hr 
MOOSE’S SUSAL MEW 
177 
tffllMJltUttXl. 
Written for Moore’s Rural New-Yorfeer. 
GEOGRAPHY TAUGHT. 
In a late Rural T uoticed an article instruct, 
how to teach Geography; and I propose to teach. 
I shall not stop to draw the distinction between 
the sciences of Geography, Astronomy, rhiloft- 
ophy and Mathematics, as 1 can no more tell 
where the line is than l can tell where the line 
is between the different oceans, as Geography 
is now taught. 
I. Geography is a Description of the Earth .— 
The Earth is a globe. Its shape resembles a 
ball. It tlies around the Sun. It flies because 
it moves swiftly. Take a bull in your hand and 
toss it, and you will see it turn round as it flies, 
go does the Earth. The liue it turns on is 
called its axis. Where this line comes to the 
surface is called the poles. One place is called 
the north pole, the other is called the south 
pole. Half way between the poles is called the 
equator, because it is everywhere equally dis¬ 
tant from the poles. The equator is a circle 
around the Earth. The plane of the equator 
divides the Earth in two equal parts. The 
Earth is a sphere. These parts are called 
hemispheres, because they are half of a sphere. 
That Half toward the north pole is called the 
northern hemisphere, and the other is called 
the southern hemisphere. 
The liue of the Earth’s flight around the Sun 
is called its orbit. The Sun is in the plane of 
its orbit. This plane, extended, divides the 
sphere of the starry heavens in two hemispheres. 
This plane is called the ecliptic. Circles are 
measured by equal parts, called degrees. Every 
circle has 300 degrees. An angle is the opeuing 
between two lines that meet at one point; they 
are measured by the part of a circle they in¬ 
clude between their lines, whose center is the 
poiut they meet at. The axis of the Earth is 
inclined 234° from perpendicular to the plane 
of the Earth’s orbit,—hence, as it flies round 
the Sun, half the time the northern hemisphere 
is turned more to the Sun, and the other half 
less than the southern hemisphere; lienee the 
change of the seasons. 
Lines from pole to pole are called meridians. 
They reach half round the Earth. Distance on 
a meridian is called latitude. Latitude is reck¬ 
oned from the equator. From the equator to a 
pole is a quarter ot a circle, nonce it is meas¬ 
ured by 3G0°—divided by 4, equals 00°. It Is 
called north or south latitude, as it is north or 
south of the equator. Distauce east or west is 
called longitude, and east or west longitude ac¬ 
cording as it is nearest east or west to the me¬ 
ridian reckoned from. There are 180° of longi¬ 
tude. 180° multiplied by 2 equals 360°. 380° 
divided by 2 equals 180°. 
II. The grand divisions of the Earth's sur¬ 
face are Bind and Water. —Now. we will take 
our stand-point in the Atlantic Ocean, 5 ° west 
and 20° south of London. Turning our face to 
the north we see an Arctic Ocean, general out¬ 
line nearly a circle from about 70° north lati¬ 
tude. This body of water Is known to be en¬ 
croached upon by Northern Greenland; on our 
right hand lies the Eastern Continent, including 
Europe, Asia and Africa: and at our left hand 
the Western Continent, including North and 
South America. As wc nu n and take a general 
view, the Continents all lie above the horizon 
except a small part of South America, (the most 
south-western part,) and the nearly unknown 
Southern Continent. The hemisphere below, 
the horizon is one vast ocean, including New 
Holland, the Southern Continent, a small part 
of South America, and numerous islands. This 
ocean is nearly circular, just washing the oppo¬ 
site shores of the Eastern ami Western Conti¬ 
nents from our stand-point. It only remains 
for me to unite these two circular bodies of 
water. Wc will suppose a lady in crinoline in 
a sitting posture; the head is the Arctic Ocean; 
the seat the Carribean Sea; the knees the Gulf 
of Guinea; the foot and crinoline resting on the 
great South Sea; the bustle is the Gulf of Mex¬ 
ico; and, if you please, the arms are the Medit¬ 
erranean Oil one side, and Hudson’s Bay on the 
other; the Baltic is the book for reading; the 
lady is the Atlautlc Ocean. The flliing up of 
the picture belongs to the schools. 
III. Physical Geography — Describes tlic 
courses of the winds, the currents of the ocean, 
the climates, and, as far as practicable, the 
causes. I shall deal with only a part of them? 
