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sels of Tripoli took their cargoes to Egypt, lated, through Lord Exmouth's armed media. Tunis, and the Levant; but since the emanci- tion. Naples pays 24,000 dollars to Algiers, pation of the Hellenes, the Barbary slave-mer- 5000 to Tunis, and 4000 to Tripoli. Tuscany chants do not venture willingly under their and the Pope are still subject to occasional own flag, and it is in Christian vessels and vexations from some of the Regencies; they under Christian colours, says Mr. Graberg, that are, however, at peace with Tripoli, to whom the trade is carried on. Several vessels also they pay annual gifts. In this manner the come to Tripoli, from the coast of Albania, Bey of Tripoli, notwithstanding his mariunder the Ottoman flag, with cargoes of tim- time insignificance, manages still to extort ber for ship-building, which they exchange for about twenty thousand dollars yearly from the black female slaves, whom they take to Turkey Christians. And such is the poverty of his and Constantinople, and sell with great profit. finances, that "this branch of revenue is mortWe read some time ago an edict of the Empe-gaged," says Mr. G. "for several years to ror of Austria, forbidding his Italian subjects from carrying on the slave trade; but we fear that the other Italian states are not so scrupulous on the subject.

Another branch of the inland trade of Africa is in the hands of the people of Augela, a town of the regency of Tripoli. They have within a few years established a direct intercourse with the states of Bornou and Bagherm, without passing through Tripoli or Fezzan. The goods that are thus brought to Augela, are forwarded direct to Egypt through the Libyan desert.

The great caravan of pilgrims and inerchants from Morocco to Mekka, which used to pass yearly through Tripoli, seems to be now discontinued. The only one Mr. Graberg has seen was that of 1824, which consisted of about three thousand men, a few hundred women and children, and two thousand camels, and was under the command of an Emir. It came from the city of Fez, and passing through the kingdoms of Algiers and Tunis arrived under the walls of Tripoli, where it halted about a month, and then pursued its way through the desert of Barca to Alexandria, Cairo, and Mekka. Most of the pilgrims now proceed by sea to Alexandria, on board Christian vessels. The Bey of Tripoli does not allow his subjects to perform this pilgrimage.

In the city of Tripoli there are two bazaars, well built and kept in very good order. Out of the land gate a market is kept every Tuesday; and another five miles farther, also once a week. In the spring, about April, these markets are most abundantly supplied with cattle, poultry, game, and vegetables of all sorts. Towards June fruit begins to be plentiful. The sea abounds with fish; most of the fishermen are Maltese. From the mountains of Gharrion and Tarhona are brought quantities of hares, gazelles, red partridges, pigeons, and quails, which are sold at a very low price; fowls, which are excellent, are exported to the island of Malta.

It is one of the anomalies of European politics, that the Barbary powers should receive the tribute or gifts, as they are sometimes styled, from several Christian governments, in order to restrain their subjects from annoying them. Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the Italian states, submit to this humiliation; among the latter, however, Sardinia, has honourably freed herself from the yoke. The expedition she sent against Tripoli, in September, 1825, and which destroyed the flotilla of the Bey, and obliged the latter to sue for peace, confirmed the emancipation of the Sardinian flag, which had been already stipu

come."

In adverting to the complaints of the bad faith of the people of Barbary, the Swedish Consul takes an impartial and temperate view of the subject: he begins by observing, that the European character, with its jealousy, its interestedness, and its spirit of intrigue, has not shown itself to advantage, for ages past, to the uninformed and fanatical natives of the coast of Barbary. The adventurers from Italy, France, and Spain, who land upon that shore, are often men of dissolute character, who escape from the punishment or dishonour which threatens them in their native land. Provided with a passport, often surreptitiously obtained, and with a few packs of cards and dice, they contrive to abuse the simplicity of the Moors; and with the money thus acquired, some of them open wine-houses and places of debauch, where the lower classes indulge in the forbidden use of liquors, which they carry to the excess of intoxication. Others hawk about immoral prints, and obscene pieces of mechanism, to the scandal even of the barbarians. A Moor of Tunis, on being shown a watch of this description, exclaimed with honest contempt, that if the Christians had any religion the workmen of such abominations would have had their fingers clipped." In a little work, published in Italy some years ago, by a person well acquainted with Barbary, it is observed that the depraved conduct of many Europeans has largely added to the unfavourable opinion which Mussulmans are taught by early education to entertain of Christians; and instances are given of such conduct. The facility with which many bad Christians embrace Islamism, often to escape the punishment of their crimes, is an additional proof of this.

