the howling Dervishes. The Mosque was very plain; having taken our seats in the gallery, we waited for some time, while the Dervishes were engaged in drinking, as our guard, a captain of the Janizaries, informed us, to excite themselves to go through the strange exhibition that followed. A young man of the order then mounted on a flight of steps without the door, and summoned, in a very loud and mournful voice, for nearly half an hour, the faithful to attend. The Dervishes all entered, and, ranged in a long line, began to rock their bodies to and fro in simultaneous movement. But this motion soon became more rapid, and Alla and Mohammed, at first pronounced in a low and sad tone, burst from their lips with violence. They then all threw off their outer garments, sprang from the ground, and threw their arms furiously about. As their imaginations became more heated, some stripped themselves nearly naked, others foamed at the mouth; one or two old men, exhausted, sunk on the ground, and the cries of God and the Prophet might be heard afar off. It was a singular spectacle of enthusiasm and hypocrisy combined; but what ensued was more disgusting, for they took red-hot irons and applied them to their legs and feet, and other parts of their bodies, still howling out amidst their pain the name of the Eternal, in whose honour, they would have their credulous assembly believe, they suffered all this. A great part of the Dervishes are notorious libertines and profligates, as the better informed Turks are often heard to call them. They consist of various orders; some live in monasteries, others lead a wandering life through different parts of the empire, chiefly subsisting on the hospitality of the faithful. In the island of Cyprus I met with a young Dervise of this kind; his features were fair and effeminate, and his long hair fell in ringlets on his neck and bosom; on the latter he wore several pieces of stained glass, fancifully disposed; his appearance betokened any thing but devotion. Others are to be seen roving about with thick dishevelled hair, wild looks, and half naked; these profess poverty and selfdenial, and are held most in reverence by the people. Many of these men, however, are sincere teachers and examples of their religion, and lead the life of pilgrims, or fix on some secluded spot, where they live abstemiously, and repay with their counsels the simple presents of the people. The most eminent of them are termed Santons, and have handsome moLuments built on their graves in the shade of trees, which are ever after regarded with peculiar veneration.-New Monthly Magazine. FAST OF RAMADAN TURKISH THE fast of Ramadan, at Constantino- her son and daughter, and her most intimate friend. The population of Constantinople has been much overrated; according to General Sebastiani's calculation, while he was ambassador, it does not exceed four hundred thousand; and the suburbs of Pera, Galata, Scutari, &c. with the line of villages along the shores of the Bosphorus, contain eight hundred thousand more. A considerable part of the ground the city covers is taken up with gardens. The areas of the mosques are generally planted with trees, and a fountain, sometimes richly ornamented, stands at the entrance, for a Turk seldom enters without first washing his feet, and, laying aside his shoes, he treads in his soft slippers. The solemnity of this people at their devotions is very striking; whether in the mosque or in the open air, they appear entirely abstracted from all around; and you would think from the expression of their features, that the spirit and the senses were alike devoted to this sacred duty; they are generally silent, save that the sound of Alla, pronounced in a low and humble tone, is often heard. The mosques are in general unadorned, and the architecture quite simple; the name of God and passages from the Koran are inscribed in gold letters on the walls. A lofty corridor goes all round the interior of the building; the circular space in the middle, where the pulpit of the Imaun stands, is lighted by a dome at the top. The assembly range themselves beneath the corridor on mats and carpets; the greater part of the time is occupied in prayer. Ibid. TURKISH WOMEN. THE Condition of the women in Turkey has little resemblance to slavery, and the pity given to it by Europeans has its source more in imagination than reality. From their naturally retired and indolent habits, they care less about exercise in the open air than ourselves. They are very fond of the bath, where large parties of them frequently meet and spend the greater part of the day, displaying their rich dresses to each other, conversing, and taking refreshments. From this practice, and the little exposure to the sun, the Turkish ladies have often an exquisite delicacy of complexion. They often sail in their pleasure-boats to various parts of the Bosphorus, or walk veiled to the favourite promenades near the cemetery, or in the gardens of Dolma Batcke, with their attendants; and they sometimes walk disguised through the streets of the city, without any observation. The government of an English wife over her own household does not equal that of the Turkish, which is absolute, the husband scarcely ever interfering in the domestic arrangements, and in case of a divorce her portion is always given up.