The trade winds crowd the waters of the 
Atlantic Ocean Into the Carribean Sea and the 
Gulf of Mexico. The water escapes by the 
Glflf Stream, runtiiug north-easterly along the 
coa-t of America; it divides, and a part turns 
southward toward Africa, and the other part 
drives onward into the Arctic Ocean, eastward 
of the Island of Spitzbergcu. There are live 
currents running from the Arctic Ocean,—ono 
along the cast coast of Greenland, and one by 
cueh known strait. 
Whence are the icebergs? They are called 
that name, from the appearance they some¬ 
times present, supposed to resemble villages; 
they are formed ou land, and are continually 
pushing oil' by the expansion of the ice, when 
it frequently freezes and thaws. The expan¬ 
sion of Ice by freezing will overcome any known 
Power, lionet* icebergs are found mostly near 
to land, or in currents running from the lands 
" •>ore they are formed. Hence the difficulty of 
Petering the Arctic Ocean with shipping by the 
riraits that flow currents from the Arctic Ocean, 
i i>e (act that every navigator who has reached 
latitude reports an open sea northwards, 
indicates no land of any amount in that direo 
tu>n. To illustrate one cause of the ocean cur- 
1 ruts, put a lump of ice, so largo as to anchor 
011 llle bottom, in a pan of boiling sap, and then 
observe the currants to and from t he ice. 
HERIDER'S COMBINED ATLAS ANT) BLACK - BOARD. 
Wk give herewith an illustration of an inven¬ 
tion patented by Wm. C. Herider, of Miami- 
towu, Ohio, which will commend itself to every 
teacher and person interested in and conversant 
with the school-room aud its needs. It consists 
of a combined map-case and black-board, in 
which the maps are framed as neatly as pictures, 
and slide back and forth in grooves at the bot- 
The isothermal line runs from the southern 
part of Labrador, near the side of the Gulf 
Stream, near to Spitsbergen; henee it is little 
colder there thau at Labrador. Spitzbergen 
lies wholly within the Arctic Ocean, according 
to my Geography. 
IV. A Few Facts abend the Arctic Ocean.—A 
great degree on the earth is 604 miles. From 
70° N. latitude to the pole is 20°, which, multi¬ 
plied by C94, equals i,39Q miles. This distance, 
if traversed at the rate of 10 miles per hour, 
would require 5 days and 19 hours. From 82° 
N. latitude would be 8°, multiplied by 694 
equals 5oG miles, to the north pole, which, at 10 
miles per hour, would require 2 days 7.6 hours. 
Is it possible to accomplish the passage ? What 
hands have done hands mav do. Yea. morel 
v t 
A sailing vessel cannot ascend the Hud'on 
river against wind aud current at the rate of 20 
miles per hour; neither can they without wind. 
Scorksry reached 82° N. latitude, in the vi¬ 
cinity of the channel herein indicated, in a 
sailing vessel, and reported an open sea north¬ 
ward. The navigator will have constant day¬ 
light during the season for navigation. They 
raise barley in the northern part of Norway. 
Reindeer live of themselves in Spitsbergen. 
There is a place there called Horn Souud, from 
the number of deer horns found there. Men 
have lived there four years from the resources 
of the island. , 
V. A Few Theories. —At the north pole the 
wind can blow only from the south; it can not 
blow from but half as far across the Arctic Ocean 
as at the southern verge. The Rural said, last 
winter, that a great wave of Arctic wind rolled 
over the Western States; that wave might have 
been only half as large at the pole; indeed, it 
might have accumulated this aide of there. 
The surface is said to be twelve miles nearer 
the earth’s center at the pole than at the equa¬ 
tor. Will it not bo that nearer the earth’s cen¬ 
tral fire? From these theories, with the warm 
current from the Gulf of Mexico, aud the sun 
continually shining for four months, I am per¬ 
suaded that it is no colder at the north pole on 
the 3d of August than at the southern verge of 
the Arctic Ocean. The diameter of the Arctic 
Ocean Is 2.780 miles; half the circumference 
4,170 miles. Coasting Is more dangerous than 
open sea sailing. Does any one know of this 
route ever having tyeen tried. I would like to 
hear from those who know. 
Alonzo Hendrick. 
Tronpsbnrgh, SteisYcn Co,, N- Y. 
