The Sun.
London, England, 1821-05-18 00:00:00

VARIETIE.

ASTONISHING TREE.—On the Isle of Sor, to the East, cot-
ton and indigo grow naturally, and together with mangoes nui-
nosas, the magnificent boabab, or adausoia, the elephant of the
vegetable kingdom is found. This tree often serves the ne-
groes for a dwelling, the construction of which costs no fur-
ther trouble. than cutting an opening in the side to serve as
a door, and 'taking out the very soft pitch which fills
the inside of the trunk. The tree, far from being injured
by this operation, seems even to derive more vigour from the
fire which is lighted in it, for the purpose of drying the sap by
carbonizing it. In this state it almost always _happens that the
bark, instead of forming a ridge at the edge of the wound, as
happens in souse trees in Europe, continues to grow, and at
length covers the whole inside of the tree, generally without
ally wrinkles, and thus presents the astonishing spectacle of an
immense tree recompleted in its organization, but having the
form of an enormous hollow cylinder, or rather of a vast arbo-
rescent wall bent into a circular form, and having its sides suf=l
ficiently wide asunder to let you enter into the space it encloses.
If, casting your eyes on the immense dome of verdure, which
forms the summit of thiS rural place, we see a flock of birds
adorned with richest colours, sporting on its foliage, such as
rollers with a sky-blue plumage, senegallis of a crimson colour,
soui mangas shining with gold and azure ; if advancing, under
the vault, we find flowers of dazzling whiteness hanging on
every side ; and if in the centre of this retreat, an old man and
his family, a young mother and her child, meet the eye ; what
a crowd of delicious ideas is aroused at this moment ! The
leaves of this tree, when dried, arc converted into the powder
LAT°, with which the natives season almost all their food.
They employ the roots medicinally inwardly, and its gummy
hark g disorders in the breast;' they make cataplasms of the
parenchyma of the trunk for cutaneous diseases, they use the
pulp of its fruit as an astringent beverage ; they smoke the
calyx of its flowers instead of tobacco ; and often by dividing
into park the globulous scapulcs, and leaving the long woody
stalk fixed to one of the halves which become dry and hard,
they make a large spoon or ladle.
PAI.MYIt A.—About midway between Orouroo and Emesa,
in the vast desert which connects Syria with Arabia, once stood
Palmyra, or Tadamora (the city of palm trees), said to have
been founded by Solomon-Tadmor in the Wilderness. It was
poWerful under the accomplished and beautiful Zenobia; she
opposed the Emperor Aurelian, in the plains of Syria, with
70,000 men, and had nearly defeated him ; but was overthrown
and carried captive to Italy, A.D. 273. ller Secretary was the
celebrated Longinus. ,
PET n I.—FrAncis Petrarch diedl374, at Arqua, ten miles
from Padua, in the North of Italy, a very learned Italian writer
on poetry, history, and moral philosophy ; but particularly ce-
lebrated for his enchanting Sonnets, which first exalted Italian
Poetry to classic fame. The chief subject of those exqusite
Poems is the beautiful Laura, near whom he resided many
years at Vaucluse, a romantic and sequestered spot, adjacent
to Avignon, in the South of France. Ile was born at Arezzo,
in Tuscany, in 1301, and was employed by Pope John XX, in
several affairs of importance both at Rome and in France. The
excellency of his moral character may he inferred from the fol-
lowing well authenticated anecdote : -Cardinal Colouna, in whose
palace Petrarch resided at the time, having a quarrel in his house-
hold, and wishing toknow the bottom of the affair, assembled all
his people, and obliged them to take an oath on theGospels,that
they would declare the truth. This was complied with; even
by a Bishop, the Cardinal's own brother • but when Petrarch
presented himself to take the oath, the Cardinal shut the book,
and said, " Oh, as to you, Pctmrch, your word is sufficient."
The Athenians behaved in the same manner to Xenocrates the
philosoper, whose integrity was so well known, that when he
appeared in the Court as a witness, the Judges dispensed with
his oath.
How TO SHIP A PlG.—Manoeuvre with the animal till you
have got.his snout in the proper direction facing the plank which
communicates with the vessel ; then take hold of his tail and
pull it hard, as though you wished him to come from the place,
when, from a spirit of opposition natural in pigs, he goes up to
the plank without further trouble.

