greatly surpassing any thing of Truefit's, which they plaster all over their bodies and head. It is composed of red ochre and palm oil; I regret extremely not recollecting the exact proportions; this they use most abundantly, each lock of their never-cut hair being clotted into great masses by this "pomade divine," in consequence of which they can be smelt " afar off," it being almost impossible to exist in their immediate neighbourhood. They make use of this stuff in order to protect their delicate hides from the scorching effect of the sun, which it is supposed would otherwise destroy their complexions, particularly the ladies. We found them very much disposed to plunder whenever a fair opportunity offered, and I have no doubt would as readily add braining under the same circumstances. An instance of their propensity for acquiring knowledge, &c. was very soon given us. One of the party was very busy passing the water, when he was rather suddenly surrounded by a gang of the natives pestering him with questions, none of which he wished to, or could understand, so Jack contented himself by heartily damning them in good plain English, to which they paid great attention, and appeared much edified, when in a moment he missed the bayonet from his side; he caught hold of a couple near him, but neither of them was in possession of the stolen article, or like “Rame Samee," they must have swallowed it, as no place for deception was about their persons. The fact was, the fellow who had done it had made off with as much dexterity as any "London pride"* could have displayed; and the sailor was obliged to content himself by knocking his two friends' heads together and then letting them depart: this bayonet was never recovered, although every exertion was made for that purpose. But I must also record an instance which redounded much to their credit. Another of the party was surrounded by the natives in a similar manner, when, after annoying him with questions for some time, he saw one of them running off with his cutlass, which he had gently extracted from the sheath without the owner being at all sensible of the operation; he instantly gave chase after the thief, who scudded towards the woods at the rate of about twelve knots an hour. Jack would have had a very poor chance of recovering his lost property had it depended upon his own exertions, as the fellow had gained the wood before Jack had got well under way; but one of the chiefs seeing our man in pursuit, immediately dispatched a party to secure the culprit. This duty they performed in a very smart manner, and returned in a few minutes bringing the felon with the cutlass still in his hand. Having the stolen goods upon his person, he was sentenced on the spot; and I afterwards learnt their punishment for offences of this nature was, taking from the offender every thing he possessed and turning him loose into the woods. Another of their inflictions is of a most cruel description, and very frequently resorted to for any capital crime. I am not exactly aware what they consider in that light, but as we saw many who bore the marks of punishment, I am led to believe the catalogue is rather long; this consists in cutting off the hands of the delinquent a little above the wrist, after which mutilation the poor devil is allowed to get through the world as he can, which, upon consideration, must be no easy matter to a rude savage, without one spark of inge

Pickpocket.

nuity to supersede their use. I was much surprised upon one occasion at the very strange mode of paddling adopted in a canoe, and it was not until it came alongside that I discovered she was rowed by four of these unfortunate culprits, who having no hands actually held the oar by crossing their stumps, and from practice contrived to propel the canoe with considerable velocity.

Whilst at this island, I was one day sitting after dinner in the gunroom, when a native, who had acquired a little English, came and paid me a visit. This man was possessed of quite superior intelligence, and by comparison with his fellow countrymen, deserved a monument in the national mausoleum of Fernando Po; his general look was grave and sagacious, and his grin quite sublime. I tried to astonish this sable Xenophon by various simple contrivances, such as roaring to him through a speaking trumpet, sounding a flute, showing him his elegant portrait in a looking-glass, with many other attempts, but without producing any effect upon his unchanged countenance; at length I placed myself in a chair, having unperceived set a musical snuff-box on the opposite side of the table; when it commenced playing he stared about him as if puzzled to know from whence the sound came, his eyes looking like those of a person recovering from apparent death. I took no notice, but sat watching these natural expressions of surprise: he next approached, and placed his ear against my shoulder, as if he thought the sound came from me, and then looked stedfastly in my face as if expecting an explanation. As I did not reply in any way to this, he commenced another scrutiny, and presently caught sight of the box which had been hid from him by a bottle; he stepped eagerly towards it, applying first his ear, and then touching it gently with his hand, as a man would an animal that he never saw before; in doing this he pressed the stop, and it ceased! The look and action of astonishment which followed, it is impossible to describe; he instantly drew his hands away as if in fear, and stood for a few minutes staring first at me and then at the box. I could have held out no longer, his appearance was so highly ludicrous, when just as my risibility was overcoming my gravity, he drew his mouth and other features together in the most extraordinary mannera perfect concentration of wonder, and saying, with deep emphasis, "you ve'y big man!" stalked deliberately out, casting behind him an occasional look of amazement at me and my box! This fellow ever afterwards viewed me with an eye of superstitious awe.

