reader may imagine that so desolate a country as the mined by that extroardinary and beautiful phenomenon, scenes of these discoveries could furnish but few, if any, the Aurora Borealis, vividly darting its brilliant coruspicturesque features which might recommend them to cations towards the zenith in endless variety, and the painter. Such an erroneous inference will, how-tinging the ice and snow with its pale and mellow light; ever, be removed by a single glance at this picture, the remaining portions of the sky are clear, dark, and which presents a changeful assemblage of the sublimities unclouded, thickly studded with numberless stars, of creation. Here we have not merely thrilling regions shining with peculiar lustre; the whole forming a striof thick-ribbed ice below, but a display of splendid king and romantic scene difficult to conceive, and imphenomena above. The enterprise of the navigators possible to describe; the awful grandeur and sublimrelieves the desolation of the country: the spectator ity of which, cannot be contemplated but with the most will not exclaim intense interest, and enthusiastic admiration."

"clear, but, oh! how cold;"

The following account, from the pen of Captain Ross himself, will not be deemed supererogatory.

for the splendour of the stars and the brilliant coruscations of the Aurora, will raise his thoughts and affections "The situation of this Panorama, is half a mile northfrom earth to the silent contemplation of the majesty of ward of Felix Harbour, in the newly discovered counHeaven. Such, however, will be but a few impressions try, named by Captain Ross 'Boothia Felix,' and is in on viewing this sublime scene, than which it is difficult latitude 70° north, and longitude 92° west, the land is to conceive a more awe-inspiring subject for art to entirely of primitive formation, the rocks being com accomplish, or the ingenuity of a man to represent. posed of various kinds of granite, and destitute of vegA few passages from Mr. Burford's explanatory etation, except in the valleys, in some of which are pamphlet will best bespeak the interest of the details. lakes of a considerable size, but frozen over, excepting a "The present Panorama, taken from drawings made part of July, August, and September. Rein-deer, hares, by Captain Ross, has been painted under his immediate and foxes were seen here, and two kinds of grouse, inspection. It represents the winter quarters of the and bears were also constantly ranging along the coast. Victory, in 1830, in latitude 70° north, longitude 92° The time at which this view was taken, was the 9th of west; and the spectators are placed in the actual tent January, 1830, at noon. After having communicated in which the gallant Captain passed the nights during with an interesting tribe of natives, Captain Ross and his long and dreary journey of nearly 500 miles from his officers having obtained their confidence, by giving Victory Harbour to Batty Bay. The dismantled vessel them presents, persuaded them to accompany his party firmly beset by the ice in Felix Harbour, every part of to the Victory, which is represented frozen in at Felix her masts, yards, and shrouds, on which it could lodge, Harbour, with her colours and flags flying. The ship covered with snow, forms a conspicuous object, and is housed in, or, in other words, covered over with a gives cheerfulness to the scene, by affording certain in-roof of canvass; the bow is exposed to view, but the dications of the presence of human beings. The sea starboard, or gangway side, is protected by a wall of around presents one continued field of ice-towering snow within which the men usually exercised, when icebergs of gigantic size and singularly fantastic form too stormy to walk on shore, or at a distance. The -immense masses thrown up by pressure, called hum- island to the left of her forms the harbour, and on it mocks, pyramids, cavities, and an endless variety of the observatory was erected, and contained a three feet forms heaped together in wild disorder, from some huge transit instrument, and a six feet telescope, at which stalactitæ, are gracefully pendant; others are surrounded an officer is represented looking at the planet Venus; by sparry crystals and brilliant icicles, the prominent this is decorated with flags, as well as the magnetic surfaces tinged with the most vivid emerald and violet observatory at a more distant point. Beyond, at a tints, and the most intense blue shades lurking in the great distance, is seen King William's Land, which, recesses, presenting a splendid exhibition of icy since Captain Ross's return, has been so named with grandeur. his Majesty's gracious permission, as well as the position of the magnetic pole, which is behind the high land to the right of the ship, and is named Boothia Felix, in honour of Felix Booth, Esq. the patriotic friend of Captain Ross, and on the point of which, near a gun, is planted his flag. Going on again to the right, will be seen the village of the natives, consisting of eighteen huts, built entirely of snow; and round the point is Sheriff's Harbour, where the expedition passed the second and most severe winter. On this side of the most distant point, called Cape Margaret, is Victory Harbour, distant fifteen miles, where the third winter was spent, and where the ship was left in May, 1832. The next to the right is Isabella Louisa, or Lady Parry's Island, which being nearest to Sir E. Parry's discoveries, is so named in compliment to that distinguished officer; and the lands which close in with that first mentioned, are those visited, after much peril and labour, by Mr. Thom and Dr. M'Diarmid, in March, 1830. In the fore ground are seen the officers and the natives proceeding to the ship. Illictu, the old man, which had been placed in the front of the natives, when formed into a body, is seen on a sledge drawn by Captain Ross and his party of sailors. Tullooachiu, the man who had lost a leg, is seen on another sledge, drawn by Commander James Ross and another party; the rest of the natives are following, and, by signs and gestures, expressing their surprise at every object which is new and wonderful to them.

