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closed, and containing the vase (Fig. 2) in the accompaning design. Burnt human bones and ashes half fill the vase which measures one palm and a third.

Several glass lachrymatories and vessels of terra cotta were also found in the sepulchre, and with the vase form part of Canonico Grech's collection.

Another large mortuary glass vase found at the Tomba at Rabbato in Gozo is in the possession of Major Bayley, Inspector of Police of that Island.

Several vessels of elegant shape and size (Fig. 3.4.) in the Public Library and (Fig. 5) in Canonico Grech's collection. Those in the Library are certainly of a very high order of beauty.

Glass among the ancient Egyptians was not however chiefly employed in the manufacture of vases and cups, for they were also particularly skillful in the manufacture of beads and ornaments as well as in the art of counterfeiting precious stones. It was said that the beads and ornaments of Egypt possessed all the brilliancy and lustre of the diamond, an exaggerated account, which however is in a great measure borne out by the specimens preserved in the different museums of Europe. In some the colours are blended with the most exquisite skill, in others, pieces of coloured glass are made to form beautiful mosaics, which are now scarcely ever attempted; and we would particularly refer to the beautiful workmanship in a lady's reticule formed of oblong beads, which is kept in the Egyptian collection of the museum in Paris. The sacred beetle is a conspicuous ornament in the centre, and at the sides there are stags, wrought with a life and spirit which could scarcely be expected from such a mechanical process.

In the specimens of counterfeit precious stones hitherto discovered, the colours most successfully imitated are the rich green of the emerald and the brilliant purple of the amethyst.

Many false stones, says Mr. Wilkinson, in his valuable and interesting work on the Domestic Manners of the Ancient Egyptians, have been met with in the form of beads

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in different parts of Egypt, particularly at Thebes; and so far did the Egyptians carry this spirit of imitation, that even small figures, scarabæi, and objects made of ordinary porcelain, were counterfeited, being composed of still cheaper materials. A figure, which was entirely of earthenware, with a glazed exterior, underwent a somewhat more complicated process than when cut out of stone, and simply covered with a vitrified coating; this last could therefore be sold at a low price; it offered all the brilliancy of the former, and its weight alone betrayed its inferiority; by which means, whatever was novel, or pleasing from its external appearance, was placed within the reach of all classes; or at least the possessor had the satisfaction of appearing to partake in each fashionable novelty.

Such inventions, and successful endeavours to imitate costly ornaments by humbler materials, not only show the progress of art among the Egyptians, but strongly argue the great advancement they had made in the customs of civilized life; since it is certain, that until society has arrived at a high degree of luxury and refinement, artificial wants of this nature are not created, and the lower classes do not yet feel the desire of imitating their wealthy superiors, in the adoption of objects dependent on taste or accidental caprice.

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In Russia, a man goes to his minister to inform him of the death of his wife. "What will you give me for burying her?" asks the priest. am poor," he replies. "Well give me your cow." "No, a cow is too valuable; I have a goose; you shall have that." "That is too little; I will not bury your wife for a goose; pay me thirty rubles." "I will give you twenty.' "No. that will not do; I will take twenty and a shirt." And so the bargain is concluded; but cordiality is at an end. Elliot's Travels.

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Preservation of stuffed birds from insects. In the latter part of that very amusing work, "Waterton's Wanderings in South America," are some very judicious rules for the preservation of birds, for the cabinets of the curious. The proper method of dissection and arrangement is fully explained, and, lastly, the preservation of the specimen from the depredation of insects, he assures us, is secured by the use of a solution of corrosive sublimate:-"Corrosive sublimate is the most fatal poison to insects that is known. It is antiputrescent: so is the alcohol, and they are both colourless; of course they cannot leave a stain behind them. The spirit penetrates the pores of the skin with wonderful velocity, deposits invisible particles of the sublimate, and nothing can detach it from the parts where the alcohol has left it. All the feathers require to be touched with the solution, in order that they may be preserved from the depredation of the moth. The surest way of proceeding is to immerse the bird in the solution, and let it dry before it is dissected. Furs of animals immersed in this solution will retain their pristine brightness and durability in any climate. The finest curled feather from a lady's headdress, if dipped in the solution and shaken gently till it is dry, will not have a curl injured by the operation, and be preserved from the chance of depredation of the insect."

Newspaper paragraph.

