194 Miscellanies. 



The rock in this cave is hard limestone, but half way up the interior, there 

 is a stratum which resembles the congealed rock of Malta, and which has 

 the lines of the agate. In the upper part of the cave there are two 

 marble pillars, which formerly supported tripods, but which at present 

 stands like two sentinels over a spot sacred to genius and the tragic 

 muse. 



Lest you should think that excavations are the only thing we attend 

 to here, I would beg leave to inform you, that we are equally busy in other 

 matters. The cause of education, of justice and of civil government, 

 is making some progress; and Greece, though struggling with many an 

 impediment, is still indulging in the hope of success, and we may yet live 

 to see the day which will reward her by the attainment of the object of 

 all her efforts, the happiness of her people. 



17. TongueJess- Dog retaining the power of barking. — I have a favor- 

 ite spaniel dog of the " king Charles breed," thirteen years old, and as 

 he cannot relate a " tale of wo" of himself, I propose to do so for him, in 

 as few words as possible. 



In June last, in a small steel trap, set in the cellar, for the purpose of 

 taking rats, he was accidentally caught at about midway of the tongue, 

 and in this situation he remained about three-fourths of an hour. On 

 examination after he was extricated, the tongue was found started out of 

 its natural position in the mouth, some four inches. Every thing was 

 done to relieve his sufferings, and in the hopes that the tongue would 

 again adhere to its former position in the mouth, but the tongue being 

 much mutilated, was found after a lapse of forty-eight hours, the weather 

 being warm, to have become perfectly black ; at this time the " poor old 

 dog" exhibited a desire to leave his kennel, which he was permitted to do, 

 and he went direct for the ocean, where he " cooled the fever of his blood" 

 by a swim ; he thence went away and was absent alone about half an hour, 

 when he returned to his kennel perfectly tongueless, having as was suppos- 

 ed, torn out his own tongue, by putting his paws upon it, as he had before 

 been seen to do. He was fed during the time upon boiled rice and soup, 

 and ate the usual quantity, on his head being held up so that the food would 

 run down his throat. Necessity is said to be the mother of invention, 

 which seems to have been verified in this case, as the " old favorite" now 

 feeds himself as well as he ever did, upon every variety of food; drinks as 

 well as ever, although after the manner of a pig, by running his nose more 

 than usual into the water, and what seems still more remarkable, he barks 

 with the same distinctness as usual, on the least intrusion upon his prem- 

 ises in the night time, as he did before the loss of his tongue, and is in 

 all respects seems as well as he was previous to the accident. 



Boston, Aug., 1838. — Extract of a letter to the Editors. 



