UNCLE IN ENGLAND. 83 



all three, just now, learning the glee of " Hark 

 the Lark," that we may sing it on my uncle's 

 birth-day. Caroline takes the tenor she has a 

 very good voice. 



Sept. 1. Last night, my uncle read a para- 

 graph to us, from Ker Porter's travels, as a cu- 

 rious instance of the permanence of customs, in 

 countries where the indolence of the inhabitants 

 and a despotic government are continual obsta- 

 cles to improvement. 



<e The Tigris is navigable for vessels of twenty 

 tons burthen, only sixty miles above Bagdad ; 

 but there is also a kind of float called a kclek, 

 having been in very ancient use, which carries 

 both passengers and merchandise, from Mosoul 

 to Bagdad. Its construction is singular ; con- 

 sisting of a raft in the form of a parallelogram. 

 The trunks of two large trees, crossing each 

 other, are the foundation of its platform, which 

 is composed of branches of osier. To this light 

 bottom are attached several sheepskins, filled 

 with air, and so arranged, that they can be re- 

 plenished at will. The whole is wattled and 

 bound together with wicker work ; and a raised 

 parapet of the same secures the passengers. 

 It is moved by two large oars, one on each side, 

 and a third acts as the rudder. 



" When these machines reach their place of 



