elapsed without our hearing any musical sound, we concluded he had been guilty of disobedience; but whilst admiring the romantic beauty of the scenery around us, we were suddenly surprized with music, more dulcet than can be conceived; the report of our artillery was very loud, and afforded several pleasing reverberations. Passing the Islands of the Man of War and Knight of Kerry on the left, and Fisher's Island on our right hand, by eleven o'clock we entered the Upper Lake, at a narrow passage called Coleman's Eye. Our next stop was opposite the Purple Mountains, which are probably called so from their being covered with a species of heath of a dark purple colour. Here the echoes from the sound of French horns were exquisitely fine, exceeding all we had before heard, either at Glena or the Eagle's Nest. Sometimes the sound died away in one place, and then immediately revived again in another, until traversing the four points of Heaven they encircled us with extatic harmony. The echoes and reverberations which several vollies from our cannon produced were also surprizing, for the East, the West, the North, and the South alternately produced thunder, at once correspondent and awful; but it is impossible for me to describe the different sensations which affected us in this place, because that which produced them exceeded every thing which the liveliest imagination can form, or the most descriptive language express. Pursuing our voyage, we came to M'Carthy's Island, where we had also a very musical but distant echo. Ronayne's Island was the last we visited; but, situated at the termination of the Upper Lake, we rowed round it, and made a short stay at the extent of a voyage that afforded us abundant pleasure. On our passage we had been entertained with the pleasing appearance of nature in different dresses, and of the variety of sound, it may be truly said, Echo is here no solitary maid, Who only haunts the close impervious shade, On our return we went on shore both at Eagle and Oak Island; the latter is a good object to view at a distance, rising on a pretty base as if mechanically formed. About two o'clock we arrived a second time at the Eagle's Nest, where the boatmen's imitating the Irish Funeral Cry_afforded us considerable entertainment; it was first echoed from the Eagle's majestic cliff above us; and after a short silence, repeated as if upon a mountain at a great distance. 1 have now (perhaps) mentioned a matter but little known in England, and therefore I shall briefly inform you, that the Irish Funeral Cry is a loud and deliberate utterance of the word Pullilloo, which I do not find has any precise meaning, but is merely an exclamation of grief, as the interjection O! is used in our language. The whole company attending a funeral join in the acclamation, which by a mix ture of voices is rendered musical: after pronouncing the first syllable they repeat over the second many times, and, when their breath will hold out no longer, pronounce the last. This is the cry whilst passing from the house of the deceased to the place of interment, where, I am informed, a Funeral Oration is sometimes pronounced; such Orations generally consist in an enumeration of their virtues, and a lamentation for their loss, and varies in its length and quality according to what the age and condition in life of the deceased has been. The In the course of my journey, in this kingdom, I once overtook a funeral on the road, and walking my horse slowly with the procession for several miles, observed sundry matters to me entirely new. pullilloo was sometimes suspended for more than a mile, as we did not in that distance pass by any houses on the road-side; but I took notice, that on the near approach to a village the exclamation was renewed, and the villagers (suddenly alarmed) came running out of their houses, and shut up their front windows whilst the funeral passed by; this done they mixed with the mourners, and walked with them through the town, joining also in the pullilloo and other expressions of grief. At the end of the town, or village, the pullilloo ceased, and those who had thus "mimicked sorrow when the heart's not sad," made several enquiries respecting the deceased; such as, who it was, from whence they came, and whither going; and being satisfied in these important matters re turned home. If this conduct may not be termed a sudden effusion of generous sympathy, it may at least be deemed an instance of politeness, which will be rarely found among the peasants of England. [To be continued.] PLAN OF EDUCATION, BY DR. CHAPMAN. [Continued from Page 212.] - Method of teaching the principles of religion and morality. THE " HE Teacher begins with fixing the idea we have of God, as a Being possessed of all possible perfection; and proceeds to the proofs, or rather the effects, of his existence, as they appear in that part of the creation which falls under our notice. Here he enumerates various