Puslapio vaizdai
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For an instant it seemed as if this brave protest had made an impression even on Maino's intractable soul. Then the old fantastic insolence blazed up anew, and he exclaimed, laughing: "Go, miserable slave of habit, poor peasant-priest, who does not even know how to deal with noble lords! What I have sworn, I will do with your help, or in spite of you. Did not the great emperor place the iron crown on his head himself at Milan, because he knew the hands of a masssinging coward would tremble if he confided the deed to them? Well, then, my friends, I will do the same-crown myself and my beloved wife with my own hands, and say, as the emperor did in Milan, God has given me this crown; woe to him who touches it!"" As he said these words, he seized both crowns and placed them on his own head and that of his newly-wedded wife, without heeding the gesture of repugnance made by Pia, who had fallen on her knees, and shuddered, as if stung by a serpent, when the light diadem pressed her brow. The coronet did not rest on her hair, but fell upon the steps of the altar, and a village boy picked it up. Maino, on the contrary, wore his imperial diadem as if it were forged upon his head, and when, at an imperious sign, his comrades shouted exultingly, and pressed forward to congratulate the Emperor and Empress of Spinetta, he raised his kneeling wife, gravely but tenderly admonished her to calm herself and be mindful of her dignity, and then led her through the ranks of peasants to the tavern, whither all the witnesses of this strange ceremony followed in throngs.

tle himself, but was the gayest and most lo-
quacious of all. He laughed at each of the
jokes with which the buffoon paid homage
to his imperial dignity, and related all sorts
of droll stories of the free, bold life he had
led in the mountains. Sometimes he even
sang in his clear voice a tender ditty, clasp-
ing closer to his heart the pale bride, who
sat mutely beside him, without noticing her
strange manner. Only when the young peo-
ple began to dance and the wedded pair rose,
did he remark the death-like pallor of her
face. He drew her gently away into the qui-
et garden, and asked what was the matter.
Her only reply was to throw her arms around
his neck, clasping him in such a close em-
brace that he fairly gasped for breath, while
he felt her whole frame tremble as if with a
sudden chill.

To all his entreaties and questions she
remained obstinately mute, so that he at last
gave up the attempt to understand his young
wife, especially as he considered that the
excitement of the day might well have shaken
a stronger temperament. So he resolved
to take her away from the tumult at once,
especially as they could not remain in the vil-
lage late the following morning, but must set
out at once for their hiding-place in the moun-
tains.

stantly fell asleep on the straw mat in his
usual corner.

At midnight Maino also fell asleep, and
the moon, which peeped in through a hole in
the window-shutters, probably shone on no
more peaceful or happy face than that of the
young outlaw, who seemed to sleep the sleep
of the just. He had laid his crown on the
stool beside the bed, together with his
clothes and arms, which formed a striking
contrast to the bare walls and plain village
furniture. Pia's crown had been left in the
tavern.

Without taking leave of the weddingguests, he led Pia, who walked beside him as if in a dream, to her own little house. Margheritina had been sent to spend the night with a worthy old woman, who was henceforth to take charge of her, for the child was not to leave her native village, like her sisAgain pistols and guns were fired, and ter. Only the dog Brusco followed the pair, now the notes of the guitar and clarionet jingling his silver bell merrily, and even blended with the noise, but the wedding-slipped into the bridal-chamber, where he inguests had become strangely quiet, and the wine, which flowed in streams at the bridegroom's expense, was the first thing that loosened their tongues. Meantime the peasants gazed with secret horror at the glittering crown the giver of the festival wore on his curly locks, and whispered in undertones to each other how pale and silent the young wife looked as she sat beside Maino, without even wetting her lips with the red wine, or laughing at the jests lame Beppo, the official buffoon of the village, made at this as well as every other wedding. "The wedding is all right," whispered the barber to his cousin, the blacksmith, "the wedding is all right, for the men who live in the green wood want wives as well as other people, and the marriage is according to law; but this business of the coronation, cousin, is a bad one. Sacrilege is sacrilege, and church rules are not to be made a jest. Only look at Pia ! Didn't it seem as if her brain had turned to stone, when the consecrated crown touched it 9 However, what does it matter to us? We drink Maino's wine because we must, or he would take it as an insult and revenge himself upon us; that we can swear before a court of law if necessary. For the rest, let us see how he will come out of the scrape." The man whom these words concerned set med to be any thing but troubled about the manner in which he should be called to account for what he had done. He sat among his guests with a radiant face, drank very lit

He had not slept many hours, the cock had not yet crowed, and the first faint glimmer of light was just appearing on the eastern edge of the horizon, when Maino, in the midst of the happiest dreams of love, heard the dog whine, and, with the rapidity learned in his bandit - life, brushed the burden of slumber from his lids and started up in bed.

