The Bangkok Recorder.

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Extracts from a Himalayan
Journal.

From the valley of Tillail across the mountains to Cashmere, there is a short and unfrequented route which will well repay the pedestrian who loves to explore the more sequestered beauties of nature, unprofaned by the crowds of tourists and sportsmen that annually flock to the hunt- ing grounds of the Himalaya. Tillail is a small narrow valley among the mountains to the north of Cashmere, on the banks of the Kishanganga, which flows between the lawn like slopes of turf dotted with groves of trees and patches of cultivation that follow the winding course of the river for about twenty miles. The mountains rise so far and so steeply above it that, for four or five months in the year, the primitive inhabitants are completely cut off from all intercourse with their neighbours. They cultivate their tiny crops of barley and buck wheat, and live on the produce of their sheep and goats which they drive up to the higher slopes of the mountain in the summer, like the Swiss herdsmen. They have little care and no use for money, ex- cept to pay their yearly rent to the Maha- rajah of Cashmere to whom the valley be- longs. Each little village constitutes a sort of family, of which their headman, who is often also their priest, is the father. They never heard of any other religion than their own, scarcely of any other coun- try beyond the neighbouring valleys. A journey to Cashmere constitutes an event in their lives to date by for years. It in- duces a strangely solemn feeling to visit such a people and to think of the vast difference between them and one of our European nations, and yet to feel that they are a part of the great family of the human race, which exhibits on a grand scale the little differences in character, disposition and physique of a single household. To the Tillailees, lawsuits, politics, poligious differences and doubts, divorce courts, taxes, social good and social evil are things unknown. From birth to death they have no farther outlook into life than that which is bounded by their own pine- covered mountains and the silent snow- peaks which stand there for ever around and above them. Their ignorance prevents much communication with them. Of their thoughts, feelings, ideas, you can learn nothing. They are strong, active, willing, not without a rough sort of primitive humour, and kindly towards one another. Each of their little villages is built of large rude wooden houses, strong and heavy to resist the tremendous storms which sweep down through the mountain passes. Dou- ble-storied, the lower one receives their ponies, sheep, goats, and hen-throughs, when the snow and cold will not permit them to exist out of doors.

The second day’s march towards Cash- mere, after crossing the first high moun- tain range which surrounds Tillail, lies along an immense glacier which issues from a mass of precipitous rocks, whose spire like summits rise to a vast height and so steeply that the snow will not rest upon them. They tower above the surface of white gleaming snow, dark and barren, like the blasted ruins of some temple built by the primæval giants. This indeed the Tillail coolies believe to be a fact. As you approach this impassable barrier the path turns suddenly to the right and up one of the steepest ascents I have seen in the Himalaya. Having been unwell for some days I was mounted on a Tillail pony and had enough to do to keep myself from slipping over his tail. These ponies are well made, hardy, active and wonderfully surefooted. I have seen them go up and down places which would have presented considerable difficulty to a man unaccus- tomed to hill work. The Tillailaes are for- ced to keep a certain number in readiness in the event of the Maharajah going to war, for which they recieve a small sum yearly. This is not only done in Tillail but in all the districts of his territory, so that "car- riage" is always ready AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE. From which providential arrange- ment might not the Government of India take a hint?

After crossing the pass, I descended into a little strip of narrow valley quite unin- habited. A small glacier stream runs through it issuing from a grand cathedral- like mass of snow-covered rocks which bound the head of the valley. The moun- tains on each side are bare, rugged and very steep. Heaps of boulders and frag- ments of rock encumber the valley MARK- ING the progress and devastation of ancient floods, landslip, avalanches and glaciers. I passed a night here, and next morning commenced a long ascent over the high mountain range which forms the northern boundary of Cashmere. After toiling a con- siderable height I crossed a broad open plateau. At the further end was an im- mense wall-like ridge of rock, through which there was a broad opening complete- ly paved with enormous boulders which, being of the same nature as the dark moun- tain limestone above, must have fallen whenever the passage was formed. And as a proof that the opening WAS formed in the solid rock I plainly observed several projections on one side of the pass with corresponding indentations on the other. The time since it took place must have been of vast duration, for all the boulders were worn and rounded in that manner which unmistakeably marks the long con- tinued and violent action of running water. The conformation of the surrounding coun- try must have been very different then since now the ground falls away from the pass, on one side steeply, on the other gradually. So here in this little spot seemed to be written in a few short sen- tences, as plain and authoritative a con- firmation of the leading ideas of modern Geology, as if they had been traced upon the rock like the handwriting of old upon the wall. After passing through this, the path turned to the right up a steep and rugged ascent whose summit was a very narrow ridge, whence I looked down into a vast amphitheatre half encircled by mountain peaks, and on the other side stretching away towards the edge of the range on which you stand immediately above the vale of Cashmere. Beneath my feet clouds of mist and vapour were drift- ing about in all directions, and as the wind caught and lifted them I got a glimpse of the lake of Gungabal, repoising at the foot of the great peak of the Hararmuk, whose white cone is seen from the valley of Cashmere towering far above all its fellows. It is supported by an enormous mass of mountain and rock which itself rises to a height of 4,000 feet above the lake, terminating on that side in a dark precipice of granate extending along the whole length of the lake, and casting its dark shadow half across its waters, whose tiny wavelets continually break against the vast adamantine wall which rises darkly above it, like the murmurings of weak human voices against the im- mutable laws that govern the moral as well as the material universe. Upon the summit of the precipice is a huge glacier, almost overhanging the rock, and looking as if a touch would send it into the water below. A torrent of snow-white water plunges from it perpetually, 300 feet sheer down into the lake—and, far above lake and rock and glacier, the white peak of the Hararmuk rears its mass of snow never to be approached by human foot 3000 feet into the blue depths of Heaven.

Sublime grandeur, lonely desolation, stern magnificence of immutable repose, all touched with fairest beauty! How eloquently do such scenes speak to the hu- man heart, and bid it lay aside its vain complaining and its weak doubts, and to raise itself above worldly pleasures into a purer atmosphere of loftier aspiration, of firmer faith, to realise more to ourselves the existence and the care for us of that Being from whom, we as well as these rocks and mountains proceeded, to make our lives and thoughts more worthy of Him who has created scenes of such sub- lime beauty.

I have called these mountain solitudes "sacred temples of nature" and not with- out reason, since they seem to have been formed by the great Creator for no other purpose than to impress the souls of His human creatures with a knowledge of His Glory, Power and Love, to develop that feeling of admiration for the sublime and beautiful, and that indistinct longing for a higher life, which are the patents of our celestial origin and destiny. With how much deeper feelings of reverence and even of awe shall we behold such scenes, when we realise to ourselves that it was the THOUGHT of the Creator that they should touch our hearts and teach them of Himself. To think that they have been thus cared for, brings God nearer to us. Nature thus becomes a link between him and us, an everlasting sign and seal of His love for us, a pledge that He has for- gotten us not, that we are not abandoned to the caprice of accident, or the tyranny of fate. She speaks to us of a [......]- [...] by God of our spiritual nature, of the human heart which loves and admires, which can wonder and can feel. For its development, for its teaching and purify- ing were these cathedrals of nature en- dowed with such sublimity of form, such wondrous delicacy of colour and beauty. We are fond of tracing evidences of the design of the Creator in fashioning the material world with reference to our phy- sical wants, but we seldom think how our minds and our spiritual wants have been also cared for. And it is very striking to trace the similarity between the plan of the Divine working with regard to the grandeur of the mountains, and those won- derful provisions for our physical wants to which I have just alluded. Compare for example what we know of the origin and formation of the coal which has play- ed so prominent a part in the history of civilization. At a period of time in the past, so long ago as to be literally not con- ceivable by our minds, and when no life but that of a few fishes existed upon our planet, its surface was covered with a rank and teeming vegetation, so thickly that, in the words of Hugh Miller, "even to dis- tant planets our earth must have shone with a green and delicate ray." The con- ditions of climate, of soil and of rain, were of course totally different from those of the present day, and were exquisitely adapted to the development of the enor- mous tree ferns, pine-like ARAUCARIANS and gigantic reed shaped calamites which formed the staple of the magnificent forests of the carboniferous era.

