{flffi mmWmmmwmtmmmm Wlii/M iim 111 * \ M/iiif/^/s- ' ? f ; )'}} 0* J* THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID THE MIRROR OF THE WORLD; OB, STORIES FROM ALL CLIMES. BY MOULTON HAMPTON BOSTON : WENTWORTH & CO., 86 WASHINGTON STREET. 1856. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by WENTWORTH, HEWES, & CO., In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of New York. INTRODUCTION. No books whatever are more instructive and entertaining than books of travels. They satisfy that eager thirst after knowledge so strong in the breasts of all persons, and furnish the mind with matter for reflection. We present the reader, in the following pages, valuable facts and thrilling incidents, interspersed with some of the finest Tales in the language; and believe that there never was brought together, in so small a compass, a more copious collection of rational entertainment than will be met with in this volume. COBITMTS. PAGS TWO MILLIONAIRES,.. 7 Banker and the Grocer, 9 The Grocer rises in the Scale, 11 Hope and Consolation, 13 Better Prospects, .16 The Electoral Birth-Day, 20 The Equipage, 26 The Victory, 31 The First of April, . -. 34 Continued from Part First, 40 The Household, .48 Village Schoolmaster, 53 Beginning of the Reformation, 56 Progress of the Reformation, 57 t The Colony, 60 The New Dignity 62 The Highest Festival, 67 A Fortunate Misfortune, 70 "I OWE YOU NOTHING, SIR," 75 The Teacher, 79 The Heir, 82 NOTES OF A JOURNEY ACROSS THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA, 86 THE TWO PASSPORTS, 97 CONTENTS. /^AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN'S LAND, ill The Barrel Tree, 117 Western Australia, , 142 THE FAIRY CUP, 151 THE WHITE SWALLOW, 161 The Athapascow Foray, 166 Matonaza, 172 The Esquimaux Village, 177 Wanderings and Sufferings, 181 Winter, 185 The Lover's Search, 190 Strange Events, 193 FOWLING IN FAROE AND SHETLAND, 201 A FUQUEER'S CURSE, 208 THE DESERTS OF AFRICA, 214 Inhabitants of the Desert, 225 The Commerce of the Desert, 243 LIFE IN AN INDIAMAN, 254 THE DEALER IN WISDOM,... 295 THE KEY OF THE STREET, 303 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES, HEN I was a young man completing my studies at Jena, one of my most agreeable acquaintances was old Forest Counsellor Von Itodern, and some of my pleasantest hours were spent in his house. We used to assemble once or twice a week, a tolerably large circle, consisting in part of men like himself in the service of the State, " angestel- tie," though when, and where, and how, two thirds of these served, I never could make out; nor how the State could want such an army of them ; for truly of those " angesteltle" in most German States, their name is legion, and partly of such of "the students as were less addicted to the uproarious merriment then and now in fashion among the Burseken. Even some of the "roaring boys" would now and then like a quiet evening at the Counsellor's, by way of relief to their wilder carousals, though somewhat in the proportion of Fat- staff's bread to his sack. The Counsellor was a 'kind-hearted, cheerful old man, at peace with himself and all the world, perhaps because the world had gone well with him, or, perhaps, that from a natural felicity of temperament, he had gone well with the world, never raising his expectations too high either of himself or others, and, therefore, escaping the ossifying and acidulating process so actively at work with those who have tasted too often of hope de- ceived, whether with or without any fault of their own. He never pretended to give entertainments ; the refreshments were limited to (7) THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. a cup of coffee, or of the anomalous beverage so innocently ac- cepted by our kinsfolk, the Germans, under the name of tea, and concocted in the proportion of a spoonful of the herb to a gallon of water. Many of the guests used to qualify the mixture with lemon, wine, or vanilla, which I wondered at till I tasted it in its primitive state, and then I held all means lawful which should make it taste of something. There was no want of amusement, though we neither declaimed tragedies, slandered our neighbors, nor played at cards. There was difference enough of age, temper, condition, and charac- ter among us to give variety to the conversation on whatever subject it chanced to fall ; and when the discussion threatened to become too warm, the amenity of our host acted as a kind of general dulci- fier of all acerbities, and brought about, if not an agreement of principle, an agreement to differ. One of the most successful means of producing this desirable result was the Counsellor's reminiscences of his earlier life. He possessed much of the talents " de courtier," so highly valued as an accomplishment of society by our neighbors. Some of his narratives I have thought worth while transcribing, though I have small expectation of rendering them as agreeable to a reader as they were to a hearer. The conversation fell one evening on Rousseau's writings, and his own character, his morbid susceptibility, his scorn, whether real or affected, of the rich and great, his proud poverty, and the contradiction between his misanthropy and his zeal for the reformation of society. Some defended the unhappy philosopher, whose life was a con- tinual warfare with himself and others, and blamed the friends who had not understood him. Others justified the friends, and asked which of his champions could honestly assert he could have kept on good terms with him for a month. The effects of opulence and indigence on the minds of gifted and right-minded men, came inci- dentally under discussion. What would Rousseau have been, had he been born to purple and fine linen to be served instead of serving? "I remember a story, or rather a couple of stories," said the Counsellor, " which have some reference to the subject of your dispute. I will not say they will settle it, but they may furnish some further argument. Both are singular in their way. One was the best-executed practical joke I ever heard of. The heroes of both were friends of my youth, and one of them is still one of my best and dearest. " Listen if you like, learn if you can! THE TWO MILLIONAIRES.* THE BANKER AND THE GROCER. AMONG my intimates at the University of Inbingen, Casimir Morn was the most distinguished by nature and fortune ; one had given him a handsome person, considerable talents, and an excel- lent heart ; the other a riflh banker for a father, that the value of the diamond might not be impaired for want of a fit setting. Be- fore entering the University he had travelled through the greater part of Germany, France, and Italy. His mind, already cultivated and enlarged, preserved him from contamination by the coarser ex- cesses of the wilder part of his fellow-students ; while the succor- ing hand held out to the more necessitous, attested that his temper- ance was the result not of prudence only, but of choice. Half a year before he left the University, I accompanied him in the vacation to his father's house. The elder Morn was banker to the Court, and lived in great splendor in the electoral city of Cassel, where he was visited by what are called the first people in the city. Near Morn's house, or rather palace, stood an old, dilapidated, gloomy-looking house, the abode of one Romanus, a grocer, a miserly old curmudgeon, who had the reputation of possessing the best filled coffers and the prettiest daughter in the city. He was said to be a millionaire ; yet he continued to weigh out coffee, pep- per, cheese, and treacle, with his own hand, nay, if he were dis- abled, the fair fingers of the fair Caroline were pressed into the ser- vice, for a shopman had never been admitted behind the counler of Herr Romanus. Casimir Morn and the pretty groceress had played together as neighbors' children, and seemed by no means inclined to drop the acquaintance now that they had ceased to be children. The banker, however, began to make somewhat of a wry &ce at the familiar tone of the young people towards each other. T&e was aspiring in his views, and thought of purchasing a patent of nobility ; and then, with the magic Von before his name, and his own handsome face and figure, his son might look for a better quartering in his escutcheon than a sugar loaf and Swiss cheese parted per pale. The grocer, on the other hand, might perhaps have held it expedient to keep the flies from buzzing, too near his sweets ; and, no doubt, it was with this view that he always charged Casimir treble the usual price, when- ever he made the purchase of any of the other's wares the pretence for entering the shop. But Casimir, who was honestly and seriously in 10 * THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. love, had no intention that affairs should remain on this ambiguous footing. On the contrary, he gravely assured his father that if erver he brought home a wife it must be Caroline Romanus ; and Caroline assured her father that no young man was endurable to her eyes saving and excepting Casimir Morn. The banker loved his only son. He had nothing personally to object to the roses and the lilies, forget-me-not eyes and raven curls of Caroline, and saw some- thing greatly to admire in her father's million. Finding his son resolute, he was inclined to give way. Herr Romanus had, on hia side, nothing to say against the banker's son. His father carried on the first business in the electorate ; and when, to these consider- ations, was added, that the lovers had already sworn fidelity to all eternity and beyond, it must be confessed that the marriage was highly expedient. Who would have guessed that we were all reckoning without our host ? The unlooked-for obstacle arose in the shape of a grave proposal of Herr Romanus, that his future son-in-law the handsome, graceful Casimir, the darling of the fair, with all his university honors blushing thick upon him should forthwith renounce the flowery paths of literature, forsake the thornier crown awaiting the successful pursuit of severer science, and, donning a white apron, Berve sugar and snuff for the remainder of his days ! Herr Roma- nus had. no faith in any pursuit above or below a counter. Learning was nothing in his eyes ; " the service," no better than legalized thieving ; banking, gambling according to law. The banker was furious. His son, to whom his natural and acquired advantages, and his own connections with the court, opened the way to the first employments in the State, who had already been named Referendary to the High Court of something or other for the first six months without salary, certainly, but with the positive assurance of speedy advancement ; and now came this ridiculous old grocer with the preposterous demand that he should renounce all these splendid prospects, (the patent nobility included,) and sell treacle and herrings at three farthings apiece to the worthy burghers of . Was ever a lover reduced to such an absurd dilemma before? At three-and-twenty it is hard to say what would not be undertaken for a fair and beloved maiden ; bat- teries might be stormed, wounds and death defied, a desert held as a paradise, Satan himself dared to mortal combat ; all might be borne ; but to sink from a minister of state in expectation to a seller of tea, coffee, tobacco, snuff, was worse than battery, desert, death, and the duel ! It struck me as somewhat odd, that instead of breaking off at THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 11 once with the absurd old humorist, the proud banker should in private counsel his son to capitulate. Caroline, however, herself opposed her father's whim. It was agreed that Casimir should return to the University for half a" year ; and, in the mean time, every engine should be set to work to soften the heart of Herr Romanus, including tears, fainting, and threats of going into a con- sumption. THE GROCER RISES IN THE SCALE THE BANKER KICKS THE BEAM. CAROLINE ROMANUS was a diligent correspondent. . Casimir was informed of everything that happened in the good city of . except what he most desired to know viz., that Herr Romanua had changed his mind. But no ; the old man was as immovable as the wooden negro at his 'own door. His son-in-law must be a grocer : he had said it, and he stuck to it. The only consolatory part of Caroline's letter was iJie concluding paragraph " After all, we can wait a little ; I am only sixteen, and you three-and- twenty." Four months had thus passed away, when one morning Casimir burst into my room, with an open letter in his hand and consterna- tion in his countenance. It was from the broker Morn, and con- tained this laconic and astounding information : " I am 'a bank- rupt and fugitive : I must leave directly. I am going to England, and thence to the West Indies. The ten thousand florins, secured to you by the enclosed paper, you will receive on* application. It is all I have been able to save for you from the wreck." Very naturally, such an unexpected blow of fate had a tendency to lengthen the visage even of a lover of three-and-twenty. The sum transmitted was not a third part of his mother's fortune which had been secured to Casimir. I attempted some words of consola- tion. He made a sign to me to be silent, and passing his hand rapidly over his brow " Do not mistake me," said he faltering ; " it is not the poverty I feel, but the disgrace. And do not at- tempt to console me for either : for one there is no consolation, and for the other no need of it. I should despise myself if the mere loss of wealth could sadden the future to me. Help me to divert my thoughts for to-day, if you can ; to-morrow I shall not need your help." Casimir returned to . His father's splendid house, with 12 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. all belonging to it, had been already sold. The whole city cried upon the runaway banker, and pitied the son, except the old grocer. He had lost eight thousand dollars by Morn's bankruptcy. At first, he had comforted himself with the hope that Casimir would be able to make it up to him out of his mother's fortune ; but when the young man frankly confessed that the same cause had deprived him of the greater part of his fortune, |he old man laughed derid- ingly. " Whistle me another tune from that, young man," said he, twirling his queer-looking wig round and round upon his head, as he was wont on similar occasions. " Your father, Herr Casimir, is a clever fellow ! He would make a capital finance minister ! What would you wager, now, that he has brought his sheep to dry land in time ? " and here Romanus dropped the fingers of his right hand into the hollow of his left, with a significant look, as if counting money. " How long is it to be before he makes his appearance amongst us again as a rich man ? " Casimir colored deeply. " His father," he said, " had been un- fortunate thoughtless, perhaps but he was no deliberate de- ceiver." When Romanus saw that Casimir was really unable to pay the eight thousand dollars, he demanded, without ceremony, all he had in part payment at least. " How, then, am I to live ? " asked the young man. " As yet I receive no salary from my appointment." " My heavens ! " whined the miser, " you are a learned man, Herr Casimir. You may be secretary to somebody ; but what is to become of me ? Oh ! I am a poor, ruined old man, driven out of Jiouse and home. If I am to lose all this monstrous sum, I and my poor child must beg from door to door." " Indeed, are you really pobr ? " cried Morn. " No, you shall not beg. Take my little capital into your trade, and give me Caroline's hand. Make of me what you will. Industry and econ- omy will soon make up for the past. We shall be the happiest people in- the world." Casimir said this with so much warmth and evident sincerity, that the old grocer was, to use a homely phrase, fairly dumb-found- ered. " What," said he at length, in his harshest tone, " is it a matter of rejoicing that your honorable papa then has cheated me out of my whole property ? And, to reward such honest dealing, I shall give you my daughter, shall I ? Your humble servant ! If your worthy father has made me a beggar, I will hold no beggar's wed- ding in my house, I promise you. Be so good as to take Yourself THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 13 off, will you ? And, if I may be so bold as to ask a favor, I would beg that you never darken my doors again. I wash my hands of you. I have not brought up my girl to fling her into the arms of the first fellow without a penny in his pocket that has the impu- dence to ask her." And this was the result of poor Casimir's interview with Hen Romanus. HOPE AND CONSOLATION. WHICHEVER way the unfortunate young man turned, he heard ex- ecrations on his father's name. Those who, during the banker's prosperity, had been his basest flatterers, now distinguished them- selves by the bitterness and violence of their reproaches. In con- sequence, the news of his father's death, which reached* Casimir a few months after, brought with it a kind of melancholy consolation, notwithstanding his unfeigned sorrow. The unfortunate banker died at Antwerp of inflammation of the lungs, which had been neglected probably in the overwhelming griefs and vexations conse- quent on his bankruptcy. The death of Morn at last put an end to the storm of hostility, and the worthy people of even found some expressions of pity for the son at last. Casimir's courage rose again, after the first stunning effects of the blow, with that elastic vigor natural to his age. When the storm had somewhat blown over, he addressed himself for employment to some former friends of his family, and met with a civil reception from all. His appointment as Referendary to the Electoral Chamber was confirmed. " You must study at the law, Roman and financial," said the minister, " and I will think of you in time. Of course, as youngest in the office, you must work without salary. But, in a year or two, I hope we shall be able to do something for you. You are still very young ; one cannot expect much at four-and-twenty ! " Morn was well contented for the time. He fixed himself in a respectable citizen's house, right opposite the once splendid dwelling of his family less haunted by the memory of former magnificence than allured by the vision of Caroline's blue eyes and rose-tinted cheek ; for, although the old chandler had prohibited him from crossing his threshold, he could not prevent eyes from visiting as they listed. Casimir's sitting-room and that used by Caroline Romanus were, 14 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. by good fortune, exactly opposite, and, when the sun shone, not a corner of either was invisible to the other. Each knew when the other came in or went out, how they were employed, when they were glad, when they were sorry. After the fashion of maidens of her class in Germany, Caroline's constant seat, when not employed in household duties, was perched up at the window ; so there was nothing very remarkable in her preferring her knitting needles to all other employment. Never, even among her country-women, was there such an indefatigable knitter. Within a year's time the language of looks and signs had been brought to such perfection that all they thought, wished, hoped, or feared, was mutually understood, without exchanging a word. Cheered by the glad eye and radiant smile of the fair and faith- ful Caroline, young Morn labored with unwearied diligence, not only in his own peculiar vocation, but was always ready to assist the superiors in office, who, having easier employment and more pay, found, of course, less leisure, with their accounts, memorials, minutes, &c. &c. He stood, therefore, high in the good graces of his colleagues, every one eulogized his talents and acquirements, asked his advice, and accepted his services ; and, in return, no one in the city received more invitations to balls, soirees, and picnics. The fathers praised his ready head and ready hand, the daughters declared that he sang admirably, waltzed divinely, and declaimed like an angel, in their private theatricals; but, alas ! in spite of this universal favor, Casimir Morn remained, at six-and-twenty, the generally-esteemed but unpaid junior Referendary of the Electoral Chamber of . " Never mind," was Caroline's unfailing topic of consolation ; "you are but six-and-twenty, and I am just nineteen." The lovely Caroline was now in the full bloom, and beyond dispute the fairest maiden in the city. (The fame of her beauty and her probable wealth even reached the court. Princes and Counts, with unim- peachable quarterings, condescended to press with their noble feet the very dirty pavement before the low, dark, strong-flavored shop of grocer Romanus ; and, what was more, to shed the light of their countenance on the cunning, miserly, old curmudgeon himself. A beauty like Caroline, and the heiress of a million, was well worth the sacrifice of all the genealogies, orders and diplomas in . Yet, neither counts, barons, knights, state, war, court, chamber, justice, (civil and criminal,) finance, police, church, or public instruc- tion, privy or public counsellor, could touch the heart of the old grocer, or his charming heiress. On the one hand, Herr Romanus adhered with the obstinacy of a whole herd of mules to his resolu- THE TWO MILLIONAIERS. tion of finding or making his future son-in-law a grocer ; and, on the other, the damsel herself was as indifferent to the galaxy of stars in the court firmament as if they had been so many farthing rush- lights in her papa's shop. All her pretty coquetries, her winning glances, and gracious smiles for which counts and counsellors looked and sighed in vain were lavished, unasked for and by the dozen, on the honor- ary junior Referendary of the Electoral Chamber. This ought to have been consolation enough ; but, when two more years had passed over his head, without bringing any alteration in his prospects, Casimir's brow began to cloud sometimes, and other sighs than those of love to steal from his bosom. Old Romanus was as immovable as a rock to lovers' entreaties, and the minister seemed to have forgotten him altogether. Morn was an admirable laborer in the official vineyard, a man of the strictest honor, of the clearest head these were facts that no one ventured to gainsay and yet, when a place became vacant, no one thought any more of the untainted honor, the clear head, and gratuitous labors of the unpaid Referendary, Casimir Morn, than if there had been no such merits in existence, or -no need of them in the electoral city of - . People had their sons, or their nephews, or their cousins thirty times removed, to provide for ; young men, who had neither served half so long nor deserved half so well, were continually put over his head ; and if he made any complaint, he was answered by a silent shrug, or a head-shaking at the nepotism of some brother official, or grave exclamations at the ingratitude of great men, sweetened, perhaps, by a vague assurance that although the omission of his name had been unavoidable this time, another he might de- pend, &c. &c. No sooner, however, was the complainant's back turned than the complainee was amazed at the assurance with which such claims were advanced, as if Mr. Casimir Morn really looked on himself as their equal, as if his pretensions admitted of any comparison with those of Von this, and Von the other ! If people of that class were wanted they would be called for, and so forth. With all his clear- headedness, Morn was of those thoroughly good-hearted people who forgive as easily as they are injured. In the blind-man's buff game of fortune, somehow they are always buff are paid for real hard service by a friendly pressure of the hand or a cordial word and run through fire and water for their friends, to get nothing but the singeing and sousing for their pains. They cannot comprehend such a thing as smiling treachery ; and the astonishing readiness with which some will be guilty of the basest compliances, for the meanest 16 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. objects, is absolutely incredible to them. Morn looked willingly on the bright side of human life, and would gladly have ignored the existence of the shadow altogether. The belief in the moral purity of his fellow-men was a positive necessity for him. He bore his lot, therefore, with patience, if not with pleasure at least so he said to himself, " his merit was acknowledged and loved." That it should be so often and so oddly passed over in the distribution of the loaves and fishes of office, did certainly appear to him unjust ; . yet in his own heart he doubted whether, after all, the fault might not be his own. He thought his services ought to speak for him instead of his lips; he was not fond of showing himself in a great man's antechamber, which, indeed, he seldom or never entered, unless business called him there ; courteous and obliging by nature and habit, he was yet more frank in the exposition of his opinions than beseemed an expectant ; and, more than all, he had an honor- able reserve in speaking of his circumstances ; and if he allowed his acquaintance to think him, or to pretend they thought him, much richer *han he was, the weakness had its origin in a pardonable if not a praiseworthy motive. Perhaps others were esteemed more in need of advancement than himself, and therefore he was passed over. Poor Morn ! He still lived opposite Komanus' house, and the blue heaven of. Caroline's eyes still rained on him light and life. One morning in March it was his birthday and she made her appearance early at the window, wearing in her bosom the nosegay of snow-drops, of which she made a yearly imaginary offering to her lover. To-day you are eight-and-twenty, and I twenty, she telegraphed the pretty fingers lingered in tracing the last word. Twenty is not a desperate age, certainly ; but yet, when a girl has not only made up her mind for the last four years to be married, but actually fixed on the man, to turn her back upon the " teens " is a step in a maiden's life, particularly when we consider that another twenty might pasa before Kramer Romanus would alter his mind. In the mean time, Caroline's beauty was at its height ; by a necessary deduction, the next step must be downward ; and " I am growing an old bachelor," sighed Casimir. He turned from the window, and sat down on the sofa with his back to the light. BETTER PROSPECTS. Some one knocked at the door. It was a servant of Privy Counsellor Count 'Von Bitterblolt. &c. &c. &c., who brought a gracious intimation that his lord wished to say a few words in private to Referendary Casimir Morn. " A few words in private " frosi THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 17 Count Von Bitterblolt, the confidential minister of his Highness the Elector, was no small honor. Casimir flew to him on the wings of curiosity and expectation. He was received by the favorite with extraordinary graciousness. The Count had the gift of appearing excessively amiable and condescending towards his inferiors when he wanted to gain a point by them, and as outrageously insolent and arrogant when his point was gained ; he not only, like another great man, his countryman, threw away the peel when he had sucked the oraDge, but kicked it into the gutter. " It is his Highness' wish, my dear young friend," began Count Von Bitterblolt, " that his newly-acquired territory should as much as possible be principally assimilated to the old. In pursuance of this object, there must be a new survey made of the domain, with all its regalities, rights and privileges, and a certain conformity of administration introduced, and projects for a new system of taxation, suitable to the nature of the acquired lands, and the exigencies of the State, be drawn up. His Highness has already appointed an extraordinary commission. The affair, my dear" Mr. Morn, is a del- icate and a difficult one. The two Chamber Counsellors at the head of it are men advanced in life. They will never bring the business to an end. I have said as much to his Highness. But they are old and faithful servants to the State, and cannot be passed over ; though, between ourselves, my dear young friend," in a charming tone of confidence added the Count, " two more unfit men could scarcely be found. To give perhaps a little more vivacity to their proceedings, it has also pleased his Highness to join my son to the commission, though, I give you my honor, I really opposed the appointment. I thought it my duty to do so. But princes, you know, my dear sir, do not love contradiction, and our excellent Elector is no exception. Unfortunately, my son's health is exceed- ingly delicate. I foresee the business will be horribly spun out, and that must not be. I have* therefore, thought of associating you, my dear Referendary, as secretary to the commission. Your expenses, of course, will be paid ; and if my son, with your assistance, accom- plishes his task, as I have no doubt he will, to the satisfaction of his Highness, it will create a most admirable opportunity for bringing your uncommon merit to the observation of his Highness. I have already proposed to myself the pleasure of conferring on you the first vacant office in the newly-acquired domain." Morn, as may well be supposed, readily closed with the offer, the motives of which he perceived easily enough. The two elderly gentlemen were a couple of superannuated old blockheads, only thrust in to give a color to the appointment of the young Von 2 18 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. JBitterblolt, a raw- youth not long from the University, totally igno- rant of that or any other business. From these premises might be deducted the very obvious conclusion, that the whole weight of the employment must fall on the shoulders of Mr. Secretary Morn. No matter, he was not afraid of labor ; no doubt the minister must feel the weight of his services, and would reward them accordingly ! The exceeding liberality of the Count, in paying his expenses, was not at present a matter of indifference to him. As he had served the State for four years without fee or reward, the interest of his little capital had been insufficient even for his moderate expenses. Every year saw consequently a portion of the capital itself sunk, which again diminished the interest, which tended further to the impoverishment of Mr. Casimir Morn. He took a tender leave of his Caroline, and left , with the noble commissioners, full of the most animating hopes. It will be taken for granted that he had previously arranged a plan of corre- spondence with his beloved ; and even this was not so simple a matter as it may at first appear, since the cunning old millionaire, by way of teaching his daughter the right value of money, had hit upon the admirable plan of never giving her a farthing ; consequently, the cost of the correspondence fell wholly upon Morn. Casimir's life in the capital of the new province was pretty much what it had been at the Electoral. He labored hard in his vocation, made few ac- quaintances, that he might avoid useless expense, refreshed himself by a walk in the evening, and finished the day by reading a letter from or writing one to his second self. An accidental circumstance procured him another amusement shortly after. The rooms next to his in the hotel where he had taken up his abode were occupied by a foreigner, whom he usually encountered at the table d'hote where he never spoke ; and, after retiring for the night, Casimir used to hear him walking up and down his bed-chamber for hours together. The stranger was a pale, elegant young man, apparently about Morn's own age, was attended by two servants, and had lived nearly three weeks in the town, where,* however, he seemed neither to know nor wish to know a single individual. He bore the name of Devereux an English- man, therefore, Morn concluded ; and, one day, addressing him in his native language, partly out of a good desire to enliven the melancholy looking stranger, and partly because he was glad of an opportunity to practise his English. The Briton looked at him with surprise and some appearance of pleasure, and answered courteously but briefly, and then fell back into his former silence. During the dinner, Casimir observed the THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 19 stranger casting penetrating glances towards him, and, when it was over, he came suddenly up to him, saying, " Will you allow me to speak with you a moment alone ? " * Casimir took him immediately into his own room. " I am about to make a very odd request to a stranger," began the Englishman, abruptly ; " but it will not be mended *by circum- locution. A letter of credit I expected to find here has been de- layed by some strange accident. I have a pressing necessity to set out immediately for Amsterdam, and I am without money. Can you, or will you, lend me a hundred louis d'ors ? On my arrival at Amsterdam, you shall receive it again directly, with what interest you please." Casimir was taken somewhat by surprise. He expressed none, however ; but, after a short pause, said, " I have not so much about me ; but I could procure it within fourteen days." " You will oblige me more than I can express ; you save me from a most unpleasant embarrassment," returned the Englishman, whcr shook Morn heartily by the hand, and left him. The whole affair had scarcely occupied five minutes. -When he was alone, Casimir began to feel he had been a little over-hasty in his promise. A hundred louis d'ors were neither more nor less than the fourth part of his whole property. He shook his head. The Englishman's face announced honesty ; he looked like anything but an adventurer ; still, a hundred louis were the fourth part of his capital, and to put it at once in the power of a total stranger, on the strength of a pleasing countenance, was rather a thoughtless proceeding. " Well," was the conclusion of Morn's soliloquy, " well, my opinion is that he will not deceive me ; and if he should ? well, it will be the first time in my life, and the last." Apparently this was not the only grief the stranger had on his mind ; for, notwithstanding the promised assistance, Morn heard him at night again pacing his chamber in the same unquiet manner, and uttering heavy sighs, almost groans. " The man is very unhappy ; he must be worse off than I am," thought Morn. " A mere money embarrassment can never cause such heavy sorrow. He shall have the louis, however." The next day Devereux appeared at table as usual, his counte- nance overshadowed with a yet deeper melancholy, and he was silent as before. Morn, who felt unaccountably attached to him endeav- ored, by everything in his power, to enliven him. When he could be induced to talk, Devereux seemed quite a different person his features brightened, his whole deportment became attractive in no common degree. The two young men went out after dinner to walk 20 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. together, and Morn was still more charmed with his new acquaint- ance. Devereux was more than an agreeable companion ; his men- tal powers, considerable in themselves, had received every advantage from cultivation. The stores of ancient and modern literature were* familiar to both, and formed, with the fate and laws of nations, their chief topics of discourse. When Casimir had finished his day's task, Devereux came constantly to his room, and remained, till deep of the night, in conversation with him. Of the promised loan not a syllable was said on either side. Morn spoke openly of himself on his past and present hopes and prospects. His companion was less communicative ; but he learnt so much, in return, that Devereux had left his native land in consequence of a tragical occurrence, deeply affecting his future life, and was travelling in the hope of dissipating a heavy sorrow ! The intercourse of the two young men taught Morn, for the first time, the value of a friend. His letters to the fair Romanus were "almost as full of praises of his Devereux as of love for herself. His pretty mistress was half jealous of the agreeable stranger. In the mean- time, Morn's louis d'ors came to hand, and were immediately carried by him into Derereux's room. The latter gave him, in re- turn, a written acknowledgment of the obligation, and the address of his family in England. " If I die before I can repay you," said he, " that is, within a few weeks, forward the paper, with this letter, directly." He put a sealed letter in Morn's hands as he spake, and then turned the conversation to some indifferent subject. They parted shortly after, almost in silence, with a fervent pressure of the hand, carrying with them remembrances and feelings beneficial alike to both. THE ELECTORAL BIRTH-DAY. THE loss of Devereux's society was more felt by Morn than he thought possible after so short an acquaintance. He had parted with a companion whom he really loved a friend, whose views and sentiments harmonized so admirably with his own, that in losing him he seemed to lose the better half of himself. His official labors became more than ever a necessity to him ; they served to divert and calm his thoughts. Devereux and Caroline filled his heart entirely. " I am really a most fortunate man," cried he, in his THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 21 enthusiasm of love and friendship. " I love, and am loved by, two of the noblest beings in the world." After the lapse of seven busy months, the. report of Cabinet and Privy Counsellor, Von Bitterblolt, was ended, and the Commission- ers returned to the electoral residence. His Highness, the Elector, was so well content with the work that he bestowed Heaven knows what order on the young Count Heinrich Von Bitterblolt, and made an addition to the pension of the two reverend seniors who had served as ballast to the official vessel. Secretary Morn was the only person forgotten ; he had done nothing for a recompense, but deserved it. The Counts of Bitterblolt, indeed, father and son, were profuse in expressions of gratitude, and, to prove it, invited, him to dinner. Fraulein Von Bitterblolt also found the Secretary exceedingly agreeable ; if he had been of noble, instead of plebeian origin, he might, perhaps, have found the daughter more grateful than the father. So soon, however, as the Cabinet Counsellor re- marked the interest the young lady took in the handsome Secretary, he held it advisable to invite him seldomer, and gradually not at all. Morn found it necessary to put the minister modestly in mind of his promise of an appointment in the newly acquired province ; where- upon his Excellency clapped him on the shoulder in the most friendly manner in the world, and assured him he would take care of him. " I have spoken of your talents and services more than once to his Highness," said he. "Wait till the birthday, when the greatest number of advancements are made ; I make no doubt your name will stand first on the list." How could Morn feel less than satisfied ? He looked upon his patent as good as made out, particularly when the minister proceeded to ask him what kind of place would be most agreeable to him. He thought of Caroline, and replied with great frankness that he would certainly prefer remaining in the residence. " It shall be thought farther of," -said his Excellency. " I should gladly have seen a man like you, my dear Mr. Morn, in one of the first posts in the new province ; but, if you prefer remaining with us, I am afraid it will, be rather more difficult to provide for you suitably in the capi- tal. However, we shall see. The old Chamber Counsellor, Bal- der, might, indeed, be pensioned off. Would that suit you ? " " I would not wish for more," returned Morn, his face glowing with pleasure. " Excellent," said the minister, and dismissed him with the best grace in the world. Gilded by such hopes, the winter glided away Caroline was as 22 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. faithful and fair as ever ; and if ever mistrust found entrance in Casimir's heart, a look or smile from the opposite window made 4 it summer again. At length came March, the long-looked-for month thai had given his Highness, the Elector, to an admiring world. The list of promotions was published ; patents for new appointments made out ; the streets were full of people riding and driving about to congratulate or be congratulated. Morn made a point of remain- ing at home, that he might not miss the messenger from the Elec- toral Chancery. The customary "compliment''' for the bearer of the princely graces lay wrapt in paper ready on the table. Noon, evening ; still no messenger. His servant was despatched to the court printer for the list no such name as Morn was to be found, and no messenger came to correct an error of the press. Dinners and balls in honor of the day were given in all parts of the city ; the streets were gay with lights and music ; nobody troubled them- selves about poor Morn and frustrated hopes. He sat down in the pouting corner of his sofa, and groaned from the bottom of his heart. Morn had not passed a more unhappy night since his father's death. Six long years had he served the State faithfully and diligently, fed only on the thinnest of all diets, hope ; through his silent help, others, with not half his talents or acquirements, had gained credit and substantial reward ; young Von Bitterblolt had been made Chamber President for the very service Morn had per- formed. He saw that his industry, his talents, his knowledge, availed him nothing. Men who were not only ignorant and incapa- ble, but known to be so, passed him everywhere in the race, if they had " connections," or had found some surer way of recommending themselves than by merit and service. To Caroline's hand he must renounce all pretension. By the perversest of all destinies, her constancy and unswerving faith but added to his sorrow. His social creed had received a cruel shock. The egotism of the greater part of mankind, the want of integrity in their relations with each other, appeared in their full hatefulness. The recollection of all the promises made but to be broken, the hol- low professions, the false smiles, all the spoken and acted lies of the last six years, made him sick at heart. All that he had hitherto labored to excuse in others their prejudice, their rapacity, their paltry pride, their envy, their shameful blackening all better and purer than themselves, now shone out in all their native ugliness. He could no longer deceive himself ; the greater part of the employes of looked on their offices and emoluments but as the means of indulging their arrogance, their ambition, and animal excesses. THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 23 With respect to his plans for the future, all was uncertainty. Even had he been so inclined, it was no longer in his power, with his diminished resources, to labor gratuitously in his present em- ployment ; and it was repugnant to him to seek any other in this city. He longed to flee far away, to seek some distant village, where none knew him, and earn a living by the labor of his hands. It was sweet to dream of shunning all mankind as long as life should last, and think only of Devereux and Caroline, as of two noble spirits among thousands of miserable creatures, all so many willing sacrifices to the meanest passions. According to the custom of the place, and the people amongst whom he had lived, Morn ought to have put a good, or at least a smiling, face, upon his disappointment, congratulated others on their better fortune, and tried to knit up again the ravelled skein of his claims and expectations ; instead of this, he wrote a laconic note to the head of his department to signify his renunciation of the office he held in the service of his Highness, the Elector of , endorsed all the documents relating to it in his possession, and then went to bed and slept soundly. The next morning, the servant of the house .brought him two notes and a bouquet of snow-drops. He now recollected that it was his birth-day, and breathed a heavy sigh. One of the notes was from Caroline, the other from President Van Bitterblolt. Morn knew the handwriting of both. " First for the bitters," said he, and opened the President's billet. Almost unconsciously to himself, a secret hope had found a corner of his breast to nestle in, that his loss would be regretted, that he would be entreated to do nothing hastily, that he would try to retain him by giving new and surer expectations ; he had half forgiven him already. Nothing of the sort. His Excellency the President " regretted, in courteous terms, that Mr. Morn had taken such a resolution, acknowledged the receipt of the documents, and remained his humble servant." " So that is the reward of six years' gratuitous service," said he, bitterly, and he flung the President's official verbiage aside. Caroline's note accompanying the bouquet was kind as ever, but there was a tone of sadness in it. The same topic of consolation had been so often repeated ! He went to the window, Caroline was already at hers : Casimir pressed the flowers to his lips and his heart, and retreated to his musing corner again. The city he must and would leave, and try his fortune elsewhere. Many were the projects he revolved in his mind. His only. grief would be the parting from the angel of his childhood the tenderly-beloved Caroline. He was still engaged in a long and most touching conversation with her in imagination, when a loud knock at his door, and the voices of THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. several persons without, aroused him from his reverie. The door opened, and four men stumbled in, bearing between them two large and apparently very heavy chests. To the question of where were they to put down their burden, Morn answered by another where did they get it from ? It belonged to the gentleman who had just come post to . Morn's first thought was of Devereux ; and Devereux himself it was who entered in his travelling dress, just as the porters left the room. " I have been long enough away to learn your full value," was Devereux's exclamation, when the -first greetings were over ; " let me take up my abode with you at once ; you will find room for a friend." Devereux's sudden appearance was balm to the wounded heart of Casimy- ; joy almost deprived him of speech. " I have but this room and a bed-room," said he; "if you can find accommodation on so small a scale, I shall be but too happy to share them with you." " But how is it you confine yourself within such narrow limits ? " asked the Englishman, greatly astonished. " They are quite as extensive as my means permit," answered Morn, smiling. " But I have been greatly deceived. I thought you must be rich, as you parted so readily with a hundred louis d'ors." " A friendly heart is always rich to a friend. It was a fourth of my whole property. If you had asked for more you should have had it. You wanted it." Devereux looked at him for some time in silence, and then, ad- vancing, grasped his hand with an earnest cordiality more expres- sive than words. " My servants I will despatch to the next house," said he, " but I remain with you in any corner you can spare. Had I been aware how you were situated, I should not have come upon you so suddenly." The matter was soon arranged, a bed prepared by the side of Morn's, and a supper bespoken from the next tavern. Before the night was passed, the hearts of both were freely poured out to each other. Devereux related his own history. He had been passion- ately in love with a young lady, who returned his love, but whose family, from some causes too long to explain here, were on the worst terms with his own. A mutual friend of the families, Devereux's oldest and best-loved companion, had offered his mediation ; and Devereux himself, in the unsuspicious confidence of friendship, had done everything in his power to facilitate his meetings with his mistress. The lady's charms had proved too powerful for the friend's faith; he sought her for himself, and won so far upon her THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 25 relations, that the unhappy girl had only escaped their persecutions by her sudden death. Whisper of suicide got about. The betrayed and wretched lover forced his treacherous friend into a duel ; they fought at Calais, where Devereux had been left for dead upon the field. Many months elapsed before his outward wounds were healed ; those of the mind were incurable. His physicians had recommend- ed travelling ; all places had become alike to him ; and, unable to find rest in any, he had wandered almost all over Europe, when an accidental delay in his remittances had detained him in the town where he had encountered Morn. It was now Casimir's turn to relate what had befallen him since their meeting, and he had now, at least, the satisfaction of detailing his wrongs to a sympathizing ear. " You have been deceived only by the common herd of egotists, the rabble of humanity, but I by the friend of my infancy. Your beloved yet lives, and lives for you, the silent grave hides mine ; you may find a remedy, I never can. You would gladly renounce the world, you say, do so, but let me share your solitude. But, I repeat, your case admits of remedy." "Remedy, what remedy?" echoed Morn. "Good Heaven, my dear Devereux, how little you know of people in this country ! " " The people in this country are very like the people in every other country," replied Devereux. " I can put it in your power to take a revenge worthy of them at least," added he, after a pause, and with a bitter smile. "How so?" " Only give me your word to throw no obstacle in my way, and I will bring the whole pack on all fours in a very short time. The old miser shall give you his daughter, the minister shall offer you all the ribbons and trumpery in his gift, and that without witchcraft. Fair and virtuous maidens may be won by other qualifications than beauty or honesty ; honors and dignities are not always, or often, the reward of talents, or knowledge, or industry." " But explain yourself a little, what is it you propose to do ? " " 0, the means will be very simple. Come, your word that you will not thwart me in my project of making fools of the dignitaries in this good and electoral city. I will use no dishonest means." "Well, be it as you will; I have little reason to spare them, Heaven knows ! What is your plan of operations ? " " I must first know my men. Let me become acquainted with the field before I show my line of battle. As a preliminary, how- ever, you will do me the favor to make use of my new carriage , I shall put another pair of horses to it to-morrow ; you must drive 26 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. about, while I keep in the back-ground, and draw the public atten- tion on you as much as possible. As to your lovely neighbor, give her to understand that you have had a large sum bequeathed you in England." Morn shook his head, not altogether pleased, and yet unable to restrain his laughter. He had given his word to humor Devereux's whim, and as to the sentence of the " Residence," when the hoax should be known, he troubled himself little about that. Whatever were the results, he had made up his mind to leave the dominions of his Highness the Elector. Perhaps the punch, which had served as a supplement to their repast, might have had something to do both with the proposal and its acceptance. THE EQUIPAGE. On the following morning Devereux was early up and dressed. Morn would fain have obtained some further explanation of his strange freak, but Devereux was immovable, vanished, he knew not whither, shortly after, and appeared no more for the greater part of the day. Instead of Devereux, came his German servant, Felix, to present himself to his new mastor, and set forth his new qualifications. " Do not forget the principles, faith and honesty," said Morn, when he had listened to the enunciation of his valet's capabilities. " Honesty, I can promise you, sir," was the answer, " and fidel- ity you will inspire me with." The answer pleased, and Felix was installed with Morn under the same conditions as those agreed upon with Devereux. Towards noon Count Von Kreb's name was announced. The young courtier advanced to Morn with open arms. " My dear fel- low, how are you ? It is a whole century since we met. First let me congratulate you on your acquisition, though it is my own loss. Ah! my two glorious bays. But your homme d'affaires is a clever fellow, up to every point about a horse ; you have a glori- ous purchase. Upon my soul, I loved these two creatures as my heart's blood ; if I had not outrun my income confoundedly of late the Elector himself should not have had them for his whole stud." " Have you been paid, my lord count," stammered Morn, his face flushing scarlet, " or must I " "All right, my dear friend, not a word of that," cried the Count ; "I came with a very different purpose. Baron Van "Wolpern would insist upon my recommending his place, Dreileben, to you, as your agent there says you are on the look-out for an investment ; but, on my honor, though I could not refuse one friend, it goes THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 27 against my conscience to palm off such a desert on another. It will not bring one-and-a-half per cent., and he asks a hundred and fifty thousand gilders for it. Do you know the place at all ? " " No," said Morn, curious to hear what would come next. " I entreat you, then, by all that is sacred, to go and look at the wilderness ; not a hamlet to be seen for some miles round, nothing under your windows in front but the Rhine, nothing behind but mountain and forest. One look will be enough to frighten you off the bargain, unless you have a mind to send a bullet through your head from sheer ennui, before you have lived there a month ; then, indeed, you could not do better than buy Dreileben. Now, with the property Dame Fortune has flung in your lap, you are entitled to look for something better. There is my estate, for instance, a real principality you must admit, a splendid locale, in the midst of corn-fields, a soil like a garden, right of forest, vineyards, mead- ows, territorial jurisdiction, and you shall have it for a hundred and ninety thousand, cash down. Just reflect a little, and only three quarters of an hour's drive from the residence. Heavens, what sums it has cost me in improvements ! I have an account here, ah, no, confound it, I have the worst memory, I must have left it in my desk ; but, my dear fellow, why not come and see for yourself? come, give me your promise, name your time." Much in the same style did the noble Count run on for some time longer. Morn perceived that Devereux had really commenced operations, as he said. He promised gravely to come and look at the estate at his earliest convenience, and Count Krebs took leave with the most lavish assurances of regard. At dinner time, Dev- ereux made his appearance, evidently extremely diverted with the farce he was acting. Morn, on the contrary, was more depressed. " You will make mankind yet more contemptible in my eyes," said he. " Not a week ago, this very Count Krebs held me unworthy of a look. I was never more surprised than when I saw him enter my room." " If men seem more contemptible to