instances of power, of wisdom, and of goodness, which may be traced in the works of nature. These he illustrates in the following manner :-If we cast our eyes around us upon the surface of this earth, we must be filled with wonder and delight, while we consider its powerful energy in the production of vegetables, so necessary to mankind; the beautiful variety which it presents, of hills and vallies, plains, forests, rivers, seas, so useful as well as pleasant; and the various tribes of animals, which are nourished by it, and subservient to man, its principal inhabitant. If we look up to the firmament, our admiration increases, while we behold the great luminaries of heaven; by day the sun, that glorious source of light and heat, whose enlivening rays render the globe on which we live so comfortable and so beautiful an habitation; by night, those amazing orbs which appear in the vast canopy over our heads, and give a fainter day. Of these, the planets are a part of this our system, and larger, some of them, than the earth itself; and the fixed stars are immensely distant, and, according to the analogy of nature, supposed to serve as so many suns to their proper planets; which, like our earth, revolve around them, and, like it too, are replenished with their respective inhabitants. From such observations as these, we shall enlarge our notions of the creation, and conceive the highest idea of the infinite wisdom and power of God. If we descend again to the earth, our proper sphere, we cannot resist the strongest impressions of admiration, love, and gratitude, while we consider the curious structure of the human body, composed of various parts and organs of sensation, so well fitted for their several uses, and so necessary to the whole fabric; or the still more curious structure of the human mind, its affections and passions, its powers of thought and sentiment, of reflecting on its own operations, and of fore-seeing the consequences of human actions, its consciousness, its prodigious activity and memory, its natural sense of right and wrong, that foundation of its hopes and fears, and by which, along with the liberty of acting, it is constituted a moral and an accountable agent. This great and fundamental principle, of the existence of God, the teacher endeavours to illustrate by images familiar to the senses, as that of a ship, a house, a watch. For these are evidently destined for certain uses, and have their parts ingeniously fitted to answer their destination; yet we see they are not capable of constructing themselves, but stand indebted to the fkill of the artist, who laid the plan, and adjusted their proportions. Now, if a ship or other machine, is a proof of the understanding and ability of the maker, how much more does this vast and beautiful system of the world demonstrate the wisdom and power of its great Creator? And from this survey of the creation, and the instances of intelligence and design which may be discovered in every thing around as well as within us, may we not clearly see, and ought we not humbly to adore, the power, the wisdom, and the goodness of God, so illustriously displayed in his works? Then the teacher mentions the universal consent of mankind, who, in all ages, have been struck with this irresistible, this intuitive truth; and he urges the testimony of sacred writ, so evidently superior to all human compositions in simplicity of style, in sublimity of sentiment, and in the purity, the propriety, and the energy of its precepts. He proceeds next to consider the attributes of the Deity separately; and first his natural perfections, his self-existence, unity, omnipresence, omniscience, eternity, and almighty power. Then he explains his moral perfections, the subject of our imitation, and the comfort and delight of our souls; his wisdom, veracity, holiness, justice, goodness, and mercy. These are particularly defined, and considered 1 1 J as the foundation of the reverence and worship which we owe him. For if we are so constituted, that we cannot help esteeming and admiring any of our fellow-creatures whom we observe to be endued with very great and very good qualities, to how much greater esteem and admiration is that Being entitled, who possesses every perfection in the highest degree? But when we reflect, that it is to that all-perfect Being we owe life itself, and all the blessings which attend it, how high should our love, our gratitude, our veneration rise! It is he who inspires our parents with that strong affection which is so necessary a shield for us during the thoughtless condition of childhood and youth. It is to his bounty we are indebted for the food we eat, and the raiment we wear. It is he whose hand, though unseen, preserves us from those innumerable dangers to which our tender and delicate frame is continually exposed. It is to him we owe the high rank which we hold in the creation, and all the faculties of soul and body which we