The place by his side was empty, but the shutter was half open, so that every thing in the room was visible by the dim gray light. The young wife sat by the window, holding in one hand a mirror and with the other trying to place the crown on her head, in which she succeeded with great difficulty. She was dressed in her night-robe, just as she had risen from the bed, but her thick unbound hair fell over her shoulders like a cloak. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror, and hummed under her breath one of the songs Maino had sung the night before.

This had roused the dog, which moved
around its mistress whining piteously.

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"Pia!" exclaimed the terrified bridegroom, are you up already? What are you doing at the window ? It is not morning yet. They will wake us when it is time. I charged them to do so. Come. Put down the crown. Sleep an hour longer-it is a long distance, and you are not used to riding."

"Hush!" she said, raising her finger with a warning gesture, though she did not turn toward him. "Don't you hear? They are coming already. I must dress to receive them an empress ought not to show herself to the people without her crownbut it will not stay-there-there-therethat will do-now the purple mantle-"

In the twinkling of an eye Maino had sprung from the bed and thrown on his clothes.

"Pia!" he cried, imploringly, "I entreat you by all the saints-"

"Hush!" she interrupted. "Don't call on the saints. We have fallen under their displeasure. They are angry with us because they were obliged to give up their crowns. "But," and here she smiled with a strangely crafty expression, a hungry ass eats its own straw-necessity knows no law-why did not the goldsmith finish our crowns in time? The good saints may well go bareheaded for once-ha! ha! ha!"

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Maino rushed up to her, seized her hands, which were cold as ice, and touched her brow, which also felt like marble. " Misery!" he exclaimed, "you are dreaming, Pia. Wake up. See, here am I, your Maino, your husband, whose heart you are breaking with your senseless talk. Lie down again, my sweet wife, and sleep off these fancies. Miserable man that I am to have carried matters so far!"

"No, no, no!" she said to herself. "Don't
trouble me. My husband, the emperor, was
here last night, but he went away to the war,
we have so many enemies. It is terrible to
see how greatness is hated and envied. But
my imperial lord will overthrow them all,
that I may set my foot on their necks. Then
we shall reign in joy and splendor, and Brus-
co will be governor of Spinetta when we go
on a journey among our provinces. There
there! Does not the crown look regal?
There are still a few cobwebs on it, but they
do no harm-Empress Pia-that is what they
shall call me and my husband-wait, what

is his name? He has a sweet name, and has
kissed me a thousand times-but these are
childish follies, we must not think of them
until all our enemies-hark! There they
come!"

She had sprung from her seat; the mir-
ror fell from her lap, and was shattered on
the stone floor; she did not notice it, but
leaned out of the window, staring fixedly into
the gray dawn. Maino stood before her over-
whelmed with grief; his sole thought was
the disordered mind of his beloved wife,
which he must attribute to his own conduct.
With low, tender words he sought to Jure
her away from the window. But she did not
seem to hear his voice; only waved him away
with her hand, and pressed closer to it.

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"Now!" she exclaimed, suddenly. "Don't you hear any thing now? There they are! Well, let them come! I am ready!"

In fact he, too, now heard a strange, dull noise, that pierced through the morning mist. A crowd were approaching in front; the sound came from the village street, and could not be more than fifty paces away. Hastily forming his resolution, Maino rushed into the larger room, which was kitchen and sittingroom in one, and had a window overlooking the street. Through a chink in the shutter he could see the village. A troop of soldiers were cautiously approaching. They halted a short distance from the house, and he recognized his old enemy Barbone consulting with the sergeant. The whole truth flashed upon his mind with terrible clearness; the two prisoners had shaken off their bonds, opened the bolts by stratagem or treachery, and obtained aid from Alessandria. Where were his poor comrades? It had doubtless cost little trouble to overpower men stupefied by wine. But the main blow was now to be struck, the leader and captain of the band of outlaws was to be surprised in his bridal chamber, and led away in bonds, as Samson was captured by the Philistines.

The doubly miserable man started back with a savage curse. He had instantly understood that all was lost if he did not succeed in making his escape without delay.

"Pia!" he exclaimed, rushing back into the room, "they want to seize and drag me away. The pursuers are close at hand, but we can still save ourselves; spring out of this window, creep through the maize-field past the barn-no one can overtake me easily, and if you will only make haste-"

66 Yes, it is well," she answered, "well for us to leave here. I am curious to see our palace. But I won't go one foot-that does not befit an empress-they must bring me a carriage with six milk-white horses-beautiful-beautiful-the saints have no better."

"If you value your life and mine, dear, precious child, come!" he urged, despairingly, trying to throw a shawl over her bare shoulders. "Three seconds more and it will be too late, and we-don't you hear me? Don't you know me?"

