THE PARK is the oldest and most important of the public squares in the city of New York, though not the largest. It is here presented as it appears from one of the upper windows of the Astor House, nearly opposite its southern extremity. On the left is seen the eastern side of Broadway, from which the other principal avenue of the city here springs, and passes off to the right. It is at first known by the name of Park Row, for half a mile further it is called Chatham Row and Chatham Street,

and, beyond Chatham Square, the Bowery. Chatham theatre is cut off from view by the limit of the picture on the right; the steeple belongs to the old Brick Church, and the flag flying beyond it is intended to mark Tammany Hall, so long celebrated in politi

different hours of the day and night. Clerks, mechanics and laboreis, early in the morning, hasten down to begin their various kinds of business; then the merchants pass in throngs, mingled with children on their way to school. During the forenoon, people of leisure, including many ladies, and most of the strangers visiting the city for pleasure, move leisurely along Broadway, and give occupation to the numerous shop-keepers, who vie with each other in displaying their various goods. At noon the mechanics are on their way to dinner, and at three the merchants; and with changes like these the streets are never deserted till late at night.

The number of omnibuses which pass this point is almost beyond belief, as it includes all those in use in the city. The various ramifications of all their routes concentrate, although some of them regularly perform distances of about four miles from one extremity to the other.

Near the Astor House on the left, is the American Hotel, a little beyond which opens Park Place, leading to Columbia College; and within a short distance around us, are numerous interesting objects and institutions, not depicted in the print. Near at hand, in the next street on the right, are the American Bible Society's buildings, Clinton Hall, with the Mercantile Library Rooms, the American Tract Society, several missionary, sunday-school and other Societies. The Harlem Railroad terminates at the northeastern side of the Park; and the City prison and courts are a little beyond.

The beautiful Park Fountain, which first. arrests the eye as it falls upon the print, is one of the noble evidences of the advantages afforded to the city by the celebrated Croton Aqueduct, one of the finest works of the kind in the world. The water which is here thrown into the air sometimes to the height of seventy feet, is brought to the city through a large subterranean conduit of mason work, forty-five miles, and distributed to the streets and houses by iron and leaden pipes. The height of the reservoirs is such as to force it upwards by hydrostatic press

ure.

In the summer of 1776, when the British fleet and army at Staten Island were daily threatening an approach towards the city, and our troops, from different parts of the country, were pouring in for its defence, a review was held here, and the line extended along the street on the right of the Park, before they marched for Long Island, where the unfortunate battle of Brooklyn soon after took place. After the occupation of New York by the enemy, the build. ing next east of the City Hall, concealed from this point of view by the fountain, and now the Hall of Record, was converted into the Provost prison, and made the place of confinement for many of our country. men taken captive in the course of the war. Here, among many others, was imprisoned for a short time, the venerable President Dagget of Yale College. who was taken fighting in the battle near New Haven, and made that characteristic reply when asked whether, if released, he would ever be found in arms again, against his majesty: Really, I believe I shall."

Near the opposite e nd of the City Hall is the site of the old Bridewell, or City Prison, now gone; and in the rear a large building called the New City Hall, in which are the Alms-House, the Hall of the Amer. ican Institute, &c.

The City Hall itself, which faces us, has a fine front of white marble, with a rear of free stone. The wing on our right has the Supreme Court room below, and the Chamber of Assistant Aldrmen above; the other wing has the Chamber of Aldermen above, and the Mayor's office below. Court rooms, &c., occupy the rest of the building, except the basement, where are the rooms of the Mechanics' Institute.

EXTRACTS

From the 2d vol of the U. S. Exploring Expedition.

Arrival at Tahiti.-We find our explorers, at the opening of the second volume, in sight of Tahiti, and are soon called upon to witness their arrival and reception. Nor is there any delay in commencing operations. An observatory, furnished with both astronomic and magnetic instruments, is at once established, and parties are sent out for the survey of the principal harbors and the intervening channels. A large body of officers and naturalists were also sent across the islands to visit Orohena, one of the highest peaks, and Lake Waiherea. They could not, however, reach the desired spot, but some days afterwards Captain Hudson, with his officers, succeeded in measuring the elevation of Aorai, the peak which is next in height to Orohena. This he found to be 6979 feet; Orohena appeared to

be about 1500 feet higher. From these two peaks ridges descend to all parts of the coast; they are precipitous and narrow, their summit being often a mere edge, where walking is not only dangerous, but sometimes impossible.-London Athenæum.