—Ibid. OPIUM EATERS. THE practice of eating opium does not appear to be so general with the Turks as is commonly believed. But there is a set of people at Constantinople devoted to this drug; and the Theriakis, as they are called, have that hollow and livid aspect, the fixed dulness of the eye at one time, or the unnatural brightness at another, which tell too plainly of this destructive habit. They seldom live beyond thirty; lose all appetite for food; and as their strength wastes, the craving for the vivid excitement of opium increases. It is useless to warn a Theriakee that he is hurrying to the grave. He comes in the morning to a large coffee-house, a wellknown resort for this purpose, close to the superb mosque of Suleimanieh. Having swallowed his pill, he seats himself in the portico in front, which is shaded by trees. He has no wish to change his position, for motion would disturb his happiness, which he will tell you is indescribable. Then the most wild and blissful reveries come crowding on him. His gaze fixed on the river beneath, covered with the sails of every nation; on the majestic shores of Asia opposite, or vacantly raised where the gilded minarets of Suleimanieh ascend on high: if external objects heighten, as is allowed, the illusions of opium, the Turk is privileged. There, till the sun sets on the scene, the Theriakee revels in love, in splendour, or pride. He sees the beauties of Circassia striving whose charms shall most delight him; the Ottoman fleet sails beneath his flag as the Captain Pacha: or seated in the divan, turbaned heads are bowed before him, and voices hail the favoured of Alla and the Sultan. But evening comes, and he awakes to a sense of wretchedness and helplessness, to a gnawing hunger which is an effect of his vice; and hurries home, to suffer till the morning sun calls him to his paradise again. Ibid. ANECDOTES OF THE DOG. BY THE ETTRICK SHEPHERD. I was once at the farm of Shorthope, on Ettrick head, receiving some lambs that I had bought, and was going to take to market, with some more, the next day. Owing to some accidental delay, I did not get final delivery of the lambs till it was growing late; and being obliged to be at my own house that night, I was not a little dismayed lest I should scatter and lose my lambs, if darkness overtook me. Darkness did overtake me by the time I got half way, and no ordinary darkness for an August evening. The lambs having been weaned that day, and of the wild black-faced breed, became exceedingly unruly, and for a good while I lost hopes of mastering them. Hector managed the point, and we got them safe home; but both he and his master were alike sore forefoughten. It had become so dark, that we were obliged to fold them with candles; and after closing them safely up, I went home with my father and the rest to supper. When Hector's supper was set down, behold he was wanting! and as I knew we had him at the fold, which was within call of the house, I went out, and called and whistled on him for a good while, but he did not make his appearance. I was distressed about this; for, having to take away the lambs next morning, I knew I could not drive them a mile without my dog, if it had been to save me the whole drove. The next morning, as soon as it was day, I arose and inquired if Hector had come home. No; he had not been seen. I knew not what to do; but my father proposed that he would take out the lambs and herd them, and let them get some meat to fit them for the road; and that I should ride with all speed to Shorthope, to see if my dog had gone back there. Accordingly, we went together to the fold to turn out the lambs, and there was poor Hector sitting trembling in the very middle of the fold door, on the inside of the flake that closed it, with his eyes still stedfastly fixed on the lambs. He had been so hardly set with them after it grew dark, that he durst not for his life leave them, although hungry, fatigued, and cold; for the night had turned out a deluge of rain. He had never so much as lain down, for only the small spot that he sat on was dry, and there had he kept watch the whole night. Almost any other colley would have discerned that the lambs were safe enough in the fold, but honest Hector had not been able to see through this. He even refused