The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-12-21 00:00:00

(From the Times.)

A count.•y correspondent having requested us to inform
him and other rural capitalists some insight into the forms
and regulations according to which.the purchase, sale, and

" carrying over" of stock-and shares are effected by the bro-

kers belonging to the " Stock Exchange," we proceed, in
compliance with his request, to lay before our readers the in-
formati►on required, in as clear and concise a form as possible.
This curious and complicated subject may be explained
and discussed under three different heads—viz., first the par-
ties engaged in stock transactions, whether brokers or job-
bers ; secondly, money and time bargains ; thirdly, the rules

and regulations by which these operations are conducted.
The clearing-house in Lombard-street affords the greatest
facilities to the transactions of the Stock-Exchange, inas-
much as, without its intervention, difficulties and embarrass-
ments would present themselves in the final settlement or

adjustment of. those transactions, of an almost insurmounta-
ble character. By means of this clearing-house, all the great
monetary transactions of the day are brought to a close by
five o'clock in the afternoon, whereas, in the ordinary mode
of paying or receiving money, whether in notes or hard cash,
their settlement might not be finally effected for several days
afterwards, to say nothing of the security afforded to all par-
ties concerned by the operation of the clearing-house.
The members of the Stock-Exchange are divided into two
distinct classes—viz., the brokers and the jobbers. It is the
business of the brokers to receive and to execute the orders
of merchants, bankers, capitalists, and private individuals,
who are " out of the house ;" the Stock-Exchange being
amongst its own members honoured with that dignified ap-
pellation !
The jobbers remain stationary in the " house," and ready
to act upon the orders thus received by the brokers. And
here it may be as well to explain the nature and character of
the business transacted by these jobbers, who being men pos-
sessed of more or less capital, endeavour to turn it to account
in the manner we are about to explain. It is their business
to be always prepared to make a price to the brokers when-
ever the latter present themselves ; the readiness which they
display in offering to do business to large amounts at the ap-
parently small difference of one-eighth per cent. would ap-
pear extraordinary, were it not that they are so numerous
that an eager competition is excited amongst them for the
favours of the brokers. 'When one of the latter appears in
the market, he is surrounded by a knot of jobbers, who an-
t nounce themselves ready to buy or sell whatever amount of
stock he has to deal in at a price varying only one-eighth per
cent. For instance, if a broker has to do business in £5,000
Consols, (the market-price being about 90.) the jobbers offer
to buy his £5,000 at 90, or to sell him that amount at 90*,
without being in the slightest degree aware whether the
orders of the broker are to buy or sell, and thus taking upon
himself the risk of selling that which he does not possess, or

of buying what he does not intend to keep; his only object
being to undo his bargain at a difference of kth per cent. (or
even less) with another broker, who may have to effect an
operation the very reverse of the other, which kth, or even
1-16th constitutes his profit.
The business of the jobber is one cf loss as well as profit ;
he would soon grow rich were he sure of realising his kth per
cent. on all his transactions. He runs, however, considerable
risk, inasmuch as, after having concluded a bargain, and whilst
endeavouring to obtain a profit thereon, the market may sud-
denly change, either in consequence of extended sales or of
continued purchases by other individuals ; he is thus exposed
to a loss. A clever and experienced jobber will, however,
often extricate himself from his unpleasant and awkward
situation, either by borrowing stock to deliver to the broker,
or money wherewith to pay for the stock (as the case may be) ;
and thus wait for a more favourable opportunity of undoing
his bargain. He niay also have recourse to an " option," a
transaction, however, which, besides being illegal and not re-
cognised by the Committee of the Stock Exchange, is chiefly
confined to the speculators within the house, and is, more-
over, so intricate and complicated, and at the same time de-
pends so much upon the opinion and caprice of the parties
who deal in them, that any explanation respecting it would be
extremely difficult, if not utterly superfluous.
Without the intervention of the jobber, therefore, it will
be seen that there would exist a vast difficulty in effecting the
transactions which daily take place: the jobbers are, in fact,

