gether, or go away and return to eat again, till the whole is consumed: which frequently is not the case till the close of the second or third day.

"From this spot onward, the evidences of idolatry became more striking and numerous. We passed several temples containing more hideous looking images than we had before seen, and successive depositories of the dead, surrounded by light shrines, inclosing perishable food for immortal souls. The temples do not differ from the larger inhabited houses, except that they are always open in front. All we saw contained three images-one at each end opposite and facing each other, and one in the middle, against the thatch behind. One singularly disproportioned image stood alone in the midst of a thick grove on the top of a very high and solid platform of stone, grinning horribly over an immense wooden trough filled with various offerings.

"Here again our path was uncommonly delightful, leading close by the margin of the river on our right, while thick groves clustered on the left, beneath the wild peaks of the mountain overhanging our heads, and sweeping before us in the interior. Every structure too seemed to exhibit something more artificial and more like civilization, till at last we came to an establishment with such massive walls and mason-like inclosures, and a wide entrance with a regular flight of broad steps leading to a well flagged court, as really to astonish us. The stones, bearing marks of antiquity that threw the air of an old family mansion around the whole, were regularly hewn and joined with the greatest nicety-many which I measured, being from four to six feet in length, nearly as wide, and two or more deep. The interior of the thatched part was as neat and well finished, as the mason-work without was heavy and substantial; and judging from its contents-war-conchs, head-dresses, and various ornaments, packages of cloth, and rolls of mats, muskets, spears, and other weapons-its proprietor must be a person of no ordinary wealth and rank. And one of taste too; for, among other articles, was a neat cage of bamboo containing a bird valuable, no doubt, for its note, as its plumage was not remarkably beautiful. Not even a servant was to be seen; and having with one or two others, left interpreters, chiefs, wizards and all, far behind, we were under the necessity of satisfying our curiosity by our own conjectures.

"This situation afforded an open view of the river and continuance of the valley far into the mountains; and we were strongly tempted to prolong our walk farther; but being already two or three

miles from the beach, and separated from most of our party, we thought best to return. I first, however, secured a sketch of a temple and burial ground just above, with a hideous idol scowling among the dead from the midst of a thick clump of the pandanus-including a characteristick section of the mountains towards the head' of the valley-and was far from regretting the few minutes occupied by it, when afterwards informed, that the temple was that at which human victims are chiefly immolated.

"With the exception of one or two places of the kind, nothing is more manifest in their aspect than the fact, that the images are literally crumbling into dust and ashes. The decay resting upon them

rendered more conspicuous by their deformity-seems already to proclaim the approach of the period, when, with all the "idols of silver and of gold, which every man hath made for himself to wor ship," these too shall be cast "to the moles and the bats," and be trodden under foot in perpetual neglect and abhorrence. To me the sight was most gratifying, adding assurance to the impression already received, that nothing more is needed, even here, than the dawning of the "light of life," to scatter the spiritual darkness resting on the land, like the vapours of the morning before the rising sun.

"We retraced our steps with the same admiration that we had first taken them, till about midway from the beach, all our party became assembled again; and, seated on the grass in the edge of a grove, we partook, in true pic-nic style, of the ample stores furnished from the baskets of Johnston, our kind old steward. He is a steady and valuable friend on such occasions, and one we ought never to forget to toast, when with keen appetites and high spirits each seizes for himself, sans fourchette, whatever comes uppermost of the cold roast fowls, nicely sliced tongue, beef, ham, cheese, and bread, he so snugly stows away for the time of need; with one tumbler only, however, from which, in common, to share a little of his best wine-having learned too well, from sad experience, the casualties to which, in such excursions, his cut glass is exposed, to be prodigal of the use of that luxury in this part of the world.

"Surrounded by hundreds of the natives-who seemed to think that their turn for the gratification of curiosity had now come-we enjoyed all the honours of the déjeuner én public of the Bourbon family;

with little of its forms, however-the group exhibiting all manner of attitudes, and a mixture of every character, in partaking the feast.

"The dignitaries of the land, seated

among us, nibbled and sipped, with becoming care and gravity, the strange articles of diet presented to them; while a cake of ship-bread, handed to some of the common bystanders, was quickly crumbled into a hundred pieces, and tossed to eager and noisy applicants on all sides, followed by loud laughter and various other expressions of delight. Those of the crew with us as attendants, were glad too to break their fast by improving the privilege-without waiting for the cloth to be removed-of seizing a luncheon kindly slipped into their hand, by some friend in the circle-making a species of saturnalia of the repast, quite allowable at such times of haste and hunger.