Growth of Christian love.-The zeal of the true Christian grows with his years. The nearer he reaches to heaven, the more he breathes the spirit of Him whose meat and drink was to do the will of his Father, and who hastened to his death which should accomplish the atonement for sinners. When Eliot, the indefatigable missionary to the Indians, was an old man, it was observed that the energy by which he acted never sustained the slightest abatement, but, on the contrary, evinced a steady and vigourous increase. As his bodily strength decayed, the energy of his being seemed to retreat into his soul, and at length all his faculties seemed absorbed in holy love. Being asked shortly before his departure, how he did, he replied, "I have lost every thing; my understanding leaves me, my memory fails me, my utterance fails me; but I thank God my charity holds out still, I find that rather grows than fails" He died in the year 1690, aged 87.-Hinton's America.

Think before thou speakest. COUNCIL which Catwy the wise gave to his pupil Taliesin.

First, what thou shalt speak;
Secondly, why thou shouldest speak;
Thirdly, to whom thou mayest have to
speak;

Fourthly, about whom, or what thou art to speak;

Fifthly, what will come from what thou mayest speak;

Sixthly what may be the benefit from what thou shalt speak;

Seventhly, who may be listening to what thou shalt speak;

Put thy word on thy finger's ends before thou speakest it, and turn it these seven ways before thou speakest it; and there will never come any harm from what thou shalt say.

Ir is a secret known to few, yet of no small use in the conduct of life, that when you fall into a man's conversation, that the first thing you should consider is, whether he has a greater inclination to hear you, or that you should hear him.—Addison.

I never loved those salamanders, that are never well but when they are in the fire of contention. I will rather suffer a thousand wrongs than offer one: I will suffer a hundred, rather than return one: I will suffer many, ere I will complain of oue, and endeavour to right it by contending. I have ever found, that to strive with my superior is furious; with my equal, doubtful; sordid and base with any inferior, and full of unquietness.—

THE HOUR-GLASS AND TIME.

Coming hastily into a chamber, I had almost thrown down a crystal hour-glass; fear, lest I had, made me grieve as if I had broken it; but, alas! how much precious time have I cast away without any regret! The hour-glass was but crystal-each hour, a pearl; that, but like to be broken-this, lost outright; that, but casually-this, done willfully, A better hour-glass might be bought; but time, lost once, lost ever. Thus we grieve more for toys than for treasure. Lord, give me an hour-glass, not to be by me, but to be in nie. Teach me to number my days: an hourglass to turn me, that I may turn my heart to wisdom.-Fuller's Good Thoughts.

The MALTA PENNY MAGAZINE is published and sent to Subscribers, in Valetta, every Saturday. Subscriptions at Is. per quarter received at No. 97. Str. Forni.

No. 102.

Saturday, 21th. August 1841.

SMYRNA.

[Price 1d.

corresponding in its dimensions with another, which appears to have surrounded the whole city. Of the sumptuous edifices which rendered Smyrna one of the brightest ornaments of Asia Minor, scarcely any remains can now be traced. Only the foundations can be seen of the splendid theatre, built on the slope of the hill, and the site of which is now covered with houses. Behind the city is an extensive and most luxuriart plain, highly cultivated, and covered with numberless olive trees. It is watered by the river Meles which, though broad contains little water, unless when artificially confined. The chief inconvenience in the situation of Smyrna is its being extremely liable to earthquakes, which from time to time, cause some injury and great alarm to the inhabitants. A heavier calamity, common to it with all the oriental cities, is the plague, that repeatedly destroyed within a few months one third and more of its population, which is generally believed to amount to 130,000. Another great calamity is brought upon the inhabitants by the frequent occurence of fire, which sometimes consumes in a few hours a great part of this extensive town.*

Smyrna is one of the most celebrated of the ancient cities of Asia Minor, and claims, on pretty strong grounds, to be the birthplace of Homer. It is said originally to have been a colony from Ephesus, and soon attained to such a degree of prosperity, that it was received as the thirteenth city of Ionia. This original city, however, was destroyed by the Lydians; and the population continued dispersed in the neighbouring villages, till Antigonus and Lysimachus rebuilt it, though on a somewhat different spot. Its new splendour seems to have even surpassed what it formerly displayed: the streets were beautifully laid out, well paved, and adorned with porticoes; the city contained also a gymnasium, a library, and a structure called the Homerium, consisting of a temple and portico dedicated to Homer, with a statue of that poet. Smyrna has ever since continued a flourishing city, and distinguished for its trade. The present town is about four miles in circuit, and extends about a mile along the water, in approaching from which the view is strikingly beautiful The bay is so completely land locked, that nothing is seen from the town but the projecting points which inclose it. The interior, as usual in Asiatic cities, does not correspond to the splendid appearance of the town at a distance. The streets are narrow, dirty, and ill paved. The bazaars, though well provided with goods, are by no means grand in their structure. At the east end of the city is a large hill, about three quarters of a mile in circumference, on which a castle was built. This seems to have been constructed by the Genoese, and was by no means distinguished by any extraordinary magnificence. Along wide, the combustible materials of which the

its circuit, however, may still be traced the remains of a very thick and strong wall, apparently that of an ancient castle, and

