The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-09-10

cementinc substance fills the spaces be- ,
tween the pebbles, and unites them into
mass sometimes almost as compact as a
piece of granite, but frequently SO loose
that it is easily separated, and even tails TO
pieces by exposure to the air and seasons.
II is said that the lodges are OF the coarsest
texture near the surface, or on the hlghcst
peaks. and as descent is made they grad
ually grow finer, and finally become
sandstone or perhaps a fine slate. Inc
COMPOSING pebbles have smooth and round
ed surfaces, evidently produced by attri-
ton or rubbing against each other at some
former period, and in some different posi-
ton.
PERHAPS the most unaccountahle fact res
pecting this singular deposit Is the seams
or assures which divides the lodges IN va
rious directions, passing so straight ana eX-
act in their course, that they separate tie
smallest grains and leave the surface as
smooth as if it was polished. The pebbles
are quart, feldspar, argillate, and horn
blende.
The Catskill mountains present a phe-
nomenon bearing some resemblance 10
those already mentioned. The highest peak
of this range which here and there 59Wen
While the great mass of mountain on the
declvity below resembles in its texture the
finest portion Of the other.
mention the facts, and leave them for
Others to explain. This rock is called
graywacke, and coarse graywacke is called
puddingstone.- Patriot.
SPANISH WooL. About the year 1850,
Peter, king of CASTLE, having been inform
ed that there was race of sheep in Bar
barry remarkable for the excellence of their
fieeces, sent several persons into Morocco
to buy number of bucks. From this epoch
commenced the reputation of the wool of
CASTLE. Inthe 18th century, when Cardin-
al Ximenes was the Spanish Minister, COM
plants were made to him that the sheep Of
CASTLE had deteriorated. To remedy the
evil this minister determined to import a
great number from Barbary but as he
could not obtain them by negotiation, he
kindled war and invaded Morocco. The
Spanish soldiers, agreeably to the orders
given them brought away as many sheep
as they could, and the reputation of Spanish
wool was soon completely restored. All
the fine races of sheep now in Europe, are
descended from the merinoes Of Spain.
London Mechanics Magazine
CHINESE PUNIsHMENTs. The punshments
of the Chinese are extremely severe and
often cruel. Torture is allowed by law to
extort truth from witnesses. Among the
frequent punishments is whipping. The
Canton paper describes an instance which
recently occurred, of the whipping of three
persons convicted of theft They were
nh variouc ctroaf- mar tLo g..
tories, with their arms bound tight behind
them by cord, the extremity of which was
held by the executioner, who followed beat
ing them severely at each stroke of gang
which preceded them. and nrrinr thorn feg
were mlserabiy tatlgued, and fainting from
suffering and exhaustion. One of them ap-
peared, from the decorations of his back.
to have undergone the punishment for sew
eral days before.-Boston .4drertiSer.
EFFEcTs OF IVY on TREES. 1t seems
to be vulgar prejudice that ivy kills the
trees it clings to. IF it rooted itself as is
enormously supposed, in their bark, and fed
on their juices, it might merit the accusation
of destroyer, but it derives its nourisb
ment wholly from the ground, where it is
rooted; and the supposed roots on the bark
of:rees are only tendrils or hold-fasts to en-
able it to climb The opinion of its iniurino
trees seems to have arisen, and very natur.
ally too, from the fact of its preferrino to
climb up dead or dying branch, and not
attaching itself to very young wood at all
Mr.. Reptan, the landscape gardener. gives
numerous facts TO show that trees oyerrpn
with ivy, SO far from being Injured bv il.
grow most luxuriantly. Evelyn saws that
when ivy is stript from trees, they are often
killed by the cold in the ensuing winter.
Solar MICROSCOPE. If you can con-
eeiye the end of large post, ten inches in
diameter, covered with full grown rats, or
animals the size Of rats, with six or eight
legs, feelers, tails, &C., all scampering with
great rapidlty one over the other, tearing
like mad, up and down the post, getting out
OF the sun as fast as they can, and in as
great hurry as mice run from a cat-if)
you can conceive this in your mind, you
have very correct idea of the MICROSCOPE
appearance OF the point of darning needle !
partially covered with the sugary farina
from fresh fig. And, now, if YOU can in
like manner conceive three-footed eel
cutting every prank which his flexible body
admits Of, until tired he gasps, pants. dies
and dying exhibits the circulation of the
blood in his body, you have a specimen of
the vinegar worm. A piece OF human skin.
half the size of grain of wheat looks as
large as side Of leather, and exhibits some
thousand pores; and small grain of sand
is of size which is really alarming. The
sand would cover, and if you put 1t in vour
hand, does cover several hundred pores.
Besides this, the solar microscope exhibits
many other objects equally astonishing.
RECOVERY OF Drowned PERSONS. NJ. L.
D'Etoile, in a letter to the French Academy of
Medicine states that he has sncceednd innnr;.