Page images
PDF
EPUB

enabled to do so are the same. In the large feet of these animals, the contrivance is easily observed, of the two toes or tightners, by which the skin of the foot is pinned down, and the air excluded in the act of walking or climbing; but it is the very same, only upon a larger scale, with the mechanism of a fly's or a butterfly's foot; and both operations, the climbing of the sea-horse on the ice, and the creeping of the fly on the window or the ceiling, are performed exactly by the same power-the weight of the atmosphere-which causes the quicksilver to stand in the weather-glass, the wind to whistle through a keyhole, and the piston to descend in a steam-engine.

The contrivance by which some creeper plants are enabled to climb walls, and fix themselves, deserves attention. The Virginia creeper has a small tendril, ending in a claw, each toe of which has a knob, thickly set with extremely small bristles; they grow into the invisible pores of the wall, and swelling, stick there as long as the plant grows, and prevent the branch from falling; but when the plant dies, they become thin again, and drop out, so that the branch falls down. The Vanilla plant of the West Indies, climbs around trees likewise by means of tendrils ; but when it has fixed itself, the tendrils drop off, and leaves are formed.

PASSAGE ACROSS THE ANDES.

As soon as we crossed the pass, which is only seventy yards long, the captain told me, that it was a very bad place for baggage mules; that four hundred had been lost there, and that we should also very probably lose one. He said that he would get down

to the water at a place about a hundred yards off, and wait there with his lasso* to catch what might fall into the torrent, and he requested me to lead on his mule. However, I was resolved to see the tumble if there was to be one; so the captain took away my mule and his own, and while I stood on a projecting rock at the end of the pass, he scrambled down on foot, till he at last got to the level of the water.

The drove of mules now came in sight, one following another; a few were carrying no burdens, but the rest were either mounted or heavily laden, and as they wound along the crooked path, the difference of colour in the animals, the different colours and shapes of the baggage they were carrying, with the picturesque dress of the peons,† who were vociferating the wild song by which they drive on the mules, and the dangerous path they had to cross, formed altogether a very interesting scene.

As soon as the leading mule came to the commencement of the pass, he stopped, evidently unwilling to proceed; and of course all the rest stopped also.

He was the finest mule we had, and on that account had twice as much to carry as any of the others; his load had never been relieved, and it consisted of four portmanteaus, two of which belonged to me, and which contained not only a very heavy bag of dollars, but also papers which were of such consequence, that I could hardly have continued my journey without them. The peons now redoubled their cries, and leaning over the sides of their mules, and picking up stones, they threw them at the leading

* "Lasso ;" a long leather strap with a noose; used for the purpose of catching wild horses and other wild animals. "Peons;" mule-drivers.

mule, who now commenced his journey over the path. With his nose down to the ground, literally smelling his way, he walked gently on, after changing the position of his feet, if he found the ground would not bear, until he came to the bad part of the pass, where he again stopped; and then I certainly began to look with great anxiety at my portmanteaus ; but the peons again threw stones at him, and he continued his path, and reached me in safety; several others followed. At last a young mule, carrying a portmanteau, with two large sacks of provisions, and many other things, in passing the bad point, struck his load against a rock, which knocked his two hind legs over the precipice, and the loose stones immediately began to roll from under them; however, his fore legs were still upon the narrow path; he had no room to put his head there, but he placed his nose on the path on his left, and appeared to hold on by his mouth. His perilous fate was soon decided by a loose mule which came after him, and, knocking his comrade's nose off the path, destroyed the balance, and head over heels the poor creature instantly commenced a fall, which was really quite terrific. With all his baggage firmly lashed to him, he rolled down the steep slope, until he came to the part which was perpendicular, and then seeming to bound off, and turning round in the air, fell into the deep torrent on his back and baggage, and instantly disappeared. I thought of course that he was killed; but he rose, looking wild and scared, and immediately endeavoured to stem the torrent which was foaming about him. For a moment he seemed to succeed; but the eddy suddenly caught the great load on his back, and turned him completely over; down went his head, with all his baggage, and he was carried down the stream.

As suddenly, however, he came up again; but he was now weak, and went down the stream, turned round and round by the eddy, until, passing the corner of the rock, I lost sight of him. I saw, however, the peons, with their lassos in their hands, run down the side of the torrent for some little distance; but they soon stopped, and after looking towards the poor mule for some seconds, their earnest attitude gradually relaxed, and when they walked towards me, I concluded that all was over. I walked up to the

peons, and was just going to speak to them, when I saw at a distance a solitary mule walking towards us. We instantly perceived that he was the same, whose fall we had just witnessed; and in a few moments he came up to us to join his comrades.

LUDICROUS ACCOUNT OF ENGLISH TAXES.

PERMIT me to inform you, my friends, what are the inevitable consequences of being too fond of glory ;-Taxes-upon every article which enters into the mouth, or covers the back, or is placed under the foot-taxes upon every thing which is pleasant to see, hear, feel, smell, or taste-taxes upon warmth, light, and locomotion-taxes on every thing on earth, and the waters under the earth-on every thing that comes from abroad, or is grown at home-taxes on the raw material-taxes on every fresh value that is added to it by the industry of man-taxes on the sauce which pampers man's appetite, and the drug that restores him to health-on the ermine which decorates the judge, and the rope which hangs the criminal-on the poor man's salt, and the rich man's

spice on the brass nails of the coffin, and the ribands of the bride-at bed or board, couchant or levant, we must pay.

The school-boy whips his taxed top-the beardless youth manages his taxed horse, with a taxed bridle on a taxed road;-and the dying Englishman pouring his medicine, which has paid seven per cent. into a spoon that has paid fifteen per cent.flings himself back upon his chintz bed which has paid twenty-two per cent.-makes his will on an eight pound stamp, and expires in the arms of an apothecary, who has paid a license of a hundred pounds for the privilege of putting him to death. His whole property is then immediately taxed from two to ten per cent. Besides the probate, large fees are demanded for burying him in the chancel; his virtues are handed down to posterity on taxed marble; and he is then gathered to his fathers,-to be taxed no more.

In addition to all this, the habit of dealing with large sums, will make the government avaricious and profuse; and the system itself will infallibly generate the base vermin of spies and informers, and a still more pestilent race of political tools and retainers, of the meanest and most odious description ;-while the prodigious patronage, which the collecting of this splendid revenue will throw into the hands of government, will invest it with so vast an influence, and hold out such means and temptations to corruption, as all the virtue and public spirit, even of republicans, will be unable to resist.

« PreviousContinue »