PLEASANT CAMP NIGHTS IN GUIANA.

ONE night some haimara had been caught and hauled into the boat, where their blood got mixed with some water in its bottom. A cayman, attracted to the spot by the smell of the blood, made several efforts to upset the boat, by striking it heavy blows with its tail. We captured two young caymans, each of about three feet in length, and tying a cord round their bodies, kept them in the boat for some time, intending to take them to Georgetown, but they died on the voyage down.

On the rocks at Christmas Cataract we saw a common alligator sleeping soundly. One of the men approached it softly and killed it with my geological hammer, by giving it three or four decidedly heavy blows on the top of the head.

Upon going to my hammock one night I saw, by the lamplight, a sticklike thing, which I touched accidentally with my foot. It rolled away like a hoop, and then straightened out again, when I saw it was a snake and dispatched it. On examination it turned out to be a young poisonous labaria, two feet in length. I had scarcely "turned in " that night before the sweet sound of two jaguars, calling to each other, smote upon my ear. One was near our camp, but the other far off; and they kept up their conversation for a long time. The low, deep notes of the call of the nearer one seemed to make the air quiver and vibrate. It was no doubt a grand sound, with a true, noble ring in it, but one that I would gladly have dispensed with in our situation, with intense darkness around, and no fire near.

So used had we become to forest life that we slept the sleep of the innocent amidst many an unsuspected danger. Some nights, however, we had stirs in camp, the quick ears of the men detecting the footsteps of an animal prowling about us. Then efforts were made to blow life into some smoldering remains of a cooking fire, often without success. When we were traversing forests away from our boats the men took good care to keep a fire smoldering which could be blown into flame in a few moments.

One night an unusual occurrence took place, which caused some merriment after it was over, but which for the moment startled us all a good deal. We were in our hammocks, and most of the men were asleep, while I had just finished my last pipe and was on the point of composing myself to rest, when I heard a heavy body splashing in the river, and then coming thundering up the bank, crashing through the trees toward us. The moonlight fell upon the ground here and there through gaps in the tree-tops, and lit up the place, disclosing the network of white hammocks where the men slept. Toward this spot the crashing noise was making its way, so I sat up to see the result just as the men, roused out of sleep by the noise, and not comprehending its cause, began to yell out in a most appalling manner. This evidently turned the frightened animal, for in an instant I saw the remaining brands of the fire scattered in every direction, as it plunged amongst them, and next moment its huge dark form brushed past my elbow like a flash of lightning. This was rather too close a shave to be pleasant, for had the animal-a large tapir-been going at right angles instead of parallel to me, I should have been completely destroyed. It was very evident that the tapir was going somewhere, most probably in advance of a tiger, and we did not feel very safe until some minutes had elapsed, in case that animal might likewise come headlong through our camp. From a flock of hogs the men obtained a young one, which we kept for a few days, feeding it on the inside of the nuts of the Soweri palm, but it eventually escaped.

The full-grown hogs feed upon these nuts, breaking their extremely hard shells with their strong teeth.

At daylight one morning we awoke to find a large quata monkey directly overhead, which, at the moment we emerged from our hammocks, threw down some dry limbs amongst us, causing us to scatter for safety, to our great annoyance. Ben fired at it to drive it away, never imagining that it could be wounded at such a height, when, to our astonishment, down it came to the ground amongst the hammocks from a height of over 120 feet. This fall, it might be supposed, would have been enough to kill it; but on the contrary, it seemed rather to arouse it to life, for with a hurried look around, it sprang up, climbed a hammock pole, and from the top waved its long arms about, as if to reach the branches overhead. With its red face, in which were a few shot holes, and its black shaggy coat, it was a curious-looking creature. Descending rapidly from the pole, it scuttled quickly to a small tree, up which it ran, and climbing from its top into the branches of a large one, sat looking down upon us for a short time in a most comical way. Then it slowly made off as if nothing had happened.

ANCIENT AQUEDUCTS.

THE largest and most magnificent aqueducts with the existence of which we are acquainted were the works of the Romans; and the ruins of several of them, both in Italy and other countries of Europe, remain to the present time monuments of the power and industry of that enterprising people.

The aqueduct of Appius Claudius was the most ancient, and constructed in the four hundred and forty-second year of Rome. It conveyed the Aqua Appia to the city, from a distance of between seven and eight miles, by a deep subterranean channel of more than eleven miles in length. The aqueduct of Quintus Marcius was a more extraordinary structure. It commenced at a spring thirtythree miles distant from Rome, made a circuit of three miles, and afterward forming a vault of sixteen feet in diameter, it ran thirty-eight miles along a series of arcades at an elevation of seventy English feet. It was formed of three distinct channels, placed one above the other, conveying water from three different sources. In the uppermost flowed the Aqua Julia; in the second, the Aqua Tepula; and in the undermost, the Aqua Martia.

