to keep for himself the mule which Don Rafael had sent to Salamanca, and received from the two bridegrooms several other gifts. And the poets of that time found employment for their pens, in celebrating the beauty and the fortunes of the two adventurous yet virtuous ladies, the principal subject of this narrative." WONDERS OF VEGETATION. Nothing can be more singular than the unaccountable manner in which plants spring up on certain occasions. After the great fire of London in 1666, the whole surface of the devastated city was in a short time covered with a luxuriant crop of the Sisymbrium irio, in such profusion, that it was calculated that the whole of the rest of Europe did not contain so many specimens of this plant. Again, wherever a salt spring breaks out at a distance from the sea, its vicinity immediately abounds with salt plants, although none grew there before. When lakes are drained, a new kind of vegetation springs up. Thus, when the Danish island of Zealand was drained, Vilney observed Carex cyperoides springing up, although that species is naturally not a native of Denmark, but a native of the north of Germany.-Dr. Graves's Introductory Lecture. OPIUM EATERS. I had heard, (says Dr. Madden, in his “Travels,”) so many contradictory reports of the sensation produced by this drug, that I resolved to know the truth, and accordingly took my seat in the coffee-house, with half a dozen Theriakis Their gestures were frightful; those who were completely under the influence of the opium talked incoherently; their features were flushed-their eyes had an unnatural brilliancy, and the general expression of their countenances was horribly wild. The effect is usually produced in two hours, and lasts four or five; the dose varies from three grains to a drachm. I saw one old man take four pills, of six grains each, in the course of two hours. I was told he had been using opium for five and twenty years; but this is a very rare example of an opium eater passing thirty years of age, if he commence the practice early. The debility, both moral and physical, attendant on its excitement, is terrible; the appetite is soon destroyed, every fibre in the body trembles, the nerves of the neck become affected, and the muscles get rigid; several of them I have seen in this place, at various times, who had wry necks and contracted fingers; but still they cannot abandon the custom; they are miserable till the hour arrives for taking their daily dose; and when its delightful influence begins, they are all fire and animation; some of them compose excellent verses, and others address the by-standers in the most eloquent discourses, imagining themselves to be emperors, and to have all the harems in the world at their command. 1 commenced with one grain; in the course of an hour and a half it produced no perceptible effect; the coffee-house keeper was very anxious to give me an additional pill of two grains, but I was contented with half a one; and in another half hour, feeling nothing of the expected reverie, I took half a grain more, making in all two grains in the course of two hours. After two hours and a half from the first dose, I took two grains more; and, shortly after this dose, my spirits became sensibly excited. The pleasure of the sensation seemed to depend on a universal expansion of mind and matter. My faculties appeared enlarged; every thing I looked on seemed increased in volume. I had no longer the same pleasure when I closed my eyes which I had when they were open; it appeared to me as if it was only external objects which were acted on by the imagination, and magnified into images of pleasure. In short, it was "the faint exquisite music of a dream" in a waking moment. I made my way home as fast as possible, dreading at every step that I should commit some extravagance. In walking I was hardly sensible of my feet touching the ground; it seemed as if I slid along the street, impelled by some invisible agent, and that my blood was composed of some etherial fluid, which rendered my body lighter than air. I got to bed the moment I reached home. The most extraordinary visions of delight filled my brain all night. In the morning I rose, pale and dispirited; my head ached; my body was so debilitated that I was obliged to remain on the sofa all the day, dearly paying for my first essay at opium eating. A BULL. THE following address to the public, by the editor of a Dublin paper:-" We have too many apologies to make to our readers for the many typographical errors and OMISSIONS that have APPEARED in our journal of late!" The worst enemy of Mirabeau was his father; it was to him that the son was indebted for his abduction from Holland and his captivity at Vincennes ; a truce was at length established between them, of which it was one of the conditions that Mirabeau should confine himself to the province of Limousin; and, in pursuance of this agreement, he took up his residence at the chateau of his brother-in-law, the Comte du Saillant. His arrival was an event for the whole neighbourhood; the petty landholders of the vicinity, who had often heard of him from his brother-in-law, as a man not less remarkable for his talents than for the vehemence of his passions, hastened to look on a being respecting whom their curiosity had been so much excited; most of them were mere sporting gentlemen, who knew little besides the names of their dogs, and in whose houses no books were to be found, except an almanack, and, perhaps, a treatise