The Pun-tsaou, a large work on the Materia Medica, compiled from different sources, affords us, among other matters, some brief accounts of the principal quadrupeds. A short summary of two or three of these will serve as specimens: the reader must make allowances for some fabulous intermixtures.

The Lion, designated by a character which implies, that it is the chief among carnivorous animals. It has a brazen head and an iron forehead; the claws are hooked, and the molar-teeth like a saw. The ears are pointed, and the nose turned up. The lustre of the eye is like lightning. It roars like thunder. The whiskers, or vibrissæ, are fine and taper to a point. The tail of the male is tufted with the hairs of a specified length, which from the uncertainty of the measure, it would not be easy to define. It is able to travel five hundred le, or about one hundred and sixty-six miles in a day. It is the head, or 66 senior," among all the animals that are covered with hair. When angry, it displays its teeth; when pleased, it flourishes its tail. At every roar, a hundred beasts quail, especially the horse, because he is naturally a timid creature. It preys upon the tiger, the leopard, and the yu, another species of the feline race. An authority cited in the Pun-tsaou, affirms that it devours birds and beasts, by attracting their feathers and hair with its breath. It is an old saying, that" if the milk of a lioness be thrown into that of a cow, the sheep, or the mare, the whole will be turned into water." A tiger and a leopard dare not eat its flesh, and insects do not presume to lodge in its hair. In the western provinces, if they take the cub within seven days of its birth, and before it has opened its eyes, they are able to train it up in habits of docility with ease; but if it has advanced a little in growth, it is hard to tame.

The Tiger, among the Chinese, is the emblem of war, because, as their naturalists, quoted in the Punt-saou, assert, he is the prince, that is, second to the king among the beasts of the field. When he roars, his voice is like thunder, and all

cat, and is as large as a Brahmin bull. The tongue is as large as the palm of a man's hand, and studded with sharp points. The sagacity of the animal is not reported to be very great, yet he knows his own path, and carries a line of topographical delineation of a country in his head. At night, one eye serves for vision, and the other for illumination, as light is sent forth from it. This is a fanciful method of telling us, that from the tapetum, or shining carpet, that lines the eye, this organ is sensible to the finest impressions of light, so that the animal can see its way where man would stumble. A man killed by a tiger, is changed into a spirit which leads about the manslayer at its pleasure. The tiger abhors the smell of a sheep's horn burned, and flees from it. The flesh of a dog has the same effect upon him as wine has upon man.

The Leopard and Panther. Several animals of the feline race are associated under a common name with the leopard and the panther; for names are used with great latitude, and not unfrequently with much confusion. One species is said to be black, felis melas, another white, and a third red, with black spots, and yet under one name. But the animal meant by the writer, who gives the best account in the Pun-tsaou, was either the leopard or panther, and perhaps both, as Temminck regards them as of the same species. The colour is said to be yellow, with black spots, resembling a Chinese coin, which is round and hollow in the middle. The spots are ranged in series of parallel lines above. The fur varies, so that the colours are not preserved in their purity and freshness. The form, too, is subject to variation, though not sufficient to afford characteristics for another species. It ranges from Leaou-tung, on the north of China, to the south-western parts of that empire. Its fur is held in estimation by the furriers. It is said to be afraid of a certain snake; for, according to the Chinese notions, every living creature has its foe to keep it in check, and to make it afraid.

Several volumes of the Chinese Encyclopedia are devoted to natural history, and contain a curious mixture of truth and fiction. The Manis, or Pangolin, for example, is figured like a crocodile, with the formidable teeth of that animal projecting over the under jaw, whereas

the manis belongs to the toothless class of quadrupeds. It is said to bore holes in the ground, on the sides of hills, The fact of its living upon ants is clearly stated; but the importance of the tongue in this operation is forgotten. "It," says the native writer, "buries itself upon an ant-hill, opens its scales, by rolling up itself into a ball, and remains without stirring, that the ants may enter. When they are full, it closes upon its prey, and then betakes itself to a stream of water, opens the scales, and devours the ants at its leisure, as they float upon the water."

