with projecting concentric platbands over and of equal diameter with each column, the intervals being enriched with square sunken moulded panels: this ceiling is thirty-five feet from the floor to the crown of the arch, and is executed with great precision and effect. An Isthmian wreath, carved in one entire block of Pennsylvania white marble, surrounds the clock face, which occupies the space of the first panel over the entablature in the centre, the design of which is copied from the reverse of an antique gem found at Corinth, and described by Stuart in his work on the Antiquities of Athens. The tellers' counters are composed of marble, forming panelled pedestals across each end of the banking-room, commencing at the first column from each of the end walls.

The stockholders' room is a parallelogram of twenty-eight feet by fifty, being lighted from the portico of the south front, having a groin arched ceiling, with projecting platbands, enriched with guilloches springing near the base of the groin angle, across the semi-circular intrados of the arch. Each end of the room is ornamented with niches eight feet wide, the heads of which form an architrave concentric with the semi-circular panels in the tympanum of the shortest diameter. The committee rooms from the stockholders' open right and left, flanked by two flights of marble stairs, leading to the clock chamber and other apartments in the second story. The private stairway from the banking-room leads to the directors', engravers', and copperplate printers' rooms, being lighted from the roof. All the internal door-jams, sills, and imposts, are of marble.

The banking-room is amply warmed by two cast iron furnaces, lined with fire brick, being simply erected within an air chamber, through which the external atmosphere passes, and becomes heated by the furnace: it then rises through the arch into a circular cast-iron pedestal, perforated on the sides, out of which it is suffered to escape into the

room.

The whole body of the building is arched in a bomb-proof manner from the cellar to the roof, which is covered with copper. All the groin arches are girdled at the springing line with iron straps, passing round within the body of the division walls.

The foundation stone was laid on the 19th day of April 1819; and the whole building was completed in August 1824.

JOURNAL OF A TOUR FROM THE PACIFIC TO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, THROUGH THE INTERIOR OF MEXICO, IN 1827,* BY WM. R. BOWERS OF PROVIDENCE. The town of San Blas is situated in latitude 21° 30′ North, longitude 104° 50' West from Greenwich. It is built on a high rock one mile and a half from the sea; and is surrounded on all sides by marshes overgrown with trees and underwood, and which in the rainy season are quite overflowed. These marshes produce insects and reptiles of every description, besides all kinds of game, ducks of every species, snipe, pigeons, curlew, wild turkeys, deer &c. affording good amusement to those fond of sport.

The town contains two hundred and fifty houses: few however can be called tenantable. A good custom-house, the Commandant's-house and a miserable hospital, with a church in ruins, are the only *The original sketches here presented to our readers will be found to contain much novel information with respect to a tract of country but little known.

public buildings. The number of inhabitants at this season (February) may be estimated at about 3500 or 4000. In the rainy season, San Blas is quite depopulated on account of sickness; no vessels coming there, particularly in the months of June, July and August, as heavy gales and bad weather render it dangerous to shipping. At this place there is a river capable of containing twenty sail: vessels drawing ten feet can enter it in cases of emergency. But it would be an impossiblity to keep their crews on board on account of mosquetoes and sand-flies. At this place there is an arsenal or dockyard established, but the labor of repairing a vessel is so enormously high, that strangers seldom attempt it. The usual place of anchorage is abreast of the entrance of the river, in seven fathoms of water, and is distant one mile and a half from the shore. It is defended by two batteries of fifteen or twenty guns, in most shocking repair and poorly manned.

Vessels coming to San Blas should be provided with good ground tackling, and not want for stores of any description. Particular attention should be paid to the vessel's copper, as the worms here are more destructive than in any other part of the world. Navigators should not place any confidence in English charts issued before the year 1826, as all this part of the coast and the Gulf of California, are laid down very erroneously. San Blas is a receiving place for the interior towns of Mexico, and carries on a considerable trade with upper and lower California. The manners of the people are the same as the Spanish, which, being so well known, need no description.