"Do not touch me, insolent man!" she exclaimed, with flashing eyes. "I know you well-you are in league with our enemies. You will not pay us the homage that is our due but, by the crown on my head, I

swear-"

"Well, may God have mercy on your poor brain!" he cried, forcing ber away from the window; "then I will fly alone, and come back for you when your head is clear. Goodnight, my wife!"

He snatched his weapons from the stool, clasped the poor, pale creature to his heart, and swung himself out of the window into the dark court-yard. At the same moment the butts of the soldiers' muskets knocked at the door, loud voices shouted Maino's

rose around the house; the door yielded, | allowed "to increase and multiply," would,
and the armed band rushed into the quiet
room. As they found no one, they entered
the chamber. There they saw the pale young
wife sitting on the foot of the bed, the crown
still on her head, her bare arms folded across
her breast, nodding to them with a grave
smile, as if thanking them for having come
to pay her homage.

Horror checked the steps of the crowd, and for a time no one ventured to interrupt the silence. Not until a few soldiers brought in Barbone, who had attempted to seize the escaping Maino, and been mortally wounded by a bullet from his old enemy's pistol, did speech and movement return to the terrified throng. They wished to lift the dying man on the bed where the maniac sat, but Barbone, whose glazing eyes had recognized the white-robed figure, made a violent gesture of aversion. He was laid on the stone floor, at the feet of the wearer of the crown, who looked down at him with a gracious smile, and here, in a few minutes, before the priest could be summoned, he drew his last breath.

Nothing more was ever heard of the escaped outlaw. An old woman, who, at night, slept in the kitchen to watch the poor maniac, related, about a week after the event just mentioned, that Maino, mounted on a horse, whose hoofs were covered with rags, ventured into the village one stormy autumn night, to see his wife, and take her with him on his wanderings through the world. Pia at first recognized him, and showed pleasure at his coming; but, when he tried to clasp her in his arms, shrank as if from the embrace of death, and began to moan and wail so piteously, that he was forced to acknowledge his effort was vain. He parted from her with bitter sorrow, and left, in a leather purse, a large sum of money, to keep his wife from want throughout her life. Then be dashed away, never to appear again.

Pia's nurse found this purse on the window-sill the next morning, and gave it to the priest, who used the money to purchase masses for the soul of the poor maniac and her sinful husband. The fugitive's fate has never been known; but one thing is certain, that in the year 1840 a poor woman sat daily in the sun before the last house in Spinetta, holding in one hand a distaff, which she extended toward the passers-by like a sceptre. She was always gentle and kind, and wore her iron-gray hair, now that the saint's crown had been restored, braided above her brow like a diadem; the children, who passed her on their way to school, always nodded, and said, "God bless you, Empress of Spinetta!" to which the woman answered, "In eternity, amen!"

FISH-CULTURE.

I.

name, the dog barked violently, and the IT is calculated that only one salmon's

house groaned under the thundering blows with which the men attempted to burst the door. Suddenly the report of a gun echoed on the air; shrieks, groans, and cries of "Murder! murder! catch the murderer!"

egg out of every thousand reaches maturity. Nature, so prolific of her products, so abundant in her fruitfulness, lavishes her bounties with a prodigal hand on the waters of the earth. The spawn of one codfish, if

we are told, in twenty years, fill all the oceans and seas with its product. This may be an exaggeration, but when we are given as the basis of this extraordinary calculation the fact that a single cod weighing twenty pounds contains four million eight hundred and seventy-two thousand eggs, and that each of these eggs possesses within itself the germ of equal productiveness, we do not feel inclined to dispute the accuracy of the statement. Fortunately, this excessive increase is not possible, and "the checks and balances are so arranged that not only the great deep has its bounds, but every living thing within its teeming waters has also its limits.

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The excess of production is prevented by the operation of various causes, with which we are made familiar through the researches and discoveries of natural science, and to which it is unnecessary here to allude. It is with the means which scientific experience has furnished to prevent the diminution, and in some instances the threatened extermination of particular species, that we propose to deal. The continued falling off in the supply of certain kinds of fish, and especially those of a superior description, has ceased to alarm, or to excite the apprehensions with which it was formerly regarded. The remedy has been found, and fortunately in time to be applied. For this remedy we are wholly indebted to the rapid progress made in the cultivation of fish, and the successful results accomplished within the present generation through the efforts of the pisciculturists of France, Germany, England, the United States, and other civilized countries. That the Chinese have for ages had a thorough and practical knowledge of the science of aquaculture or water-farming, is well known, and the extent to which it is carried among the Celestials may be appreciated when it is understood that one-tenth of the population live almost exclusively upon fish. Fish-spawn, impregnated by artificial means, form one of the principal articles of commerce, and tens of millions of eggs are purchased from traveling merchants for the replenishing of ponds and lakes, in which vast quantities of herbivorous fishes are raised. These fish are, it appears, not only very prolific, but of rapid growth, and, being supplied with abundant and appropriate food, develop so fast that in from two to three weeks they attain a weight of as many pounds. Nor is this surprising, in view of the fact that the smolt, or young salmon, has grown from three or four ounces to seven or eight pounds during the first four months of its existence in salt-water after its change of habitat from the river in which it was spawned. This is, of course, attributed to the abundance and superior quality of the food, which has a marked influence upon the dimensions as well as upon the productiveness of the various species. The voracity and digestive powers of fish are essential in the economy of Nature in keeping within limits the tendency to superabundance. They not only prey upon each other, but they devour the young of their own species, and even their own spawn not unfrequently forms a portion of their food-supply. Trout are oc