What a glorious yet purposeless display of power would this have seemed to the mind of an intelligent being, could such have witnessed it. There were no men to comprehend the beauty of these forests or to receive any knowledge and love of God from their magnificence—and although before their decay a few inferior races of animals came into existence those trees could afford food to none. Ages passed away and the forests disappeared from the face of the earth; they sunk into it, or in many places were covered with soil and swept over them by floods and glaciers. Other families of trees took their place, and type after type of strange and varying forms of fishes, reptiles, birds and quad- rupeds occupied in slow and regular suc- cession the earth, the air and the waters of the globe. But all the time certain chemical processes of nature were gradual- ly converting the remains of the carboni- ferous forests into another substance. And still the question, for what purpose would have forced itself upon the mind of an intelligent being who could have seen it. Now that it is an accomplished fact, now that coal has increased the comforts, advanced the the civilization, and develop- ed the energies of the human race, we can understand the meaning of this chapter of revelation in the Book of Nature.

But what a striking lesson does it reveal to us with regard to the mysteries of the moral world. We now stand in the same relation to them as the imaginary intelli- gent being to the coal forests while they were yet blooming upon the earth. And as surely as they had a purpose and a meaning, so surely have those other mys- teries which now baffle our finite compre- hension a purpose and a meaning which will one day be also developed, and which work even as these hidden forces of nature, silently, slowly, but surely towards some great end in the far off and unknown fu- ture. And now if we compare this pro- vision for man's physical wants with the working of those laws which produced the sublimity and beauty of the mountains we shall find some very striking similitudes which, in addition to other considerations, compel us to believe that they were given by the great Creator to develop the moral and poetic part of human nature, in the same way as we have seen provision was made for our physical and intellectual wants. The first resemblance is in the vast periods of time during which the beauty of the mountains existed apparent- ly without purpose or meaning, since there was no intelligence which could perceive it. But now that this and all the aspects of beauty which the earth presents to us have had so wonderful an influence upon our religion, our literature and conse- quently upon our whole life and tone of thought and feeling, their meaning and pur- pose has become apparent, and herein lies the great resemblance regarding this part of the plan of creation, and that which was noticed regarding the coal forest. Another lies in the slow operation of un- changing laws which have brought about the grand result. The gradual upheaval of sea bottoms, breakings forth of molten lava from beneath the earth's crust, the friction of ancient glaciers, the rush of primeval torrents, the silent frosts, the soft rains and dews and the burning suns of countless summers—these have been the implements in the hands of the Divine Architect with which He has shaped the mountain temple, and given sublimity to the glacier and the snow peak, softness and bloom to the sweet valleys winding beneath them, and repose and the beauty of peace to the dreaming mountain lakes that in after ages they might teach and purify the heart of man. Those who realize the vast periods of time which have been required for the development of purposes like those in the material world, can surely never feel surprise or disquietude that the brief period of a few thousand years has not re- vealed to us the meaning and the mystery of that more wonderful creation of man. Nor will they imagine that time can ever reveal it. The creation of the immaterial, of the spirit of man, that mystic essence of his being which loves, hopes, fears, be- lieves, aspires, is infinitely more mysteri- ous and more sublime than all the inanim- ate worlds and suns which circle at God's bidding through space, and if these un- fathomable depths of space (when we look to the Heavens), these incalculable dura- tions of time (when we look to the earth) have been required for the completion of the idea of material creation—-what less than infinity and eternity shall complete the destiny and solve the mystery of the creation of the spirit of man?

Summary.

COURT.-—The Queen and Royal Fam- ily are at Osborne, but will shortly leave for Balmoral, staying a few days at Windsor en route.

PARLIAMENT.-—The debate on the sec- ond reading of the Franchise Bill is still unfinished. Its tendency so far is unfa- vourable to Government. Colonel Sykes has asked questions regarding the rebels in China.

FRANCE.—-A war panic has prevailed in Paris with regard to the position of the two great German Powers. A de- claration of the Emperor's sentiments is anxiously looked for. His Majesty's visit to the Camp at Chalons is to take place in May, instead of in August, the usual period. The payment for exemption from military service is fixed at 200 francs less than last year.

PRUSSIA AND GERMANY.—-The Crown Princess of Prussia gave birth to a daughter on the 12th. More diplomatic notes have been passing between the German Powers. It is reported that several of the Middle States will demand that the Schleswig-Holstein question shall be settled before the reform of the Federal Constitution be taken into consi- deration.

AUSTRIA.—-The intelligence from Vien- na is warlike. The Ministry are much occupied with bank and currency ques- tions.

HOLLAND.—-The First Chamber of the States General has adjourned, and the day for the reassembling of the Second Chamber is not yet fixed. The Minis- ter's defence of his Culture Bill is before the public. The measure has undergone some modifications in relation to sugar, and the Minister denies that he desires to abolish the cultivation of coffee.

KINGDOM OF ITALY.-—The Minister of Finance and the Financial Committee have agreed on mutual concessions. A Vienna journal professes to give the stip- ulations of a treaty, offensive and defen- sive, just concluded between Italy and Prussia.

DANUBIAN PRINCIPALITIES.—-The Pro- visional Government recommend Prince Charles of Hohenzollern as the new Hospodar. Prince Couza's Ministers have been impeached for wasteful expen- diture.

CANADA.—-An order issued for dishand- ing the volunteers has been rescinded, and bodies of them continue to be des- patched to the frontier.

UNITED STATES.—-A proclamation from President Johnson declares the insurrec- tion "to be ended, and henceforth to be so regarded." General Hawley has been elected Governor of Connecticut, and Mr. G. Edmonds appointed Senator in place of the late Mr. Foote. Mr. Seward has entertained Madame Juarez. It is said the regular army, being mainly com- posed of Irishmen, is not to be depended on to check Fenian action on the frontier.

JAMAICA.—-The Royal Commission would finish its labours in a few more days. The evidence of about 1,000 witnesses has been taken. Two of the men convicted before the Special Commission have been executed. The new Constitution is heart- ily welcomed.

SOUTH PACIFIC STATES.—-The Chilian Government has decreed a medal to those engaged in the late naval action with the Spaniards. A screw steamer bearing the Chilian flag is reported off Corrientes. The bay of Callao is bristling with can- non.

BRAZIL.—-The allied army crossed the Parana on the 14th March. The Princess Leopoldine has given birth to a prince. The bank of Brazil will not be wound up.

CONTINENTAL COMMERCE WITH THE FAR EAST.—-The Danish Government has relinquished the idea of sending a steam frigate and a corvette to the Far East; and the Austrian expedition is also final- ly deferred. The Hamburg underwriters have been great sufferers lately, their last loss being the destruction of the Fow- TANET in the China Seas, learnt by over- land telegram. Herr E. von der Heyde is appointed Prussian Consul at Singapore, Vice Schreiber.

THE REFORM BILL.—-Several meetings have been held, but public feeling is not very strong. Mr. Bright's demand for a great popular demonstration was not re- sponded to.

