AN INDIAN PET. "My God! I am lost!' was the mental exclamation I made, as every drop of blood in my veins seemed turned to ice; and anon I shook like an aspen leaf, until the very fear that my sudden palsy might rouse the reptile, occasioned a revulsion of feeling, and I again lay paraand lyzed. country abounded with reptiles, and would have | enormous serpent covered the whole of my nether "It slept, or at all events remained stirless; how long it so remained I know not, for time to the fear-struck is as the ring of eternity. All at once the sky cleared up-the moon shone out-the stars glanced over me; I could see them all, as I lay stretched on my side, one hand under my head, whence I dared not remove it; neither dared I looked downward at the loathsome bedfellow which my evil stars had sent me. In Hindoostan the ichneumon is not supposed to kill the crocodile, though it is in the mouth of every old woman that it possesses the knowledge of a remedy against the bite of a poisonous snake, which its instinct leads it to dig out of the ground; but this on dit has never been ascertained to be Unexpectedly, a new object of terror supertrue, and my belief is that it is only based on the great agility and dexterity of the neulah. Eye-vened: a curious purring sound behind me, folwitnesses say that his battles with man's great-lowed by two smart taps on the ground, put the est enemy end generally in the death of the snake, which the neulah seizes by the back of the neck, and after frequent onsets at last kills and eats, rejecting nothing but the head. snake on the alert, for it moved, and I felt that it was crawling upward to my breast. At that moment, when I was almost maddened by insupportable apprehension into starting up to meet, The color of the Indian neulah is a grayish- perhaps, certain destruction, something sprang brown; but its chief beauty lies in its splendid upon my shoulder-upon the reptile! There was squirrel-like tail, and lively, prominent, dark- a shrill cry from the new assailant, a loud, appallbrown eyes. Like most of the weasel kind, how-ing hiss from the serpent. For an instant I could ever, it has rather a disagreeable odor; and if it feel them wrestling, as it were, on my body; in were not for this there would not be a sweeter the next, they were beside me on the turf; in another, a few paces off, struggling, twisting pet in existence. round each other, fighting furiously, I beheld them-a mungoos or ichneumon and a cobra di capello! So far the experience of an Old Indian; and we now turn to another authority on the highlycurious subject just glanced at--the knowledge of the ichneumon of a specific against the poison of the snake. Calder Campbell, in his recent series of tales, "Winter Nights"-and capital amusement for such nights they are describes in almost a painfully truthful manner the adventure of an officer in India, who was an eye-witness, under very extraordinary circumstances, to the feat of the ichneumon. The officer, through some accident, was wandering on foot, and at night, through a desolate part of the country, and at length, overcome with fatigue, threw himself down on the dry, crisp spear-grass, and just as the faint edge of the dawn appeared, fell asleep. "I started up; I watched that most singular combat, for all was now clear as day. I saw them stand aloof for a moment-the deep, venomous fascination of the snaky glance powerless against the keen, quick, restless orbs of its opponent: I saw this duel of the eye exchange once more for closer conflict: I saw that the mungoos was bitten; that it darted away, doubtless in search of that still unknown plant whose juices are its alleged antidote against snake-bite; that it returned with fresh vigor to the attack; and then, glad sight! I saw the cobra di capello, maimed from hooded head to scaly tail, fall lifeless from its hitherto demi-erect position with a baffled hiss; while the wonderful victor, indulg"No doubt of it! I slept soundly, sweetly-ing itself in a series of leaps upon the body of no doubt of it! I have never since then slept in its antagonist, danced and bounded about, purI have ever since the open air either soundly or sweetly, for my ring and spitting like an enraged cat! Before I was fully "Little graceful creature! awaking was full of horror! awake, however, I had a strange perception of kept a pet mungoos-the most attached, the most danger, which tied me down to the earth, warn- playful, and the most frog-devouring of all aniing me against all motion. I knew that there mals." was a shadow creeping over me, beneath which to lie in dumb inaction was the wisest resource. I felt that my lower extremities were being invaded by the heavy coils of a living chain; but as if a providential opiate had been infused into my system, preventing all movement of thew or sinew, I knew not till I was wide awake that an Many other authors refer to the alleged antidote against a snake-bite, known only to the ichneumon, and there are about as many different opinions as there are authors; but, on the whole, our Old Indian appears to us to be on the strongest side. KOSSUTH, AS GOVERNOR OF HUNGARY IN 1849. LOUIS KOSSUTH+ was born at Monok, in