these, I was informed by a Jew at Cairo, they sometimes find stones of value, that must have been washed from the mountains of Abyssinia, and carried down by the Nile.

very poetical mood, wished both the Arab sailors and Venetian gondoliers at I won't say where. Alleck was despatched to the town to inquire for a guide, and procure eggs. We commenced washing-that is to say, myself and my Our party made a halt, our guides threw off English friend; but Monsieur D. forestalled his their clothes, and, with the assistance of the sash morning labors by a tune on that diabolical fiddle. worn round the waist, I descended, followed by a It was found broken one day, and right glad was guide. On arriving, however, at the bottom, 1 1 of it-it put an end to the music for a time. In could not discover, at the first instant, where in half an hour, just as the sun began to peep over the name of fortune our direction would be; but the sand-hills of the desert, as if 't was a novelty as the eye became accustomed to the change of to him, our breakfast was announced-boiled rice, light, I observed a small hole, just large enough dates, figs, coffee, eggs, and new bread-and to admit a person to enter by lying flat on his we did justice to it. Shortly after, our guides chest. The place had a disagreeable smell, difmade their appearance, and informed us that the ferent from any mummy-pit I remember; and pits were on the other side of the river, at Amabdi. what did not enhance its general appearance, was This was soon obviated. We cast loose, and got a number of large black insects crawling about. into the stream, and a few minutes took us to the The Arab lit some wax candles, motioned to me, other side, where we found the boat of an English and at once placing himself flat on the ground, exgentleman, who was returning from India, but, by tending his arm with the candle, commenced to an injury to his arm, from a fall from his camel at enter this mysterious abode of silence. I followed, Thebes, had been an invalid-had put himself and then there was room for the rest of my friends under an Arab doctor, been cupped with a cow to come down. Mr. N. declined the attempt, as horn, and martyred with certain little insects his arm was far from well. We proceeded; the which make the acquaintance of strangers with passages being tortuous, and the bats most numergreat pertinacity. He was a gentleman of consid- ous, insomuch that at times we feared they would erable information, and fond of pursuits of a much extinguish the lights. We soon, however, arrived higher nature than ordinary travellers. In geology at a small chamber, when we left off practising and botany he had made considerable advance; and many pleasant evenings I had spent with him in Upper Egypt, generally gaining much valuable information. Our meeting was a pleasure; and, on his hearing our intention of visiting the crocodile pits, he requested permission to join our party of course we were most happy.

The guides informed us it was necessary to take arms, as in the desert there were some very bad men; and soon the inhabitants of Amabdi saw us loading guns, flourishing sabres, &c. But now came the most difficult part-as to the reward of our swathy servitors. After much banter, noise, and 'sture, we agreed to give them thirty piastres; so, forming a line of march, our party advanced, consisting of about fifteen persons, guides, boatmen, ourselves, &c. Our way lay along the plain, through beautiful clover-fields, the fragrance of which was most grateful; its luxuriant growth astonishing. Half an hour brought us to the margin of the desert; and it is curious to see what a positive line vegetation makes with the sand: just as far as the waters rise during the inundation, you have rich fertility; but past that, eternal sand.

Our path lay by a ruined convent, long deserted; and then we began to ascend the hills, which are here of considerable height-some thousand feet. We found abundance of shells in the rocks: the echinus was common. We kept on loading our guides, and should have had a very pretty museum, if the cunning rascals had not kept throwing away in nearly the same proportion as we gave them. Having crossed the hills, we came once more into the sandy plain, bounded by hills in the distance the peculiar character of most deserts. Our guides now pointed to a small spot in the wide expanse; this was the mouth of the pit, and the object of our search. On arriving at it, I found a perpendicular hole, or shaft, of perhaps fifteen or eighteen feet, partly covered by a large block of stone, and the entrance surrounded by numbers of fragments of crocodiles, as also a great number of small pebbles, which that animal at times swallows-I believe to assist digestion. Amongst

our lizard-like exercise, and began to look at one another, and to rest for a second; but en avant. We now changed our previous order: my stout friend G. went before the passage became narrower, insomuch that more than one or two bats that were hanging to the roof came to an untimely end by being squeezed to death by the backs of the foremost of our party; and poor G., who was much the stoutest of our 'set,' in one place stuck fast and firm. My laugh was unavoidable; but it sounded strange to the ear, as it echoed through the long passage. By dint of much exertion he got free; and once more we came to a chamber of rather large dimensions, the roof ornamented with hieroglyphics. Several small holes surrounded it: our guides fixed on one, and we again continued our route. The heat was tremendous; and it was with no small pleasure we found ourselves in a vast cavern, the roof of which I could not well see with our small means of lighting it. We sat down on some large blocks of stone, and began to take breath, for our exertions had been great. The guides, who looked like two fiends from the infernal regions, began to undo a piece of wood, (made from the fibre of the date;) this they tied to a large stone, then commenced searching about for the entrance to the next passage. All this caused a suspicion on my mind, and I determined to mark the passages as we entered and as we left them. I think, in the sequel, I, as well as my companions, had much reason to be thankful for this precaution.

