from the shoulders to the feet, protects (as at Belper and Turton *) their ordinary clothing. The health of the men did not appear bad; but I did not notice any of the robust forms, nor fresh complexions, which Dr Ure appears to have remarked eight years previously. The houses inhabited by the workmen form long and broad streets. Mr Ashton built about 300 houses, which he lets

at from three shillings to three and sixpence a-week. Each habitation contains, on the basement, a parlour, a kitchen, and a back-yard; and, on the first storey, two or three sleeping-rooms. For the above-named rent the proprietor provides water, and pays for repairs and taxes. A ton of coals, costing no more than eight or nine shillings,' continues M. Faucher, making, we apprehend, a slight slip in his logic, fuel is nearly gratuitous. At all hours of the day there are fire and hot water in every house. A propriety prevails over every arrangement, which shows the existence of order and plenty. The furniture, although very simple, attests a taste for comfort. In some of the houses there is a clock, in others a sofa, and in others even a pianoforte. Neither are books rare. Mr Ashton has found means to spread instruction amongst his workpeople. From a table communicated in 1833 to the commission of manufactures, it is to be gathered, that out of every 1175 operatives, 87 could neither read nor write, 512 could write only, and 576 could do both fluently. But at Hyde, the proportion of educated, or, more correctly, literated workpeople, is infinitely higher than that either in Manchester or Glasgow. Mr Ashton has built a large and handsome schoolhouse, which serves also from time to time as a chapel, and where 700 children assemble every Sunday. Moreover, evening classes are daily held for the more advanced, and each family is permitted to send their children to the school during the week for the small charge of twopence per week. Mr Ashton provides masters at his own expense. It appears, however, that the number of children who profit by this excellent arrangement is very small; the majority of parents preferring to let them amuse themselves in the streets. On the other hand, music seems to have many charms for this population; for it spontaneously subscribed, for the erection of an organ, a sum amounting to L.160.

far more favourable account of the state of the poor, and of the exertions of the rich and powerful for their benefit, than he has been constrained to furnish in the papers before us.

THE ISLAND OF ICHABOE

IN Nos. 9 and 24 of our present series, we gave some account of guano, detailing its history, the various localities from which it has been obtained, and its unrivalled value various sources, in particular from the notes of a sailing as a convenient and effective manure. We now glean from master given in the Manchester Guardian, some farther information respecting the guano island of Ichaboe and the adjacent coast of Africa.

The island of Ichaboe, which has caused so much commetion amongst shipowners and speculators, and which has given rise to the employment of many vessels from the principal ports both of England and Scotland in this new branch of trade, is situated in 26° 13′ 34′′ south latitude, about twenty-two miles north of Angra Pequina-a well deter mined position, which vessels bound for Ichaboe generally both sides of Angra Pequina, presents to the eye of the maritry to make. The mainland, for several hundred miles on ner a barren, inhospitable, and dangerous line of sea-coast, lying low, though backed with high-land in the interior. The strong glare arising from the arid sand and the density of the atmosphere, calls for the utmost vigilance and caution on the part of the master-mariner approaching it during the night; for, if he once gets deceived, and into the current which sets upon the shore, the destruction of his vessel is inevitable. Along this sea-board there is not the slightest symptom of vegetation; indeed it is much to be questioned whether vegetation would thrive, whatever might be the quality of the soil, as no rains fall in this reboth day and night; but the cold is so severe, for such a gion. True, there are heavy dews, occasionally falling high latitude, during the fogs and the sun, when it does break forth, is so powerful and scorching, that in all probability between these alternating temperatures no vegetation could survive. The island itself is a barren, shelving rock, about a mile long from north to south, and half a mile across at its broadest part, namely, from its southwest to its north-east point. It is bounded all round by reefs, except on its eastern side, where there is anchorage in from five to six fathoms. A portion of the To console himself for the incomplete success of his and 500 feet broad in the widest part. Upon this shelf, island is in the form of a flat shelf, about 1100 feet long benevolent efforts, Mr Ashton cast a glance at the past. and about six feet above high water, is accumulated that "I have known the time," he told me," when out of three deposit of guano which gives so much celebrity to the hundred persons assembled in a tavern at Birmingham, island, and which varies in depth from 35 to 38 feet. only one was found able to read the newspaper to the Taking the average width of the deposit at 400 feet, and rest." He believes also that morality has not made less assuming the average depth to be 36 feet, the total progress than instruction; and that supposition must quantity of guano will be about 158 millions of cubic feet. be permitted him, when we contemplate the results of The climate of Ichaboe, notwithstanding the effluvia of the the order which he has established. The population of volatile ammoniacal gases emitted from the guano, is very Hyde shines honourably above that of other manufac-healthy. As one proof of its salubrity, it is mentioned that at a period when thirty-five ships were lying off the island, turing towns. In this little town gin has not yet suctheir crews, comprising altogether not fewer than about ceeded in raising one of its palaces, drunkenness is very seven hundred men, most of whom were enduring exceedseldom met with, and females of bad reputation are not ingly laborious employment in that hot region, there were allowed to live there. Illegitimate births are very few. only five cases of sickness, and these complaints or affecBy a rare exception to the general rule of manufac- tions of the lungs. As has been already remarked, there turing places, married women are generally occupied falls during the night a very heavy dew, attended with a in their own private domestic concerns, or, when they piercing coldness of temperature; and even during the day,| work in the mill, employ a girl to take care of their if the sun's rays be intercepted, a cold disagreeable sensation is immediately experienced. On the sun again breaking forth, its rays speedily scorch the lips, and indeed the whole face and hands, of every person of fair complexion; The only relief the sufferer can find is by anointing the and the lips of very few escape this tormenting annoyance. skin with hog's lard, in imitation of the custom of the inhabitants of the mainland, who profusely lubricate their persons with palm-oil.

