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ECONOMICAL HINTS TO COTTAGERS.

Continued from Page 104.

Another proof of her good management was in regard to eggs; she had but halfa-dozen hens, yet she contrived, by good feeding, to have a supply of new-laid eggs whenever I wanted them, and, I may safely say, I have laid out some pounds with her for that article alone.-I tell you all this that you may see what can be done by good management. Where this poor woman lived, beer was a greater luxury than the generality of the poor could accomplish, so she substituted treacle-beer, and made it not only palatable, but brisk, I believe she only boiled the treacle and water together, and when cool, set it to ferment with a little yeast, and in a day or two bottled it, when it was very soon fit for use. Whilst speaking of this, let me remind you what an agreeable beverage you can always secure yourself by filling up your teapot, when done with, with boiling water, and letting it stand to cool. Balm, mint, and other herbs that have a pleasant flavour, make very agreeable tea, to use occasionally, and are very cooling. If you have a small piece of ground in the front or at the back of your house, you may make it very serviceable to you, not only in planting thyme, marjoram, parsley, chives, a few shallots, or anything else that is necessary to you in cooking; but you may have a hop-plant against the walls, a bush of senna,, rue, sage, and also a small bed of camomile, which would all be of use to you in case of illness. By a proper knowledge of these simples, and taking complaints in time, you may often spare yourself a doctor's bill, which in general is a serious consideration. As it may be of service to you to remind you of a few of these simple remedies, I shall insert them here. In the first place, never neglect a cold. A number of complaints are brought on by such neglect that might very easily be avoided. If you find yourself the least chilly, go immediately and put on a warm shawl, or some other addition to your dress. and keep it on till you go to bed. need not be afraid you will miss the warmth in the morning, for if you have taken it in time, you will feel no more of your chills, and will probably have prevented a heavy cold.—If this additional clothing does not remove the chills before the evening, take a good handful of bran, and let it boil in two quarts of water, down to a pint, then strain it and sweeten it with coarse sugar, honey, or treacle, and drink it quite hot when in bed. A treacle posset is also very good for a cold, taken in the same manner. If your cold turns to a cough, recollect the ever-ready remedy of sugar and vinegar; but what you sometimes fail in, is, the not stirring it sufficiently in the cup by the fire, which makes it candy, and stick to the bottom, when it ought to be all smooth and clear as honey fresh from the comb. You know it takes three large spoonsful of coarse sugar to two of vinegar.—Do not take more than a tea-spoon-full at a time, but repeat it frequently,-You will seldom know what a cough is, if you apply this remedy very early.

You

Liquorice-root (which you might easily have in your garden) sliced and bruised and boiled in a quart of water down to half-a-pint, is a very good remedy for a settled cough; as is also horehound tea.-When you require a little medicine, you have only to procure two or three ounces of salts, which you can purchase very cheap,-dissolve them in a quart of boiling water, covered close till cold, and then put the mixture into a quart bottle, and take a wine-glass-full every morning while you require it,-you will find this plan better than taking an ounce at one time.If you mix it with hot camomile tea instead of water, it will be still better, as it will No. 8. Vol. I. 12

strengthen your stomach if a weak one. Hop tea too, taken the first thing in the morning, is also very good for the latter purpose. When stronger medicine than salts is required, procure half-a-pound of French plums, and an ounce or two of senna; stew them together in an earthen pipkin on a very slow fire, for an hour or two; then strain it and take a tea-cup-full of the juice. You can put the remainder by in a bottle well corked up till required-it will not keep long. This medicine is often given to children, and formerly people never omitted giving them in the spring, a spoonfull every morning of the following mixtnre: a pound of treacle, two ounces of cream of tartar, two ounces of flower of sulphur, and one ounce of wormseed children, in general, are very fond of this as they only taste the treacle. Rhubarb and magnesia of nearly equal quantities, with rather less of the latter, and the deficiency made up with ginger is a very good powder for a child, or even a grown person, and a skillful druggist, who is in the habit of selling it, will readily tell you the quantities according to the age of the person; it is so innocent you need not be afraid of it. The very first symptom you find of a sore throat, gargle it with cold water, and repeat it frequently; this often prevents an attack of this complaint. A piece of flannel with some hartshorn and oil should directly be applied to the neck, and if that is not at hand, goose-grease, although it smells very disagreeably is equally serviceable. Even your stocking, put round your neck at night, will sometimes remove it. When the throat is relaxed, get an ounce of tanners' bark, and boil it in three pints of water down to one pint, and add a spoonful of powdered allum: this is a very good gargle till the throat is ulcerated, and then you must have something acid. Sage leaves boiled well in water make a very good gargle; also a table-spoonful of port wine, one of vinegar, and one of water, with a little loaf sugar is often a good preventive.-Sometimes a little saltpetre kept in the mouth will take off the attack, if but slight; or a piece of allum. Soham.