Having completed our supply of water, and obtained a large quantity of yams and other stock, we got under way towards the mouth of a small river called Andony, on the main, where we again anchored about two miles off shore, in four fathoms and a half. The deepest water we found whilst standing across was fifty fathoms, and that a few miles from Fernando Po; we sent the pinnace up the river immediately, which not being very extensive, she soon explored, and in about two hours attempted to rejoin the ship, but found the breakers on the bar had become so tremendous that it was quite impossible to get over; she was therefore compelled to remain at anchor in the river for the night, and the following morning contrived to get on board in time for breakfast. H. B. R.

(To be continued.)

A SOJOURN IN ITHACA-ARETHUSA'S FOUNTAIN.

Ir was in the autumn of 18-, that I was detached from my regiment, stationed in one of the Ionian Islands, and ordered to assume the command of a detachment then in the classic Isle of Ithaca. The officer whom I relieved had been long struggling against the effects of malaria and a tertian ague, contracted in a midnight exploring expedition to the tombs of Samos, on the opposite coast of Cephalonia, where he had been drawn, partly from classic recollections, partly from a predatory desire of rifling said monuments, and bartering the sable and indistinct honours of a veritable antique coin for the more perfect as well as more shining glories of a modern one. He had at length obtained leave to proceed to England for the recovery of his health, and one fine morning in October saw me busy in assisting him in the packing up his antique relics, as well as in endeavouring to elude by many stratagems, the too curious eye of British officers of excise. During our occupation he admitted me into many of the arcana of the place we were in, by all which I learned it was very quiet, and feared it might prove very dull.

About mid-day, a ragged looking Greek made his appearance with a leash of mules, to bear my friend and his luggage to San Euphemia, the place of embarkation; and shortly afterwards I was alone, and in command of the ci-devant domain of the crafty Ulysses. It is true there was an English resident, but he was absent on a tour in Italy, and a Greek then acted as medical practitioner to the troops. I was and felt myself a stranger in the land. Not a soul spoke English but the soldiers under my command: my knowledge of Italian was very limited, and of Romaic not even could I whisper Zon μov. And yet now how my heart throbs as I think of that little island, to me a verdant oasis in the stirring and troubled scenes I had previously and have since encountered. As its name alone passes my lips, again do I distinguish the clean little capital of Vathè, surrounded by an amphitheatre of purple hills, looking down on an ocean unruffled by one undulating billow. Once more does the silvery-blossomed almond greet me; once more do I tread the mountain's rude and winding path, with no companion in my solitude, save some aged and sandalled muleteer, his grey locks escaping from his crimson cap of Fez, as he urges on his steed, in vain endeavouring to browse on the inviting thistle. How have I loved these scenes even in day's calm reality; but when the fair moon, with her silver orb of light, has revelled in her azure banquethouse, with what feelings of ecstasy has each feature of them met my eye. Then would I seat myself on some crag, projecting over the ocean, and watch the mountain's shadow envelope each glittering wave near me, till one obscure tinge reigned throughout,-save where the white sail of the returning mariner swept above its influence,—save where the light glistened in his bark's prow. And afar on the opposite side of the bay, how sweet the contrast, as each white cottage, silvered by the light, shone forth full in its beauty, and looked from the intervening shades more like detached Italian villa than humble fisherman's hut. How contemplative would the scene make me! how forgetful of my cares! No sound to break night's stillness, but the shrill cry of the grasshopper, or, mayhap, the splash of dark sea

fowl. Vathè is indeed beautifully situated. At the outlet of the bay, the rocks on either side are so close, that the whole appears one circular lake, which extending in the form of a horse-shoe, with a graceful bend, gives its figure to the town itself: this sweeps down close to the sea, there being no intervening object between it and the houses, save the road and a parapet wall of stone, which, in tempestuous weather, prevents the waves washing to the doors of the inhabitants. Over this wall may you lean, and see in the glassy wave, the fish disporting merrily. Here will the crimson spotted mullet, food for princes, bask in the sun, and though naturally shy, permit the Greek maid to empty her pitcher near, without in any way showing alarm. At the very head of the bay is the Governor's house, distinguishable by its green verandahs, and the flag of England waving before it; whilst close to this, if it be parade hour, will you see a little knot of British soldiers drawn up in front of their barrack. In the centre of the bay is the lazaret, a regular and pretty building, whose communication with the land is by one solitary ferry-boat, which if you can enter, and, looking at the old man, not think of Charon, I can only say you cannot have heard of the Styx. Around the lazaret lies many a little vessel at anchor: Albanian, Turk, Moreot, and Russ, each with its yellow ensign flying. All around the bay are eminences commanding it; those in rear either crowned by some old convent, some antique ruin, or gloomy cypress; those commanding the bay's outlet, surmounted by a half-dismounted battery. One of these offers an almost impregnable military position; and it was on this the French retreated, at the taking of the island by the British, and it was there they finally capitulated.

