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measure, than I ever heard. This is not the first time that this insect has been made the subject of verse. It is the not unfrequent subject of the Greek Anthologies. There is one of those beautiful little poems by Meleager, addressed to the Cicada, which is translated By Mr. Merivale, and introduced into his new Edition of the Greek Anthologies, first collected by the late Rev. Robert Bland, and others. It begins thus:

TO THE CICADA.

"Noisy Insect! drunken still

With dew drops like the stars in number,

Voice of the desert, loud and shrill
That wakest echo from her slumber,-

Aud sitting on the bloomy spray,

Carol'st at ease thy merry lay."

"The insect says the learned translator in a note-here apostrophized, is the sort of grass-hopper called by the Greeks tettix, and is described by the writers on Entomology, in terms which show the accuracy of the poet's observation. The males of the perfect insect, in general, chirp like the cricket; and some of the larger kinds of the Tettigonia family possess two particular drum-like organs, which emit à loud and incessant noise, at the pleasure of the insect."*

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This description agrees. with the habits of the insect in Ceylon, which I suppose to be the Cicada. In the maritime provinces, this insect, carols. a merry lay." It is perhaps of a smaller kiud than that in the lonely and darksome woods, and forests, and jungles of the interior. These are the larger kinds of the Tettigonia family;" their cry is harsh and melancholy. The same cry is noticed in the second part of "Sketches" LVII written on my return through the same wood.

I may mention, once for all, that the want of birds, and of animal life. generally, save of reptiles, is the most discouraging feature of the scenery of this island, in other respects so generally delightful: It is perhaps the case of India generally; but of this I am not able to speak. In passing through the gloomy jungle and forests of this clime, we remember our native woods. We hear them, as it were, echoing and re-echoing with innumerable birds,their notes almost as numerous and as various as themselves. We dwell upon these remembered scenes with the same affection and tenderness, with which we call to mind our English firesides, our absent families, and our absent friends.

• Sole sub ardenti resonant arbusta cicadis-Virg. Eclog: 11. 13.

There are, however, scenes of exquisite beauty. The grander features of the island are noble, and often sublime. A person of taste, especially if combined with religious feeling, can scarcely be unhappy, at least actively so, amid such glorious; works of the Almighty,-however strange the cli mate, however remote the situation. But we cannot say with the distracted man mentioned by a traveller in another part of the East, as quoted in the notes to Mr. Merivale's beautiful collection of Anthologies, already noticed: "I heard the nightingales, in the trees, the partridges in the mountains and the brutes in the desert, uttering their plaintive notes, and doleful lamentations. I reflected that it did not become a human being to be asleep, whilst all other creatures were celebrating the praises of God." Alas! no merrier song in the solinightingale pours forth his "plaintive notes," or tudes of Tropical countries. Our woods resound indeed at night with "doleful lamentations." The jackalls hunt their prey with vocal, but not musical sounds. The solitary night bird utters his monotonous and disagreeable

note.

The Overland Route:

BY THE REV. J. G. MACVICAR.

(Continued.)

EGYPT.

Ir was a moment of emotion when the French Steamer the Sesostris weighed anchor in the harbour of Syta and set her course for Alexandria. This was to bid farewell to Europe and to look to Asia and Africa for the next land-It was to bid farewell to the beautiful child and to go and see the venerable parent; for thus stands Egypt related to Greece, and not to Greece only but through Greece to Kome, and through Rome to Europe generally. The idea of seeing Egypt was truly delightful. What country of all the world so deeply and delightfully associated with early religious feelings; and independantly of all association, what country is more interesting at the present moment in all its relations and prospects?

After leaving the Archipelago the first land we made was the Island of Candia-Along which we coasted feasting our eyes on the beautifully formed summets of its snow-capped mountains which were very pleasing to look at, for the weather was now very sunny and warm. Unfortunately there was no one to point out to us Mount Ida. But how sad to think that an island which was so great not only in classic times, but when under the Venetians in modern times, should be now, as it were, sunk and lost to the human species, in consequence of Mahommedan sway and the anarchy into which the Ottoman empire has fallen.