to take my word for it, for he durst not quit his watch though he heard me calling both at night and morning. It cannot be supposed that he could nderstand all that was passing in the little family circle, but he certainly comprehended a good part of it. In particular, it was very easy to discover that he rarely missed aught that was said about himself, the sheep, the cat, or of a hunt. When aught of that nature came to be discussed, Hector's attention and impa tience soon became manifest. There was one winter evening, I said to my mother that I was going to Bowerhope for a fortnight, for that I had more conveniency for writing with Alexander Laidlaw, than at home; and I added, "But I will not take Hector with me, for he is constantly quarrelling with the rest of the dogs, singing music, or breeding some uproar." "Na, na," quoth she," leave Hector with me; I like aye best to have him at hame, poor fallow." These were all the words that passed. The next morning the waters were in a great flood, and I did not go away till after breakfast; but when the time came for tying up Hector, he was wanting.— "The d's in that beast." said I, "I will wager that he heard what we were saying yesternight, and has gone off for Bowerhope as soon as the door was opened this morning." "If that that should really be the case, I'll think the beast no canny," said my mother. The Yarrow was so large as to be quite impassable, so that I had to go up by St. Mary's Loch, and go across by the boat; and, on drawing near to Bowerhope, I soon perceived that matters had gone precisely as I suspected. Large as the Yarrow was, and it appeared impassable by any living creature, Hector had made his escape early in the morning, had swum the river, and was sitting, "like a drookit hen," on a knoll at the east end of the house, awaiting my arrival with great impatience. I had a great attachment to this animal, who, with a good deal of absurdity, joined all the amiable qualities of his species. He was rather of a small size, very rough and shagged, and not far from the colour of a fox.-Blackwood's Magazine. A MOTHER. TO A YOUNG CHILD SMILING IN A MAY gazing angels ever keep, Strict charge around thy bed; The Land of Promise nigh. THE Guildhall of the city of Bath was formerly in the centre of the High-street, but the Corporation finding its situation inconvenient, and its offices incommodious, resolved on erecting a new building for the same purpose on the east side of the High-street; the first stone of which was laid on the 11th of February, 1768; but in consequence of the exorbitant demand made by the inhabitants for leases of the houses necessary for the object, a total stop was put to the building for some years, after the walls had been built to the height of fifteen feet. In 1775 it was determined to complete the hall, but the first design was relinquished, and a new one adopted, which was made by Mr. Thomas Baldwin the Architect, and immediately carried into effect. This building, of which our engraving is an accurate view, is of the composite order; at each end is a wing fifty-two feet long, where the corn, poultry, fish, and vegetable markets are held. There is also a watch-house at one end, and a lock-up house at the other. The basement story of the hall is occupied by a noble kitchen and offices; the groundfloor consists of a vestibule, a justiciary room, with a drawing-room for the Mayor, and several other apartments for different officers. A grand staircase leads to the banqueting room, which is eighty feet long, forty wide, and thirty-one feet high. On the west side of this apartment is a council room. In the hall there is a curious relic of Roman antiquity, a head of Minerva which was dug up in Stall-strect, in the year 1725. Bath was a Roman city, and was then called Aqua Salis-Fontes Calidi. It is a corporate town 107 miles from London, and contains a population of 31,496 persons. THE LONGEST LAW-SUIT THE longest law-suit ever heard of in England, was between the heirs of Sir Thomas Talbot, Viscount Lisle, on the one part, and the heirs of Lord Berkeley on the other, respecting certain possessions not far from Wotton-under-Edge, in the county of Gloucester. It commenced at the end of the reign of Edward IV. and was depending till the reign of James I., when a compromise took place, it having lasted above 120 years. A MISTAKE. WHEN Mrs. Robinson published her Sappho and Phaon, she wrote to Mr. Boden, the newspaper editor, in the following terms: Mrs. Robinson would thank her friend Boden for a dozen puffs for Sappho and Phaon. By mistake of the two-penny post this note was delivered to Mr. Bowden the pastry cook in the Strand, who sent this answer: Bowden's respectful compliments to Mrs. Robinson, shall be very happy to serve her, but as Mrs. R. is not a constant