AND OF THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. 



171 



himself to their humours. In his solemn tottering step, he apppars to go stupidly for- 

 ward ; but nothing escapes his eye. He learns to pronounce words without having 

 his tono-ue cut, which proves the uselessness of this cruel operation- He repeats cor- 

 rectly the airs which are taught him, as does also the female, imitates the cries of 

 meo and animals, and the songs of all the birds in the room with him. It must be 

 owned that his acquirements are very uncertain ; he forgets as fast as he learns, or 

 he mixes up the old and new in utter confusion ; therefore, if it is wished to teach him 

 an air, or to pronounce some words clearly and distinctly, it is absolutely necessary to 

 separate him from other birds and animals, in a room where he can hear nothing. 

 Not only are the young susceptible of these instructions, the oldest even show the 

 most astonishing docility .Bechsteins Cage Birds. 



The following letter from a celebrated Naturalist to the Editor will no doubt prove 

 interesting to our readers. 

 On Board the Crusader^ Cote Blanche, \Stk April 1837. 



Mr Dear Friend, — Being just now snugly anchored in a bay, the description of 

 which may prove agreeable to you, I sit down to give you an account of what I have 

 been doing since I last wrote to you. 



After visiting ** Rabbit Island," on which, as I have already told you, not a single 

 Rabbit or Hare is to be seen, we made our way between it and Friskey Point, by a 

 narrow and somewhat diflBcult channel leading to the bay in which I now write. 

 The shores around us are entirely formed of a bank, from twenty to thirty feet high, 

 and composed of concrete shells of various kinds, among which the Common Oyster, 

 however, predominates. This bank, which at present looks as if bleached by the sun- 

 shine and rains of centuries, is so white that it might well form a guidmg line to the 

 vessels which navigate this bay even in the darkest nights. The bay, however, is so 

 shallow, that it is rarely entered by \essel3 larger than schooners of about seventy 

 tons burthen, which visit its shores to take in the sugars and cottons grown in the 

 neighbouring country. 



The '* Crusader " is a somewhat curious craft, small, snug withal, and considerably 

 roguish-looking. She has not fewer than four ** grunters" on her fore deck, her sails 

 are of pure white cotton, and although she bears the lively flag of our country at the 

 peak, her being painted purely black gives her the aspect, not merely of a smuggler, 

 but of a pirate. But here she is, at the entrance of the canal of a sugar plantation, 

 and close to another craft, much the worse for wear, and, for aught I know to the 

 contrary, belonging to the captain alone, who, I would almost venture to assert, be- 

 longs to no country at all. 



It is now four weeks since a razor came in contact with my chin. All my com- 

 panions are equally hircine ; or, if you please, hirsute. As to our clothing, were you 

 to see us at this moment, you would be ready to exclaim, ** What vagabonds these 

 fellows are !" Coats and trousers plastered with mire, shirts no longer white, guns 

 exhibiting the appearance of being in constant use, and all sorts of accoutrements that 

 pertain to determined hunters, complete our tout ensemble. But, as I have said, here 

 we are, and on shore must go. " Man the gig," quoth our captain. In a trice the 

 gig is manned. One after another, for there are five or six of us, we swing ourselves 

 into the after-sheets. The word is given, the oars are plied, and now we once more 

 are on terra firma. 



The crossing of large bays, cumbered with shallow bars and banks of oyster-shells, 

 is always to me extremely disagreeable, and more especially when all these bars and 

 banks do not contain a single living specimen of that most delectable shell-fish. Nay, 

 I am assured by our pilot, who is no youngster, that ever since he first visited this ex- 

 tensive waste, not an oyster has been procured in these parts. But now in single file, 

 like culprits or hungry travellers, we proceed along the margin of the canal. Ah, 

 my dear friend, would that you were here just now to see the Snipes innumerable, 

 the Blackbirds, the Gallinules, and the Curlews that surround us; — that you could 

 listen, as I now do, to the delightful notes of the Mocking-bird, pouring forth his soul 

 in melody as the glorious orb of day is fast descending toward the western horizon ; 

 — that you could watch the light gambols of the Night Hawk, or gaze on the Great 

 Herons, which, after spreading their broad wings, croak aloud as if doubtful regarding 

 . the purpose of our visit to these shores I Ah ! how well do I know you would enjoy 

 all this ; but, alas ! we are more than four thousand miles apart. 



