pounds are made thus, according to the number of and stores, two or three hotels, a church, and courttrees tapped, in the course of the season, which house. One of the hotels had raised the tempercontinues until near leafing-time. One good tree ance standard; but within, the mocker, wine, was will perhaps produce five or six pounds or more. Some of the maple orchards are very beautiful. The underbrush and all foreign trees are cleared out, and the majestick brotherhood of maples, with their tall clear trunks, rising perhaps fifty feet without a single limb or excrescence, and their generous boughs, with their broad palmated leaves extending far on high, mingling themselves with each other, as if to form a panoply for the fair scene below, are the sole monarchs of the delightful realm. . Indeed, the forest maple yields to but few trees in point of magnificence and grandeur. As an ornamental shade tree, the maple is held in high esteem. It lends a charm to almost every pretty park or promenade in the pleasant villages New England, where it is an especial favourite. RAMBLINGS IN WINTER.-No. III. alluringly displayed, and a large box of tobacco and pipes were afforded gratis, to all who chose that kind of inebriation. The landlord expected that you would choose both, as a consideration of troubling his house. Temperance men profess to go against alcohol. Yet, they will drink wine, cider, ale, &c., for the very reason, that they contain alcohol. Now, what is the difference between wine, and rum and water? Or, to speak literally, what is the difference between alcohol in a diluted state, and alcohol in a diluted state? Now, pray, Mr. Landlord, come up to the high cold-water mark, or disband and get out of the way. The county-supervisors were in session at this place. The town was filled with some score or more of these county-aldermen, with their numerous clients and petitioners. These grand seniors imbody the authority and majesty of the county, and sit in the name of the people to canvass votes, the Cattaraugus county, N. Y., contains, probably, demerits of dogs, and the outrages of wolves; to upwards of twenty thousand inhabitants-not more smooth highways, erect bridges, run fences, and than two thirds as many as its eastern neighbour, impound stray swine; to superintend the poor, to Allegany, nor more than half the number of the supervise the county, and to march forces against contiguous Chatauque. These three counties closely wild-fires. They are a useful order of men, but at resemble each other in every respect. The surface the conclusion of a canvass, they are always at the is generally uneven, stony, and heavily timbered, "treat." A stranger, on such an occasion, may acand the soil rather damp and cold, and not remarkable quaint himself with the whole county; for the for its fertility. Cattaraugus is abundantly water- whole county, indeed will surely be familiar with him. ed: it has the Cattaraugus creek on the north, and I rued the afternoon that I left Ellicottville. It the Conewango and the beautiful Allegany on the was that terrible afternoon in November, that produsouth. The valley of the Allegany and the con- ced so many sad disasters at Buffalo, and upon the tiguous parts are perhaps the most valuable and ex- lake. A cold rain, mingled with snow, had been tensive pine districts, with the exception of Maine, falling during the morning, which became entirely in the United States. The timber along the Alle- snow in the afternoon. I had been but a short time gany river, in the southern part of this county, and on my way to Olean, when a fierce wind began to in the adjacent portion of Pennsylvania, is almost blow with unexampled violence. The thick snow wholly pine; and the forests are of very great ex- was driven horizontally through the air, literally filling tent, and the trees large, tall, and excellent for lum- the eye and blinding the sight, while just sufficient ber. The inhabitants of this district are chiefly lodged in the road to impede our progress. The engaged in the lumbering business, and agriculture whole forest seemed to bend before the demon of is almost wholly neglected. The markets for the the blast, and many of the giant trees, the monulumber are found down the Ohio river; some of it ments of half a century, yielding to the infuriate stops at Cincinnati, and much also goes to New force, were hurled with thundering crash to the Orleans. The logs are principally cut and hauled ground. At one time, a huge branch, wrenched from in the winter, and sawed at the mills in the summer its parent trunk, was fiercely driven through the air, and fall. Rafts are made upon the ice, and are thus and swept terribly close over our heads, threatening very conveniently set afloat, on the opening of the destruction in its course. My poor horse, trembling rivers in the spring. at every breath, shot from one side of the road to the other, like an affrighted hare, while his less instinctive rider, not a little heeded each successive crash, as a signal of impending doom. In the valleys I dreaded lest the tempest should pile its vic tims there; on the bleak hills its rude salutations Ellicottville is the county town of Cattaraugus. I reached the place after a smart trot of twenty-two miles from Randolph, through quite a romantick country, over high hills and through secluded vales. The village is small, and consists of a few dwellings more fully realized to me the invincibleness and ter- the latter, is a very fine level plot of ground, considrour of its power. But it is in the storm, however erably elevated above the river, and gradually rising fiercely the elements may be at strife, that man feels into the hills as it retires, which has been selected his superiority. The beast of the field may tremble as a site for a new city. It is now covered with at each demonstration