to indicate, with some probability, count for the existence of the numerthat the strata near the surface must ous volcanos of which these strata be less dense there than elsewhere, show the traces, and explain why and perhaps have, in their interior, they are even now, at intervals, the immense cavities. This would ac-focus of subterraneous convulsions.

SONG,

Tunc.-The Garrey 0.

POETRY,

I looked long at thy window love,
Thy sweet lovely glance to see my love,
The evening sun on thy window shone,
And I thought for a while it was thee my love;
But when thou cam'st with a smile my love,
A smile that is just thine own my love,
The sun at thy sight withdrew his clear light,
And left thee shining alone my love:
Then, O, give a smile to me my love!
Who often has sighed for thee my love,
And my days, though o'ercast with misfortune's
keen blast,
Will appear bright noonshine to me my love.
The sun shines bright at his parting love,
When he kisses the western wave my love,
But the sun's bright ray at departing of day,
Was never so lovely as thee my love.

.......

TO POVERTY.

'Tis not that look of anguish bathed in tears,
O, poverty! thy haggard image wears-
Tis not those famished limbs, naked and bare,
To the bleak tempest's rains, or the keen air,
Of winter's piercing winds, nor that sad eye
Imploring the smail boon of charity.--

'Tis not that voice, whose agonizing tale,
Might turn the purple tear of grandeur pale,
Nor all that host of woes thou bringest with thee,
Insues contempt, disdain and contumely,
That bid me call the fate of those forlorn,
Who neath thy rude oppression sigh and mourn.
But chief, relentless power! thy hard controul,
Which to the earth bends low the aspiring soul;
Thine iron grasp thy fetters drear, which bind
Each generous effort of the struggling mind.
Alas! that genius, melancholy flower,
Scarce opening yet, to even's nurturing shower,
Should, by thy pitiless and cruel dooms
Written, ere nature smiles upon her blooms;
That innocence, touched by the deadening wand,
Should pine, nor know one outstretched hand!
For this, O poverty! for them I sigh,
The helpless victims of thy tyranny.
For this, I call the lot of those severe

Who wander 'mid thy haunts and pine unheeded

there.

THE MANIAC.

QUIS.

The vernal flush of spring had fled the woods,
Summer had shed his fragrance, and was gone,
Brown autumn had discharg'd his thunder-clouds,
And winter's winding-sheet o'er all was thrown.
The poet lark had circumscrib'd his flight;
No more was heard his warbling, epic lay;
The past ral linnet gave his loves the slight,
And sung no more his amours from the spray.

A dreary winter-day had op'd and clos'd;
The pale moon-beains were struggling through the
sky,

And, by their dismal flittin light, expos'd
A scene of awful horror to my eye.

'Twas near the margin of a brawling brook, A
Now wax'd a torrent with the melted spow
Its murmurs sooth'd me, like a passive look,
On man's vicissitudes of joy and woe

On a rude rock, which overhang the stream,
A human figure stood, and upward gaz'd;
His face, now lighted by a pale moon-beam. 4
Express'd a soul un..ng'd, and senses craz'd.
He seem'd to muse upon the deep-blue sky,
The silver twinklers, or some passing cloud; 1
Then downward would he cast his vacant eye,
And wildly gaze upon the dashing flood..11
When the loud wind sung low, I heard him mourn
Of cruel fortune, and her wanton ways;
His heart, with ill-requited love, did burn,
And poverty had darken'd his few days, 1
He sum'd up all his catalogue of woe,
And beat his breast, and bade the world adieu!
Then couch'd, to spring into the stream below;
When, from the shade, to save the wretch I flew.
I sprung, and siez'd him, and he shriek'd aloud
And with a maniac laugh, and fearful leap,
Be dash'd me with him in the roaring flood:
Self-safety bade me leave him in the deep. IN

A drooping willow lent a friendly hand,
And sav'd me from a cold, untimely grave;
And when, with one strong bound, I gain'd the land,
I saw the maniac sink beneath the wave.

Paisley, 2d Dec. 1822.

SONG.

To

I w. H.

My first breath of love was holy to thee,
My young dream of bliss was thine;
And the wreaths thou hast wove round my heart's
young tree,

No blast shall e'er untwine.

For scarce had I seen thy soul-speaking eye,
When its charms were round me spun;
And the seal was set by the spirit on high,
That they ne'er should be undone.

But the fetters of gold which were flung round my
heart,

Were the free chains of holiest love;

And the magical hand that the bright links can

part,

Must have power from the spirit above.

The mantle of bliss which envelop'd me round,
But angel hands could weave;

And its diamond clasps shall be only unbound, te
When this breast has ceas'd to heave..

VARIETIES.