customer, he cannot send the puffs for the young folks without first receiving the money." "Mr. 185 PLATO said arithmetic and goemetry were the two wings of the mathematician, by which he might soar to an almost indefinite height. If the comparison of Plato be continued, it may be asserted that arithmetic is the mathematician's right wing, because geometrical demonstrations would frequently afford but little satisfaction to the mind, if they could not be reduced to numerical relations; a circumstance which justifies the common practice of commencing scientific pursuits with common arithmetic. The science itself presents an extensive field for speculation and curious research; but we shall confine ourselves to such things as are best calculated to excite the curiosity of young persons, who, when they find that a vast fund of amusement is within their reach, may be induced to put forth their native energies, in pursuit of the useful and important, as well as the light and amusing. They, it will be admitted, have been peculiarly happy who have successfully combined instruction with relaxation, and who have contrived to teach important truths under the semblance of diversion. Sometimes persons are, for a moment, put to a stand by problems the most simple and amusing, though they are themselves deeply versed in science, because they have not been accustomed to think upon subjects which, perhaps, appeared too trifling to engage their thought. The solution, however, must depend upon elementary calculation, the natural properties of certain bodies, or arithmetical combinations. The sagacity and pretended knowledge of the person who proposed them are subjects of admiration, though nothing is easier than to understand and to execute what excites our astonishment, and with a little consideration things still greater. Puzzling questions have, at all times, formed a part of the amusements of the most polished nations; and they have been received with avidity, even by young persons, when presented under the agree able form of an enigma of recreation; and it may be affirmed, judging from experience and facts, that we are some times conducted to the higher parts of abstract studies, by the flowery path of experiments, which we, at first, considered as objects of mere curiosity. We are always gratified when we overcome an obstacle, and comprehend a difficulty that has checked the progress of others, or have unveiled a mystery concealed from persons possessed of apparently more penetration than ourselves. As a specimen of arithmetical recreations, we shall give what has been called a puzzle: it is a sort of toy that has induced many to learn the early and fundamental rules of arithmetic, who would unwillingly have applied to books or the slate. The whole art of arithmetic, is comprehended, in all its various modifications, of the four rules, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division. And of these, addition and subtraction may be said to be fundamental, as mul tiplication and division are only short methods of addition and subtraction. There have been various mechanical helps to the attainment of the early rules in arithmetic. Sir Samuel Morland, in the reign of Charles II., invented two arithmetical machines, of which he published an account, under the title of "The Description and Use of two Arithmetic Instruments; together with a short Treatise, explaining the ordinary Operations of Arithmetic," &c. presented to his Most Excellent Majesty, Charles II., by S. Morland, in 1662. This work is illustrated with twelve plates, in which the different parts of the machine are exhibited; and from these we learn, that the four rules above named are very readily worked, and, to use the author's own words, without charging the memory, disturbing the mind, or exposing the operations to any uncertainty. The ma chines referred to were manufactured and sold by Humphrey Adanson, in the Tower of London. About thirty years ago, the present Earl Stanhope invented two machines for the like purposes as those for which Mr. Morland's were intended; and we have it upon unquestionable authority, that his lordship, when proposing a plan to parliament for the reduction of the national debt, actually verified the truth of all the calculations by means of these instruments. The smaller of the two machines, intended for addition and subtraction, is about the size of an octavo volume, and by means of dial plates and indices, moveable with a steel pin, the operations, to any extent, are performed with undeviating accuracy. The second, and by far the most curious instrument, is about half the size of a common table writingdesk. By this, problems in multiplication and division are solved, without the possibility of a mistake, by the simple revolution of a small winch. The mul. |