air; the effects of which, you have already heard Mr. Selby describe." "But, mamma," interrupted Frederic," Mr. Selby mentioned thickets of underwood,and you know he said he climbed a date-tree, and eat dates off it; and you just now told us nothing grew in the desert.” "If you had waited a little, my dear, I should have explained to you how that was. The interior, or middle of the desert, is entirely destitute of trees or plants; but, towards the extremities, or outer parts, the air not being quite so hot, and water more plentiful, trees and shrubs are found: and the thickets of brushwood, which Mr. Selby spoke of, afford shelter to wild beasts, none of whom can live in the interior part of the desert, The camel is the only animal that can endure the heat and want of water

in the desert. To-morrow I will read you a short account of the camel,-to-night we have not time, as it draws near your bed-hour.""But do, pray, if you please, mamma," said Frederic, "tell me what Mr. Selby meant by European settlement;-don't you remember, he said, he wished to reach an European settlement? I did not know what he meant, so I thought I would ask you, when he had finished telling us his story."" You are very right in so doing," replied his mamma; "I will explain it to you with pleasure. You already know that the world is divided into four parts or quarters,-Europe, Asia, Africa, and America; well then, when a number of English men, Frenchmen, Spaniards, or inhabitants of any other European country, determine upon leaving their own place of

abode, to live in any other quarter of the world, wherever they fix their dwelling, (suppose in Africa,): the houses they build, and their manner of living, being different from the native inhabitants, (the Africans,) cause them to live separately, and thus the towns they build obtain the name of European Settlement, or place where the Europeans have settled, or fixed their abode. Do you understand this explanation?" Lucy and her brother assured their mamma they did."Then," said she, "have you any more questions to ask?"-William said, he would like much to know what kind of fruit a date was?"The date, my dear, is about the size of a walnut, of a very agreeable taste, and forms a considerable part of the food in warm countries, where fruit is particularly refresh

ing. The leaves of the tree are very long, some of them almost three yards in length. Of these leaves are made baskets and bags, and the tough fibres of the leaves are spun into ropes, of considerable strength. The wood, both of the stem and branches, is of great use in building; and even the kernel of the nut, which is extremely hard, is ground in mills, and given to camels, when better food cannot be got. I should have told you, these large leaves grow all at the top of the tree, forming a circle, (very beautiful,) somewhat like an umbrella spread out. But we must

not talk longer to-night, for here is Jane come to assist you to bed. Good night: may God bless you all, iny dear children."

THE CAMEL.

THE next morning being uncommonly fine, Mrs. Johnson told the children she would take her work, and sit in the garden, while they should rake and weed some of the flower-beds. Lucy and Frederic were very good gardeners: on summer-mornings, they got up very early, and dressed the flower-beds before breakfast,-tying up all the flowers that needed support to neat white sticks, and keeping the beds so nice, that not a weed was to be seen. In autumn, their employment was to pick up all the withered leaves and branches that fell upon the beds and gravel-walks. Many people used to admire the neatness of Mrs. Johnson's garden;