Ascent of Mount Orohena.-Another attempt was made to reach the top of Orohena, by Dr. Pickering and Mr. Couthouy. By nine o'clock in the morning they had, after a walk of about six miles, attained a higher point than any on their former journey-about 3500 feet:

"When they had reached the altitude of 1500 feet, they no longer found any paths; on arriving at this point, they halted for some time to make collections of land-shells, and some very interesting specimens were obtained of Helices, Patulas, Cyclostomas, Curocollas, and Pupas; after this they continued ascending, the ridge gradually becoming narrower, until they reached a spot on the ridge where there was not room for one person to pass by another, and where they could look down a precipice on each side to debths of two thousand feet. Plants that were below of small size, here grew into large woody shrubs: among them a species of Epacris was found growing luxuriantly along the crest of the ridges, and magnificent arborescent ferns on the mountain sides, some of them forty feet in height; another species was seen whose fronds were more than twenty feet in length. Their path was much impeded by tangled ferns and wiry grass (Gleichenia), which it was impossible to get through without the aid of a kife or a hatchet. They had now reached 4500 feet, the highest point yet attained, according to the guide, by white men; two o'clock had arrived, and as there was no place where they could encamp, o any chance of reaching a point suitable for passing the night in, by the advice of Vahaore [their guide] they allowed him to look for one. The mountain top was still estimated to be six miles distant; they had little doubt that it could be ascended by following the ridge, and it was thought that they could ac complish the task if time permitted. The day was fine, and they enjoyed a view of the whole mountain, which appeared as if it were the centre, from which the different ridges of the island radiate in ten or twelve directions towards the coast, having deep and narrow valleys between them, through which the mountain torrents rush; these valleys spread out as they approach the coast, and the ridges become more rounded and accessible. reconnoitering the ground for some time, Vahaore recollected a place where they might pass the night, which he thought was not far distant. He therefore immediately began to break a road, which he continued for about a quarter of a mile along the ridge. He then reached a place where the descent might be made, which, however, to all appearances, presented as few facilities for the purpose as any they had before looked at. They, how

After

ever, tried it, and after a hard scramble reached, about sunset, the place he sought. The descent was estimated to be about two thousand feet, and was performed partly by leaping from tree to tree, and partly by lowering one another by ropes over precipitous ledges from ten to twelve feet in height. In the words of Sacket, No man in his senses ever went down such a place before, and none but a fool would attempt to do so again.""

The Antarctic Continent.-" Feb. 13.-At 2 o'clock A. M. we made sail to the southwest, in order to close with the barrier, which we found retreated in that direction, and gave us every prospect of getting nearer to it. Our course, for the most part, was through icebergs of tabular form. In the afternoon we had the land ahead, and stood in for it with a light breeze until 6 P. M. when I judged it to be ten or twelve miles distant. It was very distinct, and extended from west-southwest to south-southeast. We were now in longitude 106° 40′ E. and latitude 65° 57′ S.; the variation was 55° 30′ westerly. The water was very green. We sounded in three hundred fathoms, and found no bottom. The weather having an unsettled appearance, we stood off to seek a clearer space for the night. The land left was high, rounded, and covered with snow, resembling that first discovered, and had the appearance of being bound by perpendicular icy cliffs.