We went once more creeping, the last Arab taking in his hand the cord, and came to chamber No. 4. Here large blocks of stone formed the ground, until a chasm, the depth of which I know not, presented itself. We summoned our courage and our strength to jump it, and all gained the other side: it was a place, to use the words of a favorite author of mine, (Forsyth,) that curiosity might stand appalled to gaze within.' We entered another passage, which led us to the largest chamber we had yet been in. Here it was discovered that the cord had broken-the thread to our labyrinth gone! The two guides began now looking

my situation; and if the worst came to the worst, our entertainment promised nothing better than eating our lean, dry, brown Arabs up-and that was not exactly the thing one would like. These reflections came into my head as I was poking it into one hole after the other and how I regretted the wax that kept on falling drop after drop; how we may want it in this infernal petrified re

:

We had gone on nearly round the chamber, when all seemed hopeless. There remained but one or two holes more. A shout of joy broke from us both: there was the paper! But was it possible we had entered by that little hole? It must be so. It was truly so small, that we had overlooked it in our former search, and not regarded it as we crawled into the cavern. Huzza! Poke up those black devils, and come along, my boy! In our joy, the Arabs were more frightened than before: they must have thought it was our song previous to a cannibal feast. But how the rascals showed their teeth when they saw us light the candles, and begin the crawling exercise! With our passage out I will not inflict the reader: he must be as tired as we were, especially as he has to descend again. We gained the fresh air, all perspiration and sand: we congratulated one another, had a good draught of water, lit our

about for the next passage, but in vain: amongst the many they could not determine. They entered some, and then came out again: we heard them shouting to one another, as the voices of some demons, but all to no purpose. We sat with patience; we had been under ground an hour, or very nearly so; our candles began to burn short; our patience, much like our candles, could not continue forever. The guides began crying, beating them-gion! selves, and performing a very pretty farce; but it would not get us on, and we made them signs to return; but in this we were as unfortunate. Passages on all sides of the chamber, they knew not which to take; and now came the full horrors of our situation before us. We might have strayed so far from the right path, that in case of our friend and servants seeking us-and they had no guide-they might not find us. Where and to what may not these passages lead? How far may they continue? And to what extent? These were questions which forced themselves upon our minds. Our candles went on burning, and, much like time to the ill-fated man about to be executed, each moment shortens both. Truly our consternation was great-to be buried alive in such a place! -without light, without assistance, without the means of making ourselves heard. We gazed on one another, and the full truth of our situation seemed to occupy our minds past the power of ut-pipes, and instructed our servant, in particular set terance. This, then, might be the_termination of all our travels, of all our hopes. In vain had our pretended guides sought the path by which we entered; they sat down, and for a moment all was silence. That black gulf over which we jumped presented fresh horrors; the little narrow winding thread-like passages, all came before the eye, and the picture was despair. No word spoken-silence, deep and profound, alone seemed to occupy this abyss: the moments seemed hours. Still the candles burned: the knowledge of this roused us. We for the first time, in a low voice, began to communicate our ideas one to the other: the voice now sounded like some discordant noise. How different from when we entered!-the laugh, the jest; then all was mirth, now all gloom.

terms, to abuse the pretended guides. They looked rather queer when they found we did not intend paying them. But we had not seen the crocodiles.

