Of 
LETTERS FROM CALIFORNIA. 
New Series. - Number One. 
The State Fair—Great Gathering of People — City of Sacra¬ 
mento, and the Sight*—The World represented—Agricultural 
Horse-Races—Exhibition of Camels — Political Display', 
Fireworks, etc., etc. 
Sacramkxto, Oct. 10, 1S60. 
The State Fair came off in this city for 18(30. It 
was of eleven days' continuance! The great occasion 
attracted thither thousands of all classes. The city 
was too narrow for all the sleepers, hot with warm 
nights, and a queenly moon, a blanket, and six feet 
by two of earth, afforded tolerable quarters for hun¬ 
dreds, accustomed to the rough and tumble ot pio¬ 
neer life. This was my first visit to this city, the 
second in size in California. Ten or twelve years since 
it was the hunting ground of the “Digger" Indians. 
Here, at that time, Capt. Sutter had erected an 
adobe fort, the ruins of which still attract visitors, 
and also a quay on the river; and It became a kind of 
general head-quarters for emigrants coming to the 
country, and a rallying point for the minors after the 
discovery of gold. Now It is a city of 15,(M)0 inhabi¬ 
tants, with several streets more than a mile in length, 
thickly built up, and commanding a large and flour¬ 
ishing trade! 
I am not going to tell your readers much about the 
stock, and fruit, and mechanical inventions, all of 
which far surpassed in extent and merit my expecta¬ 
tions; but something of “ Life Illustrated,’ lile in 
its wildest, gayest, merriest moods, as it appears in 
California. 
The occasion was made one grand holiday for 
everybody. At every corner, “ Brother Jonathan " 
was ready with every ingenious device to satch an 
honest “bitt.” There were showmen and show- 
women, who, for two “ hilts," wonld treat, you to a 
sight of real mermaids, and sword-fish, and electric 
cels, and tropical snakos, and American lions, and 
oriental monkeys, that could sit in a chair and use 
knife and fork, and sip water from a tumbler, and 
wipe their lingers (paws) upon a napkin, with all tho 
grace of a dandy, or a disciple of Lord Oiiestkr- 
FiEi.n. There were views through telescopes, micro¬ 
scopes, kclcidescopes, horoscopes, and some other 
scopes. There were games of chance under a large 
canvas tent, near the entrance to the stock grounds, 
where any fool could get a chance to lose what he 
staked. The games were various, and, together with 
tho stacks of gold piled on the tables, and tho music 
that was perpetrated on the viol and banjo in tho rear 
of the tent, it was not difficult to create an excite¬ 
ment, and scores would venture up, stake a week or 
a month’s earnings on a throw of dice upon a doubt¬ 
ful game of painted pasteboard. 
By in O’clock A. M.. tho streets wonld bo overflow 
ing with men, women, and children, all looking neat 
and tidy, and bent on having a “good time." There 
were musicians of all sorts,— harps, and horns, and 
hand-organs with monkeys, and monkeys without 
hand-organs, women with violins, and boys with 
accordeons, rent the air distractedly with their inBtru 
merits and their voices. There were dancers in 
strange costumes, and pretty Spanish girls with 
peaches, threo for two bitts, or jewelry to ho railed 
for,—there were Italians with bagpipes pirouetting 
through the streets with troops of hoys following 
thorn; and “Johns” (Chinese) with shaved heads 
and long cue* dangling behind, toppling in wooden 
shoes, with trowsers of blue, largo enough to take in 
a whole family of Celestials; there were dancing 
dogs and jugglers performing remarkable feats, with 
plates and hoops, and brass rings, which they would 
throw Into the air and catch upon a false nose like 
the horn of a rhinoceros,—there wijs a circus of 
wooden horses, and for one “bitt" you could mount 
those wooden steeds and prance round the course, 
outrivaling the style of John (In, tin, and corning 
out of it with far less kicks and scratches,— there 
were chariot races, where dashing women, arrayed in 
Roman costume, standing erect in Roman chariots, 
drove two horses each, around a mile course, for a 
purse, of $1,500, and there were present some 11,000 peo¬ 
ple notto mention the thousand dogs—to look on, and 
witness the strife between those bold and daring speci¬ 
mens of tho gentler sex! There were races between 
footmen, and races between equestrians, and the conta¬ 
gious spirit caught men and boys, and fired with the 
fast spirit (and quite likely some other spirits,) they 
would ride galloping through the streets, as though 
the fate of the nation depended on them. 
