690 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



the sago or rice, by means of a knife, file, or any other sharp- 

 edged stone, a little gold-dust off his ornaments. After this has 

 been done, he ties the parcel together and suspends it by means of 

 a split cane from a branch of the sacred tree, under fervent pray- 

 ers to his god. In some parts of the island the traveler will find 

 these sacred trees, ornamented from top to bottom, like a German 

 Christmas-tree, with these odd -looking palm-leaf parcels. In 

 other parts of the Key group there are still found public places 

 for sacrificing, consisting of a fanciful carved box, elevated on a 

 pole about four or five feet high. The sacrifice is conveyed 

 through a small opening in the box. Some places are shunned 

 by the natives, who prefer walking a long distance out of their 

 direct way, to being obliged to pass the haunted spot where some 

 imaginary Satan and his followers are supposed to hold their 

 meetings. — Abridged from the Proceedings of the Boyal Geograph- 

 ical Society. 



■»*» 



SKETCH OF JOSEPH LOVERING. 



A COMPANY of about one hundred and fifty gentlemen dis- 

 tinguished in science and literature sat down a few months 

 ago to a banquet in the Hotel Vendome, Boston. The festival was 

 one tendered by his colleagues, classmates, and friends to Prof. 

 Joseph Lovering in honor of the distinction he enjoyed of hav- 

 ing served for fifty years as a professor in Harvard College. He 

 was the first professor who held that position for so long a time. 

 Previous to entering upon this office, he had served two years as 

 tutor; and, adding the two terms together, his was the second 

 longest period of consecutive service recorded in the history of 

 the institution. President Eliot presided at the banquet, and the 

 tables were occupied by members of the Board of Overseers, the 

 teaching faculty, and distinguished graduates and friends of the 

 oldest American institution of learning. The speakers were too 

 many to be specified here ; and we shall have to be satisfied with 

 saying that their names are associated with what is best in the 

 thought and learning of the period. A similar scene was wit- 

 nessed in this city at the dinner of the Harvard Club on the 

 21st of February, 1889, when Prof. Lovering, being a guest, re- 

 ceived congratulations. 



Joseph Lovering was born in Charlestown, Mass., December 

 25, 1813. His father was surveyor of ice, wood, and lumber. He 

 attended a grammar school of his native town, and seems there 

 to have outrun the capacity of his teachers ; for it is recorded of 

 him that he went through Colburn's Algebra by himself, none of 



