STATE SALT CELLAR.

mound, containing in the lower hemisphere three hundred and four brilliants, and in the upper two hundred and forty-four brilliants, the zone and arc being composed of thirty-three rose diamonds. The

cross on the summit has a rose-cut sapphire in the centre, surrounded by four large brilliants and one hundred and eight smaller brilliants. Summary of jewels comprised in the crown:-1 large ruby, irregularly polished; 1 large broad spread sapphire; 16 sapphires; 11 emeralds; 4 rubies; 1364 brilliant diamonds; 1273 rose diamonds; 147 table diamonds; 4 pear-shaped pearls; 276 pearls.

The old Imperial Crown (St. Edward's), page 7, was made for the coronation of Charles II., and has served for coronation purposes from his day to the crowning of Victoria. It is of gold, and consists of two arches crossing at the top, and rising from the rim or circlet of gold, over a rim of crimson velvet, lined with white taffeta, and turned up with ermine. The base of the arches on each side is covered with a cross pattee. Between the crosses are four fleurs-de-lis of gold, which rise out of the circle. The whole of these are splendidly enriched with pearls and precious stones. On the top, at the intersection of the arches, that are somewhat depressed, are a mound and cross of gold, the latter encircled with a fillet, the former richly jewelled, and adorned with three pearls, one on the top and one pendent at each limb.

The Prince of Wales's crown, page 7, is of pure gold, unadorned by jewels. Its cap is of purple velvet, spanned by a ribbon of gold, surmounted by a mound and cross. It is encircled by Maltese crosses and fleurs-de-lis, upon a gold band profusely wrought, and turned up with ermine. On occasions of state, it is placed before the seat occupied by the heir apparent to the throne, in the House of Lords. Those occasions are so rare, however, that it seldom makes its appearance in public.

The Queen's Diadem, a circlet of gold, rep

resented on page 7, was made for the coronation of Marie d' Este, consort of James II. It is richly adorned with large diamonds, curiously set, and the upper edge of the circlet is bordered with a string of pearls.

The Queen Consort's Crown, same page, is the one used in coronations when the sovereignty is vested in the male branch. It is of gold, set with diamonds of great value, intermixed with pearls and other costly jewels. The cap is of purple velvet, faced with ermine.

The Imperial Orb, or Mound, as seen on page 8, is an emblem of sovereignty, said to be derived from Imperial Rome, and to have been first adorned with the cross by Constantine, on his conversion to Christianity. It first appears among the royal insignia of England on the coins of Edward the Confessor, but a picture "made" in the year 996, represents that prince kneeling between two saints, who bear, severally, his sceptre and a globe surmounted by a cross. Representing supreme political power, it is not used by the present monarchs of England, the last entitled to it being William and Mary, for the latter of whom the smaller orb on page 9 was made. They hold, however, their place among the royal jewels. The Imperial Orb is a ball of gold six inches in diameter, encompassed with a band of gold, set with emeralds, rubies and pearls. On the top is a remarkably fine amethyst, nearly an

other precious stones. It is surmounted with an orb, banded with rose diamonds, bearing a cross, on which is the figure of a dove with expanded wings.

The sceptres, temporal and spiritual, of William IV. differ somewhat from the preceding, as may be seen in the engravings.

St. Edward's staff is a large golden rod, four feet seven and a half inches long, with a pike of steel at the lower end about four and a half inches. From the length of the engraving, we were obliged to cut off the portion representing the latter. The staff has foliated ornaments, and a mound and cross at top. This

inch and a half high, which serves as the foot or pedestal of the rich cross of gold, three and a quarter inches high, encrusted with diamonds, having in the centre, on one side a sapphire, and an emerald on the other, four large pearls at the angles of the cross, a large pearl at the end of each limb, and three at the base, the height of the orb and cross being eleven inches. The Queen's Orb is of smaller dimensions, but of similar form and materials.

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The sceptres, six in number, on pages 8, 9, are objects of interest. "The sceptre is spoken of as representing rule, but it is usually regarded in its figurative sense. Here we have the veritable articles emblematic of the sway of authority. The first represented is the Temporal Sceptre of Queen Victoria, of gold, two feet nine inches in length, the staff very plain, but the pommel ornamented with rubies, emeralds and diamonds. The fleurs-delis, with which this sceptre was originally adorned, have been replaced by golden leaves, bearing the rose, shamrock and thistle. The cross is variously jewelled, and has in the centre a large table diamond. Her majesty's Spiritual Sceptre, Rod of Equity, or Sceptre of the Dove, is also of gold, three feet seven inches long, ornamented with diamonds and

SALT SPOON.

rod is borne before the sovereign in the coronation processions.

The Queen's Ivory Sceptre was made for Marie d'Este, the queen of James II., and though claimed by some that it belonged to Anne Boleyn, it is not authenticated. It is of pure ivory, mounted in gold, and terminated by a golden cross, bearing a dove of white onyx.