you, my friend," answered Devereux, " the fault is theirs, not mine. The witty Count was pointed out to me, by the master of the hotel where I sent my ser- vants, as having horses which he was desirous of parting with, and the animals are really worth what I gave for them. When the hotel-keeper heard that they were for you, and that you had become a rich man, he praised you up to the skies. When I inquired about an estate, a broker made his bow in less than a quarter of an hour, and offered me ten, at least, every one being, as he swore, a perfect paradise. Count Krebs swore, by all his gods, that you were 28 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. neither more nor less than a saint ; that you deserved, years ago, to be made Prime Minister ; that things would have looked very dif- ferent in the Electorate, and nobody knows what besides. It is long since I have been so much amused. ' Come, my friend, cheer up, and play out the play. . We must make all the puppets dance to the same tune." In due time, Devereux's splendid new equipage drove up to the door, with Felix behind, in a rich livery. Count Kreb's horsea really merited his eulogium ; they were superb animals. The whole street was in commotion, almost every inhabitant loitering about the causeway, or standing at their windows, to discover the owner of so magnificent a " turn-out." But, when Morn appeared, and was assisted in by his gayly-attired servant, there was no end of the conjectures and inquiries. It will be easily supposed that the fair Caroline was neither the least anxious nor the least interested. " I 'd give these six kreutzers, ay, that I would, the whole six, to know whom that carriage belongs to," said old Komanus, jing- ling in his hand the kreutzers he had just received for a red her- ring. " That is easily learnt," replied his daughter. " Frau Weber (Morn's landlady) must know." " To be sure, she must, my child," said the old gentleman, button- ing up his coin in a great hurry, as if he feared to be taken at his word ; " and I '11 go and ask her, that costs nothing." " O, my heavens, who should it belong to but to the Referen- dary ! Have n't you heard of his extraordinary good luck, then ? Well, I don't begrudge it him, for he is really an angel of a man, and has just got a whole wagonful of gold from England. They say he 's now the richest man in the dominions of our gracious Elector. His servant told me so himself, and he had it from the English mer- chant who is stopping in the house." The old miser stared with leaden eye and open mouth, as if sud- denly afflicted with lockjaw, and, without another word, went home again, and sat himself down in silence in the grimy leather-bottomed chair in the back of his shop. Caroline came dancing down to hear the news. For a long time her father gave her no answer. He had made it a law to himself never to mention Morn's name. "0, Lord! " groaned he at last, " to think of such a piece of luck befalling a paltry, lounging, good-for-nothing son of a good-for-noth- ing father, who has cheated me out of my whole property ; while a poor old honest man like me must toil and moil night and day to scrape a fe\v pence together. Is that justice, is that the reward of honesty ?" and he looked ready to cry. THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 29 " But who knows whether it 's true or no ? " said the worthy elder, brightening with the thought. " Wagon full of money ? pooh ! from England ? pooh ! by a lucky speculation ? pooh, pooh, pooh ! I was not born yesterday, Frau "Weber." And Herr Romanus plucked off his queer-looking little jasey, twirled it about, as in great mental agitation he was wont, and rubbed his hands together till the dry, withered members threatened to ignite. Many were the conjectures and remarks to which Morn's gay equipage gave rise that day. It had even excited the notice of the Elector, as Morn drove past the palace. On the two succeeding days the " excitement " increased. Devereux had given out that his friend had gained a considerable sum in England ; and when he began to inquire about an estate, the word considerable acquired a more " considerable " meaning. Count Krebs, who always dealt in superlatives, swore, by all the saints in the calendar, that Morn was become the richest individual in that part of Germany; he played with his hundred thousands ; he must own whole provinces in the East and West Indies, &c., &c. There is nothing to which people like better to give credit than to the incredible. It is no uncommon thing to see an upright, simple-minded man held very cheap ; but to take a fool or a lunatic for a saint is the easiest thing in the world. People can find absurdity in the wisest man, with all the facility imaginable ; but let a Cagliostro undertake to work a mira- cle, and he is run after by high and low. If it had been said, Morn had got a hundred thousand guilders, people would have doubted, but millions, that produced conviction at once. " It is intelligible enough now why Morn gave up his place as Referendary," said the President Yon Bitterblolt, to his father, the Privy Counsellor. " I thought at first that he had taken offence at the omission of his name among the promotions." " In fact, it is awkward enough that he was passed over," re- turned the Privy Counsellor ; " but who can always tell how things may turn out ? We might have made room for him well enough. There 's your sister, too. I really think the girl has taken a fancy to him, and, as the matter now stands, she could hardly do better for herself." " Nor for any of us, papa. Could not we find some excuse for the past?" The father and the son laid their heads together. The Privy Counsellor took the first opportunity of praising the rare talents and services of the ex-Referendary to his Highness the Elector. Such a man must, by all means, remain in the service of the state, particularly as Morn had lately gained a large fortune by some for- 30 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. tunate speculations in England. It would be a shame if so much wealth should be squandered out of the country, &c., &c. " Hum," said the Elector, " I was wondering what made you all so suddenly zealous in Morn's favor. The Finance Minister, Babe, was quite eloquent in his praise but a little while ago." This speech went like an arrow to the Privy Counsellor's heart ; for the Baron Yon Rabe had also a daughter to marry, and he, too, wanted money. " Rabe ever maintained," continued his Highness, " that Morn, as secretary to the commission of survey in the new territory, had done the whole work, while others pocketed the reward and the credit." The Privy Counsellor smiled with affected indifference, while turning sick with fear and rage ; and swore, in his heart of hearts, war to the knife to the Finance Minister, Von Rabe. Morn, in the mean time, had received an invitation to pay the Finance Minis- ter a visit. " I am delighted, my dear sir, that my heartfelt wishes for your advantage seem likely at last to be fulfilled," said the minister, with his most gracious smile. " There was a strong opposition some- where. I was never more surprised than when I heard you had been so unaccountably passed over. I felt it my duty to make a representation on the subject to his Highness the Elector himself; in fact, I told him frankly that the post of President of the Cham- ber, which Yon Bitterblolt contrived to appropriate to himself, was yours by every rule of justice. In consequence of my remon- strance, his Highness has been graciously pleased to fix you in my department, and I have now the honor to present Privy Finance Counsellor Morn with the diploma of his appointment." Morn laid the diploma on a table near him without opening it ; thanked the minister for his condescension ; with a smile, that was bitter in spite of himself, begged leave respectfully to decline all and every appointment of the kind. He was scarcely at home again before the carriage of Count Yon Bitterblolt stopped at his door. " You see I have come in search of you myself at last," said the Count, bestowing a paternal embrace on Casimir. " Where have you hidden yourself this century ? We must not forget each other in this way. Yon Rabe has played me a shameful trick in getting you appointed in his department instead of mine. I shall never forgive him for it. Apropos, my daughter will never forgive me, if I forget her message. She gives a ball on Wednesday, and oharged me to give you a special invitation. You will not fail her, THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. I hope ; ladies, you know, will not hear of disappointments on these occasions." Countess Ida Yon Bitterblolt met with one this time, however. Casimir Morn met the Privy Counsellor's superabundant courtesies with cold politeness ; and his Excellency was beaten out of the field for the present, though not absolutely deprived of hope for the future. Morn's misanthropy was on the increase : he despised alike their present flattery and their former scorn ; of the two, the flattery was the more offensive, and the more his would-be friends endeav- ored to exalt him, the more deeply humiliated he felt. He longed for nothing so much as for solitude, that he might escape the sight and hearing of their sickening baseness. " The miserable wretches ! " he exclaimed, " do they take me for one of themselves ? My six years' service availed me nothing, but the mere report of wealth brings them about me like crows scenting at a carrion. I might be a fool a villain no matter, I am supposed to be a millionaire, and there is not a quality of heart or mind which they are not willing to give me credit for. The comedy is too disgusting, Devereux." " It is capital sport," replied Devereux. " But the master stroke is still to be played. The conquest of the fair E-omanus is yet to be achieved." THE VICTORY* THE conquest was already half made before the friends began the attack. Old Romanus, who had hitherto made it a rule to avoid all mention of Morn's name, had it now on his own lips from morn- ing till night. There could be no doubt of the million any longer ; the whole city rung with the news he had refused an appoint- ment in the Ministry, and the Minister of Finance, Von Rabe, and his Excellency Count Von Bitterblolt, were ready politely to cut each other's throats, to obtain Casimir Morn for a son-in-law. " They say he will choose Countess Ida," said Caroline, slyly affecting an air of dejection, and glancing her bright blue eyes on her father. The old gentleman made no answer, but nodded his head with a cunning look, and reckoned some imaginary sum with his fingers. "Pah, pah, all stuff nonsense what has she got, I ask; what has she got ? Nothing ! a ruined family, root and branch ! How that pleases me in the lad Morn ! he has got his money by honest 32 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. trade ; but his father was a rogue, an arrant rogue, and has made me as poor as Job, my girl. I shall never get a penny of all he owed me." There was a knock at the door, and the well-known stranger, the Englishman Devereux, entered. Caroline blushed like a carnation, and Herr Romanus opened his eyes and mouth. " I have a little business to transact with you, Herr Romanus, if you have no objection," said the stranger, with a courteous bow. " You might find it highly advantageous." "Business; lam at your lordship's service. Do me the great honor to sit down." " Mr. Casimir Morn, whose affairs in England I have had the honor of managing, wishing to retire from business, as he finds his income amply sufficient, (' So, so, so,' muttered Romanus,) has been to view the estate of Dreileben, which is understood to be for sale ; he seems inclined to purchase it." " How, he indeed ! Dreileben ! but why Dreileben ? it 's a large purchase, ticklish speculation, very: they will ask a con- founded price, eh ? " " Mr. Morn has taken a fancy to it, and the name pleases him. He has often said it would be a Paradise for two, or perhaps three friends, who would desire to pass their lives together. By the three he means himself, his future wife, and one esteemed friend, under which appellation he is good enough to understand me." Caroline's blood mounted to her temples; what could be the matter with her ? " But you are perfectly right about the price, Mr. Romanus. Baron Yon Wolpern demands no less a sum than a hundred and fifty thousand guilders: or, ready money, a hundred and thirty thousand, Mr. Morn will pay ready money, but," " Ready money, a hundred and thirty thousand ! so, so ! an ex- cellent young an excellent young man." " Still the price seems enormous. He wishes that the bargain should be concluded by some one who understands the business better than he does. He would be willing to reward the trouble of any person inclined to act as his agent in this matter, by a gratifica- tion of a hundred guilders for every thousand abated in the pur- chase-money. Now, he maintains that there is not a man in the city so well qualified to transact business of this nature as Mr. Romanus." " Your humble servant," said the old man, glancing suspiciously at his visitor. He could not understand any one giving away even THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 33 civility for nothing. " Now, if you would have the goodness to take this commission on yourself." " Hundred for every thousand : I am at your lordship's com- mand." " It is a matter of extreme vexation to Mr. Morn that he has not been on such good terms with you of late years as formerly." "Trifles, tut mere trifles, mere trifles." " He told me, that at first it was his intention to have put his little capital in your hands instead of employing it in England ; and, indeed, after that, he would have proposed a speculation in the English funds, but your coolness towards him " " Trifles, I tell you, thunder and lightning ! mere trifles ; and how should I know what he meant ?" said the old man, half crying. " Why was he so hard-hearted to a poor man like me, as not to say a word about it when he was rolling in gold ? " " But to return to this affair of Dreileben ; are you inclined to undertake it ? " Romanus walked up and down the room, with his hands behind him, muttering and grumbling to himself for some minutes. " I '11 do it," said he, at length ; " the profit is small, very small, but times are bad, very bad ; an honest tradesman must not let anything slip through his fingers." In eight days the purchase was completed. Herr Romanus made a snug little profit of a thousand guilders, and went quite cheerfully to Casimir to announce the conclusion of the business, and congratu- late him on his acquisition. "And we may be good friends again, my worthy Mr. Casimir," said the old man with a smile, yet somewhat embarrassed. " I desire nothing more earnestly, Mr. Romanus," said Casimir, warmly. " Grant me but one favor make me and your daughter happy at once." " It can't be, Mr. Morn. Have n't I told you, over and over again, that the money I lost through your father has made me as poor as a church-mouse ? " " Not so very poor, I should hope," said Morn, smiling. " A beggar, sir ; I tell you, a downright beggar. Ah, worthy Mr. Casimir, you are a rich man now, and you are an honorable man ; you won't let a poor old man like me suffer ; you '11 make up my loss to me ! " " Well, and if I do then ? " "Then I '11 thank you on my knees." " But, your daughter ? " " And the interest for seven years." 3 34 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. "Well, and the interest then ? " " Then the whole city will say, what a worthy, honest, excellent, upright man you are." " But Caroline ? " " And you must not forget that I gave your father the eight thousand dollars in gold. Oh, Mr. Casimir, louis d'ors and Caro- lines, all gold, all full weight. If you had seen them. Heaven forgive me my sins ! I would not swear, Mr. Casimir, but it makes my old eyes run over to think of it ! " "But if I give you fifteen hundred Carolines for one Caroline ? For your daughter Caroline ? " " I beg your pardon, but, with the interest, it would be above two thousand ! " " And if I did not hesitate to give you the two thousand, as soon as your daughter " "You are jesting with me, Mr. Morn. You see what little I have I want myself. I have been obliged to run in debt. Your father's bankruptcy was the ruin of me. I can give the girl noth- ing but what she carries on her back." "Be it so, I will take her on your own terms." "Why, then I I must ask the girl herself." Herr Romanus betook himself to his daughter. Morn was ready to dance for joy. He flew like one beside himself to Devereux, to relate his success, and ask his sympathy, and Devereux gave it heartily. Within eight days the marriage contract was drawn out and signed, and the lovely Caroline Romanus became a yet lovelier Caroline Morn. Till Dreileben was ready for their reception. Devereux had taken care to provide a suitable residence in the town. THE FIRST OF APRIL. "THE joke must be carried through," said the Englishman. "The whole city bows down before you, dear Morn; even the Court itself courts your friendship. We will turn over a new leaf now. I shall give you out for poor, and see what sort of a grimace your dear friends will make then. And when the con- temptible crew have sunk themselves as low as possible, we will turn our backs upon them forever. I have let Baron Von Wolpern into the secret, for I must chastise the old curmudgeon, your father-in- THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 35 law, for the Jew's bargain he has driven with you. No remon- strance he deserves it." Devereux told the simple truth. The whole town were bowing to the ground before the supposed millionaire. And how should people, accustomed from their very childhood to value wealth, show, luxury, above all earthly good, do otherwise ? how feel anything but admiration and reverence for the amiable young man, who pos- sessed the prettiest wife, the finest estate in the territory, and a million ? The noblest and stiffest backs in the city bent in homage to this new luminary. Every one was solicitous for the notice of Herr Yon Morn ; every lip instinctively uttered the noble prefix, without asking for the patent. Ministers, Grand every- things, and Count everybodies, loaded him with invitations. At some of the fetes where he was most pressingly invited, the electoral family were present; the noble hosts were solicitous to present Herr Von Morn to their Highnesses, and their Highnesses' reception was most gracious ; but, strange to say, the object of all these flat- tering attentions felt anything but flattered. Not for what he was, but for what he had, were all these caresses lavished ; and it was with no small violence to his feelings that he constrained himself to go through the disgusting farce. " I can bear it no longer," said Morn on one occasion, when a stronger dose of incense than ordinary had been offered up ; and Devereux in reply said, " We must carry it through ; I shall give you out for poor." Towards the latter end of March, Devereux had gone about with a look of affected anxiety, and dropped mysterious hints of bad news from England. He spoke of certain speculations being subject to enormous losses, as well as enormous gains. " It was so fortunate he had so many powerful friends in ," and so forth. Baron Von Wolpera was seen to shake his head and look thoughtful, when the sale of Dreileben was talked of " the purchase money was not yet paid down." It was whispered that Morn's splendid new equi- page would be disposed of privately : the town-house was announced to be let. The news flew like wildfire through the town, with a thousand additions. On theirs* of April the matter was placed beyond a doubt, by Morn's driving about to all his new friends, among whom it became known, with wonderful rapidity, that from some he had requested loans, from others securities or their good offices with the Elector for an appointment, &c. All those who, but four-and-twenty hours before, had overwhelmed him with offers of services, and half-stifled him with embraces, were in consternation at this new state of affairs. Some were " grieved beyond measure," in 36 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. proper courtly phrase, and others excused themselves coldly " they made it a rule never to be surety for any one ;" they had no interest; some smiled with scarcely concealed malicious pleasure at the sud- den vanishing of the fairy treasure. One thing was evident, there was neither credit, money, nor interest, left in the whole city. A splendid ball and supper at the house of his Excellency Count Von Bitterblolt, at which Herr and Frau Yon Morn were to have been present, was, for some unexplained cause, adjourned sine die. With old Romanus the result of all this was rather more serious than was intended. To him came Baron Yon Wolpern one fine morning, accompanied by a lawyer of eminence, and politely re- quested of him, as negotiator in the purchase of Dreileben, security for the payment of the sum agreed on. Romanus had certainly given no written surety for his son-in- law ; but, in his eagerness to gripe the proffered gain, he had ver- bally, and pretty plainly given it to be understood, that, to hasten the purchase, he was ready to make advances ; but nothing was further from his thoughts than to be taken at his word. The evil reports that had been before flying about town had sorely disquieted him, and Morn's evasive answer to the questions he put to him had by no means tended to still the perturbation of his spirit. But when the Baron and his lawyer made their appearance, he was driven well-nigh crazy ! In a few hours after the Baron's visit he had a fit of apoplexy the very mention of a physician made him furious, and the evening saw the end of his cares and his life together. DREILEBEN. THIS sudden death changed the whole aspect of affairs. Ro- rnanus left enormous wealth behind him, much more than had been expected. Casimir Morn had now really become the millionaire for which his rich and whimsical friend had compelled him to pass. Dreileben had been bought in Morn's name, but the money had been furnished by Devereux, to whom, by an agreement between him and Morn, it had been immediately conveyed. Almost as much disgusted with the world as his friend, Devereux had resolved to end his days in some agreeable solitude. The charge of overlooking the estate was to be Morn's ; he had positively refused to accept any gift from his English friend. Both were now nearly equally wealthy, but their plan of life remained the same. On the other THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 37 hand, the worthy citizens of faced about as if struck by a conjurer's wand : " It was the first of April when we heard of this gudden loss ; ah, the arch-jester, it was really too bad, but admirably done too ! " High and low enjoyed the joke alike ; Morn's doors were again besieged with visitors ; wealth and credit returned in a wonderfully short time; the acceptance of securities and recom- mendations was pressed as the greatest possible favor to the givers ; and as to dinners, balls, concerts, &c., &c., there was no end of them. "I am heart-sick at all this," said Morn. " Come, Caroline, come, Devereux, let us to Dreileben, and forget these whited mockeries. I have been long enough a dupe. What more have I to do in the world, as it is called ? Why should I \>e any longer a witness of these hollow jugglers, the sport of their false smiles ? Be wise as Solomon; pure as an angel; sacrifice yourself for society; be a model of disinterestedness and beneficence but poor in this world's goods, and you are nothing, or worse than nothing ! Every blockhead will be exalted above you every cold-hearted egotist sneer you down every, even acknowledged, scoundrel be honored and caressed before you, if he but possess that mightiest of talismans wealth." As soon as the business of the inheritance was arranged, and the house and business of old Romanus disposed of, Morn left the city, in company with his wife and his friend, and has never since been known to enter it. About six years after these occurrences I had occasion to pay a visit to the electoral city. I knew that my old university friend, Casimir Morn, had formerly held some appointment there, and was rejoicing in the prospect of renewing my acquaintance with him. My earliest inquiries were concerning him. Few knew anything about him ; at last I learnt that he was living at Dreileben, brood- ing over his money-bags, as his father-in-law had done before him, and keeping up no intercourse whatever with his neighbors. As soon as I had gathered these particulars, I got into a chaise one fine morning, and drove to Dreileben, musing and lamenting by the way on the perverse accident that could have changed my open-hearted, open-handed school friend into that most pitiful of created beings a miser. The road lay through a succession of richly cultivated fields, to a forest, where, as the peasants informed us, the mansion was situated on the banks of the Rhine. When I entered the forest, how- ever, I found it no forest, but a delightful compromise between park and garden, adorned on every side with graceful temples, the rarest 38 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. plants, and exquisite groups of statuary in the purest marble. The expense of creating such a place must have been enormous. A spacious and magnificent house, with extensive out-buildings for agricultural purposes, stood before me, approached over a wide lawn smooth as velvet, and skirted by a magnificent orangery. Every- where I saw traces of an almost royal outlay, guided, however, by a noble taste ; none whatever of the avarice attributed to the pos- sessor. As I was getting out of the carriage a servant in a rich livery advanced to meet me, and, in answer to my inquiries for his master, was " very sorry, but the family had left Dreileben that morn- ing early, and were not expected back for some days." As there was no help for it, I returned to town ; in another week, I repeated the attempt, but with no better success ; the family were still absent. As my stay in the city was limited, I felt greatly vexed at my failure, and could not help expressing it in the circle I joined in the evening. I was answered by a general laugh. " If you were to go twenty times to Dreileben," said one of the party to me, "you would get the same reception. You might have been spared the trouble of going if you had mentioned your inten- tion beforehand. No one, be he who he may, is ever admitted within their doors. They have telescopes planted at certain points commanding the road, so that they are never to be taken by sur- prise. All the servants are previously instructed, and, as soon as any one of them spies a visitor, he runs in to warn his misanthropical masters." Thus informed, I wrote to Morn, expressing my desire to see him once more, and entreating that he would make me an exception to his general rule. I received a courteous answer, and the assurance that for me he would be at home ; the day and hour when I should be expected were punctually named. When I came within sight of the house, Morn advanced to meet me, with his beautiful wife on his arm. Both received me with a kindness and cordiality I had little expected, after all I had heard, and presented me to their friend, Devereux ; he was a young man about Morn's own age, of a graceful and highly prepossessing ex- terior, and anything but cynical in appearance. In a quarter of an hour we were the best friends in the world. I was entertained with a magnificence that I have not always found even in princely palaces. The interior of the house corresponded with the costliness of the arrangements without. The library was splendid ; the walls of all the larger rooms adorned with masterpieces of the greatest painters ; and a music-room furnished with the finest instruments. THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 39 In my honor there was a concert such as I have seldom heard from amateurs. The upper servants were all musical, and the heads of the family performers of no ordinary pretensions. Morn had two lovely children ; Devereux was still a bachelor, and announced his determination of dying one. " And you are really happy here in your beautiful retirement ? " said I, inquir- ingly, when we were sitting in a pavilion in the garden, overlooking the lordly Rhine. Morn smiled. " Why not ? We form our own world here, and it is our happiness to know nothing of the other by experience. If we feel any curiosity about the proceedings of the fools, there are the newspapers to inform us. We prefer, however, to learn what the nobler spirits of other times have taught, or invented, or done ; to learn it in the immortal legacy of works they have bequeathed us. All that Nature, Art, and Science afford of fairest and noblest surrounds us here. What is wanting to our heaven ? Intercourse with the rapacious, mentally crippled, corrupt, self-seeking herd without, would sully its purity, and make us partakers in their well-deserved misery. Well is it for those who can free themselves from the coil, and, living with and for themselves, look on the say- ings and doings of what you call the world, as on a theatrical spec- tacle, in which they are spectators, not actors." These expressions led to a conversation on the true social relations of the wise ; and it was then that Morn related his own and Dev- ereux's stories, as I have repeated them to you. PAET II. WHEN the Counsellor had concluded the history of his first Mil- lionaire, Morn's conduct was warmly discussed, and variously com- mented on. All agreed that his scorn of the world and absolute seclusion must be looked upon as a revenge taken for its previous neglect, when the chances turned in his favor ; but, while some of the circle held him perfectly justifiable, if not praiseworthy, in such indulgence of his feelings, others censured him loudly ; had his cir- cumstances been different, he might have been excused ; but the withdrawal from all intercourse with his fellows, pardonable as self- defence in a poor man, was sheer egotism and narrow-hearted ness in a rich one. "Rich or poor," said one, "every man has a right to seek hia own happiness in his own way, provided he injure no one in the means selected." " Will you tell us how a man, gifted alike by nature and fortune, can withdraw himself from the active duties of life, without injuring a great many ? " retorted an anti-Mornite. "It is "easy to be philanthropic in theory," said another, "but, honestly speaking, which of us would be inclined to sacrifice him- self for the good of society, supposing his own views of happiness to consist in the renunciation of it? Would you; or you; or you?" " Besides, Morn did not reject the world till the world rejected him," added the first speaker. " That is, he was cheated by a few knaves, from whom no one in their senses would have expected anything else, and he did not find everybody ready to make prompt acknowledgment of his (40) THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. merits and services, some of them being, by the by, known only to those interested in concealing them." " Was he the only person who, because his situation was subordi nate, has been obliged to submit in silence, while others engrossed the fruits of his labors ? Right doing would be a mighty easy thing, if applause and profit were its certain rewards." These words produced a second dispute. Each defended his own views with warmth, if not with judgment ; and the party sep- arated more confirmed, or at least more obstinate, in their own opinion than ever. At the next weekly meeting at the Forest Counsellor's, some of the disputants took up the argument where they had left it, and prepared to fight the battle manfully all over again. The Counsellor remained faithful to his character for mod- eration, and chose a middle path between Morn's censurers and his eulogists. The party were getting somewhat warm, when our host reminded us that we had not yet heard the story of the second Mil- lionaire. There was an immediate silence, at which the Counsellor dexterously profited to put an end to the dispute by the following arration : Some years ago, I was returning from Amsterdam, where I had en sent by my government to obtain payment for some timber for ip-building, about which some difficulties had arisen with the Dutch government. I had succeeded beyond my expectation in my commis- sim ; a new and more advantageous bargain had been made, and I was congratulating myself on the credit I should obtain with my government. It was evening : I was snugly packed in the corner of my new travelling chaise, hugging myself on the prospect of a\comfortable night's rest, after travelling the whole of the pre- cedi^g night over some of the worst roads in Germany, and that is sayirig much. I was soon shaken out of my doze into which I had fallen by a tremendous jolt. My old servant, Kunz, who was on the bW, was sent flying through the air, and deposited high and dry on a bank by the road-side, before he had time to take the pipe from his mouth, and I was projected with such force in the rear of \he postilion, that he was under the horses' feet in a second. Fortuna\ely, the animals, being natives, " and to the matter born," took our mishap very coolly,* and stood quite still, while the bipeds were scattering in all directions, as if it had been an adventure they expected, *ttnd had made up their minds to. The axle-tree and a spring of tjie chaise were broken, and so was the postilion's nose ; I was quit for the fright, but poor Kunz had dislocated his shoulder. With some difficulty and great exertion we managed to get the chaise to the next village, and to the inn, or rather beer-house, 42 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. there was but one, and that a dirty, smoky den. I inquired imme- diately for a smith and a wheelwright ; neither were to be had in the place, and the landlord himself advised me to go to Hard, where I should get all I wanted. " There were no better work- men for many miles round than were to be found at Hard." Poor Kunz was suffering greatly, and the Esculapius of the village, who had been immediately summoned, could only shake his head and lament that the surgeon had died a few weeks before he himself never undertook operations. ' ' The best thing you can do," said he, " is to take your servant to Hard, where you will find an excellent surgeon." " And where, then, is this same Hard ? " asked I ; " /know no town of that name here." " It is not a town ; it is a village, a short four miles hence." " And how is it that the best artisans and the most skilful pro- fessional men live in the villages instead of the towns? " " Oh, that is the doing of the Schulze; he is a strange charac- ter, a humorist, as it is called, a fool, /say, who can do noth- ing like other people. He wants to make a city of his paltry vil- lage, I believe. He has money enough; they say he is a mil- lionaire, and it is like enough ; but he is a miserable, parsimoniom wretch, and has as many whims as heirs. I know him well enough though I have nothing to do with him, thank Heaven ! " " And I shall find a good inn at Hard, you say ? " "Oh, yes, certainly; a very good one. There are mineral waters there. Ha Schulze has built a house there for the visitors to the springs, and that will be his ruin in my humble opinion that and the doctor he has thought fit to establish there ; a con- ceited, ignorant body a mere quack, with his new-fangled no- tions." The old gentleman held forth long and loudly in dispraise of his learned, or unlearned, brother or rival, whichever he migit be ; nevertheless, as he admitted I should find the best surgeon, the best wheelwright, and the best smith, in Hard, to Hard I resolved to go. On the following morning, the chaise was patched up as well as it could be with ropes and poles ; Kunz, who was still in great pain, packed in as comfortably 1 " as circumstances admitted, and despatched before me to the much-talked-of Hard; and the weather being extraordinarily fine, and the way not easily mistaken, I followed on foot. Scarcely half a mile from the village I was leaving, there was a sudden and striking improvement in the condition of the land. On both sides of the carefully kept road were rows of fruit-trees, in the THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 43 finest order. The fields beyond seemed admirably cultivated ; not a weed to be seen, the grass abundant, and of the richest quality. Before me lay the village, consisting of cottages, not forming a street, but scattered among trees, as in a great garden. In the middle of the village, on a gentle eminence, rose the church. The whole arrangement of the place, the style of building, and the ex- traordinary fertility of the land around, the more agreeably sur- prised me from the striking contrast it presented to all I had hith- erto seen in this part of the country. " Why, this village of yours is a perfect paradise, father," said I to an aged peasant, who just then came up with me; "I have seen no such land as this for many a mile." "Yes, (rod be praised, there is no fault to be found with the land !" returned the ancient, leaning on his stick to rest himself be- side me as I stopped to look round me. " How comes it that your village lies so scattered, so unlike the other villages about ? " said I. "Ugh!" replied the old man, with a discontented grunt, "unlike it is, sure enough. Our village was burnt to the ground about fifteen years ago, and we were obliged to build it so, because the government would have it. They could n't have done it worse. I have a good mile further to go to church every Sunday, and that 's hard enough for us old folks, especially in winter, and some must go further still. Ah ! it was a terrible fire, sure enough. There were not five houses spared." " And how did the fire happen? " " Ugh ! Heaven knows ! People say all sorts of things ! Some will have it the Schulze set it on fire himself, on purpose to vex us ; but I don't say that exactly." " But that is a terrible charge, indeed, against your Schulze." "Ah!" said the elder, shaking his head significantly, "many and many 's the trick he has played us. He was schoolmaster here first ; bub he had interest somehow with the government, and so he was palmed upon us as the Schulze. 0, he 's as cunning as a fox, and as hard to catch ! " "Is he rich?" 4 ' I believe you ; as rich as a Jew. But he can't enjoy his money ; he lives poorer than any day-laborer. But he is caught sometimes, cunning as he is," added the old man, chuckling. "When the whim seizes him, he throws away his money by the handful. He '11 ruin himself at last with his new-fangled nonsense ; and who cares? He only uses his money to tyrannize over his poor neighbors." 44 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. In this strain the ancient went on wandering, till I wished him good morning, and he struck off through a by-path. The view was so charming, so like our dreams of Arcadia, that, involuntarily loitering on my way, I sat down under a tree to enjoy it at my leisure. " How happy, how supremely happy, might the dwellers in this paradise become, if Satan did not always take a hand in the game of life ! " thought I. " Who but Satan could have put it into the heads of the government to send a fellow here to play the great man, and make these honest folks miserable ? " While I thus mused an old woman passed, whom I immediately hailed. " Grood day, mother ! Whereabouts in the village is the public house, can you tell me ? " " Straight on, sir, on the left hand, near the church; I am the landlady." "So much the better. Then you can tell me at once what accommodation I can have for myself and my servant for a few "0," said the old lady with a discontented air, " that 's an- other thing. I can't lodge gentlefolk ; I 've no convenience. You must go to t'other house there, higher up on the hill. I saw a broken gimcrack of a chaise there a while agone ; I suppose it was yours." "Do you see that little white house with the green shutters, there?" continued the old woman, when I asked for some further direction ; " that 's the Schulze's, and close to it is the big new inn for strangers." "0, and that belongs to the Schulze also, I suppose ? " "Why, yes, and no, as one may say, it is his'n, and it is not, like everything else hereabouts. It 's all his fault that it was built." " It is of no advantage to you, then ? " " Not it, indeed, nor to any one else. Since he 's been in the village, my house is not worth half what it was. God forgive him ! he will have much to answer for at the last day. Yes, yes," con- tinued she, grumbling, " I should change my plan, quotha. A pretty thing, indeed, at my time of life, to go to school ! I was not to be cozened that way, Mr. Schulze ! The heavens be praised ! I can do without him or the house either, for the matter of that." While she was speaking, I heard a sudden and warm strife of tongues in one of the neighboring cottages. The old lady pricked up her ears, and nodded her head with a smile of malicious satisfaction. " Ah, ah ! old Gletchen 's catching it at last; serve her right, too, THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 45 serve her right ! " and the old dame trotted off, evidently well pleased that one of her gossips had got into a scrape of some sort, probably with the redoubtable village monarch himself. As I passed the house whence the sounds proceeded, the door opened, and a man, in a dress no way superior to that of a peasant, except that it was scrupulously clean, came out. He was evidently dis- pleased at something ; close to him came an old woman in tears, who seemed to be deprecating his wrath, and after her walked a young man, who held out his hand to the departing visitor, with the words, "You are perfectly right, Master Schulze; I had warned mother often enough," pronounced in a hearty tone. " Well, well," returned the Schulze, with a kind of authorita- tive kindness, " for this once, I will overlook it." The old woman reiterated her assurances that the subject of complaint, whatever it might be, should not again occur, and the village despot walked off. He took the same path that had been pointed out to me as the nearest to the inn I was in search of. I quickened my pace. I had a curiosity to see the face of the griping millionaire of whom I had heard so much in so short a time ; yet I could not say why I should have any desire to see more of a man, to whose advantage so little could be said by those who knew him best. He went on so quickly that I should not have easily over- taken him, if he had not stopped again to speak to some countrymen coming from the village. We exchanged salutations as I came up, and he gave me the "pas" civilly enough, and that was enough to begin a conversation. It turned naturally enough upon the fruit- fulness of the surrounding country. His manner was perfectly unas- suming, but very decided, and his expressions betrayed a degree of cultivation greatly beyond what might have been expected from his rustic appearance. As to the land, he asserted roundly that it was neither better nor worse than the other land in the neighbor- hood, with which I had instituted a comparison greatly to the advantage of the former ; the only difference he would admit was the better cultivation. " That very circumstance," I said, "was worthy all my admiration ! " "Every proprietor lives here in the midst of his own land," said the Schulze, " and thus it is the easier to overlook and culti- vate it." "But this rich pasturage, "'said I . "You have not, perhaps, observed, that all the meadows lie together and are well irrigated. We have also fine marl in the neighborhood. So they have, or might have, in the other places of which you spoke just now ; but the people are idle and ignorant 46 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. Nature is always a kind mother, but men do not always give them- selves the trouble to understand her language ; they prefer their own darkness to her light." This remark was somewhat too philosophi- cal for a village schoolmaster or Schulze. I turned to look again at my companion in his rustic tunic and coarse straw hat ; there was, I thought, something beyond his condition in his countenance, I might almost say noble. I fancied, moreover, that the features were familiar to me. The Schulze returned my gaze with a pen- etrating look. "Are you not," said he at length, " Adolphe Von Rodern?" " Von Rodern is my name," still unable to identify the person before me. He laughed, and held out his hand. " What, my slender friend, once the delight of every bright eye in ? " I attempted to withdraw my hand, for I took it into my head that my new acquaint- ance was hoaxing me; but he held it fast, and went on "The world goes well with you ; why, what a broad-shouldered, portly- looking young man you are become ! And what good wind has blown you hither from the golden middle path you love so well, to such a by-way as the road to Hard ? I bid you heartily welcome, however, since you came. What, do you not know me yet ? " I stood looking stupid enough, I believe. I could not for my life recollect where I had seen the speaker. Suddenly a ray of light flashed on my mind. Was it could it be my university friend, Engelbert? " Engelbert it is, and no other." I was deeply moved ; the golden days of my youth returned in a moment. I returned his embrace heartily, and forgot in a moment all the ill that had been spoken of him. He called a boy from a neighboring field, and bade him run directly to his wife. " Say that I have found a brother," said he ; " tell her to have the breakfast carried under the lime trees. We will join her directly." I was called upon immediately for a sketch of my life since we had parted at Inbingen, the cause. of my present journey, and my visit to Hard. The story of many of our former mutual friends came in episodically ; and, among others, Morn's, you may be sure, was not forgotten. "And now for yourself, my friend," said I, at length ; " it is your turn now." "I," replied Engelbert, laughing; "you may satisfy yourself look at me. I am what I look like a peasant, and also Schulze of this village." " But, you strangest of beings ! how came you so ? Why, with THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 47 your fine talents and abundant knowledge, do I find you buried in this remote nook of earth ? Can it be your free choice ? " " My free choice ! " " And how long have you lived here ? " " Nineteen years, and most happily." " Well, but explain your- self a little." " Another time ; eome to breakfast now. My wife and family will be waiting for us." We went on a little further, and a sudden turn of the path brought us to the lime trees, under the shade of which sat a beau- tiful woman of about thirty years of age, in a rustic dress, with an infant on her lap. At her feet sat another, under two years of age, to whom a rosy-cheeked, golden-haired brother was bringing flowers. Two elder boys, apparently between the ages of seven and twelve, were standing near their lovely mother, with books in their hands, and their great blue eyes fixed on me with curiosity. Their dress was like their father's, and in no way differing, either in form or material, from that of peasants. The Schulze presented me to his wife, over whose delicate features a gentle blush passed as she returned my salutation. I was speedily acquainted with the whole charming group. The children lay on the grass, round a large, exquisitely clean, wooden vessel full of milk, which, with the ordi- nary black bread, formed their breakfast. White bread and newly churned fresh butter were brought for me", with a flask of old Burgundy. "I know of old your hostility to milk breakfasts," said Engelbert. It seemed to me like a dream ; the sight of this really picturesque group, and the extraordinary rencontre with Engelbert as a peasant he who had been admitted to be the best endowed by nature, the richest in acquired knowledge amongst our whole circle at the university ! Somewhat eccentric he had alwayp been considered, but his singularities had been excused as the harm less freaks of a young, inexperienced, and enthusiastic head. But that such a one, destined by nature and fortune for the most splendid career, should end in becoming a village schoolmaster and Schulze who, in Heaven's name, could ever have expected this ? His Augusta so he called his wife his children, were evi- dently most fondly attached to him, as he was to them. How could this man be so selfish, so grasping, so hard-hearted as he had been painted to me ? And yet the wealth he was said to possess a wak ened my suspicions ; it had been well known, at the university, that his family was very moderately endowed with the goods of fortune ; and then how did this opulence tally with the simplicity, not to say parsimony, exhibited in the dress and style of living of his family ? A miser he must certainly be. I resolved to lengthen my stay, and 48 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. examine my man a little closer. After breakfast, we continued our walk up the hill. " I cannot lodge you under my humble roof," said Engelbert, "for I have no spare room. But you will find everything you can want in the inn. I have established baths there over the sulphur springs, and you may take your choice of the rooms, as the season has not yet begun. No visitors will be here before next month." THE HOUSEHOLD. THE wheelwright had already my carriage, and the surgeon my servant, in their hands. The mechanic undertook the speedy reno- vation of the chaise, for a hint from the all-powerful Schulze sufficed to make him lay all other work aside. The surgeon had put Kunz's arm in its place again, but it was excessively swollen, and at least a week's quiet was pronounced necessary for him. As far as I was personally concerned, I was well pleased with the delay. Engelbert and his family were well worthy of a visit on purpose. Everything about this humorist interested me the more, because I was every hour more thoroughly convinced that to few mortals was assigned so large a portion of pure happiness as to him. His house, like tha* of every other peasant, stood in the midst of a well- ordered flower and kitchen garden. Within reigned the strictest cleanliness, and not simplicity alone, but downright poverty. The sitting-room for the whole family contained but chairs and tables of the plainest kind, a wooden clock, and a small looking-glass. Engel- bert himself, his wife, and children, slept on mattresses stuffed with leaves and moss. The house linen was coarse, but of a dazzling white- ness. . The table service might have been used in a convent of Capu- chins. When I insisted one day upon dining with the family, they bade me welcome, laughing, and warned me that my fare would not be sumptuous. The soup was excellent. We had one dish of roast meat, and abundance of vegetables, young, and well-cooked. The bread was common black bread ; the only drink a kind of thin beer or water ; and this was the whole fare. And yet I thought I had never dined so well. The charming mother, surrounded by the five cherub heads ; Engelbert, with his playful wisdom, the heartfelt happiness of all made a deep impression on me. I confess I thought myself in heaven, and felt provoked when Engelbert made himself tterry with what he was pleased to call my sufferings as a town THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 49 gourmand at his rustic table. . The only expense in the house was in Engelbert's study. There he had a small, but choice collection of books, maps in abundance, an electrifying machine, an air-pump, and other instruments of physical science. The study was also the school-room of the children, and Augusta's boudoir, for here stood her piano, and in some of the empty drawers of her husband's cabinet she kept some finer articles of dress. " Admirable ! " said I. " But your family will outgrow your play-room, my dear Engelbert. You must think of extending it." " Not before ten years," returned he. " The temple of our hap- piness is small, but our happiness itself is great. We have more than room enough." " You are really and truly happy in these relations ? " " Look at these ! " said Engelbert, pointing to his wife and chil- dren. " What joyous health in every look and gesture ! And these noble forms are animated by yet nobler souls. Here is my kingdom my republic my all! I enjoy life in reality, not in appearance, as you do in your city palaces, full of inconvenient con- veniences, and your sickening and poverty-stricken villages. I have enough for the real wants of life, and ample sphere of action for my mental powers. I live apart from the splendid misery of a cor- rupt refinement, but not from the nobler humanity. These are the great immortals! (pointing to his books.) To me lies open the bosom of Nature the glory of God the way of eternity ! What more should I ask or seek for ? " I pressed his hand, but with some embarrassment, for I knew not well how to answer him. I might have said, you are an enthusiast. But he was in the right, and I felt it ; and also that, in many of our social relations, we are abundantly absurd, and but too often sac- rifice the real good of life to our conventional notions. I might have frankly admitted, you are in the right ; but then I felt that he had wandered so widely from the accustomed path his ideas and motives were so little in harmony with the ideas and motives of the age, from and with which I had been and still was acting that a verbal acquiescence, while it was all I could give, would be of little value. I could not sufficiently admire his wonderful activity. He farmed on his own account, and took not merely a superintending, but an actual share in the business of the farm. His office of justice gave abundant employment, one might have thought, and yet it seemed to be merely a supplementary one to him. Every day he spent some hours alone in his study, and his two elder boys received instruction from him. ' These children were taught, all they were 4 50 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. taught, thoroughly. The trees of the forest, the plants of the gar- den, the geology of the neighborhood, were familiar to them, not only in appearance, but in their nature and properties. They called them by their scientific names, for they had learned no others. The prism, the magnet, the microscope, were familiar to them as their ordinary toys. The glorious map of the heavens was open to their constant observation, and they had been early rendered familiar with the starry host. As Engelbert took upon himself the education of the elder chil- dren and all out-door business, Augusta labored in the same spirit in her department. As well as theSisual household arrangements, the care and direction of all the land whose produce was destined for domestic supply ; the corn, flax, hemp, &c. ; the management of the horses, sheep, cattle, goats, &c., belonging to the farm, were super- intended by her. Here she was absolute sovereign, and Engelbert laughingly acknowledged himself as subject. " But, after all, what I desire to know is, how you came here," said I to him one morning. " I admit that all I see is admirable ; yet, with your noble faculties, you might surely have done your country other and larger service than by becoming the Schulze of a paltry village." He promised me an answer, and one fine Sunday morning, which he had promised to give up to me entirely, he came to fulfil his engagement. We went into the garden of the inn, which had been laid out in excellent taste for the visitors to the springs. The breakfast was prepared for us in a vine-canopied arbor, commanding a splendid view of the surrounding country. Some coffee was brought for me, but Engelbert remained true to his rustic fare milk and rye-bread. " And now," said he, when we had breakfasted, " I am ready to satisfy your curiosity. In the mean time, Augusta is busy with the children ; afterwards we will take a walk; then we go to church. The pastor, and some few other friends, will dine with us. In the afternoon, the young people of the village propose to give you a concert ; and in the evening we shall have a dance here, and you must be one of the dancers. And now hear and edify : " I left the university half a year later than you did," contin- ued Engelbert. "My guardian wished me to remain some time longer, but I put thirty louis d 'ors in my pocket, and set off on a tour through Germany into Switzerland ; thence I wandered into France. From Provence I crossed the sea to Naples, and came home through Rome and Vienna. Two louis d'ors, out of my thirty, I brought back with me, for I had travelled mostly on foot THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 51 lived chiefly on bread and water, with an occasional glass of wine, and slept in barns and outhouses for nothing. I returned home just as my guardian was thinking of advertising me in the news- papers. He was extremely displeased with my proceedings, but in my own opinion I had gained as much instruction in my pedestrian tour through foreign countries, as I should have done from the chair of a professor. I passed my examination; my acquirements were extolled, and I obtained an appointment in the Woods and Forests, (without salary, however,) by way of initiating me into public busi- ness. After the lapse of a year I presented myself as a candidate for promotion in my line. My superiors eulogized my activity, but objected to my age. I was only just three-and-twenty. Good, thought I ; if that be all, that is a fault that will mend every day. In another year I came again, and modestly proffered my claim to some Liliputian office. " ' You have some property, I understand, Mr. Engelbert ?' said the President to me. 