Vol. 6.— No. 20. 



JNEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



159 



and sent to England together with one of their 

 nests, to the distinguished naturalist and anato- 

 mist, Sir Everard Home. The nest was found to 

 be composed of gelatine or the basis of animal 

 jelly, with some peculiarities of odour and flavor, 

 it having been previously ascertained that this 

 substance was discharfjed from the mouths of the 

 birds, dissection revealed to him its source in cer- 

 tain glands, situated in the neck of the bird, and 

 opening by appropriate secretory orifices into the 

 throat. 



This account, which is believed to be substan- 

 tially correct, will, it is hoped, dissipate any doubt 

 upon the subject. NATURALIST. 



Sir William Onsley, in his interesting Travels 

 in the East, describes the punishments inflicted 

 on robbers in Shiraz, as severe in the e.\treme. — 

 In one instance, " a barrel or vessel filled with 

 powder, which being ignited by means of a long- 

 train, blew to atoms a robber that had been previ- 

 ously fastened to it." "To immure them alive is 

 a frequent punishment ; of this many instances 

 may be adduced, and confirmed by indisputable 

 evidence." " From this place to Aiior," says Dr. 

 Fryer, in 1G78, "both in the highways, and on 

 the high mountains, were frequent monuments of 

 thieves immured, in terror of those who might 

 commit the like offence ; they have literally a 

 stone doublet : whereas we say metaphorically, 

 svhen any is in prison. He has a stone doublet on ; 

 for these are plastered up, all but their heads, in 

 a round stone tomb, which are left out, not out 

 of kindness, but to expose them to the injnry of 

 the weather, and assaults of birds of prey, who 

 v.ireak their rapine with as little remorse as they 

 did devour their fellow subjects." Mr. M'Donald, 

 in his Geographical Memoir, says, "The body of 

 the culprit is sometimes torn asunder by being 

 bound to branches of trees, afterwards separated ; 

 and I do remember having once seen four thieves 

 built into a wall, (all but their heads) and thus 

 left to perish." 



Cannibal Epicurism. — A savage belonging to 

 St. Vincent's, showed mc the foot of an "Alou- 

 aguo," which he had in his basket. He only ate 

 Alouagues, who are savages from the Main, near 

 the Oronoco. They say that Chri'^tians give them 

 tlie colic. They had, nevertheless, within the 

 year, eaten the heart of an Englishman. — •'^outh- 

 ey''s Chronological Hist, of the West Indies. 



Suhstituie for Arrow-root. — An article copied 

 frnm a Scotch paper, recommending the use of 

 potatoes as a substitute for arrow-root, is taking 

 the round of the press. The writer states, "that 

 the farina of the potatoe is equally nutritious with 

 arrow-root." This is quite erroneous. It does 

 not contain a fourth of the nutritive property of 

 pure arrow-root, and from its ascesccnt tendency 

 is highly unfit for weak stomachs. Much of the 

 arrow-root now in the market, is adulterated with 

 potatoe flour. The best test for arrow-root, is. to 

 let it stand for two days after it has been made, 

 and then examine whether its gelatinous appear- 

 ance has been altered. If potatoe flour ha.'; firm- 

 ed part of the mivtiire, the jelly will have turned 

 to water and become sour. Pure arrow-root re- 

 tains its gelatinous fonsietency for several days, 

 .ind does not become sour like the farina of pota- 

 toes. — Eng. paper. 



Power of the King limited by Parliament — Sir 

 John Coventry, K. B. an independent member of 

 the House of Commons, in the reign of Charles 

 H. in a debate on the propriety of the ta.x on play- 

 houses, made some sarcastic allusions to the King, 

 who, in consequence, ordered some of the Guards 

 to way-lay Coventry, and set some mark upon him. 

 In consequence of this order he was seized, and 

 his nose split to the bone. The outrage was high- 

 ly resented by Parliament, who passed what is 

 called the Coventry Act, by which the punish- 

 ment of death was awarded against all who 

 should, in future, "maliciously maim or dismem- 

 ber another." They inserted a clause in this act, 

 " Tiiat it should not be in the King^s power to par- 

 don the offenders. — Abridged from the History and 

 .Antiquities of London, see London ffeekli/ Review 

 of September 1, 1827. 



Trees, Ornamental Shrubs, i;r. 

 niR WINSHIP offers for sale al his Nmscry, in Brighloii 

 Ihc lareesl varjeiy of Fiuit and Oniainemal Tri?es, Shrubs, itr 

 His collccliuii of Fniit 'I'rees is large acid well selected; and hi^ 

 variety of OruameiiUl Shiulis is very extensive, comprising ihi 

 Rose Acacia, Three tlionied Acacia, Gum Acacia, double How 

 ering- .\lnionds, red and hIiiic Allheas, Bladder nul tree, Higim- 

 nia lladicaii, Cuming Bush, dwarf Uowering Horse Clicsiuui. 

 splendid flowering Catalpas, Dahlias, Daphne Pink Mazercoii. 

