The daring which Mr. C

displayed in thus encountering and conquering two armed men became the theme of the whole county. His health was drank at all public meetings. Families who had hitherto been unknown to him, flocked round him, eager to make his acquaintance. Songs were even trolled in honour of his noble exploit. While, on the other side of the question, the poachers and freebooters vowed deep revenge if ever they caught him. His death was said to be solemnly determined on by these gentry; which threat being repeated to our friend, Mr. C, he determined for. the future to follow the example of his neighbours, and never again travel unarmed. Months, however, rolled by, and no attack was made on his person or his mansion. The rogues were evidently afraid of encountering one of such determined courage.

H

One winter evening, about seven o'clock, Mr. C-, with five other gentlemen, well-crammed into the stage-coach, came to a sudden halt. The door was thrown open, and the muzzle of an individual with a mask, who, after hoping that he didn't intrude, demanded their watches and purses; when lo! the six passengers, including Mr. C--, although they had pistols enough amongst them to stock a moderately extensive armoury, quietly delivered up their cash and valuables to this single footpad.

The story got abroad; the tale was told with gusto by those who had envied C's former splendid feat, and additional verses were composed to the songs written on his courage. Jokes were cut at his expense. It was in vain that he raved and foamed. He took the wisest step, and left the county.

I quote this story as a sort of pendant to a very simple case of strange analogy, which came under my observation in Bengal.

Tom Philan (so let us call him) was as good a fellow as ever drilled a company of sepoys, or uttered a good pun at a company's mess-table. Brave and generous, like almost all his countrymen, Tom was fool-hardy. In a word, he was a regular out-and-out Tipperary boy..

One evening, having exhausted every other topic for betting, we were trying our utmost to see who could jump highest, when Lindsay backed himself for twenty gold mohurs to touch the top of a high folding-door. The offer was accepted, and my friend took his spring. He succeeded in accomplishing the task, but as he descended we remarked he had suddenly turned deadly pale, and gasped for breath. The was, however, apparent; he had touched with his fingers a cobra manilla, which had been lying at full length on the top edge of the open door. So sudden had been the motion, that the snake had not had time to inflict his mortal bite, but, pushed from his airy position, had fallen on the floor in the midst of us.

cause was,

A scream burst from almost every lip, and a regular sauve qui peut took place, many rushing out of the room, and even the house, fancying themselves pursued by the fell reptile. Not so, however, Philan, who happened to be present. He suddenly caught up a riding-whip which was lying on a chair, and advancing boldly up to the cobra, killed it at a single blow, to the admiration of every one present.

On another occasion, returning along the Bund at Berhampore, (a high steep bank erected to keep out the river,) which was so narrow on the top as to allow of only one person walking on it, tolerably well primed with liquor, preceded by his kidtmutgar carrying a lighted torch, Tom suddenly checked the song he was bellowing out, on seeing his servant throw down the torch, and rush into the stream. By the light of the still burning brand he beheld a cobra capella already dancing on its tail, ready to spring at him, its spectacled eyes beaming like two red-hot cinders, its hood raised, its every joint in motion. Tom did not like the looks of his enemy, but still he scorned to fly; so, drawing his sword, he manfully attacked the serpent. How he managed it no one ever knew, not even himself; but certain it is in about half an hour afterwards he was found lying fast asleep on the body of the snake, the head of the reptile having been cut clean off by a fine stroke of Tom's sabre. ́ ́

But perhaps the coolest, the most determined, proof of his

resolution, was one that happened a few days before I was introduced to him. Philan, like many others in India, chose to keep up many of his European habits, and amongst others, that of preserving a neatly-fitted-up dressing-room, with a table, to have constantly displayed the silver ornaments and mother-of-pearl-handled razors, contained in a splendid case given to him by an old aunt, when he sailed from Europe. His boots were ranged with care along the wall, his whipshung round, sporting prints studded the chunam (a composition, or shining mortar resembling marble,) sides of the chamber. In fine, he had a regular English-looking dressing

room.

Now one morning Tom was pulling on a boot, when he suddenly felt something in it. It was cold and clammy; the chill of its nature struck through the thin silk stocking he wore. It moved, it writhed; it was evidently a snake. Who can imagine, far less portray, the agony of the poor fellow, who at once believed he was a dead man! Some men, indeed I may almost say every one, would have paused under these circumstances, or attempted to have withdrawn his foot. In' either of these cases death would have been the instant result. This all flashed, with a rapidity which nothing but thought possesses, across the mind of Tom. The snake was under his foot, evidently pinned down, striving to turn itself in order to bite. He at once saw his only hope. He pulled on the boot with considerable swiftness, and starting up, stamped on the iron edge of the Venetian blinds, continuing to do so with the fury of despair for nearly a minute, to the surprise and horror of his surdar, who, unconscious of his motive, thought his master had suddenly gone mad. Then sinking, overcome with agitation and fatigue, on the chair, he ordered the man to pull off his boot. He did so, when out rolled a small green snake, one of the most deadly of its kind, crushed to death, jammed to a perfect jelly.

The man who had accomplished such deeds was justly looked upon as one of the bravest men in India.

I dined, shortly after this last exploit, with Tom Philan at his mess. The dinner passed off with much festivity. Many

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had been the proofs of daring recounted to us of members of the corps present, and many the boasts of what they intended to do, when suddenly a young ensign', who was rising from the table, turned round and uttered a piercing scream. We looked back, every eye was directed towards the spot on which he had glanced, when, to our horror, we saw an enormous snake slowly crawling towards us. In another instant every soul had risen from his place, and were flying away across the square in front of the cantonment as fast as our legs would carry us. Tom Philan led the van, shouting with fear, as if the monster were already coiled round his limbs. A few minutes' reflection emboldened some of our party to return. We found the reptile already dead, despatched by one of our servants. It was a rock-snake, an animal wholly innocuous. It measured some eight feet long, and was a beautiful specimen of its kind. I begged to have it, in order to send it home to some friends in England to preserve. It was given me, and I returned home with it dangling on my arm, laughing at the cowardice displayed by one, when ably supported, frightened out of his wits in the midst of an armed assembly by a harmless reptile, who had single-handed performed such feats of valour, and destroyed serpents of the most deadly kind.

(BENTLEY'S MISCELLANY.)

MISCELLANEA.

TUNNELLING. The tunnel on the line of the Sheffield aud Manchester Railway will be three miles in length, upwards of 600 feet below the surface or summit of the hill at its greatest height, and in rock formation throughout its entire length. The works were projected and commenced upwards of two years ago, under the direction of Charles Vignoles, Esq. Five shafts were opened, at about half a mile distant from each other, for the purpose of proving the formation, of facilitating the driving of the drift-ways, and ultimately, of ventilating the tunnel. Whilst these were in progress, the driftways were carried on from each side, or face, of the mountain; the distance, or length, driven, on the eastern side, extending to nearly 1,000 yards, and from the next shaft 180 yards. The junction between these two portions of the drift-way was effected on the 17th Sept., and the levels, when checked, on a tie-bench, at the point of meeting, had varied but nine decimals, or one inch nearly, and the range was within less than two inches of being geometrically true. When it is considered that this has been attained whilst driving upwards of half a mile through hard rock formation, it must be admitted to be highly creditable to the parties engaged in directing it.-Dublin Even. Post.

LARGEST CHIMNEY IN ENGLAND. On Monday, the 26th ult., the last stone of a fine specimen of chimney architecture was