When Candia sank in the horizon behind us there was nothing left for tis to admire for a time, but the brilliancy of the sky and the blue of the ocean Of these, the latter is so clear in the Mediterranean that it seems as it the whole water had been unted with ultra-marine; and whereever there is a cave in a rock into which the sea flows, as for instance the grotto Azuro in the island of Capri, and the light of day before it can illuminate the cave must pass through the waters, the whole is rendered of such a bright azure that the effect seems quite magical. At present we had not long to wait before we were entertaining hopes of seeing land again. On the fourth morning by break of day we were all looking out for the land of Egypt. And indeed up sooner was the sun risen than Egypt was seen stretching out like a line along the horizon towards which our course was directed--The first sight of this land was so interesting that we continued gazing at it till we could distinctly see the shipping in the harbour of Alexandria, the Arab tower, the numerous windmills on the heights, Pompeys pillar, the palace of Mahomet Ali and other objects of interest. Our progress at this time towards the shore was however very slow, in consequence of a strong current which sets out from the land in this direction. But siill before it was noon we were at anchor in the harbour of Alexandria in the midst of the united Turkish and Egyptian fleets, a splendid armament which in the eye of a landsman at least, seemed to consist of ships as hue, well found, and warlike as could be seen at Spithead or Toulon. Besides this fleet there were also many other vessels in this fine harbour, and the whole formed a very imposing sight. When viewed in the distance where the lofty masts of the shipping were but obscurely seen surmounting the low-lying land around, we seemed to be looking towards some seaport of England about the mouth of the Thames. Such is the general aspect of Alexandria viewed from the sea. And now that we were in the midst of it we thought that if it did not look like England; it looked very like game which England would fly at same day.

When we were in Greece we heard very alarming accounts of the extent to which the plague was raging in Alexandria, we were therefore very well pleased to learn from the boats which come along side (in the stern of one of which the redoubtable Mr. Waghorn was pointed out) that the deaths from this scourge did not exceed half a dozen a day. We therefore proceeded to land without apprehension; and fortunately among our letters of introduction there was one to a gentleman who now came alongside, expecting to find his wife, who however having remained behind at Malta, thus left her husband free to accommodate us in her stead. By his kind assistance every thing was soon provided for our voyage to Cairo, and indeed we soon all that was worth seeing in Alexandria. And for the traveller who has previously only been in Europe and America it is truly delightful to look around him in the city of the Ptolomies. Here at last is something new. Here an order of things prevails which is quite different from any thing in the west. The camels, turban'd meu and veiled women, are at first sight so remarkable that though there were no other indications, one could not

Saw

fail to perceive that the type of civilisation was materially changeed from what it is in the west. Add to these things the groves of date palms, the Moresque fortifications and buildings, the sandy roads and the numberless donkies and donkey boys worthy of all praise, and the scene is, upon the whole, most novel and not less pleasing than it is new.

In the modern city of Alexandria there are not many traces of its former greatness. Instead of 700,000 souls which it contained in the reign of Augustus it uumbers now not more than 30,000. And as to libraries and learned men, of which Alexandria possessed many long after both books and learning had fallen into disre pute and been abandoned both at Athens and Rome, not a trace exists. For to Mohamet Ali the present governor, so much lauded by the French, we cannot accord any thing of that noble taste for learning which distinguished the dynasty of the Ptolomies, or indeed much of what many are disposed to ascribe to him. Mohamet Ali is a stranger to every liberal pursuit and every noble principle. Still, Egypt owes him much. In fact he is a great man of a certain kind; and strangely unites in one heart the charaeteristics of the savage and the diplomatist. He is at heart a cruel and a tyrannical man. But he is also on fit occasions capable of the most fascinating refinement of conduct as the following anec dote will prove. A lady whom he allowed to be introduced to him, (for he is no stickler for the Mohomedan regime) thinking perhaps to flatter him, said that she had a locket in which there were two locks of hait the one of Napoleon the other of the Duke of Wellington and that she was very anxious to possess a lock of his beard to put up along with the others. To this courteous speech the self-possessed Pacha who most probably despised the Lady and her flattery, made this most becoming answer "I am not a great man" said he hike Napoleon and the Duke of Wellington but if I become great before I die, I shall leave it in my will that you are to have some of the hair of my beard." In this way he got rid of the lady's importunity somewhat more civilly than Napoleon who in answer to the entreaties of a lady (Madame de Staël ?) whom he had expressed his readiness to oblige and who requested to be honoured with his miniature, put his hand into his pocket and presented her with a five-franc-piece!