14. At daylight we again made sail for the land, beating in for it until 11 A. M. when we found any further progress quite impossible. I then judged that it was seven or eight miles distant. The day was remarkably clear, and the land very distinct. By measurement we made the extent of the coast of the Antarctic Continent, which was then in sight, seventy-five miles, and by approximate measurement, three thousand feet high. It was entirely covered with snow. Longitude at noon 106° 18′ 42′′ E., latitude 65° 59′ 40′′ S., variation 57° 05′ westerly. On running in, we had passed several icebergs greatly discolored with earth, and finding we could not approach the shore any nearer, I determined to land on the largest ice-island that seemed accessible, to make dip, intensity, and variation observations. On coming up with it, about one and a half miles from where the barrier had stopped us. I hove the ship to, lowered the boat, and fortunately effected a landing. We found embedded in it, in places, boulders, stones, gravel, sand, and mud or clay. The larger specimens were of red sandstone and basalt. No signs of stratification were to be seen in it, but it was in places formed of icy conglomerate, (if I may use the expression,) composed of large pieces of rocks, as it were frozen together, and the ice was extremely hard and flint-like. The largest boulder embedded in it was about five or six leet in diameter, but being situated under the shelf of the iceberg, we were not able to get at it. Many specimens were obtained, and it was amusing to see the eagerness and desire

of all hands to possess themselves of a piece of the Antarctic Continent. These pieces were in great demand during the remainder of the cruise. In the centre of this iceberg was found a pond of most delicious water, over which was a scum of ice about ten inches thick. We obtained from it about five hundred gallons. We remained upon this iceberg several hours, and the men amused themselves to their hearts' content in sliding. The pond was three feet deep, extending over an area of an acre, and contained sufficient water for half a dozen ships. The temperature of the water was 31°. This island had been undoubtedly turned partly over, and had precisely the same appearance that the icy barrier would have exhibited if it had been turned bottom up, and subsequently much worn by storms. There was no doubt that it had been detached from the land, which was about eight miles distant. The view of the land, ice, &c. taken from the ice-island, is exhibited in the plate, and gives a correct representation of these desolate regions.

"Who was there prior to 1840, either in this country or in Europe, that had the least idea that any large body of land existed to the south of New Holland? and who is there that now doubts the fact, whether he admits it to be a vast continent, or contends that it is only a collection of islands?

"The icebergs found along the coast afloat were from a quarter of a mile to five miles in length; their separation from the land may be effected by severe frost rending them asunder, after which the violent and frequent storms may be considered a sufficient cause to overcome the attraction which holds them to the parent mass. In their next stage they exhibit the process of decay, being found fifty or sixty miles from the land, and for the most part with their surfaces inclined at a considerable angle to the horizon. This is caused by a change in the position of the centre of gravity, arising from the abrading action of the waves.

"The evidence that an extensive continent lies within the icy barriers, must have appeared in the account of my proceedings, but will be, I think, inore forcibly exhibited by a comparison with the aspect of other lands in the same southern parallel. Palmer's Land, for instance, which is in like manner invested with ice, is so at certain seasons of the year only, while at others it is quite clear, because strong currents prevail there, which sweep the ice off to the northeast. Along the Aniarctic Continent for the whole distance explored, which is upwards of fifteen hundred miles, no open strait is found. The coast, where the ice permitted approach, was found enveloped with a perpendicular barrier, in some cases unbroken for fifty miles.

"If there was only a chain of islands, the outline of the ice would undoubtedly be of another form and it is scarcely to be conceived that a long chain could extend so nearly in the same parallel of latitude. The land

has none of the abruptness of termination that the islands of high southern latitudes exhibit; and I am satisfied that it exists in one uninterrupted line of coast, from Ringgold's Knoll, in the east, to Enderby's Land, in the west; that the coast (at longitude 95° E.) tends to the north, and this will account for the icy barrier existing, with little alteration, where it was seen by Cook in 1773. The vast number of ice-islands conclusively points out that there is some extensive nucleus which retains them in their position; for I can see no reason why the ice should not be disengaged from islands, if they were such, as happens in all other cases in like latitudes. The formation of the coast is different from what would probably be found near islands, soundings being obtained in comparatively shoal water; and the color of the water also indicates that it is not like other southern lands, abrupt and precipitous. This cause is sufficient to retain the huge masses of ice, by their being attached by their lower surfaces instead of their sides only."

COVERING A BOOK.

From the Treasury of Knowledge.

The "cover" of a book, in bookbinders' phraseology, is the piece of leather or of cloth which envelopes the millboard; but the reader of a book when he speaks of its cover, gives the term a much more extensive application. We must therefore at once explain that the leather or cloth is called the cover, the stiffening substance within is the board, and both taken collectively the case.

