"I was taken to see the grounds, which, editions of the classics, and many of the best are most extensive. The front of the house English authors, both poets and historians. is in the village, but, as it is upon a high They were going a drive, and offered to hill, the grounds slope down very prettily at take me part of the way to Chiusi; so my the back; they are beautifully laid out, and little vehicle was sent on in advance. At contain three miles of walks. I was most half-past five we started in a handsome carinterested with a model of the tomb from riage, drawn by two horses. I enjoyed the which the sarcophagi in the museum had drive greatly, and was much struck with the been taken. This tomb was discovered in pleasant salutations exchanged between the the Signor's territories five miles off, about master and the tenants whom we passed on ten years since, and consisted of one cham- the road. At last I saw my little carriage, ber with a painted frieze in the usual style, or rather cart; so I bade good-bye to the and a ledge, upon which were the three sar-kind Terrossi family. We parted with recophagi and various pottery vases. All this gret, and I hope to see them again some was very well imitated, only the colors were day." a little too bright to be natural. There were cool grottoes hung with stalactites, hermitages, a fancy hut called Uncle Tom's Cabin,' and various contrivances, which the Signor had great pleasure in showing to me. "At one o'clock we were summoned to dinner. First came soup; then slices of ham, with fresh figs, were handed round. It sounded like an odd dish, but it was very good. The usual boiled beef followed, an omelet, an excellent dish of minced meat and in Italy, speaks highly of the character of maccaroni, and sweet fritters. Champagne the people when removed from immediate was handed about, and for dessert we had contact with foreigners and their own rulers. various fruits, cakes, and sweets. We talked sometimes in French, as the Signor wished his eldest son to have the opportunity of speaking the language.

The "Sketches of the Islands in the Bay of Naples" are the result of a visit paid in the summer of the year preceding that of the description of Rome, &c. Mrs. Westropp visited Capri, but only resided at Ischia, apparently for the baths. She lodged in the house of a family of the condition of a peasant or small farmer, and, as

She ever describes them as simple, good-natured, industrious, with much of natural refinement. At Ischia, too, she saw a personage who has lately made some noise in

the world.

66

6

"After dinner all the family retired to their rooms for a siesta. The Signora Enrichetta took me to a magnificent saloon Yesterday evening I walked to the prinsupported by beautiful columns. Marble cipal hotel, La Sentinella Grande,' situstatues stood round it, and the carpets, cur- ated on a high point, whence the view is tains, and furniture, were of the handsomest most lovely. We found the King and Queen description from Paris. A great many books of Naples were there paying a visit to the of views were produced, and I amused my- Princess Mariana of Prussia, who has been self very well for two hours. When my in the island some weeks. We waited half hostess reappeared, she took me to a little an hour, and obtained an excellent view of summer parlor, where we sat and talked a their Majesties. The king is a stout, goodgood deal. Her little boy was a most intel-natured-looking man, dressed in a dark-blue ligent child. She had taken great pains to uniform and cap. The Queen is plain, and teach him French, and he understood all rather gaudily dressed without much taste. that she said to him. I was very much They were in a pretty, low pony-carriage; pleased with the whole family; they seem to the King driving, and a chasseur sitting on be of a class common in England, but not in the seat behind. Just as the King was stepthis country-wealthy proprietors living on ping into the carriage, a poor miserable man their own property, and exerting themselves rushed forwards and threw himself at the for the good of their dependents. Perhaps King's feet, imploring mercy. This poor some of the worthy Signor's little houses man had been proscribed for taking part in and gardens might be considered cockney- the revolution; for more than two years he ish'; but it was impossible not to respect had been hiding in holes in the ground to him when he said, I had such a place avoid the soldiery, and now ventured forth erected to give employment to the poor when to implore pardon; his aged mother wept, the vines first failed in 1849; another place and all the spectators begged for mercy. when a severe winter had caused distress.' I told them a little of my history; and they were amused to see how many languages I could read, when they showed me the library, which is very well furnished with good

The King seemed overcome, and cried in a loud voice, I grant a free pardon.' Great joy was testified by all, and their Majesties drove off with the benedictions of the multitude following them.

by several sketches of buildings, more curious for their singularity or great antiquity than remarkable as works of art. They are characteristic, though not specimens of "high art"; and they perhaps convey a more accurate idea of the original than if they had been cooked by professional skill.

