The Bangkok Recorder.

A Weekly journal will be issued from the
printing office of the American Missionary
Association, at the mouth of the Canal,
"Klawng Bangkok Yai" It will contain such
Political, Literary, Scientific, Commercial, and
local intelligence, as shall render it worthy
of the general patronage.

The Recorder will be open to Correspon-
dents subject to the usual restrictions.

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for the sentiments of his correspondents.

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less accompanied by the name of the Cor-
respondent.

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unless as a special favor.

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TRACTS.

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sent to the subscriber, or left at the store of
Messrs. Virgin & Co.

EXTRACTS.

SUMMARY OF INDIAN INTELLIGENCE.
—The Neilgherry Exerciser, a jour-
nal issuing somewhere under the Mad-
ras presidency, details a catalogue of
instances of the "Cattle Disease." The
local opinion on it corresponds with
the general one, by its being termed
the "purging disorder." It is report-
ed as largely prevalent in the neigh-
bourhood of Ootacamund on the
Neilgherries; and it is stated that it
was known on the plateau of the Hills
long before any European settled there.
It is there supposed to be "imported"
by bullocks that bring goods from the
plains." The casualties are thus re-
ported :—

"In a small village near this station,
said to contain 140 head of cattle, 80
died in less than a month. In another,
7 miles off, 130 out of 160 died. A
wealthy Bavlagah owning 100 cattle
lost them all in a month, and a weal-
thy Todah, who had 60 buffaloes, was
made a beggar by the death of his
whole herd."

The insurrection in Jamaica has
been completely suppressed. The out-
break was so sudden, that many bar-
barities were committed before the
authorities could bring the requisite
power to bear upon the insurgents;
but when they were able to act, the
result was decisive. The two leaders
were captured, and one of them, Gor-
don, a rich merchant and member of
the Legislature, was tried by drum-
head court martial and executed. No
less than two or three hundred of the
rebels have been hanged; and it is
hoped that the severity of those ex-
amples will have a beneficial effect.
Happily the rising which has just been
crushed was only an imperfect manifes-
tation of a much more formidable
design. It appears from papers which
have been found, that a plan was or-
ganised for a general rising of the ne-
groes throughout the island on Christ-
mas day, the object being the annihi-
lation of the whole white population,
and of all landed proprietors, white
and coloured. This horrible project
was frustrated by a mere accident.
One of the leaders was in danger of
arrest for some crime he had commit-
ted, and, in the hope of saving him-
self, he gave the signal for revolt be-
fore the plot was ripe. To this pre-
mature movement may be attributed
the failure of the diabolical conspiracy.
Had the rising been accomplished as
it was organised, there is little doubt
that our troops, instead of extinguish-
ing the rebellion, would have had to
reconquer the island.

The Fenian conspiracy in Ireland
may be considered in the last agonies
of a happy despatch. The queen bee
is taken, and the hive is broken up.
Stephens, the Head Centre who pas-
sed under a variety of other names,
has been arrested, brought before the
police court, and fully committed to
take his trial for treason. To do this
hero justice, he braved it out at the
police court with an audacity worthy
of a [?] as of the celebrated tailors of
Tooley street. He refused to acknow-
ledge the authority of the court; he
refused to admit any authority in
Ireland that emanated from England;
he would not acknowledge the force
of any law in Ireland that was imposed
by England; he went even farther—-
he absolutely and unequivocally de-
nied the existence of any English law
or authority in Ireland. It seems a
pitiful thing to inflict any punishment
upon an unhappy man whose proper
treatment would be a straitwaistcoat;
but law and authority must be upheld,
and examples must be made for the
sake of the rest of the community.
Stephens is clearly a “patriotic” lun-
atic. The whole of his recent conduct
shows plainly that he never could have
had a due sense of the personal dan-
ger to which he exposed himself. He
appears to have imagined that he bore
a “charmed life,” and that he was per-
fectly secure in the midst of the most
obvious peril. He lived in a conspi-
cuous house in an open situation, and
there, surrounded by luxuries far a-
bove his station, he kept a sort of
court for the reception of conspirators.
He was so confident of his safety, that
he made no great secret of his move-
ments, although he knew that he was
proclaimed, and that a reward was of-
fered for his capture. His wife was
impressed also with the conviction that
no harm could happen to him, and she
used accordingly to go out publicly
into the streets of Dublin to shop, just
as any other lady might do. But it
happened that she was known to some
of the police, and a watch was set up-
on her, and she was tracked home to
the lair where her husband and his
confederates were afterwards seized.
This enterprise ends the first act of
the Fenian drama; but it is not easy
to conjecture what is to follow.

The Princess Helena.

A Kiel newspaper mentions a rum-
our that the Princess Helena of Eng-
land is shortly to be betrothed to
Prince Christian of Augustenburg. The
'Post' of this morning believes that
this report is well founded, and adds:

The princess, who is the third
daughter of the Queen, is in her 20th
year while her future husband is in
his 34th. He is the brother of the
Duke of Augustenburg whose claims
to the Duchies of Schleswig-Holstein
have of late given rise to so much
dispute. The duke has, however, a
son, born in 1863, so that his broth-
er is only heir-presumptive to his
rights, whatever they may be. Prince
Frederick is a major in the Lancers of
the Guard of Prussia and, from the
anxious and motherly care which the
Queen bestows on all matters affecting
the happiness of her children, we may
safely presume that in character and
disposition he is all that every loyal
heart can wish to find in the husband
of a daughter of England. We un-
derstand that it is considered to be no
slight advantage in this royal match
that the prince having neither princi-
pality nor functions which would re-
quire his residence abroad, the future
Princess of Augustenburg will be able
to reside in England, and to continue
to afford to her Majesty those filial at-
tentions on which the Queen, like ev-
ery mother, sets so high an estimation.
This marriage, as adding to the hap-
piness of our beloved royal family, will
be welcomed by the nation with that
warm sympathy which universally at-
taches to all about the throne.

America.

