66 | to rally "generosity," there is little diffi- | influenced by fear, and, when gathered culty in expressing the idea. Mora, in large numbers, have been seen easy," is often used for generous, and look upon distress and death with perfect so is malemy fanahy, as implying kind- indifference; or if any feeling has been heartedness as opposed to selfishness and manifest, it has often been that of pleaavarice. Gratitude, also, has no appro- sure. The public executions exhibit priate word; yet, to thank, to return more painfully, not only the absence of kindness for kindness, to give pleasure all the finer sensibilities of our nature, to the friend who relieves, etc. can be but the worse than brutalized state distinctly stated. Ingratitude is ex- of the public mind. The unhappy vicpressed by many strong metaphors, as tims of the treacherous ordeal of poisonzanabaratra, "son of a thunderbolt," ed water, when declared guilty, are probably alluding to the fable of a savagely dragged away, their bodies mumeteoric stone (thunderbolt) being carried tilated in a most horrid manner, or they very carefully by an aged female into are hurled down a fearful precipice, in her house, placed near the fire, and, the presence of multitudes of spectators, there bursting, occasioning considerable who look on without the least emotion of injury to the old lady and her habitation. pity; while the children who have Zana-dralambo, 66 offspring of a wild mingled with the crowd, amuse themboar," because it is affirmed that the selves by throwing stones at the lifeless young boar, when running by the side bodies, which the dogs are rending to of its dam, continually gets before her pieces. and turns round to bite its parent. To be avaricious, is expressed by mahihitra, grasping at," and sometimes by antanamamba, “in the hand of a crocodile." Such characters are regarded as odious, and are depreciated in the public proclamations. Apathy, want of decision, and excessive indolence, characterize, very generally, the natives of Madagascar; and these, with the oppressions of the government, may be regarded as the fruitful sources of much of the extreme poverty that prevails in the country, and of many of the seasons of famine from which they suffer so severely. The mass of the people seem alike destitute of forethought and enterprise, and hence are unprepared for any failure of their crops, and unable to extricate themselves from any unforeseen calamity. Nothing is a greater impediment to the advancement of civilization than indolence; and nothing shows this more distinctly than the state of starvation in which the people are sometimes found, while a small amount of labour on the rich soil of the country around them would have supplied provision in abundance for a greatly augmented population. They are also far from being cleanly in their persons, and bathe but seldom. Mr. Hastie states, that their passions are never violently excited; that they are not quick in avenging injuries, but cherish for a long time the desire of revenge for the most trifling insults, while they rejoice or exult in the distress of others. In obedience to their rulers, they are Amidst so much that is opposed to every dictate of humanity, we notice with pleasure any indication of more generous feelings, and besides the sensibilities of this order already mentioned, few are more conspicuous than their love of country. With rare exceptions, they always leave their homes under great depression of spirits. It has been observed by Mr. Hastie, and others who have accompanied them on their military and other expeditions, that many become exceedingly melancholy if the period of return be delayed, and it is supposed, that some fall victims to their love of home. The Hovas often when setting out on a journey, take with them a small portion of their native earth, on which they often gaze when absent, and invoke their god that they may be permitted to return to restore it to the place from which it was taken. But when returning from a foreign land to their native island, or from a distant province to their own, every countenance beams with gladness, they seem to be strangers to fatigue, and seek, by singing and dancing on their way, to give vent to the fulness of their joy. But even in these circumstances of grateful pleasure, their hardheartedness is strikingly exhibited. As the army approaches the capital, or the province of Ankova, many of the relatives of the soldiers hasten to meet them, travelling sometimes ten or twenty miles. When they meet, the cordial salutation and affectionate embrace, the rubbing of the feet of the returning soldier, presents a most means of escape for the smoke arising from the fires which are kindled on the floor of the house, the soot collects on the inner side of the roofs of their dwell delightful scene; but in contrast with this may be seen the agonizing grief of those who now learn that a son, a brother, a husband, or a friend will return no more; they dishevel their hair, and give utter-ings, where it is never disturbed by the ance to their distress in loud and mournful lamentations; but this excites no attention, and calls forth no kind sympathy, from those around them who are placed in happier circumstances. Duplicity has been represented as the most conspicuous trait in the moral character of some of the races. It is remarkable that there are in the native language more words to express the various modes of deceiving than any other vice. The natives will invent the most specious pretences, and assume the most plausible air, to impose on the credulity of others, and ingratiate themselves into favour, while their real design is hid for weeks and months in their own bosoms. If they wish to make a request, they will preface it by so complimentary a speech, and so many thanks and blessings for a kindness yet to be done, and by such