their falling on us." The same appear- | hundred. While listening for the cause, ances were seen on the same night by the I heard a faint voice near the door callCapuchin missionary at San Fernando, a ing my name. I arose, and, taking my village in the Llanos of Venezuela; by the sword, stood at the door. At this moFranciscan monks stationed near the ca- ment I heard the same voice still beseechtaracts of the Orinoco; at Marca, on the ing me to rise, and saying, "Oh! master! banks of the Rio Negro; at Quito, Cu- the world is on fire!" I then opened the mana, and Senta Fe de Begota; in French door, and it is difficult to say which exGuiana and Western Brazil; at Nain and cited me most, the awfulness of the scene, Hoffenthal, in Labrador; and even at or the distressed shrieks of the negroes. Weimar, Halle, and Carlsruhe, in Ger- Upward of one hundred lay prostrate many, shooting-stars were very numerous. on the ground-some speechless, and The area of visibility embraced 64° of la- some with the bitterest cries, but most titude, and 94° of longitude. with their hands raised, imploring God to Passing by several meteoric showers, save the world and them. The scene was more or less remarkable, we come to the truly awful; for never did rain fall much most stupendous hitherto witnessed-that thicker than the meteors fell toward the of the 13th of November, 1833; which, earth. East, west, north, and south, it being the third in successive years, all ocwas the same." An observer at Boston curring in the same month, and on the compared them, when at the maximum, to same day of the month, seemed to in- half the number of flakes seen in the air timate periodicity, and originated the title during an ordinary snow-storm. When of the November meteors. The night of they became less dense, so as to admit the 12th was singularly fine. Not a cloud of being individualized, he counted 650 in obscured the sky. Toward midnight the fifteen minutes, in a vertical zone which spectacle commenced, and was at its height did not include a tenth part of the visible between four and six o'clock in the morn-horizon; and this number, in his opinion, ing. Itwas seen all over the United States, from the Canadian lakes to the West Indies, and from about longitude 61o in the Atlantic Ocean, to that of 1000 in the center of Mexico. It included the three classes of forms previously mentioned-phosphoric lines, large fire-balls, and luminous bodies of irregular shape. One of the latter, observed in the state of Ohio, resembled a brilliant pruning-hook, apparently about twenty feet long by eighteen inches broad. It was distinctly visible in the north-east more than an hour, and grad-ror. The Creator of these stupendous pheually declined toward the horizon till it disappeared. Another, of tabular contour, appeared near the zenith, over the Falls of Niagara, and remained stationary for a considerable time, emitting large streams of light. The roar of the cataract, the wild dash and incessant plunging of the waters below it, with the fiery storm overhead, combined to form a scene of unequaled sublimity. Some persons died of fright. Many thought that the Last Great Day had come. In the slave States, the terror of the negroes was extreme. "I was suddenly awakened," says a planter in South-Carolina, "by the most distressing cries that ever fell on my ears. Shrieks of horror and cries for mercy I could hear from most of the negroes of three plantations, amounting to from six to eight

was not more than two thirds of the whole. Thus there would be 866 in his circumscribed zone, which gives 8660 for the entire hemisphere every quarter of an hour, or 34,640 per hour; and as the phenomenon continued seven hours, the grand total of falling stars and meteors visible at Boston on this memorable night exceeded 240,000. The spectacle must indeed have been of the sublimest order, and we can not wonder at the simple, unlettered negroes having experienced sensations of ter

nomena, though overflowing with love, is also the Moral Governor of his universe; and on such occasions as these the inquiry will force itself upon the mind, whether it is in a state of reconciliation with him— whether its sins have been forgivenwhether, in short, it is prepared to meet its God?

Some leading features of this magnificent spectacle, as noted by intelligent eye-witnesses, may be concisely stated. Firstly, The meteors had their origin beyond the limits of our atmosphere. They all, without a single exception, moved in lines which converged in one and the same point of the heavens, as indicated by the diagram. But their course commenced at different distances from it, while around the point itself there was a circular space