Recent instructions issued to the
provisional governors of the Southern
States by the President, requiring
them to continue the exercise of their
official functions, has caused great des-
appointment in South and North Car-
olina and Georgia. It is, however, un-
derstood that the President adopted
that course merely to prevent a pre-
mature withdrawal of national author-
ity, and not with any purpose of subver-
ting for any unnecessary length of
time the local governments. The
South Carolinians are very anxious
that Mr. Orr, the governor elect, shall
be regularly installed in office at the
earliest possible day. Memorials are
in circulation throughout the State,
praying the President to rely upon the
sincerity of the State, and to restore
her at once to all her full relations with
the national government.

The ovation to General Grant at the
Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York, was
a great affair. It is described as sur-
passing in grandeur, prestige and bril-
liancy anything heretofore witnessed
in America. The vast hotel was crowd-
ed to repletion by the elite of New
York, and an enthusiastic mass was
gathered together outside the building.
They were regaled with music and
fireworks. On the following day, Gen-
eral Grant was paraded through the
city, with a military escort en route
to Washington, and his reception was
most hearty.

It was reported that most of the
colored troops in Texas were to be
mustered out of the army, and this, it
is considered probable, accounts for
the sending of regiments to the Rio
Grande.

Few or no pardon applications are
coming in at the attorney general's of-
fice. The President has directed the
suspension of the issue of pardon war-
rants, except by special order to the
contrary. The suspension is under-
stood to be caused by the flagrant
breach of faith committed by some
who have been pardoned. 20,000
pardons have thus far been granted.

Jefferson Davis is reported to be in
fair health and serene mind. Nothing
was known at Fortress Monroe in re-
gard to his trial.

The 'New York Herald' takes it
for granted that the Shenandoah would
be unconditionally surrendered, and
says:—

In regard to Captain Waddell, we
apprehend we shall have no material
difficulty. Being regarded as a pirate
by Great Britain and ourselves know-
ing him to be such, we have only to
remind the British Government that
we have an Extradition Treaty with
them which requires the rendition of
all criminal offenders against the laws
of either Power. On this ground, the
United States will demand Waddell,
and punish him as the laws and courts
of our country shall decide. England
cannot deny this claim or refuse to
grant it; or, if she do, she may find
in an incredibly short time the Fenian
Shenandoahs on the St. Lawrence and
Fenian Alabamas on the seas.

The 'Tribune' says:—"The Shan-
andoah is where she should be, and
we trust our government will neither
claim nor accept her." It as well as
several other journals regards the re-
turn of the Shenandoah to England as
a fresh illustration of the truth of the
proverb that "curses, like chickens,
come home to roost."

The 'Times' of this morning con-
tains the following, in a letter from its
Philadelphia correspondent:—

The correspondence published in
England between Earl Russell and
Minister Adams has not been regarded
in America as of any grave importance.
The publication has been anticipated
for some time, as Secretary Seward
and others connected with the govern-
ment have lately been hinting that a
demand for damages on account of
the depredation of the Confederate
cruisers had been made. It therefore
has not taken this country by surprise,
and long before the published corres-
pondence was made known the public
had considered the prospects of pay-
ment, and concluded, correctly as the
event proved, that payment would be
refused. Our people having come to
this conclusion have gone farther, and
made up their minds that if England
refused payment they would not sued
and about it, but would give up the
claim rather than break the peace be-
tween the countries. The commer-
cial ties binding together England and the
United States are too strong to be
broken, even for ten times the amount
of the claims made by Mr. Adams.
Mr. Seward has become convinced of
this, and, while he will no doubt ac-
cept the proposed reference to a com-
mission, should it decide against the
claim he will abandou all idea of any
further prosecution of a cause founded
on so questionable a title.-—House
News.

The World on Fire.

The day had been fine, with a
moderat, wind from the northwest.
When the sun went down behind the
ridge of mountains limiting the day, a
perfect calm followed, with a sky
absolutely cloudless. At 4 P. M.,
there had been seen one solitary and
peculiar cloud hanging in the heavens
to the north about fifteen degrees
above the horizon. This cloud was
a deep, dark blue, looking much like
the capital letter S. This at last disap-
peared, and the night set in, still,
beautiful, and mild, with myriads of
stars shining with apparently greater
brilliancy than ever.

I had gone on deck several times to
look at the beauteous scene, and at
nine o'clock was below in my cabin,
going to bed, when the captain hailed
me with the words, “Come ashore,
Hall, at once! The world is on fire!”

I knew his meaning, and quick as
thought, I re-dressed myself, scram-
bled over several sleeping Innuits close
to my berth, and rushed to the com-
panion stairs. In another moment I
reached the deck, and, as the cabin
door swung open, a dazzling, over-
powering light, as if the world was
really ablaze under the agency of some
gorgeously colored fires, burst upon
my startled senses! How can I describe
it? Again, I say, no mortal hand can
truthfully do so. Let me, however,
in feeble, broken words, put down my
thoughts at the time, and try to give
some faint idea of what I saw.

My first thought was, “Among the
gods, there is none like unto thee, O
Lord! neither are there any works
like unto thy works!” Then I tried
to picture the scene before me. Piles
of golden light, and rainbow light,
scattered along the azure vault, extend-
ing from behind the western horizon
to the zenith; thence down to the eas-
tern, with a belt of space within
twenty degrees in width, were the
fountains of beams like fire-threads,
that shot with the rapidity of light-
ning hither and thither upward and
athwart the great pathway indicated.
No sun, no moon, yet the heavens
were a glorious sight, flooded with
light. Even ordinary print could have
been easily read on deck.

Flooded with rivers of light. Yes,
flooded with light; and such light!
Light all but inconceivable. The
golden hues predominated; but, in
rapid succession, prismatic colors
leaped forth.

We looked, we saw and trembled;
even as we gazed, the whole belt of
aurora began to be alive with flashes.
Then each pile or bank of light be-
come myriads; some now dropping
down the great pathway or belt, others
leaping with lightning flash from one
side, while more as quickly passed in
to the vacated space; some twisting
themselves into folds, entwining others
like enormous serpents, and all these
movements as quick as the eye could
follow. It seemed as if there was a
struggle with these heavenly lights to
reach and occupy the dome above our
heads. Then the whole arch above
became crowded. Down, down it
came; nearer and nearer it approached
us. Sheets of golden flame, corusc-at-
ing while leaping from the auroral
belt, seemed as if met in their course
by some mighty agency that turned
them into the colors of the rainbow.
Each of the seven primary, three
degrees in width, shot out to twenty-
one degrees—-the prismatic bows at
right angles with the belt.