NAVAL AND MILITARY.—-Further retire- ments and promotions have been gazet- ted. Rear-Admiral St. Vincent King is now second on the list for promotion, and, says the ARMY AND NAVY GAZETTE, several officers have intimated their read- iness to take command as his successor. Lieutenant H. C. St. John, of the Opos-

sun, is promoted to the rank of Com- mander, for his conduct in destroying the piratical junks.

OBITUARY.—-The deaths include Lord Clinton, Lady Ponsonby, Sir P. Fleet- wood, and Dr. Hodgkin.

MISCELLANEOUS.—-Mr. Peabody's reply to the Queen's letter is published. Mr. P. P. Ralli has made a munificent dona- tion to King's College Hospital. A letter from Dr. Beke announces the discovery of coal-fields in Abyssinia. The cattle plague is decreasing. Temple Bar is to be removed. A city merchant has been convicted of forgery. The GREAT EAST- ERN is now taking in the new Atlantic cable. A shocking murder has taken place in Cannon-street. General Grant is about to visit Europe.

COMMERCIAL.—-The Bank rate is still 6 per cent, but money is more plentiful Consols, 86 to 86½. The panic in Fin- ance shares still continues. Bar silver in demand at 5s. 1⅛d. to 5s. 1½d. per oz., and Mexican dollars at 5s. 0½d. per oz. The report of the Commercial Bank Corporation of India and the East is very unfavourable, showing losses a- mounting to £235,000. The Oriental Bank will declare a dividend of 10 per cent.-—L. & CHINA Ex. 17th April.

FRANCE AND EGYPT.—-The final arrnge- ments between the French and the Pasha of Egypt as to the Suez Canal are these: -—The Company do not retain a single acre of ground, except such as is needed for the maritime channal. In con- sideration of this cession, the Viceroy adds 10,000,000f. to the already large indemnity fixed some time back by the Emperor Napoleon, and pays the whole within four years from this, instead of sixteen, as stipulated originally. Fur- thermore, the Company sell the property called Ouadi (which they purchased a few years ago for 2,000,000f.) to the Viceroy for the sum of 10,000,000f.; but considering the great sums expended in improvements by the Company, this a- mount is not thought extravagant. Po- litically the arrangement removes all pos- sible questions of dispute, while for the Company it has the great advantage of enabling them to avoid an appeal for capital, which most likely would have created discontent among the sharehold- ers. Although purchased dearly, the Viceroy, it is said, will turn these new acquisitions to account. A line will soon run through them, of which the terminus already existing in Zagazig will from the commencing point, whence it will pass Ismalieh and go direct to Suez traversing the valley and ancient province of Goshen.

THE JAPAN HERALD relates a painful incident which has taken place at Yoko- hama. A Japanese, one of those put forward by the native government as hav- ing been concerned in the attack on a French sailor which took place at the beginning of last month, had been de- capitated. It appears that the affray was brought on entirely by the conduct of the Frenchman who was drunk, and who is represented to have provoked the Japan- ese in an intolerable manner: but beyond this it is said to be certain that the man decapitated had in reality nothing what- ever to do with the affair. He was a common robber who had been in the gaol at the time the affray took place. One set of people affirm that the French min- ister, M. LÉON ROCHES, insisted on hav- ing the man beheaded, but he himself denies this strenuously. The matter seems to have excited a great deal of indigna- tion and there has been a subscription amongst the Europeans for the widow of the Japanese who was beheaded.

IN THE NORTH the Rebellion continues to assume a serious complexion. The foreign drilled Pekin troops, about 2,000 in number together with some 6,000 or- dinarily armed Chinese that were sent from the Chi-li province, in all about 8,000 men, have been unable to make head against a much smaller Rebel army of only some 3,000 to 5,000. The latter, on the contrary, have executed an ex- tremely clever and creditable strategical move. They contrived to lure the Im- perial army northwards, by assembling and retiring slowly. While however, one half of their number kept the Imperial- ists thus in play and led them on to some eight or ten days march north of Fou[?]kden, about 1,500 well mounted fellows made a bend through a wild forest region, and then re-entering the cultivated portion of the province, they advanced on Moukden, which had been left nearly bare of troops. The foreign drilled Pekinese are now nearly all back in Moukden again, to which they have been forced by this move on the part of the Rebels; and the new Military Governor of the province (a man said to have distinguished himself in the suppression of the Tai-Ping Rebel- lion in the South) is now shut up in the City of Kae-Ping about two days' march north of Moukden, and the Mandarins are in apprehension of his being taken there, notwithstanding that he has 300 of the Pekin foreign drilled troops, be- sides others with him.—-RECORD.

Bangkok Recorder.

Summary.

The only thing of interest which has transpired to break the monotony of the week, is the arrival of the Chow Phya, bringing European mails, down to April 17th. The steamer was rather ahead of time this trip, which is rather encouraging if she is going to continue, considering the interest- ing feature of the news from Europe. After the closing of the rebellion in the United States, our western mails for a time became flat, but they have again assumed their usual interest Things in Europe are looking no bet- ter fast. Taking what we have al- ready heard as a basis upon which to found our conclusions, we may justly conclude that actual hostilities are now going on. Considering also that we are separated from the Continent by the distance of nearly half the globe, it is not to be expected, that they would wait for our opinion or advice in those important matters, al- though we may be abundantly capa- ble of giving it.

But a short time ago Prussia and Austria were united in wrestling from Denmark part of her territory, but now they in turn, are fighting over the spoils. It appears strange indeed that the two leading German powers should go to war about so little, for when we look at the map, the whole of the land in dispute, appears but little larger in area, than the possessions of a thrifty Illinois farmer, still a "little fire" oftentimes "kindleth a great matter." They now appear bent upon war, and the friendly offices of the Emperor of Russia, and Her Majesty the Queen of England to mitigate the feud have both been thrown aside. For aught we know to day, the whole of Europe may be in a blaze. So far as we can see it would be madness, in the ex- treme, for Austria to go to war no matter what the principle, or interest at stake may be, for in such a war she risks every thing, even her very existence as an independent empire. War with Prussia, of course means war all around. Hungary, although she has lately made some friendly de- monstrations, when the Emperor Fran- cis Joseph passed through, is undoubt- edly only waiting for an opportunity. Venitia will undoubtedly rise, and the Italian army was already moving to- ward her assistance. It is indeed dif- ficult to see how any part of Europe, can avoid, eventually becoming engag- ed in the quarrel. These things might alarm us, were it not that the hand of an Almighty mover is in it all. We are in the midst of a prophetic year. Great events are still expected by the believers in prophecy, to transpire in Europe, and most interpreters of pro- phecy agree, that this is about the time that those events are to transpire, and who can say they have not alrea- dy commenced. Europe to-day may be the theatre of an Armageddon.

Both the political and commercial world appear to be a little shaky throughout.

In the United States President Johnson has again shown his firmness and good sense, by the exercise of the veto power. Scarcely any previous President has had occasion to exercise, the veto power more than once during an administration, but the pressure of the radicals upon the President, and his policy, has been such that it is dif- ficult to see how he could have done otherwise. The "Civil Rights Bill" which the President vetoed, had for its object the extension to the colour- ed population, the full rights of citi- zenship. The President declared the bill unconstitutional, unnecessary, and anomalous in its character. In this matter Mr. Johnson has not only shown firmness, but also great ability. His message to the Senate in defence of his course, contains arguments which are apparently unanswerable. The Senate may pass the bill over the veto, but it will be lost in the House. The majority of the people too, will un- doubtedly sustain the President.

As "St. Patricks' day in the morn- ing," and evening too, passed off con- trary to expectations, without any very warlike demonstrations on the part of the Fenians, it was supposed and hoped that further apprehensions on that score were unnecessary, but later advices, state that they again ap- pear to be moving, and both the Ca- nadian and United States authorities have sent troops to the border to watch their movements.

