66 busy in the chimney, a profuse frilled cap | cow-skin-yellow gaiters, and a red cotsurrounding her worn tanned withered ton kerchief round his neck. He took face, like a sort of close substantial halo high-dried snuff-so pale in colour, that it of cambric. The parlour windows looked looked rather like powdered ginger- from on to a wild garden, in which fruit and a screw of paper, which he held habitually flowers of a common kind jostled each in his left hand. other, and crowded together in most in- "I'm sorry my brother Davy is not in discriminate fashion. Poultry clucked and for to greet you, sir," he said. Davy has trooped in all directions, the elder hens of lived more in the world than I have, and the family moving with that strictness of knows more what's fitting for to be said deportment, that dainty carriage and and done on these occasions; but, be sure, management of their stalk-like legs, and in our humble way, we'll do all that may that suspicious vivid eying of their sur- be done for to make you comfortable. roundings, as though in fierce search of Becky yonder has seen to your room; and hostile criticism, which are characteristic she's not one for to spare pains. So you of their tribe. Majestic cocks, holding come from London, I hear, about these new their scarlet crests high aloft, and their railway works. Do think of that now!tails quite soaring fountains of green and all the way from London, and I've never purple plumage, possessed apparently by been there once in my life, though Davy their old delusion, that the world was has oftentimes. And your line just scrapes made for them, and them only, strutted our land, but doesn't hurt us. I never hither and thither in burlesque majesty - thought, though, to see steam-engines and the very lord mayors of the feathered that coming so close. Well, I'll suppose family; and detachments of glistening it's for the best, though they make a main white ducks, unconscious of waddling, screaming and a 'mazing noise do the drawn up in close order, went through steam-engines. But, I take it, I'll be like military manœuvres with a precision that the kine, and mind them very little after encouraged belief that strategy, and not the first start. And how do you like our fatuity, was at the bottom of their pro- country, sir? There's ale handy, if you'll ceedings. take a drink. I would Davy were here. I first made the acquaintance of Griff He's out about some garden-seeds, I trow. Morgan. Griffith was his proper designa- I leave the garden to his care. He's not tion. He was a little thin old man, rather fit for farm-work, so that falls to me; and round in the shoulders, his chin drooping the farm's doing fairly, considering the on to his breast. His iron-gray hair was times, which are hard upon farmers; and clipped pretty closely to his head; and he labour's gone up in price since the railway had a habit of frequently smoothing it folk have come this way. The young men with the palm of his hand, apparently with quit their ploughs to handle a shovel on the object of coaxing it to cover his brow the line, and it's difficult now for to get as much as possible. His face was deeply the land properly tilled. Well, well, maywrinkled, and coloured a rich red brown, be the farm will give substance to Davy from exposure to sun and wind; but his and me so long as we need it. It won't features were delicately formed. His ex-be very long, perhaps; but that's in God's pression was one of vivacious kindliness. hands. The folks that come after us, He was clean shaven, not permitting him- they're but distant kin; for Davy and me self the smallest scrap of whisker; and, al- have neither chick nor child. We're been together, he struck me as being a very single all our lives, though Davy did once nice-looking old fellow. He had the bright think of a wife; but it was not to be. Betdark hazel eyes which seem peculiar to ter for him so, perhaps. The folks that Wales; and he spoke with that crisp, dis- come after us must do what they can and tinct, if rather jerky articulation, which dis-list with the old place. It's been a sight tinguishes the locution of the principality. of years in the Morgans' keeping. It will There is something, I think, attractive to be Morgans' still, no doubt; but not very the ear in the treble staccato of the Welsh near blood-kin to us. I wonder where accent, though it may not boast the rich Davy's biding. Poor Davy's ailing, and rolling music of Irish brogue, or the sonor-I'm loath to have him long out of my sight. ous drone of Caledonian speech. Griff He was in the wine-trade over at Cardiff, Morgan's appearance was very trim and was Davy; but his-his health gave way, clean, though his dress was only that of a and so I got him home, to care for