But the chief points of interest in this island of Ithaca are, undoubtedly, its antiquities: and however much we may disgustingly turn from the vapid cant of criticism, or disdain the musty researches of antiquarian pedants, these are relics which must interest us all. They have been left us by demigods-they have been sung by the lyre of the prince of poets-they tell us a tale of Grecian glory which awakes a blush for modern baseness. The foremost of these are the Castle of Ulysses near the Bay of Aito-the gardens of Laertes, still fertile, still verdant on the road to Apholas-and the Fountain of Arethusa. Homer's rock too is also shown you. It is an enclosed ruin standing over a projecting crag, and is situated immediately under the picturesque village of Exorii. It is this last that has been called the school of Homer by Gell, who has however been led into error by the similarity of the Romaic word for rock, and Exolɛiov, school. More than once has the said classic Gell been led away by his classic enthusiasm. I shall here describe the Fountain of Arethusa, which would, I conceive, be most likely to arrest a stranger. It is situated about five miles from Vathè; the road for a mile and a half is excellent; here we turned off, and traversing a mountain by a wretched stony path, after a descent of some length on the other side, found ourselves in a narrow path running nearly parallel to the sea. And here such a view met us! a view that enters not even in the dreams of the home tourist-a view that would call up in sweet Emma's eyes a gaze of wonderment only to be equalled by the red lip's smile of rapture.

Immediately beneath us was a small island, whose craggy rocks rose

fantastically, and whose irregularities called up from the purple waves a turbulence quite at variance with their otherwise glassy serenity. A host of wild pigeons hovered round it, and I could occasionally discern a rabbit squatting under some grey stone as the sudden flight of a gull disturbed its solitude. Behind me, above the mountain I had crossed, floated an eagle in silent majesty, an image, as I thought, of the spirit fled from these regions for ever. On my left could be discerned Atekos, Calamos, Meganese, and a host of other isles, whilst before me stretched the Morea. Its mountains were capped with snow, but the pine and olive were not wanting, whilst afar on the right Missolonghi could be clearly discerned, nor could I without interest survey the spot where England's best poet of modern days, that "searcher of dark bosoms" closed his eyelids for ever. As we approached the object of our search, we had nearly arrived at the ocean's brink, when diverging a little to our right we again ascended, and the hill Corax was before us, where the faithful herdsman Eumæus tended his cattle.

My guide dismounted; and we led our mules over some steps cut in the rock, entered a circular glade at the top of a ravine, and discerned the Fountain immediately under the Hill Corax, which, probably from a marly soil, has a peculiarly red appearance. The Fountain faces the sea, and is embosomed in the ravine, which is beautifully wooded, The verdant myrtle, the healthful broom, the arbutus, simultaneously bearing fruit and blossom, rich in the scarlet tinge of the former, graceful in the silvery hue of the latter, give it even in winter an eternal verdure. The Fountain itself is apparently a well of the clearest crystal water, (the spring being from below,) which gently oozes through a simple arch of red stone, and is received by a wide stone trough. A scramble over the arch is necessary before you can see the spring. Many of the natives come daily for the clear water it affords, which as it escapes from the trough, meanders in graceful curves down the ravine, moistening and fertilizing the soil. I think it the most poetical relic I have ever seen. Though rude and simple, it is so sweet and secluded-it is so solitary in its beauty-the tradition is such a sweet one, that I know not when I have felt my interest so awakened. It is a luxury too to know that there is little doubt of the authenticity of the spot. At least English tourist, and native Greek research and tradition are in this agreed. Though perhaps the best proof is in its corresponding so accurately with Homer's geographical details. I have been thus minute in my description, from the interest I really feel in the subject: neither can I think it one that will not interest many readers. We have still troops in this little island; we have a large force both naval and military in the Mediterranean. This account may tempt some officer in a leisure hour to visit this classic Fountain, and I can venture to assert, that that hour will not pass slowly. Should this prove not uninteresting, I may at a future time describe some other Ithacan antiquity.

R. M. C.

C. V. J. M.