A REMEDY FOR RUMSELLING.-The following plan is proposed in a Southern paper as a remedy for rumselling: "Let it be enacted that the expense of supporting all paupers who are made through the sale of intoxicating liquors, shall be equally assessed upon the dealers in such liquors; let every man who takes out a licence, be required to give ample security for the payment of his share of the tax; and let the public authorities see that the destitute wives, widows and children of drunkards be well supported. This would put an end to nine tenths of the groggeries, and the fewer the sellers become, the heavier the tax upon them." ORNAMENTAL SLATE.-Valencia Island, in the county of Kerry, (Ireland,) supplies materials from her splendid slate quarries to the new Houses of Parliament. This beautiful slate, whose veining is so much admired, is worked into elegant drawing-room tables, mantel-pieces, and various other articles. These recently dircovered quarries, in the working of which a capital of 20,000l. has been invested, (thus affording employment for hundreds,) present one among a thousand evidences that the resources of this country only require to be developed. The Knight of Kerry has brought over an enterprising English capitalist to raise this slate from the beds where it lay concealed for ages. Limerick Reporter. AN OLD STEAMER.-The Wilmington (N. C.) Chronicle says: Probably the oldest Steamboat in the country, if not in the world, now in service, is the Henrietta, plying on the Cape Fear river, between Wilmington and Fayetteville. The Henrietta was built at Fayettevile, in 1818, and is of course now in her 27th year. She has been in active operation throughout the whole time, when the river was not too low for her to run. She has never met with an accident, either from steam or snag-is in sound condition, having been thoroughly repaired at various times, and bids fair to do good service for many years yet." LARGE FOOTPRINTS.-Mr. Dexter Marsh, of this town, while exploring for fossil remains near South Hadley Falls, a short time since, found several large bird tracks embedded in the solid rock, two or three of which he succeeded in splitting off from the ledge. The tracks were about four feet apart, and half a yard in length, and one which we have examined will hold two quarts of water. The bird which made these tracks must have been larger than the largest of our domestic animals.-Greenfield (Mass.) Gazette. The steamboat Julia Choteau arrrived at St. Louis on the 4th instant, with fourteen tons of deer skins, a part of sixty tons purchased in Arkansas. These skins weigh about three pound average-so that forty thousand deer were killed to supply the sixty tons. A gentleman in the British navy has invented a cloak, which is capable of being filled with air, and used as a boat. An experiment was lately made with one of these at Plymouth, England, in which the party paddled off some miles from the ship, holding an umbrella over his head, and on landing, he put his boat on his back, and walked off with it. DEATH OF ONE OF WAYNE'S OLD SOLDIERS.Capt. John Osborne, one of Wayne's soldiers, died at Pittsburg on the 24th March, and was appropriately buried, on the afternoon of the 25th, with the honors of war. BOOKS IN MEXICO.-An influential planter who employs some 300 hands, and has formerly introduced among them and his friends the Bible, has lately procured for distribution 30,000 pages of the publications of the American Tract Society. He is more than great, who instructs his offender while he forgives him. The iron steamer built for the U. S. Revenue Service, by Jabez Coney, at South Boston, was launched April 19th. ONEOTA, No. 6.-The sixth of Mr. Schoolcraft's valuable pamphlets on the Red Race of America has just appeared, and is soon to be followed by two more, which will probably complete this series. We again assure our readers that this work contains a large amount of authentic, important, and instructive matter, on the character, habits, &c. of our Indians; and that it is indispensable to every reader who would form a correct judgment on many points inexplicable on the principles of civilized life and opinions. This and all the previous numbers may be had at this office; and we invite the patronage of the public to so valuable a work. The price is 25 cents each number. POETRY. From the Louisville Journal. 'Tis eve-how beautiful the scene! Brighter than diamond of the mine, And purer than the ocean pearl, They beam with radiance divine! 'Tis eve!-and deepest silence reigns Around the haunts of vanity, But nature wakes her slumbering strains, And nature's voice is sweetest now; From every glade-from every grove. The songsters of the day are flown, But Philomel, in notes of love, Untiring chants her song alone! That sweet but melancholy strain, And deeper gloom involve the sky, See how the silver moonbeams sleep That danced upon the crystal stream? My Mother. By L. J. M. Montague. VIOLA. Whose was that eye, whose loving beam That round my pillow nightly broke Some soothing office to fulfil ? It was thine own-I know no other Flowers and Friends. The sweetest flowers, alas! how soon And drooping, fade away forever! Though all its beauteous tints are fled. And hearts, at meeting, fondly swell, How soon, alas! those hearts must breathe The parting sigh—the sad farewell! Yet from such moments, as from flowers, THE PENNY POST-Gift of the London Merchants to Rowland Hill.