on farriery. It may be imagined what sort of a figure a man like Mirabeau would present, a man of education, genius, and refinement, among these Nimrods, who, as compared with him, were yet in the lowest stage of civilization. To them he was like a meteor from the skies; his vast head, of which the apparent bulk was increased by an immense crop of thick bushy hair; his strongly-marked features beaming with animation; his quick dark eye, which keenly expressed his tumultuous passions; his mouth, whose rapid movements betrayed every emotion; his costume, genteel, but extravagant; all these made up a whole which amazed and confounded the rustics among whom he wasted his days and hours, even when he was silent. But when he spoke, and his sonorous voice expressed the energy of his imagination, they thought themselves in the presence of something better or worse than man; sometimes they were tempted to throw themselves at his feet, and at others to fly from his presence as from that of a demon. The monotony of his existence soon became wearisome. To escape from it, he would often set out, with a gun, and a book, to make long excursions among the neighbouring forests, from which he often returned very late; night scenes delighted him and excited his vivid imagination. At this time there was much talk in the vicinity of the chateau, of highway robberies that had recently been committed. Several persons returning from market had been ordered to give up their purses, and all had obeyed, preferring the loss of their gold to the hazardous chances of resistance. No discoveries were yet made of the robbers; and there was nothing upon which the police could act for their detection. One night a friend of the count, arriving late from the fair, was observed to be wrapt in a profound and unusual reverie, very different from his habitual manner, which was that of a jolly companion. He was almost a wag by profession; and this made his present silence and gravity more remarkable. The courage of this person was somewhat doubtful; but this did not prevent him from talking largely of his exploits. The count, anxious to know what it was that had caused such a change in his manner, took him on one side after sup-per, and begged to know what made him so grave and silent. "No, no," he replied, "you would not believe me; perhaps we should quarrel about it." "What, then," exclaimed the count, "it is something in which I am myself concerned?" 66 No, not exactly yourself, but-” "A plague upon buts; what is it? why will you tease me with these mysteries? Tell me what is the cause of your silence?" "No, no, it is nothing." "My dear friend, I require it of your friendship to tell me." "Well, then, since you will know, I have been robbed within half a league of the chateau." "Robbed? and by whom?" "Ah, that is what you must never know; indeed, it was dusk, and I am not certain myself." "Whom do you suspect?" "Excuse me; I cannot, must not declare that." "I insist; were it my own son, I insist upon knowing.' Agreed." And they returned to their companions as if nothing had happened. The guest soon became gay and lively as usual, but the count strove in vain to drive what he had heard from his thoughts. At length he again sought an interview with his friend, and after much conversation, a plan was proposed and agreed upon; it was, that the guest should say nothing of what had happened, but take his leave for a week, and return to the chateau on the eighth day at the same hour at which he had been robbed. Their measures were taken accordingly. On the eighth day, the hour appointed arrived, but the guest had not yet made his apearance; the count was on thorns; Mirabeau too, was absent. On a sudden the gate of the court-yard is opened; and the count flies to meet his expected friend. "Well!" he exclaimed. The other answered, "I have been stopped again; it is he there is no longer a doubt." As before, he had been ordered to throw his purse on the ground, by a man partly concealed behind a great tree; by the glare of the lightning he had distinguished the robber's features. After throwing down his purse, he had urged his horse forward to strike down the robber; but he, taking deliberate aim with his gun, had exclaimed, "Pass on, or you are a dead man," and the voice was that of the Sieur Mirabeau. Within the next half hour, Mirabeau entered, his clothes dripping with rain : he went at once to his own apartment, ordered his supper to be brought up, sent word to his brother-in-law that he should not come down, and went to bed as soon as he had finished his meal. When every one had retired, the count repaired alone to the chamber of Mirabeau; he found him asleep, and that so soundly, that he was obliged to make several efforts before he could arouse him. "Well," he exclaimed, when he at last awaked, "what is the matter?" "What is the matter! can you ask?" answered the count; "I come to tell you that you are a wretch." "Pleasant enough to wake a man from his sleep, with such an agreeable compliment." "Robber! you have robbed my friend on the highway, and that, more than once; he has recognized you." "And could you not tell me all this in the morning? Suppose I have robbed him, what then?" "What then! It follows that you are a felon, a wretch." "You are a fool, my dear brother-inlaw; do you suppose that it was for his money, I stopped that half-witted boor? I wanted only to try his nerves and my own; I wanted to know from experiment, how much resolution was