servile flattery for a virtue to be illustrated in the forthcoming gift, that one might imagine the whole nation a tribe of sycophants, or minions of a court. It is said to be often impossible to understand their object for an hour or more, as they will talk on the most apparently dissimilar subjects, but with visible restlessness, until, after all the windings of plausibility are travelled through, they hit as if by accident, on the point designed from the beginning. It is remarkable, that this characteristic equally distinguishes all public proceedings. Every petition to the sovereign is prefaced by a long prologue of flattery and servility, when the petition is made to close the address often in the following words: "And since this is finished, since the introduction is accomplished, we have to beg and petition," etc. etc. Every answer to a proclamation of the sovereign asking advice of the chieftains, is commenced by an eloquent but hackneyed detail of their sovereign's royal pedigree, supremacy, equity, etc. The sovereign also usually smooths the way for any unpalatable declaration by a little of the oil of flattery previously poured into the people's ears, calling them "the ancient soot," (which has adhered for generations to the house of their ancestors.) The native houses in Madagascar having no chimnies, and the door and window affording the only people, who consider it a badge of honourable ancestry to have large quantities of soot hanging frequently in long black shreds, from the roof of their dwelling. In bartering, every trader asks at least twice as much as he intends to take; and they never forget to boast of any instances of successful fraud. The best sign of genius in children is esteemed a quickness to deceive, overreach, and cheat. The people delight in fabulous tales, but in none so much or universally as in those that relate instances of successful deceit or fraud, though involving loss of life, as well as of property to the injured person. Lying is a common vice among all. To lie, is esteemed clever and pleasant, and more likely to serve one's purpose of interest or pleasure, than to tell truth. In short, their constant aim is, in business to swindle, in professed friendship to extort, and in mere conversation to exaggerate and fabricate. The laws regard the testimony of witnesses as a part of circumstantial evidence, to be opposed by contrary testimony or evidence. Lying has, in some cases, been enforced on the natives, it having been required of every Hova, when speaking with foreigners on political matters, to state the exact opposite to truth, on pain of punishment. So far has this been carried that it was once a serious and public complaint against Christianity, that it taught the people to scruple at telling lies, even to deceive their country's enemies. Many of the Malagasy seem to think expediency determines the character of actions, and act as if they had no perception of what is vicious. The laws, publicly proclaimed, define vice; there are terms for depravity, guilt, error, etc.: and it appears that from these, and proverbial admonitory sayings, the people derive their ideas of what is right or wrong. But whilst the baneful influence of degeneracy of heart, and long familiarity with sin, have been such as to lead them to regard theft, and other acts of darker moral turpitude, as almost harmless, innumerable ceremonial observances are enjoined as duty, and the neglect of them is regarded as criminal. Idolatry wherever it prevails, leads to this gross perversion of all correct moral sentiments and feelings, by ascribing all calamities to declared errors of conduct, such as eating certain herbs, sitting in a certain position, etc., and satisfying itself by endeavouring to remove all evil, and attain all good, by mere external observances, often absurd in themselves, and worse than useless to those who perform them.-Ellis's Madagascar. STRUCTURE OF SHELLS.-No. V. A LIST has recently been published of the specific gravities of living shells of different genera, from which it is manifest that their weight and strength are precisely adapted to the habits of the animals, by which they are respectively constructed. Thus we have interesting evidence of design; such as is yielded, indeed, in all careful examinations of he works of God, whether among ex isting or extinct forms of the animal creation. It is worthy of remark, that, while the specific gravities of the land shells is generally greatest, the densities of the floating marine shells are much the smallest. Nor can there be any doubt as to the design of this difference. The land shells have to contend with all changes of climate, and to resist the action of the atmosphere, while, at the same time, they are thin for the purpose of easy transport; their density is therefore greatest. Others are of a different character. One of them has led Montgomery to the following beautiful description: "Light as a flake of foam upon the wind, Keel upwards, from the deep emerged a shell, Put out a tier of oars on either side, these contain colouring fluids, which, | majestic, another beautiful, another penetrating the calcareous substance be- picturesque, another pretty, and nofore it is hardened, form its various thing more is required to describe tints. Nor does it appear that these pores the general aspect of the spot. But in occur at random. On the contrary, they Killarney we find grouped together, are arranged in the skin of the mollusca within the circuit of a moderate day's as regularly as the spots on the leopard, walk, almost every possible variety of or the stripes on the tiger; and the uni- the wild, the majestic, the beautiful, the formity in the patterns of shells, is the picturesque, and the merely pretty. The consequence of the order in which the beauties, too, are in themselves of the pores are placed in the mantle. first