-The city of London Mercantile Committee on Postage, have presented Mr. Rowland Hill with a cheque for £10,000, with an intimation that they reserve, till some future opportunity, the pleasure of making a more public presentation of the fruits of their labors on his behalf. THE AMERICAN PENNY MAGAZINE AND FAMILY NEWSPAPER, Is published weekly, at the office of the New York Express, No. 112 Broadway, at 3 cents a number, (16 pages large octavo,) or, to subscribers receiving it by mail, and paying in advance, $1 a year. The postage is one cent a number for all parts of the State, or within 100 miles of the city, and one and a half cents for greater distances. Persons forwarding the money for five copies, will receive a sixth gratis. Editors known to have published this advertisement, with an editorial notice of the work, will be supplied with it for one year. By the quantity, $2 a hundred. The work will form a volume of 832 pages annually. Postmasters are authorized to remit money without charge. NO MONEY IN ADVANCE Except to the Editor or Publishers! We particularly request the public to remember that no person is authorized to receive money in advance for this paper, except the Editor or Publishers. THE River Jordan, in its course from the lake of Gennesareth, or sea of Galilee, to the Dead Sea, flows through a narrow valley, which, according to descriptions of different parts given us by different writers, must present a great variety of wild natural scenery, little tamed by the hand of man, and seldom enlivened by his presence. The stream pours between low banks, raised by its periodical floods; for, we find it written, "the Jordan overflows its banks all the time of harvest." Its margin being then overgrown, perhaps more than at present, by trees and bushes, doubtless gave shelter to wild beasts, which were sent roving over the neighboring country by the prevalence of the water. We need not particularize on the allusions to these circumstances, which we find in dif We ferent parts of the Old Testament. may infer from several passages there, as well as from the unsatisfactory accounts of travellers, (few of whom have ever attempted to travel along the course of that interesting stream,) that its banks present impediments of various kinds, both to cultivation, to habitation and to the passage of man. There appear to have been, from early days, only three convenient folds across the Jordan; an uncommon feature in a stream of such moderate size, and one of such importance at several epochs of Israelitish history. "With my staff I passed over Jordan," said Jacob, in an expression of his gratitude to the God of his fathers, beautiful for its force and simplicity, "but now thou hast made me two bands." Perhaps that patriarch crossed the stream at the ford depicted above, which, if we mistake not, is copied from a sketch taken at the lower one of the three, viz. that near the head of the Dead Sea. The difficulty of crossing the Jordan in most parts of its course, rendered it an ef fectual barrier to different enemies; while the few fords naturally became, at different epochs, scenes of important events, in consequence of the passage of armies, their battles and the exertions there made to prevent their invasion, or to cut off their retreat. At those points also concentrated many roads and paths; and we often infer, by a little knowledge of sacred geography, at what points passed many of the personages mentioned in Scripture narratives. David, in retreating before Absalom, must have crossed at the lower ford, near which, " in the land of the Ammonites," may have been "the hill Mizar," affectingly associated in our minds with the more than heroic trust in God expressed in his inimitable psalm. The whole course of the Jordan is, with reason, regarded with interest; and and its source has been a matter of much dispute, in consequence of the disagreement in the accounts given of it by different writers. Josephus tells us, that its head waters are derived from the small lake Phiala, about ten miles north of Cæsarea Philippi, and that the fact was proved by an experiment made by Philip the Tetrarch, by throwing straws into the lake, which were drawn in by a subterranean stream, and reappeared in the Jordan, 120 furlongs distant. The Talmudists represent it as having its source at Paneas or Leshem, which, being in the limits of upper Dan, (as we may call the region seized by that tribe in the north,) may have been the spot where Jeroboam placed one of his golden calves. Josephus indeed mentions that the Jordan rose under the temple of the golden calf. The river, after a short course, (whatever point be taken as its head,) enters the little lake of Merom, or Houle, through which it flows, and pursues its way 12 miles to the larger lake of Cinneroth, (or, as the Greeks called it, Lake Gennesareth,) afterterwards named by the Romans, Sea of Tibe rias and of Galilee, about fifteen miles in length. It then enters the long, wild and narrow valley already spoken of, formerly called the Aulon, and now the Ghor, which is about 70 miles in length, to the Dead Sea. There its waters are so impregnated with salts, as to increase wonderfully in gravity, and to become destructive to all kinds of water animals. It is not true, however, as ancient writers