from its summit in opposite directions. On one of these there are regular steps for ascending to the top of the tower, where a species of railed platform exists to hold the people engaged in the diversion. On the other, large square blocks of ice are so skilfully arranged as to form a sort of pavement, which is consolidated, and made smooth, by repeatedly pouring water over its surface, from the top to the bottom. On the platform there are small low sledges, in which men and women dash headlong down the steep slippery surface, and are impelled, by the velocity acquired in the descent, to a great distance over a large field of ice, which is carefully kept clear of snow for that purpose. This takes them to the foot of another hill, which they ascend with their sledges on their backs, and there repeat their descent.

The interest excited by the whole spectacle, the dexterity of the young people, who in great numbers venture to descend the dangerous precipice upright on skates, never fail to attract a vast concourse of spectators.-Granville's Russia.

TURKISH CUSTOMS.

ALL the persons I saw engaged were working in a manner opposite to our usage. The barber pushed the razor from himours draws it to him; the carpenter, on the contrary, drew the saw to him, for all the teeth were set in- -ours pushes it from him, for all the teeth are set out; the mason sat while he laid the stones--ours always stands; the scribe wrote on his hand, and from right to left-ours always writes on a desk or table, and from left to right: but the most ridiculous difference existed in the manner of building a house. We begin at the bottom and they at the top: the house, which was a frame of wood, the Turks began at the top; and the upper rooms were finished and inhabited, while all below was like a lantern.Walsh.

METHOD OF CATCHING CATTLE IN CHILI.

On our way homeward our host entertained us, by making his people show us the South American method of catching cattle. The instrument used is called in English, a lasso, from the Spanish lazo, which signifies slip-knot, or noose, and the operation of using it is called lassoing. It consists of a rope made of twisted strips of untanned hide, varying in length from fifteen to twenty yards, and is about as thick as the little finger. It has a noose or running-knot at one end, the other extremity being fastened by an eye and button to a ring in a strong hide belt or swingle, bound tightly round the horse. The coil is grasped by the horseman's left hand, while the noose, which is held in the right, trails along the ground except when in use, and then it is whirled round the head with considerable velocity, during which, by a peculiar turn of the wrist, it is made to assume a circular form; so that, when delivered from the hand, the noose preserves itself open till it falls over the object at which it has been aimed.

The unerring precision with which the lasso is thrown is perfectly astonishing, and to one who sees it for the first time, has a very magical appearance. Even when standing still it is by no means an easy thing to throw the lasso; but the difficulty is vastly increased when it comes to be thrown from horseback, and at a gallop, and when in addition the rider is obliged to pass over uneven ground, and to leap hedges and ditches in his course. Yet such is the dexterity of the guassos, or countrymen, that they are not only sure of catching the animal they are in chase of, but can fix, or as they term it, place their lasso on any particular part they please; either over the horns or the neck, or round the body; or they can include all four legs, or two, or any one of the four; and the whole with such ease and certainty, that it is necessary to witness the feat to have a just conception of the skill displayed.

Let us suppose that a wild bull is to be caught, and that two mounted horsemen, guassos as they are called in Chili, or guachos in Buenos Ayres, undertake to kill him. As soon as they discover their prey, they remove the coil of the lasso from behind them, and, grasping it in the left hand, prepare the noose

in the right, and dash off at full gallop, each swinging his lasso round his head. The first who comes within reach aims at the bull's horns, and when he sees, which he does in an instant, that the lasso which he has thrown will take effect, he stops his horse, and turns it half round, the bull continuing his course, till the whole cord has run out. The horse, meanwhile, knowing, by experience, what is going to happen, leans over as much as he can in the opposite direction from the bull, and stands trembling in expectation of the violent tug which is to be given to him by the bull when brought up by the lasso. So great, indeed, is the jerk which takes place at this moment, that were the horse not to lean over in the manner described, he would certainly be overturned; but standing, as he does across the road, with his feet planted firmly on the ground, he offers sufficient resistance to stop the bull as instantaneously as if it had been shot, though the instant before he was running at full speed. In some cases, this check is so abrupt and violent, that the animal is not only dashed to the ground, but rolls along at the full stretch at the lasso; while the horse is drawn sideways, and ploughs up the earth with his feet for several yards. This, which takes so long to describe, is the work of a few seconds; during which, the other horseman gallops past; and before the bull has time to recover from the shock, places the noose over his horns, and continues advancing till this lasso also is at full stretch. The bull, stupified by the fall, sometimes lies motionless on the ground; but the men soon rouse him up, by tugging him to and fro. When on his legs, with a horseman on each side, he is like a ship moored with two cables; and however unwilling he may be to accompany the guassos, or however great his struggles, he is irresistibly dragged along by them in whatever direction they please.-Hall's South America.