Hark 1 what's that ? Nothing but a parcel of men coming to greet us. Here they 

 are, seven or eight Negroes. Who lives here, my good fellows ? Major Gordy, 

 massa. Well, now shew us the way to the house. Yes, gentlemen, come along. 

 So we follow our swarthy guides. 



The plantations here are of great value, both on account of their proximity to the 

 Gulf of Mexico, and the excellence of the soil, which, as in other parts of Louisiana, 

 is composed of a fat, black mould. The Indian corn was at least six feet high, and 

 looked most beautiful. As we approached the mansion of Major Gordy, I observed 

 that it had a pleasant aspect, and was furnished with a fine garden, and a yard well 

 stocked with cattle, together with a good number of horses and mules, just let loose 

 from labour. A mill for grinding corn and making sugar particularly drew our notice 

 to it, as the Crusader happened just then to be destitute of both articles ; and as I saw 

 6ome women milking the cows, my heart fairly leaped with joy, and the hope that ere 

 long we might procure a full bowl of the delightful and salubrious beverage. The 

 short twilight of our southern latitudes had now almost involved every object in that 

 dim obscurity so congenial to most living creatures after the toils of the day, as allow- 

 ing them to enjoy that placid quiet which is required to restore their faded energies. 



Near the entrance of the mansion stood an elderly man, of tall stature and firm as- 

 pect, leaning on what I would call a desperate long gun. As I approached this Cote 

 Blanche planter, I thought that something not so very friendly as I eould have wished 

 was expressed in his countenance. As he rested his heavy frame on his monstrous 

 rifle, he neither moved his head, nor held out his hand to me, until I presented mine 

 to hira, saying, " My good sir, how do you do?" His answer was a rather suspicious 

 look at me and my companions ; but notwithstanding, and probably because he was 

 on his own ground, he asked us what was our wish, and then desired us to walk in. 



Cute Blanche Bay, you must be informed, has for a number of years been infested 

 by a set of rascally piratical vagabonds, who have committed extensive depredations, 

 in consequence of which, a few years ago, a United States' revenue cutter was sent 

 to protect the coast. I have no doubt that the major took us, to a man, as members 

 of the gang who had more than once visited, not his house, but his plantation, on 

 which they had played many wanton and atrocious freaks. 



We now, however, had entered the house. Candles were lighted, and we at once 

 came face to face, as it were. It curiously happened that our captain was without his uni- 

 form, and fully as rough-looking otherwise as any of us. I was, however, much pleased 

 to see that the maj ir himself was not much superior to us in respect of apparel ; nor 

 had his razor been employed for many days. I happened to Viave about me some un- 

 equivocal credentials, from the head departments of the United States, which, on my 

 observing that some degree of suspicion still remained, I placed in his hands. He 

 read them, spoke kmdly to us, promised to forward our letters to the nearest post town, 

 and invited us to consider his dwelling as our own. From that moment until we re- 

 turned to our vessel, we were all as comfortable and merry as men can be when dis- 

 tant from their own dear homes. 



Next morning we received from Major Gordy a barrel of sugar, another of corn 

 meal, some pails of milk, and a quantity of newly made butter, together with potatoes 

 and other needful ariicles — and all this without our being allowed so much as to offer 

 hirii the least lecompence. The day after, we returned to breakfast by invitation, and 

 found in the house several strangers, armed with rifles and double-barrelled cruns. 

 After we had been introduced to all around, we seated ourselves, and made a vigor- 

 ous attack upon our host's eggs and bacon, coffee, tea, and milk. As this important 

 business was proceeding, I was delighted to hear the following anecdotes, which I 

 hope you, my dear friend, will relish as much as I did. 



