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Lunar Experiences.

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stantiated. The tenderness of these females attracted the attention of the good people of Granton, and a large assemblage of spectators collected to watch their proceedings. Before long, however, a policeman appeared on the stage, followed at intervals by a posse of great "hulking" countrymen. These agents of the law interrupted the attentions of the lovely pair by rudely accosting them, when it was made clear to the Granton public that the damsels (nieces, as they called themselves, of the tipsy gentleman) were in fact pursuing their avocation as pickpockets. The police determined to interrupt their pursuit; the fair ones resisted, and a struggle ensued, which brings us to the point in question. After the dispute had raged for some length of time it was ended by one of the yeomen abruptly seizing one fair lady as he would a child and proceeding to chasten her in true nurse's fashion. When he released her it was soon perceived that the conflict was ended, for the worthy pair betook themselves to their heels with their utmost celerity.

Thus we perceive that an effect may sometimes be produced by such discipline with greater ease than by all the terrors of the law as it now stands. True, we do not wish such scenes to be transacted in every town in which such vices exist, but we think the application of similar punishments likely to produce a sanitary effect in the suppression of crime. And, in conclusion, we would deprecate the objections of such as may consider that a step in a backward direction must necessarily be a step in the wrong direction; and who, on that account, would reject our proposition as a useless attempt to amend the discipline inflicted on the vicious and criminal.

LUNAR EXPERIENCES.

I.

To the Editors of the Triumvirate.

Gentlemen,-Having in my youthful days travelled much and travelled far; and having seen very many things that are well worth seeing, but which, strange to say, nobody

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Lunar Experiences.

else has seen; I thought I might with propriety contribute a few words about my high and lofty travels to your high and lofty magazine. And first, before I proceed to unfold what I have seen, let me say that any attempt made by anybody to impeach my veracity, I shall consider as a personal insult, and for the same shall be obliged to demand satisfaction. Nevertheless I hope that so mournful an occurrence will never happen; for since I have had the good fortune to see things never before or since seen, why should my good luck be made a source of disagreeableness to me?

To my subject, however. One fine summer day, in the year 1850, on the Greek Kalends, I started for a balloon trip from a certain spot under the jurisdiction of His Majesty King Louis Philippe. My destination was the Moon, or, failing her, any Planet I might come across. I had a very prosperous start: amid the cheers of the assembled multitude the balloon left the ground and mounted into air. Nobody had the hardihood to accompany me, so I was forced to go alone on my perilous expedition. As soon I had gone up about 1000 feet, I perceived that, strange to say, there was a very strong current of wind blowing beneath us, which, contrary to the usual law of nature, had a perpendicular instead of a horizontal direction. This wind expedited our passage very much. We rushed through the air at the rate of about a mile in a second. As, however, my watch had no moment-hand, I could not be certain about this. At this rate we journeyed for a very long time; and by eight o'clock the Earth had lessened to the size of a five-shilling piece. All this time I had been looking downwards over the edge of the car, (excepting for half-an-hour, when I had some luncheon;) though the wind was blowing almost strong enough to take my head off. My cap had long ago sought under its influence the regions of the upper air; and several locks of my hair had followed it.

Now, however, I directed my gaze upwards. The first thing I saw that astonished me was that the Moon, straight up above us, was so near that I could distinguish its general features. And here I must remark that the atmosphere must turn round with the Earth, for the Earth, the Moon, and myself held the same relative positions all the time. There is another point also on which I wish to remark. Some people say, self-conceited, ignorant men, no doubt, that the

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atmosphere does not extend beyond a certain distance from the Earth; and that there is no atmosphere at all round the Moon. Now, that the opinion of these men is wrong will be evident from what I am going to state. At about halfpast 8 o'clock, with a shock equally unexpected and violent, the balloon turned upside down as I thought at first, though afterwards I found out that it was all right, for I kept on sitting down as before with my accustomed gravity. After much deliberation I determined that the reason of this movement was as follows. In my opinion it stands to reason that the Moon must have gravity as well as the Earth. The place where the gravity of which the Earth is the centre ends will of course be nearer the Moon than the Earth, because the latter is larger than the former. The same laws that apply to the gravity in connection with the Earth, will apply to that in connection with the Moon. Now it is evident to me, from my position at the time, that I had reached the juncture of the two gravities; and, if so, this fact will account for the somersault of the balloon. For as a balloon descends to the Earth with the car first, so, by analogy, will it descend to the Moon. For that the Moon has an atmosphere is evident, for I lived there, and no one can live without air to breathe. In all respects, therefore, the Moon is similar to the Earth. So that in passing from the Earth to the Moon a balloon must of necessity be reversed. In this way, then, I account for this strange

occurrence.