Zemplin, one of the northern counties of Hungary, on the 27th of April, 1806. His family was ancient, but impoverished; his father served in the Austrian army during the wars against Napoleon; his mother, who still survives to exult in the glory of her son, is represented to be a woman of extraordinary force of mind and character. Kossuth thus adds another to the long list of great men who seem to have inherited their genius from their mothers. As a boy he was remarkable for the winning gentleness of his disposition, and for an earnest enthusiasm, which gave promise of future eminence, could he but break the bonds imposed by low birth and iron fortune. A young clergyman was attracted by the character of the boy, and voluntarily took upon himself the office of his tutor, and thus first opened before his mind visions of a broader world than that of the miserable village of his residence. But these serene days of powers expanding under genial guidance soon passed away. His father died, his tutor was translated to another post, and the walls of his prison-house seemed again to close upon the boy. But by the aid of members of his family, themselves in humble circumfaith], married. He is of middle height, strong, thin; the face oval, complexion pale, the forehead high and open, hair chestnut, eyes blue, eyebrows dark and very thick, mouth very small and well-formed, teeth fine, chin round He wears a mustache and imperial, and his curled hair does not entirely cover the upper part of the head. He has a white and delicate hand, the fingers long. He speaks German, Hungarian, Latin, Slovack, a little French and Italian. His bearing when calm, is solemn, full of a certain dignity; his movements elegant, his voice agreeable, softly penetrating, and very distinct, even when he speaks low. He produces, in general, the effect of an enthusiast; his looks often fixed on the heavens; and the expression of his eyes, which are fine, contributes to give him the air of a dreamer. His exterior does not announce the energy of his character." Photography could hardly pro duce a picture more minutely accurate Pronounced as though written Kos-shoot, with the accent on the last syllable. The Magyar equivalent for the French Louis and the German LUDWIG is LAJOS. We have given the date of his birth, which seems best authenticated. The notice of the Austrian police, quoted below, makes him to have been born in 1804; still another account gives 1801 as the year of his birth. The portrait which we furnish is from a picture taken a little more than two years since in Hungary, for Messrs. GOUPIL, the well-known picture-dealers of Paris and New York, and is undoubtedly an authentic likeness of him at that time. The following is a pen-and-ink portrait of Kossuth, drawn by those capital artists, the Police authorities of Vienna :-"Louis Kossuth, an ex-advocate, journalist, Minister of Finance, President of the Committee of Defense, Governor of the Hungarian Republic, born in Hungary, Catholic [this is an error, Kossuth is of the Lutheran stances, he was enabled to attend such schools as the district furnished. Little worth knowing was taught there; but among that little was the Latin language; and through that door the young dreamer was introduced into the broad domains of history, where, abandoning the mean present, he could range at will through the immortal past. History relates nothing so spirit-stirring as the struggles of some bold patriot to overthrow or resist arbitrary power. Hence the young student of history is always a republican; but, unlike many others, Kossuth never changed from that faith. The annals of Hungary contain nothing so brilliant as the series of desperate conflicts which were waged at intervals for more than two centuries to maintain the elective character of the Hungarian monarchy, in opposition to the attempts of the House of Austria to make the crown hereditary in the Hapsburg line. In these wars, from 1527 to 1715, seventeen of the family of Kossuth had been attainted for high treason against Austria. The last, most desperate, and decisively unsuccessful struggle was that waged by Rakozky, at the beginning of the last century. Kossuth pored over the chronicles and annals which narrate the incidents of this contest, till he was master of all the minutest details. It might then have been predicted that he would one day write the history of that fruitless struggle, and the biography of its hero; but no one would have dared to prophesy that he would so closely reproduce it in deeds. In times of peace, the law offers to an aspiring youth the readiest means of ascent from a low degree to lofty stations.) Kossuth, therefore, when just entering upon manhood, made his way to Pesth, the capital, to study the legal profession. Here he entered the office of a notary, and began gradually to make himself known by his liberal opinions, and the fervid eloquence with which he set forth and maintained them; and men began to see in him the promise of a powerful public writer, orator, and debater. sought for by young and aspiring lawyers, as giving them an opportunity of mastering legal forms, displaying their abilities, and forming advantageous