casionally taken with eggs partially digested in their stomachs, and in some instances, where the eggs were uninjured by the gastric juices, they were subjected to the process of incubation, and the young fish successfully hatched in due time. But there are some exceptions to what might, we suppose, be called the absence of parental affection, and a notable one is afforded by the black bass, which has become quite a favorite, not merely on account of its game qualities, but also because of the superior character of its meat. By some it is preferred for the latter reason to all other fresh-water fishes, with the exception of the Salmo fontinalis, or brook-trout. The black bass remains with its young after they are hatched, leading the feeble fry in among the sedgy grass and rushes, amid the shallows, where it acts as a sentinel, warding off all danger, and fiercely attacking every intruder within the forbidden limits. Another member of the Percida, which is found in some of the waters of California, and which brings forth its young alive, is no less affectionate and vigilant in the care of its young.

they found in the more aërated water, and the sandy and gravely bottom, the conditions most favorable to their purpose. Digging with their noses pits in the sand six or seven inches deep, and three or four feet in diameter, the trout places in the centre of these excavations a line of stones of various sizes, according to the size of the fish. In this work a number of trout coöperate, and, when the bed is thus prepared, the eggs are deposited by the females in successive lines, and after impregnation the whole mass is covered up by the parents, the noses, fins, and tails being freely used in the operation. While this work is progressing there are generally a number of small, feathered spectators, called water-ousels, in the vicinity, deeply interested in the operation. These visit the beds when the fish leave, and, disappearing beneath the surface, pick up such insects as would otherwise feed upon the ova. For a long time it was supposed that this friend and ally of the trout devoured the spawn, and, while this erroneous impression lasted, a most unrelenting warfare was waged against the unoffend. ing bird; but, when the error was discov. ered, hostilities ceased, peace was declared, and the harmless little fellow was at once taken under human protection. He is now a welcome visitor on the trout preserves of England and wherever else he is found ready to do his share of the work in the protection and propagation of his finny associate and protégé.

In the course of a month the eggs are

These, however, are rare exceptions, and are in striking contrast with the well-known voracity of fish. But, destructive as they are acknowledged to be, and, like a certain mythological character, devouring as they do their own young, they have an enemy who is still more destructive, and who has succeeded, by his rapacity and cupidity, in depopulating many of our inland waters, and who, if not stopped by timely and restrictive legislation, | hatched, and these eggs are wonderful things will utterly exterminate the most valuable and highly-prized of our lake and river and even of our coast fishes. That he has not thus far succeeded in doing so is owing to the persevering efforts and successful labors of the Commissioners of Fisheries in this and other States, to whom the country is more indebted than it is aware, and who have repaid it a hundred-fold for the amount expended in the prosecution of the important work with which they have been charged. It is but a few years since the subject has received that attention in the United States to which it is so preeminently entitled.

The French are indebted to the Messrs. Gehin and Remy, two fishermen of the department of the Vosges, for the discovery of the art of preserving, artificial impregnation, and incubation of the eggs of fish. Gifted with a keen perception, and devotedly attached to their vocation, they were close observers of the habits of the denizens of the streams and brooks. Having thoroughly satisfied themselves, by practical tests and experiments, of the successful propagation of fish by their method, they made their valuable discovery known to the Academy of Sciences at Paris. This eminent body became deeply interested in the process, and extended to the two humble fishermen a prompt and hearty encouragement. It was at once seen that a great secret had been revealed, and that, at a comparatively trifling expense, all the barren and exhausted lakes, ponds, and rivers, might be made most productive and profitable. Messrs. Remy and Gehin, in their observations of the habits of trout during the spawning-season, perceived that they ascended the rivers till