Having provided myself with a guide, two horses, two mules for baggage, and with every thing proper for the journey, my trunks and bedding being well secured against the dust and rain, and myself being well armed, on the 28th of February 1827, I commenced my journey from San Blas to the city of Mexico. Our road this day lay over a low, muddy tract of land overgrown with a great variety of trees. I frequently had my hat, and was sometimes in danger of having my head, knocked off by the boughs of trees, which were taking their loving embraces across the road. Our horses often sunk to the saddle girths in mire. I noticed game of different descriptions, also a small deserted village called the Port, where the Indians at particular times resort for the purpose of manufacturing salt. Although it is twenty miles in the interior, yet at particular seasons the water of the Pacific overflows the land as far as this place. When the waters retire they leave a considerable layer of salt earth, which is collected by the natives, who by pouring water over it, prepare from the earth a strong brine, which they dispose in large, shallow pans made in the ground, for two or three months, when the sun turns it into salt. I observed the natives making lime from the large beds of shells, which nature had deposited here some centuries since, and which lay but one or two feet below the surface of the ground. At 8. P. M. we arrived at the Rancho of Silvas, so called from the owner. It is a small collection of huts with thatched roofs and sides formed by stakes driven into the ground, just near enough together to keep out the wild beasts, and situated in the middle of a forest. At this place, we succeeded in getting a supper for ourselves and provender for our horses. After paying for our poor fare very enormously, we retired, having travelled this day about thirty-three miles

Considering the situation of our quarters I passed a comfortable night. At 4. A. M. we resumed our journey over a bad road scarcely passable in some places for our horses. I suffered the inconvenience of frequently having to stop for my hat, as the boughs of the trees were so thick as to make it rather unsafe to ride before daylight. I noticed fields of sugar-cane, and corn, and several small settlements of huts. We also passed over some fine runs of water. At 8. A. M. we arrived at the entrance of a romantic and dreary forest called the Parlos Marias, situated in a low, deep ravine, two or three miles in extent, and noted for the many robberies and murders which have there been committed. On entering this place, your guide takes care to warn you to reprime your pistols and have every thing ready at the shortest notice. Although the day should be fine, you lose sight of the sun from the time you enter till you come out. I noticed the beech, birch, live and white oak, and a number of trees, whose names were unknown to me. We often ascended very steep hills, and the path, for the greater part of the way, was intercepted with large loose stones and gullies washed by the rains, which caused our journey to be rather fatiguing. On our road this day, we passed over a tract, several miles in length of entire pumice stone. We stopped to dine with an Indian, of whom Capt. Basil Hall speaks in his book of travels, and found him a very shrewd fellow. At noon, we arrived at the town of Tepick having travelled this day thirty miles. The distance of this place. from San Blas is sixty-three miles.

Tepick is situated in a beautiful plain surrounded on all sides by high hills. It contains about 500 private houses, and has several fine public buildings, with a population of 9000. In the rainy season, the population is increased by 3 or 4000 emigrants from San Blas and Mazatlan, who resort here for the purpose of spending that portion of the year. The town is handsomely laid out in squares, and the streets are well paved, yet little attention seems to be paid to having them-kept clean. From the number of buildings now being erected, I believe it is growing rapidly. This, like all other Mexican towns, has a garrison of good looking soldiers. There appeared considerable life among the inhabitants: balls, theatrical exhibitions, and bull fights were frequent. The ladies are some of them very handsome. The land around Tepick appeared under good cultivation, and the soil rich. This town is supported by trade and agriculture: although there are mines in the vicinity, they are not worked. The average height of the thermometer is 68°. About three miles from this place, I noticed a beautiful waterfall 120 or 150 feet perpendicular, which is well worth the attention of travellers, who may visit Tepick: the scenery around it is very beautiful. As it is customary for every person travelling in Mexico to be provided with a passport, to obtain one, I was obliged to present myself to the chief Poletico, or governor, who very readily supplied me, and seemed desirous to render me all the service in his power. The inhabitants generally appeared polite and hospitable.