the " middle-men," who stand in the house in the character
of dealers, always ready to buy or sell, thus obviating the
necessity of the broker's going in quest of a second broker,
with whom he might transact business ; or in other words,
whom it might suit to buy what the other broker had to sell,
or vice versa. Again, even if one were at hand, he might
not be able to concur in the actual amount of stock which
the other wished to deal in, whereas the jobber is always ready
to do business to any amount, even to the smallest fraction,
and hence a great deal of time is saved. It often happens
that a broker who has to dispose of shares not currently dealt
in, is frequently obliged to wait for months before he can find
a purchaser ; whereas, in case of stock, the jobbers offer them-
selves as buyers and sellers at a moment's notice, and thus
offer facilities for transactions in the public funds which could
not be effected without them.
Having thus endeavoured to explain the difference between
the broker and jobber, and confined our attention hitherto
to money transactions, we next proceed to describe the na-
ture of " time-bargains," which form so essential a feature
in stock business. Indeed, the very existence of the Stock-
Exchange, as at present constituted, depends upon specula-
tions in time-bargains, for where there exists a body of 600
members, the actual bond fide business would not be suffi-
cient to provide employment for them all, notwithstanding
the magnitude of the national debt. Time-bargains consist
of purchases and sales of stock made for a certain fixed
period, regulated by the committee. There can be little
doubt that they had their origin in the business which has
always beep transacted in the funds during the periods when
the stocks are shut. For instance, Consols usually close
about the beginning of June and December; that is to say,
the transfer books at the bank are shut for the space of five
or six weeks, in order to afford time for the preparation of
the dividend warrants, which are paid in the following July
and January. Hence it is clear that a person wishing to
buy or sell that particular stock during the period referred
to, would be unable to effect his object ; but in order to
secure the price of the day, he buys or sells the stock " for
the opening " that is, for actual transfer on the day on
whieh the transfer-books are re-opened. This mode of
doing business is legitimate enough, but this practice has
no doubt given rise to operations of the greatest magnitude,
founded, not on actual necessities, but merely on specula-
tion ; and this method being found convenient for one
period, has been continued on other occasions, without,
however, possessing the same pretext for its adoption.
Periodical dates have consequently been fixed upon by the
committee, similar to the "opening," at intervals of about
six weeks, making altogether about eight " settling days,"
as they are called, in the course of the year. On these
" settling days" are arranged and adjusted all the bargains
made during the preceding six weeks, for that particular day;
those who sold stock having to deliver it, on the one hand,
and those who purchased having to accept and pay for it, on
the other. But as the majority of the speculators have no
intention of doing either the one or the other, their bargains
having been of a purely speculative character, founded on
their anticipations of a rise or fall in the value of the securi-
ties, so whatever difference may exist between the price at
which a party commenced his speculation. and that at which
he finally closed it, is settled on this important day ; and his
operations most likely not having been confined to the same
jobbers, but having been effected with several, it becomes
necessary to balance them with the parties concerned, and
much the same process takes place on this occasion as that
practised at the bankers' clearing-house, by establishing ba-
lances between each other. Whatever balance remains un-
settled is adjusted by the names of the bond fide purchaser
of the stock (who intends to pay for it) being passed from
one broker, or jobber, or speculator, to another, until it
comes into the hands of the party who intends to deliver or
transfer the stock, by which means all the intermediate per-
sons through whose hands it passes (the price given by the
purchaser being marked on the ticket) are enabled to close
their accounts with each other at that particular price, and
to pay and receive the differences accordingly. In short, all
transactions kept open until the settling-day must then be
closed, and the party who delays this operation until the last
moment is often exposed to a loss, from the difficulty of
finding others, who, having adjusted their own accounts, are
unable or unwilling to enter into a fresh transaction on this
" day of reckoning," whereby he is compelled to pay some-
thing extra in the price to those who have it in their power
to afford him this facility, in order to enable him to settle
his account.
But as many of the bargains made for this particular day
are really bona fide transactions, the stock bought and sold
being, in point of fact, delivered by the actual holder, and
taken by the new purchaser, let us briefly explain how this is
effected. This progress is one of daily occurrence, and is not
necessarily confined to a settling day, although on such
occasions it usually amounts to a considerable item, from its
having extended over a wider period. In either case, how-
ever, the following is the way in which the matter is settled
between the broker and his principal, who has sold stock :
The broker usually passes his check for the proceeds of the
sale to his principal, taking the precaution of crossing it--
i. writing a banker's name across the check. When,
however, Bank of England notes are demanded in lieu of
crossed checks (as is sometimes the case), the bargain is
made accordingly. In this case, the jobber who buys the
stock provides them either by borrowing of those who happen
to have large balances at their bankers, or from their own
private bankers. The notes so borrowed. by the jobber are
then paid over to the broker, and by him to his principal.
This operation is, however, seldom resorted to by men of
business where there is no reason to doubt the credit of the
party drawing the check.
The jobber, on the other hand, having sold the stock to
some other broker, who buys for his principal, receives, in
return, his check ; so that, by this simple process of passing
four checks, viz., that of the purchaser to his broker, that
of the broker to the jobber, that of the jobber again to the
broker who first sold the stock, and that of the latter to his
principal, the whole transaction is completed.
To advert to another technical peculiarity appertaining to
the Stock Exchange, which may appear puzzling to the un-
initiated. The terms " Bull" and " Bear" are doubtless
familiar to most even of our country readers, without their
being aware, probably, of their meaning. A Bull is one who
speculates for a rise, whereas a Bear, on the contrary, is he
who speculates for a fall. The " Bull" would, for instance,
buy £lOO,OOO, Consols for the settling-day, or, as it is
technically termed, " for the account," with the object of
selling them again during the intervening period at a higher
price. The " Bear," on the other hand, would sell the
£lOO,OOO stock (which, however, he does not possess,) " for
the account," with a view of buying them in for the purpose
of balancing the transaction, at a lower price than he origi-
nally sold them at. In stirring periods, when fluctuations
of 4 or 5 per cent. often occur during " one account," vast
profits may be realized, or equal losses sustained, by these
gambling operations.
The proceedings of the Stock Exchange are regulated by a
committee consisting of 30 members, who are elected from
the general body every Lady-Day, each member having one
vote. They take care that the rules and regulations enacted
for the admission and expulsion of members, and for the set-
tlement of disputes, are properly observed, and although some
of their laws are at variance with the established laws of the
country, they are not so strictly enforced by the committee
as to bring them into collision with the courts of justice;
they fully answer the purpose for which they were intended,
and all members previously to their admission subscribe to
the conditions there laid down.
All members, on being admitted, are obliged to produce
three securities of £3OO each, for the first two years of their
probation, which £9OO becomes forfeited in the event of their
failure, and goes to the creditors of the new member. In
consequence of their being interdicted from engaging in any
other business, on becoming a member of the Stock Ex-
change, they are no longer subject to the bankrupt laws, andf
therefore, in the event of failure, all their assets are secured
to the creditors in the home, to the exclusion of those out of
it. This rule is enforced in order to secure the house from
the loss which would ensue to its members, were the legal
creditors (if any existed) to step in and lay claim to their

