and I shot one of them. Some of its flesh was soon roasted; and after eating it we felt wonderfully strengthened.

19. By this time the blaze of the fire was beyond our sight, although the ground was still burning in many places, and it was dangerous to go among the burnt trees. After resting awhile we prepared to commence our march.

20. Taking up the child, I led the way over the hot ground and rocks; and after two weary days and nights, during which we made the best shifts we could, we at last reached the hard woods, which had been free from the fire. Soon after we came to a house, where we were kindly treated.

AUDUBON.

LESSON CCXIV.

CHO'RUS, verses sung by many voices. Cos'sACKS, a military people, skilled as horsemen, in the Russian empire. SHRINE, altar, sanctuary, place of worship.

RAN'SOMED, saved from slavery.
RHINE, a celebrated river of Europe,
rising in Switzerland, traversing the
eastern part of Germany, and flowing
into the North Sea.

PRONUNCIATION.-Wit'ness le, catch (not ketch), spir'it 34, path 10, shrine 23.

RHINE-SONG OF THE GERMAN SOLDIERS.

1. I WISII you could have heard Walter Scott describe a glorious sight which had been witnessed by one of his friends, -the crossing of the Rhine by the German army of liberators on their victorious return from France.

2. At the first gleam of the exulting and abounding river they all burst forth into the national chant, "The Rhine! the Rhine! They were two days passing over; and all the time the rocks and the castle were ringing to the song-for each band renewed it while crossing.

3. Even the Cossacks, with the clash and the clang, and the roll of their stormy war-music, catching the enthusiasm of the scene, swelled forth the chorus, "The Rhine! the Rhine.”

SINGLE VOICE.

4. It is the Rhine! our mountain vineyards laving;
I see the bright flood shine!'

Sing on the march, with every banner waving —
Sing, brothers, 't is the Rhine!

CHORUS.

5. The Rhine! the Rhine! our own imperial river!
Be glory on thy track!

We left thy shores, to die or to deliver; —
We bear thee freedom back!

SINGLE VOICE.

6. Hail! hail! my childhood knew thy rush of water,
Even as my mother's song;

That sound went past me on the field of slaughter,
And heart and arm grew strong!

CHORUS.

7. Roll proudly on! brave blood is with thee sweeping,
Poured out by sons of thine

Where sword and spirit forth in joy were leaping,
Like thee, victorious Rhine!

SINGLE VOICE.

8. Home! - home!· thy glad wave hath a tone of greeting,
Thy path is by my home;

Even now my children count the hours till meeting.
O ransomed ones, I come!

CHORUS.

9. Go, tell the seas that chain shall bind thee never,
Sound on by hearth and shrine !

Sing through the hills that thou art free forever -
Lift up thy voice, O Rhine!

MRS. HEMANS.

LESSON CCXV.

BAR, a bank of sand at the mouth of a SAL'A-MAN-DER, a kind of lizard.

harbor.

BAT'TER-Y, a fortification.
BLACK'-JACK, a tough, stubborn kind of
oak-tree.

COM MO-DORE, commander of a squad

ron.

HAND'SOME, honorable, well performed. POINT-BLANK', so near that the ball will go in a direct line to the object.

A

vulgar story prevails that salamanders can live in the hottest fire. This is an

error.

SERGEANT (sar'jent), a military officer.
SOUND, to try the depth of water with a
line and lead.

SUB-DUE', to tame, to soften.
TAR, a sailor, so called from his clothes
stained with tar.

PRONUNCIATION.-In'fi-nite 26d, sands 29, mi-li'tia (me-lish'a) 7, bat'ter-y 3b, her'o-ism 27a, bursts 29, sub-due' 16, lib'er ty 9, o-ver whelmed' 29.

THE ATTACK ON CHARLESTON.

1. In the year 1776 Sir Peter Parker was despatched with nine ships of war and a large land-force commanded by Clinton and Cornwallis, to make an attempt on Charleston, the capital of SouthCarolina.

2. Before the ships could be brought to attack the town they had to pass a little fort on Sullivan's Island. This, however, being defended only by raw militia, was hardly looked on as an obstacle.

3. Happily for America, the command of the fort had been committed to Gen. Moultrie. For, while Moultrie was showing the fort to Gen. Lee, and, in the language of a fiery patriot, was boasting

what handsome resistance he hoped it would make, Lee with infinite scorn replied, "Pshaw! a mere slaughter-house! a mere slaughter-house! a British man-of-war will knock it about your ears in half an hour!" Lee even proposed to abandon the fort!

