locusts, and were it not for our rifles, they would not leave us a hoof nor a blade of corn. To-day their horsemen pillage a village here; to-morrow, another in the Ghutah of Sham (Damascus); and the day following they strip the Baghdad caravan. Oh, my lord! these sons of Ishmael are fleet as gazelles, and fierce as leopards. Would Allah only rid us of them and the Turks, Syria might prosper !"

The Sheikh described the Arabs to the life, just as they were described by the spirit of prophecy nearly four thousand years ago: "He [Ishmael] will be a wild man, his hand against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren" (Gen. xvi. 12). These "children of the East" come up now as they did in Gideon's days, when "they destroyed the increase of the earth, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; both they and their camels were without number; and they entered into the land to destroy it" (Judges vi. 4, 5). During the course of another tour through the western part of Bashan, I rode for more than twenty miles in one day in a straight course through the flocks of an Arab tribe.

On another occasion, whilst visiting the ruins of the temple of Kunawât, other evidences of the curse were there too. As we approached the ruin not a living creature was visible. The air was still, and the silence of death appeared to reign over glen and mountain. A solitary fox leaped from his den by the great gateway as our feet crossed the threshold, and took refuge in a neighbouring thicket; but this seemed to be the only tenant alike of temple and forest. So it seemed, and so we thought; yet, before we were fifteen minutes among the ruins, three or four wild-looking heads were observed peering over a cairn of stones, and the sunbeams glanced from the barrels of their levelled muskets. We went on with our examinations, and the

25

wild heads and glittering barrels went on increasing. Mahmood, our Druse guide, fortunately saw them, and stepping out from the shade of the portico, where we had left him with the horses, hinted that it would be well for us to keep near him, and complete our researches as speedily as possible. We soon mounted, and as we defiled through the forest a score of fierce Bedawîn, armed with guns and pistols, leaped from their hidingplaces, and lined our path. We were startled, and began to think that our tour was about to come to a speedy and unpleasant termination; but Mahmood rode on in silence, not deigning to turn his head or direct a single look to these daring outlaws. We followed in close file, and, as I brought up the rear, I thought it well to give them the customary salutation-Ullah Mâkum-" God be with you!" Not a man of them returned it; and plainly, as if the words had been written on their scowling faces, I saw that they were cursing inwardly the stern necessity that kept their hands off us. These, we afterwards learned, were the chief inhabitants of the mountains of Bashan-reckless, lawless, thieving vagabonds, who live by plunder, and glory in their success as freebooters. The Druses keep them in check; and they know well that a terrible vengeance would be taken on them if they should dare to interfere with any enjoying Druse protection. How applicable to this section of Palestine, and to many others, are the words of Isaiah, "Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire; your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers" (Isa. i. 7).

J. L. PORTER, A.M.

BIBLE SUBJECTS FOR EACH SUNDAY IN FEBRUARY. Feb. 2. Commit to memory John iv. 24. Feb. 9. Commit to memory Prov. xvi. I. Feb. 16. Commit to memory James i. 5. Feb. 23. Commit to memory Luke xiii. 24.

27

The

moon, and stars. The consequence is, the moon drags the sea towards itself more than it drags the solid earth, because the sea, being on the outside of the earth, is the nearer to the moon. consequence is, that there is always high tide on that part of the sea which is nearest to the moon; and for a similar reason, namely, because the solid earth being nearer is pulled by the moon with more force than the water on the side furthest from the moon, there is always high water in that part of the sea which is furthest from the moon. Consequently, two high tides and two low tides pass over the sea in the time the earth takes to revolve-that is to say, every twentyfour hours. Now the sun acts in just the same way as the moon, and so, when they both pull together, a very high tide-like those which now and again are so disastrous to the poor people living near the banks of the Thames-is the result, called a "spring tide ;" whereas, when the sun pulls one way and the moon the other, a neap tide is the result, the difference between high and low water being very much less in this case. If you try and think over it, you will also see why it is that the tide is nearly an hour later every day, remembering that the moon does not keep still, but goes round the earth in about twenty-eight days, so if the part of the earth called Brighton comes nearest

to the moon at ten o'clock, then, as the earth spins round, if the moon were fixed in one place Brighton would come nearest to it in twenty-four hours exactly; but the moon has moved on in that time, so Brighton has to catch it up, and, consequently, does not do so till twenty-four hours and fifty minutes (about) afterwards; in other words, the high tide at Brighton next day is at about ten minutes to eleven o'clock.-Little Folks Magazine.

WHY A FLY IS ABLE TO WALK ON THE CEILING.

HAVE no doubt that, when you have been at the seaside, you have often noticed the limpets which stick so hard to the rocks. There they stick, however the waves may beat against them, and they stick hard, too-harder than the strongest cement could fasten them. Have you ever tried to pull one of these limpets from its place? If you have not. I can assure you that you or I might pull and pull away without moving it a quarter of an inch. Now, the same power that enables the limpet to hold on so firmly to the rock enables the fly, by means of those little hairs, to trot about upside down; for in principle the swelled-out ends of the hairs act in precisely the same manner as the body of the limpet. With a little trouble we can make, out of simple materials, a very good imitation of one of these hairs sufficiently large to see how they act. First, we must get a bit of the kind of leather that is used for the soles of boots. It must be about the size of a crown-piece, and also of the same shape. We must then fasten to it a yard of string by means of a hole pricked in the middle of the leather, a knot at the end of the string preventing it from coming away. knot should be so hammered against the hole that no air can get through the open

This

ing, or our experiment will fail. Now, with this simple contrivance we shall, if we have made it properly, be able to lift stones of several pounds' weight. But, before we try and do so, we must take care that the leather at the end of the string has been soaked some hours in water, to make it soft and pliable. We will now take hold of the free end of the string, and drop the leather upon the stone we wish to raise. On gently pulling the string, we shall find that the leather has taken such a firm sucking hold upon the stone that we can carry it from place to place; we shall also find that it requires some force to separate them. The reason why the leather 66 sucker," as it is called, acts in this way is because, when we pull the string, we raise up the centre of the leather and make a little tent-shaped hollow space there between the sucker and the stone. The air cannot get into the little chamber thus formed, for the soft, wet leather fits closely to the stone all round it. But the air tries with might and main to force its way in, and it presses so closely upon the sucker that it actually sticks it all the firmer to the stone. force that is exerted upon the sucker is called atmospheric pressure, and is exactly the same power which keeps the limpet on the rock and the fly's foot on the ceiling. Little Folks' Magazine.