On the 3d of March, we started at 12 o'clock On our journey, in company with a Spanish supercargo and servant. Our route lay over a fair horse road, and through a beautiful, but poorly cultivated tract of country. We passed several small villages, which appeared of not much consequence. At 8 P. M., we arrived at a tavern, in the village of

San Donel, and after considerable trouble were enabled to get a miserable supper, and as the house had only three rooms, and those were all occupied, we were constantly disturbed during the night by the arrival of travellers, who, not having come in time to secure quarters within, were obliged to take up with an outside birth. During the evening, we were much amused by the conversation of a native, who favored us with an account of his many feats in smuggling, which seems to be the usual topic of the Mexicans residing near the seacoast. The distance travelled this day was twenty-one miles.

At daylight the next day, we recommenced our journey over a very stony and narrow road, and, at twelve, breakfasted at a most miserable village, called San Isabel. We soon resumed our journey and at 2. P. M., passed over a very large tract, several miles in extent, of large masses of black cinder stones thrown out 70 or 30 years ago by the volcano Ahuacatlan. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of this place have taken the trouble to make a bad horse road over these stones, for their own convenience. In a very conspicuous part of the road, they have erected a monument with the following modest inscription, "The benevolent people of Ahuacatlan made this road, 1825." At 8. P M., we arrived at the village of Ahuacatlan, containing 300 building some tolerably handsome, several public edifices, and about 5 or 6000 inhabitants, who are principally muleteers and farmers. The land in the vicinity appeared well watered and cultivated. This village is supported by agriculture and trade. We travelled this day forty-two miles.

March 5th. Our last night's quarters were tolerably good. At daylight we resumed our journey over a rough and mountainous road. Here I was surprised at the appearance of a large iron cannon -lying in the path. My guide informed me that it was carried here an abandoned by the Spaniards, about twenty years since. It was a twenty-four pounder. From some of the high mountains we ascended this day, the prospects were finer than I had ever before witnessed, and the road equally as dangerous, or more so than I bad before travelled. At 12 we stopped to dine in a low deep baranca, or ravine, surrounded on all sides by very high mountains. The inhabitants, with very few exceptions, were troubled with large swelled throats, called Goitre, which disease is said to be occasioned by drinking the water of a small stream running through the village. We continued our journey up zig-zag paths, through gullies washed by the rain, and over loose stones. Early in the evening, being favored with the light of the moon, we arrived at the village of Muchitilte. Here we found a company of soldiers stationed, for the protection of the road. It is customary wherever a murder has been committed to put up a wooden cross, and we have counted on our road more than a hundred. We travelled this day forty-two miles; a very small portion of the land we passed by was cultivated; our height above the sea was 8000 feet.

Early the next morning, we commenced our journey for the day. The road led over hill and dale, and was rather a poor one. I noticed some very fine patches in the valleys under high cultivation, and several settlements of huts. At 12 o'clock, we stopped to dine in the town of Magdaline, containing several public buildings, 300 private houses, and about 6000 inhabitants. At 2. P. M. we started again over rather a good road, and in a few hours arrived at the town of Teceli situated at the foot

of a high hill, down which the road descends. From the zig-zag road, the town and surrounding country afford a most beautiful prospect. Teceli contains a number of buildings and 6 or 7000 inhabitants. Its support is derived from the very extensive manufacture of Muscal, a species of rum extracted from the Maguea plant. The inhabitants are also engaged in agriculture, and the manufacture of rope from the fibres of the Maguea plant. The country around this place, in everydirection, is under cultivation, and as the Maguea plant seems to monopolize a considerable proportion of land in this vicinity, I will attempt to give a description of it. It is first planted from slips at regular distances, and the land on which it grows must have considerable attention paid to it, in the way of enriching the soil. When it arrives at perfection, which is at the end of six or seven years, its height is ten or twelve feet, and its circumference about the size of a barrel. It has the appearance of a large bunch of rushes. When it has arrived at maturity, a hole is cut at the top of the trunk, where is a space containing several quarts of water. After dipping out the water in the morning, they cover the top again, and for several years this plant yields to its owner every morning and night, its quantity of juice. From this juice is distilled the Muscal or rum. They also manufacture a species of drink from the juice of the Maguea, called by the natives "pulkie," which with a little sugar makes a very pleasant beverage in warm weather, and of which the Mexicans all appear fond. At 8. P. M. we arrived at a village, called Matilan, having travelled this day forty-five miles. Matilan contains about 500 houses and two or three public buildings, with about 5000 inhabitants. It is supported by the cultivation of the Maguea plant, and the manufacture of rum or Muscal.

