At Stonyhurst, Charles seems to have made laudable progress in the various branches of a polite education, and at the same time not to have neglected his bird-nesting and other propensities characteristic of a naturalist, to the violation, sometimes, of the regulations of the establishment. The fathers, however, seeing the great aim of his disposition, indulged it as far as possible, one of them even predicting that the youth would travel into distant countries, and be exposed to many dangers-accompanying the prophecy with these words,-"There is only one way for you to escape them (the many dangers). Promise me that, from this day forward, you will never put your lips to wine, or to spirituous liquors." The promise was given, and, adds the author, it has been faithfully observed. In the course of his "Autobiography" he tells us that he also formed and kept the same resolution in regard to malt liquors, so that he forestalled and outstripped the obligations of the strictest Temperance Societies of which we have yet heard. Hunting and other field-sports, as well, of course, as bird-nesting, ferretting, and other kindred pursuits, succeeded the schoolingo f our naturalist. His favourite occupations were also, no doubt, extended in Spain, whither he went on a visit to two of his maternal uncles. There, after a delightful sojourn, a contagious disease assailed him, and brought him to the gates of death. He recovered, while thousands upon thousands sunk around him under the pestilence. But to balance the suffering of a dreadful vomiting and fever, red par tridges abounded in the neighbourhood of Malaga, where his uncles resided. Goldfinches, also, appeared to be much more common. than sparrows. Quails and bee-eaters arrived in vast numbers, and once, "when I was rambling on the sea-shore, a flock of a dozen flamingoes passed nearly within gunshot of me." Nay, at Gibraltar he counted from fifty to sixty apes, it being "a well-known fact, that apes are found in no other part of Europe except in Gibraltar." These may seem to be trifling facts to record, and assuredly not one traveller in ten thousand would insert them long after in any short autobiography. But what does all this prove, excepting that had it not been for the love and enthusiasm thus evinced the world never would have been put in possession of the "Wanderings," nor even of the present less ambitious volume? It is also characteristic of our author when he states, "I brought over with me from Spain, a superbly mounted Spanish gun, and a beautiful ivory crucifix: they had been a present from the Duchess of Aiva to my deceased uncle." A paternal uncle having owned certain estates in Demerara, Mr. Waterton, when still a very young man, petitioned and was allowed to superintend them; which, while there was no safe travelling in Europe on account of the war, was a good opening for one who longed to see something of the world beyond what his native country afforded, and especially to an enthusiastic student of natural science. VOL. II. (1838.) no. I. F said the governor to the English gentleman. I am, an't please your Excellency,' answered he. Then go and bring him hither,' rejoined the governor. He returned with the lawyer in about half an hour. Did you recover the money for this gentleman?' asked the governor. ‘I did,' answered the lawyer. Then why do you not give it to him?''Because -because-and here he stammered in great agitation; when the governor sternly asked him, 'Do you see that lamp-post in front of the window?' 'I do.' Then,' remarked the governor, I'll have you hanged on it, by Saturday night, if you do not refund the money.' The lawyer paid the money on the following day." Mr. Waterton has been an extensive and frequent traveller both on the continent of Europe and in America; and though his pursuits after wild beasts exposed him to unusual dangers in the latter quarter of the globe, he did not always escape alarming accidents in the former. An instance may be quoted. "As Captain Alexander and myself were returning over Mount Cenis, I fancied that the baggage had broken loose on the top of the carriage; so I immediately mounted on the wheel to see what was the matter. As bad luck would have it, I came in contact with the window, and smashed the glass: two pieces of the pane, an inch long, penetrated a little above the cap of the left knee, on the inner side, and broke short off This was at ten o'clock of the night. I put my thumb firmly on the wound, until the captain had brought one of the lamps to bear on it. On seeing the blood flow in a continued stream, and not by jerks, I knew that the artery was safe. Having succeeded in getting out the two pieces of glass with my finger and thumb, I bound the wound up with my cravat. Then, cutting off my coat pocket, I gave it to the captain, and directed him to get it filled with poultice, in a house where he saw a light at a distance. The next day a strong fever came on; so we stopped until it had abated, and then we went on again; and stopped again on account of the fever; and again proceeded, until at last we reached Paris; the