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The inhabitants of Barbary consist of many different races. Besides the Turks from the Levant, who inhabit the cities and form the militia, there are the Moors, the Bedoweens, or Nomade Arabs, and the Berbers, or mountaineers of the interior. Part of the Moors are descendants of the Spanish Mussulmans; in the kingdom of Tunis they inhabit almost exclusively, several districts of the capital, the little town of Soliman on the coast, and the villages of Zowan and Destour in the interior. They are an industrious, thriving, and mild race, and their women are reported to be remarkably handsome; they seldom intermarry with the other Moors. Traditions of their former home, in the favoured regions of Andalu sia, still subsist among those families, some of whom have preserved with religious care the

* I. Christiani e i Barbareschi, 1822.

keys of their ancient dwellings beyond the

sea.

Returning now to speak more particularly of Tripoli, we are assured by Mr. Graberg, that the government and the people of that country, notwithstanding their faults and prejudices, are more advanced in their social condition than those of Tunis and Algiers, particularly than Morocco, which last is the seat of the most absolute and ferocious despotism, swaying over a fanatical, ignorant, and miserable population. The causes of this superiority of Tripoli are the hereditary form of its government, which for a century past has remained in the same family, and the absence of that turbulent and lawless militia, recruited out of the refuse of the cities of the Levant, which in Algiers and Tunis so often disturb the public peace-disposing of the persons and properties of the inhabitants, whether native or European, and even of the life of the sovereign. Mr. G. warns his readers not to believe implicitly the assertions of travellers, some of whom have written romances rather than descriptions of the present state of Barbary.

From the London Weekly Review.

ENGLISH WARS.

Weekly Free Press, Saturday, Sept. 27. THE following article is copied from the London Weekly Review, and we hope it will be read at least twelve times, by every man who takes in this paper, at his breakfast table, that so his wife and children may be able to treasure it up in their memories, and reflect upon it at their leisure :—

"English Wars-Of 127 years, terminating in 1815, England spent 65 in war, and 62 in peace. The war of 1638, after lasting nine years, and raising our expenditure in that period to thirty-six millions, was ended by the treaty of Ryswick in 1697. Then came the war of the Spanish succession, which began in 1702, concluded in 1713, and absorbed sixtytwo and a half millions of our money. Next was the Spanish war of 1739, settled finally at Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, after costing us nearly fifty-four millions. Then came the Seven Years' War of 1756, which terminated with the treaty of Paris in 1763, in the course of which we spent one hundred and twelve millions. The next was the American War of 1775, which lasted eight years. Our national expenditure in this time was 136 millions. The French Revolutionary War began in 1793, lasted nine years, and exhibited an expenditure of 464 millions. The war against Bonaparte began in 1803, and ended in 1815. During those twelve years, we spent 1159 millions: 771 of which were raised by taxes, 388 by loans. In the Revolutionary War we borrowed 201 millions; in the American, 104 milns; in the Seven Years' War, 60 millions; the Spanish War of 1739, 29 millions; in War of the Spanish succession, 32 mil; in the war of 1688, 20 millions:-total

borrowed in the seven wars, during 65 years,

about 834 millions. In the same time we raised by taxes 1189 millions; thus forming a total expenditure of 2023 millions!"