VIEW ON THE LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER RAILWAY.

The wood-cut at the top of this article, is a view of the Liverpool and Manchester Rail-way at Runcorn-Gap. The train of carriages drawn by a locomotive are seen on the Liverpool and Manchester rail-way, one above the other, on the viaduct of the Doric order. This rail-way cost in its contruction between Liverpool and Manchester about one million of pounds; and their last halfyear's expenses appear by the Report of the Directors in June last to have been very heavy, viz. £47,770 15s.; to which, if we add interest of capital and the gross annual outlay, at this rate, appears o be £145,541 10s

The profits of this Company for six months, ending 31st of December 1832, were £40,783 3s. 7d.; ditto, ending 30th of June, 1832, £28,048 4s. 9d. The passengers carried were, in the former half-year, 256,321; and in the latter half-year, 174,122: and besides this, there appears to have been upwards of 60,000 tons of goods and coals carried the whole distance, each half year, besides considerable traffic on the Bolton junction. The above number of passengers, 174, 122, were whirled along in 2635 trips of the locomotives

THE PRINTING-PRESS IN TURKEY. Mr. Mountstuart Elphinstone, in his very interesting Account of the Kingdom of Caubul (a country near the higher waters of the Indus, between India and Persia), and of the scattered Afghan tribes dependant thereon, gives the following anecdote of the Naikpeekhail, who, like the rest, profess the Mahometan religion, but are so barbarous that even reading is looked down on as an unmanly accomplishment among them.

"Some men of the Naikpeekhail found a Mollah, or doctor of the Mahometan faith, copying the Khorah, or their bible, and not well understanding the case, they struck his head off, saying, 'You tell us these books come from God, and here are you making them yourself.""

Other

The Turks are not quite so ignorant as this, but even they, not many years ago, when Sultan Selim introduced the art of printing, were led to believe that it was sinful to print the Khoran-that nothing but the pen and hand-writing could, without impiety, multiply the copies of their Scriptures. works might go through the press, but unfortunately, at the time, the Turks read no book except the Khoran, and so the inestimable benefit of printing was to be thrown away upon them! This absurd prejudice originated in, or was kept alive by, the Turkish copyists who gained a livelihood by transcribing the Khoran, each copy of which cost the people a hundred times as much as the copy the press could have afforded, and the printed copy, besides, would have been infinitely the more distinct and legible of the two.

The present Sultan, among his many reforms and improvements, has succeeded to set the press to work in earnest. Many elementary works have been printed, some three or four of a higher character, on History and general Geography, and now a newspaper (that novelty for the Turks!) comes regularly from the Sultan's printing-offices, and is circulated through the vast empire. We are informed by a friend, who writes from Constantinople, that it is a very interesting sight to see the effects that have already sprung from these salutary measures. Instead of every coffee-house being crowded as it used to be, by idle, silent, stupified loungers, doing nothing but smoking their pipes, you find them now, (in less numbers indeed, which is also a good thing,) occupied by men attentively reading the newspaper, or conning over "the 'ast new work" neatly printed, and sold at a very cheap price. Before this, and almost up to last ear, they were in the condition that all Europe was in four hundred years ago, or previously to the invention of printing, when only the comparatively rich could afford to buy a book or any thing to read. Even on the quays of the port, and in the bazaars of Constantinople, you now see Turks occupying their leisure moments with the productions of the press, which is thus becoming day by day more and more active

TEA.

