knot." Of a talented man it is said, "Ah! he is very clever, he can tie or untie any knot." Of a dream, it is asked, "who can loose this knot?" Of any mysteries, or of deep plans, it is asked, "Ah! who can untie these knots?" "How difficult that passage was, but he soon unravelled the knot."

27." Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found

wanting."

This striking form of speech is much used in the East at this day. Thus, should two men be disputing respecting the moral character of a third person, one will say, I know the fellow well, "I have weighed him, and he is found wanting." "He found wanting! you are much lighter than he." "What! miscreant, do you wish to weigh against me?" "Thou art but as one part in a thousand." "Begone! fellow, or I will soon weigh thee." "Yes, yes, there is no doubt about it: you have weighed me; I am much lighter than you." "What kind of times are these? the slaves are weighing their masters." "Yes, the low castes have become very clever, they are weighing their superiors." woman, do you call in question the authority of your husband: are you qualified to weigh him?" "The judge has been weighing the prisoners, and they are all wanting.”

"What!

VI. 23. "No manner of hurt was found upon him,

because he believed in his God."

The Orientals have an idea, that in WHATEVER a man BELIEVES, whether in reference to the existence or nonexistence of evil or danger in regard to himself, that, so will his condition be regulated. In walking once with a learned Brahmin, through a grove of cocoa-trees; I enquired, Why are you not afraid of those nuts falling on your head, and killing you on the spot? "Because I have only to BELIEVE they will not fall, and all is safe," was his reply.

VII. 15. I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the

midst of my body, and the visions of my head

troubled me." Margin (Chald.) "sheath." "Sheath;" this is a very curious expression when applied to such a subject, but it is perfectly natural. When a person has swooned, the people say, "His life has gone into its URI," i. e. SHEATH, meaning some particular place into which the life is supposed to retire and conceal itself from the sight. Has a man been wounded by a serpent, and should he appear to be dead, it is often said, "Fear not, his life has merely gone into its SHEATH." When a person's eyes are much sunken by sickness, the people say, "Alas! his eyes have gone into their sheath." "Well, my friend, when did you arrive?" — “I came just as the sun was going into its sheath," i. e. going down. "I am happy to hear that the king has put his anger and his sword into the sheath."

CHAP. III. verse 2.

HOSEA.

pieces of silver."

"So I bought her to me for fifteen

Slavery has been common in the East from the most remote antiquity; but its form in general is very mild: hence masters and slaves are more like companions than those betwixt whom such a relationship exists. If the latter can tell a good story and flatter their lords, they may almost do as they please. A good high-caste female slave may be had for 60 Rds, i. e. 4l. 10s. ; whereas a low-caste can be purchased for 20 Rds, 17. 10s. A high-caste male slave will fetch 31. but one of an inferior degree only half that sum.*

IV. 16.-"For Israel slideth back as a back-sliding heifer."

By a reference to the 14th and 15th verses it will be seen that this denotes the loose conduct of the daughters of Israel, and exactly in this way do people speak of the same class of females.

VI. 4.-" O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee?

for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away."

* During the time the Right Honourable Sir Alexander Johnston was chief justice of Ceylon, a government regulation was made, which will soon cause slavery to be extinct in that island. By the proposal of numerous inhabitants to the Prince Regent, that children born after the 12th of August, 1816, should be emancipated; and by the government regulation, No. 8. dated the 17th April, 1821, it is decided, "All female children of female slaves, born on and after the 24th of April, 1821, being the day of celebrating His Majesty's birthday, are declared free:" thus, in a short time, even from that regulation, there would not have been a single slave in Ceylon.

"Early dew." "What, is this prosperity? what, this pleasure? Ah! what are my riches, and what my glory? Alas! 'tis like the dew, which flies off at the sight of the morning sun." "My son, my son, be not too confident; for life is like the dew."

9. Murder in the way by consent." The margin has, instead of "by consent," "with one shoulder." (Zeph. iii. 9. "To serve him with one consent.") Margin has instead of "consent," "shoulder." The Hindoos for the SAME thing say, "with one HAND." Thus, those people with "ONE HAND" have gone to the judge, i. e. with one consent. "Those wretches with one

hand are doing evil." "If the Coolies do their duty with one hand, the work will soon be finished." "Why have they not accomplished their object? because they did not go about it with one hand."

VIII. 8. "Israel is swallowed up now shall they be

among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure." (Jer. xlviii. 38. "I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure.")

I believe this refers to an EARTHEN vessel, and not to one made of skin. People often compare each other to an UPPUPANUM, i. e. literally a salt vessel; because after it has contained salt it is most fragile, the least thing will break it to pieces. "What are you, sir? an uppu-pānum," a salt vessel. "Look at that poor salt vessel, if you touch him he will fall to pieces."

IX. 14.-"Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts."

When men curse females, or when the latter curse each other, they often invoke the gods thus to injure the objects of their anger.

X. 7.-"As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the

foam upon the water."

"Those sons of fiends are now gone as the neer-molle,” i. e. the bubble. "Alas! my race is cut off: it has disappeared like the bubble." "Yes, those people were only

bubbles; they have all gone."

8.

"The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars." (Gen. iii. 18.)

Has a man by fraud gained possession of another person's land, then the imprecation is uttered, "Thorns and thistles shall ever grow there!" "He get rice from his land! Never! he will have thorns and thistles." "Yes, yes, the rice shall be as thorns in his bowels."

10.It is in my desire that I should chastise them; and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows." The margin has, instead of " they shall bind themselves in their two furrows," "I shall bind them for their two transgressions: OR in their two habitations." The figure of the above verse and those of the context are AGRICULTURAL. Does it not refer to Israel joining herself to the idolaters, as the oxen were joined together in the furrows? "Two FURROWS." A furrow, according to the English idea, is a small trench made for the reception of the seed, going in a straight line from one side of the field to the other. But this is not a proper description of a furrow in the East, because the farmers of those parts plough in circles. Thus, the square