One day we sat, in our window until late in the 
morning, noticing the various nations represented on 
the street. Jews, Christiana, Hermans, Irish, Celes¬ 
tials, Africans, Hawaiians, Mexicans, Diggers, and 
Yankees, all in hot haste to the great reservoir of 
human life, —the mammoth tent on the stock ground. 
We finally joined the throng pouring into the mael¬ 
strom, and soon found ourselves iuslde the Pavilion, 
where we stood so close together that we resembled 
the straws iu a field of grain, head coupled with head. 
A sudden movement in the crowd would sway us to 
and fro, like a gust of wind, and then the feathers 
and ribbons would flutter like the poppies and wild 
flowers in a wheat field. The center was devoted to 
gymnastic exercises. The Society had offered a prize 
of $50 to the best gymnast. This called out remarkable 
feats of strength and agility. They were dressed in 
white, yellow, and flesh-colored tights, and looked as 
supple as so many eels. The funny fellows would reach 
up and take hold of ahorizontal pole, suspended at each 
end by long ropes, and pass their bodies first over and 
then under, and then over and next under, for eight 
or ten times in succession, with such rapidity, that 
they looked more like carriage wheels in rapid 
motion, than like persons! One fellow suspended 
himself from a similar rod twenty feet from the 
ground, by hooking his feet over the pole, then with 
his head down he hung a hoop on his under jaw, and 
another fellow placing tho hoop under his chin, sus¬ 
pended his whole weight to the first, whose feet, still 
hooked over the rod, held up both! Another took 
hold of two pins in an upright post, placed his head 
against the post and threw his body and logs out at 
right angles with the timber. Here he not only sup¬ 
ported his own weight, but allowed another person 
weighing 175 pounds to stand upon his ribs for some 
moments! 
These and numerous other feats entertained the 
crowd for two hours, when the band struck up a 
Stirring air, and all came down from their seats, and 
joining those on the ground, took up their line of 
march to dinner. “Sambo" was there, of course, 
discoursing crack music on tho streets, with his hone 
fiddle; the learned pony, and talking birds, and for¬ 
tune tellers, too, were there, who could hill you whom 
you loved, and who loved you, and there were sham 
battles acted, at which, after prodigious feats of arms, 
tremendous peals of musketry, and much waste of 
gun-powder, with beating of drums and waving of 
banners, the Americans always remained masters of 
the field. The curtain fell, and we proceeded to see 
the Arabian Giant, who is 23 years of age, seven feet 
six inches in height, and weighs 442 pounds. He is of 
the finest physical proportions, not corpulent, a Jew, 
and is very communicative and agreeable. With our 
height of six feet, we could stand under his arms, and 
failed to stretch tho crown of our head up to his chin, 
by several inches. Ho is a lusty looking chap — a 
tine specimen of the genus homo. 
,SIGHTS THAT PLEASE THE MILLION. 
We flowed onward with the tide, ftaased many 
shows, stopped where fancy took us, and moving 
onward its inclination prompted. We visited the 
circuses and laughed at the clown—saw tho fat 
woman, and tho woman with a heard, and the small 
boy with whiskers and moustache, and men climbing 
greased poles with prizes on top, and we laughed to 
see the cunning fellows take ashes out of their pockets 
and rub the solos of their feet. AVe visited the open 
air theaters and saw wizards, monntebanks, horse 
tamers, and wife tamers. Punch was there full ot 
glee, and only Baknum and Tom Thumb were lacking 
t.o make it complete. But the camels—belonging to 
somebody —I cannot omit. There were 12 or 13 of 
them in number, brought from the Amoor River, and 
designed to be propagated and used as pack trains in 
carrying supples to the mountains. They have not 
all recovered from thoir long sea voyage, and some of 
them are quite thin in flesh. Humps are coupled 
with high condition. A poor camel has scarcely any 
humps. A fat one has large, full humps. They 
were objects of attraction, and thousands visited these 
exotics at all hours of the day. From those we 
passed on and jostled our way along through a hum 
of human life, like the far-off sound of the sea, and 
through much edging, and pressing, and pulling, and 
persuasion, wo made our way from place to place 
until night came, and the city blazed forth like an 
eastern bride bedecked with jewels. 