Tea was first imported into Europe by the Dutch East-India Company, in the early part of the seventeenth century; but it was not until the year 1666 that a small quantity was brought over from Holland to England by the Lords Arlington and Ossory: and yet, from a period earlier than any to which the memories of any of the existing generation can reach, tea has been one of the principal necessaries of life among all classes of the community. To provide a sufficient supply of this aliment, many thousand tons of shipping are annually employed in trading with a people by whom all dealings with foreigners are merely tolerated; and from this recently-acquired taste, a very large and easilycollected revenue is obtained by the state.

The tea-plant is a native of China or Japan, and probably of both. It has been used among the

natives of the former country from time immemorial. It is only in a particular tract of the Chinese empire that the plant is cultivated; and this tract, which is situated on the eastern side, between the 30th and 33d degrees of north latitude, is distinguished by the natives as "the tea country." The more northern part of China would be too cold; and farther south the heat would be too great. There are, however, a few small plantations to be seen near to Canton.

The Chinese give to the plant the name of tcha or tha. It is propagated by them from seeds, which are deposited in rows four or five feet asunder; and so uncertain is their vegetation, even in their native climate, that it is found necessary to sow as many as seven or eight seeds in every hole. The ground between each row is always kept free from weeds, and the plants are not allowed to attain a higher growth than admits of the leaves being conveniently gathered. The first crop of leaves is not collected until the third year after sowing; and when the trees are six or seven years old, the produce becomes so inferior that they are removed to make room for a fresh succession.

The flowers of the tea-tree are white, and somewhat resemble the wild rose of our hedges: these flowers are succeeded by soft green berries or pods, containing each from one to three white seeds, The plant will grow in either low or elevated situations, but always thrives best and furnishes leaves of the finest quality when produced in light stony ground.

The leaves are gathered from one to four times during the year, according to the age of the trees. Most commonly there are three periods of gathering; the first commences about the middle of April;

are of the most delicate color and most aromatic flavor, with the least portion of either fibre or bitterness. Leaves of the second gathering are of a dull green color, and have less valuable qualities than the former; while those which are last collected are of a dark green, and possess an inferior value. The quality is farther influenced by the age of the wood on which the leaves are borne, and by the degree of exposure to which they have been accustomed; leaves from young wood, and those most exposed, being always the best.

The leaves, as soon as gathered, are put into wide shallow baskets, and placed in the air or wind, or sunshine, during some hours. They are then placed on a flat cast-iron pan, over a stove heated with charcoal, from a half to three quarters of a pound of leaves being operated on at one time. These leaves are stirred quickly about with a kind of brush, and are then as quickly swept off the pan into baskets. The next process is that of rolling, which is effected by carefully rubbing them between men's hands; after which they are again put, in larger quantities, on the pan, and subjected anew to heat, but at this time to a lower degree than at first, and just sufficient to dry them effectually without risk of scorching. This effected, the tea is placed on a table and carefully picked over, every unsightly or imperfectly-dried leaf that is detected being removed from the rest, in order that the sample may present a more even and a better appearance when offered for sale.

The names by which some of the principal sorts of tea are known in China, are taken from the places in which they are produced, while others are distinguished according to the periods of their gathering, the manner employed in curing, or other extrinsic circumstances. It is a commonly received opinion, that the distinctive color of green tea is imparted to it by sheets of copper, upon which it is dried. For this belief there is not, however, the smallest foundation in fact, since copper is never used for the purpose. Repeated experiments have been made to discover, by an unerring test, whether the leaves of green tea contain any impregnation of copper, but in no case has any trace of this metal been detected.

The Chinese do not use their tea until it is about a year old, considering that it is too actively narcotic when new. Tea is yet older when it is brought into consumption in England, as, in addition to the length of time occupied in its collection and transport to that country, the East-India Company are obliged by their charter to have always a supply sufficient for one year's consumption in their Lon

don warehouses; and this regulation, which enhances the price to the consumer, is said to have been made by way of guarding in some measure against the inconveniences that would attend any interruption to a trade entirely dependant upon the caprice of an arbitrary government.