CHARACTERISTIC TRATT.-A stranger, passing a Greek church, asked a sailor whom he met, what those figures were, at the west front? to which the sailor answered, The twelve Apostles.' How the devil can that be, replied the other, when there is but six of them.. D-n your eyes,' said the sailor, would you have them all upon deck at once.'

deavours to exasperate his perhaps implac able enemy, by requesting that he may be dispatched with his own clean weapon, and not with his captor's dirty one. A plain insinuation that no quarter is given.

the monkey species, in these countries, is MONKEYS.-The number and variety of beyond conception. Myriads of a sinall size of a cat, assemble every morning on black kind, with white breasts, about the the lofty trees overhanging the brink of the Congo, in the neighbourhood of Oysterhaven and Maccatola, to drink. At these times, it is amusing enough to observe with what celerity they make their retreat, causing the woods to resound with their chattering, at the report of a musket. On the highest trees they generally build their nests, which, in form and construction, resemble those of the magpie, but are much larger, and made of dry grass. trance is a round hole in the side. The en

SONIA. The people of Sonia, it is said, were obliged to carry burdens of white seasand from the beach to Banza Congo, 150 Smiles distant, to form pleasant walks to the y-royal residence. This at last so exasperated the Sonia men, whose warlike and independant spirit is feared and respected by all the neighbouring nations, that they concealed their weapons in the burdens of Frand, and avenged themselves of the indignity put on them, by plundering the city and killing many of the King's people. Many wonderful stories are told of the courage and ferocity of the Sonia men.-upper part is covered with grass to a conWhen one of them is taken prisoner, which, siderable height, to keep out the rains. bit is admitted, very seldom happens, he en

t

The

We have paid attention to A. B C D we would wish him to postpone his Sketches of British Litera tare until we commence Volume Second; In the the mean time, any of his lighter pieces will be attended to We need not say we are obliged to him.

Tetter to Ms Nancy Crabb is unavoidably postponed.

Evil destiny in our next.

Printed, published and sold, every Wednesday, by GEORGE PURVIS & Co. Successors to W. Tait,. Lyceum Court, Nelson Street, where communications, post paid, may be addressed to the Editor Fold also by Mr Grifin, Public Library, Hutcheson Street; at the Shops of the Principal Booksellers of the following Booksellers: John Hislop, Greenock; Job Dick, Ayr Thomas Dick, Thomson, Hamilton; and M. Dick, Irvine; for ready money only. thie, Kilmarnock; Malcolm Currie, Port Glasgow; D. Conde, Rothesay James

ORIGIN OF PAPER MONEY.

Translated from the French of Julius Klaproth; as read by him to the Asiatic Society, in their sitting of 1st October,

1822.

China, composed from the Chinese authorities, by P. Gaubil, and published in the year 1739, about 60 years before M. Schloetzer wrote his work. In this history he speaks of The celebrated traveller, Marco the suppression of the paper money, Paulo, of Venice, was the first per- which was in use under the dynasty son who announced to Europe the of the Soung, who reigned in China existence of paper money in China, previous to the Moguls; and he also under the Moguls. It was subse- mentions a new species of notes, quently introduced, by the Moguls, which were substituted for the ancient into Persia, where their notes were in the year 1264, by the minister Kiacalled djamu. or djaw, a word evi- szu-tao. The original financial spedently derived from the Chinese word culation of the Chinese ministry, to tchaio. provide for the extraordinary expenThe fact of the Moguls having, in diture of the state, which was exceedChina and Persia, made use of paper ing the revenues, was in the 119 money, has induced many authors to before the Christian æra, under the suppose that they were the inventors reign of the Emperor Ou-ti, of the of it. The celebrated Schloetzer, of great dynasty of Hau. At this pe Gottingen, for instance, has published riod were introduced the phipi, or a dissertation under the following value in skins. These were small title, The Moguls, Inventors of pieces of the skin of deer, which were Paper Money in the 13th Century.' kept in a pan, within the precincts of This learned man, however, would the palace. They were a Chinese have avoided such an error, if he had square foot in size, and were beautiperused the History of Tchinghiz- fully ornamented with painting and khan, and of the Mogul Dynasty in embroidery. Every prince or gran

year

The Chinese character is composed of kiu, metal, and chao, little; and is thus intended to signify the want of specie. It is very remarkable, that the Chinese use this word, also, when they wish to convey the idea of taking any thing by force, or robbing cnother person of his property