While the auroral fires seemed to
be descending upon us, one of our
number could not help exclaiming:

“Hark! hark! such a display! al-
most as if a warfare was going on
among the beauteous lights above-—so
palpable-—so near-—seems impossible
without noise.”

But no noise accompanied this
wondrous display. All was silence.

After we had again descended into
our cabin, so strong was the impres-
sion of awe left upon us that the cap-
tain said to me:

“Well, during the last eleven years
I have spent mostly in these northern
regions, I have never seen any thing
of aurora to approach the glorious vivid
display just witnessed, and to tell you
the truth, friend Hall, I do not like
to see the like ever again" —Hall's
Arctic Researches.

Josh Billing's Opinion of Men
of Genius.

A big genius is generally a phool;
he knows how to do one or two things
so much that he ain't fit for anything
else; he is like a grey hound, good for
running fast, that's all. You kant
lara him easy more than you can an
eagle; he knows how to ti up and look
at the sun without winken, bekase he
was born so, and when he gets up on the
peke of the mountains and gets well lit,
you kant go tew him, nor he won't
come to you, but thare he sets till the
dinner bell rings. After dinner, he
flize oph agane, and you won't see him
till supper time. Tha are like mum-
mey's, very euris kritters, and kepe a
long time spiled. If tha only had
common sense, so that you could make
talers or shumakers ov them, thare
would be some sense ov having the
breed more plenty; but one or two is
all that is profitable to have on hand
tew onst, and tha are enough to kepe
enny body uneasy about what tha are
tew dew next. They live about 40
yeres ahed of the times, and when the
world ketches up with the best one, an-
other is born, who spends most ov
his time in digging up the old bones
that the last one has buried. The
most unfortunate thing about having
a big genius on hand, is that so ma-
ny try to imitate them, but they don't
generally get any farther up than their
vices, and thus one big genius suck-
les a thousand phools. Tha don't gen-
erally live happy bekause tha ain't
built right to fit things as tha find
them. Tha ought to have grate place
tew stop in, where thare ain't nothing
generallyrs to dew, and whare tha kan
play tost and ketch with the stars, and
krack butternuts and mountains. Tha
are curious critters.

Tha ain't afraid to straddle a hurry-
kane without enny bridle on, and stuck
in the spurs, but a nice ribbon in the
wanescot will drive them bareheaded
into the street. They can plant, but
they won't cultivate nor reap.

If I was a woman, I would as soon
marry a porcupine as a big genius;
tha are either as hot as the stove in the
districkt skule house, or as cold and
unfeeling as the shoes on a dead om-
nibus horse. A genius is like a big
comet, that appears once about so of-
ten and makes every body nervis, and I
then disappears, and though we may
not at the time be able to put our fin-
gers on the indiwidual good that have
dunn us, still thare visit is a big one,
and the grate reseryoyrs are pumped
up fuller, and we pour none, the rest
ov us, when we stick in our little
fountains, find that the waters have
been frothened and sweetened by sum-
body.

UNITED STATES.—-The President
has delivered his Message, which is
calm and moderate in tone. The con-
duct of England during the war is
complained of, but he "does not ad-
vise any present attempt at redress
by the Legislature." The report of
the Secretary of the Treasury favours
the repeal of the Legal Tender Act at
the earliest possible moment. The
expenditure for the year ending June
next will exceed the receipts by $112,
000,000; but in June 1867 there will
be a surplus of $11,000,000. No rep-
resentative of Southern States had yet
been allowed to take his seat in Con-
gress. Mr. Hoffman, a Democrat, has
been elected Mayor of New York.
Fears are still entertained of a servile
war in the South.

—It was a good idea which one of
our city ministers presented last Sau-
day evening in an address on the train-
ing of children. “I think it well to
prejudice my garden in favor of violets
and roses, or corn and wheat, if I
would keep out the weeds.” —-N. Y.
Paper.

—The following lines are inscribed
on a board near a watering place in
Vermont:

'Temperance fountain good as can be
Better far than rum or brandy;
If this truth excite your fury,
Let your horse be judge and jury.

Bangkok Recorder.

As our Buddhist combatant is cer-
tainly a most remarkable man, so the
religion he advocates is the most re-
markable and unique we have ever
heard of. It is so from the fact that it
is a trinity not of three persons in one
god-head, but of three religions—din-
metrical opposites, in one Buddhism.
In other words, according to his most
accredited advocate now standing be-
fore us clothed with all the power of
church and state, New School Budd-
hism is sustained by three pillars.
The first and chief is her own inherent
worth; the second is Brahminism;
and the third Mohamedanism. Did
any one ever hear of another such
amalgamation? Why, we would ask
our enemy of the Bible, does Budd-
hism thus lean upon props out of her-
self if she be indeed founded on truth,
and is stable as he would fain have all
believe he thinks her to be? We be-
lieve in the adage "that union is
strength." But we have ever before
thought it indispensible that in such
cases the union be complete while it
professes to be a union. And we have
never before heard that several distinct
religions, naturally at total variance
with each other, could be so united as
to form one mighty unity, and yet
each maintain her own identity, and
independent sovereignty. There was,
it is true, something quite analogous
to this in the late confederacy, in re-
gard to her civil relations to the United
States of Am. And as in that case the
abnormal union, having the principle
of independent sovereignty continually
drawing it asunder, was found to
create only weakness, leading to a
speedy overthrow, so we apprehend it
will turn out to be with this modern
Buddhism not many years hence. We
conceive Brahminism and Mohamed-
anism to be used by the kings of Siam
much as props are employed often-
times to keep old buildings from tumb-
ling over, and they seem not to have ever
dreamed that these props are themselves
rotting down—hastening to the time
when they will all fall together.