In the same work is a short account of the Scarabeus or Ateuchus, or beetle, which rolls up a quantity of dirt, into the exact form of a sphere. A species of that insect, which was sacred among the Egyptians, is found in China, and was picked up by the writer upon the main-land, near the island and harbour of Hongkong. The roundness of the ball is very surprising, but does not appear to have excited much interest in China. The natives laughed at the collector for meddling with such dirty things; and the engraver knew so little about the matter, that he has drawn the ball as if it were not so large as the head of the insect, whereas it is larger than the whole body.

Another work, in three quarto volumes, called the Urk Ya, contains several chapters on natural history, and many wood-cuts. In this the varieties of the horse and the swine are very carefully enumerated. This would seem to indicate that in ancient times much attention was bestowed upon the breeding of these animals. In the south of China, the pigs seem to be all of one kind, and the houses at the very bottom of the scale in point of sightliness, Several monsters are depicted in this work, which is the most free from these things of any of the native performances. An animal related to the ox, by the form of its head, has only one leg. Another of similar aspect in the head has two. The bat is represented as having a bill and a tail, like a bird. Such examples, so contrary to the analogy of nature, weaken the evidence of Chinese antiquity in favour of the unicorn, which by them is called the ke lin, and is said to make its appearance only in times of great peace and prosperity.

The botany of the Chinese, as taught in the Pun-tsaou has set a few feeble

and faltering steps towards a scientific arrangement. It has its classes, orders, and genera, which have been established chiefly with a reference to the habits and uses of the plants. There are five classes distinguished and subdivided into orders, in the following manner :

CLASS 1.-Herbaceous Plants. Such as are not commonly used for food. There are thirteen orders in this class. 1. Wild plants that grow upon the hills, of which ginseng is an example. 2. Odoriferous plants, such as peony, mowtan and turmeric. 3. Plants that grow upon lowlands, as chrysanthemums and amaranths. 4. Plants with active properties, as the rhubarb. 5. Climbing plants, as the convolvulus. 6. Water plants, as the acorus calamus. 7. Plants that grow upon rocks and stone walls, as the saxifrage, stone pepper, and several ferns. 8. Rudimentary plants, as being imperfect in their development, such as mosses and lichens, 9. Miscellaneous plants, such as are not reducible to any of the preceding orders.

CLASS II. Useful grains by which man and beast are nourished. Hemp, wheat, etc., constitute the first order; for hemp seeds are used in making cakes, like our carraway seeds, The second includes millet and maize, with sixteen other different kinds of grain, which require investigation. The third is a very natural order, and corresponds to our leguminosa, or pod-bearing plants.

CLASS III. Pot or kitchen herbs.-The first order consists of strong-tasted plants, as onion and garlic. The second mucilaginous plants, as the shoots of bamboo, and some of the liliaceous kind. The third embraces such plants as have no central portion or core in their fruit, as the gourd, melon, and sweet potato, the tubers being in this instance regarded as the fruit. The fourth includes seawater plants, or fuci; for the Chinese use them for food, after they have undergone the process to which pot herbs are usually subjected. The fifth is made up of mushrooms, agarics, and other edible things of a fungous character.

CLASS IV. Fruit trees. First, Garden fruits, as the peach, apricot, and different sorts of plum. Second, Wild fruits, as the pear, the quince, pomegranate and orange. Third, Foreign fruits, as le-che, longan, carambola, and betelpalm. Fourth, Fruits with a sharp biting taste, as the peppers. Fifth, Fruits that are ripened upon or in the ground, as

the water-melon and grape. Sixth, Water fruits, as the water-lily and the edible rush. The term kwo, rendered fruit, is not confined to the fructification of plants, but may be applied to any portion that may be eaten without the application of heat, whether it be at the top or bottom of the stem. CLASS V. Trees, which do not yield an edible fruit.—First, Odoriferous trees, as pine, clove-tree, and sandal wood. Second, Tall trees, as the willow and varnish trees. Third, Trees that grow freely, as the mulberry and bombax. Fourth, Parasitic shrubs, as the coranthus, mistletoe and smilax China. Fifth, Flexible or elastic trees, as the bamboo. Sixth, Miscellaneous plants, not reducible to any of the foregoing classes. G. T. L.