To be continued.

FORESTS OF JAVA: PET SNAKES AND LEOPARDS.

THE forests of Java are inhabited by the rhinoceras, tiger, black tiger, leopard, tiger-cat, boa-constrictor, and a variety of animals of milder natures. The elephant is not found in its wild state in these woods, though numerous in those of the neighbouring island. I am not aware of any other animal that may be called dangerous to man in these unrivalled forests, nor is there much to be apprehended from oopasionally coming in contact with either of those above named, though accidents happen now and then. I have known a carriage and four attacked on the main road, between Batavia and Samarang, by a tiger and one of the ponies killed by the fierce onset. This, however, is a rare occurrence, and can happen only when the tiger is hard pressed for food, which is seldom the case in the woods of Java, overrun as they are with deer, wild hog, and other royal game. The boa is harmless to man, unless his path is crossed, when a speedy retreat is advisable. A friend of mine, in Samarang, once kept one of these monsters as a pet, and used to let him crawl all over the garden: it measured exactly nineteen feet. It was regularly fed twice a month-viz., on the 1st and on the 15th. On the 1st day of the month, a moderatesized goat was put into his house. The poor animal would scream, and exhibit every symptom of extreme terror, but was not long kept in suspense, for the snake, after eyeing his victim keenly,, would spring on it with the rapidity of thought, coil three turns round its body, and, in an instant, every bone in the goat's skin was broken. The next process was, to stretch the carcase to as great a length as he could before uncoiling himself; then to lick it all over; and he commenced his feast by succeeding, after some severe exertion, in getting the goat's head within his In the course of twenty minutes, the whole animal was swallowed: the

mouth.

snake would then lie down, and remain perfectly dormant for three or four days. His lunch, (as I may call it) on the 15th of the month, used to consist of a duck. This snake was given, in 1815, to Lord Amherst on his return from China, and reached the Cape in safety; there it was over-fed to gratify the curious visitors, and died in consequence, before the ship reached St. Helena.

While on the subject of wild animals, I may mention a leopard that was kept by an English officer in Samarang, during our occupation of the Dutch colonies. This animal had its liberty, and used to run all over the house after his master. One morning, after breakfast, the officer was sitting smoking his hookah, with a book in his right hand, and the hookah-snake in his left, when he felt a slight pain in his left hand, and, on attempting to raise it, was checked by a low, angry growl from his pet leopard, On looking down, he saw the animal had been licking the back of his hand, and had, by degrees drawn a little blood. The leopard would not suffer the removal of the hand, but continued licking with great apparent relish, which did not much please his master, who, with great presence of mind, without attempting again to disturb the pet in his proceeding, called to his servant to bring him a pistol, with which he shot the animal dead on the spot. Such pets as snakes, nineteen feet long, and full-grown leopards are not to be trifled with. The largest snake I ever saw was twenty-five feet long, and eight inches in diameter. of sixty feet snakes, but cannot vouch for the truth of the tale.

I have heard

At

In my enumeration of animals dangerous to man, I omitted the alligator, which infests every river and muddy creak in Java, and grows to a very large size. the mouth of the Batavia river, they are very numerous and dangerous, particularly to Europeans. It strikes one as extraordinary to see the copper-coloured natives bathing in the river, within view of a large alligator. They never seem to give the animal a thonght, or to anticipate injury from his proximity; yet, were a European to enter the water, by the side of the natives, his minutes in this world would be few. I recollect an instance that occurred on the occasion of a party of troops embarking at Batavia for the eastward, during the Java war. The men had all gone off, with the exception of three sergeants, who were to follow in the ship's jollyboat, which was waiting for them at the wharf. Two of them stepped into the boat, but the third, in following missed his footing, and fell with his leg in the water, and his body over the gunwhale of the boat. In less than an instant, an alligator darted from under the wharf, and seized the unfortunate man by the leg, while his companions in the boat laid hold of his shoulders. The poor fellow called out to his friends, "Pull !-hold on!-don't let go!" but their utmost efforts were unavailing. The alligator proved the strongest, and carried off his prize. The scene was described to me by a by-stander, who said he could trace the monster's course all the way down the river, with his victim in his immense mouth.

