.

An awfully alarming fire has lately occurred at North Taunton, which destroyed from sixty to seventy houses. No lives were lost; but the alarm was excessive. The workhouse was among the buildings destroyed, and its inhabitants were placed for shelter in the church, which was itself placed in danger. A similar calamity two years

YORKSHIRE.

A young lady, the heiress to a large fortune, has very recently taken the veil, at the convent of Mount Carmel, near Darlington. A grand high mass was performed on the occasion; and great interest was excited. But, query of what use is this young lady or her fortune to society? How contrary is this seclusion from the world to the commands of our great Master, who requires that we should aim to enlighten it, and to make it better !

WILBERFORCE MONUMENT. The inhabitants of Hull distinguished the first of August by laying the first stone of a monument in memory of Wilberforce, the negro's friend. R. Bethell, Esq., M.P., performed the ceremonies of the occasion.

gude keep us a' man, what wad come o' us, if thae awfu' like brutes wad break out o' the water?"

HANOVER.

DUELLING.--The First Chamber of the States of Hanover adopted, in a recent sitting, a law on duels. The penalty of death is pronounced against the person who, in a mortal combat, shall have killed his adversary, which penalty, under extenuating circumstances, may be commuted to twenty years' transportation. In the case of a duel not before fixed to be mortal, he who shall have killed his adversary is punishable by six years' imprisonment in a house of correction, which period may be diminished by extenuating circumstances. Serious wounds from the same cause are punished by ordinary imprisonment.

IRELAND.

ART.-A singular specimen of the extent of art was recently exhibited in Dublin, in a penknife containing 873 blades, manufactured by Mr. John Hillierd, a native of Athlone. A gold medal has been given him, value fifty guineas.

EARTHQUAKE.-We learn from The Galway Free Press, that on the 3rd o July an earthquake took place near the Castle of Garbelly, Monirea, which created a chasm seventy-five feet in depth.

SCOTLAND.

ALARM.-A farmer, from the neighbourhood of Galston, took his wife to see the wonders of the microscope, recently exhibited in Kilmarnock. The various curiosities seemed to please the good woman very well, till the animalculæ professed to be contained in a drop of water came to be shown off; these seemed to poor Janet not so very pleasant a sight as the others; she sat patiently, however, till the "water tigers," magnified to the size of 12 feet, appeared on the sheet fighting with their usual ferocity. Janet now rose in great trepidation, and cried to her husband, "For gude sake come awa', John." "Sit still, woman," said John, "and see the show." "See the show!

FRANCE.

The Christians in France, we are happy to know, are making considerable efforts to improve their psalmody. When shall this delightful part of the worship of God be conducted in this country, more in accordance with the importance of the duty?

ITALY.

PRIDE. The Pope has lately visited a tunnel for carrying off water through a rock-a work of great ingenuity and importance; on which occasion he ascended a throne in the tunnel, and allowed the workmen to kiss his foot! Such is the pride of a man who professes to be the representative of the Lord Jesus!

An old Italian who had been a prelate sixty years, and often applied for a hat, at length obtained one; he was so overjoyed that he ran from the presence of the Pope to greet his friends, and tell them that he was at last a cardinal. He was eighty-four years of age!

SPAIN.

CHOLERA. We are sorry to learn that this awful disease has raged to an awful extent at Madrid; and that the populace, under the influence of la

mentable ignorance and wrong feeling, have attributed its existence to the malignity of the monks. Disturbances and pillage have been the result.

INQUISITION.—It is truly gratifying to be able to state that the inquisition, so long the instrument of tyranny in the church of Rome, is now entirely abolished, by a statute of the fifteenth of July last.

GERMANY.

The Frankfort Journal gives the following from Baden :-"Our fields have been so overrun with mice, that in one commune, containing nearly 20,000 inhabitants, no fewer than 20,000 of these mischievous little animals have been killed. It is impossible to form an idea of the destruction they commit. No sooner is the harvest over, than they betake themselves to the vineyards, where they make a greater devastation than amongst the corn. In an adjoining country there is a race of small black rats, which appear to be multiplying to an equal extent with our mice."