"Among the spectators all the beauty of the valley was assembled, and, in the number, belles who need not fear a comparison, either in feature or form, with most who are the admiration of fairer circles at home. The whole scene formed a subject worthy of the pencil of a Murillo or a Wilkie. I would have given much for the talent of seizing it ên passant, and did make the attempt-even at

a sacrifice of a full share of the edibles

but only attracted a curious circle so closely around me, as to cut off all view of the principal group.

"On our way to the beach, circles of females, in neat and graceful attire, with fanciful head-dresses, were seated in every

grove, singing monotonous ditties, accompanied by the clapping of hands, interluded by a loud noise of the tongue, something like the clucking of a hen in gathering her brood around her.

46

The whole population of the valley crowded the shore as we prepared to depart-and many of them assisted in getting our purchases of fowls, cocoanuts, pigs, sugar-cane, bananas, &c., into the cutters, and afterwards carried us on their

backs through the surf, which, at low water, breaks too high to allow a large boat to come close to the beach. When all were on board-our friend Taua returning with us-we shoved off a short distance, and lay on our oars till we had given a farewell air on the bugle and the horn. The western cliffs had already thrown their evening shades widely over the glen, and the darkness of the grove behind presented the crowd in such bold relief, as to give full effect to the fineness of their forms, and the classick drapery in which they were partially enveloped. No loud shouts nor vulgar merriment were heard among them; but silent musings seemed to indicate a feeling of reluctance to see us depart-and as we completed the "finale," and pulled away for the ship, wishes and prayers of the sincerest good will followed the last looks we gave,

as they began slowly to separate and disperse among their native wilds.

"My heart sighed for the beginning of missionary instruction among them; and during our return every thought was busy, in devising plans by which light might speedily be brought to break in upon their darkness, and those good tidings be proclaimed to them, which, if received and embraced, would at once make their abode, not only what it is now by nature-one of the most romantick spots on the globe, but morally and spiritually the happy valley.""

And why, we ask, has not the Presbyterian church a mission in the Valley of Taioa? Why, on the return of Mr. Stewart to his native country, and to the church to which he belongs, and in which he was born and educated, was he not solicited to accompany to this heathen Paradise, some half a dozen excellent young men, from the General Assembly's Seminary at Princeton, who were then anxious, and even asking, to be sent out on a foreign mission, under the auspices of their own church? We can say it was not because such a proposition was not distinctly suggested, nor because funds could not easily have been raised for the purpose. How long the sin and the opprobrium of not having a single foreign or heathen mission on the face of the earth, is to lie at the door of the Presbyterian church in the United States, we cannot tell. We have some hope that the period is approaching when this church, certainly among the most numerous, wealthy and talented, in our country, will not be content to remain a mere auxiliary-not to say a tributary-to other churches, in their foreign and heathen missions.

In the volumes before us, we could point out a few blemishes; but amidst so much excellence they ought perhaps to pass unnoticed. We will just mention, however, that we think, and have heard others say, that Mr. Stewart is somewhat excessive in the frequency and minuteness of his description of the dresses of the men, and particular

ly of the women, civilized and savage, among whom his visits to the South Sea Islands carried him. We are fully aware that dress is one of the indications of the state of society among all people, and we do not forget that Mr. Stewart's

interesting letters were addressed to his wife. Yet, after every allowance, we think our remark is just; and we make it for the benefit of the writer, whose admirable descriptions we wish should be freed from every imperfection.

THE SOLAR PHENOMENA.

We are obliged to a respectable friend in Alexandria, says the National Intelligencer, for the following interesting observations upon the late extraordinary ap pearances connected with the sun.

Alexandria Boarding School,

8th Month 20th, 1831. Friends Gales & Seaton.-In compliance with the suggestion in your paper received to-day, I send you the following views respecting the very unusual, if not unexampled appearance of the sun, observed a few days since.

To understand the phenomena alluded to, it will be necessary to make a few preliminary observations.

During the great total eclipse of the sun that had recently taken place, the moon had just passed its perigee, or that point in its orbit nearest the earth, and consequently that combined action of the sun and moon upon the atmosphere, produced a great tide in the equatorial regions, and diminished the pressure of the air upon the whole of the surface of the earth. This diminution of pressure upon the surface of the water would occasion

a great increase of evaporation, particularly when united with the high temperature that accompanied it. For it is an established fact, that the amount of evaporation from an uninsulated surface of water depends upon the elevation of temperature and diminution of pressure. A vast quantity of vapour thus raised, was very observable on the evening of the 12th inst. at a considerable elevation, in the western part of the heavens, and continued to reflect a very red light for a long time after the sun had set.