declare, that the atmosphere above is contaminated by the fumes exhaled from the lake, so as to be fatal to birds fly. ing over it. Several recent travellers have given us satisfactory evidence of the contrary. It has been said by others, that certain species of shellfish were inhabitants of the Dead Sea near the mouth of the Jordan; and it is undeniable that shells are found on the shore. But it is now believed that they are all fluviatile, and washed down by the Jordan. An admirer of the Bible may recur to many other passages, besides those alluded to, in which the fords or banks of the Jordan are connected with scenes and events of interest: for Moses halted the Israelitish army on its borders, which he was forbid. den to pass, and from one of the mountains on its eastern acclivity, cast his last view upon an earthly scene; and Joshua had hardly taken his place at the head of the host, when the Jordan opened a passage to his followers, and the walls of Jericho, near its western shore, bowed submissively to the divine decree which gave him the promise of victory. In the valley of this same stream long stood the twelve stones taken from its bed to commemorate the miraculous passage, while opposite was erect ed the altar, without a sacrifice, in imitation of that designed for the whole nation, which had nearly divided it into hostile parties and converted the river into a boundary of blood. Different points on the Jordan are associated in our minds, not only with the jour nies of the three first patriarchs, Ruth, the Moabitess, the conquests of Jephthah, David, and the invasions of the Syrians, Assyrians and Chaldeans, but with the ap proach and return of the "Wise Men,' the baptism of Christ, his preaching and temptation in the Wilderness, and many occurrences of other kinds or other periods. Here have passed caravans for the East, armies of different nations, speaking differ ent languages, bound on various enterprises to different destinies. Long within the recollection of many of our readers, the inhabitants of this region were so wild and jealous, that travelling was dangerous, and This cut presents us a still more magnified and distinct view of the foot of the fly than those given in our 12th number, page 184. It will easily be seen that the two hooks spoken of on that page, appear well adapted to seize hold of the projections of a rough surface, and that there is no indication of such a suction apparatus on the soles or palms as many persons believe to exist. We observe, in one of the last numbers of the London Penny Magazine, this subject is commented upon, and that the suction theory is there advocated. If there be any facts recently discovered which tend to confirm it, we shall be happy to know and to publish them. The devotees of science are busy with their researches, and we regard ourselves as among their readiest coadjutors in the department of publication. And here we take pleasure in acquainting such of our readers as may need the information, that among the most successful societies now in existence is the microscopic Society of London, whose observations have already been extended to a great variety of objects, in the mineral kingdoms, and whose discoveries have rendered benefit to them CHAPTER V. The National Congress of Greece.-Scene presented at its Session.-Reflections.-Colletis.-Remarks on the Language of the Orators. The old warrior patriot Kallierges. The National Congress of Greece were in session at Athens during my stay; and I was not long in finding time to attend their deliberations. They were held in a building of considerable size, but of plain appearance, recently built for the Congress. It is in the form of an amphitheatre, being circular, with rows of seats rising behind each other against the walls, for the accommodation of spectators. The seats for the members are straight and parallel wooden benches, placed on the floor, which corresponds with the arena in ancient edifices of that form. Although the lower and horizontal part of the house is nominally reserved for the members, and about two hundred and fifty were present, in the space which was left unoccupied, I observed a few other men were admitted, and a number of adies also were in attendance there, much interested in the deliberations. How changed the condition of my country, within a few years since I had left home! Our men, instead of being ground down under Turkish oppression, or arrayed in arms for a deadly, desperate conflict, were now annually choosing the wisest and best of their brethren to frame laws for their security and benefit, and for the advancement of the people in intelligence, power, wealth and happiness. The women, instead of pining away with harassing apprehensions for the fate of themselves, their families, and their country, were in the midst of peace, prosperity and hoperaised to their proper rank in society-countenancing the patriot in his labors-appiauding the scholar, the statesman and the oratoi in the displays of learning and eloquence, which, in turn, burst forth in the national hall. The national countenances which I saw on every side, with the animation and joy exhibited in each; the lessons of wisdom, the warnings of experience, the warm-hearted recurrences to historical associations, the enthusiastic anticipations of brighter days to come-together with the rich and welcome |