» -- 
Make Home an Institution ok Learn¬ 
ing.— Provide books for the center-table, and 
for the library of the family. See all the younger 
children attend the bcrt schools, and interest 
yourself in their studies. I f they have the taste 
for thorough cultivation, but not the means to 
pursue it, if possible provide for a higher educa¬ 
tion. Daniel Webster taught, at the intervals 
Of bis College course, to aid an older brother in 
the pursuit of a classical education, and a \ olurae 
of his works is dedicated to the daughters of 
that brother, who early closed a brilliant, career 
Feel that uu ignorant brother or sister will be a 
disgrace to your family, and trust not the pro 
vention of such reproach to the casual influence 
of the press, existing institutions, and the kind 
offices of strangers. If the family becomes, as 
it may be, an institution of learning, the whole 
laud will be educated. 
Some men can be influenced only by the 
cudgel. Their consciences are as tough as alli¬ 
gator's backs, aud their backs as sensitive as 
alligator’s bellies. 
tom of the case; and as each one is required, 
the one immediately in front of it is pushed 
back until the desired one i 3 reached. In the 
engraving, the door, A, is shown withdrawn, 
exposing the maps to the rod of the teacher and 
the eyes of the class. When not in use, the 
door is closed and locked, protecting the maps 
from all possible defacing* and damage, and 
Itoimis lojrifs. 
DERIVATION OE FENIAN. 
A correspondent at Newport. New York, 
asks the Rural what ’•Fenian,” or ‘‘Fenian 
Brotherhood” means. We have before us an 
article which we find in a paper called “ The 
Fenian ,” published in Chicago, which answers 
our correspondent's inquiry: 
The term “Fenian” i 3 derived from the. 
Gaelic word fvitin, whi«h is inflicted Feinne in 
the possessive case. In the Beria Tene, or anti¬ 
quated Gaelic, it is written Fiand. It was the 
name given to an order or class of professional 
soldiers, or militia, among the Pagan Irish. 
This order exist ed from the remotest times. In 
the reigns of Conn of the Hundred Battles, Art, 
the Solitary, and Corrnae of the Long Beard, 
and C’arbri of the Liffey, (A. D. 123, 234.) it 
became so powerful under its successive chief¬ 
tains Morna, Oomhal, Coll, Finn and Oscar, as 
to become dangerous to the monarchy of Tara. 
This led to a civil war, which ended iu the de¬ 
feat, of the Fiann and the death of their leader 
Oscar, sou of the famous OsslM), at the battle of 
.Gaura, in Meath, about A. D. 281. Of the chief- 
taius of the Fiann Eirenn, or Fenians of Ireland, 
the most famous and remarkable was Finn, son 
of C’omhal, known in vulgar tradition as Fiouu 
Mac Cool, who was the cotemporary of King 
Cortnac. Of him the critical Pinkerton re¬ 
marks:—” He seems to have been a man of great 
talents for the age, and of celebrity in arms. 
This formation of a regular standing army, 
trained to war, in which all Irish accounts agree, 
seems to have been a rude imitation of the Ro¬ 
man Legion in Britain. The idea, though simple 
enough, shows prudence; for such a force alone 
could have coped with the Romans had they in¬ 
vaded Ireland. But this machine, which sur¬ 
prised a rude age and seems the basis of all 
Fianns’ fame, only lived with its author and 
expired soon after him.” 
The Fiann was a species of National Guard 
amongst our ancestors. Dr. Keating speaks of 
them:—"They were nothing more than mem¬ 
bers of a body of soldiers maintained by the 
Irish Kings for the purpose of guarding their 
territories and upholding their authority. * * 
* * * The Fenians lived after the follow¬ 
ing manner:—They were quartered upon the 
people from Sarnham to Beltane, ( 1 st November 
to 1st May.) and theirduty was to uphold justice 
aud put down t y runny on the part of the kings and 
chiefs of 1 reland, and also to guard the harbors of 
their country from foreign invaders. From 
May to November they lived by hunting aud 
Ashing, and by performing the duties required 
of thorn by the kings of Ireland, preventing rob¬ 
beries, exacting dues and tributes, destroying 
public enemies and every other evil. For this 
they received a certain fixed stipend. * + * 
* * * In ordinary limes the Fiann consist¬ 
ed of three legions. Iu each legion there were 
three thousand men. This was when the men 
of Ireland were at peace. But in war, whether 
for the support of tho Dal Riada in 8 octland 
or against foreign aggression on their own soil, 
there were usually seven legions in the Fiann. 
****** 
There were four vows laid upon every Fenian. 
1 st, never to take a portion with a wife, but to 
select her for her virtues. 3 d, never to offer 
violence to a woman. 3d, never to give a refusal 
to mortal man. ith, never to flee from less 
than nine warriors,” Such is the account given 
by Irish tradition of the Fenians of Ancient 
Ireland. Previous to admission to the order 
keeping them clean and bright. Thus they are 
compactly stored in a portable case; and when 
wanted, they can be readily moved to any 
point, in front of the class or school. On the 
left, and forming a part of the case, is the 
black-board with a mathemctical problem on it. 