T

dee, and even the members of the Kuitsu, the founder of the dynasty of imperial family who wished to pay Soung, who ascended the throne in court to the Emperor, "or who were the year 960, Christian æra, allowed invited to any public ceremony traders to deposit their money, and or repast in the palace, were obliged even their goods, in the imperial trea to cover with one of these skins, the suries, and gave them in exchange a tablette which they held before their note which was called piantisian, or faces in presence of the son of heaven. convenient money. These notes were The minister of the household had eagerly sought after, in eonsequence fixed the price of these skins at a of their convenience. In 997, the sum equal in English money to about quantity of paper money in circulation 12 guineas. They were current at represented 1,700,000 ounces of silthis price in the palace, and amongst ver; and in the year 1021, the quanthe nobles; but it does not appear tity was increased to 3,000,000 ounces. that they were ever used in trade, or It was in the country of Chou, which by the people. Matouanlin states, is, in our days, the province of Szuthat froth the year 617 of the Chris- tehhouan-where the true paper tian era, to the end of the dynasty of money, as a substitute for money, 'Soul, the distress and disorder in without being guaranteed by any sort China having reached their height, of mortgage or security, was first inevery possible substitute for money troduced. These notes were introwas used. He particularly mentions duced to supply the place of iron, small pieces of round iron, bits of which was found to be too heavy for cloth, and even pasteboard. At the commercial and general purposes.t commencement of the reign of the They were called tchi-tsi. Under the Emperor Hiautzoung, of the dynasty reign of Tchin-tsoung, from the year of Kang, which was about the year 997 to 1022, the example was fol807 of Christ, copper money being lowed, and new notes were made, exceedingly rare, the use of that me- which were called kiao-tsu, or change? tal for any domestic purpose was pro- they were payable every third year; hibited. The Emperor compelled so that in 65 years there were 22 all traders who arrived in the capital, and generally speaking, all monied persons, to deposit their cash in the public treasury; and, for the facility of trade, they received in exchange a sort of promissory note or bond, which was called feythsian, or flying money. At the end of three years, however, the use of this paper money was suppressed as to the capital, and it had currency only in the provinces.

periods for payment. Each kiao-tsu was equivalent to 1,000 deniers, and represented an ounce of pure silver. Sixteen of the principal houses in the empire were at the head of this finan cial operation; but, in the end, these persons were unable to fulfil their engagements, and became bankrupts. The Emperor, in consequence of the distress which this failure brought on the public, abolished all the notes of

ages, sacred to Fo, every bost and the saints of his religion. Thus, after every persecution of the sect, topper became more plentiful.

†The first iron money was made in China by the rebel Roung-sun-chou, who died 36 years after Christ. It was not until the year 524, however, that his example was followed by the Chinose Emperors.ži tu mɔb beu

this society; and resolving that, in fu- only in the cities of Hoei-tcheou and h ture, no individuals should have the Tchi-tcheou, of Kiang-nan; but eren power of creating paper money, esta-long it was made in several other places. blished a bank at Y-tchou, for notes. The first Hoei-tsu were like the paper Towards the year 1032, the quantity money previously in circulation, worth of paper money in circulation, in 1,000 deniers, or an ounce of silver; of China, represented 1,256,340 ounces in the following reign, however, theyder of pure silver. In 1068, some daring were made for 500, 300, and 200 speculators began to counterfeit the deniers. In the short space of 5 years notes of the government, and a great here were 28,000,000 ounces of notes number of forgeries were discovered. in circulation; and in the space of The authors of the fraud were sub- the following 11 months the quantity t jected to the same punishment as that was further increased by an issue of t which the law decreed against those 15,600,000 ounces. During the exwho forged the seals of the state. In istence of the same dynasty, their course of years, banks were established amount was increased annually, Be-i for the issue of notes, in various parts sides these notes, there were the Kiaof of the empire the notes of one pro- tsu, and other paper money peculiar vince, however, were not current in to the provinces, to such an extent another, and the mode of circulation that the country was inundated with,{ ́) and liquidation was frequently altered. notes which daily decreased in value, ws Under the Emperor Kao-tsoung, in notwithstanding the modifications ton 1131, the government were desirous the government had recourse to which, of creating a military establishment prevent it. In the reign of Ly-tsoungb at Ou-tcheou; but, as the funds ne- of the same dynasty, in the year 1264 cessary for the undertaking were re- the minister Kia-szu-tao, seeing ther ceived very tardily, the mandarins, low value of the notes, and the high who no were entrusted with the manage- price of the provisions, called in a inent of the plan, proposed to the great quantity of the former, and sup Hou-pou, or ministry of the treasury, plied their place with new notes, which t to issue Louantsu, or notes, with which he styled yn, koun, or money bonds auf they might pay those who supplied but, notwithstanding all the exertions provisions to the army. These notes of the minister, he was unable to raise)) were payable at an office opened for the value of the notes, or to reduce the r the purpose, but they gave rise to price of provisions, Whilst the last g many abuses, and caused the people Emperors of the Soung dynasty were to murmur: not long afterwards, retired in the south of China, the noz however, similar notes were put into north of the country was under the circulation in other provinces of China. dominion of the Niu-tchy, a race who.. 1160, under the same monarch, had founded a new empire under thewor the Hou-pou created a new paper name of Kiu, or the Kingdom of Gold. money, whi which they called Hoei-tsu, Their princes are spoken of by the or agreements. In the commence- Arabian and Persian authors, under ment these notes were only current in the title of Altoun-khan. the province of Tehe-kiang, and its tinual wars in China, had impoverished immediate neighbourhood; but they all the provinces of this fine country soon became general throughout the to such an extent, that copper was: empire. The paper which was used become exceedingly scarce in the kingfor them, was at first manufactured dom of Kiu, and recourse was had to

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