80 pounds, and even lower, and finally the small breeders abandoned the business as unproductive. Next the system of uniting the two occupations of breeder and mulberry grower was adopted, and large numbers of eggs

from twenty to fifty ounces-were operated on, and the eggs became a regular article of merchandise, the smaller breeders finding it more economical to wind off all their cocoons than to reserve them as the nucleus of future broods. The ratio of caterpillars to the number of eggs, in the mean time, steadily diminished, as did also the yield of cocoons, the silkworms having become more liable to epidemic diseases.

FACTS ABOUT SILK MANUFACTURE.-In an article upon the failure of the silk crop, the London Daily News furnishes some facts which explain the high cost of silks, and the cause of their deterioration. The deficient yield of silk in France has been caused by changes made in the food and treatment of the silkworm. Until the early part of the present century the rearing of silkworms was carried on by a class of operators whose establishments consisted chiefly of themselves and their families, conducting their operations in their own houses. The quantity of eggs on which they operated rarely exceeded two or three ounces, and the yield of the cocoons was usually one hundred and forty Various precautionary measures were resorted pounds to the ounce of eggs. The caterpillars were fed on the leaves of mulberry trees, growing almost in a wild state, which yielded a limited crop of leaves of a smaller size and lighter color than those of the cultivated mulberry, but much more nutritious. The result of this was a silk of a very superior quality, but somewhat high in price. These leaves were usually supplied to the silkworm feeders by agricultural proprietors who made it a business. The breeders chiefly depended on their own moths for the supply of eggs for the next year's brood, rarely purchasing eggs, and selecting, for continuing the race, the largest and finest cocoons, and when the moths were produced, preserving only those which experience taught them were best fitted to insure a healthy and hardy race of caterpillars.

to for counteracting these disabilities, but still the evil increased, and the yield of cocoons continued to diminish until this year, when, if it has not utterly failed, it has rarely exceeded 14 pounds. Disease has become so common among the silkworms, and the eggs brought to market are of so doubtful a character, that the small breeders fear to purchase, and are preparing to relinquish the business.

The evil is attributed to the over-culture of the mulberry tree, and the remedy proposed is that the present method of stimulating the mulberry tree should be abandoned, and the utmost care taken to select moths in the most perfect conditions of health and physical conformation. . Unfortunately, however, the evil is universal-the value of agricultural property employed in the culture of mulberry trees under The first change made in this system was by the present system has been fixed on the suppothe proprietors of the mulberry trees, who di-sition that it would be a permanent branch of rected their attention to producing a larger crop industry, and a return to the old system would, of leaves. This they accomplished by planting it is feared, seriously enhance the price of silks, the trees in a richer soil, liberally manuring, and therefore diminish consumption. and topping the trees. A dense mass of foliage was soon produced, but the leaves, although larger and thicker, contained more fluid and a much less amount of nutritive matter. The result was, the silkworms grew less healthy, the crop of cocoons less certain, and the quality of the silk deteriorated. The yield of cocoons fell off from 140 pounds to 100 pounds, then to

The great industrial as well as commercial interests involved in the silk culture and manufacture, in France and Southern Europe, render a solution of the problem of the best remedy for the present serious difficulties, a matter of great importance, and the subject is being thoroughly investigated.

"In addition to the grave and important sentiments already expressed, I am gratified "Of these annals, I have within the few to observe that a very large proportion of days in which they have been in my posses- the subjects of these memoirs lived to a good sion, read most of the articles in the first old age. Very many realized their threevolume, and have glanced over those in the score years and ten; not a few were octogensecond-which are evidently constructed arians; and some passed into the last decade upon the same plan as those in the first. A of a century. Long life is promised as one bright mirror of the past has been thus pre- of the rewards of well doing; and, although sented to me, reflecting true, and pleasing, it may not be granted unconditionally, to all and venerable images of wise and good good people, we see sufficient proof in these men, who, having served God and their personal records that virtuous and useful generation faithfully, have gone, as we lives and elevated and pure contemplations trust, to their reward in a better world. are favorable to health, long life, and happiWith many of these I have been contem-ness. porary; not a few were personally known to me; and of many others memory furnishes associations of deep interest.

the celestial city. Even the early Puritans, | annals will be a treasure to posterity; and those hardy men, inured to conflict and it is hoped that similar records will be made trials, were fond of humor, and this trait of of the lives and labors of the wise and good character has not yet become extinct among their descendants.