children.'

Such is a picture of what even individuals may effect. Still, it is painful to reflect that even the exertions of private benevolence are, after all, but drops in the ocean of destitution and social discomfort which is spread over the basis of society; and to remove which effectually, benevolent exertions must be organised into a comprehensive and national system. Every one must rejoice in the fact, that the tendencies of the present time are making a decided and rapid progress towards raising the condition of the humbler orders in the scale of comfort and morality. We trust, therefore, that if, after a few years have passed over our heads, M. Faucher should again visit us, he will be able to give a

With reference to the guano, the notes to which we refer express a decided opinion on the part of the writer, that the substance is not, as has been generally supposed, exclusively composed of the soil of marine birds, which he believes to form only a comparatively small portion of the mass. He supposes it chiefly to consist of the decomposed bodies of marine birds and animals, together with the eggs of the former, and the excrementitious matter of both. He personally superintended the working or exca*These manufactories belong respectively to Messrs Strutt, iron-vating of a pit of guano 35 feet by 18 feet, and from all workers and Messrs Ashworth, cotton-spinners. that came daily under his observation, he was inclined to

A GIPSY STORY.

the opinion that this barren rock had been a favourite place of resort for ages for penguins and other aquatic birds; that myriads of them had successively deposited their eggs there, and had subsequently died on the island; and that it had also been a favourite haunt of seals and other marine animals. In working the pit, the men occasionally came to a stratum of a light-brown colour, and of greater levity than the strata above and below it, and imbedded in this stratum they invariably found numerous skeletons of penguins, in the last stage of decomposition, and vast quantities of their eggs. Having worked through this, the men would probably come after a time to another stratum of a much darker brown, and much heavier description; and the sub-cution, the more melancholy became the young Hindosstance composing the bulk of this stratum, when rubbed between the fingers, would dissolve like tallow, and exude much more oil or fat than the first. Throughout this darkcoloured stratum, the men occasionally found many bones and skeletons of seals nearly decomposed, and but very rarely any remains of penguins. The appearance of the stratum suggested to him the idea of a great number of seals having been washed on shore, or having lain down in this spot to die. He adds, that the strata were not by any means regular in their alternations; but, as a general rule, he did not find both the light and the dark-coloured strata in close succession. The pit here referred to was in the centre of the island.