When the book is taken from the sewingpress, (a print and description of which are given in the last Penny Magazine, p. 167,) an inch or two of each string is left hanging to it; these are afterward either scraped so thin as to be but little conspicuous, or are employed for fastening a book to its case. The back of the book-that is, the assembled back-edges of all the sheets-is glued, to increase the bond by which they are held together. When the book has gone through one or two other minor processes, that one succeeds which is perhaps as remarkable as anything displayed in bookbinding; viz. rounding the back and hollowing the front. Most persons can understand the production of a square back and edge to a book; but the graceful convexity of the one and concavity on the other, in most books bound in the modern style, are as curious in the mode of production as they are pleasing in appearance. In the process of "backing," by which this effect is produced, the book is laid on a bench, held or pressed by the left hand of the workman, as shown in the cut, and hammered near the back edge, with such a peculiar movement of the left hand as

causes the back to become rounded while the hammering proceeds. The effect is so instantaneous that a looker-on scarcely knows how or when it is produced.

Rounding the back of a book.

In former times the edges were cut in a most clumsy and rude manner by means of shears, one blade being fixed to a bench, and the other being moved by the right hand of the workman while his left hand held the book, and thus the leaves were cut few at a time. The cutting press of the present day, is however a much more effective arrangement. The book, after being properly adjusted between two boards, is screwed in a press, with one of the ends projecting a little above the level of the bench. The ends of all the leaves are then cut off while in this position, by means of an instrument called a plough," the cutting edge of which, in its mode of action, is midway between that of a pointed knife and a plane-iron. The edges are all cut to a perfect level; and the book being reversed, the other end is similarly treated. But by far the most remarkable part of the process is that by which the concave front edge is brought to such a regular curve. The glue with which the back of the book had previously been coated, is so far softened as to suffer the bands and the back edges of the sheets to yield to pressure. The workman takes the book in his hand, front edge uppermost, and strikes the back forcibly against the bench; transforming the round back into a square back. Then, inserting two pieces of sheet iron four inches by one, called trindles, between the book and

the boards at each end to keep the sheets in this position, he fixes the book in the cuttingpress, and cuts the front edge in precisely the same way as the top and bottom; thus making all the edges perfectly square, and all the leaves perfectly equal in size. The most remarkable part of the operation then succeeds; for immediately on removing the trindles from the book, the whole of the leaves spring back to their former position, that is, convex at the back edge. Hence is produced the hollow or "gutter" of the front edge.

In

Millboard, the stiff substance of which the sides of books are formed, is a thick pasteboard composed of many parallel layers, glued or pasted together, and pressed in a mill to make them dense and smooth. the first place, a pattern-piece, or size-pattern, is prepared, having the exact size and form of the boards to be cut. The cutting machine is then adjusted to these dimensions, by causing an edged instrument, analagous to a scissor-blade, to work at a cortain distance from a groove or raised ledge, against which the edge of the board is placed. The actual cutting is effected as by a pair of shears.

When a book attached to its boards by means of the bands, is ready to receive the leather covering, the leather is cut to the required size, allowing about half an inch all round for paring and turning in. The edge is pared or cut away obliquely with a keen knife, to prevent the unseemly projection which would otherwise result. The leather is laid smooth with the face downward, and the back surface well coated with paste. The workman then takes the book in his hands, laying the back evenly in the middle of the leather, and draws and smooths and works the latter until it adheres closely to the back and boards of the book.

FOREIGN TRAVELS. Greece in 1844; or, A Greek's Return to his Native Land-a narrative, edited by THEODORE DWIGHT, JR.

CHAPTER III.

Road to Athens.-Arrival.-Meeting with friends.- Changes in Greece.-The Statesman Collettis.-King Otho.-The Queen.

A short distance from the road, on the level land which now lay before us-the plain of Attica-was a small and humble monument of stone. No one who has read the modern history of Greece could look upon it without emotion, when informed that it marked the grave of Karaiskakis. He was one of the bravest and most serviceable officers who fought in the late war, and was remarkable