'Why don't you dress better? You are really not presentable.' " ' Your Excellency,' I answered, 'the State has a right to expect good service from me, but has nothing to do with my clothes.' " His Excellency took my answer very much amiss, and I was dismissed with a cool bow. It happened about this time that there was a dispute between our court and a neighboring one respecting some secularized church property. The right was appar- ently on the side of the adverse party ; but I had, by accident, dis- covered in the archives of the Woods and Forests some documents which must inevitably decide the cause in our favor. I wrote thereupon a defence of the claim of our court, printed it, together with the original document, and transmitted both to the minister to be laid before the king. My production had great success. I received the order of merit ; that is to say, an ell of ribbon to dangle at my button-hole ; and, as I afterwards heard, I was looked upon as a rising man. Unluckily, I did not know what to do with the ribbon, and sent it back again with a respectful intimation that I had written neither for vanity nor any view to self-interest, but simply from a love of justice ; and that orders and ribbons were of no use to me. This brought down upon me the whole army of ribbon givers and takers. His Excellency the President of the Woods and Forests told me plainly that he took me for a fool, that the court was highly displeased, and that advancement was not to be thought of from that quarter. About the same time, I lost my guardian, who committed suicide when I attained my majority. The cause was made manifest soon enough. He had spent not only 52 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. his own fortune, but the greater part of mine. I was heartily sorry for the man ; if he had but possessed courage enough to tell me so, he might have spared himself: I would have forgiven him freely. His property, that is to say, what remained of it, was sold. Of mine, four thousand guilders were all that fell to my share. His only child, a daughter, was sent to the orphan asylum. Poor child, her fate was a ha'rd one ! I had youth and health, vigor of mind and body ; I could easily replace what I had lost. I should have blushed to visit the sins of the father upon the child. I invested my four thousand guilders, and gave up the interest for the education of the child, or for her maintenance till she should marry. But, for the orphan-house I would have none of it. The best orphan asylum, like all other institutions for edu- cation out of the domestic circle, is only an institution for the cor- ruption of morals. " The question was now, what I should do with myself? The State refused my services, because my coat was not to its liking. I shook the dust from my feet, therefore, in my native place, and left it to try and be useful elsewhere. I had kept money enough, according to my own view of the matter, to maintain me till I could find some employment. While yet a boy at school, I had read, somewhere, a treatise which had made a deep impression on me. The subject was ' Of Unnecessary Necessities.' I had often wondered at the numberless superfluities which men choose to consider as necessaries, and, to procure which, they willingly became the sacrifice of others' vices and their own folly. The fewer wants, the fewer desires a man has, the less are his fears and vexations, the fewer his cares. The freest man is he who is least dependent on custom and con- venience, and, consequently, the least affected by circumstances. The essay concluded with these words : ' Cleave to the essential alone, and leave to fools the melancholy pleasure of appearance.' Even as a schoolboy, I had attempted to accommodate myself to this system. I did my duty in all things, and declined all praise from my masters. I often slept at night upon chairs beside my bed, instead of in it. I drank neither beer nor wine, tea nor coffee, but, simply, water. I never spent a fifth part of my pocket money on the trifles on which children are accustomed to waste their allowance, and was, therefore, often able to assist those of my school-fellows, 'who were poorer than myself, with real necessities, books, maps, and the like. I was delighted to leave the university, when, becom ing entirely my own master, I could pursue, unmolested, the plan 1 had marked out for myself. The simplicity of my mode of living induced most of my acquaintances to esteem me poor. I was far THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 53 richer than the greater part of them with double my income, for I wanted nothing, and owed nothing ; many of those who pitied or blamed me set no limits to their wishes, and were deeply in debt. " My views of life, however, gave prodigious offence in my native city ; but I could not see why I should fare sumptuously, or lie softly, to please others, when I could please myself at far less cost. My dress was neat, and not out of the fashion, but I did not partic- ularly distinguish myself by the fineness of my linen, or employ the most fashionable tailor, and, therefore, I was held unpresentable in good society. I did my duty in my vocation ; but I never went to * pay my respects ' to my superiors, and my manners were pro- nounced excessively unpolished. I wished to be valued in society for my talents, natural or acquired, and my moral worth ; the well-judging public insisted upon fine clothes, flattery, and what it is pleased to call respect for appearances. I did not smoke ; I did not play at cards ; and frequented places of public amusement but little ; that was called an ' affectation of singularity.' My dis- favor with society grieved me but little, however ; I lived and acted according to my own convictions, was content with moderate means, had the power of helping many with my superfluity, was always cheerful, and never sick. All that was wanting to my happiness was the means of becoming more extensively useful. I could do without the suffrage of the world. Woe to him whose felicity depends on others, if he cannot find it in serving them without expecting their applause ' " THE VILLAGE SCHOOLMASTER. " I SPENT the better part of a year in rambling about this blessed Germany of ours without finding anywhere a suitable sphere of action. Every application for fitting employment was met with a ' but.' It is silly enough of the people, thought I, that will have nothing to do with a man who asks no more than the means of mak- ing himself useful to the best of his ability ! I had before pro- jected a journey to London, to offer my services to explore the inte- rior of Africa for the benefit of the world and of science ; and, if they were not then accepted, to visit that part of the world on my own account. No sooner thought than done ; I turned my face to the north-west. " One evening, I entered the inn of a little town in my way, much 54 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. fatigued. While my supper was preparing, I took up a provincial 'Intelligencer,' in which I saw an advertisement for a village schoolmaster ; the salary was fifty guilders, with a house, firing, and the use of three acres of land. It struck me directly that this was the very thing for me. A village schoolmaster ! The calling, gen- erally esteemed so humble, is, in fact, one of the very highest impor- tance. I might become the reformer of a whole village, the saviour of a thousand unhappy and neglected human beings. To how many important politico-economical, moral, religious, and patriotic points of view might I not pave the way for improvement ? Poor as the remuneration was, it was sufficient for me. Heal service, in fact, can never be paid for. How can virtues of any kind be rewarded by the State ? State remuneration can only be meas- ured by the greater or less expenditure of knowledge and activ- ity required. For a village schoolmastership it is held that very little knowledge or labor is wanting ; it is a low kind of thing alto- gether ; hence the pecuniary recompense is paltry. But, for a mas- ter of the ceremonies, or a court chamberlain, indeed, most uncommon talents and virtues are demanded ; and that is, no doubt, the reason why more is paid for such articles than for village schoolmasters throughout the kingdom. " I went and offered myself as a candidate for the vacant office. The testimonials of ability I brought with me were examined, and I found I had the honor to be taken for a runaway student ; that did not concern me very greatly. Against my capabilities in read- ing, writing, arithmetic, and singing, there was nothing to be said, and yet the authorities hesitated. Nor was I greatly surprised that they did ; for it is not very usual for a man, who, upon occa- sion, could read and speak his six languages, to become a village schoolmaster. I doubt if, after all, I should have obtained the place, had there been any other candidates but myself and a deaf tailor. " My sound ears had the preference. " ' Hark you, friend,' said the Examiner and President of the High Provincial School Commission ; ' you shall have the place, but, understand, provisionally, for one year, in the course of which we shall see if your moral conduct is approved of.' " My letter of provincial installation was duly delivered to me, and with it a letter to the most reverend Pastor Pflock, in Hard, who was to induct me into my office. " I was as happy as a king assuming that kings are in general happier than village schoolmasters. My dwelling in Hard was a ruinous barrack, as dirty as an uncleansed stable ; every window THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 55 patched with paper, and my sitting-room a gloomy den without a stove. The only stove in the place was in the school-room, which was to be tenanted every day by me and sixty-five children of both sexes. The garden was impassable from rubbish ; the three acres of land offered a complete Flora Hardinensis ; not a wild flower or weed growing in the whole country round but had its specimen there. Heavens ! here was room and verge enough for the spirit of reform to revel in. ' The most reverend Pastor Pflock received me with severe dig- nity ; gave me abundance of advice ; and presented me, the fol- lowing Sunday, after service, to his congregation, with much solemnity, and many sharp warnings to my juvenile troop. " Pastor Pflock was esteemed a most zealous and orthodox man, who thundered every Sunday against infidels and dissenters -with the voice of a stentor ; painted the terrors of hell every fortnight, and the joys of heaven once a month ; and, once a quarter, we had a vision of the last judgment. But, on the week days, and in com- mon life, he was a common kind of man enough, who was content to let the world wag as it listed, and troubled his head very little about the sayings or doings of his peasants, provided the due offer- ings were made to his kitchen, and he was not forgotten at wed- ding feasts and christenings. His flock was ignorant, brutal, poor, and lazy ; almost every one was in debt ; their agriculture was wretched, their method of rearing cattle was as bad as possible, and their favorite amusements squabbling, fighting, and going to law. The only thriving person in the village was the Schulze, who also kept the public house, and was a diligent fomenter of the quarrel- some and litigious propensities of his neighbors, by which he was a gainer both ways. The exterior of the village, the rows of mis- erable cottages, full of dirt and disorder, the coarse, lumpish demeanor of the peasants and their wives, the rude audacity of the children, their ragged and dirty clothing, all convinced me that here was my appointed sphere of usefulness here was I called to labor in my vocation in promoting the happiness of my fellow- men. I danced for joy round the schoolroom like a fool, till the house shook again ! " The poverty of the school fund obliged me to make the necessary repairs at my own expense, if I would have it done at all. I had the windows mended, and the walls whitewashed, and the floors, tables, benches, and doors, thoroughly scoured ; dug up my garden, and planted it with vegetables, and set my three acres in order with my own hands. I kept a goat in the stable for the milk ; and I had common right of pasture with the rest of the village. I was 56 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. soon at home in my new abode. The reverend pastor himself was not cleaner or more comfortably lodged. The villagers stared, and seemed as much surprised at my orderly poverty as I was at their nasty abundance." BEGINNING OF THE REFORMATION. "As soon as I had arranged my dwelling to my liking, I began my operations on the rising generation. They drove every day in and out of the schoolhouse like a herd of swine. I began by accus- toming every child to salute me on entering by giving me his hand ; and those who came with them dirty were dispatched forthwith to remedy the evil at the spring behind the house. Hands and feet I required to be clean as the face. Yery few seemed to have any acquaintance with the comb. I desired they should all be combed smooth before they came, and the little savages laughed in my face. The laughing I soon settled with the cane. I entreated the assist- ance of the pastor, and begged him to preach to his flock on the uses of cleanliness. His reverence opened his eyes wider than usual ' What has that to do with religion, schoolmaster ? Be so good as to mind your own business.' However, with the assistance of the stick, I accomplished the combing also. The clothing now came under consideration. Here, nothing was to be done by force. My pupils were all ragged that I could not help, but I insisted that the rags should be clean. I gave little prizes to those who came to school clean for a week together needles, knitting needles, scissors, knives, and other trifles, which I bought by the dozen at the neigh- boring fairs. The whole village, including the parson and the Schulze, sneered at my innovations : but I pursued my own plan obstinately. " Human beings must be unbrutified before they can be educated. With the help of these small rewards, I produced a very considera- ble improvement in the course of a year among the youth of the vil- lage ; and here and there a few of the elders began to feel some shame when the children themselves began to notice their dirty habits. As I passed through the village or fields,' the little ones would leave their play, and come to greet me with a smile, and offer their hands. They all liked me ; they were afraid of my cane, pleased with my presents, and delighted to listen to the stories which t sometimes related to them. THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 57 " My liberalities made a wonderful talk in the village. In the first year I had really spent more than I received. Two of the poorest, half naked children, I had clothed anew at my own cost, and these proceedings puzzled the good people extremely. A village school- master was generally the poorest where all were poor ; no man who possessed any property of his own, however small, would take such an office. Instead, like my predecessors, of accepting presents, or rather alms, from the parents of the scholars, I gave away more than any one else. No one knew what to make of me. Some were of opinion that I was a fugitive from justice, a cash-keeper who had run away with his master's money, or something of that sort. It was a matter of course, that people, who rarely did or thought any good themselves, should thinkno better of me. The pastor, how- ever, gave a good character of me to the provincial school commis- sion, though not without adding some strictures on the system of giving rewards to scholars. But, as giving is not so positively for- bidden by the law as taking, I was confirmed in my office of school- master for life." PROGRESS OF THE REFORMATION. " As soon as I was assured of my dignity, I lightened my task by dividing the school into classes, and making the elder pupils assist in teaching the younger, and by this method brought them all for- ward more quickly. For the poorest girls, I bought wool and knit- ting-needles, taught them to make use of them, and gave them what they made for their own property. This piqued the parents who were in better circumstances - their daughters should be no worse off than their companions ; the knitting became general, and in time was followed by sewing. A poor woman in the village, with whcan I divided my salary, undertook the instruction of the girls in needle- work. In the space of a year, not only the dirty, but the torn gowns and jackets had nearly vanished from my schoolroom. In some few, indeed, the love of dirt and disorder seemed irradicable ; like other diseases, it ran in the blood, and descended from genera- tion to generation. " While the girls were making these advances in civilization, their male associates were not behindhand. Reading, writing, and arith- metic, were diligently pursued, and the diligence was rewarded by the relation of stories of various kinds. It is incredible with what '58 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. eagerness they would throng round me, when, on a holiday or Sun- day afternoon, I took my seat in the fields, or woods, for this pur- pose. Every other amusement was readily forsaken for this ; and many, even, of the grown-up lads, who had ceased to attend the school, never failed to join their younger companions on these occa- sions. Sometimes . I gave them a lesson in natural philosophy, or history, in geography, or a moral lecture ; but always in the form of a story. The young people thought they were only amused, while I was gradually undermining their prejudices, awaking their moral sense, and enlarging their views of the world. " I had not less satisfaction in the singing lessons which it was my duty, as schoolmaster, to give. I had some excellent voices among my scholars, and the vicar choral of a neighboring town assisted me with notes and exercises. My young flock got on exceedingly well ; but to amend the church singing, where the elders were concerned, was more than I could accomplish. The whole strength of thefr lungs was brought into play upon all occasions ; they seemed to make a conscience of never sparing them. I presumed to direct the attention of Pastor Pflock to this subject, and asked him to use his influence with his worthy congregation that they should not bellow so unmercifully. " ' Eh ! what do you mean by that ? ' said the pastor. ' I let every one give free course to his devotional feelings ; let them cry aloud, and spare not. Lukewarm singing, lukewarm Christianity, in my opinion.' " Apparently he had communicated my ridiculous, my unchristian censure, as he called it, to his whole flock ; for I soon remarked that they roared more pitilessly than ever, and came out of church red-hot with their exertions, and as hoarse as ravens. " I found I must be on my guard with these good people, with whom I was very evidently anything but popular ; and, with my singing, sewing, washing, combing, and story-telling, passed for an innovating, mischievous busy-body. For this judgment, I was not a little indebted to the pastor, to whom I was not sufficiently sub- missive ; and to the Schulze still more largely, because I never spent anything in his house, and purloined, as he considered it, some of his customers with my Sunday story-telling. " I might have experienced more active efforts of the ill-will of this last dignitary and his partisans, had I not been, in some measure, defended from them by the warm attachment of the children, who never failed to give me warning in time of any conspiracy against me. But what contributed more than all to keep me scathless from their malice, was a kind of superstitious belief in my powers of THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 59 mischief a belief which, being first induced by the old women of the village, had found ready admittance with all. " They took me, in short, for a conjurer, or something of the kirid. To this wise conjecture, my extraordinary liberality, taken in con- junction with the scantiness of my apparent means, might have partly contributed, and partly that I had found out and frustrated more than one or two spiteful tricks intended to be played on me. It happened several times that I received a private visit from one or the other individual whose cow gave bad milk, or who had lost anything in house or field, to request that I would cut the cards, or make a spell of some kind, to discover the criminal. It was in vain that I tried to reason them out of this preposterous folly, and refused the offered money. They remained firm in their faith, that 'I knew more than I should.' Even my poor three acres brought me under suspicion, because, from being the worst, they were now the best and most productive in the parish. Although every one with their own eyes saw, or might see, that the elder lads helped me in the cultivation of the land, and the younger ones took it by turns to weed for me ; although I offered them the plain- est and simplest rules to obtain a like result with my own, they preferred their own solution of the enigma, ' I knew more than I should,' ' the devil had a hand in it,' &c. " I saw that the elder part of the population were not to be con- verted. My best hopes rested on their children, who were in a great measure under my influence. I had done much in the course of five years, when a scandalous attempt, on the part of the pastor, threatened the destruction of my plans of reformation. One day the pastor sent for me, received me with extraordinary and unusual civility ; and, while I was endeavoring to find out his motive for such an unexpected manifestation, he surprised me by a proposal to bestow on me in marriage a young person who lived in his house in some dependent capacity. He promised a good portion with her. I had no inclination to listen to or repeat village scandal, but I could not be ignorant that the girl's conduct was not irreproachable, and Pastor Pflock knew it full well. Of course, I gave a direct and immediate refusal ; perhaps I was somewhat too abrupt. From that time forward he never preached a sermon without launching forth into invectives against all profligate innovators and ' infidels.' If I had had any doubt as to whom these thunders were directed, his looks would have speedily enlightened me and everybody else ; but I despised them too heartily to take any notice of them. By and by, I received notice that complaints had been lodged against me with the School Commission. I was charged with immoral 60 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. conduct ; I was unfit to be trusted with the instruction of chil- dren. I demanded a hearing ; I demanded the names of my accus- ers, which could not well be refused me ; and I never rested till the accusation and its cause had been traced home to Pastor Pflock. The motives for his extraordinary proposal were clear enough, and I succeeded in making them appear so to the Com- mission. From bullying, the unworthy pastor descended to suppli- cation, that the business might not become generally known. It transpired, nevertheless ; before many days were over, everything that had passed in the justice-room was known to every man, woman, and child in Hard. In another quarter of a year Pastor Pflock was removed, and another, Pastor Bode, replaced him. " The latter, a pious and excellent man somewhat advanced in life, and well acquainted with the world, without being corrupted by time, supported me warmly in every attempt for the improvement of the people, and labored zealously in his own calling for the object. He went from cottage to cottage to give advice, warning, help, and consolation. I grieve to say, he reaped but a scanty harvest with all his toil. His preaching was not half so much attended or admired as Pflock's had been ; the customary offerings to the par- sonage kitchen much scantier. The good people qf Hard main- tained stoutly that Pastor Bode * did not preach the right sort of religion ; he was half an infidel, he did not believe in hell,' &c. &c. And then they shook their heads, and sighed for the high-seasoned homilies of Pastor Pflock, and the discourse usually ended with the ejaculation, 'Ah, he was the man; his was something like ser- mons ! Hard will not see his like again in a hurry ! ' ' THE COLONY. " ABOUT this time a certain Baron Von Losecke paid a visit to Hard, on account of some forest land which he inherited in the neighborhood, and which he wanted to dispose of again, as he did not mean to live in this part of the country. The government had declined the purchase, because wood was not at all wanted here, and there was no navigable river to aid in its disposal elsewhere. The Baron next offered it to the parish of Hard, as the forest lay so conveniently at hand. But the parish was poor and in debt ; it was not in any particular want of wood ; and, if it were, TMreferred greatly stealing it from the Baron's forest to buying of him> The offer was THE TWO MILLIONAlfa. 61 refused, although he would have lowered his first demand of nine to seven thousand guilders. The Baron was quite at a loss what to do with his new acquisition, and went to ask advice of Pastor Bode, who referred him to me as the person in Hard most likely to give him proper counsel. He came, and the thought suddenly occurred to me to buy the wood myself. My plan was ready in a few moments. I could not be a loser. The Baron swore at the whole business ; he wanted, above all things, to be rid of the trouble, and at last declared that if I could find him a purchaser, he should have the wood for six thousand. I told him, at once, that I would buy it myself if he would accept the half in ready money, and allow me reasonable time to pay the other half, with a moderate rate of interest. He stared, first at me, and then at my naked school-room ; but people soon come to an understanding when both parties mean to do so. The bargain was soon struck, and the necessary instruments drawn up. I drew my outstanding capital of four thousand guilders from my native city, paid out of my pocket a yearly sum equivalent to the interest of it, which, if you remember, I had destined for the support of my guardian's daughter, and the Baron received the promised moiety immedi- ately. " The whole village was up in arms at the news of my purchase. No doubt I was supposed to have found the philosopher's stone. I was laughed at for my folly, nevertheless, and many rejoiced before- hand in the expectation that I had certainly overreached myself in my bargain. " The laughter did not very greatly disturb my equanimity. I hired wood-cutters, and a few experienced makers of potash, bought ,tubs and caldrons, built furnaces for the calcining, and trans- formed the fine beech wood into potash. My projects extended themselves. One of my best friends in the village was a young man named Lebrecht, an active, intelligent fellow, who had often assisted me in the school. I now made it over to him entirely with the income such as it was, and procured a ratification of the appoint- ment from the commission. The only share I retained was the story-telling lesson, as it might be called. The school-house I gave up entirely to my successor, and built a temporary abode in the for- est, to be near my workmen. I had cottages built for them also, which could be tenanted in the winter; and thus commenced a new mode of life, pretty much like that of a settler in the back woods of America. The Harders shook their heads at my foolish undertaking, while one acre after another was changed into pot- ash. In a year jjpme hundreds of acres were cleared. My potash 62 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. found a rapid sale, and thus the old, impenetrable beech forest, snugly packed in barrels, wandered to all parts of the world. The half of. the produce was more than sufficient to pay the remainder of the purchase money ; the Baron was paid sooner than I expected, and I had beside some capital in hand, and the land. I now set to work upon a more substantial dwelling for myself, with barns and outhouses, I bought cattle, laid out the land in pasture and arable land, and so turned farmer, as well as potash-maker. In draining some part of the meadows, I discovered a spring. In testing its fitness for domestic purposes, I found it to be mineral. There is no other in all the country round. A new plan was quickly formed. I built this house for the reception of visitors, and adver- tised the healing properties of the spring in all the newspapers. It succeeded beyond all my expectations; the visitors were so numerous, that, in a few years, I was obliged to add wings to the bathing-house. My capital yielded me a high interest. I por- tioned off more than three hundred acres into small farms, and built houses upon them, for which I had lime, sand, and wood gratis, and every house had its tenant ready as soon as it was finished. I chose, in preference to all others, skilful artisans, who were either wanted by the water-drinking guests, or were not easily found in the neighborhood. I took care that the leases should be sufficiently advantageous, to the tenant, to give him a real interest in the suc- cess of my colony. I was law-giver, as well as landlord, and my indulgence on some points, and inexorable severity on others, where the integrity of my colonists was concerned, were so well known, that my regulations were submitted to without hesitation. Look behind you, dear Eoden, at those buildings, fourteen .in number, which stand on the rising ground by the side of the forest. That is my colony." THE NEW DIGNITY. ' AMONG the yearly visitors to the waters, some of the authorities of the land were occasionally to be found, to whom I became known. Had I been dressed like one of themselves, my acquirements would certainly have raised no astonishment, but in one clothed in the coarse garments of a peasant, they were esteemed something won- derful. I passed, moreover, for an opulent man, and these two cir- cumstances procured my appointment as Schulze in Hard, on the THE TWO MILLIO: NAIRES. 63 death of the old one, in spite of all the ancient inhabitants could say against it. My new dignity gave me as much joy, as, under other relations, tl^p post of Prime Minister could have done. I was now in the position I had long desired, and my sphere of action exactly what I wished it to be. I was no stranger to the ingratitude of the Harders, but what else was to be expected from a people so poverty-stricken, ignorant, lazy, and stupid ? I must humanize them before I could look for humaner and nobler feelings from them. " I immediately began to work out my projects. Pastor Bode and the schoolmaster Lobrecht were zealous cooperators. Even as Schulze, I continued my narrative lessons to the youth of the vil- lage. It was too powerful an engine in my scheme of moral refor- mation to be neglected. Eight years' experience had rendered me familiar with the chief sources of mischief in Hard, and I hastened to destroy them. One of the greatest was the litigious spirit of the people. They went to law about everything. I took upon myself to be an attorney, in defiance of the attorneys, and examined those local regulations, which most nearly concerned my peasants, and were most fertile in stuff for lawsuits. A good many I put an end to by amicable arrangement, and the number of my clients increased daily. My office enabled me continually to detect and frustrate the artifices by which provincial advocates often fermented and kept alive the foolish squabbles of the poor ignorant people for their own advantage. This alone was an immeasurable advantage for the village. In the midst of all these official labors, something occurred to me of which I had certainly often thought, but never before felt something which turned my head for a time, and put an effectual stop to my reformation. " One day I drove a wagon myself with a freight of potash to Berg, a market town about twelve miles from Hard, and where my agent for the sale of it lived. In the wagon I had also a sack of beans, which fell from it as I drove into Berg. A lad, who was passing, directed my attention to my loss. I ran back, and hoisted the sack on my shoulders to replace it in the wagon. At that moment a very pretty girl, whose dress announced her an inhabi- tant of Berg, came up with me. I do not know how I looked at her or she looked at me, but I felt the strangest sensation I had ever experienced in my life. While I was staring like a booby, I lost my hat, and, encumbered as I was, I could not stoop to recover it. The beauty saw my embarrassment, and, turning back with the best-hearted smile in the world, picked up the hat and gave it to me. To this day I do not know how I thanked her, or whether I 64 Ttffc TWO MILLIONAIRES. thanked her at all. The smile bewitched me so that I could think of nothing else, and am only surprised how I found my way to my agent's. f " In the house of the agent a room was always reserved for me, because, in my frequent journeys to and fro, I found it sometimes convenient to remain the night in Berg. I might as well have gone back this time, but I did not. I staid in the hope of seeing my little beauty again, and never left the window commanding a view of the main street till I was called to dinner. " As I entered the room where the dinner was served, who should I see but the very object of my thoughts standing by the table ? She was evidently preparing to dine with us. The post of honor at the upper end was assigned to me, and the fair stranger placed herself opposite to me. Frau Diedrich, the agent's wife, said some- - thing to me, to which I replied, ' Good, they are exquisite.' " ' Good heavens ! how sorry I am you did not come last week,' exclaimed the good lady, 'we had some much better.' 11 ' Much better ! ' said I, bewitched. Frau Diedrich was talking about the carp, and I of the black eyes of the maiden. The fair girl smiled, and looked down. " ' Lieber Himmel Herr Schulze, I don't think you heard a word I said ! ' said my hostess. " * Let the matter alone, wife,' said the agent, rising to fetch his pipe. ' Herr Schulze is a learned man : he was star-gazing.' " ' Who is your new companion? ' I seized the first moment of asking, when the beautiful stranger had withdrawn. " ' She is no companion of mine,' replied Frau Diedrich; ' she is a poor girl, whom my sister, the Pastorin Muller, has brought up. My brother-in-law is lately dead, and my sister, being obliged to leave the vicarage, has sent her to me till she is settled again. ' x ' ' ' Poor, is she ? So much the better for me, ' thought I. ' Then I may hope. I am not poor. I am not more than three-and-thirty, and not so bad-looking.' But then I looked again at the delicate town-bred girl, and then at myself a potash-maker in my peas- ant's blouse ! My courage sank a hundred fathoms deep. " Passing by the kitchen, I saw my beauty, with an apron before her, busy over the fire, and the thermometer rose a little. She looked as if performing an accustomed duty. In the evening, as I was sitting alone in my room, I heard something knocking like a knife on a chopping-board. I listened again, and recognized the sound of a detestable old harpsichord, with about as much tone as a tin-kettle, and horribly out of tune into the bargain. Thinking it was one of Diedrich's boys amusing himself, I opened the door be- THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 65 tweep, and entered abruptly. Lo ! and behold ! there sat the fair maiden, again alone ! and the room was evidently the one appropri- ated to her use for the time. She started, and colored at my uncere- monious entry, and so did I. I seemed destined to appear before her in some awkward guise or other. Now the mischief was done, I could only make the best excuse I could think of, and beg permis- sion to try my skill at tuning the old harpsichord. She consented : I brought it into something like order, and was rewarded by hearing her play, which she did witji great taste and feeling. The tin kettle sounded like the music of the spheres. She expressed some surprise to find me so musical, and afterwards, that I could, unlike most country people, speak of anything else than country matters. " ' Are the country people all so learned with you, Mr. Schulze ? ' asked she, with her gentle smile. " I do not know what I answered. The smile and the glance of her black eyes took away my breath and my senses for the time. The poor child seemed to have but little to amuse her in Diedrich's house, for on my asking her to walk out with me, she was ready in a moment. The walk did her good : her features lost a certain tinge of melancholy which I had admired as the greatest of charms till I saw the same features lighted up with smiles, and then I found gladness best became them. At supper, she sat opposite to me again ; and, after supper, we went to the old harpsichord again. This was too much. I never closed my eyes that night. The morning star found me as wakeful as the evening had left me. Lovers reckon by the stars, because they hover in spirit above the earth while they are lovers. I fancied I must be ill, and so I told Diedrich, and made that the excuse for remaining the whole day at Berg. My dear little neighbor had abundance of compassion for me, and did her best to amuse me. While she sung to me, or talked or walked with me, the headache I complained of left me, but my heart, ah, friend Roder! When I returned to Hard, on the third day, I was absolutely miserable. I thought I was going to die, and I believe I made some verses to the moon ! " My official duties began to be terribly importunate, and, I am afraid, were very indifferently performed the week after my visit to Berg. On the other hand I was seized with a sudden zeal for beau- tifying my house, and had many things done which had hitherto appeared to me extremely superfluous. I even bought an excellent piano which I had found on sale in a neighboring town. This was hardly to be called a superfluity, but I had not felt inclined to cul- tivate my musical talents the whole eight or nine years I had spent in Hard with half the zeal as since my visit to Berg. The next 5 66 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. time I drove over, I bestowed a little more attention on my dress, and when I caught sight of the church tower of Berg behind the pine wood, I could almost hear my heart beat. Diedrich and his wife received me with their wonted cordiality, and their sweet friend returned my awkward greeting with a smile and a blush that looked almost like pleasure at seeing me again. " The harpsichord wanted tuning again, and, while I was doing it, I mentioned my purchase of a new piano, and expressed a hope that I should hear her play on it some day, and that was all I said. We went out to walk, and among the thousand things we talked about, the thing I wished most to say was exactly what I did not and could not say. " 'Shall you be here again next week?' asked she, when she gave her hand at parting. We were alone, and yet, like an idiot, as I was, I could find no answer, but, 'On Thursday certainly,' as if I had been talking only to Frau Diedrich. " All the way home I had employment enough in quarrelling with myself, and vowing in my heart to acquit myself the ensuing week somewhat less like a simpleton. "My home was no longer as it had been to me. I wandered through my colony. I looked on my own creation, on the testi- mony of a resolute purpose resolutely pursued. I saw it was right, but it did not rejoice me ; I could not look on my work and say ' that it was good.' Beyond the right and useful, something was wanting, something higher, and that lay beyond my power. My work wanted consecration ; as yet, in my little world, the ' beau- tiful ' was not ! And the beautiful is everywhere the reflected light of Love; when hallowing the earthly, it reveals itself to earth. " This week that passed before I went to Berg again, was certainly longer than the whole eight years I had spent in Hard. This time I found courage to say that the time had appeared immeasurably long since I had seen her, and she answered innocently, 'I am very glad when you come : I am so lost here. It is a pleasure to meet any one with whom we can sympathize.' And hereupon we were both silent, perhaps, because I took her hand and drew it within my arm, at these words, a freedom I had never ventured on before. I did, however, find courage enough, after a while, to say, that ' I should have thought it more likely that she would find here and everywhere hearts only too ready to sympathize with hers ;' to which she answered nothing, and I was as well satisfied that she did not. "When we returned to the house, I invited Diedrich and his wife THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 67 to come over to Hard and look at my new buildings. ' That we will, gladly/ answered he. 'I want to give Miss Augusta a day's pleasure before she goes back next week;' and here he handed her a letter from his sister-in-law, her protectress. " ' And are you really going to leave us? ' I asked her as she sat at the old harpsichord in the evening. " Her hands dropped into her lap. ' I must, my foster-mother has sent for me.' " I thought I saw a tear sparkle through her long eyelashes, and ventured to press her hand to my lips when we parted for the night. " On my return to Hard, Diedrich and his whole family accom- panied me. And when I was once more at home, and saw that home lighted by her bright presence, sunshine and joy were in me and around me ! My work was hallowed by the breath of love. The good was wedded to the beautiful. " Man's heart and hands can accomplish great things in the stir and tumult of the world. Woman is powerless in its troubled strife, yet nobler in her weakness, because more alien to the mere earthly than man. She sanctifies him through her love, awakens in him the sense of the beautiful, and she alone has received from Heaven the gift of crowning his brow with the wreath of victory. For men can never reward men for the struggle and the conquest. All that men can accomplish alone may be great, but it is loveless ; just in its purpose, but austere in aspect. Man's only exclusive work is red-handed war. "Woe to that world where love is not ! " THE HIGHEST FESTIVAL. " I LODGED my guests in the Baths, with a private hint to the land- lord and his wife to amuse and occupy Diedrich and his wife as much as possible, that I might keep Augusta exclusively to myself. Frau Diedrich was scandalized at the humility of my household arrangements, and could not understand why I did not 'live better,' as she phrased it. 'I might easily do so,' I answered, looking at the only person to whom I was desirous of recommending my humble dwelling, 'but it is not necessary to my happiness. I will do without unnecessary necessaries, that I may have where- with to supply real ones.' " Diedrich shook his head, and merely replied, ' Herr Schwlze, 68 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. you are a humorist.' But the beloved one looked on me with sparkling eye and kindling cheek. ' Where such spotless neat- ness reigns, who would seek or desire other adornment ? ' cried she. ' When health and contentment are the companions, who asks whether they sit at a table of beechen wood or mahogany ? if they are served on earthenware, or from porcelain and silver?' " I pressed the hand of my sweet advocate in silent gratitude, and led her through every part of my domain ; she had understanding and sympathy for all, and while her eyes wandered over the wide- spreading prospect, rich in fruit and promise, her heart seemed to swell within her, her eyes filled with tears. 'This is heavenly,' she murmured. " ' And will you forsake it, then? ' said I. 'Will it be heav- enly to me when you are gone ? ' She was silent, as if she did not understand me. ' Oh, remain ! W T here else would you be loved and cherished as you are loved and cherished here ? Be mine! For me there is no happiness without you. You are an orphan; if I may hope to win your heart, who shall refuse me your hand ? ' " 'It is true, I have neither father nor mother,' said Augusta, and a shade of sadness crossed the clear heaven of her brow, like a white cloud over the transparent depths of a summer sky. ' But I have made a vow to myself, and I will keep it, never to dispose of myself without the consent and approbation of a man whom I love and honor beyond others in the world.' 1 ' ' And who may the one so honored be ? ' I asked, with a beat- ing heart. "'The noblest-minded being on earth,' she replied, warmly. ' My father's death was sudden and most grievous. He had, though from no fault of his own, ruined a young man who had been his ward; and yet this young man was the only person in the world who had compassion on his orphan child. He shared with me the little my father's misfortunes had left him, provided me with suitable protection, gave me an education, any good that may be in me is his work. I owe him every breath I draw ; I honor him as my second father. Where to find him I know not ; for, like the Providence that blesses us unseen, he has never beeu visible to my gratitude ; two letters I wrote him remain unanswered ; yet my determination is unalterable, never to accept the hand of any man without asking and obtaining his approbation.' " ' And his name ? ' asked I, breathless with expectation. " ' His name is Engelbert.' " ' And yours is Augusta Lenz.' THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 69 " She looked at me with surprise. I took her hand and led her back into the house, into my study, and took from the drawer of my desk two letters, which I laid before her. " ' Good heavens ! how did these letters fall into your hands, Mr. Schulze ? ' exclaimed Augusta, as she recognized her own hand- writing. " 'I am Engelbert,' was all I could say. *' In spite of all I could do to hinder her, Augusta sunk on her knees before me, seized my hands, and covered them with tears and kisses. " ' Let me, let me,' she sobbed, resisting my efforts to raise her. ' How I have longed for this moment, when I could pour out my whole heart before my benefactor, my only friend !' "But I need say no more, my friend; you will guess how I answered, and how I sped in my wooing. From that moment began the real happiness of my life, a happiness that has never known pause or hindrance in its course, nor will, I hope and trust, till the hearts of both are stilled in death. " You may, perhaps, be surprised that we did not become sooner known to each other, and yet the cause was very simple. My agent, Diedrich, had never called me by any other name than my official one, as the people hereabouts are wont to do, and Augusta, who was a stranger to Hard and its relations, had taken it for granted that ' Herr Schulze ' bore only his family name, and nc very uncommon one either. " Whatever Frau Diedrich could say against the irregularity of such a proceeding, I empowered my good friend, Pastor Bode, tc publish the banns forthwith. Augusta had given me a double right, in admitting my authority as guardian to its full extent, to insist on her leaving Hard no more. To the good woman who had charge of my bride, she wrote, by my desire, ensuring to her the yearly sum she had hitherto received as the price of Augusta's mainten- ance, and which she was not in circumstances to spare without inconvenience. Diedrich and his wife remained with Augusta my guests at the Baths. As bride, I invested her with the full authority of the future mistress, to order and arrange all within and without the house, according to her own pleasure. What a week we passed ! second only in felicity to those we have known since. " On the day of our wedding, my kind and gentle Augusta made her appearance, not in the extravagant and somewhat ridiculous finery of a town bride, but in the simple and unpretending costume suitable to the wife of a village Schulze, the guide and associate of peasants, over whom she claimed no other superiority but the 70 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. undisputed and undisputable one of greater knowledge and virtue. "A fortnight after this, Pastor Bode joined our hands at the altar." A FORTUNATE MISFORTUNE. " AUGUSTA'S diligence and skill in domestic arrangements spared me many a care. Freed from all anxiety for my private affairs, I could devote myself the more entirely to the weightier duties of my office. " I had been about two years married, when the terrible day came which reduced all Hard to ashes. The conflagration had its origin in some very usual but unpardonable piece of carelessness on the part of one of the inhabitants. All help was useless. The good people of Hard stood by stupefied and totally inactive, while others from the neighboring villages were exerting themselves to the utmost to save their cattle and farming stock. There were not half a dozen houses left standing. " The blow was a heavy one ; the people were too ignorant and lazy to be otherwise than poor ; the aid afforded by government scanty, when measured by the want. The sufferers looked at one another in helpless consternation; the greatness of the calamity had robbed them, not only of their property, but of their heads and their hands, such as they were. I alone did not despair nay, even saw ground for hope from the very extent of the misfortune. All were now alike poor. They must work, if they meant to eat. " As soon as it became a question of rebuilding the village, I delivered a memorial to the government, in which I endeavored to prove that a great advantage might accrue to the community of Hard, if such exchanges were effected between the owners of the land as to fix every man in the centre, or nearly so, of his own portion. By this means, not only would the danger of a similar catastrophe be con- siderably lessened, but, what was of yet more consequence, a fruitful source of dispute and litigation would be cut off, by the comparative isolation of the proprietors. My plan was approved of, and a com- mission appointed to effect the necessary exchanges, at the head of which I was placed, in spite of the murmurs and opposition of the Harders. The business was arranged at last, but not without con- siderable difficulty and every man's portion of land brought within a THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 71 ring-fence. The grand want at present was of timber for building. There was none fit for the purpose to be procured but from a con- siderable distance, and consequently at an enormous price ; and many were the lamentations that Baron von Lesecke's forests had not been purchased when he offered them ten years before. " I now caused the remainder of my timber to be felled, and sold at the most moderate price, without requiring immediate payment. The greater part. I allowed to remain over for two years, without interest. To many persons I advanced money. The government did its part. For the poorest of all, liberal collections were made among the guests at the Baths. " In little more than a year the village rose from its ashes in scattered dwellings, as you now see it. As a further security against fire, I had public ovens built, apart from the dwelling- houses ; better engines provided, and a well dug near every house. I had the water from my own lands, and those of others situated on the heights, conducted into one common channel, and directed toward the waste common land. Here the great canal was divided into a number of smaller canals, passing through the meadows, the fertility of which was increased threefold, by artificial inundation. The fields and gardens around soon showed signs of improvement. Being immediately under the eye of the owner, they 'were more carefully cultivated, and much valuable time spared, which had formerly been wasted in running from one outlying field to another. Poverty and necessity compelled the greater part to economy, both of time and money. The public house in the village was less visited. In my inn, I allowed neither wine nor spirits to be sold. The widow of the former Schulze, who still kept the house in the village, abused me unmercifully ; but I obtained my object. Had she followed my advice, and arranged her house for the reception of the water-drinkers and bathers, she might have been a much richer woman, for this house is often so full that new guests are continually obliged to leave the place for want of lodging. " It is true that the greater part of the village is still in debt to me, but their other debts are nearly acquitted, and this was the consequence of real misfortune. Our village is the most flour- ishing and industrious, and therefore the highest in credit, in the whole country. We have no more lawsuits, and squabbling and fighting are scarcely remembered among us. Many of my former scholars of both sexes are now themselves parents, and, I may honestly assert, are as warmly attached to me as ever. Order and cleanliness greet the eye and gladden the heart on every side. " It may have contributed in some measure to this happy change, 72 THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. that I have remitted the interest of the sums owing to me to those who distinguished themselves the year through in the neatness of their houses and persons, the cultivation and good order of their fields, and in keeping from quarrels and litigation. By way of encouragement to the rest, I made a gift of the whole capital due to me, to the three families who first worked themselves free from all other debt." Engelbert had proceeded thus far in his narration, when we were interrupted by Augusta. She looked like a rose in its full pride of beauty, with all its buds clustering round. The infant was on her arm, the youngest boy clinging to her side, and the elder ones frolicking about her. What a morning greeting was there ! I felt a child again among those happy children of nature. The bell for church came up through the valley. We went all together, and I shall not easily forget the effect of the hymn of praise sung in four parts by the numerous congregation. The address of the silver-haired pastor was worthy of the rest earnest, simple, touching intelligible to all practical for this life, yet teaching to look beyond it. When the service was over, the whole community assembled under the lime trees. The Schulze spoke in a kind and friendly manner to several who addressed him, and then, mounting a bench, read some government proclamations, and explained and cleared up some misunderstanding respecting them. When this business was over, he pointed me out with his hand to the assembly and said " I have here an old and dear friend on a visit to me ; and as I wish to give him pleasure, and also to make known to him those young people who have particularly distinguished themselves by their conduct since our last meeting, I invite them all to a dance and supper with me this evening." And here the Schulze read a long list of names from a paper which he held in his hand : hereupon a general whispering, hand- shaking, and smiling took place, and the assembly separated with joyous faces and sparkling eyes. The reverend pastor, the school- * master, Librecb, an intelligent, well-informed young countryman, possessed of considerable natural talent and an ardent thirst for knowledge, and the doctor and his wife, joined us at dinner, which, contrary to Engelbert's usual custom, was very handsome, and had been prepared at the bathing-house. I never passed a happier evening, and have rarely listened to a better concert. Seven-and- forty voices, male and female, executed choruses and motells, from Grann, Handel, Rolle, and Haydn, with a purity of style and pre- cision of tone that would not have disgraced a concert in the capital THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. 