property.
The tendency of the above regulation is to insure honesty
amongst its members. Should any principal have reason to
complain, he has only to appeal to the committee, who in-
stantly take cognizance of the matter, and subject it to the
strictest investigation. Defaulters whose conduct has been
dishonourable are punished, and an example is made of them
by publicly affixing their names in the house on what is termed
the black board;"
this is the heaviest disgrace which a
member can possibly experience.

FROZEN WINE AND ALE.---In the year 1809 the frost was
so extremely intense in Scotland, that frozen ale was sold by
weight. The same singular occurrence happened also in the
reign of James the First, when both wine and ale were sold
by
yweight in a congealed state.

MISCELLANEOUS

By u•• order i►t council, published in Tuesday oight's Ga-
zette, the duty upon olive oil, the produce of the dominions
of the king of the two Sicilies, has been reduced, when im-
ported in British ships, to £4 4s. per tun, and when imported
in Sicilian ships £6 Gs. The former duties were XS Bs. and
£lO Ns.

THE SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIANITY AMONGST
TILE JEWS.—We have just been informed, that in addition
to the donations of the Archbishops of Canterbury and
ark, and the Bishop of London, of :C2OO each, her Majesty
the Queen Dowager has, within the last few days, remitted
the sum of 200 guineas, in furtherance of the objects of the
above society.—Cheltenham Chronicle.

STA'risTics OF SUICIDE.—In the course of an inquest
held on Friday night, Mr. Higgs, the coroner, stated that
for the last 30 years, the ratio of suicides never varied, as
far as regarded the population of Westminster. They were
as one to 8,000 of the population. With respect to the sexes,
there were, during the same period, three suicides of males to
one female.—Loudon paper.
FARMERS' INSURANCE INSTITUTION.—His Royal High-
ness Prince Albert evinces a disposition to become a farmer
in real earnest. On the Bth instant he was elected governor
of the Royal Agricultural Society of England ; on the 11th
he was elected a member of the Smithfield Club ; and he has
insured his stock on the farms in Windsor Park, which he
has taken into his occupation, in " The Farmers' Insurance
Institution."

