posal of this kind, lest he should increase his own obligations to a man whose services he thought it dangerous to reward.

70. He therefore delayed and avoided any decision on these subjects, in hopes that the declining health of Columbus would soon rid the court of the remonstrances of a man whose extraordinary merit was, in their opinion, a sufficient occasion for destroying him.

71. In this they were not disappointed.... Columbus languished a short time, and gladly resigned a life which had been worn out in the most essential services that perhaps were ever rendered by any human character, to an ungrateful world.

1. THE

XXXI. Description of a Marriage Feast, at Georgia, in Asia. HE nuptial feast was celebrated upon a terrace of the palace, surrounded with estrades, which are beds of state, about 6 feet in depth, and elevated about two feet above the floor. The terrace was covered with a large pavilion, fixed upon five pillars, twenty feet high. The lining was of cloth of gold and silver, velvet and painted cloth, so neatly and artificially intermixed, that by the light of the tapers, it appeared like a wainscot of flowers and moresco work.

2. In the midst of this room of state, stood a jet, or fountain of water. The floor was covered with handsome carpets, and forty branches of lights illuminated the room. The four branches which hung nearest the prince were of gold, the rest were of silver. Each branch supported a bowl of pure tallow, that supplied two matches, which gave a great light.

3. The guests were seated on the estrades. The prince in the centre had an estrade somewhat higher than the others, and covered with a canopy. His sons and brothers were on his right hand; the bishops on the left, and the bridegroom was seated between them. The music stood at the lower end.

4. Soon after the guests were seated, the bridegroom was introduced by the patriarch, and was saluted first by the princes' relations, and afterwards by other guests, who successively paid him their compliments. Then some presents were made, consisting of gold, silver, and small cups.

5. After this ceremony, the guests took their seats and were served with supper. Before each one were spread table cloths, as large as the estrades; then bread was served of

three kinds; one as thin as a wafer, another of the thickness of the finger; and the third was sweetened with sugar. 6. The meat was served in large covered silver dishes, each weighing, with the cover, four or five hundred ounces. These dishes were set upon the table at the entrance of the room; then certain attendants placed them before the carvers, who sent pieces of the meat to each guest in plates, beginning first with the princes.

7. The feast consisted of three courses, each containing sixty of the large dishes. The first course consisted of boiled rice, and meat of three different colours. The yellow was boiled with sugar, cinnamon and saffron-the red, with the juice of pomegranates-but the white or natural colour was the best.

8. The second course consisted of meats baked, stewed and fricaseed; with a variety of ragoes. The third course consisted of roasted meats. To all which were added fish, eggs and sallads, for the ecclesiastics. The feast was conducted without the least noise, and with perfect order; every attendant performing his duty without uttering a word. 9. The cupboard contained one hundred and twenty drinking vessels, consisting of bowls, cups, horns, flaggons, aud jugs. Some were of polished gold, others of enamelled gold, others of silver, or set with precious stones. The horns were those of the rhinoceros or of the deer, elegantly formed and embellished. After the third course, eight bowls were filled and presented to the four persons nearest to the prince, four on each side. They rose when they drank those on the right hand first drank a health, being pledged by those on the left-then the others on the leftThen the same eight bowls were filled for the next eight guests, and in their order the whole company was served. XXXII. An Account of a famous GROTTO in the Island of Antiparos, in the Egean Sea.

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AVING been informed that the island of Antiparos, about two miles from Paros, a gigantic statue is to be seen at the mouth of a cavern, it was resolved that we should pay it a visit. In pursuance of this resolve, we landed on the island, and after walking about four miles over beautiful plains and sloping woodlands, we came to a little hill, on the side of which yawned a most horrid ca

vern, which, with its gloom, at first struck us with terror, and almost repressed curiosity.

2. Recovering from the first surprise, however, we entered boldly, and had not proceeded above twenty paces, when the supposed statue of the giant presented itself to our view. We quickly perceived that what the ignorant natives had been terrified at as a giant, was nothing more than a sparry concretion, formed by the water dropping from the roof of the cave, and by degrees hardening into a figure, that their fears had formed into a monster.

3. Incited by this extraordinary appearance, we were induced to proceed still further, in quest of new adventures in this subterraneous cavity. As we proceeded, new wonders offered themselves; the spars formed into trees and shrubs, presented a kind of grove of petrifactions; some white, some green, and all receding in due perspective. This struck us with the more amazement, as we knew them to be mere productions of nature, who had, in her playful moments, dressed the solitary scene, as if for her own

amusement.