A singular circumstance occurred at Swineshead
in the afternoon of Sunday last. During a vio-
lent storm of thunder and lightning, a goose, the
property of Mr. /IA naisoN, farmer, of that place,
was struck dead by the lightning ; she had at
the time gathered her brood of young ones under
her wings, which proved so effectual a protection,
that although the old bird was killed upon the
spot, the young ones did not receive the slightest
injury.
On Friday night, between ten and eleven
o'clock, M. PHILLIPSON, farmer and grazier, of
Algarkirk Fen, Lincolnshire, was stopped by se-
veral villains (six or more) near Cut Bridge,
about a mile from Boston, on the Swineshead
road ; and after resisting two men who first
stopped him, was filially knocked off his horse,
and robbed of 4641. in cash notes, besides two
promissory notes and several memoranda.

LISBON AtAtL

(RECEIVED THIS MORNING.)

Ltsnos, MAY 3.--L-The Diarie of the Regerity
for the last week contains various notices, proclaJ
mations, &c. relative to the expected return of
the king to this country. That of the 28th
April gives a letter from Rio de Janeiro of the
28th February, with an account of the Procla-
mation of the Constitution at Rio, of the taking
the oath to it by the Crown Prince in his Ma-
jesty's name, and afterwards in his 0 "A' ; of the
public satisfaction with which this proceeding
was welcomed, and of the nomination of th.e new
Ministry.

LISBON, APIUL 29.—The Regency of the
Kingdom, resolving to celebrate the ineffable
pleasure which the nation feels in the certainty
that our august Monarch adheres to the Consti
tution which is now forming in this Kingdom,
the great event has been celebrated to-day with
great military pomp and religious solemnity,and
the most extraordinary demonstrations of enthu-
siasm in the troops and the vast population of
the city.

On the 29th an advertisement was puMished,
that the Regency desired to contract for trans=
ports to send troops with all possible dispatch to

Batavia.

RIO DE JANEIRO, APRIL 1.---We owe much
to God, and much to the Prince who exposed
himself so much, and so happily got over every
thing-. I have the satisfaction to assure you, that
the Royal Family departs immediately after the
delivery of the Princess. It is not yet known
Ivho are the persons that will accompany their
Royal Highnesses, but their number cannot be.
very great, if it be true that they are to embark
in the corvette Maria da Gloria, and with another
corvette as escort. At all events Father Anto-
nio da Arrabida must accompany his Royal
Highness, as he is his Master and Confessor, and
highly esteemed as a man of much merit, who
has nothing of the monk but the habit. It a
devotee who writes ! It is said also that the
Conde das Arcos goes with his Royal Highness.
Other vessels are preparing with great expe-
dition ; it is not known for what purpose. It is
said that the reason the Prince sails in the cor-
vette is, that it is a very quick sailer, and can
make the voyage in a very short time. It is sup-
posed he may set out in a few days, the accouche-
went of the Princess being expected every mo-
ment.

LISBON, MAY 1.-Senor Joaquim de Costa e
Silva has written a letter to the Conde de Sam-
payo (dated 99th April), in which he states that
he has received from the hands of the Captain of
the frigate Maria da Gloria, who arrived at Lis-
bon two days before, an order in the name of his
Majesty to the following effect :—" Most Illus-
trious Senhor, his Majesty the King having de-
termined to depart from this Court immediately
after the happy accouchement of the Princess
Royal, his Majesty has been pleased that you
should be ordered to prepare every thing neces-
sary relative to the Royal Stables for his recep-
tion." Senhor da Costa having previously re-
signed his office on account of ill health,
and the Regency having appointed another in
his room, he has received for answer that they are
much surprised that he should wish to resume his
functions, and finally order him to communicate
to the actual Intendant of the Royal Stables all
the instructions which he may have, and which
may be necessary for the purpose.