But the engraving tells its own story, and further 
description is unnecessary. 
they were subjected to certain gymnastic and 
other trials too long to be queted here. When 
all was gone through with they had to swear 
fealty and homage to the King of the Fiann. 
In our Celtic legends we find mention of British, 
Scottish or Albanian, and even Scandinavian 
military bodies designated Ft arm, so that it 
would appear the order was not confined to the 
Gaelic tribe. 
It is from the aforesaid Fiann Eirenn that the 
Fenian Brotherhood takes its title. It pro¬ 
poses one day to vindicate its claim to be the 
National Guard of liberated Ireland, having first 
expelled her tyrants, native and foreign, from 
her soil. 
The term Feni^i appears to belonged to 
the whole of the Gaelic red also. The bards 
say that it is one of the national names of that 
race, and is derived from a mythical progenitor 
styled Fenius Farsa, a personage whom some 
would identify with the no less mythical Phcenix 
of Grecian story. A stanza ui a very old dialect, 
of the Gaelic is cited in proof of this. It says: 
“ t'oui a Fen!us ad beria — 
Brigh gun (lochia, 
Oarabkil a Gbacahail Chios garths. 
Scoit o scot a .' 1 
which being interpreted means: 
Fenians from Fenias called 
No fore.d meaning, 
From God G1 is called Gaels, 
And Scotts from Scota 
--+-»-*■- 
GRANTS CALCULATIONS FOR RETREAT. 
AFrER the battle of Petersburg Landing and 
General Grant’s complete victory at that point, 
Gen. Buell, a thorough soldier, began criticising, 
in a friendly way, the impolicy of his having 
fought a battle with the Tennessee river behind 
his men. " Where, if beaten, could you have 
retreated, General?” asked BuelL "1 didn’t 
meau to be beaten,” was Grant's sententious 
reply. "But suppose you bail been defeated, 
despite all your exertions?’’ "Well, there 
were all the transports to carry the remains of 
thecommands across the river." “But, General,” 
urged Buell, “ Your whole transports could not 
contain even ten thousand men, and it would be 
impossible for them to make more than one trip 
iu the face of the enemy." "Well, if I had 
been beaten.” said General Grant, pausing to 
light another cigar as he spoke, ” transportation 
for ten thousand men would have been abund¬ 
ant for all that would be left of us.” This 
anecdote is eminently characteristic, the data 
for the proper appreciation of it being that 
Grant had about 70,000 men over the river. 
HOW THE SWISS LIVE. 
As much as anything, I am surprised at the 
places deemed habitable and actually inhabited. 
On the sides of mountains, on tho edges of preci¬ 
pices, upon steeps which the children of the 
plains would hesitate to climb as a feat of daring, 
are seen not single houses alone, but groups of 
them, and large neighborhoods. Indeed, half the 
I people of Switzerland seem to love to live on 
I shelves, and I suppose they crawl along perpen¬ 
dicular places by some such provision as the flies 
have; otherwise it is difficult to see how they 
ascend and descend. And how children are 
ever brought up, I can't imagine. I should 
expect four out of five, the moment they stepped 
out of the door, to fall down into some lake or 
gorge. Yet the population continues to increase 
and maintain its numbers. They are children 
of the air. They are forever surrounded by 
mountains, than which uothing is more beauti¬ 
ful and nothing more sublime, except the clouds 
that solemnly sweep their tops, and hold myste¬ 
rious communion with them.— H. \V. Beecher. 
baling tm the fJsimij. 
THE SIXPENNY CALICO. 
One day a new scholar appeared in school. 
She was gentle and modest looking, and did 
not for a moment lift her eyes from her books. 
"Who is she?” "What’s her name?” were 
the questions of the girls; but no one knew. “ I 
suspect she is not much,” said one or the girls. 
1 •‘Do you see her dress?” said I. “ Why, I 
believe it is nothing but a sixpenny calico!” 
"Poor thing, she must be cold.” “I can’t 
imagine how a person can wear calico this cold 
day,” said another, whose fine plaid was the ad¬ 
miration of the school. "I must say I like to 
see a person dressed according to the season,” re¬ 
marked another—"that is, if people can afford 
it,” she added, in a manner plainly enough mean¬ 
ing that her father could. 
