SKETCHES OF THE SOUTH. Stump and knees of a cypress tree-Laborers in the THIS engraving properly belongs to No. 2, which appeared in the last magazine; or else to No. 5. of the series. But we could ot get it ready for the last number, and as almost every number says something about the cypress tree, we have thought it desirable to insert it here. The trunk of the cypress is sometimes as large as a hay stack, at the bottom, and not unlike it in shape; while above, it is only a middling sized and regular shaped tree. The 'knees' are excrescences which shoot up under the shade of the tree, from its roots. Some of them are from one foot to two feet high, and several inches in diameter. They terminate abruptly and smoothly at the top, as you see above. We will now allow our correspondent to go on with his story. I understand, Mr. Editor, that in the part of the country where you live, white men generally do the work, and there are very few people of color.-It is not so here. Some white men who are poor, work; but most of the labor, particularly on plantations, and in the swamps is done by slaves, though there are some colored people who are free. The colored people are very fond of working in the Dismal swamp, because they are there under less restraint than on a plantation; and as their task-work, in the swamp, is by no means unreasonable, some of them will make a dollar, or two dollars a week, for themselves. When a man goes into the swamp, he carries food for a week or a month; and then, if he does not wish to come out of the swamp, more is sent to him. His food is salted pork and corn meal.-Six pounds of pork, and one peck, or twelve and a half pounds of meal, is the allowance of one hand for a week. The pork and meal are usually good, but not invariably. 72 inches, and the feet, near to the fire, which they do not suffer to go out. Many times they do not lie down at all, but fall asleep as they are sitting. They rarely lie down before midnight, and always rise at the break of day. They spend the fore part of the night as is most agreeable to them; commonly in talking, and often in singing and prayers, in which they are very loud. Perhaps you would hardly expect it, but it is a fact, that the people who work in the swamp are generally very healthy; and they appear to be as merry and happy a people as I have ever seen.-But they are not uniformly so; and particularly because they are not generally instructed.-Very few of When the "swamp hands" sleep, they them learn the art of reading, well enough do not undress and go to bed, but lie down to be able to read and understand the New on a plank, the head being raised five or six Testament. No TRAVELLER. WE hope, most sincerely, that the world is not to be scourged by cruel and unnatural wars much longer; and that the rising generation will soon read every thing relating to this subject as they now do the accounts of gladiatorial combats and other wicked practices, which have long ago ceased. Still, it may not be amiss to treat of warlike subjects occasionally. The engraving represents the "panoply " or complete armor of the Jews and other nations, 1800 years ago. Perhaps we may get as lively an account of what it consisted from the sixth chapter of the epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians, as from any part of history. The apostle mentions it incidentally, but his account is very full, as the following extracts will show. "Having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith-the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit." It should be mentioned, however, that the breastplate was something more than a mere plate of metal worn over the breast. It sometimes covered all the fore part of the body, and extended a little way over the arms; - not far, however, for this would have diminished their activity. By shoes, too, appear to be meant cases for the whole leg, almost from the foot to the body. As to their shields, they were sometimes very large; and it was not uncommon for a warrior, to have an armor bearer to go be Marius. 74 fore him, and carry his shield for him. a modern one; and sculptured trophies Indeed all the armor was heavy.-In the of arms, commonly called the trophies of Atheneum, of Boston, are pieces of ancient armor preserved, such as helmets and breastplates; the great weight of which would .prise you, if you should see them. LEAVING St. Peter's, our carriage next stopped at the foot of the Capitol. A flight of 124 steps of Grecian marble leads in a slanting direction to the church and convent of Ara Cœli, a mean building, not unlike an old brick barn, which crowns the eastern, and highest summit of the Capitoline Hill, and is supposed to occupy the place of the ancient temple of Jupiter Capitolinus. Down these steps an old Capuchin friar, so fleshy that he could hardly walk, and two young ones, were descending from their convent. We now ascended, by a much shorter staircase, to the modern piazza of the capitol. At the base of this ascent are placed two ancient Egyptian lions of basalt, (one kind of marble) from the