The appearance of the heavens on the

It is evident, that as the air is partially supported by the combined attraction of the sun and moon, its pressure upon the earth must be diminished. The greatest effect would not be at the immediate time of conjunction, but some days

after.

VOL. IX. Ch. Adv.

morning of the 13th, I did not observe; but about mid-day, the sun shining through this body of vapour had a silvery appearance, similar to that which it wears when shining through a vanishing fog, and I observed it to give an unusually ghastly appearance to the countenances of persons. Between three and four o'clock, the position of the sun with respect to this body of vapour becoming changed, it assumed a greenish blue ap pearance, precisely similar to that produced by the following experiments, and which in my opinion was dependent upon the same cause. Let a screen upon which the spectrum produced by the separation of the solar beam into its primitive colours by a glass prism is thrown, be perforated so as to let all except the red ray fall upon a double convex lens, and be converged to a focus, the result will be a representation of the sun of a greenish blue colour, exactly such as it was observed to have at the time alluded to. The colour is that resulting from the combination of all the primitive colours except red, and is denominated in opticks the opposite colour.

The same experiment may be performed more familiarly thus: place a red wafer upon a white wall, and look at it intently with one eye for some time; then let the eye rest, without much effort at seeing upon the wall, and a spot, the size of the wafer, of a greenish blue colour, will be perceived. The explanation is, that the retina, through the action upon it by the red light from the wafer, becomes insensible to the red ray in that part upon which the image of the wafer rested, and hence the colour produced upon that part of the retina, will be the one resulting from the combination of the other six.

The greenish blue colour of the sun, then, I think, depended upon the red rays being reflected by the intervening body of vapour, while the other six passed to the eye, and produced the observed appearance. This opinion was strengthened by one or two facts observed at the

3 Q

time. I passed the sun's ray through a prism, and while the yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet colours appeared with their proportionate brightness, the orange was considerably less distinct, and the red much less than the orange.

Another corroborative fact was, that as the sun descended below the body of vapour, which was about fifteen or twenty minutes before its setting, the vapour reflected an intensely red light, the light that passed through it was therefore se parate from the red, and would have produced the opposite, or greenish blue appearance.

The spot that was observed, is by no means an unusual thing upon the sun's disc. It was visible to the unprotected eye, merely in consequence of the diminished brightness of the sun. By aid of a telescope, a considerable number of spots were visible. In the summer of 1816, a spot was visible to the naked eye, for eight or ten days in succession. If the above remarks are any way satisfactory to you, it will be a gratification to Your sincere friend,

BENJAMIN HALLOWELL. Interesting Ceremony.-On the 11th of May last, a superb colossal bronze statue, which had been erected by the Poles to the memory of Copernicus at Warsaw, was first unveiled to the public. The Philomathic society, after attending di vine service in the Church of the Holy Cross, adjourned to the open place, when the venerable Julien Ursyn Niemcewitz, from the raised platform of the monument, addressed the assembled multitude with singular eloquence and power, and his words falling from the lips of a man more than 80, moved whole masses of the listeners, now to enthusiastic plaudits, and anon to tears. He said that three centuries had passed since Copernicus had been gathered to the bosom of that earth whose motion round the central sun he had revealed. That the forgetfulness of the great services of the great, was usually succeeded by the outburstings of grateful remembrance, and that posterity often dragged forth to immortal memory, the names which had been resting in temporary oblivion. He spoke of this as the fate of Copernicus, and he honoured with deserved plaudits, Staszyc, who had defrayed half the expenses of the statue. He mentioned Thorwalsden, who had modelled it. "Now," said he, "after ten years lingerings, shall every Polish heart vibrate with the satisfaction that beams from every Polish eye; and the sun on which Copernicus turned in perpetual gazing, shall for the first time visit his image with its glorious beams." At this moment the tapestry fell which covered

race.

the statue, and he continued-"Henceforward ever present wilt thou be.Highest, happiest of the eternal!-The honour of thy country—the glory of thy Let thy influence, watching over the temple of the national muses, guard it from all degradation, and aid the propagation of all knowledge and all truth. And how infinitely happy am I in the privilege of having lived to an extreme old age, to perform this honourable office-nunc di mitte Domine, servum tuum.”—Every head was uncovered-every face turned towards the statue-and the heavens, which for three days had been cloudy and dark, broke out into sudden brightness and sunshine. There was a sudden burst among the people, as if a miracle had really been wrought in celebration of the great festival, and a band of musicians and singers suddenly broke forth from the cupola of the Philomathic Society's edifice, with a hymn. The inscription on the pedestal, which is of gray Polish marble, is eminently simple and striking.