4. But we had as yet seen a few only of the wonders of the place; being introduced only into the portico of this amazing temple. In one corner of this half illuminated recess, there appeared an opening of about three feet wide, which seemed to lead to a place totally dark, and one of the natives assured us it contained nothing more than a reservoir of water. Upon this we made an experiment, by throwing down some stones, which rumbling down the sides of the descent for some time, the sound seemed at last quashed in a bed of water. In order however to be. more certain, we sent in a Levantine mariner, who, by the promise of a good reward, with a flambeau in his hand, ventured into this narrow aperture.

5. In about fifteen minutes he returned, bringing some beautiful pieces of white spar, which art could neither imitate nor equal. Upon being informed by him that the place was full of these beautiful incrustations, I ventured to accompany the mariner into the opening, about fifty paces, anxiously and cautiously descending by a steep and dangerous way. 6. Finding, however, that we came to a precipice which led into a spacious amphitheatre, if I may so call it, still deeper than the other, we returned, and being furnished with a ladder, flambeaus, and other things to expedite our descent,

our whole company, man by man, ventured into the same opening, and descending one after another, we at last saw ourselves all together in the most magnificent part of the

cavern.

7. Our candles being now all lighted, and the whole place completely illuminated, never could the eye be presented with a more splendid scene. The roof was all hung with glittering icicles, transparent as glass, yet solid as marble. The eye could scarce reach the lofty and noble ceiling; the sides were regularly formed with spars; and the whole represented a magnificent theatre illuminated with an immense profusion of lights.

8. The floor consisted of solid marble; and in several places magnificent columns, thrones, altars and other objects appeared, as if nature had intended to mock the curiosities of art. Our voices, pon speaking or singing, were redoubled to a thundering loudness; and upon the firing of a gun, the noise and reverberations were almost deafening.

9. In the midst of this grand and picturesque scenery, rose a concretion of about fifteen feet high, which, in some measure resembled an altar, from which, taking a hint, we caused mass to be celebrated. The beautiful columns that shot up round the altar, appeared like candlesticks; and many other natural objects represented the customary ornaments of the sacrament.

10. Below this spacious grotto, there seemed another cavern, down which I ventured with my guide, and descended by means of a rope, about fifty paces. Here I found a small spot of level earth, consisting of soft clay, yielding to pressure, and in which I thrust a stick to about the depth of six feet. In this, however, as in the apartment above, were formed numbers of the most elegant crystals, one of which resembled a table.

11. Upon our leaving this cavern, we discovered an inscription in Greek upon a rock at the mouth, but so far obliterated by time as not to be legible. It seemed to import that one Antipater, in the time of Alexander, had visited this place; but whether he had penetrated into the depth of the cavern we could not collect from the inscription.

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1.

XXXIII. Extraordinary BELLS in RUSSIA.

HE Russians have a great fondness for bells of

Tan enormous size, and distinguish the sanctity of

different days, by the different peals or manner of ringing them. These bells are hung in belfrys detached from the churches; and do not swing like our bells, but are fixed immoveably to beams, and rung by a rope tied to the clapper, and pulled sideways.

2. One of these bells in the tower of St. John's church, weighs 127,000 pounds, or more than sixty-three tons. It is deemed a meritorious act of religion to present a church with a bell, and the piety of the donor is estimated by the size of the present.

3. The emperor Borid gave to the cathedral of Moscow, a bell weighing 288,000 pounds, or a hundred and forty-four tons. The empress Ann, determined not to be surpassed in this kind of piety, procured a bell to be cast, which weighed 432,000 pounds, or two hundred and sixteen tons.

4. The bell was nineteen feet long, and its circumference at the large end twenty-one yards and eleven inches-its greatest thickness was twenty-three inches. The beam supporting this enormous bell being burnt by accident, it fell, and a fragment was broken out, which left an aperture sufficiently large to admit two men abreast without stooping.

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XXXIV. The Villa of PRINCE ZARTORISKI, in Poland. 1. HE villa of prince Zartoriski is about three miles from Warsaw, in the midst of a forest. The situation is almost a level, with here and there a gentle slope, which affords an agreeable variety. A river runs through the grounds, which are laid out in the English manner, with a beautiful intermixture of lawn and wood. Walks are cut through the wood, and carried along the side of the water.

2. The house, which stands upon a gentle rise, has the appearance of a cottage, constructed like those of the peasants, with trunks of trees piled on each other, and thatchedwith straw. Besides the principal building, occupied by the prince and princess, there are separate cottages for the children and attendants, each of which has its inclosure and small garden. The whole group appears like a village of scattered huts.