 (first lloweriiig shrub) variety of Grapes, variety of Honeysuck- 

 le, English wahuils, Weeping willows. Quinces, Syringos, La- 

 burnum, Snowballs, Rhubarb, Raspberries, Plums, Pecan nm 

 trees, Wounlain Ash, Lilacs, Larkspur grandiflora, Japan pear 

 Japonnica ehorcliorrus, &e. — Orders for any of tht.'5e article 

 left with Mr Russell, at the Kcw England Farmer office, wili 

 be executed on the some terms as al the nursery, and deliverei^ 

 in Boston, free of expense. — Catalogues furnished gratis. 



Bremen Geese. 

 FOR sale, 10 pair superior BREMEN GEESE. Apply Ic 

 TuoMAs WiiLiAMs, IN'oddle's Island, Or lo Mr Russell, at 

 the New England Farmer office. Dec?. 



Worcester Coal Mine. — We learn that a wealthy 

 and enterprising gentleman from Boston, has be- 

 come interested in the Worcester Coal mine, and 

 that he will commence working it soon. We may 

 therefore e.xpect that it will be so thoroughly ex- 

 plored, as to determine whether coal of a better 

 qurlity than has been heretofore obtained, may be 

 found there : and, if there cannot, that means will 

 be devised to ascertain the most profitable uae of 

 such us may be procured. — 1^'orc. pa. 



Extract of a letter from an American Gentleman at 



present travelling in England, dated Sept. 30. 



A few days since I visited the Tunnel under 

 the Thames, which is one of the most gratifying 

 curiosities I have seen in London. It is about 3 

 miles below the London Bridge, and on the Kent 

 side of the River. We first descended the shaft, 

 a tremendous cavity in the earth, about 100 feet 

 deep; and then proceeded through one of the 

 arched passage wnye, which was beautifully lit up 

 with gas. We passed to the extreme end, where 

 the workmen are employed, — .5C5 feet from the 

 shaft, and of course a considerable distance under 

 the river, and which I believe to be about half a- 

 cross. As yet they had not re-commenced their 

 work of boring, but they expect to do so in a few 

 days, as the break in the river is completely stop- 

 ped, and the Tunnel free from water. The Steam 

 Engine down the shaft, draws away the dirt in 

 carts, as fast as the workmen fill them by the 

 other Arch way, which is laid with a Rail Road. 

 I have great confidence in its success, for what is 

 there that men cannot do, when they have at 

 their disposal plenty of money and plenty of 

 force. 



On the same bay we visited the Tower, and in- 

 spected every thing it contained. The .'Vrmory 

 which can contain 300,000 stand of arms, was a 

 magnificent spectacle; and a sight of the crown 

 jewels was truly dazzling. The present King's 

 crown is valued at £1,000,000 without the pre- 

 cious ruby, which is above all price. 



Among the astonishing wonders of the age, 

 there is actually in existence a Steam Carriage, 

 which was put into operation a few days since in 

 the Regent's Park and elsewhere. It goes up hill 

 at the rate of five miles an hour, and on a level, 

 of fourteen : down hill it goes ton fast — so much 

 so, that the man who had care of the wheels for- 

 getting to lock them, one of them flew off, but 

 did not upset the vehicle, which alone is a great 

 advanta3e over machines drawn by "6i/s of bloods." 



They are now finishing on a larger scale When 



the accident above mentioned happened, there 

 were twenty persons in the carriage. 



For Sale, 



TWO large, well formed and powerful mares, with foal by 

 the celebrated imported In.rsc BpU founder. These animals an- 

 pertiictly broke to the saddle and all kinds of harness — will worlv 

 before oxen, and are perfectly liiud and good travellers. To 

 persons wanting mares to breed I'rom. this offers an opporlunit% 

 not often met with.— Also 2 pair of WILD GEESE. 



Apply to Bi^Nj. Austin, near flir Grcenough's meetiuglioust- 

 in Newton, or to J. B. Russell, at the I\ew England Farmei 

 office, Boston. Dec 7. 



PRICES OF COUNTRY PRODUCE. 



APPLES, best, 



aSHES, pot, ist sort, - - - 



ptarl do. - - - - 



BEANS, while, 



BEEK, racss, 200 lbs. new, - 

 cargo, No 1, new, - - 



" No 2, new, - - 

 BUTTER, inspect. No. 1. new, 

 CHEESE, new milk, - - - - 



skimmed milk, - - 

 FLAX 



FRoai I 



1 76 



95 50 



105 Ot 



1 00 



n B7 



7 75 



6 75 



12 



7 



2 00 



97 50 



107 60 



1 Sfc 



9 00 



8 CO 



7 00 



14 