73 Engelbert, his wife, and two elder boys, were among the singers The concert was given in the open air, behind the garden of the bathing-house. The place seemed made for the purpose. A soft echo from the distant rocks sent back the haryony in magic sweet- ness ; the evening sun shone in full splendor on the fields, and broke through the trees on the broad grassy glade where we stood, chequering its deep emerald with broad gleams of gold, and hover- ing like a glory round many a fair young head. I confess the whole scene had something inexpressibly touching to me. ! and all this is the work of one man ! thought I, gazing around me. And this man, who, wherever he moved and looked, beheld his own creation, and that it was good, stood there simple and unassuming among the rest, a peasant among peasants. When the concert was over, I clasped his hand with heartfelt emotion, and exclaimed involuntarily, " Thou art one of the really great in the rustic garb." The evening closed with a dance in the large and handsome saloon of the dwelling-house.* Augusta was my first partner, and a very charming one I found her ; and after her some of the prettiest wives and maidens of Hard. Many of them danced exceeding well, and did infinite credit to the Frau Schulzin, who had been their only instructress. The venerable gray-haired pastor, who mingled with his flock like a grandfather among his beloved children's children, was not the least interesting person of the group. We sat at supper as chance or choice dictated. A fair young rustic, who sat next me, entertained me very agreeably and very rationally, far more so than many a fashionable clamsel, whom it has been my lot to meet in circles of far higher pretensions, has done since. As soon as ray carriage was mended, and my servant in condition to travel, I left Hard. Engelbert, who considered me as his guest in a house that belonged to him, would not hear of my offering any remuneration where I had lodged. I left his village, therefore, as his debtor, with what feelings of genuine admiration and respect, I need not describe to you. You have now the history of my second millionaire, (continued Counsellor Von Rodern,) deduce what advantage you can for the point in dispute. Even those among us who had defended Morn's misanthropy could not deny that Engelbert had had fully as much cause for hostility to society in general ; and confessed that, with the same views of social evil, he had been no self-indulgent Morn, but an unwearied benefactor of his kind. Yet they were unwilling to give * A common practice in Germany. ^w I 74 t iP THE TWO MILLIONAIRES. up the cause, but defended Morn, as Kousseau had been defended, on the score of the excessive susceptibility of his temper. " To speak more plainly, he was a vain man, or, as the phrenol- ogists would say, his^pprobativeness was strongly developed," said Von Krachen, smiling. "Hence he was easily deceived, and the often-deceived man is inevitably a mistrustful man. With less judgment than imagination, he was often as much mistaken in him- self as in others, adopted opinions upon insufficient grounds, and drew general inferences from particular cases." Engelbert had both head and heart in the right place, and did not abandon a general principle because of a trifling failure in peculiar instances. Many lament and complain of the perversity and corruption of the world. Engelbert hated the corruption, but he did not whine over it. He attacked it boldly within his own little world, and reformed it. He made war on the error, but not on the erring. Pity that there are not a few more Engelberts in the world ! But the greater part of our world-reformers like the theory far better than the practice. They can eulogize virtue freely, but have no courage for the practice of it. They are them- selves fettered by the very follies and prejudices against which they cry out so lustily. They are weaklings without heart for that truth and nature they so loudly commend, and hug the chain while they contemn the slavery. Or, if they make the sacrifice, they will have counter-sacrifices; praise, honor, popular applause. How many would like to put themselves in Engelbert's place, act the reformer's part, instead of declaiming it ; bear all that was repul- sive in it, bear to be misconstrued and misrepresented, and never once ask, will the world applaud the action? And till people are found willing to do this, take my word for it, though the preachers may be many, the converts will be few. "I OWE YOB ROTHIffE, Sffi," PART I. THE EARL. THE recess was drawing to a close. The countess and her daugh- ters had already left for London. The earl remained at the castle, to give further directions about the estate, with no companion but his heir. To this boy's interest the father was dedicating his life. He had watched him during ten years with intense anxiety. He had seen faculties of the highest order developing themselves in his char- acter, and he resolved to train him for the service of the state. Reflecting that much of his own time had been consumed in the petty cares of a numerous tenantry, the earl yielded to the proposals of his factor, divided his estate into large sheep-farms, and expelled his old tenants. In this way, he thought, his son would find fewer cares to trouble him when he grew up, and more time to realize his destiny. The arrangements were nearly completed. The factor and his officials had been with the earl all the morning. They were gone to eject the last of the tenants. The earl continued at the writing- desk, and wrote as follows to his countess : " These vile attacks, my dearest countess, we shall scorn. The newspapers must minister to the insatiate malice against our order, which rankles in the breasts of the vulgar. Our apology, our reason, I should rather say, is to be found in the ways of Prcjvi- dence. We have acted in strict accordance with the laws which rule our race. Everywhere ignorance must give place to knowl- edge ; the incapable to those who have capacity. The business habits, the extensive enterprise, the improved skill of the Lowland farmers, supplant the backwardness, the unskilfulness, the sluggish- ness, of our Highland tenantry. We lament that it must be so. The touching verses in your own diary express our sorrow. But (75) 76 "l OWE YOU NOTHING." the time was come. The law of Providence was to be vindicated ; and our much bepitied tenantry are gone to supplant those who are less skilful in North America, who again, years ago, naturally en- tered into the place of the aborigines. "I sometimes feel, however, as if I would not have cared to be- come the voluntary agent in the hand of Providence, had it not been for our beloved Noel. My heart leaps up when I reflect how my present toils will advantage him. Often my thoughts project into the future. I see our boy a leader among the greatest. . Not a day goes past which does not bring some token of his greatness to my sight. " This very morning he came to me, as I was reading in the deep window of the library, and said, pointing to the bay, ' Look there, father. I have seen the bay a thousand times filled with water, and the waves chasing each other to the beach. Far over on the opposite shore I can see the horses moving along the road ; and, to the right and left, our bay is walled in by land. I see land wherever I turn. When I come from London I see nothing but land. I should like to look upon the broad ocean, father. You told me yesterday it is to be seen from Headland Crag there. Be- hind it you say the sea rolls in from America. Let me go up there while you are engaged with the factor. I will climb up by the shepherds' track.' " What a spirit, my countess ! Would it not have been cruel to have denied him ? I wished, indeed, to send a servant with him, but he would not go on that condition. The self-relying, courage- ous boy ! "While I write to you, he will be enjoying his reward. I well remember, when a boy, my first ascent of the crag. Up and up through the ploughed fields and the brown heath I climbed, until I reached the hard rock, rugged and bare, which shoots up at the summit. It was a worthy spectacle. Far as my eye could reach, the sea stretched out before me, until it seemed to blend into the very heavens. I had only seen it in the bay before, rolling in from the opposite shore. I now beheld it sweeping away into the infinite ; and even in my childhood I deemed it a glorious sight. So, doubtless, does our Noel deem it at this moment, as a new idea is taking its place in his mind." He gave the letter to a domestic to carry to the neighboring post- town, and took up the plans of his estate. In vain, however, did he attempt to fix his mind upon the dry outlines ; it was with Noel on the top of Headland Crag. 77 The bell of the castle struck four as he was thus engaged. Ha had calculated on Noel's return before this hour. A pang of unea- siness shot through the father's heart. He strove to subdue it by his confidence in the boy's energy. It would not be subdued. In two hours more the sun would set. Should night overtake the young adventurer, what mishaps might then ensue ! The earl rose in restlessness. The door of the library opened upon a lovely lawn that swept down like a crescent, shaping itself to the bay. A little to the left, on the public road, was a jutting point, from which a view of the path over the crag was commanded. Thither he bent his steps. In vain, however, did his eye range from top to base ; in vain he searched every turn of the footpath through his pocket- glass. No Noel was to be seen. An old thorn stump that grew near the summit was, for a moment, mistaken for the boy, and the anxious father made beckoning signs with his handkerchief. Then a solitary bush, half way to the base, was supposed to be the wearied heir resting for a little. Objects innumerable assumed the shape of Noel, but Noel himself came not. He was in the act of waving his handkerchief to one of these delusive objects, his uneasiness passing into fear, when he heard the approach of footsteps; and, turning about to conceal his anxiety by the assumption of an in- different air, and to see what stranger was travelling on that lonely road, he beheld one of the most singular figures he had ever chanced to set his eyes upon. If our readers would fancy Samuel Johnson's head and shoulders perched upon a short, spare body, and the very slimmest legs these last particulars encased in dim shepherd tartan a camlet cloak suspended from the afore-mentioned shoulders, and an am- phibious expression of youth and age over the whole, they would see for themselves the traveller who now came forward to the earl and stood uncovered in his presence. His lordship was in no mood to be troubled at that time, but there was something in the demeanor of the traveller which com- manded his attention. "You have business with me?'* insinuated his lordship, as the stranger continued silent. "May I presume to know what you are ? " "I was the schoolmaster of your late tenants," the stranger replied. "Your factor's servants have expelled me this morning from my school and home. I am now houseless and helpless. My wife and childian are with me." As he spoke he pointed to the weary group resting on the beach, looking fixedly at the earl and himself. Now it was not specially 78 apparent to the earl that the poor man who stood beside him was a victim to the policy which he had been pursuing of late on his es- tate. Between the effects of that policy on his old tenantry, and the policy itself, he had drawn a sufficient veil, so that he could look at the one without being self-accusingly troubled about the other. He, therefore, listened to the statement which had just been made, as a formal judge would to a passionate plea of not guilty, with an almost entire indifference, arising out of the convic- tion that such things must necessarily occur. And yet the earl was not a bad man. He was simply one who looked upon human life from the position of an earldom. In the very philosophy which bred this indifference, there was an element which the sight of the wearied wife and children was exactly fitted to bring into action. We saw in his letter to the countess that he considered himself as an agent in the hand of Providence when he was expelling his un- skilful tenantry. On a similar ground he held that his order was the natural custodier, and the appointed dispenser of the charities of Providence. Hence, a few months before, he had hurried down from Parliament to sit as chairman at a county meeting, called to consider the case of the poor, and had made speeches which were circulated as the very cream and essence of benevolence. And hence, also, as if the action were the irresistible effect of the sight he was directed to, he drew a sovereign from his purse, and held it out to the houseless teacher. To his utter amazement, the teacher put the hand which held out the gratuity from him, and said, with great dignity, "My lord, I did not come to beg your charity. Grod has en- dowed me with knowledge, and I desire to impart it." A frown crept over the earl's brow. The schoolmaster continued, "I have applied for two schools, and have been unsuccessful. I have no certificate. They who could best tell my worth, or want of worth, are far out on the sea. Your factor never heard of me. I have no man to speak for me. So I have come to your lordship. Your lordship's influence may procure me a school which is vacant on your neighbor's estate." "You have come in a wrong spirit," replied the earl, dropping the rejected sovereign back into his purse ; " and besides, you have come to one who knows you not. I cannot promise you my influ- ence." The last sentence was uttered in an irritated tone, and the speaker was turning away to be quit of the applicant, when the latter said, I OWE YOU NOTHING." 79 " If I have spoken rudely, my lord, pardon me. Indeed, I did not purpose to do so. Yet I have been sorely tried this day. I beg you, for my family's sake, not to withhold the favor I ask." The earl made no reply. The teacher waited for a moment, and then resumed, in a half soliloquy, for the hope of effecting his purpose was fading away, " I was trusting to your influence, my lord. I did not think it would have been refused. I thought I deserved it, to some extent. My father, and my father's father, were tenants under your ances- tors. I have taught the children of your tenantry. My lord " "I cannot help you, sir; I cannot help you," interrupted the earl, turning full round and confronting the poor teacher. te Your father's father I did not know. I do not know their son. If you taught the children of my tenantry, they would, doubtless, pay you for your work. You deserve nothing at my hands. I am not bound to you. I owe you nothing, sir, nothing." So saying, his lordship strode away to arouse the castle, servants to the search for Noel, and left the schoolmaster standing in the middle of the road. PART II. THE TEACHEE. IN a mean hovel, built by the farmers of the preceding genera- tion on a piece of land which could by no skill of husbandry known to them be turned to any other account, the man who was treated with so much contempt by the earl had kept a school since he was a boy. There, three miles from the spot on which he now stood, he had taught, with a loving and willing heart, the children of the ejected tenantry. He was a thoughtful, simple soul, who knew little of the world in which the earl moved. At this particular time, too, he was sickly. And the haughty words stung his heart, and brought the tear into his eye. "He owes me nothing!" he muttered to himself. "I did not say he did. I never, till now, thought he did. I sought his help as a favor, not as a debt. Yet, now I think, he did owe it to me. Grod help my family ! Our trust is not in princes, nor in men's eons." He repressed his emotion, however, as well as he could, and returned to his wearied and houseless companions. They were all 80 "I OWE TOD NOTHING." weeping. They had seen the earl turning away, and guessed the result. Three children clung around the mother. The youngest did not understand the cause of the sorrow, but wept because the rest were weeping. A word about the teacher's wife. She was a true helper, and right noble soul. Her mind was firmer, more capacious, than her husband's. She had stayed up his sinking spirits when the proba- bility of their present circumstances first darkened their minds ; and now, in the actual circumstances, she was not wanting in either words or dee^s of hope. Her grief gave way speedily to a better feeling. " Let us not fail to hope, Duncan," she said ; " I feel assured that your application will be attended to. God will provide for you a school. We must hasten towards the town ! night is drawing on." Shall we tell our readers that the whole family knelt down upon the beach, and committed their way to that Being whose ear is ever open to the cry of the afflicted ? When they rose, the father slung the youngest child in a plaid upon his breast, the mother bound a little bundle of valuables upon her back, each took one of the two elder children by the hand, and thus they resumed their journey. Their road lay along the shore of the castle bay, and then round the peak, and along the other base of the headland, which Noel had ascended that morning. As they passed the castle, they saw the earl and domestics bustling and running about in great alarm. Ignorant of the cause, the poor teacher could not help recalling the bitter words which his lordship had spoken, and thus addressed his wife, " I think, Rachel, that my ill-requited toils among his tenantry might have engaged him to a little interest in our future welfare." " At all events, Duncan," the wife replied, " he owed you an apology kind words, at least for the rudeness of his factor's men to us this day. " Yes," she continued, with a dash of indigna- tion glowing in her face, " he owed you help, he owed you sympathy, he owed you justice. He was bound to you, to me, to these little ones, by our very sorrow, even, if it had not been caused by him- self." But either her indignation or her grief, or both together, choked her utterance, and she said no more. Duncan did not venture to reply. In truth, he was unable. The wrong which had been done to him was at present hidden from his view by his anxiety about the future. He could not yet define it or utter it. It lay dmrnb in him in the deep recesses of grief and fear. With Rachel, it was differ- ent ; she clearly saw the thought which her husband only dimly I OWE YOU NOTHING." 81 felt. Although she continued silent, the thought was working in her soul. Her flushed face, her quickening steps, indicated how clearly she apprehended the injustice of the earl's reply. " Proud earl that he is ! " she exclaimed within her own mind, " with all his greatness he does not know how sacred is a human home. What other earl, what other earthly dignitary, what human heart, so cruel as to have acted as he and his have done ! He said, * I do not know you I owe you nothing, you inconsiderable boor on my estate ! ' The man was wrong, proud peer ! who taught thee so to speak. A better than thou did not refuse to know us, and to help us well. Morning and evening He came to our solitary home. He came to us with life, with bread, with reason, with family ties, with words from His Father's bosom. He calls us no longer servants, but friends. Are His friends to be so despised ? refused the cup of cold water ? Sin lies at thy door, my lord !" Again, however, the current of her thoughts was interrupted. Duncan and the children were standing still. They had at length reached the extremity of the headland. The weary bend of the bay in which the castle stood had been travelled, and they were now prepared to wind round to the other base of the crag, which ran along the shore of the open sea, and skirted the road that led to the town. Why are they pausing here? What has rooted them so to the ground ? They cannot hide from themselves that night is hastening up behind them. Yet there they stand, gazing right across the mouth of the bay, and far over into the level country beyond. A column of smoke is rising against the eastern sky, in the distance. The wind heaves it to a side for a moment, then breaks it near the ground, and bright flames issue out beneath. Duncan and his family are again in tears. Rachel was the first to speak, " The home where our babes were born ! So Duncan " She could say no more. House and school were in flames. The officials of the " agent of Providence " were burning them as worth- less, and their late possessors had, unexpectedly, turned towards the painful sight. Mournfully they withdrew their gaze, and resumed their journey. In a few minutes they had doubled the cape of the crag, and the chill breath of the open sea beyond, came up sorely against the faces of the children. " The sea is gathering for a storm, Rachel," said the teacher. " Let us mend our steps, children," replied the mother ; " we- have to reach that spire shining far before us ere we rest." The sea rolled in heavily on their left. On their right, sloping up from the road, arose the northern face of Headland Crag. 6 32 "I OWE YOU NOTHING. 1 PART III. THE HEIR. WE return to the castle for a moment. The earl had ceased to think of his encounter with the" teacher. Noel's continued absence filled him with alarm, and shut out every other thought. An instant search was determined on. The earl himself, and four domestics, with dogs and torches, set out for the shepherds' track. Others were directed to separate and ascend the hill from different points, hallooing at every step ; then to meet the earl and his companions upon the highest ridge, to consider how they should continue the search, if still unsuccessful. The level beams of the sun were resting on the summit of the crag. as they set out, warning them to lose no time. It never occurred to the earl that Noel had been tempted to de- scend the crag by the northern side. Yet so it was. When the boy had clambered to the summit and obtained the wished-for sight, a further longing and curiosity drew him down to the shore which lay beneath. With all the thoughtlessness of a headstrong boy, he yielded to the longing, and found himself in an another hour stand- ing on a solitary shore at the base of that height which had taken him three hours to climb from the castle bay. While he stood, his eye caught a ship in the distance, running before the wind with all her canvas set. Noel was in raptures. All the coaches he had ever seen were nothing compared with this. Sailing-boats of every shape were glorious in his eyes. He gazed, he followed, he fairly ran. The same longing which led him to descend the hill, impelled him after the sailing vessel. Along the shore he ran, until he was thoroughly tired, keeping his eye fixed on the ship as long as it remained in sight. When he be- thought himself of home, he was far from the beaten foot-path by which he had crossed. Struggling with weariness and hunger, he slowly retraced his steps. Late in the afternoon he had once more reached the entrance to the track. He looked upwards : the hill rose above him dark with gathering shadows ; to his view, nearly thrice the height which it appeared in the morning from the castle windows. Dismay and weariness overpowered him. He sat down on the beach to rest, and soon fell asleep, his head resting upon an old gray stone. While he slept the tide began to turn. The sea rolled towards his resting-place, the waves broke within a few paces of his feet : a fierce wind came riding on their back. I OWE YOU NOTHING." 83 He was sleeping within tide-mark, but had providentially lain down on a swell of sand ; the waves girdling him more closely, but he was still above their reach. Yet all the more terrible did his condition seem when he awoke and saw that his couch of sand was surrounded by the waters. One cry of intense agony burst from his lips. He heard the storm howling in the air. He felt the waves dashing at his feet. Behind, before, the path was closed. " Father ! father ! father ! " he cried, and alternately leaped and cowered down with fear. The sun had sunk, but there was still light enough to discern objects on the hill. With a child's hope he continued to call upon his father, although no living thing was to be seen from top to base. Suddenly a light glanced over the ridge. Another, and another ! The hill-top seemed on fire. Noel could discern figures within the light, and instinctively knew they were from the castle. He re- doubled his cries. " I am here ! I am here ! I am here ! " No human voice could reach so high. The heavy beat of the thundering sea was heard but faintly by the earl and his domestics on the ridge. They, however, resolved to descend. The earl was bewildered, he knew not what to think. His mind ran on pitfalls, and wild beasts, and cold, and hunger, and every possible evil, but that which engirdled his beloved Noel. With the speed of huntsmen they de- scended, darting hither and thither into every nook, searching every bush and brake in their way. Noel beheld their torches flashing nearer ; he felt also, behind him, the might of approaching waters. His cries continued to mingle with the blast. Our readers have heard the loudest storm sinking into a moment- ary lull. They have listened to the noise of the tempest receding to gather new strength. In such a lull, the voice of Noel at length pierced upwards to his father's ears. Some dim image of the actual condition of his boy glanced into his father's mind. He and his domestics, hallooing for Noel's sake, waving their torches, hurried down, towards the shore. Yet, in vain had they hurried, if the deliverance of the boy had depended upon them. The tide was fairly upon him. The waves were already dashing over his feet. A few moments more and he must have been swept away. He could no longer cry. Terror now mastered him and struck him dumb. He saw the black waves hurrying past him on either side : the howl of the mighty wind sounded through his heart : he was about to sink through fear and exhaustion, and abandon him- self to the tide, when he feit himself lifted from the sand and borne 84 " I OWE YOU NOTHING." through the darkness and the waters in the arms of a human being.^ Twice his deliverer was overthrown by the rush of the waves rolling to the shore. With firm clasp he was still enabled to hold the child and recover his footing. At that moment the earl and his people sprang from the shep- herds' track. They ran about in all directions, hallooing the boy's name. Some of them leaped down upon the beach. A woman and three children were gazing into the sea with the greatest agitation. " Help ! help ! " cried the woman, " he is there ! in save my husband and the child ! " Before the men could comprehend her meaning, they beheld a man bearing a child aloft, struggling towards the shore, nearer, nearer. His burden is safe ! He, himself, sinks exhausted into the arms of the woman. Noel rushed into his father's arms, and clasped him again and again. A few words sufficed to explain his danger and his unex- pected deliverance. The earl turned to thank the brave being to whom he owed so much. He found him still leaning on the wo- man's breast ; and manifested the tenderest sympathy. " My benefactor, my friend, my brother, how shall I ever repay you ? Come with us to the castle. Accept this purse. In what way can I assist you, or pay you the debt you have so generously laid me under ? " He was going on in this somewhat incoherent style, when the man lifted up his face from his wife's bosom and answered, in tones which the earl too well remembered, " My lord, you owe me nothing. I have but done my duty." It was our teacher. The screams of the heir caught his ears too, in that momentary lull of the storm. Giving the child to Rachel, he had ventured through the surge, and was enabled to do the deed we have already described. We will not attempt to describe the mingled feelings of the earl. The liveliest gratitude struggled painfully within him beneath the pressure of Duncan's proud retort. To this man he had spoken rudely but a few hours before. He was now bound to him eternally. Once and again he proffered his thanks, and renewed his offers of hospitality and help. The pride of the teacher stepped between, and waved his lordship's help away. " This morning," said the earl, " you asked a favor at my hands. May I now offer what I then refused ? " " I OWE YOU NOTHING." 85 " My lord, you owe me nothing nothing, my lord. Rachel, let us hasten on our way." Rachel had listened with eagerness all the while. She would not have spoken in the earl's presence, if her name had not been men- tioned. She knew her husband's pride of heart: she knew how deeply he had cause to feel the conduct of the earl's officials. But now the circumstances were changed. The peer was asking what the teacher had to bestow. " Duncan," said she, " have you forgotten that God has bound the human race together in bonds of mutual debt ? Each one owes something to every other, and to all. Whatever God has given to one, which he has not given to all, is given to be returned to the brotherhood of earth. Our gifts, our goods, our affections, what- ever we have which others have not, we must look upon as due to them. Did you not look upon yourself as debtor to the children you taught, to me, to these little ones ? Is not this your own be- loved doctrine ? Will you refuse to acknowledge it now ? Owe you not to this earl the acceptance of his thanks and help ? " These words were uttered slowly to an unwilling ear. But they broke down the proud spirit, and accomplished their end. " Enough, Rachel. I have acted sinfully. My lord, bear with a man vexed and irritated by the unusual events of this day. I accept your kind offer ; and will gladly return with you to the castle, and renew my request to-morrow." The earl was touched. He had learned a lesson this day which had at once humbled and exalted him ; with a truer feeling towards his brother man than had ever stirred in his bosom hitherto, he re- plied, " Duncan, I will more than grant your request. You shall abide on our estate, and be provided there with a school worthy of you." He was as good as his word. A handsome school was built for Duncan within a mile from the castle. Better days dawned on him and his brave Rachel. On looking back, he felt that he had been truly led by a way he knew not, not merely to improved circumstances, but to clearer apprehensions of the duty which man everywhere owes to man. He never ceased to impress on his own children that a poor man may be as proud as a peer, and as inconsiderately with- hold what he owes to his titled brother. NOTES OF A JOURNEY ACHflSS THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. WE left New York on the 17th of July; and on the 28th of the same month cast anchor before Chagres, one of the eastern ports of the Isthmus of Panama. A leaden sky, a humid and oppressive atmosphere, and peals of thunder, that were echoed from the depths of the close woods, contributed not a little to give a mel- ancholy aspect to a port whose reputation for unhealthiness has eclipsed even that of Senegal. Though Chagres is so conveniently situated between the two oceans, and the two lines of steam navigation that connect the United States with California, it is but a miserable village, com- posed of a few Indian huts, which are constructed of wood and stubble, and stand on each side of the river. The streets are complete puddles during the rainy season, which occurs in winter. This season is most fatal to health, because of the humid heat that pre- vails, and the deleterious miasma which is disengaged from all parts of the soil. Serious maladies may be contracted within a few hours ; and strangers are eager to leave this inhospitable place. The boat- men of the river Chagres, who were formerly hard put to it to earn a miserable subsistence, now gain very considerably by the American emigration to California, and the haste of travellers to leave this noxious coast and get up the river to Panama. In order to secure their own price from the poor strangers at their mercy, they take care only to exhibit a small number of boats while there are plenty more out of sight along the opposite bank of the river. We left Chagres on the 30th July. The entrance of the river presented a most rich and beautiful aspect. Palms and cocoa-nut trees, and other gigantic productions of the climate, made two bar- riers on either side the stream of impenetrable verdure. Thoir long A JOURNEY ACROSS THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. 87 branches, gracefully inclining over the water, projected afar their splendid shadows, by which the voyager was only too happy to profit. The first impression produced by the sight of this luxuriance of nature is that of profound admiration ; to which shortly succeeds a vague sinking of the spirits. This doubtless proceeds from the enervating odors sent forth by tropical vegetation, and from the gases produced by the soil of the plants, whose absorption, emission, and flow, of sap, acquire, in the heat and humidity to which they are constantly subjected, an extraordinary energy. Alternately peace- ful as a lake, and impetuous as a cataract, this river seems to pride itself in its violent contrasts. Its habitual visitors were more sur- prised than frightened by our approach. Here the wild turkey-hen, with plumage of ebony, sailed round a palm tree, slowly beating the air with her heavy wings. Further on were clouds of paroquets, gay with a thousand tints, and uttering their sharp, provoking cries. From time to time we could distinguish, in the middle of the thick- ets, the scaly and yellowish bodies of alligators, which are very common on the borders of the Chagres, where they wait entire hours for their prey, in a state of perfect immobility. We were not long in arriving at a filthy hamlet, named Gatoung. There are few things so comical as a disembarkation in this country. The moment you place your foot upon the soil, which is nothing but mud, it sinks beneath your feet ; and it is not without a great deal of trouble, and often at the sacrifice of your boots, which are left imbedded in the dirt, that you at length gain the top of- the slope. We were ignorant, when we quitted New York, that the Isthmus of Panam^ was altogether without resources. We had not therefore been careful to lay in a store of victuals necessary for our journey; and a little sea biscuit and a few pots of preserves com- posed all our stock. Our halt at Gatoung gave us the opportunity of visiting several Indian huts, where we met with the most hospi- table welcome, and we profited by this reception to try to procure some food. They at length directed us to a habitation where the inmates had a pot on the fire ; the preparation of an otta of rice was quite an event in the district. A few crown-pieces obtained us a portion of this modest repast, and we succeeded besides in dis- covering in a neighboring hut a stray bottle of Xeres. Having for- gotten to bring rain-water from Chagres, we found ourselves reduced to quench our thirst with the unhealthy water of the river, the crudity of which it was well to correct with a few drops of a spirit- uous liquor, even after it had been filtered. One of our number had fortunately brought with him a filter, which enabled us to ob- tain a passable draught. Thirst is perhaps the most dangerous 88 A JOURNEY ACROSS THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. enemy one has to encounter on the Isthmus of Panama. I have seen more than one American pay with his life for the fatal habit of listening to the temptations of this demon. Continuing our route, pight surprised us, and lent a new aspect to the surrounding scene. The majestic shadows of the huge trees upon the waters the pale rays of the moon, that made the river like a sheet of silver the silence around, uninterrupted save by the regular strokes of the oars, and the cries of the night birds, all contributed to the fascination of the hour. At length we arrived at a small creek, where our old pilot made us remain until sunrise. Towards the evening of the second day, we arrived at the village of Pedro Blanco, where, after long and troublesome negotiations, we succeeded in obtaining a little rice for supper. Two of my travelling companions, who had been exploring the neighboring forest, brought in a couple of pretty paroquets, which were soon plucked, and added as a relish to our rice. But the flesh of this bird is far from equalling its plumage ; and, notwithstanding the good-will of our sportsmen, they were compelled to pronounce their game horribly tough. The next day the boatmen substituted the palanca for the oar. The palanca is a long pole, terminating in an iron point, which is pushed into the bed of the river, or into the roots or trunks of the trees, in such a manner as to shove the boat onwards, as much as pos- sible avoiding the current. This mode of propulsion, more efficacious than the oar, has likewise the merit of being less fatiguing. But it exposes the passengers to certain dangers, and this was to be our day of misfortunes. One of the boatmen, by some awkwardness, lost his palanca. The boat, which had been adroitly .guided close along the bank of the stream, ceded to the impetuosity of the cur- rent, which was not to be mastered by an unequal number of palan- cas, and was driven against an enormous trunk of a submerged tree in the middle of the river. The frightful force of the shock staved in our front plank. The water began to pour in, and we saw our- selves on the point of capsizing, without the power of leaving the boat, shut in as we were by its roof of branches and our numerous packages. But we escaped this danger by a species of miracle, and the current, carrying us rapidly on, left the poor Indian, who had lost his palanca, suspended in the air to the bough of a tree, which he had seized with all his strength to avert the violence of the shock. Seeing us leaving him rapidly behind, he at length allowed himself to drop into the water, and swam ashore. The two men who now remained shoved the boat towards a creek, where we found a shelter , A JOURNEY ACROSS THE ISTHMUS OP PANAMA. 89 for the night, and where the other Indian shortly afterwards rejoined us. Here we repaired the damage we had received. This night, another boat, containing several Americans, was moored beside ours. The desperate condition of one of their number had compelled them to halt. The unhappy man had been suddenly attacked by cholera, after drinking a little milk and eat- ing several oranges. I shall never forget the' night that we passed beside the poor sufferer, who, far from his family and all remedies, was fast approaching his end, without even a bed to lie upon. His companions unceasingly administered eau-de-vie, which had no other effect but to accelerate the disease. The plaintive groans of the wretched man hindered us from shutting our eyes for a moment, and at the same time recalled the dangers to which we ourselves were exposed in that frightful climate. The next morning he was no more ; and his friends were obliged to beg the assistance of their boatmen, and of some inhabitants of the neighboring hamlet, in rendering the last duties to his remains. Having now repaired the breach in our plank, we would have continued our route, but one of the men, retained by the hope of participating in the benefits of the interment, .opposed our depart- ure. Hoping, doubtless, to moderate my eagerness to continue the journey, he said, pointing at the same time to the corpse of the American with a significant smile "Este muerto y od esta enfermo " (he is dead, and you are ill) ; an observation far from reassuring to a traveller laboring under a slight attack of fever in an unhealthy climate. The interment over, and the piastres pock- eted, our phlegmatic boatmen decided upon continuing the voyage. The banks of the river now began to lose their grand and pictu- resque aspect, which they had owed to the beauty and density of the woods with which they were clothed. We terminated happily a day so ill commenced, and arrived at night at the village of San Pablo. -The next morning, at a little distance from a small town named Grorgona, we perceived an American steamboat abandoned in the river. The numerous obstacles it had encountered had completely disabled it after only a few voyages. In order to secure a safe nav- igation for steamers of the very smallest dimensions, the Rio Chagres ought to be completely cleared. It is obstructed, through- out the whole extent of its course, by trunks of trees, often hidden by merely a few feet of water. While waiting for the great roads which the Americans intend to establish through the isthmus, it is urgent that the Rio Chagres should be rendered navigable. The A JOURNEY ACROSS THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. emigrants and the country generally have the greatest interest in this measure. The Chagres rises near Cruces, a small town situated about six leagues from Panama and two from Gorgona. Its course is nearly seventeen leagues. Travellers, en route for Panama, sail up it aa far as Cruces, which, besides being two leagues nearer than Gor- gona to Panama, possesses also an ancient royal Spanish road a very bad one, it is time, but much better than that of which we shall have occasion to speak. Most of the Americans who landed at Chagres at the same time with our party went on to Cruces, which was likewise our first intention. But our boatmen and oth- ers assuring us that the means of transport were very rare, and cholera and fever rife, we determined to land at Grorgona a reso- lution of which we afterwards had reason to repent. In this coun- try a stranger cannot be too much on his guard against the mis- representations of the boatmen, on the one hand, whose interest it is to shorten the voyage, and of the inhabitants, on the other, in order to secure to themselves the advantage of his sojourn in their locality. There is a regularly organized conspiracy against his purse. Gorgona is, like Chagres, an irregular assemblage of from sixty to eighty huts, intersected by steep streets, where mud and water replace the pavement. These habitations are but one story high ; they have neither flooring nor ceiling, and they are frequently flooded during the rainy season. The town has already its hotel, which possesses four beds, a few hammocks, no windows, but nu- merous holes in its thatched roof, which permit one to contemplate the firmament when the weather is fine, and favor the inmates with gratuitous douches when it rains. The food corresponds with the lodging. Contrary to what one usually remarks in unhealthy climates, the natives of New Granada appear equally exposed with strangers to the reigning maladies. There is scarcely a hut where one does not encounter some poor wretch trembling with the calentura, or the fever. The cholera, likewise, in 1849, made terrible ravages. The physical characteristics of the population are easily enumer- ated. They possess finely-formed limbs, equally vigorous and supple, copper-colored skins, tolerably regular features, and black hair, but not crisp like that of the negroes. The men are gener- ally clad in a species of shirt, which descends a little way down the leg. The women add to this a petticoat. Both sexes wear straw hats, with broad brims to shade them from the sun. The inhabitant of the Isthmus of Panama is kind and hospitable. In A JOURNEY ACROSS THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. 91 great matters he may be entirely trusted, but it is well to place tempting trifles out of sight. He wants energy and character; there is no very decided leaning to good or evil. An extreme filial tenderness, as among the Chinese, is the sole peculiarity that breaks in upon his habitual indifference'; all his faculties seem to languish under the enervating effects of the climate. Nothing is more monotonous than rural life in these countries. With the excep- tion of some rare excursions, the people pass their time in smoking, and sleeping in a wretched hut, scarcely sheltered from sun and rain by a roof of palm-leaves. Many huts are formed of nothing but four stakes supporting a species of loft, where the family pass the night extended upon mats, and to which they mount by the trunk of a tree, notched at regular distances, so as to serve for a ladder. The domestic utensils consist of one or two kettles, and a few large jars, of a spherical form, which hold rice and rain-water. They light a fire on the ground, and cook in the open air. Men and women eat squatted upon their heels ; and the use of tobacco is common to both sexes. Gorgona possesses an alcadd, to whom we were obliged to address ourselves for the fifteen or twenty mules which were needed to con- vey us and our luggage to Panama. The complaisant magistrate placed himself at our service, and promised us an unlimited num- ber of these rare and indispensable quadrupeds. But time passed, and the mules did not appear. The travellers who had preceded us had engrossed them all. We were consequently obliged to sep- arate for a time, much against our inclination, and to hire the mules as they returned by twos and threes to Gorgona. The hire of a mule varies from eight to sixteen piastres. Our advance guard, composed of two mules, two Indians, and the youngest of my fellow-travellers, set out on the 5th of August. Impatient to arrive at Panama, I followed the next day, the land- lord of the hotel having procured me a little mare, and a guido twelve years of age. Furnished with some sea-biscuit and choco- late, my fusil strapped to my shoulder, and hunting-knife at my side, I mounted my pitiful beast, after having disposed of a water- proof cloak on its croup, and placed under the saddle a blanket, which had been of the greatest service. In this fashion I left Gorgona, after having bidden adieu to my remaining comrades, who were to rejoin me at Panama as soon as possible, bringing with them our luggage. From the beginning of my journey, we trav- ersed most abominable roads. Steep and slippery declivities, riv- ulets, precipices, narrow passes, where the rocks approached each other so closely that the mare could not advance without the t 92 A JOURNEY ACROSS THE ISTHMUS OP PANAMA. est trouble, and at a sore expense to my poor knees, which were every moment grazed against their sharp edges, all announced a tiresome journey. I could not avoid making comparisons between my guide and my horse. The beast greatly exceeded the boy in topographical knowledge ; and, with a modesty for which I gave him credit, the latter at length resigned himself to the leading of the former, walking in the rear, and only crying out, from time to time, aqui (here), or aca (there). When the branches of the trees or their overgrown trunks barred further passage, my young native resumed the lead, and speedily levelled the obstacles by the aid of a cleaver, without which an Indian never sets out on a jour- ney. Sometimes the mare would stop and inflate her nostrils at the sight of a half-devoured mule, regretfully abandoned at the noise of our approach by the vultures that disputed its remains. The poor beast was constantly knee-deep in mud ; for what they call a road in this country is simply the bed of a river, more or less dry in fine weather, but filled again by the first heavy shower. Divers claps of thunder now announced the approach of one of those storms which take place every day during the winter, and in a few minutes inundate the country. Urged on by the pouring rain, we reached, just in time, a tolerably large river, which was now forded without difficulty, but would have been impassable an hour later. Vfe were luckily enabled to take refuge in a shed, where I dried my clothes, and determined to remain for the night. The next morning, at an early hour, we continued our journey. In place of the good road I had been led to expect, I still encoun- tered these muddy plains, and eternal hills bristling with rocks. At length we reached a house situated upon an elevation half-way between Gorgona and Panama. Here we obtained some coffee, without which I could scarcely have been able to endure the fatigues of the journey. At four, we arrived at the last dwelling before reaching Panama. For one instant I thought of passing the night here ; but my guide hindered me from following this happy inspiration, solemnly assuring me that we should reach our destina- tion the same evening. We therefore continued our way through a prairie where the road from Grorgona unites itself with that lead- ing to Graces, which, though horribly uneven, is at any rate tolera- bly free from mud. Here a new annoyance was reserved for me. My wretched mare, accustomed to the worst roads, refused to advance now that there was a little improvement. I was reduced, knocked up as I was, to dismount and lead her. By blows and cries we contrived to make her advance a little way ; but our progress was so slow, that some workmen occupied in repairing the A JOURNEY ACROSS THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. 93 road laughingly prophesied that she would never arrive at Panama. This prediction, confirmed as it was by a feverish trembling of the animal, was far from being agreeable. While thus slowly pro- gressing, night surprised us a night of clouds and rain. The obscurity was such that we could not have told where we were, save for the ignis fatuus, the fire-flies, and the lightning. At length, unhoped-for happiness ! we distinguished the barking of a dog, and soon afterwards a light. We had reached Panama. The reader may judge of my satisfaction on seeing the end of my eight days of painful journeying, accomplished under such disagreeable cir- cumstances. I quickly made my way to the Hotel de France, where I found my young companion, who had set out the day before me ; and there I speedily got rid of the fever that still hung about me. Panama is a ruinous town, the population of which does not exceed 7000 souls. There is nothing remarkable about it but the immense number of churches, monuments of past grandeur, and now invaded by creeping-plants and turf. The bells of these venerable edifices are half rusty, and morning and evening ring the most lugubrious peals. There are, besides, some fortifications, and a dozen old guns, disposed along the rampart that faces the Pacific Ocean. This is a magnificent point of view, whence may be seen the church-steeples, the vessels in the roadstead, a quantity of islets, and, about two miles distant, towards the extremity of the peninsula upon which Panama is situated, the ruins of the former town, abandoned during the wars of the Hibustiers, in conse- quence of the reiterated attacks of a famous pirate. Panama is traversed by two principal streets, containing a few tolerable shops, and a number of stalls, where they vend liquors. These last, kept by obliging senoritas, boast a sort of counter, and are separated by a screen from the bedchamber, where the indo- lent saleswomen swing in their hammocks the greatest part of the day, smoking their cigarettes, and waiting for customers. The houses are built of stone, and ornamented with wooden balconies. The walls present that beautiful whiteness which distinguishes Spanish masonry in hot countries. But there is nothing elegant about these buildings, and their interiors are deplorable. The rooms are almost destitute of furniture; curtains are unknown, even in the governor's palace ; and it would be hard to find in the whole town a good bed or a safe lock. The pavements and foot- paths respond to the houses. The climate of this town is unhealthy, especially during the winter rains, which commence in May, and end in October or November. 