Our antagonist, it seems to us, has
made a wonderful concession in saying,
as he does, that "the teachers and
leaders of the Buddhist religion are
as yet very ignorant." If this be true
(and who can doubt it when such a
man admits it, and when every obser-
ver sees it) does it not prove that
the religion they hold and teach is not
one of light and knowledge, but con-
trariwise darkness and superstition?
Do not such follies as that of the
Yaks swallowing the sun and moon,
and thus causing eclipses, grow legiti-
mately out of their sacred books?
Have not those books, even such as
are regarded as the most canonical,
always fostered in the minds of their
followers a love of teaching full of
that which is not only without any
evidence of truthfulness, but positive-
ly absurd?

While our friend of Buddhism does
not affirm that His Majesty the king
of Siam either holds or rejects the
common Buddhist notions of the eclip-
ses, yet he does positively give us to un-
derstand, that the king has no confi-
dence in the notion that the Yak Ra-
hoo has any thing to do in causing
them, and that he knows well what
are the causes, and how to calculate
for them. We are right glad to know
that the present illustrious king of
Siam has so much loosened the shack-
les of Buddhism in which he was
born as to have felt an irrepressible
desire for intellectual expansion, and
that the great knowledge he has conse-
quently acquired has made him by far
the most illustrious Siamese king that
has ever lived. But it is certainly
most preposterous for our champion
to intimate, as he does, that the king
has obtained this distinction by virtue
of his strict Buddhistical principles.
As well might he affirm that dark-
ness produces light, or ignorance and
superstition knowledge and sound
wisdom. Pray, where did the king
acquire his knowledge of astronomy
for which his people are so proud of
him and he so vain of himself? Did he
get it by studying any books or follow-
ing any teachers that originated in
Buddhist countries, or even among the
Brahmins or Mohamedans? Will he
dare to dispute the fact that all his
extraordinary knowledge of astronomy
as well as of other sciences originated
in christian countries and were
taught him by men who had been edu-
cated in christian schools? Who was
his most faithful, and longest continued,
and beloved teacher but the late Rev.
Jesse Caswell a Protestant Missionary,
whose tomb he has delighted to honor,
and upon whose widow and children
he has twice bestowed princely dona-
tions?

We feel that we cannot better close
this review than in the very words of
our Buddhist advocate with which
he opened his batteries on the Bible.
And in doing so we are assured that
we have possession of his guns and can
now turn them upon him with vastly
more power than he used them upon
us. "These words sound very strangely
to the ear. Are they words written
in earnest or in sport? Are they for
adults or are they designed only for
children to hear?

Correspondence.

Mr Editor,

How unconscious soever we may
be of the fact, we are evidently mov-
ing; we are undergoing a change. Our
floating, babel city is in a transition
state. Whilst we are apparently fixed
in reference to each other, still like
some stars of greater magnitude we
are all moving toward some other cen-
tre. Whither we are tending, how we
are moving, and by what motive power,
may not perhaps be so easily deter-
mined. In nothing is this changing
process more evident, than in us
“farangs” ourselves. In many things
the “first run” is always the best: but
the law will not hold good in every
thing. When a new place opens up
with fair prospects for trade, the
“first run” of those who repair thi-
ther, is generally the worst. After-
wards the more reliable, industrious,
and moral classes come in. It is a
proverbial saying, that eight or ten
years ago a sober European in this
place after dinner, say 9 o’clock P. M.,
would have, been a curiosity. This
however must be taken with some
honorable exceptions, for you Mr.
Editor; were here ten years ago, and
it is not for a moment to be supposed
that you are to be included in that
number. But even were the saying
to be applied now, it is to be feared
that it would be fraught with “more
truth than poetry.” We were struck
with a remark, which we over-heard
a well known citizen here make a few
days since. A new comer made a
remark which we did not fully under-
stand, but took it to be rather dispa-
raging of the place. The citizen in
question remarked that he knew of no
better place than this. He had known
men here who had not done a stroke
of work or business for the last three
years, and still were able to be “drunk”
every day, and “and what better place
would a man want than that.” We
contend however that the place has
been changing for the better for some
time, and that the change is still pro-
gressing, although we may be, to some
degree, unconscious of it.

Whilst the change may not be as visi-
ble, or as rapid as could be desired, still
it will eventually manifest itself more
fully. Society, too, is changing. Some
may contend that the change is not
for the better, and in some respects,
with some show of plausibility. But
an unmistakable evidence of the change
for the better is, quite an accession of
ladies to that society. Ladies have
always a benign influence upon society.
Mothers, wives, and daughters have a
restraining, mollifying effect upon the
sterner sex. True, they sometimes
bring with them their gayeties, and
fashionable tendencies, which are more
than is meet. And even those from
whom we have reason to expect much,
sometimes lack the stamina necessary
to battle with fashionable error, still
as a whole the influence of female
society is elevating in its tendency.
The more accessions of the kind to a
new place the better.

The native portion of the place is
also undergoing a change. Many of
them are growing in wealth. Some of
them are unconsciously becoming
more European in their tastes. It is
to be regretted, however, that they are
more ready to imitate the vices, than
the virtues of Europeans. Much bu-
siness, too, is now done by natives.
Foremost among the native business
population are a number of enterpris-
ing Chinamen. Every now and then
a new Chow Sua opens out. As an
evidence of the increase of wealth
we see new residences going up all
over the city.

Most of these residences are Chinese
and are in themselves a village. Some
of them, too, are models of neatness in
appearance. Among those most im-
posing is that of Poh Yim, well known
to all Europeans. There are many
things about it however, which a Eu-
ropean taste would change. It would
not have cook houses and servant's
dens in front through which every
one must pass in going into the main
building. A European would have
cook houses, servants houses and all
the etes in the rear, and present a
clean front to the river. He would
also pay more attention to healthy
ventilation. For want of proper ven-
tillation the air within a Chinese re-
sidence, must be continually foul and
unwholesome. Often-times, too, the
appearance of fine buildings is des-
troyed, by mooring dingy floating
houses in front of them. Some of the
Siamese noblemen, too, especially those
who have been to Europe, are putting
up houses a kind of Siamo-European
style. Whilst there are many things we
would suddenly change were we in
supreme power, still as a whole we
think they are gradually improving.