Our time in Alexandria spent, we embarked on the Mahmoudee canal for Attch, a village where the traveller enters upon the Nile in ascending to Cairo. The banks of this canal present little that is interesting to the traveller. It is a very bad piece of work as might be expected from the forced manner in which it was dug out--in a few weeks I believe, and by the death of an immense number of the labourers. The great object of the traveller is to pass along as fast as possible. Tracked by horses we accomplished the whole in about 10 hours, a party of our fellow travellers who had put themselves under Mr. Waghorn requiring nearly 30 to do the same, by the aid of his arrangements.

Early next morning on board a canjah belonging to the Pasha

with a crew of six men and the rais or commander, we were on the Nile. The night was perfectly still. The waters of the noble river were gliding down like a liquid mirror towards the sea; and we could not very well understand how we were to ascend the stream in a barge which seemed designed for twenty passengers instead of two. It was the choice of the kind friend however to whom we had the production already referred to, who accompaned us all the way to Atfeh, so that we were neither in a position to complain por to suggest any thing different from his choice. Meanwhile we were delighted to find ourselves on the broad bosom of the river of Egypt, and we waited anxiously for the dawn that we might see what soits of objects lay around us. The howling of dogs all night assured us that not the village of Atfel only but the whole country, was well peopled, but we longed to see it. And now having seen it we must confess that the banks of the Nile are very seldom pleasing to look upon. The river is indeed all that one could wish the Nile to be, and the valley, or rather the plain, which it traverses is as fine a plain as possible. But what neglect of agriculture! what wretched villages! what squalid poverty and degradation of their inhabitants! Under an enlightened government and with a practible population the valley of the Nile might certainly be again all that it ever was in ancient times. But except here and there, where some Franc encouraged by the security of life and property (which It is Mahomet Ali's glory to have established in his dominions for foreigners) has cultivated a farm of two or three hundred acres, the whole may be said to be lying waste, the richness of the soil leng indicated only by the rankuess of the thorns and thistles and other weeds which it produces. The sight is truly distressing. Is it not most painful to think that there should be such a combination as the finest climate, the richest soil, and yet the people the poorest that can be imagined? Thus it is in Egypt, under the masterly but yet grinding tyranny of Mahomet Ali. The ancient inhabitants of this once favoured land were even at the worst so much better than their neighbours that they were admitted into the congregation of the Lord in the third generation, while the others were debarred till the tenth and twelfth, or even for ever, but now they are the most degraded, the lowest of the low.

Among the beautiful features of the climate of this once favoured land here is one of which we experienced the accommodation even the first day we were there. During the greater part of the season the wind in the valley of the Nile blows from the north, that is up the river. In consequence of this vessels going up to Cairo may almost count upon a fair wind, while those that are coming down are certain of the current in their favour. We soon caught the breeze that has been referred to, and to our no small satisfaction we found that our canjah though so disproportionate in size to the number of the passengers, sailed beautifully over the stream; and even when it fell calm, as it did every evening, and the crew, plied their cars to the pleasing chant of Salami Sala or leaped on shore and towed the canjah along, we made such progress as con

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