requisite to enable a man to place himself in direct collision with the most sacred laws of society. The experiment was a hazardous one, but I have made it, and I am content with myself; but your friend is a coward. Here, take this key, open my bureau, and bring me the second drawer on the right." The count obeyed; in the drawer, wrapped in distinct papers, were nine purses, some of silk and others of leather; upon each envelope was a date, and the sum of its contents. "You see," continued Mirabeau, "that it was not for gold that I took up this trade. It requires courage, my friend, to rob on the highway; more than a soldier needs, who fights in the midst of his fellows. But you cannot comprehend me, or my motives: adieu; to morrow I shall return to Paris; and now, my good brother-in-law, let me finish my sleep." G. P. M. ACCOUNT OF THE APPEARANCE OF THE KAMENIAN ISLES IN THE GULF OF SANTORINA, MORE PARTICULARLY Of the one FORMED IN 1707. (For the Parterre.) Kamenia is the present name of three islands in the gulf of Santorina: they are designated as the great, the little, and the new Kamenia. The word Kamenia (burnt) is derived from the Greek, Kameni, and indicates the volcanic origin of these three islands. Towards noon, on May 8, 1707, the shock of an earthquake was felt at Santorina. On the morning of the 12th, between the two Kamenia islands, but nearer to the smallest, where the water was shallow, and where the fishermen of Santorina often threw their nets, a rock appeared, resembling the wreck of a incommoded the inhabitants, who sufvessel. The inhabitants of the adjacent fered so greatly from these mephitic and village of Fira having perceived it, formed sulphureous vapours that many of them various opinions on the subject, and to seemed at the point of death, Gold, ascertain the matter, determined to re- silver, and other metals neglected to be pair to the spot; but scarcely had they covered up from contact with these exneared it, when they returned half dead halations, were blackened. The southwith fright at the terrific spectacle. west wind carrying them to Aramfi and Others, however, more resolute, and Astopalia, exposed these islands to the strongly urged by curiosity, had the same evils. This phenomenon was only courage to reach the rock, and remain beneficial to sown land, which was enthere an hour, whilst every thing was riched by the ashes scattered over the shaking around them. They discovered country; hence the wheat and barley that the appearance was a rock; on ex- harvests this year at Santorina were unamining it attentively they perceived usually productive. oysters and other marine productions attached to enormous pieces of rock that had been thrown up from the depths of the water to the surface. The fishermen profited by the discovery to collect shell fish from the vicinity, until the sea, subsequently agitated by the sulphureous vapours it continually exhaled, becoming discoloured and poisonous, extinguished life in every thing inhabiting its waters. This poisonous state of the sea extended beyond Santorina. The surface of the newly formed rock gradually enlarged until it had attained the circumference of half a mile. A white and earthy matter, mixed with stones surrounding the rock, formed a composition so little solid, that the agitation of the waves would easily have dissolved it, had not the volcanic rock served as a rampart against their violence. June 30th of the same year, the waves washing this rock, where the sea was deep, lost their natural colour and became white as milk, and those of the greater proportion of the gulf took the same tinge. This phenomenon was caused by the thick vapours thrown to the surface from the depth of the sea; the fish were poisoned by these exhalations, and their dead bodies carried by the waves to the shores of the island. July 3d, in the same vicinity were observed confused and blended masses of enormous black stones, conglomerating towards a new formation. On the 5th, a thick smoke was seen to issue from the crevices of these stones, the volume of which continually augmented. The first formation likewise increased until it covered a much larger space, which gave out volcanic matter, without flame, as the process continued. A few days after, with a placid sea, and clouded sky, the mingled vapours and mist stretched as far as Santorina, which they canopied. They greatly injured the vines, and other trees, and very much During the growth and prevalence of these vapours, which stretched as far as Astopalia, night and day heavy and terrific sounds as of desolating cannon were incessantly heard. Continued shocks of earthquakes were experienced, and doors and windows suddenly thrown open by the commotion of the air, and large stones, some of the weight of a ton, were forcibly heaved up from the deep waters. These phenomena lasted with a diminution of power until 1710: the stones no longer hurled to a distance, fell back upon the new island; it was remarked that these eruptions were more active during the prevalence of north winds. In 1711, the smoke and flame gradually subsided. On the 8th of September of this year, the volcano seemed quite extinguished: but towards 1714 it was, however, observed, that a vapour produced by the remaining heat, did from time to time exhale from stones on the summit of the mountain, forming what might be called, the crater of the volcano. The new island, composed entirely of stones black or tinged with red, calcined and burnt, is