We were regretting this, when on a sudden we saw an old man with a long beard coming across the desert: he was of a most venerable appearance. All shouted out, this is the true guide: this is *** I forgot his name. He laughed with a sort of inward satisfaction when he heard our story, and told us he expected it. He had heard of our departure, and, with anticipation of its proving unsuccessful, came after us, had brought some candles, &c. : this was civil. I liked the look of the old gentleman. I had faith in him; indeed so we all had, and we disliked being foiled in any

We knew well that those who were without-thing we attempted. We made certain we should our servants and friend-might never have it in go down again; and so we did; but we took with their power to assist us; the former from supersti- us our interpreter, followed a different route, and tion and fear, (the loss of poor Legh's guides in did not pass the chasm or the large hall. He this place must be fresh on their minds;) and the showed us his marks on the sides of the rock, latter (Mr. N.) could have little power to cause us scratched into the stalagmite, which was of a to be sought. We had tried all in our power to beautiful brown color. Could the exhalations of discover the passage; we talked over all the prob- the bitumen have mixed with it? He gave us parabilities of finding it. In vain I had sought my ticular caution as we began to enter one passage, piece of paper. All was despondency: the ideas to mind and not let the candle fall on the inflamof a lingering death-famine in its worst form-mable substances by which the ground was cov. haunted the brain, and filled it with terrible fore-ered-date leaves and old pieces of rag. bodings. The candles were becoming shorter and On proceeding a little farther, judge of our surshorter the truth of this seemed to flash upon my mind more than on my companions, and at once I determined to act. That determination I believe saved us. How absurd to waste that on which our only power of escape existed-the means of light! I immediately proposed the putting out all but one, dividing the few matches we had between two of our party, and then commencing a search for the paper with the utmost attention, as that was our only clue. We left our French friend sitting alone; not but that he was a man of courage and considerable thought. I could not help at the instant expressing a wish that he had his "violin pour passé le temps;" he gave me such a look. But I dislike melancholy as much as I did

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prise: we were literally crawling over the bodies of once living human beings-nummies! Were these the red-haired-sacrificed to the crocodile, as some authors assert? The head I brought out with me, and afterwards sent to Bombay, had red hair—the learned must decide. There was something a little novel in this. We continued thirty or forty yards, when the old man stopped, turned round and pointed, then touched himself, and then something on the ground. This was the body of a man; just behind him another. These were the remains of Legh's guides: they died from the mephitic vapor, he narrowly escaping. One was better preserved than the other it was in a bent-up position, dried with all the flesh on, and part of the

blue dress still left. I lifted it. It may have weighed ten or fifteen pounds.

We now entered the chamber of crocodiles, the object of all our pursuit and adventure. There they lay, of all sizes, from five inches to twelve feet, and I dare say more: thousands packed on thousands, and so packed for thousands of years. I soon obtained a fine large head, and some halfdozen small crocodiles, all bandaged in cloth. There was little to observe in this sanctum sancto rum, and no knowledge how far it continued: it evidently had not been much visited. At the end of the passage, which might have been twelve or fifteen. feet high, the bodies formed a solid mass. It was from the sides I obtained the specimens.

Our return, however, was rather ludicrous: one of the Arabs stuck the head on a spear, and looked a little like David of old. I chalked, or rather printed, the line of Dante over the entrance

extraordinary proceeding took place in another country with which he was connected by the ties of friendship and residence, and for the preservation of the strictest ties of friendship between that country and this no one on either side of the channel was more anxious. He had heard that the government of France had permitted prayers to be offered up by the Archbishop of Paris for the conversion of the sovereign and the people of this country from their heresies to the true Catholic church. He thought that it was very strange, as his learned friend M. Guizot was not a Catholic but a Protestant, that this should have been allowed. Nothing could be more embarrassing than that the religious authorities of one country should interfere with those of another. It was the more objectionable in this case, for the object to be obtained would make our queen forfeit her crown, towards whom the French people entertain feelings of love and loyalty as strong almost as those held by her own subjects, and who were most anxious that she should pay a visit to that country, where no one could be more popular than she was. [Hear, hear.] He was sure that they had no wish of the kind; but if these prayers were fulfilled, that

"Lasciati agne speranza voi che entrate." We gained our boats at a late hour in the evening, enjoyed boiled rice and fruit; and just as we were commencing to light our pipes, the fiddle struck upon my ear, with "Dunois the brave." I wished him at a place in the country he was bound to would be the result; for it was a forfeiture of the Jericho.

who professed this religion; yet he could assure his noble friend near him (Lord Camoys) that the prayers of his church in his (Lord Brougham's) behalf would be thrown away.'