CORTES, Arnie. 27.

Senor Alves do Rio stated the arrival of a ves-
sel from Rio Janeiro, the commander of which
says, at his departure he spoke with his Majesty,
who told him he did not write to Portugal be-
cause the Prince Royal would very shortly sail,
that is as soon as the Princess was delivered, and
that the news of what had passed at Para and
Bahia had not r.!t been received there.

CORTES, APRIL 30.—Senhor Cartello Bramo
said that considering the great attention which
the act of his Majesty, containing the Oath of
the Constitution, merited, it ought to be seen
that it is in the due form. Senhor Miranda much
objected to the word approve, in which he was
supported by Senhor Borgee Caineiro and others,
who thought that his Majesty ought merely to
swear, without having a right to approve or sanc-
tion a compact formed by the Sovereignty of the
nation. These observations, and those of some other
Members were generally applauded by the peo-
ple in the galleries. It was resolved to take the
opinion of the Cortes on the subject, and that
the Deputies from Madeira should immediately
take the oath, that they might take part in the
debate. It was then decided unanimously, that
the Assembly protested against the words Nosso
Senhor• Vassallos, Sanceionar et Approvar, which
the Ministers employed in the Decree, Act of
taking the Oath, and Notice sent to the Govern-
ment, as being contrary to the basis of the Con-
stitution, and to the universal public law.--
( Lisbon Papers, May 4.)

Wonderful Preservation of three Boats' Crezrs
by a Portland Dog.—During the gale, which
proved so fatal to the Thomas and Nary, and
her crew, on the 14th ultimo, three boats
were seen in Chiswell Cove, with the crews
in the most imminent danger from the fury
of the waves, which, rising in terrific majesty,
frustrated every attempt of the people on shore to
render them assistance. At this critical juncture,
a dog of the Newfoundland breed, but bred in the
island, plunged into the water, and surmounting
the tossing billows, succeded in reaching the
nearest boat. The crew immediately put a line
into his mouth, and the sagacious and brave
animal returned with it in safety to the shore !
This line was eagerly grasped by the sailors out
the beach, a rope was fastened to it, and by dint
of great exertions and presence of mind, as well
in those in the boat, as those on the land, all the
three boats were safely pulled on the beach, one
by one, the boats having a communication with
each other, by means of a long rope. This is
not a solitary instance of the vast utility of tl e
dogs bred in Portland, in cases of marine distress.

THE LONDON JOURNALS.

DAILY EXTRACTS FROM THE MORNING; PAPERS,

May 18.

[MORNING POST.]

We have very little to add to the important
intelligence from the Brazils given in our Paper
of yesterday :

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM RIO JANEIRO, DATED
21ST MARCH,

" You will have heard of the determination of
his Tvlajesty to proceed at length to Portugal,
according to the wishes of the people in that part
of the kingdom ; bat it has occasioned great re-
gret throughout those parts of the Brazils where
his Majesty's Decree has been as yet published :
and several addresses have been presented to him
from the inhabitants here, and at several other
places, praying that he may still continue among
ns. These petitions have not as yet altered his
resolution, although the Deputations were very
favourably received. A great number of per-
sons, particularly foreign merchants, are pre-
pat ing to leave this place, as business has expe-
rienced a considerable depression ; so much so
ildeed, that many failures may be expected. The
Principal bank in this town has very nearly ex-
perienced a downfal, occasioned by the hard run
of merchants and other monied persons, who have
withdrawn their cash ; a few wealthy persons
have stepped forward, and prevented the ruin of
the house, and it is even said that the King ,him
self has contributed largely to their relief. Va-
rious are the rumours as to when the King and
his Court set out ; but from the extensive and
active preparations which are being made, it is
expected that Rio will be deserted by them in
three weeks. The squadron, consisting of six
vessels of war, for the conveyance of his Ma-
jesty and suite, is now fitting out."