The Aqua Virginia, constructed by Agrippa, passed through a tunnel of eight hundred paces in length. Tho Aqua Claudia, begun by Nero and finished by Claudius, conveyed the water from a distance of thirty-eight miles. This aqueduct formed a subterraneous stream of thirty miles in length, and was supported on arcades through the extent of seven miles; and such was the solidity of its construction that it continues to supply the modern city with water to the present day.

The waters of the River Anio were also conducted to Rome by two different channels; the first was carried through an extent of forty-three miles, and the latter through upward of sixty-three miles, of which six and onehalf miles formed one continued series of arches, many of them upward of one hundred feet in height.

Nine great aqueducts existed at Rome at the commencement of the reign of Nerva. Five others were constructed by that emperor, under the superintendence of Julius Frontinus; and it appears that at a later period the number amounted to twenty. The supply of water furnished by these different works was enormous. According to the enumeration of Frontinus, the nine earlier aqueducts

ness.

The remains of some Roman aqueducts in other parts of Europe give evidence of the existence of works on a still more magnificent scale than those of Rome. Of these the aqueduct of Metz was one of the most remarkable. A number of its arcades still remain. It extended across the Moselle, a river of very considerable breadth at this place, and conveyed the water of the Gorse to the City of Metz. The water was received in a reservoir, whence it was conducted by subterraneous canals, formed of hewn stone, and so spacious that a man might walk in them upright. The arches appear to have been fifty in number, and fifty feet high at the deepest part. Some of the middle ones have been swept away by the descent of ice down the river; those at the extremities still remain entire. The aqueduct of Segovia, in Spain, is in a still more perfect state than that of Metz. About 150 of its arcades remain, all formed of large stones without cement. There are two rows of arcades, the one above the other, and the height of the edifice is about one hundred feet, passing over the greater part of the houses of the city.

Aqueducts have been constructed in modern times, particularly in France, which rival those of the ancient Romans. One of the most remarkable was constructed by Louis XIV., for conveying the waters of the River Eure to Versailles. It extends about 4,400 feet in length, or nearly seven-eighths of a mile, and is upward of two hundred feet in height. It contains 242 arcades, each divided into three rows, forming in all 726 arches of fifty feet span. The introduction of cast-iron pipes, which has only taken place within the last century, has superseded the use of such expensive structures.

Own

Behold our young knight covered from chin to eyebrow with thick, white, curded suds, the very picture of helplessness! Behold the very proudest spirit of Rome tweaked by the nose most unceremoniously by one of his "clients." With well-poised instrument, flourished from left to right, Por Publius Tonsor commenced in true Truefitt style to scrub off the suds from his victim's chin, when lo! his elbow being jerked by some overthrown discus, his keen-edged instrument dug deep into the young knight's flesh, cutting him to the very bone. Out spirted the blood-red tide. It flew remorselessly into the eyes of Tonsor. It covered him with crimson. It trickled in five or six rills down the snow-white penule, dropped on the sleeves, dropped on the very ruffles of our knight. In towering wrath he sprung from the solium, clinched his fists, vowing with ten million "Hercules" he'd knock the monster into the middle of next week, or pummel him to jelly like the mummies of Memphis. In time, however, he grew more cool; then trudging off to the city judex, requested the proper summons to bring the wretch before the courts for "cutting with intent to kill."

Por Publius Tonsor, in self-defense, sued him who threw the quoit, the true source of the whole mischief. Two suits were therefore instituted, in which three persons were concerned: first, Junius Servilius Nepos, the young knight; then Publipor Tonsor; then the thrower of the discus.

When proceedings were brought on, the courts were crowded to excess. They were full to the very ceilings long before the doors were open. Silver keys were in use in old Rome, where every petty officer who knew no other spelling could decipher "the letters of Ephesus."

The young noble told his story. The feelings of the court went with him. It is ever so. Mobs, with their wonted inconsistency, deride the titles of the upper ten, while they bow in reverence to their very "shoe-tie." They even glory in being snubbed, provided the snubber

BY E. COBHAM BREWER.

When Junius Servilius left the dock, Publipor entered it to give his version of the story; then followed the

During the month of June, B.C. 217, the Consul for the time being opened his grounds to the public for contests in jumping, running, wrestling, together with the throwing of the discus.

While the sports were going on, the Consul's son, Junius Servilius Nepos, stepped into one of the booths erected on the outskirts of the grounds, to get the dust brushed from his whiskers, his finger-tips re-scented with the "nidor of Hesperides," his golden locks fresh curled, his chin well trimmed, with other coxcombries befitting the young blood of the period.

Por Publius Tonsor-or, to use the more orthodox term, Publipor Tonsor-received his visitor with becoming reverence. He bowed obsequiously to the very ground. He even felt vexed with himself he could bow no lower, but he showed the true spirit of servility by bending his body for the second time.