five miles in circumference; the central mountain emitting fire, is perhaps, two hundred paces in ascent. There is a harbour to the south of this island, capable of giving anchorage to small vessels: its bottom is sand mixed with stones. The inhabitants of Santorina were induced to lay aside ideas of flight at this alarming crisis, by tradition and historical records of the prodigies attendant upon the appearance of the other Kamenian islands above the surface of the waters, which seemed to have been of the same nature with the then phenomena, but occasioned no personal accidents. Historians relate that the larger Kamenian island was formed at two several times: the first, in the first year of the one hundred and forty-fifth Olympiad (about 196 years before the christian era). The event is thus noticed by Justinian :"In this year, between the islands Thera and Therasin, at equal distances from the two shores, a shock of an earthquake was felt, during which, to the consternation of the sailors, the waves became warm, and an island suddenly emerged from their depths." It was named Hiera, or Sacred, and was dedicated to Pluto. The second formation took place in the year 725 of the christian era, in the reign of Leossaurius: it is thus mentioned by Cardinal Baronius, an ecclesiastical historian:-"Between the Cycladian islands, Thera and Therasia, dense and increasing vapours were seen to issue from the waves, spreading and deepening in the shape of a column, until they appeared one mass of flame, whence quantities of stone of various sizes and forms were cast forth so violently that they fell at Lesbos and Abydos, and on the shores of Asia Minor and Macedonia. New land was suddenly created by the agency of the fire, and an island was joined to that called Sacred." The details transmitted from generation to generation, of the origin of the lesser Kamenia, attest the occurrence of similar extraordinary events: the fire is stated to have been in activity there for three successive years. In the year 1649, at Nios, Andros, and Santorina, earthquakes were so frequent that the inhabitants, incessantly in terror, had thoughts of abandoning their dwellings, and seeking shelter elsewhere. In 1650, between the islands, but nearer to Santorina, fire and smoke in one tremendous mass burst out with thundering explosion from the sea, intercepting the light of day. The varied forms under which this column of fire was visible, inspired the beholders with the most vivid terror. The flames bursting their way through every obstacle from beneath the land and ocean, continually emerged with detonations as of mighty thunders: this period is still in the present day, remembered by the epithet "the evil time." The sea, impetuously driven hither and thither by the prodigious agitation of its waves, overswept its usual bounds, and rolled its perturbed waters over the plains of the north-east of Santorina, depositing there an infinity of dead fish, and volcanic stones, and so encumbering the channel with similar matter, that vessels could scarcely pass there. Animals and birds of many different kinds perished on this occasion, and thirty men were destroyed; some coming from adjacent islands in boats were suffocated by the sulphureous vapours on entering the channel, and others were engulphed in the waves that poured landward over the north-east shore of Santorina. Many of the inhabitants lost their sight for a time, and were only recovered by bathing their eyes in the wine of the country. These calamities lasted for the space of a year. From the authentic account of Dalenda di Gasparo, an Italian, who was an eye witness of the appearance of the Kamenian island, in 1707.-Translated from the Appendix to Count Andressy's work on Constantinople. (Count A. was late ambassador from France to the Porte.) B. E. M. PRESENTIMENT OF DEATH. THE following anecdote is not the less credible because it resembles others of a similar description. These things astonish and alarm the vulgar, but merely amuse or interest the intelligent. A man on entering a field of battle is seized with a presentiment of approaching death, and is rallied by his comrades. He comes out of the engagement unhurt, and joins in the laugh which is raised at his misgivings. But the case is otherwise, if he should fall: his presentiment is then looked upon as second sight, and multitudes of long ears are erected in astonishment at the fore-knowledge displayed by a simple soldier! The ancedote here given is from " a narrative of the Twenty eighth Regiment since their return from Egypt in 1802," by Lieut. Col. Chas. Cadell. "A singular instance of presentiment occurred on this occasion (at the Battle of St. Pierre). When the inlying picquets turned out in the morning, a soldier of my company, the grenadiers, named M'Kinlay, came up to me handing a paper, and said, 'Captain, here is my will; I am to be killed to-day, and I will all my arrears, and every thing I have, to my comrade Hugh Swift.' • What nonsense, M'Kinlay,' I replied to him; go into action, and do what you have always done, behave like a brave soldier.' He answered, I will do that, Sir; but I am certain I am to be killed to-day, and I request you to take my will.' To satisfy him I took it, and the man fought with the picquets during the whole day with great coolness and gallantry. In the afternoon, a little before the action was over, we rejoined the regiment,- -we had suffered much, but M'Kinlay was standing unhurt close |