of several degrees in which none ap- was complete, since no particles, notwithpeared. The position of this radiating standing the momentum, made their way point, with reference to the stars, was to the surface of the earth. Fifthly, near y in the constellation Leo. It was Some of the meteors were evidently stationary among the stars during the bodies of considerable size. Several firewhole period of observation, or, in other balls were observed apparently as large words, instead of accompanying the earth as the full moon. Dr. Smith of Northin its diurnal rotation eastward, it attend- Carolina, who was traveling all night on ed the stars in their apparent movement professional business, thus describes one: westward. Thus the common focus from "In size it appeared somewhat larger which the meteors seemed to emanate was than the full moon rising. I was startled clearly in the regions of space exterior to by the splendid light in which the surour atmosphere. Secondly, The height rounding scene was exhibited, rendering of the place whence they proceeded, even small objects quite visible; but I though not accurately determined, must heard no noise, although every sense have been several thousand miles above seemed to be suddenly aroused, in symthe surface of the earth. This was in-pathy with the violent impression on the ferred from observations of parallax. Thirdly, The meteors did not fall by the force of gravity alone, for the velocity observed was estimated to be much greater than could possibly result from the law of gravitation. Fourthly, They consisted of combustible matter; took fire, and were consumed, in traversing the atmosphere. They were not luminous in their original situations in space, otherwise the body would have been seen from which they emanated. Combustion ensued upon reaching the atmosphere, owing to the heat evolved by the sudden and powerful compression of the air consequent on their tremendous velocity; and the combustion

sight." Sixthly, The large meteors wer still high in the atmosphere when they ex ploded, or resolved themselves into smoke; for evidently the same objects were ob served from far distant points, and while the explosions were seen, no report of any kind reached the ear.

While the eye was alone appealed to upon this occasion, the ear-as before remarked-has been addressed; and the sense of touch has taken cognizance of solid bodies which have fallen from surrounding space. But these "bits of stars," with the hypotheses proposed to explain the entire phenomena, must be reserved for future notice.

AMYLENE, A SUBSTITUTE FOR CHLORO- | por is much less pungent than that of FORM.-About fifteen years ago, a substance was discovered by M. Cahours, to which chemists gave the name of amylene. From that time till very lately it attracted but little notice; but toward the close of last year its properties as an anesthetic agent were brought under the observation of medical men, and Messrs. Fergusson and Bowman, under the suprintendence of Dr. Snow, put it to the test by performing a most painful operation upon a patient in King's College Hospital, London, while under its influence. Its va

cloroform, although the patient breathes a larger quantity. It causes a perfect freedom from pain, although the patient retains a semi-consciousness throughout; and is advantageously distinguished from chloroform, in being unattended with sickness afterward. It is made by distilling fusil oil with chloride of zinc, and is composed of ten equivalents of carbon with ten equivalents of hydrogen; it is very light and volatile, being only two thirds the specific gravity of water, and boils at a temperature of 102° Fahrenheit.

From the Leisure Hour.

THE UPAS TREE OF FACT AND FICTION.

SOME time about the year 1775, a cer- within several miles of the upas tree, extain Dutch surgeon called Foersch, who cept some little trees of the same species. had traveled much in Java, came back For a distance of about fifteen miles round and wrote a book, in which he described about the spot, the ground is covered with some curious things he had seen. Unscru- the skeletons of birds, beasts, and human pulous travellers, in the time when Sur- beings. Amongst other evidence which geon Foersch lived, could take greater li- Foersch brings to bear collaterally upon cense of description than now. Then, the subject of the upas tree, as described there were no railroads in Egypt or Hindostan. Bottles of soda-water were not then retailed to travelers in the desert. Fishes had never been frightened into fits by the paddles of dashing steamboats; and even the steam-engine itself was a clumsy sort of thing. Turks did not wear frock-coats, mermaids were reported plentiful, and the kraaken lifted his huge bulk out of the maelström.

To return to Mynheer Foersch, however. This gentleman, after traveling in Java, came back and published an account of the Upas Poison-valley of Java; so grave and circumstantial that, extraordinary as the testimony was, people did not hesitate to accept it. So many little details were given, that every statement made had the quality of local coloring, as an artist would say; and one could hardly refuse to believe it.

by him, is the following: He mentions, that many hundred Javanese who once rebelled against the emperor, and were conquered by the imperial armies, rather than submit as prisoners of war, took refuge in the districts out-lying the upas tree, which latter, however, they did not approach nearer than fifteen miles; nevertheless, so poisoned was the air, that the greater number of the rebels in question died; the remainder, having humbly implored the emperor that they might be allowed to seek a healthier resting-place, had their prayer granted. Nevertheless, the fatal emanations of the upas tree had already done the work-very few of the pardoned rebels recovered.

According to Foersch, the poisonous juice of the upas tree was much employed, not only to envenom arrows, and as a means of criminal execution, but for the still more objectionable purpose of secret poisoning. The Dutch, according to Foersch, suffered during their wars with the Javanese to such an extent, by drinking water which had been tainted by upas poison, that they at last were in the habit of carrying live fish about with them in their campaigns, as tests of its presence. If the fish lived after immersion in the suspected water, all was well; if they died, of course the water was poisoned.

