as the mountain transcends the hillock of the field, "how small a portion will be known of them!" No one can find out the Almighty to perfection. OBSERVATIONS OF OLD HUMPHREY, ON RICHES. DON'T be over-anxious about riches. Get as much of wisdom and goodness as you can, but be satisfied with a very moderate portion of this world's good. Riches may prove a curse, as well as a blessing. I was walking through an orchard, looking about me, when I saw a low tree laden more heavily with fruit than the rest. On a nearer examination it appeared, that the tree had been dragged to the very ground with the weight of its treasures, and that its very roots had been pulled out of the ground. 66 "O!” said I, gazing on the prostrated tree, "here lies one who has been ruined by his riches." In another part of my walk, I came up with a shepherd who was lamenting the loss of a sheep that lay mangled and dead at his feet. On inquiry about the matter, he told me that a strange dog had attacked the flock, that the rest of the sheep had got away through a hole in the hedge, but that the ram now dead, had more wool on his back than the rest, and the thorns of the hedge held him fast, till the dog had worried him. "Here is another," said I, “ruined by his riches." At the close of my ramble, I met a man hobbling along on two wooden legs, leaning on two sticks. "Tell me," said I, "my poor fellow, how you came to lose your legs." Why, sir," said he, "in my younger days, I was a soldier. A few comrades and I had attacked a party of the enemy, and overcome them, and we began to load ourselves with spoil. My comrades were satisfied with less than I, for I burdened myself with as much as I could carry. We were pursued, my companions escaped, but I was overtaken, and so cruelly wounded, that I only saved my life by the loss of my legs. It was a bad affair, sir, but it is too late to repent it now." "Ah, friend," thought I, "like the fruit tree, and the mangled sheep, you may date your downfal to your posses sions: it was your riches that ruined you." When I see so many rich people, as I do, caring so much for their bodies, and so little for their souls, I pity them from the bottom of my heart, and sometimes think there are as many ruined by riches, as by poverty. "Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me, lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.” COTTAGE COMFORT. "IF I enter the premises of a working man, and find his garden deformed with weeds, his once latticed porch broken and unseemly, his walls discoloured, his hearth dirty, I know that there is little self-respect in the master of that hovel, and that he flies from his comfortless home to the nightly gratification which the ale-house supplies. But show me the trim crocus in the spring; or the gorgeous dahlia in the autumn, flourishing in the neat enclosure-let me see the vine or the monthly rose covering his cottage walls in regulated luxuriance-let me find, within the neatly sanded floor, the well polished furniture, a few books, and a print or two over his chimney, and I am satisfied that the occupiers of the cottage have a principle at work within that will do much to keep them from misery and degradation. They have found out unexpensive employments for their leisure; they have the key to the same class of enjoyments which constitute a large portion of the happiness of the best informed; they have secured a share of the common inheritance of intellectual gratification." While these effects may result from industry, sobriety, and intelligence, how much more powerful the influence of virtue and godliness. In addition to the cleanliness and the comfort of the house, the self-respect and the public approbation which invariably attend such domestic scenes, there are the testimony of an approving conscience, the smiles of the Divine favour, and the cheering hopes of a better and an everlasting home. 'Say ye to the righteous, it shall be well with them; for they shall eat of the fruits of their doings." ON ELECTRICAL FISHES.-No. I. MANY of our readers have, we doubt not, received, and all have heard of, electric shocks, produced by means of the Leyden phial; a vessel prepared so as to be capable of receiving an accumulation of the electric fluid, and discharging it at the moment in the conducting circle, between the inner surface in a state of positive, and the outer in a state of negative electricity effected. The electric fluid thus artificially accumulated, and lightning, that terrific agent of sudden destruction, are proved to be identical. The nature of the electric fluid, as it is termed, is, of course, beyond man's comprehension; we know it only in its effects. The galvanic battery is another mode of communicating the electric fluid to a body; and it seems to be intimately connected with the phenomena of magnetism. It may surprise some of our readers, to be told, that several animals are endowed with the power of communicating electric shocks at will, upon being either touched immediately, or through any of the usual conductors. The fur of many animals, as, for