THE PROCESSION AN1) FTHE - WORKS . 
The grand feature of the evening was a torch light 
procession of the Republicans, accompanied with 
speeches and llre-works. Never havo 1 seen a longer 
procession, or a richer display of transparencies and 
banners. One wagon, drawn by sixteen oxen, had 
on one end a gang of stalwart men splitting rails and 
getting out ties for a Pacific Railroad, and on the 
other a blacksmith shop iu lull blast, making rails 
and spikes. Another wagon, drawn by several hand¬ 
some steeds, had it printing press in foil operation. 
The enthusiasm was intense. From every direction, 
—from tower and dome, from housetop, roof, balcony, 
and window —tho lights flashed out, presenting a 
scene of enchantment surpassing anything of which 
I had dreamed. It was an occasion written in light. 
As we walkod down Main street toward the point of 
gathering, where stern men were to address the 
thousands of citizens and strangers, we gave our¬ 
selves up to the current, and floated with the great 
human river (for it was like nothing else,) which 
rolled undisturbed through tho streets. The evening 
was fine, still airs were gently murmuring a requiem 
to the departed day, and woman was there in all her 
loveliness to add lustre to the occasion. The speak¬ 
ing was <>f a high order, characterized by humor, 
logic, poetic allusion, and most persuasive eloquence 
Rut the center of the lesser glories was in the llre-works. 
I never saw anything half so radiant before. It was 
ike a grand fairy palace built of gems and gold. 
The streets were hung with globe lamps of blue, and 
green, and red, gleaming like jewels! As 1 looked 
over the place und saw the thousands of spectators 
who, silent and absorbed with tho scene, hardly 
uttered a word, and saw everywhere around us this 
excessive, unnatural iight, filling all the air, it pro¬ 
duced an impression I shall never forget,—-a sort of 
semi-joyous eestaey like that which I have sometimes 
felt in dreams, as if I might, suddenly awake and find 
it all an illusion. But tho lire works. We saw the 
sky rent with fiery darts, and great showers of red, 
white, ami bine, came raining down upon the earth, 
and boquots of flowers, and sheaves of golden grain, 
entwined with flowers, and silver stars blazed up 
high in the heavens, putting out all the stars of Na¬ 
ture, and proclaiming to thousand of eyes, the peace, 
prosperity, and glory of a country, whose rich inheri 
tance is unsullied Freedom. It Was a sight such as I 
never expect to see again; and so, tired, and yet 
entertained, 1 reluctantly wended my weary way 
hotel ward, and gave myself to the embrace of sooth¬ 
ing sleep. • a- B - Jt - 
'JgM 
from the granite quarries of New England. Ten years 
were consumed in its completion, at a cost ol half 
a million of dollars. 
The fortification is of a pentagonal form, built of 
solid brick masonry. The walls are fifty feet in 
height, and from eight to ten feet in thickness, and 
pierced for three tiers of guns, besides having neces¬ 
sary loopholes for musketry, and designed for an ar¬ 
mament of one hundred and forty pieces ol ordnance 
of all calibres. Two tiers of the guns are under bomb 
proof case-mutes, and the third or upper tier open, or, 
in military parlance, m barbette - the lower tier for 
forty-two pounder Paixhau guns, the second tier for 
eight and ten inch Columbiads, for throwing solid or 
hollow shot, and the upper tier for mortars and twenty- 
four pound guns. The full armament of the fort, 
however, had not arrived there when Major Anderson 
took possession, and it is fair, therefore, to suppose 
that all the. available ordnance will be distributed 
throughout as judiciously as possible, it is thought 
that with the present armament of the Fort the guns 
would be capable of throwing six thousands pounds 
of shot at each discharge. 
In a defensive or strategical point of view. Fort 
Sumter radiates its lire through all the channels from 
the sea approach to Charleston, anil has a full sweep 
of range in its rear, or city side, ample to repel any 
attack from that quarter. The Fort Is sufficiently out 
of range from a land artillery attack, so that all ap¬ 
prehensions for broaching it may he put at rest. I he 
maximum range of tho guus iroin Sumter vs throe 
miles. 