him and farm-labourer in fairly prosperous circum-look after him. Take the will for the stances. He wore a corduroy suit-ex-deed, will you kindly, sir, should you find cept that his waistcoat was of brindled things not quite to your mind. If they can be mended, they shall be. We're but poor It was impossible to resist the charm of the old man's homely courtesy and simple cheeriness of manner. There was good faith in his every word and movement. For the " queerness" of which the doctor had spoken, I saw nothing of it, unless his old-fashioned reverence of mien, and extreme anxiety to please, were to be accounted queer. The bedroom was over the parlour, and was quite a paradise of white dimity, fragrant with the scent of lavender. The fourpost bedstead was palatial in size and ornate carving. The view of the garden from the windows was, to one not very critical about floricultural preciseness, simply delightful-wild and undisciplined it might be, but radiant with colour, and rich in sweet savours. Paths were hardly discernible, from the trailing of the plants, and the overflowing of the old-fashioned flower-beds. A few hours later, and I encountered Davy Morgan. I was at once struck by his strong resemblance to his brother. It would hardly have been possible to know them apart. The one was a facsimile of the other-in feature, figure, stature, and voice. Davy's attire, however, was of a less rustic pattern than Griff's; and in movement, I perceived that he affected more deliberation and dignity. He wore the chimney-pot hat of town life; a black frock-coat, somewhat rusty and napless, but not without a pretence to fashion in its make; and was evidently particular about the due whiteness and rigidity of his shirtcollars. He made me a profound bow as he said: "I bid you welcome, sir. I regret that I should have been absent at the time of your arrival. I hardly looked for your coming so early. I pray you to forgive my seeming remissness. We are much flattered by your making our house your abode during your engagement upon those engineering works destined to contribute so greatly, I do not doubt, to the advantage of our country. Things are not so prosperous with us as they once were, but we will try hard that you shall have no fault to find with the hospitality of Wales. You will kindly excuse any deficiency you may have noticed in regard to my brother. Griff is a little rough in his ways, perhaps; he has been occupied all his life in cultivating our farm, and agricultural pursuits, I think, do not tend to the softening and refinement of manners. But poor Griff means well, I may say that for him. He grows old and a trifle infirm, perhaps. He's by no means the man he was, and his state needs some indulgence: you will kindly excuse him; he's " Mr. Davy was here interrupted by Becky, who spoke to him in Welsh. I could only guess that she intimated to him the fact that his supper was ready for him in the kitchen. He seemed annoyed at her coming, and spoke to her rather sharply, I thought. Still he discontinued his speech to me. With a low bow, he quitted me, and followed Becky. I soon found that old Becky exercised considerable authority over the household, and that, upon the whole, the brothers submitted to her rule with tolerable readiness. Early in the morning, I was awakened by a curious buzzing sound in the room beneath. I lay for some time listening, wondering what this might be. I ascertained in due course: the brothers were in the habit of reading aloud every morning a chapter of the Welsh Testament. They read the verses alternately, but their voices were so much alike, that it was some time before I was quite aware of the fact. It seemed to me that they rarely entered the parlour except for the observance of this religious duty. From my bedroom window I could see Davy very frequently at work in the garden. His labours, however, were not of a very severe kind-he gathered fruit, culled flowers, and picked off dead leaves; but the more onerous duties of gardening were, I think, fulfilled by Griff, as being much the stronger and haler of the two, though, on closer inspection, his face looked more worn and lined than Davy's. But then, as he had explained, Griff had led always an open-air life as a working farmer, while Davy had passed many years in an office at Cardiff as a wine-merchant. For some time I did not see very much of my hosts beyond chance meetings with my sojourn in the neighbourhood of Llanthem early in the morning or quite late berig. Perhaps I saw less of Davy and at night. I was always impressed by their Griff at this time, from the fact of my being kindly politeness and the courtesy with occupied early and late at the works. Wẻ which they greeted me: Davy being the had now come to