Mr. Editor;—

I am almost sorry you called me out
again by your query in the issue of
1st inst. I was thinking that I had
perhaps made too rash a proposal, and
felt that if my kindred here were sa-
tisfied, I was also. But a person who
is called out in public will certainly
make a speech, if there is any speech
in him. Under the circumstances,
therefore, you will allow me to quote
the words of one—who in my esti-
mation—is the greatest general in the
world—“I propose to fight it out in
this line.” Although nearly related
by the ties of kindred, our nationali-
ties are widely different. As a conse-
quence our education and tastes are
separated as widely. Our manners
and customs too are oftentimes anti-
podes. All attempts at fusion under
such circumstances are attended with
difficulties. Oftentimes, too, it is hard
to overcome our prejudices. I once
knew a lady who had a most profound
antipathy to a gentleman of a differ-
ent nationality. True, he was not one
whose conduct and manners were
calculated to win the good graces of
many, but the same faults which the
lady condemned in him most severely
she overlooked to a great degree in
those of her own nationality. It is
therefore oftentimes difficult to per-
suade ourselves that any good thing
can come out of Nazareth. Our so-
cial qualities too are as diverse as our
nationalities. Some of us, of course,
are possessed with conversational and
social powers of a high order—con-
versational powers capable of turning,
and twisting a subject, and presenting
it in all its phases, and of wringing
the changes upon it ninety nine dif-
ferent ways, and thus are enabled to
entertain a company for hours upon
very small capital. Others of us again
are “slow of speech” and every word
has apparently to be pumped out by a
kind of suction principle. A high or-
der of conversational powers is certainly
an endowment very much to be en-
vied. It does not follow, however,
that the most inveterate talkers are
possessed of the highest order of in-
tellect, and have their minds best
stored with knowledge and “ vice
versa.” Indeed the “vice versa” in a cer-
tain sense holds true, for as a general
thing the greatest talkers are the most
superficial in their attainments. The
empty barrel makes the loudest noise,
and the flow is not in proportion to
the quantity contained, but in propor-
tion to the size of the bung hole.
Some of the cleverest writers have
been the merest blocks in social socie-
ty, among whom, if I mistake not, was
Byron. One of the brightest scholars,
most profound thinkers, and most
powerful and impressive orators, who
now adorns the pulpits of the Ameri-
can churches, when in a social gather-
ing invariably seeks a corner, and
keeps it until the company disperses.
When a young man, he once walked
home with a lady a distance of several
squares, without exchanging words.
The lady, however, although much his
junior, and belonging to one of the
wealthiest, and best families of the
city, afterwards married that same
gentleman in direct opposition to the
will of her father. She was certainly
not attracted by his conversational
powers; but saw the jewel within,
and did not fail to appreciate it.
Garrulity does not necessarily indi-
cate a paragon of wisdom, nor is taci-
turnity a sign of a block-head. We
must bear with each other in this res-
pect even if some of us have to be
pumped. When it does come it is
generally a good article. The deepest
wells usually afford the coolest and
best water. Nor is a want of ease or
gracefulness in social society by any
means an indication of plebeian origin.
True a constant mingling in society has
a tendency to improve the manners of
most persons, but some are naturally
averse to society, and all the use in the
world will not rub it off. A man so
constituted is not to be set down as a
boor, and excluded from those privi-
leges which his character, and educa-
tion justly demand. The customs of
the countries too, which we represent
differ vastly in regard to what consti-
tutes the "sine qua non" for good stand-
ing in society. A man who perhaps
would stand well in his own country,
might not be assigned the same posi-
tion among his cousins the Britons.
For instance, a farmer stands well
among his friends in the United States,
—-all things being equal, whilst in some
other countries it might be quite dif-
ferent. There he is lord of the soil,
-—he is nature's nobleman; —he is in-
dependence personified. From the
farming community are taken the le-
gislators, governors, and presidents,
and very good ones they generally
make. In a place like this therefore,
where all have equal rights, no one
should attempt to assign to his cousin of
another nationality, his place in socio-
ty. If he is a modest man, and pos-
sessed of good common sense, he
might prefer to take a lower place
than that which justly belongs to him,
whilst at the same time he might not
be willing to brook the idea, of hav-
ing that place assigned him by any
one else.

Scarcely any thing is more difficult
than to get up amusements in which
we can all join. So diverse is our
tastes that this is an Herculean task.
That to which the tastes of the ma-
jority run is dancing; still there are
some, —perhaps a minority who can-
not conscientiously engage in that, or
even favor it with their presence.
But some will say why not? There
certainly is no sin in dancing. That de-
pends wholly upon circumstances. It
is one of those things which is not
"malum in se." The evil is all in
its tendencies. The per se argument
is all fol-der-al. There is scarcely any
thing, short of a positive violation of
the moral law, that is an evil in itself.
I can take a dance in a certain com-
pany, or a glass of wine, or hold
slaves, without committing any sin.
But I hold, that promiscuous dancing
is immoral in its tendencies, and I can
not therefore conscientiously encourage
it. But some may say why not go
and look on? But I may just as well
dance as look on. I encourage it just
as much by my presence as if I act-
ually fling the "light fantastic toe."
I also encourage it just as much by
my presence once in six months, as
if I were present on every occasion.
I have great confidence in the exam-
ple of Paul in such matters. "Where-
fore if meat make my brother to of-
fend, I will eat no flesh while the
world standeth, lest I make my bro-
ther to offend." But a truce to this
I had no intention of getting up a
quarrel with my friends upon this
subject nor do I suppose that any-
thing I may say will change the opin-
ions of many on the subject, how
much soever I might wish to do so.
All I can do therefore is to let those
dance who wish to do so. But what
I contend for is this, that there
might be some amusement found in
which all could conscientiously engage.
By that means we might have a meet-
ing occasionally which the whole fa-
mily could attend. Such a meeting might
have a salutary effect. But I have
already transgressed on your patience
—-so I shall bid you good night.

LOCAL.