I’his Fort is the strongest Fort of its size in the 
world, and could only bo taken by starving out the 
garrison. It is conceded that it would require a con¬ 
tinuous bombardment of six months with guns of the 
heaviest metal to destroy Fort Sumter, and then it 
could only he done, if at all, by chipping off the ma¬ 
sonry piece by piece, ibis l-ort commands tho en¬ 
tire city and harbor of Charleston, as well as l* ort 
Moultrie itself. It can only be entered by an enemy 
by tho embrasures, which an attacking force must 
crawl through, one at a time, and hence two men at 
one of these could defend it against five hundred. 
The fort at tho present time has officers’ quarters 
and barracks for seven hundred men, its regular war 
garrison. There is an ample supply of shot, powder 
and shells, for one year’s siege, and a large amount of 
miscellaneous artillery stores. The garrison is amply 
supplied'with water from artificial wcMs. Tho tort is 
now under the command of Major Robert Anderson, 
of Kentucky. The present force, recapitulated, is as 
follows: 
Officers. 
Hand_ 
Artillerists . 
Laborers... 
. 0 
. 15 
65 
.170 
Total 
.249 
CHARLESTON AND ITS DEFENCES. 
FORT MOULTRIE. 
Fort Moultrie is an inclosed water battery, having 
a front on the smith, or water side, o f about 300 feet, 
and ft depth of about 210 feet. It is built,with salient 
and re-entering angles on all sides, and is admirably 
adapted for defence, either from the attack of n storm¬ 
ing party, or by regular approaches, , Below we give 
a rough diagram of tho lino of fortifications: 
Major Anderson was born in Kentucky, in Septem¬ 
ber, 1805. In personal appearance ho is abont five 
feet nine inches in height; his figure well set and 
soldierly; his hair thin and turning to iron gray; his 
complexion swarthy; his cyo dark and intelligent; 
his nose prominent and well formed. A stranger 
would read in his air and appearance determination 
and an exaction of what was due to him, yet he is 
always agreeable and gentlemanly, firm and dignified, 
On the first day of July, 1821, he entered the military 
academy at West Point, whence he graduated July 1, 
1825, taking a high position in a largo class. His 
first commission was that of brevet Second Lieutenant 
of the second artillery July 1, 1825, and he was sub¬ 
sequently promoted Second Lieutenant in the Third 
regiment, dating from tlve same day. From May to 
October, 18,32, he was acting Inspector General of the 
Illinois Volunteers, in the Black llawk War. In June, 
1833, he was promoted First Lieutenant, and between 
1835 und ls;;7 was Assistant Instructor and Inspector 
at the United States Military Academy. In 1838 he 
became Aid-de-camp to Major General Scott, and in 
the following year published “instructions for Field 
Artillery, Horse and Foot, arranged for the service of 
the United States," which has been highly approved. 
For gallantry and successful conduct in the war 
against the Florida Indians, ho received the brevet of 
Captain, hearing date April 2, 1838. July 7, 1838, he 
became Assistant Adjutant General, with the rank of 
Captain, which he relinquished subsequently on his 
being promoted to a captaincy iu his regiment, Oct. 
1841. 
In March, 1847, he was with the Third regiment of 
artillery in the array of Gen. Scott, and took a part in 
the Vera Cruz siege—being one of the officers en¬ 
trusted, by Gen. Bankhead, witli the command of the 
batteries. This duty he performed witli signal skill 
and gallantry, and he continued with the army until 
its triumphal entry into the city of Mexico, in Septem¬ 
ber following. During tho operations in the valley of 
Mexico, he was attached to the brigade of General 
Garland, which formed part of General Worth’s 
division. Iu the attack on El Molino del Roy, on tho 
Htli of September, where lie was wounded very severely, 
his conduct was the theme of especial praise. Cap¬ 
tain Burke, hisimmediatccommander, iu his despatch 
of September !), says “Captain Robert Anderson, 
(acting field officer,) behaved with great heroism on 
this occasion. Even after rccoiviug a severe and 
painful wound, he continued at the head of the column, 
regardless of pain and self-preservation, and setting a 
handsome example to his men, of coolness, energy 
and courage." General Garland speaks of him as 
being, with “some few others, the very first to enter 
the strong position of El Molino.” In addition to 
this testimony to his hearing on that occasiun, we 
have that of General Worth, who particularly directed 
the attention of the Commander-in-Chief to the part 
he had taken in the action, “ For gallant ami meri¬ 
torious conduct in the battle of Molino del Roy’" he 
was promoted to the brevet rank of Major, dating 
from September 8, 1847. October 5, 1857, he was pro¬ 
moted to the position of Major of the First artillery, 
which he now holds. 