instance, the cat, exhibits decided electrical phenomena on being rubbed or stroked; but the phenomena to which we here allude, differ, inasmuch as they are voluntary on the part of the agent, and consist in the instantaneous discharge of an accumulation of electric fluid, thereby producing a convulsive contraction of the muscles of the individuals receiving it, or in other words, a shock. The only animals, as far as we know, endowed with this extraordinary power or property, are certain fishes; of which the most noted are the Torpedo, the Gymnotus electricus, and the Silurus electricus. The torpedo belongs to the cartilaginous section of fishes, and is closely allied to the ray or skate. The disc of the body is nearly circular; the tail is short and fleshy. The electrical organs consist of an aggregate of perpendicular hollow columns, situated on each side of the cranium, and extending backwards as far as the gillopenings. Mr. Todd observes, that their position, "within the curvature of the semilunar cartilages of the large lateral fins," renders them under the influence of the muscles, which are inserted into these cartilages. "So that in any lateral motion of these cartilages towards the trunk, or in any increase of curvature of these cartilages, the electrical organs must be compressed.' " The coats of these hollow tubes or co lumns are thin and transparent, and closely connected with each other by a network of tendinous fibres. The cavity of each tube or hollow column is divided by transverse partitions into a number of cells, containing a gelatinous fluid. These partitions, in a column of one inch, amount to one hundred and fifty. They consist of a very fine translucent membrane. The whole apparatus is covered with a thin membrane, composed of longitudinal fibres, united to the skin, or surrounding parts of the body. These electrical organs are supplied by a large number of nerves, upon which their peculiar power (as proved by experiments) entirely depends. In the "Philosophical Transactions," for 1816, we have a detailed account of a series of experiments on the torpedo, taken near the Cape of Good Hope, and which, as Mr. Todd observes, is identical with a species found on the northern hemisphere, but is seldom so large, being from five to eight inches in length, and from three and a half to five in breadth. From that gentleman's account we extract the following details : "The shocks received from the torpedos which I examined, were never sensible above the shoulder, and seldom above the elbow joint. The intensity of the shock bore no relation to the size of the animal, but an evident relation to the liveliness of the animal, and vice versa." The shocks are generally occasioned by handling the fish, and sometimes a little roughness was required before the fish would discharge the shock; nor were they discharged with any thing like regularity. "Sometimes they were so frequent as not to be counted; at other times not more than one or two have been received from one animal; and, in a few instances, it has been impossible by any irritation to elicit shocks from some of them. When caught by the hand, they sometimes writhed and twisted about, endeavouring to extricate themselves by muscular exertion, and did not, until they found these means unavailing, discharge the shock. In many instances, however, they had recourse to their electrical power immediately." The electrical discharge was in general accompanied by an evident muscular action. "This was marked by an apparent swelling of the superior surface of the electrical organs, particularly towards the anterior part, and by a retraction of the eyes." "Two torpedos as nearly alike in every circumstance as possible, being each placed in a separate bucket of sea water, from one of them frequent shocks were elicited, the other was allowed to remain undisturbed. The former became languid, the intensity of its shocks diminished, and it soon died; the last shocks being received in a continued succession, producing pricking sensations never extending beyond the hand. The latter continued vivacious, and lived till the third day. This experiment was frequently repeated with the same results, and it might be observed in general, where there was no direct comparison made, that those which parted with the shocks most freely, soonest became languid and died; and those which parted with them most reluctantly, lived the longest." On dividing the nerves which supplied the electrical organs, though the fish continued lively, it had lost all power of producing shocks, THE MIRACLES OF CHRIST. M. THE miracles which he wrought were in themselves perfectly surprising. Water, in his presence, and awed by his power, blushed into wine. The agitated elements of nature submissively obeyed his command; a single word calmed the foaming billow; a gentle whisper turned the most raging winds into the softest zephyrs. He walked with perfect composure on the agitated bosom of the waves. Withered, palsied limbs were vivified by his touch. The sparkling glory of his countenance gave sight to the blind. A volition