I now saw floating above me the Earth, now diminished to the size of little more than half-a-crown. The lines of latitude and longitude were, however, still clearly marked; and the broad band of the Equator was plainly visible. And now by my watch it was midnight, though the sun, of course, was shining brightly. I forgot to state that after passing the division between the gravities the wind ceased. I then had prepared the balloon in the usual manner for a descent. At midnight the Moon seemed within an hour's journey. At a quarter to one in the morning I was on a level with the top of a high mountain; the right eye, I believe, of the Man in the Moon. I floated gently downwards, letting down the grappling irons. As the hand of the watch showed one o'clock, I touched the ground. I immediately opened the gas pipe, flattened the balloon, and proceeded to look about me.

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The Southern Fishermen.

But, gentlemen, as I have already filled as much paper as I have by me, I must beg of you, if it should please you to insert this communication in your periodical, to insert also a second letter on the same subject, which I will send when I have found time to pay a visit to the Stationer's.

I remain,

Gentlemen,

Your sincere well-wisher,

MOONSHINE.

THE SOUTHERN FISHERMEN.

THERE is a race of strange still men, that dwell beside the sea,

-So still their life that few may guess what mannered men they be,— For all they tread not in the paths that other feet have trod,

Yet can they better know the ways, and mark the hand of God.

So all the morn where bask their boats upon the great green bay,
The silent shadows pass and come, and come and pass away.
And aye beneath the starry sheen, the summer midnight long,
Upon each keel the sea wave keeps its plaintive plashing song.

There each may know his brother's heart, his sorrows and his schemes,
Ev'n as the old Greek fisher told his fellow of his dreams.*

In fearless confidence they live, for trustful hearts they be,
Those searchers of the things unseen, those scholars of the sea.

Adown beneath the tall white cliffs men deem they live forlorn,
For they may not see the woodland tree, or pluck the laughing corn,
Nor hear the tinkle of the bell from dotted flocks of sheep
That browse the verdure of the Downs upon the smooth round steep.

*Theocritus. Idyll XXI.

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Yet whose the eye may mark like theirs how up through the endless waves
Come gleanings of unreapen fields, the harvests of the caves?

Or watch so well the great sea beasts, that sun them in the foam,
And dart a-back in pathless track to their far ocean home?

Oh have you heard upon the shore, when summer noon is high,
And all the deep lies hushed asleep beneath the still blue sky,
How far across the waves there floats on voices brave and strong
In cheery swell or dying fall the burden of their song?

Oh have you seen whene'er the blast hath tossed in frenzied glee
The whitening, whirling, drifting foam upon the gray green sea,
How some there be upon the beach that pray in silence there
With prayers that pass above the storm to Him that heareth prayer?

So waver they 'twixt life and death that labour on the deep,
So wake they to their morning toil, so lay them down to sleep,
So call upon the Lord that saves in their distress, and He
Safe brings them to the Haven-home whereat they fain would be.

PHYSIC

GREGORY'S powder and red-currant jam, blue pills in a lump of cake, rhubarb pills bitten and chewed to see what they taste like, ("were they nice," asks the reader)—such or similar are our and everybody's first recollections of physic. We need hardly here state that there is such a thing as a physic-cupboard in the family mansion. It is an appurtenance of family mansions in general, and a wonderful delight some people-especially materfamiliæ— do seem to take therein. Oh, the horrible things, the dreadful ideas connected with those physic-cupboards: from ipecacuanha to bark. Bark, indeed,-why cannot doctors

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