This is certainly a good record for a soldier. The 
last service of Major Anderson, previous to his taking 
command of Fort Moultrie, was as a member of tho 
commission appointed by Congress to inquire into the 
manner of instruction at the West Point Military 
Academy. The labors of that commission have al¬ 
ready been laid before Congress. 
•V • • + 
HISTORY OF NULLIFICATION. 
LACE 
Nothing is more captivating to the inquiring, 
youthful mind than the investigation of tho wonders 
and curiosities of the vegetable world, Elms, in his 
work on Madagascar, describes a very curious plant, 
growing on the island, with a leaf like lace or lattice 
work. Its botanical name is Ovvirandra fenestralis 
Mr. E. thus describes it: 
DIAGRAM OK FORT MOULTRIE. 
A. Bate. B. Now abutment, com man ding the approach to 
the gate C. (’ Old sally-ports, now ringed up witli masonry. 
I). Portion Of the moat already finished. F F Newly erected 
baationettes, commanding the mout. F Furnace for pre-par 
ing hot shut ll Powder magazine. 
The outer and Inner walls are of brick, capped with 
stone, and filled in witli earth, making a solid wall 14 
or Hi feet in thickness, The work Lately Ip progress 
consisted iu clearing the .-and from the walls of the 
fort; ditching it around tho entire circumference, and 
erecting a glacis; closing up tire postern gates in tho 
east and west walls, and, instead, cutting sally-ports, 
which lead into strong outworks on the south east and 
south-west angles, in which Were 12-pounder howitzer 
guns, enabling the garrison to sweep the ditch on 
three aides with grape and canister. Tho north-west 
angle of the fort has also been strengthened by a bas- 
tionette, to sustain the weight of a heavy gun which 
will command the main street of the island. The 
main entrance has been better secured, and a trap¬ 
door, two feet square, cut in the door, for ingress and 
There have been ten special attempts to defy the 
authority of the Federal Government sinco its forma 
tion. 
Tho first was in 1782, and was a conspiracy of somo 
of the officers of tho Federal army to consolidate the 
thirteen States into one, and confer tho supreme 
power ou Washington. 
The 2d was in 1787, called “Shay’s Insurrection,” 
in Massachusetts. 
The 3d was in 1794, popularly called “the Whisky 
Insurrection of Penn.” 
The 4th was in 1»L4, by the Hartford Convention of 
Federalists. 
The 5th, on which occasion the different sections of 
tho Union came into collision, was in 1820, under the 
administration of President Monroe, and occurred on 
tho question of the admission of Missouri into the 
Union. 
The 6th was a collision between the Legislature Of 
Georgia aud the Federal Government, in regard to 
certain lands given by the latter to tho Creek Indians, 
Tho 7th was in 1820, witli tho Cherokees in Georgia 
The Hth was the memorable Nullifying Ordinance 
of South Carolina in 1832. 
The 9th was in 1842, and occurred in Rhode island 
between tho “Suffrage Association” and tho State 
authorities. 
The lOtti was in 1856, on the part of the Mormons, 
who resisted the Federal authority. 
- , - 
GOD’S PLAN IN GEOGRAPHY. 
Thu physical geographer now claims that the par¬ 
ticular arrangement of seas, continents, mountains, 
and rivers, which the earth lias received, is the very 
best that could be given for tho purposes to which tiie 
egress. The height of the wall from the bottom of the earth is destined. As the divine wisdom is man 
CHARLESTON HARBOR. 
At this time, when one of the sister States forming 
our great family Union, has determined to leave the 
family mansion in a “huff,” and carry oil'with her 
| not only her own proper baggage, hut all the family 
furniture and fixings that she may consider necessary 
to set up house-keeping on her own account, a little 
information in regard to her temper and behavior, 
tiie family property that she would like to possess, 
we know will he interesting to our readers. We 
therefore take pleasure in presenting a map of tiie 
harbor and fortifications of Charleston; and such 
facts as will give a proper understanding of the 
present position of tilings ill Kouth Carolina, will 
be found recorded in our News Department, as they 
transpire. 