This ceremony over, he ensconced his guest in the solium (or bench with elbows), then withdrew for two or three minutes to get together the few implements required; but first he stepped into the dormitorium, to beautify himself before the steel mirror which hung there. Being togged in his robe of office, he returned to the young knight, bowed to him once more, then throwing the white

"Silence!

"Oh yez! Oh yez !" shouted the court crier. while our most noble judge delivers sentence.' Silence being thus enforced, Lucius Cornelius Scipio, the Just, spoke to the following effect:

He thought the discus-thrower most worthy of the court's highest censure for sending his missile beyond the prescribed limits. Bounds should be bounds, he urged.

If suffered to be overstepped, every one will shift the line to suit his own convenience. If B or C is permitted to send his quoit one inch beyond the line, then M or N might shoot more perilous missiles for ells or miles, till no single spot on the whole of Rome would be peril-free. "Now,” he continued, "if he who kills his brother wittingly is guilty of murder, he who kills him unwittingly is not wholly irreprehensible. Such, brothers, is my judgment; but I humbly defer to your profounder wisdom. Brother Sempronius, the court is now with you."

Sempronius Fulvius Sophus, the Stoic, folding his fingers over his fist, cried "Hem !" then closed his eyes in solemn reverence. Three times he rocked himself from side to side, then, bending slowly over his purple cushion, proceeded in these words:

"The thrower of the discus, in my opinion, brother

STATUE.

Scipio, is quite guiltless of offense. He did his best, though without doubt his best provoked the mischief. We must not, however, punish those who do their best, else those who do less well will be deemed the better. To me it seems the very fons et origo of the whole mischief rests with Por Publius Tonsor, who opened his booth so close to the discus- ground.

He could not but know the folly of so doing. He could not but know how quoits will sometimes diverge even with the most skillful. Who knows not how Zephyr once drove the discus of the Sungod into the skull of THE DISK-THROWER.- FROM AN ANCIENT his young friend? Who knows not the flower "inscribed with woe," which testifies of this incident? If the indicted is to be censured for hitting the elbow of Publipor with the discus, then the high Sun-god deserves reproof for killing his young friend; but nothing the gods do is ever wrong. The Sun-god we know unwittingly slew his friend, to his deep grief; so, without doubt, the indicted unwittingly struck the elbow of Publipor. Hence, I must differ from the judgment of brother Scipio. The whole onus of this offense rests, in my opinion, with Publipor Tonsor. Out of vile greed, he scrupled not to open his shop-booth on the very confines of the kingdom of Pluto, knowing the whole time the terrible history of the young friend of the Sun-god. Now, this high court must not suffer this; it must not suffer the lust of greed to gorge itself on the lives of the Republic of Rome. Our noble Consul, be sure, when he opened his grounds to the public, did not open them to peril the life of his own son. My sentence is, therefore, this: He who prefers his own greed to the lives of his fellow-countrymen is not fit to dwell in Rome."

With this wise dictum the Stoic closed his eyes, twined his fingers together, thrice rocked himself slowly from side to side, cried "Hem !" then turning to Vitellius, the senior judge, begged him to conclude the business of the court.

Rounds of but ill-suppressed shouts greeted this sentence. The common herd is ever most willing to hound your stricken deer. The judge, of course, frowned, but the corners of his mouth disclosed how he chuckled inly with delight. "Silence!" shouted the court crier. "Silence in the court! our most noble judge delivers sentence."

The hubbub roused Vitellius from his slumbers. White with the frost of fourscore Winters, he piped in his voice from loss of teeth, but his lungs were sound still, so his words were perfectly distinct. They resembled in tone the shrill, full notes of the forum-bell, when it rings the hour of prime, or those other bells, which tell of the presence of the god in the beach-groves of Dordone. Slowly

he delivered sentence, without either "if" or "but": "In my judgment, the thrower of the discus, brother Scipio, merits the encomium, not the censure, of this court. He did his best. Well would it be for Rome if every citizen did so, too. Por Publius Tonsor is likewise guiltless of wrong-doing. He, too, did well in minding his own business. Both quit this court unsoiled. In respect to the spot where Publipor built his booth, we must not interfere, brother Sophus, with the liberty of the subjects. It is not for this court to fix the 'where' one is to seek his livelihood. Every one must be his own best judge. One seeks it in the town, one in the suburbs, others in the fields. I should never interfere, I must confess, if some enterprising citizen thought fit to open his shop-booth in the bosom of Vesuvius, in the ghoul-cells of the Cyclops, in the nethermost pit of Pluto, or in the wretched confines of Eolus, the despot of the winds. It is wholly the concern of the persons themselves, not of this court, to find out where is their best interest. The only one deserving of censure, in my opinion, is the young simpleton with the cut chin. He risked his life with his eyes open, the risk therefore rests on his own shoulders. He must not come here for the court's protection when his own folly brings him into trouble." Then, turning to Servilius, he continued: "We dismiss you, young sir, without condign punishment, for your wound is punishment enough for your indiscretion. Henceforth chew upon this: those who will heedlessly meddle with edged tools must not be surprised if their fingers get sometimes cut."

dulge in sad reflections, and she looked up with a cheerful smile, adding: "She couldn't be as nice as you, dear, because no girl ever was. But I shall have to be content with the second best, I suppose."

