THE ART OF WRITING. 127 2 ment at the art of writing. Mr. Mariner, shortly after the commencement of his captivity among these savages, had, in the hope of thereby obtaining his liberty, written a letter, with a solution of gunpowder, on a piece of paper which he obtained from one of the natives; and he confided it to the care of a chief, with directions that it should be given to the captain of any ship which might appear on the coast. Finow, 3 the king, however, having heard of this transaction, his suspicions were excited; and he immediately sent to the chicf for the letter, and obtained it. When it was put into his 4 hands, he looked at it on all sides; but not being able to make any thing of it, he gave it to Jeremiah Higgins, (who was at hand,) and ordered him to say what it meant :—Mr. 5 Mariner was not present. Higgins took the letter, and translating part of it into the Tonga language, judiciously represented it to be merely a request to any English captain that might arrive, to interfere with Finow for the liberty of Mr. Mariner and his countrymen: stating that they had been kindly treated by the natives, but nevertheless wished to return, if possible, to their native country. 6 This mode of communicating sentiments was an inexplicable puzzle to Finow: he took the letter again and examined 7 it, but it afforded him no information. He considered the matter a little within himself, but his thoughts reflected no 8 light upon the subject. At length he sent for Mr. Mariner, and desired him to write down something: the latter asked what he would choose to have written: he replied, put down me: he accordingly wrote " Fee-now:" (spelling it according to the strict English orthography :) the chief then sent for another Englishman who had not been present; and, commanding Mr. Mariner to turn his back and look another way, he gave the man the paper, and desired him to read what that was he accordingly pronounced aloud the name of the king; upon which Finow snatched the paper from his hand, and, with astonishment, looked at it, turned it round, and examined it in all directions; at length he exclaimed, “This 9 is neither like myself, nor anybody else! Where are my 10 legs? how do you know it to be me?" And then, without stopping for any attempt at an explanation, he impatiently ordered Mr. Mariner to write something else; and thus he employed him for three or four hours in putting down the names of different persons, places, and things, and making the other man read them. This afforded extraordinary diversion to Finow, and to all the men and women present: 11 particularly as he now and then whispered a little love anecdote, which was strictly written down, and audibly read by the other, not a little to the confusion of one or other of the ladies present; but it was all taken in good humor, for curiosity and astonishment were the prevailing passions. How 12 their names and circumstances could be communicated through so mysterious a channel, was altogether past their. comprehension. DEFINITIONS, &c.-Define anecdote, captivity, savages, thereby, solution, gunpowder, confided, (intrusted,) transaction, translating, judicious. ly, represented, merely, interfere, stating, nevertheless, inexplicable, puzzle, orthography, pronounced, impatiently, audibly, humor, prevailing. mysterious, channel, comprehension 1 SECT. CXXXIX.-AIR AND EXERCISE. THERE is a fact well known to physicians, which settles at once the importance of fresh air to beauty, as well as health. 2 It is, that in proportion as people stay at home, and do not set their lungs playing as they ought, the blood becomes dark, and lags in its current; whereas the habit of inhaling the air out of doors reddens it like a ruby, and makes it clear 3 and brisk. Now the darker the blood, the more melancholy the sensations, and the worse the complexion. 4 It is common with persons who inherit a good stock of health from their ancestors, to argue that they take no particular pains to preserve it, and yet are well. This may be 5 true; and it is also true, that there is a pains-taking to that effect, which is superfluous, and helps to do more harm than 6 good. But it does not follow from either of these truths, that a neglect of the rational means of retaining health will 7 ultimately be good for anybody. Healthy people may live 8 a good while upon their stock. Children are in the habit of 9 doing it. But healthy children, especially those who are foolishly treated upon an assumption that health consists in being highly fed, and having great beef-eaten cheeks, very often turn out sickly at last; and grown-up people, for the most part, at least in great towns, have as little really good health, as children in general are given credit for the reverse. 