FOUR VESSELS RUN DOWN AT SEA.—Within the last
two or three days the underwriters at Lloyd's have received
intelligence of four vessels having been run down during the
late dreadful gales from the north-west, unhappily attended
with loss of life. The vessels in question are the schooner
Eliza, belonging to Ipswich, the Defiance, of Greenwich,
the schooner Nancy, belonging to Yarmouth, and the brig
Queen, of Newcastle.

IMPORTANT JUDGMENT.—The Irish Chief Baron of the
Exchequer gave an elaborate judgment on Monday last, in
support of his decision that the minority of the judges in
chamber were not bound by the majority. He was sup-
ported, he said, by his brother Richards, Lord Plunket,
Judges Perrin and Hall, and the late Chief Baron Vv-oulfe.
He maintained the contrary to be a dangerous doctrine, and
one that had no sanction in recorded practice. He did not
mean to undervalue the opinions of others, but he denied
their conclusiveness.

WIND AND STEAM.—Some idea of the force of the wind,
and its effect on railway travelling, may be formed from the
fact, that, in consequence of the boisterous weather on Nlon-
day week, one of the down trains did not arrive at the ter-
minus, at Southampton, till two hours after its regular time.
The greatest detention was experienced between the Farn-
borough and Woking stations, where, notwithstanding the
engine was put at its full power, it took nearly an hour to
perform the distance of half a mile.

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION OF WATERMEN.—We under-
stand that the Rev. Frank Hawson has given notice of the
following motion for consideration at the next meeting of the
Society for Promoting • Christian Knowledge :—" That it
being a well-known fact that there exists in this country a
large body of persons employed on canals and rivers, and
who from certain causes are deplorably ignorant of Christian
knowledge, and consequently depraved in mind and body, it
is expedient that this society, formed for the purpose of
promoting Christian knowledge, to take some steps to re-
medy the evil."

FALLING OF A HOUSE.—An accident happened about nine
o'clock on Friday, by the falling of a house, in this town,
which had nearly been attended by a frightful loss of life. It
appears that one of four very old houses, towards the bottom
of Friargate, had been pulled down, for the purpose of being
rebuilt, and the houses on each side of it had been propped
up to prevent their giving way. These supports, however,
had been removed, and in consequence of the unsoundness of
the foundation, (it being nothing but sand,) and the great
age of the houses themselves, the accident, which seems to
have been partly anticipated, really happened, by the house
on the north side of that which had been taken down, sud-
denly falling in. The house in question is in the occupation
of a Mr. Barton, a tailor, and he informed us that on hear-
ing the crash, he and his family made their escape out of a
back window, in the best way they could.—Preston Pilot.
On Tuesday morning last, a large crowd collected in
Buchanan-street, in consequence of a report having become
current that a poor sweep had stuck in the vent of a house
which he was employed in sweeping. The report proved but
too true ; and, as it was ascertained that the boy had gone a
considerable way, great reluctance was felt at sending another
person after him, lest he should he subjected to the same
fate. It was discovered that a horizontal pipe, extremely
narrow, ran across a close, and the idea was naturally enough
entertained that in this small aperture the poor creature was
jammed. An opening was immediately jnade in the build-
ing, and the pipe examined ; but the boy could not be found,
and a feeling of disappointment was generally experienced,
and it was feared that the unfortunate boy might be confined
in some part of the vent, where no assistance could be ex-
tended to him. Some time after, however, the boy ap-
peared at the top in a very exhausted state, and flourished
his brush, after having been in the vent struggling for life
for about two hours. He is not seven years of age ; and the
chief difficulty he had to contend with was pushing his way
through the narrow pipe to which we have referred.
A SCENE IN LIFE.—On Wednesday last, a woman of the
name of Caroline Macdonald, was charged before the Hali-
fax magistrates with stealing from the person of one William
Clegg sixteen sovereigns, under the following circumstances.
The prosecutor stated that he was a small farmer, with a wife
and seven children, living at Scammonden, and the day pre-
vious had come to Halifax for the purpose of making pay-
ment to a money club, of which he was a member, and on his
way from home had sold a cow, in order to raise the needful,
but arriving too early for the club hours, thought, as he
stated, he should like to see " a little of the scenes of life,"
and for that purpose took a stroll to the bottom part of the
town, and there met with the prisoner, who took him to a
public house, where they had something to drink, and from
thence they adjourned to a house of ill fame close by, and
spent some time drinking gin with the prisoner and another.
He then left the house, and it being dark, and he a little the
worse for liquor, the prisoner led him by the arm, but in-
stead of putting him in the right way took him to the Brook
side, only a few yards distant from the house, and gave him
a push, when souse he went up to the neck in the water, (in
this part not very pure.) From the noise he Made some per-
sons came to his assistance and released him from the cold
bath. Shortly after, being somewhat recovered from his
night's debauch, he discovered that his purse, containing six-
teen sovereigns was gone, he applied to the police who ap-
prehended the prisoner, and made a strict search but no part
of the money could be found. Under these circumstances
the worthy magistrate said he could not send the prisoner for
trial, but as she had put him (the prosecutor) in danger of
his life, he should call upon tier to find sureties to keep the
peace, for want of which she was committed for three months,
and the magistrate recommended the prosecutor to be more
cautious in future entering such " scenes of life," in which
opinion the unlucky wight appeared to coincide.—Leeds In-
telligenccr.