When the guano is dug and bagged, it is taken to the beach, where stages are erected over the rocks to the boats, and by them taken to the ships. These stages are three hundred feet in length, and very expensive. They are formed by erecting shears, and connecting the shears with anchors and cable: a platform is formed by spars and planks, and upon this the men carry the guano on their backs when the weather will permit, which is about four days a-week. Every full and change of the moon there is a heavy swell, or rolling, over the reefs, which puts a stop to all work, and occasionally does considerable damage to the shipping. On the 7th of May, the Guernsey, just about to sail with her cargo, was thrown on the reefs, and in a short time became a total wreck. The crew were saved, but it cost the lives of two brave fellows from the Charles of Liverpool, who, among others, had gone to their assistance. On that occasion fifteen of the eighteen stages then erected were swept away, besides a number of the loading boats.

With regard to the amount of guano existing on Ichaboe and the adjacent islands, another writer thus remarks:'I have been at many islands on this coast, and also on the continent, in search of guano and gold dust, and have found both; but in such small quantities, and of such inferior qualities, that it has not been worth the trouble of shipping home. Here there is no rain, as at Angra Pequina, which makes the guano especially valuable. Many thousands of tons there have been taken in, and cast away when it was discovered the rains had caused fermentation, and destroyed the properties of the guano. It is clear, therefore, that it can only be obtained where no rain falls, and then it must be upon islands which the birds frequent, as they will not settle on any part of the continent in great numbers. My conclusion, after much search and thought, is, that there is very little guano in the world, and that if farmers should expect it, they will be deceived. The guano of Ichaboe has been worked since the beginning of 1844; up to the end of May, about one hundred cargoes had been shipped; and now fully one-third of the deposit is gone. I am fearful,' continues this writer, 'that a great sacrifice will be made in this place. Upwards of one thousand persons from England (living, for the time, without the law of God or their country) produce much anxiety: several rebellions have taken place; but the Thunderbolt steamer manof-war was here last week (14th May), and restored order; but the very day she left, the men declared their reign of power to have commenced. We repressed them by prompt measures, and sent two of the ringleaders to St Helena.' He concludes by advising speculators to consider well how and when they embark in adventures respecting the rapidlydecreasing produce of Ichaboe and the surrounding islets.

DETRACTION.

Every man ought to aim at eminence, not by pulling others down, but by raising himself; and enjoy the pleasure of his own superiority, whether imaginary or real, without interrupting others in the same felicity. Johnson.

A lady of rank and fortune, who happened to have no children, and who lived in the neighbourhood, had taken so great a liking to a beautiful little gipsy girl, that she took her home, had her educated, and at length adopted her as her daughter. She was called Charlotte Stanley, received the education of a young English lady of rank, and grew up to be a beautiful, well-informed, and accomplished girl. In the course of time a young man of good family became attached to her, and wished to marry her. The nearer, however, this plan approached the period of its exetanee bride; and one day, to the terror of her foster-mother and her betrothed husband, she was found to have disappeared. It was known that there had been gipsies in the neighbourhood; a search was set on foot, and Charlotte Stanley was discovered in the arms of a long, lean, brown, ugly gipsy, the chief of the band. She declared she was his wife, and no one had a right to take her away from him, and the benefactress and the bridegroom returned inconsolable. Charlotte afterwards came to visit them, and told how, as she grew up, she had felt more and more confined within the walls of the castle, and an irresistible longing had at length seized her to return to her wild gipsy life. The fellow whom she had chosen for her husband was said to be one of the wildest and ugliest of the whole tribe, and to treat his beautiful and delicate wife in the most barbarous manner. He was some time after condemned to be hanged for theft; but his wife, through the influence of her distinguished connexions, procured the commutation of his sentence to that of confinement in the hulks. During the time of his imprisonment, she visited him constantly, and contrived in many ways to improve his situation, without the savage manifesting in return the smallest gratitude. He accepted her marks of affection as a tribute due from a slave, and frequently even during her visits ill-treated her. She toiled incessantly, however, to obtain his liberation, supplicating both her foster-mother and her former lover to use all their efforts in his favour. At the very moment of his liberation, however, when Charlotte was hastening to meet him across the plank placed from the boat to the shore, the savage repulsed her so roughly, that she fell into the water. She was drawn out again, but could not be induced to leave him, and returned to her former wild way of life in the New Forest and the fairs of London. I saw the portrait of Charlotte Stanley, which was preserved by the friend of her youth. Her story is a kind of inversion to that of Preciosa, and might make an interesting romance. The Southampton committee, it is said, have not been more fortunate with the gipsies, whom at different times they have put out to service, than was the benefactress of Charlotte Stanley; for they all return, sooner or later, to their wild wandering life.-Kohl's Eng land.