We will not merely say that this money was thrown away, it was mainly expended in hiring man to become the butcher of man. The object of its expenditure was to prevent reformation at home and the growth of liberty abroad. What have we gained by it as a nation, and what is the present condition of the men who contrived, matured, and induced others to execute the murderous plan which has exhausted so much of the national wealth? We are taxed up to the eyes. We are not allowed to buy food of those who would take the products of our industry in return for it. Even the Tories represent the country to be in a state of increasing wretchedness, and our monied men are hourly expecting some dreadful panic. Abroad we are scorned, and at home we present the miserable spectacle of a handful of men actually overloaded with riches, whilst the immense majority of the people are living from hand to mouth, and not knowing in the morning how they shall provide support for the day. Capital is so plentiful in the hands of a few monied men, that they are seeking to contract loans with foreign powers, at the same time that almost every tradesman complains of want of money to carry on his business. We know of no one trade in which the value of labour is not sinking every day. Our peasantry are for the most part paupers. In the Metropolis alone, we are said to have eighty thousand prostitutes. The gross vices of other countries are hourly importing by our aristocracy and their servants, and our clergy and nobles are ever living in apprehension of some national calamity which may level those distinctions which they deem indispensable to their existence. They maintain that they cannot live without monopolies, and that if the people have their just right of representation restored to them, and religious liberty fully established, the country (that is themselves) will be ruined.

This unnatural condition of things in a country, the people of which are industrious, skilful, and well informed, may be ascribed mainly to those wars, the cost of which, is thus clearly set before the people of England. Let the nation see its folly, and beware of any further crusades against the liberties of mankind.

From the Winter's Wreath.
LINES

INTENDED AS A DEDICATION FOR A LADY'S
ALBUM.

TOUCH me gently, lady fair!

Though my page be yet unmeaning,
Soon I will repay thy care;
Ample store of rich and rare

Soon shall recompense my gleaning.
Many a line, with music fraught,

Shall flow from Beauty's magic finger;

Many a verse, by friendship taught,
Shall lead the retrospective thought,
To spots where memory loves to linger!

Genius, which no gold could buy;
Love, the meanest gift enhancing ;
Wit, whose arrows, as they fly,
Sparkle like thine own bright eye,
From its silken fringes glancing!—
Gifts from these, and rarer still,

Graced by soft and flowing numbers,
All my spotless leaves shall fill,
Gentle lady, if thy will

Bid the Muses quit their slumbers!

Guard me well;-from year to year,
As thine eye my page retraces,
Thou shalt find the relics here,
Grow, like Sybil leaves, more dear,
At every line that Time effaces.

And with these, my new-born powers,
Let my first, best wish be spoken;
That thy path be spread with flowers,
Thy life-a chain of rosy hours,

With all its fragrant links unbroken!

From the Winter's Wreath.

KESTER HOBSON.*

VIVIAN.

A TALE OF THE YORKSHIRE WOLDS.

In a retired part of the Yorkshire Wolds, stood, some years ago, the Castle of Lounsborough, an ancient seat of the noble house of Cavendish, which had long been in such a state of desertion and decay, that it has lately been thought expedient to demolish it altogether. At the commencement of the great civil war, on Sir Charles Hotham taking possession of Hull for the Parliament, it had been, for several years, a place of refuge for several wealthy royalists. For this reason, perhaps, or for some others more valid, a tradition had long prevailed in the neighbouring villages, that inany hidden treasures had been discovered at different times, about the house and grounds of Lounsborough Castle. The noble owners, of course, treated these rumours with contempt; and never took any steps for asserting their manorial rights, or investigating their supposed claims.

About the middle of the last century, the charge of the ancient domain was committed to a man of the name of Christopher Hobson, who, with his wife and two daughters, constituted its sole occupants. The females were employed in keeping the house in decent order, whilst Christopher, or as he was commonly called Kester, busied himself in the gardens and grounds, so that in case of an unexpected visit from the noble owners, which sometimes

*This legendary tale was related to the author by some of the older peasants of the Wolds; similar traditions have prevailed in many other places.-See "Fairy Legends," by T. C. CROKER, Esq.

happened, the family were not wholly unprepared for their reception.