94 A JOURNEY ACROSS THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. The complexions of the inhabitants evince the noxious influence of vitiated air. Fevers are very common among the natives, as also mephitic colic, induced by the badness of the water, in drinking which one cannot be too cautious. The population of Panama is composed of ancient Spanish fam- ilies, natives, and half-breeds. The costume of both men and women is European, a little degenerated and simplified, to suit the climate. The women go with the head uncovered, and decorate their black tresses with flowers of penetrating odor. Without being beautiful, their features are agreeable enough, and they have a good deal of grace and coquetry about them. The habitual indifference of the inhabitants is strongly contrasted by the howlings and clamor that accompany their funeral ceremonies. These lamentations, however, appear to be hired. Their interments are managed after a singular fashion, as they employ a species of omnibus coffin, in which they place the corpse, to carry it to the cemetery. Once arrived there, they take the body from the bier, and throw it at once into a fosse, returning with the empty coffin. The natives patronize music, and other amusements, among which may be reckoned cock-fighting. But the sicknesses, which, in 1849, clothed nearly every family in mourning, have put an end to the fetes, and thrown over all a tinge of distress and fear. The public works are executed by convicts, who are seen passing every instant under military escort. These guardians appear very polite to their prisoners, for, if any of the latter are stopped hi the streets by. an acquaintance, the soldiers stop also, and wait very tranquilly until the convicts are pleased to continue their way. Panama possesses three or four hotels, which, upon our arrival, we found crowded with travellers. Eight, ten, fifteen were sleep- ing in the same chamber, upon hard rope beds, without mattresses. The charge of a week's board and lodging varied from $6 75 to $7 50 cents, without reckoning wine, which costs from 37 cents to 75 cents the bottle for ordinary Bordeaux. Meat and fruit abound, but vegetables are very rare. We had taken up our abode in the Hotel de France, situated in one of the healthiest quarters of the town; and here the companions whom we had left at Gorgona hastened to rejoin us. The crowd of emigrants, though still very considerable, was infi- nitely less than it had been for some months previously, for thou- sands of Americans had been compelled to abandon the place, and return home, in default of financial resources, or means of transport to California. Never have I seen more deplorable figures than those of the poor Yankees, congregated in this little town, dragging A JOURNEY ACROSS THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. themselves painfully along the streets, some under the influence of fever, others under the curse of idleness, disputing with oaths and imprecations upon the easiest and cheapest modes of reaching San Francisco, parading their bad-humor from stall to stall, which they endeavor to dissipate by reiterated doses of brandy, and then hast- ening to throw away the little money they have left, in gaming- houses, the last hope of these poor idlers. Once ruined, the Yankee becomes himself again that is to say, the most industrious and enterprising of men. He finds a thousand resources, he invents a hundred modes of making money. One will engage himself as a sailor, another as a cook, a third opens a shop at Panama, and, a few weeks afterwards,. procures some lots of goods to be assigned to him. He then commences selling, at magnificent prices, assortments of American boots, harder than wood, and newly-invented coats, that would have mouldered away at San Francisco without attract- ing a single admirer. A number of articles, in fact, fyid a far readier sale at ports situated on the way to California, than in the country itself, which is inundated with products of all species. In the mixture of the floating and the indigenous population of Panama there is a most striking contrast between an almost extinct civilization and a spirit of young and powerful enterprise, full of nerve and promise for the future. The hoary steeples, these deserted monuments, attest the former magnificence of the place, the wretched inhabitants of which are, without doubt, the descendants of the proud and brilliant chevaliers of other days. All is poetry and grandeur in the past ; in the present, silence and decay. But mark those columns of smoke, those pantings proceeding from the huge lungs of the steam-monsters in the roadstead. Those large vessels are freighted with passengers furnished with every species of instrument. They go to acquire wealth, to organize a new state ; how differently from the soldiers of Cortez and Pizarro ! Happier than these, it is neither at the price of their own blood, nor that of the peaceable inhabitants of the gold country, that they conduct their future oper- ations. Thanks to them, Panama already beholds the commence- ment of a new prosperity. Whether the project of a railway through the Isthmus replace that of the Nicaraguan canal, or simply a good road for ordinary communication from Chagres to Panama, tfre future prosperity of this town is assured. A point of junction between the two Americas, a feeble barrier to the two oceans, it is one of the places marked out by the hand of Providence for the re- union of nations a belt of land that will serve for the migrations of races, and bring the United States nearer to China by some thousands of miles. 96 A JOURNEY ACROSS THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. The Isthmus of Panama, notwithstanding its extreme fertility, is but slightly cultivated; yet the rare agricultural experiments attempted by Europeans in these parts have been attended by mag- nificent results. With a little industry, some instruments of labor, and collected capitals, immense fortunes might be made. But there are no journals to record these facts, and no one dreams of settling here. The Californian torrent still rolls on, to endure privations and dangers in a country denuded of vegetation, the climate and salubrity of which even the Isthmus of Panama needs not to envy. Sailing vessels frequently arrive at this port in search of pas- sengers for California, and make a lucrative affair of it. Many travellers, disappointed in the regular means of transport, avail themselves with blind eagerness of any opportunities of quitting Panama, without considering that sailing vessels are frequently, in these seas, exposed to dead calms, and are consequently incalculably delayed.* TEE TWO PASSPORTS. IN the autumn of 1830, being engaged in a tour of the Rhenish provinces, I arrived one evening about dusk at the small town of Bergheim, some half way between Aix la Chapelle and the fragrant city of Cologne. Bergheim has a quiet, comfortable inn, at which Michel, my voiturier, (who was absolute in these matters,) had ordained that I should stop for the night ; nor did I feel any dispo- sition to quarrel with the arrangement, when Herr Hons, the land- lord, all civility and broken English, ushered me into his snug Speisesaal, where, instead of the dull, uncompanionable German stove I expected to find, a bright and crackling wood-fire blazed merrily on the hearth. I was glad, moreover, not to find myself the sole occupant of the saal, for, after all, it may be doubted whether the chief pleasure of travel be not to see travellers ; and I will confess, for my own part, that, without disparagement either of snowy Alps or cindery volcanoes, of a Strasburg cathedral or of a Basilica vaticana, of Florence galleries or of Roman ruins to me the people of any country (with one sole exception) rank by no means among its least interesting features. My exception is Swit- zerland, where, between the glorious earth, and the inglorious race that possesses it, the extremes of grandeur and littleness are brought into too painful juxtaposition and contrast. Nothing can stand higher in the scale of nature than Switzerland nothing in that of manhood lower than the Swiss. In the Speisesaal, then, at Bergheim, it was my fortune to light upon two goodly tomes (if I may so phrase it) of " the proper study of mankind :" they were, moreover, to give the coup de grace to my metaphor, controversial, and on opposite sides of the question as well as of the fire. In other words, there sat, installed each in his chimney-corner, and armed the one with a cigar, the other with a mighty pendulous pipe two " dim smokified men," plainly Ger- 7 (97) 98 THE TWO PASSPORTS. mans both., though widely dissimilar specimens of that very hetero- geneous and multiform variety of human kind, engaged when I entered, in a conversation (or, to name it in their own way, a 'twixt speaking) the more vivacious for the considerable discrepancy mani- fest in the sentiments of the speakers. The cigarist was a pale, slight, voluble creature, under-sized and yet stooping, long-armed, round-shouldered, narrow-chested, using a great deal of gesticulation as. he talked, and by a particular uniform drawing-out of the right arm, and a remarkable flourish, or rather twitch, of the right hand, (the left being comparatively at rest,) as well as by a look, not eas- ily defined, of inefficiency and dubious fidget about the lower extrem- ities, as if they were not in their accustomed position, giving you assurance of a tailor, as unequivocally as if he had chosen to sit on tho table instead of at it ; while his sharp intonation, round-about fluency, mincing utterance, occasional lapses into a Low Dutch dia- lect, frequent exclamations of " yuter Tott ! " and continued inter- changing of the pronouns mir and mich, and Sie and Ihnen, certi- fied you with equal infallibility of a Prussian, and truly no Rhenish Prussian, but a genuine nursling of Royal Berlin herself. He of the meerschaum was a man of another stamp ; tall, and bulky, yet well knit, broad of brow and chest, quiet in manner, earnest but brief in speech, saying in three words what would have cost his opponent three dozen, and, now and then, though not often, letting fall a large and somewhat rusty-colored, though perfectly clean hand, with the dunt of a sledge-hammer, on the table that stood near him. You would judge him to be a grave man, yet capa- ble of much joviality, straightfdrward, and hearty, and leal, and who could find his way pretty far down into the wine-stoup, as every German should. By many outward signs, I set him down for a worker in iron, and by his speech, with more certainty, for a Sua- bian ; nor was I mistaken on either point. On my entering the room, with German courtesy they both ceased smoking, until assured by me that neither to cigar nor pipe, as long as they were in anybody's mouth but my own, had I the smallest objection; then sitting down in front of the fire, while Herr Honns saw to the due setting out of the supper, I entreated that my presence might not interrupt the conversation in which I found my companions engaged, adding that I had a sufficient acquaintance with their language to promise myself much interest, and no doubt instruction, in hearing it continued. Accordingly, in five minutes they were battling away as briskly as ever. " Fixed fate, free will, foreknowledge absolute," were, I found, the pleasant after-dinner topics that occupied this curiously con- THE TWO PASSPORTS. 99 trasted pair, whose birth-pkces were not more widely asunder than their habits or thoughts, and in whose handicrafts, persons, and respective provincialisms of speech there were fewer and less strik- ing dissimilarities, than in their views of things in general. The tailor, one could gather, had been a free-thinker of the French school, but now eschewed that as rococo, and professed the new and more fashionable German irreligion of pantheism, or Christianity according to Hegel, upon which his tongue ran I will not say right on, but round about, through all the queer crinkles and Gordian complexities of German sentence-weaving. The man of iron, on the other hand, was Old-Lutheran to the back-bone, and beyond it, and believed and spoke as his fathers had believed and spoken from the sixteenth century downwards ; his words bearing much the same proportion, whether for weight or rapidity, to those of his antagonist, that the sledge-hammer, with its measured and mighty downright strokes, may bear to the briskest possible plying of the finest possible needle. At length, (not to make my preface longer than my story,) roused by some reference made in a tone of derision, by the latter, to the doctrine of a particular providence, our Suabian exclaimed, with a vehemence which he had not before displayed, " Ay ! you take credit to yourself for being hard of faith, and yet can believe the wonderful and mysterious ordering of our steps, of which every reflecting man must be conscious, to be the work of blind haphaz- ard ! How often are our best considered and most promising plans thwarted, defeated by some influence which we cannot trace, but which, after the first emotions of irritation and disappointment are passed, we are constrained to acknowledge has wrought for our good, perhaps for our salvation ! How often does some trifling cir- cumstance, productive at the moment of its occurrence only of petty annoyance, prove to be the means which a benign and watchful Providence had ordained for our rescue from some impending evil, which we had not so much as dreamed of! I knew a man once who walked in his sleep, and was one night within five feet of a precipice more than a hundred feet high, when a bat flew in his face and waked him. And you would call that chance ! Well, I will hope your error is more of the head than the heart ; that you are an obtuse rather' than an ungrateful man. You have not experienced in your own life any striking, any startling instance of the working of power above you, caring for you, taking thought for you, dispos- ing otherwise indeed than you had proposed, but even thereby plucking your feet from the trap which the devil, in his cunning, had by your own hands set for them / have. And with the 100 THE TWO PASSPORTS. proofs which my own experience has furnished me of the good providence of God, I were deserving to be called, by unbelievers themselves, the unthankfulest of human souls, could I believe, or affect to believe, the disposal of man's ways to be committed to blind haphazard ! You shall hear, you shall judge whether it be not as I say ; that is, if mein Herr here will not be wearied by a story in which I must figure as my own hero." I assured him that it would be a high gratification to me to hear his story. The tailor put on the face of one who resigned himself to the inevitable, and the Suabian began as follows : " I am a Wurtemberger by birth, though the greater part of my life has been spent out of my native land, and especially at Ham- burg, where I served my apprenticeship under my father's brother, who was likewise my godfather, and gave me his own name, Carolus Eisenkrafft, at the font : a kindly Suabian he was, and one, though I say it, that, in his own craft, had his match to seek in Hamburg, or out of it. I continued to work with him about a year after my time was out ; and then, being twenty-one years of age, and wishing to see other countries, and being, indeed, by the rules of our trade, obliged to travel for a certain time, and learn the modes of work practised in different cities and lands, before I could be received as a free brother of the craft, and set up in business for myself, I set out from Hamburg, and travelled across East Friesland to the lower Rhine lands, and so took the course of the river upwards into Switzerland. " I did not staj long there. Switzerland was then, as now, a country in which little good was to be learned, and much evil. However, I left it with the same true German heart which I had brought into it, hating the French, with an honest Suabian hatred, from' Bonaparte down to the drum-boy. Now this was in the year 1806, which, as you know, was no year of peace for Europe, least of all for our dear German fatherland ; and, in the journey which I had before me, perils of many kinds, and from many very different quar- ters, might be anticipated ; nevertheless, my mind was made up not to lose any more time in Switzerland, for the year was advanced ; and I was resolved that the beginning of the winter should see me again in Hamburg. After all, for the workman that combines industry with skill, there is but one Hamburg, just as I am told there is but one Paris for folks that have money, and seek a way to spend it, which, I thank my good destiny, is not my case. t^ In my journey southwards, I had avoided Wurtemberg, keep- ing strictly to the course of the Rhine, though I confess that, as I the mouth of the Neckar, my heart strayed away up its THE TWO PASSPORTS. 101 waters to my Suabian home, and I looked with loving eyes on the soil it had carried down from the green valley of my childhood. Now, however, on my way to the north again, I said, ' I will see the familiar fields and the familiar faces once more ; I will take a last leave of the hills and valleys in which my earliest years passed so happily, and of the dear ones that still dwell there.' A last leave for you will observe, that in Wurtemberg, at this time, I was liable to be shot as a deserter ; not that I had ever taken military service, but just this was my crime : I was, as I have told you, one-and- twenty ; and at that period, in Wurtemberg, all healthy males of this age were drawn for soldiers. Such was the conscription-law, which it was death to evade. To enter Wurtemberg as a Wurtem- berger, was to subject myself te it ; and my first step, did I wish to avoid a disgraceful death, must have been to present myself to take my chance of being drawn ; whereunto, I now take shame to myself in saying, my inclinations in no ways leaned. What, then, was to be done ? If I visited my native place, it must be in the character of a stranger ; and this was the course on which I resolved. In short, I conceived the blamable determination of providing myself with a false 'passport in Switzerland, that so I might with safety take my fatherland in my route to the northern states. " By means of an acquaintance I had made in Switzerland, easily accomplished the first part of my project, and thus had in i#y possession two passports, in both of which indeed my true name was given ; but while my original and genuine passport, which I had brought from Hamburg, described me as a Wurtemberger by Ibirth, the new one assigned Hamburg itself as the place of my Bativity. I thought, for a travelling birth-place, there was none more eligible than that in which I had actually spent so much time, and in which my uncle, whom I meant to use as a father WT the time, was well known to have his domicile. I now, therefore, travelled safely as a Hamburger through my native country, and from its northern frontier, with a sorrowing heart, looked at last adieu over its beloved and beautiful fields. " I arrived the same night at Neustadt-ojs-the-Aisch, in the Bavarian territory, and repaired to an inn aruited to my circum- stances. The landlord, when I entered his/ house, demanded my passport, and received it forthwith, promising that I should have it back by times in the morning. You w;ll remember it was the- false passport, which I had used since leaving Switzerland, my old and true passport lying with other papers in my pocket-book. The morning came ; I rose, breakfasted, and, forgetting my passport was still in the landlord's hands, I set off without it. I ate not 102 THE TWO PASSPORTS. habitually a forgetful man, and to forget one's passport on a jour- ney is, I suspect, a piece of thoughtlessness of which the most thoughtless have seldom been guilty ; but so it was ; without any passport I actually set off; nor did the circumstance recur to my thoughts until I stood, the evening of that same day, before the gates of Erlangen, where, of course, ' Your passport ! ' were the first words addressed to me by the soldiers on guard. ' Potztaus- end ! ' said I to myself, * thou hast left thy passport at Neustadt-on- the-Aisch.' " I had now nothing for it but either to say I had forgot my passport, (which nobody would believe,) and so be sent back in the custody of soldiers as a suspicious character, or else to produce my first and genuine passport. ' They will never believe thy story/ said I again to myself; 'for, to speak it without flattery, thou dost not look altogether like the simpleton that would forget his pass- port. Besides, who ever heard that a landlord asked for a travel- ler's passport ? Thy story hangeth not well together, and they will hang thee to make it good.' In short, having no other course that bore an aspect any way promising, I presented, not without heavy misgivings, the original Hamburg passport. This document, as I need not tell you, was in its present state but an unsatisfactory voucher for the worthiness of its bearer to pass unobstructed, it having received no vise, nor bearing any trace of having been sub- mitted to any official inspection, from Switzerland to the place where I then was ; a mysterious circumstance, for which, of course, I was called on to account. However, not to make my story too tedious, suflice it to say, that, after finding myself for some time in an un- pleasant position, I got the matter arranged, and was again free to pursue my way. . " While I was at Erlangen, there began to fall in troops forming part of the vanguard of the French army ; and at Bayreuth, which was the next point in my route, I found a still more considerable body. The troops, having proceeded thus far by forced marches, here made a halt, while I, on the other hand, now made redoubled efforts to get on, it being easy to see that these parts would ere long become the theatre of active hostilities. " It was about midday, or towards one o'clock, when, by the slackening of their pace and the increased briskness of mine, I lost sight of these undesired companions of the way ; and that same afternoon, about three o'clock, I fell in with the first outposts of the Prussians. I was stopped, and asked from whence I came ; and, on my answering 'from Bayreuth,' they said to one another, * Why, the kerl is come direct from the French outposts.' ' I '11 THE TWO PASSPORTS. 103 lay my life lie 's a spy/ said one. ' We shall see that/ observed the officer commanding, and forthwith gave orders to carry me to Hof, where the Prussians had an encampment, first, however, taking from me my tablets and everything in a written form, and sending these in the custody of one of my guards to head-quarters. Arrived at Hof, I was compelled to strip to my shirt ; my clothes underwent a rigorous search ; and the very soles of my boots were ripped, to see if anything of a suspicious nature lay hid therein. Ifc was the first time I had ever been in the arbitrary clutches of soldiers, and the novelty was anything but pleasing. However, I did not lose courage, relying upon my conscious innocence, and not doubting that the matter would, on investigation, soon appear in its true light. "After a short examination, which took place in the guard- room, I was consigned to a prison within the precincts of the main guard. Here I found I was not the only person in trouble ; the prison already contained two unhappy wretches, one of them a Jew of the neighborhood, the other a tailor of Bamberg, who had been taken the day before. These were really spies, and had already made confession to that effect. " All this gave me little anxiety. I still confided in my inno- cence*, and did my best to make the same appear, even to my wretched companions. They expressed great compassion for me, chiefly on the score of my youth, and that I should be, as they expressed it, cut off in the very outset of a promising career. I did not like the tone of their condolences ; it was evident they took me for one of their honorable guild. " 'I assure you, meine Herren? exclaimed I, unwilling to appear a miscreant, even in the eyes of such miscreants, ' I assure you upon my honor I am no spy.' " ' Ah ! ' said the tailor, ' that 's just what I said to the officers yesterday. "I assure you, my officers," were my very words; "honorable captains, I assure you upon my honor that I am no spy. Judge of me, noble gentlemen," said I, "by yourselves; put it into your own honorable breasts whether a man of honor be capable " and so on. That 's the way I talked to them, but it helped nothing ; not even when I offered to give them important intelligence of the position and strength of the French army.' " ' I offered to give my oath,' broke in the Jew, ' that I was no spy ; and they did but laugh, and cast in my teeth a ribald rhyme which they are taught from their cradles 104 THE TWO PASSPORT*. " Come the fox to his lair ? Hath the Jew leave to swear ? Both have planted you there! " " 'All the curses ' " ' But you have both confessed yourselves spies,' said I, cut- ting the old sorcerer short in his Jewish curses, which I had no mind to hear. " 'I believe you,' said the tailor; 'and so will you confess yourself before this time to-morrow.' " ' Never ! ' cried I ; ' I am an honest man, and the son of an honest man, and will never stain my own name, and my father's, with a villany which the world's wealth should not tempt me to defile my hands with.' " ' Goodness bless you ! ' replied the tailor ; ' what 's the use of talking that way to us? I, too, have been to school, and know how to put words together ; yea, and can make many fine speeches out of Her von Kotzebue's plays. For example, I remember a beau- tiful sentiment beginning thus : " The man who " bah ! I for- get the rest ; but it is infinitely touching, I promise you, and makes the heart swell with the finest emotions. But what 's that to the purpose ? Hearken to me : you are young and a raw hand, and have run like a raw hand, into a trap. Now, if you can talk your- self out of the trap, I '11 say talk is a fine thing ; but I '11 tell you what it is, if you can talk a hole in that wall, and a clear passage for yourself out of the Prussian lines, you 're safe ; but, not to discourage you, I confess I have my doubts. I am afraid you won't find the method quite so sure as might be wished. However, you can try ; and I promise you, if talk don't do that for you, it will do nothing else.' " Well! ' said I, ' they can shoot me if they will; I can but assert my innocence to the last. If the officers are determined to put an innocent man to death, to take away life on a bare ground- less suspicion, no doubt they have it in their power to do so. Let them do it, then; I am not afraid to die.' " 'They are very punctilious, my dear,' remarked the Jew; ' very. They won't shoot you without a confession ; they never do. They would n't put a man to death on suspicion. They are ex- tremely particular on these points ; you '11 have to confess ; they make a point of it/' "'Confess!' cried I; 'confess myself a spy! falsely accuse myself of a wickedness I detest ! Never ! ' THE TWO PASSPORTS. 105 " 'The provost-marshal,' observed the Jew, 'has great powers of persuasion/ " I confess I winced a little at this; hanging had not entered into my calculations. After a pause, however, I replied : " ' Well, they may hang me. Of the two, I had rather be shot ; but I will not purchase the choice at the expense of my honest fame, neither shall even the fear of the gallows induce me to belie myself. Do what they will with me, they shall not have the satis- faction of hearing me call myself a spy. I will not die with a lie in my mouth.' "'The gracious pity the boy!' exclaimed the tailor; 'hear him talk of the gallows ! Death is death ; and I see little to choose between the rope and the bullet ; but what do you say to being flogged to death ? " Assert your innocence " by all means, and die under the lash, or " belie yourself," and be shot. ' That '* the choice you '11 have, this evening or early to-morrow. Bear the flogging, of course, as long as you can ; life is worth bearing some- thing for ; but I prophesy you will not bear it long. Besides, they won't give over till they get a confession out of you. "Life is sweet," said I to myself, when they tied me up this morning. "I will save my life, though I be unable to put a coat to my back for a twelvemonth." But I couldn't hold out I couldn't hold out ; nor were it to any purpose, for I should be a dead man ere now, if I had not cried guilty ! ' " ' You will not die,' added the Jew, with the sneer of a demon ; ' you will not die with a lie in your mouth. Will you die with piteous meanings and cries for mercy in your mouth, which you might as well address to the scourge that plays on your back, or to the human tool that plies it, as to the calm tyrants that sit and see it plied 1 Will you die with the thirst of the burning Tophet in your mouth with the drought of the sandy wilderness in your jaws? Will you die when, from the resolved and silent man, you have become the shrieking woman, and from the shrieking woman, the sick child that plains feebly, and can only murmur " a little water, a little water," which they will not give, because they know that a blessed drop of it were death, and thereby were much good flogging thrown away? Men die not so speedily under the lash,' proceeded he, addressing the tailor; 'and thou wouldst be alive till now, though thou hadst not cried " guilty ! " Ah ! ah ! had I a thousand souls, I would give them all all all ! that my tor- mentors should suffer forever and ever forever and ever for- ever and ever what I suffered this day at their will, before I bent my will thereto, and gratified them with my confession.' 106 THE TWO PASSPORTS. " Until now, I had not seen into what a labyrinth my destiny had led me. I felt, from this moment, that there remained to me no other course than to prepare for death ; for I resolved firmly that I would be shot rather than be flogged to death. Since now I had but the choice between these two modes of being murdered, I determined to give, on the very first stripe, the answer desired by my oppressors. "From five o'clock that evening till the following morning, I was conducted at least half-a-dozen times before a court composed of officers. My conductor was the provost-marshal ; .and at each elbow walked a dragoon, their drawn swords held edgeways across my breast and back. "An examination more rigorous, or one more difficult, more impossible for a man to withstand, who had anything to conceal, cannot be conceived. Interrogatories of the most subtle and en- snaring tendency observations ingeniously calculated to throw me off my guard, insidious leading questions (which I had no learned counsel to object to) cunning tricks of speech, intended to surprise me into a confession or admission, direct or indirect, of my presumed guilt, followed each other until my head was well-nigh dizzy. If there had been a weak point in my defence it must infalli- bly have been found out ; had the hollow ground of guilt been under my feet, I had been engulphed without redemption. " But as all this ingenuity was, upon an innocent man, necessa- rily thrown away, the officers at last desisted from questioning me, and looked dubiously in each other's faces. Now, the very strong presumption of my being a spy rested chiefly on this ground, that the Prussians, from the time they took up their position, had suffered no one, traveller or other, any more to pass on from their side in the direction of the French ; and they naturally concluded that, as was customary in such circumstances, (the two armies being then but two leagues asunder,) the French would have acted on the same rule. When they saw me, therefore, come over from the French side, the conclusion was almost inevitable that I was a spy ; and the evidence of my innocence must have been very strong, indeed, to have countervailed this potent presumption against it. My judges, as I have said, looked dubiously into each other's faces. 'After all,' at length began one, for they spoke openly before me, 'it is possible that at the time the young man passed, the enemy had really not taken up their position, in whicli case you know there would have been no hindrance offered to his passing ; so you see there is a possibility, mind, I say merely a possibil- ity, for I don't build much on it, but there is a possibility of THE TWO PASSPORTS. 107 his having come over innocently, and without being aware of the I think you do well,' said another, ' not to make too much of your possibility ; yet I confess myself perplexed. Appearances are desperately against the prisoner; and yet his own appearance and manner are as much in his favor as those of any man I ever saw. This I will say, either he is innocent or a most accomplished knave, and an infinitely more dangerous villain than a hundred such pool caitiffs as we took yesterday. If he be a spy, he is a perfect one.' " * I think,' remarked the former speaker, * such a mere youth could hardly be such an adept in dissimulation ; moreover, he is a Suabian by his tongue ; and that is a people that have more of the ox than of the fox in them.' " * I see no great difficulty,' observed a third, ' in dealing with this matter : try five-and-twenty lashes for a beginning. My life on it, the provost-marshal will bring more truth out of the Jcerl in five minutes, than all your cross-examining will .do in as many months.' " I was now led back to prison, and occupied myself with thinking over the necessary proofs of my innocence. At this time came to my recollection a story which had been told me in Switzerland, by one Boschel, of Pirna ; it was to this effect. During the siege of Dresden, which took place in the seven years' war, communications were secretly carried on between that town and Pirna ; and the Pirna people having on one occasion hired a young girl of fifteen years of age, for a few groschen, to carry to Dresden one of their despatches, of the contents or nature of which she had not an idea, both the mission and its innocent bearer fell into the hands of the besiegers, who forthwith hung the poor child. " The recollection of this story now depressed me ; and when I reflected on the so-called ' hussar-justice,' known to be acted upon, particularly in spy trials, on the absence of any sufficing proofs of my innocence, and on the speedy effect which the torture of the lash would have to wring from me a false confession of guilt, I saw, as I thought, that my hours were numbered ; and the only consola- tion I had was in calling to mind, that shooting, as I had heard, was a speedy and not painful mode of execution, and that to suffer unjustly was, after all, no such unheard-of or unexampled fate. " The prison, as I have said before, was situated within the pre- cincts of the main-guard ; it had on the outer sides three strong walls, and on the inner an iron grating, before which the sentries on guard paced to and fro. I had not long been led back from my examination, when a number of soldiers crowded to this grating, 108 THE TWO PASSPORTS. pushing and shouldering their way to gaze on us as if we had been wild beasts. " * One of these unlucky devils is to be shot this evening, or at day-break to-morrow,' said one of our spectators. " * Serve them right,' growled another, with many other like sympathizing speeches. However, they were presently turned away, and no further molestation of the kind was permitted to be offered us. As for me, I knew that, as I had not yet been pronounced guilty, mine could not be the execution thus spoken of as so near ; nevertheless, the impression the scene had made on me was far from agreeable. " Still I had nothing for it but to accommodate myself as well as I could to my destiny ; and I will say this, that I had at least no feeling of unmanly terror ; I did not fear to die ; what grieved me most was, that I should be thrust out of the world ignominiously, and as one of the most abandoned of men. " A short time elapsed, and I was called to a further examina- tion. On entering the guard room, I noticed a certain grating which had not appeared there on the former occasion. What this boded, I could but too well divine ; nevertheless, I felt no violent discomposure ; only I was sensible all at once of a peculiar burning heat under the tongue, nowise painful, but which has so branded itself on me that I retain to this day a distinct and lively impres- sion of it. " Once more I was questioned on the subjects relating to my position, but naturally with a result as little satisfactory to the court as before. It was resolved, therefore, to proceed without fur- ther delay to the experiment of the lash, and orders were given that I should forthwith be seized up to the grating aforementioned. That moment I felt a new spirit possess me ; I was another man. Every trace of fear, all trepidation, all inquietude, was gone. With an undaunted mind, I looked my judges in the face, and asked for one moment's speech before the putting of their purpose into execu- tion. With some roughness, (for they were impatient,) they asked me what I had to say, and I spoke with emphasis as follows : " ' Sirs ! I am a travelling handicrafts-man, not accustomed to being flogged ; and therefore my determination is, at the very first stripe I receive, to cry guilty ! false as the word will be ; for I can foresee, plainly enough, that once tied up to that grating, I shall find no compassion, and have no other prospect but to perish in the pain- fullest way. If, sirs, you have found, up to this moment, either in my papers or in my words, the faintest trace of a justification of your suspicions, I only pray you to have me shot at once. If THE TWO PASSPORTS. 109 you have found nothing of the kind, and want only to force me by torture to confess myself what you choose to consider me, you will attain your aim, it is true ; but you will have blackened an honest man's name, and you will go to battle to-morrow, or the day after, with innocent blood on your hands.' " There was a pause ; and the officers looked upon me with a grave and sad expression: for that time I was led back to my prison unscourged. About an hour and a half had elapsed, when the provost-marshal came to usher me once more into the presence of my judges ; and on this occasion I was no more flanked, as be- fore, by the dragoons, with their drawn sabres. For the last time was the interrogatory addressed to me, whither I was on my way ; and I answered, as before, to Dresden, by the nearest route, namely, by Chemnitz and Friedberg. My passport was handed me, the route duly marked upon it ; everything that had been taken from me was returned ; and I was dismissed with the advice not to be too ready another time to thrust myself in between two armies on the point of engagement. A soldier was given me for escort, with orders to conduct me to the distance of a league and a half behind the Prussian lines : thence I was at liberty to pursue my way with- out restraint. " It was but a few days after my liberation, namely, the four- teenth of October, 1806, that the battle of Jena, so disastrous to the Prussian arms, was fought. "And now, sirs, I ask you, are the concerns of men indeed abandoned to the sport of a blind hap-hazard ? Consider it ; to my very great annoyance, 1 had forgot to re-possess myself of my second passport, which had been taken from me by my host, at Neustadt-on-the-AiscK. But had this not taken place had I been apprehended by the Prussians with two passports, varying in their accounts of me or my person that power is not on earth that could have saved me from the ignominious fate of the vilest of traitors. " I can only pity the sceptic, who will no doubt say it was a mere chance that my passport was kept back from me. Never in my life, besides, was my passport taken from me by an innkeeper ; how little likely such a thing is to happen, they who have travelled most will be best able to judge. And supposing your passport were thus taken away, how much more unlikely still were it that you should forget at parting to ask for it, or your host forget to return it ! " No ! I say again, with the proofs I have of a good Providence ordering the affairs of men, I should merit to be reproached, by in ilO THE TWO PASSPORTS. fidels themselves, as a soul incapable of gratitude, could I believe my steps to be directed by no higher, no holier power than my own poor prudence, or than blind chance. And so, gentlemen, that is my story*; and I crave your pardon for troubling you with it ; but it has turned out longer than I counted on." While the Suabian spoke, the tailor had applied himself, as if there had been nine of him, right manfully to the Rhine wine, and was now hardly clear-headed enough to give a very edifying com- ment on what he had heard. All that he could bring out was, that he considered remarks on a man's profession illiberal and beneath his notice ; and that if he could bring himself to think that all that about the tailor the Suabian had spoken of was meant as a personal- ity, he would The rest of the sentence was unfortunately lost in the speaker's increasing thickness of articulation.' AUSTRALIA AND TAI BIEOTS LAND. THE British Empire, extending through all the divisions of the world, comprehends no region more adapted for colonization than Australia. The shores of the Indian continent, rich in the most costly products of the earth, are more attractive to the trader than the emigrant ; the superb islands of the remote East, with their camphor woods and precious metals, afford few plains for pasturage and corn-growing ; while even the verdant karoos of Southern Af- rica present a less favorable field for settlement than the soil of New South Wales and Western Australia. Sixty years since, the whole (ill) 112 AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN's LAND. region was a desert. Now and then an adventurous sailor navi- gated the waters along its lonely shores, and disturbed the quietude of its forest-bordered harbors. Little more than half a century has established civilization on the north and the south, the east and the west, of this the largest island in the world. Emigrant vessels and merchant ships throng the seas between, steam-packets ply along the coasts, shipping crowds the ports, omnibuses traverse the streets of well-built towns, farms and villas multiply near the sea, and a railway train is expected shortly to whirl through the passes of the Blue Mountains. The exports of Great Britain are consumed largely among the colonists, and Australia offers in return peace and abundance to those who are willing to labor for these blessings. In fine, the progress of the country, though occasionally inter- rupted, exhibits altogether one of the most striking features in the history of transmarine empire, and it may not be uninteresting to the reader to trace with us briefly an outline of this gratifying development. While the Portuguese and the Spaniards, early in the sixteenth century, were extending their enterprise through the seas of the further East, rumors reached Europe of a new continent in the south. The navigator, driven by contrary winds and currents beyond the bounds of his ordinary enterprise, discovered different points of land, which for a long period none endeavored to exam- ine. The Spaniards had been navigating the Indian Archipelago for more than eighty, and the Portuguese for nearly a hundred, years before the name of any mariner became connected with the discovery of Australia. The Unknown Southern Land (Terra Australis Incognita), and the Southern Land of the Holy Spirit (Australia del Spiritu Santo) , were indefinitely mentioned in their records, yet no explorer ventured to approach the mysterious coasts dimly seen by the chance voyager in those remote seas. In 1605, however, the Dutch, eager to attain a maritime supe- riority in those distant regions, equipped the yacht Duyfen, which sailed from the port of Bantam, in Java, to explore the coast of New Guinea. Returning from this expedition, the little vessel entered the waters off the shores of Australia, and sailed into the great Gulf of Carpentaria. To these early voyagers all seemed desolate and barren, for, since the discovery of America, the voyage of Vasco di Gama, and the exploration of the Indian Archipelago, the navigator continually thirsted, for some new Chersonese, where gold was to be found in every stream, where amber was washed up on. the beach, where spices perfumed the forests, and pearls were plentiful in the shallow waters near the shore. The wild aspect AUSTRALIA AND TAN DIEMEN's LAND. H3 of the Australian coasts consequently offered little temptation to chem. Nevertheless, Spanish, Dutch, and English mariners con- tinued to visit those seas Dampier, between 1684 and 1700, exploring a portion of the north-western coast, and surveying it in the rude manner of his time. Half a century of further research added little to the world's knowledge of this great region ; but 1770 brought the advent of Captain Cook, whose immortal memory is associated with so many seas and shores. He discovered the eastern coast of Australia from Cape Howe to Cape York nam- ing the region New South Wales. Many successive voyagers fol- lowed, each of whom contributed some tracing to the seaboard of this vast territory, until Captain Stokes, about eight years ago, made the entire circuit of the island, and first enabled the biogra- pher accurately to lay down the leading features of its mighty outline. While the daring navigators of Europe were exploring the shores of Australia marking its outlying islands, endeavoring to dis- cover the mouths of rivers, fixing the position of harbors, and lay- ing down the general outline of the island inland discovery com- menced much later, and made a slower progress. In the south, ridges of hills were known to exist, and believed to be impassable. Not lofty, but precipitous and rugged, they were intersected by deep chasms and broad barren valleys, sprinkled with half-blasted trees, and piled with masses of sandstone rock landscapes sub lime in their melancholy desolation. The Blue Mountains so named from their habitual aspect were long considered impassa- ble ; but when the English colonists in New South Wales were straitened for room, they looked for wider pastures for their flocks, and more extensive lands for the cultivation of corn and vegeta- bles. Necessity, then, opened a passage through the hills, the Bathurst Plains were discovered, and a stage-coach rattled along a well-made road, winding among the mountain-passes. In other directions adventitious men, starting from different points, attempted to explore the interior of Australia ; but as yet, all have been un- successful in their endeavor to reach the centre, and he who trav- elled farthest, at the utmost point of his journey has only cast his eye over a monotonous desert, apparently of interminable extent. Australia is situated in the immense ocean stretching to the south-east of Asia, and lies in nearly the same latitude with the Cape of Good Hope and Brazil. Equal in surface to four fifths of the European continent, it extends from 113 5' to 153 16' east longitude, and from 10 39' to 39 11' south latitude. The great- est breadth, from Cape York to Wilson Promontory, north and 8 114 AUSTRALIA AND VAN' DIEMEN*S LAND. south, is 2000 miles, and the extreme length, from Shark's Bay to Sandy Coast, west and east, about 2400. The area is calculated at 3,000,000 square miles, and the coast-line at 7750. The whole of this immense mass of land is solid and compact, broken by few indentations of the ocean. The great Gulf of Carpentaria on the north, and Spenser Gulf, in the Australian Bight, on the southern side, are the only extensive sheets, though Shark's Bay and Her- vey's Bay are also considerable. Numerous inlets, however too small to be named as breaking the coast-line, but of noble dimensions nevertheless afford easy approach to this otherwise iron-bound island. The mariner, for the first time approaching Australia on its western coast, perceives few of those natural charms painted by so many writers. Along these shores even now very rarely visited there is little to allure the eye. A monotonous plain, bounded in the distance by a chain of bleak hills, stretches from the sea, and over the surface of this vast level are scattered sweeps of ground blackened by the passage of flames. The few wandering tribes leading a nomade life in this part of the island, frequently, by accident or intentionally, kindle the tall dry grasses or the low bush. The fire, seizing greedily on the parched vegetation, travels with great rapidity, and, driven by the wind, spreads to the base of the hills, where the conflagration spends its fury. Generally, in one direction or another, the navigator may perceive the smoke or flame of one of these prairie fires. As we proceed further north- ward the shores become strewn with enormous masses of rock, extending to some distance from the beach. It is supposed that formerly the land here was considerably more elevated than at present, and that the action of water has levelled it, leaving the more durable masses unremoved. Some eminences, covered with a vegetation richer than that of Brazil or Borneo, with occasional fertile plains, present themselves in marked contrast with the gen- eral aridity of this coast. On the northern shores the same level prevails. Flinders sailed 175 leagues without seeing any hill higher than the mast of a sloop. Irregular cliffs rise from the sea, broken by the embouchures of several rivers, some of which the Adelaide, the Victoria, and the Albert were discovered during the last surveying expedition of Captain Stokes; but they have never been traced to their sources. Along the Gulf of Capentaria few elevations occur ; but, reaching the eastern coast, the view is no longer monotonous or dreary. New scenes continually unfold themselves : forests, and open plains, and valleys, running up between the hills, and a more 115 numerous population enlivening the country. Passing between the shore and that great barrier-reef which outlies the eastern coast of New Holland for more than 600 miles, we enter the principal field of British enterprise, where the coast is marked by a thousand fan- tastic irregularities. A line of precipitous cliffs extends far towards the south ; a huge breach in this natural wall becomes apparent ; and, while the eye is resting on the grim magnificence of these granite barriers, the vessel glides between the rocks, and reposes in the superb harbor of Port Jackson. The shore, sweeping in gen- tle slopes towards the hills, is covered with a natural growth of verdure. The sea, blue and brilliant, flows into beautiful bays, where vessels lie safe after their long voyage from Europe. White stone-built villas, with graceful gardens and groves, lend artificial charms to a landscape naturally picturesque; and Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, with its forts and light-houses, its churches, hospitals, and custom-houses, full of traffic, and smoking in the heat of industry, appears like the creation of enchantment. The industry of Europe, planted in Australia, now ploughs the sea between Port Jackson and Moreton Bay with steamers, which pre- pare the mind for the scene presented within ; but with this excep- tion, the change from the outer view to the panorama of Sydney is as that from a lifeless desert to an English seaport. Still proceeding southward towards Cape Howe, the coast wears a similar aspect, until, rounding the huge peak of Wilson Prom- ontory, with its inaccessible islets lying around, we enter Bass' Straits. Sailing along the fertile shores of Australia Felix, the eye of the mariner rests with delight on the scenery for many hun- dred miles. Towards the west the surface again becomes level ; irregularities are few ; tali sloping cliffs commence ; anpl the coun- try sinks into a plain covered with scrub, and extending as far as the south-western point of the island. There rises a range of low hills, continuing as far as Gautheaume Bay, where we reach again the desolate level from whence our circuit commenced. The general surface of Australia, so far as it has yet been explored, is level. In New South Wales several ranges cover a large portion of the province. Of these the principal are the Warragong, or Australian Alps, in the region called " The Hap- py," rising to the height of about 15,000 feet, and capped with perpetual snow. The Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, attain an elevation of 3000 feet; the Grampians, in Australia Felix, of 4500 ; and the Liverpool range, between Sydney and Moreton Bay, of 6000. Other ridges, connecting these, complete a continuous though tortuous chain more than 1000 miles in length. This 116 AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN*S LAND. chain runs from Portland Bay in Australia Felix, at a distance of from 60 to 100 miles from the sea, as far as Moreton Bay, branch- ing out into several inferior ridges. The western mountains never rise to more than 3000 feet, and in no other division have any em- inences deserving this name been discovered. The surface of Aus- tralia, therefore, is more uniformly level than that of any other region of equal extent. Its mountain-system also is altogether peculiar. In the countries of the old world every range, however tortuous, agrees in general direction with the length of the continent in which it lies. In Australia the case is reversed the hills run transversely from north to south. In the old world, also, the tendency of the ridges, valleys, and rivers, is parallel ; but here 'we find a region apparently struggling into form with all the elements of its ultimate perfection loosely scattered over the surface. For example : south of latitude 33 degrees, the valleys run along the base of the hill- ranges, watered by streams which follow their direction throughout; north of that latitude they cross from east to west, while in the western provinces the land is divided into terraced plains like the steppes of Tartary. Thus a theory formed by investigation in one place, is destroyed by the examination of another. All the geo- logical formations exist ; but they occur without order, and appear subject to none of the laws laid down by science in the old world. Again : if we turn to the animal and vegetable kingdoms, we have black swans ; white eagles ; crabs of an ultra-marine color ; those singular insects the walking leaves ; cherries growing with their stones outside; trees which shed their bark instead of their leaves ; quadrupeds with birds' bills ; and fish that are amphibious, leaping over the ground by the aid of their strong spiny fins. A curious and remarkable tree is frequently met with in Aus- tralia, called the barrel tree. The trunk bulges out in the middle like a barrel, so as to be sometimes three or four times as much in diameter as it is at the ground, or at the point where the lower branches spring out. They are small in proportion to their great girth, and, indeed, the whole appearance of the tree is extremely odd. Sir T. Mitchell saw specimens of the barrel tree often, and expresses the opinion that the swelling of the trunk is the natural characteristic of the tree, and not a lusus natures. A very remarkable specimen was found by Mr. Kennedy, the companion of Mr. Mitchell, in the apex of a basaltic peak, in a kind of gap of the range of hills through which