perishing immediately! The ship itself went down very soon after, and all on board—to the number of three hundred persons, among whom were one hundred and forty of the Norman nobility, with eighteen noble ladies—were buried in the waves.

The despairing cry of the sufferers was heard from the other vessels, already far at sea, but no one dared even to suspect the extent of the mischief that had happened, and all proceeded quietly on their course. But of all the gay crowds that had so joyously embarked, two persons only saved themselves by clinging to a yard. Fitz-Stephen sunk with the rest, but rising to the surface, and well able to swim, he made for these men, calling out, "The Prince! what has become of the Prince?" We have seen no more of him, nor of his brother, nor of his sister, nor of any of their companions," was the mournful reply.

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"Woe is me," exclaimed the despairing captain; he too might have held by the spar, but hearing the tidings that had been given him, he refused all further effort, and voluntarily sank beneath the waves.

The night was extremely cold, and the weaker of the two survivors, benumbed and worn out by his sufferings, lost his grasp of the spar, and sank while in the act of expressing a hope that his companion might hold out better, and this prayer was heard. Berauld, the last survivor, and among the humblest of all who had entered that ill-fated bark, was wrapped in the sheep skin doublet of the Norman peasant; this saved him from expiring of cold. He continued to support himself on the surface until morning, when he was picked up by a fishing-boat, and from his lips the details given above were gained.

It is said that for many days after the fatal intelligence had reached England, there was no one who could be

prevailed on to communicate the terrible secret to the king; naturally alarmed by his son's delay, he yet persisted in maintaining that the prince had chosen to put in at some distant port; nor could the melancholy looks of those around him induce the unhappy father to turn his thoughts towards the dreadful truth. At length a boy was instructed to throw himself weeping at the king's feet, and by a series of questions the wretched father at length elicited the lamentable fate of his children. But all these precautions to break the matter gradually, could not ward off the anguish of the blow. Henry fainted when his loss became apparent, and was never afterwards seen to smile.-STORIES FROM ENGLISH HISTORY, (HALL).

AFRICAN MONKEYS ON MARCH.

About half way across a plain we were traversing, runs a beautiful stream, which coming down from the hills to the west of Mardemas, crosses the road, forming many pretty cascades and eddies with the large stones that Occupy its bed; and, dashing onward, falls into a deep ravine, or crack, in the plain, where at length it joins the Mareb. On the north side of the stream are two plantations, both growing so regularly and the different trees so well distributed for effect of mass and colour, that you might easily deceive yourself into the idea of the whole scene being carefully arranged by some gardener of exquisite taste. Had it really been so, he could not have chosen a prettier spot, nor one where his labour would have been more profitably bestowed, than at the half-way halt on the wide and desolate plain we were crossing. From the vicinity of water the grass round these plantations was a bright green, unlike the dry herbage of the plain, and this formed no slight addition to its merits, both in the eyes of the mules and their masters.

The ravine down which the brook fell was well wooded, and the trees were filled with beautiful little monkeys. I followed a troop of these for a long time, while the porters and servants were resting, merely for the pleasure of watching their movements. If you go tolerably carefully towards them, they will allow you to approach very near, and you will be much amused with their proceedings, which differ little from those of the large monkeys. You may see them quarrelling, making love, mothers taking care of their children, combing their hair, nursing and suckling them, and the passions, jealousy, anger, and love, as distinctly marked as in men.

The monkey's have their chiefs, whom they obey implicitly, and they practise a regular system of warfare. These monkey forays are managed with the utmost regularity and precaution. A tribe, coming down to feed from their haunt on the mountain, brings with it all its members, male and female, old and young. Some, the elders of the tribe, distinguishable by the quantity of hair covering their shoulders like a lion's, take the lead, looking over each precipice before they descend, and climbing cautiously to the top of every rock or stone, which may afford them a better view of the road before them. Others have their posts as scouts on the flank or rear; and all fulfil their duties with the utmost vigilance, calling out at times, apparently to keep order among the mass which forms the main body, or to give notice of any real or imagined danger. Their tones of voice on these occasions are so distinctly varied, that a person much accustomed to watch their movements will at length fancy that he can understand their signals.

The main body is composed of females, inexperienced males, and young people of the tribe. Those of the

females who have small children carry them on their backs. Unlike the dignified march of the leaders, the rabble go along in a most disorderly manner, trotting on and chattering, without taking the least heed of anything, apparently confiding in the vigilance of their scouts. Here a few of the youth linger behind to pick the berries off some tree, but not long, for the advancing rear-guard forces them to regain. their places. There a matron pauses for a moment to suckle her offspring; and, not to lose time, dresses its hair while it is taking its meal. Another younger lady, probably excited by jealousy or by some sneering look or word, pulls an ugly mouth at her neighbour, and then uttering a shrill cry highly expressive of rage, vindictively snatches at her rivals leg or tail. This provokes a retort, and a most unladylike quarrel ensues, till a loud bark from one of the chiefs calls them to order. A single cry of alarm makes them all halt, and remain on the alert, till another bark in a different tone reassures them, and then they proceed on their march.

Arrived at the corn field, the scouts take their position on the eminences all round, while the remainder of the tribe collect provision with all expedition, filling their cheeks as full as they can hold, and placing the heads of corn under their armpits. They show equal sagacity in searching for water, discovering at once the places where it is most readily found in the sand, and then digging for it with their hands, relieving one another if the quantity of sand to be removed be considerable.-M. PARKYNS.

CONVERSATION OF THE VULTURES.

As I was sitting, said a shepherd, within a hollow rock, and watching my sheep that fed in the valley, I heard two vultures interchangeably crying on the summit of a cliff.

Both voices were earnest and deliberate.

My curiosity prevailed over the care of the flock: I climbed slowly and silently from crag to crag, concealed among the shrubs, till I found a cavity where I might sit and listen without suffering, or giving disturbance.

I soon perceived that my labour would be well repaid, for an old vulture was sitting on a naked prominence, with her young about her, whom she was instructing in the arts of a vulture's life, and preparing, by the last lecture, for their final dismission to the mountains and the skies.

"My children," said the old vulture, "you will the less want my instruction, because you have had my practice before your eyes: you have seen me snatch from the farm the household fowl; you have seen me seize the leveret in the bush, and the kid in the pasturage; you know how to fix your talons, and how to balance your flight when you are laden with your prey. But you remember the taste of more delicious food. I have often regaled you with the flesh of man." "Tell us," said the young vultures, "where man may be found, and how he may be known; his flesh is surely the natural food of a vulture. Why have you never brought a man in your talons to the nest ?" He is too bulky," said the mother: "when we find a man we can only tear away his flesh, and leave his bones upon the ground." "Since man is so big," said the young ones, "how do you kill him? You are afraid of the wolf, and of the bear, by what power are vultures superior to man? Is man more defenceless than a sheep?" "We have not the strength of man," returned the mother," and I am sometimes in doubt whether we have the subtlety: and the vultures would seldom feast upon his flesh, had not nature, that devoted him to our uses, infused into him a strange ferocity, which I have never observed in any other

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