'Tis the lightning's red glare painting hell on the sky! "Tis the crashing of thunders, the groan of the sphere! He springs from his hammock he flies to the deck; Amazement confronts him with images dire; Like mountains the billows tremendously swell; And the death angel flaps his broad wing o'er the wave. O sailor boy, woe to thy dream of delight! In darkness dissolves the gay frost work of bliss ; Where now is the picture that Fancy touched bright, Thy parents' fond pressure and love's honeyed kiss? O sailor-boy, sailor-boy, never again Shall home, love, or kindred thy wishes repay; Unblessed and unhonored, down deep in the main, Full many a fathom, thy frame shall decay. No tomb shall e'er, plead to remembrance for thee, On a bed of green sea-flower thy limbs shall be laid; Days, months, years, and ages shall circle away, O sailor boy, sailor boy, peace to thy soul! And when of waste and loss, XXXII — SURGICAL OPERATION ON A BEAR. THE CHARM. CALIFORNIA is hardly more celebrated for its gold than for its bears, seeing that the grisly bear of the Rocky Mountains is the largest, the most powerful, and the most ferocious of the whole tribe. There, amidst the vast wilds, wooded plains, and tangled copses of bough and underwood, surrounding this range of mountains, he reigns as great a monarch as the lion of the sandy wastes of Africa. Though varying from every shade of gray to deep black, his fur, which is longer, finer, and more exuberant than others of his race, is always in some degree grizzled by an intermixture of long white hairs; whence the name of the species is derived. Two out of the three young grisly bears in the Zoological * Gardens had lost their sight from cataract,† a disease to which bears are extremely subject. Their value was greatly diminished by this cause; and as they were remarkably fine specimens "of their people and nation,” Mr. Mitchell, the secretary of the society, was exceedingly anxious that no means of cure should be left untried. Mr. White Cooper was prevailed on to perform the perilous operation, which could only be attempted with the all-powerful aid of chloroform. To administer this was the first step; and that was no easy matter. The young bear was by no means willing to undergo * Zoology is that branch of natural history which treats of the structure and habits of animals. The Zoological Gardens are a place in London where wild animals of all kinds are kept. + Cataract, a disorder in the eye, in which the pupil is covered with a sort of film, obstructing the sight. even a temporary separation from his brethren, who, safely immured within their sleeping den, scratched and tore at the door which divided them from their beloved brother, while he, in an agony of terror at this unwonted treatment, poured forth his soul in yells and roars of the most heart-rending description, in which chorus not only his distressed relatives most heartily joined, but every beast within hearing responded with the utmost power of voice with which nature had gifted them. The chetah,* in particular, was peculiarly affected, the odor of chloroform recalling to her remembrance the amputation of her own limb, under this same influence, not many months before; and she lifted up her voice in loud and prolonged tones of sympathy. Like some bipeds of our acquaintance, Master Bruin cried out long before he was hurt; a strong leathern collar, with a chain attached, was buckled round his neck, and the chain having been passed round one of the front bars of the cage, two strong men proceeded to pull him up to it. It was this treatment which produced such loud and passionate expressions of grief. The juvenile patient was about the size of a young donkey, and his resistance was most determined, and for a good ten minutes he set their efforts at defiance; and ultimately it was only by the united strength of four men that he was placed in a position favorable to the application of chloroform. The dropping of cessation of his fluid had taken Dr. Snow had undertaken the administration of this powerful agent, and he at first endeavored to hold a sponge to his nose; but this would not do; it was only by fairly tying it to his muzzle that this point could be attained. the paws one after the other, the gradual roaring and struggles, soon showed that the effect. No time was lost; the sponge was removed, his head laid on a plank just outside the door of his den, and, in less time than we can tell the tale, the cataracts were thoroughly destroyed, and the patient drawn again within the precincts of his cage. * Chetah, a species of leopard, For some minutes he remained in a state of insensibility, giving scarcely any evidence of life; but gradually recovering, his first effort was to leave the company who had assembled to witness the operation; and with staggering and uncertain steps he took his way into his sleeping apartment. By the afternoon he was so far recovered as to make a very hearty meal; and in the morning, when the door of his dormitory was opened, he walked out with his eyes wide open, apparently facing the light without the least inconvenience or pain. * Ten days afterwards, the second bear underwent the same operation. He was not more magnanimous or strong-minded than his brother: six men were required to bring him forth; and from diluted chloroform's being used, he was never perfectly insensible. At the time, it was hoped that these operations had been successful, and that their sight would in time be restored; this, however, has not been the case; and it is but too evident that these fine young animals are totally blind. XXXIII. "BETTER RUB THAN RUST." ELLIOTT. IDLER, why lie down to die? Better rub than rust; Hark! the lark sings in the sky — Die when die thou must. Day is waking, leaves are shaking: Better rub than rust. He who will not work shall want: Better rub than rust. Bees are flying; sloth is dying: Better rub than rust. *Dormitory, a sleeping room. |