of a life without control, spent in the midst of thick forests and everlasting verdure. Respectful, without being servile, in conversation they use an abrupt and violent tone of voice, which strongly contrasts with their habitual gentleness and modesty. They have strong liquors, and get intoxicated whenever they have an opportunity.

It is honorable to the zeal of the Catholic priests that they have a missionary, who, notwithstanding the low rank of these people in the scale of humanity, the wide territory over which they are scattered, and the thick forests which it is necessary to penetrate to reach them, and the absence of all roads, while ferocious wild beasts are thick at every step, is laboring among them, and makes his home with them.

Such are the people in whom originated the idea and the stories about the Ourang-Outang" the man of the forests."

MERCANTILE MISCELLANIES.

ORIGIN OF PAPER MONEY.

One of the primitive forms of symbolic currency in use among the Indians of North America was called "Wampum." It is thus described by ROGER WILLIAMS, of Salem, one of the earliest colonists :

"It is of two sorts; one white, which is made of the stem or stalk of the periwinkle, when all the shell is broken off; and of this, six small beads, which are made with holes to string bracelets, are current with the English for one penny. The second is black, inclined to blue, and is made of the shell of a fish which some English call Hens "--poquahock-and of this sort three are equal to one penny; and one fathom of stringed wampum is worth five shillings."

Wampum was introduced into Massachusetts in the year 1628, from Manhades, now known as New York, and it appears from the description given of it by Governor BRADFORD, of Massachusetts, to have enriched the tribes by whom it was invented and manufactured, and to have greatly benefited the colonists, as it enabled both to get rid of the inconveniences of barter, which are among us perpetuated in the vulgar use of bits of bullion. Governor BRADFORD thus writes of symbolic wampum :

"That which in time turns most to our advantage, is their now acquainting and entering us into the trade of wampum, by which and provisions we quite cut off the trade both from the fishermen and straggling plauters. And strange it is to see the great alteration it, in a few years, makes among the savages, for the Massachusetts and others in these parts had scarce any, it being only made and kept among the Pequots and Narragansetts, who grew rich and potent by it, whereas the rest who use it not are poor and beggarly."

In 1763, when Pontiac, the powerful chief of the whole Northwest of American Continent, made war against the English, he issued representative money, in in the form of bills of credit or promises to pay, in hieroglyphics of his own invention, with the figure of an otter, his arms being beneath. This is affirmed in a scarce work, published in London in 1765, called “A concise account of North America, by Major ROBERT ROGERS." The Major visited Pontiac, after peace

was ratified, in the course of his travels through the country, and saw that currency. He observes that the whole emission was duly redeemed.

The following account of the first issue of paper money in Europe, is taken from WASHINGTON IRVING'S Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada :—

"After the city of Alhambra was taken from the Moors, the veteran Count DE TENDILLA was left governor, and we were informed that this Catholic cavalier at one time was destitute of gold and silver wherewith to pay the wages of his troops; and the soldiers murmured greatly, seeing that they had not the means of purchasing necessaries from the people of the towns. In this dilemma what does this most sagacious commander? He takes him a number of little morsels of paper, on which he inscribes various sums, large and small, according to the Dature of the case, and signs them with his own hand and name. These did he give to the soldiery in earnest of their pay. How! you will say, are soldiers to be paid with scraps of paper? Even so, I answer, and well paid too, as I will presently make manifest; for the good count issued a proclamation ordering the inhabitants of Alhambra to take these morsels of paper for the full amount thereon inscribed. promising to redeem them at a future time with silver and gold, and threatening severe punishment to all who should refuse. The people having full confidence in his words, and trusting that he would be as willing to perform the one promise, as he certainly was able to perform the other, took those curious morsels of paper without hesitation or demur. Thus by a subtle and most mysterious kind of alchemy did this Catholic cavalier turn useless paper into precious gold, and make his impoverished garrison abound in money. It is but just to add that the Count of Tendilla redeemed his promise like a loyal knight; and this miracle, as it appeared in the eyes of ANTONIO AGREPIEDA, 18 the first instance on record in Europe of paper money, which has since inundated the civilized world with unbounded opulence."

UNTANNED LEATHER.

The variety of leather known as "Hungarian leather," at present used chiefly for harness and other similar purposes, is not prepared by tanning, but by impregnating the hide with alum, common salt, and oil. It differs essentially from that which is tanned and curried; for tanned leather consists, as is well known, not of the gelatine of which the hide is composed, joined with the tannin in mechanical union, but of a third substance, tanno-gelatine, as distinct from both as water or air are distinct from the gases of which they are respectively composed. The Hungarian leather, on the contrary, consists of the original fibrous tissue of the hides dried, contracted, and slightly changed in nature, but not converted into true leather. Another difference between the Hungarian and ordinary leather consists in the fact that the skins prepared by the first method lose, on an average, one-half of their original weight. This kind of leather can be prepared for market in three weeks in summer, and in about double that time in winter. The leather may be made at all seasons of the year, since the injurious effects of temperature can easily be counteracted.

