the electricity, and threw himself on the sofa, laughing immoderately, and unable to conceive how the machine could have such power on the human body.

BERNARD.-How very droll Mahomed Ali must have looked when he was standing upon that little stool, and especially when he found himself forced to jump off! I like 1 your story much, very much, mother, and I do so because it is true.

MRS. A.-The Arabs of Soubra display as much festivity when a marriage of consequence takes place, as those of any of the villages in Egypt. One happened while Belzoni was there, and as the windows of his house overlooked the spot where it was performed, he had an opportunity of witnessing the ceremony. Early in the morning of the grand holiday, a high pole was reared in the centre of the place with a banner belonging to the village

"A banner!" whispered Bernard.

"A streamer or flag," said Laura, and Mrs. A. continued: A large assembly of people gathered under it, and preparations were made for an illumination with glasslamps; music was prepared, &c.

EMILY.-Then I suppose the Arabs from other villages came to the feast also, beating their tambourines and waving their flags.

MRS. A.-You are right; but they remained at some distance from the pole until invited to advance.

EMILY.-I fancy, mamma, that the pole was like that round which the village girls fasten their garlands on May-day.

MRS. A. Very probably. The old people seated themselves around and under the pole, and the strangers were placed at a little distance. One of them began to sing, while the rest divided themselves into two parties, forming two circles, one within the other round the pole, and facing each other, BERNARD.-I understand, mamma. I suppose each man put his arms over his neighbour's shoulders, and thus formed a chain. MRS. A.-Exactly so. The outer circle stood still, while the people of the inner circle kept dancing and bowing in an orderly manner to those on the outer. Thus they continued three hours, and those who were not in the circles made separate rings by themselves.

EMILY. So this is the mode of dancing among the Arabs, mamma. How different to ours! But where were the ladies in the mean time?

MRS. A.-All the women were at a distance by themselves, and among them was the bride. When the dancing and singing ended, they all sat down, and a great quan

tity of boiled rice was brought to them in wooden bowls, as well as some dishes of melokie and bamies, and three or four sheep roasted, which were soon torn to pieces and devoured.

BERNARD.-Melokie and bamies, mamma! What are they?

MRS. A.-Plants eaten in common by the Arabs as greens. A number of boys were fully employed during the whole ceremony in fetching water from the Nile. At night the little coloured lamps were lighted, a band of tambourines played continually, and the entertainment ended as it had commenced, with a dance.

EMILY. I am sure, mamma, that I do not envy those dancing Arabs. And now, let us turn to Belzoni. How long was it before his machine was finished, ready, however, for the Bashaw to see it?

MRS. A.-Belzoni completed his undertaking in time. It was constructed on the principle of a crane with a walking wheel, in which a single ox, by its own weight alone, could effect as much as four oxen employed in the machines of the country.

OWEN.-Then Belzoni managed his machine in spite of the difficulties he had to encounter with the self-interested workmen.

MRS. A.-Yes: he was of too enterprising a disposition to give up a work which

was the chief cause of his going into that country.

BERNARD. Before you go on, mamma, will you tell me what you mean by a crane? -there is a picture of a crane in my Bewick-but I cannot at all make out what is meant by a crane with a walking wheel.

OWEN.--The crane of which mamma speaks, Bernard, is not a bird-but a machine used in building, for raising and lowering huge stones, heavy weights, and sometimes water, you see..

MRS. A.-It is a technical term in mechanics, my love, and I will try by and bye to explain to you what is meant by a crane with a walking wheel.

The Bashaw came to Soubra to examine the hydraulic machine. It was set to work and succeeded admirably, drawing in the same space of time six or seven times as much water as the common machines.

BERNARD.-Ah! Belzoni is well repaid, mamma. And the Egyptian farmers may sow their seed without being afraid of a famine-even if the .Nile do not overflow they can raise water, and water their fields so nicely. Useful Belzoni!

MRS. A. Our best endeavours, though they sometimes appear at first to be crowned with success, may afterwards defeat the purpose for which they were intended. So