To the Editor of the Family Monitor.

MR. EDITOR,

ON looking over some old tracts the other day, I discovered one published about a hundred years since, entitled, "The Holy Days: or, The Feasts and Fasts, as they are observed in the

VOL. I.

E

Church of England explained, and the reasons why they are yearly celebrated:" which, from its plain and concise style, I consider (with some slight alterations) well calculated for your intended publication. I send the book, therefore, for your inspection, and if you think it adapted to your purpose, allow me to recommend an insertion of those days which fall within the month of publication.

Your's faithfully,

CLERICUS.

THE CIRCUMCISION.

Jan. 1.-This day (commonly called New-Year's Day) the church hath prudently thought fit to set apart for a devout commemoration of our Saviour's circumcision, who, when he was but eight days old, underwent that ceremony.

At this time

likewise our blessed Lord received the great and adorable name of Jesus, according to the prediction of the angel; "a name at which every thing shall bow, in heaven and earth." But it is not only our Saviour's active obedience in this "fulfilling all righteousness," we this day commemorate, but also that he hath done away with the rite of circumcision, and hath left us in lieu of it the Sacrament of Baptism!

THE EPIPHANY.

Jan. 6. This day is set apart for a devout commemoration of the glorious manifestation of the Gospel to the Gentiles, by declaring the birth of our blessed Saviour to the Eastern Magi, by a star. For when the Holy Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, there appeared in the sky a star of great brightness, which was immediately discovered by the wise men of the East. These men concluded that this prodigy must certainly be an omen of somewhat extraordinary, and therefore they followed the star, which conducted them in search of our Saviour, by going before them, and standing still at the very place where the child was. young And when they had found the holy Innocent, they presented him with some of the richest products of their country-gold, frankincense, and myrrh; and having thus paid their sacrifice of adoration, they returned into their own

country, with the greatest joy and satisfaction. The word Epiphany, signifies manifestation or appearance. This is also called Twelfth Day, it being celebrated just twelve days after our Saviour's nativity.

THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL.

Jan. 25. This day is set apart for a memorial of the miraculous conversion of St. Paul to the Christian faith. He was born at Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, where he was well instructed in the liberal arts and sciences, and afterwards brought up at the feet* of Gamaliel at Jerusalem. He was naturally of a warm and enterprising disposition, and was educated a Pharisee, the strictest sect of the Jews; and, consequently, having a great aversion to all that opposed his tenets, he raised a violent persecution against the poor Christians at Jerusalem; but this not satisfying his malice, he procured a commission to go down and ransack the synagogues at Damascus. But as he and his companions were on their way, (almost at their journey's end,) on a sudden a light from heaven darted upon them, at which they all fell to the ground. And Paul more particularly heard a voice, saying, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Whereupon he was struck with a great terror, and from that time became a glorious instrument of good in the church. He preached that very Jesus whom he had before persecuted, was indefatigably laborious in converting sinners from the error of their ways. This great apostle was put to death at Rome, in the sixty-eighth year of his age, by the command of Nero, the Roman emperor.

MARTYRDOM OF KING CHARLES I.

Jan. 30.―This day is set apart for a commemoration of the Martyrdom of King Charles I. For the compassing of which bloody design, his enemies represented all his actions most falsely and maliciously in their libels, and then raised open war against him without any cause. Nay, they proceeded to so high a degree of wickedness, that they tried him without law, and passed sentence on him, without giving him leave to save himself by a

*The apostle alludes to the high seat of the Teacher, who was usually considerably elevated above his disciples.