connections. This Diet renewed the Liberal struggle with increased vigor. By far the best talent of Hungary was ranged upon the Liberal side. Kossuth early made himself known as a debater, and gradually won his way upward, and became associated with the leading men of the Liberal party, many of whom were among the proudest and richest of the Hungarian magnates. He soon undertook to publish a report of the debates and proceedings of the Diet. This attempt was opposed by the Palatine, and a law hunted up which forbade the "printing and publishing" of these reports. He for a while evaded the law by having his sheet lithographed. It increased in its development of democratic tendencies, and in popularity, until finally the lithographic press was seized by Government. Kossuth, determined not to be baffled, still issued his journal, every copy being written out by scribes, of whom he employed a large number. To avoid seizure at the post-office, they were circulated through the local authorities, who were almost invariably on the Liberal side. This was a period of intense activity on the part of Kossuth. He attended the meetings of the Diet, and the conferences of the deputies, edited his paper, read almost all new works on politics and political economy, and studied French and English for the sake of reading the debates in the French Chambers and the British Parliament; allowing himself, we are told, but three hours' sleep in the twenty-four. His periodical penetrated into every part of the kingdom, and men saw with wonder a young and almost unknown public writer boldly pitting himself against Metternich and the whole Austrian Cabinet. Kossuth might well, at this period declare that he "felt within himself something nameless." In the succeeding Diets the Opposition grew still more determined. Kossuth, though twice admonished by Government, still continued his journal; and no longer confined himself to simple reports of the proceedings of the Diet, but added political remarks of the keenest satire and most bitter denunciation. He was aware that his course was a perilous one. He was once found by a friend walking in deep reverie in the fortress of Buda, and in reply to a question as to the subject of his meditations, he said, "I was The man and the hour were alike preparing. In 1825, the year before Kossuth arrived at Pesth, the critical state of her Italian possessions compelled Austria to provide extraordinary revenues. The Hungarian Diet was then assembled, after an interval of thirteen years. This Diet at once demanded certain measures of reform before they would make the desired pecuniary grants. The court was obliged to concede these demands. Kossuth, having completed his legal studies, and finding no favorable opening in the capital, re-looking at the casemates, for I fear that I shall turned, in 1830, to his native district, and commenced the practice of the law, with marked success. He also began to make his way toward public life by his assiduous attendance and intelligent action in the local assemblies. A new Diet was assembled in 1832, and he received a commission as the representative, in the Diet, of a magnate who was absent. As proxy for an absentee, he was only charged, by the Hungarian Constitution, with a very subordinate part, his functions being more those of a counsel than of a delegate. This, however, was a post much soon be quartered there." Government finally in the lower walls of the fortress, there to con- | porters among the Hungarian magnates, who sider, in darkness and solitude, how dangerous it thus found themselves exposed to the charge of is to defy a powerful government, and to swerve being more despotic than the Cabinet of Metterfrom the path of law and of prudence.” nich itself. Kossuth became at once sanctified in the pop- Kossuth issued from prison in 1840, after an ular mind as a martyr. Liberal subscriptions imprisonment of three years, bearing in his de were raised through the country for the benefit bilitated frame, his pallid face, and glassy eyes, of his mother and sisters, whom he had supported traces of severe sufferings, both of mind and by his exertions, and who were now left without body. He repaired for a time to a wateringprotection. Wesselenyi became blind in prison; place among the mountains to recruit his shatLovassi, an intimate friend of Kossuth, lost histered health. His imprisonment had done more reason; and Kossuth himself, as was certified for his influence than he could have effected if by his physicians, was in imminent risk of falling at liberty. The visitors at the watering-place a victim to a serious disease. The rigor of his treated with silent respect the man who moved confinement was mitigated; he was allowed about among them in dressing-gown and slipbooks, newspapers, and writing materials, and pers, and whose slow steps, and languid features suffered to walk daily upon the bastions of the disfigured with yellow spots, proclaimed him an fortress, in charge of an officer. Among those invalid. Abundant subscriptions had been made who were inspired with admiration for his politi- for his benefit and that of his family, and he now cal efforts, and with sympathy for his