*' Gentlemen, " said our host, straightening himself in his arm-chair, *' I am con- 

 siderably suspicious as regards the strangers who happen to anchor within the range 

 of my dominiuiis. Indeed, gentlemen, I must acknowledge that even after you re- 

 turned on buard lait night, 1 sent off some of my men in various directions, to let my 

 neighbours know that a strange craft had anchored near the landing-place ; and here, 

 gentlemen, are those neighbours of mine ; but as it happens that the name of the 

 gentleman who calls himself a '* Naturalist" is well known to some of them, 1 now 

 feel quite satisfied as respects the purposes you have in view. But let me tell you 

 what happeufd to me some years ago. 



*' Such a shark-louking craft as the one you call the Crusader happened to drop 

 its anchor abreast of my landing-place, about dusk one evening, and as 1 guessed that 

 the fellows on board were not better than they should be, I watched their motions 

 for a while from my back piazza. But nothing happened that night. Next morn- 

 ing, howevei, 1 heaid the liring of guns down the meadows where my cattle and hogs 

 were in the habit of feeding. So 1 took my rifle, walked towards the spot, and soon 

 found, sure enough, that the rascals had killed a fine ox and several hogs, which they 

 were dragging lo ihe shore. Indeed, gentlemen, 1 saw the yawl crammed with the 

 spoils of my plantation. Well, I took as good an aim as 1 could at the nearest man, 

 and cracked away, but without hitting. At the report of my gun the fellows all took 

 to their heels, and un getting on board hoisted sail and went otf. I have never heard 

 of them since. Well, gentlemen, about the same hour next morning, a black-looking 

 barge, hardly as lar^^e as your Crusader, came to, ofi'the very some spot, and although 

 1 watched it and every otie on board nearly the whole night, and it was a beautiful 

 moon-shiny one, not a suul of them came on shore until morning. Then, however, 

 I saw some bustle on board. Several men got off" in a very small afi'air, which was 

 fastened a-stern of the large boat. I saw them land, and deliberately walk towards 

 the meadows. No sooner had they reached the wettest part, and that is where my 

 hogs generally root for fuod, than crack, crack, crack, went off their guns in all di- 

 rections. You may well suppose how vexed I was at all this, and conceive how soon 

 I mustered my men with ciubs, and aruied myself with my rifle. On reaching the 

 ground, think, gentlemen, what were my thoughts, when I saw the fellows all ad- 

 vancing towards me and my people, as if they were the honestest men in the world. 

 I was so mad when they came close up, that I had a great mind to shoot the one in 

 front, for he looked for all the \\oi\d as if he cared not a pin for any one. However, 

 1 did not shoot, but asked him why he was shooting my hogs? * Hogs! goodman, you 

 are quite mistaken ; we are shooting snipes until we come in contact with the rascally 

 pirates who infest the coast, and lay waste your plantations. My name, my good Sir, 



is Captain , of the Uuited States* Navy; and these are some of my men. 



Will you come on board, and breakfast with us on your own snipes?' " No wonder 

 that the Major, having been subject to the visits of these marauders, should have taken 

 us in the dusk, armed as we v\ere, and withal not having precisely the aspect of sober 

 citizens, for persons not quite so good as we should be. But I must now conclude, 

 and in my next you shall hear something of the result of my expedition into the 

 marshes. 



HYDROGRAPHY. 



REMARKS ON THE COLOUR OF THE OCEAN, EY M. ARAGO. 

 Mr Scoresby compares the colour of the polar seas to ultramarine Hue ; M, Cortaz 

 considers the finest indigo or aky-blae, as that of the Mediterranean ; Captain Tuckey 

 characterizes the waters of the Allanlic in the equinoctial regions as bright azure ; 

 and Sir Humphrey Davy gives bright blue, as the tint reflected by the pure water 

 obtained from melted snow or ice. Sky-blue, then, more or less intense, or mixed 

 with smaller or greater quantities of white light, would appear to have been alwavs 

 the proper tint of the ocean. But is there any deception in this? 



The waters of the sea are often impregnated with foreign matter. For example, 

 the extensive green bands, so peculiarly striking in the polar regions, contain myriatls 

 of medusae of a yellowish tint, which, combined with the blue colour of the oc^an, 

 produce green. Near Cape Pahnas, on the coast of Guinea, Captain Tuckey 's vessel 

 appeared to move in milk ; that appearance arising from multitudes of animals floating 

 on the surface, and so colouring the natural colour of the water. 'Jhe belts of car- 