he passed. He made a drawing of it on the spot. The accompanying cut will show the general appearance of these curious trees. AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN's LAND. 117 Australia is consequently called the Land of Anomalies ; but if we accept the theory of its recent growth, these phenomena become intelligible. All its features indicate an origin dating not far back in the history of creation. Its physical structure, as we have shown, is incomplete and peculiar ; its indigenous vegetation is of THE BARREL TREE. the scantiest description ; in many parts its soil is raw and unpro- ductive ; while its fauna belongs to the lowest orders in the animal kingdom. All is rough and crude a mass of disordered elements unmoulded into the beauty of perfect nature. In the river system the same irregularity prevails ; no more than thirty-five mouths of streams have been discovered along the whole of this immense coast-line,, and of these none have been traced more than two hundred, and few more than fifty, miles from the shore. They are insufficient to the drainage of a tenth part of the island, a fact which gave rise to the belief, not yet* altogether exploded, that far 118 AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN's LAND. inland a circular range of mountains existed, down whose inner slopes numerous rivers poured their waters through the plains into a great central sea. There is still, it is true, a vast blank around the centre of Australia ; but travellers, as far as they have hitherto explored, have failed to discover any indications of this lake. Na- tives have reported the existence of a "great water," breaking in waves higher than the mast of a ship ; but probably they had trav- elled from some district near the coast, and confounded the South- ern Ocean with the inland sea of which the wanderers were in search. Violent inundations, however, certainly do occur, when the springs in the mountains discharge volumes of water, convert- ing small streams into torrents, and spreading the waters over whole tracts of country. Deceived by these ephemeral floods, travellers have brought home accounts of immense lakes extending beyond the reach of sight, in places where the next explorer has found a grassy plain, covered with the traces of a dried-up deluge. In South Australia are several sheets of water, but few of them large or permanent. The Salt Lake Torrens, discovered by Eyre, lies at a distance of 400 miles from the sea, almost enclosing a circular tract of land nearly 200 miles across; Lake Alexandria, which receives the waters of the Murray River, is the most extensive of the fresh-water basins ; while scattered along the banks of several streams in South Australia, and Australia the Happy, are consid- erable expanses of water, which do not in all cases bestow on the land that fertility to be expected from such an abundance of irriga- tion. In other countries rivers are the great fertilizers, and through- out their course clothe their borders with verdure. In Australia, only the higher lands thus watered are verdant, and the streams spread themselves over a barren sandy waste, which they are pow- erless to reclaim. From the great range which shuts in Sydney on the west descend numerous streams, which flow inland, and reach the plains through rocky and tortuous channels. Those below the latitude of 33 de- grees empty themselves for the most part into the Darling, which, after a long and winding course, joins the Murray 200 miles from the sea. Those above pour into the Lachlan, the Morumbidgee, and the Hume also tributaries of the Murray a river which, though its course is many hundred miles, bears no proportion to the size of the region it waters. None of greater magnitude has been discovered. The streams in South Australia and Western Aus- tralia are in comparison insignificant ; but it is a received opinion among many geographers, that great water-springs exist in the island, which will ultimately burst from the earth, flow together, AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN's LAND. 119 form for themselves channels, and find outlets at various places along the coast. Springs are formed by the accumulation of moist- ure in the cavities and gullies of hills, and this process is at first extremely slow. When overcharged, these reservoirs burst, and emit their superfluous waters, at first by an occasional overflow, but gradually in a continuous stream. The waters wear their own channels, growing slowly from rivulets to rivers ; and in Australia great numbers of these incipient, half-developed streams exist. At present, in the river-system of Australia, as well as in its moun- tains, valleys, and geological formations, its botany, and its zoology, we discover a strong support of the. theory that this region is of recent emergence from the ocean. Formerly, Captain Sturt be- lieves .it consisted of an archipelago of islands. The bed of the ocean, upheaved by the agency of subterranean fires, raised the whole to a level ; and the action of the great sea sweeping over it, has produced those strange appearances which have earned for Aus- tralia its curious title The Land of Anomalies. The researches of travellers in the interior will at no distant day lay it open to examination ; and, when the great doubt is removed, science will explain with accuracy phenomena at the present day so perplexing. Over such a vast surface of the earth a variety of climates may naturally be expected to prevail. Throughout Australia, however, it is generally salubrious and genial to the European constitution. The third part of the island the north lies in the torrid, the rest in the temperate, zone. The former part is not yet sufficiently known to allow an exact description of its salubrity ; but in the extra-tropical divisions human life is endangered by a few natural afflictions. Endemic diseases are all but unknown ; small-pox, measles, and hooping-cough, scarcely ever appear ; but dysentery is common, though all disorders yield to simple remedies. It may be useful to state a point on which the best authorities agree, that the settler in Western or Southern Australia may in all cases pre- serve himself for the honors of a ripe old age by temperate pru- dence ; for deaths from climateric diseases are exceedingly rare. The plains of Tropical Australia are swept Joy the Indian mon- soons blowing north-west about the beginning of November, and south-east in the early part of April. Rains are there uncommon, but the air is generally heavily charged with damp, and iron rusts after a few hours' exposure. In the extra-tropical divisions a mild drought often prevails. On the lowlands 65 degrees is the mean temperature of the year, but the atmosphere rapidly changes to cold as the surface rises ; while on the peaks of the mountains the earth is .eternally clothed with snow. The order of the seasons 120 AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. presents a curious contrast to that of Europe; from March to August is the winter ; the rainy season is in May ; while summer lasts from September to February. In the interior the weather, whether wet or dry, is always warm. One remarkable feature has been observed, or we should rather say has been supposed, to exist in the climate of Australia : at intervals of twelve years a period of unmitigated drought prevails, and for twelve months the clouds never send down their gentle showers to refresh and fertilize the earth ; following this is a year of continual floods ; after this the quantity of rain decreases, until another cycle has passed, and the land is once more parched with excessive thirst. Dews are abun- dant ; thunder-storms without rain last for several days ; and on the northern coast a shock of earthquake is occasionally felt. In all things wandering from the ordinary course of nature, Australia is equally strange in her soil. In those interior deserts, a few times traversed by the traveller, it is various ; in some places a red tenacious clay ; in others, a dark, hazel-colored loam, rotten, and full of holes; in others, but these few and limited, sandy. When Sturt was exploring this dreary waste, he vainly looked for evidence of a hilly country near. " Had we picked up a stone," he says, "-as indicating the approach to dry land, I would have gone on." But nothing of the sort was found; and the desert ever widening to his weary view, he turned about and retreated. In the sloping lands of New South Wales, however, and in the elevated valleys of Australia Felix, a rich, dry vegetable soil prevails, abun- dantly prolific. In the rest of the island, the soil, like the river- system, is yet in the mould of nature ; and doubtless at some dis- tant period every prairie throughout this magnificent region will smile upon the immigrant, like those fertile " Plains of Promise " discovered in the north by Captain Stokes. Of the 70,000 or 80,000 species of plants described by botanists, 5710 are already known to exist in Australia. Of these only 270 are common to it and to other countries, while 5440 are altogether peculiar to its extraordinary soil. Thus this island contributes to botany nearly a twelfth of the plants known, but they are generally of a very low order. Ferns, nettles, flowers, and grasses, having the form, bulk, and habits of trees, are abundant ; hard timber, with rosewood, sandal wood, and cedar, is plentiful ; some trees yield the purest gums ; while the leaves of others are used as tea. The sassafras and castor-oil have been discovered. On the northern coast palms flourish abundantly, and the tropical mangrove exists in those parts nearest the Indian islands. With one exception, all the trees of Australia are evergreen. No dense woods have been found ; AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. 121 and the groves, from a peculiar arrangement of their foliage, pre- sent a strange appearance many of the trees having their leaves hanging with the edge downward. Flowering plants of excessive beauty are found ; and the lily, tulip, and honeysuckle grow to the size of large standard trees. There are many odoriferous shrubs, which scent the air to a considerable distance. In the interior im- mense numbers of prickly plants cover the ground, binding down the loose soil, and preventing that drift which distinguishes the des- erts of Arabia and Africa from the Australian wastes. Large pastures form a prominent feature in the aspect of the country ; yet a heavy English sward is seldom found. Flax, to- bacco, a species of cotton, tares, indigo, chicory, trefoil, and burnet, (an excellent substitute for tea,) are natural productions ; but of fruits and vegetables fit for human food there is a strange scarcity. The pith of a reed is the only indigenous substance with which bread can be made, and the only known fruits are raspberries, cur- ranis, one or two tasteless berries, and a species of nut. It appears as if Australia had been selected for colonization, by the avidity of civilized- man, before her soil was sufficient to his support ; and she was called on to nourish the children of an overpeopled land ere her breast was filled by the rich treasure of maternal maturity. Yet industry may be said to have outrun nature, and completed in sixty years the task which centuries would not have accomplished. Corn crops and orchards abound in all the colonized districts. Every species of grain, including maize, is cultivated with success : oranges, lemons, citrons, nectarinea. apricots, peaches, plums, cherries, figs, mulberries, quinces, bananas, guavas, pine apples, grapes, and many others, the produce of Australian soil, are sold cheaply in the Australian mar- kets ; and doubtless the luscious fruits of India will all shortly fol- low. The sugar-cane probably would thrive in the lower latitudes, but the .colonists prefer pastoral industry, for which, indeed, the land affords much facility; though it is said that the keep of a sheep upon the native grasses requires three times the extent of ground which in a moderately fertile district in England would fat- ten an ox in summer, and keep two sheep during winter. The zoology of Australia, like every other department of its nat- ural history, also presents extraordinary features. The number of known species of mammalia is about one thousand. Fifty-eight are found in Australia, of which forty-six are peculiar to it, leaving twelve only which it contains in common with other regions. Even of these, five are whales and four seals ; another is the strong-winged bat of Madagascar ; another like the jerboa of America ; and the last the dog an animal found always where man exists, and rare- 122 AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. ly, if ever, where he does not. Kangaroos, however, are almost the only important animals. In the birds and reptiles similar peculiar- ities exist, while of fish and insects no account has ever been com- pleted. The people who inhabit this extraordinary region belong to the Ethiopic, which is the lowest family of the human race. Many writers, with great ingenuity, have attempted to trace the original colonization of Australia to a horde of Malays passing over in canoes from the Indian Archipelago, across Torres' Straits, to the unknown Southern Land. The color of the skin, however, the for- mation of the skull and the limbs, with the genius, the habits, and the general character of the Australians, identify them with the negro race of New Guinea. The weapons they employ are similar, and their progress in the industrial arts, as well as their mental qualities and conditions of existence, being infinitely lower than those of the Malay, and closely similar to those of the Papuan, destroy the theory of their Malayan origin. Traditions they have few, and those but faint and incoherent. It is probable, however, that the wild savages of the Indian Archipelago, driven from their original homes by the superior civilization of the Malays, put to sea in rude canoes, and, reaching the mysterious Southern Land, de- barked, and gradually peopled the wilderness. They left their own rich islands to the conquering Malays, deserting a contested heri- tage for one where security and peace made up for the loss of a soil spontaneously productive. Liberty, even to the wild savage, is sweet, and life more cherished still, so that doubtless, if Australia was unpeopled at so late a period, the growth of the Malay empire in the East scattered the swarms of Papua along its desert coast. That an infusion of other blood has taken place is probable, but not to such an extent as to have influenced the character of the popula- tion. The old custom of circumcision is found at two places, at opposite extremities of the island, and nowhere else. This appears to us rather as a traditional custom, originally practised by the whole race, whose size has dwindled to this narrow compass, than as a grafted habit borrowed from the Mohammedan traders. Thus in Bali, among the Indian islands, the burning of widows was until recently an established custom. It was not, however, a practice derived from accidental intercourse with the Hindoos, but the relic of a mighty empire once held by that religion in the further East. The Australian aborigines are divided into numerous tribes, with distinct modes of life and various 'languages. The dialect of the south is a strange tongue in the north, and the northern vocabu- lary is wholly unknown in the east. The habits of the natives are AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. 123 unsociable: they seldom come into contact, except in war, each tribe wandering at will through the solitudes, where they have hitherto held an empire all their own. Their manner of existence in some measure resembles that of the Californian savages dwel- ling in huts of the most primitive construction, and existing on the seeds of grass, and the pith of reeds, made into cakes. Those living near the coast consume large quantities of fish, which they roast, but have no idea of the effect of fire upon water. A shipwrecked sailor, domiciled among a tribe of Australians, once obtained' the reputation of a sorcerer by boiling a potful of water. They gash their bodies with decorative scars, and strike out their front teeth, in the spirit of vanity inherent in the most barbarous as well as the most civilized people. An English trader once made a large profit by selling in London a number of these teeth, beautifully large and white, for the use of the dentists. The color of the Australian's skin is lighter than that of the African negro ; his form, unencumbered by clothing, is well pro- portioned ; his hair, black as ebony, is twisted about the head in the form of a hoop ; no whiskers or moustaches are worn, though a scanty beard frequently drops from the chin ; the face is in almost all cases ugly, even to repulsiveness ; the nose large and flat, the mouth extravagantly distended, the ears long, the forehead retreat- ing, and ttie chin highly protuberant. Nor is the character of the Australian more alluring : to lie and to cheat are practices almost universal not so much indicative of moral depravity, as illustra- tive of the low condition in which these savages still remain. Among some tribes treachery to Europeans ranks among the virtues, and basely to assassinate a white man is considered heroic. We knew a naval officer who was stabbed from back to breast by one of these barbarians, who stole on him as he sat sketching on a bank in a lonely spot. On another occasion, two Europeans, engaged in mak- ing observations, were startled by a loud shout from above. Look- ing up, they saw with horror the summit of a lofty bank swarming with savages, who quivered their spears, and were evidently intent on the strangers' death. The Englishmen, skilled in the character- istics of the savage mind, immediately commenced dancing, capering until they were ready to sink under exhaustion. Every time they paused in their strange exercise, the savages lifted their spears with threatening gestures; till at last, weary of the sport, they quietly retired. With some tribes, however, different ideas prevail, and shipwrecked men, hungry and naked, have in the worst hour of their need learned to bless the rude but honest hospitality of an Australian savage. 124 AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. Among themselves a crude social system exists. Ideas of property are very distinct, and one man respects the roasted fish and fried frogs of another with scrupulous integrity. Murders are rare, and, when they occur, are punished. It is the opinion of certain philos- ophers that these wild men will never be reclaimed, but will be driven deeper into the wilderness as colonization proceeds, until ultimately all will perish under the breath of civilization. It is hard to accept this theory, though there is unfortunately much in the history of modern times to lead to its adoption. We would rather cling to the philosophy of the poet, T. K. Hervey, who writes in the spirit of humanity, in language of the loftiest elo- quence, for the wild man of the Australian desert " Yet on his forehead sits the seal sublime That marks him monarch of his lovely clime, And in his torpid spirit lurk the seeds Of manly virtues and of lofty deeds. Within that breast where savage shadows roll Philosophy discerns a noble soul, That, like the lamp within an Eastern tomb, But looks more sickly 'mid surrounding gloom. Full many a feeling trembles through his frame, For which he never knew or sought a name ; And many a holy thought but half supprest Still lurks 'mid all the tempest of his breast. Pants not his heart with human hopes and fears, And is h not the child of smiles and tears ? 'T is love that links him to his native woods, And pride that tires him while he breasts the floods, And glory guides him, felt but undefined, To battle with the breakers and the wind, To tempt the torrent, or in arms to claim The savage splendors of a warrior's name. True, through their souls all fiercer passions run These fiery ones, these children of the sun. But gentler thoughts redeem the frenzied mood ; Eeprest, but quenchless, hid, but unsubdued. Theirs is the spell of home, where'er they rove; The maiden loves with all a maiden's love; And the dark mother, as she rocks her boy, Feels in her bosom all a mother's joy ! " Where the human hsart is warm with these feelings, it is surely susceptible of some refinement. An anecdote will show that the mind of the Australian savage is not blunt to all the better passions of humanity. A native, named Tonquin, dwelling on the banks of the Swan Kiver, stabbed one of his comrades. The murderer fled into the desert, remaining there for fifteen days alone with the AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. 125 memory of his crime. When he reappeared among the people of his tribe he was a maniac heart-broken by remorse. The Australians recognize a benignant god and a variety of evil spirits., especially one in the form of a gigantic serpent. When the winds groan over the hills and woods, they imagine it to be the voice of this monster, and illuminate the plain with fires, repeating magic spells to scare the evil one away. Notwithstanding this timidity, they are brave in battle, though trembling in the presence of death. A grave placed before the door of a house is a perpetual safeguard against thieves. The dwelling of a lonely settler was once attacked by the natives, of whom two were slain. Their bodies were buried in front of the house, and the two low mounds, haunted with the idea of death, were more formidable than the loftiest walls. Some of the tribes enclose their dead in wrappings of leaves and bark, placing them among the branches of solitary trees, near which the vulture sits immovable, with drooping wings, waiting for the last covering to drop from the corpse. Captain Stokes saw one woman who continually bore, hanging from her neck, a net containing the bones of a little child whom, during its short term, she had loved, and over whose dear remains she lingered with tearful eyes, imagining, in the warmth of her maternal fondness, that they rose before her clothed again with the lineaments of life. The Australians regard the white men as their former brethren, whose spirits, purified after death, have passed into superior forms. At Perth, one of the col- onists was twice visited by a strange native, who had heard that there had come to his land a lost brother. The savage travelled through a long extent of hostile country to behold again a cherished friend blessed with the glory of a second life, who had left his para- dise beyond the sea to revisit the scene of his earthly career.-' Three ranks of society prevail among the aborigines : the. young men, the warriors, and the aged the hierarchy of the Australian commonwealth. Simplicity degenerate is their characteristic. Four slender poles planted in the ground, and roofed with wattled boughs form a palace for one of these lords of the creation ; and at night, when the cold winds blow, the savage, burying himself neck deep in the sand, warms himself literally in the bosom of mother earth. What, however, is chiefly interesting to the English reader, is the colonization of Australia. First in order of the settlements is that of New Soutfi Wales. It was the earliest established, and has risen to prosperity by more rapid degrees than any other. From a miserable convict colony it has become a valuable depend- ence on the British Empire, with a flourishing capital, and an increasing trade. Sydney, with its churches, theatres, forts, hos- 126 AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. pitals, and other public structures its banks, hotels its parks and promenades above all, its crowded port displays all the features of a young and energetic civilization. Trade is developing largely ; its population has become an important consumer of British manufactures ; and its towns and rural districts offer a fine promise of fortune to the industrious emigrant from the mother country. But it is a saying no less expressive than true, that those who settle in Australia must lay by their kid gloves, cast off dainty habits, customs, forget their love of lounging, and look to themselves only for the success they desire. No others will prosper in New South Wales. The youthful colony needs no soft-handed Sybarites, whose whole life is the realization of one idea comfojrt. The young, with open prospects before them the disappointed, with a wreck of for- tune and those who have accumulated a small store of wealth by the industry of a life, do well to emigrate to Australia. The young may look for opulence, others may retrieve their losses, and the old may plant their vines and fig trees at once to shade their heads in age, and to make a provision for their children. But none can suc- ceed there, or in any other colony, who forgets these important rules to depend on his own vigorous industry, to be frugal and spar^g of expenditure, to be cautious in his speculations, and watchful when he has entered into them. Eighty years ago the adventurous voyager Captain Cook sailed along the eastern coast of Australia, and there, in latitude 33 south, discovered a commodious inlet. Near the water's edge he saw many curious flowers blooming wild, and from them named the place Bot- any Bay. The account of his visit was circulated in England ; and when, sixteen years later, our unhappy war with America had closed up the great outlet for crime, it was resolved to establish a colony in some other part of the world. The African coast at first ap- peared convenient ; but the idea was abandoned. Then the exist- ence of Australia seems first to have been remembered in England, and the idea suddenly flashed upon the public mind of carrying the seeds of British population to people the " Unknown Southern Land." Botany Bay was thought of. In 1787 the Sirius and the Supply, with six transports and three store-ships, sailed with the germs of a new colony on board. Besides the crews and one hun- dred and sixty-six marines, there were seven hundred fifty-seven convicts five hundred sixty-five men, and one- hundred ninety-two women. Stores and provisions for two years were taken, besides agricultural implements and tools, with all the necessaries for the foundation of a permanent settlement. Captain Philip, the ap- pointed governor, took command of the squadron, and sailed first to AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN'S I*AND. 127 the Cape of Good Hope, then belonging to the Dutch, where live- stock and seeds were procured. At Rio Janeiro more stores were taken in, and the expedition steered direct for the new land. Continuing their course, they reached Australia after a voyage of eight months and one week. On January 20th they anchored near the antipodes of their native country in general good health. Bot- any Bay appeared to promise little. Water seemed scarce, and an aspect of aridity on the surrounding land decided them to go else- where in search of a place of rest. The fleet, therefore, weighed anchor, and, as they left the bay, two French ships under La Perouse entered it. That enterprising discoverer stayed two months in this haven, and then set sail for the Pacific, disappearing forever from the sight of civilized man. Drawing near an opening in the cliffs, a few miles further north, the governor went to examine it in person. The natives collected on the rocks, shouting to the strangers to go away ; but they perse- vered. Captain Cook had reported the existence in this neighbor- hood of a creek where boats could be sheltered. A sailor named Jackson, however, declared that a great haven lay within the mighty rocks that frowned above them ; and, entering between these, the explorers were delighted to discover a harbor of many miles .in extent. A fine anchoring ground was at once chosen, and the name of the sailor bestowed on the harbor. This is one of the in- stances in which the name of the original discoverer has remained fixed to the scene of his discovery. The spot chosen for debarkation was near a stream of fresh water overshadowed by trees. Every man literally stepped from the boats into a forest. They detached themselves into parties, and the pri- meval silence of the shore was immediately broken by sounds which have never since died away. Some shouldered the axe, and com- menced clearing ground for the different encampments ; some pitched the tents ; some brought from the ships the necessary stores, and others examined the capabilities of the neighboring soil. Every one wandered freely over the country, and wholesale disposals were made of land which, fifty years later, was worth more than a thou- sand guineas an acre. The people were then collected together, and the governor's com- mission was read, with letters-patent for establishing courts of jus- tice. The ground was gradually cleared, a rude farm was prepared to receive the live stock, and gardens were laid out for the planting of seeds and roots. The Supply was then sent to Norfolk Island, a thousand miles to the east, to form a settlement on a spot said to be favorable to the cultivation of flax. Thus was planted the colony 128 AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN'g LAND. of New South Wales. Before tracing its growth, it may be desir- able to describe the territory, and show upon what materials English energies were then set to work. From a point on the eastern coast, near the Tropic of Capricorn, to Portland Bay, on the south, the coast-line of New South Wales measures more than 1600 miles. It is broken by many safe and spacious harbors the gateways, as it were, of a country diversified in aspect, with a rich soil, abounding in coal and iron, andjntersected by numerous streams. These flow from the ridge of mountains we have already described, winding down the slopes, and traversing, with a tortuous course, the maritime districts, and discharging them- selves into the sea at intervals along the eastern coast. Few of these are navigable, even for small craft ; but they serve to enrich and adorn the high valleys through which they flow, covering the earth with fertility. South of Sydney, as far as Bass' Straits, the mountains encroach so nearly to the sea that the streams are mere tor- rents ; but northward are several fine rivers the Hawkesbury, the Apsley, the Brisbane, &c. Near Port Philip others have been found ; but none of those which descend the eastern slopes of the great range, and follow an independent course to the sea, are of equal magnitude with those on the western side, which swell the waters of the Murray. Two great channels, we have shown, receive the tribute of all the hills from the Grampians to the Darling Downs, yet hitherto they are little used for navigation. For the formation of highways, however, and railways, the surface of New South Wales is admirably adapted a fact which compensates in some degree for its poverty of water communication, in all countries the easiest and most obvious. The climate is mild and proverbially salubrious. It is indeed commonly compared with that of Southern Italy, but the remark should be accepted with reserve. The atmosphere is drier, the ex- tremes of temperature are greater, the average heat is less, and the air becomes colder more rapidly as we ascend the hills. The soil of New South Wales is capable of yielding every grain and vegetable useful to man, with fruit in rich perfection, and in the utmost profusion and variety, from the gooseberry and currant of the north to the banana and pine-apple of the fervid tropics. Even in the neighborhood of Sydney, apples, pears, plums, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, mulberries, medlars, apricots, nectarines, figs, grapes, melons, oranges, olives, lemons, citrons, loquots, and pome- granates, are abundantly produced ; while in warm and sheltered situations the luscious guava and banana grow intermingled. Peaches never in England a very common fruit are abundant to excess AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN's LAND. in New South Wales. During four months in the year they are produced in incalculable profusion. The fruit grows everywhere in all soils. A peach stone, planted no matter where, will in three or four years become a fine productive tree. In such numbers are they gathered, that vast piles are made, which are left to ferment in the sun, and then thrown to the hogs, who fatten magnificently on this dainty food. A pleasant and wholesome cider is made from the peach. Green peas are gathered in winter as well as in summer, and two crops of potatoes are produced in the year in districts near the sea- coast. As we approach the hills, the cold seasons become more severe. Sharp white frosts are then of usual occurrence, and snow lies eyen on the lower mountains. On well chosen soil the wheat crops, with good cultivation, average from twenty to thirty bushels an acre. In the colder district of Argyle forty bushels an acre are often obtained. The small settlers at first, however, carried on so improvident a system of husbandry, that fifteen bushels was the average produce. The seed season for wheat, barley, and oats, is from March to 'June, and harvest from November to December. Maize, the most prolific of all grains, sown in October and Novem- ber, ripens in March and June, producing, according to the quality of the soil, from twenty to seventy bushels an acre. There are thus two seed and two harvest seasons in New South Wales, and the sickle and the drill are in continual employment. The soil and climate are admirably adapted for the cultivation of the vine, the olive, and the mulberry. Many vineyards and olive plantations have been established, and flourish well, while extensive fields of good tobacco alternate with the other species of cultivation. It is considered probable that silk and dried fruits will shortly enter into the exports of the colony, nor is it unreasonable to suppose that the capabilities of the soil remain as yet incompletely developed. Its richness is singular ; yet for the food of civilized man nature in New South Wales has produced spontaneously nothing. Trees of gigantic growth, flowers of brilliant hues, and wholesome pastures, abound ; but the forests are not hung with fruits, the fields are not covered with grain-bearing grasses, and edible roots in this division of the island are unknown. Yet, as we have said, to the hardy settler willing for a while to eat bread by the sweat of his brow, and accumulate fortune by diligent industry, no country in the world is more favorable for settlement. There is a fine contrast be- tween the bleak desolations of the Blue Mountains and the fertility of the lower provinces : the one wild and terrible ; the other pre- senting a pleasant prospect of green and beautiful pastures, graced 9 130 AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN's LAND. by swarming flocks, with towns, and villages, and decorated villas, with cultivated lands, and all the signs of a complete civilization. Cattle thrive well in New South Wales, where the pastures are sweet and wholesome, fattening the animals well, if not with un- usual rapidity. The produce of grain and vegetables will always supply the colony with cheap provisions ; but its chief commercial wealth at present is in the pastures, where the millions of pounds of wool are produced which now form so important an article of ex- change for the manufactured fabrics of Great Britain. This general sketch will afford an idea of the region first colo- nized by the English in January, 1788. The early years of the set- tlement were far from prosperous. Idleness, ignorance, crime, and general demoralization prevailed. Some of the convicts were hanged, others killed themselves by excess, and others fell under the knives of their comrades. And, as usual, among a community for the most part criminal, offences were rarely punished, because the offenders could not be discovered. There is a strange fidelity among the wicked. Men who would rob one another, steal a pittance of food, and quarrel with one another until knives were drawn, refused to betray a fellow-culprit. The great difficulty in any colony is its support during the early years of its existence. From the first, this object was steadily kept in view by Governor Philip ; but the idleness and inaptitude of the settlers who had not chosen the best field for farming operations contributed to bring the community into danger of famine. Culti- vation proceeded slowly and irregularly, the stores were wasted and stolen, the provisions decreased, and scarcity threatened. After two years' struggles the rations were reduced, and the colony languished in despondency. While, however, the spirit of industry flagged, and the land lay untilled in spite of the danger, an eager attention was given to any rumor which seemed to promise wealth without labor. The curse of many colonies has been a mine of gold, a grove of spice trees, or a bank of costly pearls, for they allure men from industry to spoil the earth of its natural treasures. An impostor among the convicts knew the temper of his companions. With a brass buckle and a guinea he manufactured specimens of the precious ore, and, displaying them, endeavored to get clothes and provisions from the stores as the reward of his discovery. But the deceit was detected, and the impostor flogged for his fraud. The miserable man afterwards ended his life on the scaffold. A flagstaff was now erected at the entrance of Port Jackson, to signal the arrival of anyship : as the provisions sunk, many an anxious eye was turned upon the staff, desiring the expected sign. AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. 131 Alone, on that remote, inhospitable coast, they dreaded the horrors of famine, though somewhat relieved by the supplies of fish brought in three times a week, and distributed in equal rations to the whole community. The governor made no exception in his own favor, faring as the rest fared ; and when a party wa-s collected at the government house, each guest was requested to bring a supply of provisions for himself. In 1790, though the rations had been re- duced by one half, there were only four months' supplies in the colony, and some measures were necessary to check the approach of famine. It was resolved to plant a settlement on Norfolk Island. Two hundred and one convicts, men, women, and children, were sent thither, and a vessel was despatched to Batavia for supplies. The Sirius, bearing her criminal burthen to Norfolk Island, landed them, and was immediately afterwards wrecked upon the coast. A lofty hill was observed, whither at evening enormous nights of birds pro- ceeded from the sea, where all day they collected food. Their eggs were gathered in vast quantities, and when fires were kindled to attract their notice, the birds came down in such numbers, that 2000 or 3000 were taken every night. From the circumstance of this occurring at a time of great need, these birds were called the Birds of Providence. Meanwhile more convicts arrived at Port Jackson ; death struck down numbers of the first comers; sickness prostrated nearly 500 at a time ; and a state of demoralization followed which ren- dered the young colony of New South Wales a lazar-house of crime and misery. Five men, endeavoring' to escape, put to sea in a boat, steered for Otaheite, and were doubtless drowned in the abysses of the Pacific. Many of the Irish started off, intending to travel across the whole region, and reach China overland for only so far had our knowledge of the country then proceeded. Probably they were killed by the natives, though some of them may have become domesticated among them, and, adopting their customs, sank into the savage state. Next year ten ships arrived with upwards of 1000 convicts, and their coming imparted an air of life and activity to the infant city of Sydney. Various public works and buildings were commenced ; tanks were cut in the rocks to provide against dry seasons ; and fresh land was got ready for the cultivation of Indian corn. Some of the ships, after discharging their cargoes, were em- ployed with considerable success in the whale fisheries ; while many of the convicts were for good behavior released, on condition of re- maining in the country to fulfil the terms of their sentence, while those who had already passed their terms, and were willing to re- main, received allotments of land. 132 AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. At the end of 1791, when the colony had been established four years, the public live-stock consisted of one aged stallion, one mare, two young stallions, two colts, sixteen cows, two calves, one ram, fifty ewes, six lambs, one boar, fourteen sows, and twenty-two pigs. The cultivated ground amounted to three hundred acres of maize, forty of wheat, six of barley, one of oats, four- of vines, and eighty- six of garden ground, besides seventeen under culture by the sol- diers of the colonial corps. These were the humble beginnings of that wealthy colony, to which, in the first half of the year 1850, we exported more yards of cotton cloth than to the whole Austrian empire. When we reach the present state of the province it will be seen what advance has been made. Six years after the foundation of the settlement, a church was built of wood and thatch, costing 40, and employed during the week as a school-house, where two hundred children were instructed by the chaplain. Meanwhile the mortality increased, provisions ran low, and famine again became imminent. All the while the utmost discontent prevailed. Fifty-three persons were missing at one time, all of whom had deserted in the delusive hope of reaching China overland. Crimes and punishments multiplied, and the infancy of the colony was passed in the most disheartening confusion. Drunk- enness and gambling demoralized the community, the spirit of sloth invaded it, and it became dependent on importations of corn. The' live stock, however, increased. A few animals strayed, and some years after there was discovered on the banks of the Nepean river a herd of upwards of sixty cattle, wandering over pastures of fine sweet grass, thinly scattered over with trees, and dotted with large ponds. Upon the surface of these sheets of water, fringed with beautiful shrubs, ducks and black swans swam to and fro. Perceiv- ing the value of a wild breed of cattle near the settlement, the governor arranged that no part of this fertile tract to this day known as the Cow-Pastures should be allotted. In consequence of this the animals multiplied so rapidly, that before 1813 the 60,000 acres were unequal to contain them. A severe drought fol- lowing, they died by thousands ; and from that period the Pastures were allotted, and the wild herds retreated to a greater distance from the sea. Captain Hunter, the second governor of the colony, was an ad- venturous man. He explored the country, and enlarged the boun- daries of the settlement. Several valuable discoveries were made during his administration. In 1796, some men, fishing in a little bay considerably to the north of Port Jackson, found, at a little distance from the beach, quantities of coal scattered over the ground. Near AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN's LAND. 133 the spot a considerable river, now named the Hunter, discharges itself into the sea. The valuable mineral was obtained in abun- dance, and a township has now been established there, which supplies the whole colony with this fuel. A large trade in lime, obtained from immense quantities of oyster-shells thrown up on the beach, is car- ried on at this place appropriately named Newcastle. Through all its struggles Sydney continued to rise, and by slow degrees free settlers from England arrived. Government provided their passage, their tools and implements, allotments of land, pro- visions for two years, and clothes for one. Soldiers and convicts also turned farmers, and individual instances of prosperity encour- aged the rest. One man, to whom Governor Philip had in 1792 granted a ewe for breeding, found himself in seven years proprietor of 116 sheep, and on the high road to opulence. While some ap- plied themselves to the rearing of flocks and herds, others pursued agriculture, and many beautiful farms were established on the banks of streams near the little town of Sydney. A gradual change came over the face of the province. From a wild forest it became a pastoral country, with houses, stacks, and sheds, fields well fenced, and all the usual features of well-directed industry. In the last year of the eighteenth century a great flood took place. From some unknown cause, the river Hawkesbury swelled to an enormous vol- ume ; and a settler, whose dwelling stood on a hill, near a beautiful bend of the stream, saw at one moment, floating with the flood, no less than thirty wheat-stacks, on some of which were numerous pigs and poultry, vainly seeking refuge from the rising of the waters. The consequences of this disaster were most calamitous. Wheat rose to 30s. a bushel in a colony where it had at times been thrown to the pigs, and Indian corn became equally scarce. In course of time roads were made through different parts of the colony; and, in 1813, when the settlers resolved to widen their ter- ritory, a passage was found across the Blue Mountains. A drought in the maritime plains and valleys compelled the colonists to seek pasturage beyond ; and, driving their sheep and cattle through the passes, they came down upon the plentiful plains of Bathurst. An excellent road, 100 miles in length, now connects Sydney and the town which soon sprang up in the new territory. In Governor Bligh's time an insurrection upset the government, which was with difficulty restored. A contest then broke out be- tween two parties in the community the Exclusionists, who, in the petty pride of honesty, refused to associate, even in the offices of charity, with the tainted population ; and the Emancipists, who considered that a convict, after his term of punishment expired, was 134 " AUSTRALIA AND TAN DIEMEN's LAND. as good as any other man. The first endeavored to stamp the crim- inal with an ineffaceable brand of infamy ; the second, perhaps too hurriedly, sought to produce a mingling of the convicted and uncon- victed classes. The governor, Maquarrie, famous for his success in road-making, exerted himself philanthropically to raise the convicts from their degradation, and thus came into collision with the senti- mentality of a few little-minded Exclusionists. During the twelve years of his administration New South Wales increased in extent and prosperity, while the boundaries of discovery were pushed still further westward. Bathurst Plains, and the ways to them, were discovered ; the district of Argyle was opened to the enter- prise of the settlers ; two rivers, the Lachlan and the Maquarrie, were traced beyond the Blue Mountains, until they were sup- posed to flow into pathless swamps; while northwards the river Hastings, with a large tract of pasture-land, called Liverpool Plains, was discovered. A penal settlement for the punishment of refrac- tory convicts was formed on the Emu Plains; another at Newcas- tle, near the mouth of the Hunter ; and a third at Port Maquarrie, at the mouth of the Hastings, about 180 miles north of Sydney. When Maquarrie's administration began, the settlement was in a state of imbecility, disabled by privation, the country impenetrable beyond forty miles of Sydney, agriculture indifferently carried on, commerce only beginning, and no revenue ; famine ever on the threshold, factions continually alive, public buildings falling into ruin, a few miserable roads commenced, a people depressed by pov- erty, abased by crime, and utterly careless of religion. He left it with brightening prospects, with an enlivening energy pervading the community, and elevated hopes moving men to vigorous action. The port-dues of Sydney had risen, from 1810 to 1822, from 8000 to 30,000 per annum. A population of 29,783, of whom 13,814 were convicts, now labored with energy for the public good. From that period the struggles of the colony were less severe, and its strength wqs greater. Accounts of its resources were circulated throughout Great Britain ; men brought home fortunes, and those who emigrated in poverty counted their acres and their flocks by thousands. To trace the progress of the settlement to its present condition, through every change of fortune, would be an interesting task, but it would be incompatible with our limits. A glance at its actual state, however, is necessary. Among the twenty-one counties into which the territory of New South Wales is divided, Cumberland is the most populous and im- portant, though not the most fertile. The capital, Sydney, with the prosperous towns of Paramatta, Windsor, Liverpool, and others, AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN's LAND. 135 give it preeminence. It consists of an undulating plain, stretching From north to south 53 miles, and from the base of the Blue Mountains to the coast, which is broken by many creeks and inlets, of which the noble harbor of Port Jackson is the most remarkable. Near the sea the soil is poor and unproductive, but inland the coun- try improves, the woods thin, the valleys become verdant, and the hills excessively fertile. The borders of the Hawkesbury and Ne- pean rivers are covered with rich soil, spread over extensive flats, finely cultivated. Good water is ' not plentiful, though by boring wells this might in a great measure be remedied. There are 900,000 acres in the county, of which little more than a third is fit for prof- itable cultivation. All the good land has been granted away ; but a curious fact is, that the greatest abundance of water is found on the most ungracious soils. The next county southward is Camden, with 66 miles of coast- line, and a breadth of 55. It is more mountainous than Cumber- land, with lofty timber, alternating with tracts of great fertility. Ulawara district contains 150,000 acres of fine deep soil, whose rich qualities may be perpetually preserved by a manure of decayed shells found upon the shore. The most delightful landscapes abound in this favored region, wooded hills, and beautiful streams ; while the Shoal Haven Kiver, navigable for ships of eighty or ninety tons, bears its produce to the capital. The 60,000 acres of the Cow- Pastures are now sheep-farms, well watered. There are no impor- tant towns in this county. Next to this is Argyle, a lofty, rugged district, well timbered, but containing many broad, bare levels, like Goulbourn Plains, which are twenty miles long, and ten wide. Two remarkable lakes George and Bathurst exist here, supposed to be of recent forma- tion. The natives, indeed, declare that they remember the period when their beds were dry. Bathurst County lies inland, due west of Cumberland, divided from it by the Blue Mountains ; it is 72 miles long by 68 wide, approaching in shape an irregular square. Downs, like those of Sussex, extend along the banks of the Maquarrie for more than 100 miles, and among them Bathurst Plains, con- taining upwards of 50,000 acres of the most fertile land, with a cool climate that reddens the cheeks of children. North of Cumberland county is that of Northumberland, meas- uring about 60 miles by 50. Its general appearance is undulating, with high table-lands among the hills. Here are the coal-mines, near one of the principal towns Newcastle with the productive farms which dot the valley of the Hunter a stream navigable for small craft 50 miles from the sea. Boats may ascend 200 miles, 136 AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN's LAND. but frequent and violent floods interrupt the navigation. The coal, found in most parts of New South Wales, is most abundant here. A company obtained a grant of the mines from government, and, in 1836, 12,646 tons were delivered at the pits' mouth, at 9s. a ton. Steamers, introduced five years before, now ply so frequently along that remote coast, that the demand has enormously increased. In this Land of Anomalies the coal district is the most fertile, for not even the rich vales of the Hawkesbury' or Nepean can vie with the borders of the Hunter River. Maitland is the largest town, and its market supplies Sydney with potatoes, tobacco, cheese, and butter. The district is liable to one great evil namely, the fre- quency of floods, which often rise forty or sixty feet, pouring through the valley, and sweeping away all traces of cultivation. Of the counties still imperfectly known, only partially colonized, and almost completely undeveloped, there are Bligh, Brisbane, Durham, Gloucester, Wellington, Philip, Hunter, Roxburgh, Cook, Georgiana, Westmoreland, King, Murray, St. Vincent, Stanley, and Maquarrie. Distributed among the whole are about forty-five "chief towns," above which Sydney stands the mistress of them all. Port Jackson, with an entrance three-quarters of a mile wide, a length of fifteen, and a breadth of three, would afford shelter to fleets of the largest size. Around it spreads a panorama of varied landscapes. Towards the sea are scattered picturesque islets; northward rise long chains of rugged cliffs ; southward the wide harbor of Botany Bay extends ; and westward the stately forest, broken by occasional clearings, still reminds the spectator that he is in a new country, fresh from nature, with ' all the features of youth impressed upon it. The city of Sydney covers a considerable space of ground. It is laid out on a regular plan, with straight streets crossing at right angles, and adorned with many large and some elegant buildings. Quays, wharfs, and forts, government buildings, churches, hospitals, hotels, custom-houses, newspaper offices, barracks, assembly-rooms, post-offices, police offices, market-places, banks, insurance-offices, chapels, theatres, and a cathedral, adorn streets lively with the rattle of superb carriages, cabs, horsemen, and omnibuses. There is little in Sydney to distinguish it from an English town, except the scenery surrounding it, for scarcely a street is not called after some name familiar in " the old country." The " Sydney Morning Herald," the "Sydney Chronicle," the "Atlas," "Bell's Life in Sydney," the "Daily Advertiser," the "Australian Journal," and the " Sydney Guardian," exist to impress on the settler's mind, that AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN's LAND. 137 in leaving his mother-land he has not left the luxury of newspapers and leading articles. In the market-place of this flourishing city we find wheat at 4s. the bushel of sixty pounds, and Indian corn at Is. 6d. ; potatoes at 6 a ton ; beef at 2d. or 3d. a pound ; fresh butter Is., tea 2s., jnoist sugar 3d., tobacco 9d., candles 4d., mutton l|d. or 2d., veal 4d., and bread, best quality, ld. a pound. All other articles of consumption are in proportion. Fruit is excessively cheap. Most of the neighboring counties contribute to supply Sydney with pro- visions, consumed by a population of 60,000 persons. The most expensive part of living is house-rent, for a moderate habitation, unfurnished, can be hired for nothing less than 100 a year. The number of houses in Sydney is about 7500 ; and in the whole col- ony little more than 35,000. Of the other towns