DIFFICULTIES AND DANGERS OF BANK OFFICERS.

We commend the following remarks from a cotemporary to those young men who are seeking situations in banking institutions :-In our cities and business towns there are no situations so eagerly sought after by young men who think they have any qualifications for such places as employment in our banking institutions. Young men argue that as bank officers are apparently employed but

five or six hours per day, they must necessarily have an easy time of it; and when they hear of salaries ranging from six hundred to fifteen hundred dollars, and once in a while up to two thousand dollars per annum, they fancy that if they could get such a place they would be completely satisfied.

Those who think thus, judge very superficially. They look only at the surface of things. It is true that the number of hours per day in which bank officers are engaged is less than that of most other occupations, and fortunate is it that it is so, or those officers would entirely break down under their combined labor and responsibility. The responsibility that accrues to a bank officer from his position is the element which secures him a large salary, as it should. Take a teller's position for instance. He is counting money unintermittingly five or six hours per day. His faculties must all the time be on the stretch or otherwise he will take counterfeit money, or pay out more money than the check which is presented for payment bears upon its face. After the business of the day is over he must balance his cash. Half the time it is wrong, and then comes a hunt which sometimes extends into the next day before the error is found. Meanwhile the teller goes home-to sleep-nay, to dream of losses of money, loss of his situa tion, responsibility of his bondsmen, and, perhaps, loss of character, and all for no fault of his own.

Such a state of mind—the inseparable companion of all bank officers in the commencement of their banking life, is but ill paid for by any amount of money, and if the officer is of sensitive organization, he generally grows the more sensitive the longer he continues in the business. He may be entirely honest himself, but he does not know and never can know that his associates in the bank will also be and continue honest; but he knows that if and when a fraud is perpetrated in the bank, there is great chance of his being involved in it, however innocent he may be.

Talk of the large salaries of our banking officers in view of these risks and these responsibilities. The salaries are not half large enough. Any other business which crowded upon men such a weight of responsibility, would pay double what our banking institutions pay for it. Nor is this all. Certain banks prohibit the executive officers thereof from loaning money on the demand of presidents or directors. Now and then, however, a president or director, in defiance of this salutary rule, importunes the teller, and if he refuses, the cashier, for such loans. If either of these officers refuse, they know that the soliciting director or president will use his influence against their retention in office, whenever that director or president may get an opportunity, for any president or director who will thus induce a subordinate officer to violate the rules of the bank, will be mean enough to use his influence against that subordinate if he is true to his trust. If the officer yields, the bank is endangered; if he refuses, his own situation is in jeopardy.

Within a few years eases like the former have occurred in Boston, and in one instance a bank was ruined by the operation. In that case the cashier was censured; but before that censure was made the community should have known the pressure upon him by those who, from their position, were really the offending parties. It was said that the cashier should have been more firm, but it would have required almost superhuman firmness to have met the case properly.

From these and other considerations we have always advised our friends never to engage as officers of banking corporations. Better, far better, to do twice as much work in an avocation which involves less responsibility. There is an old saying, that all is not gold which glitters," and this is peculiarly applicable to bank officers. When you see them with calm countenances and apparently void of care, do not imagine that their minds are quiet. The most of them have studied to keep up an external appearance of ease; but if you could know the weight of responsibility which rests upon them and their nervousness, you would covet neither their places nor their salaries.

FOREIGN INVESTMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES.

A writer who has had access to the books of the subtreasury in New York, where the interest on about seven-eighths of the public debt of the United States is paid, says :

These books are a curious study. Many of the names they contain are household words. Some are the names of Europeans, others of West Indians, and even Asiatics. Barely a third of the public debt is held in this country. The bulk of it, we imagine, is held in continental Europe. One is not surprised to find the names of JOHN J. ASTOR, WILLIAM B. ASTOR, JACOB LITTLE, George PEABODY, and such men, in the list of the creditors of the United States, but they and their countrymen are in a minority.

The heaviest foreign creditor we noticed is LORD OVERSTONE, (the famous JOHN LLOYD,) who has lent this country no less than $350,000. A Spanish lady, MERCED DE LASSES, is our creditor in the sum of $200,000, and a noble friend of hers, the Count CASA MONTLOVOY CASTILLO, draws six per cent on $100,000. Several persons connected with the royal families of Europe are our creditors. The brother of the King of Naples took $50,000 some years ago and instructed his agent to invest the dividends as they accrued in the same security. He now owns over $75.000. His niece, the daughter of BOMBA, is registered as a creditor for over $50,000. These wise people have been looking out for a rainy day. Another noble personage, the late Duchess of Orleans, has enough in the United States sixes to save the Count of Paris from being compelled to follow his grandfather's example, and keep school. Several of the SAXE COBURG

GOTHAS have also invested in the same security.