The principle item of news which especially interests Siam is the total loss of the new steamer, bearing the name of the kingdom. This is a mat- ter too, wholly of dollars, and cents. We publish in another coluinn the statement of some of the officers on board at the time. Part of the state- ments however, we have thought pro- per to suppress, until further authen- ticated, as they are exceedingly damag- ing to the Captain. If they are at all true, his conduct was simply outra- geous. We did not make the acquaint- ance of Captain B. when he was in this port, but confess we were not much prepossessed with his appear- ance, but then, persons are oftentimes deceived by appearances. It may arise from a kind of epauletta phobia on our part, but we are free to confess that when we see a man in the simple civil service, swelling around in the dress of a high naval, or military offi- cer we are always forced to the con- clusion, that there is something sadly deficient in the upper story, for which deficiency, it requires a vast amount of externals to make up If the state- ment we have received is at all true, the loss of a steamer in such a place, must have arisen either from extreme carelessness, or incompetency. The vessel and cargo are supposed to be worth over $ 200,000.

The only local item of importance is the absence of the Editor of the Bangkok Recorder, who has gone to Petchabure in order to enjoy a short relaxation and rest from his many and various labours. On account there- fore of the Editor's absence we have con- cluded not to have an editoral this week, which omission our readers we trust will pardon.

Loss of the S. S. Siam.

April 11th at 11 A. M. got under way from Rangoon and proceeded on our voyage to Calcutta. Engines and boilers in good working order. Every thing went well until Wednesday the 12th at 7. 45 P. M. at this time the Capt being on the bridge in charge of the vessel, she struck the Alguada Reef about 1 1/2 miles from the light- house. The vessel struck heavily two or three times before the Capt. gave the order to stop the engines. And when he did give the order, the vessel was hard and fast upon the rocks. When the order was given to stop the vessel, the 2nd engineer let off the steam and came on deck, the chief en- gineer, and firemen following him as quick as they could. As we came up on deck the Capt. left the bridge, and came aft. He ordered the boats to be cleared away and lowered. The three engineers, seven firemen, en- gineers cook and four passengers went into one boat, and pulled round the stern of the steamer, when the Capt. ordered us to steer straight for the light-house. When we were about a quarter of a mile from the lighthouse we could see nothing, but rocks and surf, although the red light was burning half way up the light-house. We were afraid to go any nearer, and not seeing any entrance to get in by to the light-house, we turned back and tried to find an entrance at several places, but not being successful we went back to the ship.

When we reached the ship, the Capt. told us that the Chinamen had taken away the other boat without leave. We remained alongside of the ship till 4½ A. M. on the 13th, when we made another attempt to reach the light-house by going on the lee side of the reef, we got abreast of the light- house, when the keeper came out as far as he could on the rocks, and showed us where to land. We got all safe on shore and pulled the boat on the rocks, when we went to the light-house and found the Chinamen had landed with the other boat. The light-house keep- er told us that a sea had washed the other boat on shore, when the Chinamen jumped out and run for the light-house, another sea came and with resurge the boat was carried out to sea again. The Chinamen had told him that there was plenty of money in the boat, and he had went in search of her, and having found her he had brought her in between the rocks, and landed all the money he found on board, a considerable portion of it was lost as the bags were open and the boat stove in.

A short time having passed the Engineers proposed repairing the boat and returning to the ship and make the attempt to save the remainder of those who were on board. The light-house keeper told us it would be no use to make the attempt before low water, as the boat would surely be swamped and our lives endangered for no purpose.

Notwithstanding this, the boat was soon repaired as well as circumstances would enable us to do, but in launch- ing her, she got half full of water. The 2nd and 3rd engineers and five of the crew got into the boat, but three hands were required to keep her free of water.

When we got alongside Mr. Soper told us that the Capt. and the cook had left the ship on a small raft and were drifting out to sea. In the mean time seeing the men all making a rush for the boat, and were nearly sinking her, we told them to get out again as we were going after the Capt. This they flatly refused to do, saying "that the Capt. did not care for them so long as he was all right himself, and now as they had got into the boat they intend- ed to look out for themselves." We then pushed off and made for the shore, three or four men bailing all the time, we landed in safety and then started in search of the Capt. and cook, whom we found three or four miles out at sea drifting with the tide.

After taking them into the boat, we went back to the ship. When we got alongside the Capt. went on board and going aft took nearly all his clothes, cocked-hat, and sword and put them all into the boat, we also to off some more of the men. The boat came nearly being capsizing, but eventually we got safe to the shore and landed him, and his clothes in safety. We then went back to the ship and took the remainder of the men on board and brought them safe to land.

The Capt. wishing to return again to the ship, took the lighthouse keep- er, the chief engineer and the boats crew, and once more put off for the ship. When we got on board we took three mail boxes, charts, some money, the binnacle, and five muskets and re- turned to the shore. In landing the boat was upset and we lost two mail boxes, and the one that we landed was not property looked after, and conse- quently was destroyed.

On Saturday the 15th the barque Viscount Canning of London was passing, when the keeper of the light- house signalized to her, that there was 45 men in distress at the lighthouse. The barque was hove to and the boats sent on shore and we were taken on board, and conveyed safely to Rangoon.

It was with much regret we heard the other day of the complete wreck of the Steamer SIAM on the Alguada Reef. The vessel is said to have gone ashore on the rocks during the night of Wednesday of last week. Our readers will remember that the SIAM only left Rangoon, bound to Calcutta on Tuesday the 10th instant. How this unfortunate accident occurred is a curious question. The Alguada Reef Light is now a very prominent ob- ject in that quarter. During the South west monsoon with a strong flood tide setting on to a lee shore, it is easy to suppose that a sailing vessel might be driven where she did not want to go. Her anchor may either drag or the chain give way, in which case she is wholly helpless. But it must certainly be differ- ent with a steamer, and especially where the weather is anything like favorable. No account of this disaster has reached us. But we suppose that under the pro- visions of the Merchant Shipping Act, the loss of the SIAM will be made the subject of an official investigation. We learn that the Commander and Crew of the unfortunate steamer were brought to this port by the sailing ship "VISCOUNT CANNING."

CORRECTION.

In the Tide Table of the Bangkok Calendar for 1866 for May, June, Au- gust, and October, for High read Low, and for Low read HIGH.

We are happy to be able to state that there has been a great improve- ment in the health of Phya Montree Soöriwang, and he is now to all ap- pearance in a fair way to recover.

Persia.

Persia is even still three times as large as France, but so ignorant are its sover- eigns of its population that their subjects are reckoned at from five to ten millions in number. For miles upon miles noth- ing is seen but a salt desert of which the wild ass and the bounding gazelle are the only occupants. Here and there are scat-