"Ah, my dear if I had thought you were going to take me up so seriously, I'd not have said what I did," replied Miss Seymour.

"It doesn't pain me to think of those things, Lucy-I like to, sometimes. The contrast makes the peace and sunshine of the present seem even more blessed."

"Then we are both satisfied! Oh, Elinor ! what should I have done without you this Winter? I thought I was resigned, but when my poor eyes began to fail so much more quickly, I knew I had not realized what it would be to find myself blind.”

line, you might devote them to Jenny and the good-looking new gardener. I saw them only this morning standing down by the asparagus bed, with such sentimental faces that I felt quite confused at having interrupted them."

"Oh, good gracious, I hope there is nothing of that sort going on!" cried Miss Seymour, ruefully. "Jenny's head is none of the best at any time, and love-making will upset it completely. Why, she will break every teacup in the house, and Townsend will let all the flowers dieelse he'll pick them for her."

"You see, the prospect of lovers in the house is not so agreeable as you fancied it would be, so you had better leave Reginald and me as we are," said Elinor, teazingly. "Wouldn't interfere for the world !" Miss Seymour de

"Oh, I am not complaining; I can still see your dear face-so I am never without sunshine," replied Miss Seymour, cheerfully. "But only think if I had been alone during those weeks when I was threatened with losing the sight of both eyes !"

"I am thankful you were not; but if you had been, you would have borne it patiently-I know that."

"I hope so; I should be sorry to have to despise myself. But it would have been very dreary. Then, I could not have kept the fact from Reginald, and he would have come back at any cost; and only think what a loss, if he had had to give up those commissions I"

"Luckily he did not-and what wonders he has done! I wrote him the other day that he had become so famous and made so much money, we felt quite embarrassed at receiving him in our quiet abode, and expected him to put on as many airs as if he were the Grand Turk."

"Fancy Reginald putting on airs !" said Miss Seymour, laughing. "The dear old boy! Only a few weeks more, and we shall have him back."

"Yes; and you won't lose him again. He can afford to settle down in America, now that he can command his own price for his pictures."

"Then I shall have you both !" cried Miss Seymour. "If you were not the hardest-hearted pair in the world, you would fall in love with each other, and make me perfectly happy."

Jenny's being gone so long. I sent her to the post-office a great while ago, and told her to hurry back."

"I think she is innocent this time," said Elinor; "I asked her to go on into the village and see if the people in the bookshop had not received those reviews you wanted. Here she comes now," Elinor added, as the door opened, and a pretty, exquisitely tidy girl of eighteen or so entered, her face rosy from the effects of a rapid walk.

"Please, Miss Seymour," she said, "it isn't my fault I was gone so long. I went on to the village, as Miss Elinor told me, and got the magazines."

"That is all right; still the village is not more than a Sabbath day's journey, and a teacher in Sunday-school, like you, knows how far that was," Miss Seymour answered, pleasantly.

She had brought Jenny up from a child, and was very fond of her, though a rigid disciplinarian in a mild fashion, but more for the girl's own good than because nature had made her a martinet.

"Oh, yes, ma'am, I know; but, indeed, I didn't dawdle," pleaded Jenny. "There was nobody in the shop except old Mrs. Perkins, and she was busy ever so long, and after that she couldn't remember where she had laid the books -she never can."

"Well, then, Jenny, we will let the blame rest on Mrs. Perkins-only as she is old, we needn't be very severe." "No, ma'am ; but I think I'd be there yet if the young lady herself hadn't spied the magazines on a shelf, anl

"Why, you silly Jenny, you just said she was aloneand what young lady has she got for clerk ?"

"Oh, good gracious she a clerk !" cried Jenny, laugh. ing outright, then beginning to color at having done so, but too eager to pour out some wonderful news she wished to impart, to have leisure to grow much confused. "It's the people that bought Miз. Delancy's place, furniture and all-and the name isn't Towers, as Miss Roswell said the night she was here to tea. Mr. Towers, he was only the agent, and—”

Miss Seymour lifted her hands appealingly, and glanced up at Elinor, saying, in a doleful voice:

"Oh, my dear, you were certainly right-I may as well send an order to town for unlimited china." Then she turned to Jenny again. "Your young lady, who was not a clerk, has developed into a whole family very suddenly.