in their way. Semi-transparent, and varying in size from the head of a large pin to the dimensions of a large pea, they have a peculiarly horny and elastic shell, so that, if struck against any hard substance, they will rebound therefrom with the elasticity of a miniature ball of India-rubber. Subject to the action of the water, and to abrasion among the gravel and sand, these little eggs are protected by the peculiar properties of the delicate-looking case in which they are inclosed. A few days before the imprisoned embryo is ready to emerge from his prison, two little black specks are observed within the shell. These are the eyes, and a glance through a microscope reveals a movement of the body and a wagging of the tail, all of which are doubtless the preliminary efforts which are to result in the final deliverance. When be has at last emerged there is a little sac attached to his abdomen, and this constitutes his sole nourishment as he lies on the bottom, unable, so long as this appendage remains, to rise to the surface. The umbilical sac disappears in four weeks, and then, for the first time, the fry employs his means of locomotion to good purpose. The little fins and tails are set at work, and carry him from place to place in quest of animalcules and such infinitesimal game. To enable him to grow apace, he must have plenty of the right kind of food, and clear spring-water having a temperature of from forty to forty-five degrees. Bullock's liver cut fine and grated, offal, or the flesh of almost any animal subject to the same process, will suit his taste. He is not fastidious, and, when he has attained a weight of

two or three pounds, he enjoys such dainty morsels as a frog or mouse. He is, in fact, a keen-sighted hunter of mice and other "small deer," and will lie in wait under the pads of water-lilies or the shelving banks, or behind a log or stone, as eager after his prey as Grimalkin himself-ready to pounce upon the hapless victim the moment he shall be within reach.

We have said that fish feed on spawn, and the fact, as already stated, that not more than one out of every thousand salmon's eggs ever attains to the maturity of a full-sized fish, affords abundant evidence that they are beset with enemies at every stage of their existence. The water-larvæ of the libellula, or dragon - fly, which Sir Humphry Davy says is the most voracious of the winged insect-tribe, and of the Ephemeræ, or May-fly, it is said, are deadly enemies of the eggs of the trout and other fishes. Pouncing upon the ovum, they pierce it with their sharp pincers, destroying the living germ; but when the egg becomes a trout, the tables are turned, and the winged product of the larvæ becomes the prey of the matured fish. It is true, the insect has undergone a wondrous transformation-from a nympha he is converted into a full-fledged fly; but yet, tempted to wing his flight over the dimpled surface of the stream, he falls a prey to the voracious enemy lying in watch beneath the wave.

Aquaculture, or water-farming, is a peculiarly applicable title for the system of fish-culture pursued in France. There, where the conditions and form of the ground are favorable to the purpose, they construct artificial fish-ponds by damming up the waters of streams. The land thus overflowed has become exhausted by successive crops; but now it is to be turned to account in another direction, and its products are to be of a different description. It may have yielded oats, or wheat, or vegetables, but the soil has lost its fertility by frequent planting, and, if not abundantly manured, should be permitted to recuperate. If, however, it has ceased to yield of its abundance, it can be made to produce a crop of fish. The ponds thus made are overflowed and stocked with fish-the carp being the favorite for this kind of farming. In the course of three or four years the crop is considered ripe, the pond is drained, its finny product gathered in by nets, and disposed of at a handsome profit, for the carp is a most wholesome article of food in the French cuisine. The bottom of the pond, drained of its water supply, is planted, perhaps, with hemp, of which it yields an abundant crop, and for the next three or four years the process of dry-farming is continued until it becomes evident that the character of the crops must be again changed. The water is again turned in upon the land, and it is once more converted into a lake. But this time it is entirely unnecessary to plant it with fish. The seeds of the former crop remain in the soil, and only require the water, their natural element, to accomplish the work of incubation. When freed from their tiny egg-shells, the youthful Cyprinide swarm by thousands through the water in quest of insects and tender plants, for the carp thrives on vegetable food.

The cod has been mentioned as an illustration of the fecundity of fish, but all species of the finny tribe are noted for their fertility. Although belonging to a different family, the oyster is worthy of notice in this connection, its spat, or spawn, containing at the spawning season as many as 1,800,000 eggs; a trout of one pound weight contains 1,008 eggs; and a salmon of twenty pounds, 40,000; while a mackerel of one pound contains 86,120; and a pickerel of four and a half pounds, 42,160. The supply of food has much to do with the productive character of fish, as well as with the important question of their size and growth. We might cite, as a special instance of this, the proof afforded by the Rangely Lake trout, which, although declared by the late Professor Agassiz to be a pure Salmo fontinalis, or brook-trout, grows to the enormous weight of ten pounds, and is commonly taken at four or five. It is true that an occasional brook trout has been caught weighing ten pounds, and it is said that one was captured in some Western river years ago by an Indian, a prize having been offered by an officer of a surveying expedition for the largest specimen. However that may be, we have seen a stuffed monster of the Rangely Lake species which turned the scale at ten pounds. The superior size of this fish is attributable wholly to the abundant supply of food afforded by the waters which he inhabits, and in which is found a new species of the numerous Salmo family. This species is called the blue-backed trout, or Salmo oquassa, and, according to Seth Green, the Superintendent of Fisheries of the State of New York, is a relative of the European char or Salmo umbla. While of the same family and resembling the trout, except that the red spots are absent, its habits are altogether different. The blue-back makes its appearance in countless swarms on the shores of the lake in the month of October, and "invariably at the same time, to spawn," the tenth being the eventful day. Punctual to date, it never fails, and is captured by tens of thousands. Smoked and salted, it forms a considerable portion of the winter supply of the people living in the vicinity.