"The continent, called by Captain Ross, Boothia, and some small islands, present nearly the same appearance, and are only distinguishable from the ocean, by the bare sides of steep and precipitous rocks, which occasionally rise to a great height presenting horizontal and perpendicular strata of primitive granite; in some places vast masses are piled with extreme regularity, in others so confused, that they evidently mark some violent convulsion of nature. These dark and frowning precipices, without the least marks of vegetation, form a singular contrast with the pinnacles of ice, and the sparkling whiteness of the surrounding snow. At a short distance, an Esquimaux village rears the domeshaped tops of its snow-built huts, and a party of these interesting people are represented on their way to pay their first visit to the ship, whose extraordinary appearance and dress, and grotesque manners, considerably relieve the scene. Beyond, on every side, the eye stretches over one interminable field of ice and snow, whose very barrenness is beautiful, but which conveys a feeling of total privation and utter desolation. Towards the south the horizon is overspread by an arch of bright and splendid crimson light, which was always visible about noon, even when the sun was at its greatest southern declination; indeed, the return of what might be considered day, was always marked by so considerable a twilight, that by turning a book towards the south, the smallest print might be read without difficulty; and the brightness of the moon and stars, together with the reflection from the snow, rendered any thing approaching a deep or positive gloom of rare occurrence. The opposite portion of the hemisphere is splendidly illu

"To the South, looking towards the Victory, is seen the horizon, as it is illuminated at noon, as the sun passes some degrees below the horizon. Venus is seen to the left, and the fixed stars are every where shining

as seen at noon. In opposition or in the north, is seen | chief from those whom he had afflicted; therefore they the Aurora Borealis, as it generally appears, shooting erected an asylum, or temple of mercy at Athens. its pencil rays upwards, or towards the zenith. The

tints which these phenomena give the surrounding hills are also given with striking effect."

The cut represents Captain Ross in his Polar dress : to his right is the position of the magnetic pole, denoted by the royal Standard of England; and on the opposite side is the Victory, walled in with frozen snow.

Of the beautiful execution of the Panorama, description would impart but an unequal idea. The stars are cleverly managed by the aid of tinsel, and their effect is strikingly exquisite.-London Mirror.

MYTHOLOGY.

VIRTUE AND HONOUR.

"Virtue derives her name from vir, because virtue is the most manly ornament. She was esteemed a goddess, and worshipped in the habit of an elderly matron, sitting upon a square stone. M. Marcellus dedicated a temple to her, and hard by placed another, that was dedicated to Honour: the temple of Virtue was the passage to the temple of Honour; hence by virtue alone, true honour is attained.

FIDES OR FAITH.

Fides had a temple at Rome, near the capitol, which Numa Pompilius, it is said, first consecrated to her. Her sacrifices were performed without slaughter or blood. The heads and hands of the priests were covered with a white cloth when they sacrificed, because faith ought to be close and secret. Virgil calls her Cana Fides, either from the candour of the mind, whence fidelity proceeds, or because faith is chiefly observed by aged persons. The symbol of this goddess was a white dog, which is a faithful creature. Another symbol was two hands joined, or two young ladies shaking hands; for by giving the right hand, they engaged their faith for their future friendship.

HOPE.

Clemency, unless that there was a temple erected to "Nothing memorable occurs concerning the goddess Clementia Cæsaris, "The Clemency of Cæsar," as we

read in Plutarch.

CHASTITY.

"Hope had a temple at Rome, in the herb-market, which was unfortunately burnt down with lightning. Giraldus says, that he has seen her effigies in a golden coin of the emperor Adrian. She was described in the form of a woman standing; her left hand lightly held up the skirts of her garments; she leaned on her "Two temples at Rome were dedicated to Chastity; elbow; and in her right hand held a plate, on which the one to Pudicitia Patricia, which stood in the oxwas placed a ciberium, a sort of cup, fashioned to the market; the other to Pudicitia Plebeia, built by Virlikeness of a flower, with this inscription: SPES P.ginia, the daughter of Aulus: for when she, who was R. "The Hope of the People of Rome." We have already related in what manner Hope was left, and preserved in the bottom of Pandora's box.