fate, was stood on an equality with the proudest magnates. Teresa Mezlenyi, the young daughter of a noble- These had so often used the name of the "Marman. She sent him books, and corresponded tyr of the liberty of the press" in pointing their with him during his imprisonment; and they speeches, that they now had no choice but to acwere married in 1841, soon after his liberation. cept the popular verdict as their own. Kossuth, The action of the drama went on, though Kos- in the meanwhile mingled little with the society suth was for a while withdrawn from the stage. at the watering-place; but preferred, as his His connection with Wesselenyi procured for him health improved, to wander among the foresta degree of influence among the higher magnates clad hills and lonely valleys, where, says one which he could probably in no other way have who there became acquainted with him, and was attained. Their aid was as essential to the early his frequent companion, "the song of birds, a success of the Liberals, as was the support of group of trees, and even the most insignificant Essex and Manchester to the Parliament of En- phenomena of nature furnished occasions for gland at the commencement of the contest with conversation." But now and then flashes would Charles I. burst forth which showed that he was revolving other things in his mind. Sometimes a chord would be casually struck which awoke deeper feelings, then his rare eloquence would burst forth with the fearful earnestness of conviction, and he hurled forth sentences instinct with life and passion. The wife of the Lord-Lieutenant, the daughter of a great magnate, was attracted by his appearance, and desired this companion of Kossuth to introduce him to her house. When this desire was made known to Kossuth, the mysterious and nervous expression passed over his face, which characterizes it when excited. "No," he exclaimed, "I will not go to that woman's house; her father subscribed four-pence to buy a rope to hang me with!” In the second year of Kossuth's imprisonment, Austria again needed Hungarian assistance. The threatening aspect of affairs in the East, growing out of the relations between Turkey and Egypt, determined all the great powers to increase their armaments. A demand was made upon the Hungarian Diet for an additional levy of 18,000 troops. A large body of delegates was chosen pledged to oppose this grant except upon condition of certain concessions, among which was a general amnesty, with a special reference to the cases of Wesselenyi and Kossuth. The most sagacious of the Conservative party advised Government to liberate all the prisoners, with the exception of Kossuth; and to do this before the meeting of the Diet, in order that their liberation Soon after his liberation, he came forward as might not be made a condition of granting the the principal editor of the "Pesth Gazette" levy; which must be the occasion of great ex- (Pesthi Hirlap), which a bookseller, who enjoyed citement. The Cabinet temporized, and did no- the protection of the Government, had received thing. The Diet was opened, and the contest permission to establish. The name of the editor was waged during six months. The Opposition was now sufficient to electrify the country; and had a majority of two in the Chamber of Depu- Kossuth at once stood forth as the advocate of ties, but were in a meagre minority in the Cham- the rights of the lower and middle classes against ber of Magnates. But Metternich and the Cab- the inordinate privileges and immunities enjoyed inet grew alarmed at the struggle, and were eager by the magnates. But when he went to the exto obtain the grant of men, and to close the re- tent of demanding that the house-tax should be fractory Diet. In 1840 a royal rescript suddenly paid by all classes in the community, not even made its appearance, granting the amnesty, ac- excepting the highest nobility, a party was raised companied also with conciliatory remarks, and up against him among the nobles, who estabthe demands of the Government for men and lished a paper to combat so disorganizing a doc money were at once complied with. This action trine. This party, backed by the influence of of Government weakened the ranks of its sup- | Government, succeeded in defeating the election of Kossuth as member from Pesth for the Diet | Webster or Calhoun :-but it was what all eloof 1843. He was, however, very active in the quence of a high order must ever be-" Logic local Assembly of the capital. red-hot." Kossuth was not altogether without support among the higher nobles. The blind old Wes- | selenyi traversed the country, advocating rural freedom and the abolition of the urbarial burdens. Among his supporters at this period also, was Count Louis Batthyanyi, one of the most considerable of the Maygar magnates, subsequently President of the Hungarian Ministry, and the most illustrious martyr of the Hungarian cause. Aided by his powerful support, Kossuth was again brought forward, in 1847, as one of the two candidates from Pesth. The Government party, aware that they were in a decided minority, limited their efforts to an attempt to defeat the election of Kossuth. This they endeavored to effect