DEATH OF Mn. SERGEANT ARABIN.—This eminent
lawyer died on Wednesday night, at his villa at Iligh Beach,
after a lingering illness. Mr. William St. Julien Arabia
was the only surviving son of the late General Arabia, at
whose demise he succeeded to extensive estates in Middlesex
and Essex. It Is nearly 40 years since the deceased was
called to the bar, when he selected the Home Circuit, and
practised at the Old Bailey and other metropolitan sessions.
Many years since he was selected to preside on the bench as
Deputy Judge-Advocate, and about that period he was ho-
noured with the serjeant's coif. When the new court was
erected about fourteen years ago, Mr. Serjeant Arabin was
elected as the third civic judge to act in concert with the
recorder and common-serjeant ; and on the jurisdiction of
the Central Criminal Court being established, he was made
a commissioner. He was also for a number of years the only
presiding judge in the City Sheriff's Court. We believe he
was in his 65th year. In the event of the promotion of one
of the pleaders to the office of judge of the Sheriff's Court,
in the room of Serjeant Arabin, Mr. Laurie will become a
candidate for the office.

ANATOMICAL EXAMINATION OF A FEMALE CHIMFAN-
ZEE.—In July last a very fine pair of chimpanzees were pur-
chased by the committee of the Bristol and Clifton Zoolo-
gical Gardens, they having been brought direct from Africa
to this port. During the summer and autumn these rare ani-
mals attracted the attention of visitors from all parts. From
the circumstance of no specimen having been preserved in
this country for a longer period than a few months, as they
have generally died of consumption, more than ordinary care
and attention were bestowed upon them by the keeper ; for
as there was a pair—a very unusual thing—the committee
set a very high value upon them : but it was of no avail, as
far as regards the female, for she died on the sth instant,
though not (as it has been subsequently found) of the usual
disease—consumption, but of dysentery, to which she had,
in fact, been subject on her voyage, and continued to suffer
from till her death. Indeed, there was no remedy, for it
was found impossible to administer any medicine. The
keeper was in the habit of masticating her food, and feeding
her from his mouth ; but the moment any kind of medicine
was attempted to be introduced she rejected it, and even
after it had been forced down her throat she would throw it
off her stomach. The body having been presented to the
Bristol Philosophical Institution, was opened by Dr. Fair-
brother, in the presence of some of the members. On being
anatomically examined, its great similarity to the human
frame was surprisingly apparent. The brain, lungs, heart,
stomach, liver, spleen, kidneys, intestines, &c., were in form
and shape almost equally the counterpart of those in a hu-
man being ; the heart, in particular, presented a peculiarity
never found in any of the monkey tribe, that is, it had nearly
the same obliquity, and rested on the midriff in the same
manner as in the human body ; indeed, the only striking
exception was in the organs of the voice, there being on the
upper part of the ventricles of the larnyx two small membra-
neous bags or sacks, into which part of the air must pass
from the lungs during respiration ; so that the column of air
is divided and diminished, and consequently the vibrations
produced by its passage through the glottis are weakened,
and the voice becomes inarticulate. If it were not for this
singular provision it is supposed that the chimpanzee would
be capable of giving utterance to its feelings and wants in
the same manner that man does. But even had it been
perfect in this respect there would still have wanting that at.
tribute which gives man the superiority over and command
of the brute creation. This no disposition of mere matter
can give ; and the body, how perfectly soever formed, is
formed in vain when it is not gifted with the soul to direct its
operations.—Bristol Standard.