tered fertile oases rescued from barrenness by irrigation, but the general aspect is uninviting to the stranger. Yet no one, not even the Swiss, so loves his land, so praises its beauty and when absent pines for its desert, as the Persian. He has no patriotism, he loves Iran only as the do- mestic cat the home in which it has been reared. From the Elburz mountains to the Caspian, and in Azeabaeejan, the soil, however, is well-watered and fertile. The destruction of trees has diminished the rainfall, and with great labour such occupied plains as that of Tehran are ir- rigated by KHANATS, or under-ground communications between the lower and higher lands. Strong barriers at the foot of the Elburz range like those which the Italians have constructed at the base of the Alps would catch the pre- cious snow as it melts in April, and econo- mise for the whole country the water which for a brief period wastes portions of it by inundations. The people may be divided into the two classes of tentsmen and townsmen. The former, under chiefs through whom the Shah rules the tribes, move from hill to plain in search of past- ure in their black tents. They are called Eelyats, their hereditary chief is termed Eelkhami, and they supply men to the army. The townsmen move, like the Ita- lians of the Campagna and the cities, on- ly for two months in every year to seek coolness in the uplands. The FALEH, or labourer, is fit for any work whether that of the fields or the artisan. In Tehran he is paid from 5½d. to 11d. a day and in the country rather more, according as his services, are in request in summer and autumn or at discount in winter and spring. He saves in the former seasons against the rigours of the latter. His wife, per- haps in some distant village, helps him as a maid-servant to a neighbouring gen- tleman if she have no children, or if she has she busily supplies the clothes that are wanted. Food is cheap, bread being 4d. for 6¾ lbs. and mutton from 2d. to 3d. a pound. The poorest enjoy sherbet and ice. Indeed few of the labouring class in any other country are as well off as the Persians FALEH. Nor are they so oppressed as is generally believed. They supply the conscription and pay taxes, but their landlord, or the Shah himself who receives petitions direct from the lowest, prevents exaction. The peasan- try suffer only as they do in India when the Shah or a governor makes a progress through a district. The Shah pays liber- ally for everything like the English Vi- ceroy or Governor, but so little of the money goes to the proper quarter that the people frequently send a present re- questing the Shah not to honour their province with his presence when he in- tends to pay a visit. The people seldom work on Friday, and they enjoy numer- ous festivals. Every village has a bath and ice-house. Slavery is confined to do- mestic service. Dervishes, professional beggars and idle retainers of the nobles abound, but the nuisance is chiefly con- fined to the cities, and in 1863 it became so intolerable in Tehran that beggars were prohibited from plying their trade. Although the climate of Northern Per- sia is very severe the children are so dressed as to leave the stomach unpro- tected. Hence the small population, but the picked lives who survive are very ro- bust, and the infusion of Georgian and Circassian blood by domestic slavery has made them beautiful.

Like most Asiatics Persians are accom- plished liars. Unlike their ancestors, they may be good riders and shots, but they lack the third virtue of speaking the truth, their object being rather that ac- complishment of the Spartans—-never to allow themselves to be found out in a lie. Mr. Watson, doubtless from a sad expe- rience, tells us—-"Nothing is more diffi- cult than to convict a Persian of telling an untruth, and nothing at the same time is less common than to hear the plain facts of a case from the lips of an inhabitant of that country." The good qualities of the people are that they are in general patient and easily governed. The poor are frugal and respectful. Still this is but little to set against such a description as this, so true of all countries where Is- lam has spread its curse:—-"If there be any beauty or truth, or honesty, in dealings between man and man, in uprightness and independence of character, in wed- ded love, in family life and family affec- tion, in readiness to sacrifice fortune or life, if necessary, for the public good, in tolerance towards others in points rela- ting to religion, in fair play towards others, in gratitude for past kindness, in modesty, in a consistent endeavour to provide for the well-being of posterity—- such beauty it would be vain to expect to meet with in Persia." The source of this, apart from the Koran, is found in the want of education. Few can read their own tongue fluently. The children grow up both ignorant and superstitious, believing for the most part in Mahomed and Ali and Hussein. The Moollahs are the village teachers and they are paid, like the Indian Gooroos, by presents, when a boy has been taught after a fa- shion to read and write the Koran. Imme- diately such a one puts MEHRIA before his name, as the Government of India ig- norantly allowed the Nawab of Bengal's sons to do last year. After seven years of age girls are removed from the Mool- la's care to that of a learned woman who teaches them to read, write and sew and occasionally a little Persian music. But the range of their ideas is by no means wide, and a man more instructed than a Persian generally is would not, probably, find their society very engaging. The Shah supports a Government College in the capital taught partly by Europeans—- a Frenchman, for instance, teaches Eng- lish. His Majesty has caused several youths to be taught medicine and other branches of knowledge in Paris, but with true Mussulman pride their countrymen distrust them on their return.

All Persians are Sheeahs, maintaining the inalienable right of Ali to the imme- diate succession to the throne and mantle of Mahomed. So highly do they vene- rate their priests that, however untruth- ful, they dare not take a false oath if it be administered by a Mujtahid, or high priest. Indeed these functionaries are very loath to administer oaths, for fear of entangling a true believer in falsehood. The great event of the year in Persia is the dramatic representation of the wrongs and woes of the Martyred Hussein, the son of Ali.

The Shah is an absolute despot subject only to the check of the Koran and the courts which administer the Sherra or written, and the Urf or customary law. The nobles are his Peishkhidmutts or lords in waiting, placing his food on the table, holding his pipe, and bringing his slippers, all of which they consider more honourable than to be made ambassador to a European court. When appointed governors of provinces they rule by de- puty. If they offend the King the bas- tinado is the result if bribery is not more powerful. The Shah's sons are married at fourteen and become Governors. The King keeps up the healthiness and beauty of the royal stock by frequently marry- ing peasants. Except for six years be- tween the fall of Sedr Azem, after the Persian War and the selection of Sepah Salar in March 1865, the Shah has always ruled through a Grand Vizier and minis- ters of departments. As the object of each minister, governor and secretary is to amass money not only for present wants but to propitiate his superiors in the day of trouble, we need not marvel that great confusion prevails in almost every branch of the administration. All pay for their appointments. The theory is that the army is a hundred thousand strong. The only well organized arm is the 5000 Ar- tillery which enables Persia to punish the Turkomans. Individually the Persian soldier is brave, but he lacks the moral elements of courage and does not trust his leaders. Kept in arrears for years, as to pay, the men are allowed to work as labourers. Sometimes a regiment will even forego pay for a year's leave. They get no rations, have no surgeon, and are made to serve till old age. The officers are appointed by interest and none be- low a Major is a gentleman. The army is drilled by Europeans who have no command. There is no commissariat. The baggage is carried on asses. The men have percussion musket.

Mr. Watson tells us that Persia is eve- ry year being drained of bullion, the im- ports so much exceed in value the ex- ports. The legal rate of interest is 12 per cent. but the customary rate is from 24 to 60. The consumption of wine is very large and they are valued solely for their intoxicating qualities. There is no hope for Persia Mr. Watson thinks—- and he writes with strong sympathy for the people and with a high respect for the Kajar family—except in a race of foreign conquerors “as in the case of Hindustan.” The inhabitants are dead to progress ; and their faith keeps them as they are. The influence of European Ambassadors has led to the disuse of some barbarous customs, and foreign traders may in time create a desire for foreign luxuries. But the impulse to progress must come from without. Per- sia hates Russia which has stripped it of so many provinces and stolen Ashoorabah an important island in the south of the Caspian. It has not been well used by England which has not fully acted up to past treaties. And it sees in France only a clever intriguing people of whom it may make use but whom it will never imitate. Persia, like the rest of the Mos- lem world, dreamily and corruptly awaits the time when the expulsion of the Turks from Europe will begin, in the East, a revolution from which will issue a new and better Asia.—-THE FRIEND OF INDIA.

United States.

President Johnson has proclaimed "the insurrection in Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Tennes- see, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Florida to be ended," and henceforth to be so regarded." General Hawley, of the Republican party, has been elected Governor of Connecticut by a majority of 500 votes. The Governor of Vermont has appoint- ed Mr. George Edmonds to be a Se- nator, vice Mr. Foote, deceased. Mr. Seward has entertained Madame Juarez, the wife of the Mexican President, at dinner. The public debt of the United States amounted on the 1st April to $2,837,000. The balance of the Trea- sury at the same date was $122,000, 000. Gold on the morning of the 4th, 138. Exchange on London, 137. Cot- ton, dull; middling upland, 39 to 40c.