by stratagem. The Liberal party nominated Szentkiraly and Kossuth. The Government party also named the former. The Royal Administrator, who presided at the election, decided that Szentkiraly was chosen by acclamation; but that a poll must be held for the other member. Before the intention of Kossuth to present himself as a candidate was known, the Liberals had proposed M. Balla as second delegate. He at once resigned in favor of Kossuth. The Government party cast their votes for him, in hopes of drawing off a portion of the Liberal party from the support of Kossuth. M. Balla loudly but unavailingly protested against this stratagem; and when after a scrutiny of twelve hours, Kossuth was declared elected, Balla was the first to applaud. That night Kossuth, Balla, and Szentkiraly were serenaded by the citizens of Pesth; they descended together to the street, and walked arm-in-arm among the crowd. The Royal Administrator was severely reprimanded for not having found means to prevent the election of Kossuth. Now came the French Revolution of February, 1848. The news of it reached Vienna on the 1st of March, and was received at Pressburg on the 2d. On the following day Kossuth delivered his famous speech on the finances and the state of the monarchy generally, concluding with a proposed "Address to the Throne," urging a series of reformatory measures. Among the foremost of these was the emancipation of the country from feudal burdens-the proprietors of the soil to be indemnified by the state; equalizing taxation; a faithful administration of the revenue to be satisfactorily guaranteed; the further development of the representative system; and the establishment of a government representing the voice of, and responsible to the nation.* The speech produced an effect almost without parallel in the annals of debate. Not a word was uttered in reply, and the motion was unanimously carried. On the 13th of March took place the revolution in Vienna which overthrew the Metternich Cabinet. On the 15th, the Constitution granted by the Emperor to all the nations within the Empire was solemnly proclaimed, amidst the wildest transports of joy. Henceforth there were to be no more Germans or Sclavonians, Magyars or Italians; strangers embraced and kissed each other in the streets, for aH the heterogeneous races of the Empire were now brothers ::-as likewise were all the nations of the earth at Anacharsis Klootz's "Feast of Pikes" in Paris, on that 14th day of July in the year of 1790 grace and yet, notwithstanding, came the "Reign of Terror." Among the demands made by the Hungarian Diet was that of a separate and responsible Ministry for Hungary. The Palatine, Archduke Stephen, to whom the conduct of affairs in Hungary had been intrusted, persuaded the Emperor to accede to this demand, and on the following day Batthyanyi, who with Kossuth and a deputation of delegates of the Diet was in Vienna, was named President of the Hungarian Ministry. It was, however, understood that Kossuth was the life and soul of the new Ministry. reforms which Kossuth had so long and steadfastly advocated. The remnants of feudalism Kossuth no sooner took his seat in the Diet than the foremost place was at once conceded to him. At the opening of the session he moved an address to the king, concluding with the petition that "liberal institutions, similar to those of the Hungarian Constitution, might be accorded to all the hereditary states, that thus might be created a united Austrian monarchy, based Kossuth assumed the department of Finance, upon broad and constitutional principles."Dur- then, as long before and now, the post of diffiing the early months of the session Kossuth culty under Austrian administration. The Diet showed himself a most accomplished parliament-meanwhile went on to consummate the series of ary orator and debater; and carried on a series of attacks upon the policy of the Austrian Cabinet, which for skill and power have few parallels in the annals of parliamentary warfare. Those form a very inadequate conception of its scope and power, whose ideas of the eloquence of Kossuth are derived solely from the impassioned and exclamatory harangues which he flung out during These were addressed to men wrought up to the utmost tension, and can be judged fairly only by men in a state of high excitement. He adapted his matter and manner to the occasion and the audience. Some of his speeches are marked by a stringency of logic worthy of the war. * We have not space to present any portion of this ad mirable speech. It is given at length in PULSZKY's Introduction to SCHLESSINGER'S " War in Hungary," which has been republished in this country; in a different, and somewhat indifferent translation, in the anonymous written strongly in the Austrian interest. In this latter, "Louis Kossuth and Hungary," published in London however, the "Address to the Throne," by far the most important and weighty portion of the speech, is omitted. A portion of the speech, taken from this latter source, and of course not embracing the Address, is given in Dr TEFFT'S recent valuable work, "Hungary and Kossuth." The whole speech constitutes a historical document of great importance |