crown for any sovereign of this country to be recOne by one the stars shone out, the sky became onciled to the Church of Rome. He therefore said of a deep purple, then to an indigo, the moon was that he never had heard of anything more embarhigh in the heavens, the plumed date-trees slept in rassing, and it could only have arisen from an overher silver light, the slender minarets of Manfalout sight, and he was sure that such a proceeding painted into the clear vault of the sky. All was would be prevented for the future. He was not repose. My friend's music had long ceased. All likely to be connected or influenced by any Cathowas silence. How beautiful is night!" At lie superstition, but he had great respect for those least so I thought. My mind, nevertheless, turned to friends. I had few to trouble my mind about that time; and then to HOME-that was more easily disposed of, for I had no particular spot in the world so called. After these and various other Lord Camoys, if he had lived in the time of subjects, but all in vain, I hit upon the right one- Voltaire and Rousseau, whose libertinism of every sleep. But my kind-hearted musical friend was of description Lord Brougham has labored to excuse, a different opinion. He opened a box, took out a if not to embalm, would have as readily anticilittle miniature, and then I heard a sort of smack-pated success for the prayers of the church in their ing noise. Ay, ay, my fine fellow; my head to behalf. In every material statement, the universal a handful of split peas you won't do that ten years genius must commit some mistake of fact: the hence. I pulled my beurnouse tighter over my Archbishop of Paris did not designate Queen face. What he did next I could not see; but in Victoria, and no permission or agency of governthe middle of the night I awoke with the idea that ment was thought of; at the present juncture, his the boat was on fire: it was only Monsieur writ-pastoral letter was not the most judicious for his ing a long letter by camp-light, to no mat- cause. A morbid terror about popery, produced by Puseyism, and the further plunges of its professors, revives in England; to aggravate it could not help Catholicism. Lord Aberdeen, quite a precisian in creed and ritual, would have been a little embarrassed, if his usual chosen interlocutor on foreign affairs had-uninvited and untutoredcalled for an official expostulation with his learned friend, Mr. Guizot, the Calvinist. The entente cordiale, however, would have been well turned and felt in the correspondence. The Journal des Debats, usually tender of Lord Brougham, who is a devout worshipper, public and private, of Louis Philippe, noticed his sally in apt and ingenious terms:

ter whom. Good night, again, M. B.; and once more to sleep, with hopes of an early breakfast.

LORD BROUGHAM.

[From Mr. Walsh's letter to the National Intelligencer. dated May 5.]

You are aware that Lord Brougham makes, in parliament, displays, or performs feats, sometimes skilful and creditable, oftener ridiculous or mischievous. His exhibition, on the 30th ultimo, in the high debate on the lord chancellor's religious opinions belief bill, is the subject of pungent French as well as derisive British commentary. It is pretty notorious that his lordship's composition does not include a particle of religious faith or sentiment. Yet how keen his alarm at the free importation of papal bulls into the British dominions, and how solemn his protest concerning the Gallic orisons for the return of the British people to the Roman Catholic fold! Can any text-as we con the speaker-be pleasanter than this:

"He had heard with great concern that a very

"Lord Brougham on this occasion indulged in one of those eccentricities which for some time past have been so habitual to him. He quarrelled with the French government, and especially with M. Guizot, for having permitted the Archbishop of Paris to offer up publicly prayers for the conversion of England to the Catholic church. The illustrious orator said that these prayers tended to nothing short of the forfeiture of the crown of

There was no law, but the law of the strongest. This gave way before an increasing population, and the necessity of settlements. Hence arose the Feudal System.

A powerful proprietor secured to himself absolute right over a large body of dependents, whom he summoned, ever and anon, to make aggression upon some neighboring baron. Thus was prcsented the spectacle of servile dependence and irresponsible authority, and the consequent shock and tumult of irregular power. The elemental forms of society were in frequent and dread collision.

Queen Victoria. The sovereign of England is, in | secular history-the twilight of the past-reveals fact, obliged by oath to profess and uphold the it as rude and savage. Men, banded together as Protestant religion; but we will observe to Lord families and clans, made incessant war upon each Brougham that the Archbishop of Paris causes other. prayers to be put up for the conversion of the people of England in general, and not for that of the queen in particular, and that if England were to be converted it is probable that she would not depose the queen for acting in the same way as herself. In any case a complaint of this kind is the most extraordinary thing in the world on the part of such a man as Lord Brougham. We should have thought that the old and eloquent defender of the ideas of liberty and propagandism would have been the last to take offence at such a manifestation. Governments would not complain if they had only to contend against crusades and prayers, and it appears to us that the purely spiritual means to which the Archbishop of Paris has recourse for the conversion of those whom he regards as heretics are infinitely more in conformity with liberty of conscience than the acts of parliament which have just been repealed. Every man speaks, preaches, and prays for what he believes to be the truth. The Protestants have a simple means of replying to the prayers of the Archbishop of Paris. Let them resort to reprisals. Let the Archbishop of Canterbury ordain prayers for the conversion of France to the Anglican church. Lord Brougham inay be assured that nobody here would see in such a step any attack upon liberty or upon the government.'

