The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-05-12 00:00:00

SELECT EXTRACTS.

TUE USE OF BEECH IN FLOORING.—It has often sur-
prised me to observe how ignorant the inhabitants of almost
every county appear to be of the most useful practices and
discoveries of the shires adjoining them, particularly in all
that relates to agriculture and domestic improvements. My
attention was lately directed to this point by seeing, in
Buckinghamshire, beech substituted for oak in the formation
of barn floors, and on inquiring of an experienced carpenter
there, I found that, if laid on oak sleepers raised from the
ground by a foot of walling, the beech floors generally last
half as long again as the very expensive floors of oak, and the
expense being about a third, there is little risk in making the
experiment. As oak is becoming every day dearer, it is ne-
cessary to find some substitute for it, and where such as one
has been in use for nearly a century, in the county of Bucks,
it is surprising that in Dorsetshire and Wiltshire, where oak
is very,scarce, the use of beech timber for such purposes has
not been introduced. The plank ought to be 21 feet, and if
charred, or coal-tarred, it would last as long as oak, in all
probability. The practice of charring or burning the surface
of posts is now so general, that it is surprising it has hot
been adopted in Dorsetshire, not even in the public works ;
when it is a fact, established beyond all doubt, that there is
scarcely a limit to the duration of charcoal, and so convinced
are the first engineers of its yalue,that all the public works
in the dockyards are so treated. It should be observed,
however, that the beech-plank used for floors, in Bucks, is
neither charred.nor tarred, and yet lasts a long time.—Salis-
bury Herald.
A GUATEMALIAN BRIDGE.—We now came to where the
stream, which we had thus far followed, poured its copious
tribute into the river Polochic. In passing this river, we
went over a bridge so novel and primitive in its construction,
that it was decidedly the greatest curiosity I had yet seen,
It was composed of the pendant branches of a tree, which,
like those of -the bannian tree in the East Indies, grow down-
wards till they reach the ground, and, taking root. grow up
again. Of these branches, which, properly speaking, are
only strong flexible fibres, called in America bejucos, a great
number had been woven together, so as to form a cable of
considerable strength and durability. This was stretched
across the river, and formed the floor of the bridge ; while on
either side of it, and about three feet higher, two parallel
cables of smaller size, about the same distance apart, formed
the banister or railing. The space between the upper cables
and the main one was defended by a net work of bejucos of
a smaller size. Some idea of this invention may be formed
by comparing it to a long narrow book, half open. In pass-
ing it, we seemed to be playing the part of rope-dancers;
only that, instead of a balance-poll, we had the side cables
to aid us in keening 'an equilibrium. We passed one at a
time ; and at every step we took, the bridge trembled from
one end to the other.—llionigoinery's Journey to Guate-
mala.

A HINT TOUCHING LOVE LETTERS.—The French have
completely of late excelled themselves in the extreme beauty
of their note paper, and the tender and appropriate mottos
by which it is embellished ; but there is a description of

pimer, of which, I believe, they know the secret, which
think far more desirable for love letters. than the most ex