The Count Rossi saw enough of this country while he was here to invest a few thousands in the famous name of SONTAG; and little PAUL JULIEN has a trifle-enough to keep him when his violin fails. One can readily account for the appearance of the name of the ROTHSCHILDS, both in London and Paris; but it is curious that the famous publisher, PONCHONCKE, of Paris, is a creditor of the United States, and that the dramatic author, SCRIBE, has also invested enough to give him nearly 10,000 francs a year. A careful study of democracy in America appears to have persuaded Monsieur TOCQUEVILLE to lodge some of his savings in the hands of our government; and Lord MACAULEY, who began with a bagatelle of some $5,000, has since increased his venture to nearly $30,000.

But we shall never end if we attempt to enumerate all the people who have the money placed in United States securities. Here are Lord DUNDONALD, the great sailor, who has a large sum for a son of NEPTUNE; the Prince DE BEAUVEAU, the Count DE NARBOUNE, Sir JOHN BAILEY, the Marquis of CHAMPAGNE, BARING BROTHERS, Count DE BEAUMONT, General BERMALOFF, and a host of titled people, who, perhaps, depend upon the honesty and solvency of the United States government for a living.

Lord ELGIN saw enough of us to leave $17,000 of his savings in our six per

cents, and the famous Russian, ALEXANDER HERZEN, has a bagatelle of $80,000 in the same security. There is another creditor, whose name is a curiosity. It runs thus. Baron Louis NUMA EPAMINONDAS JUSTINIAN ARISTIDES DECIUS SALUS HALDENSTEIN DICHENSTEIN GERTENSTEIN. Fancy a man with such a name drawing $26 50 from the United States.

WASHINGTON ON CURRENCY.

At a meeting of the New York Board of Currency, held recently, Mr. JOHN V. YATMAN presented a letter written by General WASHINGTON upon the subject of the then existing "continental rags," which had succeeded the colonial currency, or "bills of credit," issued by the several colonies. The soundness of his views are the more remarkable when we remember that he had not then the light of the French assignat system, the suspension of the Bank of England, or the results of our own experience, to judge them by. The letter we record as a curiosity :

MOUNT VERNON, February 27, 1787.

DEAR SIR-Your favor of the 30th ult. came duly to hand. To give an opinion in a cause of so much importance as that which has warmly agitated the two branches of your Legislature, and which, from the appeal that is made, is likely to create great and perhaps dangerous divisions, is rather a delicate matter; but as this diversity of opinion is on a subject which has, I believe, occupied the minds of most men, and as my sentiments thereon have been fully and decidedly expressed long before the Assembly, either of Maryland or this State, was convened, I do not scruple to declare that if I had a voice in your Legislature it would be given decidedly against a paper emission, upon the general principle of its utility as a representative, and the necessity of it as a medium. To assign reason for this opinion would be as unnecessary as tedious-the ground has been so often trod that a place hardly remains untouched; in a word, the necessity arising from a want of specie is represented as greater than it really is. I contend that it is by the substance not the shadow of a thing that we are to be benefited.

The wisdom of man, in my humble opinion, cannot at this time devise a plan by which the credit of paper money would be long supported; consequently, depreciation keeps pace with the quantity of emission, and articles for which it is exchanged rise to a greater ratio than the sinking value of the money. Wherein, then, is the farmer, the planter, and artisan benefited? The debtor may be, because, as I have observed, he gives the shadow in lieu of the substance, and in proportion to his gain the creditor or body politic suffer. Whether a legal tender or not, it will, as has been observed very truly, leave no alternative. It must be that or nothing. An evil equally great is the door it immediately opens for speculation, by which the least designing and perhaps most valuable part of the community are preyed upon by the more knowing and crafty speculators. But, contrary to my intention and declaration, I am offering reasons in support of my opinion; reasons, too, which, of all others, are least pleasing to the advo cates for paper money. I shall therefore only observe, generally, that so many people have suffered by former emissions, that, like a burnt child who dreads the fire, no person will touch it who can possibly avoid it, the natural consequence of which will be, that the specie which remains unexported will be instantly locked up.

With great esteem and regard, I am, dear sir, &c.,

GEO. WASHINGTON.

TRICK OF TRADE.

It has been decided in England that tradesmen ticketing their goods for sale in their windows at a specific sum, cannot be compelled to sell such goods at the prices marked.