A LONG JOURNEY.

"I HAVE a long way to go before night," said a traveller, as he mounted his horse near the door of an inn, "and I cannot delay any more, lest I fail to reach home in time."

Reader, you have a long journey before you, and you must set out at once, if you have not yet commenced it, for the night of death will soon approach; and, amidst its dark shadows, your soul will pursue its way to the bar of God. If you are walking in the right path, all will be well, let the hour of your departure from earth be when it may.

But are you in the right path? Pause. Look around you. Where are you now? What are you doing? What thoughts have lately passed through your mind? Do you indulge in sin? Are you openly or secretly a transgressor? Be honest with yourself, now you may rejoice hereafter for having been so.

There are two ways; in one or other of which all are walking. Christians choose that which leads to the land of everlasting blessedness; and those who are not Christians, choose that which will bring them to the place of eternal misery. And the direction the souls of men will take, on leaving earth, will be either upward to the realms of joy; or downward to the flaming depths of unutterable woe.

Which will you pursue? If you feel inclined to walk in that which leads to happiness, know what must be done, and what expected.

All notions of your own righteousness must be put away, and you must believe God's word, that tells you you are guilty and helpless, having by your sin ruined your soul.

You must turn to the Saviour of mankind, and accept him as your Redeemer, whose blood cleanses from all sin, even yours; receive his commands as your rule of conduct, and be regulated thereby in all your daily concerns.

If these things be done, and you set out in the way to heaven, be not surprised if you meet with obstacles. Whoever went a journey, without encountering some, especially if travelling in an enemy's country? But be not disheartened. God will enable you to go forward if you really desire to do so, and greater is He who will be for you, than all who can be against you. You will be more than conquerors through Him that hath loved you.

Travellers are supported under difficulties, by picturing to themselves their own happy homes, and thus they feel strengthened to press forward in spite of opposition. Oh! if you should be inclined to faint, during the long journey from earth to heaven, you may rouse yourself, by lifting the eye of faith to the land that is afar off; and as it bursts upon your view, your soul will be cheered by the prospect, and you will go forward with invigorated strength,

Now, reader, will you, if yet you have not, set out on this journey to heaven? The voice of God addresses you, and pointing to the narrow path that leads to heaven, says, "This is the way, walk ye in it," Isa. xxx. 21. Why do you hesitate? What keeps you back? Do you dislike parting with the world and sin? They are not your friends. They are injuring you. And you must part with them if you would ever be happy. The longer you hold to them, the more difficult will be the separation. Burst those fetters which have bound your immortal spirit to what is degrading to its noble nature to have allied itself, and cry to the pomps and pleasures of the world,

MOUNT MORIAH.

THE part of Jerusalem lying between the valley of Jehoshaphat and the valley running down from the Damascus Gate to the Pool of Siloam, may be regarded as one ridge, having on it the separate summits or hills, Bezetha and Moriah; and corresponding further down, perhaps to the ancient quarter, Ophel. Moriah was apparently, at first, an elevated mound of rock, rising by itself upon this ridge, over against the eastern point of Akra. The temple was placed upon the levelled summit of this rock, and then immense walls were erected from its base on the four sides, and the interval between them and the sides filled in with earth, or built up with vaults, so as to form, on the top, a large area on a level with the temple.

This area, or court of the ancient temple, was probably not very different from the present enclosure of the HarameshSherif. This is now separated from the rocky brow of Zion by the Tyro

poon, and from Akra by the valley which comes from the Damascus Gate.

In passing along this valley, through the present street towards the south, apparently just before coming to the Tyropoon, one crosses over a small rise of ground. This is probably rubbish, the accumulation of ages; though the houses in the vicinity prevented us from ascertaining whether it extends quite across the valley. It is also possible that this mound may serve to carry the aqueduct from Solomon's Pools into the area of the mosque, which is every where higher than the bottom of this valley. Indeed, all the western entrances of the mosque are reached by an ascent; and some of them at least by steps.

On the north side, Meriah is not now separated from Bezetha by any valley or trench, except in part by the large reservoir, commonly called Bethesda. The street which leads to the eastern gate of the city, passes here, ascending somewhat from the valley near the N.w.