of his mind gave speech to the dumb. With a few loaves of bread, he fed thousands. His gentle voice penetrated the dark recesses of the tomb, and brought the dead alive from their graves. The most infuriated evil spirits, overawed by his command, terrified, fled from his presence. Many of the Jews, by beholding his miracles, were convinced that he was the Messiah. When they once saw him heal one possessed, "all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the Son of David?" And it is said, "when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, on the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles he did." "John ii. 23. And is it not surprising, with such an overwhelming testimony to his Messiahship, that all did not believe in him? Oh, the depravity of human nature, and the hardness of the human heart, that could remain unmoved with such compassion as Jesus manifested! He went about doing good; yet he was hated and despised by most. And often, when actually engaged in works of mercy, his enemies conspired against his life. THE CHRISTIAN ALMANACK,' Is just published, by the PRICE EIGHTPENCE, STITCHED. This Almanack will contain a great variety of information, especially on the subjects which are most generally useful. A short text of scripture for every day in the year will be given, and some religious articles. As Almanacks are to be found in almost every house, and are constantly consulted, it is important that they should contain at least some portion of scriptural truth, and some references to objects of superior importance to those of this transitory world. Christians are commanded, "Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God," 1 Cor. x. 31, and therefore in the memorials of our passing days and years whom we live, and move, and have our we certainly should not overlook Him "in being." Acts xviii. 28. The Scientific part of the CHRISTIAN ALMANACK will be very copious, embracing every astronomical occurrence of any import, with such explanatory matter lars and reason of some of the more strikas will bring before the reader the particuing phenomena, as well as the important uses to which they may be applied. In addition to a full account of the Solar and Lunar Eclipses, and the transit of Mercury across the Sun's disc, will be inserted a copious detail of particulars respecting the celebrated COMET of Dr. Edmund Halley, the expected appearance of which, in 1835, causes a great sensation be given of the comet's path in the starry among scientific men. An engraving will heavens. Ths time of the rising and setting of the length of day, &c., will be given both for heavenly bodies, the duration of twilight, the latitude of London and Edinburgh, and persons residing in the intermediate latitudes may easily estimate the time when the same occurrences will take place where they reside. A Calendar will be given for every Also, just published, PRICE ONE PENNY. JOHN DAVIS, 56, Paternoster Row, London. Price . each, or in Monthly Parts, containing Five Numbers in a Cover, 3d. W. TYLER, Printer, 4, Ivy Lane, St. Paul's like "the curtains of Solomon," the tent | Solomon to have been set, as pillars of And when we recollect that the drawers worn in the East, and even by the Greeks, are so remarkably full, that they resemble the trowsers of our seamen in every respect, except being drawn close round the ancle, we shall perceive that the stockings in this figure, though not drawn tight up, sit sufficiently close to warrant the complimentary comparison. The above is a portrait of Nadir Shah, one of the comparatively modern Persian monarchs, whose dress abounded in pearls, precious stones, and golden embroidery. He occupies a moveable seat, not a throne of state, but such as was probably used by Solomon when he visited his bride, while his companions stood around him. Marriage takes place in India when the parties are infants, the contract being entered into by the parents, upon which occasion every effort is made to display all possible magnificence, and the savings of many years are expended freely in foolish ostentation. The young bride and bridegroom are paraded about in carriages, palanquins, on horseback, or on bullocks; in proportion to the circumstances of the persons concerned, so is the magnificence or penury abie doce of the exhibition; and the extent to which this vanity is carried, may be conceived by the reader, from the following abridged account of the marriage of young Vizier Ally, as given in Forbes's Oriental Memoirs. It took place at Lucknow, in 1795:"The Nabob Asoph-ul-Dowlah, whose adopted son the bridegroom was, had his tents pitched on the plain near the city, two of which were lined with the finest English broad cloth, and cost fifty thousand pounds, being each one hundred and twenty feet long, sixty broad, and the poles sixty feet high, with walls cut into lattice-work, for the sable beauties of the seraglio and those of the nobility to see through. His highness was covered with jewels, to the amount of at least two millions sterling From thence," says Forbes, "we removed |