Great fire at Mandalay.

It is said that a steamer will leave to morrow morning at daylight. I am going to send you a few lines. I could write vol- umes. A fire of unprecedented magnitude and virulence has destroyed the best, and certainly the richest portion of Mandalay, out the city walls. The fire commenced on Sunday evening at about 5 P.M. some- where near the Chinese quarter, and before 7 P.M. it had spread west, as far as the Shosy Tschoang, and north for a mile and a half making a clean sweep of every thing that could possibly be consumed. A strong breeze blew from the south, increased with the fire, and then swept the flames in ed- dying fierceness in all directions. Your house went early in the day. All Kullalads followed rapidly, including the Puckah buildings of Moollah and other Mogul merchants, spreading with fearful rapidity and fanned by the most insinuating of southerly breezes. The flames soon reach- ed the Armenian quarter, and in a few minutes only, all the good houses on that line, including the building of Camaratta and his family were no more. In the mean time, the fire bore down steadily in my direction and from three different direc- tions. I had foreseen danger from the first and prepared for the worst, by having all my men on the roof with a plentiful sup- ply of water. For some time it was hope- ful that Mr. D'Avera's house would escape, but the heat from the surrounding blazing buildings, was too great to admit of any one's remaining on the roof to afford help. Almost as quickly as it takes to write this, his house and compound on all sides was a mass of bright flames, the wind blowing almost dead upon what appeared then the devoted agency!

By this time most of the Europeans who had been burnt out round about me were present with me, and rendered valuable aid. Water was handed up freely, and all parts of the building deluged. Our diffi- culty was to maintain our post, owing to the heat and smoke; but the fates were propitious and the house was saved by sheer exertion. Hundreds and thousands of burnt out individuals, had been stream- ing down westward and filled the plain west of me. There was no exit to the east.

Amongst the SOLICITORS FOR SHELTER were Mrs. D'Avera, family, and followers. shortly afterwards, and before I was out of danger myself Mr. D'A. presented him- self on the roof of my house and held out his hand which under the circumstances it was impossible to refuse. By this time I had with me, Major Halsted, Messrs Calogreedy, Levia, Mr. Colter, Mr. D' Avera, and a host of others. Mr. Berry had found shelter with Madame d'Orgoni, who had a narrow escape. The fire was short, rapid, but most complete. Nothing stopped the devouring element. Large trees seemed only to communicate the flames, and blazed away as they were LIKED by the CIRCUMAMNIENT flames, as if they were so much dry fuel—even the old crying man's place so apparently well guarded by magnificent tamarind trees was completely burnt up. There are only bare cracked WALLS left. Fancy I can look out now from over a kind of black maildan eastward and have a clear view of the west face city wall. So fierce did the fire rage, and so effectually do its duty that even the charred remains of posts usually seen after a fire, hardly exist in the present instance! The posts them- selves having been consumed with the house. There is wide spread ruin and de- solation. Burmans generally view these calamities very philosophically but this time I think they actually feel the visita- tion to be more than an ordinary one.

THE MYE-LOON-GHEE CASE.—-It will be of high interest to many persons here, to learn that this great moot-point has wound itself into parliamentary influ- ence in England ; and that it was to have them brought under discussion in the House of Commons at an early date—-is we are told by a paragraph in the last OVERLAND MAIL, which we here annex—-

The Myloongyee Case,—-Colonel SYKES on April 12, to move an address for copy of correspondence of Mr. KNOX, the Con- sul at Bangkok, with the foreign office, and replies in reference to the claims made by Mr. BURN, a British subject, and known as the Myloongyee case.

It may be expected that the sifting thus proposed for it, will more readily bring the matter to a terminable issue, than all the legal assertions and arguments that could be employed about it, in all the Courts in Burmah ; for according to well- received opinion here, we believe the lever of influence with the Court of Siam is THE one to effect a proper adjustment. If therefore the matter comes to be made a Government question in England, it will necessarily follow, as a consequential step, that it will soon be made a diplomatic one with the Siamese Court—-where, it is not inaptly supposed, the vexed question must, at last, be decided—-at least so PRO FORMA, by a declaration of the validity or other- wise of the original assignment.

ISLE OF BONES.

—-The greater part of the coast of New Siberia and the Isle of the Lackon, on the north of Asia, is only an agglomera- tion of sand, ice and elephants' teeth.

The fishermen collect enormous quantities of fossil ivory which is imported into China and Europe, where it is employed for the same purposes as ordinary ivory.

The isle of bones has served as a quarry of this valuable material for export to China for five hundred years; and it has been exported to Europe for upwards of a hundred. But the supply from these strange mines remains undiminished. What a number of accumulated genera- tions does not this profusion of bones and tusks imply.

CHANGES IN INDIAN SOCIETY.

-—Dr. Livingstone, after his second and recent visit to Bombay, has thus written of the marvellous changes in In- dian Society. “Our Government is, upon the whole, directed for the good of the people. We have wise and equitable legislation, and the laws are enforced with fairness. Many of the magis- trates are natives, and any of them may rise as high as any European in the ma- jority of offices under Government. No other nation would have governed India so well as we have done, or with as much tender consideration for the feelings and prejudices of the natives. We have rath- er over-done our duty in this respect, and as it appears to me the statement of a native in London, that his countrymen were buffeted if they did not make obeisance to every European, must be erroneous. Very few natives take any notice of Europeans in passing, unless they happen to be acquaintances. Here nearly all the gay carriages and dashing pairs are owned and occupied by native la- dies and gentlemen, and certainly no more is expected or received from them than would be at Rotten-row among ourselves. It is the same in those parts up country where I have been, and I believe no other nation would do so very much for a con- quered people and exact so little. In the parts of Africa conquered by the Portuguese no native dare come near a white with his hat on.'

Economy in France.

Americans have not the first no- tions of economy. They make mon- ey with little trouble, and spend it without counting. In this it would be well if they took a few lessons, and in Europe they would have examples ad infinitum if they mingled with the people; but they learn no more of the daily habits and interior life of those among whom they travel than if they staid at home. They learn to practice their follies and not their wisdom. Not how they shall make money, but how they shall contrive to live on what they have, is the question with Europeans; how, by hook and by crook they shall make the ends of the year meet, and they have no false shame about exhibiting all these hooks and crooks. If one takes a house full of his acquaintances ask how much he paid for it, how much income he has, how much it cost him for dress, food, and all the various necessaries of life; and then they calculate to see if he can save any- thing. An American feels insulted by one such question. If a lady buys a dress, her friends demand how much it cost. They take the material in their hands, rub it between their fingers, pronounce upon its strength and fineness, and whether it is a good bargain. A French lady is happy to give the most minute information up- on all the details of her menage, and would not be offended if asked how much the dinner cost to which she had invited you.

We know families in American cities who do not think it possible to have a good dinner for less than two dollars each person; but we know families in Paris who keep two or three carriages, two coachmen, two valets, two cooks, and three chamber- maids, who allow only sixty cents each person per day for food, and live very well. The chief cook is told how much he may spend for the table, and no professed cook takes a place where he can't make a good profit with the sum allowed him. There are thou- sands of families in Paris who live on salaries of four, six, and eight hund- red dollars a year, who never spend more than ten dollars a month on the table.—This will seem incredible, but we have lived in such families and shared their meals, which were suf- ficient and good. Not a single item is provided until the cost has been counted. But the most important article with English and Americans is never reckoned by the French people. This is time. They turn and putter all day in half a bushel, while an Am- erican would prefer some hard labor that would yield him more money, and save him the necessity of such economy; and fortunately he lives in a country where this decision is at his choice. But here labor is not free, and therefore money is not plenty, and, what is worse, labor is not honorable. —Paris Cor. Chicago Republican.