of elemental violence: the the loftiest pines, and surrounded by a "boundless fowls of the air may fly with terrour before the rising contiguity of shade." Nothing animates that primiblast; but man alone, of all God's creation, is calm tive spot, but now and then a chirping squirrel, a and deliberate amidst the confusion of the tempest, screaming jay, a bounding deer, or, peradventure and he alone foreknowing its cause and foreseeing its the grating and clattering noise of a busy little sawconsequences, may divest it of its terrours, avert its mill on the opposite side of the river. But it glories evils, and trim his bark in the midst with confidence in the notable appellative of ALLEGANY CITY; and triumph. To feel the truth of these reflections though it may be styled more emphatically the City inspired in one's self, is the abundant satisfaction of of the Woods, or most literally, as yet, the City of a traveller who is thus overtaken in his solitary way. the Imagination. It is the city that is to be. Stand That, indeed, was the secret of my complacency as in the midst of that wilderness, and listen to the exI rambled slowly and difficultly along, with a drift- uberant voice of a speculator; shut your eyes and ing path before me, snowflakes pelting thick and give freedom to your fancy, and anon, by a sort of fast upon me, and a biting blast whistling with rage phantasmagorian operation, Allegany City, with its and violence by and around. This exposure, with spires and domes, its storehouses and dwellings, the aforesaid internal reward, was unwittingly pro- its shipping and docks, its paved streets, and brick longed, until I had measured five miles directly out walls, its boxes, bags, crates, and wagon-loads of of my course, and sunset brought me up at Farm- merchandise, its immensely busy trade, and its ersville! The pleasure of sitting down by a blazing thousands of inhabitants hurrying to and fro in the fire, and partaking of a warm and hearty supper, was confusion and activity of their multifarious pursuitsnot a little enhanced by the reflection, that I had sur-all are summoned to the mind, and you feel yourself vived the storm, and was then, at least, fortified a "looker on," as it were, in the midst. But open against its rude assaults; and, at the same time, it seemed a partial remuneration for the time and labour lost for the mischievous misdirection of a false cicerone. The next day I reached Olean. This place called Olean Point, because it is situated in the bend of the Allegany river, was settled many years ago. In consequence of a want of proximity to a market, and its difficulty of access, it has failed to increase in business and population with that magical rapidity, which generally distinguishes the western towns. Of late, however, it has attracted considerable attention, and received a new stimulus from the important fact, that the New York and Erie rail-road, as projected, touches the Allegany at or near this point your eyes, and the illusion is gone: the smooth and placid Allegany flows on before you, as it has flowed for ages, with nothing to disturb its bosom, save now and then a wild bird, an Indian canoe, or an occasional timber-raft; while around you thickly stand the dark and towering pines in their primeval strength and grandeur. But a few years shall elapse, and that forest shall have disappeared, and a proud city shall have usurped its place. Albeit, the plan of the city is already developed, and ere the spring arrives the axe-men shall be heard preparing the way for its coming. And why should there not be a city there? The plat is level, and sufficiently elevated, and although it is now locked in, it shall shortly have at least four great and It numbers several hundred inhabitants, and important points of commercial communication. The has several stores, two or three publick houses, a few New York and Erie rail-road, which will touch the artisans; a grist-mill, and several saw-mills. The Allegany at this point, will render it easily accessible village is situated upon a level plot, elevated a few from the lake and from the city of New York. The feet above the surface of the Allegany; but the contemplated canal, will open a convenient communeighbouring country, on every hand, is very hilly, nication with the city of Rochester. By removing a heavily timbered with pine, the forests of which are few slight obstructions in the river, a steam-boat and of immense extent. The soil is a sandy loam, rocky in sloop navigation may connect it with Cincinnati, Loumany places, with frequent indications of anthracite.isville, and New Orleans. Will not Allegany city thus About twelve miles from Olean, down the river, is become a most important point, the general medium a settlement of several remnant tribes of Indians.- of communication between the great commercial emThe land reserved for their use and occupation, ex-porium of the United States, and that vast country bortends along the banks of the Allegany for about dering on the western lakes and the great western twenty miles. Between the eastern limit of their res-rivers? If it does not become a jealous rival of the ervation, and Olean Point, and about four miles below greatest of the western cities, I am no prophet. PULQUE. good soils so early as five, and in bad not till eighteen, a maguey begins to give signs of the development of its hampe. They then prepare to collect the juice of which the pulque is made. They cut the bundle of central leaves, and enlarge, insensibly, the wound, covering it with lateral leaves, which they raise by drawing them close and tying them at the extremities. In this wound the vessels appear to deposite all the juice which would have formed the colossal hampe, loaded with flowers. This is a true vegetable spring, that keeps running for two or three months, and from which the