be her own, she remained stooping as before, and did not condescend to look at her persecutor; nor even betrayed the slightest triumph at the result. She was indeed too proud to put any value upon being acquitted of so base a charge. The Brazilian, on the other hand, humiliated at the whole scene, muttered a few words of regret; and feeling in his pocket for the notes he had just received, he withdrew. The young negress quietly replaced her little store; and the black porter, who had given signs of extreme irritation at what had passed, now gave vent to his rage by convulsively clenching his fist at the Brazilian, but the elder negress directed him to take the trunk away; and at length all three retired together, with exemplary compo

sure.

We who remained could not comprehend the real motive of this unjustifiable proceeding, unless it were an ebullition of impotent malice. The obviously noble character of the accused, which had won the admiration of us strangers, ought certainly to have inspired her owner, who knew her so much better, with the fullest confidence and respect, instead of exciting in him the worst feelings. I thought it probable that in this case, as in many others I had heard of, a spirit of revenge actuated the white man against the poor girl for rejecting his infamous advances.

I returned home to my solitude as quickly as the business I had come upon to Rio de Janeiro permitted; and indulged in the reflections excited by these occurrences. They were not new to me; and disclosed traits of character in an oppressed race which filled me with surprise and respect. I could not resume my accustomed occupations. The hand of the author was disabled by his better thoughts. The hard fate of the colored people, eternally exposed to extreme insult, and to the white man's baseness, haunted me while my feelings were relieved by the frequent contrast presented by the good and noble acts of their black brethren.

VISIONS of soul, and forms of poet's art,
Are strangely, sweetly blended all in thee.
There flows a rich and rippling melody
Of love, brook-like, that gushes from thy heart,
And softly gliding through the embrace of thyme,
Steals out into a world of poesy.

Ah, gentle GENEVIEVE! thy fantasy
Breathes spirit-life ecstatic o'er dead rhyme;

As from cold river-waves the gold-edged rays
Of morn's young sun send up a columned haze,
Rifted and quiv'ring, through whose dense array
We see rose-sheeted day-beams, trembling round
The silver sculpture of the clouds, that sway

'Neath sapphire skies, in virgin whiteness crowned.

FROM ABD' ALLAH OMAR, TO SETD AHEMAD EL HAJI, CHIEF SECRETARY OF

THE CKADEE AT CAIRO.

You can hardly imagine, my dear Ahhmad, how great is the number of religious sects existing in this country, and how they all thrive and make numerous proselytes. Our own faith is so pure, so well adapted to the condition of our people, that we have little difference of opinion, and this only on minor points. We have only four sects, whereas in this country the sects, sub-sects and private religious associations are too numerous to be counted. Each one believes it has found the true road to heaven, and looks down upon those of a different persuasion, if not with a full measure of dislike, certainly with great contempt.

In former days the method of convincing, of bringing all people to think alike, was by fire and faggots. This mode has fallen into disuse, because in the first place it was not always successful; some of the refractory were so obstinate as to die; in the second place, people get tired of seeing the same thing and want change. So now they only condemn their opponents to everlasting torments in the next world, and brand them with opprobrious epithets so long as they remain in this. I am led to believe this plan is generally approved, for I see every day many persons whom I know have thus been thoroughly damned, who yet seem contented with their lot, and lead easy, quiet lives, beside being useful citizens. It is not however the lenity of their respective doctrines, or from mildness of disposition, that makes these sectarians thus gentle toward each other; the civil law interferes to prevent violence and secure the rights of individuals; if left to themselves there are fanatics enough quite willing to renew the old method of convincing, for those who discard reason are often sanguinary when religion is in question.

It will amuse you to have a description of some of these societies. I can only mention a few of those that are most prominent, with such of their notions as I gather from my own observation, or from intelligence derived from my friends.

One sect believes in three Gods, with the addition of a female, whom they regard as a powerful intercessor, and they invoke beside a legion of persons, men and women, who were once their companions on earth, but who, they say, are now in Paradise. Whenever one of their number has displayed many shining qualities, and devoted them in an especial manner to the promotion of the views of the sect, soon after his death, his memory is blessed, and his name written down in a book; and if he continues to behave well in the 18

VOL. XXIX.

other world during one hundred years, he is then elevated to a higher rank by the High Priest or his successor. This plan is for the double purpose of giving the recipient a nearer view of divinity, and of adding to the number in heaven of those who watch over the true Church on earth.

