Columbus was now sure that there was land before him, and that it was inhabited. A little after midnight, the joyful sound of Land! Land! was heard from the Pinta, and the sailors, now hoping and now doubting, waited impatiently for the dawn.

As soon as morning came, all doubts and fears were dispelled. In the dim light an island lay before them, whose flat and verdant fields, well stored with wood and watered with many rivulets, presented the aspect of a delightful country. Then the sailors threw themselves at the feet of Columbus, and implored forgiveness; and from every ship arose a hymn of thanksgiving to God.

At sunrise the boats were manned, and rowed towards the island with banners flying and with warlike music. Columbus was the first to set foot on the new world which he had discovered. He landed in a rich dress, and with a drawn sword in his hand. His men followed, and, kneeling down, they all kissed the ground which they had so long desired to see.

Canary Islands.-A group of islands lying off the northwest coast of Africa, in the possession of Spain.

QUESTIONS: -1. When did Columbus start on his voyage of discovery? 2. Where are the Canary Islands? 3. What was the state of feeling among the crews? 4. What signs of approaching land were first seen? 5. What is meant by the spirit of mutiny? 6. What further proofs of approaching land were seen? 7. What was promised to the man who should first see land? 8. What is a pension? 9. Describe the landing.

THERE is hardly any animal which, for its size, is so much to be dreaded by the creatures on which it preys as the common weasel. Although its diminutive proportions render a single weasel an insignificant opponent to man or dog, yet it can wage a sharp battle even with such powerful foes, and only yields at the last necessity.

It is a terrible foe to many of the smaller rodents, such as rats and mice, and performs a really good service to the farmer by destroying many of these farm-yard pests. It follows them wherever they may be. Many farmers are in the habit of destroying the weasels, which they look upon as "vermin"; but it is now generally thought that, although the weasel must plead guilty to the crime of destroying a chicken or a duckling now and then, it may yet plead its great services in the destruction of mice as a cause of acquittal.

A lady who had taken a fancy to a weasel, and had succeeded in gaining its affections, wrote a most charming account of the habits of the little creature which she had taken under her protection. She writes as follows:

'If I pour some milk into my hand it will drink a good deal, but if I do not pay it this compliment it will scarcely take a drop. When satisfied, it generally goes to sleep. My chamber is the place of its residence; and I have found a method of dispelling its strong smell by perfumes. By day, it sleeps in a quilt, into which it gets by an unsewn place which it has discovered on the edge; during the night, it is kept in a wired box or cage, which it always enters with reluctance, and leaves with pleasure. If it be set at liberty before my time of rising, after a thousand little playful tricks, it gets into my bed, and goes to

sleep on my hand or on my bosom. If I am up first, it spends a full half-hour in caressing me; playing with my fingers like a little dog, jumping on my head and on my neck, and running round on my arms and body with a lightness and elegance which I have never found in any other animal. If I present my hands at the distance of three feet, it jumps into them without ever missing. It exhibits great address and cunning to compass its ends, and seems to disobey certain prohibitions merely through caprice.

"During all its actions it seems solicitous to divert and to be noticed; looking at every jump and at every turn to see whether it be observed or not. If no notice be taken of its gambols, it ceases them immediately, and betakes itself to sleep, and even when awakened from the soundest sleep it instantly resumes its gaiety, and frolics about in as sprightly a manner as before. It never shows any ill-humour, unless when confined, or teased too much; in which case it expresses its displeasure by a sort of murmur, very different from that which it utters when pleased.

'In the midst of twenty people this little animal distinguishes my voice, seeks me out, and springs over everybody to come at me. His play with me is the most lively and caressing imaginable. With his two little paws he pats me on the chin, with an air and manner expressive of delight. This, and a thousand other preferences, show that his

attachment to me is real. When he sees me dressed for going out, he will not leave me, and it is not without some trouble that I can disengage myself from him; he then hides himself behind a cabinet near the door, and jumps upon me as I pass with so much celerity that I often can scarcely perceive him.

He seems to resemble a squirrel in vivacity, agility, voice, and his manner of murmuring. During the summer he squeaks and runs about the house all the night long; but since the commencement of the cold weather I have not observed this. Sometimes when the sun shines while he is playing on the bed, he turns and tumbles about, and murmurs for a while.

"From his delight in drinking milk out of my hand, into which I pour a very little at a time, and his custom of sipping the little drops and edges of the fluid, it seems probable that he drinks dew in the same manner. He seldom drinks water, and then only for want of milk, and with great caution, seeming only to refresh his tongue once or twice, and even to be afraid of that fluid. During the hot weather it rained a good deal; I presented to him some rain-water in a dish, and endeavoured to make him go into it, but could not succeed. I then wetted a piece of linen cloth in it, and put it near him, and he rolled upon it with extreme delight.

"One singularity in this charming animal is his