some of the severest more formal and ceremonious, and Griff gradients on the line: deep cuttings and the more homely and hearty in his saluta- tall embankments, with here and there tions. They seemed greatly attached, bridges to be built in most substantial and regarded each other with a fond, fashion, for the winter rains coursing watchful, protective air, that much inter- down the mountains, swell and strengthen ested me. There was something touching, the streams to be crossed to a surprising I thought, in the tender arm-in-arm, mutu- extent. Still, altogether, our undertaking ally-supporting way in which these twin- had progressed very rapidly indeed. Laborn old men journeyed on together to bour was abundant; the neighbourhood the goal of life. They listened to each seemed quite to swarm with navvies, and, other with peculiar attention and alert- notwithstanding occasional severe conflicts ness; followed with quick curious eyes between the Welsh, Irish, and English each other's lightest movements; seemed gangs- which now and then brought us eager as much as possible to anticipate almost to a standstill there seemed each other's smallest wish or requirement. every chance of the contracts being comThere was affection and compassion, and pleted long in advance of the stipulated yet, it occurred to me at times, something time. I was beginning to think that I of suspicion and anxiety in their way of should much regret leaving Llanberig, regarding each other. But they were the I had got on there so satisfactorily alkindest of hosts, and I thought myself together. But, sooner or later, a move very fortunate indeed, in that I had se- farther down the line would become imcured such comfortable quarters during|perative. - PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE TO INCREASED ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE. Most people are aware that certain disagreeable sensations are experienced by the inmates of a diving-bell, during its descent, even to a few feet below the surface of the water, but the opportunity seldom occurs to note the effects produced by a descent to so great a depth that the pressure amounts to four atmospheres, or no less than 60 lbs. on the square inch. Yet exposure to this pressure has been experienced by the workmen engaged in laying the foundations of the St. Louis bridge over the Mississippi, and Dr. John Green has published in the Transactions of the American Otological Society the results of some observations he has recently made. It was found necessary to use considerable precaution in admitting the workers into the chamber containing the condensed air; an intermediate chamber or lock was therefore constructed, into which the condensed air could be admitted gradually, occupying, for the higher degrees of pressure, from five to ten minutes. The exit was through the same lock, and occupied the same time. The increased oxidizing power of the condensed air was shown by the rapid wasting and guttering of the candles, which burned with a streaming smoking flame, and, when blown out, rekindled spontaneously from the glowing wick. During the later stages of the work the men could only work for an hour at a time, and a remarkable form of palsy was prev alent from which nearly a dozen men died. The first effects of the gradually increasing pressure in the lock were a distinct sensation of pressure upon the tympanic membranes of both ears, which, however, was immediately relieved by swallowing, or by inflating the ears from within. The respirations and cardiac movements remained unaltered until exertion was made, when they quickly became accelerated. It was found to be impossible to whistle. The ticking of a watch was heard with great distinctness. On leaving the chamber a strong sensation of cold was experienced, and catarrhs were frequent amongst the men. The condensed air escaped from the tympanum through the Eustachian tube in a series of puffs. Too sudden exposure to the condensed air in one instance caused rupture of the membrana tympani, and too sudden removal of the pressure in the same person spitting of blood. Academy. THE Esterhazy picture gallery, famous for its Murillo and for works of the Flemish school, has become the property of the Hungarian nation for the price of 1,300,000 florins. A collection of engravings belonging to the family of Prince Esterhazy has been separately purchased by the Ministry of Public Instruction. Pall Mall. scription, of the road, depicted by Captain Burton from Petropolis to Juiz da Flora in the Brazil. "It From Chambers' Journal. architecture applied to domestic purposes, A NEW ZEALAND STATION. which must be suggestive of Norwood, THE tables are turned. The "natives where it is not rational, whereas at Nelare