"Nicolao Copernico Grata Patria.”

This is repeated in Polish on another side. On the third, are the seven planets of the old hemisphere.

Case of a Bee, self-decapitated.-We paid a very interesting visit a short time ago, to a gentleman, who is a keen ob. server of nature, and whose great experience in apiaries has not only been productive of much curious information relating to the economy of bees, but which has been directly useful to numerous persons, who maintain apiaries, in order to supply our markets with honey. This anecdote was related to us whilst examining his well constructed hives.

"A large humble-bee, strayed near to one of his hives, and alighted near the entrance. Instantly he was attacked by great numbers of bees. One of them, seeking a favourable opportunity of lodg ing his sting under one of the rings of the humble-bee, made a fierce blow; but the sting striking upon the hard and bright corslet, glanced off; and as it is the habit of the bee in the act of striking, to bend the head towards the tail, the sting, upon this occasion, entered deeply into its own head. After many powerful exertions to extricate it, at length the entire head came off, and remained attached to the tail. The insect, now gravely with its feelers, began to paw about his neck, as if to examine the nature of the accident which had occurred to it, spinning round, and feeling, and then stopping for awhile. In about twenty minutes the insect was exhausted and died.

As it is but a summary of Foreign missionary operations which we are able to introduce into our pages, we are always glad when we can find, ready formed, an authentick summary of information, relative to an important foreign Missionary field. Such a field doubtless is Calcutta in the East Indies; and the following article, taken from the London Missionary Chronicle for May last, contains an authentic, but brief view, of the mission of the London Missionary Society at that place, from its commencement to the date of the most recent account. We were struck with the statement, that twelve years of painful but persevering missionary efforts were employed, before any decisive evidence of success was apparent. The English Episcopal Church, and the Baptist Church, perhaps the Methodist Church also, have missions in the same vicinity; and it is truly gratifying to see that all these missions act harmoniously. This is the true system. Let every church act distinctively by itself and let all treat each the other, with sisterly kindness, Christian charity, and suitable co-operation.

CALCUTTA.

Calcutta does not follow, consecutively, in the order of the Society's missionary stations usually observed in its publications; but as that station has for several years past exhibited, and still continues to exhibit, features of a peculiarly encouraging aspect, calling on the members of the Society for special acknowledg ments of devout gratitude and praise to God for what he has already vouchsafed to accomplish, and presenting powerful motives to earnest supplications for the continuance of his blessing on the future labours of the missionaries in that important quarter, we regard ourselves as warranted by the principle stated in the introductory observations to these monthly papers, to depart on the present occasion from that order; particularly as the season of the year renders it proper that

The Society's mission at Calcutta was commenced in 1816, and has had the benefit of the labours of many valuable

missionaries; several of whom it has

pleased the Almighty to remove, by from ill-health, have been compelled to death, to a better world; while others, return to their own country.

For several years the brethren laboured without reaping any fruit among the native population. During that period, however, a congregation was collected, and a church formed, composed chiefly of English residents, and a commodious chapel erected for their accommodation, the expense of which was defrayed chiefly by the zealous efforts and liberality of the Rev. Henry Townley (who first statedly officiated as minister of the chapel), and those of other friends on the spot. In connexion with Union Chapel, (for that was the name given to it) much good has been effected by means of the preaching of the Gospel, the institution of Sabbath schools, and the religious tuition of young persons of riper years than those of whom ordinarily such schools are composed. Mr. Townley was succeeded in 1822 by the Rev. James Hill, who is the present minister.

No decided indication of conversion to God was apparent among the natives before the year 1823, when a Hindoo of the name of Ramburree, who had enjoyed the benefit of Mr. Trawin's ministry at Kidderpore, having for some time exhibited evidence of genuine piety, was publickly baptized at that out-station.

From that time the work has been progressively advancing among the native population at that and other populous villages in the vicinity of Calcutta.

At Kidderpore, in 1823-4, two, and in 1824-5, five Hindoos were baptized, on a publick avowal of their renunciation of idolatry, and belief in Christ; in 1825-6 seven more Hindoo converts were baptized; in 1826-7, two; in 1827-8, thirteen; in 1828-9, thirty-seven.

In 1826, the expulsion of an idol from a Hindoo temple at Rammakal-choke, and the subsequent conversion of the temple