None of us went to take the stranger by the 
hand, and welcome her as the companion of our 
studies and our play, We stood aloof, and stared 
at her with cold and unfeeling curiosity. The 
teacher called her Susan. When she first came to 
repeat her lesson, she took a seat beside the rich 
plaid. The plaid drew proudly away, as if the six- 
peny calico might dim the beauty of its colors. 
A slight color flushed Susan ‘3 eheek, but her 
quiet remained the same. It was some time 
before she ventured on the play-ground, and 
then it was only to stand ou one side and look 
on, for we were slow in asking her to join us. 
On one occasion we bad a harder arithmetic 
lesson thau usual, completely baffling our small 
brains. Upon comparing notes, none of us had 
mastered it. "I’ll ask Susan of her success,” 
j*id one of my class. “It is quite unlikely she 
has,” I replied:—“do stay here; besides, what 
if she has?” 
" I will go,” she answered. Away she went, 
and, as it appeared, Susan and she were the 
only members of the class ready for their lesson. 
Susan had been more successful than the rest 
of us, and kindly helped my friend to overcome 
the difficulties of the lesson. 
By-and-by I took to patronizing her. “She 
is really a very nice body, and ought to join us 
more in our plays,” we said. So we used to 
gather round her desk during school hours, and 
make her “one of us” in the play-ground. In 
fact, I began to have a sort of liking for her. 
There was something in Susan which called out 
our respect. 
One Saturday afternoon, as I was looking out 
of the window, wishing for something to do, 
my mother asked me to ioin her in a little walk. 
Dressed in my new cloak, warm furs, and hat, 
I was soon ready. My mother turned into 
a narrow street. “ Where, mother,” I asked, 
“are you going in this vulgar part of the 
town?” 
“Not vulgar, my dear,” she said. “Avery 
respectable and industrious part of our popula¬ 
tion live here.” “Not fashionable, certainly,” I 
added. 
"And not vulgar because not fashionable, 
by any means,” she said. She stopped before a 
humble-lookmg house and entered the front door 
Then, gently opening a side door, she paused 
a moment on the threshold. “ Come in,” said 
a voice from within. 
" Pray do not rise,” said my mother, going 
toward an afflicted, lady-like woman who sat in 
an arm chair. "You look better thau when I 
saw you before.” I was introduced, .and I fan¬ 
cied the invalid looked at me with a sort 
of admiring surprise, as she took my hand and 
hoped I should prove worthy of such a mother. 
Theu, while mother and she were talking, I sat 
down and took notes with my eyes of every¬ 
thing in the room. It looked beautifully neat, 
and the furniture had evidently seen better days. 
By-and-by mother asked for her daughter. 
" 8 he has gone out on some errands.” was the 
answer. " The dear child is a great blessing 
to me,” and tears filled her eyes. 
“ A mother might well be thanked for such a 
child.” I thought I should be very glad to see 
the person of whom my mothor thought so 
highly, 
"She will return soon. She has gone to carry 
some work which she has coutrived to do in 
her leisure moments. The self-sacrifice of the 
child is wonderful. A little while ago, an 
early friend who had found me out and has 
been kind to me as you have," tears came into 
the speaker’s eyes,) " sent her a handsome win¬ 
ter dress. * Oh, mother,’ [she said, * this is too 
costly for me, when you want some warm flan¬ 
nel so badly.’ ‘See, mother,’ sho said, ‘I shall 
enjoy this calico a hundred times more than the 
tinest dresses in the world, while you can hare 
your flannel.* Excuse me from telling it, but you 
know a mother’s heart There is her step; she 
is coining. ” 
The outer door opened. How l longed to see 
the coiner. “ I am sure I shall admire and 
love her,” I said to myself. The latch was 
lifted. A young girl entered: and my school¬ 
fellow Susan stood before me! I could have 
sunk to the ground for very shame. How 
wicked my pride I how false and foolish my 
judgments! Oh, how mean did my liue winter 
dress atjpear before the plain sixpenny calico. 
I was almost sure my mother had managed all 
this; for she had a way of making me see my 
faults and making me desire to cure them, with¬ 
out ever saying much directly herself. This, 
however, had not come about by her design; 
God had taught me by Iris providence. 
As we walked home, my mother gave me an 
account of Mrs. G-, who had been her 
early friend; she had lost her property and her 
husband, and had fallen into great distress. 
But that story is no matter here. I will only 
add that my judgment of people was formed 
ever after according to a truer standard than the 
dress they wore, and that Susan and I became 
intimate friends. 
