326

the same time shortened, it was hung on the limb of a tree, with a basket of stones fastened to its bottom, which by tending to draw out or extend the strainer, and in this way to press upon the mass of contents it contained, effected the desired object.

The use to which this kind of strainer is chiefly applied is in the pressing of cassava. Our young friends have already been told about the cassava root, and the tapioca which is made from it. The bark of the cassava roots, you know, is scraped or grated fine, much in the way in which we scrape horse radish. Then it is put into the strainer and pressed or strained, as before mentioned.

AN INDIAN STRAINER.

AMONG the native Caraibes, a tribe of American Indians of whom we have spoken in a former number, a kind of strainer is sometimes used, of the singular shape represented in the engraving.

This strainer is six or seven feet long, and four or five inches in diameter. It is made of split flags, or the bark of a tree called the Latania, which appears to be a species of the trumpet tree. These flags, or strips of bark are woven, something like a stocking, so that the strainer may yield and enlarge in the middle when necessary. When filled with any thing which they wished to strain, and of course distended in the middle though at

327

25

WALKING in the fields and groves, a few weeks since, at a place called the Hermitage, three miles south of Boston, I observed the bushes richly loaded, as it were, with fruit; and on a close examination found them to be the candleberry. This shrub is here from two or three to six feet high; but in some parts of the country, it reaches the height of ten or twelve feet.

The berries, when they are ripe, have a striking resemblance, in their arrangement, to clusters of grapes, only they always grow around the stem. Besides, they are not much larger than pepper corns, and are of a bluish or slate color. Where the bushes are thick, and well laden with fruit, their appearance is very beautiful, as you may easily

judge from the engraving and from the description I have given.

The tallow is found on the outside of the berries, and is obtained by boiling them in water; when the oil or tallow, being lighter than water, floats. On cooling, and becoining solid, it has a dirty blue color, and is about as hard as bees' wax. Mixed with one fourth of its weight of tallow, and formed into candles, it burns with a clear, bright flame, and gives out a singular, but not unpleasant smell.

In some places where the candleberry shrub greatly abounds, it is common to build a hut in the woods, in which whole families devote two or three weeks to boiling the berries and collecting the tallow.

26

LETTERS ABOUT BOSTON.

ANCIENT MEN AND THINGS.

DEAR GEORGE;

You urge me to give you an account of the ancient men and things in this city. This is asking a hard question, because I am acquainted with very few of the old men here. I shall be able, however, to mention a few ancient things.

The only ancient man that I am acquainted with is Mr. Jacob Kuhn. He is over 70 years of age, and has been Messenger or Sergeant at Arms to the Legislature of this state, nearly 49 years. He is a very kind and affable old gentleman, and you would delight to converse with him. Harrison G. Otis, Esq., is another aged gentleman of this city who has been much distinguished in public life.

It is almost 60 years since British troops occupied Boston, and yet you have only to go to the "common" to find the remains of a fortification which they threw up. On the north side of the common, a little west of the State House, stands the ancient mansion of that distinguished friend of liberty, John Hancock. It is a plain, yet neat stone building, venerable for its years, but still more so from its having been the residence of one whose name is so dear to every Ameri

can.

At the north end of Tremont Street is an ancient wooden building with a small turret, now occupied as a dwelling, but formerly as an inn. Here it is said tha: General Washington stopped when he first entered Boston, early in the revolutionary war.

There is one building in the northern part of the city which was built before the great fire in 1676. Of course it has stood 158 years. It was at one time the residence of the Mathers. There is another ancient build

328

ing, now occupied as a feather store, which was built in 1680.

The sign of the Blue Ball, at the corner of Union and Hanover Streets still marks a house which claims the honor of having been the place where Franklin was born; though the same honor is also claimed by a house in Milk or Franklin Street.

In the same neighborhood with the ancient feather store which I have mentioned, are one or two more very ancient buildings. One of these was once a favorite resort of Franklin, who was a relative of the family that resided there.

There are also several other ancient buildings in the city. In Prince Street is a window, the sight of which is worth a mile's walk. It is only 18 inches by 12, with nine panes of glass, in leaden sashes.

Between the State House and Somerset Street are some remains of the hill once universally known by the name of Beacon Hill. This eminence was 138 feet above the level of the sea; or about 30 higher than the floor of the State House. It was ascended by flights of steps. On its top, where in old times the beacon stood, there was a monument to commemorate the principal events of the revolution. It was 60 feet high.

I might tell you about the burial grounds, and the tombs of the Franklins and the Mathers, and of many other highly distin guished families of Boston. I might speak of the statue of Washington, in the State House, and of many other curious things. But I have said enough for one letter. You will hear from me again shortly.

Yours, &c.

Giving to the poor, increases the store

THE EIGHT-DAY CLOCK.

[Our readers will recollect, that in the article about clocks in a late number, Mr. Harmer promised his children some farther explanations. Well, here they are.]

One evening, when the tea things had been cleared away, the lamp lighted, and Mr. Harmer's family were happily settling their occupations for the evening, Frederick reminded his father of his promise to explain those parts of the clock that he did not yet understand, adding; My little Sec onds Clock, father, will prevent me from ever forgetting the movement of the pendufum and escapement wheel, and now I particularly wish to know how the minute and hour hands are managed.

Mr. Harmer told him, that he should have great pleasure in keeping his promise, and he placed on the table several sketches, which he had made on purpose to assist Frederick in understanding his explanations.

330

First of all, Fred

THE MINUTE HAND. erick, said Mr. Harmer, I will show you how the minute hand goes once round in an hour, and you must not think of the hour hand at all, while 1 explain the minute hand: neither is it necessary to think any longer of the weight, as you understand thoroughly how it is that a weight pulls round the wheels.

We have seen that the escapement wheel C goes once round in a minute. Now if the spindle of the escapement wheel C had a pinion, that is, a very little wheel C P fixed on it, and this pinion turned a great wheel G W 60 times as large as itself, the pinion and the escapement wheel would have to go round 60 times, while the large wheel went round once.

And then, father, said Frederick, each time that the large wheel went round once, 60 minutes, or one hour would pass. I see very plainly how the pinion, that is fixed on the escapament wheel spindle, would make the large wheel move, because the teeth of the pinion and the teeth of the large wheci fit into one another, therefore when the pinion turns round, it must move the great wheel. But father, a wheel 60 times, the size of the pinion, must be very large indeer

I should not have thought that common clocks could have so large a wheel. Nor have they, Frederick, replied Mr. Harmer. A wheel 60 times the size of the smallest pinion, is found to be inconveniently large, besides it would make the index or hand move the wrong way. The clock-makers, therefore, make use of two wheels, and two pinions in this manner: The spindle of the escapement wheel has a pinion C P of 6 teeth, turning in a wheel D of 60 teeth, making it go once round in 10 minutes, because 60 is 10 times as much as 6.