AMUSEMENTS.

It were unjust and ungrateful to conceive that the amusements of life are altogether forbidden by its beneficent Author. They serve, on the contrary, important purposes in the economy of life, and are destined to produce important effects both upon our happiness and character. They are the wells of the desert;' the kind resting-places in which toil may relax, in which the weary spirit may recover its tone, and where the desponding mind may reassume its strength and its hopes. They are, in another view, of some importance to the dignity of individual character. In everything we call amusement, there is generally some display of taste and of ima gination; some elevation of the mind from mere animal indulgence, or the baseness of sensual desire. Even in the scenes of relaxation, therefore, they have a tendency to preserve the dignity of human character, and to fill up the vacant and unguarded hours of life with occupations, innocent at least, if not virtuous. But their principal effect, perhaps, is upon the social character of man. Whenever amusement is sought, it is in the society of our brethren; and whenever it is found, it is in our sympathy with the happiness of those around us. It bespeaks the disposition of benevolence, and it creates it. When men assemble, accordingly, for the purpose of general happiness or joy, they exhibit to the thoughtful eye one of the most pleasing appearances of their original character. They leave behind them, for a time, the faults of their station and the asperities of their temper; they forget the secret views and the

selfish purposes of their ordinary life, and mingle with the crowd around them with no other view than to receive and communicate happiness. It is a spectacle which it is impossible to observe without emotion; and while the virtuous man rejoices at that evidence which it affords of the benevolent constitution of his nature, the pious man is apt to bless the benevolence of that God who thus makes the wilderness and the solitary place be glad, and whose wisdom renders even the hours of amusement subservient to the cause of virtue. It is not, therefore, the use of the innocent amusements of life which is dangerous, but the abuse of them; it is not when they are occasionally, but when they are constantly pursued; when the love of amusement degenerates into a passion; and when, from being an occasional indulgence, it becomes a habitual desire.-Alison.

THE RIVER.

ON thy margin let me lie,
As thou gently flowest by,
River, flowing ceaselessly!
Ceaseless, restless o'er thy bed,
From an unseen fountain fed,
By a power resistless led :

Now, as in a joy entrancing,
Laughing, lingering, dallying, dancing,
Clear as any diamond glancing;

Now, with dark and sluggish flow,
And a murmur plaintive, low,
Like an utterance of wo;

Now, thyself with fury lashing,
Reckless, desperate, forward dashing,
O'er all hindrance wildly crashing;
And now calm, as though at rest;
The quiet heavens within thy breast,
In their holiness imprest.

Dream of gladness, sorrow's sigh-
Passion's shrieking agony-

There are few words much oftener in our mouths than that short, but most important word, Time. In one sense, the thought of it seems to mingle itself with almost everything which we do. It is the long measure of our labour, expectation, and pain; it is the scanty measure of our rest and joy. Its shortness or its length is continually given as our reason for doing, or leaving undone, the various works which concern our station, our calling, our family, our souls. And yet, with all this frequent mention of it, there are perhaps few things about which men really think less; few things, I mean, upon which they have less real settled thought. The more we do think upon it, the deeper and the more difficult will be the subjects which will open before us; the richer, too, will they prove in matters for most profitable meditation.-Archdeacon Wilberforce's Sermons.

DIGESTION.

MANNERS.

Manners are of more importance than laws. Upon them in a great measure the laws depend. The law touches us but here and there, now and then. Manners are what vex or soothe, corrupt or purify, exalt or debase, barbarise or refine us, by a constant, steady, uniform, insensible operation, like that of the air we breathe in. They give their whole form and colour to our lives. According to their quality, they aid morals, they supply them, or they totally destroy them.-Burke.

NEW WORK OF WILLIAM AND ROBERT CHAMBERS.