The Ampullæ and Spoon, on page 10, for anointing the sovereign, are interesting relics. The former is an antique vessel of pure gold, and used for containing the holy oil. It resembles an eagle with expanded wings, and is finely chased. The head unscrews at the middle of the neck for the purpose of pouring in the oil, and the neck being hollow to the beak, the latter serves as a spout, through

The science of optics is full of interesting and extraordinary facts, which admit of many amusing demonstrations. We need only mention the magic lantern, an instrument that should be possessed by every school; the

kaleidoscope, whose changes are not to be counted, and by whose means a few bits of broken glass and pearl buttons, in fact, any small things having color, may be made to assume the prettiest of shapes, always changing, and never twice the same. These and

some others are beyond the reach of many, and therefore we illustrate the Thaumatrope or Wonder-turner, because every child can make one for himself.

Cut out a piece of cardboard of circular form, and affix to it six pieces of string, three on each side. Paint on one side of the card a bird and upon the other a cage, taking care to paint the bird upside down, or the desired effect will not be produced. When showing the toy, take hold of the centre strings between the fore-finger and thumb and twirl the card rapidly round, and the bird will appear snugly ensconced in its cage. The principle on which this effect is produced is, that the image of any object received on the retina or optic nerve is retained on the mind about eight seconds after the object causing the impression is withdrawn, being the memory of the object; consequently the impression of the painting on one side of the card is not obliterated ere the painting on the other side is brought before the eye. It is easy to understand from this fact how both are seen at once. Many objects will suit the Thaumatrope, such as a juggler throwing up two balls on one side and two balls on the other; and according to the pairs of strings employed, he will appear to throw up two, three, or four balls; the body and legs of a man on one side, and the arms and head on another; a horse and his rider; a mouse and trap. But we leave it to the ingenuity of our readers to devise for themselves.

This is a populous and fertile country of Southern Africa, adjoining the colony of the Cape of Good Hope on the east. Its people, comprising many tribes, are called Kaffres, by some Kafirs, derived from the Arabs, signifying infidels. The name Kaffre, however, only properly applies to the tribes who occupy the maritime region, from the mountains to the sea between the eastern frontier of the colony and the British settlement at Natal, and who have one language and a common descent. The breadth of the territory from the mountains to the sea is about 80 or 90 miles, and 250 long; its area 20,000 square miles. The Keiskamma and Kat rivers form its western boundary.

The mountains which, running parallel to the sea-coast, bound Kaffraria on the northwest, are called by the colonists the Winterberg, and, further northeast, the Stormberg. The natives do not seem to have a general name for the range, but a considerable portion of it, next the colony, is called by them Ivaqu. These mountains rarely exceed the height of 3000 feet. The level plains terminate about 20 miles from the sea; then follows a land of hill and dale, extremely varied and picturesque. Numerous rivers cross this country to the sea. On its westerly side, indeed, or between the Keiskamma and the Great Kei, though the brooks are numerous in the hills, the lower tracts still resemble the colonial

districts in deficiency of water; but this defect rapidly disappears as we advance to the northeast, where the country grows at every step more fresh and irriguous. The chief rivers beyond the Kei are, the Bashi, Umtata, Umzimvubu, Umtavuma, and Umzimkulu. These rivers all run in deep beds, with steep banks, and, in the rainy season, swelled by the countless mountain-streams that join them, they become immense torrents. But their course is rapid, the floods soon pass off, and, in the dry season, the lower part of the river often exhibits but a chain of pools. None of the rivers of Kaffraria are navigable even by small vessels, except perhaps the Buffalo. The country between the Fish River and

the hippopotamus and the elephant. The chase of these animals is a source of profit to the Kaffre; the abundance of wild honey, found in the clefts of rocks, or in hollow trees, and in the search for which he is guided by the honey-bird, adds also to his resources. But horned cattle constitute the Kaffre's chief wealth. The Kaffre cows are ordinarily very large, but there is also a small breed, and the colonial breed has also been introduced by stealth or purchase. It is said that the native breeds yield much less milk than the European, ascribable to the want of sufficient food. Horses, purchased or stolen from the colony, multiply rapidly in Kaffraria; where, on the other hand, there are no sheep, goats, pigs or

the Keiskamma is nearly all thicket, or "bush," of thorny acacias. Between the Keiskamma and the Kei the country is more open. The banks of the river are shaded by large trees; in the small thickets, scattered over the elevated grounds the aloe and euphorbia are conspicuous. On the downs at the mouth of the Kei the banana grows wild. The cattle live on the young shoots of the grasses and browse rather than graze.

As the vegetation rapidly improves northeasterly from the colony, increasing in vigor and abundance, so also the animal species undergo a change. On the west of the Keiskamma, the quaggas and smaller antelopes, of many kinds, are numerous. On the east are the large antelopes, the dorcas, eland, etc.;

poultry. The Kaffres, with the simple tastes of a pastoral people, loathe strange articles of food; they will not taste small game, hares, birds, etc., nor fish; which, though abundant in their rivers, they hold in abhorrence.

The chief subsistence of the Kaffre is milk, and that taken in the curdled state. It is kept in baskets made of rushes so closely plated as to be water-tight. These baskets, when frequently used, imbibe the lacteal fluid, so that the new milk poured into them soon curdles. Venison, beef, watermelon, marmelade and various fruits vary the Kaffre's diet, but milk and a little millet are the staff of his simple life.

The business of a Kaffre man's life existence is very little-divided between war and