American citizen., 1875-05-08

even now popular estimate of man.
wealth is often ludicrouslv exaggerated,
and that Roman household consisting
| of slaves, and food to a Roman noble
costing scarcely anything. his surplus
could all be devoted to the competition
| of luxury.-LOndon Spectator.
New Years Day In Syria.
A ACORREsPoNDENT of the Newark Adoer-
tiser writes from Syria:
New Years Day in Syria is like the
same day in New York in one respect
Only-the Franks and the higher families
among the natives exchange calls.
This year it WAS a beautiful day,
so wsrm that we sat without fires
and let the balmy air come in at
open doors and windows; indeed, about
that time we discovered buds on the
orange trees, just ready to burst. Our
first callers were poor, ragged old
woman Tan ex-laundress, now too old to
work. and two men, one of them ragged
also. These latter were from the Custom
House, and came expecting baksheesh,
as is their habit on New Years Day
We gave it, being thankful for past IA
vors and hoping for future ones. As the
people enter the room they salute all
present with the wish that "the year
may be blessed to them," and at parting
hope that each one "may have many
years blessed to them" After short
conversation it is to be supposed on the
weather or topics of that nature, as we
do not all understand what is said), a
servant enters with a tray, on which is
and some candies, mostly sort
of roasted pea, and almond slightly
sugared. These are passed around; then
follows more conversation, until serv-
ant again appears with a salver holding
small cups of black, muddy, Turkish
coffee. This coffee seems to be u sign
that it is time to depart; and after hop
ing that we may always have coffee TO
offer, or something equivalent to that,
our guests go out, touching breast,
mouth and forehead with their hands,
bowing, and leaving their peace" with
us. Before coming in they are an
nOunced by the servant; the men are
usually called by the name of their
eldest sons, if married; if not, by their
own, or by the name they would have
given their sons if they had any. "The
father Yusef" is about to enter, or " the
father OF Ibrahim," and when their
wives come it is 'The wife (or woman)
of the father of Yusef." Speaking of
their husbands the women always say
"the son of my faiher-in-law," which, as
the words -" fatherln-la W" and "uncle"
are the same in Arabic, is rather con-
fusing; but if the word husband is so
m lch as mentioned the women hastily
draw the kerchiefs or wells which they
wear upon their heads over their faces.
Sleeping in Trees.
THE little spot of land rising in the
South Seas called Ysabel Isle is divided
among several savage tribes that are con-
tinually at war with each other. A ter
rible massacre occurring in a portion of
the island named Malaga, the sufferers
adopted as a means of defense against
future Surprises of similarly unpleas
ant nature the custom of sleeping in
houses built in high trees, though living
by day in the ordinary open bamboo
huts. When the Rev. Coleridge Patteson,
Bishop of the Melanesian Islands, Wis
tied Malaga he was very curious to in
spect these human nests in the SUBMITS
of the loftiest palms. They were stu
ated in swamp that for greater safety
was surrounded by a strong wall. The
lower bOughs of the trees selected for
habitation had been Topped off, leaving
only the high, st as a platform for the
houses. A plumb-line let down from
the veranda of one of these houses to the
ground showed the distance to be ninety
four feet.
The ladders leading up to the houses
were planted upon the top of the wall.
They consisted of bamboo pole in the
center to which cross-pieces about two
feet long were lashed by vines. To
steady these and also to hold on by there
were double sets of plant vine stems
stretched along The whole length. One
ladder was found to measure sixty feet.
Another Of fifty feet had fortytwo
dc rrH of
tances apart. Up and down these
dizzy ladders the native men, women
and children ran like monkeys,
never using their hands, but
trusting entirely to the sure planting of
their feet. At first the Bishop dared not
attempt an ascent, and while he stood
wondering at the fearlessness of the
climbers he saw woman go up with a
heavy burden on her back as if it was
the easiest thing in the world, and not
once staying herself with her hands. A
sailor in the company of the Bishop, who
was perfectly at home in the shrouds of
a snip, ascended one of the ladders, and
when he came down confessed: 81 was
afraid my legs shook. Going aloft is
nothing to it." At another time the
Bishop himself managed 10 reach one of
the arboreal huts. He found it in an in
expressible filthy condition. The floor
was maze OF matted DaInooo, anu meas
ured stwenty-three feet by eleven feet,
and the roof and sides were of palm leaf
thatch. The roof was low, and there
were no apertures for air and light.
Everything was grimy with SCOT and dirt,
while the noise of squalling babies, the
singing and scolding of women and the
chatter of all the natives together made
the place very pandemonium. A brief
stay in the wonderful nest convinced the
Bishoptha it was much more comfort
able TO sleep in hut on the ground,
where during the night the singing and
squalling of the women and babies above
hlm sounded as if they were in the
clouds.