We learn that His Majesty the king,
has recently sent, or is about to send
an expedition by the land route to
Oxaooa, for the purpose of taking pat-
terns of the famous Buddhist Teupple
there in ruins, with the ulterior view of
erecting one after the same model
and nearly of the same proportions in
this city. We are informed that the
king has sent architects, designers, car-
penters, masons etc. to make a thorough
and successful work of it. It has been
reported that His Majesty some years
since dispatched men to Oxocox with
the view to bring away from that Tem-
ple many of the most interesting curi-
osities to be found connected with it,
and that the expedition failed. It is
even surmised by some, that the king
does not relish well the idea that there
was a time, many hundreds of years
since, when believers in Buddhism were
far ahead of any living Buddhist in
the arts and sciences now, thus seeming
but too plainly to show, that the Bud-
dhist religion has in herself no principle
of improvement, and that without the
powerful aid of government, and other
exterior props, she invariably falls to
ruin. But should he succeed in creating
another Ongcor in the locality of
Bangkok, and one equal in style and
splendor with the original, how would
that at all disprove the patent fact that
Buddhism is on the decline of ages
simply for the utter want of the light
and love of the Bible? The reproduct-
ing of the exquisitely refined architect-
ture of Oxocor, in that case, could
not be ascribed to any inherent prin-
ciple in Buddhism, but wholly to the
aid of the arts and sciences borrowed,
as it were, from Christian lands.

It is too late for the king of Siam to
think of staying the decline of Bud-
dhism. She is in her dotage and must
soon die. As it was in vain for Alex-
ander the Great to attempt to rebuild
Babylon, so will it be for P'rabat
Somdetch P'ra-chom-klow Chow-yu-
hua, to attempt to rebuild Oxocoa.

It is fervently to be hoped that His
Majesty the king will not allow the
ruins of Oxocor to be so disturbed by
rude and ignorant hands as to destroy
the pleasing possibility of learned men
reading, in due time, to a waiting world
volumes of most interesting ancient
history from them.

We learn that Mr. J. Thomson the
celebrated photographer was, on the
9th inst, at Kabin pressing on for
Ongcor, and that he and his traveling
companion, H. G. Kennedy Student
interpreter to the British Consulate,
were quite well. They were expect-
ing to reach their destination about
the 20th inst. Mr. Thomson will have
a grand field for the exercise of his
skill in the fine art of Photography,
and we trust will give a new and power-
ful impetus to the researches that have
already been made at Ongcor.

The Siamese steamer "Arrow" ar-
rived from Petchaburee on the even-
ing of the 13th inst, bringing as pas-
sengers Rev. Wm. Dean D. D. and his
wife. This steamer is owned by the
enterprising deputy governor of Pet-
chaburee who is ever wide awake for
improvements. By the means of this
little vessel he has made a good be-
ginning in lessening the distance of
that beautiful city from Bangkok. It
is to be hoped he will be seconded by
the government, and the improvements
go forward until lightning speed shall
be given to the communications be-
tween the two cities.

We learn that the Siamese Iron
steamer "Siam," Capt. Bragg, will pro-
bably sail on next Saturday for Sings-
pore, and that she will proceed thence
to Penang.

A company of five European miners,
we learn, are to leave Bangkok this
evening for P'itsanõolüke. Their
names are Thomas Rock, J. W. Smith,
R. Haxton, J. Bilby and J. Britian.
They take a good passport from the
Prime Minister of the Northern div-
ision, promising them all the assistance
they can reasonably ask. There are
no natives to accompany them. Their
rowing and cooking by the way is all
to be done by themselves. They ex-
pect to be full 20 days pulling up to
the gold mines, which are said to be
more than a thousand years old.
Mr. Rock visited the mines last year,
and is now the leader of the new ex-
pedition. He says the country in
that region is most beautiful and grand,
and the climate good. It is the inten-
tion of the party to remain there until
the next wet season, and then to
return to Bangkok.

The Siamese barque "Diamond
City" arrived in port on the 13th inst
and reports, that in the Chinese Sea
she was boarded by Pirates, and robbed
of about $10,000.

Passenger per "Amoy." Mr. Neu-
bronner.

Passenger per "Coral Nymph." Mr.
Correa.
As we were passing up the river this
morning, on the eastern side, near the
front of the palace of the king, we
were suddenly ordered to back down
to a certain guard boat, and cross over
to the other side, if we would pass up
the stream. We enquired the reason
of such a peremptory command. The
little Siamese dignitary would not
deign to tell us. He felt that he was
clothed with power to forbid us, and
that was all his pride and insolence
would have to do with us. It was
galling to be so treated, but we judged
it best to submit quietly, not being able
to get a word of explanation, until
we reached home, when our Siamese
writer informed us that His Majesty
the king had come down to his seat
at the royal landing to feed the Bud-
dhists priests, on this the 2nd day of
the Chinese New-Year-hollidays-—and
that he did the same yesterday, and
will do so again to-morrow. Hence
all that would pass up and down the
river, while the king is there, must pass.
at the distance of 100 yards, or more
from the royal landing.

Curiosities of Eating.

An old bean, formerly well known
in Washington City, was accustomed
to eat but one meal in twenty-four
hours; if, after this, he had to go to a
party, and take a second dinner, he ate
nothing at all the next day. He died
at the age of seventy years.

A lady of culture, refinement, and
unusual powers of observation and com-
parison, became a widow. Reduced
from affluence to poverty, with a large
family of small children dependent on
her manual labor for daily food, she made
a variety of experiments to ascertain
what articles could be purchased for the
least money, and would, at the same
time, "go farthest," by keeping her child-
ren longest from crying for something
to eat. She soon discovered, that when
they ate buckwheat cakes and molasses,
they were quiet for a longer time than
after eating any other kind of food.

A distinguished judge of the United
States District Court observed, that,
when he took buckwheat cakes for
breakfast, he could sit on the bench the
whole day without being uncomfortably
hungry; if the cakes were omitted, he
felt obliged to take a lunch about noon.
—Buckwheat cakes are a universal
favorite at the winter breakfast table,
and scientific investigation and analysis
has shown, that they abound in the
heat-forming principle, hence nature
takes away our appetite for them in
summer.