Indian draws three or four times a day. We may judge of the quickness or slowness of the motion of the juice, by the quantity of honey extracted from the maguey at different times of the day: a plant commonly yields, in twenty-four hours, 242 cubick inches, nearly equal to eight pints, of which three are obtained at sunrise, two at mid-day, and three at six in the evening. A very vigorous plant sometimes yields about seven quarts, or 454 cubick inches, per day, for from four to five months, which amounts to the enormous quantity of 67,130 cubick inches, supplied by a plant scarcely five feet in height. (Abridged from Black's Translation of Humboldt's New Spain.) The honey, or juice of the agave, is of a very There hardly exists a race of savages upon the agreeable sour taste. It easily ferments on account face of the earth, who cannot prepare some kind of of the sugar and mucilage which it contains. To beverage from the vegetable kingdom; yet there are accelerate this fermentation, they add, however, a few nations who cultivate certain plants, merely little old and acid pulque. This operation is termiwith a view to prepare beverages from them. The nated in three or four days. The vinous beverage, most part of civilized nations, draw their drinks from which resembles cider, has an odour of putrid meat, the same plants which constitute the basis of their extremely disagreeable; but Europeans who have nourishment; and the old continent affords us no been able to get over the aversion which this fetid instance of vine plantations but west of the Indus. odour inspires, prefer the pulque to any other liquor. But in the new continent, we have the example of They consider it as stomachick, strengthening, and a people, who not only extract liquors from the amy-especially as very nutritive; and it is recommended laceous and sugary substance of the maize, the ma- to lean persons. niock, and bananas, or from the pulp of several species of mimosa, but who cultivate expressly a plant of the family of the ananas, to convert its juice into a spirituous liquor, which is called pulque. On the interiour table-land, and in the intendency of Puebla, and in that of Mexico, through a vast extent of country, the eye reposes only on fields planted with pittes or maguey. This plant, of a coriaceous and prickly leaf, which, with the cactus opuntia, has become wild, since the sixteenth century, throughout all the south of Europe, the Canary islands, and the coast of Africa, gives a peculiar character to the Mexican landscape. A very intoxicating brandy is formed from the pulque, which is called mexical or aguardiente de maguey, and though the Spanish colonial government prohibited its use, as prejudicial to the Spanish brandy trade, such quantities of it were manufactured, that the whole importation of brandy into Mexico alone amounted to 32,000 barrels. But the maguey is not only the wine of the Aztecks, it can also supply the place of the hemp of Asia, and the papyrus of the Egyptians. The paper on which the ancient Mexicans painted their hieroglyphical figures, was made of the fibres of agave leaves, macerated in water, and disposed in layers The agaves are planted in rows, at a distance of like the Egyptian papyrus, and the mulberry of the fifty-eight inches from each other. The plants only South Sea islands. M. Humboldt brought home begin to yield the juice, which goes by the name of with him several fragments of Azteck manuscripts, honey, on account of the sugary principle with written on maguey papers of a thickness, so different, which it abounds, when the hampe is on the point that some of them resembled pasteboard, while of its development. And as the plant is destroyed others resembled Chinese paper. The thread which if the incision be made long before the flowers would is obtained from the maguey, is known in Europe naturally have developed themselves, it is of great by the name of pite thread, and is preferred by importance for the cultivator to know exactly the naturalists to every other, because it is less subject period of efflorescence. Its proximity is announced to twist. The juice which the agave yields, when by appearances, which the experienced cultivator it is still far from the period of efflorescence, is very readily understands. He goes daily through his plantations to mark the plants that approach afflorescence; and if he has any doubt, he applies to the experts of the village-old Indians, who, from longer experience, have a judgment, or rather tact, more securely to be relied on. About the age of eight years in general, but in acid, and is successfully employed as a caustick in the cleansing of wounds. The prickles, which terminate the leaves, served, formerly, like those of the cactus, for pins and nails to the Indians. Common sense is the growth of all countries THE RAJAH RAMMOHUN ROY. If the character of this distinguished Hindoo or Indian Bramin, as to the development of his mind and to his change of religious opinions, is not entirely unique, it is so uncommon that it deserves to be generally known to the Christian world. Rammohun Roy was a native of Bengal; and was early taught the Persian and Arabick languages. He studied the works of Euclid, and Aristotle, and thus became acquainted with mathematicks and logick. He then went to Calcutta to learn Sanscrit, the language of the Hindoo sacred scriptures, the knowledge of which was necessary to his caste and profession as a Bramin. On the death of his father and elder brother, he became possessed of a large estate, at the age of twenty-five years: and he soon after fixed his residence where his ancestors had lived. About this time he wrote against "the idolatry of all religions." The publication gave great offence to the Hindoos and Mohaminedans where he then resided, and he returned to Calcutta, in 1814. About this