MESSRS CHAMBERS have long been sensible that, notwithstanding the efforts of the last fifteen years to make the people a READING PEOPLE, there yet remains a vast portion of them for whom the press exists nearly in vain. Cheap as literature has been made in some instances, it has not yet been sufficiently cheapened, or its forms have not been accommodated in all respects to the tastes and necessities of the masses. With a view to remedy the defect as far as possible, MESSRS CHAMBERS have for some time had in preparation a series of small and cheap detached publications—such as, from their matter, may have a claim on the attention of the very humblest and least instructed, and, from their price and form, a chance of finding their way into the most remote and neglected nooks of the country. The Journal and other works of the editors will, they hope, continue to suit the wishes of the class to which they are mainly addressed-the intellectual aristocracy of the middle and working-classes: they now seek to give the benefits of the paper-making and printing machines, vitalised by moral aims, to the genuine POPULACE of the land.

It is intended that the work-to be named CHAMBERS'S MISCELLANY OF USEFUL AND ENTERTAINING TRACTS-shall be published periodically. Every Saturday there will be issued a number, consisting of a sheet of large double foolscap (32 pages), price one penny. In most instances, each number will present one distinct subject, forming a separate and independent publication. In other instances, a number will be divided into half-sheets, or into one half and two quarter-sheets, each of which portions will in like manner be complete in itself. There will more rarely be subjects occupying two numbers. There will thus be embraced in the series

TRACTS of 32 pages at one penny.
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The type with which this series of publications will be printed is large, clear, and legible; and the numbers will contain, for the greater part, one or more WooD ENGRAVINGS, from drawings by FRANKLIN and other eminent artists, designed either for embel

lishment or illustration of the text.

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The matter of the tracts will be a mixture of the useful and

BERS'S EDINBURGH JOURNAL, the subjects will consist of Tales, Moral and Humorous, Popular Poetical Pieces of a moral and elevating character, Favourite Ballads, Popular Historical Sketches, Biographies of Public and Private Persons, Illustrations of Moral and Social Economy, Hints on Gardening, Agriculture, Domestic Management, and Sanitary Regulations, Lessons in Science, Accounts of Cities and Countries, Wonders of Nature and Art, Abridged Translations of Interesting and Expensive Foreign Works, &c. Whether the articles be original, and written for the series, or republications, the whole will be of that wholesome and attractive kind of reading which is desirable for Parish, School, and Cottage Libraries; also for the Libraries now forming in all properly conducted Prisons, Hospitals, Asylums, and Factories, and in the Army and Navy.

Chemical solutions, to be made perfect from solid materials in the proper time, require first the mechanical aid of crushing or pounding, that the greatest possible quantity of surface may be presented to the solvent power. If men would reason thus about the faculties of the stomach, the The first number will appear on SATURDAY the 2d of NOgastric juices would perhaps have a better chance of fair-VEMBER, by which means the first volume will be ready for play. Nature has provided us with teeth for the mecha- laying on the table on New-Year's-Day 1845. nical purpose, and if men will not assist her, they must pay the penalty, and continue to be taxed with dyspepsia, and the ghastly physiognomies that not only afflict themselves, but those innocent persons who are compelled to look upon their unearthly visages. The consequences of this pernicious habit of quick-feeding, which is so general in America, I never perceived more strikingly than among the Virginians.-Featherstonhaugh's Slave States.

. Complete sets of the Journal, First Series, in twelve volumes, and also odd numbers to complete sets, may be had from the publishers or their agents. A Stamped Edition issued for transmission, post free, price Twopence halfpenny.

Printed by William Bradbury, of No 6, York Place, and Frederick Mullett Evans, of No. 7, Church Row, both of Stoke Newington, in the county of Middlesex, printers, at their office, Lombard Street, in the precinct of Whitefriars, and eity of London'; and Pablished (with permission of the Proprietors, W. and R. CHAMBERS,) by WILLIAM SOMERVILLE ORR. Publisher, of 3. Amen Corner, at No. 2, AMEN CORNER, both in the parish of Christehurch, and in the city of London-Saturday, October 12 1844.

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1844.

* It may be asked, Are there not books, old and new, upon shoot-lived in a cottage, and the other in a palace. As a ing in all its branches? There are; but, strange as it may appear,