But population pushed wider its limits-the strength of contending families and factions, by repeated measurings, became known and defined, and, therefore, less turbulent.

A more fixed order was educed, which gave birth to a fairer civilization.

Then came the Age of Chivalry. It was the triumph of women. Devotion to the fair sex its basis-a courteous and gentle bearing its badge and symbol. It was the starlight age of nations.

At the sound of trumpet, forth came Rank and Beauty to the tented field, to witness, at joust and tournament, the pride and prowess of steel-clad knights.

The proud scion of a noble house sought distinction among his compeers by deeds of heroic gallantry or feats of perilous daring; or, to win the approving smile of some fair damsel, by fearful adventures in gloomy woods and haunted caverns. He assailed enchanted castles, encountered giants, and fought with fiery dragons. He thus achieved the desires of Love and Beauty.

But this gorgeous pageantry, and these fantastic forms passed into deeds of sterner truth and intenser character.

The church pointed to Palestine. A chord was touched that thrilled through the whole heart of society. The ardor of the knight was kindled by a holier fire; he assumed "the cross," and went to battle with the Infidel for the holy sepulchre.

You understand that all Lord Chancellor Lyndhurst's zeal for religious toleration has burst forth since his marriage with a Jewish lady, a fortunate influence for all the Christian recusants! Neither the Bishop of London nor his brother of Exeter, any more than Lord Brougham, is spared by the London press for the part they took in the curious debate on the surviving penalties and restrictions "in more than thirty acts of parliament" of which the chancellor and Lord Camoys exposed the enormity and absurdity. British writers have often shuddered and wailed over the code noir of the southern states of our union; it might still be deemed a white or blushing code by the side of the British statute-books in the various legislation with regard to Papists, Dissenters, Jews, and Jacobites. So far as statute-books exemplify the spirit of liberality, Christianity, and humanity, and, of course, real civilization, or the reverse, those of the Union, and even of any of its members, might be proudly compared with any European whatever. The crusades came to an end; and soon, arose, The Times and the Daily News are particularly in distinctive forms, the contest between the church irreverent towards the mitred alarmists: if you and the civil powers; and in the dim uncertainty, wish your readers to be properly acquainted with the true principles and limits of government began Lord Brougham, you will copy the editorial sketch to be studied and shadowed forth. Commerce, of the Times of the 28th ultimo. The protectionist writers have discovered that the noble lord, in the second volume of his lives, &c., just issued, has brought out and applied the doctrines of Adam Smith, whose life is of the number, in such a way as to invalidate, by that great authority, the cause of the repeal of the corn-laws, which the biographer advocates in parliament. It is, in fact, impossible for him to be consistent, sincere, or steadfast.

From the Truth Seeker Magazine.
THE AGES.

SOCIETY, from the earliest ages to the present, has ever been in progress. The first dawnings of

It was an event to stir up men's minds, and operate on future generations. The old monotony was broken up by new and marvellous activities. A wider knowledge and more thoughtful habit were diffused among the nations of Europe.

and the spirit of discovery, were, in the meantime, gloriously awakened. Liberalizing ideas were set loose and began to float through society, and right notions of liberty took root and grew.

Ere long the art of printing was discovered; and scarcely had that stupendous engine of moral power been planted on the firm earth, than a voice of thunder was heard reverberating through the forests of Germany, and amongst the mountains of Switzerland-reechoed even with a louder note from the hills of Britain and the wildest glens of Scotland. It was the voice of many multitudes aroused from the sleep of centuries.

The foundations of the Vatican trembled, and the papal empire underwent an irreparable disruption. The whole moral aspect of Christendom

LICENSED? TO DO WHAT?-HOW THE IRISH WOMAN REFORMED HER HUSBAND.

Fitly harmonizing with the beautiful tendencies of modern civilization, it will become a grand instrument in working out the era of universal THE WAY THE IRISH WOMAN TOOK TO STOP enlightenment and blessedness. Reflect on the opinion it attacks—the fatal spring of a thousand ills and a thousand woes ;-on the habits it proposes to eradicate-incompatible with a high state of intellectual moral attainment :-and its vast and comprehensive bearings immediately rise before the view.