One day a young man brought a piece of silk stuff, on which was figured an ear of corn, with a sparrow perching on it. No one on seeing it could doubt that it was a real ear of corn, and that a sparrow was really sitting upon it. The stuff remained for some time in the place of show.

At last a hump-backed man came by, and began to criticise the performance. He was immediately admitted to the governor, and the artist at the same time was sent for. Then they asked the hump-backed fault-finder what his objection was; and he said, "Everybody knows very well that a sparrow cannot perch upon an ear of corn without making it bend; now the artist has represented it quite straight, and yet he has shown a sparrow perched upon it." The remark was thought just, and the artist got no reward.

The purpose of the Chinese in all this is to exercise the talents of the artists, and to force them to reflect maturely on what they take in hand, and devote the utmost possible care to their works.

Huc.

MAGELLAN, THE PORTUGUESE DISCOVERER. MAGELLAN was a native of Portugal, born near the close of the fifteenth century. He received the education of a gentleman— as education was then understood. His adventurous spirit was first displayed in the service of the celebrated Portuguese admiral, Albuquerque, whose service he left, discontented with the recompense he received. Magellan, burning to distinguish himself in maritime enterprise, sought Charles V. An expedition was proposed ostensibly for discovering a new route to India, but it was chiefly designed for conquest, and, as usual with the Spanish and the Portuguese, the government of unknown lands was assigned to the discoverers before they were discovered. Magellan was authorised to preside over his fellows on board, with the title of Adelantado.

Magellan had five vessels, carrying two hundred and thirtyfour men, including thirty Portuguese of great naval experience. Twenty-two years before this, the Pope had decreed to the Spaniards the undisputed possession of all lands discovered at the

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distance of one hundred leagues westward of the Azores; and Spain anticipated the possession of both the East and West Indies if Magellan succeeded. Hence nothing was omitted likely to promote or cheer him in his undertaking.

Magellan, sailing southward, visited the coast of Brazil, landing in the Bay of Santa Lucia. He next discovered the Cape Santa Maria, on the Rio de la Plato. Still advancing southward, he came on Easter Eve to San Julian, where bad weather detained him five months.

For some time the Spaniards believed the country to be without inhabitants, but one day a savage came towards them, singing and dancing. Arrived at the beach he threw dust on his head, in token of pacific intentions. One of the ship's crew imitated the action, and the savage, evidently with full reliance on their honor, came on board, and was very familiar. He appeared of great stature and strength; his body was painted; a stag's horn was represented on either cheek, and a large yellow circle was round each of his eyes. The natural color of his skin was yellow, and his hair white. His clothing was the skin of the guanaco. He carried a stout bow, and arrows tipped with sharp pebbles. He was treated with kindness, and responded to it in his best manner. At a loss to imagine whence they could have come, he pointed to the sky, to learn if they had come from there. If he had waited for awhile he would soon have had practical proofs of the contrary, for no heavenly visitants could have been so treacherous as Magellan and his crew. A mirror was shown him among other things. This is generally an exciting object for savages when beheld the first time, and he could not easily be calmed.

The savage of San Julian went away delighted, and returned to the ship with six other natives.

Magellan filled their hands with presents of knives, beads, &c., and then showing them some bright rings and shackles, they permitted the Spaniards to fasten them on their legs.

When they tried to move, they found themselves prisoners, and you may easily imagine what was their astonishment, fear, and dismay. They tried to liberate themselves, and when they found that impossible, they loudly called on their gods to aid them. But no gods came; and Magellan would have borne them off to

Spain, if he had not tried to effect a change of his captives for others, in doing which they broke loose. In the pursuit one of Magellan's crew was shot by a poisoned arrow.

Magellan discovered what was long imagined to be the only entrance into the South Sea. This discovery forms an era in maritime annals.

When he first saw the straits that bear his name, he sent three of his ships to explore them. A violent storm arose whilst he waited for their return, and after the time agreed on for their return had expired, he gave them up for lost. At length he perceived smoke arising from the beach, and shortly after two of the vessels were seen approaching under full sail. They were joyfully greeted; and the land whence smoke arose still commemorates the incident by the name of Terra del Fuego. The third of the ships had availed itself of the opportunity of absence from Magellan to desert him in his enterprise, and returned to Spain.