J. M.

is very handsome; short, delicate, aquiline
nose; piercing, dark-gray eyes; long, dark-
brown hair, beard, and mustache; small
white, regular teeth; skin tanned to a regu-
lar bronze by exposure to the weather. He
was dressed in a blue-cloth capote (hooded
frock-coat), with brass buttons, red-and-black
flannel shirt, which served also for waist-
coat; buff-leather moccasins on his feet, black
belt around his waist; trousers of brown-and-
white-striped home-made woolen stuff."

Could Lord Southesk see the subject of
his special admiration at this date, he might
add, with truth, "McKay, of late years, has
grown too obese to lie horizontally in his
bed; and, as to putting his foot astride of a
horse, it is doubtful if he has ever seen those
extremities for many a long day!"

increase their subsistence. To the half-breed children -a numerous progeny-of these French and Indian parents, descended the vocation of the father, and the nomadic instincts of the mother, resulting in the production of a civilized nomad who unites the industries of both civilized and savage life. To this element may be added a considerable number of metis, the offspring of the Scotch and English employés of the trading corporations, and the half-breeds of the old régime, resident on the Canadian coasts- for the most part the poorest representatives of their class. Scattered over the vast country from the Canadas to the Pacific coast, and from the Coteau of the Missouri to the Saskatchewan, the half-breed forms the advance-guard of civilization, ahead even of the white pioHis paternity may be French, English, or Scotch-his maternity Chippewa, Cree, or Sioux; but his vocation will always be the same, until, by admixture of lighter or darker

neer.

Nevertheless this etching of McKay will do duty, in all essential points, as the correct portraiture of a large and distinct class of people inhabiting our own frontier, and that of our northern neighbor, and familiarly | blood, he becomes resolved into one of his known as half-breeds, who, neither Indian nor white, possess all the craft of one and a fair degree of the intelligence of the other. Familiar with the customs of both from infancy, they adopt the medias res between the two, and in language are equally cosmopoli

tan.

At the beginning of the present century, when the rival Canadian fur companies, known as the X. Y. and Northwest Companies, were engaged in fierce competition with the Hudson's Bay Company for the possession of the Indian trade, there sprung into existence, in the exigencies of this special service, a class of men known as coureurs des bois, or woodrunners. They were French colonists, whose spirit of adventure, stimulated by a desire of gain, and love for the free, roving Indian life, led them to pursue the calling of trappers and traders, betaking themselves to the woods and hunting-grounds of Canada, and spreading gradually over the whole country east from the height of land west of Lake Superior. As hunters and trappers they were even more skillful than their Indian teachers. As traders they were outfitted by the Canadian companies with the necessary goods to barter with the Indians for fur; and, after periods of absence extending over twelve or fifteen months, spent in traveling in their canoes, would return laden with furs of great value, their share of which they regularly squandered during a short residence in the towns or cities, previous to embarking on their next voyage. After the coalition of the competing fur companies, in the year 1821, and their consequent loss of employment as traders, these coureurs des bois gradually spread farther into the interior, penetrated the unsettled districts of Dakota and Manitoba, and the nearer Lake Superior region, formed small communities, took to themselves Indian wives, and forsook civilization entirely. In place of traders, they became more especially hunters and trappers, disposing of their furs and produce at the trading posts scattered throughout the country, and near which they invariably settled. In addition to this they beame canoe-men and freighters to the trading - companies, or engaged in certain "His face-somewhat Assyrian in type- miniature agricultural pursuits tending to

IN

OUR HALF-BROTHER.

N a series of articles descriptive of a journey made by Lord Southesk through the Hudson's Bay Territory in 1859, published in the JOURNAL of May last, is given the following pen-portrait of James McKay, a half-breed guide:

"A Scotchman, though with Indian blood on his mother's side, he was born and bred in the Saskatchewan country, but afterward became a resident of Fort Garry, and entered the company's employ. Whether as guide or bunter, he was universally reckoned one of their best men. Immensely broad-chested and muscular, though not tall, he weighed eighteen stone; yet, in spite of his stoutness, he was exceedingly hardy and active, and a

wonderful horseman.

original elements.