class. Nothing can be more exquisite than Innesfallen, nothing more romantic than the walls of Mucross, nothing more majestically beautiful than the general aspect of the lower lake; nothing more wildly grand than that of the upper Mangerton, a dark, dreary, rounded mass, owing to its comparatively colossal size, forms, at a distance, a striking variety in the picture; and when that distance is lost, The providence of God is strikingly manifest in the colours of these creatures. The coverings of such as move readily from one situation to another, and are consequently able to choose the places of retreat, are generally varied with brilliant tints. Some exhibit the glowing colours of the rainbow, or those of the finest tulips, while a considerable number appear as if clothed in silver armour, as they walk under the shades of the madrepore. When the mollusca rarely move from the place of their abode, they are of the same colour as the sites they occupy, or the parti-coloured stones, or sea-weeds to which they cling. Many shells exhibit, on several parts of their inner surface, a glistening or silvery appearance. It is caused by the peculiar thinness, transparency, and regular arrangement of the outer layers of the membrane, which, in conjunction with the particles of lime, enter into the formation of that part of the surface of the shell. This has been dignified by the name of "mother-of-pearl," from its being supposed to be the material of which pearls are formed. It is true, indeed, that pearls are actually composed of the same materials, and have the same kind of structure; but it has been proved that these bright colours are the effect of the parallel grooves that arise from the regular arrangement in the successive deposits of the shells. The same shining property may be given to shell lac, sealing wax, gum arabic, or fusible metal, by taking an accurate cast or impression of the surface of mother-ofpearl with any of these substances. "Which lends enchantment to the view," Turk, till then an insignificant hill, rears its steep and threatening head from a seemingly pathless forest, and flings its dark shadow, floating many a rood over the lake. All these things, and many more, which I have no room to particularize, are fine in themselves; but it is their juxtaposition, their grouping, to which the scene owes its high reputation.-Ritchie. ADVANTAGES OF CHRISTIAN SOCIETY. EVERY Christian is a king and priest unto God, and why not also a prophet to his brother? If a man will affect Christian society, and converse with spiritual persons, light will break in upon him, as flame from a sparkling fire. He that would gain knowledge should converse with the best company, or, as Solomon expresses it, "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed." The daughters of Jerusalem were asked by the spouse for her beloved, when she was upon the pursuit after him to find him, "I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love." In this way the meanest Christian may be of use. The lower plants have more of medicine in them than many taller shrubs. Apollos learned more of Christ from Priscilla, than from the apostles themselves. God often blesseth the weaker above the stronger means, to show that he is not tied to any.-—Charnock. THE REIGN OF QUEEN MARY. THE reign of Mary was the most disastrous of any in the annals of England, both from the sufferings of her protestant subjects, and the troubles and losses sustained by the nation at large. The cause is too plainly recorded to be mistaken. It was her determination, at all events and by every means in her power, to bring back popery, and to tolerate no other religion. The cruel proceedings against the protestants are the most prominent events of this reign; they have been faithfully related by those who were eye-witnesses, and recorded by writers who were living at the time. But these events were overruled for good, by causing a just abhorrence of a religion which acted upon such principles, and manifested such fruits. Whenever popery has endeavoured to regain the ascendency, these facts have been brought forward, and the result has been salutary; England still remains a protestant nation. But the lapse of time, with the change of habits, causes the impression to be less vivid it is now asserted, that the alterations in society have affected even popery, and that such events could not happen at the present day. It is, therefore, important to refer to the general history of Mary's reign. This has been too much lost sight of, from the horrid prominence of the persecutions which form the most striking events of that period. The sufferings of the protestants are recorded minutely in various publications; they must never be forgotten; but the reflecting reader will find a lesson from the polity of the unhappy queen, equally instructive as to the principles of popery, and perhaps more useful at the present day. The principles of popery are, and must be, unchanged. They teach the necessity of ruling the consciences of men, by forcing them to adopt a system of belief and action, directly opposed to the plain declarations of holy Scripture. This, it will be seen, was the aim of Mary; this, it cannot be denied, is the object of popery now; this, we learn from Scripture, will be its constant effort, till it is broken and consumed by the power of the Most High. It will be seen that the cruelties inflicted on the protestants were the necessary results of such principles. If, then, the principles remain the same, have we reason to believe that the nature of men is so far changed, that the same causes would not produce similar results ? Upon this, happily, we are not now called to speak; but we ought not to view with indifference any attempt to coerce or perseeute under the guise of religion: whatever name or form such proceedings may may assume, they are popery. |