Kester Hobson was in the habit of spending two or three evenings a week at a small public-house in the adjacent village, where a few of the peasants and small farmers of the neighbourhood usually assembled. At the period we are speaking of, many of the lingering superstitions of the dark ages still maintained their ground in various parts of the kingdom, and in none did they keep their hold with greater tenacity than in the villages of the Yorkshire Wolds. At their fireside meetings, the conversation frequently turned on various old traditions respecting Lounsborough Castle; and, amongst other legends equally veracions, it was affirmed that on one occasion, towards the close of the civil war, a band of round-head Guerillas, under Harrison, having suddenly surprised the castle, where some Baltic mer. chants from Hull, of the King's party, had taken refuge, the unfortunate cavaliers had been obliged to bury their money, and having afterwards made a desperate resistance, were all killed in defence of their precious deposites. So strong, however, was the attachment of these worthy traders to their beloved wealth, that even after death, their shadowy forms had often been seen hovering round the obscure places of the castle domain, like the ghosts of unburied heroes on the banks of Styx. Indeed it is well known to have been one of the most deep-rooted opinions of the olden time, that if any person had buried money or jewels during his life-time, his spirit could take no repose till the treasure was discovered. It may seem strange to some readers that, at this late period of history, there should have prevailed "such utter darkness in the land, and such gross darkness in the people;" but the author reality. Haud ignota loquor. of this little narrative is well assured of their

These oft-repeated and well-attested stories made a deep impression on Kester's mind; and often, whilst sitting alone in his chimney-cor. ner, he would muse on these marvellous cir

cumstances, and reflect with bitterness on his own misfortune, in being doomed to live in poverty amidst these countless hoards of wealth, and perhaps, day after day, to tread it under his feet, without being able to reach even a single noble, but compelled to toil throughout his whole life for a miserable pittance of a few shillings a week. One winter's night, having retired to bed full of these melancholy thoughts, he fell into a deep sleep; and dreamed that a sober, business-looking man, with a ledger under his arm, and a pen behind his ear, appeared at his bedside, and, after giving him a solemn and sepulchral look, such as beseemed a messenger from the tomb, delivered a portentous injunction to the following effect:-Christopher Hobson was commanded to depart imme diately for London, and when arrived there,

was ordered to walk backwards and forwards over London-bridge for an hour, on three successive nights, immediately after dark, during which he would hear of some very important event that materially concerned himself and family.

This vision was so much more vivid, consistent and striking than an ordinary dream, that

it left a very deep impression on Kester's mind, situation. On one of these shops, decorated and he thought of little else the whole of the by the sign of a Negro Boy with a pipe in his following day. But though sufficiently super-mouth, Kester Hobson happened to cast his stitious, yet the expense and trouble of a jour-eye as he was about to quit the bridge-and it ney to London, were at that time matter of reminded him that his tobacco-box was empty; such serious import, that he could not bring for the necessities of established habit will himself to resolve on so perilous an undertak- duly recur, even amidst our sorrows and dising, on grounds which he could not help feel-appointments. He entered the shop, thereing to be rather equivocal. The next night, however, the same visitation was repeated, and in terms and manner still more awful and peremptory. His mind now became quite bewildered, and he began to think seriously that an admonition, thus solemnly repeated, could not with safety be disregarded. But on the third night the spectre again appeared, and delivered the same injunction with such an alarming and menacing aspect, that on awaking the next morning, Christopher hesitated no longer, but began instantly to make preparations for his journey. He told his family that an affair of importance, which he could not then explain, required his immediate presence in London; and begged them to defer asking any questions till his return.

fore, with a view of purchasing a small supply; and found behind the counter, an elderly sedate looking quaker, whose contented and well fed person indicated the prosperity of his calling. Whilst weighing the tobacco, he surveyed our Yorkshire man with some earnestness, and then, in a tone which expressed a sort of good-natured curiosity, accosted him as follows "I have observed, friend, with some surprise, that for several nights thou hast employed thyself for a considerable time in walking to and fro across this bridge, and thy anx. ious looks seemed to expect something very particular; I am afraid thou hast been waiting for some person who has disappointed thee and failed in his engagement. If any advice or information of mine can be of use, as thou seem

He next applied to an old friend, a neigh-est to be a stranger in London, I should be bouring farmer and a tenant of his master, for the loan of a steady old horse, which he had sometimes borrowed for short journeys; assuring him with a mysterious air, that he was going on an affair of great importance, in which, if he succeeded, the favour he was now asking should be amply compensated. He then took out from a small secret store, which had long been accumulating, a sum which he thought sufficient for the journey; and thus equipped and provided, he boldly set out for the metropolis.