period, he studied the English language and soon after the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. It is evident from his first work that he regarded with great disapprobation and disgust, the monstroug and debasing system of idolatry, embraced by his countrymen. A careful study of the sacred writings of the Hindoos, convinced him that the prevailing no tions of a multiplicity of deities, and the superstitious devotion to the licentious and inhuman customs connected with them, were founded in utter ignorance or gross perversion of their religion. The original records appeared to him to inculcate a system of pure Theism, which taught the being of one God; and that required of its professors a mental rather than an outward worship, with strict personal virtue. With these views of Hindoo theology and morals, he was anxious to reform the creed and practice of his countrymen, and devoted his time and fortune to this benevolent object. Rammohun Roy thus appears as a great and rare light, to his ignorant and superstitious countrymen, who were in gross moral darkness and errour. In short time, however, before her death, or separation the ancient writings which he studied, (of three thousand years before,) he found traces of the patriarchal religion, which was the belief of Abraham, Job, and others of their day, who had received instruction from their ancestors, extending back to Shem, and even to Noah. With this information, and in the state of mind which it produced, perceiving the errours and absurdities. both of idolatry and polytheism, and satisfied that the early sages of India taught a more just and rational religion, he read the Christian scriptures with attention. His object was moral and religious truth; and he says "he found the Christian doctrines more conducive to moral principles, and better adapted for the use of reasonable beings than any other which had come to his knowledge." But he was not content with studying the doctrines of the gospel in the creeds and systems in popular use. This personal and candid inquiry convinced him, not only that the Christian religion was more rational and excellent than any other, but that it was of divine origin. He satisfied himself also, that some of the popular tenets of the teachers of Christianity, especially those confessedly of a speculative or mysterious character, were not supported by the gospels; but that the writings both of the Old and New Testaments clearly taught the doctrine of the Divine Unity, and that Jesus of Nazareth was his inspired messenger to mankind. Having become a convert to Christianity, he wished to present it to his countrymen, for their examination and acceptance; and this he did in a pamphlet, with the title, "The instructions and precepts of Jesus, the guide to peace and happiness." But neither this appeal, nor other publications of Rammohun Roy, on the same most important subject, have, as yet, had any great effect with the idolators and polytheists of Hindostan. If they are read in the spirit they ought to be, and in which they were written, we have reason to hope that some favourable impressions will be made on the minds of heathens and pagans every where. Rammohun Roy is a phenomenon in the pagan world, in modern times. His independence, his impartiality, his love of moral truth, and his zealous inquiries to find it, together with the consideration of his personal sacrifices and dangers by his honesty of purpose, justly claim for him the praise and admiration of all lovers of moral and religious truth. We trust his example will not be lost upon mankind and the world. Rammohun Roy visited England about two years ago, charged with some publick business to the government of that country; and with a view, probably, to a further knowledge of the characters, opinions and customs of the first nation in Christendom. There he died during the year past. It is not strange that the ignorant and interested supporters of heathen worship, endeavoured to defend it, by imputations on the character of this reformer. They charged him with "rashness, selfconceit, arrogance and impiety." Even his mother bitterly condemned him. She was a woman of strong mind, but was wedded to the idolatry and polytheism of her country, and was also under the influence of the superstitious and selfish priests. A from him, she said: "You are right, but I am a weak woman, and am too old to give up these ancient observances, which are a comfort to me." This is the language and sentiment of nature and it accounts for the reluctance with which all persons (heathens or even Christians) give up their early faith and habits. LIGHT. At the depth of seven hundred and twenty feet through sea-water, according to Bougour, light ceases to be transmitted; and probably at three times that depth there is perpetual darkness. Only one hundred thousandth part of the vertical rays of the sun can penetrate below forty-seven fathoms; the depths of the ocean are consequently involved in perpetual darkness. The most remarkable property of light is its velocity. ANTIQUE STATUES. Four statues, and a cenotaph in stone, all supposed to be of the fourteenth century, have been lately found in a vault in the castle of Lassavas, in Switzerland. Two of the statues represent females, and the other two, armed knights. One of the knights presents a curious figure; his cuiras is open, and two toads are knawing his sides-the visor is up, and two more toads are preying upon his cheeks. It is supposed, that there is some legend of the revolutionary wars of that period connected with this figure, but as yet, no trace of it has been found. THE WIDOWED MOTHER.-WILSON. Well might that lullaby be sad, She gazed upon the bosom And from his cradle smiled! With joy fresh sprung from short alarms, All tears at once were swept away, Sufferings there are from nature sprung, |