4. Moultrie could scarcely suppress his indignation. "No man, sir," said he to Lee, "can have a higher opinion of the British ships and seamen than I have. But there are others who love the smell of gunpowder as well as they do; and give us but plenty of powder and ball, sir, and let them come on as soon as they please."

5. His courage was soon put to the test; for about ten o'clock, on the 28th of June, in the glorious 1776, Sir Peter Parker with seven tall ships formed his line, and, bearing down within pointblank shot of the fort, let go his anchors and began a tremendous fire.

6. At every thundering blast he earnestly hoped to see the militia take to the sands like frightened rats from an old barn on fire. But, in defeat of his hopes, the militia stood their ground, firm as the black-jacks of their land. They leveled their four-and-twentypounders with good aim, and every fire bored the enemy's ships through and through.

7. Their third broadside carried away one of the cables of the commodore's ship; the stern of which immediately swung round right upon the guns of the fort. "Hurra, my brave fellows!" was instantly the cry along the American battery, "look well to the commodore! now, my boys, for your best respects to the commodore!"

8. Little did the commodore thank them for such respects; for in a short time sixty of his crew lay lifeless on his decks, while many more were severely wounded. The Americans stood the fire like salamanders, for the neighboring shores were lined with thousands of their dearest relatives, anxiously looking on.

9. The British tars fought with their wonted heroism. Long accustomed to mastery in battles with the French, and greatly outnumbering the fort both in men and guns, they counted on certain victory, and, though dreadfully damaged, yet scorned to yield.

10. Immense were the exertions on both sides; and, while the powder of the fort lasted, the conflict was awfully grand. From ships to fort, and from fort to ships again, all below seemed one stream of solid fire: all above, one vast mountain of smoke darkening the day; while unceasing bursts of thunder deafened all ears, and far around shook both land and sea.

11. The heroes in the fort won immortal honor. A ball from the enemy's ships carried away the flag-staff. One brave fellow, Sergeant Jasper, jumped down from the fort to the beach in the hottest fury of the battle, and, snatching up the flag, returned it to its place, waving his hat and huzzaing, "Hurrah! my boys! Liberty and

LESSON CCXVI.

AUS-TRA LI-A, or New-Holland, the largest island in the world, in the Indian Ocean, south of Asia.

Bo'A, a long, round tippet of fur, so called from its resemblance in shape to the huge serpent named the boa. CIRCUS, an exhibition of feats of horsemanship.

CLows, buffoon, fool.
Do-MES'TIC-A-TED, living with men,

tame.

Hor'DEN, romping, fond of rough play.
MAD'CAP, a person of wild manners.
PHYS IC-AL, bodily.

STRIKING, impressive, exciting attention
and interest.

PRONUNCIATION.— Zo-o-logʻi-cal 33, rhi-noc ́e-ros 36, parʼcel 46, act ́u-al-ly 18, boʻa 7.

AMUSEMENTS OF ANIMALS.

1. Ir may be said, in general, that the lower animals employ the greater part of their time in the serious business of life; that is, in eating and drinking and attending to their family concerns. But nature seems to have deemed that with these, as with mankind, "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Accordingly, they have their amusements as well as the "lords of creation."

2. We are all familiar with the sports of young animals, especially those which are domesticated. Kittens seem to spend the first three or four months of their existence in a constant round of sports, save only when they are sleeping or eating. They wrestle, run races, play "hide and seek," and tease their mothers, as if they had actually taken lessons from the boys and girls around them.

3. Puppies manifest the same love of frolic. Colts, calves, and lambs are seen frisking over the fields, running and leaping like madcaps, evidently finding an ecstasy of delight in these hoiden

exercises.

4. The wild inhabitants of the wilderness have their fun as well as the more civilized brutes. A family of young foxes have been seen romping in front of their rocky den with all the glee of puppies.

5. Bears, young and old, notwithstanding their sober looks and savage disposition, are full of fun and drollery. A traveler in India tells us that bears often emerge from the jungles, and perform their antics in the path of the stranger as if to amuse him, rolling and tumbling and making droll faces, like clowns in the circus.

6. In Paris, among a large collection of wild animals, there are several bears, kept in a deep pit or cellar surrounded by a railing. These animals always attract the attention of visitors, who throw them pieces of bread and cake. In order to win favors of this kind, these huge beasts perform a great variety of tricks, such as standing erect on their haunches and lifting up their huge paws like beggars, or lying flat on their backs grinning, as if such graces must be irresistible.