quisite of their brightly-tinted sheets embellished with laced
borders or painted wreaths. A gentleman of distinction in
France once received a letter, warning him of some injuries
intended towards him and his family ; he placed it in his
writing-desk, and the day after wished to recur to it, when,
to his great astonishment, he found it crumpled to atoms.
The paper had been steeped in some chemicsl preparation
that, in a few hours, had corroded and destroyed it. Now if
love letters were always written on this paper, how much
time would be saved ! for young ladies must perforce com-
press their studies of these precious productions into a very
short space of time—how many reputations would be saved,
for destroyed letters, like dead men, can tell no•tales—how
many lawyers' fees would be saved, for the most skilful
counsellors could never torture a heap of ashes into what
they call " documents,"—how much patience would be
saved, for although it is very delightful to read love letters
addressed to one's self, it is a painful effort of friendship to
be obliged to listen to those addressed to other people—how
unnecessary too would be the postcript, which is never at-
tended to, " Burn this as soon as you have read it"—the
" chemist's magic art" would make the request equal to a
command stare to be obeyed.—Metropolitan Magazine. •
THE SKYLARK.—I have found it of infinite use, in the
course of my observations on the habits and manners of
animals, never to lose sight of the principle, which I hold to
be an invariable one, that every created being is formed in
the best possible manner, with reference to its peculiar habits,
either for self-preservation, or for procuring its food ; and
that nothing is given to it but what is intended to answer
some good and useful purpose, however unable we may be
to account for what may appear to us so ill contrived and
unnecessary. With this contrived and unnecessary. With
this conviction I have been, for some time past, endeavouring
to assign a use for the remarkable, and, indeed, what ap-
pears the disproportionate length of the claws of the skylark ;
and it lately afforded me. no small satisfaction, to think that
I had discovered the purposes for which they were furnished
them. That they were not intended to enable the bird to
search the earth for food, or to fia itself more securely on the
branches of trees, is evident, as they neither search the
ground, nor roost on trees. The lark makes its nest generally
In grass fields, where it is liable to be injured either by cattle
grazing over it, or by the mower. In case of alarm from
either these or other causes, the parent birds, by means of
their long claws, remove their eggs to a place of greater
security ; and this transportation I have observed to be
effected in a very short space of time. By placing a lark's
egg (which is rather large in proportion to the size of the
bird) in the foot, and then drawing the claws over it, you will
perceive that they are of sufficient length to secure the egg
firmly ; and by this means the bird is enabled to convey its
egg to another place, where she can sit upon and hatch them.
When one of the mowers first told me of this fact, I was
somewhat disinclined to credit it; but I have since ascer-
tained it beyond a doubt, and a friend informs me that, when
he was recently in Scotland, a shepherd mentioned having
witnessed the same circumstance. It is another strong proof
in the economy of Nature, by means of which this affectionate
bird is enabled to secure its forthcoming offspring ; I call it
affectionate, because few birds show a stronger attachment
to their young.—Jese's Gleanings.
SEA SCENE IN THE PACIFIC.—On approaching the land.
we found that the barrier-reef which encircles it afforded but
one narrow entrance ; and even this was occupied by power-
ful and rapid rollers, which were any thing but inviting. A
canoe, fishing in the offing, enabled us to obtain a pilot;
when, taking advantage of a tranquil interval, we pushed
through the swell, and passed by an abrubt transition into
the vast expanse of lagoon water that intervenes between the
reef and the main land. It is impossible to imagine a scene
more perfectly beautiful than the one presented to our view
as we glided through this placid sea, and towards the land,
which rose towering, rocky, and isolated, at the distance of
about three miles a-head of us. On every side a broad
sheet of water, mapped out in various hues corresponding
with its depth, contrasted 'strongly with the turbulence of
the ocean outside the reef ; while the bosom of the lagoon
was strewn with many coral islets, level, circular, and often
of great extent ; their shores girded by a sandy beach of
dazzling whiteness, and their soil covered with cocoa-nut
palms, Pandanus and Casuarina trees, as well as with a short
and verdant pasturage unincumbered by any other underwood
than a few bushes of Cape jessamine. Here and there a so-
litary hut appeared amidst the foliage of these motus ; and
some small goats (probably left here by a ship) ceased to
browse on our approach, and followed the boats on our ap-
proach, and followed the boats along the beach, bleating
forth a plaintive recognition. The serenity of the morning,
and the sweet odour of Pandanus flowers, combined to in-
crease the attractions of this enchaating spot, and to convey
to us an impression on which memory yet dwells with ex-
treme pleasure.—Bennett's Whaling voyage.
A I% ITTY DAMSEL.—"Ah, Eliza ! " said a puritan preach-
er to a young lady, who had just been making her hair into
beautiful ringlets. Ah, Eliza ! had God intended your locks
to be curled, he would have curled them for you." " When
I was an infant," returned the damsel, " he did ; but now I
am grown up, he thinks I am able to do it myself."
An M.D. once reproached a learned counsel with what Mr.
Bentham would call the " uncognoscibility " of the technical
terms of law. " Now, for example," said he, " I never could
comprehend what you meant by docking an entail." "My
dear doctor." replied the barrister, " 1 don't wonder at that,
bet I will soon explain the meaning of the phrase ; it is doing
what your profession never consent to2--suffering a recovery."
THE EMPEROR CoNiousfnun." You teach," said the
Emperor Trajan, to Rabbi Joshua, " that your God is every-
where, and boast he resides among your nation. I should
like to see him." " God's presence is indeed everywhere,"
replied Joshua, " but he cannot be seen; no mortal eve can
behold his glory." The Emperor insisted. " Well,' said
Joshua, " suppose we try to look at one of his ambassadors."
The Emperor consented. The Rabbi took him into the
open air of noon-day, and bade him look on the sun, in its
meridian splendour. "I cannot," said Trajan, "the light daz-
zles me." " Thou art unable," said Joshua, "to endure
the light of one of his creatures, and canst thou expect to
behold the resplendent glory Of the Creator? Would not
such a light annihilate thee ?"
RECIPE FOR PREVENTING SEA-SlCKNESS.—Notwith-
standing the sea had lulled, it blew a stiff breeze still, and the
Crusader rolled and tossed upon the huge topling waves of
the Atlantic in such a way that I was again sick ; but, hav-
ing some little experience of what genuine sea-sickness
really is, since crossing the Bay of Biscay, I managed to
avoid much of the unpleasantness I then suffered, principally
by the following means, which I would strongly recommend
to all landsmen. If you feel sickish, or know by experience
that you will be sick, go to bed, close your eyes, and remain
lying on your hack, if possible without motion ; abstain from
food, but not altogether; I would 'rather say, eat sparingly,
and of something solid, such as a little broiled meat, or bis-
cuit, as I have known most alarming effects arise from ". total
abstinence," to say nothing of the violent straining and
fruitless retching it occasions. Drink sparingly of cold water,
or brandy and water in sips, but taste no hot liquid of any
kind. In keeping the eyes shut, I would remark, that the
effect of vision and its sympathy with the stomach are not
enough attended to ; for though at rest in the berth, the
swingins backwards and forwards, and 'motion of the vessel
and things around, are often sufficient to produce what we
wish to avoid. There is, however, one point at which emesis
becomes inevitable—it is when the mouth fills with saliva,
and then the sooner it takes place the better.—Wild's Nar-
ratiVe.
THE ANCIENT YEOMANRY OF ENGLAND.—The follow-
ing passage, which is one of Hugh Latimer's discourses,
preached before Edward VI., shows a just picture of the
ancient yeomanry, and likewise the value of land at that
period !—" My father was a yeoman, and had landes of his
owne ; onlye he had a farme of three or four pound by yere
at the uttermost, and hereupon he tilled so much as kepte
halfe a dozen men. He had walke for a hundred sheeps, and
my mother mylked thirty kyne. He was able, and did find
the King a harnesse, with himself and hys horse, while he
came to the place that he should receyve the Kynge's wages.
I can remember that I buckled hys harnes, when he went
into Blackheate Felde. He kepte me to schole, _or elles I
had not been able to have preached before the Kynge Ma-
jestie now. He marryed my sisters with five poundes, or
twenty nobles a piece ; so that he brought them up in God-
liness and fear of GOD. He kept hospitalitie for his pore
neighbours, and same almess he gave to poore, and all thys
dyd he of the sayd farme."—King Edward VI. began his
reign in 1547, and died in 1553.