PIETY.

born of a patrician family, had married a plebeian, the noble ladies were mightily incensed, and banished her from their sacrifices, and would not suffer her to enter into the temple of Pudicitia, into which senatorian families only were permitted entrance. A quarrel arose upon Attilius, the duumvir, dedicated a chapel to Piety, this among the women, and a great breach was made at Rome, in the place where that woman lived who between them. This induced Virginia, by some exfed her mother in prison with the milk of her breasts. traordinary action, to blot out the disgrace she had The story is thus. The mother was punished with received; and therefore, she built a chapel in the long imprisonment; her daughter, who was an ordinary street where she lived, and adorned it with an altar, woman, then gave suck; she came to the prison fre- to which she invited the plebeian matrons, and comquently, and the jailor always searched her, to see plained to them that the ladies of quality had used her that she carried no food to her mother: at last she so barbarously: "I dedicate," says she, "this altar was found giving suck to her mother with her breasts. to Pudicitia Plebeia; and I desire of you that you will This extraordinary act of the daughter gained the mo- as much adore Chastity, as the men do Honour; that? ther's freedom and they both were afterwards main- this altar may be followed by purer and more chast tained at the public charge, and the place was conse- votaries than the altar of Pudicitia Patricia, if it bu crated to the goddess Piety. There is a like example possible." It is said in history, that the women, who in the Grecian history, of a woman who by her breasts were contented with one marriage, were usually renourished Cymon, her aged father, who was impris-warded with a crown of chastity. oned, and supported him with her own milk.

MERCY.

TRUTH.

"Truth, the mother of Virtue, is painted in garments The Athenians erected an altar to Misericordia, as white as snow; her looks are serene, pleasant, courMercy," ," where was first established an asylum, a teous, cheerful, and yet modest; she is the pledge of place of common refuge to the miserable and unfortu- all honesty, the bulwark of honour, the light and joy of nate. It was not lawful to force any from thence. | human society. She is commonly accounted the daughWhen Hercules died, his kindred feared some mis-ter of Time or Saturn, because truth is discovered in

the course of time: but Democritus feigns that she | ly?" "What's that to you? I'll look where I have a lies hidden at the bottom of a well.

CONCORDIA.

PAX.

mind, an' hinder me if you daur." A hearty blow was the return to this, and then such a battle began. It "We shall find by the concurrent testimony of many, the ice; and the fight instantly became general and being Saturday, all the boys of both schools were on that the goddess Concordia had many altars at sevdesperate. I asked one of the party what they were eral times dedicated to her; but she was especially pelting the others for? "O, naething at a' man; we worshipped by the ancient Romans, her image held a bowl in her right hand, and a horn of plenty, or a sceping till they were quite exhausted, one of the principal just want to gie them a good thrashing"." After fighttre from which fruit seemed to sprout forth in her left. heroes stepped forth between, covered with blood, and The symbol of Concord was two right hands joined his clothes in tatters, and addressed the belligerant together and a pomegranate.. parties thus: "Weel, I'll tell ye what we'll do wi' ye: if ye'll let us alane, we'll let ye alane." There was no more of it: the war was at an end, and the boys scattered away to their play. I thought at the time, and have often thought since, that that trivial affray was the best epitome of war in general that I have ever seen. Kings and ministers of state are just a set of grown up children, exactly like the children I speak of, with only this material difference. that instead of fighting out the needless quarrels they have raised, they sit in safety and look on, send out their innocent but servile subjects to battle, and then, after a waste of blood and treasure, are glad to make the boys' conditions, "If ye'll let us alane, we'll let ye alane."

"Pax was honoured formerly at Athens with an altar, as Plutarch tells us. At Rome she had a most magnificent temple in the Forum, begun by Claudius and finished by Vespasian; which was afterwards consumed in a fire under Emperor Commodus. She was described in form of a matron, holding forth ears of corn in her hands, and crowned with olives and laurel or sometimes roses. Her particular symbol was a caduceus, a white staff borne by ambassadors when they go to treat of peace."

PRESENT SOVEREIGN OF PERSIA.