Though the autumn was far advanced, and the roads consequently very bad, he arrived in town without any accident, and put up at a small inn in the borough, to which he had been recommended. Though he had never been in London before, he resolved to lose no time, but proceed immediately to business. The night after his arrival, therefore, he betook himself to the foot of London-bridge; and as soon as he heard St. Paul's clock strike seven, by which time it was quite dark, he commenced his. walk, backwards and forwards over the bridge. He continued this exercise till he heard the same clock strike eight; when, having observed nothing more remarkable than the coming and going masses of a busy crowd of passengers, he returned to his hotel. He was not much disappointed at the ill success of his first essay, as two more nights still remained. The second night passed exactly like the first, and he began to be a little disheartened. He commenced, however, the labours of the third night with renovated hope;-but when he heard the deep-mouthed bell again toll eight o'clock, his spirits sunk within him. With a heavy heart he prepared to quit the bridge, inwardly cursing his own credulity, and the devices of Satan, who, he doubted not, had lured him on to this ill-fated expedition.

It may be necessary to remind some of our readers, that at the period we are speaking of, the entire length of London-bridge was flanked by two rows of houses and shops, and a great retail business was carried on in this singular

glad to offer thee any assistance in my power." Our hearts are never more warmed than by an offer of kindness in a strange place and amongst strange people. Kester Hobson possessed perhaps a greater portion than usual of that mixture of simplicity and cunning, which has been so often ascribed to his countrymen, but though always a little on his guard, he was not quite proof against this open and disinterested kindness. He expressed his thanks very heartily, but declared he was quite ashamed to confess his business in London, and the nature of those night-walks which had excited the attention of the honest tobacconist. By degrees, however, his inquisitive friend got out of him, that he had, in fact, been deeply mortified and disappointed: that he had expected to meet with a very particular person or occurrence on London-bridge-and, in short, that he had undertaken a long, expensive, and laborious journey to London, merely at the instigation of a dream. He suppressed, however, his name and residence, from a vague apprehension, that such disclosure might by possibility expose him to ridicule, or to some other unpleasant consequence.

The quaker heard this strange confession with much surprise, and then replied with great solemnity. "It strikes me with astonishment, my good friend, that a man of thy decent and sober appearance should have come a journey of two or three hundred miles on such an errand as this! I thought such vain imaginations and weak superstitions had long since been eschewed by all men of sense, and abandoned to children and old women. It is deplorable to think that thy parents and instructors did not take care to root out all such idle fancies in early life, and then wisdom might peradventure have come with years and experience. However," continued he," it does not become me to erect mine horn aloft, and look down upon the weak and ignorant, be cause my own lot has fallen in better places. If I have been hitherto enabled to turn aside from all such vain devices, is it not because