As a rule, the French half-breed--by far the largest and most representative class-is eminently social in disposition, and gregarious in his habits. As a consequence, be lives in communities, more or less miniature, during the winter months, and trades and hunts in bands during the summer. He enjoys company and is loath to be alone. Like his wealthier white brethren, he affects two annual residences-a log-house for his hibernal months, and a wigwam for the summer solstice. As a rule, be may be addressed

at the former. About it he has some arable
ground, which he cultivates in a feeble and
uncertain manner. He scratches the surface
of the ground, and expects it to be prolific.
Not being fond of labor, the weeds are al-
lowed to choke the crop, the fences to fall
into decay, and a general air of wreck to
take possession of his tiny farm.
This ap-
pearance of improvidence becomes perennial,
not apparently getting worse or better, but
remaining at about the same state year after
year. The scanty crops, when gathered and
stacked in the open air, in irregular piles,
contribute to the general tumble-down as-
pect. Indian ponies, with their usual worn-
out and overworked look, wander about the
premises, or stand engaged in melancholy
retrospection. About the door-yard are a few
wooden carts-whose antecedents date back
to the fields of Normandy-guiltless of iron,
in a state of greater or less fracture, bound
up with rawhide, and ornamented with rusty
sets of harness. There may possibly be a
cow on the premises, though not likely to be,
as she would be killed and eaten the first
time her improvident owner ran short of pro-
visions. There are dogs, however, and in
proportion as the metis is poor, the number
of canines increases.

The dwelling itself, except in the midwinter months, presents an appearance of decay. The plaster placed in the interstices of the logs crumbles under the action of the elements, and falls about the foundation of the building in muddy heaps. The thatch or clapboards of the roof are loosened in places, and are certain not to be repaired until the next winter. Internally the house is one

single apartment; occasionally, in the better class, though rarely, two apartments. The floor is of planks sawed or hewed by hand; the ceiling, if there is any, of the same material. In one corner is the only bed, a narrow couch, painted, generally, an ultra-marine blue, or a vivid sea-green. An open fireplace occupies one end of the aparment, with the chimuey within the walls. A table, one or two chairs, a few wooden trunks or boxes-doing duty with this people everywhere as table, chair, clothes-press, and cupboard-and a dresser, constitute the furniture. About the walls somewhere, more especially over the bed, hang colored prints of the Virgin, the sacred heart, etc., together with a rosary. It may be that the daughter of the house and there always is a daughter -has come under the influence of a convent for a season, and can read; perhaps write. In that event, there is a copy of the "Lives of the Saints on a bracket; and, it may be, a few periodicals. For the rest, the apartment is cheerless and uninviting. It may be clean, but the chances are that it is not. That peculiar aroma, too, which pervades all inhabited chambers, here becomes often aggressive, and, as it were, wrestles with the visitor for the mastery.

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In this apartment the family herdsquaw mother often, and children so numerous and dirty as to be a wonder to behold. During the day its utter inefficiency to adequately accommodate the numbers it shelters is partially concealed, from the fact that they are seldom all in at one time. But on the approach of night, when the dusky brood are all housed, the question of where they are to sleep becomes startlingly prominent.

I remember well my first experience in the solution of this difficulty. Caught one stormy winter's evening, on the banks of a northern river, without preparations for camping, my uncivilized guide halted before the door of a small cabin, and asked permission to remain overnight. Hospitality being one of the savage virtues, the request was readily granted. After a meagre supper of fish without salt, and a post-prandial smoke, I began to look about for a couch for the night. Nothing was visible save one narrow bed, into which my host and his swarthy consort soon retired. Now, in addition to myself and guide, there were thirteen of the family composed of children, male and female, from infancy to mature age. Where were they all to sleep? I thought of a possible loft; but there was no ceiling. Finally, I was about making preparations to sit before the fire all night, when, from trunks and boxes were produced blankets and robes, and a shake-down made on the floor, into which I was directed to crawl. Scarcely had I done so, when my bed began to wider, and in a few minutes extended from wall to wall. Soon I found myself the central figure in a closely-packed bed of thirteen, filled promiscuously with males and females. I thought involuntarily of the great bed of Ware and its thirty occupants.

The occupations of the half-breed, when not engaged as voyageur or agriculturist, are limited to fishing in the stream near his residence, hunting for small game, the care of

his ponies, and a round of social visits to his neighbors. The two former are followed only to the extent of furnishing a supply of food for the day, to-morrow being left to care for itself. The idea of accumulating supplies of provisions in advance, save in the late fall, never apparently enters the halfbreed mind. If he fails to secure sufficient game or fish for the day's provision, he simply goes without his dinner; nor do frequent privations of this sort seem to impress upon his volatile mind the policy of reserving of present excess for future scarcity. But, should he by some fortuitous circumstance become possessed of a surplus of salable provision, its ownership becomes a consuming flame to him until disposed of. The idea of keeping any thing which he can sell is an absurdity which his intellect cannot grasp.