Home Conversations.

Children hunger perpetually for new ideas, and the most pleasant way of reception is by the voice and the ear, not the eye and the printed page. The one mode is natural, the other is artificial. Who would not rather listen than read? An audience will listen closely from the beginning to the end of an address, which not one in twenty of those present would read with the same attention. This is emphatically true of children. They will learn with pleasure from the lips of parents what they deem drudgery to study in the books; and even if they have the misfortune to be deprived of the educational advantages which they desire, they cannot fail to grow up intelligent if they enjoy in childhood and youth the privilege of listening daily to the conversation of intelligent people. Let parents, then, talk much and talk well at home. A father who is habitually silent in his own house may be, in many respects, a wise man; but he is not wise in his silence. We sometimes see parents who are the life of every company which they enter, dull, silent, uninteresting at home among their children. If they have not mental activity and mental stores sufficient for both, "let them first provide for their own household."

"The Wooden End
of the Board."

Gen. Banks, in a recent speech delivered in Washington in favor of free suffrage, told this anecdote:

When I was younger than I am, living in the State of New Hamp- shire, at the town of Nashua, where I obtained my education at a University with a belfry on the top and a water wheel under the lower stories, looking out with my associates and fellow students upon the smooth and glassy surface of the Merrimac river, the stream of perpetual beauty and per- petual life, we saw a colored boy, in- timately known to us, upon the surface engaged in the pleasant exercise of skating, for it was winter. While we looked upon the beautiful Merrimac, the little negro boy suddenly went in. You may never have seen a negro un- der such circumstances.

We went down to him with all the speed possible. Going out to the middle of the river, we took up a plank and handed it to the little negro, and he grasped it with as much alacri- ty as any one of them will take a ballot when we give it to him. Just as he had got it on the hole into which he had fallen, he fell off the plank and went in again. The second time he came up, he wore an expression I shall never forget. You have never seen a negro under such circumstances.

He was speechless, his emotions suppressed all rhetoric; he did not indulge in any eloquence at all. He grasped the plank this time, not with alacrity but with ferocity, and we brought him again to the surface. We thought he was a negro saved from the jaws of death; but off the little fellow slipped and went down. You may never have seen a negro under such circumstances. We handed him the plank again, but he did not touch it this time. You may never have seen a negro refuse a plank under such circumstances. He addressed us a speech, and I never heard a speech that contained so much of touching eloquence as was embodied in that little negro's speech. "Please gib dis nigger the wooden end of that board." You see the end we had given to him was the icy end. It was the same icy end that the Southern people have been holding out to him for two hun- dred years. He was entirely satisfied that the wooden end was the best.

Now, sir, what we propose for the negro in this country is, to give him the wooden end of the board. He has had the icy end for more than two centuries. The desolation of more than mortal retribution has come up- on the men who extended to him the icy end of the board, and come upon them justly. I wish now to give him the wooden end of the board. He will receive from that act of justice the same joy which that little negro ex- perienced.—Lo. Ca. News.

A Spider Story.

Fired with emulation, I carefully watc- hed a common garden spider (EPEERA DIADEMA,) which I found as wonderful. I commenced by destroying the web of a fat spider, and the owner appeared ex- cessively astonished as her web collapsed around her. At length she took refuge in an inverted flower-pot, where I found her two hours after. I am inclined to think that during this period she was preparing materials for a new web, I found in every case where a web was de- stroyed that the spider went away to some quiet spot, and drawing his legs around him, remained quiet for two or three hours. During this period of repose the spider is stupid and dull—just gives an impatient shuffle when touched, but does not run off as spiders generally do when disturbed. I watched again, then left, and when I returned in half an hour I found the spider as active as a spider could be in building a new web—-the old one, which at my last visit was still hanging, had vanished. Had the spider eaten it? “thats the rub.” By a lucky chance an- other spider came a-up the piece of wood, from the end of which my spider had fastened one of her foundation lines. “They met,” and in an instant the claws of each were shot out with a dexterity that a pugilist might envy; the blows were given in exactly the same manner as a cat strikes her antagonist. The trespassing spider was soon convinced that it would be the hight of folly to stop where he was; so fastening a line from where he stood. he let himself down on to a con- volvulus leaf. My friend rushed to the spot where spider No. 2 had fastened his line; and seizing on it the other end of which, be it remembered, was in com- munication with spider No. 2’s body be- gan to wind him off, that is to say, she drew the line in toward herself, in the same manner that a sailor hauls in a rope, but with a rapidity that was truly wonder- ful; the front legs moved so rapidly that my eyes could scarcely follow them. Spider No. 2 having a decided objection to his vitals being wound away in this sort of manner, put an end to my friend’s little pastime by cutting the line. Spider No. 1 had now collected web that amount- ed to the size of a large pea; when she found the supply cut off she began stow- ing it away in her own body, forcing it in with her two front claws, and in a few moments not a vestige was left.

Sowing Wild Oats.

In all the wide range of accepted max- ims, there is none, take it for all in all, more thoroughly abominable than the one as to the sowing of wild oats. Look at it on what side you will, and I will defy you to make anything but a devil's maxim of it. What a man-—be he young, old, or middle-aged—-sows, that, and nothing else, shall be reapt. The one only thing to do with wild oats is to put them care- fully into the hottest part of the fire, and get them burnt to dust, every seed of them. If you sow them, no matter in what ground, up they will come, with long, tough roots like the couch grass, and luxuriant stalks and leaves as sure as there is a sun in heaven—a crop which it turns one's heart cold to think of. The devil, too, whose special crop they are, will see that they thrive, and you, and nobody else, will have to reap them; and no common reaping will get them out of the soil, which must be dug down deep, again and again. Well for you if with all your care, you can make the ground sweet again by your dying day.

A Methodist Estimate
of Spurgeon.

Rev. Gilbert Haven, in his notes of European travel, says, of Spurgeon:

I confess to a previous prejudice against him; but he disarmed me. I heard him through. And though I dislike to admit any one into the circle where my three great preachers dwell—Olin, Durbin and Beecher—-yet I have to acknowledge that he has a seat beside, if not above them. He is a very remarkable man, the great- est preacher, I think, that I have heard. He glories in the simplicity of his preach- ing and seems to think that he is nothing remarkable; but only an earnest, straight- forward evangelist.

Careless Business Men.

It is not possible for a man to be care- less in business affairs, or unmindful of his business obligations, without being weak or rotten in his personal character. Show me a man who never pays his notes when they are due, and who shuns the payment of his bills when it is possible, and does both these things as a habit, and I shall see a man whose moral character is beyond all question bad. We have had illustrious examples of this lack of business exactness. We have had great men who were in the habit of borrowing money without repaying it, or apologizing for not repaying it. We have had great men whose business habits were simply scandalous—-who never paid a bill unless when urged and worried, and who expend- ed for their personal gratification every cent of money they could lay their hands upon. These delinquencies have been apologized for as among the eccentricities of genius, or as the unmindfulness of small affairs which naturally attends all greatness of intellect and intellectual ef- fort; but the world has been too easy with them altogether. I could name great men—-and the names of some of them arise before the readers of this letter—-who were atrociously dishonest. I do not care how great these men were. I do not care how many amiable and admirable traits they possess. They were dishonest, and untrustworthy in their business relations, and that simple fact condemns them. I am ready to believe anything bad of a man who habitually neglects to fulfil his business obligations. Such a man is cer- tainly rotten at heart. He is not to be trusted with a public responsibility, or a rum bottle, or a woman.—-DR. HOLLAND.

Prices Current.