astonishing us. Instead of making son, a gloriously sunny place, it is. Lady themselves generally unpleasant and dan- Barker says: "It is a lovely little town as gerous, giving rise to acrimonious debates I saw it that spring morning (October, in parliament, and to the quaking of ma- 1865), with hills running down almost to ternal hearts, for fear of "active service," the water's edge, and small wooden houses, the Maori are taking to railroad-making, with gables and verandahs, half-buried in telegraphy, public discussion, without the creepers, built up the sides of the steep tomahawk accompaniment-in short, to slopes. It was a true New Zealand day, civilization on the European pattern. If still and bright, a delicious invigorating our experience of the results of high cul- freshness in the air, without the least chill; ture on this side of the world were not the sky of a more than Italian blue; the what it is that all "progress" resolves ranges of mountains in the distance covitself into the power of making war in a ered with snow, and standing out sharp and bloody and relentless fashion, such as the clear against this lovely glowing heaven." dark ages did not dream of, and all From Nelson to Lyttleton it is a twenty friendly relations" mean palavering hours' voyage, and then the emigrant has among sovereigns up to the moment when done with the sea, and has only a charmeach thinks he can hit the other the most ing drive, which reminds one, in the dehurtful blow, and "annex" his possessions with most profit and facility we might look upon the accounts from New Zealand with unqualified pleasure. But we are growing sceptical about peace and goodwill, and we only "hope the best " in the case of the Maori. To be sure, there is no talk of a Great Exhibition at the antipodean Canterbury, so that public confidence has some little ground to rest upon. When the natives reach that pitch of sweetness and light, we, with our European experience, shall know they mean mischief. In the meantime there is a great deal of very pleasant occupation to be had. One may have much enjoyment of life in New Zealand, without being brought in contact with the delightfully clever and rapidly improving natives at all: when, except that the climate is delicious, health one's normal condition, and the Queen's taxes unknown, one might be in the remoter parts of England and Scotland. Why that should be considered an advantage, it is difficult to understand, the "remoter parts" of any country being usually dull and dismal, in proportion to the life and activity of its great cities; but it is Sixty-five miles from Christchurch is supposed to be encouraging to intending the fine station of Heathstock, and here colonists. Such a place is Nelson, on the may be witnessed in perfection the imnorth coast of the middle island of New portant and interesting work of sheepZealand, when Lady Barker first landed shearing. Here is an account of the woolin the colony, for which she is certainly a shed, as curious as those of the saladeros capital advocate, and, in the Artemus of South America, but much less repulsive. Ward sense, show-woman.' * Not the least" Each shearer has a clap-door close to indication that any one but the lordly Anglo-Saxon ever was lord of the soil, order and industry everywhere, and Swiss • Station Life in New Zealand. By Lady Barker. London: Macmillan & Co. Christchurch is highly civilized. might be a hundred years old," says Lady Barker, when she praises its well-paved streets, its gas-lamps, its pillar post-offices, and its drinking-fountains; but these things belong rather to the newest than to the oldest cities. Christchurch is also excessively genteel. Ladies began to "call" immediately, very nice ladies too, somewhat like what our great-grandmothers were, only not quite so plain-spoken; possessing an immense amount of practical knowledge, and yet knowing how to surround themselves, according to their means and opportunities, with the refinements and elegances of life. In this thriving little town "there are no paupers; every one is well fed and well clothed, and the children are really splendid." Also, every one is very healthy. It is necessary to remember that "north" in New Zealand answers to "south" here, when the frequent mention of a delightful north aspect occurs. him, out of which he pushes his sheep as soon as the fleece is off; and there are little pens outside, so that the manager can notice whether the poor animal has been too much cut with the shears, or badly shorn in any other respect, and can tell of it. Lady Barker's wooden house was made at Christchurch, the diminsions being regulated to suit the carpets they had brought out. She petitioned for a little bay window, and, on her last visit of