It is in the winter season, when the cold has put an end to their labors for the most part, and the cares of existence are lightened by reason of advances made them upon the work of the approaching season, or the fair supply of provisions laid by from the last, that the social life of the half-breeds may be said to be at its highest. It is then that they marry and are given in marriage; that feasting, dancing, and merry-makings of all descriptions, do much abound Every loghouse then echoes to the violin of some moccasined and straight-haired Paganini, who after years of sedulous practice has attained a certain ghastly facility of execution. It is rumored weekly that, at the residence of Baptiste, or Pascal, or Antoine, there will be given a dance, and the rumor is accepted as a general invitation. The young bucks of the neighborhood array themselves in the bewildering apparel which obtains upon occasions of this nature: a blue-cloth capote, with brass buttons; black or drab corduroy trousers, the aesthetic effect of which is destroyed by a variegated sash, with fringed ends pendent about the knees; moccasins, and a fur cap with gaudy tassel. The young maidens apparel themselves in sombre prints or woolen stuffs, but with bright-colored shawls about the shoulders. This, with a false lustre upon their black locks, from copious applications of grease, is all that is showy about them. The dances are reels and square-dances. When they begin, however, they continue for days at a time; the younger people occupying the night, and the older ones the day, repairing home to rest, and then returning. Custom makes it obligatory upon the entertainers to furnish food and liquor for the dancers, and there is a vast consumption of both. It frequently happens that, from the number of participants, and the long continuance of the dance, the amount of supplies demanded reduces the host to poverty. I have known repeated instances where at one ball, continuing three or four days, the entire winter's provision for a family was consumed, and ponies were sold to pay for the liquor. Yet, the improvident half-breed thinks nothing of it, and gives the ball, well knowing the result. He wants either a feast or a famine. If he spends his substance for others, however, he retaliates by haunting all the festivities of his neighbors during the entire winter.

At home, when not engaged in dancing and feasting, or taken up with the sordid and petty cares of his existence, the halfbreed smokes and drinks tea. His consumption of tobacco is ceaseless, and his libations of tea would do no discredit to John Chinaman. If he hires out by the day to labor, he spends ten minutes of each hour in filling and lighting his pipe; if he is voyaging, he halts at every headland or wooded promontory to put his kettle on and drink tea. Of a winter's day he curls up by his neighbor's fire, and smokes and relates his adventures. His life has run in a limited channel, but he knows every point in its course. Virtues may have abounded in it, but cakes and ale have much more abounded. But we may learn from it that many admirable things are consonant with an entire ignorance of books.

When the ploughing is done in the springtime, and the seed in the ground, the halfbreed agriculturist experiences a yearning for the chase, or goes to fulfill his engagement as voyageur. If the former, the fractured wooden carts are bound up with rawhide thongs, the broken-spirited ponies coaxed into a semblance of life and vigor, the dusky progeny packed in with boxes and blankets, the house locked up, and the migratory family set forth for the prairie or stream. With the first pitching of the wigwam the manners and customs of civilized life cease, and the half-breed assumes the habits of a savage. He hunts for the pot; for this spring-time chase is simply to obtain daily subsistence while his meagre crops mature. His tent is encountered in the usual Indian haunts-by the side of a stream or lake, or half hidden in some timber-bluff on the prairie. He has become a nomad pure and simple. But, when the harvest-time approaches, he returns again to his miniature farm. In a negligent manner his crop is gathered and thrashed. Reserving barely sufficient for the winter's needs, the remainder is sold, and with the proceeds an outfit for the long fall hunt is purchased. Perhaps, if they can be obtained on credit, a few goods are selected for trade with his savage brethren. Again, with his family, he seeks the prairie and stream, and hunts for his winter's food, trading betimes for such furs as may yield a profit. Later in the fall he returns to his winter's residence, adds a few repairs to its leaky roof, plasters up the interstices in its log-walls, and settles down to hibernal monotony and the dance.

If the half-breed is a voyageur or guide, the task of cultivating the garden-plot is left to the members of his family, if he have one, the season of his service being the summer and fall months. For the most part, however, little or no planting is done by this class. They rely for support on a system of advances, which obtains with the trading corporations of the wilderness. Engagements are generally made in the month of December for a certain trip or amount of service, either boating or land freighting, to be performed during the ensuing season. A small advance is made the voyageur at that time, to bind the bargain, as it were. When the meal becomes low in the measure and the wine gone from the jar, he repairs to his

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