During the Irish famine, when many
died of hunger, the poor were often
found spending their last shilling for
tea, tobacco and spirits. It has also
been observed in New York, by those
connected with charitable institutions,
that when money was paid to the poor
they often laid out every cent in tea or
coffee, instead of procuring the more
substantial food, such as meal, and
flour and potatoes. On being reproved
for this apparent extravagance and im-
providence, the reply in both cases was
identical; their own observation had
shown them that a penny's worth of
tea, or tobacco, or liquor, would keep
off the sense of hunger longer than a
penny's worth of anything else. Sci-
entific men express the idea by saying,
"Tea, like alcohol, retards the meta-
morphosis of the tissues," in other
words, it gives fuel to the flame of life,
and thus prevents it from consuming
the fat and flesh of the body.

If a person gets into the habit of
taking lunch between breakfast and
dinner, he will very soon find himself
getting faint about the regular luncheon
time; but let him be so pressed with
important engagements for several days
in succession as to take nothing between
meals, it will not be long before he can
dispense with his lunch altogether.—
These things seem to show that, to a
certain extent, eating often is a mere
matter of habit. Whole tribes of Indian
hunters and trappers have been known
to eat but once in twenty-four hours
and that at night.—-Dr. W.W. Hall.

A long Look Ahead.

A cotemporary turns his visage to the
future, and in the misty distance of
two hundred years, sees and describes
the following:

Scope-—House of a citizen of New
York.

Time-—A. D. 2,065. A telegraphic
message has been sent to a servant,
who presents himself at the window in
a balloon.

Master-—John, go to South America
and tell Mr. Johnson that I shall be
happy to have him sup with me this
evening. Never mind your coat, go
right away.

In five minutes John returns.

John-—Mr. Johnson says he will
come; he is obliged to go to the North
Pole for a moment, and will call here
as he comes back.

Master-—Very well, John; now you
may wind up the machine for setting
the table, and telegraph to my wife that
Mr. Johnson will be here presently.
After that, John, you may dust out
the balloon-—I have an appointment
in London at ten o'clock.

John disappears to execute these or-
ders, while his master steps down to
the West Indies to get a fresh orange.

Earnest men.

Enthusiasm is magnetic. Like the
magic fiddle of little Fritz in the Ger-
man legend, it fascinates and draws
after it the crowd. No eloquent en-
thusiast ever lacked followers, whether
his creed were right or wrong. The
earnest man of action, even though a
very bungler in his rhetoric, is sure
to have plenty of friends. His deeds
speak for him. Cromwell's speeches
were generally unintelligible, but he
was terribly in earnest both as a fana-
tic and a soldier. It was impossible to
doubt the sincerity of his prayers, or
to misunderstand the logic of his vic-
tories. Mahomet was a man of vast
capacity, a great orator, a furious sec-
tarian, and an honest-hearted hero.
Such a combination was irresistible,
and he founded at once a new Empire
and a new creed. Had the intellect
of Luther been a more passive type,
his conquests over error had never been
achieved. It was the war-like ardor
with which he challenged and defied
his antagonists, that enlisted sympa-
thetic spirits under his banner, and
made the Reformation a success. To
come down to latter times-—confid-
ence in his own destiny was the in-
spiration of Napoleon, and it was be-
cause he believed in himself that his
army believed in him. He thought
himself irresistible, and so thought
every man in his hosts, from the mar-
shals of the empire to the meanest
followers of the camp. To this de-
lusion, as much as to his genius, may
be ascribed the glories of his dazzling
career.—-Stonewall Jackson-—a man of
no very extraordinary talent-—was an
enthusiast whose zeal and fervor were
worthy of a better cause and a better
fate. No red cross knight ever shout-
ed the crusader's shibboleth “God
wills it!” with more passionate devo-
tion than he did the war cry of Treason.

It has ever been thus, and ever will
be. Without energy and earnestness,
nothing that the world will remember
can be accomplished. They often
save a bad cause from defeat, and al-
most invariably secure the ultimate
triumph of a good one. In the field,
the forum, and the pulpit, in art, science,
literature and love, they are alike in-
dispensable to success. “Whatever
thy hand findeth to do, do it with all
thy might,” is a glorious precept.

The Social Problem Solved.

Oberlin claims to have solved the
great problem of the times—what is
to be done with the colored people.
For a whole generation they have en-
joyed equal rights and privileges in
all departments of that institution
About one-twentieth of the graduates
have been colored. They have, with-
out offense, always sat side by side
with whites in the classes, the lecture-
rooms, and the public assemblies. The
teachers assure me, that they have
found no difference in abilities indi-
cated by complexion. Many of the
oppressed race have found a refuge in
the place. They labor at all employ-
ments with the whites—are blacksmiths,
masons, carpenters, and business men.
There is a colored lawyer in Oberlin,
an able man in his profession, who is
perhaps oftener consulted by whites
than any other lawyer. A colored
blacksmith has educated five of his
children, supporting them all through
college by his own labors at the anvil.
One of the lady graduates this year
from the college is a mulatto, born a
slave, and has been employed part of
the time teaching in the preparatory
department, and has proved herself
one of the most capable and popular
teachers.

A load of forty-nine freed slaves
from one plantation in North Carolina
was at one time left there—almost
dumped down in the streets, and left
with but little money to take care of
themselves. They did it so easily and
noiselessly, that many of the citizens
never knew of their coming.

And now as to the social result.
For this whole generation of practical
equality there has never been any
collision on the one hand, nor on the
other a single case of inter-marriage
between the races. Some parties that
had previously lived as husband and
wife at the South have formerly ac-
knowledged the relation after coming
to Oberlin; but no such marriages
have originated there. White and co-
lored young men, and white and colored
young women, are often seen walking
together in the streets; but never white
gentlemen and colored ladies, or co-
lored gentlemen and white ladies.
Practical equality has not promoted
miscegenation, nor any other evil. The
nation may hence "take heart and
banish fear," and give the colored man
his rights.—-Cor. Congregationalist.

Power of Prayer.