in New South Wales, 'numerous as they are, a detailed description cannot be afforded. They are all similar to Sydney in plan and aspect, differing only in size and situation, and the character of the public buildings. When we estimate their number, consider the commerce which supports them, and glance at their rapid growth in a region where, sixty years ago, there was not a village standing, it is with excusable pride that we point to New South Wales as an example of national energy. Sixteen years ago the population of New South Wales was 77,096. In eight years it rose to 173,377, and is now more than 220,000, in the proportion of 60 women to 100 men. The ex- ports average three millions, and the imports more than two millions and a half a year ; while the revenue, now increasing at the rate of 10,000 a quarter, has risen from 183,218, in 1836, to 288,- 044, in 1849. Sixteen million pounds of wool are annually pro- duced in this colony, where, as we have shown, there existed, in 1791, 1 ram, 50 ewos, and 6 lambs. Contrasting with that ac- count of live-stock, the following figures appear startling : 98,000 horses; 1,366,200 horned cattle; 6,530,000 sheep; and myriads of pigs, the descendants of that solitary boar which, sixty years ago, represented the species in New South Wales. Now, if the reader recollects the account of the land then under culture, he will hear without surprise that nearly 200,000 acres are now annually cultivated, producing more than 3,000,000 bushels of grain, and 60,000 tons of potatoes, tobacco, and grasses for hay. It is nec- essary thus to introduce a few figures in illustration of this interest- ing subject. Since 1840 no convict-ship has debarked its corrupting burthen at the harbor of Sydney; and, since its emancipation from this 138 curse, the colony has received the right of partial self-government, returning its own representatives. Recently an amended constitu- tion has been granted it, and, blessed with these advantages, we may look to its continued progress among the most prosperous col- onies in the world. Vessels continually leave our own shores bound for this " land of plenty;" but we fear that many are dis- appointed through the extravagance of their expectations. The earth was given to man, that he should live on it by labor ; and the slothful will find in New South Wales, as at home, that they may wait long at their doors before sixpenny pieces will fall like the manna from heaven. The colony contiguous to New South Wales is South Australia. It was originally projected in 1831, when a committee was formed in London for establishing a chartered company to settle the coun- try. The project failed ; but three years later another association applied for an act of Parliament to erect South Australia into a British province. Meetings were held, the preliminary arrange- ments were carefully made, and a colony was established. Its ter- ritory extends from the 122d to the 141st degree of east longitude, and runs up northward as far as the 26th parallel of latitude. There was for some time a discussion as to boundaries ; but the governments of Adelaide and Sydney have amicably adjusted the point, and marked a line to the distance of 123 miles from the coast. The shore is wild, and broken by many bays, into which the Southern Ocean rolls in tremendous breakers. In the waters of Encounter Bay always white with foam a successful whale fishery is carried on. The first settlement formed by the South Australian Company was at Kingscote, in Kangaroo Island, off the shores of Nepean Bay, at the mouth of St. Vincent's Gulf. A town was laid out, and some houses built ; but the place was offi- cially abandoned some years ago, though a pretty seaport town remains, with a good harbor. Penetrating the gulf about seventy miles, we reach Port Adelaide, and landing, proceed towards the town. Villages, cottages, and farms, are scattered over the monot- onous flats, and, after traversing the swamps near the sea, the emi- grant finds himself on the Park Lands, rich and beautiful, where Adelaide stands on the first elevated ground. Westward lie the plains of Adelaide, with the sea running up St. Vincent's Gulf; eastward a richly-wooded country extends down to the valley of the Murray, beyond which spread forest and plains as far as the heights of " Lofty Range." Lower down, and separated by the valley of the Torrens from the upper town, stands South Adelaide on a flat surface. It is large, and densely built, and forms the commercial 139 division of the city, containing the government-house and other public structures. Some handsome edifices have been erected ; and Hindley Street and Rundle Street would do no discredit to a sec- ond-class city in England. Churches, schools, banks, and other buildings decorate the broad thoroughfares, and outside a prom- enade, half a mile wide, runs round the city. Its inhabitants here enjoy the mild evenings, and crowd upon it, like our own citizens in the parks, with cheerful faces, doubtless sometimes contrasting their position with that of those whom they have left behind to struggle with extravagant competitors in the mother country. Lit- tle more than twelve years have passed since the first wooden dwel- ling was erected on the spot where now stands Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. The general resources of the colony are considerable. The copper mines of Kaprunda are supposed to be immensely rich, and other minerals have been discovered which may be expected to form the materials of future prosperity. The climate is favorable to the growth of fruit, even of the tropical kinds. The loquot, the guava, the orange, and the banana, flourish well, but slowly ; while the vine, the fig, and the pomegranate attain a suberb maturity, with English fruits of every description. The climate of the plains is altogether different from that of the hills; while the latter are white with snow, the former are warmed by a glowing sun. On the lowlands the forest-trees of Europe have a stunted growth, but in elevated situations they thrive to perfection. Gooseberries and cur- rants also bear only on the hills. Two extremes of climate pre- vail in South Australia. In the early part of the year the rains fall copiously, the whole land is brightly green, and vegetation thrives in luxuriant richness ; later, the sun is intensely hot, the earth is almost herbless, millions of grasshoppers swarm over the ground, but the air, though hot and calm, is breathed without diffi- culty. In August the thermometer ranges about 59, and rises till January, when it is often 106^-, descending in July to 55 at two P. M., the hottest hour of the day. This climate is exceedingly salubrious ; even the most heated winds are light and agreeable. It is of course subject to the ordinary maladies common to most regions ; but there are no dangerous indigenous complaints, and it is, in the opinion of a well-informed traveller, "one of the health- iest countries in the world;" but it is important to remember one fact, a universal knowledge of which might have kept death out of many homes that the climate of South Australia and of Sydney is fatal to persons of consumptive habits. As in New 140 AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN's LAND. South "Wales, the summer of Europe is winter here,- and the winter summer. The soil of this colony is not better than that of New South Wales, and inferior to that of Van Piemen's Land, yet the crops produced in it are finer than those of the other provinces. The agriculturists of South Australia, less dependent on pasture, have applied themselves more studiously to cultivation ; and- the most magnificent specimen of wheat ever exhibited in our markets was grown by them. The province contains an area of about 824,000 square miles, or in round numbers 207,000,000 acres. The settled territory, however, occupies no more than 4000 miles, or 7,000,000 acres, and even in this a large portion of country, at present desert, is included. About 500,000 acres have been purchased for cultiva- tion, besides large tracts for sheep and cattle 'pastures. The rate of Progress in the colony may be indicated by a few facts : In 1845, 8,848 acres of wheat were sown; in 1846, 26,135; while oats increased 7000 acres. In one year 400 names were added to the list of landed proprietors. The produce of the colony, therefore, exceeds its capability of consumption, so that, while in 1839 the price of flour in South Australia was 120 a ton, it is now about 12. The increase of stock was equally rapid: cattle and sheep stations were established immediately after the formation of the colony, and the wild nutritive herbage so abundant gave nourish- ment in 1844 to 355,700 sheep ; in the next year to 480,669 ; and now to about 1,200,000, with an increase of 200,000 annually. There are in the colony also about 80,000 cattle imported principally from New South Wdes, with 6000 horses, and about 25,000 pigs and goats. x Though not so rapid in its recent development as New South Wales, South Australia prospered better during the early years of its existence as an English colony. The encampment at Rapid Bay, with the rude gardens at first laid out, was soon abandoned, though some traces of them may still be seen, as well as some curious ovens scooped in the banks by the first settlers. The situation was deserted for the site of the present capital, planned on an extensive scale. A thousand acres were surveyed seven hundred on the south, and three hundre'd on the north of the river, and the streets, crossing at right angles, are from one to two chains in width. No convicts were ever allowed to be imported. All religious denominations were encouraged by an equality of rights. The town lots were put at 2, 10s. an acre, the country at 1 half the money thus raised being added to the colonial fund, and half applied to bring out laborers and mechanics. The value of the town land has risen to AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN*S LAND. 141 1000 an acre. After the first, new settlers continually arrived ; flocks of sheep and herds of cattle were brought from Van Diemen'g Land, and every artisan skilled in house-building was engaged at wa^es varying from seven to ten guineas a week. Men earned much money ; but uneducated poverty, suddenly prosperous, is apt to run into excess ; and sawyers and splitters, earning in two days enough to riot on all the rest of the week, drank rum and beer until an empty pocket induced them to resume work. Bullock-drivers, and others of their class, became dainty, and drank only claret and champagne ; while many, who in their own country wanted the necessaries of life, staked 50 on the toss of a halfpenny. The sale of liquor was a prosperous trade. One publican made 10,000 in three years. While this factitious prosperity endured, hardy Bushmen from New South Wales came down to Adelaide with their flocks and herds to sell, cows at 40 each, bullocks 100 a pair, meat at 2s. a pound, bread at half-a-crown the four pound loaf, flour at 120, and pota- toes at 30 a ton. Thus things stood for some time in 1839. All was done on a large scale. Surveyors marked the land in a circle of twenty-five miles into lots, which were bought by speculators, who drew clever plans, marked Islington, Kensington, Brighton, Paynham, and Walkerville, and advertised them as town lots. A mania followed. People ran deeply into speculation, money flowed like water, and excitement rose to a spring tide of excess. As usual, panic trod on the heels of this pernicious fever, and in 1840 hundreds of laborers crowded the streets of Adelaide, begging for employment at the lowest rate of wages. The colony became in- volved in debt, and when Governor Grey arrived in, 1841, all credit was destroyed, and ruin hung over the settlers. The government expenditure had risen to 180,000. In two years an honest ad- ministration reduced it to 30,000, though a loan was effected from New South Wales, and public works were commenced to prevent the poor from starving. Farming operations had not been * vigorously commenced ; but now, when the mania was over, and wholesome industry revived, families settled in the bush, lands were bought, cleared, and fenced, put under cultivation, and covered with magnificent crops. Hedge- rows lined the roads, cottages dotted the fields, stacks and ricks sprung up, reapers and sowers multiplied, the plough went through the furrow, and before the end of twelve months provisions became abundant. In two years more the colony, with brightening pros- pects, took rank with the other Australian settlements. The seaport lies several miles from the town, and is connected with it by a good macadamized road, traversed every hour by pas- 142 AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. senger cars (fares, sixpence). A spacious basin, lined with wharfs, receives the shipping ; and along the highway teams of oxen are continually moving, carrying British manufactures to the town, or Australian produce to the port. There are several good inns on the roadside, with ruddy-faced bar-maids everything, indeed, familiar to the English eye, except the landscape and the people ; for the newly-arrived emigrant would never recognize in the stalwart fel- lows, well mounted and clothed, who ride to and fro over their own farms, the thin and sickly creatures who would at home have broken stones in the yard of a workhouse. Round Adelaide lie three principal divisions of the colony : the north, or sheep, cattle, and great mineral district ; the east, famed for agriculture and pasture ; and the south, combining cultivation, rearing of cattle and sheep, fishing and mining. A vast quantity of level land, covered with crops of rich grass, and unencumbered with trees, affords the finest pasture. In 1843 lead and copper were discovered, and now gold is also known to exist in many parts of the colony. The discovery of these treasures, instead of producing its legitimate effect, caused another mania. A prospect of scarcity hung over the colony. A noble harvest was ready to bend before the sickle, but the community was mad with the rage for mining, while the winter threatened to close in and cut off the promise of land. Enormous sums were offered for reapers. " Gentlemen and ladies sallied forth with sickles, even with scissors," to save the har- vest, and the military and police were called out. They marched in battalions, and attacked the standing corn ; great exertions were made ; many granaries were filled ; but over hundreds of acres of the ripe grain fell and rotted to the earth. But this fever was of brief duration, and we now witness in South Australia the spectacle of an industrious community of settlers with a profitable division of labor some at the mines, some in the fields, some in the pastures, engaged in developing to their own advantage the resources of a wealthy soil. The population within the last ten years has risen from 10,115 to 38,666 or 286 per cent. An increasing com- merce is carried on with the mother country, which in the first six months of 1850 exported to its young offspring as many yards of cotton cloth as to the whole of Denmark. Western Australia, at the Swan river settlement, is another English colony. It is situated on the. western coast, nearly opposite New South Wales, and 36 degrees of longitude to the westward of it. The place was discovered in 1697 by the Dutchman Vlaming, who named it from the black swans found floating on the stream. AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN's LAND. 143 The first settlement took place in 1830, in somewhat an unusual manner. A few private individuals, in consideration of immense grants of land, undertook to colonize the province, on condition of restoring the grants if their engagements were not fulfilled within a given time. Great difficulty was at first experienced, but Western Australia, like her sister colonies on the same mighty island, has struggled through her difficulties, and promises soon to prosper well. Beyond a line of barren country bordering the sea the land is very fertile. In the neighborhood of the principal settlements, Perth and Freemantle, it is hilly and bare ; but most of the poor soil is capable of improvement, and admirably adapted to the cultivation of the grape. There is a vine in the government garden at Perth, which, planted as a cutting, sent forth shoots sixteen and one half feet long in the second year, and yielded more than four hundred weight of fruit. The climate of this productive region is salubri- ous and pleasant, though not, as some writers assert, superior to that of the other colonies. The rains are more abundant and regular ; but while this fertilizes the soil, it does not favorably or otherwise affect the atmosphere. The waters on the coast swarm with fish, and whales gambol in shoals a few miles from the shore. Oil is therefore a principal article of export, and the enterprising Ameri- cans have sometimes engaged as many as three hundred ships along these distant shores. Freemantle is a port town at the mouth of the Swan river. Two miles up is Perth, the capital, and, seven miles further, Guildford, where the rich corn lands commence. There are several other set- tlements, all in steady and vigorous, if not rapid, growth. In 1838 two British vessels sailed to colonize Port Essington, on the northern coast, where one or two attempts had already been made without success. The situation of the new settlement is at the utmost point of North Australia. There was found, to the astonishment of our countrymen, a community of Australian Chris- tians, with churches of their own, which had already elementary instruction in the arts of civilization. To the Dutch belongs the praise of thus planting, at this remote point, what may be the seeds of a great change in the condition of the native people. "We have now a settlement there which, like the others, thrives with consider- able success. There is a splendid harbor, capable of sheltering the largest fleet. The soil of the territory by some described as very poor is in reality very productive. Industrious settlers could cultivate with much success crops of rice, cotton, and indigo, of th finest quality: but there is one drawback the climate. This, 144 AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. though not in itself unhealthy, is unsuited to the European consti- tution ; though it is believed that when the seasons, atmospheric changes, and other peculiarities of the place are thoroughly under- stood, temperance will destroy the virulence of the ground fever. Abundance of fresh water exists, and already, from the little begin- nings described, this settlement develops towards prosperity. Among the continental nations it is believed to have been estab- lished with purely political views. The French especially describe it as the opening of a port to the south of the Indian Archipelago, near the Dutch possessions, to counteract the influence of Holland in those seas. However this may be, it is certain that the Malay trade is expected to be attracted thither, and that already many a fleet of Indian prahus, laden with tea, sugar, salt fish, and other commodities, come to bargain for British cottons. As at our new settlement of Labuan, many opportunities of profit occur at Port Essington without effect, from the absence of European merchants to take advantage of them. At either place an enterprising trader, with 2000 or 3000 at his command, could speedily realize a for- tune by trading with the Malays. From an early date the rude vessels of the Indian islanders have visited this coast in search of seaslugs for the Chinese market. They would gladly collect for Port Essington the costly products of their islands, and barter them for cottons and utensils of rude earthenware. An account of their an- cient traffic carried on between the Indian islands and the northern coast of Australia would afford a most original picture of human industry, but we are compelled to forego it, and pass to the conclud- ing portion of our subject. Outlying the southern coast of Australia, as Ceylon outlies the Indian continent, Van Diemen's Land appears, separated from the mainland by a broad channel, known as Bass' Straits. Numerous islands are sprinkled over these mid-lying waters some inhabited, others so surrounded by reefs, and so beaten by surges in eternal commotion, that they are unapproachable. The most northern point of Van Diemen's Land is about 120 miles distant from the most southern point of Australia. The country is equal in size to Ireland, more mountainous than the great neighboring region, more full of variety, and graced with more charms of scenery. The hills, vary- ing in elevation from 4000 to 5000 feet, do not run in unbroken ranges, but are crossed by fine valleys, watered by many beautiful streams. Limestone abounds, and iron and coal will probably be discovered in large quantities. Where cultivation has commenced, the soil is found to be partly a rich vegetable mould, partly mixed AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. 145 with sand and flint, but almost everywhere fertile. The coast is diversified here projecting in promontories, there retiring into bays, with many commodious harbors, and the mouths of some con- siderable streams. The Derwent, on. whose border stands Hobart Town, on the south of the island, is a broad, deep, salt water stream, free from rock or shoal, and navigable for vessels of heavy burthen. On the north, the Tamar pours into Bass' Straits, with Launceston near its mouth a convenient port, though obstructed by a bar. These two towns, the twin capitals of the colony, are situated in the midst of beautiful scenery the one under the shelter of Mount Wellington, the other in the midst of a gently undulating country, varied with woods and pasture lands. Their progress has not been regular, the southern outstripping the northern city in commerce and industry, though Launceston now promises to attract consider- able trade to the Tamar river. From the date of Tasman's visit to Yan Diemen's Land (1642), no European vessel sailed thither during 130 years. In 1773, Fur- neaux, one of Cook's captains, coasted along the eastern shores, and entered Bass' Straits, to ascertain whether the territory was an island or a part of Australia Proper. Stormy weather drove him back, and the discovery was left to Bass. In 1777 the great navi- gator himself visited these shores, and carried on some intercourse with the natives. Years later, La Perouse is supposed to have come hither, and the expedition sent out in search of him explored the coast in quest of some memorial that might throw light on the fate of the unfortunate navigator. In 1797 Bass' Straits were first nav- igated ; and Flinders, who accompanied the discovery of the pas- sage, circulated in the new colony at Port Jackson the idea of forming a settlement on Van Diemen's Land. The plan was neg- lected until 1803. The French then evinced an inclination to secure the prize, and, to forestall them, a small party of soldiers and con- victs was lodged on the island. A site was chosen near Hobart Town. The usual preliminaries were gone through, but unhappily the Eu- ropeans and the natives quarrelled. Blood was shed and an ill-will was established which has only lately ceased to rankle in the breasts of the aborigines. The early years of the colony were passed in the ordinary manner. Many difficulties arose, and several conflicts took place with the natives ; but the settlers were hardy, their number increased, the goil was fertile, and the colony prospered well. A legislative coun- cil managed the public affairs, and by 1831 the excess of revenue over the expenditure was 20,000 ; a fair standard of the condition of the colony. Next year, at a large meeting, it was determined to 10 146 AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. petition both houses of Parliament for a representative assembly ; a privilege which was not granted for some time. Colonial policy forms one of the most difficult and important of the statesman's studies ; and it is only of late years, with the experience of great misfortunes before our eyes, that we have commenced acting on the principles whose universal acceptance can alone render our distant possessions the permanent sources of prosperity. Van Diemen's Land has been a great convict colony. In 1832 there were 11,040 male criminals on the island. Of these 921 were undergoing severe punishment for offences committed after sentence. Two hundred and forty were^t the penal settlement of Port Arthur, on a barren peninsula, connected with the main by a narrow neck of land. Across this runs a line of posts guarded by savage dogs and some soldiers, to prevent the escape of the culprits. Neverthe- less some do evade even the vigilance of the brute watchers ; and we have heard of several men, who, clothing themselves in the skins of kangaroos, and imitating the motions of the animal, thus contrived to escape. For a long period the abundance of convict labor was an evil, especially as men were draughted into the farms on tickets of leave, to perform tasks for which they were utterly unfit. A free settler once received the allotment of a convict set down as a ploughman. " Can you plough ? " he inquired. " No." The man was a weaver, but his master employed him to drive a cart. The first day he broke the vehicle to pieces ; the next, intrusted with another, he snapped the pole ; and the third lost it in a swamp. He was then directed to cut down a large tree overshadowing a barn, and per- formed the office with vigor, letting the huge tree fall directly across the building, which it crushed to total ruin ! But where willingness accompanies this ignorance, the case is not so bad. In some instances, however, the convicts refused to work at any other but their proper vocation ; and one weaver, who was ordered to root up trees, hewed off his arm .with an axe rather than comply. As kousehold servants, they answered better, though, with such recom- mendations to character, the colonists could little be expected to trust their servitors. One gentleman wrote home "Even in our small menage our cook has committed murder, our footman burglary, and the housemaid bigamy ! " It is only fair to qualify this extract by quoting a remarkable passage which follows : "It is strange to -be in a country of thieves at all, but still stranger to be there without any fear of having your pocket picked. Such is the admir* able arrangement of the present government." From various causes there was a few years ago a vast superabun- 147 dance of labor in Van Diemen's Land. The consequences were very disastrous, but an influx of capital now promises to remedy these evils. The resources of the island are varied and extensive, and it will be long before its population increases to an extent com- mensurate with its natural capabilities. A change also is dawning over the spirit of our colonial policy, which cannot be without effect on the welfare of our Tasmanian settlements. All, indeed, that they require is the energy of man prudently directed ; for nature has done her part to perfection. The island being nearly the antip- odes of our own country, the seasons are almost exactly the reverse of ours. The cold is, however, more extreme, both from the vicin- ity of the southern pole, and the fact, that no land lies between the southern coast of the island and the masses of eternal ice that load the sea a few degrees beyond. A clear and brilliant atmosphere, dry, pure, and elastic, almost invariably prevails, though occasion- ally the weather is fitful, and changes from heat to cold within the revolution of a day. In the western districts much rain falls, on the northern less, on the eastern still less, and on the southern least of all not averaging more than fifty or sixty wet days in the year. September, October, and November are the spring months ; Decem- ber, January, and February correspond with our June, July, and August ; March, April, and May form the autumnal, the most agreeable season ; and during our hot season, frost, snow, and rain prevail in Van Diemen's Land. The shortest day (21st of June) is eight hours and forty-eight minutes, or one hour and four minutes longer than the shortest day in England (21st December) ; but the longest day in England is an hour and twenty-two minutes longer than with them. The climate, even now in the uncultivated condi- tion of the country, is remarkably salubrious. In comparison even with the healthiest parts of Europe it is unusually genial, and its salubrity will in all likelihood increase as colonization spreads over the unexplored districts of the island. Fever and dysentery some- times prevail ; hooping-cough was introduced among the female con- victs, but though it attacked all the population, not one fatal case occurred ; and influenza, common at times, never becomes dangerous. The only affliction most severely felt is insanity ; but it has been well remarked by a writer on the subject, that this can be traced to the excessive use of ardent spirits. During a long* period .the amount consumed in Van Diemen's Land was at the rate of five gallons a year to each individual, including women and children. The island is divided into two counties and fifteen districts. The fertile lands are distributed over the whole, in alternation with rug- ged mountains and dense woods. Numerous streams, bordered with 14:8 AUSTRALIA AND VAN PIEMEN'S LAND. rich land, intersect its surface, fed from perpetual springs, as well as by the snows which, during many months in the year, crown the loftier peaks. Hobart-Town district is the most important, but, like that of Sydney, not as the most fertile and extensive, but as con- taining the metropolis of the island. It contains about 250,000 acres, and the cultivated soil yielded in 1829 an average return of fifteen bushels of wheat, twenty of barley, twenty-five of oats, twenty of peas, twenty of beans, three tons and a half of potatoes, or seven tons of turnips an acre. Since then its productiveness has greatly increased. The produce of wheat is nearly thirty bushela an acre, and of other grain in similar proportion an example of the effect of careful husbandry. A brisk trade is carried on at Hobart-Town, where a motley population is now continually on the increase. Between 1839 and 1847 it rose from 44,121 to 70,164, or 59 per cent. Scots with Highland kilts and claymores, Irish peasants with blue jackets and trousers, Frenchmen, Germans, Americans, Chinese, Malays, Lascars, black aborigines, Africans, and elegantly tattgoed New Zealanders, jostle in the streets, and crowd about the stores. At these depots are sold all imagin- able articles of use, to which public attention is attracted by advertisements in the local paper. A specimen of these may be amusing : "At the store of the undersigned For sale Cart- harness and cayenne pepper, drill trousers, crockery ware, one lady's side-saddle, one very strong dray, gold and white cambric, four cir- cular saws, ladies' stays, starch, blue and soap, Leghorn hats, shot, mustard, pattens, black stuff and bombazines, nails and iron pots." Prices in Hobart-Town are not remarkably low. The produce of the soil is varied. Of timber fit for shipwrights, builders, and cabinet-makers, there are gum, stringy bark, white and yellow thorn pine, and sassafras ; black and silver wattle, dark and pale lightwood, pencil cedar, Adventure-Bay pine (a peculiar species), cotton tree, musk, silver wood, myrtle, forest and swamp oak, plum tree, yellow wood, lignum vitae, red and white honey- suckle, peppermint wood, pink wood, and cherry tree. No native trees bearing edible fruit have been found. The peppermint tree affords an oil efficacious in cholera ; a kind of grape that grows near Maquarrie Harbor, on the west, yields a juice equal to that of the lime for scurvy ; the leaves of the tea plant are not much inferior to those of China ; and the bark of the wattle is useful for tanning. European fruits, however, supply the absence of any indigenous species. The grape, the apple, the peach, the cherry, the apricot, the nectarine, the green gage, the pear, the raspberry, the mulberry, the gooseberry, the currant, the strawberry, the quince, the walnut, AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. 149 the chestnut, thrive well, some requiring care, others none. Many beautiful flowers, finely scented, have been discovered, and many others have been introduced. All kinds of grain cultivated in these islands will flourish in Van Diemen's Land. Potatoes of the first quality are produced, though not so plentifully as in England;- mangel-wurzel and turnips thrive well, with clover, tares, lucern, sainfoin, sweet-scented vernal, and indeed most of the English grasses. Sheep fatten well on the native kangaroo grass. Hemp, flax, and tobacco are also produced, with peas, beans, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflowers, spinach, carrots, parsnips, asparagus, beet-root, artichokes, lettuces, cucumbers, celery, radishes, onions, leeks, and shalots. With this abundance of vegetable prod- uce, capable of still further development, the island will be able at all times to support whatever population may spring up to crowd its commercial cities and cultivate its rural lands. Horses, asses, and mules, black cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, flour- ish as well as in New South Wales. The native zoology, as in that province, consists of the kangaroo, in five species from the forest kangaroo, standing five feet high, and clearing fifteen feet at a bound, to the kangaroo mouse, considerably smaller than a rabbit. The flesh of these animals is much esteemed. There are numerous va- rieties of the opossum ; and there is an animal between a tiger and a hyena, very destructive to the flocks. The " devil " is another car- nivorous beast, shaped like an otter, which attacks the sheepfolds at night. Porcupines, wild cats, and weasels, with bandicoot rabbits and rats, exist ; but not in great numbers. The ornithology of the island is also in some respects similar to that of Australia, but be- longs to a higher order. The emu, found on both islands, is the largest bird known in those regions, weighing sometimes as much as a hundred pounds. Around the coast, during the breeding season, great numbers of whales resort, and the fishery is valuable and pro- ductive, oil forming a considerable article of export. As of all the other British settlements formed in Australia, we may say of Van Diemen's Land that it is still in the infancy of its sxistence. Large tracts remain unexplored, the capabilities of the soil have never been completely tested, and the universal wealth of the country is scarcely at all known. With every year we may look for an increasing prosperity ; and if no speculating manias oc- cur again to convulse and derange its system of industry, the colony may one day rank among the foremost of our dependencies, as a brother in a great union of which each member contributes to the welfare of the rest. With a climate of the finest kind, with a rich oil, and every facility for the construction of a railway from Laun- 150 AUSTRALIA AND VAN DIEMEN's LAND. ceston to Hobart-Town, its great distance from England should be no objection in the eyes of the emigrant. The sea once crossed, what matter whether three or thirteen thousand miles of water roll between the new home and the old ? Steam will soon rivet the links of intercourse between the British islands and Australia ; and a monthly Indian mail arriving with intelligence from the remote south, the difference of a few days will be all in the communication between this country and any of her transmarine dependencies. THE FAIR! EBP. MANY years ago, when the people on the earth were free, and it took less to make a prince or a princess than it does at the present day ; when people were rich upon a. little, and everything was right- fully their own that they could catch, either in the wild woods or in the silver stream ; when a king was the positive representative and head of the people, and so independent as to care very little about anybody, and when plenty made governing easy ; when no man had to pine after the possession of house or land, if he hap- pened to be strong enough to kick the envied possessor out, who, acknowledging might to be right, merely shrugged his shoulders and wended his way to pastures new, or sought one weaker than himself, and served him in like manner as he had been served by his stronger neighbor; when knocking out a man's brains was thought rather a spirited thing, and the murderer was rewarded accordingly, by being called by anything but his real title. Oh ! happy " many years ago," called by us the Golden Age^ for no other reason than for the great scarcity of that metal which, in its abundance, with strange anomaly, has only produced this Iron Age, which appears every day to get more rusty. Oh ! that now was " a good while ago," when Romance walked with stately step and a positive suit of tin, through the wild woods and rocky passes, and you had a chance, if you could knock hard, of striking out some spark, and taking possession without question of his air-built castle. Oh, happy times, when you never went to law, that not being invented, but to loggerheads, which is much the same thing, only leaving more for the combatants ! In those days when all the world lived by what we call, in the refinement of this age, robbery, merely because now everything seems, in the most unaccountable manner, to be claimed by some- body a man might ride through the luxuriant woods and lovely (151) 152 THE FAIRY CUP. sloping glades, occasionally meeting with a fat buck that lie could shoot down at his mighty will and pleasure, and dine thereon with- out asking my lord or my lady, then calmly take a nap under the spreading branches of some noble tree, upon a bed of most unex- ceptionable moss, and all without anything to pay for trespassing. Even the authors and poets of that day were to be envied, for they had the power of publishing their own works, and getting a very good living by it. One of these envied- beings was indeed a whole circulating library in himself; for, whenever any impatient damsel or expectant coterie languished for some particular story, they were obliged to send for the author, who only yielded his treasures by word of mouth. They were also the greafr origin of our present newspapers, for through them alone, collecting as they did all the news in their wanderings, could be obtained the chit- chat and murders of the province ; and, considering their opportu- nities, they did not lie more than their printed representatives of the present day, which is certainly a chalk in their favor. All this ability was rewarded with the warmest corner, the deepest flagon, and the finest cut from the chine. This is not often the case with the poets of this miserable age, who foolishly print their effusions, and stay at home in their garrets, very often without any dinner at all. Pleasant times, indeed, were they for all erring humanity. Young gentlemen of expensive habits, and irregularity in their cash payments, instead of being summoned themselves, summoned the devil, who immediately put in an appearance, took a little I. 0. U of them, to be claimed at some indefinite period ; and lo ! they were again freer to run out the reel of their folly to the end. Now, young gentlemen go to the devil in a very different way certainly in one less romantic. Fairies, of a kind and beneficent nature, took under their partic- ular care young handsome travellers, who did not travel as they do in the present dy, for any particular house, but who went out to seek their fortunes. Rather an indefinite term, certainly ; but in that golden time there were a great many waifs and strays, almost crying "Come take me " upon every highway. So that a man, blessed with a sharp wit and a sharp sword, for a little fighting was often necessary, might tumble, as it were, headlong into luck, and find himself the husband of some princess, and the owner of a very respectable rubble and limestone. Gold, then, was pointed out by amiable gnomes, who did not know what to do with it themselves, enriching some fortunate mor- tal who had lost his way and his inheritance. Kings and bank THE FAIRY CUP. 153 clerks are the only privileged ones now who are allowed to gloafc upon so much collected treasure. In fine, then there was enough for everybody and to spare. Those kind beings have all gone into some more refined sphere than this matter-of-fact world. Railroads and bricks and mortar have desecrated their little shady nooks and gold-burthened cav- erns, and all that we have got left is the sweet remembrance of their freaks and goodness " Once upon a time." Therefore I love to rake up the old stories of my memory, and introduce to my readers some few of those quaint mortals, for, that they did exist, and do exist now, there can be little doubt, or how otherwise could their private histories and actions have been chronicled in all our early works, or been the constant theme of the ancients, who are our authority in all learning and accomplish- ments, even in the present day? If we doubt their Nips, and gnomes, and fairies, why do we believe their Heros and Leanders, their Antonys,- their Cleopatras, and a host of other historical beings ? I would not, for the world, tear out the early leaves from my book of life, for I have to turn to them too often to solace me for the many after pages of sorrow and gloom that fate has chronicled with her changeful pen. So, reader, you must let me lead you back into fairy land, and I will show you pictures both pleasing and instructive. In my experience I have found that it would be as well if we could be children oftener than we are. Without further lament over what has gone by, fix your eyes upon my erratic page and see what is to come. THE FAIRY CUP. " Once upon a time " there dwelt in the soft green shadows of a primeval wood a happy woodman named Hubert, with his little wife and russet-cheeked children. It was the sweetest little nest the eye could rest on. Its peaked, thatched roof was mossy and green from the early dews shed by the overhanging gigantic trees that stretched their branches over its lowly roof to shelter it from the storm, as the mother-bird spreads her wings over her callow brood. Its little twinkling casement caught the first rays of the morning sun, and sparkled in the most cheering manner, whilst the curls of the graceful smoke rolled playfully amidst the gnarled branches, and lost itself amidst abundant foliage, startling the young birds in their airy nests with its sweet odor. Oh ! it was a happy-looking spot. It seemed the very dwelling of Peace, who 154 THE FAIRY CUP. flies from the palace and the turmoiling crowd, to find only in the simplicity of Nature a fitting resting-place for her pure spirit. And here she dwelt indeed ; simple love pointed out the spot ; peace sat upon their threshold, whilst contentment gave a zest to all their enjoyments. There could be no solitude there ; for the ringing laugh of childhood disturbed the echoes in the deep vistas of the forest, and the birds answered from the high branches to the happy notes of the gambolers beneath them. The mother watched them in their play as she plied her wheel, whilst a happy smile played in her eyes with a brightness so full of love and fondness, that the last ray of the sinking sun retired in dudgeon at being surpassed by the holy light. The night stalked forth over hill and valley, stretching his long and shadowy arms afar and near, as he gathered up the daylight into his dark wallet, when Hubert turned his weary footsteps to the home that has been pictured. He plodded through the tangled path with a heavy tread, but still he whistled out a blithesome air, for his heart was on the path before him, and he thought of nothing between himself and his home. But there was something in his path that, envying his sturdy step and lightsome heart, cowered with spite amidst the underwood, and threw forth before him the twiny, thorny brambles to delay him on his way. It was one of the evil fairies of the wood a spirit that gathered the deadly bright berries from the branch, and mized them in a huge stone caldron in the deep recesses of the rocky ravine, always dogging the footsteps of mortals to persuade them, with fascinating wiles, to drink from her fairy cup, which quickly destroyed the charm of all beside in nature ; for so strong was the draught that it made the dark yawning precipice appear to the bewildered sight of the drinker a lurid field of sweet-scented flowers and bright rippling brooks, until, in his insanity, the poor deluded victim destroyed himself and all he loved, and found too late that he had sold himself as slave to his wily and deceitful foe. At a sudden turn of his path he started, on beholding at the foot of a gnarled tree, a beautiful female figure, with a dress of filmy texture, girded with a bright cincture round her yielding waist. Her beautiful limbs appearing and disappearing under the transparent folds like those of a swimmer who disports himself amidst the green waves of the sea. She arose with downcast looks as he timidly approached. Her bright eyes fell as with timid mod- esty, and the deep roseate tinge of her enamelled cheek grew deeper under his ardent gaze. Hubert doffed his cap, as this beautiful being rose from her THE FAIRY CUP. 155 recumbent posture, but stood irresolute and embarrassed by the awe-inspiring charms of the creature before him. At last, after gazing for a moment more, he summoned- up his courage and. ad- dressed her. " Lady," said he, "fear me not I will not harm you ; if you have wandered from your home, or missed your friends in the intricacies of the forest, you can have no surer guide than your humble servant." A smile flitted like a bright light across the fair face of the fairy, her lips unclosed, and forth issued a voice as melodious and enchant- ing as the softest flute. " Child of earth," said she, " these woods are my home. I am the spirit of perfect happiness. Behold my magic cup ! " As she spoke, she held up to his view a small cup of rare workmanship, formed in the fashion of the wild blue-bell. It sparkled with a sapphire-like lustre at every movement, as drops of liquor fell like diamonds from its brim. " This cup," continued she, " was given me by the fairy Hope, who never looks behind her, that past sor- rows and misfortune may not cast a shadow on the future. With- out Hope, mortals would all wither and die in the black valley of despair ; she was sent to encourage them as a guiding-star through the troubles of the world, that they might reach the abode of per- fect happiness. Few mortals meet with me while living. I appear occasionally, and let them drink of my cup, when I think they deserve from their goodness to participate in the godlike draught. You have I chosen to be one of the favored. Drink, then, and you shall become greater than a king ; your burthen shall be as down upon your back, and your feet shall lose their weariness ; your heart shall bound with the full pulse of felicity, and you shall be borne on your way upon wings stronger tjian those of the mighty eagle.'