"By the persevering and laborious compilation of this great work, Dr. Sprague has rendered an important service to his country, and even to the Christian world. These

men who are now on the stage. May it be
long before the record of the annalist of
these biographies shall be added to the
number.
B. S.

New-Haven, December, 1856."

THE WORD "CANARD."-The origin of the obtained is obvious enough, but its application word canard (French for duck), when employed is entirely new. No contrivance could more efto signify some unfounded story, is not gener-fectually overcome the great difficulty inherent ally known. The following are the terms in in polishing a surface, viz., that of distributing which M. Quetelet relates, in the Annuaire de the operation with perfect equality over every l'Academie, the manner in which the word be- part of it. The plate is kept on this disc until came used in its new sense. 66 To give a sly lift it is ground comparatively smooth by the attriat the ridiculous pieces of intelligence which the tion of coarse sand,-a process requiring about journals are in the habit of publishing every two hours. It is then adjusted in a similar morning, Cornelissen stated that an interesting manner on a second iron disc to receive the final experiment had just been made calculated to polish; the glass at this stage of affairs being prove the extraordinary voracity of ducks. only translucent. This disc is covered with felt, Twenty of these animals had been placed to- and a very soft and fine sand is used in grindgether, and one of them having been killed and ing. In this portion of the apparatus Mr. Burcut up into the smallest possible pieces, feath-gess has introduced a valuable improvement on ers and all, and thrown to the other nineteen, the original invention of Mr. Broughton, conhad been gluttonously gobbled up in an exceedingly brief space of time. Another was taken from the nineteen, and being chopped small like its predecessor, was served up to the eighteen, and at once devoured like the other; and so on to the last, who was thus placed in the position of having eaten his nineteen companions in a wonderfully short time. All this, most pleasantly narrated, obtained a success which the writer was far from anticipating, for the story ran the rounds of all the journals in Europe. It then became almost forgotten for about a score of years, when it came back from America, with amplification which it did not boast of at the commencement, and with a regular certificate of the autopsy of the body of the surviving animal, whose oesophagus was declared to have been found seriously injured. Every one laughed at the history of the canard thus brought up again, but the word retains its novel signification.

POLISHING PLATE GLASS BY MACHINERY.-A new and useful invention for polishing large plate glass is now on exhibition at No. 100 Walker street, The mechanical process by which this labor, heretofore so difficult, delicate, and tedious, is performed, is exceedingly simple and ingenious. The plate glass, rough from the factory, is adjusted in a frame having an axle running through the centre of it into an iron support above. The surface rests on the outer part of a huge iron disc, which is made to revolve horizontally with great rapidity, and communicates a separate rotary motion to the plate. The principle on which this motion is

sisting of grooves on the disc, by which air is admitted between the two surfaces, so as to overcome a great part of the friction, and thus effect a large saving in the motive power. The plate is kept on the second disc for about three hours, and when taken off is as clear as crystal. In Europe the polishing is done by hand, and, to be done as our American mechanic does it, would require not less than five days, making the cost of the operation several times greater than the cost of the plate. The two costs by the new process are nearly equal. Besides the great reduction in the price of polished plate glass (now exclusively imported from England, France, and Germany), which it is claimed will result from this invention, the risks of breaking glass in transhipment will be entirely avoided. Great losses are often incurred by such accidental breakages.-N. Y. Journal of Commerce.

A YANKEE TALKING LIGHTNING.-An engine on the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad broke down recently, at nine o'clock at night, nine miles distant from a station. The conductor went on foot through the snow to get another machine. A telegraphic operator on one of the cars, named Stager (of course, a Yankee), hearing the cause of the detention, got out, and taking down the main wire from the pole alongside the track, cut it; "dotted " the distress of the train to the Pittsburg and Brighton stations; and putting one of the brass points to his tongue, read the answer that an engine should be immediately sent, and then talked off this pleasant lightning to his anxious and impatient fellow passengers!

ruin :