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having been brought up, as it were, at the feet
of Gamaliel, I have learnt from the lessons of
a wise father the ways of truth and soberness?
And yet," added he, smiling at Christopher,
"I can assure thee, friend, that if I have con-
stantly kept clear of all such delusions, it has
not been for lack of temptation. I have, all
my life long, been a great dreamer; and often
my midnight visions have been so express and
surprising, that it has required the strong arm
of truth and reason to resist their allurements.
Even this very last night, I was beset with this
temptation. I dreamed that an elderly man, in
a snuff-brown coat, with a pen stuck behind
his ear, came to my bed-side, and told me, that
if I went into a back garden, belonging to an
ancient castle in Yorkshire, and dug the ground
under the stone seat of an old Gothic summer-
house, I should find a great treasure. Now,"
continued he, with a look of conscious superi-
ority, "if I had been as foolish as thou, I
might have neglected my business, and set off
on a toilsome journey, in search of this imagi-
nary treasure." Here Kester Hobson, who
had thus far thought the good quaker's ha-
rangue rather prosing and tedious, began to
prick up his ears, as the ancient poets express
it; for he was well aware, that there was ex-
actly such an old summer-house as this, in a
retired garden, in the grounds of Lounsbo-
rough Castle. His countenance betrayed a
visible agitation; but fortunately he stood in a
dark part of the shop, where the light did not
fall upon his face. He could hardly forbear
shouting with exultation; but, by a violent
effort, he suppressed his emotion, and replied
as indifferently as he could, that it was true
he had indeed been guilty of a great weakness,
but he hoped he should be wiser for the future.

It is useless to say that Kester treasured up this momentous information carefully in his mind, and soon after took leave of his valuable friend. "We shall soon see," thought he exultingly, "which of us two is the wiser man in his generation." The next day he took his departure for Yorkshire, and in about a week reached his home in safety. On the very night of his arrival, he dismissed his family to bed in good time, telling them that he had some accounts to settle, which required him to be alone. When the household was all sunk in repose, he took a spade and a lantern, and repaired in silence to the old summer-house. He removed the stone seat, took up the pavement, and after digging about three feet deep; he felt the spade strike against some hard substance. His nerves were all agitation,-but he went on, and soon drew out a large earthen jar, of the capacity of about half a bushel, fastened with a wooden cover. He eagerly broke it open, and found it quite filled with the gold coins of the reigns of Elizabeth, James the First, and Charles the First. He instantly conveyed it home, and got it safely locked up in his desk without the least appearance of interruption.

Kester Hobson's wife was, like himself, famous for prudence and reserve;-and to her, therefore, but not to his daughter, he determined to reveal the secret. They used their treasure cautiously and discreetly, so as to avoid particular remark or conjecture; and he often laughs in his sleeve at the good quaker's

sage discourse, and airs of lofty superiority. He thought himself dispensed from making any disclosure to his noble master; for, though a man of fair character, and reasonably honest when temptation did not press him too hard, yet, on the present occasion, he thought all he had got was the fair reward of his own acuteJ. M. ness and perseverance.

From the Winter's Wreath.

THE MEETING OF THE SHIPS.
BY MRS. HEMANS.

"We take each other by the hand, and we exchange a
few words and looks of kindness, and we rejoice together
for a few short moments ;-and then days, months, years
intervene and we see and know nothing of each other."
Washington Irving.
Two barks met on the deep mid-sea,
When calms had still'd the tide;
A few bright days of Summer glee
There found them side by side.

And voices of the fair and brave

Rose mingling thence in mirth;
And sweetly floated o'er the wave
The melodies of earth.

Moonlight on that lone Indian main
Cloudless and lovely slept ;-
While dancing step, and festive strain
Each deck in triumph swept.

And hands were link'd, and answering eyes
With kindly meaning shone;
-Oh! brief and passing sympathies,
Like leaves together blown!

A little while such joy was cast

Over the deep's repose,
Till the loud singing winds at last
Like trumpet music rose.

And proudly, freely, on their way
The parting vessels bore;
-In calm or storm, by rock or bay,
To meet-Oh! never more!

Never to blend in Victory's cheer,

To aid in hours of wo;-
And thus bright spirits mingle here,
Such ties are formed below!

From the Same.

KIT WALLACE.-A RECOLLECTION. BY THE AUTHOR OF." RECOLLECTIONS OF THE PENINSULA."

"No, Sir." quoth he,

"Call me not fool."-Shakspeare.

THERE is scarcely a village any where in the wide world, but has in it some half-witted being, whom the very children feel privileged to mock. How often do we see such a crazy unfortunate, followed by a little tribe of urchin tyrants tormenting and torturing it! some by the nick-name and the cruel laugh-some by the mouth awry or the broad grimace-others

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