Davidson's "Trade and Travel in the Far East."

THERE are thousands so extravagant in their ideas of contentment, as to imagine that it must consist in having every thing in this world turn out the way they wishthat they are to sit down in happiness, and feel themslves so at ease on all points, as to desire nothing better and nothing more. I own there are instances of some, who seem to pass through the world as if all their paths had been strewed with rose-buds of delight, but a little experience will convince us, 'tis a fatal expectation to go upon. We are born to trouble: and we may depend upon it whilst we live in this world we shall have it, though with intermissions;—that is, in whatever state we are, we shall find a mixture of good and evil; and therefore the true way to contentment is to know how to receive these certain vicissitudes of life,-the returns of good and evil, so as neither to be exalted by the one, nor overthrown by the other, but to bear ourselves towards every thing which happens with such ease and indifference of mind, as to hazard as little as may be. This is the true temperate climate fitted for us by nature, and in which every wise man would wish to live,

Sterne.

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THE study of domestic architecture affords a curious insight into the manners and habits of a nation. In some instances we find immense tribes, whose sole protection from the inclemency of the weather consists of a few yards of canvass, stretched upon slender and elastic poles; while, in others, the solid rocks have been perforated in every direction, with astonishing ingenuity and art, to afford a more secure, and more durable retreat. In the wilds of America, the log hut of the native supplies him with every luxury and accommodation that he requires; while his fellow mortal, in a different quarter of the globe, reposes upon his gilded couch, beneath domes and turrets of stupendous altitude, upon which have been expended the labours of many years.

But in this way, moreover, may be traced the history of a nation from its first rude and obscure formation, through all its various changes, from age to age till it attains the highest eminence of civilization and refinement.

If we go

back. for instance, no further than the Norman conquest, and compare the massive walls and narrow loop-holes of the baronial residences, with the mansions of the present day, how strongly do we see depicted the contrast between times of insecurity, oppression, and wrong; and the tranquility and peace which so happily distinguish the present times!

Even the ordinary manor house of the 12th century was constructed on protective principles,-no communication between the lower and upper floors but by means of a staircase outside, which, on emergency, might be easily defended ;while, in comparatively recent years, few houses of any size were destitute of the moat, and draw-bridge,-an example of which we have given above, and a fine instance of which was to be seen in our neighbourhood, at Lanwade; the remains of which are now being removed to make way for edifices more adapted to the habits of the 19th century.

In the construction of cottages for the poor there is much and urgent need of improvement, and the subject should long ago have occupied the attention of the community at large. The health, not only of body, but of the mind, of the great mass of our population is greviously injured by the miserable condition of the hovels in which vast numbers of them are compelled to reside.

If the poor are allowed to live without a sufficient regard for decency, comfort, or convenience, they will remain in a condition which the best principles of general education will not materially affect, and a few years hence they will become an overwhelming burden to society, from which no political expedients will afford a permanent relief.

POETRY.

In Original Poetry, the Name, real or assumed, of the Author, is printed in small Capitals under the title; in Selections it is printed in Italics at the end.]

THE BARD'S LAMENT.

H

I ne'er again may wake a strain in which my heart may share,
When pleasure brought no bitter thought, nor folly cost a tear;
My Harp upon the willow hangs, and leaves me to repine,
It never more will yield to me the music of "Lang Syne!"

There let it murmur to the breeze as Heaven may chance to blow,
All warm and sweet the summer greet, like winter stormy grow,
Warble to spring as wild birds sing, with autum's notes decline-
So fitful would my feelings be to sing thee of "Lang Syne!"
Yoxford.

FAREWELL.

Who hath not shed the silent tear!
Who hath not felt his bosom swell
With grief that could not be suppress'd,
When came the parting word-farewell!
Who ever left his native shore,

In far and stranger land to dwell;
But treasur'd in his memory still,
The look that spoke the long-farewell!
Joyful, the Captive drops his chain,
But ere he quits his gloomy cell,
The only voice that cheer'd him there,
Shall pain him with its sad-farewell!
'Tis sorrow's note wherever heard,

Its power, the dark magician's spell,
It checks the smile that fain would play,
But withers in the deep-farewell!
Yet 'tis a word we all must breathe
Like a departed spirit's knell,
It strikes with anguish on the heart,
"Tis broken with the last-farewell!
Soham.

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