The information Magellan received of the nature of the tides, the depth of the water, and the height of the mountains on either side, some of which were covered with snow, induced him to enter the straits himself, and see whither they led. He sailed six weeks in them, and then found an open passage into the South Sea. At the first sight of the sea, he wept with joy. The cape at the north-eastern entrance of the straits he named Cape Desiderati, or Desire. "For, in truth,” said he, "we had long desired to see it."

He now no longer doubted the practicability of arriving at the East Indies by a western course. But as he sailed over the newly-found ocean, he and his men were almost perishing for want of food and water. Their sufferings were dreadful; and they were only saved by the delightful weather and propitious winds that favored their progress. From this circumstance, the South Sea obtained the name of the Pacific.

Magellan's outrages on native rights were the cause of his untimely death, in the midst of his brilliant discoveries, and before his voyage was nearly completed.

He thought proper to punish a theft, on one of a cluster of beautiful islands in the South Sea, by landing ninety armed men, killing several of the native people, who were not subject to his

control, who knew nothing of the laws of civil society, and setting fire to fifty huts. This was surely a savage vengeance.

But the outrage that proved fatal to him was this. Having discovered the Philippine Islands, he became intimate with the natives, who were a friendly race, remarkably just in all their dealings. He was exceedingly well treated by them, and he shortly obtained such influence over their minds, that they trusted him implicitly, and, at his request, threw away their idols, and embraced the cross. The king of one of these islands received the name of Carlos, and suffered himself to be baptized, together with all his family and principal subjects.

Magellan commanded tribute to be paid to him. To this tyrannous exercise of his new-found power, all the chiefs of the Philippines submitted quietly, excepting one; and Magellan, forgetting all the benefits he had received, led fifty armed men to attack him. The savage tribes are seldom wanting in courage, and the Indian chief had thousands of warriors at his command. What, then, could be expected but that which did happen? Those who survived of the Spanish adventurers had to make their escape as they could. Eight were left dead besides

Magellan himself, whose helmet had twice been dashed from his head, and his sword-arm rendered useless. On his falling to the ground, his temples had been pierced by a lance, and his body thrust through with a spear.

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE.

DRAKE was the most renowned of the old English sea captains. His parents were poor, and lived in Devonshire. They apprenticed him when a boy to the master of a little coasting barque. He early displayed a passion for navigation, of which he acquired a knowledge whilst serving under one of the best English sea-captains of his time, Sir John Hawkins.

Drake's first voyage on his own account was to the Spanish main. Few of the hardy seamen of our day would like to venture in such ships on such a voyage, even without having the Spaniards to grapple with at every turn.

Drake was perfectly fearless, and he was as successful as he

was daring. No Spaniard could stop him. He boarded their ships, heaped his scanty decks with Spanish treasure,—even stormed a Spanish town; and though he did not on his first voyage venture into the South Pacific, he gazed on the Isthmus of Darien, and passionately prayed he might have "life and leave" once to sail an English ship into those seas, which no English captain had as yet entered, and which the Spaniards had no idea of their attempting to enter. The news of Drake's return from this voyage, on a Sunday in August, 1573, and of his entrance into Plymouth harbour, reached the town-folks when they were at church. Many of them had personal interest, no doubt, in the return of their countrymen, and all were enthusiastic in their admiration of Drake. They rushed from the church to the harbour, and great was the welcoming and the joy.

Drake's enterprise was so much admired, that he had no difficulty in arranging a second. One hundred and sixty-four gentlemen adventurers and choice seamen readily engaged to accompany him, "to learn the art of navigation ;" and, what was more to their purpose, the art of conquering Spaniards, and of enriching themselves at their expense. Queen Elizabeth was just the sovereign to appreciate such voyages, and to reward such men. She desired to check the gigantic power of Spain, which was growing more and more dangerous; and she wished to increase her own dominions, to enhance the fame of the nation, and to extend the knowledge of various sciences by maritime observation.

Drake arrived at the Magellan Straits in winter. They are always very tempestuous, but he effected a passage through them in seventeen days,-less time than any other navigator before his time (or for some time after), found necessary. In the Pacific he had, of course, constantly to dispute his way with Spaniards. Drake, however, despite every obstacle, sailed much farther south than even any of the Spanish discoverers, and penetrated farther on the north-western coast of America than any preceding navigator. As he passed along from shore to shore, and isle to isle, he made sagacious observations, which proved of great benefit to his country.

It has been observed, that his desire of sailing northwards, round America, on his return home, was another signal proof of