noses of which a small stream of water issues. At the top of the ascent are two very large ancient statues, of Grecian marble, supposed to represent Caius and Lucius, the grandsons and adopted sons of Augustus, standing by the side of the horses; but I do not think the statues of either the men or the horses very beautiful. From the top of the staircase on each side, a balustrade (row of small pillars) extends along the whole breadth of the piazza; and upon it are some statues of the sons of Constantine; an ancient Romar mile-stone; In the centre of the piazza stands the famous equestrian (horse-back) statue of Marcus Aurelius, in bronze. The figure of the emperor is very fine; he seems in the act of addressing his people. The horse seems to share so proudly in the triumph of his master, and is so admirably represented, that, like Michael Angelo, who, on seeing it, exclaimed: "Go on, then;" I almost expected to see it move. Turning from gazing on the countenance of the old martial Roman (Marius) and the handsomest equestrian statue now left in the world, I beheld the statue of Rome triumphant, humbly sitting at the foot of the steps of the senator's palace. I now descended, by a footway at the side of the senator's palace, to the Roman Forum. The Ionic portico of the temple of Concord is still standing. Here it was that Cicero accused, to the assembled senate, the guilty conspirators leagued with Catiline; and on entering the grass grown area of the portico, I felt, with enthusiasm, that I now stood on the very spot which his feet then trod. I beheld, too, on the green turf before me, three of the beautiful columns of that temple of Jupiter Stator, in which Cicero had previously accused Catiline in person, and, by the terrors of his eloquence, compelled him to abandon his designs, and fly into voluntary exile. Where was the rostrum? I eagerly inquired. Not a vestige of it remains-not a stone to mark the spot is to be found ; but its supposed site was pointed out to me on ground now occupied by some old barns, or granaries. Here, on this rostrum then, it 75 BIRDS AND BEASTS OF SOUTH AMERICA. 75 was, that the thunders of Cicero's eloquence that I would take a bath. But I had scarceburst forth. Here, too, where his eloquence ly entered the water, before I felt a shock had so often moved the hearts of his fellow like that of an electrical machine, and a citizens, and made tyrants tremble, his head very severe one, too. and hands were scornfully affixed, after his inhuman murder by Mark Anthony.-I seated myself on the fragment of a broken column, and as I gazed on the ruins around me, I dwelt for a few moments on the past! -But I must tell you what I saw, and not what I felt and thought. At some little distance from this arch, and at the very base of the Capitoline hill, stand three fluted Corinthian columns of Grecian marble, which formed the corner of the magnificent portico of the temple of Jupiter Tonans, erected by Augustus to Jove the Thunderer, in gratitude for his escape from lightning, in returning from Spain, when a slave was killed by the side of his litter. What a lesson does this act of a heathen emperor teach us! Cannot we show our selves equally grateful to the true God for our many escapes from death and danger? Not by building temples, had God given us the means; but by the truest indication of real thankfulness, -a new and better life. BIRDS AND BEASTS OF S. AMERICA. Bathing-A shock-Electrical Eel-The Bell-bird- ONE day, about noon, as I came to a pleasant looking pond or lake, beautifully overshadowed with trees, the thought struck me "An earthquake?" you will perhaps say. By no means. The shock was given by an electrical eel. However, it instantly took away all my strength, and nearly all my senses, too; and I believe, in my heart, I should never have been here, but for help. It was close to a Missionary village, and av Indian woman happening to come down to the pond to dip up water, just at that moment, and guessing my situation, lost no time in dragging me out before the animal had an opportunity of repeating his shock. I had now reached a better country. The mornings, especially, were uncommonly beautiful. Birds of every color greeted my ears with their songs; and among the rest, I particularly noticed the companion, or bellbird. Perched on the top of a lofty mora tree, this bird used to awaken me by his clear ringing note that sounds exactly like a fine toned bell, and may be heard two or three miles. He is white, with a black spire on his head, and about three inches in length. Among other creatures that arrested my attention, was the harinless, but misrepresented and slandered sloth. I used often to see him looking down in my face from the lofty trees, where he feels most at home and most happy. It is true that after he has been caught and put on the ground, he is a dull lazy animal; for he is out of his element, almost as much as a fish out of water, or a human being in it. But I will give you a few more particulars of this animal. He is formed to live on trees, and is never found any where else, |