The ruling passion of Futeh Alli Shah is an insatiable desire of accumulating wealth, which has proved more injurious to his kingdom than all the efforts of his enemies. His avarice is in fact the jest as well as bane of the peeple. If a fruit or sweetmeat come early in season, he sends a portion to his favourites, who are obliged to acknowledge the honour by a valuable return, besides rewarding the messenger. He one day made fifteen hundred tomans in this way, out of a rupee which he found by accident, and with which he purchased apples to distribute in these costly presents. He has a practice also of inveigling his courtiers into bets about his shooting, in which he is sure to gain; for not only is he an excellent marksman, but the attendants take care, by cutting the throats of the sheep at which he has fired, to protect their sovereign's fame and his purse at the same time. The most degrading of his expedients to amass money is that of selling his daughters, and even his wives, to individuals generally of noble rank, for large sums, and assuredly not always with the consent of either party. To divorce a wife for the purpose of selling her is directly contrary to the spirit of the Mohammedan law; yet the king, though professing himself an orthodox Mussulman, has been guilty of this scandal more than once, and has fastened a spouse on some unfortunate man who was forced to pay a large sum for an encumbrance which he was most earnestly desirous to avoid. The darkest stains on this monarch's character, however, are the murder of his uncle Saduk, and his ungrateful conduct to his old zealous minister Hajii Ibrahim. The assassination of his relative might have been defended on the stern necessity of state policy; but that could not palliate the treachery and cruelty which accompanied the act. Saduk Khan, unable to struggle with his nephew, had surrendered on a secret promise that he should not be put to death. The king confined his victim in a room, built up the doors and windows, and left him to die by inches, conceiving this to be no violation of his oath. When the apartment was opened, it was discovered that the miserable captive had dug deep in the floor with his hand, and swallowed the clay to assuage the pangs of hunger.-Edinburgh Cabinet Library.

ORIGIN OF WARS.

The history of every war is very like a scene I once saw in Nithsdale. Two boys from different schools met one fine day upon the ice. They eyed each other with rather jealous and indignant looks, and with defiance on each brow. "What are ye glowrin' at Bil

POETRY.

TO A MOSCHETO.-N. Y. Review.
Fair insect, that, with thread-like legs spread out,
And blood-extracting bill, and filmy wing,
Dost murmur, as thou slowly sail'st about,
In pitiless ears, full many a plaintive thing,
And tell'st how little our large veins should bleed,
Would we but yield them freely to thy need;

I call thee stranger, for the town, I ween,
Has not the honour of so proud a birth;
Thou com'st from Jersey meadows, broad and green,
The offspring of the gods, though born on earth.

At length thy pinions fluttered in Broadway--
Ah, there were fairy steps, and white necks kissed
By wanton airs, and eyes whose killing ray

Shone through the snowy veils like stars through mist!
And, fresh as morn, on many a cheek and chin,
Bloomed the bright blood through the transparent skin.

O, these were sights to touch an anchorite!-
What, do I hear thy slender voice complain?
Thou wailest, when I talk of beauty's light,
As if it brought the memory of pain:
Thou art a wayward being-well, come near,
And pour thy tale of sorrow in my ear.

What say'st thou, slanderer? "Rouge makes thee sick,
And China bloom at best is sorry food;
And Rowland's Kalydor, if laid on thick,

Poisons the thirsty wretch that bores for blood ?"
Go, 'twas a just reward that met thy crime-
But shun the sacrilege another time.

That bloom was made to look at, not to touch,

To worship, not approach that radiant white;
And well night sudden vengeance light on such
As dared, like thee, most impiously, to bite.
Thou should'st have gazed at distance, and admired,
Murmured thy adoration, and retired.

Thou'rt welcome to the town; but why come here
To bleed a brother poet, gaunt like thee?
Alas the little blood I have is dear,

And thin will be the banquet drawn from me.
Look round-the pale-eyed sisters, in my cell,
Thy old acquaintance, Song and Famine, dwell.

Try some plump alderman; and suck the blood
Enriched with generous wine and costly meat;
In well-filled skins, soft as thy native mud,

Fix thy light pump, and raise thy freckled feet.
Go to the men for whom, in ocean's halls,
The oyster bleeds, and the green turtle sprawls.
There corks are drawn, and the red vintage flows,
To fill the swelling veins for thee; and now
The ruddy cheek, and now the ruddier nose,
Shall tempt thee as thou flittest round the brow;
And when the hour of sleep its quiet brings,
No angry hand shall rise to brush thy wings.

SECTION XXIII.

The GREEKS are an ancient people, whose origin is clouded with fable. All that we know, during the The deluge of Deucalion owed much of its importpresent or preceding period, of the descendants of Ja-ance to the imaginations of the poets. It was probaphet, who peopled Europe, is comprised in the history bly only a partial inundation. In the reign of Amof this nation. phictyon, a famine occurred, during which Ericthonius, said to be the son of Vulcan, arrived from Egypt with a supply of corn, and taught the natives the art of agriculture, for which he was raised to the throne in the room of Amphictyon.

"Fidelity, says St. Augustin, had her temple and altar, and sacrifices were performed to her. They represented her like a venerable matron sitting upon a throne, holding a white rod in her right hand, and a great horn of plenty in her left.