BEWARE OF DRIFTING.-Few people form | find himself drifting down the cataract, and all habits of wrong-doing deliberately and wilfully. hope gone. The sensualist, who lives merely They glide into them by degrees and almost un- for his own gratification, drifts into an emascuconsciously, and, before they are aware of danger, lated old age, to be tortured with passions he the habits are confirmed and require resolute cannot gratify, and perish by merciless agonizand persistent effort to effect a change. "Resisting diseases. The undisciplined, who never beginnings was a maxim of the ancients, and learned to control themselves, who are spendshould be preserved as a landmark in our day. thrifts, or passionate, or indolent, or visionary, The Baltimore Sun has a good article on the soon make shipwreck of themselves, and drift slight beginnings of danger which end in fatal about the sea of life, the prey of every wind and current, vainly shrieking for help, till at "It was only the other day that a man fell last they drift away into darkness and death. asleep in his boat on the Niagara river. During that you have fast hold of the helm. The "Take care that you are not drifting. See his slumber the boat broke loose from her moor-breakers of life forever roar under the lee, and ings, and he woke to find himself shooting down the rapids directly towards the cataract. In vain he shrieked for help, in vain he tried to row against the current. He drifted on and on till his light craft upset, when he was borne rapidly to the brink of the abyss, and, leaping up with a wild cry, went over and disappeared

forever.

"In the great battle of Gibraltar, when the united fleets of France and Spain attacked the impregnable fortress, one of the gigantic floating batteries broke from her anchorage and began to drift directly into the hottest of the British fire. The thousand men who formed the crew of the unwieldy mass vainly strove to arrest its progress or divert it from its path. Every minute it drifted nearer to the English guns, every minute some new part took fire from the red-hot shot, every minute another score of its hapless defenders were swept like chaff from its decks. The most superhuman efforts failed to prevent its drifting with its human freight to inevitable death.

"A ship was wrecked at sea. The passengers and crew took refuge on a raft, the boats having been stove in the attempt to launch them. For days and weeks these unfortunates drifted about without oar or sail on the hot broken tropical ocean. At last their provisions failed; and then their water. Still they drifted about, vainly looking for a sail or hoping for a sight of land. The time had now come when that fearful alternative became inevitable-death from starvation or feeding on human flesh-and they were just beginning to cast lots for a victim when a vessel was seen on the distant horizon. They abandoned their terrible design; the stranger would approach. The ship came towards them; she drew nearer and nearer. They strove to attract her attention by shouts and by raising their clothing; but the indolent look-out saw them not. They shouted louder and louder; still they were not seen. At last the vessel tacked. With frantic terror they rose in one body, shouting and waving their garments. It was in vain; the unconscious ship stood steadily away. Night drew on, and as the darkness foll the raft drifted and drifted in the other direction till the last trace of vessel was lost forever.

"So it is in life. The intemperate man who thinks he at least will never die a drunkard, whatever his neighbor mry do, only wakes to

adverse gales continually blow on the shore.
Are you watching how she heads? Do you
keep a firm grip of the wheel? If you give
way but for one moment, you may drift help-
Young men, take
lessly into the boiling vortex.
care! It rests with yourself alone, under God,

whether you reach port triumphantly or drift

to ruin."

The Annals of British Legislation. Edited
by Leone Levi, Esq., F.S.A., F.S.S., &c. &c.
Part VIII. Smith, Elder, and Co.

Bigg's Parliamentary Minutes. 19 and 20
Vict. Waterlow and Sons.

THE eighth part of the Annals of British Legislation completes the first volume of a series that will, if it be always managed as it now is by Professor Levi, last as long as there remains a legislature in Great Britain. As the editor says very justly in his preface, the work is one by which a new life will be given to a kind of information which, though acquired by the State at an enormous cost, has hitherto remained, for all practical purposes, unheeded and unstudied.' These Annals are to give the essence of work done and information garnered for the State during each legislative year, a summary description of every act passed, a digest of the vital facts contained in every Blue Book issued, and of all documents relating to the public buisness of the country. All such information is here to be placed upon record, and is recorded thus far in this volume, not only divested of all verbiage, but so grouped and classified that "a reader seeking informa tion on any one point finds grouped in connection with it the information requisite to enable him to understand the subject fully." We are glad to observe that on the completion of the first volume of his undertaking the editor acknowledges the fulfilment of his expectations of support. The series will live while generations of men die, if it be maintained in its old age as ably and as conscientiously as it is now in its youth.

Parliamentary Minutes, respecting public and private bills, committees, &c., edited by James Bigg, is a useful summary of the business of the last session, conveniently arranged for reference, and provided with a very good index.-Examiner.