-

The

A WONDERFUL CLOCK. CLOCK which has been completed for the Cathedral of Beauvais contains ninety thousand wheels, and indicates, among many other things, the days of the week, the month, the year, the signs of the zodiac, the equation of time, the course of the planets, the phases of the moon, the time at every capital in the world, the movable feasts for one hundred years, the saints' days, &c. Perhaps the most curious part of the mechanism is that which gives the additional day in leap year, and which, consequently, is called into action only once in four years. The clock is wound up every eight days.

A LITTLE DUTCH HERO.

LITTLE boy in Holland was returning one night from a village to which he had been sent by his father on an errand, when he noticed the water trickling through a narrow opening in the dyke. He stopped, and thought what the consequences would be if the hole was not closed. He knew-having heard his father tell the sad disasters which happened from such small beginnings-how, in a few hours, the opening would become bigger and bigger, and let in the mighty mass of waters pressing on the dyke, until the whole defence being washed away, the rolling, dashing, angry waters would sweep on to the next village, destroying life and property, and everything in its way. Should he run home and alarm the villagers? It would be dark before they could arrive, and the hole might even then be so large as to defy all attempts to close it. Prompted by these thoughts, he seated himself on the bank of the canal, stopped the opening with his hand, and patiently awaited the approach of some villager. But no one came. Hour after hour rolled by, yet there sat the heroic boy, in cold and darkness, shivering, wet, and tired, but stoutly pressing his hand against the dangerous breach.

At

All night he stayed at his post. last the morning broke. A clergyman walking up the canal heard a groan, and looked round to see where it came from.

"Why are you there, my child?" he asked, seeing the boy, and surprised at his strange position.

"I am keeping back the water, sir, and saving the village from being drowned," answered the child, with lips so benumbed with cold that he could scarcely speak.

The astonished minister relieved the boy. The dyke was closed, and the danger which threatened hundreds of lives was prevented.

WW

OVERCOMING EVIL.

HEN I was a small boy," says the poet Southey, "there was a black boy in the neighbourhood by the name of Jim Dick. A number of my playfellows and myself were one evening collected together at our sports, and began to torment the poor black by calling him 'nigger,' 'snowball,' 'blackamoor,' and other degrading names. poor fellow appeared very much grieved at our conduct, and soon left us.

The

"Not long after we made an appointment to go skating in the neighbourhood; but on the day of the appointment I had the misfortune to break my skates, and I could not go without borrowing Jim's skates. I went to him and asked him for them. 'Oh, yes, Robert, you may have them, and welcome,' was his answer. When I went to return them I found Jim sitting by the fire, in the kitchen, reading the Bible. I told him I returned his skates, and was much obliged to him for his kindness. He looked at me as he took the skates, and with tears in his eyes said to me, 'Robert, don't ever call me "blackamoor" again,' and immediately left the room. The words melted my heart. I burst into tears, and resolved from that time never again to abuse a poor black."

A Chinese emperor once heard that his enemies had raised an insurrection in one

of the distant provinces. "Come, my friends," said he to those about him, "follow me, and I promise you that we shall destroy our enemies." He marched forward, and the rebels submitted on his approach. All now thought that he would take the most signal revenge. Instead of this, however, they were surprised to see the captives treated with mildness and humanity. "What!" cried one of the mandarins, "is this the way in which you fulfil your promise? Your royal word was given that your enemies should be destroyed, and, behold, you have pardoned them all, and even showed special favour

29

to some of them!" "I promised," said the emperor, "to destroy my enemies. This I have done, for see, they are enemies no longer; I have made them my friends."

THE BIBLE.

"Blessed Bible, book divine! Precious treasure, thou art mine!" EAR CHILDREN,-So sang one to whom the Word of God had been made dearer than life, by the power of the Holy Ghost; and while many of you are taught in the Sabbath school to read and think upon the truths of that holy Book, oh, may the divine power of the Holy Spirit abundantly rest upon you!

Well do I remember the time when the Bible was not valued by me, neither was Christ desired, and therefore no heartfelt petition ever ascended to God from my lips; and, when I think of that time now, how dreadful do I feel such a state to be-not sure of my life another moment, and altogether unprepared to die! And then, dear children, often when I think of these things, I wonder how many young Gleaners are in that same solemn condition. But, thanks be to God, since the time above mentioned, how useful and precious has the Bible been to me! It has searched out the evils of my heart, and made me tremble before God. It has shown me how destitute I was of all that God could look upon with approval, yet, being led to pour out my desires at His throne in prayer, God's blessed book has cheered me many a time with such words as these : "He regardeth the prayer of the destitute, and will not despise their prayer." It has made my heart glad as it has spoken to me of Jesus, the Saviour, the sinner's Friend, so suitable, so powerful, so gracious. Oh, how sweet is the rest and the peace He has given me to enjoy, by making His Word so precious to my