EXCHANGE—On Singapore 1 @ 1⅓ 10 d.s. Hongkong 2 P cent discount 30 d. s. Lon- don 4s 9⅓ d. P 86 m. s.

Odds and Ends.

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

—-To bring up a child in the way he should go.-—Travel that way your- self.

—-The man who would like to go to heaven alone, will never get there either alone or in company.

—-"What are you doing!" said a father to his son, who was tinkering at an old watch. "Improving my time," was the rejoinder.

Wood-sawyer's soliloquy—"Of all the saws I ever saw to saw with, I never saw a saw to saw as this saw saws."

A poor Irishman who applied for a license to sell ardent spirits, being questioned as to his moral fitness for the trust, replied, "Ah! sure it is not much of a character that a man needs to sell rum!"

—-We should give as we receive, —cheerfully, and without hesitation, for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers.

—-Different sounds travel with dif- ferent degrees of velocity. A call to dinner will run over a ten acre lot in minute and a half, while a summons to to work will take from five to ten minutes.

—-There is no greater obstacle to success in life than trusting for some- thing to turn up, instead of going to work and turning up something.

—-An Irish peasant being asked why he permitted his pig to take up his quarters with the family answered —"Why not? Don't the place afford every convenience that a pig can re- quire!"

To stuff his coffers, starves himself;

Labors, accumulates and spares;

To lay up ruin for his heirs;

Grudges the poor their scanty dole;

Saves everything—except his soul.

—-A lady in an omnibus at Washing- ton, espied the great unfinished dome of the Capitol, (which don't look much like a dome at present) and said innocently, "I suppose those are the works!" "Yes madam, for the na- tion," was the answer of a fellow pas- senger.

—-If we are loved by those around us we can bear the hostility of all the rest of the world; just as if we are be- fore a warm fire, we need not care for all the ice in the Polar regions.

Our Financial Revolution.

A WRITER in the December number of BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE demonstrates, with great clearness and force, the injur- ies which have been inflicted on British commerce by the laws which restrict the issue of paper currency, and make the amount of it dependent, not upon the exigencies of the public, but the amount of specie held by the Bank of England. The constantly recurring crisis in com- mercial affairs which have been so ruin- ous to England are with singular clear- ness proved to be owing to this cause. At the very time when specie grows scarce by its withdrawals, for exportation, and the necessities of the public for an in- creased emission of currency become a alarming, then instead of meeting the de- mand by an issue of more paper, the bank begins to contract its issues ; as a matter of course, trade becomes cramped, mer- cantile operations restricted, prices fall, distrust spreads, failures occur, and dis- tress pervades the whole country. We know all about these things in this country, having been constantly subject to them under our old state-bank system, the last and most disastrous of them having fallen upon us in 1857. Seeing how easily these financial crisis occurred during times of profound peace and abundant harvests, when we ought to have been in the most prosperous condition, financially speak- ing, it was perfectly natural that all our financial writers and bank managers should have predicted utter ruin to our commerce in the event of a war with the South ; and that visions of ships rotting at our wharves, and grass growing, in Broadway and Wall street, should fright- en the wits out of prudent, conservative capitalists. What right had they to ex- pect anything else, in the event of a civil war, when disasters nearly as great oc- curred in times of peace? But the long- dreaded event at last came, and the pro- phets of evil held their breath, anticipa- ting the predicted ruin. The ruin, how- ever, did not come—-at least not the kind of ruin that was looked for. Broadway, instead of being overgrown with grass, was overcrowded with customers. Wall street sprung into new life. Sagacious conservatives shook their venerable heads, and said : "It's all very well now ; but wait and see." Well, we have waited, and what have we seen? Why, a severe fin- ancial crisis in England in 1864, but none here as yet. Peace, however, was to bring, not healing on its wings, but the great smash up which was to involve all in one wide-spread financial ruin. But we have now had nine months of peace, which have been to us nine months of uninter- rupted commercial prosperity. Of all the commercial nations of the world with which we have had intercourse during the past five years, not one of them has been so free from financial derangements as our own country ; and yet, while they have been at peace and in the enjoyment of a specie currency, we have been at war, have increased our national debt 3,000,000,000 of dollars, have given free- dom to four millions of slaves, have had our most valuable ports blockaded, have re- duced our cotton crop from 4,000,000 of bales to 1,500,000, have lost more than a hundred thousand tonnage of shipping by rebel pirates, and have suspended specie payments during all the time, too. We wonder if any of the people who are so desirous for a return to the old order of things, who would impose upon us again the old state-bank system, ever give themselves the trouble of thinking to what we owe our marvelous successes during the past four years, as well as our continued prosperity during the last nine months?

If they do, they cannot fail to see that they were directly owing to the abundant issues of legal-tender, which were re- garded as a dire necessity at first, but have proved to be our great salvation. These legal-tenders gave us something to work with ; they furnished the people with a perfect currency, and at the same time gave the Government a permanent loan of four hundred millions of dollars, free of interest. And now it is proposed to roll back the great financial revolution which we blundered into, to return to the restrictive scheme of a paper curren- cy, based upon specie, which proves so inconvenient and disastrous to England, and which once was so inconvenient and disastrous to ourselves ; but we believe it to be wholly impossible to do this, and in the impossibility of it our safety lies. It was an easy matter to put four millions of greenback currency into circulation ; but to suppress it will be about as practicable, and about as sensible, as it would be to put a full-grown turkey back into the shell from which it had been hatched. We might kill the fowl in attempting to com- press him into his original condition, and that is about all we shall be able to do with our financial prosperity if we attempt to go back to the ante-rebellion system of currency.—-N. Y. INDEPENDENT.

How Justice is to be Enforced.

The following terse answer to a let- ter of inquiry recently sent to Gen. Fisk from an agent of the bureau, will show your readers how justice is to be enforced in this State:

ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE, NASHVILLE, TENN., DEC. 13, 1865.

SIR: I have the honor to acknowl- edge the receipt of your favor of the 13th, and to reply as follows:

Q.—-What shall be my course to en- force a judgment for debt?

A.—-You will, after giving reason- able time, seize and sell the debtor's property.

Q.-—When a white man is fined for beating a freedman, and he refuses to pay the fine, how shall I enforce the payment?

A.-—Hold him in arrest until he pays it; and if he still refuses, put him in jail.

Q.—-When I order a white man to appear to answer a claim for debt due a freedman, and he refuses to ap- pear, what have I to do?

A.—You will arrest and fine him for contempt.

Q.—-What about carrying fire arms?

A.—-Treat every one alike. You cannot disarm the negroes when white men of every class are allowed to car- ry arms.

Q.—-What about whipping as a pun- ishment for crime.

A.—-No! Let the lash be laid a- side forever. All civilized nations have discarded it. Its use would dis- grace the American name. Should any one attempt to use it on any one of his laborers, you will punish him so- verely.

Q.—-What shall I do with roving and vagrant negroes?

A.—-Treat them just as the law treats white vagrants. Let freedmen know that you are the friend and pro- tector of the industrious but the en- emy and punisher of the dishonest and vagrant.

You may ask : How am I to ob- tain officers to enforce my orders? Se- lect civil officers in the county, if you can find such as will enforce your pro- cesses; if not, appoint officers from a- mong civilians. If you cannot find such, apply for military aid. You are in the service of the United States, and its whole power is pledged to sus- tain you in the discharge of your du- ty. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

Brevet Maj. Gen. and Asst. Com. for Kentucky and Tennessee.

This has the right ring in it. Let the spirit of this letter be carried out by the agents of the Bureau, in every State and country in the rebellious States, and it will not be long until public sentiment will be purified, and equitable laws will be passed, securing to all, the rights of person and pro- perty—-N. Y. Independent.