STABBING CASE.—On Monday last, William Beaumdnt,
of Nether Shitlington, labourer, was brought up at the Court
House, Wakefield, before the Rev. E. H. Brooksbank, and
J. F. Carr, Esq., charged with cutting and stabbing John
Kay, of Middle Shitlington, carpenter, with intent to do him
some grievous bodily harm. Mr. Sykes appeared in support
of the charge, and Mr. Wainwright attended on the pri-
soner's behalf. Prosecutor stated that about ten o'clock on
the night of the 3d instant he had a scuffle with the prisoner
near Thomas Wild's house ; they had quarrelled previously,
and had had several scuffles ; they first quarrelled at Senior's
public-house. Witness had hold of the prisoner when near
Wild's house, and he felt him draw something over his (wit-
ness) face, upon which he fell sick. They had turned out
of Senior's house about an hour before this, when they had
a scuffle, in which witness lost his hat, and the prisoner left
him seeking it ; they met again about an hour afterwards,
near Wild's house, who is brother-in-law to witness, and
where witness had gone to borrow a hat. The prisoner said
he'd make himself leather witness before he went home."
Witness said he did not want anything with him ; the pri-
soner then seized him, and they had two or three rounds;
in the last of these, witness got prisoner against Wild's house,
pnd he was then cut as before stated. Mr. John Ward, of
Middle Shitlington, surgeon, stated that he was called upon
about eleven o'clack on the night in question, to attend the
prosecutor, whom he found covered with mire, and his face
was streaming with blood. On examination, witness found
that he had received a wound extending from the right cheek
bone to the chin ; another across the face, extending from
the right to the left cheek boric, dividing the cartillary, and
:other structures, and passing into the cavity of the nose, on
;the right cheek ; there were also two cuts parallel to each
other, the larger one extending to the neck, and terminating
directly over the common carotid artery, the othernearthth
half an inch in depth, the
'angle of the mouth. There were also two other cuts, one
under each eye, and one under the mouth, and a smaller'one
ontheforehead.T
andhe all of h
wounds
tern, in w
penetrated filnema quarterss,B
opinion,
was caused by a sharp instrument. He had considered them
dangerous. The magistrates said it was a case that must go
before a jury, and the prisoner was accordingly committed
to answer the charge at the ensuing Yotk assizes. He was,
however, admitted to bail; himself in £lOO, and two sureties
in £5O each.—Leedst Intelligence'', Dec. 17th.

The beet way to hanible R proild man is to take no notice

A lady, whose fondness for generous living had given her
a flushed face and carbuncled nose, consulted Dr. Cheyne.
Upon surveying herself in the glass, she exclaimed, " Where,
in the name of wonder, (lector, did 1 get such a nose as
this?" " Out of the decanter, madam, out of the decan-
ter," replied the doctor.

MODESTY.—Madame de Geniis, says somebody reproved
her librarian for placing books written by male and female
authors upon the same shelf. " Never do it," said she,
without placing a prayer-book between them."
A NICE DisTiNcTios.—lt once happened to me to be
present in a school where the pedagogue thus addressed a
rebellious pupil At your age, and with your abilities,
you ought to be a pattern to the other boys, instead of which

I am obliged to triple an example of you;" and thereupon
he thrashed him soundly.

ALWAYS " POORLY."—" I feel quite unwell, and will
take a little brandy and water," said a member of a temper-
ance society, who had promised to use no ardent spirits, ex-
cept as medicine. "I am very unwell, my dear; hand me a.
little more brandy." " Here is the brandy," says the wife;
" and I wish the society further off, for you have not had a
well day since you joined it."