wound being in a deplorable state. Here Doctor Marshall, a friend from Demerara, took me under his care until I was in a state to proceed to England. He showed exquisite skill in his treatment of the wound, and would have done wonders for it had I stayed a sufficient length of time with him. "On my arrival in London, Father Scott, of the Society of Jesus, came immediately to my assistance. Having inspected the wound, he took his departure without loss of time, and he brought back with him the celebrated Mr. Carpue; to whose consummate knowledge and incessant attention I owe the preservation of the limb, and probably of life too. The knee continued stiff for nearly two years; but, by constant exercise, and by refusing the aid of a walking stick, it lost all rigidity, and is now as sound as though it had never been injured. I have often thought since, that I should have laid my bones in France, but for the unwearied exertions of my friend Captain Alexander." We gather from the narrative before us, that our naturalist is no indifferent physician, and that his surgical powers are eminent, which his habits of dissecting specimens for his valuable collections must have greatly promoted. Having had on one occasion a ramrod, armed with brass at both ends, shot through his fore-finger, betwixt the knuckle and the first joint, the paper and ignited powder following the more substantial article, without delay he repaired to a house, and, having poured warm water plentifully upon the blackened wound, collected the ruptured tendons, which were hanging down, replacing them carefully, binding up the whole, "not forgetting to give to the finger its original shape as nearly as possible." He then proceeds to explain his medical system, which we extract for the benefit of the faculty and all others who may feel inclined, or be obliged, to prescribe for themselves. After having disposed of the finger as already stated, he says— "I opened a vein with the other hand, and took away to the extent of two and twenty ounces of blood. Whilst I am on phlebotomy, I may remark, that I consider inflammation to be the root and origin of almost all diseases. To subdue this at its earliest stage has been my constant care. Since my four and twentieth year, I have been blooded above one hundred and ten times, in eighty of which I have performed the operation on myself with my own hand. This, with calomel and jalap mixed together, as a purgative, with the use of rhubarb in occasional cases of dysentery, and with vast and often repeated potations of powdered Peruvian bark, as a restorative, has enabled me to grapple successfully with sickness when I was far away from medical aid. In cases where laudanum was absolutely necessary, I was always extremely cautious, having seen far too many instances in other people of the distressing effects produced by the frequent use of this insidious drug. My severest trials of sickness were those when I had to contend with internal inflammation at the very time that I was labouring under tertian ague. In those cases, the ague had to bear all the burden, for I knew that it was not a mortal complaint; whereas internal inflammation was not to be trifled with for one moment. Under this impression, I would fearlessly open a vein, and would trust to Peruvian bark, at a later period, to counteract the additional encouragement which I had been forced to give to the ague, through the medium of the lancet. I am now, I think, in as perfect health as man can be. But let me finish the account of my accident. On reaching home, I applied a very large poultice, which was renewed twice every day. The inflammation never extended beyond the knuckles; and I recovered the full use of the finger in due course of time." It is to his "Wanderings," however, that the reader must recur for the most extraordinary events in the course of our author's favourite researches in the wilds of America; and before passing on to notice a few portions of the Essays, it is proper to let him be re-heard in reference to some opinions that have been entertained respecting the former publication. "Unenviable is the lot of him whose narratives are disbelieved merely for want of sufficient faith in him who reads them. If those who have called my veracity in question would only have the manliness to meet me and point out any passage in the book which they consider contradictory, or false, I would no longer complain of unfair treatment. If they can show that I have deviated from the line of truth in one single solitary instance, I will consent to be called an impostor; and then may the Wanderings be trodden under foot, and be forgotten for ever. "Some people imagine that I have been guilty of a deception in placing the nondescript as a frontispiece to the book. Let me assure these worthies that they labour under a gross mistake. I never had the slightest intention to act so dishonourable a part. I purposely involved the frontispiece in mystery, on account of the illiberality which I experienced from the Treasury on my return from Guiana. I had spent many years in trying to improve the