Foersch, after prefacing his tale respecting the upas with the remark, that although he had long heard of the extraordinary tree, still he could not believe in its existence, goes on to say that he had satisfied himself on that point, and that the reports of the natives respecting it were by no means overdrawn. He then proceeds to tell us all about it, the summary of which is as follows: Somewhere in the far recesses of Java there is, according to Foersch, a dreadful tree, the poi- Foersch gives us a circumstantial acsonous secretions of which are so virulent, count of an execution witnessed by him, that they not only kill by contact, but of thirteen of the emperor's wives at one poison the air for several miles around, so time, by means of a lancet smeared with that the greater number of those who ap- the upas poison. These unhappy ladies proach the vegetable monster are killed. having offended their lord and master, Nothing whatever, he tells us, can grow and being sentenced to die, fell victims

show him its locality. Mr. Loudon heard | had abated, began to look about for the for the first time of the poison valley, cause of the desolation there apparent. called by the natives "Gueva Upas," July He examined for clefts or crevices, through 3, 1830, during a walk one morning with which the escape of gas might take place, a native chief, who told him there was a but he could not find any. The bottom valley only three miles from Batum, which of the valley appeared unbroken, and to no person could enter without forfeiting be composed of a white sandy material. his life; and that the bottom of the place The sides of the valley, from top to botwas covered with the skeletons of birds, tom, were found covered with vegetation, and beasts, and human beings. Mr. Lou- both trees and shrubs. One adventurous don having communicated this intelligence person proposed to enter the valley—a to some of the Dutch authorities, it was proposal, however, which Mr. Loudon agreed that a party of exploration should considerately declined, and which the probe made up, and the poison valley should poser himself did not carry into practice. be visited. "I had heard," says Mr. All managed, however, by exercising Loudon "that a lake existed on the great care, to descend within eighteen summit of one of the mountains, and that feet of the bottom. Still no difficulty of it was dangerous to approach very near breathing was experienced; only a sickly, the banks of this lake; but of the poison nauseous smell. The deadly character of valley I had never heard before: the ac- the emanations of the valley may be counts of it now were so very extraor- judged of from the result of certain painful dinary that I did not believe them." experiments made. A dog was fastened to the end of a bamboo, eighteen feet long, and sent in. Some members of the party had stop-watches, by which the exact duration of life in the valley was determined. In ten seconds the animal fell on his back, overcame by the poisonous gas; he neither barked nor moved his limbs, but continued breathing for about eighteen minutes. The second dog broke loose from the bamboo, and walked in of his own accord to the spot where the other dog was lying. He then stood quite still for ten seconds, when he fell on his back, and only continued to breathe for seven minutes.

Early on the 4th of July, 1830, Mr. Loudon and his fellow excursionists set out on their exploration. The valley, as correctly stated by the natives, was only three miles from Batum. So far was there from being an absence of vegetation in its vicinity, as had been anticipated, that a Mr. Daendels-a gentleman in the Dutch service-ordered a path to be made through the dense brushwood, to facilitate the progress of the explorers. Mr. Loudon took with him two dogs and some fowls, as subjects of experiment. Arriving at the foot of the mountain, they left their horses, and scrambled up the mountain side, holding on for security by the branches of trees. The explorers were very much fatigued before they got up, the path being very steep and slippery. When within a few yards of the edge of the valley, a sickening, nauseous, suffocating smell was experienced; but no sooner did Mr. Loudon and his companions come close to the place, than the smell ceased. Mr. Loudon shall now speak a few words for himself: "We were lost in astonishment," he relates, "at the awful scene below us. The valley was an oval excavation, about half a mile in circumference -its depth from thirty to thirty-five feet. The bottom quite flat; no vegetationnot even a blade of grass-but abundance of stones like river stones in appearance, and covered thickly with skeletons of human beings, tigers, pigs, deer, peacocks, and a great variety of other birds and animals." Mr. Loudon, as soon as his first impressions

The first of the fowls was now thrown in; it died in a minute and a half. A second fowl was dead before touching the ground. On the side of the valley, opposite to where Mr. Loudon stood, he saw the skeleton of a human being bleached quite white, and lying on a large stone. The skeleton was lying on its back, with the right hand under the head. Mr. Loudon wished to procure this skeleton, but he was unable to do so. This, and other human skeletons existing in the poison valley, are supposed to have been those of rebels, who, pursued from the main road, had taken refuge here, ignorant of the fatal nature of the place. Until fairly into the valley, a stranger would not be made aware of the character of the spot; and, once in, there is no return.

It is a pity that Mr. Loudon, when he was about it, did not procure a bottleful of the gas which pervades this poisonous