inspection, the builder asked: "Would you wish to see the horiel, mum?" Six weeks after they had fixed on their "station," the house was ready; and then they found they had been wrong in bringing out furniture, for the expense of carriage (in New Zealand) was enormous, and there are capital shops where everything may be bought at English prices. Wages of all sorts are given; employment is a certainty; and even the London cabby may be content with a rate of fares which make a morning visit three miles out of town, and lasting a quarter of an hour, cost one pound ten. The town is very pretty, all the streets being bordered with large trees. It has been found necessary to legislate against watercress, which had spread so rapidly since its introduction, as to become a perfect nuisance, blocking up millstreams, causing meadows to be flooded, and doing all kinds of mischief. exactly which shearer is to blame. Be- they appear to consume great quantities fore this plan was adopted, it was hopeless to try to find out who was the delinquent, for no one would acknowledge to the least snip. A good shearer can take off one hundred and twenty fleeces in a day, but the average is about eighty to each man. They get one pound per hundred, and are found in everything, having as much tea and sugar, bread and mutton, as they can consume, and a cook entirely to themselves; they work at least fourteen hours out of the twenty-four, and with such a large flock as this about fifty thousand must make a good deal. We next inspected the tables, to which two boys were incessantly bringing armfulls of rolled-up fleeces; these were laid on the tables before the wool-sorters, who opened them out, and pronounced in a moment to which bin they belonged; two or three men standing behind rolled them up again rapidly, and put them on a sort of shelf divided into compartments, which were each labelled, so that the quality and kind of each wool could be told at a glance. There was a constant emptying of these bins into trucks, to be carried off to the press, where we followed to see the bales packed. The fleeces are tumbled in, and A tremendous nor'-easter, which would a heavy screw-press forces them down till be our sou'-wester, blew an accompaniment the bale which is kept open in a large to the settlers' journey, and introduced square frame is as full as it can hold. Lady Barker to her first acquaintance The top of canvas is then put on, tightly with a dust-storm. In July, when quite sewn, four iron pins are removed, and the settled at their station of Broomielaw, in sides of the frame fall away, disclosing a the Malvern Hills, she writes of the delimost symmetrical bale ready to be hoisted cious mid-winter days. "We are glad of by a crane into the loft above, where it has a fire at breakfast, but we let it out, and the brand of the sheep painted on it, its never think of relighting it until dark. I weight, and to what class the wool belongs. bask all day in the verandah, carrying my Of course everything has to be done with books and work there soon after breakgreat speed and system. I was much im- fast: as soon as the sun goes down, howpressed by the silence in the shed not a ever, it becomes very cold. In a house sound was to be heard except the click of which is only one plank an inch thick, the shears, and the wool-sorter's decision, | lining-board, canvas, and paper, a good as he flings the fleece behind him, given in one, or at most two words. All the noise is outside; there the hubbub, and dust, and apparent confusion are great. You can hear nothing but barking and bleating, and this goes on from early morning till dark. We peeped in at the men's huts tiny shoots of English trees, its luxuriant a long, low, narrow building, with two rows of "bunks" in one compartment, and a table with forms round it in another, and piles of tin plates and pannikins all about. The kitchen was near, and we were just in time to see an enormous batch of bread withdrawn from a huge brick-oven. The other commissariat arrangements were on the same scale. Cold tea is supplied all day long to the shearers, and fire is wanted between you and a hard frost." It is a curious life to think of, a curious scene to contemplate, that lonely "station" at the Antipodes, with its horizon boundary of beautiful hills sheeted in snow, its great tracts of grass land, its broom, its beginnings of vegetable and fruit garden, and the wooden house, so neatly arranged, so homelike and elegant, so untouched by the customary roughness of colonial life in the distant interior. One naturally thinks of a log-hut in such conditions, but here is the reality. "Out of the verandah you pass through a little hall hung with whips and sticks, spurs and hats, and with a bookcase full |