EXTORTION OF AMERICAN SHOPKEEPERS.—Let me in-
dulge in a few groans as to the exorbitant charges that are
inflicted upon you. The hackney coachmen are a race of
extortioners. A ride to the capitol is fifty cents ; to Mr.
Fox's, another fifty. They have no idea of any thing under
half a dollar ; whilst a London cabman, honest man ! will
take you half over London for the sum. Ask for a bottle of
humble port, " Two dollars ;" a bottle of sour yin ordinaire
of France, which would be dear at three sons, " One dollar."
I entered a shop, at New York, and bought the smallest pos-
sible bottle of lavender-water, " One dollar, if you please ;"
at Baltimore, fora pair of gloves, " One dollar, if you please."
It really becomes perfectly dolorous.—Colonel Maxwell's
Run through the United States.

GWYDIR CASTLE.—I chose my way to Bettws y Coed
by the road on the right side of the river, because it contains
many objects of great interest, and is besides in its retired
sylvan character more to my taste. The road skirts the or-
chard grounds belonging to Gwydir Castle, and in less than
half a mile turns sharply to the left, and between grove and
mountain brings the traveller to this mansion, which is
mainly interesting from its connection with the national and
local events of the country. The entrance to the castle is
through a court-yard, not now, as formerly, thronged with
armed retainers, ready to engage in the broils and bloody
strife of its tumultuous history, but adorned with gay paterres
of flowers, disclosing their peaceful beauties, and perfuming
the atmosphere with their aroma. This mansion is irregular
in its form, from the frequent alterations which have been
made in its architectural arrangements. The apartments,
however, contain many subjects of taste in the antique
carvings with which they are enriched, representing sub-
jects connected with the Roman conquest under Julius
Caesar. They contain, also, two elaborate specimens of
tapestry and needle-work, and several fine pictures from
the pencils of Wouvermans and Borgognone and other
eminent masters ; besides these there is to be seen the
ancient manuscript, fairly written by the hand of that
learned antiquary, Sir John Wyn,ne, which has been
found so essential in authenticating many passages in the
history of Wales. The original structure was raised by John
Wynne ab Meredydd, and the date of its erection was in
the year 1555. Its present possessor is Lord Willoughby
d'Eresby, who is spoken of as a kind landlord and a bene-
volent man. My courteous cicerone took considerable pains
to show me the curiosities of the place, and when I bestowed
at parting the small gratuity which a wayfarer's pocket would
afford, she did not regard it with the supercilious air with
which, I well remember, a much larger one was contempla-
ted by the stately dame of Penrhyn Castle, after the hasty
survey I was enabled to take of that magnificent pile.—
From Roscoe's North Wales, new edition.

AN OUTBREAK OF NATURE THE RED INDIANS.—I
have seen the red man in all his relative situations, of war-
rior, hunter, tiller of the soil, and preacher of the word ; I
have seen him wholly wild, but never wholly civilized; for
the best specimen of an Indian missionary I am acquainted
with, in Upper Canada, forgot all his instruction, all his ac-
quired feelings and habits, when he witnessed with me the
war dance of heathen and perfectly savage warriors. He had
been carefully educated from a boy, spoke English perfectly,
was modest, intelligent, and well bred ; guided his young
family excellently, and did not intrude his professional habits
and opinions when in society, nor seemed in the least ele-
vated by his superior acquisitions. Yet he grinned with sa-
vage delight at this exhibition of untutored nature ; and when
I asked him if it was not a blessing that the Indian had lis-
tened to the mild spirit of the white man's religion, and hav-
ing proved himself capable of appreciating it, that he might
be the means of imparting its doctrines to the savage natures
before us, who displayed human frailty in its lowest state of
degradation, he calmly replied, " What you say, my friend,
is true ; but I never before saw my red brother in the con-
dition of an absolute and acknowledged warrior. Ah ! he is
very brave ! My father was as brave and as wild as he is,
and often have I hid me from his frown in the depths of the
woods. Listen ; the warrior is telling of his battles ! I will
interpret the brave man's speech to you." And, excited be-
yond the power of controul by his native feelings, he went
on translating the mighty deeds of a second Walk-in-the-
Water, or Young Wolf, or Snapping Turtle, or some other
chief of equally euphonious and terrible cognomen. He
stayed out a second edition of the war story, and even of the
pipe dance, which latter exhibition a European missionary
would consider himself justly degraded by being present at,
and I left him involved in rapid discourse with the heathen
warriors.—The Canadas in 1811.