* Hubert hesitated as the bright being held the cup still nearer to his grasp. His extended hand appeared as ready to clutch it, but doubts and fear withheld him from grasping its slender stem. An- other moment of indecision, and it was pressed within his palm ! "Drink, mortal! " said she, "and become almost as immortal as myself. It will incase your heart with armor impervious to the shafts of care, and raise your crest to the bearing of the fearless warrior. You shall be no longer serf and vassal, but the lord of all that surrounds you ; seeing through its influence the hidden treasures of the world that now unheeded sparkle beneath your feet, where the gnomes, who hate mankind, have hidden it from the sight of all but those who have courage to face the dangers of the fairy world." The fiends of avarice and ambition seized upon the heart of the simple woodman. To be rich ! to be great ! per- 156 THE FAIRY CUP. feet happiness ! What golden promises ! The soft, bewitching voice of the fairy still whispered with silvery tones in his ear the fasci- nating words. Foolish mortal ! was he not already richer than a king, in the love of his wife and children ? Was he not great, in his honest simplicity, and had he not enjoyed perfect happiness beneath the roof of his lowly sequestered cot ? He looked for one moment upon the lustrous eyes of the being before him, and, as if fascinated, drained the magic goblet at 9 draught. What gushes of enrapturing pleasure rushed through his bound ing veins ! His stalwart frame seemed to dilate as he yielded thi cup to the ready hand of his tempter. The vistaed trees melted, as it were, from their rugged forms into towering pillars of shining marble of the most dazzling whiteness the greensward rolled like waves from beneath his feet, and he stood, with the mysterious being by his side, upon a flight of porphyry steps that led to a palace of interminable terraces, towering in their magnificence even to the blue arch of the heavens. The load fell from his shoulders, and was seen no more. The tremor left his heart as he gazed upon the wonders around him, and he felt as if he had wings that would carry him to the topmost height of that wondrous palace. Vases tempted him on either hand, laden with the treasures of the mine, whilst jewels invaluable were scattered at his feet in numbers vying with the pebbles on the Bea-shore. Music, soft and delicious, wrapped his senses in- a delicious delirium, ever and anon swelling into a lively measure, prompting him to bound forward in a wild and rapid dance. As he progressed through the magnificent halls, the attendant fairy kept plying him with draughts from her bewildering goblet of sapphire, until he, grown bolder at every draught, tore it from her grasp, and quaffed with a maddening delight the precious liquid ; when suddenly the palace and its wonders quivered before his sight like motes in the sunbeam, and, gradually melting into splendid rainbow tints, sunk into a black and sudden darkness the rest was all oblivion. * * # * * 3? The voice of lament rang through the forest as Hubert's wife bent over his unconscious form. The cry of children arose shrilly on the night air, and awakened him to a half-dreamy consciousness. A stare of almost idiocy upon his pale and haggard face, as he gazed at the miserable and distracted group that surrounded him, made their fond hearts turn cold. They had sought for hours for him in the mazes of the forest, and at last discovered him apparently dead at the foot of an aged oak. THE FAIRY CUP. 157 With trembling and uncertain foot he accompanied them to his home, muttering strange words as he went, to the dismay of his fond wife and children. When they arrived at their hitherto peace- ful home, he sank powerless upon the humble pallet, and fell into a deep slumber. The next morning harsh words, for the first time, answered to his wife's anxious inquiries as to what had been the cause of his strange accident. Without tasting the morning simple meal, he shouldered his axe, and wended his way moodily into the recesses of the forest, leaving a deep shadow over the brightness of home. As he disap- peared through the trees, his wife pressed her little ones to her breast and wept aloud. Days and months, weary and sad, rolled on, and the noble form of the woodman became a wretched ruin. He saw his once-loved cot and its inhabitants withering daily before his eyes, yet still he sought the fascinating being who- gave him a fleeting heaven for a lasting pain. The drooping wretch no longer raised his hand to labor, but lingered listlessly through the glades of the forest, craving for the appearance of the being who was to lead him, at such a fear- ful cost, to lands of vision and madness. Morning, with her rosy fingers and balmy breath, opened the wild flowers through the woods and valleys, shooting as if in sport her golden arrows through the whispering leaves, startling the birds from their sleep to sing their early matins. Night gathered up the dark folds of her robe, and retreated ma- jestically before the coming light, leaving her sparkling gems of dew trembling upon every stem and flower. * # * * * # With downcast look and melancholy brow came the young mother. Her eye beheld not the- flowers that strewed her path, and her ear was deaf to the early songs of the birds; tears trembled on her eyelids, and fell unconsciously down her pale cheek. Her lingering step ceased as she approached a rustic basin, formed of rude blocks of stone, into which the water had been turned from some neigh- boring springs. As she raised the vessel which she carried in her hands to im- merge it in the sparkling waters, she was startled by seeing them bubble and rise until they leaped over their stone boundary in copious streams to her feet. Hardly had she time to wonder at this strange phenomenon, when she beheld a dwarf like figure rise from the midst. He was dressed in a quaint costume and looped-up hat, which was dripping with moisture, apparently not at all to his in- convenience, for he leaned upon the edge of the basin, while his 158 THE FAIRY CUP. little figure continued still half-submerged, with a comfortable and satisfied look. As she continued to gaze at the odd object before her, undeter- mined whether to stay or fly, he politely raised his hat, and bads her not to be alarmed. " For I have come out," said he, " this morning on purpose to meet you, and to try and remedy the sorrow which is devouring you. I say ' remedy,' for you must understand I am the natural universal doctor. In fact," continued he, while a sly smile passed across his comic little face, " your human doctors apply to me upon all occasions ; indeed, without me they could not exist, though they never let their patients know it, for, if they did, they would all poor deluded wretches ! come direct to me, and ruin the whole of the fraternity. " I have more power than any sprite, fairy, or gnome, that ex- ists ; the whole earth itself is under my control. These mighty trees would never raise their towering heads without me ; no flower would bloom at their rugged feet, nor would the soft mossy carpet so grateful to your feet live for a moment, if I did not sustain it by my magic aid. I am ordained to yield continual good wherever I am present. I creep amidst the wild flowers and bid them bloom. I climb the snake-like vine, and hang it with the rich clustering grape, and all the fruits of the earth await my sum- mons to burst their bonds and yield their treasures to the human race. " I wander into, other lands, and bear back rich argosies laden with jewels and gold to deck the brow of noble beauty. I dash down from rocky heights, headlong, to fertilize the teeming valleys. My voice is heard like the roaring thunder, and anon like the softest music in the shady solitudes, as I whisper on my way through the reeds and the water-lilies. Where I am not, all must droop and die. " I have watched you long, when you sought me in your early days of happiness and love, until young blossoms like yourself sprung up around you, and paddled with their tiny feet in my cool and crystal waters. Then your song was of the merriest measure ; but now the echoes mourn in silence the absence of your melodious voice, and your sighs alone break the stillness. Your pale face has been reflected in these waters, until I felt and knew that some blight had fallen upon your happiness, which as yet had never shrunk under the cankering breath of care. " A little bright rill, that had wandered to play with the wild blossoms in this wood, returned to me, and, prattling by my side, told me of the dreadful delusion under which your hitherto good THE FAIRY CUP. 159 and stalwart husband labored. I watched him as he came, with dejected look, so unlike his former self, to lave his burning brow in my cooling waters. I quickly saw what fairy demon's hand had BO destroyed the goodly form and noble heart of my poor woodman. Here was the shadow that fell over your pure brow, drained your young heart, and silenced the song that made this no longer a soli- tude. "Listen to me," continued he, "and I will endeavor to save him. If you can persuade him, by the eloquence of your love and the picture of the ruin that day by day encompasses you all, to attend strictly to my warning. I will rescue him from the overpow- ering spell of the fascinating 4emon that enthralls him. " I will give him a talisman so powerful that the scales shall drop from his eyes, and his destroyer appear in her own proper hid- eous colors ; when, if he has any love left for those whose sole dependence is on him, he will resolutely baffle all the attempts made to seduce him again into this world of vicious dreams and indo- lence." As he concluded, he sunk beneath the waters. The young wife stood entranced, with hope beating in her heart, and her eyes fixed upon the bubbles as they rose to the surface, doubting almost whether what she had heard was not a delusion of her distracted brain. Another moment, and the benevolent sprite again appeared, hold- ing in his hand a globe containing a liquid that shone like a pure diamond. " Take this, and let your husband keep it with him ; and when the deluding demon approaches him, to mystify him with her mach- inations, let him drink from the small aperture of this globe, and he will instantly see her in her demoniac form. Let him persevere, and she will fly from him, and you and he will be saved and restored to peace. Farewell ! " As she clasped the bottle with eager hand, he sank amidst a thou- sand sparkling bubbles, and she was alone. Quickly she sped through the tangled way, for her feet were winged by love, and by hope that had long lain drooping. The cottage door was soon reached, where sat the pale form of her husband, his bloodshot eyes turned lan- guidly towards her as she approached. But he was soon roused from his listless posture by seeing the excitement of her manner, and listening to her strange tale, which he would have doubted, had she not shown him in triumph the bright globe given her by the sprite of the spring. Her almost childish delight, strange to say, hardly met with a 160 THE FAIRY CUP. response in his bosom, for the charm of Ms daily enchantments he seemed to feel a hesitation to relinquish ; they appeared to his bewil- dered sense all that was worth living for. Her heart sunk with almost a death-like pang, but she bade him drink from the jewel-like bottle. A deep shudder shook his attenu- ated frame as he did so. One moment, and his pallid features flushed as he beheld, for the first time, the ruin and desolation of his home. He stood an abashed and guilty man before his loving wife and little innocent children. # # * * * * Hubert, armed with good resolves and his stout axe, again entered the forest, his heart palpitating with an indescribable feeling, as if in doubt of the power of the talisman to reld him from the fasci- nation of his deluder. Hardly had the stroke of his axe awakened the echoes of the forest, when, through a shady vista, he saw the light form of the fairy tripping over the greensward, .with upraised cup and joyous laugh, as she recognized him at his labor. Strange thrills rushed through his f frame as she approached nearer and nearer ; strange thoughts hovered in his mind of throwing his wife's talisman from him, and once more clasping that tempting cup that shone even in the distance like a bright amethyst. But a shadow fell over the bright form, and her resplendent eyes glared with a fiendish look, as it approached nearer to the spot. He seized the talisman, and drank of its pure and bright con- tents. On the instant, the forms of his wife and children encircled him in fond union, as a barrier between him and the evil spirit. Again he drank, and, as he did so, shuddered with horror as he beheld a lambent flame rise from the hitherto craved goblet of the fiend. The beautiful locks, which played round the brow of the false one, twined into writhing snakes, and bright burning scales rose upon her fair bosom. Her face became distorted with horrible pas- sion. Hubert could behold no more ; he placed his hands across hia eyes to shut out the fiend, and in a moment he was alone. # * * # # * That night, as the moon threw her silver tribute on the rippling waters of the lowly well, Hubert stood with his arms around the waist of his happy wife. They were silent and expectant. They both hoped to see the benevolent being, who had given them a pow- erful talisman, to free them from the destroying spirit. THE WHITE SWALLOW. THE DOG-RIBBED INDIANS. FAR away to the west, and in a very high northern latitude, dwelt, towards the latter end of the last century, a small tribe of Indians. Their numbers were few, their characters simple and un warlike. Not being celebrated in arms, they had, while residing further to the south, been so often a prey to their fiercer neighbors, that they had gradually retreated northwards, in the hope of escaping from the forays of their enemies. Matonaza, a young chief of twenty summers only, commanded the reduced tribe, and had pitched his wigwam near the waters of a lake. A renowned and indefatigable hunter, full of energy and perseverance, he owed his power as much to his individual merits as to the renown of his father ; and now that seven-and-twenty men alone remained of all his race, and that misfortune and the disasters of war had driven them to regions less productive in game than their former residence, his sway was unbounded. Matonaza was as yet without a wife ; but the most lovely girl of his tribe, the White Swallow, was to be his when his twenty-first summer was concluded, when she herself would attain the age of sixteen. In general the Dog-ribbed Indians at that date it was about 1770 had had little communication with the white man. Their knives were still of bone and flint, their hatchets of horn, then* arrow-heads of slate, while the beaver's tooth was the principal mate- rial of their working tools ; but Matonaza himself had travelled, and had visited Prince of Wales Fort, where he had been well received by Mr. Moses Northon, the governor, himself an Indian, educated in England. Admitted into the intimacy of this person, Matonaza had acquired from him considerable knowledge without contracting any of the vices which disgraced the career of the civil- 1 1 (i6i) 162 THE WHITE SWALLOW. ized Red Man. He had learned to feel some of the humanizing influences of civilization, and held woman in a superior light to his brethren, who pronounce the condemnation of savage life by mak- ing the female part of the creation little better than beasts of bur- then. He had hoped for great advantage to his tribe from trade with the pale faces ; but the enmity of the Athapascow Indians had checked all his aspirations, and he had been compelled to make a long and hasty retreat towards the north, to save the remnant of his little band from annihilation. In all probability it is to similar warlike persecutions that the higher northern regions owe their having been peopled by the race whence are descended the Esqui- maux. The exigencies of the chase and the fishery, more than any in- herent taste for the picturesque, had fixed -Matonaza in a lovely spot. The wigwams of the young chief and his party were situated on an elevation commanding a view of a large lake, whose borders, round which grew the larch, the pine, and the poplar, furnished them with firing, tent-poles., and arms. Beyoncl lay lofty snow- clad hills, on which rested eternal frosts. Above the tents to the right and to the north fell a vast cataract, which never froze even in the coldest winter, having always a clear expanse at its foot for fishing even in the dead of the season. At the foot of the neigh- boring hills the hunters found the deer, the elk, and the buffalo, while the women attended to the nets and lines in the lake. In the fitting months there were plenty of wild fowl, and altogether, the tribe, though exiled from the warmer fields of the south, had no great cause of complaint. Their tents sheltered them well, they had plenty of food, ample occupation, and for a long time peace and contentment. Far away from the conflict of arms, the warriors threw all their energy into hunting ; and, with the habit of scalp- ing and killing their fellows, threw off much of their rudeness. The women felt the change' sensibly : their husbands grew ten- derer ; much of the energy wasted on murderous propensities found vent in the domestic sentiments. The fact that each man had only one wife, and some none their victorious adversaries having not only killed their best men, but carried off their marriageable wo- men added to their superiority of character. Polygamy among these Indians, as everywhere else, brutalizes the men, and debases the women ; and in those tribes where rich men had as many as eight wives, the fair sex sunk to the level of mere slaves. But on the borders of the White Lake they had no superabundance of ladies, and they 'were valued accordingly. It is readily to be com- prehended how the position of an Englishman's wife is preferable THE WHITE SWALLOW. '. 163 to that of a sultan's ; the English wife is alone ; the sultan's spouse shares his affections, such as they may be, with some four hun- dred ! Matonaza viewed this state of things with delight. He had, since his residence with the Pale Faces, become ambitious. He aimed at civilizing his people ; he had already induced his tribe to consider the matrimonial tie as permanent, which was a great step. Then he boldly entered upon the somewhat rash experiment of al- leviating the laborious duties of the women. He tried to in luce the men to do some of the hard work ; but here he met with in- vincible repugnance. The women had been always accustomed to draw the sledges, carry the baggage, and pitch the tents, while the men hunted, ate and smoked. Any departure from this line of conduct was beneath "the dignity " of a warrior. Matonaza dis- covered that to expect any permanent change in a nomadic race used to hunting, leading a wandering life, and accustomed to arms, was difficult. He felt that he must first make his people sedentary and agricultural, and then begin their civilization. Having conceived this plan, he despatched the best runner in the tribe to Prince of Wales Fort. He gave him some furs, and a message to Moses Northon, with directions to follow the most un- frequented trails, to travel cautiously, and by no means to allow the terrible Indians of Athapascow Lake to track him. Three months passed before the runner returned, and then he came ac- companied by a young and adventurous Englishman, who had sought this opportunity of learning the manners of the far-off tribes, and of studying the geography of the interior. Matonaza received him well, and was glad of his assistance to lay out his ffelds of corn and maize, by sowing which, he hoped to attract his Indians to a permanent residence, and to destroy all fear of famine. Mark Dalton joyously seconded his projects. He was the son of a gen- tleman who was a shareholder in the Hudson's Bay Company, and who joined to the love of travel, adventure, and the chase, consid- erable knowledge of agriculture. One year older than the Indian chief, they at once became warm friends, and, from the, hour of their first meeting, were never a day apart. It was not without difficulty that the chief could get his fielda dug, small though they were, though he and Mark worked, because the women alone followed their example. The soil was not of the best character, and the climate pretty rigorous ; but still corn would grow, and Matonaza suffered not himself to be downhearted. A whole spring, summer, and autumn, were devoted to these agricul- tural pursuits ; and when, at the end of the fine season, a good 164 THE WHITE SWALLOW. harvest enabled the tribe to vaiy their food from venison, fish, and buffalo meat, to corn-cakes, and other preparations of flour and maize, all were satisfied. The Indians, naturally indolent, were pleased at the prospect of obtaining even their food by the labor of the women. This was not precisely what the youthful chief desired, but it was still a kind of progress, and he was so far grati- fied. But he did not neglect his hunting. Eager to show Mark all the mysteries of his craft, Matonaza led him after the elk, which they ran down together on foot in the snow. This is the most arduous department of Indian hunting. The sportsmen throw away all arms which may embarrass them, keeping only a knife, and a pouch containing the means of striking a light. Being prac- tised while the snow is on the ground, the men accordingly wear long snow-shoes. The Indian chief and Mark Dalton rose at dawn of day, and, having succeeded in discovering an elk, darted along the snow in pursuit. The chase under ordinary circumstances -would be vain, a man being not at all equal to an elk in a running match ; but, on the present occasion, while the unfortunate animal sunk at every step up to his body in the snow, the men with snow- shoes glided along the surface with extreme rapidity. With all these disadvantages, the animal often runs seven hours, ten hours, and even four-and-twenty in some rare instances ; seldom, however, escaping from the patient hunter. When reached, they make a desperate defence with their head and fore-feet, and have been known to slay their human enemy. On the present occasion, the animal was a magnificent specimen, considerably taller at the shoulders than a horse, and his head fur- nished with antlers of fifty pounds' weight. His coarse and angular hair, so little elastic that it breaks when bent, was of a grayish color, having probably changed at the beginning of the winter from nearly black. He was tracked by his footprints on the snow, the hunters keeping at some distance to leeward of the trail, so as not to alarm the watchful animal even by the crackling of a twig. He was at length seen, but at too great a distance for a shot, sitting on his hams like a dog, and seemed at first in no hurry to rise ; though, when at last satisfied of the character of his enemies, and his mind made up for flight, he got upon his legs ; but even then, instead of bounding and galloping like other deer, he shuffled along so heavily, his joints cracking audibly at every step, that Mark was inclined to form but a mean opinion of the sport. Gradually, how- ever, its ungainly speed increased, its hind-fegs straddling from behind, as if to avoid treading on its fore-heels ; and when a pros- THE WHITE SWALLOW. 165 trate tree interposed in the path, it stepped over the trunk, however huge, without its flight being interrupted for an instant. It seemed, in fact, that smaller obstacles were more dangerous to the fugitive than great ones ; for running, as he did, with his nose up in the air, and his huge horns laid horizontally on his back an attitude necessary, it is to be presumed, to sustain their weight he could not see close to the surface, and on one occasion a branch which protruded only a few inches from the snow caught his fore-feet, and he rolled over with a heavy fall. The hunters thought they were now sure of their prey ; but the elk scrambled on his legs again in surprisingly little time ; and, as he pursued his flight with unabated speed, Matonaza seemed to derive some quiet amusement from the surprise of the Pale Face, as he found himself engaged in so difficult a chase of so apparently unwieldy an animal. It was the policy of the hunters to turn the fugitive to where the snow was deepest ; but, as if knowing his danger, the elk contin- ued to keep on comparatively hard ground, and at length, by the intervention of trees and inequalities of the surface, he escaped wholly from view. His trail, however, could not be concealed ; and for many hours his pursuers followed, well knowing that their quarry was only a short distance in front, but unable to obtain a glimpse of him. The trail at length appeared to turn towards a hollow, where the hunters might be tolerably secure of their prize ; and the two, friends separated, to make such a sweep as would lead them to the same point. Presently, however, the animal appeared to discover his imprudence ; and at a moment when Mark was unprepared, he saw the huge creature returning on his own trail, and within ten or twelve yards of him. The rifle seemed to go off of its own accord, so sudden was the discharge ; but the shot missed and on came the elk, its nose no longer in the air, but pointing full at its enemy, with the points and edges of its tremendous antlers in terrible array. Mark did not lose his presence of mind ; but springing behind a young tree, which was fortunately at hand, felt himself for a moment in safety. It was not the antlers the hunter had to fear, for they were not used as weapons of offence ; but the creature, determined to carry the war into the enemv's quarters, struck furiously at the interven- ing tree with his fore-reet, and Mark speedily found that its shelter would not long be between him and his justly-incensed enemy. No other tree was near enough at hand, and he was too busily engaged in dodging round and round to be able to load his rifle. Faster and faster fell the blows of the fore-feet. Now a piece of bark, now a splinter of wood, flew off; and now the tree bent, split, and 166 THE WHITE SWALLOW. came crashing down. Even so fell the elk ; for, just at the critical moment, a bullet from the Indian chief, who had returned to the rescue at imminent peril to himself, struck him in a vital part, and killed him on the spot. The two hunters made prize of the skin and of the more delicate parts of the dead animal, and on returning to their companions, loaded with the spoil, Mark ate for the first time of elk flesh of his own hunting. This is considered a great delicacy by the Indians and all residents of the fur countries. It is preferred by many to beef, and the fat resembles that of a breast of mutton. When the spring had arrived, it was resolved that the whole of the male party, save two old men, should start on a trip to the mountains, in search of buffalo and elk, which they intended to kill, dry, and drag home on sledges made from the first trees they laid their hands on. The women were to join them six weeks after their departure, at a place close to th> scene of their hunt ; and, thus reinforced, the men hoped to have an ample stock of dried meat for the winter. Great preparations were made on the occasion. All the arms of the tribe were furbished up. Mato- naza and Mark alone had firearms ; the rest had bows, arrows, and spears. The women mended the clothes of the hunters, packed their provisions, and made the thongs to drag the sledges with. But the chief part of such utensils were to be brought by them to the rendezvous. The gentle, lovely, and blushing White Swallow herself made everything ready for her betrothed, to whom, on his return, she was to be united. All was smiling, promising, and joyous. The fields of the little settlement were improving ; the wigwams exhibited the air of more permanent buildings than they usually are ; and when the warriors departed on their errand, they left behind them a happy and hopeful community. THE ATHAPASCOW FORAY. As soon as the men were really gone, the two elders proceeded to organize the movements of the party for the next six weeks. They had been directed to make clothes, watch the fields, fish for their subsistence, and do all needful domestic duties. All save the White Swallow. She, the unmarried, but affianced bride of the chief, was, by custom, exempt from all share in labor ; but to this her .tastes and feelings were repugnant, and though the White Swallow neither scraped leather, nor carried burthens, she was yet industrious in her way. She learned to make her own clothes, to THE WHITE SWALLOW. 167 fish in the lake, to light a fire, to build a tent, to snare birds, and to perform a multitude of other things necessary to the existence of an Indian woman. Then, again, while her companions were scattered round the lake or in the fields, she would stop with some of the more helpless infants. She would, while overlooking them, sit still and think with pride and joy on the absent one, whose image was always uppermost in her thoughts. In general, nothing is more pleasant to the gentle female heart than the memory of beings well-beloved and far away ; and no employment is more conducive to this dreamy occupation than sedentary ones. The women one day started to fetch the produce of their successful draught of a large net at some distance, taking with them the two old men. The whole camp was abandoned to the guardianship of the White Swallow and a couple of shaggy, ill-looking dogs, which were none the less faithful because ill-favored. The young girl had volunteered for this service ; and to her charge were committed eight infants of various ages, that rolled about on a green spot with the dogs, unable to crawl because of their uncouth swathing. As they had been well fed before the departure of the mothers, the duty of Thee-kis-ho, the Indian name of our heroine, chiefly consisted in keeping away any wandering wolves from invading the camp ; a service which the dogs probably could render even more effectively. However this may be, the young girl seated herself on a log at no great distance from the wigwams, and thence looked around. At her feet was the lake, divided from her only by some fifty feet of cornfield; Matonaza having placed his fields near the water. To her right was a large and novel building for an Indian village, erected under the guidance of Mark, and which served as the granary of the tribe. Close to this was the wigwam of the vener- able dame who was her adopted mother not one of her relatives remaining alive. At some distance was the chief's hut, and on this her eyes were fixed ; and the sight naturally enough filled her mind with sunny thoughts ; for she could look forward now to its being hers too at no distant period ; and cold, indeed, must be the female heart which is not warmed at the thoughts of the home which is soon to receive her as a wife. Thus occupied, and watching over the children, and in prepara- tions for the evening meal, the hours flew swiftly by, and the White Swallow at last heard the. voices of the returning party just as night was about to close upon the scene. At this instant her ear was attracted by footsteps approaching from behind. She turned, and one wild shriek betrayed the intensity of her alarm. 168 THE WHITE SWALLOW. " The Athapascows ! " she cried, springing up, and about dart- ing away to meet her companions. "Stay," said a young warrior, leaping to her side ; "there is room in my wigwam for another squaw." Seven painted and horrid Indians were around the young girl ere she could move. They were all in their war-paint, and well armed ; they stood gazing at the village an instant, as if irreso- lute. " Warriors of the Dog-ribbed race ! " cried the resolute girl in a loud and ringing voice, " on to save your wigwams ! The lying foxes of the Athapascows are among us ! " The young Indian seized her by the arm, a second plucked a brand from the fire, and cast it into the granary, and then the whole party, conceiving the men of the tribe to be upon them, commenced a rapid retreat, bearing with them their wretched and disconsolate captive. They were a party of ambitious youths, who, having hit upon the trail of the runner the year before, had tracked his steps in search of scalps and glory. Alighting on the camp when deserted by all but the White Swallow, they had intended to hide in the huts until the return of the rest . of the party ; but suddenly startled by the cry which responded to that of Thee-kis-ho, they fled, believing the whole tribe to be upon them. Their haste had marred the object of their expedition, while their position became one, as they thought, of extreme danger. The part to be played by the young girl was most painful. If she revealed the absence of the men, the Athapascows would return and capture the rest of the women ; if she remained silent, she was doomed to be hurried away into captivity, all the more horrid because of her late day- dreams and visions. While dwelling on these thoughts, she found herself proceeding to a considerable distance from the camp in a south-easterly direction. The Indians moved with the utmost rapidity and silence towards a very broken, stony, and arid plain, the last spot which men would have been supposed to choose for a retreat. Suddenly they halted at the edge of one of those deep fissures met with sometimes in the prairies and in the plains of the West : this was their camp. Their victim was told to go down, and was then placed in a natural hollow, the Indians barring all exit. They next proceeded to light a small fire with some well- charred wood, that gave neither flame nor smoke, upon which they cooked their evening meal. A piece of meat was given to the girl, which she ate, strength being necessary to her. She had not aban- doned all hope. There are a thousand chances between total despair, as between the fruition of hopes, and Thee-kis-ho, .while THE WHITE SWALLOW. 169 crouching in her hole, strained every faculty of her mind for an idea out of which might come escape. The Indians conversed with considerable volubility as soon as one had departed as a scout. There were no aged or experienced warriors among them to check their eagerness and levity. They expressed themselves in a dialect which the White Swallow partly understood. She could distinguish that they spoke with consider- able disappointment about their failure, and that all seemed deter- mined not to return home until they had obtained a sufficient number of scalps to excuse with the elders of the tribe their temerity and long absence. Much difference of opinion prevailed, but at last the whole party came to a resolution which can only be com- prehended by those who know the Indian character. They resolved upon marching northward to the Coppermine River, to waylay and attack the unfortunate Esquimaux, whom they expected to have the double satisfaction of killing and robbing. These Esquimaux have from time immemorial been the prey of the more southern tribes, whose persecution accounts for a large portion of the race having abandoned terra firma, to live on the islands in the Polar Sea, where they were found by Ross, Parry, Franklin, and other explorers. Thee-kis-ho heard this decision with varied emotions, while another gave her unqualified satisfaction. It was determined that, as their prize was young and pretty, she should be the reward, at the end of the expedition, of the bravest and most distinguished member of the party. The journey with which she was threatened was long, arduous, and of doubtful issue ; but it offered, all the more readily on this account, some chance of escape, and the occurrences of the two or three moons before her might still enable her to wed the young chief; a consummation which she resolved should never happen if she were forced first of all to be the squaw of an Athapascow. The moon rose about midnight, when the Indians were smoking, and the scout then returned, bringing word that their camp was admirably hidden, and that there were no alarming signs within some miles. Satisfied with this assurance, the whole party went to sleep, after tying both the arms and feet of their captive in such a way that, while not hurting her, the thongs completely precluded movement. Wearied with her walk and her thoughts, the White Swallow went to sleep, and awoke only when summoned to cook the morning repast of her captors, after which they started along an arid plain towards the north, in which direction lay the villages of the Esqui- maux. About mid-day a halt took place near a small wood ; and while some went about in search of game, the rest set hard to work 170 THE WHITE SWALLOW. to make shields, which were absolutely necessary to defend them- selves against the fish-bone arrows of their enemies. Thee-kis-ho received a knife part of a sharpened hoop to aid in the process, which, when the work was concluded, its owner forgot to reclaim, and the Indian girl gladly hid it about her person. The shields were ingeniously fashioned of small strips of wood fastened by deer-skin thongs, and, when finished, were three feet long, two feet broad, and a couple of inches thick. It was nearly evening when the work was concluded ; but the Indians, fearful of being pursued, after eating a hearty meal, continued their march some hours longer, and camped near a lake of small dimensions. TJie White Swallow took careful note of all the places they came to, that she might find her way back again if possible, and was not sorry to observe that the Indians left a pretty evident trail. For several days after, their progress was very slow indeed, as much game fell in their way, and the Athapascows, to whom eating was even more grateful than glory, revelled on the fat deer of the lakes. Much more, however, was killed than was consumed, from the mere love of waste, which is inherent in most savage people. These Indians would not pass a bird's nest without destroying it, much more a deer which they could neither eat nor carry ; while, if they refrained from setting fire to a grove of trees they encamped in at night, it was not from any calculation that they or others might want the grove again, but because the conflagration might betray them. Here, as in nearly everything else, the alleged superiority of the "child of nature" fades before examination. They soon reached the confines of inhabited ground, when they hit upon the branch of the Conge-cathawachaga River ; and as the dwellers on its banks were enemies, and too powerful for seven men to attack, every precaution was taken. No fires were lit; they camped in strange outrof-the-way places ; and crossed the stream swimming, despite the rapid current, which swept them a long way down. They hit one night on a large camp, with blazing fires and numerous dogs, but moved off as fast as possible, being not at all inclined to have fifty Coppermine Indians at their heels. These savages do not live so near the sea as the Esquimaux, but they have many of the same habits. Still, they are a distinct race, though probably all the inhabitants of America are of Tartar or Chinese origin. They were still at some distance from the Coppermine River, and weary and sore-footed indeed was Thee-kis-ho, now some five or six hundred miles away from the home of her friends and her intended husband. Provisions, too, were now short ; and as on such occa- THE WHITE SWALLOW. 171 sions the men of this part of America help themselves first, the White Swallow went often to rest without food. An Indian, when reduced to semi-starvation, will rarely, if ever, divide what he has with his wife or wives he eats all, and leaves the women to starve. Some days even the men were reduced to a pipe and a draught of water, and the girl was glad to chew the leaves of an odoriferous plant by way of a last resource. The way, too, was arid and rough. They were now amid the Rocky Mountains of the farther north, a vast and dark pile of rocks, looking perfectly inaccessible ; but on went the Indians, some- times walking, sometimes crawling on their hands and knees. The path, however, was marked and clear as any highway, but often so steep, as to present extraordinary difficulties. At night they slept in hollows and caves without fire, generally from want of wood ; but sometimes from the heavy rains, which rendered the moss, usually a never-failing- resource, damp and useless. All this tended to put the Indians in a savage humor, which promised little for the poor Esquimaux ; and Thee-kis-ho suffered all the more neglect and hun- ger. In fact, with the exception of raw meat, devoured with raven- ous ardor, there were no meals taken during the whole time they were crossing the mountains. Near Buffalo Lake they killed a large number of the animals which gave it its name, and, finding some wood, regaled themselves. The White Swallow, more determined than ever to fly, concealed a small portion of food about her person, that at all events she might not starve in her flight. The road, after their departure from Buffalo Lake, became less rugged and disagreeable, while, by signs which had been described to them by certain old Indians, they believed themselves approaching the termination of their journey. The young men seemed chiefly satisfied at recognizing the eminence of the Gray Bear, so called because frequented in certain seasons by those animals. At last the sight of a large wood, and of a river in the distance, made the warriors eagerly advance. They were in view of Coppermine River, a stream wide, shallow, and filled with rocks and cataracts. A halt was now called, and a council held. All were unanimous that a day's rest and food were necessary before striking their intended blow. Accordingly, while the White Swallow and two Indians stopped to prepare the fire, the others started off in vari- ous directions in search of game. It was the last, time they would hunt before they attacked the Esquimaux, as it would henceforth be dangerous to let the report of firearms be heard in the neighbor- hood. Before two hours had passed, each Indian had brought in 172 THE WHITE SWALLOW. his deer, and then all fell to work to broil, and roast, and stew, eat- ing as they went on. The consumption of victuals would have alarmed an English troop of horse, but the enormous capacity of the Indian for food is well known. It is enough to say, that had the White Swallow not been well fastened by leathern thongs, she could easily have escaped, as, before night, every Athapascow war- rior was sleeping off his feast like a boa-constrictor. MATONAZA. When the Indian women saw the brand thrown into their gran- ary, and caught a glimpse of the retreating Indians, they knew at once the nature of the late surprise. Their first impulse was deep gratitude for their fortunate return, for one minute longer, and every child on the green-sward would have been immolated ; the red-skin in his wars sparing neither toddling infancy, decrepit old age. nor defenceless women. Then a scream of rage and despair arose as they discovered that the pride of the tribe, their chief's affianced wife, was gone. They looked about in speechless terror, expecting to see her bleeding and mangled corpse, but several declared that they had recognized both her form and her voice among the marauders. Then all the women, and the boys and lads of eleven and twelve, seized ever}'- available weapon, and, after light- ing huge fires, prepared to pass the night. The conflagration of the barn was easily extinguished ; and fortunately so, for it contained the whole of the unconsumed autumn crop. The night, though full of alarms, passed peaceably, and before its termination, one of the old men had severely cautioned and instructed one of the lads, whom he designed as the bearer of the news to Ma- tonaza. The boy, proud and honored by the trust reposed in him, took his bow and arrows, provisions for four days, and just about dawn started at a round trot towards the hills, which he reached with unerring accuracy on the third day. But no trace of the war- riors of his tribe did he find. Still, the lad hesitated not a moment . climbing a lofty and prominent eminence, he cast his eyes for some ten minutes round the horizon. Satisfied with this scrutiny, he tightened his belt, descended, and darted across a long low plain, at the very extremity of which he had seen a rather remarkable column of smoke, which the boy at once attributed to the Pale Face who accompanied his friends. After three hours of continuous running, he gained a small lake, on the borders of which was a fire in the centre of a grove of trees THE WHITE SWALLOW. 173 He clearly distinguished a man engaged in the classical and time- honored art of cooking. It was Mark, as he expected ; who, being a little wearied, had volunteered to pass a day in the camp, cooking and inhaling tobacco-smoke, with eating, which is the acme of lux- ury in the eyes of a prairie hunter. The lad advanced straight towards the fire, and, without speaking, sunk, exhausted and faint- ing, at the feet of the Englishman. Mark seized his double-bar- relled gun, fired both barrels, and then, these preconcerted signals given, piling a great armful of green boughs on the fire, stooped to attend to the boy. He raised him up, gave him water, a little brandy, and then food. In a quarter of an hour he could tell his story. Mark heard him with dismay. He had formed a warm attachment for his Indian friend, and a proportionate one for his future wife. He knew at once how agonizing would be the feelings of the young warrior, who, having but this one squaw in view, had fixed on her his ardent affections far more strongly than is usual with a red-skin. It was not long ere the whole party were collected round the fire. The Indians came in from all sides at the sight of the signal. A dead silence then ensued, not one of the red-skins asking any ques- tions. All saw the boy ; but not even his own father evinced any womanly or unusual curiosity by taking notice of him. " Matonaza is a great warrior," said Mark Dalton solemnly, after a certain pause ; " and his heart is the heart of a man. The Ath- apascow Indian is a snake : he has crept in and stolen away the Swallow." The young chief said nothing, but Mark plainly saw the muscles of his face working, and knew how he felt. But he took no note of the warrior's emotion, but bade the boy tell his story. The lad stepped forward, and briefly narrated what had hap- Ugh ! " said Matonaza after a pause ; " my brothers will con- tinue their hunt. Let them keep hawk-eyes about them. Mato- naza and the Roaming Panther," pointing to the runner who had formerly gone with him to the Prince of Wales Fort, " will chase the thieves who steal away women. Let us go ! " Mark started to his feet, caught up his rifle, took a substantial piece of deer's meat, and was ready in an instant to join them. A few words passed between the chief and his people. He directed them to proceed with their duties. He would send the women to join them at once; and with Mark and the Roaming Panther, he started on his chase of perhaps a thousand miles and more, apparently as coolly as a European would have gone out for a walk. 174 THE WHITE SWALLOW. The evening of the third day found them at their village, where they were received in respectful silence. Matonaza caused the old men to tell the story of the White Swallow's abduction once more ; and then, after bidding the whole party go join the hunters, retired to rest with his two companions, bidding Mark sleep as long as he possibly could. The chief did not rouse him till a late hour, after he had himself tracked the trail of the Athapascows to a consid- erable distance. They breakfasted heartily, and then each man, with his gun, powder, and powder-horn, started on his way. The chief led the van, his eye fixed on the trail of the party. He pointed out to Mark the moccasin step of the young girl with a grim smile. Mark was pained at the sadness of his expression, but said nothing. They with difficulty followed the trail along the arid plain which the Athapascows had first hit upon, and, at one time, when the ground was unusually hard, even lost it. The two Indians at once parted, one to the right, the other to the left ; Mark, who was eager to prove himself of use, looked anxiously about, and at last caused the warriors to run to him. The white man pointed with a smile to the hole in which the enemy had camped on the first night of their flight. " Good ! " said Matonaza, taking his hand ; " my brother has an Indian eye." And the journey was at once pursued without further comment. As frequently as possible the party camped in the places where their enemies had camped before them, as the chief was sure to find some note of the White Swallow her footstep in the ashes near the fire ; a mark where she had lain ; or, at all events, some almost invisible sign of her existence. Every day, however, the warrior grew more uneasy as he advanced towards the north. He began to suspect the errand of the Athapascows. He knew, though only traditionally, the terrible journey which must be performed ere the land of the Esquimaux could be reached, and regarded it as almost impossible that a young girl could outlive its hardships. Still on he went, never dreaming of abandoning the chase never even alluding to such an idea. He, however, increased the extent of their daily march, though sometimes compelled to delay while seeking for food. The wood, where the young men made their shields, confirmed him in his belief as to their errand. At night they hastily ate what food they had, and lay down to sleep. No time was wasted in talking. Rest was all they required, and it was to them of the utmost consequence. "At this rate," said Mark, one day, when he found himself THE WHITE SWALLOW. approaching the north more and more every hour, " we shall reach the Icy Sea itself!" " The White Swallow is on its borders," replied the chief, quietly. And they proceeded on their journey. They crossed the Rocky Mountains, here also strictly adhering to the trail of the Athapascows, and were at no great distance from the Coppermine River, when one night, at some distance on the plain, they saw a small, low, flickering light. Their own fire was composed of mere embers, but even these were hastily covered up. Matonaza cast his eyes around. Not a tree, not a bush was there to aid their approach, though the camp in the distance seemed to be near a dark object, which looked like a stunted grove of trees. This could not be, however, they having already passed, as they supposed, the region in which trees are found. The three men looked to their rifles, stooped low, and began to crawl towards the distant fire on their hands and knees. The night was pitchy dark. The sky was lowering, and threatened rain. The low fire, scarcely distinguishable at times, was all that guided them. Presently, however, its glare became more evident, and Matonaza discovered that it was placed under the cover of some low trees which grew on the borders of the Coppermine River. He could now clearly distinguish a party of men sitting round the small fire in the act of smoking ; and leaving his companions and his rifle*, advanced unarmed, bidding them slowly reach a bank within pistol- shot of the camp. He then began to writhe or slide along the ground instead of crawling, moving a yard or two, and then stop- ping to breathe or listen. In about ten minutes they saw him roll himself behind the bushes of the camp. They saw no more, for a strong ray of the moon peeped through a cloud, and they could no longer raise their heads above the ground. They fell behind the low bank agreed on, and waited. Three quarters of an hour passed, and then Matonaza rejoined them, using the same caution as before. He was out of breath with his hard labor, for such it is to crawl along the ground like a snake, never rising on the hands or knees. As soon as he could speak, he told his companions in a whisper that these were the Athapascows returning after a terrible foray among the Esquimaux. The White Swallow, however, was not with them. They spoke of her absence with regret, and as a severe disappointment, but how her absence was occasioned he could not tell. Matonaza spoke in a tone which was new to his white friend. He seemed husky, and his eyes glared like those of a panther. The fearful excitement he had endured, and his terrible awakening from a dream of happiness, all the greater 176 THE WHITE SWALLOW. from his half-European education, had almost driven every civilized idea out of his head. " Roaming Panther," said he to the Indian runner, " is thy rifle ready?" " What would my brother do ? " asked Dalton hurriedly. " Kill my enemies ! " replied the warrior coldly. " What ! skulking behind a bank ? " " Warrior of the Pale Faces, hear my words ! Does a bear show himself in the distance when lying in wait for his prey ? Does a white warrior, when in ambush, give a signal ? We are three : the Athapascow dogs are seven. Not one shall see the home of his fathers : their squaws shall find other husbands. They have robbed Matonaza of /MS squaw : they shall die ! " A double report followed ; and then, as the Indians with a fear- ful cry rose in the air to lie down again in the dark, the Little Snake, as the handsome young chief was called, levelled and discharged the rifle of his friend Dalton, who had declined to shoot at the unpre- pared savages. " I spit on ye, dogs of Athapascows ! " yelled the Little Snake as they fired at random. "A Dog-ribbed chief will leave your bones to bleach on the plains of the Icy Sea ! " With these.words the three friends retreated, loading their rifles ; and, wading across the river, concealed themselves in a low hollow, and sought rest. Mark slept uneasily. The neighborhood of fierce and bloody enemies, roused to desperation by recent losses, was far from being pleasant ; and he was little surprised when, on rising in the morning first amongst his party, a leaden bullet at once hit the bank near him. He dropped down, and in an instant the whole three were again prepared. The Athapascows, six in number one had been killed were near a bush on the other side of the river. They had just at daybreak tracked the Dog-ribbed Indians. These fired, nor was Mark behind-hand ; and so fatal was their aim that two warriors fell headlong into the river. The others, who were not aware of the nature of rifles, introduced only by the chief himself and Mark, flew to cover, astounded at the distance at which they had been struck. The friends loaded, and pursued. The Ath- apascows turned, and fled across the plain. Matonaza gave vent to a low and scornful laugh. " Let them go and boast to their women that their brothers were killed in terrible fight. They are squaws and will tell of a battle with a hundred warriors in their war-paint." Mark at once added, that to follow them was to lose all trace of the White Swallow, who was either a prisoner among the Esqui- THE WHITE SWALLOW. 177 maux, or hiding somewhere in the hollows of the hills, awaiting the departure of their enemies. Besides, no time was to be lost, for the winter was coming on, and all hope of finding her would vanish with that season. Matonaza replied by turning his back on the river, and searching for the old trail of the party. They soon found the remains of a fire, with bones of animals deer, &c., which had been recently devoured, and thus continued their journey at some distance from the banks of the Coppermine River. THE ESQUIMAUX VILLAGE. We left the White Swallow advancing towards the village of the Esquimaux with her worthless companions. The race about to be attacked, like most of the Esquimaux, were of small stature, and lit- tle strength or beauty. They are very stout, copper-colored, and in general ugly, though some of the women form exceptions. They resemble all the tribe in dress, while their arms are bows and arrows, lances and darts. They have canoes with double paddles, and tents composed of deer-skins, with stone and ice huts for winter. Their utensils are all of stone and wood, with spoons and bowls of buf- falo horn. Their hatchets, pikes, and arrow-heads are of copper. They are a poor, harmless race, who live by fishing and hunting, whose sole riches consisted in a little copper they found near the river thence called Coppermine River. It was this unfortunate race who, from their helplessness and weakness, had been selected as the fitting victims of the seven Ath- apascow warriors. In this the red-skins only acted in accordance with the true principles of war to respect the strong, and prey upon the weak. The White Swallow remained behind on one occa- sion while two scouts went out to scour the banks of the stream in search of intelligence. They soon came back with the information, that about fifteen miles distant were five tents of Esquimaux, so placed as to be completely open to a surprise. It was then decided that the attack should take place the following night. Meanwhile they waded across'the river, to be on the same side as their wretched victims. Here they halted to load their guns, furbish their lances, and prepare their shields. Every man set to work to paint his buckler one representing the sun, the other the moon, others birds of prey and other animals, with imaginary beings, fantastic human creatures, and beasts of all kinds. They were all to serve as their protection during the com- 12 J78 THE WHITE SWALLOW. bat, their shields being at once " medicine." Even the White Swal- low, who was used to their Indian customs, was puzzled to know the meaning of half the rude drawings daubed with chalk and red clay, as not one had any resemblance to anything in heaven or upon earth. But, like the knights of chivalry, who scorned Jb write their own names, and seldom could even read a love-letter, mese red-skin paladins were quite satisfied that military glory was above all artistic merit. They were but of the general opinion of mankind, who admire far more the successful slayer of thousands than the man who can achieve a splendid picture, a magnificent epic poem, or a great scien- tific discovery. The shield-painting being over, the party advanced, still following the banks of the river strictly avoiding all eminences,' for fear of being seen, and all speech, for fear of being heard. The way was arduous and painful in the extreme. They fell upon swampy marshes and muddy sloughs, in which they sunk above their knees. But not a word was spoken, not a murmur or complaint given vent to. A tall youth had been selected as leader of the band, and no orchestra ever kept better time. They trod in each other's foot- steps with the most praiseworthy unanimity ; and might, from their silence, their gravity, their stiff, erect manner, have not inaptly been compared to moving mummies. The White Swallow carried in a bundle the whole of their provisions no inconsiderable weight, as they desired not to halt an hour when their horrid surprise was effected. About a hundred yards from where they first caught sight of the Esquimaux village they halted in council behind some rocks. It was now late at night, and yet these savage warriors, not satisfied with their martial air, now began to paint themselves anew. They daubed their faces, with a horrid mixture of red and black on one side with one color, the other with the other ; some tied their hair in knots, others cut it entirely off. They then lightened them- selves of every possible article of clothing, which they made up in another bundle, and gave to the unfortunate girl to carry. The moon now rose : it was midnight. The five tents of the Esquimaux were situated close to the water's edge, within a half- moon formed by some rocks that projected from a small eminence. Before the tents lay the placid waters of the river, in the midst of which was an island, or rather sandbank, and in the distance another Esquimaux village, of larger dimensions than the present. The Indians gave an " Ugh" of delight, for here was a second massacre in view, and to these savage men nothing could afford a more charm- ing prospect. THE WHITE SWALLOW. 179 They advanced slowly along the banks of the river, and when within about twenty yards of the tents, halted ; and having tied the feet of the White Swallow in such a way as she could by no pos- sibility untiejierselfj-they rushed to their bloody work. To modern readers, eveir of the details of recent wars, the unpardonable and horrid details of the sack of a city must be familiar : man, woman, and child, have all shuddered, we doubt not, over scenes almost too fearful for belief scenes remaining forever as blots upon a civil- ized and so-called Christian age. But for the benefit of those who have adopted the notions of certain modern philosophers touching the superior amiability and simplicity of the " man of nature," we think it weli to give some account of the historical scene that was once acted on the banks of the Coppermine. The Esquimaux, on hearing the wild outcry of the red-skins, started from their sleep, and rushed forth, men women, and chil- dren, to escape; but their ruthless foes were at every issue, and spears and tomahawks did their bloody work. The groans of the wounded, the howls of the dying, the shrieks of the children, the shrill yells of the women, were answered by the Athapascow war- cry. As the herd of antelopes loses all instinct of self-preservation before the awful roar of the African lion, and stands a while motion- less, so these poor creatures no longer sought to fly or defend them- selves. Not one raised his arm. Some wretched mothers covered their offspring with their bodies only to die first. One young girl, of singular beauty for an Esquimaux, caught the chief round the legs : had he been alone, he would have probably saved her, to take her to his wigwam. But the emulation of war was on him ; there were his companions to see him hesitate ; and, quick as lightning, he ran his spear through her. But enough : I spare details more fear- ful still details which haunted the first historian and eye-witness of this scene all his after life. The White Swallow no sooner found herself alone, than, drawing the knife she had formerly secreted from her bosom, she cut her bonds, resolved as she was to lose no more time. This done, she acted with all the coolness and reflection which became the affianced bride of an Indian warrior. She watched the red-skins enter the camp, and even let them commence their massacre. A dozen and more dogs darted by, flying from the strangers. One of them passed close to the White Swallow, and smelt her packet of meat. She seized upon a leathern thong fastened round his neck, and threw him food. The dog devoured it eagerly. The girl at once resolved to appropriate the animal, for she knew his nature, having herself been born on the confines of the Esquimaux territory. She fastened 180 THE WHITE SWALLOW. on his back the bundle belonging to the Indians, and then gliding gently and noiselessly into the water, began to swim. The dog quietly followed her, attracted by her store of provisions. The girl was a good and powerful swimmer ; but she proceeded slowly, though tha noise of the sack of the village might have excused