They call themselves the only interpreters of the divine wisdom; no person must read a religious book without their approbation, and on all doubtful points they only are to be consulted, and their opinion is to be the only guide.

Whoever doubts the infallibility of their High Priest is damned the moment the thought passes his mind, and they keep candles burning in their churches, even in broad day, that they may be the better able to see the Evil Spirit if he should venture to come in. They believe their Deity comes frequently to the earth, and at stated periods they eat a substance which the Priests say is the body of the Deity himself. This they do to keep spiritual life within them. They have a great variety of forms, the observance of which is enjoined under severe penalties; they are more numerous than I can bear in mind; and if I could recollect them, the recital would no way interest you. One is of a secret kind known only to the initiated, being performed in whispers that pass between the worshippers and the Priest, who is bound never to divulge them.

Another set of Christians believe in as many Gods as the one just spoken of; they leave out women, and have only a moderate number of men called Saints, whom they invoke whenever they think their so doing will be of service. Their books assert the real presence, as do the tenets of the previously-mentioned sect, from which by-theby they spring. However, with surprising inconsistency, if one of their own number should be known to believe in the doctrine, he would be dismissed from the Church with disgrace. They arrogate to themselves the sole right of teaching, being, as they pretend, the lineal descendants of the Apostles who delegated to them the authority. This right is strongly contested by other religionists, but opposition only serves to make them hold to the assumption with more tenacity, for a falsehood is said to become truth if you will only hold to it long enough. They deride the ceremonies of their opponents, yet have a variety of their own, equally puerile. Just before the Imam ascends the raised seat to read the prayers, he retires to an adjoining room of the church, pulls off his shirt, and puts it on outside of his garments. On his entrance, the effect is striking; the men are absorbed in thought, the females begin to flutter, and the service commences. This outward form serves to convince the worshippers that he wears clean linen, and his prayers are efficacious in proportion to his care in this particular point. Once a year is performed a ceremony called laying on of hands, which being considered a very essential rite, great delicacy is necessary in its performance. The worshippers, men, women and children, come toward the chief priest during public service, and he is to put his hands on to one particular part of the head, and on no other, when he tells them they have done well the past year, while he enjoins them to

continue to do so during the year to come. So essential is it that the priest's hands should fall on the right place, that the faithful would not only think themselves deprived of a blessing, but be polluted, if he were to put them elsewhere. It is upon record that a priest once placed his hand on another part of the person of a female worshipper, by which great confusion was produced among the members of the Church. The female represented the circumstance to her friends, alleging that the ceremony could not have been properly performed inasmuch as it produced an effect different from what she expected, or what is known to be the intention of the rite; while others were not slow in accusing the priest of want of skill in the mode of using his hands, by which he was rendered unfit for the performance of the duties of his office. In vain he insisted on the purity of feeling which prompted him to bestow his blessing on all parts of the person at once. No one would of course suspect him of improper motives, yet his excuse was not admitted, and he was degraded. The priest was not however without friends, who warmly espoused his cause. Nevertheless, it produced a division among the members of the society, who formed themselves into two parties; the one in favor of the priest is called the 'Feeling,' while the one opposed to him goes by the name of the Unfeeling.'

So you see, that notwithstanding they rail against each other's forms and ceremonies, one sect has as many as another, though differing in kind, and the more unmeaning they are, the more firmly do they adhere to them.

A third sect, and one of the most numerous, derives its consequence in a great degree by affirming with absolute certainty that all mankind are born totally depraved, continue in deadly sin through life, in spite of all they can do to the contrary, and for the most part have a sure retreat prepared for them from all eternity in the regions of darkness, where dwells EBLIS. And farther, that people are placed there by the DEITY, as a special token of His regard and mercy, for which advantage the condemned cannot be sufficiently thankful. They discountenance all sorts of amusements, and regard a solemn demeanor as a mark of sanctity; and so well do some of them practice upon this injunction, that to see them, you would suppose they had just returned from the place I have mentioned. They encourage a few, a very small number, of their followers, to expect a better lot than is assigned to the mass, by inculcating the belief that a small portion of their own sect was selected by special favor to be happy, long before they were born, and without ever having done any thing to merit this act of free-will. By way of encouragement to those who do well on earth, some of their learned doctors tell them that one of the pleasures they will enjoy, if they reach Paradise, will be that of beholding the torments of the damned; which pleasure will be greatly enhanced by the sight of little children, who will likewise be there, if their parents have neglected to baptize them before death. I must confess this is a species of comfort unknown to our law, and as far as my knowledge extends, not offered by any other sect.