FORT SUMTER. 
Fort Sumter is one of the most powerful military 
works in tiie United States. It is builton an artificial 
island, immediately within the month of Charleston 
Bay, between Fort Moultrie and the site of old Fort 
Johnson, of Revolutionary memory, ami equi-distant 
from those points about throe-fourths of one mile. 
The ship channel leading from the sea to the city of 
Charleston is between Forts Sumter and Moultrie, and 
is entirely commanded within half range by them. 
Between Forts Sumter and Johnson tiie water is very 
shallow, oiiiy available for vessels of very light draft, 
and then only at high water. The artificial island on 
which Fort Sumter is built is constructed of the refuse 
ditch to tiie top of the parapet is 20 feet. The ditch 
is from 12 to 15 foot wide at the base and 15 feet deep. 
The nature of the soil would not seem to admit of this 
depth being increased, quicksand having been reached 
in many places. The work on the south side is nearly 
finished. The counterscarp is substantially built with 
plank, and spread witli turf. The glacis is also 
finished, it is composed of sand, and covered with 
layers of loam and turf, all of which is kept firmly in 
place by the addition of the sections of plank nailed 
to uprights sunk in the sand, and crossing cadi other 
at right angles—making squares of 10 feet each. The 
purpose of the glacis, which is an inclined plane, is 
to expose an attacking party to the fire of the guns, 
which are so placed as to sweep it from the crest, of 
the counterscarp to the edge of the beach. 
CASTLE PINCKNEY. 
Castle Pinckney is located on the southern extrem¬ 
ity of a narrow slip of marsh land, which extends in 
a northerly direction to Hog Island channel. To 
the harbor side the so-called castle presents a circular 
front. It has never been considered of much conse¬ 
quence as a fortress, although its proximity to the 
city would give it importance, if properly armed and 
garrisoned. There are about fifteen guns mounted on 
the parapet; tiie majority are eighteen and twenty- 
four pounders. Some “Columbiads” are, however, 
within tiie walls. There are also supplies of powder, 
shut and shell. 
In connection with the foregoing, a brief sketch of 
Major Robert Anderson, whose name haw almost 
become a household word in consequence of the po¬ 
sition assumed by him at these forts, the details of 
which have been given in recent issues of the Rural, 
will doubtless prove interesting. 
tested in the order aud adaptation of the parts of the 
human body, of animals and of plants, so there is an 
object iu tiie particular shape the continents have 
been made to assume. Everything works in harmony 
with a divine plan, which we claim to be beginning 
Id comprehend. 
Change the position of Asia and Europe, and you 
would have ruin and death. Ireland, now always 
green, would have the climate of Labrador. Com 
pare the British isles, Norway and Sweden, with the 
corresponding latitudes upon our own coasts, und we 
see the dreadful consequences. Take away tiie An¬ 
des, which arrest the rain-clouds, and South America, 
that most wonderfully watered continent, would he a 
desert. Take away the Rocky Mountain*, or change 
their direction to east and west, and wo havo our own 
fertile country ruined. Elevate our southern coast so 
as to change the direction of the Mississippi, aud 
what mischief would ensue! 
There is literally a face to nature, as there is a face 
to man. As wo have our circulation of the blood, so 
there is the circulation of the earth’s great heart of 
fire, the circulation of the waters aud the ventilation 
of the air. Wo have yet to consider these varied 
shades of nature in their relations to each other, and 
to man and animal life. But we are not to stop here. 
Tho physical geographer claims tllftt the influences 
bearing upon the Intellect, of man can he explained 
by the peculiar arrangement of the earth’s surface. 
We know that civilization has marched from east to 
west, from Asia to Europe, and even across tiie Atlan¬ 
tic to the new world —growing and expanding in its 
course. We can see what has been developed in 
Asia and in Europe, and way predict something for 
America.— Prof. Doremus. 