JAMAICA.

It is very important to exercise caution in speaking evil of others. In the Jamaica House of Assembly, a motion was lately made to bring in a bill to prevent the frauds of wharfingers. One of the gentlemen said, "Mr. Speaker, I second the motion; the wharfingers are, to a man, a set of rogues; I know it well-I was one myself for ten years."

AMERICA.

SLAVERY.-Serious riots have lately taken place at New York, in consequence of a public meeting to promote the abolition of slavery. The professed friends of freedom, and advocates of slavery, demolished or seriously injured several places of worship, and placed many lives in danger. It would seem from these movements that religion is every where considered as opposed to the system of slavery, which has lately openly formed an alliance with persecu

tion. The result of all this cannot be doubtful.

RATTLESNAKES.-It would seem the rattlesnake now constitutes a considerable article of commerce in North America. There appeared lately, in an American paper, a "notice of an agreement for supplying a certain number of good merchantable live rattlesnakes." A correspondent, in noticing this subject, says, "I am informed that there are now no less than a hundred of these destructive reptiles in the Tower of London ;" and he gravely asks, may we not fear that the exertions of our over zealous zoologists may, one day or other, furnish us with more opportunities of observing the habits of these reptiles than we desire, by the ultimate dissemination of the species in England!"

SOUTH AMERICA.

An earthquake occurred at Santa Marta, on the 22nd of May last, which continued its convulsive shocks for three successive days, and destroyed the principal buildings of the city. The first shock lasted forty-five seconds; the earth cracked in fissures of six inches in width; and in some places hot and sulphurous water was ejected through the openings. No lives were lost, and few persons were injured, but the city was entirely deserted by its inhabitants.

SOUTH AFRICA.

Though formerly prone to inebriety, the people at Kat River settlement are now distinguished by their temperate habits. No where have temperance societies been half so much encouraged, and the people have, of their own accord, petitioned the government to insert, in their grants of land, a prohibition against the establishment of canteens (or brandy-houses.) Indeed such have been the effects of temperance societies among them, that no ardent spirits are known to be used throughout the entire settlement. The number of Hottentots who have joined these societies at Kat River, is 1600.

We have been favoured with a copy of the second edition of Mr. Adshead's "Circumstantial Narrative of the Wreck of the Rothsay Castle Steam Packet, in 1831," published by Hamilton and Co. Remembering as we did some of the circumstances of that melancholy event, we were not surprised that a full statement of the facts should be published; but we never imagined the book would sell; nor was this impression removed when we saw the size of the volume. But we had not gone far in the examination of the work, before we were fully convinced that we had altogether mistaken the matter. Such a soul-harrowing statement of facts, presented in a manner which deeply interests every faculty of the mind, we have never before read. It has been well described, by better judges than ourselves, as a perfect manual of nautical ethics ;" and we will add, that while it forcibly illustrates the feelings of Christian philanthropy, it developes most strikingly the importance and value of true religion in the hour of sorrow. The volume is admirably printed; it contains six well-executed engravings, and makes a very handsome appearance. We have before said, that this is a second edition, and we feel confident that it

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will pass through many more, and for a long succession of years will be read with intense feeling by thousands, both of the old and the young.

Thomas Ward and Co. have this day published a little book which, we are quite sure, will be very popular among our young friends; and we hope, therefore, they will speedily obtain it. It is entitled, "The American Indians, illustrations of their Costumes and Manners, with anecdotes." It is reprinted from the American edition, and contains fourteen engravings; one of which, with an extract illustrating it, we shall now give, as a specimen of the work.

"MANNER OF TREATING CHILDREN."

"The first thing the Indians did with the child, when it was born, was to dip it in cold water. It was then bound naked to a board, as you see the child is represented in the cut. Cotton wool, or fur, was put between the child and the board, to make it rest easy. In this posture, the poor thing was kept for several months. While attached to its board, it was either laid flat on its back, or was fastened in an upright posture, by means of a