possess. He has endued us with the power of speech, by which we are rendered more capable of communicating our thoughts, of extending our usefulness, and of improving our happiness. He has distinguished our voices, as well as our countenances, by an infinite variety, and yet an amazing similarity. He has formed us for action as well as contemplation; and to temperance and industry he has graciously annexed health, and the certainty of a comfortable subsistence. He supports the race of mankind, by that nice and wonderful proportion which he keeps up between the two sexes, and by that strong instinct which he has implanted in them for continuing the species. From him all our delights and all our enjoyments flow. Our pains also he has made subservient to our moral improvement and our truest and most lasting felicity. He has lighted up a lamp within us, to direct us in the road to happiness; he has revived and brightened it when faint, and ready to expire, and brought life and immortality clearly to light by the gospel. He has placed happiness within our reach, if we be not wanting to ourselves, and promised his assistance to those who sincerely ask it. He has made our felicity to consist in virtuous actions, and linked our duty and happiness inseparably together. Even in the natural desires and propensities of our souls, he has given us an internal conviction, that they are to exist hereafter, and that this our present state is but the nursery of our being, and, as it were, the school of life. And by the analagy of nature, but still more clearly by the revelation of his will in the gospel, he has assured us that we are to survive our bodies, and to be happy or miserable, according to the use we make of our talents, and of the opportunities we have of improving them. Already do we feel the sanctions of this law taking place within us, in the authority which conscience exercises over us, rewarding us with self-approbation and pleasing hope, when we do a good or generous action, and punishing us with remorse and fear when we neglect our duty, or act a mean and unworthy part. We find also that our constitution is founded on this law, and that the natural and regular exercise of our powers is productive of health and happiness, while the perversion or the debasement of them leads to pain and misery. Is not this a clear intimation of the divine will, and a power ful barrier opposed by the Author of Nature to the ravages of vice? And do we not see, from all this, that the Supreme Being delights in virtue, and takes pleasure in the perfection and happiness of his creatures? Having defined the perfections of the Deity, and mentioned some instances of his goodness to mankind, the teacher considers the duties we have to perform; and, following the order of the ten command ments, he enquires first into our duty to God. When we reflect that we are creatures of his power, spectators of his wisdom, and objects of his goodness, we must feel a strong conviction on our minds, that we ought to entertain the highest and most honourable sentiments of him; to mention his name, upon all occasions, with the greatest reverence and veneration; to love him above all things; to worship him as a spirit, in spirit and in truth; to consider ourselves as always in his presence; to delight in the thoughts of being under his inspection and government; to be highly sensible of our dependence upon him, and to acknowledge it in public, as well as in private, and on every stated and solemn occasion; to sanctify his Sabbath; to be thankful for his benefits, and, above all, for the light of the gospel, and the redemption of mankind by Jesus Christ; to pray with the greatest contrition of heart, that, for his mercy's sake, so graciously offered to us on the terms of the gospel, he would forgive whatever we have donc amiss, and grant us the assistance of his Spirit through the difficult paths of life; to seek, with singleness, of heart, to find out his will, and inviolably to obey it; and to submit ourselves to him, under all the accidents to which we are exposed, as considering that he knows better than we what is proper for us, and that he carries on no malevolent design against us, but takes pleasure in virtue, and has promised that all things shall work together for the good of those who sincerely love and serve him. A VIEW OF THE PROGRESS OF NAVIGATION. IN SEVERAL ESSAYS. (Continued from Page 215.) ESSAY VII.--Portuguese Voyages in the Fifteenth and Beginning of the Sixteenth Century. IN 1447, Nuno Tristan advanced fixty leagues beyond Cape Verde, and entered Rio Grande. Alvaro Fernandez, prosecuting the same voyage, went forty leagues beyond Tristan. A variety of voyages were now made to the coast of Africa, to trade for black slaves. The King of Portugal granted Prince Henry a patent to settle the Azores; and, in 1462, the islands of Cape Verde were discovered by Antonio de Nola, a Genoese, in the service of Portugal. |