"ALL Hum BUG."—Just as a strolling actor at Newcastle
had advertised his benefit, a remarkable stranger, no less than
the Prince Annammaboo, arrived, and placarded the town
that he granted audiences at a shilling a head. The stroller,
without delay, waited on the proprietor of the Prince, and
for a good round sum prevailed on him to command his Serene
Highness to exhibit his august person on his benefit night.
The bills of the day announced that, between the acts of the
comedy, Prince Annammaboo would give a lively representa-
tion of the scalping operation, sound the Indian war whoop in
all its melodious tones, practise the tomahawk exercise, and
dine ala cannibal. At the conclusion of the third act, his
highness marched forward, flourishing his tomahawk, and
shouting " ila! ah !—Ho ! ho !" Next entered a man with
his face blacked, and a piece of bladder fastened to his head
with gum ; the Prince, with an enormous carving-knife, be-
gan the scalping part of the entertainment, which he performed
in a truly imperial style, holding up the piece of bladder as a
triumph. Next came the war-whoop, an unearthly combina-
tion of discordant sounds ; and, lastly, the banquet, consist-
ing of a raw beef-steak, which he rolled up into rouleaus,
and devoured with right royal avidity. Having finished his
delicate repast, he wielded his tomahawk in an exulting man-
ner, bellowed, " Ha ! ha !—Ho ! ho !" and made his exit.
The beneficiaire, strolling through the market place the fol-
lowing day, spied the most puissant Prince Annammaboo
selling penknives, scissors, and quills, in the character of a
Jew pedlar. " What !" said the astonished player, "My
prince, is it you ? Are you not a pretty scoundrel to impose
upon us in this manner ?" Moses turned round, and, with
an arch look, replied " Princh be d—d ! I vash no princh.
I vash acting, like you. Your troop vash lords and ladies
last night, and to-night dey will be Kings, Prinches, and
Emperors ! I vash humpugs, you vash humpugs, all vash
humpugs !"

HOOD ON AUTOGRAPHS.-1 am much flattered by your
request, and quite willing to accede to it ; but, unluckily,
you have omitted to inform me of the sort of thing you want.
"Autographs are of many kinds. Some persons chalk them on
walls ; others inscribe what may be called auto-lithographs,
in sundry colours, on the flag stones. Gentlemen in love
delight in carving their autographs on the bark of trees ; as
other idle fellows are apt to hack and hew them on tavern
benches and rustic seats. Amongst various modes, I have
seen a shop boy dribble his autograph from a tin of water on
a dry pavement. The autographs of the charity boys are
written on large sheets of paper, illuminated with engravings,
and are technically called " pieces." The celebrated Miss
Biffin used to distribute autographs amongst her visitors,
which she wrote with a pen grasped between her teeth.
Another, a German phenomenon, held the implement with
his toes. The Man in the Iron Mask scratched an autograph
with his fork on a silver plate, and threw it out of the win-
dow. Baron Trenck smudged one with a charred stick ; and
Silvio Pellico, with his fore-finger dipped in a mixture of
soot and water. Lord Chesterfield wrote autographs on win-
dows with a diamond pencil. So did Sir Walter Raleigh and
Queen Elizabeth. Draco, when Themis requested a few
sentences for her album, dipped his stylus in human blood.
Faust used the same fluid in the autograph he bartered with
Miphistopheles. The Hebrews write their Shpargotua back-
wards ; and some of the Orientals used to clothe them in
hieroglyphics. An ancient Egyptian, if asked for his auto-
graph, would, probably, have sent to the collector a picture what Mrs. Malaprop calls " An Allegory on the Banks of
the Nile." Aster, the archer, volunteered an autograph,
and sent it bang into Phillip's right eye. Some individuals
are so chary of their handwriting as to bestow, when re-
quested, only a mark or cross ; others more liberally adorn
a specimen of their penmanship with such extraneous flou-
rishes as a corkscrew, a serpent, or a circumbendibus, not to
mention such caligraphic fancies as eagles, ships, and swans.
Then again, there are what may be called Mosaic Autographs,
i. e. inlaid with cockle-shells, blue and white pebbles, and
the like, in a little gravel walk. Our grandmothers worked
their autographs in canvass samplers; and 1 have seen one
wrought out with pins' heads on a huge white pincushion, as
thus :