In 1821 there was a large family
residing in C——, a town in Connec-
ticut, of which several members were
at that time unconverted. Two of
the sisters became deeply solicitous
for the conversion of their father, three
brothers, and three sisters. They
agreed, in the month of November,
to meet every night in a chamber, at
eight o'clock, to pray together for this
great blessing, until it should be given.
Satan seemed, as usual, to understand
this arrangement, and immediately
brought in a distracting influence,
adapted to fill the minds of the young
with frivolous desires.

On the night of a grand ball in
April, to which the younger sister
had gone, they were together in that
chamber from eight o'clock until four
in the morning, pleading with God.

This daily engagement was still con-
tinued for three months more, God
giving, in all this time, no outward
encouragement. They then became
more earnest, and remembering that
“this kind goeth not out but by fast-
ing and prayer,” one of the sisters set
apart a day for this purpose, giving
every thought to this one object. The
next week these too united in the
same exercise, and for three successive
weeks they thus prayed together, with
fasting.

During this month the Spirit came
in power to convict the younger sister
of her sins, to such an extent that she
fearlessly, though a girl of only six-
teen years, warned her sceptical father,
all her friends, her brothers, and sisters,
to flee from the wrath to come.

Then it appeared, from her confes-
sion, that while these praying ones
had seen no answer to their supplica-
tions, at that very ball this girl and
her intimate friend had such views of
eternity, and the need of preparation
for it, that they enjoyed nothing. They
saw themselves dancing on the brink
of perdition.

As they retired together to rest,
they said, each to the other, "I will
never attend another ball."

Others were now awakened; the
minister appointed a meeting for in-
quirers; one of the vilest women in
the town was heard crying in her
house, in agony, for divine mercy; a
profane student in the academy was
converted, and became a preacher of
righteousness to all around him. The
sacred influence spread, until the sal-
vation of the soul became the one
topic of conversation throughout the
town. And it is worthy of note that
the very ball-room in which Satan's
enginery was employed to oppose the
work of God, was soon set apart for a
place of prayer by the consent of the
proprietor, a decidedly irreligious per-
son.

One of these young girls was called
in one year to experience the reality
of those celestial joys for which she
had renounced the world. The other
has but recently died—a woman of
uncommon devotedness to Christ,
mother of a large family, whose in-
fluence was a rich blessing to the
whole neighborhood where Providence
had fixed her residence.

The revival continued for a year,
affecting the whole town, resulting in
the conversion of more than a hundred;
making the next winter a perfect con-
trast with the former in the moral tone
of the village.—-N. Y. Independent.

Odds and Ends.

—-The higher an ass holds his head
the plainer we can see his ears

—-Better a dog who works,
Than a lion who shirks.

—-Poverty is a bully if you are afraid
of it, but good natured enough if you
meet it like a man.

-—A hair cutting machine has been
invented in London. They used to
have one in France; it took the hair
off clean, head and all.

-—It is not safe to let things work
unless you have put them in good work-
ing order. You must make them
work right, or they will work wrong.

-—A man who had a scolding wife,
being asked what he did for a living,
replied that he kept a hot-house.

-—Religion is the best armor a man
can have, but the worst cloak.

—-Boys are a great deal like Farina
jelly—just as you mould them they are
likely to turn out.

—-A judicious silence is always bet-
ter than the truth spoken without
charity.

—-To show favor to the wicked is
in fact doing injury to the good

—-A bone of contention should be
thrown away when there is no longer
any meat on it.

—-“There, now!” cried a little girl
while rummaging a drawer in a bureau,
“there, now, gran’pa has gone to hea-
ven without his spectacles.”

Died.

In this city, on the 5th inst, of chro-
nic dysentery, Michael Powers, age 20
years. He was a seaman, formerly con-
nected with the "Gazelle" but left by
her in port for medical treatment.

In this city, at the hospital of Dr.
J. Campbell R. N. on the 10th inst.
of acute dysentry, John Richards,
second engineer of the steamer "Siam",
age 33 years.

Besides the foreign shipping men-
tioned below, there are in port about
52 sail of Siamese Vessels, variously
rigged, and of an aggregate tonnage
of about 18,500 tons.

Popery is Ireland's foe.

The Irishmen are always talking
about England's being their enemy
and destroyer. The Methodist says;

The population of Ireland, which,
in 1841, was more than 8,000,000,
was in 1851 only 5,750,000—-less by
nearly a quarter of a million than it was
as far back as in 1811. Since the
latter date, England has about doubled
her population, and Scotland has very
nearly doubled hers. Why has Ireland
not only not advanced, but retrograd-
ed? In the decade from 1851 to 1861
every Irish country but one (that of
Dublin, the resort of foreigners) lost
in population, and every city and town
except two, declined. Emigration is
usually considered a sufficient reason
for this decline. It is not; but if it
were, it does not solve the original
problem, for the question recurs, Why
this emigration from the most fertile
portion of the whole kingdom? There
is more reason for Englishmen to
emigrate than for Irishmen; but Eng-
land advances-—Ireland goes down.
But if emigration diminishes popula-
tion, it ought, according to the pre-
cedents of all other countries affected
by it, to relieve at least want and
pauperism, by raising wages. Yet we
are told by this Irish authority that
in the last four years paupers, reliev-
ed by the poor law, have greatly in-
creased; that the land under cultiva-
tion has decreased; that there are now
$15,000,000 worth of encumbered es-
tates for sale in the market; that
within the last sixteen years the sales
under the "Encumbered Estates Court"
have amounted to $100,000,000.

There is but one reason that can be
logically assigned for this national in-
effectiveness of Ireland; but one reason
that is not refuted by the analogy of
the other sections of the realm, as
Wales and Scotland-—that reason is
Popery. Ireland now has about a
million and a quarter of Protestants
(and the Irish Protestant is a recog-
nized superior man all the world over),
but she has also four and a half millions
of Papists. There is the real explana-
tion of her social position—the logical
solution of her great problem.

—-Aim above morality. Be not im-
ply good; be good for something.

—-The wickedest liar in life is he who lies
for an object; the greatest liar is he
who lies without one.

—-Does cheese belong to animate or
inanimate nature ?