The people of China partake of tea at all their meals, and frequently at other times of the day. They drink the infusion prepared in the same manner as we employ, but they do not mix with it either sugar or milk. The working classes in that country are obliged to content themselves with a very weak infusion. Mr. Anderson, in his Narrative of Lord Macartney's Embassy, relates that the natives in attendance never failed to beg the tea-leaves remaining after the Europeans had breakfasted, and with these, after submitting them again to boiling water, they made a beverage which they acknowledged was better than any they could ordinarily obtain.

BISSET, THE ANIMAL TEACHER.

Few individuals have presented so striking an instance of patience and eccentricity as Bisset, the extraordinary teacher of animals. He was a native of Perth, in Scotland, and an industrious shoemaker, until the notion of teaching animals attracted his attention in the year 1759. Reading an account of a remarkable horse shown at St. Germain's, curiosity led him to experiment on a horse and a dog, which he bought in London, and he succeeded in training these beyond all expectation. Two monkeys were the next pupils he took in hand, one of which he taught to dance and tumble on the rope, whilst the other held a candle in one paw for his companion, and with the other played the barrel organ. These antic animals he also instructed to play several fanciful tricks, such as drinking to the company, riding and tumbling on a horse's back, and going through several regular dances with a dog. Being a man of unwearied patience, three young cats were the next objects of his tuition. taught those domestic tigers to strike their paws in such directions on the dulcimer, as to produce several regular tunes, having music-books before them, and squalling at the same time in different keys or tones, first, second, and third, by way of concert. He afterwards was induced to make a public exhibition of his animals, and the well known Cats' Opera, in which they performed, was advertised in the Haymarket Theatre. The horse, the dog, the monkeys, and the cats, went through their several parts with uncommon applause to crowded houses; and, in a few days, Bisset found himself possessed of nearly a thousand pounds, to reward nis ingenuity and perseverance.

He

This success excited Bisset's desire to extend his dominion over other animals, including even the feathered kind. He procured a young leveret, and reared it to beat several marches on the drum, with its hind legs, until it became a good stout hare. He taught canary birds, linnets, and sparrows, to spell the name of any person in company, to distinguish the hour and minute of time, and perform many other surprising feats: he trained six turkey cocks to go through a regular country dance; but, in doing this, confessed he adopted the eastern method, by which camels are made to dance, by heating the floor. In the course of six months' teaching, he made a turtle fetch and carry like a dog; and having chalked the floor and blackened

its claws, could direct it to trace out any given name in the company. He trained a dog and a cat to go through many amazing performances. His confidence even led him to try experiments on a goldfish, which he did not despair of making perfectly tractable. But, some time afterwards, a doubt having started to him, whether the obstinacy of a pig could be conquered, his usual patient fortitude was devoted to the experiment. He bought a black sucking pig, and trained it to lie under the stool at which he sat at work. At various intervals, during six or seven months, he tried in vain to bring the young boar to his purpose; and, despairing of every kind of success, he was on the point of giving it away, when it struck him to adopt a new mode of teaching; in consequence of which, in the course of sixteen months, he made an animal, supposed the most obstinate and perverse in the world, to become the most tractable. In August 1783, he once again turned itinerant, and took his learned pig to Dublin, where it was shown for two or three nights. It was not only under full command, but appeared as pliant and good-natured as a spaniel. When the weather made it necessary that he should move into the city, he obtained the permission of the chief magistrate, and exhibited the pig in Dame Street. It was seen, says the author of Anthologia Hibernica, "for two or three days by many persons of respectability, to spell, without any apparent direction, the names of those in the company; to cast up accounts, and to point out even the words thought of by persons present; to tell exactly the hour, minutes, and seconds; to point out the married, to kneel, and to make his obeisance to the company, " &c. &c. Poor Bisset was thus in a fair way of " bringing his pig to a good market," when a man, whose insolence disgraced authority, broke into the rooms without any sort of pretext, assaulted the unoffending man, and drew his sword to kill the swine, an animal that, in the practice of good breeding, was superior to his assailant. The injured Bisset pleaded in vain the permission that had been granted him; he was threatened to be dragged to prison. He was now constrained to return home, but the agitation of his mind threw him into a fit of illness, and he died, a few days after, at Chester, on his way to London.

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