very defective process universally followed in preparing specimens for museums. The reader will see by the letter signed Lushington that I was sentenced to pay pretty handsomely for my exertions. "Gentlemen, "Treasury Chambers, May 18th. "The Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, having had under their consideration your report of the 10th, on the application of Mr. Charles Waterton, for the delivery, duty free, of some birds, quadrupeds, reptiles, and insects, collected by him in Guiana, and recently imported from Demerara, I have it in command to acquaint you that my Lords have informed Mr. Waterton that, if he will specify the articles which he intends to give to public institutions, my Lords will not object to their being delivered duty free; but that, with regard to the specimens intended for his own or any private collection, they can only be delivered on payment of the ad valorem duty of 20 per cent.; and I am to desire you will give the necessary directions to your officers at Liverpool, in conformity thereto. 66 "Commissioners of Customs.' Stung with vexation at the unexpected contents of that peremptory letter, and annoyed at the detention of my collection, I determined not to communicate to the public the discovery which I had made of preparing specimens upon scientific principles; but, in order to show what I had done, I placed the nondescript in the Wanderings; hoping that its appearance would stimulate to investigation those who are interested in museums. Should there be any expression in the Wanderings, by which the reader may be led to imagine that I wish to pass off this extraordinary thing either for the head and shoulders of a man, os homini sublime;' or for those of an ape, Simia,-quam similis, turpissima bestia nobis;' it is my earnest desire that the said expression may be considered null and void. I have no wish whatever that the nondescript should pass for any other thing than that which the reader himself should wish it to pass for. Not considering myself pledged to tell its story, I leave it to the reader to say what it is or what it is not." While there appears to be whim in the employment of the mystery alluded to, hardly becoming a zealous son of science, the blindness and mistaken economy of the government in the treasury resolution quoted above is deserving of exposure and reproach. Had the collection been made by a man of less opulence than Mr. Waterton, probably a foreign country might at this moment have been in possession of it, and the crowds of all ranks that are annually welcomed and most hospitably treated at Walton Hall would have been denied an intellectual feast, and an opportunity of appreciating a character of great worth belonging to the aristocracy of our country. In the controversies which natural history has elicited, it is matter of regret that prejudice and irritating feelings have sometimes been substituted for truth and a pure desire to advance the interests of science. One of the points, which has given rise within these few late years to an unwarrantable keenness of temper, regards the means by which the Vulture discovers carrion and putrid animal matter; Audubon and several of the American Ornithologists maintaining that it is by sight, while our author adopts the oldfashioned doctrine that it is by scent. We pretend not to decide where doctors differ; but quote a few paragraphs of the Essay on the subject before us. "ON THE FACULTY OF SCENT IN THE VULTURE. Æneid. lib. vi. "I never thought that I should have lived to see this bird deprived of its nose. But in the third number of Jameson's Journal, a modern writer has actually given 'An account of the habits of the Turkey Buzzard (Vultur Aura), with a view of exploding the opinion generally entertained of its extraordinary power of smelling;' and I see that a gentleman in the Magazine of Natural History, vol. iii. p. 449, gives to this writer the honour of being the first man who, by his interesting treatise,' caused the explosion to take place. "I grieve from my heart that the vulture's nose has received such a tremendous blow; because the world at large will sustain a great loss by this sudden and unexpected attack upon it. Moreover, I have a kind of fellow-feeling, if I may say so, for this noble bird. We have been for years together in the same country; we have passed many nights amongst the same trees; and though we did not frequent the same mess, (for de gustibus non est disputandum,'- and I could not eat rotten venison, as our English epicures do,) still we saw a great deal of each other's company. 66 Sancho Panza remarks, that there is a remedy for every thing but death. Now, as the vulture has not been killed by the artillery of this modern writer in Jameson's Journal, but has only had its nose carried away by an explosion, I will carefully gather up the shattered olfactory parts, and do my best to restore them to their original shape and beautiful proportions. In repairing the vulture's nose, I shall not imitate old Taliacotius, who, in times long past and gone, did from The brawny part of porter's bum |