* At this very moment nearly half of the town is reduced to a heap of ashes. A fire which began on Wednesday 28th.July in a Caffé spread with incredible speed, and assisted by a strong wind, became quite incontrolable. The want of good fire engines, want of water on several points where they were placed, the total want of Government or submission when order was attempted to be enforced, the careless Turk, who confidently believes that if Providence will burn his house and property, he should not prevent it, assisted the confusion; and the general narrowness of the streets from eight to ten feet

greater part of the badly constructed houses
are built, the excessive heat of the season,
in fact all combined to complete the ruin. One
third of the Turkish town, the whole Jewish

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We have selected for the accompanying illustration, the Caravan Bridge, a spot, which must be quite familiar to all who have visited Smyrna; as it is the only bridge or road over which merchandise can pass in its way from or to the interior. A Custom House dépot is established here, and its officers may easily be distinguished by the long iron rod with which they are provided, for piercing the bales of silk or cotton which come from the country. At the back of the Custom House, and facing the river Meles stands a Caffinet where numerous male and female visitors enjoy their cup and pipe in

sweet idleness.

quarter, several bazaars, a number of mosques, seven synagogues, amounting to not less than, from nine to ten thousand buildings, were burnt in about eighteen hours to a heap of ruins. Many lives were lost during the awful catastrophe; more than twenty thousand persons of different denominations were deprived of their habit ations, mourning over the loss of all their subsistance and comfort, looking around where Providence might touch the hearts of their fellow-creatures to keep them from famine and to assist them with contributions for the relief of their misery. Contributions were immediately made by the Franks of Smyrna, Constantinople and other places, and assistance is constantly coming from different European towns. Let us hope that Malta is not altogether behind in her charitable contributions for the relief of her deeply distressed neighbours.

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Previous to the performance of prayers it is indispensable that the Mohammedan worshipper should thoroughly clean himself, for without observance of outward cleanliness the Prophet will not accept any prayers; even during prayer, should any coughing, any wandering of the eye, or any accidental action occur not prescribed in the Koran, it destroys the effect of the prayer which must consequently be repeated.

According to the rules of the strictest observers of the Mohammedan religion, the washing must be performed in running water, or in a tank containing at least one hundred cubic feet of water. The person, having tucked up his sleeves a little higher

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than his elbows, says, in a low voice, or inaudibly, "I purpose performing the woodoo, for prayer." He then washes his hands three times; saying, in the same manner as before, "In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful! Praise be to God, who hath given water for purification, and made el-Islam to be a light and a direction, and a guide to thy gardens, the gardens of delight, and to thy mansion, the mansion of peace." Then he rinses his mouth three times, throwing the water into it with his right hand+; and in doing this he says, "O God, assist me in the reading of thy book, and in commemorating Thee, and in thanking Thee, and in the beauty of thy worship. Next, with his right hand, he throws water up his nostrils (snuffing it up at the same time), and then blows it out, compressing his nostrils with the thumb and finger of the left hand; and this also is done three times. While doing it, he says, "O God, make me to smell the odours of Paradise, and bless me with its delights; and make me not to smell the smell of the fires [of Hell]." He then washes his face three times, throwing up the water with both hands, and saying, "O God, whiten my face with thy light, on the day when Thou shalt whiten the faces of thy favourites; and do not blacken my face, on the day when Thou shalt blacken the faces of thine enemies." He next washes his right hand and arm, as high as the elbow, three times, and the same number of times causes some water to run along his arm, from the palm of the hand to the elbow, saying, as he does this, "O God, give me my book in my right hand; and reckon with me with a slight reckoning." In the same manner he washes

All persons do not use exactly the same words on this occasion, nor during the performance of the woodoo; and most persons use no words during the performance.

He should also use a tooth-pick (miswak) to clean his teeth; but few do so.

To every man is appropriated a book, in which all the actions of his life are written. The just man, it is said, will receive his book in his right hand; but the wicked, in his left, which will be tied behind his back; his right hand being tied up to his neck.

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