10 Nature does indeed provide liberally for abuses; but the 11 abuse will be felt at last. It is generally felt a long while 12 before it is acknowledged. Then comes age, with all its train of regrets and superstitions; and the beauty and the man, besides a world perhaps of idle remorse, which they would not feel but for their perverted blood, could eat their hearts out for having been such fools as not to 'secure a con. tinuance of good looks and manly feelings, for want of a little handsome energy. DEFINITIONS, &c.-Define physicians, fact, proportion, lungs, playing, (in motion,) lags, inhaling, reddens, ruby, brisk, melancholy, complexion, stock, ancestors, argue, pains-taking, superfluous, ultimately, healthy, assumption, beef-eaten cheeks, (cheeks filled out by eating beef,) reverse, regrets, superstitions, idle, (useless,) remorse, perverted, continuance, handsome, (becoming,) energy. 1 SECT. CXL.-THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE INDIANS. If they had the vices of savage life, they had the virtues 2 also. They were true to their country, their friends, and 3 their homes. If they forgave not injury, neither did they forget kindness: if their vengeance was terrible, their fidelity 4 and generosity were unconquerable also. Their love, like their hate, stopped not on this side of the grave. But where 5 are they? where are the villages, and warriors, and youth? the sachems and the tribes? the hunters and their families? 6 They have perished: they are consumed. The wasting pes7 tilence has not alone done the mighty work'; no, nor famine, nor war: there has been a mightier power, a moral canker, which hath eaten into their heart-cores; a plague, which the touch of the white man communicated; a poison, which betrayed them into a lingering ruin. DEFINITIONS, &c.-Define unconquerable, sachems, tribes, hunters, pestilence, canker, heart's core. 1 2 SECT. CXLI.-GOD'S DESIGN. WHY are springs enthroned so high; MEDITERRANEAN SEA. Why have clouds such lofty flight: 'Tis to send down genial showers Why does God exalt the great? Does He light a Newton's mind? 14 Hast thou power ?-15 The weak defend. 16 18 Light? 17 Give light: thy knowledge lend. 20 Free? 21 Be brother to the slave. 22 Called a blessing to inherit, Bless, and richer blessings merit : Give, and more shall yet be given : Love, and serve, and look for Heaven. DEFINITIONS, &c.-Define springs, enthroned, (placed,) kiss, (touch,) thence, fertilizing, lofty, basking, genial, great, (people?) prop, confer, minister, Newton, (Sir Isaac,) salt, (preservative,) impart, hide, defend, weak, (people?) slave, inherit, bless. SECT. CXLII.-THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA. 1 It is astonishing how much of the interesting history of the human race, has had for its scene the shores of the Medi2 terranean. Egypt is there: there is Greece. Xerxes, Darius, 3 Solomon, Cæsar, Hannibal, knew no extended sea but the SHOWER OF METEORS. 131 4 Mediterranean. The mighty armies of Persia, and the smaller but invincible bands of the Grecians, passed its trib5 utaries. Pompey fled across it; the fleets of Rome and Carthage, sustained their deadly struggles upon its waters; and until the discovery of the passage round the Cape of Good Hope, the commerce of the world passed through the ports of the Mediterranean. 6 If we go back to ancient ages, we find the Phenician sailors (the first who ventured upon the unstable element) slowly and fearfully steering their little barks along the shores of this sea; and if we come down to modern times, we see the men of war of every nation, proudly ploughing its 7 waves, or riding at anchor in its harbors. There is not a region upon the face of the earth, so associated with the recollection of all that is interesting in the history of our race, as the shores of the Mediterranean sea; nor a place more likely to be chosen by the Creator, as the spot where He would establish His communication with men, than the land of Judea. DEFINITIONS, &c.-Define Mediterranean, Egypt, Greece, Persia, Rome, Carthage, Cape of Good Hope, Judea. Xerxes, Darius, Solomon, Cæsar, Hannibal, invincible, tributaries, Pompey, deadly, passage, commerce, ports, ancient, Phenician, unstable, steering, barks, modern, ploughing, riding at anchor, (lying stationary, being held by their anchors,) harbor, face, (surface,) associated, recollection. 1 SECT. CXLIII.-SHOWER OF METEORS. On the morning of the 13th of November, 1833, those who are in the excellent habit of early rising, had an opportunity of witnessing one of the most beautiful displays, that the 2 imagination can conceive. We happened to be among the fortunate on this occasion, and therefore can describe the scene from our own observation. 3 We were about five miles southwest of Boston, and, a little before five in the morning, on looking out of the window saw several stars shooting downward, leaving behind a long 4 shining train. This excited our attention, and calling up a learned friend who was sleeping in an adjacent room, we sallied forth. 5 The scene was indeed beautiful, and almost fearful. On 6 all sides of us, nearly without cessation, the meteors were |