The Ouvirandra is not only a rare and curious, 
but a singularly beautiful plant, both in structure and 
color. From the several crowns of tiie branching 
root, growing often a footer more deep in tho water, 
a number of graceful leaves, nine or ton inches long, 
and two or three inches wide, spread out horizon¬ 
tally just beneath the surface of the water. Ihe 
flower-stalks rise from tho ecu Ire of the leaves, 
and the branching or forked flower is curious; hut 
tho structure of tiie leaf is peculiarly so, and seems 
like a living fibrous skeleton rather than an entire 
leaf. The longitudinal fibres extend incurved lines 
along Its entire length, and are united by threadlike 
fibres or veins crossing them at right angles from 
side to side, at a short distance from each other. 
The whole leaf looks ns if composed of fine tendrils, 
wrought after a most regular pattern, so as to resem¬ 
ble a piece of bright green lace or open nceddlework. 
Each leaf rises from the crown on the root like a 
short, delicate-looking, pale green or yellow fibre, 
unfolding its feathery-looking sides, and increasing 
its size as it spreads beneath tiie water. I lie leaves 
iu their several stages of growth pass through almost 
every gradation of color, from a pale yellow to a 
dark olive green, becoming brown or even black 
before they finally decay; air-bubbles of considerable 
size frequently appearing under the full formed and 
healthy loaves. 
It is scarcely possible to imagine any object of tiie 
kind more attractive and heautilul than a lull giown 
specimen of this plant, with its dark green leaves 
forming the limit of a circle two or three feet in 
diameter, aud in tho transparent water within that 
circle presenting leaves in every stage of develop¬ 
ment, both as to color and size. Nor is it the least 
curious to notice that these slender and t'ragilo struc¬ 
tures, apparently not more substantial than tiie gos¬ 
samer, and flexible as a feather, still possess a 
tenacity and wiriness which allow the delicate leaf 
to bo raised by the hand to the surface of the water 
without injury.” 
On a late visit to Philadelphia, we learned that ono 
of these plants had been procured by Jambs Dundas, 
Esq., of that city, and was then growing in tho tank 
of his fine Victoria house. With an old friend, 
formerly of this city, we made a visit to the beautiful 
residence of Mr. D., where, although in tho centre 
of a populous city, vve found a widl kept garden, 
with lawn, walks, fountain, and a magnificent plant 
hofise — altogether a most complete establishment. 
Our friend gave us an introduction to the gardener, 
Mr. Pollock, whom we found to he a very intelli¬ 
gent and polite gentleman, willing to take a great 
deal of trouble for our gratification, and ready to 
afford us all necessary information. Any one coaid 
see by the sparkle of his eye how well he loved his 
plants and flowers. We took out our pencil and 
made a few notes and a drawing of a leaf, whieli we 
now present to our young readers. At first wo 
thought our drawing rather Imperfect for an engrav¬ 
ing; hut having observed in the Gardener's Monthly 
an engraving somewhat like our own, we concluded 
to place our drawing in the hands of our engraver. 
The description of Mr. Ellis is exceedingly full and 
interesting. 
♦ * • ♦ 
How to find Success. — “ That you may find suc¬ 
cess,” said Rev. Charles Brooks, in an address to 
hoys, “let me tell you how to proceed: — To night 
begin your great plan of life. You have but one life 
to live, and it 1 m measurably important that you do 
not make a mistake. To-night begin carefully. Fix 
your eye on the fortieth year of your age, and then 
say to yourself; At the age of forty I will be a tem¬ 
perate man; I will he an industrious man; an eco¬ 
nomical man; a benevolent man; a well-read man; a 
| religious man, and a useful man — I will be such an 
one; I resolve, and I will stand to it. My young 
friends, let this resolution he us firm as adamantine; 
let it stand like the oak which cannot he wind- 
shaken.” 
--4- I ♦ - -*-— 
Dissimulation. —Dissimulation in youth is tho 
forerunner of perfidy in age; its appearance is the 
fatal omen of growing depravity and future shame. 
It degrades parts and learning, obscures the lustre of 
every accomplishment, and sinks us into contempt. 
After the first departure from sincerity, it is not in 
our power to stop; one artifice unavoidably leads 
to another, tilt, as the intricacy of the labyrinth 
increases, we are left entangled in our snare. 
When you dispute witli a fool, he is very certain to 
he similarly employed. 
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